The San Francisco Left and the Marines (updated)
America's liberal-dominated media are doing their best to ignore a story of a leftist official snubbing the Marines. When the haters go too far in their anti-militarism, The Cause is damaged. MoveOn.org may have reaped a lot of donations from its famous ad, but widespread pubic revulsion and the irregularities in the ad's handling by the New York Times have caused no end of woe for the "progressive camp."
"They are so desperate for more production jobs they turned down a commercial. Somehow, when it's something pro-American, jobs just don't matter."
"... a possible ethics violation over her billing the city $1,125 for a couple of dozen boxes of scouting photos and other materials she had owned and turned over to the film office."Commissioners feared that the firing would blow up in a big public display for Billington at Monday's Film Commission hearing."Which, as far as anyone can figure, is why actors Penn and Coyote showed up - to make sure they had Pleet Coyote's back..."Pleet Coyote said the two had been on hand for moral support. She declined to discuss Billington's firing, calling it a personnel matter."As for billing the city for her files, she said she had charged only a nominal amount. Once the mayor's office pointed out the "perception problem" Monday, she promptly reimbursed the city."'I realized it was naive of me not to realize it was a problem,' Pleet Coyote said."
If the report is true, it raises an interesting question: If Stefanie was working for the city, shouldn't she have been trying to get rent paid to the city and generate a return for the taxpayers?Revolution Studios, says city officials promised it a sound stage rent-free, plus free utilities and parking."Which is something we can't deliver because then it's a gift of public funds,'' [Treasure Island Administrator Tony] Hall insists.Hall wouldn't sign on the dotted line. After an angry exchange between Stefanie Coyote and Gallagher, Hall filed a Public Records Act demand that the film commish boss turn over her private correspondence with the studio. No one around City Hall can remember anything like it.Hall says he was simply trying to find out what Coyote had promised the filmmakers -- but, he added, "she wouldn't give them up.'' Nor apparently does she intend to.As of early Friday, the negotiations weren't looking particularly good. Hall said he was just about ready to pull the plug on the $40 million movie production.But by that evening, the tide had shifted. "They accepted our term sheet as of last night at about 8 p.m.,'' Hall said Saturday. "(The contract's) being drawn up as we speak.''According to Hall, the film company will pay $12,500 a month in rent, plus enough money deposited in an account to guarantee the lease through July."It was accepted on our terms,'' he said.