As longtime residents of District 4, I and my neighbors feel compelled to speak out in defense of our current Supervisor, Joel Engardio, whose contributions to our community have been significant, responsible and visionary.
The lived experience of D-4 residents is peppered with impacts. Where we go, how we get there and what we do have become a complicated process of considering safety, transportation constraints, time and family well-being. We have reached a point where enough is enough.
In response to a looming budget shortfall (over $300 million), the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has cut service from our western neighborhoods to Market Street – the 21 has been eliminated, and the 5 Fulton, the new 6 Hayes/Parnassus, and 31 Balboa no longer operate on Market Street.
Sunset District Supervisors Joel Engardio (D4) and Myrna Melgar (D7) were responsible for placing Proposition K on the ballot last year, which asked voters citywide whether they wished to have a new park out at the beach, thus rendering the permanent closure of the Upper Great Highway fait accompli. They did this even though the residents of District 4 and 7 overwhelmingly opposed the closure, which would massively disrupt many of their daily lives.
As one of the plaintiffs who sued SFUSD to bring Algebra back, I feel compelled to speak out because I can’t stand by while people erase the truth. That truth is this: Supervisor Joel Engardio played a critical role in finally pushing the district to act after years of delay.
Said an old lady to the Internal Revenue Service: “I do hope you will give my money to a nice country.”
Providing government-subsidized, drug-free supportive housing for those who want it is a common-sense step we can take right now to improve outcomes, save lives and better serve people who are trying to make a change.
I support Joel because I’ve experienced the kind of leader he is – inclusive, accessible, responsive, and above all, visionary. He genuinely listens, seeks collaboration and brings people together around shared goals for our neighborhood.
Joel Engardio’s tenure as supervisor of District 4 has been marked by a pattern of betrayal.
“Politics ought to be the part-time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage,” thus spoke President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Jan. 28, 1954, for the Republican Lincoln Day dinner across our country.
James Madison expressed it best, meaning governmental power, in a Dec. 2, 1829, speech, to wit, “The essence of government is power, and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.” (Incidentally, such words are inscribed in the Madison Memorial Hall, Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Building, Washington, D.C. )
This recall is about restoring honest leadership and respect for community input. We deserve a supervisor who listens, engages and unites, rather than one who divides and deceives.
You can help save the California Warm Line by signing our petition, urging the
governor and the State Legislature to renew our funding. Go to SaveTheWarmLine.org to add your name. San Francisco’s westside residents can also contact their legislators, Assemblymember Catherine Stefani and State Senator Scott Wiener, asking them to keep our services available.
The author remains anonymous, but it could’ve been President Donald Trump or his Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who only a mother could love, who declared: “In my whole life I’ve only had one client – my career.”
I was a supporter of keeping the Upper Great Highway (UGH) open to cars. While I disagreed with Supervisor Joel Engardio on this one issue, we cannot expect to agree with our elected representatives 100% of the time. That’s why I oppose recalling Supervisor Joel Engardio.
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 