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: Nick Josefowitz
Phone Number: (415) 814-0554
Web site: www.NickJosefowitz.com
E-mail: nickj@nickjosefowitz.com
Name of Campaign Manager: Garrick Monaghan
Are you receiving public financing: No
Signed voluntary spending limit: No
2nd, 3rd endorsements in District:
Major Endorsements: State Sen. Scott Wiener; Assemblymember David Chiu; Assemblymember Phil Ting; John Rizzo, CCSF Trustee and Political Chair of Sierra Club SF Bay Chapter; BART Director Lateefah Simon; Former SF Supervisor Susan Leal; Former SF Supervisor Eric Mar; Tom Radulovich, Executive Director of Livable City; Melanie Nutter, Former Executive Director of SF Environment Department
Incumbent Supervisor whose votes most reflect your values:
Incumbent whose votes least reflect your values:
If the election were held today, who would you support as Board President:
Who would be your second and third choices:
Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2018 (all 3 choices, if applicable): London Breed
Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2015 (all 3 choices, if applicable):
Who did you endorse for Sheriff in 2015:
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?
I support IRV, or ranked-choice voting. I would work to allow all San Franciscans who are 16 years old or older and legally resident in the United States to vote in our municipal elections.
+ - ?
[ ] [ ] [ ] Sub-government such as Neighborhood Assemblies, Networks or District Councils
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Some commissions should be democratically elected
[ ] [ x ] [ ] The Mayor should appoint all commissioners
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Voters' right to recall elected officials
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Ethics Commission should be disbanded
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Ethics Commission meetings should be televised
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Ethics Commission should prioritize investigating violations from well-funded campaigns
[ ] [ x ] [ ] My campaign accepts corporate contributions
[ ] [ x ] [ ] 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 Supervisor, I will be a leading environmentalist working tirelessly to meet our climate goals and drive San Francisco to becoming the nation's first zero carbon city. I will work to deliver significant water use reductions and minimize waste generation and stormwater runoff, and put in place the first long-term policy around toxics in our environment.
For District 2, one of my top priorities will be working to protect the Northern Waterfront from sea-level rise. Major infrastructure, precious historic resources and hundreds of homes in the district could be underwater by 2100 if proper action is not taken. I will explore a special use district that could not only partially fund this work but also activate the Northern Waterfront as a new destination called the Golden Gate Promenade that would have wayfinding signage, pathways, and transit connectivity with the rest of the waterfront and Embarcadero.
I will also build on my environmental work as a board member on various regional transit boards and agencies.
As an MTC Commissioner, I led efforts for SFMTA to commit to a zero-emissions fleet by 2035 and I will push to move that goal up substantially. As a BART Director, I led efforts to pass the Sustainability Policy with aggressive goals and make the transit agency the nation's first to be powered with 100% renewables. I also led efforts to pass a new station access policy to prioritize active transportation and shared modes, and also build more dense mixed-use communities around stations.
Also at MTC, I led efforts to create a funding stream for diesel to electric vehicle transition and to link transportation funding to communities putting in place more sustainable land use policies.
+ - ?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Phasing out all diesel buses (e.g., Muni, tour, shuttles)
[ ] [ ] [ ] Public Power
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Install local/regional clean energy, efficiency, and battery storage to supply 50% of our electricity by 2030
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Reducing or eliminating parking minimums in new housing and commercial developments
[ ] [ ] [ ] As in Bayview, halt all US Navy Treasure Island transfers of lands tested by Tetra Tech, to private developers
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Natural Areas Program
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Tree Removals
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Use of Tier One herbicides in public parks
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Addition of SF Groundwater to City's potable supply
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Artificial turf on City-owned athletic fields
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Managed retreat and Coastal Zone protection in response to Global Warming
3) Social Justice: A) What is your assessment of homelessness in San Francisco, and what solutions do you propose?
