By Tim Redmond
San Francisco Assembly member Fiona Ma led the battle in Sacramento to derail a pro-Tibet resolution, leaving some activists scratching their heads.
Sure, the measure was sponsored by a Republican, Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo, and sure, that made some Democrats nervous. But frankly, it wasn’t that big a deal — the Assembly passed a virtually identical resolution last year, honoring the Dalai Lama. The U.S. Congress has passed stronger pro-Tibet resolutions.
Ma, however, insisted it would harm U.S.-China relations:
“[The Obama] administration has been proactively engaging in diplomacy with China including human rights,” Ma said. “I believe we shouldn’t undermine the proactive efforts being done at the federal level.”
I asked her by email why it was fine to pass a pro-Tibet resolution last year, but not okay this year. Her response:
Last year was a different time and situation. I asked to send this Resolution back to committee for further review. I’m proposing amendments so will let you know what happens.
Tom Ammiano, who also represents San Francisco, scoffed at the move to send the measure to the Rules Committee, which typically means a bill is dead. “I wanted it voted on on the floor,” he told me. “It had the votes to pass.”
Typically, sending a bill