Coleman Action Fund: questionnaire for Rob Anderson, candidate for District 5 Supervisor
COLEMAN ACTION FUND FOR CHILDREN (501c4)
C4 Candidate Questionnaire- Board of Supervisors
DUE AUGUST 8TH 5PM to colemanactionfund@gmail.com
Thank you in advance for taking the time to fill out our questionnaire. We ask that you limit your responses to no more than 100 words per question. Thank you!
1. What experience do you have with issues facing children, youth and families in San Francisco? What have you done to improve the lives of low to moderate income families and families of color in San Francisco?
My main contribution to the struggle for an affordable San Francisco is my opposition articulated in District 5 Diary (http://district5diary.blogspot.com/) to the accelerated gentrification of the city as reflected in the Market/Octavia Plan, the Rincon Hill luxury highrise condos, and UC’s rip-off of the old extension property on lower Haight street for a massive housing project. These awful projects are supported by the city's "progressive" establishment, including Supervisor Mirkarimi.
2. Why do you think families are leaving San Francisco?
Obviously because it’s too expensive, which is why the least we can do is not make the problem worse by supporting the type of housing projects referred to above. Mirkarimi also supports making it as difficult and expensive as possible to drive in San Francisco as per the SF Bicycle Coalition’s anti-car agenda. As a former parent, I know how difficult it would be to take care of a family--especially a large family---without a car. Housing affordability may be the biggest reason families are leaving SF, but deliberately making it difficult and expensive to drive a car in the city is another.
3. The Mayor and a majority of the Board of Supervisors recently pledged to parent and youth members of our affiliate Coleman Advocates to support doubling the City's production of affordable housing, from 1550 to 3100 units in the pipeline, 2011. Will you make that pledge? If so, what steps will you support to carry it out? Do you support this goal? Yes_X_ No___ Why or why not?
Sounds like a reasonable goal to me.
4. Do you support the San Francisco Housing Fund which will be on the November 2008 ballot? Yes __ No__ Why or why not?
Maybe. I'm still thinking about this one. It’s not clear that the city should take on more large, long-term mandates when we already have chronic budget deficits, especially with the SF General measure also on the November ballot.
5. The Mayor’s Office of Housing and affordable housing advocates have identified that the two biggest challenges to building affordable family housing in SF are limited land and limited local sources of financing to pay for affordable housing development. What are some solutions to these challenges that you will fight for and/or support?
I don’t have any solutions. I get the impression that you think you do. Doubling the city’s affordable housing production as per question #3 at least seems affordable and reasonable for openers.
6. In city planning, land use and zoning decisions, will you prioritize sites for the construction of truly affordable housing for working families earning below 100% AMI over the construction of high-end market rate housing for professionals? Please explain.
Maybe. See #5 above.
7. The SF rental and ownership housing market is too expensive for most families, causing an extraordinary housing crisis for two-thirds of all families in the city. What responsibility do you believe the private housing industry has in solving this crisis?
Again, your question suggests that you think you know the answer to this question. Obviously the city can’t force private companies to build anything, but the city makes the rules and it can provide incentives. But how much additional incentive does a developer really need to build in San Francisco?
8. What are your top five city budget priorities?
Why does SF have a budget crisis every time we have a recession? I suspect the main reason is the city's bloated workforce. Progressives and the unions seem to think that city government is primarily a jobs program. There are ten (10) people working full-time in the city's Bicycle Program!
9. How would you improve transparency and public participation in the city budget process?
Is there a “transparency” problem?
10. Will you support continued expansion of the local safety net for children, youth and families (for example: Childcare, Violence Prevention, Famliy Support) beyond the level required by the Children’s Amendment provisions in the city charter? Please explain.
Maybe, but I don’t have enough information to make that commitment. You're pushing your agenda in the question. Nothing wrong with that, but it implies that you know the “right” answer, which may or may not be the case. I’m sure Supervisor Mirkarimi will be willing to provide the exact response you’re soliciting here.
11. Do you support Prop H, which requires the city to allocate $40 million each year to the public schools? Yes_X__ No____
12.How do you plan to strengthen the partnership between the city and SFUSD?
Does it need strengthening? $40 million a year shows that we already have a pretty serious relationship.
