September 20, 2009 | NEWS ARTICLES
Herrera's power play - on video
By Marisa Lagos | San Francisco Chronicle
City Attorney Dennis Herrera, who is running unopposed for a third term and hopes to become mayor in a couple years, unveiled a new commercial this weekend (view it at www.cleanairsanfrancisco.com) that mentions neither election. Instead, the 30-second video - which he e-mailed to supporters Saturday and will begin airing Monday - asks people to sign a petition urging state regulators to shut down a polluting San Francisco power plant. "Huh?" you ask. The Insider is here to explain. Basically, the city - pushed by neighborhood activists - has been working for years to shutter Mirant Corp.'s fossil fuel plant on the southeastern waterfront. Who has done the most to forward this goal is a politically loaded question around City Hall, where a number of officials clash over who deserves credit. What's not up for debate is this: After years of pushback from the plant's owners and state regulators, Herrera announced a settlement last month with Mirant. Under the terms, the city agreed to drop a lawsuit against the company and Mirant agreed to shutter the plant by the end of 2010. But it's not over, because the city and company don't have the final word - state regulators do. And recently, those regulators said they don't think the 2010 timeline can be met. Looks like Herrera is attempting to capitalize on that reticence - and the palpable community outrage over the plant's continuing pollution - to garner support. We'll let you decide which election it's about.
