It's not often that we decide not to endorse an incumbent for re-election. But regarding the race for San Francisco sheriff, it's been clear for months that change at the top is needed and so we're recommending that readers vote for Vicki Hennessy.
We stood by Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi three years ago, when he was fighting to retain his job, but his missteps since returning to office are now impossible to ignore. In short, we don't believe the department is being run effectively �" and we place the responsibility for that squarely on Mirkarimi.
Communication is key for every elected official, especially for one involved in law enforcement and public safety. The sheriff's department checks on warrants, handles evictions (never an easy job), oversees the jails, and must communicate with other government officials constantly. Mirkarimi is like a man on a deserted island, and, from what we've observed, doesn't have the support of the deputies, who have endorsed Hennessy, or the city's "elected family," who have pretty much shut him out ever since he became sheriff and pleaded guilty to one count of false imprisonment after the fight with his wife was exposed. The mayor then tried to remove him from office, but four members of the Board of Supervisors voted in favor of reinstatement (he had been on unpaid leave). This spring he won a judge's order to expunge the conviction from his record.
Mirkarimi has had several scandals develop on his watch, most notably the killing of a young woman on a city pier, allegedly by a man in the country illegally who had been released from custody by the sheriff's department after a long ago drug possession charge against him was dismissed. Citing his interpretation of the city's sanctuary city policy, the sheriff's department released the individual without alerting federal immigration authorities, again a failure of communication and a decision that came under blistering criticism from Mayor Ed Lee and other officials.
It was that murder that exposed and widened the fissure between city leaders and the sheriff. While all of them support San Francisco's sanctuary city policy, there is no agreement on whether it should be improved or the will to do it. When Mirkarimi told us that the city's Due Process for All law, which broadened the sanctuary city policy and was signed by the mayor in 2013, should go back to the Board of Supervisors for some adjustment in light of the Pier 14 killing, he could not immediately say that he would take the lead and push the board to prevent this from happening again �" and he was a supervisor for seven years so he's well-versed in how the legislative process works.
There was also the 2013 case of a missing woman at San Francisco General Hospital, which is patrolled by sheriff's deputies, who was later found dead in a stairwell. There was the scandal earlier this year that sheriff's deputies allegedly engaged in betting on inmate fights. There was the death by suicide of an inmate. When you're the elected sheriff, the buck stops at the top, and in this case, the series of incidents have one thing in common: a lack of communication between Mirkarimi and the personnel he oversees, including deputies and other staff.
The need for change
Hennessy would bring solid credentials to the job �" she had served in the sheriff's department years ago and the mayor brought her out of retirement to serve as interim sheriff when Mirkarimi was placed on unpaid leave. Hennessy joined the sheriff's department in 1975, at a time when it was actively recruiting women and minorities. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the youngest captain in California law enforcement in 1983. In 1997 she was promoted to chief deputy.
When we met with her, Hennessy, who retired in 2010, said she was ready to come back "because I really care about the department."
But she also made a point that resonated with us: "I feel right now, the fundamentals of leadership aren't there."
Hennessy, like every other San Francisco elected official, supports the sanctuary city policy. She also said that she would communicate with federal authorities, which she believes is allowed under the current city policy. But she said the local laws are "rife" for misinterpretation and that as sheriff she would work to make the policy "clear for everybody." She also disagrees with Mirkarimi that detainers and notification are similar, which was in contention in the aftermath of the Pier 14 shooting. Mirkarimi issued a memo prohibiting his staff from giving immigration authorities information about detainees. Hennessy said that if a review of an individual's case leads her to believe that the person may be a threat to public safety, or it is otherwise appropriate, there is flexibility under the city sanctuary policy that would allow her to communicate with immigration and customs agents.
Trans housing policy
We do give Mirkarimi credit for proposing a housing policy for transgender inmates that would house them based on their gender identity rather than their birth sex and allowing transgender women inmates to participate in women's classes in the jail. It's a groundbreaking policy shift that should help trans prisoners. We wanted assurance from Hennessy that she supports the change.
"I'm all for it, as long as it's done correctly," Hennessy told us.
By that, she means that deputies must receive training and the policy must be carefully implemented. Hennessy also distanced herself from one of the deputies who was critical of the policy and who told us that he doesn't consider people who have not had surgery to be transgender. That is a huge misconception that demonstrates that training is needed for jail staff. As Hennessy said, the policy won't be successful if it doesn't have buy-in from the line staff. "I don't want it to look like a publicity stunt," she said.
At its core, the race for sheriff is about leadership and open communication. Hennessy has both of those skills, as well as deep experience in the department. She is not afraid of change and will use her leadership post to vastly improve a department that has been mired in controversy. Hennessy is our choice for sheriff.
Alex Randolph for City College board
In the election to fill the remaining term on the City College Board of Trustees, we recommend Alex Randolph, a gay man who was appointed to the board by Mayor Ed Lee earlier this year.
City College was saved from the brink of closure after several years of investigation and a threat by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges to revoke its accreditation. Earlier this year the accreditation committee granted "restoration" status to CCSF, giving it two years to fully comply with the requirements to be in good standing. In the meantime, a city lawsuit against the commission is making its way through state court.
Randolph said that his priorities include improving the college's financial management, raising enrollment numbers, and expanding student services. Additionally, he believes it's critical to increase job training for students and promote science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, career fields.
Enrollment at the college has plummeted after the ACCJC threatened to revoke accreditation. There used to be nearly 100,000 students, now there are about 80,000, Randolph said. Significantly, there are about 23,000 full-time students currently, down from 38,000 in 2008. That translates into deep financial cuts as the foundation for funding is based on full-time enrollment. The college never lost its accreditation, but potential students have been scared off. Randolph said it's important that people realize the college is fully accredited.
