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: Dean Preston
Phone Number: (415)741-3828
Web site: votedean.com
E-mail: votedean2020@gmail.com
Name of Campaign Manager: Ian James
Are you receiving public financing: Yes
Signed voluntary spending limit: Yes
2nd, 3rd endorsements in District: N/A
Major Endorsements:
Current Elected Officials:

Aaron Peskin District 3 Supervisor
Gordon Mar District 4 Supervisor
Matt Haney District 6 Supervisor
Rafael Mandelman District 8 Supervisor
Hillary Ronen District 9 Supervisor
Shamman Walton District 10 Supervisor

Phil Ting Assemblymember
Bevan Dufty Bart Director
Mano Raju San Francisco Public Defender
Chesa Boudin San Francisco District Attorney
Alison Collins School Board Member
Faauuga Moliga School Board Member
Gabriela López School Board Vice President
Mark Sanchez School Board President
Shanell Williams City College Board President
Tom Temprano Member, City College Board of Trustees
John Rizzo Member, City College Board of Trustees

Bernie Sanders US Senator
Pramila Jayapal Congressmember
Katie Porter Congressmember

David Campos Chair, DCCC
Anabel Ibanez DCCC
Gloria Berry DCCC
Honey Mahogany DCCC
Keith Baraka DCCC
Li Miao Lovett DCCC
Peter Gallotta DCCC
Sarah Souza DCCC

Former Elected Officials
Art Agnos Former Mayor
Mark Leno Former State Senator
Tom Ammiano Former Assemblymember
Christina Olague Former District 5 Supervisor
Jane Kim Former District 6 Supervisor
John Avalos Former District 11 Supervisor

Organizations
Affordable Housing Alliance
AFT 2121
Brownie Mary Democratic Club
California Nurses Association/National Nurses United
Evolve California
ILWU Northern California District Council
San Francisco Latino Democratic Club
National Union Of Healthcare Workers
OPEIU Local 29
San Francisco Labor Council
San Francisco Tenants Union
SEIU 1021
SEIU 2015
Sierra Club
SF Berniecrats
SF Latino Democratic Club
Teamsters Joint Council 7
Unite Here! Local 2
United Educators Of San Francisco

Incumbent Supervisor whose votes most reflect your values: It has depended on the vote but I most closely align with Supervisors Ronen, Haney, Walton, Mar, and Peskin.

Incumbent whose votes least reflect your values: Supervisor Stefani

If the election were held today, who would you support as Board President: One of the supervisors listed above who most reflects my values.

Who would be your second and third choices: One of the supervisors listed above who most reflects my values.

Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2019 (all 3 choices, if applicable): No endorsement

Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2018 (all 3 choices, if applicable): Dual endorsed Jane Kim and Mark Leno

Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2015 (all 3 choices, if applicable): The challengers to Ed Lee.

Who did you endorse for Sheriff in 2015: No endorsement

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?

Your response:

I support both Instant Runoff Voting and District Elections. Generally, instant runoff works, though there is a great need for education on it, and I greatly appreciate the hard work of Fair Vote and others who work to educate voters about using ranked choice voting. I think instant runoff works less well in races with a big field of candidates in which the top candidate gets a very low percentage (like 15%). I would like to see additional efforts, like making Election Day a holiday for a week, encouraging same day voter registration, and getting lobbyist and special interest money out of elections. I am glad that everyone is receiving a mail-in ballot automatically this year, although I worry about making voting as accessible as possible during the pandemic.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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.

Your response:

Environmentalism has been one of my top priorities throughout my career. I'm a long-time member of Forests Forever, I was endorsed by SFLCV and the Sierra Club in 2016, and by the Sierra Club in 2019. I'm a defender of CEQA. In my two decades of housing advocacy, I have steadfastly rejected attempts to divide the housing justice and environmental movements. Throughout my career, I've stood up to corporate interests for our communities.

