Art Agnos: I think that Mayor Joe Alioto’s administration and time in office did create an atmosphere where the people of this city were ready for a more progressive change and empowerment of the neighborhoods. The neighborhoods had felt shut out of City Hall; particularly on development issues. They saw things being proposed, high rises etc. As you know, San Francisco can be very fussy about this city and rightfully so because it’s a beautiful place. So I think that neighborhoods were feeling frustrated that they were not having any kind of participation through City Hall and the Mayor’s Office in what the future of this city was gonna be in a variety of areas, but development being one of them. At the same time I think that San Francisco was going through a change with new people coming to the city. New people had always come to the city, but I think we were seeing a wave in the 60’s and in the 70’s with the whole Haight-Ashbury movement and the urban renewal movement and all that stuff creating an atmosphere that was just right for 1975 when Mayor Moscone was a candidate and was successful because the people wanted a change from what had been to a more progressive inclusionary kind of government that they could be a part of. And that’s what George Moscone offered as Mayor
