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A big part of the fun in running for public office is filling out the questionnaires and surveys sent to you by the various public and private interest groups. Major candidates have an entire staff devoted to writing these things. I write them myself and the first major (to me) organization dropped a form in my mailbox last week and I want to painstakingly copy it here with a couple of comments to give you an idea of what kinds of questions special interests groups have for your next mayor:

From: United Educators of San Francisco“UESF will conduct interviews for Mayoral and District Attorney candidates on Tuesday, August 21, 2007, between 12 noon and 4:00p.m. We will advise as to the location.

If you wish to be considered for an interview, please first complete and submit the enclosed candidate questionnaire. We will need to receive your questionnaire by Friday, August 10, 2007.

All candidates chosen for interviews, will be notified by Tuesday, August 14, 2007, and we will then schedule a 30-minute time slot with each candidate. Interviews will consist of a few prepared questions touching on philosophical and practical matters, followed by queries from the floor by our general membership.�?

What’s that tell you? First, they reserve the right to exclude candidates from even speaking before their membership. Now, that’s real democratic.

And, it gets worse. The questionnaire itself has elements that appear to be written by the mayor’s staff:

“During the past four years the Mayor helped
create a Teacher of the Month program and
played an important role helping UESF successfully
resolve a contentious contract dispute with the SFUSD.
Briefly explain what further steps the Mayor could
take in the next four years that would convince teachers
and paraprofessionals to support your candidacy.�?

Well, the ‘Mayor’ might start by agreeing never to appoint anyone like Heather Hiles to vacancies on the School Board again. The ‘Mayor’ might promise not to engineer the appointment of compromised political hacks like Louise Renne and David Campos as chief legal counsel to the district.

Let’s just do these in order. Hey, I taught with SFUSD a decade back with Rojas as my boss and he sucked and he was chosen by the same people who chose Ackerman. And, not so surprisingly, they are the same people who appointed Gavin Newsom to the Board of Supervisors and coached him into the latest job he is unqualified to hold. So, I know how badly the district administration sucks and it is mightily. Here’s the rest of the list, excluding question 2 which is copied and answered above:

1. How does education fit with your vision of San Francisco? Does your vision include charter schools or privatization of our public schools?

My reply: Your district is a massive failure because you are way too top-heavy and immobile. Recall ‘Urban Pioneers’? Best damned program you ever had as an intervention for At-Risk teens and I’d bring it back. Killing charter schools is sinking the craft coming to rescue you from your desert island. Urban Pioneers ended up as a charter school. I wouldn’t let the likes of Donald Fisher or Eli Broad on school grounds. To me, a charter school serves special district or neighborhood needs and differ from ‘regular’ schools only in the fact that they don’t have to kiss ass with the union or District bureaucrats.

3. Describe the working relationship you would have with the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools. What qualities do you look for in a candidate for appointment to a Board of Education vacancy?

My reply: Actually, I would expect I’ll have my hands full fighting off the POA siege of City Hall once I’m elected. Really though, I’ll watch the deeds of the School Board and its appointed administrator at a distance and help as I’m able. I will not be sending a CFO cleared through Fisher and Hellman to look for money and projects I can divert to Downtown.

4. Would you support a parcel tax to attract and retain quality educators here? What role would you take in a possible February campaign?

My reply: “quality educators�?? I don’t trust the District with the tax and bond revenue they have now. Yes, I support “quality educators�? but I challenge you to define the term in a fashion relevant to District students. No new money now.

5. Our schools face a fiscal crisis. What leadership can and should the Mayor provide to guarantee that the City’s schools are adequately funded?

My reply: “adequately�?? What’s that mean? Is that kind of like “quality educators�?? You are already adequately funded in my view. Show me an observable and measurable increase in student population and we’ll talk.

6. What leadership would you, as Mayor, provide to involve business in supporting our schools?

My reply: Until last year, the District was controlled by “business�? due to the influence of the present Mayor and his predecessors. How’d that go? No business. Every dime they bring has strings.

7. What city services can be offered through the schools to better serve our students? What criteria would you demand of employees in these programs? How would you promote services/programs while ensuring that qualified and trained UESF members remain the first persons eligible to provide these services?

My reply: I only have one program and it would be administered by UESF employees because you have a monopoly. As a former Special Ed. Teacher (SED), I know that the most effective intervention for the most challenged students is the presence (if, only for an hour or two a week) of mentors from outside the vicious streets of the projects. I came up with the idea of giving free parking to mentors from all walks of life.

8. What steps will you take to protect and enhance healthcare for educators and other city employees?

My reply: Please tell me this question isn’t a lob at the net for Newsom to try and take credit for Tom Ammiano’s health care plan. I believe in a universal single-payer health care system.

9. What steps can be taken to provide affordable housing for educators and other city employees.

My reply: I favor land-trusting 20% of City owned property for the exclusive use of teachers, cops, firefighters, artists, the poor, musicians, dancers …

10. San Francisco proclaims itself a sanctuary city. What will you do to defend the rights of undocumented students?

My reply: I was born and raised union. As an involuntary member, I found UESF to be lame. I find the POA to be physically dangerous. The SEIU cares more about selling out their membership to business interests than holding the line over constant cuts in wage and benefits to new members and the public they serve. I don’t like Mike Casey because after we walked the picket line with him, he tried to sell our docks for Shorenstein office space. Did I miss anyone? San Francisco unions are lame. Workers would do better to have the Mafia negotiate for them.

Looking forward to being ‘considered’ and then, ‘chosen for an interview, I remain …

I’ll feed you these things as I get them and I hope they instruct and amuse. Send me comments if you want.






