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Join us for a virtual Supervisorial candidate forum on July 22
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 18 Jul '20

18 Jul '20

July 22, 2020 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty instagram.com/sfgreenparty mastodon.sfgreens.org/@sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, On July 11, Greens officially chose Howie Hawkins and running mate Angela Walker to be our party's Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees! Hawkins received a majority (59%) of votes in the first round of voting. In their acceptance speeches, the nominees highlighted the connection between climate change and social justice and the importance of enacting a real Green New Deal. SF Green County Council member Mike Murphy recently sat down (virtually) with Angela Walker for an in-depth discussion of her candidacy. Watch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppDH77soeP8 We are starting the process for making local endorsements for the November election. Because we can't meet in person due to the pandemic, and with technological barriers to participating via the internet, we are being as inclusive as possible in allowing our members to weigh in on endorsements. All Greens are welcome to ask questions of candidates and express affirmations and concerns, but only people who have volunteered with us since the beginning of 2019 can block consensus, or vote if we don't reach consensus. We will be holding candidate interviews for Supervisor on July 22, and will decide who to endorse over the following two weeks. If you're a SF Green Party member and would like to join our Zoom call, scheduled from July 22 from 7-9 pm, please email cc(a)sfgreens.org for call-in information. The candidates' answers to our questionnaire are posted on our website: http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/11-news/94-questionnaires-posted-for-july-22… We are also finalizing our questionnaires for the other contests. Please review these and email us any suggested changes or additions. Candidates will be sent the final version, and have ~3 weeks to answer: * School Board - http://www.sfgreens.org/boe_q.txt * College Board - http://www.sfgreens.org/ccb_q.txt * BART Board - http://www.sfgreens.org/bart_q.txt *===========================* What: SF Green Party Organizing When: All the time Where: Online Until the pandemic is under control, we will not be holding in-person meetings. Government will need to implement a widespread testing and contact tracing program in order to safely open things up. Unfortunately, a number of our active members do not have reliable internet access (especially with our public libraries closed), so holding general monthly meetings over Zoom is not an option. Instead, we have an email list for discussions between active members, and our county council (CC) meets by Zoom on the 3rd Wednesdays of every month. If you'd like to join our conversation online, or our CC meetings, please email cc(a)sfgreens.org with your name and contact info, and also please remind us if you've been to a meeting before. If you are unable to join us but still want to follow what's going on, you can call Barry Hermanson at 415-255-9494. *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Happy Juneteenth! How to participate in our endorsements
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 19 Jun '20

19 Jun '20

June 19, 2020 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty instagram.com/sfgreenparty mastodon.sfgreens.org/@sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, Happy Juneteenth! Thanks to all the Greens who have been participating in Black Lives Matter actions throughout the month. Follow our social media accounts (above) for up to the minute updates on events happening in SF and around the Bay Area. We are starting the process for making endorsements for the November election! Candidates who are registered Greens will be considered for early endorsement. Otherwise, we wait until the filing deadline (which has passed for Supervisor candidates, early August for other contests) to consider endorsing non-Greens. Because we can't meet in person due to the pandemic, and with technological barriers to participating via the internet, we are being as inclusive as possible in allowing our members to weigh in on endorsements. All Greens are welcome to ask questions of candidates and express affirmations and concerns, but only people who have volunteered with us since the beginning of 2019 can block consensus, or vote if we don't reach consensus. Here's how you can help: 1) Between now and June 24, review our draft Supervisor questionnaire (http://www.sfgreens.org/supe_q.txt) and email us any suggested changes or additions. Candidates will be send the final version, and have ~3 weeks to answer. 2) Review the candidates' answers, which will be posted on our website on July 15, and send us any feedback on who you think we should endorse, and why. 3) Join us on Zoom on July 22 for a live interview with candidates. 4) A recording of the Zoom call will then be posted on Youtube. If you can't join us live, you can watch it and send us any feedback on the candidates. *===========================* What: National Green Party meeting and Presidential Nominating Convention When: July 9-12 Where: Online The Green Party Annual National Meeting and Presidential Nominating Convention will be held online due to COVID-19. Get more info and register for the National Meeting, here: https://www.gp.org/convention The Presidential Nominating Convention will be broadcast LIVE for free on Saturday, July 11 starting at 9 am PDT. *===========================* What: SF Green Party Organizing When: All the time Where: Online Until the pandemic is under control, we will not be holding in-person meetings. Government will need to implement a widespread testing and contact tracing program in order to safely open things up. Unfortunately, a number of our active members do not have reliable internet access (especially with our public libraries closed), so holding general monthly meetings over Zoom is not an option. Instead, we have an email list for discussions between active members, and our county council (CC) meets by Zoom on the 3rd Wednesdays of every month. If you'd like to join our conversation online, or our CC meetings, please email cc(a)sfgreens.org with your name and contact info, and also please remind us if you've been to a meeting before. If you are unable to join us but still want to follow what's going on, you can call Barry Hermanson at 415-255-9494. *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: Happy May Day! Join us for a Presidential debate on 5/5.
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 01 May '20

01 May '20

May Day GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty instagram.com/sfgreenparty mastodon.sfgreens.org/@sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, Happy May Day! Although the pandemic has prevented outdoor demonstrations, join Greens around the country in solidarity with workers from Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods, Target, and other "gig economy" jobs in a boycott of those companies: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/n7j8zw/amazon-whole-foods-instacart-work… Next Tuesday, SF Green Party activist Mike Murphy will co-host a historic Presidential debate, featuring six candidates for the Green Party's Presidential nomination, along with Jesse Ventura. The debate is in honor of the 63rd National Teachers' Day, so Mike and other Greens who work as teachers will be hosting and asking the questions! The debate will be held on May 5 at 3 pm PST, live at: facebook.com/GreenBallot California Greens have already voted, but our Presidential primary is still being contested! *===========================* What: Organizing for a Rent/Mortgage moratorium When: Now Where: Online At the end of March, Greens organized online to join the calls for a rent and mortgage moratorium. Two months of rent have come due since that time, and Governor Newsom has still failed to act. Read our statement here: http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/93-greens-call-for-rent-mortgage-moratorium *===========================* What: SF Green Party Organizing When: All the time Where: Online Until the pandemic is under control, we will not be holding in-person meetings. Government will need to implement a widespread testing and contact tracing program in order to safely open things up. Unfortunately, a number of our active members do not have reliable internet access (especially with our public libraries closed), so holding general monthly meetings over Zoom is not an option. Instead, we have an email list for discussions between active members, and our county council (CC) meets by Zoom on the 3rd Wednesdays of every month. If you'd like to join our conversation online, or our CC meetings, please email cc(a)sfgreens.org with your name and contact info, and also please remind us if you've been to a meeting before. If you are unable to join us but still want to follow what's going on, you can call Barry Hermanson at 415-255-9494. *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: Join us tonight for an Earth Day livestream
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 22 Apr '20

