Mayor, DA Candidates Slug it Out at PAR Forum

By Simone Haas

Accusations flew and tempers flared as district attorney and mayoral hopefuls stated their views to members of the Planning Association for the Richmond (PAR) at a meeting Nov. 12.

In individual, 20- to 30-minute sessions, Gavin Newsom, Matt Gonzalez, Kamala Harris and Terence Hallinan spoke about their platforms and answered questions from a standing-room-only crowd at the Lincoln Park Golf Course Clubhouse. The meeting was held because of the run-off election on Dec. 9.

Both mayoral candidates were asked questions which revolved around the Public Health Service Hospital at 15th Avenue and Clement Street, which has been closed since 1980 and is currently under review by the Presidio Trust, neighborhood schools, appointments to the Public Utility Commission (PUC), housing and demolitions and parking.

When asked about the Public Health Service Hospital, Newsom stated he "looked forward to your (the community) direction, your advice." He added that the Presidio Trust has been "less than responsive" to the community's needs.

"I want to be the education mayor," Newsom said in reference to a question about education, "I want to have a world-class public education system." He said the school district's diversity index is flawed and needs to be reconsidered.

Gonzalez stated the need for a community planning process and for early community involvement. He admitted he was not familiar with the specifics of the Public Health Service Hospital.

Gonzalez also gave his educational views. "We don't like busing" because it separates parents and children, making it difficult for parents to participate in their children's education. He said the solution was to improve the schools in the eastern part of San Francisco in terms of quality education so as to avoid "the lopsided perception of favoritism because one side of the city has the elite schools." He admitted it is not easy to do because of a lack of resources in the school district.

When the mayor was in Tibet recently, S.F. Supervisor Chris Daly took the opportunity as acting mayor to appoint two members to the PUC. The city attorney ruled in November that one of the two appointments would stand. The SF Board of Supervisors failed to uphold Brown's veto.

Concerning the controversy, Newsom said what Daly did "was wrong" and that he has an obligation to fix it. He said the "controversy is dividing this city and it is utterly unnecessary." He said, "We need qualified candidates, commissions who act based on the interests of this City and not their own unique interests."

Gonzalez spoke of how commissions "are completely mayoral appointed" and that the SF Board of Supervisors "doesn't have the resources to know what goes on in those departments." He said, "The commissioners don't tell us where money is going." He admitted that what Daly did was wrong but that he made "some good picks." Gonzalez spoke of how "disrespectful" Daly was but "so has a mayor that continues to appoint people that should not be on that commission." Gonzalez was one of three votes at the board that thwarted Brown's veto.

Currently, the S.F. Planning Department is in the process of revising criteria for permits to demolish houses. Questions and concerns have been raised over density issues and height requirements, both of which could be changed if the new criterion is adopted.

In response to the housing and demolition plans, Newsom said, "I do not support the housing element as it's currently drafted." He stated great concern for those who own homes and the need to respect residential communities. Newsom alluded to the need for more funding to neighborhood groups.

Gonzalez laughed when asked the question, "I didn't know you wanted me to spend the night." He spoke of density issues and the need for neighborhood preservation.

"Smart planning can work," Gonzalez said.

He did not specify if he was for or against the current draft and the Gonzalez campaign did not return calls when asked to clarify his statement.

Parking was also a big issue at the meeting.

"If I could solve parking shortages, I'd be running for a different office," Newsom smiled. He spoke of integration, the need for better transportation and the need to modernize technology. "We need to be aggressive in parking," Newsom said.

Gonzalez stated: "I'm not big on parking garages in the parks but the voters spoke." He spoke of his campaign to close Golden Gate Park on Saturdays and said he supported parking meters in the park. Gonzalez also spoke of a need for residential parking permits in some city parks.

DA Candidates Slug it Out

After the mayoral candidates fireworks ended, district attorney candidates Kamala Harris and Terence Hallinan duked it out.

The district attorney candidates were asked about Care Not Cash - the measure passed by voters, which replaces cash with housing and drug treatment - aggressive panhandling and why they wanted to be DA.

Harris' response to Care Not Cash was "being poor is not a crime." She admitted that there are challenges to be faced and the "criminal justice system cannot solve them." She said, "It is not a priority to criminalize the poor but I will prosecute crimes."

Harris' said she wanted to be the DA because "a lot of work needs to be done." She spoke of the "power of the criminal justice system" and insisted she "can do a better job."

Hallinan stated that Care Not Cash and aggressive panhandling "are not the DA's problem." He insisted that the homeless will be prosecuted for crimes but that he will not prosecute quality-of-life issues like sleeping on the streets or prostitution unless they are repeat offenders.

"The policies I've been pursuing are cutting edge," Hallinan said. He expressed concern on the amount of people in prison and that most of them "are not in jail because of violent offenses." He reiterated that crime is down since he became DA.

Most who attended the forum admitted that they had already made up their minds before arriving. Kitty, a Richmond District resident, said: "I was very set on whom I was going to vote for before arriving. I haven't changed my mind."