Vote Yes on A for the Sunset

By Lisa Arjes

On May 22, a group of more than 80 Sunset District residents, joined by friends from the Richmond District and beyond, rallied on the front steps of City Hall before turning in 10,985 signatures to recall their district supervisor, Joel Engardio. Eighty-five percent of those signatures were gathered by volunteers, unpaid local residents who for four months disrupted their lives, learned how to canvass and went out day after day after day knocking on doors to gather signatures.

What’s the Big Deal?

This recall is about a single issue. Betrayal. Every person has a different story to tell about Joel’s betrayal. Many include the closure of the Upper Great Highway and how it was put on the ballot without public input. Some are around deterioration of green spaces and infrastructure, or how he has failed in supporting small businesses. Many are angry that he lied. One constituent said simply, “He’s not fit for office.” In nearly every conversation, there is a feeling of betrayal.

Patricia Arack, a supporter of the Recall Engardio Campaign said recently, “Joel has often said he shouldn’t be recalled over a single issue – the closure of the Great Highway. The issue is him, not a closed highway. Prop. K was only one piece of an ongoing pattern of betrayal and deceit to manipulate and deceive the very people who put him into office.”

Just as Patricia and many other constituents have said, when Engardio sought election to represent District 4, he told the voters that he was opposed to all-day, every-day, permanent closure of the Upper Great Highway – that he supported the compromise (i.e., closed to vehicles on weekends, open to vehicles on weekdays). He stated this clearly and unambiguously in a public debate against his opponent, Gordon Mar, but also to constituents like Patricia Arack in their homes. He put it on his website. There was a deliberateness in his action that deepens the betrayal felt by so many constituents whose votes put Engardio in office.

When Engardio took office, he promised to represent his constituents. Then Engardio perpetrated a fraud on District 4 voters. He used deception in order to get elected, promising transparency and to be a voice for his constituents. He has demonstrated a pattern of betrayal in introducing policies that benefit the few at the expense of the many. He hid his scheming with the authors of Proposition K from constituents. He held virtually no town halls or public listening sessions, thereby denying his constituents their voices on issues that affect the quality of their lives.

Our streets are less safe as thousands of vehicles, including large commercial trucks, are rerouted onto already congested, high-injury corridors. Residential streets, never designed to be major thoroughfares, now see more speeding, pollution and danger, particularly for children and seniors who are forced to play a dangerous game of Frogger just to cross the street.

Engardio has aligned himself with billionaire real estate interests. He is supported by State Sen. Scott Wiener and has hitched his wagon to developer-backed groups. His housing policies are focused on increasing unaffordable luxury housing at the expense of a vibrant middle-class community largely comprised of single-family, multigenerational households. Meanwhile, Engardio has done virtually nothing to advance affordable housing. He misrepresents his “stop the recall” effort as grassroots, when nearly half a million dollars (out of $667,000) of his war chest is donated by three crypto and tech billionaires, none of whom live in the Sunset. With less than 10% of his funding coming from District 4, it begs a troubling question – whom does Engardio represent?

Joel promised to prioritize public safety. He touts among his accomplishments increasing staffing at Taraval Police Station. When Engardio took office, there were 70 officers assigned to Taraval Station. Currently there are just 51. Recent police staffing studies indicate this is far below recommended levels, and lower than staffing levels seen in many, many years. Joel claims “he’s made the Sunset safer by putting beat patrols on Irving.” False! The program using retired police officers was gutted this spring and staffing levels have declined during Engardio’s time in office.

After calling thousands of petition signers (aka his constituents) “haters,” Engardio stated his belief that Sunset demographics were changing, an indicator that his agenda is politically-motivated gentrification. What’s at risk? The everyday needs of working families, their safety and their quality of life. Not to mention, Joel, if your view of your constituents is such that you refer to them as “haters” and “bullies,” how can they trust you to uphold your oath to represent them? That is a betrayal of public trust.

Unsurprisingly, Engardio objects to being recalled. Most notably, he suggests that a single case of fraud, betrayal and compromising public safety isn’t enough to recall a legislator. Sunset residents are not buying it. These are textbook reasons for removing a politician from office. Engardio should know. He has supported four recalls.

The Recall Engardio Campaign is not a battle between cars and bikes or a battle for or against a park. It is not a political proxy fight. It is an uprising. An uprising of local residents who have bound themselves to each other, across political, ethnic and socio-economic lines against Joel Engardio’s hubris, hypocrisy, deceit and betrayal.

I’ll close with reflections from the fateful day when we turned in the recall signatures on May 22. Later that same day, also on the steps of City Hall, Joel said in an interview that the majority of District 4 residents like the job that he is doing. What hubris and arrogance. The power and trust that our elected officials hold is granted by us, the people. Joel, nearly 11,000 of your constituents expressed that day that you have broken that trust and they are rescinding the authority they granted to you. On that day we registered their vote of no confidence. You have betrayed us.

We have no intention of going away, but we do intend to retire Joel Engardio from the office of supervisor.

Lisa Arjes is a District 4 resident and principal officer of the Recall Engardio Campaign.

Vote No on Recall

By Joel Engardio

San Francisco is finally heading in the right direction. And I’m proud to deliver results for the Sunset:

• Restored parking access along Lower Great Highway, which had been overtaken with RVs.

• Brought more foot patrols to merchant corridors with a program that lets recently retired officers return to the beat – and I’m supporting the mayor’s plan to expand and improve the program to help solve the SFPD staff shortage.

