Governor Gavin News is in good company when it comes to politicians attending fancy birthday parties and encouraging others not to gather.
It’s a central epidemic at Newsom’s infamous, ill-advised, three-star Michelin restaurant in Yout Dutville after the mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, dined at French laundry at night.
Breed took a few days off after election day and joined seven people to celebrate the 60th birthday of socialite Goretti Louis on the night of November 7, Breed spokesman Jeff Crete confirmed. The eighth party dined in the same kind of partially closed room with a ceiling and chandelier like News – making it more of a dining experience than an outdoor one.
Crete described the occasion as a “small family birthday dinner,” but it was not clear who attended and how many homes were in the group.
While indoor dining was allowed in Napa County at the time without a set limit on the number of homes, state guidelines “disappoint” social gatherings and include three families. Bread dinner at a popular restaurant – amid economic ruin, which has shut down numerous small businesses and extended new lengths to local food banks – may not have technically violated the rules, but it doesn’t look great.
The dinner would certainly have violated San Francisco’s health guidelines if it had taken place in Breed’s own city. San Francisco has issued stricter state guidelines for a variety of businesses, including restaurants, with six groups sitting outside or outside the home, except for those living with each home. Three days after a meal at the French laundry, Breed completely banned indoor dining in San Francisco.
Breede Nov. “I cannot stress enough that everyone must act responsibly to reduce the spread of the virus,” said a statement on the 10th. Breede Nov. “Every San Francisco needs to do its part so we can start moving in the right direction. Again,” said a statement on the 10th.
A recent example is that politicians do not practice exactly what they preach. While Newsom May attended her French laundry dinner for lobbyist Jason Kinney’s 50th birthday, the party of 12 certainly included more than three houses. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had her hair cut in San Francisco while salons were ordered closed.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo told people to avoid large gatherings for Thanksgiving, but attended the holiday dinner of his elderly parents in Saratoga with five other relatives from the house. Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Cuvell voted last week to ban outdoor dining – and hours later saw her dining out at an Italian restaurant in Santa Monica.
Enough to make some residents wonder why they are following the rules if people are setting them up.
Jessica Levinson, a professor of political ethics at Loyola Law School, said the hypocrisy displayed by these politicians is surprising – especially since the rules they are supposed to follow are not so difficult.
“It’s not hard to get out of a birthday party in French laundry,” she said. “He doesn’t tell people to storm the beaches of Normandy. He just stays at home and celebrates the holidays over the zoom. ”
Jason McDaniel, an associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University, said the breed’s weakened dinner comes at a particularly bad time as it will impose more restrictions on residents and businesses this week to prevent a dangerous spike in coronavirus cases. Residents need to trust his decisions to successfully reduce the case rate, he said.
“Increasing any kind of evil about our political leaders right now can be costly,” he said. “Our elected leaders must hold themselves to a high standard. Before that the mayor and governor failed to meet that high standard. ”
Cretan said the mayor paid for his own dinner and insisted that indoor and outdoor dining were allowed in Napa and San Francisco counties at the time. He said the breed ate at many restaurants, while the coronavirus case rate was low to support him financially.
“Now, with case rates rising and two area counties moving back to the purple level, it is once again limiting its actions and encouraging all San Franciscons to do the same.”
Louis San Francisco is the Vice President of the Symphony Board of Governors of Governors and a member of the Asian Arts Commission, comprising 27 members appointed by other commissioners but subject to the approval of the mayor. Her husband, Lawrence Louis, is president of Stanford Hotels and a hotel developer who demolished the Marriott SOMA Mission Two hotel grounds in 2018. Her father is Che-Wu Lui, a Hong Kong billionaire.
Goretti and Lawrence Louis regularly appear on the city’s social circuit.
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears on Sunday and Tuesday. Email: [email protected] Twitter: hknightsf Instagram: heatherknightsf
