San Francisco Green Party Mayor Candidate Questionnaire 2018
Due Date: Wednesday, Feb 21.


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: Mark Leno
Phone Number: (415) 506-9176
Web site: www.markleno.com
E-mail: info@markleno.com
Name of Campaign Manager: Erin Mundy
Are you receiving public financing: I have submitted my application
Signed voluntary spending limit: Yes
Major Endorsements:

AFT 2121

Community Tenants Association

Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club

NUHW

San Francisco Tenants Union

SEIU 1021

UESF (early endorsement)

Victory Fund

United States Senator Kamala Harris

State Controller Betty Yee

State Assemblymember Phil Ting

Public Defender Jeff Adachi

Supervisor Sandra Fewer

Supervisor Hillary Ronen

Supervisor Aaron Peskin

Supervisor Norman Yee

Board of Education Member Matt Haney

Board of Education Member Mark Sanchez

Community College Trustee President Thea Selby

Community College Trustee Brigitte Davila

Community College Trustee Rafael Mandelman

Community College Trustee Alex Randolph

Community College Trustee John Rizzo

Community College Trustee Tom Temprano

Dolores Huerta


Your 2nd, 3rd choices for Mayor:

I haven't endorsed in this race. I'm still considering options. There
will be no consideration of any candidate who is not an early
co-signer of our Fair Campaign Pledge:

I hereby agree to live by the spirit and letter of San Francisco's
Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance and follow voluntary spending limits
under the law.

I agree to publicly denounce, renounce, and reject all independent
expenditures made on my behalf or against any other candidates.

I will call on all independent expenditure campaigns and SuperPACs to
keep their money out of the mayor's race and not spend on my behalf or
against other candidates.

Since the release of our pledge on 1/8/18, only Jane Kim, Amy Farah
Weiss and Angela Alioto have signed it.


Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2015 (all 3 choices, if applicable):

I did not endorse in the 2015 Mayor's race.


Who did you endorse for Sheriff in 2015:

I did not endorse in the 2015 Sheriff's race.

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 Instant Runoff Voting & district elections. In 2007 I
co-authored AB 1294, which would have allowed ranked choice voting
methods for use by local jurisdictions. When I served on the Board of
Supervisors, I held a hearing to consider instant runoff elections as
an voting option. I believe district elections increase access to
government for residents and result in more diversity of elected
representatives.

By eliminating the need for a costly runoff election it saves San
Francisco about $2 million per election and also increases voter
turnout because the election can be held on single high-turnout
election date. IRV also makes for less negative campaigning. When
implementing any new system of voting options, voter education and
awareness can decrease voter confusion and ballot error.

+ - ?
[ X ] [ ] [ ] 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] [ ] [ ] Residency requirements for elected officials
should be strictly enforced
[ ] [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 (not since January 1st)

2) Ecological Wisdom: Please outline your view of the major
environmental and ecological issues facing San Francisco and your
proposed policies to address them.

I believe one of the most pressing issues facing San Francisco, and
California, is climate change. During my legislative career, I have
tackled this concerning issue by introducing legislation to increase
transparency, enact protections, find solutions, secure funding and
protect our natural resources to combat the effects of climate change
in our state. In 2015, I announced the signing of SB350, which sets
two ambitious but achievable goals: increase production of
California's electricity from renewables to 50% by 2030 and doubling
energy efficiency in buildings by 2030. This sets the nation's highest
standards in the fight against climate change. Just as we can think
big and bold for our State, so can San Francisco to address how we
source our renewable energy, natural resource protection, address sea
level rise, and reduce the carbon footprint of our transit systems to
mitigate the effects of climate change.

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is a key part of the solution to
meeting our city's goals to combat climate change. CCA's have enormous
wide-ranging benefits to our community, such as reducing greenhouse
gas, offering consumers energy choices, and sparking local economic
development. In 2011, I authored and championed SB 790, which will now
allow local governments across California to implement Community
Choice Aggregation. Had it not been for my efforts in battling PG&E's
assault on CCAs, Marin Clean Energy and Clean Energy SF would not be
available options to today's consumers. Without a significant increase
in enrolled residents, we lose out on the financial ability to build
infrastructure and create much-needed jobs.