Our city is facing serious challenges in both the short and the long term - COVID-19, a looming recession, and our most pressing issue: climate change. We need bold plans to address these issues, like 10,000 units of social housing, a Green New Deal for San Francisco that centers public transportation, freedom from fossil fuels, municipalizing PG&E, and launching a robust Green Jobs program. We need to identify new sources of revenue for critical programs, and embrace creative ideas like the slow streets program. Conceding to 10% cuts across city budgets and reduced services from the get-go just isn't good enough. I feel a great responsibility to make sure my kids and all kids grow up in a world that is safe, beautiful, and sustainable. We cannot settle for anything less.

But we can't rely on individual consumer actions alone. We need to do more to look upstream by implementing fundamental changes to reduce the enormous output of waste we generate. That means taking on major corporations that profit from the waste and I welcome opportunities to do just that. We can lead the way for other cities to adopt standards that force corporations to stop filling our oceans and parks with refuse.

In District 5 specifically, transportation and development are pressing environmental issues. Until we get serious about being a transit-first city, we will see more of the same. Adding development without addressing transportation only exacerbates this. San Francisco should have a goal of free and fast Muni (and a robust regional bus system) that competes with, and to the greatest extent possible replaces, cars that rely on fossil fuels. At the same time, we must rush pedestrian and bike improvements, not just to save lives, but to promote biking and walking along with riding public transit as the primary future modes of transportation in our city. I am proud to have worked with community organizers and Supervisor Peskin to reverse a proposed Muni fare increase. I am also proud to have established several slow streets in District 5 and to be leading on the new Fell street bike lane.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Phasing out all diesel buses (e.g., Muni, tour, shuttles)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Public Power
[ + ] [ ] [ ] City should take over PG&E distribution in SF
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Natural Areas Program
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Tree Removals
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Use of Tier One herbicides in public parks
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Addition of SF Groundwater to City's potable supply
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Artificial turf on City-owned athletic fields
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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?

Your response:
Homelessness has been a systemic issue in San Francisco for years, and the current pandemic has only heightened the underlying structural inequalities that created the problem in the first place. It is our city's greatest shame that we leave sick and sometimes dying people on the streets without our services. We need to prioritize programs that provide real opportunities for homeless people to get off the streets and into jobs and permanent housing.

Affordable housing is the only permanent solution to homelessness. That is why I'm excited for my proposal to increase the transfer tax on property sales over $10 million to fund the creation of affordable, social housing. We need to fully fund and implement Prop C, and build new navigation centers throughout the city, including in District 5 where there are many homeless, LGBTQ youth. We cannot continue to criminalize and further victimize those who are homeless, but instead use compassionate, focused, and funded efforts to find and maintain the homes needed to end chronic homelessness.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Project Homeless Connect
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Care Not Cash
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Community courts
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Healthy SF
[ + ] [ ] [ ] SF's sick leave requirements
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Law against sitting down on SF sidewalks
[ ] [ - ] [ ] More frequent homeless counts
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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?

Your response:
I have been a tenant attorney and affordable housing advocate for 20 years and it's work I will continue to do for the rest of my career.I continue to push for full implementation of Prop. F, the right to counsel measure I wrote and passed last year. I know that we need to prioritize affordable housing, particularly in areas with public transit. I've championed higher inclusionary zoning citywide. When rezoning of Divisadero and Fillmore in 2016 didn't include community benefits, I co-founded Affordable Divis, which organized meetings with over 500 residents, developed a community plan, and won higher affordability requirements in exchange for higher density.

