Congressman Mike Honda, who has ably represented parts of the South Bay for many years, finds himself in a similar situation to Pete Stark, the former longtime East Bay representative who was defeated in his re-election bid two years ago. But Honda is no Stark; he is neither out of touch with his district nor does he make weird comments about reporters and others like Stark did. Yet here we are again with another intraparty fight between Honda and his upstart Democratic challenger, technology lawyer Ro Khanna. This time, the choice for our readers in the 17th Congressional District is clear �" we recommend Honda for another term.
Since arriving in Congress in 2001, Honda has been an ally to the LGBT community. He joined with fellow Democrats to introduce the Uniting American Families Act back in 2011. The law was needed at the time because the federal Defense of Marriage Act precluded binational same-sex couples from residing here legally �" a U.S. citizen could not sponsor his/her foreign-born partner for a green card, something that opposite-sex couples could. With last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a key provision of DOMA, same-sex binational couples can apply for residency with immigration officials. Honda was there when we needed support for the bill, which ultimately was not adopted.
Honda supports the inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill that is stalled in the House. When we met with Honda at the end of last year, he held out hope that Republican House Speaker John Boehner would schedule a vote this spring. His thinking was that if GOP House colleagues weren't facing challenges from tea party members, the speaker would call a vote. This, however, has not happened and it looks like a House vote on ENDA is unlikely this year. Comprehensive immigration reform is another issue that Republicans would vote on if they were smart; but they are obsessed with Benghazi and Obamacare, to the consternation of Democratic lawmakers and many Americans.
Khanna's campaign has focused mostly on criticizing the fact that Honda doesn't actually live in the district since its borders were changed under redistricting, and his own close ties to tech leaders. But as we've seen in the recent dustup involving Mozilla, tech leaders don't always act in the interest of the LGBT community �" or the greater community for that matter. There are constant concerns about tech companies sharing users' personal information with the government. Regarding Honda's residence, members of Congress aren't required to live in their districts and there are several recent examples of California representatives who have not. We'd argue that Honda continues to represent his constituents effectively.
The Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee, an LGBT-focused South Bay political action group that has been active for 30 years, has endorsed Honda.
Honda has done a good job in Congress and another candidate's ambition is not reason enough to vote him out of office. Vote for Honda.
Eric Swalwell, District 15
There's a similar situation in the 15th Congressional District, which includes the cities of Fremont, Hayward, Castro Valley, Livermore, Dublin, and San Ramon. Two years ago Eric Swalwell challenged the aforementioned Stark and won. Since then, the freshman lawmaker has turned out to be a good fit for the district. He supports marriage equality. He's spoken out for global LGBT rights. Last year he joined with gay Congressman David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island) and New York Congressman Joe Crowley (D) to send a bipartisan letter to the Ukrainian Parliament expressing concern with proposed anti-LGBT laws that would curtail freedom of assembly and freedom of expression.
Swalwell has been a leader on non-LGBT issues as well, including jobs, public safety and homeland security, and gun violence prevention. Recently, after a teenager accessed the tarmac at Mineta San Jose International Airport and climbed inside the wheel-well of an airplane, Swalwell was among the first elected leaders to call for a pilot study of new airport security technology.
In short, he gets it. He is active, engaged, and has the support of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and many others.
His main opponent is state Senator Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro), who has been an advocate for the LGBT community and an effective state legislator. The problem with intraparty political fights is that they often pit two good people against each other. Generally there should be a compelling reason to vote against an incumbent. We don't see such a reason in this race and endorse Swalwell for another term.
Other congressional seats
The previous races are the most contentious in the Bay Area this cycle. Other local congressmembers are not running in highly contested races and are deserving of support. Pelosi has been a champion of the LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities. Congresswomen Jackie Speier, Barbara Lee, Anna Eshoo, and Zoe Lofgren are also steadfast allies; Lee has fought for global HIV/AIDS issues and Speier has taken on sexual assault in the military. Congressmen John Garamendi, Jared Huffman, and Mike Thompson are also recommended for re-election.
In the East Bay, Mark DeSauliner is the favorite to replace retiring Congressman George Miller and has Miller's backing. Jared Huffman has been an effective representative for his North Bay district.
In the central part of the state, Michael Eggman is running for a seat that covers Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties and hopes to secure a spot in the general election against anti-gay Republican Jeff Denham.