San Francisco's homeless crisis is a result of City Government's failure to address the housing shortage or to understand the immense costs and planning required to build supportive housing in the world's most expensive housing market. Good intentions do not result in good policy if there is no execution. If elected, I will immediately begin working toward creating 3,000 additional homeless shelter beds. SF has fewer shelter beds than in 2004 while the street homeless population has increased. There is now a 1000 person waitlist for shelter beds. These shelters can be a hybrid between traditional beds and navigation center beds, where the rules are more realistic and the services more robust. This will help improve the lives of those who suffer on the streets, reduce the number of folks sleeping on the street, and has proven to work in other cities. While we continue the struggle to permanently house everyone who's experiencing homelessness in the City, the least we can do is provide them with shelter and ensure that they have the basic dignity of not sleeping on the street.
+ - ?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Project Homeless Connect
[ ] [ ] [ ] Care Not Cash
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Community courts
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Healthy SF
[ x ] [ ] [ ] SF's sick leave requirements
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Law against sitting down on SF sidewalks
[ x ] [ ] [ ] I support more homeless navigation centers in my district
B) What are your views on housing affordability, what public sector strategies have worked, which have failed, and what are your proposals?
We must build homes in San Francisco now, and our current Board of Supervisors has shown an inability to effectively tackle the housing crisis. The HomeSF density bonus program was well meaning, but failed to facilitate any significant new affordable development. As a BART Director, I created policy to deliver 20,000+ new homes -- over 35% of which will be affordable -- in the immediate vicinity of BART stations. I am also leading the efforts, with Asm David Chiu, to significantly increase the speed and number of units that will be built around BART stations with the hoped-for-passage of AB2923 later this year. Not only would AB2923 set new standards around inclusionary zoning, mandating 30% affordable system-wide, it also breaks new ground in state law with regards to its strong anti-displacement provisions, and requires BART to develop a strategy to prioritize essential workers for occupancy of the developments on BART land.
As an MTC Commissioner, I have worked closely with Supervisor Jane Kim to lead regional efforts to incentivize cities to build new affordable housing, preserve existing affordable housing, and expand the tenant protections that are available to tenants in San Francisco to tenants across the region.
I have also been an active participant in the initial planning stages for a region-wide affordable housing bond revenue measure that would be the first of its kind in the state.
As Supervisor, I will work to deliver more affordable housing in San Francisco and across the region and spread strong tenant protections region-wide. I will also look to raise more money at the local and regional level, streamline the entitlement of affordable housing developments, and drive regulatory changes to reduce the cost of building affordable housing.
+ - ?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Building more market rate housing will lower housing costs for current SF residents
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Impacts of all new development should be paid for in advance by fees on developers
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Community Land Trusts
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Rent Control is too strong
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Elected Rent Board
[ ] [ ] [ ] HOME-SF (density bonus program)
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Social Housing (similar to https://www.sfcommunityhousingact.com/)
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Ban on Airbnb and other short term rentals
[ ] [ ] [ ] Require full disclosure of all corporate/speculative interests in parties purchasing/developing property
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Vacancy tax on empty homes
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Pied-a-terre Tax on residential property owners who do not reside in SF
[ ] [ ] [ ] Condo conversion is currently too difficult
4) Nonviolence: What are your solutions for SFPD accountability while making the streets safer?
We need to do a much better job holding our entire criminal justice system accountable, both for doing what we want them to do and for not doing what we don't want them to do. San Francisco had the most property crime per capita of any major city in the US in 2017, with auto burglary leading the way. In District 2 last year there were over 3871 auto burglaries. All of this despite the City spending over $1bn on criminal justice. SFPD should adopt innovative and modern tools such as bait car stings using GPS technology that have worked successfully in thousands of cities nationwide to go after professional criminals. We also need to invest in solutions which will get folks out of the criminal justice system and help them rebuild their lives. We should start by focusing on the most frequently incarcerated individuals (the 375 people who have between 8 and 43 jail intakes a year), and ensure that upon discharge they are being provided the intensive case management and peer support that they need, as well as priority access to residential treatment and transitional housing that is necessary to help them rebuild their lives.
As Supervisor, I will also work to implement the 2016 DOJ Collaborative Reform recommendations. I will work closely with groups like the SF BAR Association's Criminal Justice Task Force to implement the changes needed to reduce the numbers of police brutality and improper use of force incidents and hold police officers accountable when those incidents do occur. In addition, I will promote local hiring of officers and work to build the kind of housing they can afford so our community is policed by its own residents.
At BART, I led the efforts to reform BART police's use of force policies, and deepen police accountability at BART with a wide ranging set of reforms to BART's police oversight model.