22 Apr '20

April 22 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty instagram.com/sfgreenparty mastodon.sfgreens.org/@sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, Happy Earth Day! Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day tonight with the SF Green Party! Join us on Instagram Live from 6:30 - 8 pm for conversation, readings and musical interludes with Mcstravick. Green Party Presidential candidates may drop in after the Presidential Debate hosted by the Green Party of Alaska. Stick around for the sunset at Ocean Beach. Send prayers for the planet, questions, and affirmations for the future. Join us on our new Instagram account, @sfgreenparty Today, Greens around the United States are calling on every progressive, grassroots activist, Bernie Sanders supporter, and independent to reveal your true colors and #RegisterGreen! By joining the Green Party, you send a powerful message to your local, state and federal representatives, that it's time to put people, peace, and the planet over profit! In CA, it's easy to register Green Party online, and you can vote for whoever you want to in November: http://registertovote.ca.gov/ Be sure to register "permanent absentee" so you don't have to risk your health to vote - you can always drop off your "vote by mail" ballot in person if it is safe to do so. Other Earth Week events are below. *===========================* What: SF Green Party Organizing When: All the time Where: Online Until the pandemic is under control, we will not be holding in-person meetings. Government will need to implement a widespread testing and contact tracing program in order to safely open things up. Unfortunately, a number of our active members do not have reliable internet access (especially with our public libraries closed), so holding general monthly meetings over Zoom is not an option. Instead, we have an email list for discussions between active members, and our county council (CC) meets by Zoom on the 3rd Wednesdays of every month. If you'd like to join our conversation online, or our CC meetings, please email cc(a)sfgreens.org with your name and contact info, and also please remind us if you've been to a meeting before. If you are unable to join us but still want to follow what's going on, you can call Barry Hermanson at 415-255-9494. *===========================* What: Organizing for a Rent/Mortgage moratorium When: Now Where: Online At the end of last month, Greens organized online to join the call for a rent and mortgage moratorium. Read our statement here: http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/93-greens-call-for-rent-mortgage-moratorium *===========================* What: Vote16SF Organizing When: Now through November Where: Online Lowering the voting age to 16 has long been part of many Green Party platforms, and is a key part of our Green New Deal for SF: http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/92-a-green-new-deal-for-san-francisco This week, the SF Green Party enthusiastically endorsed the Vote16SF Campaign, which will be back on the ballot this November. Although in-person campaign events are on hold, we'll bring you any organizing opportunities we hear about! *===========================* What: Santa Clara Greens speaking at Youth Climate Strike When: Thurs, 4/23, 12 pm - 3:30 pm Where: https://earthweekca.wixsite.com/mysite/earth-week Our friends in the Green Party of Santa Clara County has partnered with the Silicon Valley chapter of the California Youth Climate Strike to conduct teach-ins, fireside chats and Q&A panels, all virtual of course, at https://earthweekca.wixsite.com/mysite/earth-week On Earth Day, the focus will be on the climate crisis itself and will give voice to Indigenous and POC leaders. On Day Two, divestment (and how capitalism got us into this mess) will be the main themes. San Jose City Council for District 6 candidate Jake Tonkel (Green Party) and SCC Green Party councilmember Christine Pepin will participate in the teach-in on Capitalism and the Climate Crisis (12-1 pm). SCC Green Party councilmembers Michele Mashburn and Nassim Nouri will be panelists on the teach-in about COVID-19 and the Climate Crisis (2-3:30 pm). On Day Three, the focus will be on political engagement and how voting rights are linked to environmental justice. Check out the complete list of events at the URL above, and don't forget to RSVP. *===========================* What: Earth Day Live When: All Week Where: https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/ A number of allied organizations are organizing online via the Earth Day Live website, https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/ *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: March monthly meeting replaced by online discussions
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 19 Mar '20

19 Mar '20

March 19 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty mastodon.sfgreens.org/@sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, Due to the Plague of Trump (aka the coronavirus pandemic), we will not be holding our regular monthly meeting this March. The County Council met last night using Zoom, and decided that because so many of our active members have unreliable internet access (especially with our public libraries closed), it wouldn't be possible to hold a coherent discussion online using a videoconferencing method like Zoom at our regular meeting time next Wednesday. However, we have an email list for discussions between active members, and we encourage members who would have joined us at our monthly meeting next week to join discussions there instead. Some of the things we need to discuss are: * Many Greens temporarily registered as Democrats in order to support Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren in the primary. How can we convince them to rejoin the Green Party using https://registertovote.ca.gov/ ? * With Joe Biden as the Democrats' apparent nominee, what outreach can we do with Sanders and Warren supporters to convince them to #DemExit, join the Greens, and continue to work towards their goals? * Because of the virus, we are unable to do our usual voter outreach at places like farmers markets and Sunday Streets. This means that asking for signatures to get parts of our Green New Deal (such as the Community Housing Act; see others here: http://sfgreenparty.org/issues/92-a-green-new-deal-for-san-francisco) on the ballot will be impossible for the forseeable future. What are our alternatives? * While we are on lockdown, we can work on outreach materials. We have a draft of a new "Universal Health Care" postcard, and are working on postcards about the Green New Deal and Uber/Lyft. We are also finalizing a legislative scorecard for how the Board of Supervisors did in 2019. * For the duration of this lockdown (possibly months), how can our active membership communicate effectively with each other? Is there anything significantly better than email that doesn't have the technological barriers to using tools like Zoom? If you'd like to join our conversation online, please email cc(a)sfgreens.org with your name and contact info, and also please remind us if you've been to a meeting before. If you are unable to join us but still want to follow what's going on, you can call Barry Hermanson at 415-255-9494. *===========================* If you're looking for ways to help your fellow San Franciscans during this crisis, the SF Food Bank needs volunteers! Load up your car and bring groceries on a weekly basis to homebound recipients. Right now they have an urgent need for help, because many people who are most at risk during this pandemic (people over 60 years old, and those suffering from other health problems) are unable to leave their homes without great risk. See details here: https://www.sfmfoodbank.org/volunteer/ *===========================* Several Greens have written articles about the pandemic and other topics: Former vice-presidential candidate Cheri Honkala (still an outstanding Green Party activist) writes about how the pandemic is affecting her community: https://www.blackagendareport.com/virus-or-no-virus-we-cant-lose-our-voice-… East Bay Green Ann Garrison wrote an open letter to KPFA about the right-wing bias on their morning shows. It appears that KPFA has quarantined a large number of Democratic Party hacks in their studios, where they continue to dominate the airwaves: https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/15/18831549.php *===========================* If you're a KPFA member, TODAY (3/19) is the last day to vote in the Pacifica bylaws election. If you're a KPFA subscriber, you should have already received a ballot asking you to approve or reject a replacement set of bylaws for the Pacifica Foundation, KPFA’s parent organization. Please vote, and vote NO on this poorly-thought-out plan! (Voting in this election will only take a minute: there are no candidates to select, only one yes-or-no ballot proposition). Bay Area Greens have unanimously endorsed a NO vote. The deadline for e-voting is tonight at 9 pm. *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: Green Voter Guide for Super Tuesday, March 3
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 03 Mar '20

