NEWSLETTER FEB. 6TH, 2013

NEWSLETTER FEB. 6TH, 2013

Monday, July 16, 2012

No Traffic Issues with CPMC's Cathedral Hill Hospital

NO TRAFFIC ISSUE WITH CPMC’S CATHEDRAL HILL HOSPITAL
By Jed Crawford, July 16, 2012

The proposed Cathedral Hill Hospital on Geary and Van Ness will REDUCE TRAFFIC in four ways.

1) Geary and Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
2) CPMC’s Employee Public Transportation Use and Raising Standard for Large Employers
3) Eliminate Double Parking with large Drive-in area for Cathedral Hill Hospital
4) The Mayor’s Office Doing Its Part in Controlling Everything

 
1) Geary and Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

The Geary and Van Ness BRT of the Mayor’s Office is a study to increase ridership and the speed it takes to get folks from the beach going towards downtown.   The BRTs are in part inspired by CPMC health care project.      

2) CPMC’s Employee Public Transportation Use and Raising Standard for Large Employers

CPMC is raising the standard in reducing single car drivers and encouraging employee to use public transportation.   

More people using MUNI and BART increases revenues and benefit the entire transportation system.        

3) Eliminate Double Parking with large Drive-in area for Cathedral Hill Hospital 

Kaiser Permanente on Geary and Divisadero Street is a perfect example of why there should be no alarms about traffic.  Even with the double parking by visitors, taxis, MUNI and a left turn you still don’t see major problems, many drivers just zip through. 

Cathedral Hill Hospital solves the problem of double parking by allowing visitors and patients to drive into the hospital and even through to another street.   

There will also be an underground tunnel that connects the hospital to a medial office across the street which lessons the employee impact on cross-walks.  

4) The Mayor’s Office Doing Its Part in Controlling Everything

There will be less traffic by the time the new hospital opens and will continue to decrease.  Some aspects are dependent on the Mayor’s Office of Economic & Workforce Development who is controlling everything regarding  CPMC, the BRTs, the negotiating, contracting, oversight and millions of dollars for community benefit.   

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Supervisor Candidates Complete Tough Questionnaire on Topics Impacting Fillmore!

Supervisor Candidates Complete Tough Questionnaire on Topics Impacting Fillmore! 

Five of the nine candidates in the race on May 8, 2012 responded to the Fillmore Neighborhood Association questionnaire; CLICK the link next to each Supervisor Candidate’s name to read her or his response to the five questions below.     

(Names listed in alphabetical order.)






Questions -

1) Describe in your own words what is the purpose of a Supervisor representing a District in San Francisco? (2000 characters including spaces)  

2) What do you believe are the three most pressing problems/challenges in the Lower Fillmore and what is your strategy to address and resolve them? (4000 characters including spaces)

3) What have you done to improve the condition of people who were negatively impacted by The Redevelopment Agency? (2000 characters including spaces)

4) Do you believe the Gang Injunction helped the community, if yes how? (2000 characters including spaces)

5) What community work have you done that you are most proud of? (2000 characters)

Newsletter Sent July 13, 2012


Fillmore Neighborhood Association




NEWSLETTER



Sent July 13, 2012



In this edition:

1)    Join the Conversation – Rebuild CPMC

2)    Supervisor Candidates Complete Tough Questionnaire on Topics Impacting Fillmore!

3)    Impromptu Meet & Greet – New Membership Drive – Discussion on CPMC - Fillmore Neighborhood Association – Tomorrow, Saturday , July 14, 2012 – 11AM-Noon – Northern Station Community Room at Fillmore and Turk St.

4)    Final Land Use & Board of Supervisors Meetings Next Week to Approve the CPMC Health Care Project - to build two new seismically safe hospitals at St Luke’s and Cathedral Hill at Geary and Van Ness. 





1) Join the Conversation – Rebuild CPMC



Fillmore Neighborhood Association:  Our general meeting with California Pacific Medical Center is over but the conversation is continuing (6-21-12).  



Thirty-seven (37) points or facts came out of the community meeting with CPMC on their hopes to build two new seismically safe hospitals in San Francisco pending approval by the S.F. Board of Supervisors this Tuesday, July 17, 2012. 



To see these Points and Vote on the ones most important to you, follow the link below to our Portal!!!








2) Supervisor Candidates Complete Tough Questionnaire on Topics Impacting Fillmore!



Five of the nine candidates in the race on May 8, 2012 responded to the Fillmore Neighborhood Association questionnaire; CLICK the link next to each Supervisor Candidate’s name to read her or his response to the five questions below.     



