Editor:

Thank you for editing, and making sure that we have, a truly local news source here in the west side of our fair City.  

Judge Kopp’s last sentence in his comments on the recall of Supervisor Engardio I find very disturbing: “Once again we must give ‘last rites’ to district supervisorial elections!”  

In the paragraph that ends with this sentence, Judge Kopp puts forth the very situation that was a major cause for district elections in the first place: “… the rest of the City’s neighborhoods … votes for Proposition K last November ensured closure of the Upper Great Highway miles from their homes and businesses. What did they care?”  

In my experience, this is precisely how it was with at-large elections! The heavily monied downtown interests controlled the City-wide elections with large investments which were repaid by a Board who allowed a great deal of skyscraper construction while ignoring the needs of the various neighborhoods whose diversity is now reflected in our current district-elected Board.  “What did they care?” They were elected with financing from the downtown interests and had very little concern for the neighborhoods and their diversity.  

Furthermore, if we still had at-large elections, there would have been no recall – whom would you recall?  The whole Board?  Those board members who voted to put this on the ballot?  That was the difficulty with the at-large Board – there was no one directly responsible for my area of the City! 

Although I do not like the result of the recall election, and agree with Supervisor Engardio about the forward-looking closure of the Highway and creation of an excellent Park, a very large majority of his constituents did not agree. They have exercised their right to recall someone who, they believe, does not represent them. I stand firmly for district supervisorial elections, even though some results may not be to my liking (full disclosure: I have been a resident of the Inner Sunset for 34 of the 51 years I have lived here), and I believe that, overall, they have been a great benefit to our diverse neighborhoods and will continue to serve the people who elect them effectively. I believe this was proven very convincingly by the recall of Supervisor Engardio.

Larry Bernard
34-year Inner Sunset resident