Transcripts For SFGTV BOS Full Board Of Supervisors 20240712

San francisco has shareholdeou much of the housing load and are already at 140 of our market rate housing goal in our current cycle, which goes until 2022. We do not need to increase our market Rate Housing Development goal, especially now as we see an exodus of hilowincome works out of San Francisco. The Affordable Housing needs are great, as we all know. San francisco has roughly 49,000 extremely rent burdened households in 2015, the overwhelming majority of housing facing cost burden, are very lowincome and extremely lowincome households, and a majority of lower income households are house burdened. During the covid19 pandemic, the Housing Needs of low to moderate Income Housing workers have become increasingly evident. So this urges abag and rnha to focus on current Housing Needs in San Francisco [inaudible]. Clerk thank you, supervisor mar. Supervisor peskin . Supervisor peskin thank you, madam clerk. Colleagues, mr. President , i have a number of items that i would like to present, none of them earth shattering, but i would like to close todays Board Meeting in the memory of three individuals. My neighbor, catherine mutter, who passed away today, my condolences to Megan Levitan and norman carlson. And together, with president yee, for james tang, the former president of the b. A. R. T. Board of directors and the San Francisco examiner organization, in one of its iterations, and a member of ill say it, the once powerful San Francisco political publishi publishing dynasty, fang family, who died on friday. For decades, they held sway with their newspapers, the San Francisco independent, asian week, and as i said, at one time, the San Francisco examiner. He was a member of the b. A. R. T. For 24 years, elected at the age of 28, in 1990, which was a remarkable run, and particularly remarkable insofar as he was the last selfidentified republican registered elected official for the city and county of San Francisco. He also served as chair of the San Francisco Shanghai Sister City Committee and definitely left his stamp on bay area culture. And with that, i will turn it over to president yee. May he rest in peace, and condolences to his family. President yee thank you, supervisor peskin. You actually summarized it really well. Whats remarkable is he was just the last elected republican in San Francisco, but he was elected at a very young age, at the age of 28. And regardless of his political affiliation for the chinese american community, that was very big for us in the community, to see someone get elected, and not only get elected, but get elected at 28 years old. I join you in your condolences to the family, and from many years of being in the community. Supervisor peskin and the rest i will submit. Madam clerk . Clerk thank you. Supervisor preston . Supervisor preston submit. Clerk thank you. Supervisor ronen . Supervisor ronen submit. Clerk thank you. Supervisor safai . Supervisor safai thank you, madam clerk. Today, i want to end also in memorial of one of our long time residents. Her name is florence aguera. Her parents were natives of the philippines. She graduated from Polytech High School class of 1968, and in 1972, she married m mel aguera. F flo worked for bank of america for nearly 30 years. Flo loved going out to lunch with her friends, taking a ride down to Half Moon Bay with carmelita, eileen, and rose, and she liked Walking Around the playground that had a wonderful renovation just a few yea years ago. After retirement, she and mel enjoyed going out to lunch and shows of vintage cars in and around the bay area. One of the things that flo loved during the last few years was she loved going to Bethel Church three days a month and monthly pot lucks, and friends would say that she and mel were like two peas in a pod, always together. She enjoyed cruising around the bay area, listening to rock and roll, doowop, and oldies. They enjoyed road trips to disneyland, las vegas, and universal studios. She and mels favorite vacation spot was hawaii. On and on this past july 22, florence aguera, wife of mel and mother of chris, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 70. Shes survived by her husband, son, sister, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, and she leaves behind many dear friends. She brought the community together, and we will extremely miss her, and we will be here for mel to support him during this transition time. The last thing i want to say is, colleagues, during my time on the board, i have never been late to a single meeting more than a few minutes. Today, i just want to put on the record that there are many parents in the bay area that are struggling with distance learning, and while were trying to juggle our jobs, while were trying to juggle or classroom exercises or watching our kids, this is the first time that ive been on the board of supervisors that weve had a transition week back to school that we havent been able to be with our kids. As a parent to two Public School children, i just want to say, especially out there to all the parents that are struggling with this time, i want to say thank you to all the support that the School District is trying to