(Names listed in alphabetical order.)










Questions -



1) Describe in your own words what is the purpose of a Supervisor representing a District in San Francisco? (2000 characters including spaces)



2) What do you believe are the three most pressing problems/challenges in the Lower Fillmore and what is your strategy to address and resolve them? (4000 characters including spaces)



3) What have you done to improve the condition of people who were negatively impacted by The Redevelopment Agency? (2000 characters including spaces)



4) Do you believe the Gang Injunction helped the community, if yes how? (2000 characters including spaces)



5) What community work have you done that you are most proud of? (2000 characters)





3) Impromptu Meet & Greet – New Membership Drive – Discussion on CPMC - Fillmore Neighborhood Association



Tomorrow, Saturday, July 14, 2012

11AM-Noon

Northern Station Community Room at Fillmore and Turk St.



Discussion topics on CPMC are:



·         Construction and career referrals

·         Monitoring & Accountability

·         Fillmore Health Care Center

·         Fillmore Housing Assistance Agency





4) Final Land Use & Board of Supervisors Meetings Next Week to Approve the CPMC Health Care Project



Next week CPMC face two pivotal hearing. 



Final Land Use Hearing – Monday, July 16 at 1:00 PM



Monday, July 16th, is the final of four Land Use Committee meetings. This meeting will focus on issues surrounding transportation, housing, and the public realm.



Hearing Before the Full Board – Tuesday, July 17 at 2:00 PM



On Tuesday, July 17, we will go before the Full Board of Supervisors for deliberation on an appeal of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) previously approved by the Planning Commission.



Please join us at City Hall!!!  Both hearings will be held at City Hall in the Legislative Chamber, Room 250.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

London Breed - Supervisor Candidate for Nov-12 - Completed Endorsement Questionnaire


Submitted by London Breed, Candidate for District 5 Supervisor

FLFNA Questionnaire Responses

QUESTIONS –

1) Describe in your own words what is the purpose of a Supervisor representing a District in San Francisco? (2000 characters including spaces)

            A Supervisor has two equally important roles: to fight for the people of his or her District at City Hall, and to fight for the entire city by ensuring that its laws work for all of its people.

            The first of these roles, fighting for the district, is why we need someone representing District 5 who was born here, raised here, educated here, and has spent the last three decades immersed in the issues unique to our district.

            As Supervisor, I will use all that I have learned and all that people continue to teach me about the needs and hopes of District 5, so that we can make City Hall the instrument for addressing those needs, and making those hopes a reality.

            A Supervisor’s second role is to write and pass laws that work for all the people of San Francisco. San Francisco is the greatest city in the world, but it didn’t get that way by accident. It got that way because its people are always working to make the city better. A Supervisor must craft laws that are focused on the needs of our people, and keep the city faithful to the progressive ideals for which San Francisco is known around the world.

            At the same time, a Supervisor must be ready to fight against the forces that try to take away what makes San Francisco so special. Some very powerful and influential people would prefer that city government focus on increasing their bottom lines, consolidating their political power, and compromising our role as a progressive model for the country and the world. The Board of Supervisors must be the fortress where we defend the city against those who would try to make San Francisco just another city run for the benefit of whoever pays the most.

            As our Supervisor, I will always be faithful to both these responsibilities, for the good of the people I grew up with and have always served.

2) What do you believe are the three most pressing problems/challenges in the Lower Fillmore and what is your strategy to address and resolve them?  (4000 characters including spaces)

            The three most pressing problems in the Lower Fillmore are jobs for the people who live there, quality education for our children, and healing the divide between the neighborhood and city government.

MORE AND BETTER JOBS

            Not only do locally owned businesses give the Fillmore its unique character, but small businesses provide a majority of jobs across the entire city. To bring more and better jobs to District 5, I will create a one-stop shop for business permits and inspections, to replace the numerous bureaucratic agencies businesses must navigate and that drive up their costs. Making things simpler and less expensive will help business owners to hire more people from the community.

            I will also expand the city’s job training programs that make the residents of our neighborhoods the perfect new hires for our expanding businesses. Our citizens are our community’s greatest economic assets, and our businesses should be eager to hire them. That way our district can be a reflection of the people who have made their homes here and given it its historic flavor throughout their lives.

EDUCATION

            As a product of District 5 schools and the executive director of an arts organization for District 5 children, artist and the community, I am passionate about finding innovative solutions to the challenge of better preparing our children for a successful future.

            All citizens of San Francisco have a vested interest in the education of our youth. They are the future business owners, workers and professionals that will sustain our economy, and they are the future good citizens who will carry the banner for our communities.

