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:Danny Sauter
Phone Number: (415) 562-6441
Web site: dannyd3.com
E-mail: danny@dannyd3.com
Name of Campaign Manager: Alea Chedekel
Are you receiving public financing: Yes
Signed voluntary spending limit: Yes
2nd, 3rd endorsements in District: N/A
Major Endorsements:
United Democratic Club, San Francisco's Largest Democratic Club
Rene Colorado, Tenderloin Merchants Executive Director
Wilma Pang, A Better Chinatown Tomorrow Founder
Martha Mahony, Friends of Joe DiMaggio Playground
Tina Moylan, Russian Hill Community Leader
Michael Chen, Northern Neighbors Board Member
Dale Weidmer, Telegraph Hill Community Leader
Brenda Jewett, Local Homeless Coordinating Board Member
Lynn Jefferson, Francisco Park Conservancy Board Member
Greg Polchow, Russian Hill Community Leader
Richard Manso, Nob Hill Neighborhood Leader
Tony Williams and China Halton, North Beach Kids Owners
Steve Taber, Russian Hill Transportation Leader
Marsha Garland, Founder/ Former Executive Director, North Beach Chamber of Commerce
Incumbent Supervisor whose votes most reflect your values: Ahsha Safai, Norman Yee
Incumbent whose votes least reflect your values: Aaron Peskin
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 2019 (all 3 choices, if applicable): Mayor London Breed
Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2018 (all 3 choices, if applicable): Mayor London Breed
Who did you endorse for Mayor in 2015 (all 3 choices, if applicable): Mayor Ed Lee
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?
Your response:
I appreciate that District elections encourage attention on our neighborhoods and allow for community-based candidates to have a better chance at running for office. That being said, I would like to examine what the pros and cons of adding a few at-large, city-wide seats are. We need to also have a role that unifies priorities across Districts and considers how each works with one another.
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:
I'm ready to do the bold work that our city and environment demand. We cannot accept that over 40% of our city's greenhouse gas emissions come from private auto travel. Yet, when we look at District 3 itself and see the poor track record we have of supporting transit and safe streets, we should not be surprised. I will also prioritize affordable housing, especially projects that bring people closer to transit and job centers.
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 increased 20% since 2015 in San Francisco, and this pandemic threatens to make those numbers even more dire. We need to invest in the services we know work, such as our Homeless Outreach Team. This program has only a $9 million dollar budget but it is tasked with outreach to our ~8,000 individuals who experience homelessness on our streets. We also need more housing for formerly homeless and increases in workforce development programs that specifically are aimed at lifting up those experiencing homelessness, given that loss of job is the #1 reason people fall into 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:
District 3 is the densest district in San Francisco, but we cannot let that absolve us from doing more. In the last 10 years, less than 150 net new affordable housing units have been produced in D3. This is unacceptable.
We need to start with a plan and strategy: District 9 recently set an affordable housing goal of 5,000 in the next 10 years. We don't know the appropriate number in D3 because a similar effort has never been undertaken.
We know there is room in underutilized lots and spaces. Specifically, I have called for housing at the MUNI Kirkland Yard near Fisherman's Wharf. We can pursue a project similar to what is happening at Potrero Yard, where they are producing 50% affordable housing above with bus facilities on the ground floor.
And I'll advocate far beyond District 3 to make sure areas, specifically the west-side, produced new housing that is affordable for our families and workforce through rezoning to allow for apartment buildings, streamlined permitting, and incentivizing new construction techniques.
I also believe personal experience is important. I am a renter with my wife in North Beach, so tenant protections are personal for us. We need to fully fund Prop F, expand emergency rental assistance, and start new Neighborhood Tenant Clinics.
