What makes our region special is our collaboration. Our diversity of thought, understanding, compassion, and activism. As public officials, we stand for an approach that exemplifies that collaboration to ensure economic growth and prosperity for our two cities and the region as a whole. Or what we've deemed "Bay marriage."
Separately, we have served as elected officials on behalf of the people of San Francisco and Oakland, respectively. But, together, we are thrilled to serve a new constituency – a united voice of those who believe that our two cities can and should work together.
Our two cities don't exist in a vacuum – hundreds of thousands of people travel each day from their home in one city to their job in another. In both directions.
Luckily for all of us who believe in regional collaboration, there are a number of all-too-obscure governmental agencies that actually could work together to ensure that the needs of our constituents are met. Not just for one city or another – but for our entire region.
The construction of new transit systems and smart growth development. Reducing gridlock, congestion, and air pollution. The decisions of where new housing will be built to serve the changing needs of the Bay Area. All of these, if done right, can improve quality of life throughout our region.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is a key example. Made up of representatives from all over the Bay Area, we have the ability to forge an integrated plan for regional transportation to reduce our carbon footprint.
Doing so makes sense. People don't stay within their cities – our lives and our economies interact – and we need public servants who will consider the greater economic-health of the entire region.
Enter: Bay marriage.
San Francisco and Oakland – like the rest of our neighboring cities – must work together in real harmony for our mutual benefit. And it's fitting: San Francisco, the city of St. Francis, is one of the birthplaces of equality, as Oakland too has been at the center of movements for justice.
So it was surprising to many of us when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously voted against expanding the MTC to give a vote to Oakland and San Jose, declaring that doing so would amount to "effectively diluting the voices" of other areas in the Bay Area. Denying the people of Oakland the right to vote is unjust – and damaging to regional collaboration.
San Francisco has two representatives on the MTC. San Jose has one. Oakland has zero.
While San Francisco should support an additional voice for our neighbors across the Bay on a regional transportation policy board, Oakland should also lend assistance on projects of significance. Together we can expedite the Transbay Terminal as a regional transportation hub and the CalTrain downtown extension – projects located in San Francisco that promote a transit first approach that are simply smart policies for efficiency and our environment.
Nobody wants to dilute anyone's voice – we just want to make sure that everyone has one. That's why, on so many issues, regional collaboration – Bay marriage – must become something to which we are genuinely committed. It's easy to simply defend our own jurisdiction. But are we really serving our constituents?
Join us in standing up for Bay marriage – by urging our neighbors to speak out not just for what's good for our own cities, but for the larger boat in which we're traveling together. Our economies – our environments – are all intertwined. And our shared future will be stronger when we recognize it and speak as one united voice.
Bevan Dufty is a mayoral candidate and a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where he represented District 8 for eight years. He has also served as San Francisco's director of neighborhood services and as an aide to former Mayor Willie Brown. Prior to his service to the people of San Francisco, Dufty worked on Capitol Hill for Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and Congressman Julian Dixon. Dufty is originally from New York.
Rebecca Kaplan represents the entire city of Oakland as its councilmember at-large. She has served Oakland as a citywide elected official for 10 years, working to improve quality of life by enhancing economic opportunity, public safety and vibrancy in Oakland. She is Oakland's first out lesbian official. Prior to representing Oakland voters on the City Council, she served as at-large director on the AC Transit Board of Directors. Kaplan holds a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a M.A. from Tufts University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.