November 2008 Voter Guide

Here are False Profit’s recommendations in this election for ravers who vote and voters who rave. Print the summary and take it with you to the poll. Saves brain cells, especially with more ballot measures than there are letters in the alphabet!

Here’s the Executive Summary. Notes on our reasoning are below. At the bottom are tables for you to compare our endorsements with those of other respected organizations.

California Propositions

Prop 1A: High-speed rail from SF to LA - YES
Prop 2: Fair treatment of farm animals - YES
Prop 3: Children’s Hospital Bond Act - YES
Prop 4: Waiting Period and Parental Notification for Abortion - NO NO NO
Prop 5: Nonviolent Offenders: Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation - YES
Prop 6: Criminal Penalties and Laws and Public Safety Funding - NO
Prop 7: Renewable Energy - NO
Prop 8: Limit on Marriage - NO NO NO
Prop 9: Criminal Justice System: Parole and Victims’ Rights - NO
Prop 10: Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy - NO
Prop 11: Redistricting Amendment - NO
Prop 12: Veteran’s Bond Act - YES

San Francisco Propositions

Prop A: Rebuild SF General Hospital - YES
Prop B: Affordable Housing Fund - YES
Prop C: Prohibit City employees from serving on commissions - No
Prop D: Finance Pier 70 development - No Endorsement
Prop E: Increase number of signatures to recall Supervisors - Yes
Prop F: Eliminate odd-year elections - No
Prop G: Retirement credit for unpaid parental leave - No
Prop H: San Francisco Clean Energy Act - No
Prop I: Create an Independent Rate Payer Advocate - No
Prop J: Create an Historic Preservation Commission - No
Prop K: Decriminalize prostitution - No
Prop L: Silly Gavin, the Community Justice Center is already funded - No
Prop M: Protection Against Abusive Landlords - NO
Prop N: Change the real estate transfer tax - Yes
Prop O: Technical changes to the 911 phone tax - Yes
Prop P: Politicize the Transportation Authority Board - No
Prop Q: Close the payroll tax loophole for partnerships - Yes
Prop R: Rename the Oceanside wastewater plant as the George W. Bush Sewage Plant - NO
Prop S: Half-hearted restriction of budget set asides - No
Prop T: Substance abuse treatment on demand - No
Prop U: Hey congress: Defund the war in Iraq - No
Prop V: Reverse the decision to kick JROTC out of high schools - No

Candidate Races
• President of the US OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA

California Propositions

• Prop 1A: High-speed rail from SF to LA - YES
Would authorize about $10 billion in bonds, which would be used in conjunction with federal and private funding, to aid in constructing a planned high-speed rail system in California. This chunk of funding would be directed to the SF-to-LA corridor in particular. Es Eff to El Lay in 2.5 hours for $55?? Hellz yeah–let’s get building!

• Prop 2: Fair treatment of farm animals - YES
Its best if they have enough room in their cages to move. That is, if you are still even eating animals.

• Prop 3: Children’s Hospital Bond Act - YES
$980 million in general obligation bonds for remodeling and equipping children’s hospitals in CA. Hospitals unable to comply face closure by 2013. We concur with the SF Chronicle: “Our reservations about obtaining bond money through the initiative process are trumped by the need to assure that these facilities - known for their specialized care and groundbreaking research - remain open.”

• Prop 4: Waiting Period and Parental Notification for Abortion - NO NO NO
How can this be on again? This is too much. We can’t lose this one to the Rebilicans.

• Prop 5: Nonviolent Offenders: Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation - YES
An ambitious criminal justice reform measure, for sure. It provides drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration for non-violent offenders. Might save us $$, might rehab some folks messed on the goof. Sound plausible - let’s try it. Furthermore, CA has the potential to yet again start a model that influences criminal justice policy nationally in a more humane–and economically practical–direction. We think that is COOL.

• Prop 6: Criminal Penalties and Laws and Public Safety Funding - NO
This will allow more people under the age of 18 to be tried as adults. It is costly to the state and to society as it will mean more people are in jail. Bah.

• Prop 7: Renewable Energy - NO
This prop is will force small renewable energy companies out of the market, disrupt that market, and is opposed by everyone with a pulse.

• Prop 8: Limit on Marriage - NO NO NO
San Francisco has been at the forefront of movements for civil rights and equality for more than a century. We can’t backpedal on this one.

• Prop 9: Criminal Justice System: Parole and Victims’ Rights - NO
Diverting hundreds of millions from schools and education to spending on prisons and jails. It puts huge burdens on local law enforcement and creates more red tape but does not provide new services to victims.

