Abuse of Power: Engardio, Great Highway — Not Jenkins
• • • • • • • • • • June 2025 • • • • • • • • • •
James Madison expressed it best, meaning governmental power, on December 2, 1829, to wit: “The essence of Government is power and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.” (Incidentally, such words are inscribed in the Madison Memorial Hall, Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Building.
One example is Mr. Joel Enguardio, the justified object of a recall organized by his constituents in Board of Supervisors District 4 (like me) and residents of the Richmond District led by Retired Police Commander Rich Corriea, who can’t sign the recall petition or vote in the recall election but can assist and donate campaign “gelt.” On May 22nd, citizens delivered 10,985 recall voter signatures to the Department of Elections. Volunteers secured 8,200, the remainder by paid signature-gatherers hired because of the intricacies of identifying District 4 resident restraints. I’m personally proud of my second qualifying (and winning) all initiatives I sponsored from 1972 until 1985 at the Board of Supervisors and 1987 until 1998 as a State Senator and using paid signature collectors only once— to qualify for the ballot in November, 1986 as an Independent candidate for the California State Senate.
On May 29, the director of elections ruled that our recall petition qualified for a special election on Sept. 16 to eject the double-crossing Engardio, so let’s get ready to rumble.
Additionally, the Petition for Writ of Mandate filed Match 11, 2025 in Superior Court by Matthew Boschetto, Albert Chow, Lisa Arjes, and Livable SF to set aside Proposition K and its November 5, 2024 passage by city-wide voters (not just Sunset voters, 65% of whom voted “No” on Proposition K and Richmond voters, 70% of whom rejected it) was argued to Judge Jeffrey Ross, a one-time assistant D.A. on June 2.
Jim Sutton, Esq. and Eli Love, Esq. represent the petitioner. The City Attorney defends the Board of Supervisors and the Recreation and Parks Department. Sutton is probably the best election law attorney in San Francisco. The suit is based on state preemption of traffic control and roads under California Vehicle Code Section 21(a), and voters have no authority to close a public highway (i.e., the Great Highway) to vehicular traffic. Justice must prevail!
The citizens get to have their own opinions on judicial performance and for that, they need the facts…the judiciary, like all the branches of government, is subject to public scrutiny and criticism— from the U.S. Supreme Court to the local bench. Transparency is critical for maintaining trust in the criminal justice system.”
So long as we have a fighting District Attorney, Brooke Jenkins, we can be assured it will be a safer San Francisco. In the past four months, D.A. Jenkins has recorded reasons for my faith in endorsing her for that important office, which have been highlighted by public statements that bear recitation for all San Franciscans. On February 7th, she reminded the public: “Although your friends on the bench may not like transparency around their decisions, San Franciscans have asked for and deserve to know what is happening at the courthouse…The judges’ robes are not a cloak of invisibility that confers upon them the power to act in secret nor does it turn them into deities such that their decisions become unquestionably wise. The citizens get to have their own opinions on judicial performance and for that, they need the facts…the judiciary, like all the branches of government, is subject to public scrutiny and criticism— from the U.S. Supreme Court to the local bench. Transparency is critical for maintaining trust in the criminal justice system.”
On March 24th, D.A. Jenkins reminded us that she had pointed out rulings of San Francisco judges are subject to terms (six years) and elections “because transparency is a cornerstone of our democracy.” Jenkins concluded: “The judiciary, like all the branches of government, is subject to public scrutiny and criticism— from the U.S. Supreme Court to the local bench.” (Emphasis added.) Finally, on April 29th, D.A. Jenkins, relative to a retired San Francisco Superior Court judge (whom I won’t mention as she remains supportive of Chesa Boudin, Esq., the D.A. we threw out of office with a 2022 recall (!)) that “it’s disheartening…to see that there are no bounds to the types of political attacks happening in our country.” I expect San Francisco voters will re-elect Brooke Jenkins as our district attorney next year. I hereby endorse her now!
By publication time, we’ll know whether the U.S. Congress and President “Bone Spur” Trump have changed federal income tax law by eliminating, increasing, or allowing to remain the same with a $10,000 limit to deducing our California income tax from the U.S. income tax we love. In 2017, Trump and Republican Congress members passed the $10,000 deduction. If eliminated, tax experts estimated Californians will pay about $12,000,000,000 more in annual U.S. income taxes. Suppose the $10,000 limit on deducting state income tax from your federal income tax return ends. In that case, it’ll adversely affect taxpayers in California, New York, and New Jersey, all high-income tax states. That’s another decision you’ll know by press time.
The author proclaimed it is anonymous but cognizant in advising: “Drive carefully, Uncle Sam needs every taxpayer he can get.” Console yourself. “The wealth of experience is one possession that has not yet been taxed.”
Vote “yes” to say “so long” to Engardio!
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.
June 2024