Overall, we're endorsing a qualified list of political leaders who are on the side of LGBT equality.
No doubt �" Brown for governor
Governor Jerry Brown appears to be on his way to an unprecedented fourth term and there's no reason why LGBT voters shouldn't join with most Californians in voting for him in the June 3 primary. In fact, the field is so uninspiring that Brown hasn't had to do much in the way of campaigning ahead of the primary.
In the last three and a half years, Brown steadied the state after he took over from Arnold Schwarzenegger, who never could figure out how to pay down the debt and work with the Legislature. Brown stopped the fiscal bleeding, and now with the improved economy, California is on the road to recovery. Statewide, the unemployment figure this month is at 7.6 percent, a vast improvement from the 12.1 percent rate when he took office in January 2011.
On LGBT rights, Brown signed groundbreaking legislation, including gay Assemblyman Tom Ammiano's (D-San Francisco) AB 1266, which ensures that transgender students can fully participate in all school activities, sports teams, programs, and facilities that match their gender identity. He also signed Seth's Law, another Ammiano bill that addresses school bullying. The law is named after a Kern County teenager, Seth Walsh, who hanged himself after suffering years of harassment.
The governor also signed bills ensuring LGBT cultural competency for administrators of senior care facilities; LGBT health insurance tax parity (even though a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act was found unconstitutional, the state had unfairly taxed same-sex couples who received health insurance through their partner or spouse); and simplification of the name-change procedure for transgender persons.
In his likely last term in office, Brown will have to address the financial challenges facing high speed rail, water issues, and lingering effects from the drought. But he's been there before and has the experience to run a state as large and diverse as California. We recommend that readers vote for Jerry Brown for governor.
Gavin Newsom, lieutenant governor
Since being elected, Newsom has used the bully pulpit of the lieutenant governor's office to oppose rising tuition fees at state universities and colleges, continue advocating for marriage equality, and embrace the growing tech sector. Earlier this year he became the highest ranking Democrat to come out against high speed rail, saying that it wasn't the same system that he initially supported in 2008. Since then, other Democratic statewide officeholders and candidates have begun to question the high cost �" now pegged at $68 billion, more than double the original estimate. There's no doubt tough decisions need to be made on the cost of the project before it moves forward and Newsom jump-started that conversation.
Newsom will continue to be a tremendous advocate for the LGBT community and voters should re-elect him.
Kamala Harris, attorney general
Attorney General Kamala Harris refused to defend the indefensible Proposition 8 when the case against the state's same-sex marriage ban went to the U.S. Supreme Court last year, upholding a pledge she made during her victory party. Since taking office, Harris oversaw a broad range of investigations targeting illegal weapons, drugs, and white-collar crime.
In her likely second term, we hope that Harris comes out more forcefully in favor of medical marijuana and that she will work with lawmakers seeking to regulate the business in California. It's likely that another statewide initiative supporting recreational use of cannabis will come before voters in 2016 and Harris needs to get out in front on this issue. So far, the states that do allow recreational use, Colorado and Washington, have not experienced major problems, and, in fact, have seen an increase in revenue.
By and large Harris has done a good job as the state's top law enforcement officer. She merits a second term.
Alex Padilla, secretary of state
This race is one to watch as it may be the most competitive since state Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) withdrew after his arrest on federal corruption charges (he pleaded not guilty). Padilla, a Democratic state senator from the San Fernando Valley, pledges to expand voter participation to ensure that every vote counts and is accounted for. He also wants to increase transparency where appropriate and reach out to county election officials to better serve voters. The secretary of state's office is also responsible for overseeing registrations for new businesses and Padilla says on his campaign website that he will work to reduce the backlog, which is a step toward economic recovery.
Padilla has experience in state government and was able to work across ideological lines. He is our choice for secretary of state.
Betty Yee, controller
See last week's editorial, http://ebar.com/openforum/opforum.php?sec=editorial&id=489.
John Chiang, treasurer
John Chiang has been an excellent state controller for the last eight years, and was put to the test during California's cash crisis in 2009 when he briefly suspended lawmakers' salaries because they did not pass the state budget on time. In an editorial board meeting, Chiang said that he wants the treasurer's office to help real people and intends to provide the expertise of his office to local districts so that officials can ask the right questions before issuing bonds. The treasurer sells the state's debt and handles the related disclosure documents. Chiang also questions the cost of high speed rail and told us more private investment is needed. He has the financial expertise to seamlessly transition to the treasurer's office.
