NoPa+/Divisadero Merchants Association Release D5 Debate Video

Written by Luke Thomas. Posted in News, Politics

Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Published on October 05, 2012 with 11 Comments


Video by Babette Hogan, Polidoc Productions.

By Luke Thomas

October 5, 2012

NoPa+ and Divisadero Merchants Association today released video of their spirited public debate between candidates vying to be the next elected District 5 Supervisor.

The debate, held at Rasselas Jazz Club on September 26, was particularly noteworthy due to a question posed by an audience member who asked the candidates how they would vote, as supervisor, on the suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi case, a vote that will be considered by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (October 9).

The action begins at the 20-minute mark on the video.

Several attendees described appointed Supervisor Christina Olague as “storming off stage” during the Mirkrarimi question and discussion, bringing the contentious debate to an abrupt end.

While it is evident that Olague did leave the stage before the debate moderator called time, “storming off stage” may be a slight exaggeration. Also, according to the video, Olague returned to her seat shortly after going off camera.

Kip Fuller, founder of NoPa+, said the lively debate format is based on a “hot seat concept, which allowed each candidate to respond to the most controversial question around his or her campaign.”

“We learned a lot and the outcome was fantastic,” Fuller added.

Both NoPa+ and Divisadero Merchants Association must remain neutral and have not endorsed any candidates in the race, Fuller said.

“However,” Fuller said, “I may decide individually to endorse a candidate after October 9. We need a candidate who will address varying community interests in D5 with a balanced approach. Having the moral aptitude to do what’s right is key.”

Video of the debate (parts 1 through 5) available here.

Luke Thomas

Luke Thomas

Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/annie.garrison Ann Garrison

    Could have used a more insistent moderator.

  • http://www.facebook.com/annie.garrison Ann Garrison

    Julian Davis should not have asked Christina Olague, “Why are so many accusing you and Mayor Lee of perjury in connection with the Mirkarimi hearings?”  

    He’s a recent law school graduate, top of his class according to the Bay Guardian in their endorsement, so I’m sure he himself knows that Christina Olague could not possibly have been guilty of “perjury in connection with the Mirkarimi hearings” at the time of this debate, because she did not testify at the Ethics Commission hearings and has not signed a sworn statement.  No one can lie under oath if they haven’t taken an oath.

    If she does testify and/or sign a sworn statement, and/or, if the other ten Supervisors do the same in response to Mirkarimi’s attorneys’ request, then it will at least be conceivable that one or more have them have committed perjury.  At this point, it is not.  

  • http://www.facebook.com/Brookse32 Eric Brooks

    After watching this video of the debate, the most striking thing one notices is that Christina Olague did not, as you previously reported Luke, ‘storm off the stage’ after Julian Davis’ question to her about Lee.

    What actually happened, is that the debate had ended, and Olague (who had previously mentioned her tight time schedule for the night) very slowly and casually got up to leave the event, because it was ending and she needed to go.

    In fact, viewers of the video will notice that when some audience members called for the debate to extend longer, Olague even came -back- to her mic in anticipation that more questions were going to be asked.

    You need to edit your previous report Luke to make it accurate.

    • http://www.fogcityjournal.com/ fogcityjournal

      Eric, did you read this report?  Your points have been addressed here.

      • http://www.facebook.com/Brookse32 Eric Brooks

         Yes. But the older report is still what it was. It looks to me like those audience members have a bias against Olague and are manufacturing hype.

  • DavidinSF

    Eric, as you were not visible at the debate (meaning that you were not there) if you were you would have seen that Christina did storm out as Luke wrote, got to the exit door at the back of the hall  realized what she had done, stopped turned around and walked back to her chair.

    • http://www.facebook.com/Brookse32 Eric Brooks

       As with the Rodney King video, I think I’ll trust my own eyes over your eye witness report. No one seeing this video could believe that Olague ‘stormed out’. She was very casually and calmly walking.

  • Ryanford1973

    Okay Luke, forward the video to 8:25, please note John Rizzo’s statement that he was most vocal critic of Trustees who under his watch (broke state law) and received $500 payments (of tax payer dollars) for meetings they did not attend. I attended the West Bay Confrence Center debate last month and Rizzo endorsed Chris Jackson for college board, yet Chris Jackson was found guilty of receiving payments for meetings he did not attend (a violation of state law). Apparently, Rizzo is NOT a vocal critic as he states in the video. Luke you missed a good story, would you consider aiming your journalistic curiosity towards Rizzo’s apparent lie? 

  • DavidinSF

    Eric let it go, you were not there ! Your surmising, if you were there and viewed the whole occurrence then you have the right to challenge Luke for false reporting, as you weren’t there you don’t !

    • Ryan Ford

      Juian Davis knows what D5 needs, he is honorable, smart and a stand up guy.

    • http://www.facebook.com/Brookse32 Eric Brooks

       Luke apparently wasn’t there either, and was relying on reports from others which appear to have been false. My beef isn’t against Luke but against inaccuracy, and against political hacks manipulating the media. The video makes it crystal clear that Olague wasn’t ‘storming out’.