Bay View Voters Guide

by Bay View Publisher Willie Ratcliff

This is the most important election of our lifetimes. WE MUST VOTE 100%.

In San Francisco and the Bay Area, the polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. If you are in line when the polls close, you still can vote. You may take this Bay View Voters Guide into the voting booth with you.

barack-obama-looking-up-cropped5, Bay View Voters Guide, Local News & Views Call (415) 554-4375 in San Francisco or (510) 272-6973 in Alameda County to confirm your registration and polling place – many have changed – and for other information and help with voting. You can also find your polling place and get lots more information specific to your address at www.voteforchange.com.

Do not let your vote be stolen! Take your photo ID to the polls with you – just in case. And in case lines are long, some folks recommend taking along something to eat, maybe a folding chair and a pack of cards to “party” with your line-mates.

Whatever you do, do not leave the polls without casting a vote. Avoid using a provisional ballot if at all possible. Vote a regular ballot and double-check it before it’s scanned.

If you suspect your voting rights or anyone else’s are being threatened, call (866) OUR-VOTE (or 1-866-687-8683). Be sure to report any harassment by police or any effort by anyone to intimidate you or discourage you from voting.

Winning takes work. On Election Day, after you’ve voted and made sure your loved ones have voted, hit the streets and the phones to push the candidates and ballot measures you believe in into the winners’ column. And don’t stop after Nov. 4. That’s when our organizing, our pushing, our demands will win liberty and justice for us and our precious children.

To learn how we arrived at our Voting Guide recommendations, read my editorial, “Bringing democracy to Amerikkka,” along with many more stories about the election on this website. Some of my favorites are “Please don’t feed the PiGE!” “Cindy Sheehan speaks at Bayview Hunters Point Town Hall Meeting,” “What our country desperately needs is a leader who loves us,” “Vote Yes on Prop H: Don’t believe PG&E’s fossil fuel-powered lies,” “Jerry’s Brown-nosin’ with California’s prison guards” and “Barbara Lopez fights for a School Board that looks like San Francisco.”

Here are the Bay View’s recommendations:

NATIONAL CANDIDATES

President of the United States: Barack Obama

cindy-sheehan-good-pic-cropped4, Bay View Voters Guide, Local News & Views Congress, District 8: Cindy Sheehan

Congress, District 12: Barry Hermanson

STATE CANDIDATES

State Assembly, District 12: Fiona Ma

State Assembly, District 13: Tom Ammiano

LOCAL CANDIDATES

Superior Court Judge, Seat 12: Gerardo Sandoval

San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 1: Eric Mar

SF Board of Supervisors, District 3: Denise McCarthy, Tony Gantner, David Chiu

SF Board of Supervisors, District 4: Dave Ferguson

SF Board of Supervisors, District 5: Ross Mirkarimi

SF Board of Supervisors, District 9: Mark Sanchez, Eric Quezada, David Campos

SF Board of Supervisors, District 11: John Avalos, Randy Knox, Julio Ramos

SF School Board: James Calloway, Sandra Fewer, Barbara Lopez, Norman Yee

Community College Board: Chris Jackson, Bruce Wolfe, Milton Marks

BART Director: Lynnette Sweet

STATE BALLOT MEASURES

State Proposition 1A, High-speed train bond: Yes

State Proposition 2, Farm animal protections: Yes

State Proposition 3, Children’s hospital bonds: Yes

State Proposition 4, Parental notification and wait for abortion: No

State Proposition 5, Treatment not prison: YES

State Proposition 6, Increased police and prison spending and youth incarceration: NO

State Proposition 7, Flawed renewable energy proposal that excludes smaller projects: No

State Proposition 8, Ban on same-gender marriage: NO

State Proposition 9, Restrictions on parole: NO

State Proposition 10, Alternative fuel vehicles bond: No

State Proposition 11, Redistricting commission: No

State Proposition 12, Veterans bonds: Yes

LOCAL BALLOT MEASURES

San Francisco Proposition A, SF General Hospital bonds: Yes

San Francisco Proposition B, Affordable Housing Fund: YES

San Francisco Proposition C, Ban on city employees serving on commissions: No

San Francisco Proposition D, Pier 70 development financing: Yes

mirant-power-plant-by-matt-jalbert1, Bay View Voters Guide, Local News & Views San Francisco Proposition E, Recall election reform: No

San Francisco Proposition F, Mayoral election in even-numbered years: Yes

San Francisco Proposition G, Retirement credit for unpaid parental leave: Yes

San Francisco Proposition H, Clean Energy Act: YES

State Proposition I, Independent Ratepayer Advocate: No

State Proposition J, Historic Preservation Commission: Yes

State Proposition K, Decriminalizing sex work: YES

State Proposition L, Funding for Community Justice Center: NO

State Proposition M, Prohibiting harassment of tenants: Yes

State Proposition N, Real estate transfer tax: Yes

State Proposition O, Emergency Response Fee: Yes

State Proposition P, Transportation Authority changes: No

State Proposition Q, Payroll tax changes: Yes

State Proposition R, Renaming sewage plant: No

State Proposition S, Budget set-aside policy: No

State Proposition T, Free and affordable substance abuse treatment: Yes

State Proposition U, No more Iraq war funding: Yes

State Proposition V, Return of JROTC to public high schools: NO

If you have any problems with voting, call Bay View publisher Willie Ratcliff at (415) 671-0789.