Public Press staff, Author at San Francisco Public Press https://www.sfpublicpress.org/author/mcanderson/ Independent, Nonprofit, In-Depth Local News Thu, 17 Oct 2024 20:21:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 November 2024 SF Voter Guide https://www.sfpublicpress.org/november-2024-sf-voter-guide/ https://www.sfpublicpress.org/november-2024-sf-voter-guide/#respond Mon, 07 Oct 2024 20:28:36 +0000 https://www.sfpublicpress.org/?p=1398654 This is a nonpartisan analysis of the local measures on the San Francisco ballot for the Nov. 5, 2024, election.

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This is a nonpartisan analysis of the local measures on the San Francisco ballot for the Nov. 5, 2024, election.

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Voter Guide Index

Prop A | Prop B | Prop C | Prop D | Prop E | Prop F | Prop G | Prop H | Prop I | Prop J | Prop K | Prop L | Prop M | Prop N | Prop O


Proposition A — Bonds to Improve SF Schools

A school bus parked in front of Mission High School in San Francisco.

Proposition A would let the San Francisco Unified School District borrow up to $790 million to upgrade, repair and retrofit its campuses and other properties, and to build a facility that would produce high-quality meals for students.

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Proposition B — Bonds to Enhance Health Care Facilities and Public Spaces

A woman walks out of the Chinatown Public Health Center.

Proposition B would let San Francisco borrow up to $390 million to carry out infrastructure and other projects, like upgrading health care facilities, creating homeless shelter, repaving roads and renovating Harvey Milk Plaza, the Castro neighborhood spot honoring the city’s first openly gay supervisor.

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Proposition C — New Inspector General Would Fight Local Corruption

San Francisco City Hall at night.

In the wake of years of FBI probes and ongoing scandals, Proposition C aims to fight corruption in San Francisco by creating a local inspector general position for investigating government fraud, waste and abuse of city resources.

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Proposition D — Eliminate City Commissions, Empower Mayor

A member of the public comments during a session of the Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee.

Proposition D would halve the number of City Hall commissions and end their oversight of government departments. The mayor would gain greater power to appoint commissions and departments. 

Proposition D would dramatically alter governance in San Francisco. It is in direct opposition with Proposition E.

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Proposition E — Create Task Force to Consider Culling Commissions

The Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee, in session.

Proposition E would create a task force to assess San Francisco’s many commissions and public bodies and recommend whether any should be altered or eliminated to improve local governance.

Proposition E is in direct opposition with Proposition D, which would automatically schedule half the city’s commissions for elimination.

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Proposition F — Delay Officer Retirement to Bolster Police Staffing

Mayor London Breed and Police Chief Bill Scott address cadets at the police academy.

Proposition F aims to bolster police staffing by giving retirement-eligible officers a financial incentive to continue working: They could begin drawing pensions early, alongside their salaries, for up to five years.

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Proposition G — Fund Housing for Extremely Low-Income Tenants

Exterior view of Bethany Senior Center.

Proposition G would reduce rents for hundreds of housing units in San Francisco so that extremely low-income seniors, families and people with disabilities could afford them.

Today, even San Francisco’s so-called affordable housing is often out of reach for those tenants.

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Proposition H — Enable Earlier Retirement for Firefighters

Firefighters handle a ladder and other gear in the field.

Proposition H would lower the age by which members of the San Francisco Fire Department could qualify for their maximum retirement packages, from 58 to 55, in an effort to encourage them to protect their health by leaving the work sooner.

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Proposition I — Give Nurses and 911 Operators Better Pension Plans

An ambulance passes in front of the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

Proposition I would improve retirement packages for 911 call dispatchers, as well as nurses who transitioned from temporary to full-time staff positions, in an effort to attract more people to those city jobs.

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Proposition J — Increase Oversight of City Funding for Children and Youth Programs

Children outside a school.

Proposition J would create an oversight body to evaluate local government expenditures on programs benefiting children and youths.

The measure would also redirect many tens of millions of dollars annually to those programs, potentially drawing down other parts of City Hall’s budget.

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Proposition K — Authorize Great Highway to Become Car-Free, Possibly a Park

A woman crosses the street with a stroller and child at the intersection of Lincoln Way and the Great Highway.

Proposition K would start a process that could, about a year later, permanently close a large section of San Francisco’s Great Highway to car traffic so that the city could later turn it into a park. The measure would not fund the design or creation of the park.

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Proposition L — Tax Ride-Hailing and Autonomous Vehicle Companies to Fund Public Transit

Passengers disembark a Waymo vehicle.

Proposition L would tax ride-hail companies, including those that operate self-driving cars, and devote the tax revenue to improving San Francisco’s public transit.

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Proposition M — Overhaul SF Business Tax System

An employee at a local business in San Francisco gives change during a transaction.

Proposition M would fundamentally change how the city taxes businesses, in order to better align with post-pandemic work norms and strengthen the government’s long-term financial footing.

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Proposition N — Create Fund to Pay Off First Responders’ Student Loans

Paramedics help an elderly man in the Tenderloin neighborhood.

Proposition N could help pay off first responders’ student loans with the goal of attracting new hires amid staffing shortages.

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Proposition O — Protect Access to Reproductive Care

Women's March, 2017, in San Francisco.

Proposition O would strengthen access to abortion and reproductive care in San Francisco and protect the privacy of patients and health care providers.

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Why Do Governments Keep Information From the Public? A Veteran Journalist Weighs In https://www.sfpublicpress.org/why-do-governments-keep-information-from-the-public-a-veteran-journalist-weighs-in/ https://www.sfpublicpress.org/why-do-governments-keep-information-from-the-public-a-veteran-journalist-weighs-in/#respond Fri, 02 Aug 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.sfpublicpress.org/?p=1308740 Providing records and information to the public can be time consuming, expensive and legally risky, said award-winning journalist Miranda Spivack at a recent event hosted by the San Francisco Public Press.

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Why would local governments withhold information from the public, rather than provide it on request — or even proactively?

Responding to requests can be time consuming, expensive and legally risky, said award-winning journalist Miranda Spivack, author of the forthcoming book, “Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms Our Communities and the Local Heroes Fighting Back.”

And, she added, sometimes the people with the information simply don’t know what the law requires them to disclose.

Spivack shared her thoughts in a recent interview with Lila LaHood, executive director of the San Francisco Public Press, at an event where they discussed government transparency. This excerpt from their conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

In this episode of “Civic Presnts,” hear LaHood’s full interview with Miranda Spivack at a July 11 event that featured a question-and-answer session with the audience.

You have said that there is evidence that points to secrecy in state and local government being on the rise. How do we know this, and what explains this increase?

Starting with 9/11 (the 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.), there was a big retrenchment in government transparency at the local level. 

From that time on, there is a lot of evidence that governments are just not living up to state public records laws. It’s inconvenient. It’s costly. It’s everything from they don’t know where the information is, to they haven’t digitized their records. 

