By Tim Redmond
According to the Chron, it’s all personal — Chris Daly doesn’t like Michela Alioto-Pier, so he engineered a way to keep her off the “plum assignment” of a seat on the Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
Actually, there are very good public-policy reasons why Alioto-Pier shouldn’t be on the BCDC. That’s a powerful agency, whose job is to make sure developers don’t run amok with bay-fill and shoreline projects. People who represent San Francisco need to be able to hold the line with developers, to say “no” on a regular basis to people who have a lot of money and clout. Alioto-Pier has always been one of the most pro-developer members of this board — and if, lord help us all, she’s actually serious about running for mayor, she’ll be shaking down that same crowd for money.
So forget the personalities — Daly did what any progresive would have done and made sure the developers didn’t get a friendly vote on the BCDC.
Plus, the last time she was appointed to an outside board it didn’t go too well.