03 Mar '20

March 3 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty mastodon.sfgreens.org/@sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, Today is the March Primary! If you're registered Green, you can help choose our nominee for President this November. It's still a wide-open contest, and California voters can make a difference. Our complete Green Voter Guide to today's SF election is below. Please feel free to forward to other voters who might be interested. It's also posted on our website: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/91-march-2020-endorsements Barry Hermanson also just published an article on Single Payer health insurance in the Bayview newspaper: https://sfbayview.com/2020/02/i-vs-we/ *===========================* Green Voter Guide for March 3, 2020 President: Since we have a contested Presidential primary, Green voters will decide on our nominee and strategy for the November election. The national Green Party has a page on the candidates here (https://www.gp.org/2020/) and most of them answered detailed questionnaires, available here (https://gpus.org/2020-presidential-candidate-questionnaires/) The SF Green Party has met with several outstanding candidates, but we feel that it is our members' right to make a choice without our thumb on the scales. Please read the questionnaires above, and pick the candidate who will best represent our Party in November. Prop A: Prop A is a $845 million bond measure proposed by the College Board, which would be used to repair buildings, do seismic retrofits, and create more job training facilities. Because it's a bond to fund education, it requires a 55% supermajority to pass rather than a 2/3 supermajority. Despite our reservations about bond funding (see Statement on Bonds, below), we recommend a Yes vote. City College's main (Ocean) campus is in urgent need of repairs. Many of the buildings have leaky roofs and are subject to flooding. They also have old infrastructure such as heating and cooling systems, and have not been retrofitted to meet modern earthquake safety standards. The funds from Prop A would be used to fix these problems, as well as to update classrooms and labs, which would allow City College to offer more vocational classes. City College is an important public institution that continues to be attacked by neoliberal forces who are opposed to spending money on free public education. Although Greens would prefer that the funds for repair be included in the regular budget, or raised via a more progressive revenue source than bonds, the public costs of delaying urgent repairs would be too high. Greens therefore recommend a Yes vote on Prop A. Prop B: Prop B is a $628 million bond measure submitted by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors. It requires a 2/3 supermajority vote to pass. The funds would be used for various earthquake safety and emergency response projects, including the Emergency Firefighting Water System (EFWS) Project for the City's western neighborhoods. Greens were split on this proposal. Some of us thought the projects funded by Prop B, especially the EFWS, would be a worthwhile public investment (despite our reservations about bond funding; see Statement on Bonds, below). Others of us were strongly opposed due to the lack of specificity in what would be funded, and because voters have already approved funding for many of the projects that would supposedly be funded by Prop B. Because we were unable to come to consensus, Greens did not take a position on Prop B. Greens all agreed that the Emergency Firefighting Water System, which is the main purpose of Prop B, would be an important public benefit. However, voters in 2002 approved Prop P (https://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=121) which allowed for the SFPUC "to incur bonded indebtedness to finance capital improvements" for our Water and Sewer systems. Proposition P was set to expire on January 1, 2013, then again in 2016, and again in 2019. Each time the terms were set to expire, the Board of Supervisors extended them. It's now set to sunset in 2025. Prop P included provisions to fund things like the EFWS project but has lagged in identifying, funding, and completing them. The other projects Prop B would fund are largely non-specific, already funded by previous bond measures approved by voters, or could be funded as part of the ordinary budget process. The include "Firefighting," "Police," and "Disaster Response" facilities and infrastructure, but no specifics are provided. Those appear to have been thrown in to Prop B just to win public support. Prop B would also fund an upgrade of the existing 911 call center, an investment of significantly less than $1.2 billion, which could be funded immediately with existing tax revenue. In 2010 and 2014, voters approved similar bond measures (https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-Prop-A-400-million-earthquake-sa…) for $400 million and $412 million, respectively. Because of our concerns about specificity and redundancy with funding already approved in other bond measures, Greens did not come to consensus to either support or oppose Prop B. Prop C: Prop C would provide retiree health benefits to employees of the SF Housing Authority who were working for that agency when it was taken over by the City last year. It requires a simple majority to pass, and Greens recommend a Yes vote. The SF Housing Authority oversees public housing and Section 8 voucher programs. It has been at the center of corruption scandals for decades, as Willie Brown and his Mayoral successors used the agency to steal money that was supposed to go to poor people. Former Green Party Supervisor Matt Gonzalez took a lot of heat for trying to wrest the agency away from Mayoral control back in 2001 (https://www.sfgate.com/politics/amp/Supervisor-pushes-plan-to-disband-housi…) but he failed in the face of strong opposition from the Mayor's cronies. Last year, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which had been running the agency, finally allowed it to be taken over by the City (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/HUD-turning-control-of-Housing-…) The agency's workers therefore became City employees. However, their years of service to the agency did not allow them to qualify for retiree health benefits, because they had not been City employees prior to the takeover. Greens strongly believe that the employees should not be penalized for corruption in the agency's leadership. We therefore endorse a Yes vote on C. Prop D: Prop D would tax vacant ground floor commercial space in neighborhood retail corridors, thus providing an incentive for landlords to lower rents to the point where new businesses could afford to move in. It was sponsored by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, and requires a 2/3 supermajority to pass. Greens strongly recommend a Yes vote. Despite a booming local economy, vacant storefronts are everywhere in SF (https://www.sfchronicle.com/local-politics/article/Vacant-storefronts-are-a…) Often, this is a result of commercial landlords raising rents to the point where long-time businesses are forced to close or move out. Due to a prohibition on commercial rent control in California, landlords can raise rents to any level as soon as the lease expires. Because there is little cost to landlords to maintain vacant storefronts, they then keep the store vacant until another business comes along that is willing to pay an exorbitant price. Because only certain types of high profit margin stores can afford these rents, the character of our neighborhoods has changed. Prop D would create a new tax on commercial landlords who keep their spaces vacant for more than 1/2 of the year. There are exceptions for renovations and disasters, and the tax would not apply to non-profits or public property. The tax would start at $250 per year per linear foot of frontage (i.e., the width of the storefront). For vacancies lasting more than a year, the tax would increase to $500/foot in year two, then to $1000/foot for vacancies lasting more than two years. Prop D would allow these rates to be amended by 2/3 of board, in case of unforeseen impacts. Prop D is a long-overdue attempt at curbing neighborhood blight caused by our tech-fueled economy. We expect it will result in lower commercial rents and more diverse businesses. Greens therefore were in unanimous consensus in recommending a Yes vote. Prop E: Prop E is a scheme hatched in 2018 by former Mayor Mark Farrell and Supervisor Aaron Peskin (https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Remember-Prop-M-SF-may-use-it-…) to streamline the building of 5.7 million square feet of office space (approximately three Salesforce towers) and 15,000 new apartments (a mix of market rate luxury condos and "affordable" units) in SoMa. Following this building glut, future office space development would be restricted unless more "affordable" housing is built, or until developers put yet another pro-gentrification scheme onto the ballot that supersedes this one. Prop E requires only a simple majority vote to pass. The Green Party is strongly opposed to it. Real estate money in the form of faceless corporate players who dominate local politics has shown up again in Prop E. The back story of Prop E is Back-To-The-Future-complicated. In 1986, voters approved Prop M, an annual cap on office space development, in an attempt to curb excess capital investment in real estate that threatened to consume large swaths of the City. Since then, trickles of public benefit have been squeezed from developers engaging in the Planning Department’s beauty contest (https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-law-blocks-tech-boom-expansion-5…) between corporate overlords competing for coveted boardrooms with views. "Progressive" career politicians have agglutinated concession cash and stashed it with nonprofit allies who provide valuable resources for their election campaigns. "Moderates" just take stacks of cash (or the occasional prepaid debit card). This false dichotomy between progressives and moderates rears its ugly head in Prop E. Although TODCO (Tenants and Owners Development Corporation, the sponsor of Prop E) is one of the better non-profit developers, the concession that is buried in the legal text of Prop E reads like a straight-up sellout. It allows for a "Central SoMa Incentive Reserve" to be created, and gives the Planning Commission the go-ahead to "approve up to an additional 1.7 million square feet in total of office space located in the Central SoMa Special Use District" from developers who have already entered the beauty pageant. In addition, the annual Prop M cap on office development would become an annualized amount, meaning that developers could "borrow" against their their next 10 years of Prop M space. This provision allows 4 million square feet of office space already in the pipeline for Central SoMa to be built all at once, rather than a little bit each year. As a result, developers could bullrush the market to find places to stash their capital while it's hot, leaving Central SoMa even more clearly in their crosshairs. After the 5.7 million square feet of new office space (4 million previously approved plus 1.7 million added by the "incentive reserve" above) are built in SoMa, Prop E would also demand that 15,000 new units of housing be built in the neighborhood, before any further offices could be built. This would effectively upzone Western SoMa, as the developer advocacy group SPUR has wanted for 20 years. This means 150 new 100-unit buildings, which would cause massive demolition and displacement of current residents. Much of the new housing would be luxury condos, which would only create further gentrification. Unfortunately, nearly all "progressive" Democratic politicians and Dem clubs have lined up behind Peskin, while closing their eyes to these effects. San Francisco is not an "Office Park", but a living thriving community of offices, small businesses, renters, stores, and homes and the balance needs to be maintained. Those of us who have been here for many years have seen the flight of small businesses out of SF, and with them goes much of the character of the City. More office towers will not