When a state or local agency says it doesn’t have or doesn’t want to give up information, what are the most common reasons you hear?

There are a couple I think are occurring with greater frequency. One of them is the use of the “trade secrets exemption,” which is all over the country. It’s in the federal FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) law, too, and allows private contractors to say “that’s a proprietary piece of information,” that our competitors are going to be tipped off on. 

There are sometimes security and privacy issues. The “investigative exemption” is used a lot, where a government agency will say, “this is still under investigation.” But, of course, investigations do not go on for five years, and documents that are older should be available. But they want to charge you a lot of money for this stuff. And that’s a big deterrent.

Watch the full interview and audience questions.

Can you point to any places where the system for getting access to public records works really well? Conversely, where have you run into the most obstacles? 

It’s very erratic, even within a state. You can have government employees who really do want to be helpful. I think places that have digitized their documents have a better chance of putting the information up online. You shouldn’t have to file a public records request just to find out who the contractors are in San Francisco to cross check them with public finance and campaign finance reports.

How does our government’s ability to keep and record large quantities of information affect its willingness to provide access to that information? 

Around the country, and probably within California, smaller governments are not well funded. Legislatures don’t necessarily fund their own state agencies very well. So, you know, there is a bona fide issue that I have to acknowledge, which is that this is not an inexpensive process — although it should be, given that we have all this technology. 

I’ll tell you that the email searches are very hard. They don’t know who’s got the emails. They don’t know where it is. Is it on the main server? Is it on somebody’s laptop? Those are really hard issues.

Should governments retain all their digital files forever? Or might it make sense to clear certain things out after a certain period of time?

Probably five years is a good measure for most records. I think law enforcement records have to be kept much longer. A lot of it has to do with who has the server. Does the city own the server? Is it outsourced to some private contractor? What are they charging for it? I think those are all real considerations. 

What do you think motivates people to withhold information? 

So, there is a fellow I know in Washington, Tom Susman, who actually helped write the amendments to the Freedom of Information Act in the 1970s. He says the mindset is, “when in doubt, don’t give it out.”

In some states, you can be sued as a government employee if you give out information that you shouldn’t give out. There’s a big fear factor.

If you look at police agencies, the culture is, “We’re a paramilitary organization, and that means you cannot have the insight into what we’re doing.”

Your book is about people who were trying to improve their communities and, in the process, took on governments that were withholding public information. How did you decide which stories to include in the book?

The book has five profiles of different people from around the country whom I’m calling accidental activists. They don’t get into this because they want to. They really get into this because they have to. 

These stories just spoke to me. As a journalist, it’s hard to do this work, and so I was very interested to see how novices would go about doing this. Their success and failures were really instructive, because I think state and local government is really where people’s lives are most clearly affected.

One of the stories is about poisoned drinking water. Another is toxic chemicals in firefighter gear. There’s a story about dangerous roads. 

Can you explain in a nutshell why government agencies wouldn’t want people to know which roads were the most dangerous?

Well, you’re being logical. Congress passed a law a couple of decades ago in response to state governments who were worried that they would get sued if they had a list of the top 10 worst roads in their state that they wanted to apply for federal funds for. So, they know where the problems are, but they’re not fixing them and they were very worried that they would get sued for negligence. 

Can you talk a little bit about why civic engagement matters on the local level, especially in this era of hyperpolarization? 

One of the biggest problems is that people don’t trust the government. They think the government is hiding stuff. Governments, I think state and local in particular, can do a lot to be more open about what their process is, what they’re doing, who they’re working with, who the mayor is meeting with. What’s the harm in that? 

And yet, there’s this sort of a defensive crouch. I think in a lot of governments, there’s a lot of fear. There are issues that I think are legitimate where politicians really feel that they are being hounded unnecessarily. I think the press has to be careful about what you go after and what you make a big issue about. But there’s really a nexus between transparency and government and civic engagement, and keeping our democratic system “small d” democratic.


Wondering which state governments are the most responsive to records requests? Check out this interactive tool by MuckRock, a news site focused on government transparency and accountability.

This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.

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Join Us to Learn How Government Secrecy Can Hurt You https://www.sfpublicpress.org/join-us-to-learn-how-government-secrecy-can-hurt-you/ https://www.sfpublicpress.org/join-us-to-learn-how-government-secrecy-can-hurt-you/#respond Wed, 03 Jul 2024 22:44:13 +0000 https://www.sfpublicpress.org/?p=1280459 Local governments are secretly making deals with corporations that can threaten public health and safety, and even democracy.

To learn more, join us at our July 11 event on this topic: “What You Don’t Know About Local Government Can Hurt You.”

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Local governments are secretly making deals with corporations that can threaten public health and safety, and even democracy.

That’s the focus of our July 11 event, “What You Don’t Know About Local Government Can Hurt You.” San Francisco Public Press Executive Director Lila LaHood will discuss government secrecy with Miranda Spivack, an expert on the topic and longtime investigative reporter and editor, formerly of The Washington Post.

Join us for this eye-opening conversation! Buy tickets here.

Ticket prices:

  • $10 to $35 sliding scale for the main event at 6 p.m.
  • $250 for pre-event fundraiser reception at 5 p.m.

No one will be turned away from the main event for lack of funds. If you’d like to come, but expect to have trouble paying, email us at community@sfpublicpress for a sponsored ticket.

Spivack is the author of the forthcoming book, “Backroom Deals in Our Backyards: How Government Secrecy Harms our Communities — and the Local Heroes Fighting Back,” scheduled to be published in 2025 by New Press.

During and after her 20 years at The Washington Post, Spivack specialized in stories about how government accountability and transparency fall short. Her reporting led to changes in the way that some jurisdictions worked with real estate developers and government contractors. She continues to write about development trends for The New York Times.

Her series “State Secrets,” for Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, was honored with the Sunshine Award from the Society of Professional Journalists.

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Report for America Journalist to Join Newsroom https://www.sfpublicpress.org/report-for-america-selects-san-francisco-public-press-as-host-newsroom-2/ https://www.sfpublicpress.org/report-for-america-selects-san-francisco-public-press-as-host-newsroom-2/#respond Fri, 07 Jun 2024 14:28:55 +0000 https://www.sfpublicpress.org/?p=1252261 Report for America has selected the San Francisco Public Press to host a reporter for a two years as part of its national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities.

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Report for America selected the San Francisco Public Press to host a reporter for two years as part of its national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities.

Just over 50 newsrooms were selected this year to host new reporting corps positions and join an expanding network of newsrooms benefiting from the program’s support.

We are delighted to welcome Audrey Mei Yi Brown as a Report for America corps member who will to cover environmental health equity and corporate accountability beginning in July.

Audrey, who uses they/them pronouns, is perfectly suited for this role. They have spent years studying and working within the realm of climate and environmental justice, and then reporting on it as a journalist. Audrey is a graduate of UCLA and Columbia Journalism School.

