Instructions:
1. There are 10 sections to this questionnaire. Each section corresponds with the 10 Key Values
of the Green Party.
2. Each section begins with a written question and ends with several
multiple-choice questions. Please don't skip the written question.
3. The multiple-choice questions are answered by checking the box in the
appropriate column to indicate which is closest to your position:
+ = Support / Agree / Yes
- = Oppose / Disagree / No
? = Undecided / Don't know / No opinion
4. The world is too complex to always break down neatly into
yes/no/maybe choices, so feel free to clarify any answers to multiple choice questions with a few
words.
Candidate Name: Hillary Ronen
Phone Number: 415-425-9785
Web site: hillaryronen.com
E-mail: hillaryronen@gmail.com
Name of Campaign Manager: Angeles Roy
Are you receiving public financing: Yes
Signed voluntary spending limit: Yes
Campaign Manager: Angeles Roy
2nd, 3rd endorsements in District? I have not endorsed another candidate
Major Endorsements:
San Francisco Labor Council
Unite Here! Local 2
SEIU Local 1021
American Federation of Teachers Local 2121
California Nurses Association
National Union of Healthcare Workers
United Educators of SF
ATU Local 1555
AFSME Local 3299
SEIU 2015
Teamsters Joint Council 7
SEIU USWW
Transit Workers 250A
UFCW Local 5
Transit Workers Union
International Association of Machinists Local 1414
Democratic Party
San Francisco Young Democrats
Latino Democratic Club
Bernal Heights Democratic Club
Portola Neighborhood Democratic Club
League of Pissed Off Voters
Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club
SF Rising Action Fund
San Francisco Tomorrow
Vision SF
SF Tenants Union
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Supervisor John Avalos
Supervisor David Campos
Supervisor Jane Kim
Supervisor Eric Mar
Supervisor Aaron Peskin
Supervisor Norman Yee
Senator Mark Leno
Former Assemblymember Tom Ammiano
Former Supervisor Harry Britt
Former Supervisor Sophie Maxwell
Former Supervisor Jake McGoldrick
Former Supervisor Matt Gonzalez
School Board President Matt Haney
School Board Member Sandra Lee Fewer
Public Defender Jeff Adachi
District Attorney George Gascon
California Democratic Party Chair John Burton
Favorite Incumbent Supervisor: Over my six years working in City Hall, I'm proud to have continually worked to bring people from across the aisle together, including members of the Board of Supervisors. I firmly believe that we can always find common ground with one another. Having said that, my mentor, David Campos, is my favorite incumbent Supervisor.
Least favorite: I've disagreed with all Supervisors on an issue at least once but do not have a least favorite Supervisor.
If the election were held today, who would you support as Board President: I would support Supervisor David Campos or Supervisor Jane Kim.
Who would be your second and third choices: Supervisor Avalos and Supervisor Mar.
Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2015 (all 3 choices, if applicable): 1-2-3 Anybody but Ed Lee
Who did you endorse for Sheriff in 2015: I did not endorse any candidate for Sheriff.
1) Grassroots Democracy: What are your thoughts on Instant Runoff
Voting, and District Elections? How have they worked to date? What
would you change in the future?
District elections have allowed communities to elect representatives who truly reflect and
represent their communities. I think District elections are critical to effective representation in
government. Instant runoff voting, while useful in theory, has led to a lot of confusion amongst
voters and has resulted in many wasted ballots. I believe we need to re-examine whether this is
the right system for San Francisco local elections.
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Sub-government such as Neighborhood Assemblies, Networks or District
Councils
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Some commissions should be democratically elected
[ ] [ - ] [ ] The Mayor should appoint all commissioners
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Voters' right to recall elected officials
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Residency requirements for elected officials should be strictly enforced
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Ethics Commission should be disbanded
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Ethics Commission meetings should be televised
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Ethics Commission should prioritize investigating violations from well-funded
campaigns
[ ] [ - ] [ ] My campaign accepts corporate contributions
[ + ] [ ] [ ] My campaign accepts contributions from paid lobbyists or related entities
having any interest in City and County of San Francisco
2) Ecological Wisdom: Please outline your view of the major
environmental and ecological issues facing San Francisco and your
proposed policies to address them.
As a proud Sierra Club member and concerned mother, I'm committed to protecting the
ecological health of our parks and natural areas. I will work closely with Rec and Park to ensure
parks are being used in ways that respect the environment and the wildlife and natural plants
inhabiting it. I also stand firmly against the recent attempts to privatize public spaces, including
the introduction of reservation fees for open spaces in our public parks. Our parks are and
should remain a community treasure. As Supervisor, I will continue to secure funding for land
acquisition for open spaces.
