The Mayor of Bernal Heights

This morning at Cafe Commons, Tom Ammiano was behind me in line. Now, Soonae, one of the proprietors, knows everyone's names here. It's not that she makes a point of it, she just has this splendid ability to instantly remember all she sees. She and I are a lot alike in that, but her talent is much stronger.

The way that Mr. Ammiano talks to her, talks to anyone around the neighborhood shows what a kind and decent man he is. I've voted for him in every election race he's run and I'm proud of that, often proud of San Francisco through him and his efforts, and glad of the coincidence that he lives right down the street from me.

I don't want to say he's neighborly in his comportment, because that sounds like a political pose: he's just a nice neighbor.