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This being a family newspaper, I can’t precisely report the three words repeatedly used by Sabrina Brennan as she tried to disrupt the April 15 meeting of the San Mateo County Harbor Board of Commissioners, of which she is a member.
There is one printable word to describe the conduct of Commissioner Brennan at this meeting and throughout her eight years on the board: disgraceful.
Moreover, there is a basic lesson here, beyond the considerable salaciousness of a woman repeatedly shouting quite specific references to female genitalia: This is what happens when someone is allowed to hold a relatively obscure office without true accountability or scrutiny or meaningful opposition.
On April 15, at a meeting conducted online, Commissioner Brennan revealed her true character in its ugly entirety.Â
For years, there have been tales of Commissioner Brennan’s behind-the-scenes outrageousness — her constant accusations that she has been harassed (often sexually) by others, her threats of legal action, her costly demands for investigations of Harbor District staff and commissioners of charges that prove unsubstantiated, and her steady stream of character assassination toward anyone she perceives as an opponent. All this is aided by a cadre of supporters who use social media to provide a chorus of vitriol.
But now we have the full picture.
Commissioner Brennan’s conduct at the April 15 really has to be seen to understand both the coarseness of her behavior and to puzzle over why she was so determined to force an end to a public meeting. Her vehicle for this behavior was a long-standing dispute with fellow Commissioner Tom Mattusch, who in 2014 foolishly circulated some raw pornography to about 40 people, including Commissioner Brennan, when he was running for the board with, incidentally, Commissioner Brennan’s endorsement. She subsequently accused Mattusch of sexual harassment. A 2018 independent review, at considerable cost to the Harbor District, concluded that Mattusch used poor judgment, but it didn’t amount to sexual harassment.
To recap: The porn emailing took place in 2014. The independent investigation took place in 2018. It’s 2020.Â
At the April 15 meeting, Commissioner Brennan, for no apparent reason — Mattusch hadn’t said a word — began calling Mattusch a pervert and chanting three words that can’t be printed in this newspaper.Â
This went on for a seemingly interminable period of time. Attempts by board President Nancy Reyering and Vice President Virginia Chang Kiraly to rule Commissioner Brennan out of order were shouted down by her. She continued to call Mattusch a pervert and to call the other two women enablers. As Commissioner Brennan continued to shout, Reyering and Chang Kiraly continued with the meeting, passing, with the additional vote of Mattusch, a number of items. Brennan cast no votes during this period, too busy shouting names and body parts.
None of this helps the reputation of the Harbor District, which has been under attack as unnecessary, poorly managed and a waste of public resources for so long that people might think it’s the agency’s mission statement. This latest episode revived calls to dissolve the district.
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Dissolving the district is a complex administrative process with real governmental, financial and political complications.Â
It’s true, the Harbor District once was dominated by a group of male cronies and it seemed to provide little value to more than a few. But the old guard was ousted in a charge led, ironically, by Commissioner Brennan.
A succession of professional general managers has resulted in better management and improvements to the district’s finances and its facilities at the Pillar Point Harbor and the Oyster Point Marina in South San Francisco. San Mateo County is bounded by the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean and a case can be made that our quality of life is enhanced by water-related recreational services, not to mention a significant commercial fishing fleet.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Brennan has become the main argument for dissolution — she simply makes it impossible for the district to move beyond its entrenched reputation.
There is good news in the form of district elections, which the agency is shifting to this year. She is now in a district with her often-silent ally on the board, Eduardo Larenas. But that district doesn’t have an election until 2022. Commissioner Brennan’s term ends at the end of this year.
Yes, she’ll be out of office at the end of the year. That could be the chance to clear away the foul air she generates and for the Harbor District to be seen anew.
Meanwhile, there long have been rumors Commissioner Brennan might seek another office — supervisor, perhaps. If it comes to that, I’ve got an idea for a three-word campaign slogan.
