Only in San Francisco  

By: Ellie Schafer

ELECTION 2002

In addition to the regular Water Bond and Police Pension Propositions most Cities have, there are a few San Francisco ballot measurers that will make you smile.  Proposition S will urge San Francisco to explore the possibility of growing its own marijuana.  Proposition G will allow City workers to assist with elections.  Proposition J will increase the Supervisor salaries and was put on the ballot by the Supervisors.  And finally, Proposition Q will prohibit nonprofits from using city grants for lobbying or political purposes…and you thought the homeless problem was San Francisco ’s biggest issue.

 

ELECTION 2003

 

Speaking of the homeless issue, it seems a good way in San Francisco to address the homeless issue is to have a Mayor’s race.  So far four candidates have emerged for the 2003 race and three of the four are attempting to tackle the homeless/housing problem in San Francisco .

 

Board of Supervisors President and the progressives’ favorite Tom Ammiano has an initiative on the ballot entitled, “Exits from Homelessness.” Proponents say it will help solve the homeless problem in San Francisco by giving services instead of cash.  Opponents say it’s not going to solve the homeless problem, will be impossible to implement, and he is doing it to get his name out because he’s running for Mayor.

 

Supervisor Gavin Newsom has an initiative on the ballot entitled “Care Not Cash.”  Proponents say it will help the homeless problem in San Francisco by guaranteeing services to the homeless instead of just giving the cash payments they currently receive.  Opponents say it’s not going to solve the homeless problem, will be impossible to implement, and he is doing it to get his name out because he’s running for Mayor.

 

Supervisor Tony Hall has an initiative on the ballot entitled “HOPE.”   Proponents say HOPE allows tenants to buy the apartment units in which they already live for less than the price of a single-family home and will help low income renters afford housing in San Francisco by giving them a leg up on property they already rent.  Opponents say it’s not going to help with the housing crisis and he is doing it to get his name out because, you guessed it, he’s running for Mayor.

Treasurer Susan Leal is running for Mayor but has no initiative on the ballot…which may turn out to be the smartest move of all. Leal has made a successful and popular career through a combination of fiscal restraint and progressive politics in San Francisco .

Although public opinion gives the early lead to Newsom and Ammiano, many people think Ammiano’s negatives are too high to beat Newsom; Newsom is too young and inexperience to run the city; and Tony Hall is too conservative to win City-wide.

That leaves San Franciscans who like Newsom’s fiscal approach to government and Ammiano’s progressive politics hedging their bets with the more moderate and more experienced Leal.  It leaves Leal out of the political food-fight and allows her to focus on gathering supporters instead of defending a potentially failed high profile proposition.  And now on to other 2002 issues…

This one will leave you shaking your head!

Ah, the saga of the Elections Director in San Francisco .  Meet Tammy Haygood who was hired by the administration of Mayor Willie Brown last year to oversee the Elections Department.  In her time on the job which has been a less than a year, Haygood ran three elections smoothly and even received kudos from Secretary of State Bill Jones for doing a good job.  Only problem is she went approximately $5 Million over budget to do so. 

 

The Elections Commission, who oversees the Department and director, was upset about the budget problem and fired Haygood in the Spring.  Haygood hired a private attorney and said she was fired without just cause and took her case to the Civil Service where she won and was ordered to go back to work. 

 

End of story?  No way - we haven’t even begun!  The Election Commission fought back and went to Superior Court to prevent Haygood’s return.  The judge ordered Haygood back to work but the Elections Commission filed an appeal with the State Court which issued a stay on 9/6 to keep Haygood from returning to work. 

 

The accusations have been flying fast and furious from all sides in this controversy.  Seems everyone has an opinion on the case.  Proponents say Haygood ran good elections, was never given any written notice about why she was being fired, and the Commission is going after her because she is African-American.  Opponents say Haygood went way over budget and the only reason she is fighting for her job is because her partner wants to get a sex-change operation which the city pays for if you have been an employee for over a year.  All of this AND Haygood continues to earn her full pay, with benefits, which is $120,000 a year.  Only in San Francisco !

 

Ellie Schafer is a contributing writer to PurePolitics.com and has been featured in USA Today, CNN's Inside Politics, The New York Times and has been a regular guest on the Fox Radio "Kiley and Booms" show as well as other national and local media.