The March, 2020 election will soon be upon us. Early voting begins February 3. In addition to the Presidential primary, there will be contests for U.S. Representative, State Senate, State Assembly, County Central Committee, one State proposition, and five local propositions. HANC will discuss the election in our February meeting.
HANC supports San Francisco Proposition E and has written an argument in support of it, which will appear in the Voter Information Guide. Proposition E would tie the limit on the construction of new large office projects in San Francisco to the City’s affordable housing production. If the City falls short in meeting its Affordable Housing goals, then the limit on large office projects would go down by the same percentage.
Here is the argument HANC submitted:
The Board of the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council strongly urges a Yes vote on E.
The unprecedented growth of the commercial office sector has overwhelmed the City's housing stock even though some 77,000 units have been approved in recent years. Investment in commercial real-estate yields more profit than investment in residential real estate, especially after the Trump tax cuts for office developers. This "market reality" demands local regulation which links commercial office development to the production of truly affordable housing Preposition E is that needed linkage.
By Karen Fishkin, HANC Board Member
“The San Francisco Public Library recently made major changes in its core borrowing procedures that adversely affects the most vulnerable patron population: seniors, low-income and disabled library users. In mid-September, without any prior notice, the S.F. Library eliminated mailed notices, which let borrowers know when library materials they have requested are available for pickup at branches. These notices greatly facilitate and encourage borrowing of library materials. Without them it is all but impossible for thousands of library users who do not have internet access to use to library’s vast collection.”
The paragraph above is a quote from the letter that was sent to the SF Library Commission (and to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors) by the California Alliance for Retired Americans in November. (Editor’s note: the full letter was published in the Richmond Review and can be found at https://sfrichmondreview.com/2019/12/02/12382/)
It is estimated that in San Francisco 138,000 residents do not have Internet access. The Library should be serving all San Franciscans.
The HANC Board finds both the process and outcome of this new process to be problematic, and so the Board voted unanimously to support the following motion.
“Library card holders without computers and/or Internet access must be physically contacted with mailed notices.”