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Mark Simon is a veteran journalist, whose career included 15 years as an executive at SamTrans and Caltrain. He can be reached at marksimon@smdailyjournal.com.
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(9) comments
I do not think the district should be dissolved because of 1 person. Although the grand jury recommended this several years ago it was before the election of 4 of the 5 member. Ms. Reyering and Mr. Laurenas in particular I have personal knowledge of and they are stellar professionals with years of experience in business and policy. This will resolve itself as a comment above references, and I "hope" Mr. Laurenas stays on. The Harbor District has been turned around by all this fresh participation and deserves a chance to prove itself free of the drama. That will happen. I have no idea what the 3 words were, but this publication should not have allowed a journalist to suggest calling Ms. Brennan what he is criticizing himself. Hemingway said always cut your favorite line, the one you think is so clever. Maybe the old man had a good point....
Tried twice to post this. They won't have it:
"It’s true, the Harbor District once was dominated by a group of male cronies and it seemed to provide little value to more than a few. But the old guard was ousted in a charge led, ironically, by Commissioner Brennan."
Say what you will. Brennan took on the good old boys and beat them. She did not lead the charge. She was the charge. Nobody had her back. The good old boys had her investigated half a dozen times. They even had Brennan investigated twice because she provided a contact email address on her District Bio page. Did you know that Mark Simon? They tried to end recording of meetings. They tried everything they could to shut her up. As most people know, nobody is loved for standing up and saying their organizations is dysfunctional. Brennan did. She is now paying the price.
Where was Mark Simon when Tucker and Paravanno were buying docks they couldn't not use and ended up costing millions to tear down? How many stories did he write about former Harbor Manager Grenell drawing naked scenes of staff members and giving them out as birthday cards? How about the huge mess caused by the good old boys and the non CDP permitted RV Lot they gave away for 50 years? Does he know about how Chang Kiraly and Mattusch undercut the previous manager and allowed the developers at Oyster Point to renege on their agreement to maintain a fuel dock? How about the tens of thousands in theft Brennan uncovered? Thirty Five thousand dollars in missing servers that she figured out were missing? Or the fact hat the Harbor District had gone over 100 months without even reconciling is checking account? Or that their angry pretend accountant was filing liens on boats whose owners were in good standing with the District?
Can Mark Simon point to the article he wrote about Tom Mattusch, the pervert who sent explicit pornography to Brennan and 40 other good old boys, being the deciding vote to remove Brennan from her board Presidency? What is Simon's opinion of Chang Kiraly telling reporters she voted to retaliate against Brennan because Brennan filed a complaint. I wonder if Simon knows that Nancy Reyering has called for Mattusch to be kicked off the Board per his disgusting need to send close up's of women's privates to a bunch of men and one woman? :-- https://www.hmbreview.com/opinion/citizens-should-call-for-mattusch-s-resignation/article_533ea0f4-2d30-11e8-b377-77fd2e2a4587.html
Has Mark Simon ever attended a district meeting? Was he there when Chang Kiraly out of the blue accused Larenas of being high? Was he at the meeting when Mattusch accused Brennan of liking the pornography Mattusch gets off on? In case you don't know, Tom Mattusch prefers young women who have completely removed their pubic hair. Is Brennan perfect? No she is not. Does this Mark Simon guy have a clue? No he does not. He saw some video sent by Kiraly and has based his whole premise on that. This poor example of journalism gives journalism a bad name.
"It’s true, the Harbor District once was dominated by a group of male cronies and it seemed to provide little value to more than a few. But the old guard was ousted in a charge led, ironically, by Commissioner Brennan."
Say what you will. Brennan took on the good old boys and beat them. She did not lead the charge. She was the charge. Nobody had her back. The good old boys had her investigated half a dozen times. They even had Brennan investigated twice because she provided a contact email address on her District Bio page. Did you know that Mark Simon? They tried to end recording of meetings. They tried everything they could to shut her up.
As most people know, nobody is loved for standing up and saying their organizations is dysfunctional. Brennan did. She is now paying the price.
