A committee of the San Francisco board of supervisors rejected a proposal to ban the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron from performing during Fleet Week celebrations, dealing a blow t0 Bay Area barkers and other assorted busybodies who chiefly concern themselves with the banning of everything not otherwise compulsory:
San Francisco’s skies are safe for the Blue Angels. A Board of Supervisors committee Monday rejected a measure that would have called for a permanent end to the high-flying, aerobatic show that happens yearly during Fleet Week.
The committee voted 2-1 to table the measure, authored by Supervisor Chris Daly, effectively killing it. But Daly, who cited public safety and noise concerns as his reasons for proposing the ban, promised to continue pushing it.
The Fleet Week show brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to Pyongyang San Francisco every year, and provides a major economic injection to the city. Supervisor Daly promised to pursue his proposal to ban the Blues in front of the full Board, citing his bowel-quaking fear that Sound of Freedom might frighten young children, seniors, pets and the ghost of Harvey Milk.
I made up that last bit about Harvey Milk.
But still.
The Navy and San Francisco have a storied history, albeit one that has become a little more uncomfortable with each successive decade that passes. The Blues are a chief source of recruiting for the Navy, although, given the city’s politics (not to mention the demographics), it’s an open question whether the JP-5 aviation fuel spent there would not be better spent somewhere more… welcoming?
No, Harvey is still dead, and I’m confident that his ghost is trembling still.
I would agree that the Angels could find a better venue to fly and therefore recruit for the military. Does it strike anyone else as funny how the military is willing to take so much abuse from American ignorants before changing course? Move em… There are a hundred cities in the U.S. that would just love to host their air show. I am actually somewhat ashamed that the Angels are willing to lend themselves to this abuse without pulling out. They are the premier air show on the face of the earth…
Me, I was just checking into their performance schedule today. I hope to go to Pensacola in Nov. to see them button it up for the season.
God Bless the men and women that make up the Blue Angels and all our military.
Perhaps that city councilman fool pushing this issue shouldn’t get the credit of the SFO credibility of Harvey Milk. Seems to me Milk’s ghost would be urging the Angels on, frankly. The guy was a Korean War Navy vet (officer, skimmer, USS Chanticleer if the Internets are right) and supposedly had some common sense about how the world is as well as a sense of theater in politics. I’m betting he would have been fine with an “I Love Jet Noise” bumper sticker, although something tells me he’d be griping about DADT…
Yeah! Strike SF from the schedule and replace it with San Diego, since they skipped us this year. *pout*
Send them to Atlanta. We would LOVE a second show. Bummer that we don’t have a deep water port, but it won’t hurt to land on a non-moving target once in a while. Unfortunately we do have a few anti-military nutcases, the decently choose to confine themselves to a few midtown census tracts where they can associate with like-minded individuals, most of whom are disqualified from military service due to excessive asking and telling. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.)
I wonder, has anybody tracked recruitment by region and tried correlating that with air shows? I’m just wondering if there’s a better bang for the buck in a smaller venue like Kansas City or Dallas or Pensacola compared to San Francisco?
We get to see them in October!!! I can’t wait. The Thunderbirds will be here next month as well. Woohoo!!!
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After reading about the vote, I had Meat Loaf’s “Two out of Three Ain’t Bad” stick in my head. I’ll take that vote anyday!
Are there really that many potential recruits in San Fransissy? I mean, “don’t ask, don’t tell” only goes so far…
I’ve often wondered how the city’s notoriously anti-military attitudes will play out after the next “big one” quake. What will the reaction from the locals be when the National Guard arrives to save lives, protect property, resore order, and generally get the place to where it can function again?
They really are intent on building up alot of “bad karma points” with the military, aren’t they?! After the JROTC fiasco, you’d think they’d have learned their lesson.
(shameless self-promotion to follow) – I still have to put up my pics from the Blue Angels show we saw in June! Maybe I’ll find time this weekend…some really good stuff for y’all!
Web Reconnaissance for 08/16/2007…
A short recon of whats out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often….
I work in San Francisco, but do certainly do not adhere to any “local values.” I would never waste oxygen or electrons (or neurons for that matter) commenting on the Board of Supervisors; however, it is worth noting that the roughly 1 million people that come to city to see the Blue Angels are not San Franciscians – they come for the (slightly) more normal suburban areas and points beyond. Thus, the Blues do serve and effective recruiting purpose in SF.
HF6, lucky you, although I’ll bet that both of the flight demo team’s don’t mind a bit about a little liberty on the beach.
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Why is everybody BASHING San Francisco about this? The proposal was REJECTED. I can’t imagine Fleet Week without the Blue Angels, and, judging from the packed piers every year, I’d say quite a few others feel the same way.
The proposal was proposed. In other places such japery is considered beyond the pale, unacceptable even. The proposal attracted popular support. Other cities don’t throw out their JROTC, toss out proffered museum ships, and generally act quite as overtly hostile to active duty servicemen and the things they do for a living. I’ve pulled into that town on a ship and know that the Navy League is very supportive, the press I met was fair in the event, some folks near the old shipyard were gracious hosts…and people on the street harass a guy in uniform.
Quite frankly, if you don’t like the criticism, how’s about addressing the problem in your fair city?
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