The Commissars have <a href=”http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics/2008/08/dccc_endorses.html“>spoken. San Francisco Dems endorse the idea of going 100-percent fossil-fuel free. I think alt-fuel fans and foes alike can agree that this would be a valuable experiment in the costs and benefits of Green energy.

Personally, I suspect it would be a painful illustration of the job-killing and consumer-impoverishing costs of feel-good public policy. Interestingly, the ascendant progressives on the Central Committee also voted against the idea of an independent ratepayer advocate: now is not the time to pay close attention to what San Franciscans pay for their power.

I look forward to seeing forests of windmills sprouting up to spoil the views from Crissy Field, Fort Point, and Vista Point when I’m next out there visiting the brother-in-law’s family. There’s fog a lot, anyway — so views, schmiews. Or maybe Frisco’s plan is to outsource their electricity generation — in which case: good luck siting those transmission lines!

But I’ve buried the lede: Guess what? Planet Gore was shocked — shocked! – to discover that Madame Speaker didn’t add her voice to the vote. Nancy Pelosi didn’t even send a proxy. Apparently, the Clean Energy Act was a gesture too far. (Dianne Feinstein and Gavin Newsom both opposed the bill. Apparently, the speaker didn’t want to be in the same room as these well-known conservatives.)

The <a href=”http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics/2008/08/dccc_endorses.html“>Bay Guardian reports:

The newly elected progressive block of the local Democratic Party flexed their muscles during tonight’s endorsements. It was a full house, with only Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat empty. She neglected (perhaps purposefully) to send a proxy. . . .Many of the supervisors’ measures passed — including the Affordable Housing measure and the Clean Energy Act. All of the items put on the ballot by Mayor Gavin Newsom failed, despite a small consistent cabal following his centrist party line. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s proxy cast steady abstentions on many local issues, with notable “no” votes against Affordable Housing, Clean Energy, and decriminalizing prostitution. . . .
The Clean Energy Act received a healthy majority of 22, with more choosing to abstain than cast a “no.”

For the record, the Commissars endorsed the decriminalization of prostitution. Speaker Pelosi may have ducked the vote on the Clean Energy Act, but she may find herself on the hook for her inaction on that little item.

San Francisco now boasts an ascendant progressive bloc pushing prostitution, still more government-subsidized housing, and utopian energy goals — the San Jose Chamber of Commerce has got to be pleased.