+ - ?
[X ] [ ] [ ] Phasing out all diesel buses (e.g., Muni,
tour, shuttles)
[X ] [ ] [ ] Public Power
[X ] [ ] [ ] Community Choice Energy should be rolled out
to all SF customers this year
[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
[X] [ ] [ ] As in Bayview, halt all US Navy Treasure
Island transfers of lands tested by Tetra Tech, to private developers
[X] [ ] [ ] Natural Areas Program
[X] [ ] [ ] Mass Tree Removals should not happen
[ ] [ ] [ X] Tier One herbicides should not be used in public parks

[X ] [ ] [ ] 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?

Our homelessness crisis is out of control and often the result of
mentally ill and addicted residents being left on the streets,
untreated, then shuffled in out of our criminal justice system. My
priorities are:

Keeping those who are in a home in their home, by preventing unjust
evictions, providing rental assistance and support to tenants, and
creating 50,000 units of affordable, workforce, and permanent
supportive housing over the next ten years. Given that 70% of those
living on the streets without shelter were living under a roof before
they became homeless, we must keep those who are housed housed. I will
continue to fight Ellis Act evictions and other no-cause evictions.

Decriminalizing homelessness. We must stop recycling mentally ill and
drug addicted people through our criminal justice system. A Mental
Health Justice Center would provide an alternative for care rather
than incarceration, as Mayor I will lead this effort

Moving people off our streets, out of doorways, and into services and
housing. We need many more thousands of units of permanent supportive
housing. If elected Mayor I will focus relentlessly on ending street
homelessness.

+ - ?
[X] [ ] [ ] Project Homeless Connect
[X] [ ] [ ] 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 neighborhood

B) What are your views on housing affordability, what public sector
strategies have worked, which have failed, and what are your
proposals?

California is facing an unprecedented housing crisis. Our city's
economy is booming, but we have not done enough planning to meet our
growing housing needs, especially for middle-income families who are
being squeezed out. High rents and home prices are driving public
service employees, teachers, families and children and school workers
out of our communities. Only about 10% of San Franciscans can afford
to purchase market-rate housing, and only about 15% of San Franciscans
can afford to rent market-rate housing. When we talk about "affordable
housing," we're talking about housing for all of us. Given these
alarming statistics, we must continue to fight for deeply affordable
housing options that allow working people and families to stay in San
Francisco. I believe in creating affordability of housing across all
income levels, not just a lot of housing regardless of its
affordability.

During my 18 years in public service, I have fought for both local and
statewide measures to find creative solutions to fund housing projects
across our city, enable opportunities to open underutilized land for
affordable housing development and fight against speculators and the
displacement of our residents. When I served on the Board of
Supervisors in 2002, I authored our city's original inclusionary
housing ordinance which requires developers to build affordable units
across the city. The policy has not only resulted in a significant
portion of the City's overall annual affordable housing production but
is still one of our city's main sources of funding to subsidize
affordable housing. I have introduced legislation to allow for the
creation of teacher housing on school district sites and fought to
authorize San Francisco the ability to use unique bond financing to
expedite 3,300 affordable housing units. I amended the Ellis Act to
exempt SROs from it thereby protecting 12,000 of San Francisco's most
vulnerably housed from homelessness. I am committed to creating the
best possible solutions to make housing more affordable and
neighborhodhoods more livable.

+ - ?
[ ] [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
[X] [ ] [ ] HOME-SF (density bonus program)
[ ] [X] [ ] Ban on Airbnb and other short term rentals
[ ] [ ] [X] 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
[ ] [ X ] [ ] Condo conversion is currently too difficult

4) Nonviolence: What are your solutions for SFPD accountability while making the streets safer?

Government transparency and accountability are critical cornerstones
of our democracy. A recent Pew Research poll found that only 30% of
Americans believe that law enforcement nationwide is doing a good or
excellent job of holding officers accountable for misconduct. That
number drops to 10% among African Americans. Nearly 80% of
Californians believe the public should have access to the findings and
conclusions of sustained police misconduct.

Unfortunately, California is behind the times when it comes to the
transparency of law enforcement records. In 2016 I introduced SB 1286
to increase law enforcement transparency. This bill would improve
transparency, accountability and public trust in law enforcement by
allowing the public to access information on serious uses of force and
cases of misconduct. Currently, all records relating to peace officer
misconduct in California are confidential and exempt from disclosure
under the Public Records Act. The bill also gives cities and counties
the option to hold public hearings on allegations of police misconduct
and allows people who file complaints against police to find out what
happened in response to their complaints.