As Supervisor, I introduced a measure for the November 2020 ballot authorizing the City to acquire, develop, or construct 10,000 units of permanently affordable social housing. The measure seeks to carve out a local exception to Article 34 of the California Constitution, the constitutional amendment passed in 1950 as part of redlining and segregation policies of that era. Passed in 1950 with the backing of the state Realtors Association, Article 34 intended to keep low-income tenants " particularly African-American tenants and other people of color " out of affluent, white neighborhoods. With this measure, we are making it possible to create thousands of units of municipal housing for the people of San Francisco, especially people of color. The private sector will not meet our housing needs on its own.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Building more market rate housing will lower housing costs for current SF residents
[ ] [ - ] [ ] 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
[ ] [ - ] [ ] HOME-SF (density bonus program)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Social Housing (similar to https://www.sfcommunityhousingact.com/)
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Ban on Airbnb and other short term rentals
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Require full disclosure of all corporate/speculative interests in parties purchasing/developing property
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Vacancy tax on empty homes
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Pied-a-terre Tax on residential property owners who do not reside in SF
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Condo conversion is currently too difficult
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Eliminating transfer of entitlements in real estate transfers
[ + ] [ ] [ ] #30RightNow - Fully funding direct access to housing for tenants in supportive housing, to lower rents to 30% of their income

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

Your response:
Time and time again, police abuse and kill people of color with no consequence. We need to defund the police and replace them with alternative resources whenever possible. Money from the SFPD should be reallocated to youth services, homelessness services, social workers, mental health workers, and affordable housing. We need to prioritize the redirection of police funds to support Black communities.

Black communities have been economically underserved for far too long, leading to disparities in housing, health and wellness, and economic outcomes. I am proud to have co-sponsored a resolution introduced by my colleague Supervisor Shamman Walton to redirect funds from the SFPD to the Black community beginning with the 2020-2021 budget cycle, and I am committed to continuing to advocate for concrete measures that will lead towards true reparations for the Black community.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ ] [ - ] [ ] 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"
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Prosecution of SFPD Officers involved in fatal shooting deaths of San Francisco residents
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Demilitarize SFPD - Removal of tactical military weapons (e.g., tear gas, assault rifles) and vehicles from SFPD's arsenal/fleet
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Defund SFPD - Commit to permanent reduction of the number of SFPD officers

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

Your response:

I'm concerned about excessive concentration of power in the Mayor, and I support oversight wherever possible. The new Charter brought some positive changes to the City/County, however I don't support the placement of so much authority under the Mayor.. I would support the return of that proposition and split appointments for other boards and commissions. I supported the four ballot measures in 2016 that were a check on mayoral power.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] 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?

I support improving public services through creating new revenues, including taxing those who have benefited most from our economy, and helping to pass bond measures, and a public bank to reinvest in housing and our communities. I believe we need to increase transit impact fees for developers, and that the City should create a special tax for pied-a-terres, and discourage the practice of using our limited housing supply as simply an investment opportunity for rich investors. I also believe, and have fought for, increasing the inclusionary requirements for developers. In addition, I served on the steering committee for the campaign to pass Proposition G, the anti-speculator tax, in San Francisco.

This is one of the wealthiest cities in the world, and for too long, the richest in this city have not been paying their fare share. What we need to do is identify new sources of revenue, like the transfer tax that I have proposed and the Excess CEO compensation tax Supervisor Haney has proposed (and I'm cosponsoring). I have and will continue to publicly oppose cuts to crucial services.

Your response:

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Legislation limiting formula retail outlets/chain stores
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Conditional Use permit required for big box stores
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Municipal broadband as a public utility
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Neighborhood cooperatives prioritized as a local supply chain for legalized marijuana
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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?

It's no secret that San Francisco, for as progressive as we claim to be, has a serious lack of female representation in almost every part of our city government. We not only need more women in office, but also women who will work to center the needs of all women in our city, including women of color, women service workers, homecare workers, single mothers, and others struggling to survive in this city. I have always made it a priority to center and uplift women's voices, both through my campaigns and the nonprofit I founded, and I will continue to prioritize this for the rest of my career.