Previously, they worked at the San Francisco Chronicle on SFNext, a civic engagement initiative, where they covered a range of city issues spanning homelessness, digital inequity and downtown recovery. That work was highlighted by three front page stories, including two investigations.

“Those lengthy investigations were a risk that didn’t guarantee a payoff,” Audrey said. “But these are the stories I believe matter most — the ones that are hardest to nail down and easiest to pass up, but that reveal injustice. In some newsrooms, such stories might get lost in the churn of daily news, but as a corps member placed at San Francisco Public Press, I know I will be encouraged to report them.”

Most recently, Audrey has been a contributing editor at KneeDeep Times, a digital magazine featuring stories from the front lines of climate resilience.

Audrey grew up in San Francisco and is passionate about covering this beat for local readers and listeners, with data-driven reporting and investigations that will expose wrongdoing and explore innovative solutions.

Here’s Where You Come In

Report for America is offering us a $25,000 challenge grant towards Audrey’s salary. To raise the matching funds, we turn to you.

We know you care about local news, maintaining a diverse cohort of Bay Area journalists and efforts to ensure that historically undercovered communities and issues get the attention they deserve.

So, we invite you to join our special effort to raise funds to support Audrey’s reporting.

When you make a generous donation today you’ll be supporting Audrey’s ability to investigate essential stories for our community.

Thank you for welcoming Audrey Mei Yi Brown to the Public Press!

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Report for America Selects San Francisco Public Press as Host Newsroom https://www.sfpublicpress.org/report-for-america-selects-san-francisco-public-press-as-host-newsroom-3/ https://www.sfpublicpress.org/report-for-america-selects-san-francisco-public-press-as-host-newsroom-3/#respond Mon, 01 Apr 2024 16:12:21 +0000 https://www.sfpublicpress.org/?p=1129858 Report for America has selected the San Francisco Public Press to host a reporter for a two years as part of its national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities.

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We are delighted to announce that Report for America has selected the San Francisco Public Press to host a reporter for two years as part of its national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities.

Just over 50 newsrooms were selected this year to host new reporting corps positions and join an expanding network of newsrooms benefiting from the program’s support.

Report for America logo

“We have placed a bet on these newsrooms, that with our help they will become beacons of the whole industry,” said Kim Kleman, executive director of Report for America, in a statement announcing this year’s newsroom cohort. “They know the coverage they need to better serve their communities. With our help recruiting talented early-career journalists, paying part of their salary, and working with newsrooms to become more sustainable, we expect exciting results.”

We look forward to welcoming a Report for America corps member to our team this summer and expanding Public Press coverage of environmental health equity and corporate accountability in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Journalists interested in joining the Report for America corps are invited to apply here by Jan. 31. If you would like to be considered for the Public Press position, contact our team at editors@sfpublicpress.org before you submit your application.

Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, a nonprofit media organization, and is structured to harness the skills and idealism of an emerging group of journalists plus the creative spirit of local news organizations like ours.

Report for America delivers a wide range of benefits to its corps members. Beyond paying up to half of the journalists’ salaries, it provides ongoing training and mentorship by leading journalists, peer networking and memberships to select professional organizations.

We will soon launch a fundraising campaign to cover the balance of the salary for our Report for America reporting corps staffer. Please consider supporting this vital mission to preserve local news.

Thank you for your support!

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March 2024 California Races https://www.sfpublicpress.org/march-2024-sf-election-guide-california-races/ https://www.sfpublicpress.org/march-2024-sf-election-guide-california-races/#respond Thu, 22 Feb 2024 00:04:04 +0000 https://www.sfpublicpress.org/?p=1160369 A nonpartisan election guide featuring text and audio summaries of all San Francisco ballot measures and candidate profiles for local races for the March 5, 2024, election.

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This is a nonpartisan analysis of the San Francisco ballot for the March 5, 2024, election.

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Election Guide Index

Jump to:

Need information on how and where to vote? This page from the San Francisco Department of Elections explains how to register to vote or update your registration, and gives details on your options for voting by mail and in person through early voting and on Election Day.

Learn how we chose the order for listing names in this guide and how we came up with questions for the candidates.


United States Representative, District 11

Question for the candidate:

We asked San Francisco residents to tell us what they thought were the most pressing issues in the city. According to survey responses we received, homelessness, housing affordability and crime were top concerns. If you are elected to represent California’s 11th congressional district, what do you plan to do to address these issues?

Jason Boyce
Party affiliation: Democratic

Jason Boyce is a web developer and visual artist who has worked at the Center for HIV Information at the University of California, San Francisco, since 2020. His political priorities include increasing police accountability and addressing the housing crisis at a federal level, and in his work bio he expresses support for social justice organizations and environmental preservation. In the wake of several controversial U.S. Supreme Court rulings last June, he wrote on Facebook: “We need to hold the White House and the Senate and take back the House in 2024, and we have to hold it long enough to start fixing the Court.”

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedInThreadsYouTube

We were unable to reach or did not receive either an audio or text response from Jason Boyce.


Bianca Von Krieg
Party affiliation: Democratic

Bianca Von Krieg is an actress, media personality, LGBT activist and democratic socialist who identifies as a transgender woman. Her website and social media list political priorities that include the Green New Deal, defunding the police and taxing the rich. She also supports a guaranteed basic income and health care for all, and has suggested paying for those programs by taxing the “uber class” like “the Mark Zuckerberg’s of the world.” Von Krieg has pledged to support term limits for members of Congress. She attended Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedInThreadsMastodonYouTube


Larry Nichelson
Party affiliation: Republican

Larry Nichelson is a retired San Francisco Unified School District worker. He has no campaign website, but has discussed his platform in posts on TikTok. He changed his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican in December; he has said he’d prefer to run as a third-party candidate but that doing so would make it difficult to get onto the ballot. He has urged people not to vote for candidates from either major party, which he criticized for funding military actions overseas and favoring billionaire interests. He supports unions, Medicare for All, better funding for retirement, subsidized child care, and stopping wars, genocide, climate change and what he calls “debt slavery” driven by credit card debt and medical and education expenses. He would like to reroute money from the Pentagon to pay for these goals.

TikTok


Jason Chuyuan Zeng
Party affiliation: Republican

Jason Chuyuan Zeng is a data engineer, and a delegate for the Republican Party. He ran for the San Francisco Community College Board in 2015 and 2022, as well as the Board of Supervisors and the Montana House of Representatives in 2020, but did not win in those elections. In this race, his platform is focusing on public safety, education and protecting nature. If elected, he would prioritize ensuring the safety of older Chinese Americans, saying the government could achieve this by “allowing police officers to enforce punishments on criminals,” increasing foot patrols and providing self-defense training. He also supports keeping community college affordable and vouchers to help children attend private schools. He is endorsed by the San Francisco Young Republicans. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, and Montana State University.