As Mayor, I will continue fighting for police accountability and
transparency. I would be committed to ensuring the ongoing reforms at
the SFPD are actually implemented, and that their progress is
continually assessed, including the implementation of de-escalation
training that directly impacts police interactions in communities of
color.

+ - ?
[ ] [ ] [ 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."

5) Decentralization: What are your thoughts on the Kaufman Charter of
1996? Does it need revisiting?

Revisions to the Charter enacted in 1996 were in discussion for over
twenty years and passed when it was finally put before the voters as
Proposition E. The San Francisco City Charter is an ever-changing
document that should, and always has been, open to discussion and
amendments through voter approval. I believe this is a democratic and
fair process.

The recent passing of Mayor Ed Lee highlighted the need to revisit the
the line of succession procedures. If elected Mayor, I intend the
re-visit the Charter to resolve conflicts of interest between the
executive and legislative branches.

+ - ?
[ ] [X] [ ] Bring the Housing Authority under the Board of
Supervisors
[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?

In recent years our city has prioritized job creation - bringing tens
of thousands of new workers to SF - without a comprehensive and
strategic plan to support the workforce growth. The city has lacked a
comprehensive and holistic approach to jobs growth, housing and
infrastructural demands including transit capacity, parks, open space
and schools. As Mayor I will bring this much-needed holistic approach
to manage our changing City and mitigate the impacts of growth on our
existing communities.

During my time in the State Legislature I advocated for allowing San
Francisco the option to add a Voter Approved Local Assessment (VALA)
to the Vehicle License Fee, one of the state's largest sources of
general-purpose tax revenues. The VALA could bring in more than $80M
to fund vital programs, including public transit, public safety,
public health, social services, fire protection, and public works. As
Mayor, I will bring my experience to identify new revenue streams that
support a thriving system of public services.

Expanding local hiring to a broader range of industries would assist
under and unemployed communities be better able to thrive.

+ - ?
[ X ] [ ] [ ] Legislation limiting formula retail
outlets/chain stores
[ X ] [ ] [ ] Conditional Use permit required for big box stores
[ X ] [ ] [ ] Municipal broadband as a public utility
[ ] [ ] [ X] Neighborhood cooperatives prioritized as a
local supply chain for legalized marijuana
[X ] [ ] [ ] I support recreational marijuana stores
opening in my neighborhood
[X] [ ] [ ] Local hiring requirements should be enforced
and expanded to include private projects
[ ] [ ] [X] 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 have been proud to work alongside many of our city's top elected and
appointed women. 7 of the 11 Members of the Board of Supervisors are
women - strong leaders who are glass ceiling breakers in their own
right. However, we can and should be doing more to ensure that anyone
who has been disenfranchised or shut out has a voice and seat at the
table.

On a national and state level, more than half the population are women
and girls, yet they are represented by a Congress made up 80% of men.
Less than 25% of all state legislators are women and only 12% are
governors. These facts are alarming and unacceptable. As a community,
we must to continue encourage women (and girls) to run for office,
mobilize support mechanisms, and strengthen fiscal viability to break
down barriers to public office.

+ - ?
[ 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 a unique community. It's no wonder that people from
all over the world flock to our city seeking a better quality of life
and the opportunity to experience all that our city has to offer. As
our population grows, we need to be vigilant about addressing,
anticipating and taking action to accommodate all changes in
infrastructural demands and capacity to ensure our city remains
accessible to both current and new residents alike. The diversity of
our communities is what makes San Francisco so special.

Our Mayor must show strong leadership in creating a vision for our
city - to balance stability in our neighborhoods, maintain economic,
racial and cultural diversity and lead the way for smart growth and
planning with our regional partners. Undertaking this delicate balance
of competing needs can only move forward if we maintain an open
dialogue with various stakeholders, have strong leadership and don't
settle for the status quo.

I have a proven record from my combined 18 years on the Board of
Supervisors and the state legislature of being able to work across the
aisle to bring divergent ideas and people together to create
thoughtful and effective public policy solutions. I have successfully
undertaken some of the hardest-fought battles and most impactful
policymaking by uniting stakeholders, advocates, community members,
policymakers, and innovators to come up with solutions that have the
most benefit to the largest number of people.

+ - ?
[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
[X] [ ] [ ] 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?

Now, more than ever, our city must stand up against the destructive
attacks against our city by the Trump Administration. The Trump
Administration's attempt to intimidate and retaliate against cities
that refuse to comply with his destructive immigration policies is
despicable. We must be vigilant and take a stand and let our city's
voice be heard on any state, national or international issues that
threaten to undermine our city's policies, local immigration
protections or attempts to defund programs. It is a matter of
protecting San Francisco's values.

