Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Bay Area Reporter - Friday, April 30, 1999
Cynthia Laird
In a related matter, the council agreed with plans for a community meeting sponsored by ACT UP/Golden Gate and the Harvey Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club on Monday, May 17, so that residents can debate the future of the council and the roles of the mayor's office and the Department of Public Health's AIDS Office in the federally-mandated body.
Steve Kawa, in the mayor's office of finance and legislative affairs, and Bill Barnes, the mayor's HIV/AIDS policy advisor, failed to answer members' questions Monday about what prompted the removal from the council of Loras Ojeda, who had chaired the council's membership committee. That group is responsible for submitting a list of prospective members, from which the mayor makes appointments.
Before Kawa addressed the council, several people spoke during public comment; all praised Ojeda and Calvanese, and spoke against Ojeda's removal from the body, which prioritizes and allocates federal Ryan White CARE Act funds for San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin counties. Although the planning council was established by federal legislation, some in the mayor's office have apparently tried to lump it in with other city boards and commissions.
Ojeda attended the meeting and addressed the council. "I want to let go of this," he said. "I've tried to bring to the table a perspective as a Latino and hopefully other people. I feel kind of sifted out of that because of who I am, quite frankly."
The move to have numerous councilmembers reapply last month was similar to September 1996, when Dean Goodwin, then Brown's liaison to the LGBT community, attended a council meeting and informed all members that they needed to reapply.
Kawa told the council that the mayor would move quickly to fill between seven and eight vacancies on the planning council, but insisted on being given three names for every opening by May 15, a daunting challenge to a membership committee that now has no chair. Many of the other people on the council expressed their strong disapproval of the mayor's actions, which were outlined in a March 30 letter that stated Calvanese and Ojeda were the only two members out of 10 who were not reappointed by the mayor.
Recently, Kawa sent a letter to Calvanese stating that the mayor would like him to continue serving until Brown appoints someone to his seat. Calvanese took issue with that. "I don't agree to continue until the mayor makes an appointment. I agree to continue in accordance with our bylaws," he told the council.
Calvanese told the Bay Area Reporter that his vote last year concerning mental health services funding prompted the mayor's decision to remove him. "It's based on that mental health vote," Calvanese said, adding that everyone who voted against the proposal favored by the mayor has either resigned, been kicked off, or died, with the exception of Co-chair Diane Jones. "Loras [Ojeda] and I were the last ones," Calvanese said.
B movie performance
Kawa was obviously on the spot as he attempted û unsuccessfully û to steer the conversation away from the controversy over Calvanese and Ojeda, to issues facing the council in coming months around prioritization needs and the reauthorization of the CARE Act, which comes before Congress next year.
"It's a very difficult job, being mayor," Kawa said. He went on to explain that on virtually all city boards and commissions, people serve for one-year terms, and that membership is generally staggered so that members with experience can help new appointees. The planning council has a staggered membership with some members who have been on for many years and others who are new to the group.
"I think Loras has been very good for this council. It sounds like political double talk," said councilmember Veronika Cauley as she addressed Kawa.
"That was the decision that was made," Kawa replied, referring to Ojeda not getting reappointed.
Jones took issue with the assumption made by the mayor's office that the council has no process. She pointed out the detailed council bylaws that includes membership information. The membership committee, she added, has worked hard over the years to clearly define membership terms. "What I hear Bill [Barnes] and Steve [Kawa] saying is 'We want you to move on.' What I hear from people on the council is we can't move on," Jones said.
"I'm having a real hard time being here right now," Calvanese said. "This is really disgusting to me, the worst. What I signed up for was the best. As an HIV-positive man that's why I came to the table." He went on to praise Ojeda for making "a major contribution" to the council.
After Kawa left, councilmembers unloaded. Stephan Oxendine called it a "grade B movie performance," and Laura Guzman said the mayor's actions could "have a chilling effect" on civil rights issues.
Barnes said the council has much important work to do and will presumably take the council's concerns to the mayor. "We hear you, I think," he said.
The May 17 community meeting will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at MCC-SF, 150 Eureka Street. For more information, call Matthew Sharp at ACT UP/Golden Gate at (415) 252-9200.
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