            As a young girl, I walked to Raphael Weill Elementary School and to Benjamin  Franklin Middle School with all my friends. It created a sense of community and friendship that I think is lacking nowadays. When a community takes an active role in its schools, everyone involved is enriched. As Supervisor, I will be a fighter for greater community involvement that brings schoolchildren and their neighbors closer together, so that the fabric of our entire community grows stronger.

            I will also push for a new approach to learning that is showing promise around the country. Students are more than just memorization machines or number crunchers. They require a balanced approach to their educational process, not an obsession with standardized tests. We must focus on an approach that understands the whole student as a complex human being, who we should help prepare for the challenges of a rich and full life outside the classroom.

            Finally, I support a citywide service-learning program for our youth. Service learning is a new approach where students apply what they learn in the real world, for the benefit of themselves and their community. It should be part of the curriculum at all grade levels and at every educational institution in San Francisco.

MAKING CITY HALL WORK FOR YOU

            The third problem I would most like to address is the disconnect between the Lower Fillmore and the city government. In recent years, it has become harder and harder for the residents of the Lower Fillmore to trust that City Hall is listening or working to solve our problems.

            The gang injunction, the difficulty in starting new businesses, the slow response to educational problems and violence in our community, and the lack of a forceful advocate in City Hall are all evidence of this problem, but all are things that can be fixed. As your Supervisor, the people of the district will be my most important guides. My office will be extremely responsive and open, because no Supervisor can work for the people of their district without knowing exactly what those needs are, and understanding how city government can respond to them.

            The people of the Fillmore and Lower Fillmore need a strong-willed champion in City Hall fighting on their behalf. That presence will rebuild trust between the people of the neighborhood and the city government and make it easier to address any challenge that the neighborhood faces.

3) What have you done to improve the condition of people who were negatively impacted by The Redevelopment Agency? (2000 characters including spaces)

            Over forty years ago, the reprehensible actions of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency led to the removal of African American citizens, their homes and businesses from the Fillmore District. It was so bad for the residents that afterwards, courts declared that redevelopment agencies nationwide now have to consult with the residents of the impacted neighborhoods, and make them partners in all the decisions that are made.

            In that community-oriented spirit, during my five years on the Redevelopment Agency Commission I voted time and again to assist local residents and businesses, and to establish the Jazz Preservation District in the Fillmore, providing millions of dollars in support to Rassela's, Yoshi's, Sheba Lounge and 1300 on Fillmore. We also strongly encouraged Safeway to renovate its Fillmore store and hire more people from the local community.

            During my time at the Agency, we saw the establishment of the Fillmore Jazz Heritage Center, and a new block of affordable condos at Fillmore Park on Turk Street. I also voted to give a renovation grant of $5 million to the Martin Luther King - Marcus Garvey Co-operative Apartments; a grant which allowed them to retain 211 affordable homes in the Fillmore.

            But one of the things I'm most proud of is my support for Certificate of Preference holders, their children and grandchildren. As many of your members know, the agency issued these certificates to residents and businesses displaced by redevelopment, in order to help local residents with the purchase of housing or businesses once the redevelopment projects were completed. 

            But it took more than forty years for anything to be built on the land left vacant by the razing of dozens of buildings. To make matters worse, what was built after four decades was rental property at a time when people wanted to own their homes and businesses.

            We were able to finally begin to make amends for that delay, refocusing the Agency on better housing and better living for the people of the Fillmore.  However, although redevelopment has left the Fillmore, the negative impacts still remain.  We need a strong advocate who understands the past and has a proven track record to make the future better despite of redevelopment.

4) Do you believe the Gang Injunction helped the community, if yes how? (2000 characters including spaces)

            Having grown up in the Western Addition, and seeing so many of the young people around me tempted by “gangs “ as an outlet for the frustration they felt with poverty and despair. I know how devastating gangs can be on our youth and our communities. We have to do all we can to make gang violence a thing of the past in our neighborhoods and our city.

            But while the Fillmore gang injunction was a well-intentioned idea to make the streets safer, it has proven to be the wrong tool for accomplishing that job. Rather than reducing gang violence, the main effects of the injunction have been to harass and even imprison some of the district’s young people, not for committing gang violence but sometimes only for being suspected of being in a gang.

            This suspicion can be based on something as small as wearing the wrong color in public, or even associating with a close family member who is also suspected of being in a gang. That means that some young people in the Fillmore can now actually be imprisoned for associating with their own families.