Where was Mark Simon when Tucker and Paravanno were buying docks they couldn't not use and ended up costing millions to tear down? How many stories did he write about former Harbor Manager Grenell drawing naked scenes of staff members and giving them out as birthday cards? How about the huge mess caused by the good old boys and the non CDP permitted RV Lot they gave away for 50 years? Does he know about how Chang Kiraly and Mattusch undercut the previous manager and allowed the developers at Oyster Point to renege on their agreement to maintain a fuel dock? How about the tens of thousands in theft Brennan uncovered? Thirty Five thousand dollars in missing servers that she figured out were missing? Or the fact hat the Harbor District had gone over 100 months without even reconciling is checking account? Or that their angry pretend accountant was filing liens on boats whose owners were in good standing with the District?
Can Mark Simon point to the article he wrote about Tom Mattusch, the pervert who sent explicit pornography to Brennan and 40 other good old boys, being the deciding vote to remove Brennan from her board Presidency? What is Simon's opinion of Chang Kiraly telling reporters she voted to retaliate against Brennan because Brennan filed a complaint.
I wonder if Simon knows that Nancy Reyering has called for Mattusch to be kicked off the Board per his disgusting need to send close up's of women's privates to a bunch of men and one woman? :-- https://www.hmbreview.com/opinion/citizens-should-call-for-mattusch-s-resignation/article_533ea0f4-2d30-11e8-b377-77fd2e2a4587.html
Has Mark Simon ever attended a district meeting? Was he there when Chang Kiraly out of the blue accused Larenas of being high? Was he at the meeting when Mattusch accused Brennan of liking the pornography Mattusch gets off on? In case you don't know, Tom Mattusch prefers young women who have completely removed their pubic hair.
Is Brennan perfect? No she is not. Does this Mark Simon guy have a clue? No he does not. He saw some video sent by Kiraly and has based his whole premise on that. This poor example of journalism gives journalism a bad name.
While reading this column, I couldn’t help but think of the parallels with the recent recall of a longtime Foster City Councilmember, who was uncivil and abusive in council chambers for 8 years. Yet, I don’t recall the writer,, who is very aligned with San Mateo County politicians, ever calling out the Foster City Councilmember for his poor treatment of residents, council colleagues and city staff since 2012. This newspaper did not endorse the recall, passed by 77% of Foster City voters.
I’m left wondering why the difference? Could it be because Sabrina Brennan may have further county political aspirations and a thorn in the side of the county political power base? Seems like the writer is often more of a county spokesperson than Independent journalist.
Ms. Brennan has clearly demonstrated why the Harbor District must be dissolved. Her constant re-litigation of events from 2014 that the District has investigated at taxpayer expense over the past six years is an embarrassment and frankly demonstrates why she should never hold a position of public trust ever again. Need more evidence? Last year, Ms. Brennan attempted to stick county taxpayers with a bill for her accommodations in Hawaii at a non-county event where she spoke about surfing. You can't make this level of disfunction up, people. Let's dissolve the Harbor District and make Ms. Brennan a full-time surfing advocate— that way she can pay for her trips to Hawaii on her own dime.
I don't see the need to dissolve the Harbor District because of one member that has "wiped out" too many times. As for the level of disfunction, it doesn't come close the what we have in office in Washington D.C. right now.
Hi, "Tafhdyd," by "wiped out," do you mean Brennan has perpetually hijacked meetings? Have a look at the books: Brennan's insistence that the Harbor District continuously review her claims of harrassment (Claims since dismissed by an independent investigator) have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Harbor District has been mired in dysfunction for over fourteen years now; it's long past time the Board of Supervisors dissolves the District and brings accountability back to the county.
https://padailypost.com/2020/05/14/pervert-harbor-district-board-meeting-gets-ugly/
She is what one would call a real piece of work..
https://www.facebook.com/sabrinarjbrennan
I hope you're not using that phrase as a compliment.
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