Dave Jones, insurance commissioner
Dave Jones has a record of standing up for consumers in the cut-throat insurance industry. His office regulates �" and can reject as excessive �" rates for most types of insurance; the glaring exception is health insurance, which he hopes to rectify with a fall ballot initiative, the Insurance Rate Public Justification and Accountability Act.
During an editorial board meeting, Jones pointed out that he issued a gender non-discrimination regulation to ensure that everyone has the right to access coverage for medically necessary care regardless of their gender identity or gender expression. He recently received an award from the Transgender Law Center for his efforts on behalf of the community.
In short, Jones has a solid record fighting for consumers and reining in the big insurance companies. He should be re-elected.
Tom Torlakson, superintendent of public instruction
Tom Torlakson has been instrumental in the fight to avoid even deeper education cuts during the state's fiscal crisis and, according to his campaign website, earlier this year led successful efforts to provide schools with $1.25 billion in locally controlled funding for new textbooks, teacher training, and school technology.
If re-elected, we'd like to see Torlakson become more proactive when it comes to LGBT students. He has made strides in making the state's public schools safer for all students, but problems persist, especially around gender identity and gender expression. An audit report last year concluded that schools aren't doing enough to check whether their anti-harassment policies are effective. We wish Torlakson wouldn't be so averse to speaking out on LGBT issues, especially the pervasive problem of school bullying. We have attempted to reach him for comment over the past four years but he has yet to speak with us.
Overall, however, he understands the public education system and is working to restore much-needed funding to the classroom. We recommend re-electing Torlakson to a second term.
Fiona Ma, Board of Equalization, District 2
Former San Francisco Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D) is running to replace Betty Yee on the state Board of Equalization. Ma is a certified public accountant who has financial experience and would be a good fit for the BOE. District 1 includes the nine-county Bay Area region and 14 other counties from the northern California coast to Santa Barbara.
In an editorial board meeting, Ma told us that she'll work to educate people more about the state tax issues that the BOE oversees. She also wants to see the increased use of technology and a more aggressive program for going after tax cheats. Ma has traveled to every county in the huge BOE district at least three times, listening to voters and talking about ways to improve transparency in the department. She said that if the LGBT community identifies specific issues that need to be addressed, she will convene a forum to discuss possible changes. We think she will be a great addition to a little-known board that oversees much of the state tax system.
Ballot measure endorsements
San Francisco ballot measures
Proposition A: Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond. YES
Prop A would authorize the city to issue $400 million in general obligation bonds to repair, upgrade, and seismically retrofit San Francisco's aging firefighting water infrastructure and to make other infrastructure upgrades to the city's neighborhood police and fire stations and create seismically secure facilities for the medical examiner and the crime lab. These upgrades are badly needed as the current facilities do not meet current seismic standards and are not expected to remain functional in the event of a major disaster. This is a project supported by the mayor and the Board of Supervisors as well as all public safety agencies and has been thoroughly vetted and included in the city's 10-year Capital Plan. Vote YES on A.
Proposition B: Voter Approval for Waterfront Development Height Increases. NO
We oppose Prop B. It is unnecessary and will lead to unintended and counterproductive results.
Development along the San Francisco waterfront, from Fisherman's Wharf to India Basin, has always been a sensitive topic, as well it should be. Our waterfront constitutes a unique and beautiful part of San Francisco's geographic mystique. It is for that reason that in 1990 the voters adopted Proposition H that required the city to prepare a Waterfront Land Use Plan. There was extensive public input. As a result, the Port Commission that administers some seven and a half miles of waterfront property adopted a comprehensive land use plan that governs acceptable waterfront uses consistent with Prop H and public trust requirements. Likewise, the city's zoning laws regulate development on all property, including Port property, and limit development height ranging from 40 feet to 84 feet. Any deviation from these rules, including height limit, is only allowed after an extensive public process and approvals by numerous city bodies, including the Port Commission, the Planning Commission, the Board of Supervisors and often other state and local agencies. This is an orderly process, conducted by our elected officials and those appointed by them to implement city policy. This is how democracy is supposed to function. Generally, it works well.
The zoning rules, including height limits, are not absolute. Often there are tradeoffs to consider. Perhaps a developer would like to build affordable rather than luxury housing but needs to create more units in order to make it financially viable and has to add two floors, exceeding the height limit. More affordable housing is in the public interest, so under a controlled process, a variance might be appropriate. Likewise with public parks and public space. In order to include public space in a project, it may be necessary to permit greater density or height for the project to pencil out for the developer. That is why there is a process for a variance.
