Issue Position: Improving Government Efficiency

Issue Position

We should continuously look for ways to improve the way government works. I authored various pieces of legislation in that spirit.

Contract Bid Reform

When the City awards public contracts it is important the contractor receiving the bid can meet San Francisco standards regarding safety and performance. Our current system awards contracts based on the lowest-bid. To that effect, little is done ensure that companies who receive these contracts meet the standards necessary to complete the project in a safely, effectively, and in a timely way.

I've introduced legislation aimed at ensuring that taxpayers receive the best value from public contracts. Although bid price remains a significant factor determining best value, a low bid followed by poor performance can result issues of safety, a greater nuisance to the public, and higher overall costs. The legislation reforms this process by authorizing the creation of a selection methodology and criteria that focuses on Safety Record, Past Performance, Labor Compliance, Financial Condition, Management Competence, and Relevant Experience.

Repeal of Outdated Police Code Provisions

We pass many laws in San Francisco, and over time, our codes accumulate provisions that are outdated. I authored legislation to repeal a number of outdated police code provisions, for example, the ban on tying a dog to a tree or light pole even when you're just running in to get a cup of coffee, the ban on selling food inside a bar (e.g., the Tamale Lady), and required fees for carrying luggage in specific areas of the city.

2012 Prop D -- City Attorney/Treasurer Election

I authored this charter amendment, which appeared on November's ballot. Prop D consolidated the elections of City Attorney and Treasurer, previously a stand-alone off-year election with poor turnout, with the Mayoral election, which has much higher turnout. Thus, more people will participate in electing our City Attorney and Treasurer, and the general fund will save $4.2 million each time this low-turnout election doesn't occur.

Preparing for Legalization of Adult Cannabis Use

It's likely that adult cannabis use will be legalized by California voters in November 2016. That broad legalization will raise many issues for local jurisdictions to address in terms of regulation, zoning, small business, enforcement, taxation, parks, and so forth. To prepare for the possibility of legalization, I authored legislation to establish a blue ribbon task force comprised of a broad cross-section of the community, including the cannabis industry, cannabis consumers, the business community, the hospitality industry, public health, nightlife, and labor advocates, and various city departments. The task force is currently studying the proposed legalization measure, looking at what other states have done, and considering what is best for San Francisco. The task force will make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors so that we can be prepared for legalization and not scramble to enact a measure after the fact.

CEQA Appeal Process Reform

When I first came into office, San Francisco's process for CEQA, including CEQA appeals, was convoluted and allowed for eleventh-hour appeals that delayed projects without advancing CEQA's goals. Indeed, appeals were sometimes filed in the middle of construction. My legislation streamlined and improved our CEQA process, require that CEQA challenges be filed earlier rather than later, and will provide more predictability.

Reducing Voter Guide Abuse

I authored legislation that closed a loophole that had allowed people to game the system for selection of the official proponent and opponent arguments for ballot measures. When more than one person submits a proposed official argument, a lottery is held to select the official argument. People were allowed to submit as many proposed arguments as they wanted, which would swamp the lottery and effectively game it. Moreover, in one circumstance, the campaign manager for the "yes" side submitted a bogus "no" argument 25 times over, won the lottery, and thus fraudulently got himself appointed as the official opponent of the ballot measure. The legislation limits people to submission of one official proponent or opponent argument and requires them to certify under penalty of perjury that they don't have an official role with the opposing campaign.

Ensuring the Integrity of Our Voting Systems

In the age of electronic voting systems, it's important for the system and results to be transparent and verifiable. Open source data is a key aspect of this goal. Working with election transparency advocates, I authored a resolution putting San Francisco on record supporting open source voting systems and triggering an analysis of how our city can move toward such a system.

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