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tv   [untitled]    June 28, 2011 5:00am-5:30am PDT

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you talked about being concerned about families leading san francisco and bringing that perspective to the redistricting task force. how does that perspective apply in redistricting? >> it is a personal passion of mine to understanding how is the demographics of san francisco changing and how are we looking to really building and growing a vibrant community that is what makes a city thrived. supervisor farrell: thank you for your comments about families. i share those concerns. a question i would ask to some of the other applicants -- have you ever applied before? what sparked your interest? >> i have not applied for any commissions. my interest of why now with redistricting was i landed at
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ca in 2010 and within the first month of me being on staff, we were able to bring 30 organizations together, working closely with the city and that triggered my interests of this is the next phase of that worke throughout neighborhoods n san francisco. it would be the next level of growing my skills as well as the analysis around that public policy piece, around redistricting. supervisor elsbernd: does caa receive any city money? >> we do receive money for work- force development and employment. supervisor elsbernd: play that scenario out for me. members will be very worried about where the lines are drawn. they are the same people need to vote to grant the approval of the appropriations.
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how do you play that out? >> i would be able to bring independence to that. what would drive me personally for redistricting is not caa, but as an advocate, bringing those values and how to ensure i'm working with my colleagues on the task force to ensure that is open and inclusive of the community perspective. supervisor kim: thank you. next, we havejuanita recinos. >> i'm from district 6. abbas born and raised in the city. i come from a working-class family and i went to public schools here. i'm currently at city college of san francisco. i believe i would be an asset to
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this task force because i know my community and city very well. i believe in the voting process and communities having input in city government. i've also a former youth commissioner, so i have experience serving my city. being part of the youth commission, i have learned to work across districts and find solutions. i have experience in the tobacco free project and in this program, i learned to assess the health needs of my neighborhood and work with merchants. i also learned the importance of action research and its relationship to policy. i believe my vision is to represent my community and the voices that have not been heard. i would like to see this city improved through this redistricting process. supervisor kim: thank you for serving as a youth commissioner
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and representing district 6. i saw that on your application. could you talk more about why you are interested in serving on redistricting. can you be specific as to why and what you hope to accomplish some of your priorities as a task force member? >> that want to serve on this task force because it is going to affect the city for the next 10 years. as someone who loves san francisco and plans to work here, i would like to see working-class communities not be diluted in the redistricting process. i believe that is important and needs to be part of the task force. supervisor kim: you grew up in san francisco. could you talk about your brought up knowledge of the city as a whole? >> with the tobacco free
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project, we worked with bayview, the tenderloin, and a serving stores and comparing the neighborhoods, seeing how access to fresh fruits and vegetables -- i learned of the needs of other neighborhoods. as part of the youth commission, we created and then called recreation revolution which was done in the glen park area. the mission of that activity was to provide a late night that news for young people to congregate and have a place to go on friday nights and be less exposed to violence and danger. supervisor kim: i was not able to tell from your application. could you talk about your time commitment to work and school and your ability to balance that with the redistricting commission? >> i'm currently a student at city college. how that would balance is city
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college has established online class is so students can have online class's and dedicate more time to serving the community and so i have flexibility from that. most of my classes would be in the morning. after that, i would be able to commit myself to the task force. supervisor kim: your only commitment is attending school -- no other extracurricular? >> i also volunteer at [unintelligible] supervisor kim: thank you very much. next, we havekatherine morales. >> i'm a good candidate for the redistricting task force because san francisco is my home.
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it always has been and by was born here. i cannot imagine moving. i care about its future. my qualifications include i am an excellent communicator, have an ability to compromise, i am detail-oriented and organized and patient. i view myself as a positive contribution to this task force. i know that it sounds -- i have a lot of common sense and i may not have all the accouterments of people who have spoken or would speak before me, but i have no agenda other than to make sure our city continues to work well and continues to be
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the place i loved. i understand the legal requirements of redistricting and i'm excellence didn't. if there is something i do not understand, i will understand it soon. that is probably all i have to say. supervisor kim: thank you. any questions? >> is this the first time you have applied and what sparked your interest? >> i grew up in this city and i remember -- i grew up in the sunset and i have lived in debut and south of market. i had a business in the tenderloin and also in the sunset. i remember being ignored. part of me is very concerned with i do not want to be ignored again.
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even though i am white and a woman, i went to public schools, i grew up poor and on welfare. i do not want redistricting to ignore me again. supervisor kim: thank you. i have seen that you have done all lot of work in district 6, st. anthony's. >> i love st. anthony's. supervisor kim: doing work with people and mental health -- i appreciate that. if you could expand a little more about your priorities or principles that would guide you through your decision making process on redistricting. >> i don't quite understand. >> priorities and values that would guide you through redistricting decision making processes. >> first, there is that letter of the law. second is my experience in san francisco. i understand the city block by block.
