Candidate for
Board of Supervisors; San Francisco County; District 4

Issues:

Eight years ago our City confronted a $250 million dollar deficit. This year's deficit is estimated at over $330 million dollars, yet our City budget has increased over a billion dollars -- a staggering $6,500,000,000.00. That's $6.5 BILLION, larger than many countries! Working families may want to go out to a dinner and watch a show/game, but think twice before they spend money on something they may not be able to afford. We need to make sure our elected officials exercise the same budgeting restraint. We can prioritize our existing budget and address the following important issues that impact San Francisco families. Join me in building a diverse and functional San Francisco!

Affordable Housing

Our elected representatives have demonstrated leadership in protecting our most vulnerable citizens through their support of rent control. This city is made up of approximately 50% renters and 50% homeowners. We need to demonstrate the same leadership in promoting homeownership opportunities. We can do this with a two-step plan.

First: Build more neighborhoods for family housing. This was the original plan for Mission Bay and it makes sense. Neighborhoods with schools, shopping, recreational facilities, and support services will help create new opportunities for San Francisco families.

Second: My parents bought their home with the help of the GI Bill. San Francisco can support a similar program that provides low-interest loans and grants for long-term San Franciscans, safety personnel, and educators.

Homelessness

Though I have attended most of Mayor Newsom's Homeless Connect events, outreach to those in need on our Westside has been sporadic at best. This must change. Tragically, many of the homeless are San Franciscans who have been victims of the rising cost of living in San Francisco. Others have made poor decisions and need support services to turn their lives around. We have a moral obligation to help those who are committed to rejoining society.

Possible Elimination of Police Stations

No resident should compromise their safety for the sake of consolidation!

The District Station Boundaries Analysis recommends the elimination of five police stations, thereby increasing the number of officers on the street. Only ONE station, however, remains the same size. While four proposed stations INCREASE substantially in size, ONLY TARAVAL stays the same size in both percentage of the City and percentage of the population.

The Supervisor's concern about resources being "sucked" from throughout the City to higher crime areas is ALREADY happening. The three most understaffed stations currently are Richmond, Park, and Taraval. Despite Taraval Station's already enormous jurisdiction, it has been seriously understaffed for years. . Eliminating stations without significantly increasing staffing on our City's Westside SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.

The proposed Southwest station however, CUTS OFF the residents of District 4 north of Lawton. The logical northern boundary to any San Franciscan would be Lincoln Way at the Golden Gate Park. There is absolutely NO REASON to shift the reach of Taraval Station east and abandon all of the residents north of Lawton. The Golden Gate Park is a REAL RECOGNIZABLE BARRIER for the proposed Northwestern station to adequately service.

Furthermore, one of the stated goals (pg. 8) is to keep Supervisorial Districts intact. Shifting Taraval east unnecessarily defeats this stated goal. Finally, if the proposed plan truly puts more officers on the streets, then I expect the Taraval station to realize a significant increase in police staffing levels. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD TARAVAL BE CLOSED. Police concerns about parking their personal cars can be addressed without this drastic decision.

Quality of Life Decisions

• MUNI should be able to deliver any rider to their destination within 45 minutes. Some stops should be eliminated to expedite the ride from the Westside to Downtown. We would gladly leave our cars behind if we could rely on public transportation.
• Neighborhood parks must be regularly maintained and broken play structures must be repaired. Maintenance includes the grass on the Boulevard and our beach areas.
• Streets must be properly repaired and our neighborhood commercial areas must be cleaned up. I would encourage commercial and retail businesses to clean up their business space.
• Going Green...literally. We must encourage neighbors to replace pavement with plants/ grass and provide incentives for residents to plant trees along the streets. They serve to beautify the neighborhood, act as windbreaks, create a healthy environment, and increase property values.

Neighborhood schools build community. We must refocus the dialogue away from divisive language and towards solutions that strengthen our goal of quality education for our children. Students should have an opportunity to attend schools near their homes. Accessibility to reliable education should be a priority.

Responsible Energy Decisions

Our Supervisors are about to authorize the construction of a fossil-fuel burning power plant on Potrero Hill without a thorough evaluation of the alternatives. Committing $270 million (to be paid off in 30 years) on technology that could be obsolete in 10 seems irresponsible, given our current budget crisis and the absence of a long-range energy strategy.