>> welcome to sfvotes 2011. we're bringing you statements by 14 of candidates for mayor of san francisco. >> my name is jeff adachi and i am running for mayor. i've served as elected public defender for nine years. i spent my entire career in social justice, and shrink the civil rights of all san francisco and are enforced and respected. my parents and grandparents were in turned during the war.

from their experience came a passion for justice. i spent seven years working to free an innocent man from death row. over the past nine years, i've transformed the public defender's office into one of the best in the nation. i have created rehabilitation, community outreach, and youth programs. these programs have helped thousands of people lead productive lives. in 2007, my office received a national award from american bar association for best public office. i am an experienced manager. i twice won the top management award in the city. i brought the very best in technology and innovation to my department. i brought my department's budget on target for eight out of nine years. as mayor, i will focus on jo, housing, education and addressing our fiscal crisis. i will create a program that will provide 1000 micro loans to support small businesses. this will create 7800 jobs and

help revitalize our neighborhoods. i will also address the lack of affordable housing for lower and income san francisco families. i will be a mayor who supports public education. i will restore summer school which has been cut two years in a row and will make sure every high-school or who wants a summer job or internship get one. most importantly, i will address and solve our fiscal crisis. i'm the only candidate to take on a difficult issue of pension reform. i put proposition d on the ballot to protect basic services and rick shut -- read -- repayment the system. this is money they can be reinvested in jobs, protecting services and education. san francisco need a strong, independent leader in these challenging times. i will be a leader that's honest and my decision making and will always insure that the interest of the people come first. i will defend the public from

special interest and eliminate inefficiencies, cronyism, and waste we all know exist in city government. above all else, i will be a mayor committed to pursuing the best solutions to our challenges, not the most expedient. revitalizing our city will require strong leadership and a pragmatic vision. with your help, we can tackle these difficult challenges and do what is best for san francisco. please cast one of your three votes for me and visit my website. thank you. >> election day is november 8th, 2011. that is the last day to vote in person and the last day for receipt of a vote by mail ballots. >> hello. i am michela alioto-pier, former district supervisor and candidate for mayor. my grandfather came to san francisco from sicily. he got his very first job at

eight years old lighting street lamps at fisherman's wharf. he eventually bought himself a boat and by the time of the great earthquake in 1906, he had several fishing boats. when the fire began to destroy san francisco, he loaded neighbors on to the bow. it was on that last boat he was introduced to my grandmother as he led her into the fishing boat for safety. my grandfather met my grandmother, and together, they tried to rebuild a city. san francisco has given my family so much opportunity and i would like to make sure our city continues to be a city of opportunity for everyone. san francisco is a place for history and we honor our past. we have also always looked forward to the future. what was once a gold rush town -- we became a center of finance

and business, and when technology became a driving industry in the world, we became a center for people looking to launch new companies and new ideas. as a supervisor, i've focused on a future and saw the need for long-term planning and push for the very first economic plan in san francisco. i developed the biotech payroll tax exemption which attracted companies to san francisco, creating hundreds of jobs and becoming a template to attract high-tech business right here. for every one ph.d. position, we created six entry-level jobs. i created a film and tv rebate program which put people to work and paid out over $5 million in wages in 2008 and 2010. i worked to save st. luke's hospital in the mission and eliminate hazardous power plants in the bayview.

san francisco deserved a mayor forward thinking as our people. we need neighborhood schools, long-term budget solutions and a government that is transparent and responsive. the eyes of the world will be on us for the america's cup. we need to turn that events into real opportunity by expanding our cruise ship terminals and ensuring the most green america's cup ever and turning it into long-term permanent jobs. that is the kind of mayor i will be. i humbly ask for your vote. thank you. >> the league of women voters and sfgov tv have collaborated to bring in statements from 14 candidates for mayor of san francisco. >> my name is cesar ascarrunz. i'm a businessman in san francisco. i lived here for the last 40

years. through my years, i learned and watched very successful and entertainment business. i went to college and i and hands my education at uc- berkeley. i opened restaurants and nightclubs which have been very successful. in the '70s, there where crime drives. people used to tell me this guy was going to grow but -- going to grow -- going to go broke in six months. [unintelligible] i am running for mayor because of san francisco is full of corrections. i have to clean all of this mess we have in san francisco because

somebody has to take care of business. i am financing my own campaign. i am a capable and successful businessman. i was invited to the white house, president reagan, president bush, president clinton, and i asked the people why. you are taking everybody and i did that. the solution for san francisco is economics. we have to bring businesses through. right now they are very unfriendly. to get a permit to build a house takes two years. to get a permit to build a house, it takes months and months. in a way, it is ok, but not that long. you go to nevada, you can open a business in two weeks. it's the same country, the same

language, that's why i'm running for mayor. the solution for the business in san francisco, the most beautiful city in the world, is nobody through the years will having a business person in this city. the prior mayor was a professional politician. the prior mayor was a police officer. i'm a professional businessman, successful, which is i know how to make the payroll. thank you very much. think about it. vote for the people you know and don't vote for somebody you don't know. thank you very much. god bless you. >> election day is november 8th, 2011. that is the last day to vote in person and the last day for receipt of the vote by mail ballots.

