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Had a (chilly) blast judging the Easter bonnet contest at the Castro Merchants’ Eggstravaganza!
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WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON
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REPEALING SAN FRANCISCO'S “12X” BOYCOTT of 30 U.S. STATES: On May 2, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 7 to 4 to repeal Chapter 12X of the City’s Administrative Code. A policy initially designed in 2016 to protest states that enact anti-LGBT laws, 12X’s Banned State List had since expanded to include states with restrictive abortion and voting rights laws.
12X was based on the premise that progressive jurisdictions would come together to put pressure on radical right-wing governments to make them stop denying rights to their citizens. But that coalition never materialized. No blue cities came along for the ride to enact boycotts as sweeping as ours. No red states changed their bad laws because of our boycott. Instead, the only evidence of the policy’s impact has been a growing record of bad outcomes here in San Francisco. Namely: rising contracting costs and needless barriers to engagement with the exact communities we want to support.
Ultimately, the way to pressure red states is to show that progressive San Francisco can be effectively governed. Repealing 12X will save San Francisco taxpayers hundreds of millions, and it will better advance our social policy goals by allowing us to support the actual communities impacted by restrictive LGBTQ, abortion, and voting rights policies.
For my full take, check out my op-ed in the Bay Area Reporter.
FUNDING 2,000 NEW SHELTER BEDS: Last Tuesday, May 9, the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution I introduced calling on the Mayor to fund 2,000 new shelter and temporary housing placements in the City’s new budget. The evidence is irrefutable: a shelter for all policy is the quickest, most cost effective way to end unsheltered homelessness. Last year, the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the Place for All Ordinance, making it City policy to provide immediate exits from the street for everyone willing to accept them, as soon as possible. Now, we need to make that commitment a reality by funding the shelter beds San Francisco desperately needs.
SEEKING NEW ENFORCEMENT TOOLS TO CURB STUNT DRIVING SIDESHOWS: On Tuesday, April 25, I sent a formal request to the City’s technology oversight body to develop a policy authorizing the use of unmanned drones to curb dangerous stunt driving sideshows. When dozens, sometimes hundreds of vehicles take over an intersection hostage late at night, law enforcement has to make a difficult choice about whether to intervene, recognizing that intervention could create an even more dangerous situation. SFPD needs every tool available to make our streets safer, and this sensible policy change to allow the use of drones to identify and later impound involved vehicles will help us take back our streets.
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Thanks to Mayor Breed and everyone who came out on April 27 to celebrate the opening of Welcome Castro, a newly activated storefront that is now a visitor center for our Castro community.
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Standing with IHSS and nonprofit workers in their fight for a living wage.
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Come march with me at SF PRIDE! Sign up to join our contingent on June 25!
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2023-2024 Youth Commission Applications Now Open! Calling all young leaders in District 8 to apply to the
San Francisco Youth Commission, a great opportunity to advocate for young people, build leadership skills, and represent your community! Submit your application by May 31, and please feel free to reach out to MandelmanStaff@sfgov.org with any questions.
Green Infrastructure Grant Program | The Spring 2023 Grant Cycle. Are you ready to beautify your neighborhood, build resilience to climate change, and protect our surrounding waters through sustainable stormwater management practices? By transforming underutilized space into a multi-benefit, community-oriented stormwater project through the Green Infrastructure Grant Program (GIGP), you can help make San Francisco more resilient while improving your community!
The Green Infrastructure Grant Program (GIGP) funds the design and construction of green stormwater infrastructure on large public and private properties. Projects must capture stormwater runoff from at least 0.5 acres of impervious surface and can receive up to $2M per project. Applicants will apply during a competitive application cycle with expanded grantee eligibility, including the option for community groups and contractors to receive grant funds directly.
Ready to apply? Review the Spring 2023 Solicitation and Grant Application — due June 2!
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Online screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. Take an online screening today.
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Neighborhood Meetings & Happenings
Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association General Community Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of Every Even Numbered Month (February, April, June, August, October, December) from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
In-Person Bimonthly Meetings are held in the Ballroom of the Harvey Milk Recreation Center for the Arts, 50 Scott Street, Lobby level with entry from Scott Street and Duboce Park, and include a community social from 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association meets every other month on the fourth Thursday virtually.
Upper Noe Neighbors meets every other month on the third Wednesday at the Upper Noe Recreation Center.
Glen Park Association meets monthly at the Glen Park Recreation Center. Check their website for the latest details.
Dolores Heights Improvement Club. Green Gardens group holds monthly clean-ups on the first Saturday of the month from 9am – 10:30am.
