I outlined above how pervasive Jones' influence was in San Francisco at the time. But I should flesh out that story with a little more background to explain the politics behind some of this and how it jumpstarted some political careers:

San Francisco was hit with a double-whammy in the fall of '78; first came Jonestown on November 18 and then just 10 days later came the Harvey Milk and SF Mayor George Moscone assassinations.

As I said, Jim Jones was very well-known in the SF City Hall where he regularly harangued the Board of Supervisors as he lobbied for civil rights. Dianne Feinstein was President of the Board of Supes at the time, and Nancy Pelosi hung around alot as she lobbied on the behalf of her boss, Congressman Philip Burton - - he being the BIG DICK in California poilitics at the time. Pelosi would eventually take over Burton's D.C. slot herself [she was actually annointed to the job by Burton's widow Sala, who had taken over when he dropped dead], handpicked by the CA Democratic Party... and, they already had their eyes on Feinstein as another rising star.

So, you can rest assured that both Feinstein and Pelosi knew Jones professionally -if not personally- since Jones was frequently invited to all the top political fundraisers/events before he moved his tribe down to Guyana. But by then, Jones was a serious nutjob! His addictions and resulting paranoia rendered him nearly incapable of even leaving the People's Temple out on Geary, let alone being stable enough to be an operative for anyone except his multiple dealers.

Then came the Moscone/Milk murders and the City went nuts. And, since Dianne Feinstein was the President of the SF Board Of Supervisors, she was next in line to become Mayor upon Moscone's death... and suddenly her political career took off like a fucking rocket.

I still recall how shamelessly Feinstein manipulated the SF Gay community as she repeated how she was the first one on the scene after Milk's killing... and, detailed how her finger slid into a bullethole in Milk's wrist as she felt for a pulse. That sort of thing!

Of course, she instantly became Mother Theresa to the entire Gay voting bloc and therin secured her later [and already planned], ultimate move to Washington D.C! Money was already not a problem for her since her Hubby was uber-rich and she lived behind gates in a mansion on one of the City's more expensive, celebrated hills.