Skip to main content

tv   [untitled]    July 22, 2012 11:30am-12:00pm PDT

11:30 am
your city arms there you were i needed someone to understand mys ups and downs it's you not your wealth i want to stop and thank you and rank you, baby how sweet it is to be voting for you good luck on this motion i wanna stop and rank you, abby -- baby it's like sugar to the voting beat
11:31 am
it's like sugar sweet how sweet it is to be voting for you ♪ [laughter] [applause] president chiu: walter, we rank you the number one singer here at the chamber. >>, and a 50-year citizen of san francisco. -- i am a 50-year citizen of san francisco. i am of a different opinion. i expect the same courtesy. talking about minority
11:32 am
representation or diversity. in the dictionary, when you see diversity, that should be a picture of an african-american person. i did not hear one of the speaking of diversity say anything about costs. -- about us. there are some communities that did not do much. i have nothing against them. when you think of diversity, i do not want to hear any of you zero momit -- humans and women, women are not a minority. -- you mentioned women, women are not a minority. i call them a pseudo minority.
11:33 am
at any rate, hopefully, if you are christians, you will let the christian spirit driving to a proper decision. president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> i want to set in what he said. it will be interesting if the presidency was decided by ranked-choice voting. i support ranked-choice voting because it eliminates the slander and all the negative competition. i also think it's against people
11:34 am
who do not have the finding the chance -- it gives people who do not have the funding at the chance to win. it gives people the chance to work together. even after the election, you have to work together anyway. i am for it. that is all i have to say. president chiu: next speaker. >> i might start by talking about the downside of ranked- choice voting. it does not generate a majority that is a mandate for a candidate. if you attempt to correct this by adding more preferences, you get somebody elected by somebody's fourth preference. in mandate that ain't. i want to communicate how
11:35 am
polarized and narrowed the discussion has been, how much has been left out. just because you can turn the keys on an ignition, it does not making a good driver. there are two supervisors. here -- if i was one of those people, and one of my own supervisors, i would be embarrassed. i would want to do something to fix this. president chiu: thank you. next speaker. >> i want to wait again in favor of runoff elections. i do not think ranked-choice voting is good for any of the positions. >> my comment has to do with
11:36 am
another type of democratic process, which is the board of supervisors meeting or individuals should be allowed to show their support for a particular comment or a particular speaker's words. i am a student and a lifetime resident of san francisco. i am just as much of a stakeholder as anyone else. policemen, a firefighter, anybody. i am just as much of a factor and my voice should be held at that height of esteemed as anybody else. people should be able to show that they support my voice when i speak out. we need to have a meeting about addressing that issue. we need to have a meeting about
11:37 am
addressing the democracy, the lack of democracy in san francisco. and in america and around the world. if we're going to be fighting these wars for democracy, and practicing it in our own home. president chiu: next speaker. >> supervisors, we are here to discuss a process of how to select good representation and good representatives. in all this deliberation, we are not talking about standards. we're not talking about morals. we're not talking about people who are educated on issues. this ranked-choice voting, we have seen people say, a vote for
11:38 am
me second place. what type of nonsense is this? what type of nonsense is this? we have some supervisors who won by less than 100 votes? not educated on issues, pretending to represent. ranked-choice voting should be cooked in a commode and flushed down. ranked-choice voting should be put in commode and flushed down. san francisco is to have a state representative spent a year after year after year, they are getting a shameless
11:39 am
representatives. we see their behavior on eirs, taking $4 million from cpmc in the most contaminated area of bayview. a planning commissioner, they wanted to get him out. we have idiots with a very low i.q. trying to impress us. thank you very much. [applause] president chiu: thank you for sharing how you feel. any other members of the public? this hearing has been hurt. colleagues, this matter is in hands of the board. supervisor olague: i believe at this time, all three items should be sent back to the rules
11:40 am
committee. i think we have the original version, we have the chiu version, and based on what i am getting from members of the public, i think the public would benefit more from additional discussion on the issue. recently, there are some reports produced that came after the introduction of some of this legislation. i also do not believe that ranked-choice voting should be a litmus test for whether or not a person is progressive. they're a lot of valid issues raised on either side. at this point, it seems the conversation has degenerated to personalities as opposed to the substance of the matter. i think that it merits more
11:41 am
discussion, so i want to move that all three get sent back to rules. we can have more discussion this november is probably not the time to put this measure before the voters. i think it is something we should discuss. i think we started the discussion. we have heard from both sides today. there is a lot of critical issues that come before the voters in the fall. it seems to me this might take up a lot of the type of focus that may be better spent on some other election cycle. i wish to put this back to the rules committee for further discussion with members of the board and members of the public. president chiu: supervisor
11:42 am
farrell. supervisor farrell: this has been something i have been sponsoring for a number of months. i am disappointed that we are sending it back to committee this is the best solution at this point. otherwise, we had a sentiment to put both measures on the ballots. i think that would be a huge mistake. i've been very clear from the beginning. to me, ranked-choice voting is an incredibly confusing method for the election system in san francisco. i hear from constituents of time and time again about how much they do not like it. i think putting to measures on the ballot is even further confusing.
