and through the years, i have found joni mitchell at the right time when she didn't have a recordingourse leonard cohen, who is one of the great all-time writers of all time. i think he's a marvelous, marvelous poet-- spiritual, social, poetic, political, searing writer of great songs. now, you encouraged him to perform as well. i did. in fact, we were doing a benefit for wbai, the radio station here in new york, which is still thriving. and i said, "well, i want you to come and be on the show." and i had sung his first two songs that he'd written-- suzanne and a song called dress rehearsal rag. and he said, "well, no, no. "you know, i don't-- i don't sing. "i don't sing. "i don't-- i'm not-- i don't have a professional voice." and i said, "leonard, you have a wonderful voice. come on." so i brought him down to-- was it town hall, i believe-- and i kind of pushed him on the stage, and he stood up and started playing suzanne. he got so scared in the middle of the song that he turned and stopped and walked offstage. and i said, "oh, leonard, i'll go back with you and sing." and so i di

in rejecting the fee back in 2009, i have been inspired by joni mitchell, in her song "big yellow taxi." she said, "we took all the trees and put them in a tree museum and charge the people a dollar and a half just to see them." that inspired me not to approve the fee in 2009, but i have another part i want to quote -- "don't it always seemed to go that we do not know what we've got until it's gone?" supervisor mirkarimi: hard to follow that, but i have to say thank you, supervisor avalos. i know there is a few of us who have been staunchly against and continue to be against that gate fee. it was a mistake in my opinion. i quite agree with you that the consequence has been death by 1000 cuts, and it is manifested through these constant increases in fees, so i look forward to the debate that i'm sure will be well-spirited as i'm sure others will try to defend the interests of what privatization might look like in a kinder gentler way, but as this ordinance set that discussion in motion about where the city is going in a larger direction, as it relates to reconciling our differences by c

in rejecting the fee back in 2009, i have been inspired by joni mitchell, in her song "big yellow taxi." she said, "we took all the trees and put them in a tree museum and charge the people a dollar and a half just to see them." that inspired me not to approve the fee in 2009, but i have another part i want to quote -- "don't it always seemed to go that we do not know what we've got until it's gone?" supervisor mirkarimi: hard to follow that, but i have to say thank you, supervisor avalos. i know there is a few of us who have been staunchly against and continue to be against that gate fee. it was a mistake in my opinion. i quite agree with you that the