i'm louise miller. i've been resident of north beach since 85. it is great that we are investing in washington square. it is a super place and it needs to get better. it -- i do have concerns about the timing. >> president buell: can you speak into the microphone? thank you. >> it is a very economically depressed neighborhood. there is nine closed storefronts on one block just off the square. in addition to that, there is all the other stories that are closed and to the residential area that was lost due to the fire. is a struggling neighborhood. i am not sure if this is a good time to be investing in closing the square and closing the plaza for the businesses in the neighborhood and the residence. may be the timing -- i think it was starting in march. it would be going right through the spring and summer. that might be something that should be considered. and to think about the water that we pay for in the square, i am wondering if it is currently being maintained. the spring colours are at odd angles. at two in the morning on monday, there was

and louise and i ran against each other, and well, sometimes you get hurt in politics, and i always thought george miller was a very good friend of mine, and he ran her campaign. so, he wasn't that good a friend of mine. anyway, it was -- louise was very, very, as you know, she's still in congress, and she's very, very talented. but i was -- that was a tough race. it really was. and i think i won by one vote or something. >> it was really close, right? who ran your campaign? >> i think -- i don't think anybody ran my campaign. i was vice chairman. i thought i was going to go in -- like stenny didn't think -- you never know what people are going to do, but i don't think anybody ran my campaign. >> did you enjoy that aspect of -- >> yes. >> of going out and convincing colleagues? >> i enjoyed being in leadership. i wanted to be in leadership. and then you realize the next woman that came into leadership a few years later was nancy pelosi, and she went right up. oh, wonderful. now, that was something i was so thrilled about. so, she and i went to the same college, and we knew each other before congress, and