	Bulldog 2007 Article 105 (7-8-07) My race for Mayor A big part of the fun in running for public office is filling out the questionnaires and surveys sent to you by the various public and private interest groups. Major candidates have an entire staff devoted to writing these things. I write them myself and the first major (to me) organization dropped a form in my mailbox last week and I want to painstakingly copy it here with a couple of comments to give you an idea of what kinds of questions special interests groups have for your next mayor: From: United Educators of San Francisco“UESF will conduct interviews for Mayoral and District Attorney candidates on Tuesday, August 21, 2007, between 12 noon and 4:00p.m. We will advise as to the location. If you wish to be considered for an interview, please first complete and submit the enclosed candidate questionnaire. We will need to receive your questionnaire by Friday, August 10, 2007. All candidates chosen for interviews, will be notified by Tuesday, August 14, 2007, and we will then schedule a 30-minute time slot with each candidate. Interviews will consist of a few prepared questions touching on philosophical and practical matters, followed by queries from the floor by our general membership.�? What’s that tell you? First, they reserve the right to exclude candidates from even speaking before their membership. Now, that’s real democratic. And, it gets worse. The questionnaire itself has elements that appear to be written by the mayor’s staff: “During the past four years the Mayor helped create a Teacher of the Month program and played an important role helping UESF successfully resolve a contentious contract dispute with the SFUSD. Briefly explain what further steps the Mayor could take in the next four years that would convince teachers and paraprofessionals to support your candidacy.�? (Question #2 on form) Well, the ‘Mayor’ might start by agreeing never to appoint anyone like Heather Hiles to vacancies on the School Board again. The ‘Mayor’ might promise not to engineer the appointment of compromised political hacks like Louise Renne and David Campos as chief legal counsel to the district. Let’s just do these in order. Hey, I taught with SFUSD a decade back with Rojas as my boss and he sucked and he was chosen by the same people who chose Ackerman. And, not so surprisingly, they are the same people who appointed Gavin Newsom to the Board of Supervisors and coached him into the latest job he is unqualified to hold. So, I know how badly the district administration sucks and it is mightily. Here’s the rest of the list, excluding question 2 which is copied and answered above: 1. How does education fit with your vision of San Francisco? Does your vision include charter schools or privatization of our public schools? My reply: Your district is a massive failure because you are way too top-heavy and immobile. Recall ‘Urban Pioneers’? Best damned program you ever had as an intervention for At-Risk teens and I’d bring it back. Killing charter schools is sinking the craft coming to rescue you from your desert island. Urban Pioneers ended up as a charter school. I wouldn’t let the likes of Donald Fisher or Eli Broad on school grounds. To me, a charter school serves special district or neighborhood needs and differ from ‘regular’ schools only in the fact that they don’t have to kiss ass with the union or District bureaucrats. 3. Describe the working relationship you would have with the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools. What qualities do you look for in a candidate for appointment to a Board of Education vacancy? My reply: Actually, I would expect I’ll have my hands full fighting off the POA siege of City Hall once I’m elected. Really though, I’ll watch the deeds of the School Board and its appointed administrator at a distance and help as I’m able. I will not be sending a CFO cleared through Fisher and Hellman to look for money and projects I can divert to Downtown. 4. Would you support a parcel tax to attract and retain quality educators here? What role would you take in a possible February campaign? My reply: “quality educators�?? I don’t trust the District with the tax and bond revenue they have now. Yes, I support “quality educators�? but I challenge you to define the term in a fashion relevant to District students. No new money now. 5. Our schools face a fiscal crisis. What leadership can and should the Mayor provide to guarantee that the City’s schools are adequately funded? My reply: “adequately�?? What’s that mean? Is that kind of like “quality educators�?? You are already adequately funded in my view. Show me an observable and measurable increase in student population and we’ll talk. 6. What leadership would you, as Mayor, provide to involve business in supporting our schools? My reply: Until last year, the District was controlled by “business�? due to the influence of the present Mayor and his predecessors. How’d that go? No business. Every dime they bring has strings. 7. What city services can be offered through the schools to better serve our students? What criteria would you demand of employees in these programs? How would you promote services/programs while ensuring that qualified and trained UESF members remain the first persons eligible to provide these services? My reply: I only have one program and it would be administered by UESF employees because you have a monopoly. As a former Special Ed. Teacher (SED), I know that the most effective intervention for the most challenged students is the presence (if, only for an hour or two a week) of mentors from outside the vicious streets of the projects. I came up with the idea of giving free parking to mentors from all walks of life. 8. What steps will you take to protect and enhance healthcare for educators and other city employees? My reply: Please tell me this question isn’t a lob at the net for Newsom to try and take credit for Tom Ammiano’s health care plan. I believe in a universal single-payer health care system. 9. What steps can be taken to provide affordable housing for educators and other city employees. My reply: I favor land-trusting 20% of City owned property for the exclusive use of teachers, cops, firefighters, artists, the poor, musicians, dancers … 10. San Francisco proclaims itself a sanctuary city. What will you do to defend the rights of undocumented students? My reply: If necessary, I’ll die for them. 11. Describe your relationship with organized labor in San Francisco. My reply: I was born and raised union. As an involuntary member, I found UESF to be lame. I find the POA to be physically dangerous. The SEIU cares more about selling out their membership to business interests than holding the line over constant cuts in wage and benefits to new members and the public they serve. I don’t like Mike Casey because after we walked the picket line with him, he tried to sell our docks for Shorenstein office space. Did I miss anyone? San Francisco unions are lame. Workers would do better to have the Mafia negotiate for them. Looking forward to being ‘considered’ and then, ‘chosen for an interview, I remain … h. brown Candidate for Mayor of San Francisco in 2007 I’ll feed you these things as I get them and I hope they instruct and amuse. Send me comments if you want. Ahimsa Sumchai-Porter for Mayor!

Bulldog 2007 Article 105