San Francisco Green Party Supervisor Candidate Questionnaire 2020
Due Date: July 14


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:none
E-mail:hillaryronen@gmail.com
Name of Campaign Manager:none
Are you receiving public financing:no
Signed voluntary spending limit:no
2nd, 3rd endorsements in District:no
Major Endorsements: San Francisco Labor Council, Tenant's Union, Sierra Club, Affordable Housing Alliance
Incumbent Supervisor whose votes most reflect your values:Other than myself, Dean Preston, Matt Haney, Shamann Walton, Gordon Mar
Incumbent whose votes least reflect your values:Catherine Stefani
If the election were held today, who would you support as Board President: Matt Haney
Who would be your second and third choices: Shamann Walton, Dean Preston
Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2019 (all 3 choices, if applicable): No one
Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2018 (all 3 choices, if applicable): Mark Leno & Jane Kim


Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2015 (all 3 choices, if applicable): Anyone but Lee team
Who did you endorse for Sheriff in 2015:no one

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?

Yes, I believe in Instant Run Off Voting and think it works well for the moment.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ ] [ ] [ 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 - I am not raising any funds for this campaign.

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

Climate change is a reality and we need to plan and mitigate for its impacts on the City now as well as do everything in our power to minimize the impact on our planet. I have been a leader in attempting to gain independence from PG&E and run a municipal utility and building out a super green energy production system.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Phasing out all diesel buses (e.g., Muni, tour, shuttles)
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Public Power
[ x ] [ ] [ ] City should take over PG&E distribution in SF
[ 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 ] [ ] 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?

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?

My proposal include Implementation of Mental Health SF, any and all policies to build more permanently affordable housing and supportive housing, using more of the social housing and cooperative housing models that haven't been expanded since the 90s.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ ] [ 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 ] [ ] [ ] Social Housing (similar to https://www.sfcommunityhousingact.com/)
[ ] [ ] [ 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
[ ] [ ] [ x ] Eliminating transfer of entitlements in real estate transfers
[ x ] [ ] [ ] #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?

We must cut funding for SFPD and invest heavily in violence prevention, job training, and mental health and addiction health care.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ ] [ 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
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Demilitarize SFPD - Removal of tactical military weapons (e.g., tear gas, assault rifles) and vehicles from SFPD?s arsenal/fleet
[ x ] [ ] [ ] 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?

Many aspects of the Charter do need revisiting, like creating the Office of the Public Advocate. The multiple choice questions below also bring up many other important reform measures.

Your response:

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

Your response:
I am a proponent of the creation of a municipal bank.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ 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 district
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Local hiring requirements should be enforced and expanded to include private projects
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Conversion of some golf courses into soccer fields
[ 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?

Your response:
I do believe women are underrepresented. One way to make it easier to include more women in politics is to make the job more forgiving and family friendly.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ 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?

Your response:
Like the question above, I think someone's actions to create systemic change for communities of color and underrepresented communities is the most important consideration to look at but having underrepresented communities directly represented is also extremely ?important. It's a balancing act.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ 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?

Your response:
I think all national questions make sense and it occasionally makes sense to take positions on international affairs when there are locally organized solidarity actions or other connections specific to SF.

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

Your response:
Mostly gut feeling but also consult with constituents and unions.

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

Your response:
Transit first is very important to me although sometime equity concerns must be balanced with transit first projects.

Multiple choice questions:
+ - ?
[ 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 JFK in GGP)
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Make "Slow Streets" permanent after the pandemic
[ ] [ 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 ] [ ] [ ] 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
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Congestion pricing for parking
[ ] [ ] [ x ] Power more City vehicles using biofuels (e.g., corn-based ethanol)
[ 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 (at the time, if you took a position) on selected
current and past Propositions:
+ - ?
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2020 Split roll tax assessment (Prop 13 reform)

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

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

[ 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)
[ ] [ x ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop Q (Prohibiting tents on public sidewalks)
[ x ] [ ] [ ] Nov 2016 Prop R (Neighborhood crime units)
[ 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)