It must be the intense heat today.

It's making me silly.

From the iconic Beth Spotswood on the birth of Gavin's new baby:

It's a girl, which we knew.
They named it Montana, which explains why they didn't want us to know.

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I'm just thinking out loud here, since Beth started it. I mean, why didn't they name the baby California, if they were going to go with a state? No one in Montana is voting out here (I'm assuming) for our next governor.

Or they could have called her Ashbury Heights, to keep it local.

Play the New SF Game! All MUNI Riders Can Win!

I think this is brilliant. From the brand new site, "Where's Gavin?"
And thanks to Greg of the much beloved N-Judah Chronicles for posting this first.

I wonder if any of us can actually win this game? I sure could use a free Fast Pass.

***

We’re looking for Mayor Gavin Newsom. Have you seen him? We know he talks a good game on Muni and transit in our fair city, the City and County of San Francisco. But why doesn’t he also walk the walk? His advocacy and leadership for Muni has been noticeably absent even though, deep in his heart, he must know that the truly green choice is non-car transportation. So what are we to do? Apparently he has the lock on the capitulating Supes and just doesn’t get it:

When asked what he thinks about the fact that Muni riders are paying more than drivers in this budget (estimates say the ratio is 4 to 1), Newsom responded that’s only true “when the budget is taken out of context” and argued that over the years “it’s been fairly balanced.”

In order to make this mistake, he must be a car guy. But there is some hope! We only have this clue from the Chronicle:

He also rides Muni incognito, disguised in a baseball cap, and walks when he can, said his spokesman Nathan Ballard.

But going incognito means we can’t find him. So can you help us find him? Only you, the riders of our beloved San Francisco Municipal Railway, can find Gavin going incognito. And to get you excited, check out the sidebar to see what prizes you could win! The deep and resounding question of our time is not “Where’s Waldo?” It’s “Where’s Gavin?”

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I'm still sick but this game did brighten my day a bit. Now off for some more tea. I stole the graphic off of the Where's Gavin site because it's better than the only photo I've got of him.

Twitter This, Gavin

From yesterday's SFist:

"While Gavin Newsom tours California to tout his successes as mayor of San Francisco -- not to mention spending the weekend at the insider-baseball-y Democratic Convention in Sacramento, along with practically every other SF progressive and wonk -- he hasn't solved San Francisco's ails as thoroughly as he might want you to think he has...."

"While finding anything about homelessness on Newsom's site has proven fruitless, the San Francisco mayor talks about 'care not cash,' saying the numbers have improved. But 'care not cash' just isn't working, at least in this case. Yes, K has a social worker, but it sure doesn't sound adequate to keep her family on its feet. (She doesn't even have a way to keep milk/formula for her baby!)"

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Yep, that's right. While Mayor Newsom managed to Twitter up $15,ooo for his gubernatorial campaign last week, you've got to wonder what exactly he did for this city that proves he's ready to govern the state. Jerry Brown, are you reading?

San Francisco is sorely lacking in shelters for battered women, which is an entirely different type of resource than a regular shelter. Facilities and programs for abused women and their families in dire need are few and far between here in San Francisco. Had the situation been otherwise, I would have never met K and her family.

Thank you, SFist, for getting out there and saying what needs to be said about what's not getting done in this city to help the people who need it the most. I was too busy trying to help K and the kids to twitter in my donation.

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ps.: Oh, and Gavin, if you'd like to meet this mom and her kids to discuss how well your "care not cash" promise is working here in your city, I'd be happy to set up a meeting between your people and K's people. Email me. I'm not on Twitter.

pss.: And one more thing, Gavin, I know your Russian Hill penthouse is up for sale ($2,995,000). If you're traveling a lot for your campaign, I know a little family that could use a nice place to live until room in a shelter becomes available.