Certain development projects, however, are of such a scope and public impact that voters are asked to weigh in. Such was the case with the Giants baseball park, a proposed new 49er stadium and would surely be the case with any stadium development on the waterfront, such as the previously proposed Warriors stadium on Piers 30-32. This is normal for large projects with great public impact.
Prop B eviscerates the city's orderly process that has functioned well for many years. It requires that the voters approve all developments that would exceed the height limit along the waterfront. We believe this to be unnecessary. Currently all developments are vetted by professionals in the respective commissions and agencies after extensive public input. They have studied the issues related to a particular development and brought professional expertise to them. Most voters don't have the time or the professional skills necessary to get down into the weeds of every development project that seeks a variance from a general rule. It is good that there is a process to put an individual project of great public interest on the ballot, but every project? Every apartment building? Every office building? We don't think so.
We spoke of unintended consequences. Everyone knows the housing crisis facing San Francisco. Rents are too high, and there is not enough new housing being created to hold prices down. This proposition will add a new level of cost that will likely prohibit many project sponsors from going forward with modest and smaller housing projects. Only the luxury high rises will get built, because they will be the only sponsors with the resources to fight a costly election battle. It will make the housing crisis worse, not better.
Most of our city elected leaders know that Prop B is a bad idea. Why haven't they spoken out? Where is the leadership? It's missing because they all think that Prop B is a slam-dunk to win, and there's nothing in it for them. We are disappointed with the lack of courage and leadership on this proposition. Maybe it is a slam-dunk. But it's still a bad idea. Vote No on B.
State ballot measures
Proposition 41: Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014. YES
This state proposition authorizes the issuance of $600 million in General Obligation bonds previously approved to construct and rehabilitate housing for California's large population of homeless veterans. After 10 years of multiple wars and tens of thousands of returning veterans, many with serious physical and psychological injuries, this investment is definitely needed and justified.
Proposition 42: Public Records. Open Meetings. State Reimbursement to Local Agencies. YES
Full public access to government meetings and records is essential to the proper functioning of a democracy. This state constitutional amendment addresses the question of who should pay the costs incurred by local agencies for compliance with the public access to records law: the state or the local agency doing the complying. Currently the state pays these costs. This proposition would shift the burden to the local government agency that is better positioned to innovate and reduce costs through efficiencies.
Yee for state controller
Controller may not sound like the most exciting job in the state, but for Betty Yee, who lives and breathes numbers and has the fiscal expertise, it would be a position from which she could continue her advocacy work in several policy areas that actually may make a difference for many Californians. Yee is our choice for controller in the June 3 primary.
Yee is a familiar face to many in the LGBT community. A straight ally, Yee has been in the forefront of efforts to equalize the state tax system for same-sex couples before last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Windsor, which prompted the Internal Revenue Service to finally recognize married gay and lesbian couples for tax purposes. But several years ago, when California was a leader in providing equal rights for same-sex couples �" we were known as domestic partners at the time �" Yee attended numerous Bay Area seminars talking about what effects those changes would have. As the elected northern California representative on the state Board of Equalization, where she represents 9 million Californians in 21 counties, including the Bay Area, Yee had a solid understanding of state taxes and the policies that needed to change to accommodate same-sex couples. Her fellow board members twice elected her BOE chair.
With Yee termed out on the Board of Equalization, she is seeking the next logical office, that of controller. Basically the chief financial officer of the state, the controller pays the bills and disperses funds, and monitors the money coming in to the state's coffers. The controller also acts as the state's independent financial watchdog. When the cities of Bell and Stockton had fiscal crises, the controller's office, through its audit function, investigated the cases.
The controller also has several other responsibilities, including serving on the State Lands Commission. The controller chairs the Franchise Tax Board (Yee already serves on that panel due to her job on the BOE) and sits on a host of financing commissions.
Yee said that if elected she would focus on tax policy, pensions, and broad policy areas. In our editorial board meeting, Yee said she would take the lead on what she called "the long overdue conversation on comprehensive tax reform," and that includes Proposition 13. She noted that Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) is working on legislation that would close a loophole in commercial ownership of property and said that's a good place to start. Yee is also interested in looking at local government taxing authorities, many of which gave up that power with the passage of Prop 13.
