Jeremiah’s Social Justice Voter Guide for the 2024 presidential election

by Jeremiah Jeffries

Hello, Friends, Neighbors, Fellow San Francisco Residents,

Here is Jeremiah’s Social Justice Voter Guide for the Nov. 5, 2024, Presidential Election. I hope you and your loved ones are doing well. 

This year’s elections are high stakes at the global, national, state and local levels. Though we all suffer from campaign media fatigue, we have to persevere and remember why we do the work we do and why it’s important to participate in the decisions of who leads our city, our state and our country and what values we live through the laws we pass. 

Though they are a few in number, there are some people in politics genuinely trying to make the world a better place. We should support them. Laws that reach the ballot that make things better – we should support them. Laws that are mean and hateful toward the poor or working class – we should reject them.

This voter guide relies on word of mouth and personal connections. Please share with your family, friends and networks. Be sure to vote and work to make the world a better place. I hope this guide is helpful for you.

Peace, Empowerment and Wellness,

Jeremiah Jeffries, A Public School Teacher for True Social Justice

“Not everyone who disagrees is an enemy and not everyone who agrees (or looks like you) is a friend.” – Rafiq KalamId-Din Sr., 1975

Jeremiah’s Social Justice Voter Guide for the Nov. 5, 2024, Presidential Election U.S. and California State Candidates (President, U.S Senate and Congress). President of the United States: Kamala Harris*

This is not an endorsement. I can not do that given that she has been one of the main voices of the Biden administration who supports the current oppression and genocide in Gaza and the Middle East and has opposed the self determination efforts of people of color around the world. Kamala stood by President Biden when the United States became the lone nation to veto and oppose Palestinian statehood at the UN, while propping up Israel’s aggression toward Palestine and now Lebanon. Kamala has also stood by and supported Biden’s foreign policy that actively utilizes the current Palestinian humanitarian crisis as a sound bite while simultaneously using Israel’s right to national defense as an excuse to further provide weapons and funding to Israel as they commit genocide against the Palestanian people and bomb and kill innocent civilians in the region. And though Kamala is not president or in charge of U.S. foreign policy, she is an influencer and big voice in government and unfortunately has not had the courage to use her platform to advocate for stopping the genocide or violent agreession of Israel in any meaningful way. In fact she has only supported it.

Foreign policy is only one major aspect of governance for the country. Here at home she has supported some good legislation around labor, student loan debt and Medicare. So me being the optimist and maybe even willfully naive, my hope is that as the first Black woman and potentially the most powerful person in the world, she will be different and her leadership will be distinct and separate from her predecessor. Unfortunately right now it’s feeling like more of the same. If she wins she will have the opportunity to move the United State towards being a nation that promotes justice and does right by the people of this nation and the poor and oppressed around the world. We’ll see.

Nationally, there is the electoral college, but locally and for the state candidates and initiatives, it’s a direct popular vote!!! Your vote counts and directly helps determine the outcome of elections.

United States Senate (Term ending 2031): None – All are supporters of genocide and apartheid

United States Senate (Term ending 2025): None – All are supporters of genocide and apartheid

U.S. Representative to Congress District 11: None – All are supporters of genocide and apartheid

U.S. Representative to Congress District 15: None – All are supporters of genocide and apartheid

Local Candidates – (State Senators, Assembly Reps, Mayor, School Board and SF City College)

State Senator District 11: No Endorsement

State Senator District 17: No Endorsement (Democratic incumbent is Matt Haney)

State Senator District 19: David Lee*

City Attorney: No Endorsement (Democratic Incumbent is David Chiu)

SF District Attorney: Ryan Khojasteh: Ryan Khojateh will be a more independent voice in the District Attorney’s Office. The current district attorney has done a terrible job of holding police accountable or being independent from the political drama and corruption of City Hall.

