♪ hello and welcome to kqed "newsroom." coming up on our program, california billionaire environmentalist tom steyer has a new examable in tgamble in th game. a june measure that would tax all bay area property owners to help protect socoastal regions from rising sea levels. first, the continuing coverage on the controversy surrounding the san francisco police department. this week several san francisco supervisors joined community groups in demanding the chief's remov

removal. this comes after months of protests after officer involved shootings and a series of racist and homophobic texts by officers. so the call for the chief's removal is an about face for some of the supervisors. why is that happening now? >> it's been a long time coming with all the protesting after the mario wood shooting in december. at this point, we've had another racist text message scandal come out. we had another officer involved shooting of a man of color in the mission district. and on top of all of that, the blue ribbon panel has released a preliminary report which found a lot of issues with the police department. >> what were some of the key issues they found? >> the key issues they found -- please keep in mind these are preliminary findings right now, so they did not provide the evidence they had to go with it. but the preliminary findings really echoed some of the concerns people have made about the police department for

decades now. they found that the police department lacked transparency and accountability in a lot of these areas. they were not taking down data or analyzing data in a way to help people understand what was happening in communities of color. there were issues with hiring practices and promotions and how the union interacts with the police department itself. >> we should point out that the police officer's union did issue a response to that report saying the findings were biassed, one-sided and illegitimate. how likely is it the police commissioner will fire the chief? >> he has said multiple times he is committed to staying with the department and that he himself is not stepping down. the mayor and several police

commissioners have todstood by for quite some time. >> supporters including mayor lee and also a couple of supervisors say he is one of the most progressive police chiefs in the country. if he were no longer to be in that post, what impact would that have on the pace of reforms already underway at the department? >> there are a lot of reforms going on right now. the police commission is going through the use of force policy line by line at this point. they've been going since the december 2nd shooting of mario woods. the police chief is -- he's under a lot of scrutiny but he says he's very committed to making sure reforms happen. but protesters are saying him staying on as head of the department after all these years and everything that has happened is a bad symbolic move. they're saying he needs to leave in order for these reforms to take place. >> so the hunger strike h has ended.

are there more protests planned? >> the hunger strikers, the five of them are all very tied into the community. they indicated they will continue to put pressure on the department and on the city and on mayor lee for their call for chief to step down. >> the final findings of the commission comes out in a couple of weeks. >> it is echoing concerns that have been with the department for decades at this point. >> so much more to come. thank you for being here. >> thank you. if you think there's no solution to the climate crisis, think again. >> the "new york times" has called him the most influential environmentalist in american politics. tom steyer a billionaire and former hedge fund manager is pushing for more political action on climate change. his latest effort is a 25 million dollar campaign to get more millennial voters registered to vote and hopefully to back his climate change agenda at the polls. tom steyer joins us now to talk

about that as well as his new partnership with labor unions targeting the presidential race. >> great to be here. >> well, i want to ask you about your millennial vote campaign. your nonprofit group is working on getting out the vote among young people in seven key battleground states. how do you plan to do that and why is this so important to you? >> millennials are going to be the biggest age cohort in the 2016 election, more than the baby boomers. it's really important for our democracy that they be educated about the issues, that they understand how important this election is and that they participate at the polls. so we want to be, you know, we want to do as much as we can to make that education happen, to have the voter to voter contact that we think is at the heart of democracy and make sure we have the broadest possible democracy in november. >> time and time again election data has shown that millennials do not vote.

so is this the best way to spend $25 million? >> the data has shown they haven't voted in the past. it also shows they're very aware of the issues, they're politically involved. you can look at black lives matter, the dreamers, you can look at the fossil fuel divestment act and know that the millennials actually are very knowledgeable and interested in politics. >> how will you take that and translate it to them actually showing up at the polls? >> we're trying to talk to them about issues. we're trying to make sure they understand what's at stake, what the different candidates represent so they know what a stark choice there's likely to be in november so they know their vote is really important. that's really our goal, is to engage them the way americans have been engaged in politics for over 200 years. >> this week you announced a new partnership with major employee unions to oppose donald trump. how do you plan to do that?

