The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters endorses Connie Chan for District 1 Supervisor. Connie Chan displays a commitment to bringing affordable housing and safe, walkable, and bikeable streets as District 1 Supervisor.
Read MoreThe San Francisco League of Conservation Voters -- where the environment meets San Francisco politics -- is seeking several new Board members. We are accepting nominations through July 15 ahead of this year’s election process.
Our dynamic, all-volunteer team primarily evaluates local candidates and campaigns through an environmental and good government lens. We make endorsements to educate the public on how their vote can hold San Francisco to its environmental values. We also advocate for local environmental legislation, speak at public hearings, organize events, and engage with local leaders.
Read MoreThe increasing number of vacant storefronts across San Francisco’s commercial districts can hardly be ignored. Rent hikes haven’t just hit renters but have driven out shops, cafés and restaurants that contributed to making San Francisco one of the most vibrant and walkable cities in the country. Prop D aims to help fill empty storefronts and retain long term businesses by taxing property owners or lessees who leave their storefronts vacant for more than 182 days in any given tax year.
This proposition is on the ballot because it is a tax, and therefore must pass by a ⅔ vote. Many ballot initiatives, once passed, must go back to voters if amendments are needed. This measure may be amended by a ⅔ vote of the Board of Supervisors.
Read MoreThe San Francisco League of Conservation Voters is happy to endorse the following candidates for Democratic Central Committee in Assembly Districts 17 & 19. While there are many qualified candidates & several noted political figures with histories of achievement we appreciate, we endorsed solely on the basis of the candidates' answers to our questionnaires (all candidate questionnaires are available on our endorsements page).
Read MoreIn November, San Franciscans will have their chance to vote on Proposition C to “authorize and regulate the sale of electronic cigarettes and other vapor products.” Prop C was, until recently, heavily backed by e-cigarette maker Juul. Despite its supporters’ statements that Prop C would properly regulate e-cigarettes, there are several reasons SFLCV endorses a no vote on Prop C.
Read MoreSupervisor Brown has been a voice and vote for environmental issues since she was appointed in July 2018 to fill Mayor Breed’s seat. She also has a long history of environmental advocacy prior her time on the Board. We appreciate her experience and knowledge of the city legislative process, earned through her work as an aide to former Supervisors Mirkarimi (Masonic Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project, CleanPowerSF, plastic bag ban 1.0) and Breed (CleanPowerSF, neighborhood preference in affordable housing). She has a consistent track record on local issues and has shown a willingness to listen, and we find that she makes smart, thoughtful decisions. Since her appointment last year, Brown worked on several environmental issues, including expansion of the plastic bag ban, energy use reporting for large residential buildings, and renewable energy mandates for large commercial buildings. Most recently, she introduced legislation to end natural gas use in municipal buildings.
Read MoreProp E addresses the city's affordable housing crisis for mid-income residents and working families, especially teachers. It increases allowed density and height on large lots (over 10,000 sq ft) and publicly owned land (e.g., school and city college land) for multi-family, 100% affordable housing for very low income, Low income, and those earning up to 120 % of Median Income. It does not, however, allow these changes for development on park lands; nor does it allow removal of any existing housing--two aspects of the proposed laws that protect open space and help ensure increases in housing levels, respectively. In other words, Prop E “would allow 100 percent affordable and educator housing to be built on public land.”
Read MoreOn November 5th, San Francisco voters will have an opportunity to place a tax on Uber and Lyft ride-share services in the city. Proposition D, if passed, would impose a 3.25% tax on rides carrying a single passenger and 1.5% tax on shared rides and rides in zero-emission vehicles. The tax could potentially bring between $30 million and $35 million annually to fund public transit and improved bike and pedestrian safety measures.
Approximately 50% of the revenue would go to San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) for more Muni buses, trains, drivers, and service for the disabled and elderly, while the other 50% would go to San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) to improve bike and pedestrian safety.
Read MoreSFLCV has voted to endorse Chesa Boudin as first choice, Leif Dautch as second choice, and Suzy Loftus as third choice in the race for District Attorney. These candidates support moving San Francisco DA’s office towards a more just society where marginalized communities have meaningful recourse and an additional voice fighting against the pollution and contamination that has disproportionately impacted them for far too long.
Read MoreOur recent local elections have become more expensive. One reason is the post-Citizens United flood of money from political action committees (PACs) into campaigns at all levels of government. Local ethics rules require that mailers and other advertising disclose their funding sources, but when PACs are the source of funds, voters don’t know who has funded the PACs. A PAC’s funding source may only be revealed months after the election has ended, making the existing disclosure requirements ineffective at providing true transparency.
Prop F closes this loophole. If this measure passes, campaign advertisements will be required to disclose the name of the top 5 contributors of $5,000 or more; if any of the top 5 contributors are PACs, campaign advertisements must also disclose the top 3 contributors of $5,000 or more to those PACs.
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Wednesday, April 24, 6-8 pm
Covo, 981 Mission Street @ 6th Street
Nearest BART: Powell
Light food | Cash bar
$35 in advance | $40 at the door
Sponsorships available
Crissy Field $500 -- Mount Tam $250 -- Fort Point $150
Thank you to our sponsors:
Amandeep Jawa & Kimberly Conley
Nick Josefowitz
Anonymous
Tim Chan & Chris Waddling
Assemblymember David Chiu
Melanie Nutter
Kristina Pappas & Phillip Davis
Assemblymember Phil Ting
Yin L. Yin & Wilbert Sequeira Sandoval
Eliet Henderson
Jeff Henne
Caroline Koch
Thea Selby, Trustee of the City College of San Francisco
Johanna Wald
Senator Scott Wiener
Ian Wren
Adrian Cotter & Liz Pallatto
All proceeds support SFLCV’s political advocacy for local candidates and ballot initiatives that protect the environment, support good government, and create a more healthy and sustainable San Francisco for all.
