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Question 1:
Saving Theaters
Question 2:
Community College
Question 3:
Rezoning
Question 4:
Drug Dealing
Question 5:
Youth
Question 6:
Day Laborers
Question 7:
Visitor Attraction
Question 8:
Appointments
Question 9:
Commitment

MR. RICHARDS: Susan, starting with you, then all the ladies and gentlemen. Four years ago, the voters of San Francisco passed a 40 million dollar bond to build a new campus of City College in the Mission. The trustees of City College have now identified a suitable site at twenty-second and Valencia for construction. As Mayor, how are you going to facilitate the construction of this campus, since thousands of students will need to get to this campus, as well as support staff and faculty. How will the Mayor's office under your administration assure that adequate parking facilities, transportation services, daycare centers, technology training centers and the other necessary infrastructures balance and optimize the needs of both the Mission neighborhood and those of City College? If so, what planning and resources would you employ?

SUSAN LEAL: I think we've been most successful in the Mission District; for example, on a much smaller scale, on the 16th and Mission BART station, or in other programs in the Mission, is where we have brought the community in. For example, there is a planning process that is going forward right now with that Community college money and that bond. We need to be involved more in bringing neighborhood representation in. They do have some on that Planning Board, but they need more. And as the next Mayor of this city I would make sure that we bring it in. neighborhood residents, merchants, and others who are interested in what is happening in the Mission District. It is very important, and I don't believe that the campus can provide everything with the bond money, so we're going to have to look for other resources. There is not, to be perfectly frank, there's not enough in the bond proceeds to provide all those items, but we can provide many of them. But, again, it involves a Mayor who is willing to say let's bring in some of the community. I know that when we designed the 16th Street BART station, I know that when we designed the lights along Mission Street we brought in the neighborhood and it made the difference because people bought off on the plan. We need to do that in this process, and we need to do it now. [applause]

MODERATOR: Mr. Newsom?

GAVIN NEWSOM: Since everyone is standing I might as well. Tom, I didn't know you missed me so much after 21 forums and interviews that we have written together [laughter] so let me thank you very much [laughter] for the new question. (…inaudible…) We have got a specific strategy to reconstitute the Mayor's Office of Economic Development and I think pertinent as it relates to this question is the need to put together public- private transaction teams. The same teams that are put together at the Mayor's Office of Economic Development as it relates to bringing these projects together or at least getting the approval process. But we need to follow that process along. Treasurer Leal is absolutely right, it has got to be community based. It has got to look, obviously, comprehensible as it relates to community resources. I think parking is critical and I'm a big Transit First believer, and I'm proud to have the MUNI bus riders’ endorsement from RescueMUNI. At the same time, I think we need to be sensitive and rational as it relates to the neighborhood parking needs of merchants, on merchant corridors as well as Community College. Not everyone has the privilege of immediate access to a good public transportation system, and we need to deal with that reality. Community College is one the most critical resources for the City and County of San Francisco's future. It is critical that it succeed here in the Mission, and I will fight to make sure that happens as Mayor. Thank you. [applause]

MODERATOR: Mr. Ribera?

TONY RIBERA: The first thing I'll guarantee you on the construction of the new City College is that Tudor-Saliba will not get the contract. [applause] I also want to tell you, and I tell you this very proudly, I'm the only candidate up here who graduated from the City College of San Francisco. I am a blue collar from the flatlands, not a blue blood from the highlands. [laughter and catcalls] I also had the opportunity to teach at City College in their evening division for 18 years. I love City College and I love the opportunity it brings to this community. There is no greater investment that we can make than an investment in the young people of this community, and I am committed to that investment. I think what we have to do is we have to work with the community, work with the Community College Board, [with] comprehensive planning to make sure that we provide the best education for the young people of the Mission District that we can possibly provide, and I give you my commitment on that tonight. Thank you. [applause]

MODERATOR: Mr. Gonzalez?

MATT GONZALEZ: First, let me congratulate the trustees that are here for getting this project off the ground. I think it's not only important that we have a campus here in the Mission that can serve the residents, but I think the question needs to be put into context, and that is that while San Francisco is a very densely populated city, if we start talking about neighborhoods, while San Francisco is about 13 thousand to 14 thousand people per square mile in areas zoned for residential use, the Mission has about 30 thousand per square mile; and I mention that because I think the context is important. The city services related to this particular neighborhood are already stressed and so I think, with this campus coming in, the challenge is really one of the legacies of the dot-com era, which is you kind of set up a really difficult environment for these changes. Proposition E, which I was co-sponsor of, changed how planning commissioners are appointed. and the planning commission is going to have to ultimately look at this project, look at the mitigations that are available and look at the mitigations related to transportation. I think it's important that measure pass. I think it’s one of the most important reforms of the board; it doesn't allow the Mayor to get all the appointments, and it doesn't allow the mayor to remove people without cause. That's going to be the kernel of anything really good that happens through this planning process. Thank you. [applause]

MODERATOR: Ms. Alioto?

ANGELA ALIOTO: First of all, I think it's absolutely fantastic that the Mission is going to have its very own campus. I think it is paramount to somewhat of a Renaissance for the Mission District. I believe that the City and County of San Francisco's Mayor has to work hand in hand with City College to make sure that all the infrastructural needs are met to make this a huge success. This is the Mission District's opportunity in many, many more ways than just the education that those students are going to get. This will help the small businesses, this should help the City understand that it needs to clean the streets, [applause] the City needs to get our poor off the streets. A new building and having so many students come to this District, like this college will in fact provide, is a real chance for the Mayor of San Francisco to pick up that ball and run with it and make sure that it is a real rebirth for this neighborhood. I pledge that I will do this as Mayor, but I just have to say that the lack of coordination between City Hall and the school district generally speaking ... I stood in line this morning with 15 students who were not in school, they are freshmen who are not in school. For whatever bureaucratic reason they offer, those children are not in school. The school district has a duty to put them in school. Don't let that happen with this new school. Don't let anyone say the City can't get involved: the City and the college are partners, and the City can give just as much as the college district can, so make sure that this happens. It can be a great rebirth for this area. [cheering]

MODERATOR: Mr. Ammiano?

TOM AMMIANO: I am the supervisor that brokered the reluctant bride of the school district into looking at renegotiating the lease for City College with Trustee Ramos and Supervisor Sandoval as well as Chancellor Day, so we made something that everyone thought couldn't happen happen. I also agree with Supervisor Gonzalez that we need to have planning commissioners that understand the neighborhood and we need to have a planning director that is not at Harvard, but working here in our district. [applause] I would be surprised if there was a representative on the planning commission from the Mission District. The other thing is BART. I'm on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. We've got to look at where the money is coming from regionally: there's a lot of money from BART, there's a lot of money from Livable Cities, so that we can provide that kind of funding. We need to look at alternatives to parking like Car Share, like allowing bicyclists to have a safe haven. [cheers] And when they have dismissal of classes late at night we want the MUNI to be running and we want the MUNI to be safe. Those are also the things that need to come together. As Mayor I pledge to you that I will make them come together so that City College can be a beacon for all of us, merchants, residents, social services as well. I don't want that college to displace anyone and I know that it won't if there is a Mayor Ammiano. [applause]

MODERATOR: Thank you. Ms. Leal? Oh, sorry, next question.

SUSAN LEAL: I could take another shot at it. [laughter]