As families are pushed out of SF, many are displaced to suburbs across the Bay, putting pressure
on our ecosystem through the development of natural open spaces and lengthier transit by car.
In order to combat the environmental impact of urban sprawl, we need to build dense,
multifunctional, transit-dependent communities across the City. As Supervisor, I will be laser-focused
on creating 5,000 units of affordable housing over the next 10 years, especially in
District 9.
We must also ensure our communities are walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented. We need to
invest in a world-class public transportation system to serve our growing population and reduce
emissions and traffic congestion. This means not only expanding bus and train service, but also
removing barriers to public transportation for low-income communities. I helped create Free
Muni for Youth, which was eventually extended to seniors and people with disabilities. A
Supervisor, I will continue to innovate in order to increase accessibility of public transit and
reduce car dependency.
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Phasing out diesel tour buses
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Public Power
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Community Choice Aggregation
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Tidal power that might be harnessed in San Francisco Bay should be publicly controlled
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Reducing or eliminating parking minimums in new housing and commercial developments
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Congestion tolls on Doyle Drive - I need more info on this proposal.
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Natural Areas Program
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Artificial turf on City-owned athletic fields
3) Social Justice:
A) What is your assessment of homelessness in San Francisco, and what
solutions do you propose?
I believe that San Francisco is facing a homelessness crisis, and the City should treat this crisis
with the urgency it requires. I am proud to have helped open the first adult LGBT Shelter in the
Country, "Jazzie's Place". I also wrote legislation calling for a State of Emergency on
homelessness and requiring the city to build six new Navigation Centers to address homelessness
and street encampments in a humane and effective way. Addressing homelessness will be a top
priority for my office, and I will continue to support long-term affordable housing, navigation
centers, and increased mental health services. These ideas have worked in other cities and will
work here if all of City Hall acts together to make them a priority.
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Project Homeless Connect
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Care Not Cash
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Community courts
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Healthy SF
[ + ] [ ] [ ] SF's sick leave requirements
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Law against sitting down on SF sidewalks
B) What are your views on housing affordability, what public sector
strategies have worked, which have failed, and what are your proposals?
Given the Federal and State government's lack of prioritization of building new affordable
housing, it is more incumbent than ever that local governments step up to provide desperately
needed affordable housing in San Francisco. While I will fight to force private developers to
increase the amount of affordable housing they provide, we will only meet the needs of San
Francisco residents and workers if the County builds thousands of units of affordable housing.
This will be a key priority of mine if I am elected Supervisor.
I have authored and organized the campaigns to address harassment of tenants, increasing
relocation payments to tenants evicted under the Ellis Act, and regulating buyouts of tenants
from their homes. I was also able to secure additional funding by pressuring the Mayor to
allocate $50 million of the housing bond specifically for housing in the Mission, and designating
$35 million of the general fund for housing in the 2015 budget. I was successful in getting the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission to commit funding for affordable housing in the
district's most transit-rich areas. As Supervisor, I will continue these efforts by remaining laserfocused
on laws and campaigns that help San Franciscans stay in their rent-controlled homes,
and by continuing to identify and create revenue for the building of affordable housing.
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Impacts of all new development should be paid for in advance by fees on developers
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Community Land Trusts
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Rent Control is too strong
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Elected Rent Board
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Condo conversion is currently too difficult
4) Nonviolence: What are your solutions for SFPD accountability while
making the streets safer?
I will work to make the Office of Citizen Complaints a meaningful agency that investigates police
abuses at all levels in an expeditious manner and actually holds officers accountable. To do this,
like OLSE, we need to move authority over the agency's budget away from the Mayor to an
independently elected position. We also need more regular audits of the police force. I will also
organize my fellow supervisors during the Budget process, so that we can leverage the police
department's budget in the push for meaningful police reform. Finally, I will shine a spotlight on
the police department's policies and practices through the use of hearings and public meetings
so that police are accountable to the communities they serve. In particular, I will be monitoring
police use of force policies and de-escalation training.
At the same time that we push for more accountability and oversight, we need to work with the
police department to ensure that we have community policing in our neighborhoods. Police
should know the stores, families, and especially youth of the neighborhoods they serve. If elected,
I will advocate and fight for a return to walking beats so that police officers get out of their cars
and into the streets. Finally, I support the creation of a property crime unit in the SFPD so we
can use smart data to solve property crimes.
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Prioritize SFPD enforcement of moving violations
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Support expansion of foot patrols
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Demand stricter accountability in future MOUs with the SFPD
[ + ] [ ] [ ] The Board of Supervisors should be able to set policies and priorities for the SFPD through legislation
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Support a public safety program modeled after NYC's "Stop and Frisk."