• Prop 10: Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy - NO
Texan oilman T. Boone Pickens is a slick businessman. We know that using less oil is good. And so is developing renewable energy sources. However, this measure will fund unnecessary natural gas car and truck subsidies. Guess who is behind this? Very tricky, Mr. Pickens, very tricky.

• Prop 11: Redistricting Amendment - NO
Changes the authority over the geographic boundaries for state and federal congressional districts from elected representatives to an unelected commission of fourteen. Even if the process for selecting these fourteen people was not as absurdly convoluted as it is proposed, it would still be a bad idea to give fourteen people control over a power that is so contentious its abuse has earned its own moniker: gerrymandering.

• Prop 12: Veteran’s Bond Act - YES
Authorize the state to issue $900 million in bonds to the existing Cal-Vet Loan Program, to help veterans buy farms and homes. Con: The Cal-Vet Loan Program applies to all veterans, rich or poor, from combat or non-combat service scenarios. Pro: Veterans don’t get adequate support from the federal government, so a program like this is warranted.

San Francisco Propositions

• Prop A: Rebuild SF General Hospital - YES
The General is only trauma center in SF and the only hospital serving all the uninsured in the area. Unless you want to go to Oakland when you are seriously f*cked up, we think you should support this.

• Prop B: Affordable Housing Fund - YES
Dedicated fund for building affordable housing for the working poor and middle class. When we get old and stop living in warehouses with 10 roommates, this will be more important to us. In the meantime, we should set plans in motion to help thwart SF’s devolution into a noxious bourgeois playground.

• Prop C: Prohibit City employees from serving on commissions - No
The banning of some city employees (like a department head) from sitting on a commission overseeing city departments seems good, less icky. However, its quite problematic to exclude ALL city employees (nurses, advocates, etc) from serving. Lets revise, try again.

• Prop D: Finance Pier 70 development - No Endorsement
Pier 70 is a 65-acre waterfront area down at the end of Caesar Chavez. We consider this beloved part of gritty town to be a delicate ecosystem. We failed to reach consensus because the information is limited. How about a cleansing pause?

• Prop E: Increase number of signatures to recall Supervisors - Yes
Changes the rules to be in-line with larger counties in CA. Requires more voter signatures to get recall on the ballot.

• Prop F: Eliminate odd-year elections - No
We are not sure which maximizes voter attention and minimizes abuse.

• Prop G: Retirement credit for unpaid parental leave - No
We can’t come to terms with employees being eligible for benefits they did not earn through service hours. A bad precedent, wethinks.

• Prop H: San Francisco Clean Energy Act - No
We are progressive, but a municipal takeover of electrical service from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is a bad idea. SF can regulate though a variety of channels and we think they should look into that.

• Prop I: Create an Independent Rate Payer Advocate - No
We already have enough oversight. Prop is modeled after the same position at the CPUC - for watching the private sector, but here, the oversight would be over the government. We already have an effective system in place: the SFPUC has a Rate Fairness Board comprised of customers and City financial experts, which can hire more experts without this Charter Amendment. Checked, balanced. Rinse, wash, repeat.

• Prop J: Create an Historic Preservation Commission - No
It raises historic preservation above other equally important issues such as sustainability and affordable housing. It it the planning commission’s substantial responsibility to balance these needs. Yes, we need more expertise in design review, but this charter amendment is not the best way to go about it, and may result in paralyzing SF neighborhoods from needed development.

• Prop K: Decriminalize prostitution - No
Folks, it’s a downward spiral. This measure just ties the hands of police who prosecute ringleaders of the international sex trade. At the same time, it provides no services for prostitutes themselves.

• Prop L: Silly Gavin, the Community Justice Center is already funded - No
Is this even a ballot measure?

• Prop M: Protection Against Abusive Landlords - NO
We recognize that there are many examples of harassment by landlords that are egregious and should be stopped. But this is too subjective. If there are misuses of power by certain landlords, those landlords should be targeted specifically, instead of seeking a broad change that affects all rent-controlled properties in the City.

• Prop N: Change the real estate transfer tax - Yes
Transfer taxes are an appropriate place to increase taxes, because they extract value from property only at the point of sale, and do not provide a direct incentive against economic activity such as job creation.

• Prop O: Technical changes to the 911 phone tax - Yes
This is innocuous.

• Prop P: Politicize the Transportation Authority Board - No
We can’t condone the power grab by Newsom. A personality conflict between our Mayor and the Transportation Authority is hardly a good reason to change this.

• Prop Q: Close the payroll tax loophole for partnerships - Yes
It improves to our current business tax system.