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/X LinkedInYouTube


Eve Del Castello
Party affiliation: Republican

Eve Del Castello is a business consultant. Her website offers little information about her political priorities, which include tax and education reform, “protecting our borders” and “supporting our allies, including Israel.” She ran for this congressional seat two years ago, receiving close to 4% of votes. Elections department records show that Del Castello opposes two measures on the March local ballot: Proposition D, which aims to combat bribery at City Hall, and Proposition A, which would fund affordable housing. Del Castello was born in San Francisco.

Website


Nancy Pelosi
Party affiliation: Democratic

Nancy Pelosi represents District 11 in the U.S. House of Representatives and has served as Speaker of the House twice, most recently until 2023. She was first elected to Congress in 1987 and her current term will end in January 2025. Pelosi regularly touts her ability to push high-profile legislation through the House, including the Affordable Care Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. Her recent votes include “nays” on bills that would deport or bar the entry of undocumented immigrants who have DUIs or committed social security fraud. She also voted against a bill aimed at discouraging abortions by giving pregnant college students information on how to carry their babies to term. She has received very positive ratings from pro-choice groups like the National Abortion Rights Action League and Planned Parenthood, and equally negative ratings from anti-abortion groups. Pelosi’s personal wealth has come under fire from critics and continues to make headlines. Her husband, Paul Pelosi, is a venture capitalist.

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XThreadsYouTube

We were unable to reach or did not receive either an audio or text response from Nancy Pelosi.


Marjorie Mikels
Party affiliation: Democratic

Marjorie Mikels is an attorney. Her top priority is an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, according to her website. She is looking to unseat Rep. Nancy Pelosi because the incumbent “supports genocide” and no longer represents the will of the people, she said, citing a poll that shows 67% of voters want a ceasefire. Mikels, who says she has visited Palestinian refugee camps and witnessed a military bombing in Lebanon, has a long history of advocating against war. Her other political goals include passing the Green New Deal, freeing political prisoners and taxing the rich.

WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedIn


Bruce Lou
Party affiliation: Republican

Bruce Lou owns Stingray Staffing LLC, which helps job-seekers. Lou lists priorities that include reducing the size of government and ending sanctuary-city policies. He organized the distribution of pepper sprays to residents of San Francisco’s Chinatown in 2021, and has said he will back bills that increase sentences for hate crimes against Asians. Lou opposes affirmative action and Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7, a California bill that would allow state funding for certain programs designed to help underserved racial and other groups. He is endorsed by the Republican Party at the local and state levels, as well as the Business and Housing Network, an organization representing landlords in California. Lou is the son of immigrants and attended public school as a child, and has called himself “a strong believer in the importance of education in achieving the American Dream.”

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedInTikTok


United States Representative, District 15

Question for the candidate:

We asked San Francisco residents what they thought were the most pressing issues in the city. According to survey responses we received, homelessness, housing affordability and crime were top concerns. If elected, how will you address the concerns of San Franciscans in your district as well as those of constituents you represent in San Mateo County?

Kevin Mullin
Party affiliation: Democratic

Kevin Mullin represents District 15, and is seeking a second term. His primary issues are affordable housing, transportation funding, child care and development, workforce development, Medicare for All and fighting climate change. He sits on the House committees on Natural Resources, and Science, Space, and Technology. Mullin served in the state Assembly representing District 22 from 2012 to 2022, where he was speaker pro tempore starting in 2014. Before that, he served one term on the South San Francisco City Council. Mullin has been endorsed by numerous Democratic Party leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. He has strong backing from labor groups, the California Democratic Party and the Sierra Club. Mullin was born in Daly City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of San Francisco and a master’s degree from San Francisco State University. He founded KM2 Communications, a video production company.

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedInThreadsTikTokYouTube

We were unable to reach or did not receive either an audio or text response from Kevin Mullin.


Anna Cheng Kramer
Party affiliation: Republican

Anna Cheng Kramer has spent 17 years as the managing director for Pacific Property Company, overseeing renovation and construction of thousands of West Coast properties. She is former chief operating officer for MidPen Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing developer. Her political priorities are economic development, public safety and preventing “government overreach,” and she supports “public-private cooperation” to create affordable housing. Kramer would require immigrants “to demonstrate the ability to support themselves” before being allowed into the country, and she has said that “climate change is best controlled by a shift of demand by the public for clean energy.” She has said she believes in market-driven competition in the health insurance market. She has been endorsed by the Republican Party at the local and state levels, Republican elected officials, the San Mateo County Police Officers Association and the California Parents Union.

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedInYouTube

We were unable to reach or did not receive either an audio or text response from Anna Cheng Kramer.


State Senator, District 11

Question for the candidate:

We asked San Francisco residents to tell us what they thought were the most pressing issues in the city. According to survey responses we received, homelessness, housing affordability and crime were top concerns. If you are elected to represent District 11 in the State Senate, what do you plan to do to address these issues?

Scott Wiener
Party affiliation: Democratic

Scott Wiener has represented District 11 since 2016 and was re-elected in 2020. He originally won that seat halfway through his second term as supervisor representing San Francisco’s District 8, which includes the Castro neighborhood. Wiener chairs the Senate Housing Committee and has authored more than 75 Senate bills that have become law on issues ranging from housing to transportation, LGBT issues, the environment and drug decriminalization. He gained minor infamy for bringing legislation mandating that municipalities ramp up housing production in the coming years — failure could cost them state money and control of local land-use decisions. He is a gay man who grew up in New Jersey and moved to San Francisco in 1997. He has a law degree from Harvard. Wiener has been endorsed by YIMBY Action, part of the Yes in My Back Yard movement, as well as the Harvey Milk Democratic Club and Equality California, among others.

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedInThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTube


Jing Chao Xiong
Party affiliation: None

Jing Chao Xiong is a naturalized immigrant from China, and he first voted in the November 2022 election. Xiong promotes an ancient Han Chinese concept known as “Great Unity,” or “大同” in Chinese, which aims to build a harmonious world in part through a land-redistribution process that would be a major disruption of modern norms and institutions in the Bay Area. He decided to promote his ideals after being robbed. Xiong has worked as an Uber driver and restaurant worker. He says he has “both a Democratic mind and a Republican dream. I enjoy the Libertarian lifestyle.” He promises to serve only one term as a state senator.

WebsiteFacebookTwitter/XLinkedInYouTube

We invited candidates to share audio responses to questions that we formed using survey responses from the San Francisco community. Jing Chao Xiong submitted a text response that we converted into an audio response.


