San Francisco is a city known as much for its outlandishness as its progressive politics. The two factors are indicative of the city’s character, moral fiber and its capacity to bring sexy back.

Every so often, the two elements merge together and say peek-a-boo on our ballots. This year, our beloved city presented us with Proposition R. The proposition proposed to change the name of the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant in honor of our outgoing president.

When the proposition was first introduced early last summer, a ripple of double-takes was seen across the city.

Was this seriously on the ballot?

Brian McConnell, the chairman of the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco, assured civilians on this November’s voter information pamphlet that the measure oozes respect.

“Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it,” he wrote in his proponent’s argument. “President Bush has left us with a gigantic mess, and this facility symbolizes the city’s deft ability to clean up its share of the financial and diplomatic mess left in the administration’s wake…we think President Bush deserves immediate recognition for his eight years of public service.”

McConnell and Ben Rosenfield, the city controller, stated that if this proposition passes, it will have minimal fiscal impact.

For those of you who think that this measure is silly, you’re right. But before you roll your eyes and give a thumbs-down, consider the following precedent. In 1993, police officer Bob Geary successfully campaigned to patrol the streets with a wooden dummy named Brendan O’Smarty. He used the puppet as a creative method to gain the communities trust. Dummy O’Smarty was brought to the ballot and the city voted in favor to keep the crime-solving duo.

The fact that Proposition R gained enough community support to make it to the ballot this November has made one of two things clear: we are either a society that has abused the process of law for trivial matters, or a society that has successfully connected accessibility with direct democracy.

We encourage you to choose wisely and optimistically.