Our contingent of "loons" was scarcely noticeable among the multitude of quite respectable folk representing the CP board and management, Daly City residents, and many, many other users of the CP, who oppose this bill. The room was packed, extra chairs were brought in until there was no further space to put them, and still dozens of opponents had to stand in the hall. The proponent contingent was considerably smaller - Sen. Yee, the lobbyist involved, the several DC politicians with the most to gain, a few residents wanting the amenities of a supermarket, etc., and two or three of the underprivileged of the local area near the CP who had been brought up to parade before the committee and obtain sympathy. I'd say they were outnumbered easily three to one, if not more.

The Daly City bunch seemed to me to come off quite clearly as manifesting local self interest with no real regard for the greater picture of California state welfare. And I assure you the committee members were not ill educated on the elements presented. They asked hard hitting questions, and expressed clear and cogent opinions based on the issues that go beyond the short-sighted desires of one city/community.

A conversation with an aide to one of the key senators on the committee indicates that it was made clear that the bill, as it is, cannot be approved. The politic action of the senators on the committee was to back-burner it, rather than killing it outright. This gives Sen. Yee an opportunity to rewrite the bill in such a way that it might stand a better chance of getting through the Ag Committee to the next level. The strong suggestion made to all parties, however, was for the CP and DC to return to the negotiating table regarding the lease of a portion of the CP land for development of the commercial center needed by the locals.

Yes, it can be returned to the Committee for another vote, but it was made abundantly clear that the committee will reject it if it comes back in anything like the shape it came in today. Sen. Yee has some serious work ahead of him if he wants that bill to make another appearance before the Ag Committee.