Jobs and the Economy

My single highest priority as Supervisor will be putting San Franciscans back to work and restoring economic growth to the city. Today, 40,000 San Franciscans are unemployed. This is unacceptable in a city with so many built-in advantages. Making San Francisco friendlier to small businesses is the single fastest way we can reignite job growth. As Supervisor, I will work tirelessly to cut red tape for small businesses, and to make government a partner in their success, not an adversary.

To preserve San Francisco’s reputation as a city of innovation, we must also attract and retain the industries of tomorrow. Green-tech, biotech, digital media and IT are the economic engines of the future, and I will aggressively promote policies to attract these companies and encourage their success and retention.

Our jobs strategy should be two-fold: First, how do we stabilize the economy and get people back to work? Second, how do we ensure that San Francisco’s economic base is stable and poised for growth well into the future? As Supervisor, I will dedicate myself to answering both of these questions.

Fiscal Responsibility

Over the past nine years, San Francisco has lost 90,000 jobs. We currently face a $483 million budget deficit despite repeated cuts to city services. As families across this country are doing, we need to reassess our priorities.

The best way to fix our budget deficit is to increase our tax base by restoring economic activity and job growth in the City. Beyond that, I believe we should ensure that one-time revenues go toward one-time expenses like technology and infrastructure. Finally, our current budget reserve is around 1%. The average for other U.S. cities is about 15%. We need to make a concerted effort to catch up. Economic downturns and fiscal emergencies are a fact of life and we need to be adequately prepared to handle them.

To make real headway on our budget problems, we need strong leaders at City Hall driving the agenda. My combination of real-world skills, firm grasp of governing realities and strong political relationships make me ready to lead now.

Protecting our Neighborhoods and Open Spaces

District 2 contains some of America’s most livable and iconic neighborhoods. Protecting and enhancing them is vital to our quality of life. This requires a collaborative relationship between the residents of the district and their Supervisor. The first thing I will do to help build that relationship is be there. I want to be your representative in City Hall, but it’s just as important to me to be your partner in the district. I’ll be looking for your ideas as much as your concerns and complaints; you’ll be able to see me, hear me and talk to me.

Among my priorities as Supervisor will be protecting the district’s incomparable network of parks and open spaces, properly managing neighborhood concerns regarding the influx of visitors to the redeveloped Presidio, and minimizing disruption to our neighborhoods during the renovation of Doyle Drive.

Health, Safety, Mobility, Education

San Francisco is a world-class city and we must safeguard certain services if we are to retain that status, even in times of fiscal austerity. So, what makes a world-class city? At the very least, citizens should be assured of being safe, healthy, educated and mobile.

As supervisor, I will approach every decision the Board faces with these core priorities in mind and work diligently to forge consensus around common-sense policies. I firmly believe that San Franciscans should be able to count on reliable, efficient public transit; well-equipped, well-trained police and firefighters; rigorous, innovative public schools; and access to affordable health care.

As the First Vice-President of the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, I am well-prepared to work with MUNI to improve service and to help envision a sustainable fiscal trajectory. As a private citizen, I’m doing more than talking about health care; I’m starting a free health clinic for the working uninsured in the Excelsior District. My family’s scholarship fund will be aiding more than 100 young San Franciscans by year’s end, and my positive relationships within the public safety community will prove invaluable if elected to the Board. In short, I am ready to lead because I am already doing so.

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