On November 6, new San Francisco Board of Supervisors will be elected in Districts 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10. Six candidates will appear on the ballot in the District 10 race: Uzuri Pease-Greene, Shamann Walton, Asale-Haquekyah Chandler, Tony Kelly, Theo Ellington and Gloria Berry. Neo Veavea is running as a write-in candidate.
The candidates generally agree that more affordable housing and public infrastructure is needed in the district, with somewhat different takes on what should be done about the unfolding discovery that the Hunters Point Shipyard has been inadequately cleaned-up. To further assist voters in making their ranked choices, the View asked each of the contenders to respond to answer a series of questions. Chandler did not respond. Responses were only lightly edited.
Gloria Berry
Q: Is the City’s budget too high or too low?
A: Too low.
Q: What are the biggest strengths you’d bring to being supervisor?
A: I would be a better advocate for the community than what we’ve seen. I’d serve as a motivator for other Supervisors to want to have a city that cares about its Black and Brown people. I’d bring knowledge about the Hunters Point Shipyard based on experience from being assigned to three nuclear ships that had radioactive antennas, including one being in Port at the Shipyard. Also, I received four use-of-force trainings, including annual UOF training experienced during my eight-year tenure in law enforcement. This experience gave me expertise in the ability to deescalate fearful situations and train others in how do so. Additionally, I have tutoring experience, and having developed a Saturday school gives me another strength in the area of what the Board can do to partner with the School District and immediately take action to get rid of the achievement gap.
Q: How well prepared is District 10 to respond to an emergency such as from earthquake, fire or flooding?
A: District 10 is not prepared.
Q: What could be done to increase the level of preparedness?
A: Expand the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team program. Create awareness, specifically, where are emergency shelters? What is our district’s egress route? Whose duty is it to notify the community? Is our sea wall enough?
Q: What is District 10’s most overlooked asset?
A: Its people.
Theo Ellington
Q: Who’s your favorite politician?
A: Without question, former President Barack Obama. He showed us that we can use politics as a tool to bring people together and solve our most critical issues. Like me, he started as a community activist, and he taught folks how to lead with compassion, and be resilient in the face of corporate greed. When our neighborhood got together to file the lawsuit against the corporate greed at the Hunters Point Shipyard, I thought about my experience meeting President Obama and what he’d say. Sometimes it’s hard to standup for our community, but I always measure my action by asking if it’s the right thing to do.
Q: Who’s the most influential person in your life?
A: My Grandfather. My Grandfather moved to San Francisco to escape hardship in the South. Like so many people in San Francisco, he moved here in order to provide a better life for his family. He worked as a union laborer, building our roads and bridges. He, as he used to say, “rubbed his pennies together” and bought a house, the pinnacle of the American dream.\ Today, in those same circumstances, he would have been unable to accomplish that dream in San Francisco. That’s why I’m running; to make San Francisco affordable for everyone, not just the wealthy. He taught me to work hard, play fair, and that to whom much is given, much is expected. His wisdom continues to guide me today in both my personal life with my family and professional endeavors.
Q: What’s the most pressing issue facing District 10? How would you address it?
A: San Francisco is under threat on multiple fronts: affordability, housing, homelessness, and transportation, just to name a few. They have one thing in common: the City has put greed over the needs of our citizens. Our district has been dumped on for far too long. Nowhere is that more apparent than at the Hunters Point Shipyard, where companies like Tetra Tech put their profits above the health of hardworking San Franciscans. These companies put greed above the good of the people, paying off public officials, and operating with impunity for far too long. That is why I am suing them, and why I refuse to take campaign contributions from them, or any lobbyist or corporation. I am running to do the right thing, and I will always stand up for my neighbors, not big corporations.
Q: What’s the role of a supervisor?
A: A supervisor should demonstrate servant leadership. We listen to our community, respond quickly, and always represent their interests. Supervisors are the legislative branch of city government, and a critical tool for folks like us to get our voices heard. That’s why as Supervisor I pledge to respond personally to every inquiry that comes across my desk within 48 hours. I will ensure that our district has a voice and seat at the table. I am the only candidate in the race with both public and private sector experience.\ A supervisor should be able to balance interests by fully understanding the needs of the district.
Q: Favorite job you’ve previously held?