Public pensions are also part of the controller's job and Yee pledged to preserve retirement security for public employees, educational employees, and teachers by protecting defined benefit plans under the retirement systems while employing a more active management of asset allocation and increasing public and member transparency.
Yee also advocates for a higher minimum wage �" she told us it should be close to $15 per hour �" and maintained that most workers "would plow that right back into the economy."
She is supportive of medical marijuana but wants to see it regulated, ideally through the Department of Consumer Affairs and is willing to give high speed rail more time to see if the California High Speed Rail Authority can get back on track. "For all those communities along the corridors there's a tremendous potential for economic development," she said, but if the authority can't get the cost under control, "we can't afford it."
Yee is running against two other major candidates, Ashley Swearengin, the Republican mayor of Fresno, and John A Perez, the Democratic gay state Assembly speaker from Los Angeles. We wanted to talk to Perez about his candidacy but his campaign didn't get back to us. And while it would be exciting to have a statewide elected official who is openly gay, we're not sure Perez is the best candidate for controller. For her part, Yee understands that some LGBT voters might be drawn to Perez. "Every community goes through this," she said, referring to electing their own to various offices. "But I think the office demands deep finance experience."
So do we. Yee has over 29 years of public service experience with the BOE and, before that, serving as chief deputy director for budget with the California Department of Finance. She has been crunching numbers for a long time and has the skills needed to maintain the integrity and functionality of the controller's office.
Yee has been traveling up and down the state reaching out to as many communities as possible. Turnout will be key in the primary as the top two finishers, regardless of party, will face each other in November. She began running for controller early, before Perez jumped into the race, and is an expert in tax and fiscal policy. On June 3, vote for Yee for state controller.
Flores for Superior Court judge
Attorney Daniel Flores is one of three candidates seeking an open seat on the San Francisco Superior Court bench. He stands out, in our opinion, for the diversity of his experience, which makes him uniquely qualified for the job.
Flores has the backing of more than 20 judges, including LGBT judges Linda Colfax and Charles Haines and state appellate Judge James Humes. A straight ally, Flores is keenly aware of the discrimination LGBTs have experienced in the criminal justice system, much more so in previous decades than today.
But what stood out to us is his experience on the civil and criminal sides of the legal profession. Oftentimes judicial candidates �" and those appointed by the governor �" specialize in one area of the law or another. Flores has done both criminal defense work as well as civil litigation. He has appeared before judges many, many times and has handled hundreds of legal matters over the last decade. He has volunteered with the public defender's office, contributing pro bono work for clients.
"I enjoyed being in court," he told us during our editorial board meeting. "I had the opportunity to see a lot of judges in action and really see the impact a good judge can make."
He said that he recognizes a lot of the struggles that bring people to court, and in his practice now, tries to see both sides of a conflict in order to attempt to find a resolution.
That's what good judges do: they examine the facts and try to find a solution according to the law. Most of the time judges try to settle civil matters. On the criminal side, prosecutors and defense attorneys often try to reach a plea deal. In those instances, the judge needs to be familiar with the facts of the case and have the ability to determine whether a deal is in the best interest of the perpetrator and the victim. Flores has that ability.
His two opponents, career prosecutor Kimberly Williams and former Police Commissioner Carol Kingsley, are also qualified. But we felt that their ties to law enforcement were too close, and for the fact that the governor often appoints assistant district attorneys to the bench when vacancies occur. For the first time in many years, there is no out LGBT candidate running.
In this down-ballot race that isn't getting a lot of attention, we think Flores is the best candidate.
Chiu's the choice in AD 17
Residents in San Francisco's Assembly District 17, which covers the eastern side of the city, are fortunate to have two qualified Democratic candidates seeking to replace gay progressive stalwart Tom Ammiano, who is termed out of office. And while the Bay Area Reporter exists to serve the LGBT community and its interests, that doesn't mean we will always recommend the gay candidate in a race. This is one of those times, as we urge readers to vote for David Chiu for Assembly.
Chiu is a straight man who is so thoroughly committed to equality that he hopes to join the Legislature's LGBT caucus. He has been with the community from the beginning of his professional career, even, in fact, before that. During our editorial board meeting, Chiu told us of growing up in Boston in the 1970s, which was not particularly diverse. "I grew up hearing a lot of hate slurs," including anti-gay epithets, he said. "I really came to associate those sentiments with something I wanted to fight." In the 1990s, Chiu worked against the Defense of Marriage Act when he was a congressional staffer for the late Paul Simon, one of the few senators who thought DOMA "was horrific," he noted. It was part of the reason he decided to move to San Francisco 17 years ago.
