i would not be happy. it is, like throwing a party or a dinner party. i can match that person with that person. it is really fun for me. it is nerve wracking during the actual readings. i hope everyone is good. i hope the audience likes them. i hope everybody shows up. but everything works out. at the end of the reading, everyone is happy. ♪ >> the only item on the agenda is consideration of amendments to legislation. >> hopefully, this is a great simplification over what we expected to do today. i will ask you to more or less ignored them, what we had

earlier this week, and look at what is in front of you. although the board of supervisors passed out a version of the public finance proposal that the ethics commission adopted, there were a number of amendments included. even though it passed the board, since then, there has been some dissension among board members on that language. so in some fairly frantic negotiation going on this week and into last night, members of the board have come to an agreement on this, the ones that are actively involved. what that means is, the proposal that ethics has adopted with the two changes in front of you, reducing the overall cap of the amount in the election campaign fund, from $13.5 million to $7

million. the purpose of this is to escalate concerns and there has always been a surplus and that money is idle when the city could be using that money in other places. this is certainly acceptable to the staff. the second change is the ethics commission adopted an increase in the cap for the mayoral race , and the board had decided to leave that where it is. this is something that's that is fine with working with. there is a third technical change that recreates the formula at which the commission staff wants to notify the board and the mayor there will be a shortage in the fund. because of the way it is written, there will not be a shortage when the trigger hits, we are changing the trigger so that it matches the mathematical intent. that is really it in a nutshell. you have before you what you

already adopted with those two changes, which are simple to understand, and those are the technical changes. >> could you describe, procedurally, what happens if we adopt this, these changes in the legislation? >> the rules committee, likely will hear this on april 5 -- >> possibly late march. >> at that point, it goes back to the full board come first and second full of reading. our understanding is there is sufficient support that this would be adopted with the changes. >> we have sufficient confidence -- if we do not vote on the version that was sent to us by the board originally, but instead, vote on this version

that was negotiated over the course of the last week, we are not running into any procedural problems? >> no, if the commission were to adopt these last set of changes the director just presented -- and these were last minute changes -- there should not be any holdup in terms of how quickly it could be enacted at the board and how quickly the ethics commission could implement. >> procedurally, we are also ok with this regarding the version that had originally reidy that had originally come down from the board. >> certainly within the ethics commission purvey to make any changes that you see fit, frankly. even if it is something that several members of the board at least initially expressed support for. although, that seems to have changed a little bit.

>> so your review is that this was satisfactorily noticed that we reluctant changes to what was done, that there were visions to that and the public was on notice that we were addressing this topic in this level of detail today? that is another procedural issue. >> yes, in terms of noticing this item on the agenda for the special meeting, the notice is sufficient. the ethics committee can also make changes and still pass it out the same day, or evening, as it usually is. >> thank you. commissioners, comments regarding the proposal? >> briefly, on the $7 million,

can you tell us more about what the staff thinking was when you came to the conclusion that that was adequate? >> the most we have ever spent in a single race is the past mayoral race, $4.8 million. that is too close to $5 million for what we are thinking about next. in projecting forward the anticipated inflationary costs and everything, we wanted to make sure there was enough money looking for to at least the next mayor's race. we costed it out and just under $7 million. we started at $5 million, but there was concern that that would not be enough, so we

recalculated and moved up in that way. >> a question about the conforming changes in the last paragraph. previously, the trigger was much further away from the cap, giving more time to find money in the budget, if necessary, make other changes that would allow that to work. i am just wondering what the thinking is about having the cap at $6.9 million, which seems pretty close and not allowing as much policy room. i know this does not speak to timing. what is the background on that one? >> i was not in the room when this figure was arrived at, actually. the fact is, even though this stipulates a time when we are to go in the case of a

supplemental, there is nothing constraining us -- >> from doing it early. so it is required at this point, but could be done at any time when we believe it is proven in the cycle. >> yes. -- prudent in the cycle of. >> commissioners, any other questions or comments? >> if i could just add a lot more on the question presented by commissioner studley. the ethics committee needs a signal prior to the election. the possibility that a commission may request a supplemental appropriation is permissive. if that extension was close, $6.7 million, for example, we would still be required to notify the board of that, but it is not clear that the ethics

commission needs to go through all the groups to ask for that money -- hoops to ask for that money. >> in the words, it is possible there may not be $7 million in the fund, but at the extent not have the obligation necessarily to ensure that there is $7 million. >> the ethics commission would be required to notify the relevant authorities but is not required to actually go through the steps of requesting that money. it is not practically required. >> is there any mechanism for the board or mayor to put money in the fun without a request from ethics? >> yes. >> it is in their budgetary authority. >> further questions or comments from the commissioners? public comment?

