San Francisco Mayor London Breed told the Bay Area Reporter May 3 that she never intended to pit the Harvey Milk Plaza renovation project against San Francisco City Clinic in deciding what to fund in a bond measure.
"Harvey Milk Plaza is important. City Clinic is important. All of it is important," Breed said. "It wasn't about championing Harvey Milk Plaza over City Clinic. We need to stop telling one side of the story."
Breed made the remarks during a campaign visit to the Castro LGBTQ neighborhood that preceded a nearby fundraising event.
As the B.A.R. previously reported, after an uproar from LGBTQ political leaders and activists, $27 million for relocating the Department of Public Health's City Clinic was added May 2 to a bond measure Breed had unveiled April 29. Its initial omission had upset LGBTQ advocates, who noted the bond did include $25 million toward the project to reimagine Harvey Milk Plaza above the Castro Muni Station.
Breed told the B.A.R. that the building City Clinic is currently housed in is not owned by the City and County of San Francisco, and that the city has identified a building it owns for the relocation. On May 6, an oversight committee stacked with city administrators gave its stamp of approval to the bond measure, now including the full funding of $28 million for City Clinic, the funds for Milk plaza, and several other health department and infrastructure projects.
The mayor also talked about her selection of Honey Mahogany as the head of the city's Office of Transgender Initiatives. Mahogany, who started in the position May 6, told the B.A.R. last week that Breed's office had reached out to her.
"When there was no funding, no office of transgender initiatives, Honey Mahogany was a huge advocate for all of the things we are doing now to support the transgender community," Breed said. "She has done amazing work."
Breed had passed over Mahogany two years ago when the District 6 supervisor seat became vacant and appointed gay man and former San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Matt Dorsey. He went on to win election that fall against several candidates, including Mahogany.
Now, Breed is running for reelection in November against her predecessor, Mark Farrell, who served for six months following the death of then-mayor Ed Lee after the supervisors voted for him over Breed; Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who represents District 3; District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí; and Levi Strauss heir Daniel Lurie. When asked what she would say to Farrell and Lurie — who are also running campaigns emphasizing public safety and economic revitalization post-COVID — she said, "My question is, where have they been?"
"These problems are not new problems," she said, saying they are proposing initiatives her administration has already undertaken.
"The things they're proposing, I'm already doing," she said.
Breed dismissed Farrell's call for use of the California National Guard to combat the fentanyl epidemic.
"Mayors don't have the ability to do exactly what he's talking about," she said.
With regard to Peskin's candidacy, she attacked his record on housing.
"We don't need another 'bureaucratic fix,'" she said. "A lot of his 'bureaucratic fixes' are being fixed by me because they amount to obstruction."
The Farrell and Peskin campaigns did not return requests for comment. The Lurie and Safaí campaigns responded after the initial publication of the story online. Last week, Peskin opened a field office at 2055 Market Street, the site of a former nail salon, across from the Safeway shopping center in the upper Market Street area of the Castro district.
Lurie stated to the B.A.R., "The endless jousting from city hall insiders makes for great political theater, but it continues to deprive the community of the outcomes they deserve. It's time for a new era of accountable leadership from outside City Hall."
Safaí told the B.A.R. he disagreed with Breed's characterization that her opponents were AWOL on dealing with the city's issues.
"My team has always said be careful what you say because the mayor will try to copy it," he said. He said that he had spearheaded the San Francisco retail theft working group several years ago that lead to increased foot beats and that he had proposed the revival of the Homeward Bound program to pay for travel home for people experiencing homelessness.
"So it's funny to hear the mayor say people are taking ideas," he said. "Homeward Bound was failing and flailing. Those are two examples that are centerpieces of why I'm running for mayor."
The mayor also met with Terry Asten Bennett, a straight ally who's co-owner of Cliff's Variety and president of the Castro Merchants Association, and Andrea Aiello, a lesbian who's executive director of the Castro Community Benefit District.
"I am very glad Mayor Breed made a point of coming out to meet with some of our Castro Merchants Friday," Asten Bennett told the B.A.R. "Our merchant corridors need the support of our city officials and a commitment to help us continue to build vitally. I would like to see every mayoral candidate come visit the Castro."
Aiello did not return a request for comment.
Safaí said he visited the Castro two weeks ago, and was planning to return.