            Keeping our streets safer from gang violence starts when our children are young, when they benefit most from growing up in the embrace of our community, receive a quality education, and have quality employment opportunities in our city.

            We also need to build an atmosphere of trust and cooperation between law enforcement officials and the citizens of our district, not separate them with a wall of suspicion. Without that spirit of trust and cooperation, it will be much harder to solve all of the neighborhood’s challenges, including public safety.

5) What community work have you done that you are most proud of? (2000 characters)

            I have dedicated my professional and private life to serving the community where I was born and raised. I have served for the last ten years as Executive Director of the African American Arts and Cultural Complex, where we have brought together people of all walks of life to create jobs, support the arts, enhance our children’s education, and make our community a richer, more fulfilling place to live.

            Because so many different disciplines at the Complex are intertwined, all of our programs and experiences are focused on the community as a whole: an art exhibit or dance performance not only showcases local artists, but engages the children to build connections to community service and artistic expression, builds cultural bridges between generations, and provides a space where we can make opportunity and expression the words that our community and its people are known for.

            I am also honored to serve on the San Francisco Fire Commission. From that post I have worked to prepare San Francisco to respond quickly and effectively to disaster, and to be a bridge between the Fire Department and our neighborhoods. The unique challenges San Francisco faces due to our geography and climate make this a serious and solemn duty that I am proud to uphold.

Julian Davis - Supervisor Candidate for Nov-12 - Completed Endorsement Questionnaire


Fillmore/ Lower Fillmore Neighborhood Association Questionnaire
Submitted by Julian Davis, Candidate for District 5 Supervisor

FLFNA Questionnaire Responses

1)

            District elections allow for a fine-grained level of neighborhood representation and also create an opportunity for grass roots candidates to compete and win against larger special interests.

            A supervisor has various roles to play in representing a district. On a basic level a supervisor must be a diligent advocate for constituents. That means having a responsive and effective office at handling the myriad daily issues that come up for residents and merchants in our neighborhoods. This level of commitment is what we expect of any elected office holder.

            District supervisors also have a role to play as supervisors for the entire city. In this capacity, it’s important to both represent the interests and needs of the district but also to have a larger vision about the future of San Francisco and to present a positive legislative agenda for the district and the city at large.

2)

            The three most pressing issues for the Lower Fillmore are public safety, clean streets, and community economic development.

            Our communities should be safe places to live and work. Adding more beat cops may help in the short term, but we need to address the root causes of poverty and crime, and foster fair and effective community-police relations. It’s also about neighbors looking out for each other and building a trusting community. As supervisor I will ensure that our police department achieves culturally competent community policing.

            On any given day a pile of litter and garbage can be seen collecting at street corners in the neighborhood such as Fillmore and Golden Gate. While it is the everybody’s responsibility to be good stewards of public space, the City should also step up and ensure that we have clean streets. As supervisor I will make sure that DPW is on the job in our neighborhood and also work to organize district clean team days in conjunction with DPW so that residents can take an active role in keeping our streets clean.

            Finally, the Lower Fillmore has seen intensive redevelopment over the past few decades and yet has not fully succeeded at creating a vibrant commercial corridor in the Lower Fillmore.  Fillmore between Turk and Eddy is stark reminder of the failure of redevelopment. Why should a whole city block in the heart of town be shuttered with venetian blinds? It doesn’t make any sense.  As supervisor I will work to support community based entrepreneurs so that we can bring life to the storefronts of the Fillmore commercial corridor.

3)

            I have worked for most of my organizing career on remedies to the negative impact of redevelopment on the neighborhood and on the African American community. Working with San Francisco Housing Development Corporation, the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center and other community partners, we were the first to successfully sunshine the Redevelopment Agency’s records of displaced people from the redevelopment era. This allowed us to do effective outreach about the certificate of preference program for the first time since its inception.

            I also worked to amend the City’s planning code to expand the certificate program to Mayor’s Office of Housing administered units, not just redevelopment units - our housing reparations ordinance was passed by the Board of Supervisors. Without this change, certificates would have been useless in the Fillmore after the agency exited the district over the last few years. In addition I and other activists worked to extend the program to children and grandchildren of displaced householders.

            While these accomplishments are important, it’s still not enough. I will continue to bring leadership to this issue as supervisor in District 5 by focusing on economic and housing justice for a community whose roots were ripped from the ground.

