4 veterans' last week on S.F. Board of Supervisors

Four veterans on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will leave office this week, taking with them a collective 35 years of experience as lawmakers and leaving behind an eclectic legislative record.

Termed out of office, they lose their jobs at noon Saturday when their successors are scheduled to take the oath of office.

Two of the departing supervisors, Chris Daly and Sophie Maxwell, were swept into office with the rebirth of district elections in 2000 amid a call to embolden neighborhood power and loosen then-Mayor Willie Brown's strong grip on City Hall.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty won election two years later, followed in 2004 by Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, who initially was appointed by Gavin Newsom to take over his seat when he became mayor.

See Page C3 for a brief look at their tenure.

Michela Alioto-Pier

Representing the District Two neighborhoods that include Pacific Heights, Sea Cliff and the Marina, Alioto-Pier is the granddaughter of the late Mayor Joe Alioto and niece of former Supervisor Angela Alioto.

Legislative record: A solid moderate vote on the board with the strong backing of real estate and other business interests, she has been a loyal ally of Newsom. She has been faulted by some for her spotty attendance record but credited for a bulldog determination on issues for which she cares deeply: earthquake preparedness and business growth. She sponsored legislation that gives financial incentives to the film and biotech industries to do business in the city.

Paralyzed from the waist down in a ski-lift accident at age 13, she has championed the rights of people with disabilities.

Future plans: Mulling a run for mayor this fall.

Memorable quote: "I believe members of this board should not use these chambers as a bully pulpit from which to engage in personal and political attacks upon others." - June 26, 2007, on her legislation calling for a code of conduct for the Board of Supervisors.

Chris Daly

Brash, passionate, fearless, bullying and profane are just a few adjectives used to describe the District Six supervisor, who first made his political name as a tenant-rights activist. During his tenure representing the Tenderloin, South of Market and North Mission neighborhoods, Daly, an unwavering member of the board's left-flank majority, has fought to maintain and expand services for the poor and against curbs on panhandling.