Change the DCCC

The results of the California primary election on March 5 could shape the future of San Francisco.

At the moment, we are facing many potential pitfalls that are a result of poor decision making. Our leadership has been unfocused and inept at creating the social change promised to create a better city. That includes SF Mayor London Breed and the progressive-leaning members of the SF Board of Supervisors.

Voters will determine the makeup of the 24-member SF Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC), which controls important candidate endorsements and financial and volunteer support. Many of the City’s 300,000 Democrats take the DCCC slate card seriously and follow its recommendations.

Control of the DCCC was crucial to the building of the Willie Brown and John Burton political machines. Now, progressives rule the roost.

The progressive DCCC supported failed SF District Attorney Chesa Boudin during his recall campaign and it refused to support the recall of three school board members who went off the rails.

It also supported Prop. J in the November 2022 election, the pandemic-inspired measure that permanently closed the eastern end of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park.

One organization focused on changing the DCCC and getting the City back on track is SF Democrats for Change. The group aims to champion issues to fix our City’s problems and boost our economy. Democrats for Change focuses on candidates who support “public safety, affordable housing and quality public schools.”

The slate of 10 candidates many moderate voters are supporting are: Former SF Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, Sara Barz, Dan Calamuci, Mike Chen, Lanier Coles, Parag Gupta, Marjan Philhour, Brian Quan, SF Supervisor Catherine Stefani and Jade Tu.

Registered Democratic voters in District 19 will elect 10 members of the 24-member San Francisco DCCC. Democrats in Assembly District 17 will choose the remaining 14 members.

For more information, go to sfdemocratsforchange.org.

Some progressives are putting forth a narrative that billionaires are trying to buy the Democratic Party by working to change the makeup of the DCCC. That’s hogwash.

One candidate running for DCCC is Richmond District resident Brian Quan, a Richmond Review columnist and president of the Chinese American Democratic Club. He is not some corporate shill trying to overtake the DCCC for the benefit of billionaires.

Many mainstream Democrats and Independents are just trying to steer a clear course back to common decency, a safer city and a prosperous business community. That’s why a rigorous effort is being made to change the makeup of the DCCC.

On the Republican Party side of the ticket, my friend Howard Epstein forwarded a moderate slate comprised of: Epstein, Rudy Asercion, Joseph Bleckman, John Dennis, Rodney Leong, Monika Rothenbuhler, Philip Wing, Jacob Spangler, Lisa Remmer, Bob Rintel, Yvette Corkrean, Jason Clark and Tom Sleckman.

Californians Have Right to Choose Judges

California voters have the right to confirm or deny a state judge every six years, according to the California Constitution.

If residents do not think a particular judge is serving the public’s interest, they have the power to remove the judge and vote for an alternative candidate.

There are those who feel judges should be given a lifetime appointment, but that leaves little recourse for those who are being victimized by judges’ bad decisions.

According to Stop Crime SF, a non-partisan organization that ranks the performance of sitting judges, Superior Court judges Patrick Thompson and Michael Begert are failing to safeguard the public’s safety by continually releasing dangerous criminals who are likely to commit new crimes.

Stop Crime SF rated 10 of the 12 judges up for review favorably (stopcrimesf.com).

In a civilized society, there must be consequences for illegal and destructive behaviors, like selling drugs on our city streets. It is our failure that we do not rehabilitate criminals or provide them with meaningful job training or adequate mental health services.

There are two imminently qualified candidates on the March 5 ballot to replace the challenged judges for a seat on the Superior Court of San Francisco.

Jean Myungjin Roland has served as a San Francisco prosecutor for 23 years, fighting for the victims of domestic violence, gang violence, elder abuse, narcotics and general felony crimes.

“Judges must balance public safety, accountability and compassion,” Roland said.

For more information, go to jeanforjudge.com.

Chip Zechler, 59, has practiced law for more than 30 years. He wants to “promote public safety and justice and assure that our judges are providing adequate accountability.”

For more information, go to chipforsfjudge.com.

On March 5, vote “yes” to support Jean Myungjin Roland and Chip Zechler, two top-flight attorneys who deserve to sit on the Superior Court bench.

SFPUC Fans Flames of Potential Disaster

There wasn’t a lot of press coverage about the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC) decision last year to shortchange the Richmond District on its firefighting ability.

The PUC originally announced it had the resources to build a high pressure, earthquake-resistant water main from Lake Merced to the Richmond to deliver water for firefighting after a disaster. As it stands now, the City’s high-pressure water line stops at 12th Avenue.

If the primary water mains are broken in an earthquake, the high-pressure line is designed to survive and deliver water for city firefighters.

But, lo and behold, the SFPUC miscalculated its cost estimates so the crucial firefighting line will now have to terminate in the Sunset.

The Outer Richmond, which includes the V.A. Hospital, is to be sacrificed to a conflagration due to the lack of urgency, poor planning and incompetence of the SFPUC.

Paul Kozakiewicz is an editor with the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon newspapers.