>> once again, that is another effort with traditional allies of ours, to do field work, the kind of door to door voter education for working families to make sure they understand where the candidates stand on progressive issues, to make sure they understand what's at stake, the kind of positions that mr. trump has taken, where he stands relative to the people likely to be running against him as democrats so voters can understand how important their vote is. >> some people might look at this and say a collaboration with labor unions may be a sign you're building a broader support network here for a future run for governor. >> we have worked with the unions for years. if you ever do field work, if you ever go door to door in any state, the fact of the matter is the best partners we've had

traditional are organized labor. >> still thinking about having them as your partners in a future run? >> what i've said is i am determined to stand up for the values i care about the most, including climate, including equality, including justice. i have no idea after november 8th where we're going to stand as a nation, where we're going to stand as a state. so i'll make the decision then. what i do know is whatever i do will be consistent with what i'm doing now and is going to push for the exact same values i push for consistently. >> speaking of climate change, we asked our audience in social media what they would like to ask you about. why has he made climate change his name plate issue? it doesn't motivate most voters. >> two answers to that. the reason that i've push sod hard is i think this is our generational challenge, that if we don't get this right, that all the other things that we care about that are absolutely urgent and important, the kind of justice issues, economic justice, getting people fair

jobs, fair education, fair housing, those are things that will suffer dramatically if we don't get climate right. climate is the over riding issue that we have to make sure we get right so we can get everything else right. in terms of whether it motivates people, i would disagree with your correspondent. >> no. it's a person on twitter who tweeted that. >> i would say this, it depends how you describe what you're doing. if what you say is, we're interested in clean air for your children, people care about that. there's 3.3 million californians with asthma. if you say you care about clean, available drinking water for people, people care about that. take a look at flint, michigan, and plus a lot of places in california. if you say you're worried about having enough water for people to live safely, think about the drought in california. people care about that. if you say the best chance we have to grow our economy and create good-paying jobs for

working families that they can raise a family on in dignity, is clean energy, people care think about. it really depends what you talk about. if you talk about the local human facts of not getting this right, people absolutely understand that in their bones. it is a top issue. if you talk about it theoretically from a science standpoint, he's right. it's not a top mission. >> you're obviously very passionate about this. but there are also critics out there who say the company you founded farallan capital management, when you were there invested in companies that generated fossil fuels and carbon pollution. they see hypocrisy here, that you're now railing against the companies and industries that you made money off of. >> i'd say this. when i was at farallan we invested in every industry in the book, including fossil fuels. i read a lot of literature and decided those were bad decisions and i decided to do something

about it. if getting new information and acting on it is hypocrisy, then i think that's foolishness. what we're asking people to do is exactly what i did a decade ago, which is to look at the information and decide we need to make a change. and i actually think we encourage people every single person in the united states has participated in the fossil fuel economy and every single person in the united states including the chairman of exxon needs to make a decision that it's time to make a change. that's exactly what i did ten years ago. >> okay. tom steyer, a pleasure to have you on. thank you for joining us. >> my pleasure. ♪ turning now to an environmental issue on the june ballot, rising sea levels brought about by climate change. the pacific ocean and san francisco bay are expected to rise up to two feet by 2050 according to a study. other studies indicate flooding

would dwevastate local airports highways. it goes before voters in all nine bay area counties. joining me now to discuss the measure are david lewis, executive director of save the wa bay. and linda keling, former mayor of foster city. how much are sea levels expected to rise over the next two decades and what are the projected consequences? >> we don't know the rate of sea level rise over the next couple of dencades. you mentioned the projection. that's an official projection and state guidance. the important thing is we actually have some time to prepare and restoring wetlands around the shoreline is one of the best ways we can prepare to protect the shoreline and communities here in the bay area from sea level rise and from more frequent flooding from heavy storms.

that's what's expected to change over the next few years. tidal marshes around the edge of the bay used to be much greater in number before the gold rush. we've destroyed a lot of those tidal marshes from developing the shoreline. and we have an amazing opportunity to restore them if measure aa passes, we can raise the money to do that more quickly. >> tidal marshes prevent storm surges? >> marshes act like a sponge when there is a high tide or extreme storm. they can soak up water and then release it slowly. if you have a shoreline without tidal marsh in front of it, you're need to build a higher sea wall or some other form of protection. marshes actually provide a lot of benefits at the same time that they protect the shoreline. they really help make the bay healthier and cleaner and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. >> how concerned are you about climate change and rising sea levels?