4)

            I did not support the Gang Injunction and still don’t. I believe the Gang Injunction is of marginal utility and raises serious concerns about the civil liberties of those whom it primarily affects. After a crisis of violence mid-decade, community members, including myself, stepped up to take leadership by enhancing programs for at-risk youth in the neighborhood, especially in public housing. The collaborative approach to programming was successful and we’ve seen a steady decrease in youth on youth homicide since that time. I believe it was the work of the community, the Supervisor’s office, and the Public Defender’s Office that successfully addressed the root cause of violent crime in the neighborhood, not the Gang Injunction.

5)

            I am most proud of my work as President of the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center. At Booker T, I have had the honor of working with a fantastic staff to envision a new center that will be a home for emancipated foster youth and provide them with critical on site support services. It is not always easy to win approval for this type of development but we did it because we were organized and had the courage to do what’s right. The new center will better serve our community’s needs and will include a San Francisco bureau of Youth Radio, a tech skills center, a childcare center, a mind body health center, and a community garden, in addition to a new gymnasium.

Andrew "Ellard" Resignato - Supervisor Candidate for Nov-12 - Completed Endorsement Questionnaire

Andrew “Ellard” Resignato


Thank you for the opportunity to answer you questionnaire. I look forward to more interactions with the Fillmore / Lower Fillmore Neighborhood Association (FLFNA).

Sincerely,

Andrew “Ellard” Resignato

1) Describe in your own words what is the purpose of a Supervisor representing a District in San Francisco? (2000 characters including spaces)

The purpose of a Supervisor representing a District in San Francisco is to listen to the residents of that District and represent their point of view to the larger San Francisco community.

A Supervisor is the defender of the rights of the people in his/her District. In many cases I believe the Supervisor will need to stand up to powerful interests that try to usurp the interests of the residents of the District.

A Supervisor should be a leader in bringing about change that improves the living conditions for the people. They need to be present in the community to understand the way issues are affecting people. He/she can propose legislation, advocate, direct City resources, or simply work with the community to solve problems that affect District residents.

I also believe that the Supervisor needs to have a vision for the direction of the City and should work to enact that vision through political action and through the power of the office.

2) What do you believe are the three most pressing problems/challenges in the Lower Fillmore and what is your strategy to address and resolve them?  (4000 characters including spaces)

1.      Public Safety is an issue I think is most important to the Lower Fillmore neighborhood and is a symptom of some greater issues that need to be addressed like: lack of educational and economic opportunity, youth unemployment, substance abuse, and need for community policing. I think the problem has been exacerbated by our current drug laws which are discriminatory and tend to criminalize young men branding them felons and preventing them from being eligible for employment as well as provide for their families.

I believe police resources are being squandered busting people for drug crimes when they should be used to solve violent and property crimes. I also believe discriminatory drug laws along with gang injunctions, and sit-lie ordinances have further eroded the relationship between the community and law enforcement in addition to systematically stripping away civil liberties from specific groups of people. All of these are exacerbating the public safety issue and need to be addressed by the District 5 Supervisor.

I would recommend treating drug abuse as a public health issue and not as a criminal justice issue which includes spending more money on substance abuse treatment and educational programs and having police make less drug arrests.  Community policing needs to be emphasized as the model that works. Police need to present in the community to not just make arrests but to interact positively with community members and develop relationships. It is incumbent on the District Supervisor to make sure this is happening.

Lastly, the community itself has to be involved in monitoring the safety of the neighborhood work with the Supervisor to ensure that public safety is being handles correctly by the city and it’s departments. 

2.      Community Cohesion is an issue while not easily solved needs to be addressed in the Lower Fillmore. The legacy of Redevelopment has caused in-fighting in the community that has served to erode trust of community members in each other.  In order for the problems of crime, economic opportunity, and cultural renewal to be addressed the community needs to come together. It is only through working together that communities can solve these larger issues. The District 5 Supervisor can have an impact by using the office to hold community meetings aimed at bringing the community together and directing city resources to finding solutions that community members all have a stake in developing.

3.      Helping small business in the neighborhood is an important way to help the community thrive. The City has been rolling out the red carpet with tax breaks and other incentives for large tech companies but I believe the city needs to help small businesses grow and thrive in neighborhoods like the Western Addition/Lower Fillmore. Lower Fillmore used to be a thriving neighborhood due to the many small African-American owned businesses that operated there. We need to figure out ways to bring businesses back including helping people in the community start small businesses. As Supervisor I intend to focus on small business as the sector of our economy that can provide economic opportunity in neighborhoods across the city including Lower Fillmore.

