Category: Education

Tuesday June 14th: Budget Battles for City College & Climate Action

On By Joni EisenIn Climate change, Education, Elected official, Environment, Labor, Uncategorized

Please join us again at the historic, beautiful Neighborhood House in person. Masks and proof of vaccination are required to enter the building. Light snacks will be served.

  • WHAT: PHDC’s June membership meeting
  • WHEN: Tuesday, June 14th, 6:30 – 8:30pm
  • WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St

We will hear two points of view about CCSF’s budget: AFT 2121 president Mary Bravewoman and Labor Council delegate Tim Killikelly will speak to us about opposing future cuts, and supporting an initiative to bring new revenue to CCSF. CCSF Chancellor David Martin will speak from the perspective of the administration, and may be joined by a member of the Board of Trustees.

We will hear what the Mayor has allocated for equitable – or any – climate action in her June 1st budget proposal: nothing! But it’s not over yet. Joni Eisen of SF Climate Emergency Coalition will describe how those who care about a livable planet for our children and grandchildren are turning to the Board of Supervisors, who will spend most of this month deciding what and how much to “add back” to the Mayor’s budget.

Tues, Dec 7, 6:30pm: Back in person!

On By Joni EisenIn Education, Elected official, Elections, Uncategorized

We are pleased to announce that PHDC has been officially rechartered by the San Francisco Democratic Party – and we’re absolutely thrilled to announce that our beautiful, historic Neighborhood House at 953 De Haro St has reopened for in-person events. Proof of vaccination is required to enter the facility, and masks are required when not eating or drinking.

On the agenda are the Feb. 15th special election: School Board recalls and electing the Assessor-Recorder. Also some club business and a social hour to reconnect! At our January 4th meeting, we will address the rest of the Feb 15th election: the race to represent District 17 in the State Assembly.

Tues Sept 18th: The Potrero Hill SF School Board Debate

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Education, Elections, Endorsements, Uncategorized

Potrero Hill Democratic Club’s endorsement season concludes with an evening of lively debate with 10 of the candidates running for the San Francisco Board of Education in November.  PHDC endorsement ballots will be counted immediately after the debate.

Free on-site childcare will be provided. Spots are limited; reserve your spot here. (Thank you to PREFund for their help sponsoring this season’s debates.)

Get a preview of what values and beliefs these candidates stand for, and what qualifications and accomplishments they can claim, to help them achieve their goals for public education in San Francisco.

Candidates scheduled to join us:
Monica Chinchilla
Alison Collins
Alida Fisher
Phil Kim
Lex Leifheit
Li Miao Lovett
Faauuga Moliga
Michelle Parker
John Trasvina

Moderator: Sara O’Neill, SFUSD parent and PHDC member.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 18th, 6:30pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St

Tuesday March 6th: Endorsement voting begins

On By Joni EisenIn Education, Elections, Endorsements, Uncategorized

We’ve invited the candidates below to attend, using the roster of qualified candidates from the California Democratic Party (as a Democratic club, we cannot endorse non-Democrats in partisan races).

U.S. Senate: Kevin de León, Dianne Feinstein, Pat Harris U.S. Congress: Shahid Buttar, Stephen Jaffe, Ryan Kjohasteh, Nancy Pelosi
Governor: John Chiang, Delaine Eastin, Gavin Newsom, Antonio Villaraigosa
Lieutenant Governor: Jeff Bleich, Ed Hernandez, Eleni Kounalakis
Attorney General: Xavier Becerra, Dave Jones
State Controller: Betty Yee
Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara, Asif Mahmood
Secretary of State: Ruben Major, Alex Padilla
State Treasurer: Fiona Ma
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond, Marshall Tuck
State Assembly, Dist. 17: David Chiu
Board of Equalization, Dist. 2: Malia Cohen, Cathleen Galgiani
Superior Court Judge #4: Andrew Cheng, Phoenix Streets
Superior Court Judge #7: Curtis Karnow, Maria Elena Evangelista
Superior Court Judge #9: Cynthia Lee, Kwixuan Hart Maloof, Elizabeth Zareh
Superior Court Judge #11: Jeffrey Ross, Nicole Judith Solis
We list No Endorsement as a choice on the ballot for each race. Voting members’ ballots are due at the end of the meeting, and will be counted immediately.

Folks gathering signatures for a ballot measure to reform Prop 13 with the California Schools & Local Communities Funding Act of 2018 (previously endorsed by PHDC) will visit briefly.

We’ll also introduce an amendment to our bylaws to consider the possibility of a ranked-choice endorsement for ranked-choice elections.

In April, we will vote on endorsements for Mayor, and ballot measures.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 6th, 7:00 pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St

Tuesday, January 5th: City College, schoolyards, pin-the-issue-on-the donkey, more

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Education, Elected official, Environment, Uncategorized

City College Trustee John Rizzo, recently returned from testifying in DC against the deservedly disgraced accrediting commission, gave an update on the situation at CCSF. With the help of PHDC’s mascot. Photo: John O’Neill.

District 2 Supervisor Mark Farrell discussed the Shared Schoolyard Project, which he revamped in 2012 to open playgrounds to the public on weekends, with the goal of expanding it to 80 schools. Club members voted to endorse the program.

PHDC Executive Committee member Audrey Cortes gave her impressions of the Paris Climate Change Conference, which she attended with Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff. PHDC president Joni Eisen talked about the Voters Right to Know Act and collected signatures to help put it on the November ballot.