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: We need to think much more critically about the jobs that we ask our Police to do. There are many cases - for example responding to class about homelessness, in which the police are not very effective. We know that trained social workers can connect homeless individuals to services at a 17% rate (compared to 2% for police). We know that the vast number of police calls are for non-violent incidents. We also need budget justice. It's not acceptable, for example, that the Police spend nearly $3 million dollars on their Horse Patrol unit while the Office of Racial Equity has a budget of just a half million dollars.
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
I believe more of officer's time should be devoted to Foot Patrols, as we know this results in less crime and better community relationships. I believe this can be achieved through better utilization of time and service call discretion (per my emphasis on the need to identify what Police are and are NOT dispatched for)
I am the only candidate in District 3 that has pledged to not take Police Officer Association or Sheriff's Association Money.
5) Decentralization: What are your thoughts on the Kaufman Charter
of 1996? Does it need revisiting?
Your response:
I will always explore feedback to improve our City's Charter. I believe it should follow a set of principles but be flexible enough to grow and change with the times.
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?
Your response:
Our economic recovery must be pursued with neighborhoods at the table. In the short term, this means relief efforts for our small businesses like grants and fee extensions, eviction protections for commercial and residential renters, and emergency leave protection for workers. I am the only candidate who has set forward a Small Business Plan for those impacted by COVID-19 (https://www.dannyd3.com/a-fighting-chance) In the mid-term, this means ensuring that we are investing in projects that allow for jobs in our communities that also build the infrastructure in our community, such as affordable housing and transit projects like extending the Central Subway.
I know the hurdles that our city puts our small businesses firsthand, having gone through a years long process of bureaucracy to start a Farmers Market in my neighborhood.
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?
Your response:
Yes. In a city where just 3 of our 87 statues are of women, we certainly need to much better in elevating female voices in our government. This begins with mentorship and leadership programs while in school to make clear the pathways that exist in city government for women and minorities. This also extends to the work a Supervisor can do, and which I would take incredibly seriously, including committing to ensuring >50% of my staff are female and that the appointments I support are the same.
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:
San Francisco's diversity is its strength, and I'm supportive of doing everything possible to strengthen our diversity in all matters of our city.
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:
As leaders, there is a responsibility to use your platform to show your values and to use your responsibility for good. However, Supervisors must be mindful of the many concerns that exist and should prioritize those most immediately impactful to their constituents.
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:
My political decisions will be rooted in the communities I serve. I'll follow the same process of listening to problems and seeking out solutions, which is the guidance I've used as the President of my neighborhood association for the past 3 years. Through this lens, I've done the following...
-Started the North Beach Farmers Market and now serve as its Director. Neighbors said the #1 change they wanted to see in North Beach was the addition of a market, so I led the effort to make it happen.
-Led a Storefront Vacancy Report, even while the current Supervisor denied there were any issues. We canvassed 400+ units to highlight the problem and put forth positive solutions.
-Started a program, "Neighborhoods Deliver", which has supported restaurants with free deliveries fueled by a team of volunteers. We've expanded to four neighborhoods from our start in North Beach and have generated nearly $50,000 in new revenue for neighborhood businesses.
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
I understand the excitement around Fleet Week, but I'm worried about the militarization of our city and in a time like this, the budget impact of such an event. I'd like to understand its operations and costs more closely.
I believe business taxes need more discretion in their impact and levels between small businesses and mega corporations.
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:
San Francisco is failing its promise of be a transit first city, and the evidence of that is most apparent in District 3. District 3 has no protected bike lanes, not a single Slow Street, and no rapid bus lines, and yet we wonder why our streets are clogged? I've been a consistent supporter of extending the Central Subway to Fisherman's Wharf, rapid bus lanes, and protected bike lanes. We know how to reshape our streets to be safer and better for the environment (where 40% of the city's emissions are due to private vehicles), but the current leadership has not chosen to prioritize this work.
I also believe it is important to have a personal role in being a transit-first city. I walk, ride my bike, and take transit everywhere. I do not own a car.
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)
[ ] [ ] [ ] June 2014 Prop B (Waterfront Height Limits)