Following voters' approval of Proposition D this spring, theboard was granted the right to approve all nominations and namethree out of seven members on the influential commission.

The supervisors have since approved three nominees chosen byBoard President Tom Ammiano. But mayoral spokesman PJ Johnston saysit was a different story for the four people his boss chose, one ofwhom appeared headed for board rejection because of his experienceon the Planning Commission while another who lacked a planningbackground but had a record as a neighborhood activist was out offavor for her lack of experience.

Johnston explained that his boss decided to yank all four of hisnominees out of concern that the board might accept just one ortwo, then in effect give the mayor only a minority voice on theinfluential seven-member Planning Commission.