League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Francisco County, CA November 2, 2010 Election
	Proposition C Mayoral Appearances at Board Meetings County of San Francisco Charter Amendment - Majority Approval Required Pass: 154776 / 59.89% Yes votes ...... 103673 / 40.11% No votes See Also: Index of all Propositions

Arguments For Proposition C

Arguments Against Proposition C

YES ON PROP C! In 2006, over 126,000 voters passed a statement of policy urging the Mayor to appear at one meeting of the Board of Supervisors each month to engage in formal policy discussions. Even though the Board amended their rules to provide for these discussions, Mayor Newsom did not participate. In 2007, a second measure to compel the Mayor's attendance was defeated by fewer than 5,000 votes. In his opposition to the measure, Mayor Gavin Newsom suggested that Supervisor Chris Daly sponsored the item for political motives. The cynically named "Let's Really Work Together Coalition" hammered this point with a $250,000 campaign. While this may have been a winning argument in 2007, it now falls short. Supervisor Daly (and possibly Mayor Newsom) won't be in City Hall when Proposition C is implemented. ENCOURAGES OPEN PUBLIC POLICY DISCUSSION Prop C will ensure that the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors have an open and public venue in which to engage in formal policy discussion. This will contribute to policy development in the City, encouraging the Mayor to formally give input on pending proposals as they go through the legislative process, and would allow the public to hear the various viewpoints among our City representatives on major policy issues. FOSTERS COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION In California's other counties, County Executives regularly appear at their Board of Supervisors meetings, and many California mayors serve on their City Council. San Franciscans will benefit from more open communication between our elected officials. Greater public communications between the Mayor and the Board members will improve the general workings of our government, especially in tackling the most pressing issues of our day. VOTE YES ON PROP C! Supervisors Campos, Chiu, Daly, Mar, and Mirkarimi Rebuttal to Arguments For Vote No on Prop C Petty Personal Politics is Not San Francisco's Priority San Francisco voters rejected this proposal in 2007 and should do so again in 2010. San Francisco faces real issues that require the Mayor and Board of Supervisors to work together cooperatively and constructively. Prop C ensures that petty personal attacks and political theatre take precedent over important policy discussion and debate. Prop C Does Not Encourage Discussion, but Promotes Divisiveness. Prop C will ensure that disagreements between the Mayor and Board of Supervisors become political theatre. It will not contribute to policy development, but lead to personal attacks. The City will be worse off as a result of public airing of the disagreements between the Mayor and Board of Supervisors. Prop C Does Not Foster Communication, but Facilitates Conflict Prop C promotes conflict and confrontation. It will not increase communication between the Mayor and Board of Supervisors, but rather ensures that Supervisor Chris Daly is provided a stage from which to launch personal attacks. For the good of the City, San Franciscans should reject Prop C. Please Join Us and Vote No on Prop C Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier Supervisor Sean Elsbernd

Chris Daly's At It Again. Vote No on Proposition C! How many times do we have to tell Supervisor Daly that "No" means "No?" When Daly put a proposition with the EXACT same wording on the ballot in 2007 it was soundly rejected by San Francisco voters. Let's reject this idea one more time. Join us in voting No on Proposition C! San Francisco has already spoken on this issue, yet the proponents of this measure don't seem to understand that we've have had enough of the petty personal attacks and distractions from meaningful debate and discourse. This measure is supposed to encourage open lines of communication between the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor. Every Mayor in recent history has maintained an open door policy, including Mayors Gavin Newsom & Willie Brown. If the supervisors want to speak with the Mayor, they don't need voter approval, they simply need a telephone. This measure would result in the political theater that prevents the City from fixing the potholes or making our communities safe. Proposition C would add to the political infighting San Francisco simply can't afford. Do we really think more meaningless grandstanding will turn the City around? San Francisco's citizens deserve better than more political shenanigans and bickering. It's beneath the dignity of both the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors. Please join us in voting NO on Proposition C. Let's keep San Francisco focused on solving the real problems. Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier Supervisor Sean Elsbernd Rebuttal to Arguments Against VOTE YES ON PROP C! Some politicians have made a career of saying No. Now they are saying No to bringing sunshine to San Francisco's political discourse. PROMOTE OPEN PUBLIC POLICY DISCUSSION! While the Mayor may have an "open door policy," this really equates to backroom dealings with his appointees and personal friends on the Board of Supervisors. What we really need is open communications between the Mayor and all the members of the Board with full sunshine and view of the public. The Charter requires the Mayor to present an annual state of the city and a balanced budget to the Board of Supervisors, but this Mayor has refused to do so in person. While the Charter provides for the Mayor to be heard with respect to any matter at any meeting of the Board of Supervisors, our current mayor has only once attended a Board meeting to present his policy priorities. During that presentation, the Mayor was greeted by Board members with the utmost respect. Over the last decade, San Franciscan discourse has suffered from the lack of communication between our key officials. Regular dialogue, especially between those who have different opinions and ideas, can go a long way in increasing understanding, and improving cooperation between the different branches of government, especially in tackling San Francisco's most pressing problems. San Franciscans deserve full transparency in the development of our City's policy. Vote Yes on Prop C! Supervisors Avalos, Campos, Chiu, Daly, Mar, and Mirkarimi