scenery. until next time, get out and play!

>> it has been amazing. the people have been so gracious and so supportive of what we're doing. the energy here is fantastic with so many couples getting married. it's just been an absolutely fantastic experience, so wonderful. >> by the power vested in me, i declare you spouses for life. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> to actually be able to get married and be a part of this time in history and time in our history is amazing. >> this is a momentous occasion for us to be able to actually have this opportunity to have

equal rights. >> we have been together for 14 years. everyone is so welcoming. it's been all set up and people have guided us from step to step. it's been easy. there was live music. people are so friendly and excited. so excited for us. >> it's really great. >> yeah. >> and salvador is party a here to known as party a. >> on the out it looks pretty simple. you come in, you made your appointment. you pay. you go here for your license. you got there to get married. you go there if you want to purchase a certified copy. behind the scenes, there was just this monumental just mountain of work, the details into everything that we had to do and we quickly realized that we were not ready to issue the numbers of licenses that people are anticipating that we would need to issue. we definitely did not want

people waiting in long lines. this is somebody's wedding. you want to be able to plan and invite your family and friends. know what time you are able to get your marriage license, know what time you're going to have your ceremony. >> thanks for volunteering. >> we got city volunteers, we got members of the public volunteering. we had our regular volunteers volunteering. we had such an overwhelming response from city employees, from the members of the general public that we had way more volunteers than we could ever have hoped for. we had to come up with a training program. i mean, there are different functions of this whole operation. you were either, you know a check-in person. you were a greeter. you were part of the license issuing unit.

you were deputy marriage commissioner, or you were on the recording side. each one of those functions required a different set of skills, a different oath of office if they needed to be sworn in as a deputy county clerk to issue marriage licenses or as a deputy county recorder if they were going to register the marriage licenses or the deputy marriage commissioner if they were going to be performing ceremonies. >> donna, place the ring on her ring finger. >> the marriage commissioner training was only about a half hour. it was very simple. very well run, very smooth and then we were all sworn in. >> they said we would get our scheduled sunday night and so 7:00, 8:00, 10:00, you know, i got it at 11:00. this person who was orchestrating all of the shifts and the volunteers and who does what, you know, said from her office sunday night at 11:00. they are just really helping each other. it's a wonderful atmosphere in

that way. >> have you filled out an application? >> not yet. you want to do that. >> take this right over there. >> all right. >> take it tout counter when you're done. >> very good. >> congratulations, you guys. >> for those volunteers, what a gift for them as well as us that they would take up their time and contribute that time, but also that they would in return receive so much more back because they're part of the narrative of someone else's love and expression of love in life. >> this isn't anything that we had budgeted for, so it was basically we asked our i.t. director to do the best you can, you know, belling, borrow, steal if you have to and get us what you need to do this. and he knew what the mission was. he knew what our goal was. and, you know, with our i.t. grids and our software vender, they really came together and pulled it together for us. it made it possible for us to

be able to serve as many couples as we have been. >> so once you're ready, you and your husband to be or wife need to be need to check in here and check in again, ok. are you also going to get married today? >> yeah. >> let's process you one by one. do your license in, exit and re-enter again check in at that desk. >> our wedding is at 3:00. >> as long as we get you in today. >> we're getting married at 2:30. >> don't worry about the time line. we're greeting people at the doorway and either directing them to the services they need on this side which is licensing or the services on this side which is actually getting the ceremony performed. >> this is an opportunity to choose to be a part of history. many times history happens to us, but in this case, you can choose to be a part of it. this is a very historic day and so i'm very, very proud to be here. >> i have been volunteering.

last monday i performed 12 different marriage smones. the least amount of time that any of the couples that i married have been together is two years. most of the couples have been together eight, nine, 10, i'd say 70% have been together at least that long if not longer. >> there is a lot of misconception about who gay and lesbian people are. it's important that people see that we love our husbands and wives to be and love our children and have the right to have families just like everyone else. >> it's important that we have experienced our own families, our own friends, and the excitement of the volunteers when we get here has made us feel wonderful and accepted and celebrated. >> there is a lot of city agencies, city departments, divisions that offer up their

employees to help us out since overwhelming response, it's unbelievable at how city government works. this is the time that san francisco city employees have really outshined san francisco's clerk's office didn't need to hear from the mayor to say what's your plan. they offered a plan and said here is our strategy. here is what we can do. we can add all of these computers here and there. we can connect our databases, we can expand our capacity by x. we can open up early and stay late and stay open on the weekends. it's unbelievable. we can coordinate all of the training for our volunteers and them in as deputy marriage commissioners and make sure it's signed and certified. that's an example and a model for others. this is -- what happens is when people prove that things can be done, it just raises the bar for what is possible for everyone else.

>> it kind of went cooled plan and this is what we planned for. in some respects, people have kind of commented to me, oh, my god, you were a part of history and how many couples did we mary? how many families did we start? how many dreams did we make come true? the whole part of being part of history is something that we are here and we are charged with this responsibility to carry out.