+ - ?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Prioritize SFPD enforcement of moving violations
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Support expansion of foot patrols
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Demand stricter accountability in future MOUs with the SFPD
[ x ] [ ] [ ] The Board of Supervisors should be able to set policies and priorities for the SFPD through legislation
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Support a public safety program modeled after NYC's "Stop and Frisk"
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Prosecution of SFPD Officers involved in fatal shooting deaths of San Francisco residents
5) Decentralization: What are your thoughts on the Kaufman Charter of 1996? Does it need revisiting?
The City needs to update its Charter to meet the challenges of today. For instance, too many commissions are stuffed with too many City Hall insiders who are not responsive to our community's needs -- a situation we must remedy with Charter reform. SImilarly, too many of our City departments have no oversight from or transparency to the public -- a situation we must also remedy with Charter reform. I am a strong advocate for lifetime term limits for all City & County offices, including the District Attorney, School Board, Community College Board, and BART Board.
+ - ?
[ ] [ ] [ ] Bring the Housing Authority under the Board of Supervisors
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Will you create formal district councils to advise you?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Charter amendment allowing voters to choose the replacement of an elected official being recalled on the same ballot as the recall vote
[ x ] [ ] [ ] 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?
I strongly support a public (municipal) bank that reflects San Francisco values -- social, economic, racial, and environmental justice. It would save money compared to banking with commercial banks, and also could also help the City build more housing to alleviate the housing and homelessness crises.
I strongly support land use practices that support local businesses and would work to defend and strengthen formula retail restrictions across the city.
+ - ?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Legislation limiting formula retail outlets/chain stores
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Conditional Use permit required for big box stores
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Municipal broadband as a public utility
[ ] [ ] [ ] Neighborhood cooperatives prioritized as a local supply chain for legalized marijuana
[ x ] [ ] [ ] I support recreational marijuana stores opening in my district
[ ] [ ] [ ] Local hiring requirements should be enforced and expanded to include private projects
[ ] [ ] [ ] Conversion of some golf courses into soccer fields
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Prop 13 limits on tax increases should apply only to residential properties
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Commercial Rent Control
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?
I believe women continue to be under-represented in city government, as they are at the state and national levels of government. However, I am hopeful given the recent election of our City's second female mayor, as well as the number of women who serve on the Board of Supervisors and are running for the Board, that we are moving toward real equity. As a Supervisor, I will seek to appoint more women to commissions and ensure gender parity on my staff, as I have already done on my campaign staff.
+ - ?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] The City should help SFUSD provide child care for children of working parents
[ x ] [ ] [ ] The DPH should provide reproductive health services
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Require parental consent for minors seeking an abortion
[ ] [ x ] [ ] 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 is renowned for its welcoming and accepting atmosphere, not matter who you are, who you love, what you believe or where you come from. I believe that creates a community where diversity is respected, appreciated and honored. At the same time, people from across California, the nation and even the world want to live in our city, yet our government has not helped to build the amount of housing or expanded and upgraded our transit network to address this influx of people. That has resulted in a rising cost of living and lack of affordability, impacting those who can least afford it who are then forced to move out of the city. That results in a less diverse populace. As the cost of housing is the biggest barrier, we must build more housing each year, with a focus on affordable housing for very low, low and moderate income residents.
+ - ?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Multilingual government and public education
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Undocumented immigrants should have equal access to education and health care
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Non-citizen residents should be able to vote in all local elections
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Full rights for transgender persons
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Boards and commissions now reflect the ethnic diversity of San Francisco
[ ] [ x ] [ ] 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?
It's important for San Francisco's elected leaders to focus on governance above all else. Resolutions can be powerful tools in certain circumstances when the issue has a direct impact on San Francisco, but not when they distract from doing the people's work.
+ - ?
[ ] [ x ] [ ] City government cooperating with the PATRIOT Act
[ ] [ x ] [ ] City government cooperating with ICE/Secure Communities
[ ] [ x ] [ ] City government should boycott Israel until it complies with UN resolutions
[ ] [ x ] [ ] 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)?
+ - ?
