9/16/2014 Willie Brown always lobbying, and now he's a lobbyist - San Francisco Chronicle Local Willie Brown always lobbying, and now he's a lobbyist By Matier & Ross July 20, 2014 Updated: July 21, 2014 7:39am He's brokered, advised and cajoled - and now, for the first time since leaving office more than a decade ago, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown has registered with the city as a paid lobbyist. Brown has signed up to represent high-rise developers who are battling City Hall over an extra $1 billion in special assessments they're being asked to pay for new parks and other public amenities in and around the new Transbay Transit Center between Second and Beale streets just Image 1 out of 29 south of Mission Street. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle Ex Mayor Willie Brown (right), with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, is lobbying City Hall on behalf of high rise developers who are contesting assessments. http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/willie-brown-always-lobbying-and-now-he-s-a-5634505.php#/0 1/5
Brown's political foes have long accused the former Assembly speaker-turned mayorturned Chronicle columnist of hiding behind his law license to avoid having to disclose which clients he has represented over the years. And while he isn't required to list his new lobbying clients immediately, Brown confirmed for us that he is representing Boston Properties - builder of the 61-story Salesforce Tower - and more than a half dozen other property owners. In exchange for the city allowing them to increase the height and density of their projects, the property owners agreed two years ago to be assessed up to $400 million to help pay for a Transbay Transit Center rooftop park and other public improvements to the area. Only now, thanks to skyrocketing property values and changes in the city's methodology for calculating the assessments, the developers - paying into what's known as a Mello-Roos special district - could face up to $1.4 billion in charges. City sources say Brown was tapped by Darius Anderson and Chris Gruwell, co-owners of Platinum Advisors - the longtime local lobbyists for Boston Properties - to help out with the negotiations. And with good reason - Brown helped create the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, which is building the new transit center, and presided over the state Assembly when the Mello-Roos law was passed. Brown was also recently tapped by Mayor Ed Lee to help settle the Muni contract troubles - a job he did for free. This time, Brown says he expects to be paid handsomely. He won't say how much. But, he says, if everything goes right, "I may never have to register again." http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/willie-brown-always-lobbying-and-now-he-s-a-5634505.php#/0 2/5
Overzealous: The attorney for one of three people charged with a string of felonies for allegedly fraudulently obtaining a disabled parking placard has accused San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón of using a sledgehammer approach to prosecute his client. Yessi Morales, 35, a single mother of two, has been charged with 24 felonies - eight counts each of burglary, perjury and forgery - for allegedly renewing her placard repeatedly by submitting a phony doctor's note. She faces up to four years in prison. "We clearly understand the problem with handicapped placards, but to make accused people the poster children to send a message to the community simply is an abuse of power, and the DA should be ashamed," said Morales' high-profile criminal attorney, Michael Cardoza. Cardoza says the D.A. is pressing his client, who has no criminal history, to accept at least a couple of felonies as part of a plea deal, which would make it nearly impossible for her ever to get another job and support her family. As for prosecutors, they say Morales has only herself to blame. "We didn't make her a poster child - she made herself a poster child when she perjured herself to take parking spaces designated for the disabled," said Alex Bastian, a spokesman for Gascón. "It's disgraceful conduct, and there are consequences to that behavior." On the rail: Political upstart Nicholas Josefowitz is banking on unseating BART's longest-serving director, James Fang, this fall by painting him as "the only Republican elected official currently representing San Franciscans." Fang has served on BART's board for 24 years, so why is his Republican registration suddenly relevant in what's officially a nonpartisan http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/willie-brown-always-lobbying-and-now-he-s-a-5634505.php#/0 3/5
race? Because "most San Franciscans would not vote for a Republican if they knew he was one," said Josefowitz's campaign manager, Nicole Derse. Fang tells us he's not worried. It's "what they always try to do," he said. Still, it's worth noting that Josefowitz reported raising a total of more than $150,000 from 170 donors since filing to run six weeks ago. He's already lined up endorsements from Supervisors John Avalos, Eric Mar and Scott Wiener, as well as BART board member Tom Radulovich. As for Fang, he has yet to officially announce or file a spending report - but he has until the end of the month. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or e-mail matierandross@sfchronicle.com. http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/willie-brown-always-lobbying-and-now-he-s-a-5634505.php#/0 4/5
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