maintain our City's character. Prop E would impose, after this initial give-away to developers, a link between office production and housing production, specifically "affordable" housing production which is supposed to help San Franciscans who have suffered and will suffer as a result of hyper-gentrification. As always, the term "affordable" begs the question: "Affordable to whom?" Green Party members who live and work in SoMa would like to see limits on office development, and housing that is affordable to those of us who currently live here - without a huge handout to developers. In short, Prop E would change the Prop M annual limit on office space, and would allow up to 6 times that limit to be started now. The Measure's requirements of building "affordable housing” and conformance to the General Plan will be sidelined until some projects in the pipeline are built. Loopholes such as in lieu fees "to a transit or housing fund of the City" could be exploited to avoid actually building any affordable housing for years, if ever. Please vote "No" on this boondoggle! Prop 13: Prop 13 looks like a $15 billion school bond. Unfortunately, a not-so-obvious provision hidden in Prop 13 is a prohibition on charging fees to real estate developers in order to fund schools. Therefore, the long-term effect of Prop 13 would be to shift funding for school construction from a progressive revenue stream (developer fees) to a regressive one (bonds that help the rich become richer; see our Statement on Bond funding, below). Therefore, the Green Party is strongly opposed. If passed, Prop 13 would allocate $15 billion for school construction: $9 billion for preschool to K-12 (including $500 million for new charter schools), $2 billion for community colleges, $2 billion for the California State University, and $2 billion for the University of California. This "bond mixed with a developer fee waiver" model would be a repeat of Prop 51, which passed in 2016. At the time, we wrote in opposition: However, Prop 51 was put on the ballot by a group of real estate developers and construction companies, and contains a little-noticed provision. Currently, cities can charge fees to developers in order to partially offset the costs of providing City services to new developments; these services might include new schools, increased public transit, water and sewer infrastructure, etc. Prop 51 would prohibit school districts from raising developer fees in order to pay for new schools, thereby resulting in lower fees (and higher profits) for the developers. We urge you to vote "No" this time as well. Congress: It's a daunting task to find a dynamic candidate to run against the the most powerful Democrat in the House of Representatives. Green Party voices have been shut out by the "Top Two" system in an election where San Franciscans will determine which candidate has necessary progressive platform to differentiate themselves from the moderate stances of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Two such candidates in question, Tom Gallagher and Shahid Buttar, certainly do hold relatively progressive stances that resonate with the 10 Key Values of the Green Party. However, at our endorsement meeting, both gave painfully detailed explanations as to why they won't, or can't, switch parties. Neither candidate tried to build a unified progressive alliance (including Greens) in order to reach consensus on who might lead the progressive cause against Pelosi. This begs the question as to how much the political establishment values the perspective of Greens and other third party progressives. SF's "progressives" act like they're open to more diverse political views than they actually are. The ongoing dilemma about whether Greens should support such Democrats must be considered in light of two candidates who aren't intrepid enough to do the party switchover, even when such candidates might bring over their supporters and create a more vibrant Green party in this election and beyond. So in 2020, Greens have once again been shut out of having a stake in the Congressional election. Perhaps with Pelosi apparently not running again next time, 2022 might bring a more open and transparent attitude to the process, and the healing that is long overdue. We therefore did not endorse any candidate this time around. State Senate: Three candidates have been certified for the District 11 State Senator contest. Unlike our famously partisan "non-partisan" City elections, candidates for state offices are identified on the ballot by party affiliation or non-affiliation. Voters were tricked into rigging elections by passing a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that established a "Top Two" primary system in 2010. Two Democrats or a Democrat and and a Republican will therefore advance to the November election after the March primary. Active members of the SF Green Party have expressed significant concerns about endorsing any member of either corporate party for partisan contests, and we wish that the crippling effects of the "Top Two" system on our already crippled democracy could be remedied by unrigging our elections. We did not endorse any of the three candidates in this election. Incumbent Scott Wiener has stood in direct opposition to the Green Party's 10 Key Values since he served the corporatocracy as a SF Supervisor. He consistently earned among our lowest grades on Green Report Cards for 6 years before shuffling off to Sacramento as a reward for community disservice and servitude to his deep-pocketed donors. He sided against Green Party activists on issues regarding the environment, public education, privatization, corporate hegemony, government and police accountability, rent control, gentrification, sanctuary city policy, black lives matter, and transparency in government. Now, installed in Sacto, he is making a career out of a ham-fisted attempt to turn over the state's housing stock to corporate investors via a fake grassroots, free-market fundamentalist, propagandized legislative campaign that incorporates a trickle-down model similar to 1980's Reaganomics, SB827/SB50. Wiener is the epitome of a corporate tool run amok in the state capitol. He is fully-funded by the tech/real estate cabal in this contest. Jackie Fielder (Democrat) and Erin Smith (Republican) are also on the ballot in this primary election. We appreciate that Ms. Fielder took the time to meet with SF Green Party members at our endorsement meeting, but we were in consensus that no candidate has earned our endorsement. Judges: This election cycle, there are three open seats on the Superior Court. We sent each candidate a short questionnaire asking them their opinions on the death penalty, reproductive rights, corporate personhood, and other issues. These are questions that judicial candidates often refuse to answer, citing the code of conduct linked below: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications… (Candidates for judge) shall not: with respect to cases, controversies, or issues that are likely to come before the court, make pledges, promises or commitments that are inconsistent with the impartial performance of the adjudicative duties of the office; This time we asked candidates about their history of activism around these issues, and the answers we received were enlightening. We were pleased to learn that all the candidates for these three open seats are female. Women are still very under-represented in our judicial branch of government. We awarded a sole endorsement to Maria Evangelista for Seat 1. For the other two seats, we felt that both candidates were sufficiently in accord with our 10 Key Values, so we dual-endorsed both of them. Green voters are encouraged to read each candidate's website and choose their favorite. Superior Court Judge, Seat 1: Maria Evangelista Maria Evangelista is a long-time public defender and a board member of La Raza Centro Legal, which provides legal services to the immigrant community. Although we did not endorse her in the last election due to lack of information about her political viewpoints, this time we were able to discuss her history of activism against the Death Penalty, for reproductive rights, and for immigrant rights. We are now confident that she upholds the Green Party's 10 Key Values, and she has earned our strong endorsement in this election! https://www.evangelista4judge.com Evangelista ran previously in 2018, when she challenged an incumbent judge. Contesting a sitting judge can be a controversial move in the legal community. Former Green Party Mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez, who is now Chief Attorney for the SF Public Defender's Office, wrote about Evangelista and other public defenders running for judge at the time. His essay also raised interesting questions regarding the merits of contesting judicial elections: https://medium.com/@mtt.gonzalez33/the-thin-black-line-4facf8b9f99d Superior Court Judge, Seat 18: Dorothy Chou Proudfoot and Michelle Tong (dual endorsement) Dorothy Chou Proudfoot has no history (that we're aware of) in activism opposing the death penalty, but she does have a history of fighting for women's rights, and she has promoted the careers of both women and underrepresented minority candidates. She has also been supportive of tenants' rights. https://www.dorothyproudfoot.com/ Michelle Tong is a public defender, who has a long history of fighting on behalf of social justice issues. In general, Greens are inclined to support public defenders over prosecutors and corporate attorneys. She has the support of most of the progressive community. http://www.tong4judge.com/ We were impressed with both candidates, and therefore encourage Greens to choose their favorite. Superior Court Judge, Seat 21: Rani Singh and Carolyn Gold (dual endorsement) Rani Singh was a prosecutor who previously worked under progressive DA Terence Hallinan. Although she worked as a prosecutor, she opposes the Death Penalty and was an early supporter of legal marijuana. We think that her values seem very consistent with ours. https://www.singhforjudge.com/ Carolyn Gold was very forthcoming in her answers to our questionnaire. She opposes the Death Penalty and supports public financing of elections, upholding Roe vs Wade, and decriminalization of drug use. https://www.carolyngoldforjudge.com/ We are happy to endorse both candidates for this position, and encourage Greens to choose your favorite. SF Green Party Statement on Bond Funding The SF Green Party has often been hesitant to embrace bond financing. In addition to being environmentally and socially responsible, we are also fiscally responsible. Bond funding requires payments totaling about twice the actual cost of whatever improvements are made, and passes costs on to future generations. Because people who buy bonds are almost exclusively the wealthy, as investors are paid back over the 20-30 year life of the bond, wealth is transferred from middle and low income taxpayers to rich bondholders. Bond funding also helps rich people avoid paying their fair share of taxes, since interest on municipal bonds is exempt from both state and federal tax. As noted in the California Voter Guide in 1992, over 35,000 U.S. millionaires supplemented their income with tax exempt state and local bond checks averaging over $2,500 per week (that's over $130,000 per year tax free). They avoided paying federal and state taxes on over $5 billion, which must be made up by the rest of us. The SF Green Party calls on the public to join us in working to phase out this regressive and unfair subsidy of the rich and their investment bankers (who take millions of dollars off the top when the bonds are issued). There are a few cases in which Greens have supported bond measures. In general, we are willing to support bonds that are issued to in order to build urgently needed, publicly-owned infrastructure, such as a public hospital or high speed rail. We generally oppose bonds that fund ongoing maintenance projects; these should be paid for using City revenues (which should be increased by raising taxes on the wealthy). *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: Feb membership meeting agenda and Pacifica Bylaws endorsement
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 23 Feb '20

