Gonzo moment/G. gets scooped

Pretty effing steamed right now. Weeks ago, I overheard on a BART train that the Mayor was challenging the census. I called the office with the info -- had it confirmed off the record that it was indeed true, but a 'non-story.' Told to bide my time, I'd be informed as it developed. Did what I was told.

Today, Mayor G. lets drop to the A.P. and the Chronicle that there's 100,000 extra people in town that the census somehow missed. There's 867,000 of us, not 767,000, the rest in hidden in undisclosed locations or something in Western Addition and Bayview.

(To the non-West Coast friends and family, this means thus: that everyone's hiding out in the black part of town.)

The story I had weeks ago. The story I was told to sit on. I played ball, and struck out.

Lesson learned? Ahh... forthcoming. Wanna break stuff right now more than anything else. Am looking forward to giving press officer the business tomorrow. She'll listen, cos clearly Gav's Office cares about the local media, local issues and local politics. Clearly...

"It is a city of haves and have-nots," Newsom said.

No shit.

*******************

Before that broke in my face...

Was going to tell you how, on the way off the BART and onto the street, walking towards the car for Stage 2 of my one-hour in-city commute, I turned the corner and saw flashing lights, cops crowded, cops concerned, cops talking to guy laying on the street, wrapped up in the frame of a bike in front of a white truck. Cops talking, cops human, cops trying to find out who was hit, why was hit, what was hit. No ID, no talking. In pain. BART-load of people shuffling past in the dark, cops yelling, 'ANYONE SEE WHAT HAPPENED?' Couple stares, couple slowing down before putting feet back in gear and down the road. 'ANYONE SEE WHAT HAPPENED?' Reporter didn't take photos, statements, didn't even slow down.

Had to take a leak.

Had to drain it before I hopped back in the car, before I drove past and looked again, saw dude extracted from bike and inserted into ambulance, jeans cut away to reveal swollen leg, me driving off to Safeway where bread, tomatoes and strawberries flown in from Mexcio cost more than they did a few months ago.