A: As Director of Public Affairs at the Golden State Warriors, I had every 12-year-old basketball fan’s dream job. But a lot of folks don’t know about the good work we were able to do outside of basketball.\ During my time at the Warriors I fought for the neighbors against developers who wanted to force the City to accept a new stadium without any infrastructure improvements. Because of our efforts, we purchased three new T-cars for the City, invested more than $30 million in public infrastructure upgrades, pioneered new community benefits approaches, such as setting aside $1 million each year in a “lockbox fund” that the neighborhood can use to make any unforeseen infrastructure improvements, upgraded neighborhood parks and basketball courts, and created more than 3,000 new jobs for San Franciscans.
Q: Is the City’s budget too high or too low?
A: The City’s budget is not allocated correctly. We should be spending more on solving homelessness and cleaning our streets, and less on corporate welfare. We need a unified and efficient budget so that we can do the most with the money we have. I would also like to see our City prioritize municipal services by areas experiencing the most growth.
Q: What are the biggest strengths you’d bring to being supervisor?
A: I am the only candidate in the race with both public and private sector experience. On the private side, I did work for the Golden State Warriors, where I held new arena developers accountable to the neighborhood. On the public side, I was a commissioner on the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure, where we approved 1,049 new affordable homes, including 242 for formerly homeless families. I also served on the Human Rights Commission, fighting for our City’s most vulnerable populations. I understand how to get things done, how to work with folks in government and in business, how to be a great negotiator, and how to do the right thing despite corporate pressure.
Q: How well prepared is District 10 to respond to an emergency such as from earthquake, fire or flooding? What could be done to increase the level of preparedness?
A: District 10 has been left behind by the City for far too long. We are less well-equipped to handle a disaster than many other parts of San Francisco that have not been overlooked by City Hall for decades. Besides the random events, such as earthquakes or fires, that could happen, there is one impending disaster that will surely happen: rising sea levels. We must invest in our Seawall, as well as other waterline management solutions. District 10 will play a critical role in San Francisco’s climate resiliency.
The proposed India Basin park with trees and wetlands is a great example of something that can help mitigate disaster, while also providing a wonderful park to the folks in D10. We also must be aware of how hard it is to access parts of D10, especially in the event of an earthquake. That is why we should explore water transit throughout D10. We have eight new waterfront developments coming in San Francisco, and we need to be innovative about how we address the transportation challenges they will bring.
Q: What is District 10’s most overlooked asset?
A: People are our most overlooked asset.\ People like the women who have supported each other in entrepreneurship, opening four new businesses along Third Street. People like the families who fought to keep Starr King and Daniel Webster elementary schools open and thriving, so that their children can have access to good education in their neighborhood. Each and every one of the residents of District 10 can wake up every single day and make a difference. And it’s going to take all of us. Individually, we can’t stand against corporations like Tetra Tech alone. But together we have the power to make a difference and stand up for the neighborhood we deserve.
Uzuri Pease-Greene
Q: Who’s your favorite politician?\
A: Mr. and Mrs. Obama
Q: Who’s the most influential person in your life?
A: My Mom, Georgia Reed, because she’s a really awesome lady.
Q: What’s the most pressing issue facing District 10?\
A: The Shipyard and the blunder with the soil sample documents being forged and the soil still being contaminated.
Q: How would you address it?
A: To address this issue the cleanup should be given to an outside source. I would look at what was done at the Presidio and that cleanup, along with what has been done in other states to figure out the best course of action.
Q: What’s the role of a supervisor?
A: The role of the supervisor is to work for the people. Listen to the needs of everyone in the District, which includes the residents and business owners alike. It is important to be accessible and for people to feel and be heard.
Q: Favorite job you’ve previously held?\
A: Advocating for the people in my community,
Q: Is the City’s budget too high or too low?\
A: This all depends on what part of the budget you are talking about.
Q: What are the biggest strengths you’d bring to being supervisor?\
A: I’m a people person and not a “yes” woman. I am not afraid to speak up for what is right and giving my all. I try and work with people to come up with a solution.
Q: How well prepared is District 10 to respond to an emergency such as from earthquake, fire or flooding?
A: I am not sure. I would have to ask the residents and business owners.
Q: What could be done to increase the level of preparedness?
A: Talk with people in their community and work with them so that if they are not ready they can get ready. Have those that are ready help with getting their neighbors ready.
Q: What is District 10’s most overlooked asset?\
A: The people themselves and the resiliency in the communities.