Ten years ago he began working on LGBT issues here. And since being elected to the Board of Supervisors and becoming its president more than five years ago, Chiu has made sure to backfill HIV/AIDS funding cut by the federal government. He has delivered funding for vulnerable LGBT students at nonprofits like the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center, and passed resolutions supporting the reunification of LGBT immigrant families. He worked with gay board members to shore up the finances of the LGBT Community Center. On every issue affecting the LGBT community that the board has taken up, Chiu has been on our side.
All told, Chiu has managed to get 97 of his ordinances passed by the board. That speaks to his ability to work with divergent interests and to reach consensus, something that will be necessary in Sacramento, where the Assembly is nearly eight times the size of the Board of Supervisors. There's a difference in leadership �" tone and culture �" that Chiu and his opponent, gay Supervisor David Campos, bring to the table. But Chiu has the edge in all areas, in our opinion, and will be a more effective legislator. There are times when he will take on special interests; leading the fight against the 8 Washington development last year is but one example.
Whoever wins the Assembly race will need to shift from focusing on exclusively local issues to more regional and statewide concerns, and California, the eighth largest economy, has plenty of problems to address, from a slow economic recovery in parts of the state to the high cost of living and lack of affordable housing in cities like San Francisco.
State issues affecting the Bay Area are vast �" there's housing, water, and reform of Proposition 13 to name just a few. Regarding Prop 13, the decades-old property tax initiative that has led to loss of funding for public education and other services over the years, Chiu said he is committed to pushing all sides to change it. At present, there seems to be more support for changing the commercial property tax aspect of the law, but Chiu vows to look at all of it. He has a record of success working with business, even though he was elected as a progressive. "I worked really hard to create an 11-0 business tax and helped move to a job creating tax," he told us, adding that the business tax reform recently passed by voters took over a decade to work out. "I don't come to this with one-size-fits-all," he said, referring to Prop 13. "I think everyone knows when property tax [revenue] drops 60 percent you have to do something. I'm open to a variety."
Chiu said that San Franciscans from the 17th District deserve a representative who will champion new legislation and groundbreaking programs for the LGBT community. His platform calls for more state resources for building senior affordable housing that includes LGBT seniors, and providing rental and homeowner assistance and legal services, as well as supporting LGBT-specific aging in place programs. For LGBT youth, state policies need to ensure students are safe from bullying and that foster youth are well-served. Other priorities include adequate funding for HIV/AIDS patients, fair drug prices, and the health care needs of lesbians and transgender people.
"And while the battle for marriage equality in California is thankfully over, we need to continue to fight LGBT discrimination in the workplace and in housing decisions, particularly for transgender people," Chiu said in a follow-up statement.
We are under no illusions that we live in a post-gay society, but we don't think that being gay should be our sole litmus test either. It is definitely important to have LGBT representatives at all levels of government, especially outside of San Francisco. However, the community has matured since the days of Harvey Milk when he won a seat on the Board of Supervisors and became the first gay elected officeholder in California. Back then, no one was arguing for us. Now, more and more politicians are arguing for us, including mainstream Democrats, independents, and an increasing number of Republicans. In Milk's day, he won over labor unions and built consensus around the Coors boycott. Fast forward to 2014, it's candidate Chiu who has more labor support in the race.
Chiu stated the obvious when he told us that he has not lived the experience of a gay man. But he said that he believes whoever the next assemblyman is, he should be a leader for LGBTs. "I will work my hardest," he said.
As board president, Chiu has been extremely effective at navigating the tricky trails of San Francisco politics. He has done it with civility and a work ethic that demonstrates his commitment to the city and its residents. He will bring that energy and know-how to Sacramento. It's one thing to fight for an issue by holding press conferences and speaking at rallies; it's another to actually come up with a plan and see it through to becoming policy by passing an ordinance. That's the difference between Chiu and his opponent, and why, at the end of the day, we recommend Chiu for Assembly.