>> hello, i'm a pioneer lesbian playwright. average nine gay-rights comical ethics, anti-semitism, and the eternal pursuit of love. my plays have been translated and performed all over the world. for 35 years, i've immersed myself in the cultural and political life of san francisco. i was fed green party candidate for 2004 and now i'm running for mayor because i am a passionate citizen and i don't like what's happening to my city. san francisco is in the grip of a democratic party machine, the backroom deals, the corruption has created a government that gives corporations like twitter a tax break while basic services are cut, but another city is possible. a city with transit so great you don't need your car. buses every 10 minutes, truly

save by claims all over the city. let's make really magnificent every effort -- every underground station covered with murals and mosaics, every bus shelter a work of art. transit so great you don't want your car. now, only the rich can afford to live here. but another city is possible. let's declare a moratorium on building houses for the wealthy. we have 24 billionaires'. that's enough. we need housing for poor workers, middle-class families, artists. these people are the backbone and soul of san francisco. they deserve to live here. where will the money come from? a few ideas -- one, a municipal bank of san francisco will get the interest on its own pension funds instead of giving it to bankamerica. second, dumppg &e to have public

power. that would give us lower rates. 3, the rich must pay their fair share in taxes. money is being sucked upward as i speak. let's bring it back down. taxes the rich. duh. in this era of white -- right wing at renters and passes aggressive -- it is time for a woman, it is time for a green, it is time for san francisco to woman up and become the city outsiders already think it is. remember, ranked joyce voting gives you the freedom to vote your heart. if my ideas excite you, make me your number one choice. eight other city is possible. -- another city as possible. >> the league of women voters

and sfgovtv has partnered to give you statements from 14 people running for mayor. >> i am david chiu, president of the board of supervisors. my story is not differ from the hundreds of thousands of san francisco not born here. i was born in cleveland, raised in boston, the son of immigrant parents who sacrificed so my brothers and i could receive a grade education. in my mid-20s, like thousands of san franciscans, i came to our city for the reasons whole world loves us. our diversity, our commitment to social justice. by worked as a civil rights attorney and criminal prosecutor to protect these qualities of our city. i delved into another part of what makes our city special, our innovation, are entrepreneurialism, and i founded and ran a small business

for nine years. i decided to run for board of supervisors because for much of last decade, city hall was not as functional as it should be. i am proud that during my three years as president of our board, we are in a different place. our board of supervisors is working together to move our city forward and get things done. now, i am running for mayor because san francisco needs a new generation of leadership that has a record of results, of the visions for the future and is independent. my record includes performing our budget process and passing tough ethics rules to require transparency by lobbyists. i have helped to create thousands of jobs with the america's cup and help to keep companies like twitter ,zynga and yelp herre. i have helped to build tens of thousands of units of new housing in all parts of the city. my vision for san francisco is to build a 21st century

economy, a world-class transportation system, and truly great schools. thanks to hundreds of san franciscans who participated in our community voices meetings, i have the most detailed policy ideas in this race. you can review them by visiting my website. you can see my blueprint for a 21st century san francisco. independence -- while we may not always agree on every decision i have made, you can trust i have made the not based on ideology or special-interest, but based on my independent judgment for what is best for san francisco and. i want to thank you were carrying about the 21st century san francisco. i ask for your support and for one of the three votes you can cast in november. thank you very much. >> election date is november 8th, 2011. that's the last day to vote in person and the last date for

receipt of the vote by mail ballots. i am a people's candidate and running a people's power campaign, so we will see if you grab. the issue for me is regime change. we had a ricoh felony going on in city hall. racketeering, and flows organization, and somebody has to step forward and talk about organized crime. we need to put an end to it, but we will never prosper in san francisco. we have a long way to go. i am running for mayor because of my discussed at the criminal nature of the system going on in city hall. that said, there's four things that need to change.

it would be our banks. we need to be able to compete fairly and squarely in the area of finance and financial services. the capturing of the profits from financial-services in sentences go alone would generate $300 million or $500 million to the city without taxing anybody. we are currently losing this to the banks on wall street. there's no reason to have a system where we do not profit and do not benefit from our commercial activity in san francisco. first, the community bank. if we practice for the presence, we will be able to produce billions of dollars we can use for our own infrastructure

projects. this is where we start. easily within five or 10 years, we could have a $50 billion or $100 billion capital base to take care of the infrastructure needs of san francisco, so beyond that, we want to have a community development corporation. based on this concept, we should be able to improve muni. we need to and the plantation model of housing in san francisco. we need a piece of the pie, not pie in the sky. i would like to use eminent domain to take over the san francisco housing authority.