Cynthia Cravens
Party affiliation: Democratic

Cynthia Cravens has held various roles at nonprofits that help underserved communities, including Jewish Vocational Services and the Public Health Institute. Her political goals include increasing public safety by bolstering police staffing; pushing for more multi-generational and affordable homes; and requiring that people struggling with addiction participate in drug-treatment programs before they may access other public services. Cravens opposes letting transgender males participate in women’s sports, and has said that parents should be told when their children adopt new pronouns in school. Cravens holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from UCLA and a master’s degree from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

WebsiteTwitter/XLinkedIn


Yvette Corkrean
Party affiliation: Republican

Yvette Corkrean is on the San Francisco Republican County Central Committee, where she is vice chair of volunteers. Corkrean is a registered nurse who has specialized in recent years in cosmetic treatments, including hair and skin care. She has a bachelor of science in nursing from Cal State Fullerton. Her political priorities include spurring economic activity through reducing taxes and regulation, and increasing public safety by strengthening the police and prosecutors. Corkrean supported the failed effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, as well as the successful ouster of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. She opposed COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine requirements. Corkrean is endorsed by the San Francisco Republican Party, the San Mateo County Republican Party, Moms for Liberty, former state Sen. Quentin Kopp and others.

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedInYouTube


State Assembly Member, District 17

Question for the candidate:

We asked San Francisco residents to tell us what they thought were the most pressing issues in the city. According to survey responses we received, homelessness, housing affordability and crime were top concerns. If you are elected to represent District 17 in the State Assembly what do you plan to do to address these issues?

Matt Haney
Party affiliation: Democratic

Matt Haney is running to keep his seat representing state Assembly District 17, where he recently became majority whip. He has authored bills aimed at limiting security deposits, preventing certain public appeals that would slow housing construction and expanding access to Narcan, a medicine that reverses opioid overdoses. He has chaired the California Legislative Renters’ Caucus and the Select Committee on Fentanyl, Opioid Addiction, and Overdose Prevention. Haney is slated to lead the new Select Committee on Downtown Recovery. In his previous job as San Francisco supervisor representing District 6, which included the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods, he focused on policies related to mental health, affordable housing and homelessness.

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedInThreadsTikTokYouTube

We were unable to reach or did not receive either an audio or text response from Matt Haney.


Manuel Noris-Barrera
Party affiliation: Republican

Manuel Noris-Barrera is a realtor at eXp Realty of California and the owner of Little Heaven smoothie and juice bar in the Mission District. His core principles, he said on social media platform X, include community safety, family values, personal rights and “American exceptionalism.” If elected, he would aim to repeal Proposition 47, a 2014 state ballot measure that reduced nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors, as well as Proposition 19, which granted property tax breaks to elderly Californians and increased taxes for heirs. He supports cutting red tape to speed up housing production, as well as policies that would attract new businesses and stimulate economic growth. Noris-Barrera is endorsed by the Republican Party at the local and state levels.

WebsiteFacebook Instagram • Twitter/XLinkedIn

We were unable to reach or did not receive either an audio or text response from Manuel Noris-Barrera.


Otto Duke
Party affiliation: Democratic

Otto Duke is the CEO of Prostate Cancer Resource, a San Francisco nonprofit that helps people understand and fight prostate cancer. He is also the president of Tenant Rights Association Political Action Committee, a volunteer-run organization that advocates for San Francisco renters. One of Duke’s main political priorities is increasing public safety, and he supports drone surveillance, more aggressive policing and harsher sentences for criminals.

Website


State Assembly Member, District 19

Question for the candidate:

We asked San Francisco residents to tell us what they thought were the most pressing issues in the city. According to survey responses we received, homelessness, housing affordability and crime were top concerns. If you are elected to represent District 19 in the State Assembly, what do you plan to do to address these issues?

Nadia Flamenco
Party affiliation: Republican

Nadia Flamenco is a mother and filmmaker. She also served on the Daly City Recreation Commission from 2018 to 2020. While her web presence largely focuses on her acting career and being a mother, she has reposted videos from conservative figures like Steve Lodge, who ran to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, and Anna Cheng Kramer, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives. In a recent post to Facebook, she outlined policy goals that included cutting taxes and reducing homelessness “with mandatory rehab.” Flamenco’s party affiliation was Democratic for two years, then she switched to having no affiliation in 2018, and then to Republican in 2020. She has endorsements from the California Republican Assembly, Reform California and the San Mateo Republican Party.

FacebookInstagram • LinkedInThreadsYouTube


Catherine Stefani
Party affiliation: Democratic

Catherine Stefani is a San Francisco supervisor representing District 2, which includes the Marina District, and she would be termed out at the end of 2026. If elected this March to represent California Assembly District 19, she would resign as supervisor and the mayor would appoint her replacement — that person would likely be a political moderate, influencing the Board of Supervisors’ political tilt. Stefani says that, as an assembly member, she’d focus on increasing public safety, streamlining the housing approval process and creating more affordable homes. Her platform aligns with her top issues as supervisor, which have also included ending gun violence and supporting small businesses. In 2022, voters approved a ballot initiative that she authored to create an Office of Victim and Witness Rights, which offers free legal services and other assistance to victims of domestic violence. Stefani has been endorsed by Mayor London Breed, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and the California Democratic Party.

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedInYouTube


Arjun Gustav Sodhani
Party affiliation: Republican

Arjun Gustav Sodhani is an inventory manager at Animal Care & Emergency Services, a veterinary agency, and he has worked with the San Francisco Republican Party. Sodhani advocates bolstering California’s ability to handle a growing population in hopes that an influx of new experts and innovators will help the state solve its persistent homelessness and other crises. He supports Donald Trump for president, as well as other conservative candidates for office, and has been endorsed by the San Francisco Young Republicans Club. He is the son of Arvind Sodhani, the former executive vice president of Intel Corporation.

WebsiteFacebookTwitter/X


David E. Lee
Party affiliation: Democratic

David E. Lee is the director of Laney College’s Asian Pacific American Student Success program, which aims to improve educational outcomes for API students at the Oakland community college. He has also spent 20 years as the executive director of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee, a nonprofit organization that helps Asian American voters register and learn the political process. Increasing public education funding is one of Lee’s top political priorities, alongside raising the minimum wage, enhancing public safety and streamlining the process of building affordable housing. A resident of San Francisco’s Richmond District, Lee has previously made three unsuccessful runs to represent it as supervisor. He founded and has co-chaired the Richmond Community Police Advisory Board, and has sat on the city’s Recreation & Park Commission. In 2015, he advocated for a ballot initiative, which failed, to require public meetings to be streamed live on the internet. Lee has the endorsement of District 19 Assembly member Phil Ting, whose term ends this year, as well as sitting San Francisco supervisor Connie Chan and former supervisors Mabel Teng, Sandra Lee Fewer, Jane Kim and Norman Yee, and the California AAPI Legislative Caucus.

WebsiteFacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedInYouTube


Community Survey

In December, the San Francisco Public Press asked residents to identify issues that concern them. Those responses informed the questions we posed to candidates for this election guide, and we will use them in our ongoing reporting. Would you like to tell us about your concerns? We are continuing to gather responses.