DHIC Board meets on the second Monday of every other month (except December.) Meetings are held via Zoom from 7pm – 8pm. Email info@doloresheights.org to obtain the Zoom meeting link.
Castro Art Mart is a monthly street fair on Noe Street between Market and Beaver the first Sunday of every month from 11am-5pm featuring LGBTQ art from local artists, live music, comedy and drag shows, and more.
Noe Valley Town Square hosts regular events such as Acoustic Sunday, Rhythm and Motion dance, and Free Sunday Morning Yoga.
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I had a fun time chatting with SFNext for the Soup with the Supes podcast series. Check it out here!
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NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE HOURS
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Our next neighborhood office hours will be Saturday, June 3, from 10am - 12pm at Destination Bakery Cafe in Glen Park. Email MandelmanStaff@sfgov.org to request a 10 minute appointment. Appointments are first come first served. |
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SF Supes to Mayor: Expand homeless shelter now
San Francisco Examiner, May 9
“This is a policy choice other cities have already made, and the evidence is clear — shelter for all policies are the quickest, most cost effective way to end unsheltered homelessness,” Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who sponsored the resolution, said in a statement following Tuesday.
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California Reconsiders Its Boycotts of States Over Their L.G.B.T.Q. Laws
New York Times, April 26
“It’s not achieving the goal we want to achieve,” Rafael Mandelman, the San Francisco supervisor who introduced the repeal, told his colleagues before the Tuesday vote. “We have incredible needs for vulnerable populations right here in San Francisco.”
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SF Supervisor Proposes Novel Method to Crack Down on Sideshows: Drones
SFist, April 26
SF Supervisor Rafael Mandelman proposed a new idea Tuesday to potentially crack down on and deter sideshows in the city, without putting police or participants in unnecessary danger while they're occurring.
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S.F. repeals its boycott of 30 states that passed conservative laws. Here’s why
San Francisco Chronicle, April 25
San Francisco will no longer boycott 30 states that passed conservative laws after city officials determined that the restrictions were too costly and had little impact other than adding more bureaucracy. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to repeal a local law that prevented city employees from traveling to or doing business with companies based in states that had passed laws limiting LGBTQ rights, voting rights and abortion access.
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SF City Hall to be lit up for Lesbian Visibility Week
Bay Area Reporter, April 18
Stevens then joined Riley in her quest to light up buildings to recognize lesbians for the visibility week. She approached gay San Francisco District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman to light up San Francisco City Hall. Mandelman expressed he was honored to work with Stevens to make the lighting up of the "gay mecca's" city hall in orange, red, white, and pink for lesbians happen. "San Francisco's gay and lesbian communities have a long history of supporting each other's fights for human rights in the face of rampant hate," Mandelman stated to the B.A.R. "The lights will serve as a visual reminder of our commitment to supporting lesbians here and across the country."
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S.F. adds one of the largest drug treatment facilities in years. It might not be where you expect
San Francisco Chronicle, April 14
“It’s deeply inhumane and cruel to get someone sober and then kick them onto the street,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who’s been vocal on the need for more treatment in the city. “It’s among the best uses of our dollars to have people have longer-term support for their sobriety.”
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2,000 More Shelter Beds? Lawmaker Wants to Boost Homelessness Spending
San Francisco Standard, April 12
Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who has led calls for more shelter space in the city, introduced a resolution on Wednesday that asks Breed to fund 2,000 shelter beds over the next two years. The request comes as Breed and department heads hash out budget cuts in the face of an upcoming $780 million shortfall.
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Mayors, supervisors and a drag queen take center stage at JCRC Freedom Seder
J Weekly, April 5
It was a who’s-who of the Bay Area Jewish community and friends when JCRC Bay Area presented its 27th annual Freedom Seder on Monday night in San Francisco. Supervisors Myrna Melgar and Rafael Mandelman co-led the event, which included speeches from San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Jewish drag queen Poly Poptart and others.
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Building consensus: SF supervisors spar with advocacy groups on how to house homeless
Local News Matters Bay Area, March 23
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday listened to city homelessness officials explain why they could not eliminate unsheltered homelessness in the city even if they had $1.45 billion and three years to work with. The occasion was a hearing to consider a report that the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) submitted on Dec. 30 in response to the board’s directive that HSH prepare a plan to shelter all of the city’s homeless within 36 months.
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Supervisors To Hash Out On-Demand Shelter Plan, Extend Eviction Freeze
San Francisco Standard, March 20
Mandelman, who introduced the legislation, has already expressed disappointment with that report, which he believes deprioritized shelter over letting the streets be “the waiting room for people to get more permanent housing,” as he put it last year. He’s also criticized the estimated costs in the report.
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