+ - ?
[ ] [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)?

Throughout my 18 years of public service, I have successfully
undertaken some of the hardest-fought battles and most impactful
policymaking by uniting stakeholders, advocates, community members,
policymakers, and innovators to come up with effective solutions. I am
proud of my record as a coalition-builder, and believe that this will
be key to continuing healthy and constructive relationships.

+ - ?
[ X] [ ] [ ] Fleet Week and the Blue Angels flyover,
though I'm not a big fan.
[ ] [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?

As San Francisco's economy, workforce and population grows, so does
the congestion that is taking over our streets. Having a more
efficient, safe, and reliable public transportation system is only
part of the solution to the traffic woes we are facing. We must also
focus on keeping our streets accessible and safe - not only for cars
and public transit, but also for bicyclists and pedestrians to move
efficiently around the city. We must do a better job at meeting our
Transit First goals and ensuring that safety, transit priority,
equity, accessibility and sustainability continue to be part of the
discussions.

There is a growing "Complete Streets" coalition of advocates for
motorists, bicyclists, children, seniors, and the disabled who
understand that accommodating various modes of travel will ease
transportation congestion. Streets that provide travel choices give
people the option to avoid traffic jams and increase the overall
capacity of the transportation network. Livable cities and complete
streets don't happen by accident - they must be planned and
implemented. I authored AB 1358, The Complete Streets Act of 2007,
which will help local governments give their residents better and
healthier lives by requiring the accommodation of all users of the
roadway before it is built. Safer roads enable more people to gain
the health benefits of choosing an active form of transportation, and
benefit everyone by reducing traffic congestion, auto-related air
pollution, and the production of climate-changing greenhouse gases.

+ - ?

[ X] [ ] [ ] Muni should be funded sufficiently to
replace most car use

free to the rider -- with identified funding source

[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 neighborhood 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
[ ] [ ] [ X ] Car hailing services like Uber and Lyft
should be regulated as taxis, or banned
[ ] [X] [ ] Allow residents to park on the sidewalk
without getting a ticket, unless their neighbors complain
[X ] [ ] [ ] Congestion pricing for parking
[ ] [ X] [ ] Power more City vehicles using biofuels
(e.g., corn-based ethanol) -- they should be electric
[ X] [ ] [ ] 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 on selected current and past Propositions:

+ - ?
[ X [ ] [ ] June 2018 Eviction Defense
[ ] [X ] [ ] June 2018 Tasers for SFPD

[ ] [X] [ ] Nov 2016 Prohibiting tents on public sidewalks
[ ] [X] [ ] Nov 2016 Neighborhood crime unit
[X] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Vacancy appointments
[X] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 16-17 y.o. voting, local elections
[X] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Non-citizen voting, school board
[X] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop 62 (Ending Death Penalty)

[X ] [ ] [ ] June 2016 Prop B (Rec and Park legislation)

[X] [ ] [ ] 2015 Prop F (Short Term Rental Regulation)
[ ] [ ] [X] 2015 Prop I (Mission Luxury Housing Moratorium)

[ ] [X] [ ] Nov 2014 Prop H (Natural Grass in Parks)
[X] [ ] [ ] June 2014 Prop B (Waterfront Height Limits)

[ X] [ ] [ ] 2011 Prop C (Mayor's Pension measure)
[ ] [ X ] [ ] 2011 Prop D (Adachi's Pension measure)

[ ] [X] [ ] 2010 Prop L (Ban on Sitting on Sidewalks)
[X] [ ] [ ] 2010 Prop M (Foot Patrols)

Due Date: Wednesday, Feb 21, 11:59 pm.

Please submit by email to cc@sfgreens.org. For more information, call
Erika McDonald at 415-337-1499. Please return your answers in plain
text (not HTML, PDF, or Word format), so that we can post all
candidates' answers in the same format.

The SF Green Party invites all candidates who return completed
questionnaires on time to speak and answer questions at our candidate
forum and endorsement meeting, to be scheduled in late February
or early March. We are currently working on organizing a joint
candidate forum in collaboration with other progressive political
organizations. Although the criteria for participation in such a
forum are still to be determined, completing our questionnaire will
make you eligible for the Green Party's endorsement.

Completed questionnaires will be posted on our website,
http://sfgreenparty.org.