Oakland faces deficit, Dellums goes on junket

U.S. Conference of Mayors members Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, left, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, center, and Gastonia, N.C. Mayor Jennifer Stultz hold a news conference at the Mayors 08 Action Forum on Poverty held at the Maxine Waters Employment Preparatory Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) less U.S. Conference of Mayors members Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, left, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, center, and Gastonia, N.C. Mayor Jennifer Stultz hold a news conference at the Mayors 08 Action Forum ... more Photo: Damian Dovarganes, AP Photo: Damian Dovarganes, AP Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Oakland faces deficit, Dellums goes on junket 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Just one week after a projected $42 million deficit prompted Oakland officials to announce the possible layoff of 200 city workers and the closing down of city services on Fridays, Mayor Ron Dellums jetted off to Palm Beach, Fla., for a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting on arts and tourism.

The conference was held Thursday through Sunday at the Breakers Hotel which, according to its Web site, "is set amidst 140 acres of breathtaking ocean front property" and offers an "extensive range of services and amenities for the vacationing or business traveler." Some 2,300 staffers cater to one's every whim.

The cost to Oakland's taxpayers: $3,500.

The reason the mayor went: Even though the conference was for arts and tourism, spokesman Paul Rose said Dellums also worked with other mayors to develop questions for presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain on their urban agendas.

And what better place than the great urban center of Palm Beach?

Dellums' weekend trip came less than two weeks after a city report showed that Oakland officials and employees had spent $1.2 million on travel the previous year.

Dellums himself took eight trips ringing up more than $44,000 in expenses - including a tab of more than $9,000 for a weeklong trip to the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington in January.

Whether you like it or not: That anti-same-sex marriage ad featuring San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsomhaving a "Howard Dean" moment appears to be working.

A poll sponsored by CBS 5-TV indicates that California voters now favor passage of Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment to ban same sex "I do's," by 47 to 42 percent.

The poll of 670 registered voters taken by Survey USA is a big shift from one taken just last month by the Public Policy Institute of California. That one showed Prop. 8 losing, 55 to 41 percent.

Advocates of same-sex marriage over at the No on 8 campaign say their tracking polls show the same trend, with the ban now leading, 47 to 43 percent. The Yes on 8 campaign happily reports that it's seeing a shift as well.

One explanation? Well, the latest poll was taken a few days after Prop. 8 proponents put commercials on the air featuring Newsom celebrating the state Supreme Court's ruling legalizing same-sex marriage by half-yelling, half-growling to a City Hall crowd, "This door's wide open now! It's gonna happen - whether you like it or not!"

The same ads show a law professor warning that if the measure passes, it could jeopardize the tax-exempt status of churches and lead to "gay marriage taught in public schools."

Same-sex marriage proponents dispute both arguments - but the ad does seem to be working.

Box scores: With all the talk about who got what from the banking industry, we asked the political watchdogs at Maplight.org to crunch the numbers on campaign contributions from banks and securities firms to the Bay Area congressional delegation.

Topping the list is Sen. Barbara Boxer, who has received $1,064,914 since 2001 from financial interests.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein came in with less than half that amount - $460,236 - during the same period.

As for Bay Area House members, the top five since 2003 were:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosiof San Francisco - $544,800.

Rep. Anna Eshoo of Palo Alto - $206,583.

Rep. Mike Thompson of St. Helena - $178,279.

Rep. Ellen Tauscher of Walnut Creek - $172,745.

Rep. George Miller of Martinez - $147,405.

Lowest on the list is Rep. Pete Stark of Fremont - the only local "no" vote on the final bailout package - who got $11,250.

Sarah smiles: While the press was kept at bay, the $100,000-plus donors at GOP veep nominee Sarah Palin's Burlingame breakfast Sunday were whisked into the Hyatt Regency through a private entrance, guarded by a security force that had each of the VIPs' names and photos.

Inside, the collection of CEOs and their spouses and dates were shown to a sofa-filled sitting room with its own breakfast buffet, where they mingled until their 10 minutes with Palin.

The next level down - the 250 or so people who had paid $2,300 to attend - were kept in a separate room with coffee, tea and pastries until Palin arrived for a five-minute pep talk.

Everyone got a photo taken with Palin as well.

Three seconds - flash - next!

Twenty-five state GOP volunteers being honored for their work were also brought in on a bus for a separate, five-minute pep talk from Palin.

Then, just as quickly, the volunteers were shuffled back out to the bus, and off they went.

No pictures, no sticking around for the big speech in the hotel's main hall to the rest of the group, including a mass of donors who had paid $1,000 apiece for the honor. Not even a glass of water.

Not that they missed much.

Palin's message was the same to the people who had paid $1,000 and those who had paid $100,000: California is still Ronald Reagan country, and we can win in November.

Reaction to Palin among the GOPers was consistent as well: red, white and tingly all over.

And finally: First, the big new Federal Building in San Francisco was late and over budget. Then workers complained about needing sunglasses and umbrellas indoors to shield them from the glaring sun.

Now comes word about another bit of embarrassment at the $144 million "green" behemoth at Seventh and Mission streets.

Officials recently installed four giant, stainless-steel plaques near the entryway in recognition of the many planners, architects and others who helped make the eco-friendly building possible.

Only it wasn't long before office workers were making pilgrimages to the wall - and snickering at the engraved name of one "Hugh G. Rection."

That plaque is now gone. Of course, so are all the others, temporarily - seems they were installed crooked.

EXTRA! Catch our Web page at www.sfgate.com/matierandross.