Photo courtesy of SFWeekly
I don’t write too much on the blog about our Richmond District Supervisor Eric Mar, mainly because a lot of the work he gets coverage for doesn’t really have anything to do with the neighborhood. Just sayin’.
His latest attention-gathering campaign has been around banning happy meal toys at fast food restaurants in the city. Last month, the Board of Supervisors passed Mar’s ordinance that will require meals to meet nutritional guidelines if restaurants wish to include a toy with the food purchase.
You see, these toys draw in the kids who revel in and get obese off the greasy, fattening food. “Mommy, I MUST HAVE A HAPPY MEAL!” We’ve all heard those cries.
Well, the ban has sparked a bit of national media attention. “San Francisco is banning fun! No more happy meals!”. Enter the Daily Show, which has had a good ol’ time making fun of the ban here and here.
“So let me get this straight,” [The Daily Show’s Lewis] Black said. “The town that gives away clean syringes to heroin addicts won’t let your kid have a Buzz Lightyear with his Happy Meal because it sends the wrong message?”
Today The Snitch reports that Supervisor Mar will actually appear on the Daily Show in the near future. According to his own Facebook page, Mar says Aasif Mandvi and the Daily Show crew took over his office to interview him this week. Gulp.
No word on when it will air or how embarrassing the segment will be for our Supe or the city of San Francisco. You might just want to set your Tivo to pick up the Daily Show next week. I have a feeling this is one we’ll want to see.
Sarah B.
What a ridiculous waste of nieghborhood resources this guy is
Does the Richmond even have any McDonalds?
Oh crissakes.
The neighborhood just lost two more retail resources (Video Cafe was the only 24/7 restaurant on this side of town, AFAIK) and this clown and his cohorts have nothing better to do than keep pushing their efforts to regress SF into a medieval village.
I hope Jon Stewart eviscerates him.
I don’t know who voted for this guy but he was on my no vote list ever since he voted to ban JROTC and continued to patronize the voters’ intellect when wrath over said vote ensued. I hope they embarrass him. Is it our problem he has a problem saying no to his kid? Is this really it? He can’t say no to his child so he makes everyone else “unhappy” by banning the toys altogether.
Someone should recall him.
I cannot my district elected this jackass. He actually makes McGoldrick look smart.
Thank goodness all of San Francisco’s problems have been solved so that Supervisor Mar has time to fritter away on media appearances.
How embarrassing. Mar has taken a few positions that I think benefit the richmond district, but, for the most part his ‘progressive’ agenda is beyond the pale,…including for example, spending time on an SF McDonald’s happy meal ban, his opposition to JROTC, his total devotion to preaching how we should all bike to work on a regular basis, his drafting of various policy statements/resolutions that are far outside the jurisdiction or influence of the SF Board of Supervisors, etc. How about taking the lead on an issue or two that affect our district like undergrounding the many thousands of utility wires that plague most of the richmond district streets? It may be difficult to unseat an incumbent supervisor but I think we need to try.
I’m all for a Recall Election for this clown. We just need a viable candidate to replace him. (I used to think Richmond District residents were pretty savvy folk, but then they elected this joker and my impression of them dropped to zero).
I’m kind of wondering how he ever got elected, given the love I’m feeling for him on the Richmond Blog……
Yeah… I don’t think there are any McDonald’s in the Richmond. Who’s district is Eric Mar representing exactly? What a joke.
Eric, if you are reading this blog (and I remember you were posting a comment or two here) – mark my words: your days as a Supervisor are numbered, unless you stop being an ultra-progressive lunatic.
Is that a Happy Meal container sitting on the bookshelf in the background?
This guy is an embarassment to the District and to the City. When friends and family from out of state ask, I get to tell them that Eric Mar is my District Superivisor and Nancy Pelosi is my Congresswoman. A progressive slam-dunk.
there is reason why eric mar is our supervisor: most of us voted for him, because we like him and he represents us. you are welcome to vote for whomever you please in the next election, it’s called democracy.
as far as the happy meal thing, it’s not like they’re passing out needles to children and banning toy meals for adults. i don’t really see why folks can get so upset about raising the bar as to how children are marketed, or maybe those are the folks still making life choices based on marketing.
While the Richmond goes down in flames, Supervisor Mar fiddles. The Alexandria Theatre continues to blight the neighborhood, our schools are on the edge, fire houses are under threat, and litter and graffiti are everywhere. Wake up, Eric. Why can’t you just do the job you were elected to do, and stop grandstanding so you can move up the political food chain?
