John Rizzo: Progressive attack dog

Here's an example of the kind of thing progressive John Rizzo, just elected to the Ciy College board, pushed while on the Concourse Authority board. Below is a verbatim copy of the crucial agenda item for the Nov. 16, 2004 meeting of the Concourse Authority's board:

4. GOLDEN GATE PARK MUSIC CONCOURSE UNDERGROUND PARKING FACILITY. Discussion and possible action to approve a dedicated access route to the Music Concourse Underground Parking Facility from options including, but not limited to, those identified as Options #1 (inbound and outbound from 9th & Lincoln), #4 (inbound from MLK & Crossover, outbound to 9th & Lincoln) and #10 (all traffic enters at 10th & Fulton, no second entrance/exit); to make various findings related to the selection of an option; and to authorize the executive director to amend any Parking Facility documents and approve any changes to the Parking Facility construction documents as necessary to reflect the actions contemplated herein. (DISCUSSION and POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM)

The agenda item---posted on the PROSF bulletin board five days before the meeting---describes what the board was considering in response to Judge Warren's order to come up with a plan that conforms to the text in Prop. J about a "dedicated" route to the southern garage entrance inside Golden Gate Park. 

As you can see, there were several options for the board to consider. The board approved Option #1, the infamous "widening" of MLK plan, since that was the most sensible option of three bad options. 

Rizzo pushed the notion that this agenda description was so inadequate that it violated the Sunshine Ordinance. He even took it to the "progressive" Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, which duly found the Authority violated the ordinance, because it only mentioned "findings" and not an EIR addendum from the Planning Dept. that was in those findings.

The Executive Director of the Concourse Authority even conferred with the City Attorney's office in drafting the description to make sure it was adequate. Rizzo was the only member of the board that thought this should go to the Task Force as a violation. 

In short, it was a purely political move by Rizzo as a stick to use on the Authority. It was not just technical; it was bullshit.

That's how far Rizzo went to further his "progressive" agenda while on the board of the Concourse Authority. Compared to most agenda items, this is the War and Peace of agenda item description. The notion that it was somehow inadequate is laughable.