[ ] [ ] [ ] Fleet Week and the Blue Angels flyover
[ ] [ x ] [ ] In a severe recession, environmental regulations should be suspended to create jobs
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Business taxes are too high
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?
This provision means that San Francisco is committed to providing safe, reliable, and efficient public transportation that is comprehensive enough to remove the need for a personal automobile for the majority of one's travel. It means we must design our roads and neighborhoods with a focus on pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transit. We must dedicate lanes to buses and active transportation. We build bicycle infrastructure that ensures safety and mobility to all users. We must subsidize public transit and active transportation so that it is affordable for all San Franciscans, and ultimately work to make it free for all.
I currently serve on the boards of several regional transit agencies, including BART, MTC, WETA (the ferries), and Capitol Corridor. As a BART Director, I led the effort to pass a regional $3.5 billion infrastructure bond to upgrade and modernize BART's aging infrastructure. As MTC Commissioner, I led the efforts to increase the share of Regional Measure 3 going to transit and active transportation, and ultimately to pass it.
As Supervisor, I would be the strongest advocate on the Board for implementing the Mayor's Transportation 2030 Task Force's recommendations and putting a VLF and other revenue measures on the ballot. This will provide the essential funds we need to keep our roads maintained, our transit infrastructure in a state of good repair, and build the active transportation and transit expansion projects that are so badly needed.
But alongside finding new revenue sources, we also need to dramatically improve our maintenance practices and project delivery methods so that we can do more with the money we have -- an effort I have championed at BART. SFMTA should use all the data that is being generated by the sensors on its buses to maintain its fleet more effectively in a data-driven way to improve on-time performance. SFMTA needs to better coordinate its hiring practices with its fleet expansion, so we have enough bus drivers to drive our buses.
In District 2, I would be the City's strongest advocate for delivering Geary BRT, adding service and making the investment to improve speed and reliability for the 1, 22, and 30 bus lines. Today, both the 1-California and 30-Stockton have on-time performance rates of 62%. We can and must do better. I will also be a strong advocate for a direct bus route from the Richmond and Presidio Heights to Caltrain, to make that much-needed regional connection.
+ - ?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Muni should be funded sufficiently to replace most car use, and be free to the rider
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Downtown Transit Assessment Tax to support Muni
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Citywide Transit Assessment Tax to support Muni
[ x ] [ ] [ ] More weekend closures of streets in/near my district to cars (e.g., Car-Free GGP)
[ x ] [ ] [ ] State law change that lets bicycles treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs
[ x ] [ ] [ ] I ride Muni, bicycle and/or walk instead of driving on a regular basis
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Bus Rapid Transit expanded to all major transit corridors in SF
[ ] [ ] [ ] Car hailing services like Uber and Lyft should be regulated as taxis, or banned
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Scooter/similar vehicle rentals should be required to store vehicles on private property
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Allow residents to park on the sidewalk without getting a ticket, unless their neighbors complain
[ ] [ ] [ ] Congestion pricing for parking
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Power more City vehicles using biofuels (e.g., corn-based ethanol)
[ ] [ ] [ ] Residents should be allowed to park in the street in front of their own driveway for free
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Support expanding parking meter hours to include later evening hours and weekends
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Remove parking spots and car lanes to create dedicated bike and bus lanes or wider sidewalks
Your positions (at the time) on selected current and past Propositions:
+ - ?
[ X ] [ ] [ ] June 2018 Prop F (Eviction Defense)
[ ] [ X ] [ ] June 2018 Prop H (Tasers for SFPD)
[ X ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop D (Vacancy appointments)
[ X ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop F (16-17 y.o. voting, local elections)
[ X ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop N (Non-citizen voting, school board)
[ ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop Q (Prohibiting tents on public sidewalks)
[ X ] [ ] [ ] 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)
[ ] [ X ] [ ] Nov 2014 Prop H (Natural Grass in Parks)
[ ] [ ] [ ] June 2014 Prop B (Waterfront Height Limits)
[ ] [ ] [ ] 2011 Prop C (Mayor's Pension measure)
[ ] [ ] [ ] 2011 Prop D (Adachi's Pension measure)
[ ] [ ] [ ] 2010 Prop L (Ban on Sitting on Sidewalks)
[ ] [ ] [ ] 2010 Prop M (Foot Patrols)