SF Sheriff: No Endorsement

SF Treasurer: Jose Cisneros

Mayor of San Francisco 

VOTE #1 Aaron Peskin: While I don’t always agree with Aaron, I know he is thoughtful and cares about the city more than his own personal gain. He has meaningful experience and has shown a commitment to serving everyone including the working class and the poor of this city. He works and is responsive to the community and not just millionaires and people with money. Aaron has a big personality, but is not afraid to stand up, speak out and take steps to make needed changes and sometimes he even has good ideas. He also surrounds himself with some of the best hearts and minds in the city to do good, listen better and make up for any of his own shortcomings. His leadership has the potential to take SF in a better direction. 

Mayor Breed in spite of her background has proven again and again that she values the voice of the wealthy and money interests over the needs of the everyday people in the city. Given her background, she should have done better by the city and its people with the time she has had in office and the power she has had. Unfortunately, it is time for new leadership in the mayor’s office. I Love SF and as a public school teacher I see the impact of City Hall and School District policy on the lives of everyday SF residents.

 VOTE #2 Ashah Safai: Ashah has been accountable to and is supported by labor. Ashah has shown some leadership and independence in City Hall. While not an ideal choice, he’s better than most of the other candidates and would do a better job than the current mayor.

VOTE #3 NO Endorsement: All other candidates have not proven themselves capable or shown that they are anything other than self interested with little regard for the working people of San Francisco.

SF Board of Education – Vote for up to four candidates

The SF Board of Education is in charge of our local public schools. Due to chronic underfunding of public education, we are always navigating a financial crisis and being under threat of a state takeover, by the very same people who chose to underfund us in the first place. 

Public schools are always under attack politically, because it’s considered one of the main factors in what allows people to have and exercise power in their lives. Education can lead to a strong desire for justice and equality. The attacks on schools and educators have been on-going and relentless nationally and locally. We need to elect knowledgeable and experienced people to lead our schools toward a system that serves and is responsive to the needs of our children and families. We need to elect only people who have a genuine connection to our public schools and are connected to the youth and families in our community and in our city.

Vote for the following two candidates only – though you can vote for up to four.

Matt Alexander, longtime educator – teacher, principal, co-founder of June Jordan School for Equity and organizer with Faith in Action, Matt has served well as a knowledgeable and compassionate leader on the Board of Education who is reflective and active in engaging communities and working to meet their needs. 

Virginia Cheung, director of Advancement for Wu Yee Children’s Services. Virginia has been working in early childcare administration for over seven years, is a parent and will bring a new voice to the School Board.

City College of San Francisco (CCSF) Board of Trustees – Vote for four

Aliya Chisti Rooted in San Francisco, Aliya is a former educator and policy analyst who oversees the Free City College program, a voice for students and knowledgeable about what CCSF needs.

Alan Wong Born and raised in San Francisco, Alan is knowledgeable and cares about CCSF. His leadership has not been as inclusive as it needs to be, but he is supported and accountable to labor.

San Francisco Board of Supervisors

District 1: Connie Chan Re-elect Connie Chan. She has lots of experience working on policy and has the values that represent San Francisco well. She has been working to serve San Francisco for many years as a public servant, her children go to public schools and she has shown her commitment to San Francisco and to making it a place for families.

District 3: Ranked Choice: #1 Sharon Lai* #2 Moe Jamil*

District 5: Ranked Choice: #1 #2 & #3 Dean Preston – Re-elect The only choice for District 5, Dean has represented his district and the city well and should be re-elected.

District 7: Ranked Choice: #1 #2 & #3 Myrna Melgar – Re-elect Myrna Melgar’s knowledge of housing, planning and community development has served her well on the board. Myrna is independent and cares about San Francisco. Her years of work in the community serving young people and their families and policy experience continue to inform her work on the Board and she has served her district and city well.

District 9: Ranked Choice: #1 #2 & #3 Jackie Fielder – The only choice for District 9 Supervisor is Jackie Fielder! She is a strong woman of color with a heart of service. She supports a public bank and has concrete solutions and plans to address the wealth gap and housing gap to create more wealth and opportunity for working class people.

