S.F. group seeks to rename sewage plant for President Bush

An ad hoc group of San Franciscans kicked off a petition drive Friday to honor President Bush by naming one of the city's sewage plants after him.

The group, the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco, filed paperwork at San Francisco City Hall April 25 to get the initiative on the November ballot. Leaders of the movement are optimistic that they'll collect at least 7,200 valid signatures that would put the measure before voters. The measure would change the Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Facility to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant on Jan. 20, 2009, inauguration day. Supporters anticipate they'll be successful, given their "informal polling."

"We believe this is an appropriate and enduring legacy, for no other president in modern American history has accomplished so much in such a short time," according to the group's web site,www.presidentialmemorial.org.

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While supporters may have their tongues in cheek, the leaders of the effort bit their tongue.

"We're leaving it up to the people to interpret the proposed ballot measure as a compliment or insult," said Wayne Pickering, chairman of the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco.

After all, Pickering noted, the sewage plant is an "ultramodern, clean facility with cutting-edge technology.

"A city can't function without that service," he added.

San Francisco Republicans had their own take on the effort.

"The First Amendment gives the right to everyone to make a fool of themselves. The proponents are fools who care very little about the reputation of our fair and beautiful city," said Mike DeNunzio, chair of the San Francisco Republican Assembly.