• Prop R: Rename the Oceanside Wastewater Plant as the George W. Bush Sewage Plant - NO
For some, this might seem like an appropriate bit of humor. Unfortunately, the joke is off-message regarding the importance of sustainability and contributes to SF’s reputation for ridiculous political behavior. The current Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant is a model, state-of-the-art, award-winning facility. This measure intentionally debases an important piece of our city’s infrastructure.

• Prop S: Half-hearted restriction of budget set asides - No
Anything worth doing is worth doing whole-heartedly.

• Prop T: Substance abuse treatment on demand - No
“Ballot box budgeting.” Other programs, possibly in mental health and outpatient services, that serve the same population will have to be cut. It would be great if we could get a guarantee that the dollars saved in justice and emergency room visits would go to funding these programs, but we thin its more likely to come from other helpful treatment and prevention programs within the Dept. of Public Health. Suck.

• Prop U: Hey congress: Defund the war in Iraq - No
Whatever your political leanings, this is meaningless gesture. Nonbinding policy statements make a mockery of our ballot measure system.

• Prop V: Reverse the decision to kick JROTC out of high schools - No
The San Francisco Board of Education should continue to stand by it’s non-discrimination policies and refuse entry to organizations that don’t comply.

Voter Guide Comparison: Candidates

Candidate	FP	SPUR	SF Chronicle	SF League of Young Voters	SF Bay Guardian
President	Obama	Obama	Obama	Obama	Obama
SF Candidate Races
Congress Distr 8				Cindy Sheehan	Cindy Sheehan
State Senate Distr 3				Mark Leno	Mark Leno
Assembly Distr 12				Fiona Ma	Fiona Ma
Assembly Distr 13				Tom Ammiano
Board of Supervisors Distr 1	Eric Mar		Sue Lee	Eric Mar	Eric Mar
Board of Supervisors Distr 3	David Chiu		Denise McCarthy	David Chiu	David Chiu, Denise McCarthy, Tony Ganther
Board of Supervisors Distr 4			Carmen Chu	David Ferguson	David Ferguson
Board of Supervisors Distr 5			Ross Mirkarimi	Ross Mirkarimi	Ross Mirkarimi
Board of Supervisors Distr 7			Sean Elsbernd	Ana Jimenez	Sean Elsbernd
Board of Supervisors Distr 9	Mark Sanchez		Marc Sanchez	Marc Sanchez	David Campos, Eric Quezada, Mark Sanchez
Board of Supervisors Distr 11	John Avalos		Ahsha Safai	John Avalos	John Avalos, Randy Knox, Julio Ramos
Board of Education			Jill Wynns, Norman Yee, Emily Murase, Rachel Morton	Bobbi Lopez, Sandra Fewer, Norman Yee	Sandra Fewer, Norman Yee, Barbara Lopez, Kimberly Wicoff
City College Board of Trustees			Natalie Berg, Milton Marks, Rodel Rodis, Steve Ngo	Chris Jackson, Bruce Wolfe, Milton Marks	Milton Marks, Chris Jackson, Bruce Wolfe
BART Board Dist 7			Lynette Sweet		Lynette Sweet
BART Board Distr 9			Tom Radulovich	Tom Radulovich	Tom Radulovich
Superior Court, Seat 12			Thomas Mellos		Gerardo Sandoval

Voter Guide Comparison: Propositions

CA State Proposition	FP	SPUR	SF Chronicle	SF League of Young Voters	Environment California	SF Bay Guardian
1A	YES	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes, Yes, Yes
2	YES		No	Yes		Yes
3	YES		Yes	No		No
4	NO NO NO		No	No		No, No, No
5	YES		No	Yes		Yes
6	NO		No	No		No, No, No
7	NO	No	No	No	No	No
8	NO NO NO		No	No		No,No, No
9	NO		No	No		No, No, No
10	NO	No	No	No	No	No
11	NO	Yes	Yes	No		No
12	YES		Yes	Yes		Yes
SF PROPS
A	YES	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes, Yes, Yes
B	YES	No Position		Yes		Yes, Yes, Yes
C	No	No		No		No
D	No Endorsement	Yes		No Endorsement		Yes
E	Yes	Yes		No		Yes
F	No	No		No		Yes
G	No	No		Yes		Yes
H	No	No	No	Yes		Yes, Yes, Yes
I	No	No		No		No
J	No	No		Yes		Yes
K	No	No	No	No Endorsement		Yes
L	No	Yes		No		No
M	NO	No		Yes		Yes
N	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes
O	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes, Yes, Yes
P	No	No		No		No, No, No
Q	Yes	Yes		Yes		Yes, Yes, Yes
R	NO	No		Yes		No
S	No	Yes		No		No
T	No	No		Yes		Yes
U	No	No Position		Yes		Yes
V	No	Yes	Yes	No		No, No, No