I'm proud of my record running a nonprofit and a campaign, both of which have been largely run by women and have prioritized mentoring and training future women leaders. My 2019 campaign staff was 80% women, and my city hall staff is 50% women. At the time I left Tenants Together, the organization I founded and led for 11 years, we had a board of 50% women, a majority female staff, and our coalition of 50 organizations across the state are overwhelmingly led by women, and women of color in particular. I believe leaders -- electeds and hiring managers -- have a responsibility to make sure we are prioritizing those who have had a back seat and lower pay for far too long.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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?

Your response:
I'm deeply concerned about the displacement from San Francisco, an epidemic that has hit African American and Latino communities particularly hard. Much of my work over the past 20 years as a tenant rights advocate has been trying to stop that displacement in individual cases and systemically. We are always up against the real estate industry, and my opponent is backed by that industry and carries out its agenda. San Francisco must be a place where low income and working class people can live and prosper. As the least affordable city in the country, we are in danger of becoming a virtual gated city for only the rich, with communities of color pushed out. Nothing less than the future of this city is at stake. We must make San Francisco a truly diverse city for generations to come. I will do everything in my power as Supervisor to maintain our economic and racial diversity.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Multilingual government and public 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?

Your response:
Local officials can and should take stands on issues of conscience at the state, national, and international level. I believe the world must be viewed through a lens of intersectionality, and that includes the lens of issues of international importance playing out on a local level.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ ] [ - ] [ ] 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
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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)?

Your response:
Grassroots, bottom-up decision making has been the hallmark of my organizing work and my time as Supervisor so far. Consulting with labor, constituents, community leaders, staff and my colleagues are the primary influences on my decision-making.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Fleet Week and the Blue Angels flyover
[ ] [ - ] [ ] In a severe recession, environmental regulations should be suspended to create jobs
[ ] [ - ] [ ] 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?

Your response:

For over 20 years, I have commuted daily by public transportation in San Francisco. Despite calling ourselves a "transit first" city, the reality is far from it. That's why making San Francisco a city with a world-class transportation system is a top priority for me. I was proud to stand with Supervisor Peskin and community organizer to stop a proposed Muni fare increase. We need to fight for big ideas like Free MUNI, 30 minute public transit trips, and a network of car-free streets. Right now, we also need to restore Muni lines that have been cut during this pandemic.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Muni should be funded sufficiently to replace most car use, and be free to the rider
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Downtown Transit Assessment Tax to support Muni
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Citywide Transit Assessment Tax to support Muni
[ + ] [ ] [ ] More weekend closures of streets in/near my district to cars (e.g., Car-Free JFK in GGP)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Make "Slow Streets" permanent after the pandemic
[ + ] [ ] [ ] State law change that lets bicycles treat stop signs as yield signs and red lights as stop signs
[ + ] [ ] [ ] I ride Muni, bicycle and/or walk instead of driving on a regular basis
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Scooter/similar vehicle rentals should be required to store vehicles on private property
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Allow residents to park on the sidewalk without getting a ticket, unless their neighbors complain
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Congestion pricing for parking
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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

Your positions (at the time, if you took a position) on selected
current and past Propositions:
+ - ?
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2020 Split roll tax assessment (Prop 13 reform)

[ + ] [ ] [ ] March 2020 Prop E (Office development)

[ ] [ - ] [ ] Nov 2019 Prop C (Vaping regulations)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2019 Prop D (Uber/Lyft tax)

[ + ] [ ] [ ] June 2018 Prop F (Eviction Defense)
[ ] [ - ] [ ] June 2018 Prop H (Tasers for SFPD)

[ + ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop D (Vacancy appointments)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop F (16-17 y.o. voting, local elections)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop N (Non-citizen voting, school board)
[ ] [ - ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop Q (Prohibiting tents on public sidewalks)
[ ] [ ] [ ? ] Nov 2016 Prop R (Neighborhood crime units)
[ + ] [ ] [ ] 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)
I voted to require grass, not turf. I believe that was the Yes on H position.
[ + ] [ ] [ ] June 2014 Prop B (Waterfront Height Limits)