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Editorial by Dr. Willie and Mary Ratcliff
An election is coming up this Tuesday to decide who will represent those of us who live on the east side – the po’ folks’ side – of San Francisco in the California Assembly. Former SF Supervisor and current District Attorney’s Office Chief of Staff David Campos faces current SF Supervisor Matt Haney.
The Bay View announced our choice of David Campos in February. Big Pharma and greedy housing developers have chosen Matt Haney, poured massive donations into his campaign and transformed a reputedly progressive leader into a corporate shill.
David Campos says: “There is a reason why we don’t have Medicare for All, a Green New Deal and a true living wage – corporate money. To change California, we need to change how we elect our leaders so WE choose, not the corporations. There will be millions spent against us in this campaign. But we will prevail with the truth – and by asking voters to ‘follow the money.’ If you support our corporate-free campaign to lift up all Californians – please join us today!” Learn more at https://camposforus.com/.
The California Assembly, the “People’s House” of the state legislature, makes decisions that deeply affect Black lives every day it’s in session. The members are overwhelmingly Democrats, but only a minority are progressive. A strong contingent of Black Assembly members who fight bravely for oppressed Californians will welcome David Campos as an ally.
If you are a registered voter in Assembly District 17, the one Campos and Haney are competing for, you’ve probably received a couple of nasty attack mailers in the past few days. Funded primarily by the California Association of Realtors, they slam both David Campos and District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who faces a June recall vote.
The California Association of Realtors . . . want champions of the people like Campos and Boudin out of leadership so they can make San Francisco an exclusive playground for the rich.
They blame Campos and Boudin for the fentanyl overdose and domestic violence crises, and as a victim of near-lethal domestic violence in my 11-year first marriage, I resent the implication that prosecution and incarceration are always the most effective responses.
But those aren’t really the issues that the California Association of Realtors cares about. They want champions of the people like Campos and Boudin out of leadership so they can make San Francisco an exclusive playground for the rich.
A KRON-4 story published April 13 announces the good news, “Treasure Island toll proposal put on hold,” an issue that has united island residents. The issue’s role in the Campos-Haney race is discussed, as the developer of the island’s new condo city is the power behind the toll.
KRON-4 reports that Campos visited Treasure Island residents Sunday, then quotes Campos saying: “I thought it was a very powerful visit,” Campos said. “It was really important to hear from residents about the struggles they face making ends meet. Residents of this island have a history of being among the most vulnerable in the city. The idea we would impose a toll on them – in the middle of a pandemic – makes no sense. That we would go down that path is unconscionable.”
That’s the kind of strong, brave advocacy we need! Thank you, David Campos.
Voters win elections, not money. Let’s demand the billionaires butt out of our politics. Let’s ELECT DAVID CAMPOS by or on THIS TUESDAY, APRIL 19! Then let’s defeat the recall of Chesa Boudin!
Bay View publishers Dr. Willie and Mary Ratcliff can be reached at 415-671-0789 or mary@sfbayviewnews.wpenginepowered.com.
David Campos tackles the tough questions
These are David Campos’ responses to a set of tough questions the Bay View presented to all the primary candidates in the AD17 race:
Question 1) Would you oppose further development at the Hunters Point Shipyard and Treasure Island until all toxic and radioactive waste has been removed and not capped?
Yes absolutely. As a Supervisor I opposed the Hunters Point Shipyard development because we knew what so many community members in Hunters Point knew: that the project was not safe to build. It is clear that during the environmental review Lennar, the other developers, and their so-called “experts” lied, and these projects must not move forward until there is true, independent verification that all toxic and radioactive materials have been removed and not simply shifted from one parcel to another or covered up.
Question 2) How do you feel about defunding police and prisons? Why?
We can literally work our way out of the crime challenges facing California by putting people to work. People facing economic desperation and people with behavioral health needs are responsible for the overwhelming number of crimes and both of those challenges have solutions. When we create millions more high-wage jobs with programs like a Green New Deal, we have people paying taxes – not more people we are paying to keep in prison and jail. When we have quality mental healthcare available to everyone through Medicare for All we save money, save lives and make our state safer. When our schools work for every child, we open a path to opportunity to everyone.
As someone who has been targeted by law enforcement because of the language I speak and the color of my skin, I know firsthand that holding police and prosecutors accountable is fundamental to making all of us safer. And as a former San Francisco Police Commissioner and current Chief of Staff to the District Attorney, I know how to do it. At DA Boudin’s Office this past year, we filed the first ever homicide case against a police officer in the history of our city and we created a host of policies that limit charges that are a result of racist, pretextual police stops. But we must hold the politicians accountable too – and make sure they are working on the root causes of crime rather than simply exploiting fear of crime for political gain.
Question 3) Would you listen to, meet with and follow unhoused people’s solutions to the crises of housing and homelessness?
Yes absolutely, and that is something I have done throughout my career. As District 9 Supervisor, I opened San Francisco’s first navigation center in my district. That project came about because of community input, especially the unhoused community, and we incorporated a great deal of the feedback we received from folks living on the streets. In particular I remember making sure we allowed pets in the navigation center, because we heard from so many people that not being allowed to bring their pets into shelters was a major reason they did not go.
Another thing we heard, directly from the source, was how unsafe LGBTQ homesless folks felt in traditional shelters. That is what led us to open Jazzie’s Place, the first LGBTQ homeless shelter in the country right here in San Francisco. After serving my full 8 years on the Board of Supervisors, I worked in Santa Clara county as a Deputy County Executive where I spearheaded the creation of the second such shelter: The Haven.
Finally, when I first proposed safe injection in 2016, long before the idea was as popular as it is today, I did so because people in recovery pushed for the idea. They were adamant that the sites would be a groundbreaking tool to reduce deaths and provide those suffering from addiction with a path to sobriety, and the data backs that up. In the Assembly I will work tirelessly to finally open a safe injection site right here in San Francisco, and even more across the state, to tackle the crisis of overdose deaths.