23 Feb '20

February 22 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty mastodon.sfgreens.org/@sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, For those of you voting early in the March primary, our complete Green Voter Guide is posted on our website: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/91-march-2020-endorsements Please feel free to forward to other SF voters who might be interested! We're holding our monthly meeting for February next Wed, 2/26. The agenda is below. If you're a member of the Pacifica radio network, we've endorsed a NO vote on the proposed bylaws changes. See details below. One of our members forwarded a good article on the German Green Party. It discusses how Hamburg Greens have used municipalization to push some really innovative projects: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/22/getting-privatisation-undone-… *===========================* What: SF Green Party Monthly Meeting Where: Redstone Bldg (2940 16th Street, near South Van Ness) #301, SF When: Wed, Feb 26, 7-9 pm Agenda: * Introductions * Events in March - volunteers needed for Sunday Streets. Barry also wants volunteers to help draft a letter to Greens who have re-registered to vote in the Democratic Party primary. * Finalize "A Green New Deal for San Francisco" proposals. How can we synergize with the national party's Green New Deal platform to promote similar local legislative priorities, such as social housing and free public transit? * Supe Report Card - what were the most important votes at the Board of Supervisors in 2019, and how did each Supe score? * Update on Environmental/Toxic Torts/Land Use Case--Toxic Tire Crumb Turf Artificial Fields - see details below. * Announcements 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(a)sfgreens.org *===========================* KPFA Subscribers - Preserve Your Local Station Board! Vote NO on the New Proposed Bylaws! If you're a KPFA subscriber, you’ll be receiving a ballot starting on Tuesday, Feb 18 asking you to approve or reject a replacement set of bylaws for the Pacifica Foundation, KPFA’s parent organization. Please vote, and vote NO on this poorly-thought-out plan! (Voting in this election will only take a minute: there are no candidates to select, only one yes-or-no ballot proposition). After the infamous 1999 takeover attempt at KPFA, new bylaws were put in place providing for Local Station Board (LSBs), elected by subscribers and staff, at the five Pacifica stations. Representatives from the five LSBs then constitute the Pacifica National Board (PNB),which sets network-wide policies. The replacement bylaws would turn back the clock, by making most PNB seats filled by appointees, not elected representatives. And the Local Station Boards would disappear entirely. Without a local station board, where will KPFA listeners take their concerns about programs or other issues? And who will hold local management to account? So to maintain the right to elect Local Station Boards in the future, KPFA subscribers need to reject the replacement bylaws. Your “no” vote today protects your right to vote in the future. There’s also no doubt that the Pacifica stations, and the network as a whole, are confronting severe financial problems. But eliminating locally-based listener democracy won’t solve those problems. Many KPFA staff members and local community activists (see the list at www.rescuepacifica.net) are urging a NO vote on the replacement bylaws. ALL five Pacifica LSBs have already voted NO. *===========================* Environmental/Toxic Torts/Land Use Case--Toxic Tire Crumb Turf Artificial Fields In this country, there are thousands of Toxic Tire Crumb Turf Artificial Fields. There are about 40,000-50,000 ground up contaminated tires that make up a typical Toxic Tire Crumb Turf Field. Everyday, there are countless numbers of individuals that play on these fields without knowledge that they are on Artificial Turf Fields containing numerous toxic chemicals and substances. Hundreds of individuals have got cancer and other illnesses from playing on these Toxic Fields. There is a Toxic Tire Crumb Turf Field situation in the San Francisco Bay Area that I am aware of. The Tire Crumb Turf and Fake Green Grass materials consists of numerous toxic and hazardous chemicals. The field has been used by thousands of individuals in sports activities for over 9 years. At this toxic site, there is no running water, sinks, toilets, etc., creating a very unsafe, unhealthy and unsanitary environment. After playing sports on Toxic Tire Crumb Turf Fields, experts recommend that individuals wash their hands, hair, clothing and shoes immediately. Most Toxic Tire Crumb Turf Field locations are similar to this situation. The private entity that put up the Toxic Tire Crumb Turf Field did so without obtaining governmental or environmental approval. The issue of the entity that put up the field never obtaining governmental or environmental approval is very important. Not only does the toxic chemicals and substances get on the individuals that play on the field, but the toxic chemicals and substances in the Tire Crumb and Fake Green Grass materials are contaminating the air, the ground and the ground water. An Environmental/Land Use/Toxic Torts case needs to be filed regarding the Toxic Tire Crumb Turf situation. A very good Environmental/Land Use/Toxic Torts attorney has been found. This attorney knows the issues about this situation and stated that this is a very good case. The only thing that the attorney wants is a retainer. The attorney mentioned that when prevailing on the causes of action that would be filed, the attorney fees would be awarded/"refunded" as part of the resolution of the case, and money damages could be obtained as well. This is a very important and worthwhile case that needs to be filed. The issues involving this case could be applied to the other Toxic Tire Crumb Turf Fields that exist everywhere. Help is needed for the retainer to get this case going forward as soon as possible. Please contact Erika McDonald if you can help. 415-337-1499 *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: Green Voter Guide for March 3 2020 election
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 05 Feb '20