3) What have you done to improve the condition of people who were negatively impacted by The Redevelopment Agency? (2000 characters including spaces)

Honestly, I have not been very active in this realm but the most important thing I have done is educate people about the legacy of redevelopment in the Lower Fillmore Neighborhood. Many people are unaware of the decade’s long fight that has been waged in the neighborhood. They do not know anything about the thriving Fillmore neighborhood before the redevelopment bulldozers came in and how the Geary corridor was used to separate rich and poor, black and white. When I go to Justin Herman Plaza I ask people if they even know who he was and explain to him that this man who this plaza is named for really doesn’t deserve it.

My belief is that the community needs to come together to heal the scars caused by the Redevelopment Agency and help the people impacted by the Agency. The District 5 Supervisor has a stake in this and should make sure that all parties are being treated fairly in future development projects, assuring community input. The Supervisor needs to emphasize that retaining the culture and history of the neighborhood should be a city priority.

4) Do you believe the Gang Injunction helped the community, if yes how? (2000 characters including spaces)

I do not believe the gang injunction has helped the community. I believe gang injunctions further erode the civil liberties of specific people, break up families, and simply move gang violence from one place to another. I do not believe the injunction is addressing the root issues and serves as a band-aid for greater social issues that need attention. Issues like youth unemployment, lack of educational and economic opportunity, crime, and marginalization need to be addressed. I see the gang injunction along with discriminatory drug laws and the sit-lie ordinance as a type of institutionalized racism that serves to deny people rights. Gang violence is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed but I believe the gang injunction is a bad-aid and not a long term solution to the problem.

I would like to see more community-based programs supported by the city that utilize former gang members to de-escalate gang wars and educate current gang members on the inherent problems with a gang lifestyle. I think tensions between police and the community are exacerbated by gang injunctions.

5) What community work have you done that you are most proud of? (2000 characters) 

At my current position as Director of the San Francisco Immunization Coalition I have worked throughout the SF community to educate parents about the importance of immunization to prevent disease. I have worked to bring the message of the importance of preventing diseases like pertussis, hepatitis, meningitis, and measles to diverse communities including communities where health access is the lowest.

I have worked to decrease health disparities for African-Americans and Latinos when it comes to immunization by working with organizations like the San Francisco Giants and community leaders like Dr. Nadine Burke and Cecil Williams in the Mission, Bayview/Hunters Point, and Western Addition neighborhoods, among others.

In addition, I have worked hard to prevent deaths and hospitalizations of infants from pertussis (whooping cough). In 2005, an infant born in San Francisco died of the disease. Since 2008, I have worked hard to spread awareness about this disease which is making a resurgence across the U.S. I have also worked with all birthing hospitals in San Francisco to institute policies that help protect infants and newborns from contracting this deadly but preventable infection. In addition, I have advocated for research into a better, longer lasting pertussis vaccine to provide better protection and help us better control the disease.

Prevention is not a glamorous job. When you prevent disease nothing happens. But I believe it is up to leaders to anticipate problems that will affect people in the future – be it disease, violence, natural disasters, and find ways to prevent or reduce the suffering caused by these issues. Finding ways to prevent problems that adversely impact people is a passion of mine and a characteristic I will bring to the job of District 5 Supervisor.

John Rizzo - Supervisor Candidate for Nov-12 - Completed Questionnaire

Fillmore/ Lower Fillmore Neighborhood Association Questionnaire

Submitted by John Rizzo, Candidate for District 5 Supervisor

Contact: Tim Robertson, twrobertson@gmail.com, 987-4870

1) Describe in your own words what is the purpose of a Supervisor representing a District in San Francisco? (2000 characters including spaces)

The purpose of a San Francisco Supervisor is to proactively seek out the problems facing communities and to work with constituents to solve them. This requires three things: being an active member of the community, being an effective policymaker, and acting as a watchdog. As an elected official serving as President of the Community College Board, I have the experience and record that demonstrates that I have been all three.

As a community member, I will not hide from my constituents in City Hall, but will continue to be active in the community. No one knows the needs of District 5 better than its residents and small business owners, and only through speaking with them regularly can a Supervisor enact solutions that move the community in the right direction. As an elected official, I have found that constituents often have some of the best ideas on how to fix problems. As a member of the Community College Board, I spend far more time out in the community than at Board meetings.

As a policymaker, a Supervisor must be able translate the needs and concerns of the District into policy solutions that work. A supervisor can’t just propose solutions, but must be able to fight for them and gather the votes to pass them. On the City College Board, I have worked with both progressive and conservative members to pass initiatives that I am proud of. For instance, a “student equity initiative” has helped disadvantaged students succeed, raised grades, and lowered the dropout rate. I’ve created new green jobs training programs for disadvantaged youth and pushed for greener building standards. My Local Hiring initiative has created hundreds of construction jobs for San Francisco residents. These all follow the values of District 5, and I look forward to continue pressing for them on the Board of Supervisors.