>> i think anything that affects our way of life is of a concern. now, i live in foster city and of course that's below sea level by about five feet. we have taken measures to increase the levy system. in 1989 we increased it after the earthquake. i think it's a significant concern over time, over the next 100 years. but that's not why i'm here to discuss this measure. it's not about the science of sea level rise. my concern is the over governing of what's going on in the bay area. i'm concerned that there's going to be redun de-- redun dendentc. i am an advocate about local control. >> measure aa is a very small tax, shared by the residents of the region that produces a huge

benefit. we have an incredible opportunity to restore tidal marsh around the bay because we have areaed that were diked off for salt ponds and hey fields ov -- hay fields. the opportunity to restore that tidal marsh is going to provide a lot of benefits for the bay. the missing ingredient is money. measure aa doesn't create any kn new bureaucracy or regulations to oversee the quality of the bay. it just creates a source of grant money so these areas can be turned from brown or crusty salt ponds into vibrant tidal marsh that provides the benefits against sea level rise, also benefits for fish and wildlife. it actually sequesters carbon from the atmosphere in the fight against climate change. and it provides an amazing open space resource in this heavily

urbanized area. >> i think linda's point though is there are lots of agencies out there already charged with doing this. shouldn't they do a better job of getting it done under the structure we already have. linda am i right? >> that's my question. the silly question is how many environmental agencies does it take to do the same job? all you have to do is go online and take a look at the different agencies champrged to protect t bay or volunteer agencies that go around and clean up the bay and so on and so forth. i guess my concern is that the bay area doesn't need another layer of governance to do this particular job. >> the interesting thing about that is this measure has been endorsed by more elected officials and more governments who see the need for an additional grant source. none of those agencies that exist now have as part of their mission asking voters to share a part of this cost and an

ministering grants to restore tidal marsh. the whole reason for this is it doesn't already exist as a mission. in fact, we have more than a thousand local individuals and organizations, everybody from governor brown and senator feinstein down to every member of the county board of supervisors where linda lives and 40 mayors. environmental groups, business groups, organized labor. there's never been an opportunity for everyone in the bay area together to vote for san francisco bay. this is the first time ever. and we hope people will do it. >> speaking of sharing taxes, a point that you made earlier, david, the taxpayer's association say it's really unfair that big wealthy companies only have to pay $12 a year, the same amount that an individual homeowner would pay. they chose to build in harm's way. should they not have to shoulder

more of the financial burden? >> the primary purpose of this measure is not to protect property. that's an extra benefit that we get in some places from restoring tides al mrestore ing tidal marsh. it's the reason people move here and live here. its beauty is part of what attracts people to locate here and people to live here. we're all going to share from the benefits of this small tax. that's why it's proposed to be an equal tiny amount for everyone who has a parcel in the bay area. >> do you think big companies should have to pay more? >> absolutely. in fact, i want to stop this and say opposition to measure aa is not anti-environmental concerns. i want to make that really clear. it's all about anti-unnecessary government, using increased tax dollars and a broad brush of authority with no accountability to the public. this authority, i mean, $12

sound real menial right now, but this authority is going to be able to raise taxes further and garner more money for future projects. >> this authority cannot raise any tax without the approval of two-thirds of the voters. and $12 is a tiny tax. and in fact, the only opposition that's registered in any county in the voter pamphlet is anti-taxpayer groups who oppose any tax no matter how small and no matter the purpose. we hope voters will look at the actual purpose and the broad support for this measure and agree it's a tiny tax to pay for a huge benefit. >> we will have to leave the discussion there. thank you both. david lewis with safe the bay and linda keling, former mayor of foster city. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. this weekend marks the long awaited reopening of the san francisco museum of modern art. the three year, $305 million redesign more than doubles the