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before making any sort of decisions, i would first taken to account the law and second -- maybe that is good or bad, i'm not sure. second, my experience. i just remember tracking people, whether by family or whatever, in this city -- every block is different. supervisor kim: i see that you have lived in various neighborhoods in the city. thank you very much. next, we have kathleen anderson. how are you. >> good morning, supervisors. like you, i love our city and have a great passion for making sure our government is working well for the residents of san francisco. i have applied to the task force because i believe elections
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should be accessible to all people and through their right to the company feel empowered and have the chance to elect leaders at best represent them. i was a political science major at uc irvine and transferred to stanford and studied economics and statistics among other things. i came to san francisco in 1988 to attend do you see hastings and i have lived in five different districts in my 23 years here. as an attorney, working on employment discrimination cases, as a volunteer and board member working with some of the city's most vulnerable residents, and sensitive to the issues that face many san francisco and sue may feel disenfranchised. i have done that through my work with the homeless advocacy project, legal services for children, city college of san francisco and the united way as
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some examples. i will bring many skills to this appointment -- a legal training in how to read legal documents. i am a team player. i like to build consensus. i have experience of volunteering for various elected officials, local, state and national. i have a willingness to listen to and work with differing opinions and try to build consensus. i am experience that building teams, legal advisers, regular folks, subject matter experts, which will be required as we take on the redistricting task. i have a strong understanding of san francisco's myriad committees -- communities from the most vulnerable to the most financially independent. i am comfortable living in every circle. i want to make sure it's an inclusive process. i'm an advocate and connector. i want to bring people together, and power them and educate them. i would like to address a suggestion i have heard in the past that perhaps if you run for
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office you should not be selected for this. i would like each person to be considered on a case by case basis. in my case, i did not seek endorsements from a political party. in fact, had no endorsements. i applied for public financing. i ran because i believe regular folks and private citizens should have access to the electoral process beyond merely voting. i have no other motives. by running, i gathered valuable experience of how to address large groups of people, another skill that will be lead -- that will be needed on the task force. having been a canada, albeit a losing one, it prepared for this incredible job and i would be honored to serve. [tone] supervisor elsbernd: i agree. i think see restriction on
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former candidates does not mix. it's not so much past candidacy that concerns me, it is future candidacy. i know he will not be running in four years, but are you going to run in eight years? >> that's a good question and i get all the time. i feel like this experience i had answered a personal question. do i want to seek elective office? i think as i stand here today, what it has taught me as i can still make a huge difference in my community in these various volunteer capacities and serving on boards. if i had the honor of working on the redistricting task force, that is such a monumental job and lasts for 10 years. on a personal level, that would satisfy me. i want to be involved in a way that my time, treasurer and talent is best utilize the and i do not see myself running for
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lead office in the future. supervisor farrell: the one thing to talk about -- running for supervisor and you have also worked -- how do you view balancing between political persuasions? i view that as a positive as well. >> i anticipated the political spectrum question. it is hard to pinpoint me. i was able to work for her because i was pregnant and was put on bed rest. against my doctor's advice, had to leave my bedroom and find something to do. she was advertising to take volunteers honor assembly office. i connected with her district
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manager really well. it was more a bonding with that person then with her. she was rarely in, but i did get be opportunities to speak on our behalf and deliver resolutions and things like that. i got an amazing amount of experience and did jump-start my interest in local politics. she regarded me as her pet moderate. i am kind of a yuppie, a stuffed shirt looking person but embedded in so many different communities, she had the wisdom to understand she needed all types in her office. she is a supporter, not a mentor. that is -- i love talking with everyone, i love the engagement. even people who differ from me.
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i respect people's opinion. i respect different people's opinions, but she does not persuade me. supervisor kim: could you talk about priorities are values that would guide you through your decision making process in redistricting? >> #one are the legal requirements. we have to work with the charter, the voting rights act and things like that. as an attorney, i will be mindful of what is our task legally. logistically, it is about engaging with the public and being sure we ask the right questions and require the right information from the subject matter experts. understanding communities of interest. i would be very process- oriented, making sure we collect the right information and making sure we hear from everyone and making sure everyone is respected and represented.