05 Feb '20

February 5 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty mastodon.sfgreens.org/@sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, Barry Hermanson recently published an article on health care in the Bayview newspaper: https://sfbayview.com/2020/02/health-care-costs/ And for those of you voting early in the March primary, our complete Green Voter Guide is below. Please feel free to forward to other SF voters who might be interested. It's also posted on our website: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/91-march-2020-endorsements *===========================* Green Voter Guide for March 3, 2020 President: Since we have a contested Presidential primary, Green voters will decide on our nominee and strategy for the November election. The national Green Party has a page on the candidates here (https://www.gp.org/2020/) and most of them answered detailed questionnaires, available here (https://gpus.org/2020-presidential-candidate-questionnaires/) The SF Green Party has met with several outstanding candidates, but we feel that it is our members' right to make a choice without our thumb on the scales. Please read the questionnaires above, and pick the candidate who will best represent our Party in November. Prop A: Prop A is a $845 million bond measure proposed by the College Board, which would be used to repair buildings, do seismic retrofits, and create more job training facilities. Because it's a bond to fund education, it requires a 55% supermajority to pass rather than a 2/3 supermajority. Despite our reservations about bond funding (see Statement on Bonds, below), we recommend a Yes vote. City College's main (Ocean) campus is in urgent need of repairs. Many of the buildings have leaky roofs and are subject to flooding. They also have old infrastructure such as heating and cooling systems, and have not been retrofitted to meet modern earthquake safety standards. The funds from Prop A would be used to fix these problems, as well as to update classrooms and labs, which would allow City College to offer more vocational classes. City College is an important public institution that continues to be attacked by neoliberal forces who are opposed to spending money on free public education. Although Greens would prefer that the funds for repair be included in the regular budget, or raised via a more progressive revenue source than bonds, the public costs of delaying urgent repairs would be too high. Greens therefore recommend a Yes vote on Prop A. Prop B: Prop B is a $628 million bond measure submitted by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors. It requires a 2/3 supermajority vote to pass. The funds would be used for various earthquake safety and emergency response projects, including the Emergency Firefighting Water System (EFWS) Project for the City's western neighborhoods. Greens were split on this proposal. Some of us thought the projects funded by Prop B, especially the EFWS, would be a worthwhile public investment (despite our reservations about bond funding; see Statement on Bonds, below). Others of us were strongly opposed due to the lack of specificity in what would be funded, and because voters have already approved funding for many of the projects that would supposedly be funded by Prop B. Because we were unable to come to consensus, Greens did not take a position on Prop B. Greens all agreed that the Emergency Firefighting Water System, which is the main purpose of Prop B, would be an important public benefit. However, voters in 2002 approved Prop P (https://sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=121) which allowed for the SFPUC "to incur bonded indebtedness to finance capital improvements" for our Water and Sewer systems. Proposition P was set to expire on January 1, 2013, then again in 2016, and again in 2019. Each time the terms were set to expire, the Board of Supervisors extended them. It's now set to sunset in 2025. Prop P included provisions to fund things like the EFWS project but has lagged in identifying, funding, and completing them. The other projects Prop B would fund are largely non-specific, already funded by previous bond measures approved by voters, or could be funded as part of the ordinary budget process. The include "Firefighting," "Police," and "Disaster Response" facilities and infrastructure, but no specifics are provided. Those appear to have been thrown in to Prop B just to win public support. Prop B would also fund an upgrade of the existing 911 call center, an investment of significantly less than $1.2 billion, which could be funded immediately with existing tax revenue. In 2010 and 2014, voters approved similar bond measures (https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-Prop-A-400-million-earthquake-sa…) for $400 million and $412 million, respectively. Because of our concerns about specificity and redundancy with funding already approved in other bond measures, Greens did not come to consensus to either support or oppose Prop B. Prop C: Prop C would provide retiree health benefits to employees of the SF Housing Authority who were working for that agency when it was taken over by the City last year. It requires a simple majority to pass, and Greens recommend a Yes vote. The SF Housing Authority oversees public housing and Section 8 voucher programs. It has been at the center of corruption scandals for decades, as Willie Brown and his Mayoral successors used the agency to steal money that was supposed to go to poor people. Former Green Party Supervisor Matt Gonzalez took a lot of heat for trying to wrest the agency away from Mayoral control back in 2001 (https://www.sfgate.com/politics/amp/Supervisor-pushes-plan-to-disband-housi…) but he failed in the face of strong opposition from the Mayor's cronies. Last year, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which had been running the agency, finally allowed it to be taken over by the City (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/HUD-turning-control-of-Housing-…) The agency's workers therefore became City employees. However, their years of service to the agency did not allow them to qualify for retiree health benefits, because they had not been City employees prior to the takeover. Greens strongly believe that the employees should not be penalized for corruption in the agency's leadership. We therefore endorse a Yes vote on C. Prop D: Prop D would tax vacant ground floor commercial space in neighborhood retail corridors, thus providing an incentive for landlords to lower rents to the point where new businesses could afford to move in. It was sponsored by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, and requires a 2/3 supermajority to pass. Greens strongly recommend a Yes vote. Despite a booming local economy, vacant storefronts are everywhere in SF (https://www.sfchronicle.com/local-politics/article/Vacant-storefronts-are-a…) Often, this is a result of commercial landlords raising rents to the point where long-time businesses are forced to close or move out. Due to a prohibition on commercial rent control in California, landlords can raise rents to any level as soon as the lease expires. Because there is little cost to landlords to maintain vacant storefronts, they then keep the store vacant until another business comes along that is willing to pay an exorbitant price. Because only certain types of high profit margin stores can afford these rents, the character of our neighborhoods has changed. Prop D would create a new tax on commercial landlords who keep their spaces vacant for more than 1/2 of the year. There are exceptions for renovations and disasters, and the tax would not apply to non-profits or public property. The tax would start at $250 per year per linear foot of frontage (i.e., the width of the storefront). For vacancies lasting more than a year, the tax would increase to $500/foot in year two, then to $1000/foot for vacancies lasting more than two years. Prop D would allow these rates to be amended by 2/3 of board, in case of unforeseen impacts. Prop D is a long-overdue attempt at curbing neighborhood blight caused by our tech-fueled economy. We expect it will result in lower commercial rents and more diverse businesses. Greens therefore were in unanimous consensus in recommending a Yes vote. Prop E: Prop E is a scheme hatched in 2018 by former Mayor Mark Farrell and Supervisor Aaron Peskin (https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Remember-Prop-M-SF-may-use-it-…) to streamline the building of 5.7 million square feet of office space (approximately three Salesforce towers) and 15,000 new apartments (a mix of market rate luxury condos and "affordable" units) in SoMa. Following this building glut, future office space development would be restricted unless more "affordable" housing is built, or until developers put yet another pro-gentrification scheme onto the ballot that supersedes this one. Prop E requires only a simple majority vote to pass. The Green Party is strongly opposed to it. Real estate money in the form of faceless corporate players who dominate local politics has shown up again in Prop E. The back story of Prop E is Back-To-The-Future-complicated. In 1986, voters approved Prop M, an annual cap on office space development, in an attempt to curb excess capital investment in real estate that threatened to consume large swaths of the City. Since then, trickles of public benefit have been squeezed from developers engaging in the Planning Department’s beauty contest (https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-law-blocks-tech-boom-expansion-5…) between corporate overlords competing for coveted boardrooms with views. "Progressive" career politicians have agglutinated concession cash and stashed it with nonprofit allies who provide valuable resources for their election campaigns. "Moderates" just take stacks of cash (or the occasional prepaid debit card). This false dichotomy between progressives and moderates rears its ugly head in Prop E. Although TODCO (Tenants and Owners Development Corporation, the sponsor of Prop E) is one of the better non-profit developers, the concession that is buried in the legal text of Prop E reads like a straight-up sellout. It allows for a "Central SoMa Incentive Reserve" to be created, and gives the Planning Commission the go-ahead to "approve up to an additional 1.7 million square feet in total of office space located in the Central SoMa Special Use District" from developers who have already entered the beauty pageant. In addition, the annual Prop M cap on office development would become an annualized amount, meaning that developers could "borrow" against their their next 10 years of Prop M space. This provision allows 4 million square feet of office space already in the pipeline for Central SoMa to be built all at once, rather than a little bit each year. As a result, developers could bullrush the market to find places to stash their capital while it's hot, leaving Central SoMa even more clearly in their crosshairs. After the 5.7 million square feet of new office space (4 million previously approved plus 1.7 million added by the "incentive reserve" above) are built in SoMa, Prop E would also demand that 15,000 new units of housing be built in the neighborhood, before any further offices could be built. This would effectively upzone Western SoMa, as the developer advocacy group SPUR has wanted for 20 years. This means 150 new 100-unit buildings, which would cause massive demolition and displacement of current residents. Much of the new housing would be luxury condos, which would only create further gentrification. Unfortunately, nearly all "progressive" Democratic politicians and Dem clubs have lined up behind Peskin, while closing their eyes to these effects. San Francisco is not an "Office Park", but a living thriving community of offices, small businesses, renters, stores, and homes and the balance needs to be maintained. Those of us who have been here for many years have seen the flight of small businesses out of SF, and with them goes much of the character of the City. More office towers will not maintain our City's character. Prop E would impose, after this initial give-away