by Adriel Hampton
San Francisco Examiner
Monday, September 8, 2003
Angela Alioto, an anti-discrimination lawyer and former city supervisor, focused on poverty and property rights at a Treasure Island house party Sunday where she said she has opponents who are "too, too far left and too, too, too far right."
"The homeless issue to me is a mission. It's not just something I want to do because it is a major issue in San Francisco," Alioto said. "They need to come off the streets and you need someone in the mayor's office who understands that."
Addressing about two dozen supporters inside the White household, Alioto said she can't stand panhandling, but outlawing it under ballot measure Proposition M would violate people's speech rights.
"It is not easy to beg. If a person has arrived at the point where begging comes easy, they are in major trouble," Alioto said. She promised to get poor people off the streets and crack down on the small percentage of faux panhandlers.
Besides slapping at the policies of Prop. M supporter Supervisor Gavin Newsom, she criticized candidate Matt Gonzalez, president of the Board of Supervisors, on property rights.
"There is nothing wrong, ladies and gentlemen, with owning property and having it be an investment. You hear my colleague say that owning property should be a nonprofit, should not be an investment. That scares me," Alioto said.
Alioto, who seems to run her campaign at one speed — revved up — told The Examiner she'd like a world-class institution built on Treasure Island, a new 49ers stadium perhaps.
After her stump speech, she promised as mayor to mediate with neighbors to allow only a mix of development that would benefit them, as they offered differing opinions on what kind of businesses are right for the quiet, windswept island.
"Everybody make a wish as we cut that cake," Alioto said. "Everybody know what that wish is right? But we can't say it."
"That you would be mayor?" asked 8-year-old Brandon White.
"Shh," Alioto said.