District 11: Ranked Choice: Surprisingly there are three qualified candidates you can rank! Each brings a different set of skills, experience and community connection. Each also brings with them some concerns about accountability to whom and for what. I ranked in order of most likely to be a bridge builder between communities and least likely to fall into SF politics as usual.

#1 Ernest Jones, SF Born and Raised; #2 Adlah Chisti, SF Born and Raised; #3 Cheyene Chen– SF Organizer

BART Board District #7: VIctor Flores

BART Board District #9: Edward Wright*

*Please know that these are simply suggestions to bring out the best outcome. This does not mean alignment of values or personal integrity or constitute an endorsement.

Propositions: Lettered propositions are local for San Francisco, and numbered propositions are statewide for California.These are the laws and policies that matter. This is where we help shape the city we want!

Local Propositions

Prop A: YES – Schools Improvement and Safety Bond: This bond will pay for needed updates to help bring and protect clean water in school and make needed repairs to school buildings, classrooms and children’s play areas at schools. This also helps SFUSD build a central food hub to help provide food to our children.

Prop B: YES – Community Health and Medical Facilities, Street Safety, Public Spaces, and Shelter Bond: This bond will provide needed funds to support the repair and renovation and improve the health and safety of San Francisco streets and service facilities.

Prop C: Yes – Inspector General for San Francisco: This measure creates an Inspector General position in the controllers offices and expands the oversight and enforcement power of the Controller’s Office to investigate financial problems and corruption. This is a good step to better government.

Prop D: NO!!! – City Commissions and Mayoral Authority: This measure is very dangerous, deceptive and problematic. It eliminates the opportunity for the public to participate in government. It removes any oversight of police conduct and gives the mayor complete control over every department in the city without any oversight from the Board of Supervisors or the public. This will over politicize every department in the city making every position appointed by the mayor. It will create a layer of politics over every aspect of city management. Say NO to this power grab by the police and the mayor who want no accountability.

Prop E: Yes – Creating a Task Force to Recommend Changing, Eliminating, or Combining City Commissions: This measure allows the city to convene a taskforce to review and make recommendations to increase efficiency in city commissions and bring any major structural or policy changes to the voters.

Prop F: NO! – Police Staffing and Deferred Retirement: This measure will allow SFPD to keep and bring back retired police to make large amounts of overtime pay with no employment accountability. In addition this measure would have the city pay five years of interest on top of the retirement they already receive. We don’t need more old cops who can act with impunity and no consequences. This measure is too costly and keeps the same cops who need to retire coming back. VOTE NO on PROP F.

Prop G: Yes – Funding Rental Subsidies for Affordable Housing Developments Serving Low Income Seniors, Families, and Persons with Disabilities: This measure is a short term relief, not a long term solution. Better rent control and vacancy controls are needed to significantly address the housing affordability crisis. We do too much to enable greed.

Prop H: Yes – Firefighter Retirement: This measure will make the retirement age 55 years old for SF firefighters.

Prop I: Yes – Retirement Benefits for Nurses and 911 Operators: This measure would recognize the work nurses and 911 operators do and allow them to contribute more to their retirement.

Prop J: Yes – Funding Programs Serving Children, Youth, and Families: Both the current mayor and superintendent are not the best to lead this initiative’ however, it does increase the city’s commitment to San Francisco’s children and youth.

Prop K: No –Permanently Closing the Upper Great Highway to Private Vehicles to Establish a Public Open Recreation Space: This measure reduces access to the beach and recreation on the Great Highway at Ocean Beach area for people with disabilities and seniors. This is not good city planning.

Prop L: Yes — Additional Business Tax on Transportation Network Companies and Autonomous Vehicle Businesses to Fund Public Transportation: UBER, LYFT and WAYMO need to contribute more to SF. They are currently allowed to surge prices in an unlimited way, taking advantage of riders when convenient. The least they can do is pay an appropriate business tax to fund public transportation costs for the streets they use for profit.

