Eyes On The Street: Mayor Newsom Shames Earth Day

Thanks to Livable City Executive Director Tom Radulovich for this photo from earlier today

Mayor Gavin Newsom sure knows how to milk a press conference when it suits his needs and beefs up his image.  My favorite has been all the press attention he got for announcing a proposal for the one of the world's smallest public-use bicycle share programs (right up there with Pinerolo, Italy, and Porsgrunn, Norway). Fifty bicycles to the tune of $1 million.  Subsequent news reports about bike share programs in Seattle and Boston mentioned San Francisco in the same breath as Paris and Barcelona, despite the fact that San Francisco's proposal is laughable and arguably could doom a real public-use bike program from getting traction.

That said, I'm mystified by the above photo, snapped this morning before Mayor Newsom's Earth Day breakfast.

C'mon, Gav, that's not just stupid, it's callous.  Just before introducing Urban EcoMap, which is touted as an "internet-based tool that gives San Franciscans the ability to see the collective results of their individual climate change actions, while also motivating people to make responsible environmental choices," you drive to work in your SUV?

Of all the days to ditch the gas guzzler and ride "Muni incognito" or use the bicycle, wouldn't today be the day?

Hey Nathan Ballard, how you gonna spin this one?  "Green mayor" be damned.