Retirees push back against Paskin appointment

San Francisco community members and retirees spoke out at the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday against Mayor Ed Lee’s reappointment of Wendy Paskin-Jordan to The City’s Retirement Board.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee reappointed Paskin-Jordan, a financial adviser and the wife of former mayor Frank Jordan, to the Retirement Board, but the board of supervisors gathered to discuss whether they would approve or reject her appointment.

Many of those who spoke during the public comment section at the board of supervisors meeting today are retirees who said they found Paskin-Jordan incompetent and found her past actions unethical.

Former city workers said that she has been a “significant barrier” to the Retirement Board’s divestment in fossil fuels and are concerned because she is facing allegations of a conflict of interest by the Ethics Commission.

Retiree Patricia Jackson said she worries Paskin-Jordan isn’t cut out for the job and worries about that her retirement fund is at risk.

Supervisors David Campos and Malia Cohen said today that they want Paskin-Jordan to attend a special meeting of the board of supervisors to discuss her controversial investment in Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo and Co., an international investment firm known as GMO, which is doing business with the city’s retirement system.

Over a dozen community members who spoke in chambers today said they see her investment as a blatant conflict of interest. The board voted today to hold a special meeting at 2 p.m. on Jan. 7 to answer questions about Paskin-Jordan’s investments and allegations against her under review by the city’s Ethics Commission.