As a watchdog, a Supervisor must ensure that the city is behaving equitably and in a just manner. There are a powerful interests in San Francisco that often have undue influence on how the city is run. The District 5 Supervisor must hold down its community values on the Board and fight to ensure that powerful interests are not given power that the community should have. While in elected office I have the experience in standing up to corrupt interests who were diverting public resources away from vital programs. I’ve proven that I can hold the line and fight corruption at City College, and now I intend to do so for all of San Francisco.

2) What do you believe are the three most pressing problems/challenges in the Lower Fillmore and what is your strategy to address and resolve them?  (4000 characters including spaces)

I believe that economic development and employment opportunities, access to quality education, and housing are among the most important challenges for the Lower Fillmore.

1. Economic development, jobs, and business opportunities. We must start by helping small business become more sustainable. While corporations often bring in workers from outside of the city, small business is vital to full employment in San Francisco. I plan to streamline the permitting process, lower permit fees, and create one-stop centers where businesses can get everything they need to move forward.

I also believe the city must stimulate the local economy. For instance, I helped pass the GoSolarSF program, which has helped struggling small energy companies, created hundreds of jobs, and got solar power for low-income families. The program also incentivized the hiring of disadvantaged residents. However, the city has drastically cut back funding for this program, which granting large tax breaks to corporations. I would fight to refund GoSolarSF, and use it as a model for other stimulus programs.

Such economic stimulus can be paid for by streamlining the management of city government. At City College, I helped balance $200 million operating budgets and a $750 million construction budget by instituting dozens of new oversight and fiscal reforms. As a result, the College District had more funding for social services and facilities. I am the only candidate that can bring this type of governmental fiscal accountability in order to pay for things we need.

It is disappointing to see the city give tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks to corporations without asking them to play a role in training and hiring our residents. I will work to change that.

On the City College Board, I authored and passed a “hire local” resolution that ensured CCSF construction projects would give jobs to San Franciscans, particularly to residents of low-income neighborhoods. San Francisco then followed and passed similar legislation, which I supported. As Supervisor, I will expand local hiring beyond construction to other areas that the city is involved with. Encouraging job growth for San Franciscans will grow the local economy and provide more tax revenue to the city to provide vital services.

2. Access to quality education. As President of the City College Board of Trustees, I have seen first-hand how access to education can change lives, and in some cases, literally save lives.

The city government does not do a good enough job at education and training. The city’s workforce development agency focuses on low-paying jobs. We must aim higher.

At City College, I worked to expand the Second Chance program, which gets formerly incarcerated individuals not just minimum wage jobs, college degrees. For example, last year, the valedictorian the City College graduation was a drug addict for two decades, in and out of jail. Today, he is studying at UC Berkeley. Many Second Chance graduates go on to masters degrees.

I have also supported shorter educational programs that train disadvantaged people for high paying careers, including the 2-year medical technician and nursing programs at the John Adams Campus.

As supervisor, I will work to get the city to do a better job of community outreach to residents and help students move towards a rewarding and gainful career. I will work to have the city collaborate better with the school district. Studies have shown that third-grade attendance can be used as an accurate predictor of one’s future situation.

Whether creating new programs or improving old ones, modernizing infrastructure and ensuring student access to technology, I fought through the bureaucracy to make sure that our students were best prepared for the next phase of their lives. While the City College is just one piece of the education picture, my experience in turning around City College is the kind of experience Supervisors should have.

The city government is not doing enough to ensure that education is both exceptional and equitable from Day One. I’m the only candidate that has the experience working with educators, students, administrators, and politicians to make the meaningful improvements our schools need to narrow the achievement gap.

3. Housing.

Affordable housing is critical to retaining the character of District 5 and San Francisco. I am committee to protecting existing affordable housing, and to finding ways to create new affordable housing. Additionally, public housing needs much attention, to fix the mismanagement and apply desperately needed maintenance.

3) What have you done to improve the condition of people who were negatively impacted by The Redevelopment Agency? (2000 characters including spaces)

When I first visited District 5 in the late 1970’s, it made a lasting impression on me to see that block after square block of the historic Fillmore had been razed to the ground, its residents displaced. What the community got in trade has been inadequate. The Fillmore Center and the Community Benefits District have not done nearly enough for the community.

