Candidate for
Board of Supervisors; San Francisco County; District 6

Safe Neighborhoods

I believe that every citizen deserves a safe and vibrant community in which to live. Our police force must focus on more violent crimes such as arson, assault, illegal drug trafficking, and homicide, but vandalism and graffiti have long been a concern for residents and business owners alike. Although we experienced a lower homicide rate in 2009 than in years past, I believe that we can achieve an even greater reduction in all criminal activity by forming a strong partnership between our community and the police. Neighborhood watches, increased foot patrols, and greater citizen awareness by encouraging citizens to report suspicious activities will help us reclaim our city by restoring peace to our streets and confidence to our residents.

Housing

Many people are being forced to leave the city due to ever rising housing costs. San Francisco needs more affordable housing for all its citizens. I believe that we could utilize smarter design choices to create housing choices that would cost residents less than today's options. For example, we could encourage home builders and developers to build housing adjacent to, or very near, transportation corridors. This would allow residents easy access to public transportation and reduce or eliminate the reliance on personal cars for their daily commute. Cleaner air would be a long term peripheral benefit as a result of fewer automobile emissions.

Taxi's

The taxi industry has long been a concern in San Francisco, and many people think that we need more taxis on the streets. Although I agree that we need more taxis available on certain days such as New Years Eve, Halloween and some weekends, I am not convinced that releasing more permanent medallions is the answer. I believe that we should consider issuing temporary medallions to support peak periods rather than releasing more permanent medallions that would only add to the struggles already being faced by San Francisco cab drivers in our current economy.

Arts

As a former educator in public and private schools, I have worked in schools where art has been shunted to the back burner and seen how disappointed students are who would like to express themselves through art, whether it be visual art, drama, or music. I understand the importance in art and the community. San Francisco is well known not only for its wonderful theatres and museums, but for the multitude of community cultural venues where one can enjoy the varied work of smaller artists.

If elected as District 6 Supervisor in San Francisco I would like to work with Arts Advocates to bring back and expand Art Programs in ours schools and community. Art allows individuals to relax and motivate people to reach for higher levels of education and opens minds to the world around them. As San Francisco Develops District 6 we need to ensure that we don't leave out groups and organizations that support the arts, in order to enhance the quality and quantity of art offerings.