>> good morning. i have not seen this before. i walked in the room and you were talking about it. mr. hill said he was vaguely aware. would have been helpful if this was available yesterday, to let the public know. i am not sure i can digest the changes right now. i think that is a problem in terms of public notice and consideration of further changes to what was already a complicated proposal. i was prepared to talk about what was made available in earlier this week. i am sorry. i am a little bit unhappy right now. >> at the beginning of the meeting, we addressed these changes and the procedural mechanism for how they came about. perhaps you can provide another recap -- >> perhaps staff could have let the public know that this document was available yesterday? >> the document was written

last night after 6:00 p.m. >> and we are considering in this morning? >> this proposal was with the ethics commission adopted before with two changes that are simple to understand and one technical correction. >> the negotiations continued into evening last night, and this was prepared immediately after those. >> we sought for the first time this morning as well. >> i will try to restrain my unhappiness, but i expressed it. the technical changes that i had here on what is now paid 18 subsection b, with respect to insufficient funds, in addition to notify the commission and the board of supervisors, i would suggest adding the mayor on

line six, line 16, 17. to the extent this suggests a supplemental appropriation that could originate from the border or the mayor, or as suggested by this commission. i think notify the commission, board, and mayor would be useful. i have no policy objection to the changes in the program structure. as i have testified before, i would use different figures, but i think these figures work as well. this is an evolving program. it is possible there could be a future court decision that says a non-incumbent candidate cannot be treated differently. we may have to go back and revise the formula to that end. to my knowledge, there is no such decision in that regard right now. i think it is fine to handle

incumbent, non-incumbent candidates in the manner proposed. whether or not my concern about the single subject rule is still pertinent, i still think, on a policy basis, moving back the filing deadline 58 days has the effect of extending the campaign season for two months, which i actually think works against one of the goals of the commission with respect to financing of campaigns, which is to limit the expenses. by extending the campaign season, that will increase expenses of running for office, not keep them level, which i think is not a good idea. why candidates should have to file in june 4 in november election rather than august seems to me there are other approaches to deal with the zombie candidate issue, or

reducing the number of candidates -- limiting the number of candidates that may seek public financing under a reasonably separate -- structured program. i will leave my comments there for the moment. >> thank you. >> good morning, commissioners. steven hill. it has been a long road. yesterday was a pretty furious day. lots of people were involved trying to tweak anything at the last second. it was not an attempt to hide anything from the public. there were just a lot of concern from members of the board that we are doing the right thing here. as someone who has come here before, an advocate for public financing, i am not 100% happy with everything in this, but, on balance, it is a good effort. the standard that you are charged, to look at changes like

this, does this further the goals of the campaign finance reform ordinance? that is what any changes meant to do. looking at it that way, this document does that. it does a number of good things, including dealing with the zombie candidate issue, and will make the program itself more stable because it is making us more conscious of the use of public dollars. it is going to make sure there is enough money in the fund, we hope, to finance all the candidates based on past elections, but it is also going to make it a love it harder to get the public financing, as we know. on balance, we have struck a good package here. i would urge you to support it. we know we need a boat from the board of supervisors.

that is a high threshold. when you need at high of the threshold, sometimes everybody can get what they want. the major substantive change that was made yesterday is a very good one, after all the back-and-forth. the amendment that came to you was going to put money into the fund in june, in the middle of campaign season. that would have allowed the program to become a political football. that would have used up a big lump sum, instead of doing it year after year. those of us that have been around this issue for a long time remember in the past mayoral administration where they raided the fund and turned it into a political football. this was alarming to thing that money would be injected into the fund in the middle of a campaign, in june.

i am pleased we were able to get agreement to go back to the year to year allocation, and to keep it that way, where it has already been. and it is also true the ethics commission itself is overseeing this program, which is funded by that. the lower that amount gets, the less funding the ethics commission has. if you are getting in a lump sum, i imagine it allows more difficulty in planning for staffing and all the other needs of the commission. doing it year by year seems to be a better way to do the sorts of things, to allow the commission and staff to plan, knowing that the money is coming each year and plan accordingly. not everything i wanted, but on balance, it furthers the goal of the cfro, and i would urge your support. >> commissioners, any further

comments, questions? is there a motion? --is there a motion to pass the provisions to the cfro? is there a second? >> second. >> all those in favor? opposed? the motion passes. >> that being the only item on the agenda, the meeting is adjourned.

after school at 3.

