October Meeting: SF Assessor Phil Ting

Got questions about real estate in SF, your property tax, assessed property value, the City budget, or Split Rolls and Prop 13 reform?  Get them answered in person from SF Assessor Phil Ting.  Learn more about how to Close the Loophole.  For more information, contact citydemclub@aol.com.

CITY DEMOCRATIC CLUB WELCOMES SF ASSESSOR-RECORDER PHIL TING

When: Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 7:30 pm

Where: Special Location for October: MARINES MEMORIAL HERITAGE ROOM, 609 SUTTER STREET, 10TH FLOOR

CITY DEMOCRATIC CLUB RETURNS FOR THE OCTOBER MEETING ONLY TO MARINES MEMORIAL THEATER, WHERE WE MET FOR MANY YEARS.  NOTE THAT THE UPSTAIRS BAR WILL BE OPEN AND SOME OF US MAY WANDER UP TO THE 12^TH FLOOR BEFORE OR AFTER THE MEETING.  (MAYBE EVEN DURING THE MEETING – JUST KIDDING, PHIL).  STAY TUNED FOR NOVEMBER, WHEN THE CLUB HOSTS POLITICAL ANALYST DAVID LATTERMAN BACK AT SCHROEDER’S.

Who:  All are welcome

As Assessor-Recorder of San Francisco, Phil Ting is a solutions-focused, innovative reformer whose efforts have enabled him to generate millions of dollars in new revenue for San Francisco. Ting was appointed and later elected in 2005, becoming the city’s highest-ranking Chinese-American official. 

An avid champion for innovative and good government policies, Ting launched GoSolarSF (San Francisco’s first municipal solar energy incentive program); spearheaded efforts to help homeowners and tenants facing foreclosure; and introduced groundbreaking Real Estate Watchdog legislation aimed at capturing unreported changes of ownership.  Ting also chairs the Advisory Board for ChinaSF - a partnership dedicated to encouraging Chinese companies to open San Francisco offices and create jobs. 

Ting began his career as a real estate financial advisor, and prior to becoming Assessor-Recorder was Executive Director of the Asian Law Caucus.  He is currently president of the Bay Area Assessors Association, serves on several boards, and is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.  He lives in San Francisco's Sunset District with his wife and daughter.

Assessor-Recorder Ting will discuss his Close the Loophole Campaign, aimed at reforming Proposition 13 with a split roll proposal.  His plan involves eliminating corporate tax loopholes while continuing to protect California homeowners. 

Don’t forget to vote - S.F. Election Nov. 3 2009

Club Endorsements:

Candidates:

City Attorney: Dennis Herrera

Treasurer: Jose Cisneros

Local Measures:

Charter Amendments

PROP A: YES Two Year Budget Cycle:

The city budget process would become biennial.  Other changes promote planning and responsible fiscal choices. 

PROP B: YES Number of Supervisor’s Aides:

Removes Charter language limiting aides to two per office, but with no plan to increase number. 

Ordinances

PROP C: YES Candlestick Park Naming Rights:  Allows commercial naming on 49ers stadium with profits split between team and city. 

PROP D: NO Mid-Market Sign District: Would create only exemption to city-wide advertising ban between 5^th and 7^th on Market Street.

PROP E: NO POSITION  Advertising on City Property: Codifies previous policy stmt banning new ads on city property.  

See you this Thursday!

September News: Endorsement Vote for November Election

Please join City Democratic Club at our Endorsements session for the November election.

When: Thurs., Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Schroeder’s back room

Who: Dues-paid members

On August 20, 2009, the Issues and Endorsements Committee (Executive Committee members Heidi Machen, Clay Harrell, Mike Ho and joined by Erik Cummins (last hour of voting) and club members JoAnn Scordino and Darcy Brown) met to consider positions for the upcoming election.  Proponents and opponents of all measures were invited to present.  Recommendations and analysis for the full membership vote on September 17, 2009, follow:     

 

Local Measures:

Charter Amendments

A. INSTITUTING A TWO YEAR BUDGET CYCLE:   SUPPORT (5-0)

The city budget process would become a biennial instead of annual event.  Also changes timing on labor contracts and, it allows Controller to propose financial policies to the Board.  Pro: Forces more advance planning and city must consider costs of labor consistent with budget considerations rather than after the fact.  Con: Labor will no longer have benefit of “hidden cost;” also, measure doesn’t go far enough because it allows Supervisors to designate “adjustable budget” departments which can modify their budget mid-cycle as needed.  

