Pass: 91,642 / 59.00% Yes votes ...... 63,681 / 41.00% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

The Charter does not require the City to collect data on the diversity of members serving on City boards and commissions.

THE PROPOSAL: Proposition D is a Charter Amendment that would make it official City policy that the membership of City boards and commissions reflect the interests and contributions of both men and women of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and types of disabilities. The policy would further urge that City officers and agencies, as appropriate, support the nomination, appointment or confirmation of female, minority and disabled candidates to fill seats on those bodies.

Proposition D would require the Commission on the Status of Women to analyze, report and track the diversity of appointments to City boards and commissions every two years. The Commission would base its analysis only on voluntary disclosures of information by appointed members.

Should the proposed charter amendment be approved by the voters, in my opinion, there would be a minimal impact on the cost of government.

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote on this measure means:

If you vote yes, you want to make these changes to the Charter.

A NO vote on this measure means:

If you vote no, you do not want to make these changes to the Charter.

The people who sit on the City and County of San Francisco's advisory bodies are a powerful group, as they play an integral part in the policy-making process. They advise public officials on community concerns, significant policy matters, administrative oversight and give voice to San Franciscans throughout the legislative process.

The Commission on the Status of Women recently conducted a survey of San Francisco's commissions, boards, and task forces and found that membership on these advisory bodies does not reflect properly San Francisco's demographics. This reflects poorly on government process, as only those truly represented can participate in a democracy and be truly governed.

In response, this charter amendment asks that it be official city policy to appoint an authentically diverse group of commissioners to the advisory bodies that serve at the very core of our government. Women and men of all disability types, of all races, ethnic backgrounds, and sexual orientation make up our vibrant and amazing city, and they should be heard in our policies and government in much the same way.

In order to track the progress San Francisco is making on this official city policy, the Commission on the Status of Women will report on the diversity of these bodies every other year.

Let the voices heard in City Hall really be the voices of San Francisco.

Vote Yes on D.

Supervisor Jake McGoldrick*
Board President Supervisor Aaron Peskin*
Supervisor Sophie Maxwell*
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi
Supervisor Sean Elsbernd
Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval*
Supervisor Tom Ammiano*
National Women's Political Caucus + San Francisco
Democratic Women In Action

• For identification purposes only

In Ancient Greek mythology there was a legendary highwayman of Attica named Procrustes. He tied his victims to an iron bed. Procrustes stretched the legs or cut off the legs of his victims to make them conform to the length of the Procrustean Bed.

The hero Theseus, afterwards King of Athens, slew Procrustes by attaching him to his own Procrustean Bed.

The adjective "Procrustean" is defined as:"Harsh or inflexible in fitting (someone or something) to a preconceived idea, system, etc."

Good potential appointees for City boards and commissions come from all ethnic, religious, and sexual communities...but never in the exact mathematical order demanded by San Francisco City Hall "bean counters".

The science of statistics does not work that way -- as those of us who have taken college courses in statistics know, all too well.

Proposition D would have the Commission on the Status of Women prepare regular reports on "bean counting" the ethnic, religious, and sexual orientations of City board and commission appointees.

At best, these reports would just be a waste of time and money.

At worst, because of the influence of "bean counting", many inferior appointees might well be chosen to create artificial statistical models that almost never occur in nature.

Vote against "bean counting" Proposition D.

Dr. Terence Faulkner, J.D.
Republican Central Committeeman*
Past San Francisco Republican Party Chairman*

Eve Del Castello
Republican Central Committee Candidate*

Doo Sup Park
Voting Alternate Delegate
San Francisco Republican Central Committee*

• For identification purposes only

Proposition D is a taxwaster, calling for endless reports on the ethnic backgrounds, religious views, and sexual ties of San Francisco appointees to local commissions and other agencies.

Proposition D is bad government and "tokenism" walking around the City and County of San Francisco + insulting just about every community.

San Francisco needs first class appointees to all of it's many different communities to City boards, commissions, and agencies. Proposition D just calls for endless "bean counting"... and for individuals to be appointed without regard to their personal qualifications.

The ill-fated General Custer, if he were to come back from the dead, might meet a number of demographic catagories : Would we want to put him in charge of a high-risk Police Department or Fire Department unit? + Think carefully about all those text book military mistakes made at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Vote "NO! on Proposition D.

+ Dr. Terence Faulkner, J.D.
Past Executive Committee Member
California Republican Party*

• For identification purposes only

Amidst truly inscrutable statements regarding a Civil War General and "bean counting", the opponent argues that Measure D would lead to tokenism and bad government. In fact, nothing is further from the truth.

At this time, the advisory bodies that are at the core of the City Hall policy are not truly representative of the people of San Francisco in terms of diversity in race, gender, disabilities, and age. Measure D would merely ask that those who appoint individuals to advisory bodies look for the most qualified individuals to serve from ALL of San Francisco's vital communities.

Thomas Jefferson looked to the broad representation of the people in government in order to keep the will of the governed at the forefront of the national policy. Measure D will push for broad representation in commissions, task forces and other advisory bodies, in the construction of the laws, in oversight and in the voice of the people that govern San Francisco.

This can only lead to a better, stronger government.

Vote Yes on D.

Supervisor Jake McGoldrick