C4 Candidate Questionnaire- Board of Supervisors
DUE AUGUST 8TH 5PM to colemanactionfund@gmail.com
Thank you in advance for taking the time to fill out our questionnaire. We ask that you limit your responses to no more than 100 words per question. Thank you!
1. What experience do you have with issues facing children, youth and families in San Francisco? What have you done to improve the lives of low to moderate income families and families of color in San Francisco?
My main contribution to the struggle for an affordable San Francisco is my opposition articulated in District 5 Diary (http://district5diary.blogspot.com/) to the accelerated gentrification of the city as reflected in the Market/Octavia Plan, the Rincon Hill luxury highrise condos, and UC’s rip-off of the old extension property on lower Haight street for a massive housing project. These awful projects are supported by the city's "progressive" establishment, including Supervisor Mirkarimi.
2. Why do you think families are leaving San Francisco?
Obviously because it’s too expensive, which is why the least we can do is not make the problem worse by supporting the type of housing projects referred to above. Mirkarimi also supports making it as difficult and expensive as possible to drive in San Francisco as per the SF Bicycle Coalition’s anti-car agenda. As a former parent, I know how difficult it would be to take care of a family--especially a large family---without a car. Housing affordability may be the biggest reason families are leaving SF, but deliberately making it difficult and expensive to drive a car in the city is another.
3. The Mayor and a majority of the Board of Supervisors recently pledged to parent and youth members of our affiliate Coleman Advocates to support doubling the City's production of affordable housing, from 1550 to 3100 units in the pipeline, 2011. Will you make that pledge? If so, what steps will you support to carry it out? Do you support this goal? Yes_X_ No___ Why or why not?
Sounds like a reasonable goal to me.
4. Do you support the San Francisco Housing Fund which will be on the November 2008 ballot? Yes __ No__ Why or why not?
Maybe. I'm still thinking about this one. It’s not clear that the city should take on more large, long-term mandates when we already have chronic budget deficits, especially with the SF General measure also on the November ballot.
5. The Mayor’s Office of Housing and affordable housing advocates have identified that the two biggest challenges to building affordable family housing in SF are limited land and limited local sources of financing to pay for affordable housing development. What are some solutions to these challenges that you will fight for and/or support?
I don’t have any solutions. I get the impression that you think you do. Doubling the city’s affordable housing production as per question #3 at least seems affordable and reasonable for openers.
6. In city planning, land use and zoning decisions, will you prioritize sites for the construction of truly affordable housing for working families earning below 100% AMI over the construction of high-end market rate housing for professionals? Please explain.
Maybe. See #5 above.
7. The SF rental and ownership housing market is too expensive for most families, causing an extraordinary housing crisis for two-thirds of all families in the city. What responsibility do you believe the private housing industry has in solving this crisis?
Again, your question suggests that you think you know the answer to this question. Obviously the city can’t force private companies to build anything, but the city makes the rules and it can provide incentives. But how much additional incentive does a developer really need to build in San Francisco?
8. What are your top five city budget priorities?
Why does SF have a budget crisis every time we have a recession? I suspect the main reason is the city's bloated workforce. Progressives and the unions seem to think that city government is primarily a jobs program. There are ten (10) people working full-time in the city's Bicycle Program!
9. How would you improve transparency and public participation in the city budget process?
Is there a “transparency” problem?
10. Will you support continued expansion of the local safety net for children, youth and families (for example: Childcare, Violence Prevention, Famliy Support) beyond the level required by the Children’s Amendment provisions in the city charter? Please explain.
Maybe, but I don’t have enough information to make that commitment. You're pushing your agenda in the question. Nothing wrong with that, but it implies that you know the “right” answer, which may or may not be the case. I’m sure Supervisor Mirkarimi will be willing to provide the exact response you’re soliciting here.
11. Do you support Prop H, which requires the city to allocate $40 million each year to the public schools? Yes_X__ No____
12.How do you plan to strengthen the partnership between the city and SFUSD?
Does it need strengthening? $40 million a year shows that we already have a pretty serious relationship.
Labels: Campaign Questionnaires
posted by Rob Anderson @ 1:42 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Did you hear about the mayor of Portland who won the election on a bicycling platform? Good luck!
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