On June 5, San Franciscans voted to make our city a more equitable, safe and just place. Together we made real progress on affordable childcare, limiting the tobacco industry’s influence on children, providing legal representation to tenants, providing just compensation to our public school teachers and lowering the potential for death and injury through taser use. We’re happy to report on the outcomes of the measures that GLIDE took a stand on:
C – Passed! This measure will change childcare in SF, make raising children in our city more affordable and helping create a culture where families of all backgrounds are valued and supported.
GLIDE Family, Youth and Childcare Center instructor Judy Li with two of her students.
D – Not passed. Measure D would have funded housing and homelessness services for no, low and middle-income San Franciscans, an aim we fully support. But D failed to get the two-thirds majority and it was for the same reason we had reservations about it – it contained a provision that made it mutually exclusive with Measure C (above).
We know that legislation without such compromises is coming, and you can be a part of it! Housing and Homelessness are San Francisco’s greatest challenges and a call to action for all of us. GLIDE is part of a coalition of local organizations fighting to put the Our City Our Home Measure on the ballot. Learn how you can be a part of this crucial movement!
E – Passed! Voters upheld the ban on flavored tobacco. This is a big win against the tobacco industry, which is working hard to prevent such bans from taking hold nationally. Tobacco is still a leading cause of death and disease. Flavored tobacco in particular is intentionally marketed to low income communities of color and children. The vote sent a message that this industry will need to accept change and respect the health of people of color and our children!
Look for [Measure F] to have a real impact, as over 50% of tenants with legal representation in San Francisco maintain their housing, but only 10% have access to such services.
F – Passed! In a time of unprecedented displacement and housing instability, our city decided that our residents have a right to free legal defense in eviction cases. Look for this to have a real impact, as over 50% of tenants with legal representation in San Francisco maintain their housing, but only 10% have access to such services. Also look for the funding and implementation of these services to be a topic at City Hall in the near future.
G – Passed! Teacher and paraprofessional salaries at SFUSD will go up significantly thanks to the passage of this measure, and the improvements in staffing will help kids in our public schools get the educations they deserve. Every person’s life has been impacted by the incredible work that their teachers have put in. We acknowledged that work and its values at the ballot box this election.
H – Rejected! Voters saw through this deceptive measure, defeating a policy that would have forced the SFPD to implement taser-weaponry, already fraught with dangers, in an inflexible and unaccountable fashion. The SFPD now maintains control over their own process—let’s hope that they work with the community on policies that prioritize non-violence and community engagement regarding the use of deadly weapons.
Ben Lintschinger, Advocacy Manager at the GLIDE Center For Social Justice