5) Decentralization: What are your thoughts on the Kaufman Charter
of 1996? Does it need revisiting?
It's been 20 years since the Kaufman Charter was created and I do believe it needs revisiting.
The Charter is a living, breathing document and should reflect the current needs of the
municipality. I believe there should be regular examination and updates of the charter. I also
believe that the consolidated powers under the Mayor have caused serious harm to the city,
leading to corruption and patronage and unchecked corporate power.
+ - ?
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Bring the Housing Authority under the Board of Supervisors
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Will you create formal district councils to advise you?
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Charter amendment allowing voters to choose the replacement of an elected official being recalled on the same ballot as the recall vote
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Immediately implement open-source voting system on the local level
6) Community Based Economics: What economic policies, including
taxation and land use, would you propose that would drive capital into
our communities and keep that capital here for residents?
In the past, I have supported and teamed up with other offices to champion an increase to the
real estate transfer tax, increased hotel tax, and increased transit impact fees paid by
developers. I support and will continue to support closing the commercial property tax loophole in
Proposition 13. This year, I will fight to increase the inclusionary requirement for developers. As
Supervisor I would like to explore a special tax on pied-a-terres (second homes). As a rule, I
generally support measures to increase revenue as long as they are not regressive in nature.
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Legislation limiting formula retail outlets/chain-stores
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Conditional Use permit required for big box stores
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Municipal broadband
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Local hiring requirements should be enforced
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Conversion of some golf courses into soccer fields
- I need more info on this proposal.
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Prop 13 limits on tax increases should apply only to residential properties
7) Feminism: Do you believe women are underrepresented in city government? If so, why do
you believe this is the case? Is this a bad thing, and if so, what would you do to remedy the
situation?
Women, and particularly mothers, are underrepresented in city government, and I am currently
part of an effort to address this. I am part of a joint slate of three mothers running for Supervisor
across the city. We are supporting one another through collaborating on events, sharing
resources and offering one another consistent encouragement and emotional support. I am
committed to this model of collaborative campaigning because this is how we will elect more
women - and particularly women of color - into leadership roles. By supporting one another
every day.
I am also very committed to building a pipeline of future elected leaders who are women,
particularly women of color. This is important in order to end systemic sexism that has impacted
all levels of government, and to help build diverse leadership that reflects the populations we
serve.
As Chief of Staff, I have mentored many women through internships in the District 9 office. I
believe that legislative aid positions should be used to train the next generation of our elected
officials, and if elected, I will continue to make it a top priority to provide these valuable
learning opportunities to women and particularly women of color and LGBTQ women. I'm also
incredibly proud to have an all women of color campaign staff. As Supervisor, I will continue
working hard to elevate women to leadership positions through mentorships, appointments to
office, and hiring.
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] The City should help SFUSD provide child care for children of working parents
[ + ] [ ] [ ] The DPH should provide reproductive health services
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Require parental consent for minors seeking an abortion
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Require parental notification for minors seeking an abortion
8) Respect for Diversity: Tell us what you believe are the best and the
worst aspects of San Francisco's diversity. How would you try to
protect the best while trying to change the worst?
San Francisco's racial and ethnic diversity is at risk due to our housing crisis. The way I see it
there are only two options; we can give up and accept that San Francisco is only a City for the
rich and watch as our friends and families are displaced from their homes, or we can fight even
harder, stop evictions, and build thousands of units of affordable housing for our residents who
have helped make San Francisco the vibrant and unique city that it is. I choose to fight. I will
work to build 5,000 new units of affordable housing in 10 years, create robust neighborhood
preference laws, and stop further displacement through eviction protection measures.
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Multilingual government and education
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Undocumented immigrants should have equal access to education and health care
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Non-citizen residents should be able to vote in all local elections
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Full rights for transgender persons
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Boards and commissions now reflect the ethnic diversity of San Francisco
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Boards and commissions now reflect the political diversity of San Francisco
[ + ] [ ] [ ] My campaign reflects the diversity of San Francisco
9) Global and Personal Responsibility:
A) What are your thoughts on the
Board of Supervisors taking positions on state, national and
international issues?
I believe the Board of Supervisors should sometimes take a stand on state, national and
international issues as a way to apply pressure and bring visibility to ongoing struggles for
equality, accountability and justice. When the Board weighs in on very controversial issues, I
believe it should be in the context of a well-thought and strategic campaign to make change. If
the act is purely symbolic, it often causes more harm than good.
+ - ?
