Measure to Memorialize George W. Bush with Sewage Plant is on the Ballot

Posted by Steven Reynolds, The All Spin Zone at 10:11 AM on July 18, 2008.

The Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco gathered far more signatures than they needed to get a measure on the ballot renaming the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant. I love the smell of democracy in the morning.

We reported this story here in April. The Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is advocating for the renaming of the prize winning Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant. Dana Perino isn't talking, as you can see in this report from June 25th. But we've got the full story from the San Francisco Chronicle, and here's an excerpt:

San Francisco voters will be asked to decide whether to name a city sewage plant in honor of President Bush, after a satiric measure qualified for the November ballot Thursday.

Backers of the measure, who for several months circulated a petition to place the measure on the ballot, turned in more than 12,000 signatures on July 7, said organizer Brian McConnell. The Department of Elections on Thursday informed those supporters, the self-proclaimed Presidential Memorial Commission, that they had enough valid signatures - a minimum of 7,168 registered San Francisco voters - to qualify for the November ballot.

McConnell, who came up with the idea over beers with friends, often donned an Uncle Sam outfit to drum up support for the petition. The all-volunteer group of signature gatherers often carried around an American flag and blasted patriotic music from a boom box to attract attention. He said the campaign to pass the measure will be an equally grassroots effort.

While the White House isn't addressing this honor for President Bush, the Republicans in San Francisco are whining up a storm. Yes, they are upset that the citizens of San Francisco have the right to vote and have their voices heard on the subject of Mr. Bush's performance.

Howard Epstein, the head of the San Francisco Republican Party, called the citizens who signed this measure "nut cases" and "crazies," according to UPI. Were I them, and I wanted any kind of electoral victory at all this Fall, I'd shut up. Every single word they say to try to defeat this referendum is going to backfire on them. This is San Francisco, after all.

Editor's note: Some oppose the measure for a different reason: They believe the plant is far too useful to be named after George W. Bush.

Tagged as: democracy, san francisco, george w. bush, sewage plant, november 9