you can see my idea at my website. please join us. thank you. >> the league of women voters and sfgov tv have collaborated to bring statements by 14 candidates for mayor of san francisco. next up, bevan dufty and tony hall. >> i am on the to be running for mayor of our great city. i served for eight years on the board of supervisors representing district 8, but i was also director of neighborhood services for five and a half years, and i ran the city complete department, and i always said an angry customer was my best asset in helping to see what was working and what was not working in our city. it might be streetcar that did not show up or was 30. it might be a pothole that caused a car to break its axle or a bicyclist to break their elbow or a family struggling to make it in san francisco like my family struggled as i was raised by a single mom growing up in new york city. i think our city could use

someone who has run the city's complaint department to be mayor of san francisco because i believe that fixing the big picture is about having the basics work. about you walking out of your home and having that bus be on time and clean and a pleasant ride for you. about not having someone drunk and passed out on the street as you are trying to walk to school or work or church and about having our parks being open on sundays and being great and successful. i believe as someone who has worked in city government for 18 years that there's no reason city government cannot be as dynamic and effective as any enterprise that we look at in the bay area that is such a hope for big businesses that are innovative and thought leaders, and i believe in the people that work for the city, and i believe i can motivate them and work with them and provide them with the tools to be successful in their jobs so we provide great quality services. i want to bring up an issue, which is a black agenda. i am the candidate that has been talking about the fact that with

an african-american population that is down to 6%, with our bayview neighborhoods having been 40% african-american 10 years ago and only 32% now, you do not have to be black to have a black agenda, but our city desperately -- if we believe in the diversity that is one of the qualities that most of us love the most about our city -- we have to do more and be focused on building more black businesses that hire individuals from the community, on ensuring that the schools are serving our young african-american and latino students and young men who are black and brown are not relegated to a future that has to involve the criminal justice system or an early death or demise and recognizing that there are a lot of wonderful organizations in the african- american community that need to have capacity built. i am is so passionate about being a mayor that brings all the great elements of our city together and recognizes that has san franciscans, we can tackle any problem, that we can be looked at by the world-reversing

a renaissance for our african american community. i believe as a gay man seeking to make history in sentences could that i can also be a thought leader and help other cities do a better job in recognizing the needs of their lgbt citizens and be a thought leader in that regard, but i intend to be a great mayor for san francisco. please visit me at bevandufty.com >> election day is november 8, 2011 view that as the last date to vote in person and the deadline for receipt of vote by mail ballots. >> i am tony hall, and i am running for mayor because san francisco more than ever need someone who would deal honestly with the hard truth that in our city pier i am not a member of a political party and not seeking some higher office. for 35 years, i am have served you, the people of san francisco, as an administrator in seven different apartments. i know how the city functions,

but more importantly, how it should be functioning. i am running to solve our city's problems, not very them. first, let's be honest about pension costs. a $7 billion unfunded liability continues to grow at $400 million per year. because of these costs, san francisco is like a runaway car driving 100 miles an hour down the road into a brick wall label bankruptcy. under the mayor's plan, we hit the wall and 95 miles per hour. under adachi's plan, we still hit the wall but at 90 miles an hour. hard truth is the only way to avoid hitting the bankruptcy wallace what i am proposing. we need to fund pension and health care reform for all new employees that bring salaries and benefits in line with the private sector. this includes the fine contributions and 401k alternatives. lee claims his budget was balanced, but it is not. it is a budget that depends upon you, the taxpayer, passing more

bonds, taxes, and fee hikes this november. we must get back to 0-based budgeting that justifies every dollar spent every year. no more autopilot increases. the hardest truth of all is that our economy is still hurting, and despite what you hear from city hall, there is no jobs plan. we need a plan for government to help small business, not work against it. let's eliminate the fees, hidden costs, and unnecessary red tape now driving jobs in the middle class out of san francisco. my campaign is about direct talks. no more political giveaways like the central subway or car, said that only served to line the pockets of the developers and lobbyists. i am not afraid to face the hard truth or take on the special interests to fix this city. my record proves i can get the job done. as your supervisor, i led bipartisan coalitions to rebuild laguna honda home for our seniors, the youth center for

troubled youth, the ocean avenue business corridor for small businesses, and to rescue lake merced for our environment. i passed legislation to strengthen home ownership, provide bond oversight, reduce needless bureaucracy, and provide safe and clean streets. as your mayor, michael is to return san francisco to its rightful destiny as one of the greatest cities in the world, by facing these hard truths together, we can make this happen. thank you. >> the league of women voters and sfgovtv have collaborated to bring statements by 14 of the candidates for mayor of san and cisco, next up, dennis herrera and ed lee. >> this upcoming mayor's race will be one of the most important in our history. it is a single election that will have a profound impact on our city. not just for the next four or eight years, but for the next

50. as washington and sacramento push more and more public responsibilities off their balance sheets, those obligations will increasingly fall to local government, and the decisions we make in this election will determine whether or not san francisco rises to meet the challenges that we face. with the right leadership and vision, i am confidence san francisco can fulfil its promise and be a model for what a 21st century american city needs to be. i believe local government, run honestly and well, can make a real difference in people's lives each and every day. i believe that because i have accomplished it for nearly 10 years as your city attorney. i have used the power of the law to protect regular san franciscans from wrongdoing by powerful interests. i have taken on polluters and corrupt politicians, gangs, greedy insurance companies. i have done the heavy lifting behind the scenes