SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - The Board of Supervisors approved Mayor Gavin Newsom’s $6.1 billion city budget Tuesday — but not without controversy.

One supervisor accused colleagues of caving in to political pressure at the expense of San Francisco’s most vulnerable residents and urged them to stand up to the mayor’s “bullies.”

Newsom submitted his city budget for the 2007-08 fiscal year in June, calling it a “back to basics” budget as it includes millions of dollars in new funding for more police, homeless workers, Muni operators and street improvements. Every year, the board has to approve the mayor’s budget submission, though it is allowed to make cuts and use the extra money as it chooses.

This year’s budget process, taking place during Newsom’s re-election year, was full of political fireworks centering on the contentious relationship between Newsom and Supervisor Chris Daly. Earlier in the year, Daly succeeded in getting a $22 million affordable-housing spending measure passed by the Board of Supervisors, but Newsom did not program that money into his proposed budget.

Daly in turn threatened to slash funding for Newsom’s initiatives and use the money to fund the housing measure and other needs. The threat boiled over into a public feud, prompting Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin to remove Daly as chairman of the board’s Budget and Finance Committee, with Peskin himself taking the helm.

The committee wound up cutting $22 million from Newsom’s budget proposal and using the money to fund other needs, such as health services and affordable housing.

Daly, however, asked the full board on Tuesday to support cutting an additional $25 million out of the budget to fund other needs. His proposal included cutting $2.4 million budgeted for a police academy class and millions of dollars for street repairs to instead fund affordable housing, the restoration of 14 psychiatric beds at San Francisco General Hospital and the hiring of about five nurses.

“Colleagues, stand up to Newsom’s bullies and stand up for progressive San Francisco values,” Daly said.

No members of the board supported Daly’s proposal. “It seems as if the deal is done. No one wants to touch Daly. Daly is radioactive,” Daly said, and then left the board chambers, returning in time to cast the lone dissenting vote on the budget.

jsabatini@examiner.com

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Comments from Examiner Readers

4:38 PM MST on Wed., Jul. 18, 2007 re: "Board OKs Newsom's budget"

Bob said:
my god 6.1 billion dollar budget for a city with a population of only 770,000; where is that money going? I know i heard that 80 percent of the budge of SF goes just to pay the benefit packages (that the board of idiots have approved) for SF workers. And in that 80 percent that doesn't include any services to the poor, needy, elderly etc. Now all these 'special interests' groups for the poor, needy, elder can't sqawk about the city not doing more but they will. They will say we need more and more and more. By the way, dodn't see anything in the 6.1 billion for the average citizen in SF. No improvement to MUNI, no safer streets, no cleaner streets, no middle class affordable housing. Why is it that the middle class always get 'screwed'

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1:29 PM MST on Wed., Jul. 18, 2007 re: "Board OKs Newsom's 'back to basics' budget"

Examiner Reader said:
EDWIN LEE used tax payer money to redo his entire block at 168 Hammerton and you will see that he has abused his authority with tax payers money

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1:14 PM MST on Wed., Jul. 18, 2007 re: "Board OKs Newsom's 'back to basics' budget"

Examiner Reader said:
I am delighted that Daly's proposals regarding redirection of funds from the Mayor's budget to his pet projects/political allies (which he terms "progressives") failed so miserably. His attempted smear of Newsom as a cocaine addict likewise failed. Daly's influence is dwindling fast. He's an absolute fraud and hypocrite (he campaigns for affordable housing and dwells in a condo he purchased in the self-same neighborhood in which he once postured as an anti-gentrification "activist"). And his tendency to throw tantrums and sulk is really unappealing.

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11:34 AM MST on Wed., Jul. 18, 2007 re: "S.F. board passes �back to basics� budget"

P. Fitzgerald said:
It is about time the Board of Supervisors start working with the Mayor and get some of these items approved. Daly has proven himself to be out of control and like a dog with a bone to chew when it comes to anything good that Mayor Gavin Newsom is doing. Daly at least recognizes, by his own admission, that he is indeed toxic and 'radioactive.' He is like the kid on the street that when upset or doesn't get his own way he takes his ball and goes home. Kudos to the Board for passing the budget and keeping the money for the police department in there. Our police are taxed enough and need support. Training is the best way to give them support. If we are to combat some of the criminal justice related problems here in San Francisco we need police that are trained properly and will not react to stressful situations that can become harmful to them and to the public. Training can reduce stress to police officers. For more info on this Google "Undercover Police and Stress in Honolulu.

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10:39 AM MST on Wed., Jul. 18, 2007 re: "S.F. board passes �back to basics� budget"

jimsr said:
6.1 BILLION is a "back to the basics" budget? The pol heads in this "town" are lucky the media and press think investigative reporting is politically incorrect.

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