NOVEMBER BALLOT ENDORSEMENTS
CITY SUPERVISORS:
District 1, Jake McGoldrick, Incumbent
San Francisco Tomorrow endorsed Jake McGoldrick for Supervisor in 2000, and we are happy to renew our support. The Supervisor has been a strong advocate for neighborhood planning, transportation improvements, and good government. He collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce to develop City Auditor legislation that was approved by the voters last year. He has obtained funding for a major transportation study of the Geary corridor, and has formed a Citizens’ Advisory Committee to oversee the planning process. He ushered the Precautionary Principle ordinance (the first of its kind in the US) through his committee and the full board. Jake votes according to his morals and principles and is responsive to the interests of his constituents.
District 3 Aaron Peskin, Incumbent
Supervisor Peskin won SFT’s endorsement in 2000. If he had done nothing else, he would have won our endorsement due to his tireless and ultimately successful efforts to halt the SFO runway expansion, which would have filled more than 1,000 acres of San Francisco Bay. In addition, his knowledge of and interest in the Port of San Francisco have proved invaluable. As chair of the Finance Committee, he has demanded accountability from City Departments, and has increased the efficiency and effectiveness of City departments.
District 5 Dual Endorsement for Ross Mirkarimi and Dan Kalb
Dan Kalb has a long history of public service and activism. Currently a policy advocate for the Union of Concerned Scientists, Dan’s resume also includes stints with City College, the Sierra Club, Media Alliance, and Common Cause. During his term on the SF Democratic County Central Committee, he chaired the Community Service Committee. Among his commitments; he strongly supports the establishment of community land trusts to create permanently affordable housing; and seeks to create socially responsible criteria for city contracts. He is committed to public power (he was elected to the ill-fated MUD board in 2001), and is knowledgeable about housing, transportation, ethics and environmental issues. Dan Kalb has served on the board of SFT, but is on leave for the duration of the campaign.
Ross Mirkarimi has a long history of activism, and was also once on the board of SFT. He has run campaigns for Matt Gonzalez and Terence Hallinan, has worked to promote public power, and been an investigator in the District Attorney’s office for the past nine years. He has expressed concern about the chronic underfunding of the Recreation and Parks Department, as well as the increasing murder rate. Among his first acts if elected Supervisor, Ross has promised to promote legislation to extend the Sunshine Ordinance to the Redevelopment Agency. He would also put forward legislation to establish criteria for SF’s Community Policing program based on the programs of other US cities.
District 7 - Sean Elsbernd, Incumbent
Sean Elsbernd is pledged to improve Muni service and promote its use, to increase traffic calming and pedestrian safety. He wants a new Transbay Terminal to connect Bay Area transit, Caltrain and High Speed Rail – plus more ferry service.. He is committed to moving ahead with solar power. Sean was appointed Supervisor this August but knows his district well from three years as an aide to former Supervisor Tony Hall. In January he became the Mayor’s liaison to the Board of Supervisors and is committed to working cooperatively with other Supervisors. He is approachable with an open-door policy for all San Franciscans
District 9 - Tom Ammiano, Incumbent
Tom Ammiano has successfully led the fight for the good of San Francisco for 30 years, as a school teacher, school board member, and Supervisor. He spearheaded successful efforts for district elections to break downtown’s stranglehold on City Hall, to establish a living wage, police reform, better Muni, pedestrian safety, bicycle lanes, stronger ethics rules, more money for public schools, affordable housing, solar energy – plus much more for residents of District 9. He’s working to expand health care for all San Franciscans and low-income housing. Tom has always earned and received San Francisco Tomorrow’s endorsement.
