Newsom says he'll rock the boat at City Hall

[Freddie Stubbs]

As San Francisco's new mayor takes office, he pledges to root out political patronage

Gavin Newsom, set to become San Francisco's 42nd mayor at the stroke of noon today, says he is committed to unraveling "the perception or the reality'' of patronage politics at City Hall in which the well-connected and the monied get preferential treatment.

It is a daunting task for any politician, and he may find it difficult to enact his agenda, given an entrenched bureaucracy and his rocky relationship with the Board of Supervisors majority, which may share his call for reform but question his motives.

Newsom, who at 36 will be the city's youngest mayor in the past century, said he is committed to upsetting the status quo.

"I know there's that cliche, 'no longer business as usual,' and it's overused often, but to me, it's not a cliche,'' Newsom said Wednesday. "The rules need to be changed so they're fair to everybody.''

more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/01/08/MNGDI45PV61.DTL

[StClone]

1. Lead on!

Will this really be a new trend? Hope so!

[Tempest]

2. Newsom is tied to the hip with big business

Real estate developers were his biggest campaign contributors.

Newsom plans to do away with affordable housing requirements for new developments.

He's a wolf in sheep's clothing.