terms as a san francisco airport commissioner. please join me in welcoming carol ito. [applause] >> thank you. i am very humbled this afternoon to join all of you. i want to thank shelly's committee and everyone who made this happen. i am honored to share many of these honors. many of us have work together for the various causes and policy changes for this great city. i must say that there are many unsung heroines in this room, and my guests at table three are many of my own personal friends and supporters to keep me honest, keep the focus, and make it really very special and important to do what i do.

i have got a lot of guidance and support from these women. for those of you who have not met them, please, after lunch, these are the women who make up a big part of my life. i think what is also important is that we need to support each other and with each other up. but i would also like to acknowledge, a former khmer brown's daughter is still here, never publicly think your father. he appointed me to the airport commission 12 years ago, and at that time there were not a lot of women voices on the commission. we on the commission at that time decided we had a lot of good training ground as to how to work with the city and make policy changes. as many of you commissioners out

there know, we don't get a lot of training how to behave, what our role is. we get ethics training, but beyond that, how people function and are effective on our local commission, it is kind of like being a parent. you don't get trained, and that is how i feel, my perception about commission work in this city. i feel that mayor brown gave me an opportunity with the nine years i had as a commissioner prior, what i could do for the city to work with what was one of the male dominated departments, airport, and provide hopefully a level playing field for everybody wanted to work there. i like to thank mayor brown for that opportunity, because i think 12 years ago there were not many of us on those revenue generating departments that could participate in some major policy decisions and contracts

that run this city. i want you to please have that thank you extended to your dad. this morning, i sat in on the workshops and i was very encouraged. a lot of people like roma were there, people we have all work together at various points in our lives the last 20 years, but there were also a lot of new faces, young faces, and it is encouraging that our city has so many dedicated women were willing to spend the time, volunteer time for the most part, to make this city one of the greatest leaders for women's issues and rights and equality. i think we have proven that. i am very encouraged that perhaps in the next four, five years we will get ahead in terms of our own country stepping up to the plate. thank you again, and thank you,

shelly. [applause] >> i want to also make sure i acknowledge another person on our committee, and that is nancy acknowledge someone else on the committee. she is in the mayor's office and she made things happen for us. thank you. >> and the extraordinary public service award goes to supervisor maxwell. she is a native of san francisco, and she was elected to the board in 2001. she served until 2011. this affected everything from land use, to children and families. including a residential water conservation ordinance.

congratulations, supervisor maxwell. >> good afternoon, everybody. this is me. people have been asking me, what are you doing now? i am thinking about things that i want to think about. you take it for granted, but i don't anymore. i want to thank the status of women, and all of you. i want to thank all of the people that are in this room that worked with me. thank you, it is collective leadership. you're certainly a part of my team. thank you all. [applause]

>> i asked if i could do this one because it is pretty darn important to me. this is the community leadership award. she was a young woman from hunters point that said, most kids in this community who don't believe they will live to see their twenty fifth birthday. she was gunned down at the age of 23, celebrating her twenty third birthday. she was an awesome young woman. she got into a little trouble and had to do the ankle bracelet time.

as she was going to city college, she fell in love with education, and decided that she wanted to be an attorney connected with our attorney general. they are kind of mentoring heard. they lost in the energy in bayview. as we did the one this year, i wanted to give it to someone. last year, it went to the bart board representative. this year, i am giving it to a young woman that i just think was awesome. at the age of 14, she opened her own dance studio because she liked to teach kids in the community how to dance. she brought them into the

backyard. at 14, she became a business owner while she was going to school. at the age of 16, she graduated from high school. i am bringing to you today an incredible one and that is a fourth grade teacher. i am telling you what she told me, ladies. she wants to one day be the secretary of education for the united states of america. [applause] 20 years old.

