Opinion: San Fran measure to name sewage plant for Bush makes Nov. ballot

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Recently, it seems, voter referendums are used increasingly not so much to put in the hands of citizens crucial decisions on important issues of public policy. But they’re being used as a more compelling excuse to get certain voter groups out to the polls on election day than simply electing candidates.

Think marriage amendment and the 2004 presidential election in such places as Ohio.

Well, a new measure has now qualified for the November ballot in San Francisco. And it’ll likely help draw out city voters from the Democratic and from the Republican party, all three of them there.

It’s the measure to rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant, which treats waste water from San Francisco’s west side, the George W. Bush Sewage Plant in an effort to embarrass the president for actions such as the Iraq war.

When the president becomes the former president in January, he’ll be returning to his isolated Texas ranch near Crawford, which likely has a septic tank. So he won’t notice the change if it passes.

-- Andrew Malcolm