• Secured $1 million in state funding for irrigation upgrades for Sunset Boulevard beautification and $1 million in city funding for more gardeners.

• Delivered $1 million in relief for merchants disrupted by the L-Taraval train line reconstruction.

• Accelerated the repair of three Sunset playgrounds by two years.

• Authored and passed legislation that lets homeowners build and sell backyard in-law units – giving longtime residents options to downsize and create family wealth.

• Protected the coast from high rise development and stopped the avenues along the Sunset Boulevard greenbelt from being up-zoned.

• Supported the mayor’s sensible housing plan to focus much-needed housing on transit and merchant corridors.

• Launched the Sunset Night Market with community partners. The events attracted tens of thousands to the Sunset to support local businesses. We also proved what’s possible for night markets citywide.

• Worked with parent advocates and sponsored Prop. G, which called on the school district to bring back eighth grade algebra. The threat of the measure pushed SFUSD to reintroduce the course after a decade of delay. Its passage ensured accountability.

• Responded to thousands of constituent inquiries to fix things from potholes to traffic flow. My staff is incredibly dedicated to helping people.

This work requires proven leadership. Why jeopardize the Sunset’s progress with a misguided recall?

What Will a Recall Accomplish?

Let’s be clear: this recall isn’t about corruption or failing to do my job – it’s political retaliation over a single issue.

A recall won’t reopen the Upper Great Highway. But it will take away your choice to select your supervisor. Voting “yes” on the recall will result in an unknown and unelected appointee. This will force a supervisor election next June followed by yet another in November. Little will get done during this repeated turmoil.

Voting “no” on the recall preserves your ability to choose your supervisor and keep the Sunset moving forward. You will have the opportunity next November to elect a new supervisor from a range of candidates or keep me in office.

Great Highway Position

My position on the Great Highway has always been consistent. With coastal erosion forcing the closure of the southern section of the Great Highway, my 2022 campaign website said this would create the opportunity for a permanent oceanside park between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard. I also talked about how traffic patterns had to change when the connection to Daly City was closed by state mandate.

Before my election, I campaigned against Prop. I, the ballot measure to open the Great Highway to cars 24/7. I said at debates that Prop. I would have killed the best option at the time – a park on weekends – and would prevent the City from turning the middle section of the Great Highway into a full-time park.

I’ve always said the future of the coast should be a park. It’s good for the environment, it benefits local businesses and creates joy for generations of people.

Why was Prop. K on the Ballot?

Many of the leaders behind the recall put Prop. I on a citywide ballot in 2022 to kill a future park. After it lost, they spent the next 18 months filing multiple appeals to kill a weekend-only park.

When I took office, I inherited a contentious debate about the future of the Great Highway. I met with advocates on both sides because they are all my constituents. Given the competing passions, I believed in the power of democracy to resolve the issue.

For people who were frustrated by the ballot measure process and felt unheard, I can always do a better job listening to everyone’s concerns.

Prior to Prop. K, supervisors had already voted to close the southern section to Daly City because of erosion. And a majority would have closed the middle section to create a park.

The deadline for ballot measures was well known and the issue had been publicly debated for four years. I invited all 11 supervisors to put Prop. K on the ballot – and seven supported it. That is the opposite of “sneaking” a measure onto the ballot, as recall leaders claim.

Prop. K allowed for more voter clarity – and even more public debate. Campaigns were able to form on both sides in the most open, democratic and transparent process possible. Every voter had an equal say in what to do with our coast, which belongs to everyone.

The Reality of Sunset Dunes

SFGate reported that local businesses are seeing increases in sales and customers since Sunset Dunes opened. A Chronicle analysis and a new SFMTA study both reported minimal traffic impact. Fears of gridlock never materialized.

I’m taking traffic hot spots seriously and asked SFMTA to continue to address the intersection at Lincoln Way and 41st Avenue and Chain of Lakes. We’ve also made it easier to go around Golden Gate Park with dual left and right turn lanes at Lincoln and Great Highway, which remains open to cars 24/7 to connect the Sunset and Richmond neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, Sunset Dunes has become one of the most visited parks in San Francisco.

Debunking Disinformation

Unfortunately, there is disinformation about my work circulating in Sunset Facebook groups, on Nextdoor and comments on the Sunset Beacon website.

As the popularity of Sunset Dunes grows, some recall proponents have become angrier and more vitriolic. I’m disappointed by the number of messages I’ve received filled with homophobia, denigration and threats of violence.

I’d like to set the record straight:

• The Sunset turning into Miami Beach?

I successfully protected the coast and the greenbelt along Sunset Boulevard from high-rise development in zoning updates.

• Didn’t help bring back eighth grade algebra?

Rex Ridgeway, a respected parent leader in the decade-long fight, says: “Thank you Joel, for all you did for SFUSD students when you took the lead to get algebra on the ballot. It made a huge and positive difference.”

• Night market drama?

Last year, multiple recall leaders threatened to boycott the Sunset Night Market if I didn’t pull Prop. K from the ballot. This year, they disparaged my role in creating the night market and used their leadership positions to spread falsehoods about merchants not wanting it to return. Yet the vast majority of Irving Street merchants support the night market and I’m supporting their effort to bring back a community-led event.

Reject the Recall

San Francisco has spent years stuck in dysfunction – but today, we have a mayor who is leading with purpose and a Board of Supervisors that is willing to get things done. I’ve been one of the supervisors focused on delivering results.

We’re building momentum to help families, improve safety and support small businesses through effective governance. Let’s protect this progress by rejecting an unnecessary recall.

Joel Engardio is a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 4.