 

B. NUMBER OF SUPERVISOR’S AIDES:  OPPOSE (3 No, 2 Yes)

Presently, the City Charter limits Supervisors to 2 aides per each office.  This measure strikes that restriction without details of any future structure.  Pro: The Supervisors are overwhelmed in trying to keep up with constituent needs, especially in this electronic age.  Also, language limiting number of staff has no place in the City’s Charter; and, Supervisors haven’t specifically proposed adding more staff.  Con: Bad time in the economy to consider adding to the city’s workforce, especially considering recent layoffs.

Initiative Ordinances

C. CANDLESTICK PARK NAMING RTS: NO POSITION

(3 Yes, 1 No, 2 No position)

This measure will allow the Forty Niners to contract away the naming rights of the park, subject to city approval, with 50% of the revenue directed towards rehiring of recreation center directors. Pro: City needs the money; this is projected to earn $1.5 million yearly revenues.  Naming rights, by themselves, are not terribly intrusive to everyday quality of life and subject to city approval.  Con: Why does this measure keep coming back?  Voters already opposed naming rights in 2004. Revenue projection is small when balanced against the harm of commercializing public assets.

D. CREATING MID-MARKET SIGN DISTRICT:  OPPOSE (4 No, 1 Yes)  

This measure would amend a 2002 ballot measure in which 79.1% of the voters banned new private property advertising, by allowing an exception for theater-type and roof top advertising signs on two blocks of Market Street between 5th and 7th Streets. Pro: Promises to revitalize the neighborhood and fund arts and youth organizations.  Has broad support from endorsers. Con: It could give additional ammunition to litigants challenging the city-wide ban on new advertising passed in 2002. Windfall would hand over 60-80% of the profit to property owners and does not specifically identify where the remainder would go.

E. ADVERTISING ON CITY PROPERTY:  NO POSITION (3 Yes, 3 No)

This measure codifies the previous voter policy mandate (62% voted yes) to ban new advertising on city property including all street furniture.  Pro: Consistent with previous policy; caps visual pollution and commercialization on city assets.  Con: Reduces future revenue stream for the city.  And, presently, policymakers can still restrict size and overall appearance to address concerns.  

 

LOCAL CANDIDATES:

S.F. City Attorney: Dennis Herrera Endorse 5-0; S.F.Treasurer: Jose Cisneros Endorse 5-0.

August News: Endorsement Committee Meets

Attention: NO General Meeting in August ’09

 

Per usual, City Democratic Club Endorsements Committee will meet on August 20 to review candidates and ballot measures to recommend to the full membership for a general vote at the September meeting.  Any member in good standing who would like to participate in the August review is welcome to join us: please contact any club officer for details and to RSVP.  The City Democratic Club will not endorse any person for public office who is not a registered Democrat.

Stay tuned for the next General Meeting on September 17th (third thursday).  The general membership will decide the club’s positions for Measures A – E and endorsements for City Attorney and Treasurer:

 

PREVIEW OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES AND MEASURES:

CITY ATTORNEY

Dennis Herrera

CITY TREASURER

Jose M. Cisneros

 

CHARTER AMENDMENTS

A            Budget Process

B            Board of Sups Aides

 

ORDINANCE

C            Candlestick Park Naming Rights

D            Mid-Market Special Sign District

E            Advertisements on City Property

 

Only those who have been regular members for a period of at least 28 calendar days prior to the September meeting are qualified to vote.  Those with lapsed memberships but who have been regular members in one of the two immediately proceeding years may renew membership at the endorsements meeting and will then be allowed voting privileges.

Regular membership dues are thirty-five dollars for the calendar year. Students and Seniors may pay discounted dues of fifteen dollars.  All regular members of the club may address the membership and vote at club endorsement meetings.

 

If you have questions regarding your membership status, please email us at citydemclub@aol.com.  Also be sure to check out our website at www.citydemocraticclub.org. 

 

See you in September!

July Meeting: Supervisor David Campos

Got questions about our Board of Supervisors, Budget, Police Commission, School District, Public Power, City Contracts, or Bernal Heights / Mission neighborhoods?  

