League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Francisco County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Proposition B Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond San Francisco County Bond - 2/3 Approval Required Pass: 242404 / 72.11% Yes votes ...... 93735 / 27.89% No votes See Also: Index of all Propositions

Arguments For Proposition B

Arguments Against Proposition B

Yes on B for San Francisco Parks! PROP B: SAFER, CLEANER NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS AND OPEN SPACE San Francisco has more parks and open space than any other municipality in the United States. An integral part of our quality of life, parks are where we relax with friends and family, exercise, enjoy art and music, appreciate our waterfront,and grow food and plants in neighborhood gardens. Programs for seniors and after school activities, and hiking and biking trails are part of our parks system. Parks are critical habitat for plants and birds, and part of the fabric of ourunique neighborhoods. PROP B PROVIDES SAFER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS FOR EVERYONE Prop B provides seismic upgrades for restrooms and recreation centers, replaces unsafe playground equipment and makes parks more accessible for seniors and those with disabilities. Prop B improves neighborhood parks across San Francisco so kids can continue to run, play, and enjoy the outdoors. PROP B IMPROVES WATER QUALITY AND CONSERVATION Prop B will cleanup environmental contamination at the waterfront, improve water quality along the Bay, create and maintain waterfront parks, and increase water conservation through irrigation improvements. PROP B DOES NOT RAISE YOUR TAXES City policy only allows for new bonds to be issued as old ones are paid off. By replacing expired bonds, the measure is funded at current rates - NO TAX INCREASE. PROP B ENSURES ACCOUNTABILITY A Citizen's oversight committee ensures accountability. Prop B is subject to annual independent audits and public reporting of all expenditures. Please join us in Voting YES on B. http://www.yesforparks.org Mayor Edwin M. Lee* Supervisor John Avalos* Supervisor David Campos* Supervisor David Chiu* Supervisor Carmen Chu* Supervisor Malia Cohen* Supervisor Sean Elsbernd* Supervisor Mark Farrell* Supervisor Jane Kim* Supervisor Eric Mar* Supervisor Christina Olague* Supervisor Scott Wiener* For identification purposes only; author is signing as an individual and not on behalf of an organization. Rebuttal to Arguments For There's no money? Really?! San Francisco Rec & Park Department (RPD) has wasted millions from the 2008 Park Bond to privatize San Francisco's parks and recreation areas, while neglecting routine maintenance. At this very moment millions of our tax dollars and our Park Funds are "subsidizing" the billionaire's America's Cup. There is money. It's just not in the right places. The bond's proponents' "argument" is platitudes and pablum. Did you know that they give NO guarantee as to which park really will get funds Bond Report is NOT legally binding! Don't allow vague promises lull you into voting for it! RPD has squandered millions on lawsuits, all because of its failure to respond in good faith to public input. RPD spent $1M on a flawed EIR in order to justify violating the Golden Gate Park Master Plan. Our parks are not real estate to lease to private bidders! Generations have fought to keep parks open to the public; now RPD requires us to pay again to use what we've already paid for with our taxes. RPD's new policies make the park system increasingly inaccessible for San Franciscans. Please don't reinforce these destructive policies and practices. Our next park bond CAN be done right to reflect the will of the people. We love our parks; that's why we are urging you to Vote NO on this bond! Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods Take Back Our Parks San Francisco Tomorrow Golden Gate Park Preservation Alliance

San Francisco's Neighborhoods OPPOSE Prop B! CSFN urges you to say NO to this Park Bond at this time! This bond was originally scheduled for 2014 because the money from the 2008 Bond hasn't all been spent yet... and there is a lot of uncommitted money left from that Bond: 49% of the 2008 Rec & Park Bond is still unspent! We need to know where all the 2008 bond money went before we give the San Francisco Rec & Park Dep't (RPD) one more dime. It's a matter of trust. The RPD has not disclosed how or where they will spend $61.5M of this proposed bond. Rec & Park has not been responsive to the neighborhoods in this; it is neither transparent nor accountable. Rec & Park must earn the public's respect. San Francisco's Rec & Park Dep't is no longer improving our parks for use by the people of San Francisco. Instead, it's building facilities in our parks that benefit private corporations. The RPD is no longer the steward of our open spaces; they are now developers who broker our taxpayer-supported parks and recreation facilities to the highest bidder. Don't reward their poor performance and bad behavior with even more bond funding! Vote NO on Prop B! Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods with Sunset Parkside Education & Action Committee (SPEAK) Established 1972 48 neighborhood organizations Rebuttal to Arguments Against Who is behind the opposition to Prop B? Unfortunately, a small group of individuals are opposing Proposition B because they disapprove of Recreation and Park Department efforts to improve our parks and better serve San Francisco's diverse communities. San Franciscans should not allow a small group of individuals to take out their frustrations on seniors and those with disabilities who would benefit from increased accessibility; children who would benefit from safer playgrounds; nature lovers who walk our trails; and all San Franciscans who enjoy our parks and open spaces. That's not right. FACT: Much of our park infrastructure is 60+80 years old. A 2007 assessment identified necessary renovations, ADA compliance, and seismic upgrades. Prop B will also fund upgraded park restrooms. FACT: Required audits of previous park bonds affirm that funds were spent as planned. Prop B is subject to the same oversight and is the result of hundreds of hours of community meetings across the city, ensuring maximum community input. FACT: Prop B will provide for cleanup of environmental contamination at the waterfront, improve water quality along the Bay, and increase water conservation in our parks. FACT: Previous generations of San Franciscans have made smart investments in our parks, resulting in The Trust for Public Land giving San Francisco parks a #1 rating among the largest metropolitan areas nationwide. Don't let a small group of unhappy individuals derail another smart investment. Vote YES on B for Clean and Safe Parks. San Francisco Parks Alliance