Statement by John Shanley to SmartVoter.org

By John B Shanley

Independence is key to the District 4 race. John Shanley has established that independence.

We expect the basics that government should provide - a decent transportation system and competent and fully staffed emergency services (police, fire and ambulance) For too long our needs have been ignored, and worse, our Board of Supervisors has been unresponsive to the challenge of tackling the hard issues.

My first experience working for the government was as a District Representative to State Senator Quentin Kopp. It was challenging work because Sen. Kopp demanded 110 percent effort from his staff in responding to the needs of his constituents. I admired Kopp for his courage and independence. Independence is a sorely needed quality on the Board of Supervisors.

Our issues are straightforward: Homeowners need protection from monster homes. Small business districts need intelligent, long-term planning . City-wide planning has been a failure. Neighborhood planning districts would allow each neighborhood to pursue intelligent growth and long-term planning that enhances the character of the neighborhood.

Ocean beach is one of the cityûs most spectacular assets. If this treasure was located in the Marina or Embarcadero it would have received the infusion of capital improvements it deserves. It does not take a genius to figure out that there should be garbage cans on the beach. Functioning restrooms for families are an obvious necessity. This area should be the recipient of a lighting and landscaping project.

Taraval Police Station is responsible for covering almost 25 percent of the cityûs population, yet, even in these good economic times, Taraval Station has 20 percent less officers than it once had. Just a few years ago Taraval Station had 96 officers. Today that number is closer to 75 officers, a ten year low. Many of the problems these officers have to deal with are youth related. This stems from the basic fact that there is not much for kids in the Sunset to do, and kids who do not have much to do are likely to end up getting into trouble. Our parks need well run programs to provide young people with positive role models and worthwhile activities. As someone who has coached basketball and baseball and served as a summer camp counselor for kids from the Sunset, it is obvious to me that children want positive activities in which to participate, but our tax dollars donût seem to make it back to the west side of town once they hit City Hall.

San Francisco has one of the finest police departments in the country. The department should be fully staffed. To me, more cops mean less crime. It is that simple. Community policing can eradicate crime before it happens. By working with young people, we can help steer them in the right direction early in life, so they can avoid being a police statistic later in life.