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it is not a place for partisan politics. it is about putting the right pieces of the puzzle together and making sure everyone in san francisco has a voice. even those who do not have a chance to vote should have representation and a voice. you can see the work i do with children and emigrants. supervisor kim: i do think there are questions about individuals who run or may run in the future. even 10 or eight years, somebody asked me if i is going to run for board of supervisors, i would have not understood the availability -- also want to understood there are a citywide seat. i am very cognizant that may be
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a possibility. thank you for your time. >> i appreciate that this is a difficult task and a lot of great candidates. supervisor kim: next, we have mr. keith baraka. >> thank you. i am a firefighter. i have been a firefighter for 14 years in san francisco. i live in district 8. as a graduate of ohio state university, i excelled in and thoroughly enjoyed every class having to do with statistics. i love maps and find them fascinating. i always been interested in facts, figures and data. in my job as researcher for the public utilities commission of ohio, was in charge of reporting on an energy assistance program,
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so i am familiar with about a leading populations and statistical representations'. as an investigator, i was charged with investigating residential complaints across the state. an ever-present component of regulation. at the public interest center, was my job to make sure the public was well informed and represented an heard throughout the regulatory process. in my job as a firefighter, i interact with the public on each and every call i make. i am quite adept at interfacing with the public at large. in conclusion, as -- i have always been taught the importance of being part of the political process. i want to serve on the
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restricting task force to further this command give back to san francisco all of the amazing things it has given to me. i do not seek this position to pad a resume or obtain another rung on a political ladder. i just want to serve because i am an independent thinker, a regular guy just out to make a difference in the community i live and work. a person wants to achieve a fair, lawful and unbiased restructuring of our district. thank you vesupervisor kim: tha supervisor elsbernd: i'm trying to ask about potential appearance issues. i wonder if you could address your role as a firefighter. members of the board take positions firefighters don't necessarily like -- a 48 hour work week, fire station issues, things like that. you will be on the redistricting task force. how do you balance the potential
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conflict? >> that is my professional role. i see this role completely outside of that. an impartial one that i take very seriously. it's important to maintain the integrity of the laws surrounding redistricting and it is important to listen to what the people have to say. my job as a firefighter has nothing to do with this position at all. supervisor elsbernd: in your role as a firefighter, where have you been stationed? >> i have been stationed all over the city. i have worked in almost every of the 40 plus houses we have in this city. i currently work in the castro, but my position prior to that was in the sunset. i have worked all over. supervisor elsbernd: selling comes to knowing all of the various neighborhoods of the city -- >> i'm fairly familiar with that. on a one-to-one basis and not a
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community level as well. supervisor kim: i know you are very active in the community. can you talk about your ability to balance current commitments with being under districting task force? >> i am a firefighter, so i do work 24-hour shifts. i am a single game and then have a little extra time on my hands. i don't have -- i am a single gay man and have extra time on my hands. that allows me the opportunity to donate time i would need to this task force. supervisor kim: in your role on the alice toklas democratic club, which beat campaigning in the mayor's race this year? >> i am personally supporting someone and i will eventually endorse someone, but that person has yet to be determined. supervisor kim: who are you
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supporting for mayor? >> [unintelligible] enthusiastically, i might add. supervisor kim: hopefully he'll be later -- he will be here later to speak on your behalf. thank you for your time. we have maria lup arreola. >> good morning, supervisors. thank you for having us here to speak with you. i have been working in serving san francisco for over 10 years.
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i worked as a city employee working to investigate and mediate complaint oliver san francisco and public accommodations. i live in district 9, probably for over five years. now i live in district 4 for the last year and half which has given me a different perspective of the city. working with residents all over the san francisco i feel has amplified my knowledge of the issues of this city and what is needed in this city as well as well in for my decisions about my work in this city as well as if i were to be elected on the redistricting task force. my work on and zoning and policy has allowed me to understand the impact of citywide changes and be objective and fair and willing to see other positions.
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we are talking about city-wide changes that are going to affect all people. we have to see beyond our own interests to see the needs of people living in the city. i feel redistricting is very important because a lot of impact on the representation, resources and who will vote where, who cannot vote and who made it -- and who may be disenfranchised. whoever is chosen for this task force will need to be fair, focused and objectives. my experience of living and working in districts, working with a diverse community, not just in terms of race and ethnicity and didn't come up professional background will be valuable. if you have any questions, i will be happy to answer them.
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supervisor elsbernd: i thought u.s. your standard question which is appropriate -- why this commission? why this one? >> i have not applied, have served before on the advisory committee for several years. i served on that committee for the same reason applying to this one. i really believe it is important to be involved in issues that affect people city-wide. i feel for districting is a very important issue that will have the impact in years to come and one that i think is very important to be able to have a clear voice on. as someone from an immigrant family and as someone who grew up working class and as someone who is now a city employee and living in san francisco, i feel all those issues are ones we need to look at what we look redistricting in terms of looking out for all of those populations as well. i do not have plans to run for
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any future office. i have no plans on running in the future. supervisor kim: you mentioned that he lived in the mission and a sunset which are two very different parts of the city. can you talk about how your work and residency has informed your knowledge of the breath of the city and the issues the city faces. >> living in the district -- in the mission district and sunset district has given me a sense of the broader working-class community of san francisco. living in the mission district and working with mostly latino immigrants, i was focused on the service industry and issues having to do with day laborers and people or more lower working class. seeing a lot of people coming into my office, i am seeing a
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lot more issues of the middle- class, definitely more long term working class, issues coming up there -- the discrimination issues, i don't discriminate along any of those lines, i've been more on the differences of incomes and that is how people with working in class -- people with working- class incomes but also racial and ethnic lines, i'm getting to know a lot more about the asian- american community and the russian community living in the sunset and there is definitely an upcoming latino community coming up in the sunset district as well so that has made me very keen on the demographic changes in san francisco. in san francisco. supervisor kim: some of your