Tony Kelly
Q: Who’s your favorite politician?
A: Oh, this changes frequently. I’ll go ahead and say Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez for this year, and Harvey Milk for all time.
Q: Who’s the most influential person in your life?
A: Marie Harrison. She has inspired me to find new ways of listening to neighbors, fighting alongside them and never giving up.
Q: What’s the most pressing issue facing District 10? \How would you address it?
A: I’ll start with Housing, Homelessness, Safety, Pollution.
Housing: Many neighbors are priced out because the City’s “affordable” housing is not affordable to those who live here. I’ll push to build 100 percent affordable housing on 100 percent public land through a 100 percent public bank, and use City planning to ensure Development Without Displacement.
Homelessness: Pass Proposition C to immediately house thousands of homeless folks, create Beds for Bayview, and create transitional villages for those waiting to be housed.
Safety: Police captains tell us that far too many crimes are committed because kids have nothing to do. I will increase programming for youth, keep our rec centers open, and expand Free City College to provide productive alternatives for our residents, and rebuild a Community Peace Plan.
Pollution: From the Shipyard to the freeways to polluters throughout District 10, we need a serious effort to repair the ongoing damage of decades of environmental racism.
Q: What’s the role of a supervisor?
A: The two most important jobs of a Supervisor are Land Use and accountability to residents.
Most of San Francisco’s new development is slated to happen in District 10. Whether this new housing is affordable for residents currently living here entirely depends on whether the Supervisor will negotiate with developers and use our public land properly. We need a supervisor who will put people over profits, and fight for affordable housing, services, infrastructure and transit improvements. During the Eastern Neighborhoods Plan, I helped write language to demand more affordable housing and invest in local infrastructure and local businesses to ensure development without displacement, and support the growing population in our District. City Hall took out that language. We can’t afford to make the same mistakes again.
The Supervisor must also be accessible and accountable to residents. That’s why I’ll have Community Office Hours every day of the year in the District.
Q: Favorite job you’ve previously held?
A: Creating and running a frisky alternative theater company for 20 years, and taking productions from the 80-seat Potrero Stage to Off-Broadway.
Q: Is the City’s budget too high or too low?
A: I don’t know what the right number is for the City’s budget, but I do know that our budget and our massive financial power is more than enough to provide much, much better for our most vulnerable residents and our working classes.
Q: What are the biggest strengths you’d bring to being supervisor?
A: I’ve been a neighborhood advocate and grassroots organizer for 15 years in Potrero, Dogpatch, Bayview and Visitacion Valley, saving schools, advocating for parks, demanding a healthier, safer living environment. These efforts did not come from a “top-down” approach of assuming what residents need, it came from going to hundreds and hundreds of community meetings and listening to the concerns of residents who are not like me.
Recent work includes demanding pollution cleanup along the waterfront, including radiological contamination at Lennar’s Shipyard, with environmental allies; co-leading Beds for Bayview: safe spaces for our homeless populations; creating the country’s first Green Benefit District; and fighting police violence with the Justice for Mario Woods coalition since its inception in 2014.
My term in office will be distinguished by the consistency and clear articulation of my positions, my willingness to learn and to think creatively about policy, and my singular commitment to community engagement and accountability.
Q: How well prepared is District 10 to respond to an emergency such as from earthquake, fire or flooding? \What could be done to increase the level of preparedness?
A: The City doesn’t offer trainings in our communities, printed resources, public signage, or supplies to low-income families. That’s not acceptable. If we had a serious earthquake tomorrow, few of us would know where to go, what to do, or how to get help if needed, and I know many low-income families who do not have the emergency food and medical supplies they’d need to survive. Other cities, like Tokyo, have this figured out. Full disaster readiness and supplies will cost money, but our lives are worth it.
Separately, I’m concerned that the City and Department of Emergency Management are not prepared for a citywide emergency. Look at how our City is run today, and it’s not hard to agree. I was approached not long ago by a DEM employee who said his training in earthquake preparedness consisted of a few short videos, a simple presentation, and a handout, with the instructions that when something happens, someone will reach out “and tell us what to do”. That doesn’t reassure me at all. I want thorough trainings, documentation on how each emergency worker will be utilized, who they should report to, and trainings for our residents too. We’ve been lucky for the past few decades, but that just increases the chances of something bad in the not-too-distant future.
Q: What is District 10’s most overlooked asset?