District 11 - Gerardo Sandoval
San Francisco Tomorrow endorsed Gerardo Sandoval in 2000 and again this year as the best representative for District 11 and the goals of SFT. Gerardo is a strong supporter of better, more reliable public transit and less auto congestion. He wants more affordable housing, especially around transit hubs with reduced parking requirements. He is committed to expediting a new Transbay Terminal to bring Caltrain and High Speed Rail downtown. For District 11, Gerardo works for clean streets, neighborhood improvements, senior centers, libraries, low-income housing, and immigrant rights
CITY BALLOT PROPOSITIONS:
YES on A, B, C, D, N
NO on H, I, L
YES on Proposition A:
Authorizes the City to borrow $200 million to make grants or loans to build and renovate supportive and affordable housing for homeless, extremely low-income and low-income individuals and households and help low- and moderate-income buy homes. Affordable housing is consistently identified by both citizens and experts as the number one priority for San Francisco. This will allow us to leverage other funding sources to create more opportunities for San Franciscans to remain in San Francisco
YES on B
This will allow the City to borrow $60 million to share in the cost of repairing historical resources, such as the Old Mint, the Palace of Fine Arts, Coit Tower, McLaren Lodge and the Bayview Opera House, as well as constructing a new building to house the historic organ that once graced Brooks Hall. These are all City properties that are or will be unusable unless seismically retrofitted. This is a health and safety issue, and should be a City priority.
YES on C
Establishes an independent Health Service System Department for city employees, separating it from the Department of Human Resources, and giving city employees a majority on the governing board. This ordinance is in response to concerns about the current board that oversees the City Employee health fund, which currently has no member participation.
YES on D
Proposition D makes several minor and not-so-minor changes in the City Charter.
They are common-sense changes that we support, including extending deadlines
when the Board is in recess, changing voting requirements when a Supervisor
has a conflict and cannot vote, limiting the service of Commissioners with
expired terms, removing the limitation on Supes aides from the Charter and
making it part of the budget process, and places the Commission on Aging in
charge of the Department of Aging and Adult Services, and authorizing the
Commission on the Environment to make environmental recommendations on City’s
building and land-use plans.
YES on N
Makes it City policy to urge the U. S. government to withdraw all troops from Iraq and bring them back to the U.S.
NO on H
Proposition H would make it impossible to sell the name of Candlestick Park. We think the option should be available. The current practice of leasing SF parkland to private companies that restrict public use is much more aggregious. Selling a name does not reduce the public’s use of the property, and can allow the Recreation and Parks Department to afford critical cuts.
NO ON I
Prop I would create and fund an Office of Economic Analysis to report on the likely impact of city legislation on business. This office would be under the auspices of the Controller, which would prepare and annual Economic Development report that the Supervisors could only amend by a majority. There is no public input required for this office or its planning efforts, and the role of publicly elected officials is limited. This is bad public policy.
Yes on J, K
Provide funds needed for vital city services in this year’s City Budget. J increases the local sales tax from 8.5% to 8.75%. K creates a gross receipts tax on companies and individuals doing business in the City.
NO on L
Proposition L would take a portion of the hotel tax that current goes to the General Fund, and give it to a recently created nonprofit called Save Our Theatres, which would use the funds to acquire and run neighborhood single-screen movie theatres that are currently threatened. While we appreciate the sentiment behind this measure and would like to support neighborhood theatres, this is not an appropriate method. This measure uses public (City) money diverted from the General Fund to acquire property for a private entity. This is bad public policy.
YES on O
Makes it City policy to use the new sales tax on services for low-income
residents, seniors, the disabled, children and homeless individuals and families.
California State Ballot Propositions
YES on 59 - Amends constitution to include public’s
right of access to meetings of government bodies and writings of government
officials.
YES on 60
Maintains current system by requiring top vote-getter in each political party
in the primary to be on the November ballot so voters can choose between them.
NO on 62
The two individuals getting the most votes in the
primary, regardless of political party, will be on the November ballot. This
could result in giving voters the choice only between two Republicans or two
Democrats, even though they had already competed in the primary. It would
keep minor parties out of the November election.
YES on 63
A tax on personal incomes above $1 million would fund expanded health services
for the mentally ill, greatly reducing homelessness.
NO on 64
Would prevent community groups from filing environmental impact suits against
businesses. Allows individual or class action "unfair business"
lawsuits only if actual loss is suffered. And only government officials may
enforce these laws on the public’s behalf.
YES on 66
Limits three-strikes law to violent and/or serious felonies. Currently a minor,
non-violent offense can put someone in prison for life, requiring more of
the state budget for prisons.
NO on 68 and 70
Would allow further expansion of gambling facilities even in congested urban
areas. Prop 68 would allow card rooms to install slot machines. Prop 70 would
expand Indian tribal casino gambling.
YES on 72
Requires large and medium-size businesses and other employers to provide health
care coverage for employees.