Recall This!
I'm tired of the weak arguments against recalling San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio.
Yesterday I wrote about the very special people that are leading a political uprising in The Sunset District in San Francisco — Echoes in Eternity
I encourage you to read that if you have not done so already. Otherwise, what I am writing here today might seem to lack a bit of context.
San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio will face an official recall election on September 16, 2025, thanks to the over 900 volunteers who made it happen — Echoes in Eternity.
Supervisor Engardio has waged a public relations and propaganda battle against the Recall Campaign in an attempt to discredit the nearly 11,000 resident voters of The Sunset who signed the petition. And frankly, I am bone-weary of his excuses and rationalizations.
In order to get over that weariness I am going to write here about my thoughts on the excuses, rationalizations and other musings of Supervisor Joel Engardio and his puppeteers.
Engardio Excuse #1 — A recall election is too expensive.
Bullshit. And you know it’s bullshit because while he has said “too expensive” hundreds of times, he has yet to share any actual information about the cost of a recall election in District 4. Instead, Engardio prefers to generally discuss the cost of city-wide recalls in recent years.
He fails to point out that his recall election will occur only in District 4, meaning that the cost will be closer to one-tenth the cost of a citywide recall election. Not a stickler for details that Joel Engardio.
Moreover, if Engardio discussed the actual cost of a recall in District 4 everyone would recognize that the cost is far less than what San Francisco is spending on their efforts to make The Great Highway look like a park. I mean, they spent $400,000 on public art along the stretch of closed highway — and with as much objectivity as I can muster, much of the art is not very good — as they rushed headlong into creating the poorly named Sunset Dunes Park.
Engardio excuse #2 — But, but, but… democracy.
In order to avoid being petty, I’ll leave the cost-comparisons right there… for now. But I have one other thought on the cost of this recall. It is the cost of democracy. Recalls, ballot initiatives and every other type of election — including the election of Supervisors, state legislators, member of Congress, Governors, etc. — all cost money.
When people like Supervisor Engardio talk about how something was decided by a democratic vote they mean, and he means, that the voters supported what he wants. Let the people voice an opinion that contradicts him and suddenly that is somehow against democracy. Again, I call bullshit.
Supervisor Engardio, when you were a leader in the efforts to recall San Francisco Unified School District board members you seemed to think you were a champion of democracy. When you were a leader in the effort to recall San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, you thought you were a champion of the people, or at least that is what you told people.
Your own recall is, after all, how the political axiom goes – live by the sword, die by the sword. Live by the recall, die by the recall seems an appropriate admonition for Supervisor Engardio.
Moreover, Jesus was just a bit more definitive in his original statement on this matter.
“Then Jesus said to him, put up your sword into its place - for all that take up the sword shall perish with the sword.” Matthew 26:52
“For all that take up the sword shall perish with the sword…” All that take up the sword shall perish… definitive, no?
Engardio excuse #3 — doggone it, people like me…
“I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and doggone it, people like me.” Stuart Smalley (played by Al Franken), Saturday Night Live
Supervisor Engardio likes to repeat, as many times as possible, the mantra that the recall is about only one issue. And he’s right about that, it is about one issue — betrayal.
As I walked up and down the hills of the Sunset and up and down hundreds of flights of stairs, to knock on hundreds of doors, I learned. At door after door, I learned that there are thousands of stories of Joel Engardio’s betrayal of his constituents — the residents of The Sunset. My knowledge of all the ways that Engardio has betrayed The Sunset and the people that live here is, in me, so linked to knocking on those doors that when I think about it now or learn some new wrinkle about it now it makes my knees ache a little from all those damn steps.
I had more to say about Engardio’s betrayal of The Sunset — Echoes in Eternity — in my last post.
What I want to share today is more toward this excuse #3. Supervisor Engardio, you spin this tale of how people from The Sunset come to you and tell you what a great job you are doing. How about May 22nd when 10,985 Sunset residents, your constituents, submitted signatures on a petition calling for you to be removed from office?
Did you hear that? Do you realize that number is only a little less than the total number of votes you received when you were elected in 2022? Do you understand that all of your efforts to dilute and silence the voices of dissent over the closure of The Great Highway and the voices of opposition to your continuing to serve as the Supervisor for District 4 are just that, efforts to silence the Voices of The Sunset?
Are you starting to believe your own false narrative? Your biggest mistake was not leading the charge to put Proposition K on the ballot — in the 11th hour of the last day possible. Your biggest mistake has always been your inability to listen to the people who live in District 4, your inability to hear about their hopes, dreams, doubts, concerns and even their nightmares — many of which are coming true before their very eyes.
Moreover, when you doubled-down on silencing their voices you added insult to injury. You offended them deeply. Well, Supervisor, you may not think that recall is in their best interest, but I know what I know. And I know that the people have a habit of determining for themselves what is in their best interest. You are on the wrong side of history and the ferryman is coming for his toll.
Can you hear me now? Can you hear them now? Can you hear us now?
John Crabtree