Dufty in District 8
In his first four years on the job, Supervisor Bevan Dufty has proven he is "all about the neighborhood" that is District 8 – including the Castro, Noe Valley, Duboce Park, Glen Park, and Diamond Heights. Dufty is personable, persuasive, and most of all, effective. We strongly recommend District 8 voters re-elect him to a second term on November 7.
Dufty's accomplishments during his first term include addressing crystal meth use among gay and bi men, which led to the creation of a mayoral task force to examine and to alleviate the problem; working with Castro merchants and residents to address their concerns about queer youth housing programs, which led to the creation of a small transitional housing program that has helped young people turn their lives around; and taking a nuts and bolts approach to solving other basic problems in the district. Dufty's leadership on the mess that is Halloween in the Castro has finally resulted in the city dedicating major police resources to this year's event, with a promise from the mayor that this year's event will be scaled down. Moving Halloween out of the Castro entirely is Dufty's ultimate goal.
On HIV and healthcare issues, Dufty supported Supervisor Tom Ammiano's recently enacted healthcare plan that should provide access to services for uninsured city residents. This will help those living with HIV/AIDS among others who receive much-needed treatment.
Dufty's critics disagree with his stand on housing issues, and while he may not be the most progressive voice on the Board of Supervisors, he opposes the Ellis Act and has supported local legislation aimed at curbing evictions through this state law. "You've got to strike a balance," Dufty told us during an editorial board meeting last month. "I'm not in anybody's camp." While he generally supports Mayor Gavin Newsom, he has voted against the mayor on occasion, such as on former Supervisor Matt Gonzalez's roommate legislation.
Dufty believes that the best way to address divisive and complex issues facing the city is to find common ground and build consensus. He has successfully demonstrated leadership and a thorough knowledge of the district; qualities that will be especially needed in the next four years.
Daly in District 6
Supervisor Chris Daly is probably the polar opposite of Dufty, but he knows the pulse of his South of Market/Tenderloin district and has been unflinching as an advocate for those who are among the poorest and most vulnerable in the city, including many low-income LGBT folks and people living with HIV/AIDS. "I'm a safety net politician," Daly told us last month. "I believe in government helping people in need or who are vulnerable."
During his tenure on the board, Daly has matured as a leader and has helped to bring significant development projects to his district, such as Rincon Hill, which will create some 2,000 units of housing. At the same time, however, he secured $120 million for affordable housing, rental assistance, job training, and other services. He has increased affordable housing to 15 percent for on-site and 20 percent for off-site development. As chair of the budget committee, he worked to restore millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS services.
We recommend Chris Daly in District 6.
Chan in District 4
District 4 is one of San Francisco's more conservative neighborhoods, and with Supervisor Fiona Ma expected to win election to the state Assembly, this is an open seat. We recommend attorney and former Police Commissioner Doug Chan for the job. Chan has in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of city government – he has a long list of public service serving on various boards and commissions that dates back three decades. But during our meeting with him, it was his more recent experience on the Police Commission that impressed us – Chan was a strong backer of police department reform around transgender people in custody that was spearheaded by openly transgender Police Commissioner Theresa Sparks.
We believe Chan is a good fit for his district and recommend him for a seat on the Board of Supervisors.
Districts 2, 10
District 2 Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier faces no serious opposition to her record and we recommend her for re-election. In District 10, incumbent Supervisor Sophie Maxwell has been a strong supporter of LGBT issues that have come before the board and has ably represented the Bayview-Hunters Point area; we recommend her for re-election.
Governor's race
Democrat Phil Angelides is the only choice for LGBT voters. He's the only candidate making a viable run against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and while he's behind in the polls, a lot can happen between now and November 7. Just last week, Schwarzenegger was disparaging Mexican Americans, saying they don't do enough to assimilate once they arrive in the state. As an immigrant himself, the governor sure has an insensitive way of welcoming others to California. If the Latino community would register to vote in droves and turn out at the polls next month, we might have a chance at unseating the actor-turned-politician.
We oppose the governor largely because he has not kept his word on a host of issues. On the day he announced his candidacy in the recall race he said he didn't need any money from anyone. We now see that he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from various special interests groups, even as he was critical of his predecessor for doing the same. He reneged on a deal to fully fund public education, and only belatedly restored the money. He repeatedly says he is for "all the people" yet rarely has he spoken in support of LGBT people. In fact, the only time he has attended a gay event was a June dinner of the Log Cabin Republicans in Southern California. And he didn't say much.
Then there is his veto last year of Assemblyman Mark Leno's (D-San Francisco) gender-neutral marriage bill. That was the tipping point for us, naturally. Schwarzenegger could have used his time in office to reshape the state Republican Party and open it up to include diverse points of view. He's so popular and has so much star wattage that the party leadership would have been compelled to go along. Yet when presented with the single most important opportunity to do so, the governor blew it. He's offered so many statements on same-sex marriage (let the courts decide, let the people decide, blah, blah, blah) that we've lost count. But when he had the chance to become a trailblazer in the fight for fairness and equality, Schwarzenegger failed to be that leader.
Angelides has promised to sign such a bill if elected. With last week's court decision saying that it was up to the legislature to change marriage laws, and Leno vowing to introduce his bill again in December, Angelides is the clear choice for governor.
Send a message
Those who are smarting from last week's state appellate court ruling against same-sex marriage can send a message to one of the judges who decided the case by voting against his bid for another term. Presiding Judge William McGuiness, of the Court of Appeal, District 1, Division 3, is up for re-election November 7. It was McGuiness who authored the 2-1 majority opinion last week that reversed a San Francisco Superior Court judge's 2005 decision that the state's current marriage laws are unconstitutional.