@orion: The McDonald’s thing is a matter of priorities: Solve all the other problems like chronic homeless, problems in the park, BRT, etc. then worry about who companies are marketing to.
It was MONTHS ago Mar was at a meeting on the blighted Alexandria. They promised fencing and took the permit but no grafitti protection. Neighborhood stores close- no action. He has been busy promoting voting for non citizens and happy meal bans. Unlike Jake who never pretended to give a shi* Marr professes to love the district. I helped on the recall Jake movement and see it ahead for Mar also. Like Jake the recall may not suceed but perhaps will send a message about how unhappy the people paying his salary are with him. @ Orion wake up will ya’ he represents a few who would vote on goats in Timbuktu while your neighborhood school closes and you have to go miles for your grocery.
There are more folks out there losing their patience. The clock is ticking
the “McDonald’s Ban” is only as big as the media made it, as it attacks their core values of bottom line. i personally am suprised so many people waste their time and energy on it. it’s obvious, easily legislated and enforced, all good and no harm, and it’s done. let it go people.
i am also suprised what people expect of their supervisor, but i am not here to question your hobby.
To Orion: the” McDonald’s Ban” is (1) a waste of time that permits the Board of Stupidvisors to fritter away their time on frivolities instead of concentrating on doing something constructive like hmmm…solving the problems of The City (2) needlessly legislates something that is the responsibility of the parent, not an over-reaching Big Brother.
But, considering their supreme inability to to accomplish anything meaningful, perhaps it’s best they focus on these feeble exercises, content in the belief they are advancing a very scary progressive agenda.
The comments on this thread seem to reveal that Mar haters read and/or comment on RichmondSFBlog more than those who favor Mar and help put him in office. Or perhaps this blog is frequented by angry people. If that’s the case, then RichmondSFBlog lacks the harmony that MissionLoc@l, Haighternation, d10watch, and other neighborhood blogs have. There’s a lot of Mar bashing in the comments section when discussing issues, so those who want to recall him, go ahead. Let’s see you haters actually do something. It’s possible you don’t even reside in D1, or maybe not even in SF.
I agree with @hypogomys_antimena (sweet name, btw). Hey Mar-haters….agreed that the Happy Meal ban should not be a priority our our city supervisors, but how many of you have actually showed up at one of Eric’s monthly coffee chats in district 1 cafes to discuss your concerns? If you haven’t, then you probably should get to know the guy before you let the media form your opinion of him.
Eric Mar was elected in 2008 with a tiny margin: 50.67% vs. 49.33% for the opponent.
With so many people getting pissed with him over these two years, it’s hard to see how he can get re-elected.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Board_of_Supervisors_elections,_2008
Bob/Hypo – Its not the ‘media’ that forming our opinions of him…its the issues that he is spearheading and voting for. Mr. Mar seems to be a good family guy but he has bought into the progressive agenda hook, line, and sinker. He is definitely part of the Daly, Mirkarimi, Avalos, & Campos team that is destructive to SF and the richmond district. Maybe I will attend an upcoming coffee chat as you suggest but I’m pretty sure my non politically-correct suggestions will be scorned.
@antimena- No need to mis label anyone who disagrees or wants something else as haters. I want someone who will represent and be thinking about the Richmond not other issues. This blog is great because people are free to speak their minds and usually you will see suggestions on how to improve things. If the guy was doing his job you would see happier comments. Park and Rec turns Golden Gate park into an ATM machine, stores closing, our schools need attention WHO is loooking out for us?
Jommy Cross: you are welcome to buy you child a side of obesity with his happy meal. they are targeting the marketing, not the so-called food.
Next time I see Mar, I’ll be sure to tell him to sprinkle some fairy dust on the park, theater, schools, grocery stores; otherwise everything is his fault.
From The Richmond ReView:
“Come meet with me and other Richmond District residents and share what’s on your mind.”
Eric Mar, Thursday, December 16, 6pm, Garden House Cafe, 3117 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94121, http://goo.gl/maps/cOdh.
“Bob” and others who support Eric Mar are right to challenge the rest of us to step up to the plate. Let’s take their challenge and start organizing to support a candidate who will work hard to support the Richmond District. All those in favor say aye!
Mr. Mar won the election by a slim margin (remember, we use ranked choice too) – and I have yet to see much focus on issues that I would like to see focus on as a resident of our district, like MUNI. It’s nice to see him having an evening meet & greet, as they usually seem to be during working hours.