Where was Gavin Newsom while all this was going on?
Newsom had run for and won the office of Lieutenant Governor of California in 2010 . Newsom was the Democratic Party’s next potential Golden Boy – which may explain some of the starry eyed kowtowing from local politicians, government employees, and City Fields Foundation (CFF) supporters.
Newsom is a successful business man with financial backing from his business partner -- billionaire Gordon Getty. He is also a relative, by marriage, to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
With California political icon Willie Brown as his mentor, Newsom was being groomed for higher office. Nathan Ballard, former Democratic National Committee communications director in California, described Newsom by saying, “I have no doubt he's going to be a governor, a U.S. senator or even president some day."
Newsom had dropped out of a gubernatorial run in 2009, and had stalled at Lieutenant Governor for the time being. He had a personal history that included some scandal so he was advisably laying low, focusing on getting plenty of photo ops -- (including a talk show), cutting ribbons, and staying out of trouble until his time came.
Newsom had dropped out of a gubernatorial run in 2009, and had stalled at Lieutenant Governor for the time being. He had a personal history that included some scandal so he was advisably laying low, focusing on getting plenty of photo ops -- (including a talk show), cutting ribbons, and staying out of trouble until his time came.
The Fisher brothers were also keeping a low profile as far as CFF was concerned. They were periodically seen taking turns showing up at CFF openings, and on at least one occasion Bob Fisher made a wordless appearance at a Recreation & Park Commission hearing on a CFF project only to quietly slip away after he was visually acknowledged by the voting Commissioners.
The Fishers are no stranger to controversy when it comes to conflicts between their investment interests and the public’s interests. In 2000 they bought up a section of a Giant Redwood forest in Northern California to harvest for profit, (the eradication of acres of San Francisco grass parks may have seemed inconsequential by comparison). In 2002 their clothing businesses were involved in sweatshop allegations. And; they may have still been stinging from having their plans to construct a museum on prime real estate in San Francisco's Presidio rebuffed after public objection.
As part of the original agreement that CFF had made with the City -- The Fishers and CFF were allowed to erect multiple plaques to themselves, with their names, at the site of each finished field.
Despite their continued urging for the use of styrene butadiene synthetic turf-- after 2008 the Fishers and CFF stopped posting the signage -- coincidentally -- when the synthetic turf’s cancer risks were becoming general public knowledge.
Despite their continued urging for the use of styrene butadiene synthetic turf-- after 2008 the Fishers and CFF stopped posting the signage -- coincidentally -- when the synthetic turf’s cancer risks were becoming general public knowledge.
Moratoriums on the installation of styrene butadiene (SBR) synthetic turf had been introduced in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Nearby Bay Area municipalities like Piedmont and San Carlos decided against using SBR for public health and environmental reasons.
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