. 30 i hop on the bus and go to work with kids. i didn't realize i was going to get up that early for the rest of my life. >> it's hard to get good jobs. you can get well paid working at restaurants i was making good money that's not my 50 year goal working as a waitress. it would be better to have something to fall back on i wanted something where i would in 10 years accumulate properties. >> 3 months is a long time to be busy all day. i'm putting myself further in debt with the understanding it's worth the sacrifice. eating raman for 3 months. it's not fun but i think it will be worth it. >> we all want to graduate we are all tired of this class.

been 11 weeks. one more week to go. >> i need to get these mraps out. >> my purpose is to get the recruits prepared for the construction training. >> what you do is get a 2 by 6 sitting on the saw horses. we will cut 10 feet. everybody going to get one and you measure up 6 inches. you sure you got 8 feet. >> as a carpenter you have to let them know what's expected and they need to know the stuff to get going on the trades. >> the main thing they need to know is how to carry the stuff on the job and the hussle. >> you can't work with the gloves. >> my part is a small part.

my part is the best part. the part that really teaches them how to go out and fish rather than go to the fish market. my job is how to teach them to fish when the fish market is closed. >> this requires i thinking. when you go on the job site they will pay you 20-15, dollars an hour you have to think and figure stuff out and get the jobs done in a record time. >> one of the things we try to teach with the construction trades is your attitude going to work. how employers look on new workers and it's about profitability and productivity. it's not how much swings it takes to drive, you know, ita about do you have the right attitude? can you show up on time? can you make the company money?

>> 12.5 times 15. >> i don't want you to use the calculator. >> the students go through approximately 420 some hours of training. we operate at the campus of the community college a 12 week, full time program, 7-3:30. >> if you were going to figure out how much [inaudible] you need you rounding up. >> average age of individuals in the trades is in the 40's from what we are told. in the 50's quite frankly those folks are getting ready to retire. we see a void. >> the average is making 60-80 thousand dollar a year more with benefits much it's hard work i will not lie. >> if you like working with

your hands and creative and you look at a building and say, i did that finish and that building is there for a hundred years. come to my program you will work for anyone in the country. >> we send people to the dry waller the carpenters and the plummers. >> we are conscious who we give a job referral to. >> we look at the skills part as far as hayou do with a hammer and nail there are other components to be able to be a team player. be able to take directs and be precise and punctual things like this you need to help you keep your jobs. >> we will looking at the interviews today and doing the

critiquing from the papers. >> i was thinking last week we were talking ask that was so much thinking going on about the interview and how i was going to do it. >> i feel like, me, as an african-american woman and older woman with children i feel i have to set an example. a lot of people don't know how to deal with anger and conflicts. the kids here look up to me. if i do something and don't set an example then they are going to follow. since i've been a positive roll model, coming to school everyday. some of those kids pick up on that and i see the improvement

in them. >> one thing that i knew but the class helped reinstate is that you have to check yourself. we are all grown adults. >> i try to be motivated in everything i do in my life. if you don't encourage yourself to do something or do things for yourself you can't expect somebody else will do it for you. some people didn't make it to class because they have a bad attitude and decided it wasn't worth it. >> when you do something you have to understand why you are doing it and you can't say and come in and say, i will make good money. construction's not like that you have to want to do it because it's not aedz work. you have to want to get up and go to work and do physical labor for 8 hourses. >> i lived next to

biotechnology companies and was a recruiter. i was getting tired and felt sluggish. >> i knew from the first day we were outside being outside having fun, climboth ladder and hammer and the physical labor i knew it was something i would enjoy. to say i put 15 years into this and not retire a multimillionaire but retire healthy and feel good about the work i have done. >> the greatest accomplishment is you drive by a building or bridge and say, i helped build that bridge or helped build the building on market street.

the most greatest reward for me is i taught that student to work on the bay bridge. taught the student operating the crane that student was in my class. >> our goal is to have a core group of people, we are hoping it's over 50 percent of your grads complete and become journey people andup standing good roll models and citizens. the largest public works our city has season in many years going on now the private project that 1 rincon hill. huge project. we had 5 or 6 people work on that project thus far. the rebuilding of the academy of science in golden gate park. the rebuilding of our public hospital laguna honda this is on

going work with the same contract ors that move successful apprentices from one project to another and keep them working for several years. the construction workers of the future to be the superintendents the construction owners. that's the perfect thing there. that's success. >> let's all