In San Francisco, a Library Gadfly Inspires a New Fund

-- Library Journal, 10/12/2005

James Chafee, a gadfly who comments on nearly every agenda item at meetings of the San Francisco Public Library Commission, has inspired new donations from those who are frustrated by his tone. "Mr. Chaffee dislikes the fact that we raise money from private sources in support of the library and has branded us as power hungry private interests. This is thoroughly antithetical to our mission and the complete transparency with which we operate," said Donna Bero, executive director of the Friends. "However, Mr. Chaffee has taken to describing us as a 'hate' group and publicly lashes out at us at every public comment opportunity during the meetings." Thus, Friends supporter Ellen Egbert established the Public Comment Fund: "[E]ach time she hears an unnecessarily negative public comment about Friends (which happen to come entirely from Mr. Chaffee), she will donate $5 to the fund." About $400 has been raised. Chaffee, for his part, wrote in a letter to the Board of Supervisors, "I am the one that has broken down over the years the barriers to attendance at commission meetings, the right to make public comment, and the right to public documents." He added, "The history of SFPL does not represent a good example of what happens when management cares about nothing but private money."