Four Stormy Years Ahead

On Jan. 9, 1961, President-elect John F. Kennedy, not yet sworn in as president of the United States, addressed the Massachusetts legislature in Boston and uttered memorable words regarding the “high court of history” deciding fulfillment of responsibilities to our nation. He declared: “Courage – judgment – integrity – dedication – these are the historic qualities which, with God’s help … will characterize our government’s conduct in the four stormy years ahead.”

Applying those truisms to President Donald Trump in his first three months of a presidential performance in his second term which has agitated the nation leaves me saddened. I’m also fearful of the future. His treatment of Ukraine in its efforts to preserve its independence and democracy is shameful. Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin seem similar in their views of democracy. While I concur with efforts to reduce the federal bureaucracy (just as I do with reducing San Francisco’s boards and commissions), Trump insists on actions designed to undermine tax collection, medical care and trade with other nations while peddling nonsense about annexing Greenland and reducing economic relationships or annexing our two closest geographic neighbors, Canada and Mexico.

Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats are divided and unsure of their principles: Enacting a federal budget so as to avoid a closure of our national government motivated U.S. Senate leader “Chuck” Schumer as the Democratic Senate Minority Leader to vote for a new (and Republican) national budget together with a few other Democrats. That’s in the national interest. Yet, our own Nancy Pelosi publicly criticizes Senate Democrats who joined Schumer. I’m no fan of “Chuckie,” but for a change, he acted in the best interest of our own nation for which I laud him, the first time I’ve done so in his years as Senate Democratic leader. All hands must be on deck with the Mar-a-Lago Flash in the White House.

Locally, I’m cheered by progress in securing sufficient signatures to recall District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio for his mismanagement of consistent responsibilities in creating a ballot measure (Proposition K) to close the Upper Great Highway to motor vehicles. Nearly 10,000 District 4 voter signatures are needed by May 22. About 6,000 had been secured by March 24. My wife and I have signed. Have you? If not, call campaign Co-Chairman Richard Correia at 415-971-9559 to do so. As a lawyer and retired judge, I’m impressed by a lawsuit last month in S.F. Superior Court by Matthew Boschetto, Lisa Arjes, Albert Chow and Vin Budhai (president of Livable S.F., Inc.) The suit names Engardio and supervisors Myrna Melgar, Rafael Mandelman, (now Board of Stupervisors president), (Former) Supervisor Dean Preston, the Socialist, Supervisor Matt Dorsey (all Prop. K proponents) as Real Parties in Interest and the City and County, Board of Supervisors and the ravaging Rec. and Park Department as defendants. The suit alleges Prop. K was invalid because the state of California has preempted roads and traffic control, and state law precludes local voters from closing a public street under Vehicle Code section 21101 (a) (1.). Prop. K further violates binding California Environmental Quality Act provisions requiring the City “to consider and mitigate the potential environmental effect of such closure” which, by the way, occurred March 14 and the City never did so. The suit forcefully alleges voters had no power to decide closure, which ignores “the state’s plenary authority” over traffic control and roads, and unlawfully places a measure before San Francisco voters that was not in the voters’ power to decide.”

Cities and counties don’t have the power to decide traffic control and road usage, which are a part of the state’s absolute authority! At press time, the city attorney had not yet filed a response to the suit, which is the work of Jim Sutton, a San Francisco attorney who is an expert in the field of election law, but I’ll keep readers informed once he does. Mr. Sutton will then seek an injunction to stop further City Hall activity and a court order to re-open the Upper Great Highway to all motor vehicles.

Continuing my coverage of illegal alien affairs, the San Francisco budget analyst estimates there are about 46,000, not 43,000, in our City by the Bay. In 2024, California became the first state to provide health care to them, costing $9.5 billion annually, which is already $3 billion over the estimate last June. This occurs in a budget crisis. California’s Department of Finance reported that $8.4 billion of $ 9.5 billion is paid by California taxpayers and the other $1.1 billion comes from the federal government.

Last month, Californians learned it’ll cost state taxpayers about $6.5 billion more to furnish income-eligible immigrants, $3 billion over the budget estimate last summer. At least one Trumpster claims health care to illegal aliens enables Democrats to attract them and turn them into voters. The California Department of Finance revealed that we taxpayers furnish $8.4 billion of the funding for health care to the illegals and the remaining $1.1 billion by the federal government for emergency room treatments and pregnancy care.

Meanwhile, I wish all readers, Jewish and otherwise, a happy Passover which begins Saturday night, April 12, and Easter Sunday, which is April 20. And I offer all Muslim readers my best wishes for those who are celebrating Ramadan, which ends April 5 after one month of prayer and joyful celebration.

Finally, I recall one of President Harry Truman’s papers in 1952 when he declared: “Politics is a fascinating game, because politics is government. It’s the art of government.” Robert Louis Stevenson was more precise before that in 1902, noting: “Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary.”

Quentin Kopp is a former San Francisco supervisor, state senator, SF Ethics Commission member, president of the California High Speed Rail Authority governing board and retired Superior Court judge.