Editor:
I am voting YES on Measure A to recall Supervior Joel Engardio. However, I am not doing this for many of the good reasons already stated. My vote is because of the forces Mr. Engardio has aligned with who are attacking our neighborhood.
There have been a host of criticisms of Mr. Engardio and good reasons to recall him: betrayal, lying to his constituents and duplicitous behavior. As valid as these reasons are, there is another reason to consider – the moneyed idealogues aligned with the Supervisor who used him to implement their “progressive,” no car, YIMBY building agenda in the western neighborhoods. We need to come to the realization that these groups do not care what the residents of our neighborhoods want for our future.
These hard-core idealogues operate under a “we win, you lose” mentality. Forget about a weekend compromise on the Upper Great Highway – shut it down completely. They disguise themselves with benign group titles, such as “Walk SF,” “SF Bicycle Coalition,” “Abundant SF” and “SFMTA.” Their tactics are anything but benign.
These groups understand their unpopular ideas need to bypass voters. One way was to coax Mr. Engardio into introducing a city-wide measure, Proposition K, to eliminate cars on the Upper Great Highway. We saw evidence of this at the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force meeting that found a “missing meeting” with park groups and real estate interests.
The residents of D4 were duped by our previous supervisor, Gordon Mar, and were duped again when candidate Engardio told D4 voters he would stand behind the weekend compromise on the Upper Great Highway. He turned around and introduced a city-wide measure to permanently close it two years into his term to the applause of anti-motorist and YIMBY groups on the other side of the City.
We need to send a message to these radical idealogues: You can’t deny our voice with your political machinations. Removing Mr. Engardio is the opening salvo in a war with these groups who won’t compromise. Vote YES on Measure A to remove Joel Engardio and begin the process of reclaiming the voice of the District 4 voters.
Brian Adler, D4 Resident
Categories: letter to the editor
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 
“These groups understand their unpopular ideas need to bypass voters. One way was to coax Mr. Engardio into introducing a city-wide measure”
This makes absolutely zero sense. By definition, a ballot measure to take the issue to the voters is the exact opposite of bypassing voters.
If the Board of Supervisors had decided the issue themselves through legislation, that would have bypassed the voters, but instead the ballot measure meant that all sides had months to debate the issue and make their case to the people.
And it’s a bit much to describe an idea that the majority of voters voted for as “unpopular.”
LikeLike
Prop K wasn’t democracy in action — it was democracy distorted. As The Voice of San Francisco points out, it passed with just 54.7% citywide, carried by voters who don’t live anywhere near the Sunset, and it skipped the environmental review and funding plan that similar projects required. That’s not community input — that’s manufacturing consent. And it sets a dangerous precedent: if citywide voters can dictate permanent closures in our neighborhood, what’s to stop Sunset residents from drafting a ballot measure to radically reshape Treasure Island or the Marina? Urban planning decisions belong with local stakeholders and experts, not in the hands of voters miles away who never feel the consequences.
LikeLike
Spot on Brian. As a resident of District 1, I only wish I could vote him out. The closure of The Great Highway affects us in the Outer Richmond just as much as District 1. Thank you for writing such a clear and spot on letter.
LikeLike
Thank you! Well said and the real truth of the matter. Recall the carpetbagger. Vote yes on Prop A!!
LikeLike
“My vote is because of the forces Mr. Engardio has aligned with who are attacking our neighborhood.”
THIS IS EVERYTHING. Thank you Bryan.
LikeLike