[SFGP] D4 Recall Election Day

[Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly]

September 16
GREENZINE
SF Green Party Weekly News and Events

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Dear Greens,

  Do you live in District 4 (the Sunset)?  See our statement below on
the Engardio Recall.  Today is election day, so you can vote in person,
or mail or drop off your absentee ballot.

  Greens also endorsed NO on Prop 50, Newsom's gerrymandering ballot
measure for November.  We are writing a statement with further details.

*===========================*

Statement on the Engardio Recall - please share!

The District 4 Recall Election is happening between now and Election
Day, September 16.  If you are voting by mail, your ballot must be
postmarked on or before September 16.  You can also vote in person on
Election Day, or beforehand at City Hall.  Only voters in District 4
(the Sunset) can vote in this election.

The ability to recall elected officials is a critical right in a
representative democracy, because politicians who disregard the wishes
of those who put them in office know they are always at risk of being
fired.  District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio spearheaded 2024's Prop K,
which closed the Great Highway to cars.  This proposition was opposed
by almost 2/3 of his constituents in D4, as well as by Greens (as we
wrote at the time, this was primarily out of concern for the
over-monetization of our public parks and YIMBY plans for coastal
development).  However, SF Greens are not making any endorsement on
Prop A, the Engardio recall, because SF's recall process is rigged to
favor the Mayor and his wealthy supporters.  As we have written
previously:

    Greens believe that our current recall system is broken in two
    ways: first, if voters recall an elected official in SF, only the
    Mayor has the power to choose a replacement.  Voters who the Mayor
    does not listen to cannot meaningfully exercise our constitutional
    right to recall elected officials, because if we recall a Mayoral
    ally, the Mayor can just replace that person with a different sock
    puppet. Second, there are no meaningful campaign finance laws that
    apply to recall elections, as there are for regular elections, so
    wealthy people and corporations have far too much influence.  This
    leads to even more corruption in our local government.

    Greens have long called for giving voters (not the Mayor) the
    right to choose the replacement for recalled elected officials.
    Recall elections could be done as a "vote of confidence" in the
    politician, who would appear on a single ranked choice ballot
    along with all the candidates hoping to replace them.  The person
    with majority support in the final ranked choice tally would win:
    either the original official would survive the recall, or the
    voters would choose a more popular candidate to serve the
    remainder of the term.

We ask all Supervisorial candidates if they would support a charter
amendment to allow voters to choose a replacement official on the same
ballot as the recall vote.  Engardio did not answer our candidate
questionnaire when he ran for office in 2022.  We hope that voters
will vote your conscience on Prop A, and then join us in working to
empower ordinary San Franciscans to elect our own representatives in
future recall elections.

*===========================*

What:  Save the Date - Green Party monthly members' meeting
Where:  2973 16th St, #300, SF
When:  Wed, Sep 24, 7-9 pm

Save the date - we'll work on the agenda at the CC meeting one
week before the meeting.

Every 4th Wednesday the SF Green Party meets to discuss issues of
concern, listen to interesting speakers, endorse events, plan outreach
and more!  Everyone welcome.  All meetings are wheelchair accessible.
To make a presentation or gain the SFGP endorsement of events and
issues, please contact our SFGP County Council at: cc at sfgreens.org

Mask policy: Masks are currently optional indoors, for both vaccinated
and non-vaccinated people.  We provide the option for SF Green Party
members and invited candidates to participate in our meetings via
Zoom, so email cc at sfgreens.org for info on how you can join us
virtually.

*===========================*

To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to
news at sfgreens.org.  Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.