Get them answered in person from Supervisor David Campos, July 16th 2009 at Schroeder's, with the City Democratic Club.

For more information, citydemclub@aol.com.

Please Join the City Democratic Club in Welcoming

San Francisco District 9 Supervisor David Campos

When: Thursday, July 16, 2009, 7:30 pm

Where: 240 Front Street (the back room at Schroeder’s)

No host food and beverages available and highly recommended.

 

San Francisco Supervisor David Campos first arrived in the United States with his family at the age of 14.  As an undocumented immigrant who spoke only Spanish, David grew up in the barrio of South Central Los Angeles.  Despite these obstacles, he excelled in class, earned scholarships to college and law school, and has remained true to his roots as a progressive civil rights advocate and Democratic leader.

David represents District 9, the Mission, Bernal Heights and Portola neighborhoods.

David has served as General Counsel to the San Francisco Unified Schools District – a job that fits his ideology as a strong advocate for schools and as someone who found opportunity in his own life through education. He has worked to desegregate San Francisco schools, successfully investigated corruption, and brought open government to the School District.

Prior to serving on the Board of Supervisors, Campos was known as a progressive Police Commissioner and was also elected member of the San Francisco Democratic Central Committee.  David has fought for public disciplinary hearings for police officers, more foot patrols, and protection for medical marijuana and immigrant rights.

A respected civil rights attorney who has worked closely with the City Attorney's office, David worked on San Francisco's landmark lawsuit against the gun industry and successfully defended the city's right to provide public power against PG&E.

Within his first several months on the Board of Supervisors, Campos has made a name for himself through his vigilant questioning of city contracts.

June News

City Democratic Club Goes on Furlough in June –  NO Meeting in June ‘09

(But, be sure to come back July 16, when we’ll host Supervisor David Campos.)

With the budget crisis forcing government workers into 37.5 hour weeks, some more distant townships merging with others to cut costs, and the economy still limping along, we thought we’d take the month off in solidarity!  As Jeff Adachi informed the club in May, the Mayor has asked city department heads to cut costs by 25% across the board.  This means either cutting staff or programs – and, in cases such as the public defender’s office, it could run afoul of the public’s constitutional rights. 

With the “compromise budget” presented to California voters failing by a large margin – 65% No vote for most of the measures – the Governor and legislature will be seeking other ways to make Californians suffer in order to balance the budget.  Of course, the public voted Yes by a margin of nearly 75% on one measure: disallowing raises for the legislature and Gov during budget deficits.  For his part, the Gov is threatening to terminate state consumer and environmental agencies, close state parks, sell off landmarks, including San Quentin prison, and to cut state employees.  One of the most innovative solutions proposed to raise revenue?  Legalize marijuana.  Well, it begs the question of a slippery slope slide into the next possible action: legalizing prostitution. . . And, did we forget about that inconvenient issue of federal preemption?      

The trickle down effect of the state budget and the economy generally on SF’s city and county budget has resulted in similar threats, including reducing the city’s workforce by 1600 positions and doling out a portion in pink slips, most recently to parks maintenance and building inspections employees.  In addition, the plumping of services to the most needy is set for deflation, including HIV and AIDS services, and services for the drug and alcohol addicted and for the mentally unstable. 

As the city struggles to develop innovative strategies to raise money, the 49ers are finally giving up on their campaign to get the new stadium they were promised years ago and instead are seeking to relocate in Santa Clara.  San Francisco leaders, in a scramble to raise revenues, will be increasing the cost of public transportation, are installing smart parking meters with high tariffs that will be vigorously enforced, and are considering selling naming rights to street cars as well as selling taxi medallions.  Not yet on the table are proposals to charge for photos with the Mayor and using Muni tunnels for after hour “fun” (amusement park style) rides.

Well, good luck to us all and see you in July.

May Meeting: SF Public Defender Jeff Adachi

City Democratic Club Welcomes SF Public Defender Jeff Adachi on May 21, 2009, 7:30 pm, 240 Front Street (the back room at Schroeder’s Restaurant) 

Note: New Meeting Location.  Due to SPUR's impending move, until further notice, City Democratic Club will be meeting at Schroeder’s Restaurant, conveniently having food and beverages on site for purchase by the hungry and thirsty club members.   

