49ers in Santa Clara? Newsom doesn't see it

He may be whistling past the graveyard, but Mayor Gavin Newsom insists he's not worried about the outcome of next month's vote to authorize construction of a stadium for the 49ers in Santa Clara.

"They'll pass it and have a lot of press conferences calling it 'a historic day' and that the 49ers 'are proud to stay in the Bay Area,' " Newsom told The Chronicle's editorial board this week.

"Then a year will become two and perhaps three" as Santa Clara and the 49ers try to put together a financing plan and get the approvals and agreements San Francisco already has lined up for a stadium in the Hunters Point Shipyard redevelopment area.

Newsom said he's staying out of the Measure J stadium fight in Santa Clara, calling it "much ado about nothing."

Even if the measure gets approved June 8, the mayor asked, where does the city and the team find the $937 million needed to build the stadium?

Santa Clara "has a math problem, and it's a money problem," he added.

Newsom is convinced that the only way to make the numbers work for a new stadium is to have the 49ers and the Oakland Raiders agree to share the new stadium, which is a discussion that apparently hasn't happened. Yet.

Meanwhile, the city still has a football stadium listed as the centerpiece of the huge redevelopment project, which is slated to get final approval from the Board of Supervisors this summer. But the city also has a Plan B to replace the stadium with housing if the 49ers opt out of San Francisco.

If the 49ers run into problems with their Santa Clara dream, they should remember that the San Francisco stadium plan "will still be in play, but not forever," the mayor said.

- John Wildermuth

R.I.P: There were a lot of tears and looks of disbelief around City Hall this week when word spread that longtime budget analyst Ken Bruce died.

The Board of Supervisors adjourned Tuesday's meeting in his memory. He was an institution within an institution, having worked in the Board of Supervisors' budget analyst's office for 33 years. He probably knew more about the Police Department budget than anyone - inside or outside the SFPD.

He was a go-to guy for supervisors, City Hall aides and reporters in his role as Budget Analyst Harvey Rose's chief assistant. He had a knack for being able to explain the intricacies of finance and policy in simple terms - and with patience.

"Ken had a brilliant mind, and he was able to quickly identify problems and make significant recommendations, resulting in millions of dollars of savings to the taxpayers of San Francisco," Rose said.

He also was an avid baseball fan and remained a true believer in his beloved Giants.

Bruce, 61, was found dead last Saturday in his San Francisco home. The cause of death is still under investigation, said his friend and ex-wife, Martha Bruce Huddle.

Friends plan to celebrate his life at a gathering at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Connecticut Yankee, the corner of 17th and Connecticut streets. Wear your favorite baseball cap.

- Rachel Gordon