Once thing I have done is to beef up District 5’s main secondary educational, workforce training, and GED testing center. This is City College’s John Adams Campus at Masonic and Hayes, which brings 5000 students through its doors every month. At a time when the District was focusing on new buildings in the Mission and Chinatown, I successfully fought for funding for modernizing John Adams with a new library, new computer equipment, and modernized “smart” classrooms. John Adams is San Francisco’s only GED testing center, and I voted against raising GED testing fees. I am also currently working to relocate Huckleberry House, a non-profit facility for troubled youth, in the John Adams facility, in order to expose these youth to the medical technician training programs housed at John Adams.

On the jobs front, one aspect of my Local Hiring Initiative at City College has an emphasis on serving low-income zip codes throughout the city, including District 5.

As an environmental activist, I have been committed to environmental justice. I lead an effort to defeat a proposal to build new power plants in the southeast sections of the city. I have also fought for funding for District 5’s parks and recreation facilities, and fought against the city’s drive to impose new park fees that price low-income people out of our parks. I’ve also fought the commercialization of parks that keep the public locked out. I have been an advocate for muni lines that don’t go downtown – the so-called cross-town lines, like the 22 Fillmore and the 24 Divisadero routes, which don’t get the attention or funding they require to serve residents.

4) Do you believe the Gang Injunction helped the community, if yes how? (2000 characters including spaces)

Gang Injunctions have not proven to be effective in assuring public safety, and they create conditions that are actually detrimental to public safety. They split family members apart by preventing them from visiting one another. They separate people from the resources of their own community. And they unfairly target people by race, as well as young people, without due process. Gang Injunctions violate people’s right to due process and the freedom to peaceably assemble, as in the so-called “Safety Zones.”

The fact that many of the injunction’s targets are not gang members, or are rehabilitated members of our society only adds to the problematic nature of gang injunctions.

The City Attorney’s figures on the effectiveness of the gang injunctions are misleading at best. They focus on number of crimes committed by individuals named in the injunction at one period in time, not on the overall crime. The tragic murder of a 20-year-old Fillmore resident in April shows that public safety is still a problem. And in last year’s multiple gang shootings in the Mission District injunction zone, only 1 in 4 involved were on the gang injunction list.

I believe that the path to safer streets is multi-faceted. First is community policing with foot patrols; we must get police officers out of their cars. Next, we must use police officers with cultural competency who can recognize the difference between cultural norms and actual criminal behavior, and who can relate to residents on a personal level. The city also needs to work with early childhood education, because falling behind at an early age propagates disadvantage throughout one’s life. Also key is educational outreach to youth, to offer opportunities to people who are unaware of what exists.

It’s clear that the Western Addition gang injunctions are less about policing gangs than they are about making the area more appealing to outside business interests.

5) What community work have you done that you are most proud of? (2000 characters) 

As President of the Community College of San Francisco, I have brought more money from the city to help pay for programs and infrastructure, with particular emphasis on disadvantaged students. We know that not every student is ready for a four-year college out of high school, and it has been my honor to lead CCSF in helping prepare young people for meaningful roles in society.

I tirelessly fought corruption at CCSF, taking on a system full of graft and restoring the credibility of the institution. By restoring the financial accountability of the CCSF system, I was able to free desperately needed resources to help students meet their goals. In this economy, there just isn’t enough money to be wasting it lining the pockets of bureaucrats.

While turning around CCSF was very important, it only scratches the surface as to what I want to do for San Francisco and District 5. I’ve proven that I can create jobs, improve the education system, and fight corruption at CCSF, and now I’m ready to do the same at City Hall.

I am proud of building up District 5’s John Adams campus, and keeping GED testing fees among the lowest in the state. I also created and sponsored a “local hire” resolution passed by the CCSF Board to ensure that as many CCSF projects as possible created local jobs.

I am proud of leading the effort to defeat 4 proposed fossil-fuel power plants in the southeast part of the city, which the SF PUC had approved. I also spent a lot of effort fighting for the closure of the Mirant power plant in the southeast, which was one of most polluting plant in California.

I am proud of the role I played in the Fix Masonic movement, which got the MTA to produce a design for a safer street for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. As supervisor, I will see transportation funding to implement this project.

Before becoming elected to the College Board, I was appointed to the Golden Gate Park Concourse Authority by Mayor Brown. There, I worked with community advocates to getting bicycle and pedestrian improvements into the park.

Supervisor London Breed Inauguration - Jan 2013

Supervisor London Breed Inauguration - Jan 2013

RECAP: Workshop Wednesdays" at the Fillmore Mini Park from NOV-DEC 2012

RECAP: Workshop Wednesdays" at the Fillmore Mini Park from NOV-DEC 2012