Order of Candidate Names Within Races

Wondering why we listed candidates’ names this way? California has been using the “randomized alphabet” to determine how candidates’ names appear on the ballot since 1975, a practice that began after placing names in alphabetical order on ballots was deemed unconstitutional. San Francisco has 7 versions of the ballot for this year’s elections — if you’re a resident and registered to vote, you’ll see a different assortment of races depending on where you live, and the placement of names within a particular race may appear in various orders. For races with multiple orderings, we chose to list candidate names as they appear on the first available ballot type. You can learn more about this process here

To receive updates about this guide — including candidate bios and their responses to our questions, plus “Civic” episodes about the election — and other reporting from the San Francisco Public Press, sign up for our newsletter.

We are collaborating with KALW this election season. You’ll hear audio segments from our “Civic” team on our own KSFP 102.5 FM and on KALW 91.7 FM. You’ll see ballot summaries from our election guide on KALW.org.

This guide was created by Madison Alvarado, Liana Wilcox, Sylvie Sturm, Mel Baker, Yesica Prado, Zhe Wu, Richard Knee, Noah Arroyo, Michael Stoll and Lila LaHood.

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March 2024 California Ballot Measures https://www.sfpublicpress.org/march-2024-sf-election-guide-california-ballot-measures/ https://www.sfpublicpress.org/march-2024-sf-election-guide-california-ballot-measures/#respond Thu, 22 Feb 2024 00:03:14 +0000 https://www.sfpublicpress.org/?p=1160372 A nonpartisan election guide featuring text and audio summaries of all San Francisco ballot measures and candidate profiles for local races for the March 5, 2024, election.

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This is a nonpartisan analysis of the San Francisco ballot for the March 5, 2024, election.

To receive updates about this guide and other reporting from the San Francisco Public Press, sign up for our newsletter.


Election Guide Index

Jump to:

Need information on how and where to vote? This page from the San Francisco Department of Elections explains how to register to vote or update your registration, and gives details on your options for voting by mail and in person through early voting and on Election Day.


For the statewide ballot measure, we are sharing the one-minute video summary from our friends at CalMatters. We recommend the full CalMatters voter guide for information on other statewide candidate races.

Proposition 1 — Authorizes $6.38 Billion in Bonds to Build Mental Health Treatment Facilities for Those With Mental Health and Substance Use Challenges; Provides Housing for the Homeless. Legislative Statute.

To receive updates about this guide — including candidate bios and their responses to our questions, plus “Civic” episodes about the election — and other reporting from the San Francisco Public Press, sign up for our newsletter.

We are collaborating with KALW this election season. You’ll hear audio segments from our “Civic” team on our own KSFP 102.5 FM and on KALW 91.7 FM. You’ll see ballot summaries from our election guide on KALW.org.

This guide was created by Madison Alvarado, Liana Wilcox, Sylvie Sturm, Mel Baker, Yesica Prado, Zhe Wu, Richard Knee, Noah Arroyo, Michael Stoll and Lila LaHood.

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March 2024 Local Races https://www.sfpublicpress.org/march-2024-sf-election-guide-local-races/ https://www.sfpublicpress.org/march-2024-sf-election-guide-local-races/#respond Wed, 21 Feb 2024 22:48:01 +0000 https://www.sfpublicpress.org/?p=1160368 A nonpartisan election guide featuring text and audio summaries of all San Francisco ballot measures and candidate profiles for local races for the March 5, 2024, election.

The post March 2024 Local Races appeared first on San Francisco Public Press.

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This is a nonpartisan analysis of the San Francisco ballot for the March 5, 2024, election.

To receive updates about this guide and other reporting from the San Francisco Public Press, sign up for our newsletter.


Election Guide Index

Jump to:

Need information on how and where to vote? This page from the San Francisco Department of Elections explains how to register to vote or update your registration, and gives details on your options for voting by mail and in person through early voting and on Election Day.

Learn how we chose the order for listing names in this guide and how we came up with questions for the candidates.


Superior Court Judge, Seat 1

Question for the candidate:

What do you think the general public needs to understand about the role of Superior Court judges in San Francisco and the scope of their powers?

Michael Isaku Begert

Michael Isaku Begert has served as a San Francisco Superior Court judge for 13 years and has presided over three collaborative courts since 2019: Veterans Justice Court, Community Justice Court and Drug Treatment Court. Collaborative courts focus on treatment and rehabilitation as a way to improve public safety and outcomes for people in the criminal justice system. He presides over the city’s Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court, commonly called CARE Court, which is part of a new treatment program for people struggling with mental health and substance use issues. Begert has said that he has advocated to local officials for more robust housing and treatment resources, and that he is committed to forging relationships with people in his courtroom. He wants to grant them “the agency and the responsibility to make decisions that will improve their circumstances,” he said. Begert has raised nearly $142,000, mostly from lawyers and judges, in addition to a $100,000 loan to himself. He has served on the Asian Law Caucus board of directors, among other positions with legal organizations. He has a Japanese immigrant mother and a father who served in the U.S. Air Force.

Website FacebookInstagram • Twitter/XLinkedIn


Chip Zecher

Albert Zecher, who appears on the ballot as Chip Zecher, is a licensed attorney who has spent years as general counsel at Intevac Inc., which produces components for hard drives. He has served on the board of directors for UC College of the Law San Francisco, formerly called Hastings, since 2019, and is vice chair. Zecher said that working in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood “opened my eyes to the conditions on our streets and how they are impacted by open air drug markets,” and that the criminal justice system “should demand more accountability from these bad actors.” Though he has not litigated criminal cases, Zecher said his stint in the early 1990s as a research attorney for the San Francisco Superior Court helped prepare him for this position. The judicial candidate with the most funds, Zecher has raised over $494,000 — including $100,000 from Chris Larsen, co-founder of tech company Ripple, and three $50,000 donations from various venture capitalists.

Website FacebookInstagram Twitter/X


Superior Court Judge, Seat 13

Question for the candidate:

What do you think the general public needs to understand about the role of Superior Court judges in San Francisco and the scope of their powers?

Patrick S. Thompson

Patrick S. Thompson has been a San Francisco Superior Court judge since April 2022. He conducts preliminary hearings to determine when the District Attorney’s office has sufficient evidence for a felony trial. He has worked on civil matters at several major law firms, and prior to becoming a judge he served on multiple nonprofit boards, including for the California Pacific Medical Center, where he was chair. Thompson says he runs his courtroom “by the book,” saying he sets aside politics and treats everyone with respect. His campaign has raised over $81,000, with $20,000 from the California Judges Association. Thompson grew up in a mostly white neighborhood in the Midwest, where he “felt the personal sting of being treated unfairly,” he said. “I believe the answer to lowering crime, and lifting up every community, is absolute fairness before the law.”

