tv [untitled] June 5, 2012 1:00am-1:30am PDT
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rainy day funds are also critical for the school district, so my hope is that as we discussed this, that this money will help in addition to the rainy day funds. the rest i will submit. thank you. supervisor cohen: i have a simple request that we close the board our in memory of a woman named sylvia corpus. sheet is -- was the mother of a friend, the executive director and founder of united way. i ask that we close the board out in her memory. thank you very much. >> thank you very much. supervisor olague, are you prepared? the cake, we will come back to you. supervisor mar? -- okay, we will come back to you. supervisor mar?
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ok, supervisor wiener? supervisor wiener: thank you. i wanted to mention briefly that today, mayor lee is introducing the first element of the housing trust fund, a charter amendment that would begin creating that front, and i am proud to be cosponsoring that with the mayor along with several colleagues. this resulted from a lengthy an important process to address how we are going to ensure the continued production and the existence of affordable housing in this city for low-income people, but also for middle- income folks, and that means public funding of affordable housing and it also means having smart housing policies that actually trigger the creation of enough housing to make sure that housing does not continue to spiral out of control in terms of rent and home prices.
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the mayor oversaw an extensive and important process, and i particularly want to commend -- and there are a lot of people to commend who really played an instrumental role here. there will be other pieces moving forward. the funding aspect of it is partially resolve the above by this charter amendment in terms of segregating a tax increment that would have gone to the redevelopment agency. there is continuing discussion about other revenue sources, and i'm sure that will be resolved soon. there will also be implementing legislation because some aspects of this proposal will be done legislatively. i look forward to discussions in the coming months and making sure we take care of the housing needs of the city. >> thank you, supervisor wiener. supervisor kim.
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supervisor kim: i also want to co-sponsor our housing trust fund being introduced today and thank the mayor and his office for their leadership on creating this fund. we are excited to co-sponsor the city's first dedicated stream for affordable housing, which we hope will generate $20 million to $50 million a year. this is an important resourced to replace the source of reliable funding sources for the production of permanently affordable housing. due to the dissolution of redevelopment and also because we have sent out our previous affordable housing bond, both on the city and state level. we co-sponsored a hearing on april 9 about affordable housing policies and funding, and we heard from a diverse group of stakeholders about the need for affordable housing in this housing trust fund. it is a huge debt in the right direction. today is a culmination of months of work by a broad coalition of stakeholders, and i commend all of those members and the mayor's
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office for sticking together to try to bring multiple viewpoints on how our housing production happen and come together on a final peace we can bring to voters in november. this included private developers, affordable housing advocates, real estate agents, and others. sometimes folks that sit on opposite sides of the room really work to bring something together that would address this important issue, so you're so excited to co-sponsor this charter amendment as it moves through the legislative process, and we look forward to working with advocates and the mayor's office to create this historic resourced. we are also introducing an awareness month. one of our district's six residents suffered herself from lyme disease for years before finally being diagnosed and has dedicated herself to raising awareness around this pervasive
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and debilitating disease. i want to personally thank robyn crop for her tenacity and organizing around this issue and working to create opportunities for awareness around public health issue. in the u.s., cases of lyme disease have averaged around 30,000, which health experts say is 10 times higher than reported due to lack of recognition of sentence and accurate testing. sometimes i think we passed a lot of resolutions at the board of supervisors and wonder where it goes. in this case, last year, a resident who was visiting city hall while this resolution was presented recognized that he might have symptoms of lyme disease after watching several people testified in public, last year. afterwards, he came into our office, lifted his shirt and showed an expanded rash, about a foot in diameter. he had not known until he was public testimony on tv that he might have disease. since then, he has been
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diagnosed, and we are happy that he is getting the treatment that he finally needs, but it is kind of some good news that happens out of the recognition that we had here at the board. third, wanted to co-sponsor supervisor campos' resolution. many of my colleagues and myself were at the harvey milk " anniversary last night. they ordered a beloved icon in our community, and jose is a representative of the struggles and triumphs of many of our residents, and i wish we had an opportunity to honor more everyday people like him. as an openly gay man and a drag queen, he was denied the right to become a certified teacher in our district, something he was passionate about and worked hard to obtain. his disappointment of is that of educators who are stigmatized purely based on their gender and sexual identity.