[ ] [ - ] [ ] City government cooperating with the PATRIOT Act
[ ] [ - ] [ ] City government cooperating with ICE/Secure Communities
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] City government should boycott Israel until it complies with UN resolutions - I firmly support boycotts as a powerful act of nonviolent protest, but it's unclear as to what aspect of city government would be boycotting Israel. Need more info.
[ + ] [ ] [ ] SF supervisors should take a position on offshore oil drilling outside CA
B) Please describe how you make your political decisions. What is the
main basis for your decision making (e.g., consultation with your
constituents, political consultants, colleagues, unions, businesses,
donors, or your gut feelings)?
Throughout my 14 years working in District 9, I've always fought to ensure the community has a
voice at the table. I've remained committed to consulting with all stakeholders impacted by an
issue and experts in the policy field, and will continue to do so as Supervisor.
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Fleet Week and the Blue Angels flyover
[ ] [ - ] [ ] In a severe recession, environmental regulations should be suspended to
create jobs
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Business taxes are too high - Although it is too difficult to operate a small business in San Francisco.
10) Sustainability: What does the Transit First City Charter provision
mean to you? How has Transit First fared in recent years, and how would
you enforce that Charter Provision if elected?
I am a strong supporter of our Transit First City Charter provision. But in order to make this
truly effective as policy, we need to have a fast and reliable public transit system. I have fought
to ensure Muni service increases for the 8 and 8X bus routes serving the Portola, and if elected I
will continue fighting for service increases especially in lower income communities. An aging
bus fleet also means higher maintenance costs, putting the burden on Muni's ridership to foot the
bill with rising fares. Muni's 5-year plan to replace all buses is a step in the right direction, and
we should continue to look for revenue streams to fund other much-needed improvements in
service.
As Supervisor, I will continue working to ensure developers of commercial and residential
projects are paying their fair share to offset the transit impact of new developments. I'm also
concerned about pedestrian and cyclist safety in our City. We need to create more protected bike
lanes and intersections throughout the City. When residents in the Portola couldn't safely walk
to the Alemany Farmer's Market, I fought to create a pedestrian crosswalk across the Alemany
Maze, a project that is now underway. As Supervisor, I will continue to work with the community
to identify and fight for safety improvements around our district.
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] MUNI should be funded greater levels and be free to the rider
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Downtown Transit Assessment Tax to support MUNI
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Citywide Transit Assessment Tax to support MUNI
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Higher residential construction along neighborhood transit corridors, which may include raising height limits by two to three stories. - I strongly support increasing housing in transit-rich areas, and have succeeded in getting the MTC to commit funding for housing in D9's transit corridors. However, any increase in residential development must also take into consideration the levels of affordability of the units.
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] State law change that lets bicycles treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs - I would support a change to the use of stop signs, but would need more data that shows treating red lights as stop signs is safe for cyclists.
[ + ] [ ] [ ] I ride MUNI, bicycle and/or walk instead of driving on a regular basis
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Bus Rapid Transit on Geary
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Allow residents to park on the sidewalk without getting a ticket, unless their neighbors complain
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Congestion pricing for parking - I need more info on how this would work.
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Power more City vehicles using corn-based - Corn-based ethanol has not been proven to be a sustainable and effective fuel in the fight to offset climate change. Corn-based ethanol requires the large-scale production of corn, necessitating the use of equipment that relies on fossil fuel. Additionally, ethanol refineries powered by coal contribute greatly to our GHG levels.
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Residents should be allowed to park in the street in front of their own driveway for free - I need to know more about how this would work.
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Support expanding parking meter hours to include later evening hours and weekends
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Remove parking spots and car lanes to create dedicated bike and bus lanes or wider sidewalks - I generally support this.
Your positions on selected current and past Propositions:
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prohibiting tents on public sidewalks
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Nov 2016 Neighborhood crime unit
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Vacancy appointments
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 16-17 y.o. voting, local elections
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Non-citizen voting, school board
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop 62 (Ending Death Penalty)
[ ] [ - ] [ ] June 2016 Prop B (Rec and Park legislation)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 2015 Prop F (Short Term Rental Regulation)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 2015 Prop I (Mission Luxury Housing Moratorium)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2014 Prop H (Natural Grass in Parks)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] June 2014 Prop B (Waterfront Height Limits)
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] 2011 Prop C (Mayor's Pension measure) - I don't recall.
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] 2011 Prop D (Adachi's Pension measure) - I don't recall.
[ ] [ - ] [ ] 2010 Prop L (Ban on Sitting on Sidewalks)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 2010 Prop M (Foot Patrols)