>> how do i follow such a beautiful introduction? he uses me as his instrument that shows me -- and chose me. i knew she is looking down and saying, my god, thank you for using me as your instrument. what got does, not does see how -- and not just hdoes he traded instrument, he supports it to the fullest extent. all across the state, in a poor neighborhood, you spotted me and i thank you. this wonderful opportunity will open up more doors and that children that i serve.

i believe that god uses me to continue to empower others. let's also give another warm round of applause. [applause] >> i am here to accept a wonderful honor. because of the instrument and having wonderful parents that supported the spiritually, financially, since those a little girl and i believed i could make my dream become a reality. today, my dear mother is your to see me receive this. and to continue to support me

because my mother knows that it takes a village to raise a child. there is another mother presenting me with this award. she flew here today, and i think you from the bottom of my heart for all of your support. [applause] i wanted to share some words of wisdom, some insights. i believe that it takes all of us working together to plant seeds that would bloom and flourish forever. god did that on purpose, just like in this room. together, we are planting seeds.

the youth that will bloom and flourish forever. on behalf of my nonprofit, which works with youth who empower them through dance, performing arts, the hip-hop. we let them know where the roots come from. africa. we see ballet to name a few. in addition to the performing arts, we offer brotherhood and sisterhood programs. for the boys, it is had a cross between boy scouts and fraternities. they teach self-esteem, and we present our children yearly in a debutante ball. this is the third annual

debutante ball, and in three years, we have served over 60 children. coupled with 20 boys from the princess club. our final aspect which the educational enrichment. it was essential that we do not leave that aspect out coupled with education. everything i say will go into one year and out the other. we bring the dance, the arts and

education. we used the instrument of version, change the words of. the turn that into what they used as a study mechanisms. i am proud to say that with the program i have used, and he was an academy for young scientists. to give you a quick demonstration of what that might sound like, it goes like this. parts of speech you are all easy, and just sing with me. parts of speech are all easy,

pronouns, adjectives, verbs, prepositions. conjunctions. a noun is a person, place, fang, or idea. like barack obama is a person. academy is in place. a little puppy is a thing. then you have a pronoun replaces a noun. like i, you, he, she, it, you, hey, you all, they. hopefully -- [applause] thank you. today, as i leave, i will leave with beautiful ideas and action plans.

i started them with the support of my wonderful mother. it is something that is essential to making a program flourished. you need to support. all of that combined, i hope i get the chance to meet each of you today. and be able to go back knowing that i am going to take back support. i can tell you what, as a result of this conference i was able to further advance. the use of my community can grow up someday to be greater than who i am. if they have me entering them, sky is not even their lead.

i hope to see the rest of you at the summit. [applause] >> last but not least, we have the spirit of a quality award. [applause] he was nominated by president obama to be assistant secretary of fair housing and equal opportunity in april of 2009.

john is a native san franciscan. congratulations, john. >> it is an honor to be here. they are right on time. i just want to say it is a real honor to be with all of you celebrating the one hundredth anniversary, also coming up, the one hundredth anniversary. it was the dawning of government

getting involved. it was the worst industrial accident. whether it is worker safety or -- it is great to be in the city of dynamic women. the former speaker, nancy pelosi. [applause] in my own family, my mom can't be here today, but my family is well represented by my sisters. the head of our affair house and office right here in san francisco. because time is limited, there are a number of things we are doing to advance equality for women. i could talk about the work we're doing defending women that are denied loans by lending

institutions. there are 22 cases around the country where women are denied loans because the lenders think they have no income because they are on maternity leave. we're close to resolving a nationwide case in that regard. defending the woman who was evicted for adopting a child. she was allowed in the villa complex -- into the apartment complex, but once they had bonded as a family, she was evicted. in the state of alabama, representing the freedom of women to be able to choose who they want to go out with, they have the water turned off. he went to the landlord and asked what happened. she says, lose your black boyfriend. that still exists. these are the kinds of things that exist today. two more things that we are doing that is critically

important. women must be free from domestic violence including when housing authorities may say that you have broken the least because of the violence that exists in your own home. they will ignore the fact that the women are the victims. the fair housing act, my office goes one step further. it advocates for the women. and we treat this as a case of gender discrimination because these policies have an impact on women. we will seek not only relief for the victim, but making sure that those policies change. also of importance to women, and the lgbt community, your

respective of marital status and sexual orientation. tomorrow at city hall, we will be holding a round table to discuss that issue as well. making some advancements, making international women's day relevant to the twenty first century. we have a lot of work to do together, but we will prevail. [applause] >> i just want to say that john proceeds me. he came all the way just to be with us and convene meetings tomorrow. it is nice to have him and his family's commitment to the community. [applause]