to developers, a link between office production and housing production, specifically "affordable" housing production which is supposed to help San Franciscans who have suffered and will suffer as a result of hyper-gentrification. As always, the term "affordable" begs the question: "Affordable to whom?" Green Party members who live and work in SoMa would like to see limits on office development, and housing that is affordable to those of us who currently live here - without a huge handout to developers. In short, Prop E would change the Prop M annual limit on office space, and would allow up to 6 times that limit to be started now. The Measure's requirements of building "affordable housing” and conformance to the General Plan will be sidelined until some projects in the pipeline are built. Loopholes such as in lieu fees "to a transit or housing fund of the City" could be exploited to avoid actually building any affordable housing for years, if ever. Please vote "No" on this boondoggle! Prop 13: Prop 13 looks like a $15 billion school bond. Unfortunately, a not-so-obvious provision hidden in Prop 13 is a prohibition on charging fees to real estate developers in order to fund schools. Therefore, the long-term effect of Prop 13 would be to shift funding for school construction from a progressive revenue stream (developer fees) to a regressive one (bonds that help the rich become richer; see our Statement on Bond funding, below). Therefore, the Green Party is strongly opposed. If passed, Prop 13 would allocate $15 billion for school construction: $9 billion for preschool to K-12 (including $500 million for new charter schools), $2 billion for community colleges, $2 billion for the California State University, and $2 billion for the University of California. This "bond mixed with a developer fee waiver" model would be a repeat of Prop 51, which passed in 2016. At the time, we wrote in opposition: However, Prop 51 was put on the ballot by a group of real estate developers and construction companies, and contains a little-noticed provision. Currently, cities can charge fees to developers in order to partially offset the costs of providing City services to new developments; these services might include new schools, increased public transit, water and sewer infrastructure, etc. Prop 51 would prohibit school districts from raising developer fees in order to pay for new schools, thereby resulting in lower fees (and higher profits) for the developers. We urge you to vote "No" this time as well. Congress: It's a daunting task to find a dynamic candidate to run against the the most powerful Democrat in the House of Representatives. Green Party voices have been shut out by the "Top Two" system in an election where San Franciscans will determine which candidate has necessary progressive platform to differentiate themselves from the moderate stances of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Two such candidates in question, Tom Gallagher and Shahid Buttar, certainly do hold relatively progressive stances that resonate with the 10 Key Values of the Green Party. However, at our endorsement meeting, both gave painfully detailed explanations as to why they won't, or can't, switch parties. Neither candidate tried to build a unified progressive alliance (including Greens) in order to reach consensus on who might lead the progressive cause against Pelosi. This begs the question as to how much the political establishment values the perspective of Greens and other third party progressives. SF's "progressives" act like they're open to more diverse political views than they actually are. The ongoing dilemma about whether Greens should support such Democrats must be considered in light of two candidates who aren't intrepid enough to do the party switchover, even when such candidates might bring over their supporters and create a more vibrant Green party in this election and beyond. So in 2020, Greens have once again been shut out of having a stake in the Congressional election. Perhaps with Pelosi apparently not running again next time, 2022 might bring a more open and transparent attitude to the process, and the healing that is long overdue. We therefore did not endorse any candidate this time around. State Senate: Three candidates have been certified for the District 11 State Senator contest. Unlike our famously partisan "non-partisan" City elections, candidates for state offices are identified on the ballot by party affiliation or non-affiliation. Voters were tricked into rigging elections by passing a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that established a "Top Two" primary system in 2010. Two Democrats or a Democrat and and a Republican will therefore advance to the November election after the March primary. Active members of the SF Green Party have expressed significant concerns about endorsing any member of either corporate party for partisan contests, and we wish that the crippling effects of the "Top Two" system on our already crippled democracy could be remedied by unrigging our elections. We did not endorse any of the three candidates in this election. Incumbent Scott Wiener has stood in direct opposition to the Green Party's 10 Key Values since he served the corporatocracy as a SF Supervisor. He consistently earned among our lowest grades on Green Report Cards for 6 years before shuffling off to Sacramento as a reward for community disservice and servitude to his deep-pocketed donors. He sided against Green Party activists on issues regarding the environment, public education, privatization, corporate hegemony, government and police accountability, rent control, gentrification, sanctuary city policy, black lives matter, and transparency in government. Now, installed in Sacto, he is making a career out of a ham-fisted attempt to turn over the state's housing stock to corporate investors via a fake grassroots, free-market fundamentalist, propagandized legislative campaign that incorporates a trickle-down model similar to 1980's Reaganomics, SB827/SB50. Wiener is the epitome of a corporate tool run amok in the state capitol. He is fully-funded by the tech/real estate cabal in this contest. Jackie Fielder (Democrat) and Erin Smith (Republican) are also on the ballot in this primary election. We appreciate that Ms. Fielder took the time to meet with SF Green Party members at our endorsement meeting, but we were in consensus that no candidate has earned our endorsement. Judges: This election cycle, there are three open seats on the Superior Court. We sent each candidate a short questionnaire asking them their opinions on the death penalty, reproductive rights, corporate personhood, and other issues. These are questions that judicial candidates often refuse to answer, citing the code of conduct linked below: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications… (Candidates for judge) shall not: with respect to cases, controversies, or issues that are likely to come before the court, make pledges, promises or commitments that are inconsistent with the impartial performance of the adjudicative duties of the office; This time we asked candidates about their history of activism around these issues, and the answers we received were enlightening. We were pleased to learn that all the candidates for these three open seats are female. Women are still very under-represented in our judicial branch of government. We awarded a sole endorsement to Maria Evangelista for Seat 1. For the other two seats, we felt that both candidates were sufficiently in accord with our 10 Key Values, so we dual-endorsed both of them. Green voters are encouraged to read each candidate's website and choose their favorite. Superior Court Judge, Seat 1: Maria Evangelista Maria Evangelista is a long-time public defender and a board member of La Raza Centro Legal, which provides legal services to the immigrant community. Although we did not endorse her in the last election due to lack of information about her political viewpoints, this time we were able to discuss her history of activism against the Death Penalty, for reproductive rights, and for immigrant rights. We are now confident that she upholds the Green Party's 10 Key Values, and she has earned our strong endorsement in this election! https://www.evangelista4judge.com Evangelista ran previously in 2018, when she challenged an incumbent judge. Contesting a sitting judge can be a controversial move in the legal community. Former Green Party Mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez, who is now Chief Attorney for the SF Public Defender's Office, wrote about Evangelista and other public defenders running for judge at the time. His essay also raised interesting questions regarding the merits of contesting judicial elections: https://medium.com/@mtt.gonzalez33/the-thin-black-line-4facf8b9f99d Superior Court Judge, Seat 18: Dorothy Chou Proudfoot and Michelle Tong (dual endorsement) Dorothy Chou Proudfoot has no history (that we're aware of) in activism opposing the death penalty, but she does have a history of fighting for women's rights, and she has promoted the careers of both women and underrepresented minority candidates. She has also been supportive of tenants' rights. https://www.dorothyproudfoot.com/ Michelle Tong is a public defender, who has a long history of fighting on behalf of social justice issues. In general, Greens are inclined to support public defenders over prosecutors and corporate attorneys. She has the support of most of the progressive community. http://www.tong4judge.com/ We were impressed with both candidates, and therefore encourage Greens to choose their favorite. Superior Court Judge, Seat 21: Rani Singh and Carolyn Gold (dual endorsement) Rani Singh was a prosecutor who previously worked under progressive DA Terence Hallinan. Although she worked as a prosecutor, she opposes the Death Penalty and was an early supporter of legal marijuana. We think that her values seem very consistent with ours. https://www.singhforjudge.com/ Carolyn Gold was very forthcoming in her answers to our questionnaire. She opposes the Death Penalty and supports public financing of elections, upholding Roe vs Wade, and decriminalization of drug use. https://www.carolyngoldforjudge.com/ We are happy to endorse both candidates for this position, and encourage Greens to choose your favorite. SF Green Party Statement on Bond Funding The SF Green Party has often been hesitant to embrace bond financing. In addition to being environmentally and socially responsible, we are also fiscally responsible. Bond funding requires payments totaling about twice the actual cost of whatever improvements are made, and passes costs on to future generations. Because people who buy bonds are almost exclusively the wealthy, as investors are paid back over the 20-30 year life of the bond, wealth is transferred from middle and low income taxpayers to rich bondholders. Bond funding also helps rich people avoid paying their fair share of taxes, since interest on municipal bonds is exempt from both state and federal tax. As noted in the California Voter Guide in 1992, over 35,000 U.S. millionaires supplemented their income with tax exempt state and local bond checks averaging over $2,500 per week (that's over $130,000 per year tax free). They avoided paying federal and state taxes on over $5 billion, which must be made up by the rest of us. The SF Green Party calls on the public to join us in working to phase out this regressive and unfair subsidy of the rich and their investment bankers (who take millions of dollars off the top when the bonds are issued). There are a few cases in which Greens have supported bond measures. In general, we are willing to support bonds that are issued to in order to build urgently needed, publicly-owned infrastructure, such as a public hospital or high speed rail. We generally oppose bonds that fund ongoing maintenance projects; these should be paid for using City revenues (which should be increased by raising taxes on the wealthy). *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: March endorsements, upcoming meetings and events
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 18 Jan '20

