Newest San Francisco supervisor joins board, discusses pushback over appointment
SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor London Breed's appointment to fill the seat left by new Assemblymember Matt Haney joined the Board of Supervisors Tuesday, but he's only guaranteed that spot for a few months.
In an already eventful year in San Francisco politics with the School Board recalls, an Assembly race and battles over redistricting, being appointed to the board might be a dangerous place.
"I'm acutely aware of what it is to look for a number of people who have died in the last month of drug overdose and know that I'm one bad decision away from being that number," new District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey said Tuesday, just ahead of his first board meeting.
Dorsey has talked a lot about his personal struggles with addiction, and he said the drug crisis will be his focus. The new supervisor also he knows his appointment has caused a fair amount of pushback among the city's progressives.
"The extent to which people are furious, I take it for what it's worth," Dorsey told KPIX 5. "Everybody's furious about something on Twitter. I think that's where it's coming from."
"She basically picked a longtime political operative that has most recently served in the capacity of media spokesperson for the Police Department," said Homeless Advocate Christin Evans, speaking to the concerns about Mayor Breed's appointment. "That's really concerning. It signals that she is aligned with the Police Officers Association."
Homeless advocates, who have long sought to distance homelessness policies from policing, are among those concerned.
Just last week, Supervisor Dean Preston, whose district now includes the Tenderloin, held a hearing questioning the function of Dorsey's previous job.
"You know, anything like that, my feelings aren't hurt about 'copaganda.' Dorsey said, referring to how some describe police public relations work. "Supervisor Preston and I have worked together cooperatively on many things, we've been trading calls now. I think we're gonna be closely in line on a lot of things."
Appointed members have a bad track record in recent years. Breed won her seat on the board, by defeating a candidate - Christina Olague - who had been appointed by then Mayor Ed Lee. Subsequently Mayor Breed's appointment to fill her own seat, Vallie Brown, also ultimately lost two elections to Preston.
Dorsey knows that history.
"I think it's less about the appointing authority, and more about the person appointed," Dorsey said.
It's not just Dorsey facing an upcoming vote. The three members appointed to the Board of Education following the February recall will be up for election in November as well.