If you can’t join us but still want to support, make a gift here.
Prop C, the “Our City, Our Home” ballot measure aims to build on San Francisco’s current efforts to address homelessness and protect those vulnerable to becoming homeless in a holistic way. By imposing a gross receipts tax on SF businesses with gross receipts of $50 million or more, or a payroll tax on certain companies, the City will double its funding for permanent housing, mental health services, personal care services, and homelessness prevention programs. The benefits of this additional funding are numerous, including keeping our city, our home healthy.
Read MoreThe San Francisco League of Conservation Voters is endorsing John Rizzo and Thea Selby, both incumbents, for renewed terms on the board of City College.
John Rizzo worked to keep CCSF accreditation with free tuition for San Franciscans and to build affordable student and staff housing at City College's Balboa Reservoir property. He also worked to promote the training and hiring of people from disadvantaged communities to work at City College and to increase crosswalks and bike lanes and bike parking around the campuses. Rizzo supports discounted Muni passes for students, and green building elements, including NET-Zero energy use in new or renovated City College buildings. He advocates hiring a Director of Sustainability to enforce the Sustainability Plan.
Thea Selby regularly takes City College classes to keep in touch with students and faculty, and has children in public schools. She worked to keep accreditation with free tuition for San Franciscans and supports Rams Transit Passes for students, retaining the Diego Rivera mural, improving maintenance, rehabilitating CCSF's buildings sustainably, and building affordable student and staff housing at City College's Balboa Reservoir property. Selby is a long-time public transit and walking advocate and will work to increase pedestrian safety and free a main campus street from auto congestion to improve pedestrian, bike, and Muni access. She supports developing hiring more staff to implement CCSF's Sustainability Plan.
For City College Board, vote John Rizzo and Thea Selby.
Read their questionnaire responses here.
SFLCV supports Melanie Nutter for BART Board Director for District 8. BART needs leadership that will ensure the system is not only safe, reliable, and accessible for all, but is also environmentally sustainable. Melanie Nutter has a wealth of relevant experience to accomplish each of these goals. Given her 25-year career in environmental protection, sustainability, and government, candidate Nutter will be a strong voice and fierce advocate for the environment if elected to BART Board. Her experience also means that she has working relationships with many leaders of city and transit governments that will allow her to foster open communication between agencies to create an efficient web of transit. Vote Nutter for BART Board!
Read MoreSoon, Board President Malia Cohen will be termed out after eight years, and District 10 will see a new supervisor. Meanwhile, the district continues to struggle with serious environmental and community issues. These include decades of toxic pollution and transportation decisions that isolated this area from the rest of the city.
Against this sober backdrop, SFLCV is pleased to announce our first-place endorsement of Theo Ellington. We believe Ellington has the priorities and experience to tackle D10’s big issues head on.
Read MoreSFLCV supports Gordon Mar for Board of Supervisors in District 4. The Sunset needs new leadership for the environment, particularly advocacy for building more new homes here. Gordon Mar has been a labor and community activist for 20 years, and we believe he has the vision and community ties to guide the Sunset toward more sustainable approaches on increasing housing; investing in public transit and biking and walking infrastructure; and supporting San Francisco’s climate goals.
Read MoreNick Josefowitz’ long and productive commitment to the environment, from building solar power plants to improving regional public transit, makes him the clear environmental choice for Supervisor in District 2.
He brings a keen understanding of the connection between transportation and land use, and the need to make development patterns more sustainable and climate-friendly by building more homes close to transit. This is illustrated by his leading an initiative to build thousands of new homes close to BART, 30% of which will be affordable. As a BART director, he also helped lead the successful effort to pass a $3.5 million infrastructure bond, bringing significant new money for public transit. He helped put BART on a path toward using 100% renewable energy (the agency is now only at 4% but says it will reach 90% in 2021).
Read MoreSFLCV supports Rafael Mandelman for Board of Supervisors in District 8. We endorsed Mandelman in the June 2018 election and continue to support him for Supervisor in District 8 this November. See our June 2018 endorsement here.
The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters endorses both Matt Haney and Christine Johnson for District 6 Supervisor.
Matt Haney is a strong voice for the environment and for equity. Currently a member of the School Board, Haney sponsored a resolution setting a school district goal of phasing out fossil fuels by 2040, as well as initiatives to reduce water and energy use. As District 6 Supervisor, he supports expanding CleanPowerSF by making Super Green (100% renewable energy) the default, along with a balanced payment plan to make varying energy bills more affordable.
Haney has promoted biking and walking throughout the school district, helped create a district transportation plan, and sponsored a resolution for the school district to adopt Vision Zero, the citywide goal of zero deaths in traffic crashes. He is a strong supporter of protected bike lanes.
Read MoreThe San Francisco Seawall is a critically important, but invisible, piece of city infrastructure. It extends along the eastern edge of the city, all the way from Mission Creek to Fisherman’s Wharf, keeping water out of the city’s downtown. The Seawall protects buildings, Muni and BART tunnels, and electrical and sewer systems. It was completed in 1920 (after 40 years of construction) before modern seismic standards existed. It is almost 100 years old. The Seawall is vulnerable to earthquakes as well as sea level rise — which means, so are we.
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