18 Jan '20

January 18 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty mastodon.sfgreens.org/@sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, Happy MLK weekend! Greens from around the Bay Area will be participating in "Reclaim MLK's Radical Legacy" in Oakland this weekend. And please join us for our monthly meeting this coming Wednesday to kick off an election year of Green organizing. Details on these events are below. Thanks to everybody who participated in our special endorsement meeting for the March 3rd election. We'll be posting a complete voter guide in the upcoming week or so, but a summary is already online: http://sfgreenparty.org/endorsements/91-march-2020-endorsements And if you have any time to volunteer in the South Bay, the Green Party is running a candidate in the March election for the San José City Council! Jake Tonkel has been endorsed by his local Green Party and many other progressives, so please help if you can: https://jake4d6.com/ Greens have also written several good articles in the Bayview newspaper: * Barry Hermanson wrote about SF 50 and "trickle down housing": https://sfbayview.com/2019/12/trickle-down-housing/ * Anne Garrison reported from the California Progressive Alliance: https://sfbayview.com/2020/01/voices-of-the-california-progressive-alliance/ *===========================* What: SF Green Party Monthly Meeting Where: Redstone Bldg (2940 16th Street, near South Van Ness) #301, SF When: Wed, Jan 22, 7-9 pm Agenda: * Introductions * Outreach for the March election - printed voter guide? * Voter outreach after the March primary - new literature and strategy to get people to re-register Green if they switched to Dem to vote in their primary. Also, what outreach can we be doing with our current members in order to get them more involved? * Events in 2020 - Sunday Streets, Haight St, Pride. Need to register early for some events, and plan new literature. * A Green New Deal for San Francisco - how can we synergize with the national party's Green New Deal platform to promote similar local legislative priorities, such as social housing and free public transit? * Presentation from Laksh Bhasin from the Berniecrats on updates to their Social Housing ballot measure that we helped with last year. Possible endorsement and organizing strategy for this year. * Announcements 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(a)sfgreens.org *===========================* What: 6th Annual Reclaim MLK's Radical Legacy Weekend Where: Oscar Grant Plaza, 14th Street and Broadway, Oakland When: All this weekend, Jan 18-20 Greens from around the Bay Area are joining with like-minded organizations to lift up the radical legacy of Martin Luther King all weekend long. Many events are posted on this page, culminating in the 6th Annual Rally and March on Monday, 1/20, at noon at Oscar Grant Plaza, 14th and Broadway: https://www.facebook.com/events/606684710071623/ *===========================* What: Extinction Rebellion Bay Area Organizing Meeting Where: South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St, Berkeley When: Sun, Jan 19, 2-4 pm At this XR meeting, we will join together to awaken and unify to a common purpose. We will look ahead to create a plan of action for Earth Day and beyond! This is a like-minded event, not sponsored by the Green Party. *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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Greenzine: endorsement meeting tonight, anti-war events
by Announcement list for SF Green Party, updated weekly 08 Jan '20

08 Jan '20

January 8 GREENZINE SF Green Party Weekly News and Events www.sfgreenparty.org twitter.com/sfgreenparty mastodon.sfgreens.org/@sfgreenparty www.facebook.com/groups/SFGreenParty/ Dear Greens, Thanks to Greens from around the Bay Area, as well as our allies, for coming out last weekend to the rally against war on Iran. We'll continue to post updates on social media about more anti-war actions as they develop. Please join us tonight at our special endorsement meeting. We've extended the meeting time in order to accommodate a crowded schedule - we'll begin discussing ballot measures at 6:30 pm, and candidates starting at 7. We'll be speaking with several progressive Democrats who are seeking the Green Party's endorsement: Shahid Buttar, Tom Gallagher, and Jackie Fielder, as well as several candidates for Superior Court Judge. Please bring any questions you want to ask! What: Green Party Endorsement Meeting Where: Redstone Bldg (2940 16th Street, near South Van Ness), room 301, SF When: Wed, Jan 8, 6:30-9:30 pm Please join us for a candidate forum and endorsement meeting. We will consider making endorsements for our state and congressional representatives, as well as judges and local and statewide ballot propositions that will appear on the March ballot. You can read the 5 SF ballot propositions (A-E) before the meeting, here: https://sfelections.sfgov.org/measures The one statewide proposition that we'll be deciding on is Prop 13, here: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/qualified-ballot-measures/ Candidates' answers to our judicial questionnaire have been sent to our active membership email list. *===========================* To submit events for our newsletter, please email a short blurb to news(a)sfgreens.org. Messages to a mailing list will be rejected.

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