>> despite efforts street violence continues to effect san

franciscans and it is not just important to be part of the gang prevention network we want to learn the best practices that you have to offer. we are going to be very active especially when we're experience the realignment. i know the chief is here to share with you what we are doing already. we won't be victims of our own decisions. we have to do better and we have to encourage everyone to do better with less. so, we are already launching our city's realignment plan and through her leadership although probation is collaborating with the multiple city agencies we are creating new assessment centers as a result of welcoming in our additional prisoners. we are increasing health and service agencies and also providing analytical support to manage and monitor that program. we are not going to be victims

of realignment. we have to be ahead of it and i look forward to the recommendations that all of you will share with us and you will definitely have a mayor who will join the other mayors in leadership and we will do our best. thank you very much. >> very quickly, to reflect on which each of the mayors has said, after the whereases in the call it action the points are state and federal government to support policy preference for comprehensive action planning to prevent and reduce gang violence. in order to create community well-being. second, state and counties to involve city governments as full partners in the current realignment efforts particularly with respect to county functions as probation, parole, public health and child welfare that all have a effect. the state and other stake

holders to join the network in creating valuation methodology which will inform local, state and nationwide comprehensive practice. finally, this is something i have been working on a great deal as all of you have, as you all are bringing in many funding sources and streams in our comprehensive effort you are hampered by federal policy. so the last recommendation state and federal tkpwofrpts to continue to step up efforts to distribute funding that is flexible, adequate and coordinated so as to support comprehensive, balanced, violence reduction approaches including multi-agency and long-term funding. that is the core of the clause. we have a few minutes and we are fortunate to have two other mayors. you have two pop-up mayors to

endorse this. tom, why don't you come and then [inaudible]. >> organgood morning. i would like it thank you for your gracious hospitality. we did some time last night and spent money in the local restaurants. this is looking like a family reunion for me after the number of careers we have been together -- years we have been together. i want to step back. when i was first elected mayor seven years ago as a father of three young boys gang violence was something that i just had no understanding of. unfortunately, any time we had a dialogue about reducing or eliminating gang violence it was a hopeless discussion. it was explained away and all the explanations are why we could not reduce gang violence and couldn't get rid of it. it was cultural. it was ingrained.

i would say the call to action started here four years ago. because we had leaders that said regardless of the history and regardless of past we are going to take a stand and eliminate gang violence. it is going to be something we see in our lifetime. the senseless killing and maiming and violence would stop. the strategies and policies we have developed has made a difference in all of our communities. i say it has made a significant difference in this community of objection -- oxnard. we have seen a steady decline in homicide rate and this year we are in october and have not had a single gang related homicide. [applause] >> we are not a large city but it was not that long ago our homicide numbers were in the 20's and half were gang related. so i'm here to and i would like

to introduce our county supervisor from ventura. we are one of those areas that enjoyed the relation between city and county and that is imperative to be successful. i'm here to say we thoroughly support the call. i say the call occurred a number of years ago and we are now seeing the benefit of that but we cannot do it land. we have to continue to -- awe should receive preference in financing and grants of support as we go further and we are making a difference and i look forward to the weekend. thank you very much. [applause] >> you were one of the early ones that stood up 4 1/2 years ago and said look at the muscle in this recommend. we ha -- room. we have to focus on policy and the past two years we have state and federal. next santa rosa.

>> thank you, jack. let me tell you, as a former law enforcement professional, 30 years with the police department i know that enforcement alone doesn't work in reducing gang violence in any community. i know that for a fact. i tried it. this is truly a reunion. for me the past going to a conference to discuss gang issues it would be felt with law enforcement looking at new strategies how no do more enforcement. it is time we changed and it has started. we know enforcement won't work. policy changes start at the local level. that is what we have done it santa rosa. they include developing a tack force that includes major stakeholders in the city and in the county. it included passing a 4% sales tax to enhance public safety services and provide funding for services as well. the battle we have had in the

streets were not working for us. and any community that is in conflict with its youth is no community at all. this is a wonderful place to be for all of us together to do what we can at the local level but we need partners at the state and federal levels. thank you. [applause] >> there may be a couple of minutes for press questions but first i want the good folks to sign. >> i will use a blue pen to make it distinctive. >> thank you. >> thank you all. let's have a happened for these folks.