Send these 5 to CA Assembly
Voters in the South Bay, on the Peninsula, in the East Bay, and the Westside of San Francisco have the opportunity to send five qualified candidates to the state Assembly. In the June 3 primary, the Bay Area Reporter recommends the following:
Evan Low, Assembly District 28
Evan Low, the outgoing South Bay politician, has been a rising star in the Democratic Party and the LGBT community since 2006, when he became the first Asian American, openly gay, and youngest person ever elected to the Campbell City Council. He went on to serve as mayor, again making history, and was re-elected. At 31, he has the experience serving in public office and is a regional leader on an array of issues. Low championed marriage equality and spoke out against the federal government's ban on blood donations from gay men.
He is running to succeed his boss, Assemblyman Paul Fong (D-Cupertino), who is termed out. The district includes Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, and parts of San Jose.
Low also worked on issues affecting Campbell, including a balanced budget that did not cut vital city services like public safety. He is an advocate for transparency in government and pushed to make City Council meetings available online. He helped cut red tape for business owners and is a leader on environmental and sustainability issues.
In short, Low is a qualified Assembly candidate who can bring his local government experience to Sacramento.
Rich Gordon, Assembly Distirct 24
Rich Gordon (D) is running for re-election to his Peninsula seat and wholeheartedly deserves our endorsement. He is a gay man who has been an effective representative for his district and an unwavering advocate for equality.
Gordon is effective because of his bipartisan approach to pass a variety of bills, 33 of which have been signed into law. These include making more money available to local housing trusts and extending a child care subsidy plan in San Mateo County that maximizes limited funds while aiding working families.
Gordon chairs the powerful Assembly Rules Committee and was elected chair of the Legislature's LGBT caucus for an unprecedented third consecutive term. The work of the caucus has been shaped by events occurring across the country �" from marriage equality being restored in California to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision invalidating a provision of the Defense of Marriage Act. Gordon led the caucus to reaffirm its commitment to ensure that the policies originating with the Legislature or established by state agencies are inclusive of all families.
Elizabeth Echols, Assembly District 15
Elizabeth Echols (D) is a longtime East Bay resident who recently held an important post in the Obama administration where she was regional administrator of the Small Business Administration and senior adviser on Clean Tech and Energy Efficiency Initiatives. She is running to replace Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), who is termed out.
In her role at the SBA, Echols helped local small businesses and entrepreneurs expand and create high quality jobs by providing access to financing, business training, and federal contracts.
Echols's main issues are public education, local businesses, and the environment. She is a good fit for the district, which includes cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Skinner has endorsed her.
Echols is an executive board member of the National Women's Political Caucus Alameda North Chapter.
She received the endorsement of Equality California. As a straight ally, Echols is committed to ensuring everyone in the state enjoys equal rights and equal opportunity. In her announcement of the endorsement, she said she looks forward to working with EQCA, meaning the LGBT community has a firm ally in this very diverse district.
Rob Bonta, Assembly District 18
Rob Bonta (D) is running for re-election to this East Bay district that includes the cities of Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro. He is the first Filipino to serve in the Legislature and is a solid ally of the LGBT community. This year, he authored a bill to distribute condoms in state prisons, which is aimed at decreasing HIV transmission and other sexually transmitted infections. He had written similar legislation last year but Governor Jerry Brown vetoed it. This time, Bonta added some flexibility to the bill to satisfy concerns by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Since the prison department would have to implement the plan, such flexibility seems reasonable.
In the Assembly, Bonta worked to restore millions of dollars to East Bay public schools with more local control. He's fighting for stronger local gun laws and funding for more police officers. And he is focused on income inequality, strongly supporting last year's California minimum wage increase bill that the governor signed.
Bonta has been endorsed by Equality California and earned a 100 percent rating on the LGBT lobbying organization's scorecard. He will continue to be an effective representative for the East Bay.
Phil Ting, Assembly District 19
Assemblyman Phil Ting (D) represents the West side of San Francisco and is running for re-election facing no major opposition. Highlights of his first term include legislation that would provide fiscal relief to same-sex couples who are hit with increased tax bills due to health care benefits. This bill was needed at the time because of DOMA, a major component of which was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.
He is also the author of legislation that would permanently give pharmacists the choice to sell syringes to adults without prescription if the pharmacists meet requirements for providing information about safe disposal and other conditions. This bill's goal is to lower HIV transmission.
Ting, a straight ally and the city's former assessor-recorder, has long been a supporter of marriage equality and also has a 100 percent score from Equality California, which endorsed him.
He knows his district and knows San Francisco, and is effective at advocating for both.