Sailing out of troubled waters
The smartest move that San Francisco made in its quest to host the next America's Cup was the one it avoided. Mayor Gavin Newsom resisted the temptation, the tug from race organizers, to ask the California Legislature to waive environmental laws for waterfront improvements that would be needed for the world's premier sailing race.
If San Francisco had sought a rush-job waiver in the closing days of the legislative session - as had been contemplated in recent weeks - it would have aroused suspicions and created divisions in a city that is famously protective of its bay and its waterfront. Instead, the city is about as focused and united as I have seen it on any issue in recent years, with business and environmental groups exhibiting equal passion to persuade the BMW Oracle Racing Team and its billionaire owner, Larry Ellison, that San Francisco Bay is the perfect venue for them to defend the cup in 2013 or 2014.