>> congratulations to all of the winners. we just did a show on foreclosures just a day. john, you would have been a great guest. i asked him about the proposed cuts to the home energy assistance program. it is up to everybody to make the phone calls. it is a crucial program not that we don't want cut. i hope you can stay around for the upcoming sessions because we have great conversations coming out. a number of multinational corporations are actually approaching municipalities that

are broke, why don't you let us take it over it will take off like wildfire. a4:45 for those of you that have to leave, thank you so much for coming. be sure to check out the incredible photos tonight. women all over the globe are taking to the streets to demand equal rights. [applause]

>> i think if you're going to continue with your intellectual honesty, i hope you vote against every project from here on out that includes below market rate units. because the same legal argument you're making to argue that this development agreement is invalid is the same one you

should be making to the ordinance. >> next is the senior member of the board of supervisors, not so much in terms of age but in terms of terms of service, and a man who nominated the mayor who is about to be sworn in. sean elsbernd. >> i was born and raised in district 7, montessori school right up the block. a grade school right down the street. my mom owned a children's clothing store right down the block, and i am lived here all my life, 30 years, and i have every intention of raising my family here. went down to a small school in los angeles, claremont mckenna, and came back here for law school and graduated. went to work here in city hall immediately upon passing the bar on the first drive. and work here in city hall for a few years. then lightning struck and i was appointed as a member of the board of supervisors in august of 2004 and have been here ever

since. most people would call me a moderate. i have a knack and a love for the law. i saw a way to combine that love with service to the political process. i think having watched campaigns not as a candidate, i do not appreciate the kind of thick skin you need is a candidate. being a candidate, it is not the easiest thing in the world. i have come since then to really appreciate my opponent, in the sense that while i may disagree with them, we have policy disagreements, they are putting their foot on the line. they're stepping into the arena. this is a lot about them. being a candidate is not an easy endeavor, and you have to respect anybody who does that. >> you are all about to get an introduction to the fairly daunting numbers that the city is about to face. that the city is facing right now. the mayor, the way the process works, the mayor introduces his budget, the first part on may 1

at a the second part on june 1. then it gets handed off to the board of supervisors. this single most important issue is the budget. whether your concern is homelessness or transportation, parks, public health, fundamentally, it all comes down to how much money we have and how we are going to spend it. and looking forward, unfortunately, it is getting worse. the amount of money for spending is far outpacing the amount of money that is coming in. and getting our hands around that and how we're going to bring that into line is the biggest challenge. >> this is real reform. this is a real proposal that every single san franciscan can be brought to support come november. it is also important note, as much as we see real reform and a tattered million dollars to $1 billion over the next 10 years, that is also real sacrifice, real dollars from our public employees. >> i am trusting myself into

what i think is the biggest challenge within the budget, and that is the cost associated with our city employee pensions and health benefits. those are the single biggest drivers to our expenses, far exceeding our revenues. we're talking literally hundreds of billions of dollars, this upcoming fiscal year approaching on pension and benefits alone, spending just shy of $1 billion. >> i was hoping not to have to stand up. i do not think there would have to second the motion that is frankly so irresponsible, the notion that cost neutral is not defined -- all due respect, i do not need a definition to tell me what cost neutral and means. money comes in, money comes out. if it is neutral, it is neutral. i do not need a definition and a chart to tell me what cost neutral list. this is not a smart program. it needs to go away. extending it any wonder, spending any more money on this would be just a waste.