All in all, Breed said that the city has faced massive challenges since she was elected in a special election in 2018, mostly exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Nonetheless, she insists things have turned a corner. (Breed won a full term in 2019. She faces reelection this year because voters passed a measure extending the terms of several city electeds so that they will be on the ballot in even-numbered years.)
"Now things are starting to look good and feel good," she said.
Breed rode the spirit of San Francisco revival with her 90-minute tour of the Castro, stopping at mainstays such as Hot Cookie for a treat, coffee at the Castro Coffee Company, and a shot of tequila at Moby Dick.
The mayor also met with Terry Asten Bennett, a straight ally who's co-owner of Cliff's Variety and president of the Castro Merchants Association, and Andrea Aiello, a lesbian who's executive director of the Castro Community Benefit District.
"I am very glad Mayor Breed made a point of coming out to meet with some of our Castro Merchants Friday," Asten Bennett told the B.A.R. "Our merchant corridors need the support of our city officials and a commitment to help us continue to build vitally. I would like to see every mayoral candidate come visit the Castro."
Aiello did not return a request for comment.
Breed also talked to neighborhood merchants such as James Freeborn, owner of Freeborn Designs at 463 Castro Street. They discussed Downtown First Thursdays, which, as the B.A.R. previously reported, is a free, all-ages street party that takes place the first Thursday of the month from 5 to 10 p.m. It had its inaugural event the previous evening.
"I don't know how much she had to do with it but I know she is mayor and she is doing things to allow more street events," he said. "Our neighborhood, we need more outdoor celebrations."
Earlier May 3, Breed announced legislation that would create and establish a legal framework for outdoor entertainment zones in San Francisco. The first is proposed for Front Street, between California and Sacramento streets.
"San Francisco's downtown is seeing a new surge of excitement, and we are thrilled to be the first city in California to take advantage of this new law to bring opportunities that foster joy for our residents, workers and visitors. I want to thank Senator Wiener for creating opportunities to bring more energy to our downtown and his unwavering commitment to bettering our city," she stated, referring to gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). "As we continue to do the work, our goal is to encourage more fun and accessible outdoor community events. Our message is clear: San Francisco is having fun, thriving, and open for business."
Breed also stopped at the Castro Country Club, a sober community center at 4058 18th Street. Billy Lemon, a gay man who is executive director of the club, told the B.A.R., "I love that the mayor supports all aspects of recovery. Everything is included in the way she views harm reduction from partial abstinence all the way up to abstinence. That's what the country club is, and we appreciate her ongoing support."
As Breed walked down Castro Street, she was trailed by Michael Petrelis, a gay man running for supervisor in District 9, who, through a bullhorn, asked her to fix potholes in Jane Warner Plaza.
"All you had to do was ask me, Michael," Breed responded.
She later joked about it, listing fixing the potholes as among the things she will be working on while talking to a passerby.
As the B.A.R. previously reported, city officials are making another stab at upgrading the plaza. San Francisco Public Works presented a potential future design for the parklet at a meeting for Castro community stakeholders March 22.
Fundraiser
Breed's campaign held a fundraising event on her behalf at the old Lucky 13 space at 2140 Market Street. There, supporters told the B.A.R. why they think she deserves a second term.
"London Breed has been our most pro-housing mayor in my time living here," said Martin Munoz, a gay man. "It shouldn't take a software engineering job to live in San Francisco. People should be able to live here to escape from places less understanding."
Another supporter who's all-in on reelecting Breed is John Weber, the first Black person elected emperor of San Francisco.
"I am absolutely, without a doubt, endorsing Mayor Breed for a second term," Weber said. "She has been a major force for inclusion, for example, her trans policies, having a department in this city so San Franciscans are empowered and are educated about trans people and trans rights. In addition to that, in my regular job I'm a diversity recruiter, and she opened up a career center in City Hall."
In 2016, before the Office of Transgender Initiatives was formally created, Theresa Sparks, a trans woman, was named as Lee's senior adviser for transgender initiatives, the first municipal position of its kind.
The career center opened up in March in Room 110, where it serves as the main onboarding point for newly-hired city employees and the principal career development location for current employees, according to Breed's office.
"Our workforce makes our city run and delivers the services our residents rely on," she stated at that time. "This career center will help us to attract new workers in the future and support our current employees as we work to create a stronger, more resilient workforce. This is just one part of our broader efforts to expedite and improve hiring and support workers across San Francisco."
Updated, 5/7/24: This article has been updated with comments from Terry ASten Bennett, Daniel Lurie, and Ahsha Safaí.
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