11:43 am
what i would rather do is send it back to committee. we will see if we can get it out of the board of supervisors. i am very disappointed in what we're going through right now, i feel very strongly about what we have been doing and look forward to continuing that discussion. supervisor campos: thank you very much. i want to thank supervisor olague. i have always said that with respect to the proposals, my preference would be that none of them makes it to the ballot. i believe there are many reasons why we need to have additional debates. i support the proposal by president chiu. i think it is the best of the three. my preference would be that nothing goes on the ballots.
11:44 am
we have a number of items that could potentially end up on the ballot in november. those items, for them to be successful, will require that we collectively are on the same page to get some of these items past. that requires consensus if that is what we decide to do. i think having this kind of electoral fight would not be useful. i think it requires more thought and i'm glad it is being sent to committee. president chiu: i also will concur and support the motion to send these items back to committee.
11:45 am
i want to thank the supervisors for supporting that. i have thought the current systems we have are working quite well. to ensure that we are -- we have a voting system that insures that disenfranchised communities have a voice. i would not have offered the version if the other alternatives have not been offered themselves. for that reason, as well as the fact that we will have a crowded november ballot, i think we all agreed the importance of moving forward and affordable housing agenda, and reforming our city's business tax, as well as insuring the financing of city college, i think are many priorities, i do want to thank the members of the public who have been engaged in this. there has been a lot of hard
11:46 am
work in recent weeks. i know that folks are gearing up for potential campaigns. i hope we can use that energy to figure out if there is a version of how we can amend ranked- choice voting. that is something i am committed to. thank you for your consideration, colleagues. supervisor wiener: any further comments? the motion is to refer items 39, 40, and 41 back to the rules committee. can we do that without objection? that will be the order. president chiu: why do we go to our second special order? >> items 42 and 43 comprise the board of supervisors sitting as a committee pursuant to resolution of intention to sit as a committee of all hold.
11:47 am
for a public hearing of persons interested in the ordinance regarding the street vacation order between -- portions of selby street. collectively for purposes of the san francisco wholesale produce market retention and expansion. president chiu: this is a street vacation ordered that was work done by our department of public works. i wanted to invite staffed to provide a brief explanation on this issue and we can open it up to public comment. >> thank you. the item before you today is companion legislation to item 27, which is the expansion and retention of the san francisco
11:48 am
wholesale produce and a master lease in order to facilitate that project. it involves the vacation of the number of streets. this item would affect the immediate vacation of kirkwood. the additional streets would be contentedly vacated on a number of items called out in the ordinance and with then the lease agreement between the city and the san francisco wholesale produce market corporation. this addresses a number of items, safety and security aspects. the main item vacated is jerrold.
11:49 am
it provides an opportunity to secure the entire footprint of the market. you have the general plan referral and mitigated negative declaration as amended. providing guidance on this matter. and the master at least between the corporation and the city outlined the conditions that are related to this vacation. we do have representatives of the market corp. in case there are questions specific to operations and also happy to address any questions you might have. president chiu: any other questions to city staff? ok, thank you very much. i will ask if there are any members of the public who wish to speak. please step up.
