Blue Shield of California says its aim is "to ensure all Californians have access to high-quality health care at an affordable price" - and apparently that includes spending no less than $2.5 million for a luxury box at Levi's Stadium.

The box is one of 176 high-ticket suites at the 49ers' new Santa Clara stadium, where corporate types can wine and dine as lavishly as they please.

Given that Blue Shield is a not-for-profit organization, one might wonder how such high-rolling fandom fits into its mission statement.

"The primary purpose (of the luxury box) is to interact socially with some of our larger membership groups," said Blue Shield spokesman Sean Barry.

Barry said the suite will not be available to executives for "their personal use."

He declined to name any of Blue Shield's clients who will be feted at the suite - located in the tower on the stadium's west side - or say how much the health insurer is actually spending for it.

We can tell you, however, that suites in that location are priced at between $250,000 and $400,000 a year and require a 10- or 20-year commitment. That puts the price at anywhere from $2.5 million to $8 million.

For that kind of money, suite owners get 20 tickets to each game, parking passes, field-level access during games and even a chance to take a road trip with the team.

Food and drink, however, are not included.

Jamie Court of Consumer Watchdog, which is pushing for the passage of Proposition 45 - a November ballot initiative requiring health care companies to get approval for rate hikes in California - calls Blue Shield's football appetite "conspicuous consumption in an industry that claims there is not enough to go around."

"It's a symbol of the type of lavish lifestyle Blue Shield execs lead while preaching that the rest of us need to pay more in premiums and use less in health care," Court said.

Jerry's call: If there's one thing the new $7 billion water bond going before voters in November proves, it's that when it comes to money, Gov. Jerry Brown is calling the shots in Sacramento.

Recent polls showed that even with all the criticism of the pork-laden $11 million original bond, it still stood a pretty good chance of winning voter approval, thanks in large part to the drought.

"It was polling at mid- to low 50s, but opposition was down in the low 30s," said executive director Jim Earp of the California Alliance for Jobs, which advocates for heavy-construction companies and construction unions.

"In a vacuum, it would have actually been OK," Earp said.

But when Brown weighed in, saying the state couldn't afford the $700 million a year in bond interest payments, "it tanked," Earp said.

Suddenly, it was Brown's way or no way.

"It's pretty clear, when it comes to money, he holds all the cards with the public," Earp said.

Overreach? It got scant attention, but that defense motion filed Thursday calling for the government to disclose details of financial misconduct by the lead FBI agent in the Leland Yee-Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow corruption case contained one especially intriguing detail.

The filing by attorney James Brosnahan says the undercover agent had "inquired about hosting a $250,000 fundraiser for a senior elected federal official who visited San Francisco in May 2012."

Who might that have been?

While we don't have any direct confirmation of the connection, we can tell you that Vice President Joe Biden was in town on May 28, 2012, for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser at the home of billionaire hedge fund manager and Democratic donor Tom Steyer.

Finale fan: Paul McCartney's concert the other night held special significance for San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, who first brought up the idea of a big send-off for Candlestick Park when the two met briefly at the Outside Lands festival last year.

McCartney said he would think about it. Everyone else figured, "yeah right," said promoter Gregg Perloff.

But there they were backstage Thursday night, sharing a brief moment again, just before McCartney went on.

"I gave him a big thank you for honoring our city," Lee said.

"He nodded and with a smile said, 'Well, this Candlestick is a great place. We ought to bless it in the right way for its ending.' "

The mayor nodded in agreement, then pulled out a bit of special memorabilia for McCartney to sign - a Giants cap.

As for the traffic nightmare before and after the final show?

"Well, at least we're not going to have to deal with that again," Lee said.