A: Our children. We have more families with children than anywhere else in the City, but we don’t provide the adequate education, activities, services and support they need within the District. District 10’s schools are underfunded, our teachers are underpaid and can’t afford to live here, our families don’t receive the support that they need, and our youth don’t have the activities to reward their amazing energy. This is why we have the worst school achievement gap in the country, and serious issues with crime and safety. I will commit to investing in family support and wraparound services, increasing extracurricular programming for youth, providing safe havens at school sites, and increasing teacher housing so we can keep our high-quality educators in the City.
Shamann Walton
Q: Who’s your favorite politician?
A: Kamala Harris
Q: Who’s the most influential person in your life?
A: My Mother.
Q: What’s the most pressing issue facing District 10? How would you address it?
A: We have an affordability crisis across the City that is causing seniors, low-income families, and working-class people to be forced out of the City. District 10 has the highest population of low-income and working-class communities of color who are at risk eviction, being forced out of the City, or becoming homeless. To combat this, we must preserve our existing rent-controlled units and create legislation that expands rent control throughout the City. I support the idea of municipally-owned or controlled housing, and there are plenty of opportunities for the City to develop or convert publicly-owned lots for affordable and below market rate opportunities for families. Another major issue in District 10 is the Shipyard toxic cover up. I am currently working with the City Attorney to find ways to hold Tetra Tech and the Navy accountable as a City.
Q: What’s the role of a supervisor?
A: A Supervisor should listen and represent the voices of their diverse constituents while working on solving major issues, such as the affordability crisis, homelessness, and quality of life issues within the District and overall San Francisco. In the current times, a Supervisor also must protect the rights of our most vulnerable communities from being attacked on the national level. As a native of District 10 who lived in public housing in both Bayview and Potrero Hill at a young age, this election is personal for me. I want to make sure that District 10 and San Francisco thrive and provide opportunities for indigenous populations while also providing economic opportunities through growth. With two decades of experience working with District 10 neighborhoods, building coalitions across different backgrounds and ideologies and serving on the Board of Education, I have proven that I am ready to hit the ground running on day one.
Q: Favorite job you’ve previously held?
A: My favorite job of all time is being on the San Francisco Board of Education. As president and a commissioner, I spearhead the effort to close the achievement gap for Black, Latino, and special needs students and I helped secure the funding for the school district’s first African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative. I worked to protect undocumented students, secured the financing and identified a site for our first affordable housing units for educators, and fought to make sure that Mission Bay will have its first school built in the next few years. I have helped decrease teacher turnover in our Southeast sector schools and increase graduation rates across the District, including for our Black and Latino students. I also work with parents and educators on a day to day basis to make sure our School District provides the best quality education for our future generations.
Q: Is the City’s budget too high or too low?
A: With all the issues our City faces such as affordability, homelessness, lack of housing, we currently never have enough money to address them thoroughly. Imagine if we had a $20 billion budget instead of an $11 billion dollar one, we would be able to provide so much more support for all our communities; but with any budget, we must be fiscally responsible.
Q: What are the biggest strengths you’d bring to being supervisor?
A: I was born in San Francisco and lived in public housing at an early age in Bayview and Potrero Hill. I have spent the past two decades fighting to improve our D10 neighborhoods as the director of Potrero Hill Family Resource Center, a program officer for DCYF, and now as the executive director of Young Community Developers and San Francisco School Board Member. I’ve witnessed a once tight-knit community in D10 become separated, and have lost many of my childhood friends to crime and violence. Because of these experiences, I want to devote my life to changing that reality and find ways to inspire hope and opportunity across all our generations. I am also someone who can bring people together across the political spectrum, and that is why I am supported by eight out of 11 supervisors, Mayor London Breed, former Mayor Art Agnos, and many other elected officials and organizations.
Q: How well prepared is District 10 to respond to an emergency such as from earthquake, fire or flooding? What could be done to increase the level of preparedness?
A: On the school district level, I have been working with the school district to retrofit our school buildings. I have also worked with HOPE SF to rebuild public housing throughout District 10, and will continue to ensure public housing conditions are safe and livable for its residents. Across the City, we need to work with our local neighborhoods to increase emergency preparation trainings, such as NERT and other natural disaster preparations.
Q: What is District 10’s most overlooked asset?
A: The diversity of our residents and various cultures that are represented in our District, as well as our amazing weather. The sun is always shining in District 10.