"Most didn't know we're still open," he said.
Randolph himself attended community college in San Diego before moving to San Francisco and said it served as a lifeline.
Right now, the elected board of trustees has seen some of its power restored, although the special trustee still retains veto power. Randolph and the other trustees are working hard to remedy the situation at City College. He also praised new chancellor Susan Lamb, a lesbian, and said she's working to recruit administrators.
Randolph has done good work on the board since he was appointed; he should be elected by voters to serve out the one-year term.
From October 8, 2015
Lee, Christensen deserve your vote
San Francisco is riding the highs and lows of an unprecedented boom period. Unemployment is down to a measly 3.5 percent, the tech sector is hot, and new housing projects are under construction and are being planned. Unfortunately, economic success has increased the cost of living for residents and, significantly, decreased the supply of affordable housing �" even for middle class wage earners like teachers.
Two candidates, for mayor and District 3 supervisor, have viable solutions for the housing crunch.
Mayor Ed Lee, running for re-election against several minor candidates, should easily win his race.
Julie Christensen, the supervisor whom Lee appointed earlier this year to replace David Chiu, who won an Assembly seat, is our choice for District 3, which includes Nob Hill, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach, and the Financial district.
Mayor's race
The mayoral race is not in serious contention this year, after several top tier politicians passed on the opportunity to take on Lee. But the mayor is running a real campaign and making the rounds to talk about his accomplishments and his vision for the next four years.
Meeting recently with the Bay Area Reporter 's editorial board, Lee noted that when he came into office four and a half years ago, unemployment was near 10 percent and the city faced a $385 million budget deficit. There was a "runaway train on pensions," the mayor noted. The mayor got to work, meeting with labor, business, and others, and crafted a pension reform measure.
The mayor was also instrumental in keeping tech firms in the city with the so-called Twitter tax break, which was designed to spark improvement along the mid-Market corridor (although he noted that it was never just for one company).
However, now that the economy is humming, more and more longtime residents are being priced out of the city. If they are evicted, particularly from a rent-controlled building, they are unlikely to find or afford comparable accommodation. Families trying to make ends meet are also falling behind.
"I hate every story of long-term residents being evicted and signaling that 'this place isn't for me anymore,'" the mayor said.
He noted, though, that the crisis has been "decades in the making."
To address it, he has proposed allowing developers to exceed current height restrictions in exchange for including more affordable units across the west side of the city. He also has a plan to build or rehab 30,000 new units by 2020. About half of those would be at market-rate prices, another 7,000 will come from rehabilitating public housing. The balance would be the creation of new affordable housing.
Another new program the mayor has implemented is the creation of a navigation center for homeless residents. The one location now, in the Mission, is a 24/7 facility where, in one case, an entire former homeless encampment was invited in, and people were allowed to bring their property and their animals. It is a new model that the mayor, the interfaith council, and policy makers, such as homeless director Bevan Dufty, developed after looking at shelter rules and deciding that innovation was necessary. In the five months that it's been in operation, 200 people have come through the center. Of those, 83 percent secured permanent housing, and 16 percent wanted to return home, with the city providing transportation costs once family members have agreed to receive them.
On LGBT issues, Lee has been a steadfast supporter. He's consistently replaced AIDS funding cut by the federal government and has been supportive of cultural districts like one South of Market that includes the proposed Eagle Plaza. When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its marriage decision in June, Lee was front and center outside City Hall, praising advocates who brought the court case and praising San Francisco values.
In fact, it's those values that Lee seeks to embody in city policy. When he talks to people, he told us, the two words he frequently includes are "invest" and "leverage." His approach on projects such as rehabbing public housing and negotiating with developers for more affordable housing units in their projects may not be enough for those who disagree with it, but it's an improvement from past efforts and has jump-started what will likely be a continued focus on securing land for housing and increasing housing stock.
Lee has done a great job as mayor and deserves another term.
Christensen for D3 supervisor
In order for the mayor to continue the programs he has started, he needs a majority on the Board of Supervisors. In the nine months since she was appointed to the board, Julie Christensen has come a long way. In our recent meeting with her, Christensen was informed about her district, focused on the issues, and eager to continue her work. Her main opponent in the race, former Supervisor Aaron Peskin, has mellowed some since leaving the board, but his vow to be a check against the mayor would shift the board majority, potentially resulting in stalemates that the city doesn't need.
District 3 is among the city's densest and housing, not surprisingly, is a major issue. Christensen wants to see fair and effective controls on landlords and companies for short-term rentals and opposes Proposition F because it is too focused on Airbnb without addressing the problem of owners taking individual units off the rental market. "The sharing economy is zooming by like we're trying to catch up," she said. She noted the city's new enforcement office for short-term rentals has already issued some big fines to violators. "It's a start," she said. "The next step is trying to preserve a split cap," meaning different maximum days that whole units versus what she calls partial spaces, like a room in a house, can be legally rented. She'd like to see the current city law on short-term rentals be given a chance to work and if necessary, the law can be tweaked by the board. If passed, Prop F can only be fixed by returning to the ballot and not the Board of Supervisors.
One of the strangest things she said she sees at City Hall is ordinances or resolutions that "respond to things �" that are not effective." "It's not right to pass ill-advised resolutions," she said. "I want to offer something real."
Christensen has been a solid vote on the board for LGBT issues such as programs for LGBT seniors and youth. She works well with many of her colleagues and city leaders.
We were impressed with the difference in Christensen compared to our first meeting with her in March, a couple months after her appointment. She has grown into the job and has a solid track record for a full term. She has our endorsement.