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we are honored to dedicate his legacy today, and i am excited to co-sponsor that point. as many in the media have heard and many of our constituents have heard, today, the san francisco city family welcomed the golden state warriors into a new partnership with the city, and we have gotten a lot of constituents who are very interested in this issue, particularly in the rincon, south beach, and south of market area. i know that they really want to stay involved as the stadium plans move forward. many of you know that this is a debilitated pier that needs over $100 million of infrastructure improvements. we are happy to see that someone like the warriors is interested in partnering with the city to really rehabilitate reallypier
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and work with our neighborhood to make it an important part of our city, but we know that there is a neighborhood that exists there that is working hard to become a complete neighborhood with open space, manage parking, public transit, and other resources that make a neighborhood a neighborhood, and i know that they want to be working very closely with the city on this issue along with the other resources that development brings including jobs, finances, and if it came to the city, but i am excited to welcome back the warriors, and we will be working closely with president chiu and the mayor's office as this moves forward. thank you. supervisor olague: i should mention that i, too, will be cosponsoring the housing trust fund and a happy to do so. i am proud san francisco is leading the way in providing a local response to replace redevelopment. this fund will provide a stable
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source of funding for affordable housing needs in the city for the next 30 years. it insures that we will have equitable growth without depending on the state. that means building out 9000 affordable housing units in our pipeline. this can and will address the neediest of our population and help prevent the displacement of low-income renters and owners. i am glad this is coming to us with support from moderate and progressive stakeholders. >> thank you, supervisor. supervisor avalos. supervisor avalos: thank you. i, too, would like to put myself as a co-sponsor for the charter amendment and i want to thank the mayor's office for all his work with stakeholders to help get to this point this far. i expect we will still see a few changes as we go through the committee process, but i wanted to make sure that i put my name on this to underscore the tremendous need we have for building of housing at
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affordable housing, especially in san francisco. i am also particularly glad to see the homeowner stabilization and sustainability fund as part of this measure. this is a part of the charter amendment that will be very meaningful to a lot of people in my district where we have high homeownership and a lot of working-class families, many of whom are in distress about keeping their property or maintaining their property, and the stabilization/sustainability fund will help provide resources, up to $15 million over 30 years come to help in the process. that is a drop in the bucket, so this is a blueprint for what we could do, but based on the inclusion of this aspect and others, i am putting my name on the measure and hope to get this through the board in the next few weeks. thank you. >> thank you. supervisor olague, would you want to be referred? that concludes roll call for introductions, mr. president. supervisor chiu: 90.
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it is just about 3:30, and i would like to move to the 3 gaap 30 commendations. we have a number of colleagues with commendations today. the first to revise or i would like to recognize is supervisor campos. supervisor campos: thank you. i have had the pleasure in my life of meeting some pretty amazing individuals, but i have to say that -- and i'm sorry that i'm a little nervous -- that it is truly one of the most proudest moments for me right now to be able to recognize a very special individual who is here with us, and that is jose julia saria,
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who is here with us in the audience. [applause] you do not meet that many heroes, but i think that's when you think of jose and what he has meant for the fight for civil rights in san francisco and throughout the country, he is up there with names like rosa parks, names like cesar he is truly an inspiration for anyone who believes in equal rights, freedom and justice. it's not surprising that so many members of the lbgt community are here, including supervisor britt, thank you for being here. let me tell you a little bit
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about why it's an honor to introduce a resolution before the board of supervisors and offer a proclamation that honors jose for his tremendous contributions to san francisco and declares may 22, 2012 as jose assaria de end at san francisco which may be the first time the city and county of san francisco has dedicated a date to him, and if that is the case, it's a long time coming and a long time overdue. he was not only a longtime leader of the gay community, but all communities. he's someone who throughout his life has embodied the best of san francisco and his country. he has founded several advocacy organizations and used entertainment to create political change. he began his theatrical career
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at the historic black cat bar, earning the alias, the nightingale of montgomery street, for singing arias from the opera while he delivered drinks to bar patrons. the nightingale of montgomery street use his performance platform to encourage bar patrons to come out of the clause it to live openly and honestly, delivering famous sayings like there's nothing wrong with being gay, the crime is being caught, and united we stand, divided they catch us one by one. jose was forced to abandon his dream of becoming a teacher when he was unjustly arrested by ruth police department for solicitation in a sting operation at st. francis hotel. this was a different time in san francisco, when police officers were in the business of going after members of the lgbt
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community. he formed an organization to run educational programs on the topics of homosexuality and provide support for men being ostracized for being gay and were caught up in police raids. in 1961, jose ran for a seat on the san francisco board of supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to run for elected office in the entire united states. 1961. [applause] as he explained last night during the presentation of his lifetime achievement award, the establishment at the time was so scared that he could very well win that many candidates were recruited for the very purpose of keeping him from being elected to the san francisco