>> mayor ol veras from santa rosa. >> i would like to answer the question by talking about one of the partners aware -- we're most pleased to be associated with in our effort and that is the postgraduate school and this sunday we are going to launch our program that we've worked collabora collaboratively throughout the entire community. and the point about these networks is it takes a while to get there. i know when we all first started coming together mayor morris talked about and san bernardino talked about what they intended to do and now you hear quite naturally that is what they do. and that is important. you heard the mayor of santa

rosa say i tried law enforcement, that doesn't cut it. so, these networks are critical because we are charged with creating new and enduring structures. one thing i routinely talk about is not that we don't know what to tdo, it is can away scale it up and sustain it. the very quick lesson i want to share from my time with the naval postgraduate school is the way they framed the issue. when they first got involved in us everyone thought we were going to be running a black ops operation and nothing could have been further from the truth. on the other hand i'm absolutely delighted the best and brightest two miles away were in our community and wanted to share their expertise. when they looked at this issue through kind of a

counterinsurgency lens, it helped us move forward. a weak win is when you begin to suppress the violence and strong win is when you begin to control the political landscape and complete win when you have complete transformation. we can all look at that overseas and if i were a betting man i would put a little more money on iraq than afghanistan. what i will say as a california mayor when i first encountered strong wind i thought that is kind of overseas. but, tom, you are lucky. every city and county doesn't work well together. every community based organization, favorite based, business, they don't always work well together. so to punch through that and really create those networks is

critical. the other thing is when performance actually want the same thing and operate out of good will we also have to punch through habitual turf. so, when you issued this call to action that says, look, the point of going forward basis are cities that are really together truly recognizing it is dynamic and you move ahead and fall back, but that is no small thing to build a network and to get to the next level of a strong wind, that we have a chance as a community to move forward toward the ultimate objective of a complete win. which as the mayor said, all of us standing here really believe it is possible despite the odds and i will close with this. could you imagine the phaemayor governor saying we can't do that. i don't believe that for a moment. we can do this.

and so i'm always -- so the network issue is the heart of the matter. you can't get a complete win unless you pass through the networks. >> thank you all for your observations. this reminds me of something i shared with you before. in san jose i was talking to a community activist, and i said cora, you are getting a new mayor. what is going to happen to the task force? she looked at me and said jack, you don't understand. it is not the mayor's, it is ours. so, your comments, tom, about driving this into the community, all of you, it is structure and it is really important and it has to be accountable with plans. schools used to let do you this. they say have you done it.

faith communities, have you done it. but is it really driven into the fabric as a way to do business. and i know the leadership of all of you mayors are providing to your communities because you can't just sign it and get it done. you are out there on the hustings all the time. the city mayors are at the top and unfortunately the funding is somewhere else. so, i have to thank you for your leadership. you guys are terrific. [applause] >> are there any other burning questions before -- yes, if you could identify yourself. >> [inaudible].

>> you will probably answer this in the next couple of weeks. >> anybody want to respond to the question? >> so, she probably should ask this in the next round in a few weeks. a lot of us have applications in. i know ours is based on truancy in schools. right now one thing we are getting is against automatic weapons off the streets that are leaking in from across the border and those kinds of in-kind services are not necessarily funding but for these gang task forces in oakland it helped fund the street outreach services when we've violence on the street. we use them not just for the gangs.

a lot of our violence and shooting is in the black community but we are using with young people who are out on the street in general and it has been a critical part of our gang task force within the city and coalition and i know that the rest of our cities use them similar for intervention projects. >> quickly, we lament the passing of earmarks. city mayors, i could sell my case for intervention and prevention to my congress persons and they responded. i have two operation centers in the heart of the most challenged areas of our city kept alive by a half million dollar earmark from congressman jerry lewis and that expires and they don't come back i end up the loser. largely, we did a sale and got a

50% thumbs up from our city to do that. most of that, most all of it has again to the police department. i was hoping to have a little more for prevention and intervention but the council said give it the p.d. so we have supported our programs largely by applications like those earmarks and other applications, cops grant and other anti-gang activities. we have become grant specialists to maintain the resources we have and we have become this remarkable alliance of community nonprofits and other services that kept us alive. the feds have a limited role at this point and earmarks for us has been an important opportunity. not much else out there on this landscape. >> i echo the same things. but we have also been very fortunate. i want to emphasize the thing i said earlier. you build strong communities.

you are going to really attack that gang prevention in a before way. we are recipients of a hud grant, community choice program ground to rebuild our alice griffith one of the hardest areas of our city and toughest of our public housing developments. if you look at years ago, it was -- it was very high in the statistics in twain -- 2009 of all the shootings and gang recruitment. we are going to rebuild that housing with those neighbors on site and residents of alice griffin participating in the building of their housing. that is how you get strong communities. that is how even our chief says the other programs aren't worki working, your job will be 10 times harder. so building strong communities in my opinion will contribute a long way to prevention and we

are fortune with leader pelosi and feinstein to get that grant in the right way. one reason they chose us is because of the integration we have working directly with the residents who have been victimized many years. they get to build their housing with us as a partnership. >> just one final comment. the a.g. is on her way up. one thing we're trying to do on the federal level is to have the various federal agencies approve funds so you can get funds from hud at the same time there might be a justice dimension, an education dimension and h.h.s. dimension. common r.f.p., common outcomes so you are not fighting for individual grants all the time. again, thank you, mayors, thank all of you. you can stretch. sh