WebsiteLinkedIn


Jean Myungjin Roland

Jean Myungjin Roland is an assistant district attorney in San Francisco, with over 22 years’ experience as a prosecutor. She has worked on cases concerning domestic violence, juvenile justice, child abuse and more. She “will seek to ensure public safety while bringing needed balance and accountability back to our justice system,” she said on her website. Roland said she was inspired to be a voice for crime victims after interpreting for her grandparents following a violent home robbery. She has raised nearly $125,000, with $50,000 from venture capitalist Jeremy Liew. Supervisor Aaron Peskin in January questioned Roland’s judicial temperament in light of an incident in the early 2000s, when she failed to tell her superiors about drug use by her husband, who also worked in the D.A.’s office. In a letter shared on X, formerly Twitter, Roland responded that no policies were violated — a sentiment recently echoed by Jerry Coleman, her boss at the time. “I had hoped,” Roland said, “I would be judged by my merits and not by the man who stands by me. I was wrong.”

Website


Community Survey

In December, the San Francisco Public Press asked residents to identify issues that concern them. Those responses informed the questions we posed to candidates for this election guide, and we will use them in our ongoing reporting. Would you like to tell us about your concerns? We are continuing to gather responses.

Order of Candidate Names Within Races

Wondering why we listed candidates’ names this way? California has been using the “randomized alphabet” to determine how candidates’ names appear on the ballot since 1975, a practice that began after placing names in alphabetical order on ballots was deemed unconstitutional. San Francisco has 7 versions of the ballot for this year’s elections — if you’re a resident and registered to vote, you’ll see a different assortment of races depending on where you live, and the placement of names within a particular race may appear in various orders. For races with multiple orderings, we chose to list candidate names as they appear on the first available ballot type. You can learn more about this process here

To receive updates about this guide — including candidate bios and their responses to our questions, plus “Civic” episodes about the election — and other reporting from the San Francisco Public Press, sign up for our newsletter.

We are collaborating with KALW this election season. You’ll hear audio segments from our “Civic” team on our own KSFP 102.5 FM and on KALW 91.7 FM. You’ll see ballot summaries from our election guide on KALW.org.

This guide was created by Madison Alvarado, Liana Wilcox, Sylvie Sturm, Mel Baker, Yesica Prado, Zhe Wu, Richard Knee, Noah Arroyo, Michael Stoll and Lila LaHood.

The post March 2024 Local Races appeared first on San Francisco Public Press.

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New Leadership for Nonprofit Newsroom Dedicated to Local Investigative Reporting https://www.sfpublicpress.org/new-leadership-for-nonprofit-newsroom-dedicated-to-local-investigative-reporting/ https://www.sfpublicpress.org/new-leadership-for-nonprofit-newsroom-dedicated-to-local-investigative-reporting/#respond Tue, 20 Feb 2024 16:14:57 +0000 https://www.sfpublicpress.org/?p=1160774 Lila LaHood has been appointed as executive director of the San Francisco Public Press, after co-founding the organization 15 years ago and serving as its publisher. Michael Stoll, who held the position since the nonprofit newsroom launched, is stepping down March 1, and will shift his focus to reporting.

The post New Leadership for Nonprofit Newsroom Dedicated to Local Investigative Reporting appeared first on San Francisco Public Press.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024

CONTACT: Lila LaHood (415) 846-5346; Michael Stoll (415) 846-3983

SAN FRANCISCO — Lila LaHood has been appointed executive director of the San Francisco Public Press, after co-founding the organization 15 years ago and serving as its publisher. Michael Stoll, who held the position since the nonprofit newsroom launched, is stepping down March 1, and will shift his focus to reporting.

Lila LaHood

“People who care about democracy are desperate for a local news revival,” LaHood said. “The most important thing we can do as investigative journalists is to not get distracted by the hourly news cycle. We work to uncover fractured systems, prioritize questions about equity and inclusion and elevate conversations about critical local issues. While national media and political figures create diversions and treat San Francisco like a spectacle, our reporters stay patient and focused.”  

The Public Press will continue producing in-depth, data-driven investigative reporting and solutions journalism through sfpublicpress.org, its “Civic” podcasts and radio broadcasts on KSFP 102.5 FM. LaHood plans to increase publication frequency by working with reporters to share their investigative findings incrementally and connect meaningfully with audiences. The newsroom this year is focusing its coverage on San Francisco’s response to homelessness, the drug overdose crisis, public health and mental health, environmental equity, shifting political power within the city’s diverse cultural communities and other critical local issues.

“Our reporters develop expertise on their beats while working on big investigative projects,” LaHood said. “In our staff meetings, we’re talking about all the ways they can share more of what they’re learning with readers and listeners. This creates opportunities for engagement and soliciting ideas about which angles to pursue from people whose lives are directly affected by the issues we’re covering.”

Michael Stoll

Stoll is returning to his first passion — investigative science and environment reporting — and will continue to support the Public Press as a board member.

“Lila is dedicated to accountability journalism that centers on underserved communities, and to building a collaborative environment for reporters to do their best work,” Stoll said. “She’s also invested in partnerships with like-minded local and national news organizations that can extend the reach of our web and podcast storytelling to inform smarter local policy-making.”

Since 2009, the Public Press has published local public-interest journalism focused on equity and accountability in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. The Public Press is planning a series of events to celebrate its 15th anniversary.

“We are grateful to Michael for his many years of leadership and dedication,” said David Cohn, president of the organization’s board of directors. “The idea for the Public Press as a nonprofit newsroom built on the public radio model was all his vision. And Lila has worked to support that vision from day one. The board is confident she will lead the team to serve the community with crucial reporting amid fractious debates about the future of the Bay Area.”

* * *

The San Francisco Public Press is a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization publishing online at sfpublicpress.org and broadcasting on KSFP 102.5 FM in San Francisco.

KSFP is the Public Press’ low-power FM radio station, broadcasting from Sutro Tower as KSFP-LP on 102.5 FM in San Francisco, seven days a week from 4 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 10 p.m. The station streams 24 hours a day at KSFP.fm.

Civic” is the Public Press’ public affairs radio show and podcast. It airs on KSFP Thursdays at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., and is available on all major podcast platforms.

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March 2024 SF Election Guide https://www.sfpublicpress.org/march-2024-sf-election-guide/ https://www.sfpublicpress.org/march-2024-sf-election-guide/#respond Mon, 05 Feb 2024 18:08:18 +0000 https://www.sfpublicpress.org/?p=1145734 This election guide offers a nonpartisan analysis of the San Francisco ballot for the March 5, 2024, election. This guide features audio and text summaries of local ballot measures, candidate bios and their responses to our questions.

We are collaborating with KALW this election season. You’ll hear audio segments from our “Civic” team on our own KSFP 102.5 FM and on KALW 91.7 FM. You’ll see ballot summaries from our election guide on KALW.org.

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This is a nonpartisan analysis of the San Francisco ballot for the March 5, 2024, election.

To receive updates about this guide and other reporting from the San Francisco Public Press, sign up for our newsletter.

We have full-length “Civic” episodes on San Francisco’s Proposition F, and the races for Superior Court judges and party county central committees.