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board of supervisors. at the end of the day, in a field of 32 candidates, he came in ninth place in 1961 and almost won the seat to the very body. in 1962, he co-founded the tavern guild, the first gay business association in the country. in 1963, he felt to find the -- helped found of the society for individual rights that sponsored both social and political functions for the gay community as well as help educate gateman about their rights if arrested or harassed by the police. he assumed the moniker her royal majesty, and prince of san francisco, jose the first, the widow norton, an homage to the mob -- a much to joshua norton who declared himself the emperor
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of the united states and protector of mexico in 1859. jose assumed the title of empress, which led to the establishment of the imperial court system, a network of nonprofit charitable organizations throughout the united states, canada and mexico that have used drag shows and other functions to raise money for charities throughout the world, not just san francisco or the united states, but throughout the world. today, as a returns to his home of san francisco. this week, the week of may 21, in order to receive a lifetime achievement award from the harvey milk democratic club. it's only fitting that today on harvey milk's birthday, who, by the way jose was one of the early endorsers of harvey milk, and i think it's fair to say he
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plays the trail and set the example for harvey milk to be able to run for office a few years later. i think it is fair to say there have been -- there would have been no harvey milk without jose. it is only fair that today the board of supervisors commend his day for his lifetime of activism, cultural and artistic work, and political advocacy on behalf of san francisco's lgbt community and behalf of all san francisco's communities. the result that his outstanding bravery and beautiful wives work, the seventh is the board of supervisors will officially declare once this resolution is passed may 22, 2012 as jose julio saria date in the city and
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supervisor wiener: thank you for doing this. for those who don't know, it's hard to overstate -- the first and press, it is hard to overstate your contributions to the community. for those of us who were not born when he ran for the board of supervisors and who now sit on the board of supervisors today, i think we all know and we would be fools to think we were somehow treading new ground because we are only here because we are on your shoulders, because you did the work and others did the work under incredible challenges and oppression, going through things that those of us in this generation today, it's hard to even imagine.
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because of that groundwork, we are able to be where we are today and do the work we do for the community. i am so proud to be able to honor you today and i am so proud to see you again. please just know that we love you and we will always be there for you. supervisor olague: i was actually born the year that he ran as the first openly gay candidate for supervisor, and 1961. i just wanted to say that one of the joys of being supervisors, i'm able to honor and think people like you who even though you may get tired of hearing it, if it weren't for the fact that you had the courage to lead the way, many of us would still be stuck in the clause it. you are the ones who took the major hits from the public.
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even having to reflect on who you are, i want to thank you for having the courage for the rest of us to face, alone, and acknowledge we are. for that, i am forever personally grateful to you and supervisor britt and others. thank you. supervisor campos: i have here a commendation -- am sorry when you were here that city government did not treat you well and the police department rescue. we ran the san francisco democratic party and san francisco republican party allowed you -- refused to allow you to list your party affiliation because of your sexual orientation. the city did not treat you well at this time, but the city honors and was issued today. [applause]
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first, i think i would have died from friday. -- died from a fright. my intent at that time was not to win. it was to prove that i as a citizen of san francisco had the right to help govern the city. once i achieved that, i moved on to the next problem. i think i made a mistake. had i run again, i believe i would have one. i think now i would have been an old man, retired with money, maybe through embezzlement --
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[laughter] and my life would be easy. my life has been easy because i am loved by everyone. i want to thank you all. he will have smiles, you all sit there in this austere room. and president sitting up there, you never know if they are happier not, but this city has changed quite a bit. let us make it change for the best. let us all work together for the betterment of san francisco. let's forget the eagles and ourselves, what we personally want.
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i have always said i am very proud to be a san franciscan. i was born at that time in a society, francis -- it still exists, i say. -- i think. i have known many people in my day, most of them are gone. but i have the memories of good memories. i'm not going to stand here forever saying the same thing over and over. i want to thank everybody of san francisco for honoring me. i think it's wonderful that you honor me while i'm still alive and can appreciate it. [applause] don't wait until i'm dead. i want to thank you all.
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you are all very different. at the time i ran, it was italian people and irish people that sat in your chairs. and they ran the city. is there any italians left? is there any irish left? they did this. -- thank goodness. i want to thank you all very, very much. i know that my husband, joshua norton also thank you. thank you very much. [applause]
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supervisor campos: supervised britt wanted to say a few words. president chiu: it's good to see it. >> it's good to be on the side. one of the most memorable days of my life was when i first came out as a gay man. the first gay bar i went to was a place called the black cat. jose was there and it was my first experience of gay pride in a spectacular and public way that has stayed in my memory ever since. the last time i
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