Prop M: Yes – Changes to Business Taxes: This measure will change some of the weights and thresholds for our business gross receipt taxes to support small business resulting in a loss of revenue for the city (for three years) allowing more small businesses to thrive. But the measure will ultimately increase revenue in the following years from larger, more profitable businesses.

Prop N: No – First Responder Student Loan and Training Reimbursement Fund: This measure will exclude educators, nurses and so many who need student loan relief,while at the same time taking away needed revenue to provide critical city services. This is not a solution and takes on what should be the responsibility of the state of California. While I support student loan relief, it should come from the state and federal government.

Prop O: Yes – Supporting Reproductive Rights: This measure will protect the privacy of people seeking medical attention, provide better signage and helpful online resources to people in need regarding reproductive health. The measure also creates a way for the city to collect private funding and increase the rental spaces available for reproductive health clinics.

State Propositions

Prop 2: Yes – Repair and Construction Bond for Public Schools and Community Colleges: Allows the state to raise and borrow money to repair and build for public schools and community colleges across the state.

Prop 3: Yes – Constitutional Right to Marriage: for all peoples regardless of race or gender

Prop 4: Yes – Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention and Climate Protection Bond: Allows the state to borrow money to repair and build for safe public drinking water, climate and wildfire protection across the state.

Prop 5: YES – Allow Voters to Fund Affordable Housing and Public Projects Locally with 55% of voter approval: Restores voting power to a majority of California voters to fund affordable housing and various public works projects locally with 55% of the vote.

Prop 6: Yes – Eliminates Slavery in Prisons: This proposition will not allow prison labor to be exploited by corporations or any private interest. This is long overdue considering slavery is a violation of human rights even of those in prison

Prop 32: YES – Raises Minimum Wage in California to $17/hour in 2024 and $18/hour in 2025: Finally minimum wage in California will get a boost to match the high cost of living and recent inflation that is strapping the working class of this country.

Prop 33: YES – Allows Rent Control to Be Set Locall: Expands the power of local government to enact rent control and vacancy control to help the affordability crisis locally.

Prop 34: NO – Restricts Spending of Prescription Drug Revenue by Certain Health Care Providers: This proposition would restrict the funding of safety net health care providers who serve and offer prescription drug discounts and services to California’s most vulnerable and low income people and leave massive funding gaps in other areas. It also burdens health care providers with unnecessary administrative and reporting tasks that would overwhelm especially smaller clinics for access to funds that they could not then use to support the newly required administrative tasks. This measure is too restrictive and does not allow money to go where it is most needed in the healthcare system.

Prop 35: Yes – Provides Permanent Funding for Medi-Cal Health Care Services: This proposition will keep in place current funding sources for some Medi-Cal health care programs and services.

Prop 36: No – Allows Felony Charges and Extreme Penalties for any Theft, Shoplifting and Possessing Certain Drugs: This proposition would allow people who steal any item valued less than $940, as small as a candy bar, with a felony (federal crime) and increase jail and prison sentences for theft and certain drug use. This proposed law would ensure that anyone who has ever felt desperate enough to steal, no matter how small, could be given a federal charge that would make it harder for them to find honest work or turn their lives around. This is a mean spirited law to penalize the poor, desperate, depressed and vulnerable for failures of our system to provide affordable housing, adequate jobs, living wages and much needed mental health services. While shoplifting and petty crime are a problem, this goes too far and will create more problems, expand our prison population and overtax our broken judicial system.

Jeremiah Jeffries is a San Francisco public school teacher and a co-coordinator of Teachers 4 Social Justice. He can be reached at empower75@gmail.com. The Bay View recommends that readers use this as their voter guide.  

The post Jeremiah’s Social Justice Voter Guide for the 2024 presidential election appeared first on San Francisco Bay View.

Source: https://sfbayview.com/2024/10/jeremiahs-social-justice-voter-guide-for-the-2024-presidential-election/