11:50 am
>> supervisors, i hope you are paying attention. for those of you not paying attention, you should not be in the chambers. our president is having a side bar. it is pretty comical how we exercise our democracy in the chambers. let me say a few things about the produce market. it has been there for a very long time. you really have not vetted who is going to be in charge of its. the constituents of the zip code 94107, 94134.
11:51 am
we have some representatives who think that doing something great, and that maybe so, i'm but you can always do something greater bite bringing the right people in for a meaningful dialogue. this is a very large produce market where thousands and thousands of fresh vegetables, fruits, and other things, we need to have a quarterly report about distribution. what i am here to state is, i am asking the people behind this not to waste fruit and vegetables, but use and distribution to the food bank so that the people can use that
11:52 am
food in these dire economic times. thank you very much. president chiu: thank you. in the other members of the public who wish to speak? with regards to item 43, a roll- call vote -- [roll-call vote] 11 ayes. president chiu: this ordinance is passed on the first reading.
11:53 am
i would like to jump to the committee reports because we have some folks who are waiting. i think we can dispose of those items quickly. if we could go to item 52, please. >> it was considered by the government audit and oversight committee at a regular meeting on july 12. it is an authorization -- a resolution authorizing the least of van ness ave. president chiu: this resolution is adopted. item 53. >> item 53 was considered at the rules committee at a special meeting and was awarded without a recommendation. it is a charter amendment for the draft to create the san francisco housing trust fund. supervisor wiener: i move to continue one week. president chiu: the first appearance of a proposed charter
11:54 am
amendment needs to sit for one week. can we do that without objection? >> that is july 24. president chiu: if we could go to -- there are no 3:30 special orders. can you go to our first four- o'clock special order? >> items 44, comprise a special order for a public hearing of persons injured dust in the decision of the planning department's decision about a project located at lombard street is exempt from environmental review. item 46 is a motion reversing the planning department decision. president chiu: i understand from the district to supervisor that this item will be continued
11:55 am
to september 4. is it my understanding this will be continued to the fourth of september? ok, supervisor farrell. is there any public comment on this matter? collins, can we take the motion to continue without a badge -- colleagues, can we take the motion to continue without objection? they will be continued to july -- september 4 at 2:30. if we could take a moment and go to roll-call for introductions before we go to our next 4:00 special order. supervisor campos: thank you very much. the first item i have is -- mary
11:56 am
rimerez. she passed away at st. luke's hospital in san francisco following a lengthy illness. we want to send our condolences to her family. she is survived by her brothers, sisters. let me tell you a little bit about her. she graduated from st. paul's high-school, where she was a proud alum. she was the executive secretary to the superintendent of schools. she loved her job and had many friends. she had a love of travel and taking pictures as well as a
11:57 am
passion for baking. someone who certainly had a lot of people around her. she was very involved in the st. paul's church. i know she will be missed by her family and her neighbors. she was someone who contributed greatly to our community. i ask that we adjourn in her memory today. the second item i have is a very important item. it is one that relates to a series of items that are before the board today. on the agenda for the board of supervisors is any i arm -- and eir for cpmc. one of the very important issues
11:58 am
that is implicated in that proposal is the question of what happens to st. luke's hospital. it is a hospital that has served communities in district 9 and district 10, 11, the entire southeastern part of the city. as a lot of reports have been made about the status of this proposal, a number of questions have arisen. i know many in my district had passed me, some concerns have been raised about the proposal by cpmc. some have asked me what will happen to st. luke's. i would like to see a proposal that makes sense for san francisco go forward and we will do everything we can to make sure that such a proposal takes
11:59 am
place and that the cpmc proposal is one that receives attention and we try to make sure we get approval of a project as proposed by cpmc with the modifications needed to make it right for san francisco. we are committed to that. your respective of that issue, of what happens or it does not happen, i think it is important for us to reaffirm our commitment to make sure that st. luke's hospital remains open regardless of what happens with any one project. [applause] i know there are many strong views on different sides of what has been presented, but if there is one thing that everyone agrees on, st. luke's means so much for san francisco and we need to make a commitment to make sure that it is rebuilt and