Nominations opened for 2016 Club Officers (election to be held in February).
donkey dots
Members pinned dots on the donkey to vote for the topics & issues they would most like the Club to take on or revisit.  Top dot-getters (in alphabetical order): affordable housing crisis, Black Lives Matter, homelessness, income gap, labor issues, overturning Citizens United, preventing gun violence, voter education via endorsement meetings.

Tuesday, August 4th: Candidates duked it out!

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Education, Elected official, Elections, Endorsements, Uncategorized

CCSF candidate forum at PHDCThe Community College Board candidate forum included three of the five candidates running for one open seat (left to right): Wendy Aragon, Alex Randolph (appointed incumbent), Tom Temprano – brilliantly moderated by PHDC VP Loretta Lynch (at right).

Sheriff candidate debatte at PHDC

 

The Sheriff candidate debate featured all three candidates (left to right): John Robinson, Ross Mirkarimi (incumbent), Vicki Hennessy. Moderating that one – brilliantly of course – was PHDC Secretary J.R. Eppler (at right).

The Neighborhood House theater was packed to the rafters.  The candidates were all totally engaged, and engaging. After the meeting was adjourned, members turned in their ballots, and board members did the counting while candidates and audience kept the conversations going.

Voting results: Wendy Aragon for Community College Board, and Ross Mirkarimi for Sheriff!

The club also passed a resolution in support of saving Rincon Park (site of Oldenberg’s “Cupid’s Bow” on the waterfront) from being shaded by new towers, and amended the Bylaws about endorsing candidates in multi-seat races (threshold lowered from 60% to 50%).

WHEN: Tuesday, August 4th at 7pm SHARP
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St @ Southern Heights

Jan 6th meeting: reforming Prop 13, reining in Airbnb, & more

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Education, Housing, Uncategorized

PHDC started off 2015 with a couple of thought-provoking topics, both of which engendered very active audience participation. Dale Carlson on Airbnb legislation

Dale Carlson (left) of the Share Better SF coalition discussed a proposed ballot measure his coalition of affordable housing advocates and community organizations is creating. The intent is to continue to expose the impact of Airbnb and other illegal hotels, and to hold them accountable in San Francisco.

Since the initiative passed in 1978, Prop 13’s business-property loopholes have decimated California’s public education system. Now, Evolve – California has taken over the campaign to ensure that commercial property pays its fair share. Evolve organizer Emil Margolis described the campaign, which club members then voted to endorse.

Nominations for 2015 officers are open. The election will be held at the February 3rd meeting.

WHEN: Tuesday, Jan 6, 2015 at 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St @ Southern Heights

Oct 7: City College; endorsed candidates & campaigns

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Education, Elections, Endorsements, Uncategorized

The meeting was mostly devoted to actively promoting PHDC-endorsed candidates and campaigns, like those of David Campos for Assembly, Tony Kelly for Supervisor, Daniel Flores for Judge, John Rizzo for Community College Board, and Shamann Walton for School Board. They, and reps of several Proposition campaigns, came to say a few words, distribute campaign swag and invite volunteers. We also signed people up to staff the PHDC table at the Potrero Hill Festival Oct 18th, and to walk precincts with our slate card/door hanger. Truly grassroots democracy.

In addition, AFT 2121 President Tim Killikelly (at left) gave an update on the effort to Save CCSF, asked audience members to take a survey, and submitted the CCSF Bill of Rights for Club endorsement (done).

WHEN: Tuesday, October 7 at 7pm
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St @ Southern Hts  

Tues, Nov 5: Election Night hang

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Education, Elections, Environment, Housing, Uncategorized

Since our regular meeting place – the theater at the Neighborhood House – was a polling place on election night, we gathered at the Dogpatch Saloon, site of our recent auction.  CCSF Trustee Rafael Mandelman presented his recently proposed Resolution in Support of City College (the club signed on to the SaveCCSF coalition back in March – but a lot has happened since then). Not having a quorum of voting members just then, we continued the vote online later and passed the resolution unanimously. Representatives of BRITE (Bayview Residents Improving Their Environment)  discussed their opposition to the proposed renovation/expansion of a homeless drop-in shelter on Jennings St, and their ideas for an alternative site. A proponent of the project was invited but did not appear.

Election results: WE WON this battle against the rampant greed-fueled development of precisely the housing San Francisco does not need. Props B & C lost big – but the struggle to keep our city affordable for the non-rich is far from over.

WHEN: Tuesday, November 5th at 6:30pm
WHERE: Dogpatch Saloon, 2496 Third St @ 22nd St

Tuesday, April 2nd meeting: The future of our water

On By potrerohilldemocratsIn Education, Environment, Gun control, Money in politics, Water Issues

With increased population growth, climate change, and the inevitable “big one,” securing San Francisco’s water supply will require creative and forward-looking plans. Attendees heard from experts about these and other water issues in our city and in the state, including: the dangers fracking in California; ways that San Francisco is slowly mitigating its practice of treating rainwater runoff as if it were wastewater; chemicals in drinking water in other parts of the state; taxing fertilizer to offset the contamination it causes. Conversation-starters Jennifer Clary of Clean Water Action, Ellen Levin of SF Public Utilities Commission, and Adam Scow of Food & Water Watch opened the program, followed by breakout groups and a final Q&A session. Earlier in the meeting, PHDC members updated the group on past topics, including the CA DISCLOSE Act, gun safety legislation, and saving City College.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 2 at 6:45pm (meeting at 7pm)
WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St