As the only elected Public Defender in the state of California, and one of few elected public defenders in the United States, Jeff Adachi oversees more than 24,000 cases each year with 93 attorneys, 70 support staff, and a budget of $17 million.  Budget cuts threatened for fiscal 09/10 would reduce this workforce by 1/3, forcing Adachi’s office to step away from an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 cases and jeopardizing the 6^th Amendment’s guarantee of right to counsel.

Already, Adachi has, himself, taken on extra work created by San Francisco’s launch of Community Justice Courts, beginning in March 2009.  Mr. Adachi says that the Mayor’s office promised to add two more public defenders to handle these extra cases – but those attorneys never materialized. Community Courts typically target low-level nuisance or quality-of-life crimes and promise to impose meaningful sanctions on offenders, engage the community, and help offenders to address the problems at the root of their criminal behavior.

Mr. Adachi has been involved in community activism in the Bay Area since the late 70's.  He was also featured in the 2002 PBS documentary film, Presumed Guilty, a nationally broadcast special about the San Francisco Public Defender’s office, its difficult cases and complex defense strategies. He has been featured as a legal commentator on Court TV, CBS, NBC and ABC, and frequently appears as a special guest to discuss legal cases and issues.  In 2006, Mr. Adachi received the American Bar Association’s national award for outstanding public defender. 

Mr. Adachi is also a documentary filmmaker whose film “The Slanted Screen” was released in 2006.  The film garnered top awards at the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival and the Berkeley Film Festival.

Mr. Adachi graduated from Hastings College of the Law in 1985 and attended undergraduate studies at U.C. Berkeley.

 

Your Vote Counts!!

Don’t forget to vote.

Special Election: May 19.

Californians will take the debate to the ballot on whether the “compromise budget” should pass.  

This past Democratic Convention (Sacramento, April 24, 25, 26, held some fun debate on the issues, resulting in the California Democratic Party taking NO POSITION on 1A, 1D and 1E; while taking a YES position on the (less controversial) 1B, 1C, and 1F.  As one elected official commented, “It’s probably good that the party took no position on those measures since they’re written in such a confusing way.”  Members will have to do our own reading this time since the City Democratic Club did not endorse for this election. . .

CLUB OFFICER ELECTIONS

In yet another important election, City Democratic Club members will decide who will assume club leadership positions this year.  Up for election, the following candidates have been nominated:

PRESIDENT: Heidi Machen

VICE PRESIDENT: Clay Harrell

2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Mike Ho

TREASURER: Steve LaPlante

RECORDING SECRETARY: Jessica Sennett

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY: Erik Cummins

 

April Meeting: Sen Mark Leno on SB 810 & Single-Payer Health Care

Please Join City Democratic Club, District 3 Democratic Club, Portrero Hill Democratic Club, Bernal Heights Democratic Club and Democracy Action in welcoming Senator Mark Leno. (please note special time and meeting place)

Sen. Leno will speak on SB 810, his legislation to create single-payer health care.

Date/Time: Thurs., Apr 23, 7 pm mingle; 7:30 speaker program
Location: Schroeder’s Restaurant, 240 Front St. at California St.

Elected to the Senate in 2008, Sen. Mark Leno represents the 3rd District, which includes Marin, and portions of San Francisco and Sonoma Counties. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served six years in the State Assembly and four and a half years on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

While in the Assembly, Leno fought for better schools and access to higher education, a cleaner and sustainable environment, improved transportation, renewable energy, safer streets and equal rights for all Californians. He introduced the first two marriage equality bills allowing LGBT couples to marry. More recently, he has introduced SB 810 that would create single-payer universal health care.

Gov. Schwarzenegger previously vetoed single-payer health care legislation, noting high costs to the state.

Leno hopes to pass his bill by August, taking health care out of the hands of insurance companies. Refuting critics, he said, "It is not socialized medicine. Your doctor doesn't change. Your hospital doesn't change. Your clinic doesn't change. The only thing that changes is who pays.”

PLEASE NOTE: City Democratic Club will resume voting for officers and for the (one word) bylaw amendment as noted in the March newsletter at our next regularly scheduled meeting on May 21, 2009.

Stay tuned for S.F. Public Defender Jeff Adachi, next month.