provide, but working parents need more help, and children need more help, and i know that this is one of the most difficult times for everybody, so again, i apologize for being late, but i also want to point out that the reason im late is specifically because im a working parent, like many of the folks that are out there, and the people that i represent in the district that i represent. Thank you for your support. I want to know all of the fami families and residents that im here for them, and thank you for all the educators out there that are doing everything they can to get ready to be back in the classroom and are teaching our kids in a distant manner and have been working with the children. So thank you, everyone. Clerk thank you, supervisor safai. Supervisor stefani . Supervisor stefani the issues on the commission stem from the fact that it is managed in a way unlike any other board or commission i have seen. It is managed by a separate Nonprofit Organization that acts as a friends of organization and receives a contract from the department of Public Health to provide staff support. This structure has essentially created a Shadow Commission where conflicts of interest are not vetted and activities not conducted transparently. I want to be clear that many members of the Behavioral Health commission are just as concerned about these issues as i am, and they have been devastated because they know that a well functioning Behavioral Health commission is absolutely critical. This legislation will alter the structure of the commission and ensure that all Commission Activities are done publicly and transparently. I want to thank the members of the Behavioral Health commission who remain on that body and continue to fight for Better Services for those with Mental Health and Substance Abuse issues. Your work cannot be more critical, and this legislation is intended to give them the support they need. I want to thank hallie and marlow for their work at the department of Public Health, and i want to give special thanks to virginia in the City Attorneys office. She got everyone on the same page in the seemingly unending list of legal complications we encountered. And finally, i want to thank my legislative aide, andy mullen, that is just a gift and was extremely helpful in this resolution. Im also thrilled to introduce a legislation commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19 amendment. I want to start by thanking assessor carmen chiu for her help in putting this resolution together. That work is as important now as ever before, as our Voting Rights come under nearly daily assault from the federal government. Women fought for and won the right to vote, and we must continue to ensure we have the right to vote at the ballot box in november and beyond. Over a century later, we are still fighting for access to the ballot and of course for social equality. Toward the end of the 19 century, women mounted a prolonged effort in california, but the movement suffered a set back when california suffrage was defeated. In 1908, several san franciscans led what is now believed to be the first suffrage march in the United States across the bay in oakland. In the 1910s, the expanding participation of women in marching and civic life became increasingly common, and womens visibility began to force changes across the country, and we see what it does today, as well. After a hard fought battle, women in california finally won the right to vote in a statewide special election in 1911. Eight years later, the 19 amendment was passed in congress and was passed to the president for ratification. Exactly a century ago, the 19 amendment was ratified by the state of tennessee, which was the 25 and final state needed to secure its passage. Black, brown, native and Asian American women and man have faced disenfranchisement since the 19 amendment passed, and as the president made clear, that discrimination will continue through his watch at least, but we can make a change to ensure that all san franciscans make sure their voices are heard at the ballot box. As the late congressman john lewis wrote before he passed away last month, the vote is the most powerful nonviolent agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it, because it is not guaranteed, and you can lose it. We must do everything we can to make sure that no one loses that power. I want to thank my fierce women colleagues and cosponsors, supervisors fewer and ronen. Finally, im introducing a resolution declaring San Franciscos support for urgent funding for the United States Postal Service in light of the coronavirus pandemic and urging the Postal Service to maintain their longstanding delivery services. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the United States Postal Service has requested 25 billion in urgent funding, which the president and republicans have objected to. The Postal Services work will become especially important as it is expected that absentee ballots will surge in popularity across the country. During the 2018 election, the Postal Service found that 96. 