museum's previous exhibition space. it's being praised by many as an international destination for modern and contemporary art. the expanded site showcases the growing collection, including an impressive body of artwork from the vast private collection of gap clothing founders doris and donald fisher. we are joins by their son bob fisher and neil. welcome to you both. >> thank you. >> bob, you must have done many walk throughs of the new museum by now. what is your favorite part? >> the ellsworth kelly galleries are incredible. there are four galleries that cover the realm of his painting. the first gallery which is color field paintings is absolutely gorgeous and meticulously set up. i love those galleries. >> what about the sequence su

sculpture. >> my brothers and i refer to it as our fourth brother. >> because he loved it that much. >> he loved it that much. it's situated at the howard street entrance to the museum and looks fantastic, very powerful and perfect in my opinion. >> i know it's like asking which one out of your kids are your favorite. but what are your favorite works? >> i love the garhart richter gallery but i also love the public spaces of the museum. really meaning full f iningful all the people coming to the museum. >> how does the expansion change moma's status in the art world? >> i think now we've really risen to the top echelon. >> you have a free public gallery on the ground floor.

>> the first floor galleries are all free of charge. then we've made the museum free of charge for anyone 18 and under, which we're really pleased about. >> bob, you left home but you also came back to visual ut yit parents many times over the years. this art was hanging in their home. what was that like to have all these masterpieces around you? >> youaccustomed to the artwork. blo once in a while you'd sit down at a meal and there would be a pan painting and you just take a moment to look at them. it was an amazing thing to grow up around. >> were they viewed as precious objects to keep at a distance or was it like a mirror hanging in the home? >> it was like a mirror or a couch. it doesn't decorative but it was

something beautiful to look at and spend time with. >> when did your parents start collecting? and what was the philosophy that guided them? >> they started collecting really in the late '70s. we had a lot of wall space in the gap offices and they began collecting prints. they wanted to really bring creativity and innovation into the offices. so they would buy prints. that turned out later to start collecting oil paintings and sculptures. and their philosophy really was just to buy things they both loved. >> did they have an art advisor? >> no. they did it themselves. my mother always said why give up the thing that was the most fun to somebody else. >> and now many of those works, of course, are in moma. neil, were there certain challenges in translating a work from the home to a museum space? >> well, the major thing for us was to make sure that we designed galleries for these pictures and for our collection

as well that would really be appropriate, get the right scale, the right quality of light, the right level of detail, make sure we were creating a setting for this great art that would show them to their best advantage. >> what is the big difference between the home and sort of the museum's stage, if you will, and are there ever instances where a piece that looks great in the home does not look so great in a gallery space? >> i think it can be said in any case when a work of art leaves anyone's home and comes into a museum, it's a little bit more of a challenge. it's one thing to hang in a living room. but you know touyou have to rai your game if you're a painting. i'm thrilled about the works from the fisher collection. they sing beautifully in our galleries. >> how exhaustive and exhausting was this process for you? i read that you actually made miniature models of thousands of

works and had them arranged just so to make sure everything looks good on a model scale? >> we designed the entire seven floor gallery. every work of art had its place. it was planned very carefully. >> how did you get the big pieces into place? >> the actual works you mean? in some cases we had to use cranes to reach the galleries. in other cases it was very easy to move them through. but the paintings come in big crates to keep them safe. we worked very, very hard to make the galleries look very, very beautiful and easy. >> art museums are designed with large elevators. and we try to hide them, but if you look carefully you'll see them. >> first of all, bob and neil you can chime in as well. we are living in changing times in the bay area. we have increasing income disparities.

we have tent cities, economic struggling middle class. some may view this big shiny museum as really a rich person's institution. how can moma and others involved in the visual art zooscene coun that view? >> all children under 18 are admitted free of charge. we have great public spaces. there certainly is income disparity that we all care deeply about. but there's at the same time there's a role for major cultural institutions and we think that we have one of the great ones in the city. >> we have a very important sculpture that's entered the collection. and it's a sculpture of solid of a homeless woman reclining on a bench. it speaks volumes about the current moment we're living in. it's a great work of art and also a great kind of social expression as well. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> thank you.

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