Endorsements Nov 2016
The SF Berniecrats met twice to vote on all these candidates and measures. To win our endorsement, each candidate had to win at least 60% of the vote.
National Races
President: Jill Stein– CA is going blue anyway. If Jill gets 5%, Green Party gets federal funding
US Senate: No Endorsement – Harris is tied to corrupt Dem establishment, and needs improvement on police reform; Sanchez is a blue dog but voted against the Iraq war
Congress D12: Preston Picus– Picus is a Berniecrat and school teacher; Pelosi is a liar
Congress D14: Jackie Speier
State Races
State Senate D11: Jane Kim– Endorsed by Bernie and hopefully the future of the Dem Party
State Assembly D17: No Endorsement – Neither are progressive enough
State Assembly D19: No Endorsement – Neither are progressive enough
Superior Court: Victor Hwang– Progressive civil rights advocate
San Francisco Races
Board of Education:
Rob Geller
Matt Haney
Jill Wynns
Community College Board:
Tom Temprano
Rafael Mandelman
Shanell Williams
Alex Randolph
BART D7: Lateefah Simon– Progressive advocate for disenfranchised
BART D9: Bevan Dufty
D1: Sandra Lee Fewer– fighter for affordable housing & education
D3: Aaron Peskin– Progressive staple in SF
D5: Dean Preston– One of CA’s greatest tenant’s rights advocate
D7: Norman Yee
D9: Hillary Ronen– Progressive civil rights worker
D11: Kimberly Alvarenga– Housing and workers advocate. Herrera was a close second.
State Ballot Measures
51 – School Bonds for K-12 and Community Colleges: Yes. Will pay for school construction and repair. Not perfect but we’ll take it.
52 – Medi-Cal Hospital Fee Program: No. Fees on hospitals will go to special interests.
53 – Revenue Bonds: No. Republican Trojan Horse to stop progress.
54 – Legislature proceedings: Yes. Public oversight is good.
55 – Tax Extension to Fund Education and Healthcare: Yes!Tax the rich for education.
56 – Cigarette Tax to Fund Healthcare: Yes. Cigarettes will kill you.
57 – Juvenile sentencing: Yes. Help kids get their lives back.
58 – English education: Yes. Overturns English-only education.
59 – Corporate spending in politics: Yes!!!Overturn Citizens United!
60 – Condoms in porn: No. Nobody wants this and it doesn’t help anyone.
61 – CA drug prices: Yes. Keeps drug prices down.
62 – Repeal the death penalty: Yes!Execution IS cruel and inhuman.
63 – Ammo sales: Yes. A weak show-piece for Newsom, but we’ll take what we can get.
64 – Marijuana Legalization: Yes!End prohibition now. The US will follow.
65 – Plastic bag charges: No. Undermines plastic bag ban, takes $ out of CA.
66 – Accelerated death penalty: No!Innocent people will die.
67 – Plastic bag ban: Yes. Keeps the ban alive.
Regional Measures
RR – BART bonds: Yes. Gives BART money they need, keeps us safe.
San Francisco Ballot Measures
A – School bonds (local): Yes. Repair and construct new schools. Seems to benefit construction companies more than improving the quality of education, but it’s better than nothing.
B – City College tax: Yes. $20 parcel tax to help City College.
C – Affordable housing bonds: Yes. Loans for affordable housing.
D – Vacancy appointments: Yes. Requires interim election for vacant seats.
E – Street trees: Yes. Trees are the city’s responsibility.
F – Youth voting: Yes. Lets 16-17 year-olds vote in school board elections.
G – Police oversight: Sure. Rename the Office of Citizen Complaints. Separate budget from SFPD, but doesn’t provide real reforms.
H – Public advocate: Yes. Creates Office of Public Advocate, balancing the power of the Mayor.
I – Senior funding: Yes. Funding for senior citizens and the disabled.
J – Homeless and transport funding: No. Good ideas, dangerous implementation. Initiated by Ed Lee and Weiner.
K – Sales tax: No. Money won’t be used properly. Linked to measure J.
L – MTA oversight: Yes!Gives progressive Board of Supervisors leverage for SFMTA.
M – Housing Commission: Yes. Takes oversight for housing from Mayor to Housing and Development Commission.
N: Non-Citizen parents can take part in School Board votes: Yes!We fought a war over taxation without representation. Already pay taxes, so deserve to be involved.
O – Increase in commercial space in Hunters Point and Candlestick: No. We’ld prefer this land be used for residential or mixed use.
P – Competitive bidding: No!Will make affordable housing worse.
Q – Prohibits tent on sidewalks: No. Doesn’t work when we have a shortage of housing and criminalizes homelessness.
R – Neighborhood Crime Unit: No. Creates Scott Weiner Gestapo.
S – Allocates Hotel Tax for Arts, and Moscone Center: Yes.
T – Restrict campaign contributions: Yes!
U – Affordable Housing Requirements: No!Makes it harder for middle and low income people to get affordable housing.
V – Tax sugar sweetened beverages: Yes. Regressive tax, but sodas cause health problems.
W – Tax on Properties Over $5 Million: Yes!
X – Preserves space for Arts, small businesses, and community services: Yes. Helps SOMA and Mission.