8 of election mail was delivered within one to three days. In addition, Postal Service documents from may 13, 2020, outlined equipment reductions nationwide, including plans to decommission numerous advanced space, delivery bar code sorter machines, and flat package sorter machines, which account for the vast majority of election mail processing. The Postal Service plans to remove several machines from their San Francisco processing and distribution center, and although the post master said this afternoon in a statement that some of these would be delayed, i think his credibility is in high doubt. Decommissioning these machines will result in a 20 reduction in advanced sorting at the United States Postal Service San Francisco distribution center. Voters have long relied on the Postal Service to participate in their local elections. Nearly two thirds of San Francisco who vote do so by Postal Service elections. I note this is long, but this is, like, one of the most important things i think threatening our democracy at this point in time. The Postal Service is a pillar of american democracy. President trump threatens to starve it of the funds that it needs to deliver americans absentee ballots. Alarmingly, post master general dejoy has acted as an accomplice in the presss efforts to cheat the he president s efforts to cheat the election in pursuit of his own reelection. The Postal Service provides services that are critical to the lives and livlihoods of the american people, ensuring that seniors and veterans receive their medications, and voters receive absentee ballots. Congress must provide urgent funding to the United States Postal Service in light of the coronavirus pandemic and must poefs p postpone any decommissioning of sorting machines at the San Francisco Postal Service location. The rest i submit. Clerk thank you, supervisor stefani. Supervisor walton . Supervisor walton thank you, madam clerk, and supervisor stefani, i would love to be added as a cosponsor to your United States Postal Service resolution. I was just with Speaker Pelosi this afternoon. Trump and the u. S. Post master are pitting United States Postal Service workers against the communities they serve and denying them of their proper p. P. E. And other protections, and we wont stand for it, along with the focus on sabotaging the elections and doing everything he can to cheat, so thank you so much, and i just want to make sure that you know that im 100 in support of that. Colleagues, first, i want to thank supervisor haney for introducing the resolution of the make billionaires pay act, introduced by senator Bernie Sanders, and the resolution to the giants supporting their ballpark workers. Many were working multiple jobs to support their families. Our 2,000plus ballpark workers have removed loyal to fans and the giants through the good and bad seasons, and now it is absolutely important for the giants, who are worth 3. 1 billion and are continuing to profit during this pandemic, to continue to support their workers through this crisis. San francisco stands by its workers, and we urge the San Francisco giants teams to do so, as well. Along with supervisor haney, i fully support senator Bernie Sanders make billionaires pay act, and along with supervisors haney, preston, fewer, mar, and mandelman, im introducing a resolution to introduce ab 0288, the law introduced by california representatives. Many of our lowincome and working class populations have been struggling to make ends meet. Many lowincome and working class families in the United States are facing income loss, unemployment, evictions, and struggle in paying bill or seeking health care. The rich keep getting richer, the poor keep getting poorer. The income equality in the United States and california has never been wider. Many of the california residents cannot afford basic needs and are struggling to get by on extremely lowincomes. As of may 1, 2020, there was 630 billionaires in the United States. In california, there are 165 billionaires, and in San Francisco, there are 75. California has the highest number of ultrawealthy individuals than any other state in the United States, with 13,000 households with more than 30 million in assets, and in San Francisco, that are 5,460 households classified as ultrawealthy. Ab 0288 would tax 0. 4 of a residents net worth if it exceeds 30 million for a single and joint tax form for others, and 15 million for married couples filing separately. Ab 0288 could raise about 7. 2 billion from the general fund from San Francisco residents to fight the deficit that california faces due to the covid19 pandemic. It would require wealthy households pay their fair sure and ensure that california maintains and strengthens a safety net for all californians. This is a safety net for our most vulnerable populations as we come out of this crisis. The rest i submit. Clerk thank you, supervisor walton. Supervisor yee . President yee submit. Clerk thank you, mr. President. Lets see. Looking at the names if there are any names on the roster i believe none. That concludes the introduction of new business. President yee supervisor fewer . Supervisor fewer i think me i think im last on roll call. Clerk yes, you are, supervisor fewer. My apologies to you. Supervisor fewer no problem. So colleagues, have a copacetic piece of legislation to introduce today. C i am thrille