Election Guide Index

Jump to:

San Francisco Ballot Measures
Local Races
California Races
California Ballot Measures

Need information on how and where to vote? This page from the San Francisco Department of Elections explains how to register to vote or update your registration, and gives details on your options for voting by mail and in person through early voting and on Election Day.


San Francisco Ballot Measures

Proposition A — Affordable Housing Bonds

Proposition A would allow San Francisco to borrow up to $300 million by issuing general obligation bonds. The city would use up to $240 million to build, buy or rehabilitate rental housing, including senior and workforce housing for low-income households, and up to $30 million to buy or rehabilitate existing units for use as affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households. And it would use up to $30 million to build, buy or rehabilitate housing for people experiencing street violence, domestic violence, sexual abuse and assault, human trafficking, or other trauma relating to homelessness. All 11 members of the Board of Supervisors sponsored the measure and voted to place it on the ballot, and a broad coalition joined Mayor London Breed in signing the official statement supporting it. Proposition A requires at least two-thirds affirmative votes to pass.

— Read our full analysis of Proposition A.


Proposition B — Police Officer Staffing Levels Conditioned on Future Tax Funding

Proposition B is a charter amendment that would set minimum staffing levels for the San Francisco Police Department, but only if voters approve new tax funding sources in an unspecified future election or the city modifies other revenue streams to pay for additional police officers. If this measure is approved, the minimum number of full-time officers would rise from 1,700 in the first year, to 2,074 in the fifth year following voter approval of a new or modified tax source. If the unspecified taxes were not enough, money from the general fund would be used to cover the difference. As of September 2023, San Francisco employed 1,578 “full-duty sworn” police officers. Supporters say the measure is “fiscally responsible” and that using more general fund money would pit police against 911 dispatchers, firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and paramedics. Opponents call the tax requirement a “poison pill” that doesn’t provide a clear path to securing funding for new hires and sidelines any effort to set minimum police staffing levels in the near future. Proposition B requires more than 50% affirmative votes to pass.

— Read our full analysis of Proposition B.

Correction 2/26/2024: Proposition B calls for a policy that in its first year would increase the city’s minimum police force to 1,700. That number was misstated as 17,000 in an earlier version of this audio segment.


Proposition C — Real Estate Transfer Tax Exemption and Office Space Allocation

Proposition C would change San Francisco’s tax policy to allow a one-time transfer tax exemption for owners of properties converted from commercial to residential use the first time they are sold following conversion, as long as the change of use is approved before Jan. 1, 2030. This exemption could be applied to up to 5 million square feet of converted properties. The measure would also allow the Board of Supervisors to amend, reduce, suspend or repeal the transfer tax without voter approval, although voters would have to approve increases. It would also allow the city to increase the amount of commercial development allowed in a given year by including the square footage from property that has been converted or demolished. Mayor London Breed submitted this measure for inclusion on the ballot. The measure is supported by groups including Housing Action Coalition, GrowSF, San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research, and SF Yimby. The measure is opposed by groups including the Council of Community Housing Organizations, the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee, the San Francisco Tenants Union, and Senior and Disability Action. Proposition C requires more than 50% affirmative votes to pass.

— Read our full analysis of Proposition C.


Proposition D — Changes to Local Ethics Laws

Proposition D would amend the city’s ethics laws by expanding the kinds of gifts that city officials are prohibited from accepting. It also expands existing rules to bar people who have tried to influence city officials in the past or who have business with city departments from giving gifts. Proposition D was created in response to ongoing bribery scandals, and changes the definition of bribery to stop city employees from soliciting anything of value in exchange for influencing government decisions. Finally, it allows the city to fine employees when they fail to make required disclosures about relationships that may pose a conflict of interest, and imposes additional ethics training requirements for employees with decision-making authority. The Ethics Commission is a staunch supporter, while opponents include individuals Eve del Castello and Larry Marso. Proposition D requires more than 50% affirmative votes to pass.

— Read our full analysis of Proposition D.


Proposition E — Police Department Policies and Procedures

Proposition E would introduce significant policy changes for the San Francisco Police Department, allowing for expanded use of surveillance technologies with less oversight from the Police Commission and Board of Supervisors, and changing the department’s car chase policy to allow for more pursuits as well as drone use during active investigations. It also decreases documentation requirements for officer reports regarding use of force on members of the public. Supporters say this change will decrease the amount of time officers spend on administrative duties, while opponents say it conflicts with a U.S. Department of Justice recommendation to improve use-of-force documentation in a department that uses force disproportionately on people of color. Mayor London Breed supports the measure, while the American Civil Liberties Union opposes it. Proposition E requires more than 50% affirmative votes to pass.

— Read our full analysis of Proposition E.


Proposition F — Illegal Substance Dependence Screening and Treatment for Recipients of City Public Assistance

Proposition F would require single adults aged 65 and under with no dependent children who receive County Adult Assistance Program benefits to participate in drug screening, evaluation and treatment to be eligible for cash benefits. The measure requires more than 50% affirmative votes to pass. Assistance program recipients who decline screening or treatment would be ineligible for cash benefits. They would instead receive 30 days of housing through guaranteed shelter access or rent paid directly to a landlord, with potential extensions for eviction prevention. The measure’s proponent, Mayor London Breed, said threatening to rescind cash benefits would compel low-income residents with substance use disorder into treatment. Opponents argue that it would worsen homelessness and have “deadly results,” pointing to research showing that such methods have resulted in increased rates of return to substance use, overdose deaths and suicide. Proposition F requires more than 50% affirmative votes to pass.

— Read our full analysis of Proposition F.


Proposition G — Offering Algebra 1 to Eighth Graders

This measure is a non-binding policy statement urging the San Francisco Unified School District to offer Algebra 1 courses for middle school students by the eighth grade. It is advisory only, so it won’t result in city action or policy besides showcasing voter opinion on the issue. Separately, the district is reversing a 2014 policy that delayed Algebra 1 to ninth grade, and plans to reintroduce the course in middle school. Nearly half of San Francisco’s supervisors support letting voters weigh in on the discussion. Parents groups such as SF Guardians, formerly known as Recall the School Board, are major proponents of the measure. They say far from its original purpose of making public education more equitable, the existing math policy hurts disadvantaged students. No official opposition remarks were submitted. Proposition G requires more than 50% affirmative votes to pass.

— Read our full analysis of Proposition G.


To receive updates about this guide — including candidate bios and their responses to our questions, plus “Civic” episodes about the election — and other reporting from the San Francisco Public Press, sign up for our newsletter.

We are collaborating with KALW this election season. You’ll hear audio segments from our “Civic” team on our own KSFP 102.5 FM and on KALW 91.7 FM. You’ll see ballot summaries from our election guide on KALW.org.

This guide was created by Madison Alvarado, Liana Wilcox, Sylvie Sturm, Mel Baker, Yesica Prado, Zhe Wu, Richard Knee, Noah Arroyo, Michael Stoll and Lila LaHood.

The post March 2024 SF Election Guide appeared first on San Francisco Public Press.

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