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Whether you were happy or not with last month’s election results, June 5 was a historic election and San Franciscans proved once again we are still a progressive city ready to fight for our values and our future.
In an election dominated by tens of millions of dollars of special interest investment from Big Tobacco, the Police Officers Association, and large real estate and tech titans, San Franciscans voted in close to record numbers with remarkable results that largely rebuked the politics of Big Money. Projections forecast a pitiful voter turnout, and yet compared to the rest of California, San Francisco experienced a surge of voters — more than 50 percent — who stood up for progressive policies. We’re still the city that knows how to stand up to Big Money.
Voters took the historic step to restructure how we deliver clean and affordable energy with Proposition A, effectively cutting off PG&E’s century-long monopoly over our city. The proposition passed with some 77 percent of the vote.
With the passage of Proposition B, we eliminated the inherent conflict of interest of political candidates simultaneously serving as elite commissioners; voters passed Proposition B by some 70 percent of the vote.
I proposed both Propositions A and B, and was thrilled to see how well they both did.
We also saw through the poorly written and cynical Proposition D that posed as an affordable housing measure (it lost 55 percent to 45 percent) and ultimately passed a revenue measure to fund universal childcare with the passage of Proposition C, another historic first for San Francisco to pilot for the nation.
We refuted the massive — more than $11 million dollars — spending by R.J. Reynolds and Big Tobacco by upholding Proposition E’s previously unanimously passed Board of Supervisors law on sensible local tobacco controls.
And with the passage of Proposition F, San Francisco voters took the historic position in the midst of an eviction crisis that residents grappling with a potential displacement from their home should have access to legal counsel and a fair shot at housing stability. Proposition F will help ensure we take care of our neighbors and keep our communities intact.
With the passage of Proposition G, we all agreed to put our money where our collective mouth is regarding education, by supporting our public school teachers in one of the most expensive cities in the world (60 percent said yes to this $298-per-parcel tax).
And finally, we put a decisive kibosh on the Police Officers Association’s attempt to strip common-sense oversight of Tasers by saying no to Proposition H.
As we approach November, I encourage you all to think about how we can build on this momentum and continue to cultivate new young leaders and craft policies to create a more equitable San Francisco.
Proud of you, San Francisco.
