Election Slate for April 19, 2022

Each election I prepare a slate card for my friends so we can debate how to vote here in San Francisco (and beyond). Here’s what I have so far, based on the ballot I received in the mail, various organizational endorsements, and an online discussion with local activists… I’d love your input (I’ll post comments people submit to me below)– 

State Assembly Member, District 17: David Campos

Election Slate for February 15, 2022

Each election I prepare a slate card for my friends so we can debate how to vote here in San Francisco (and beyond). Here’s what I have so far, based on the ballot I received in the mail, various organizational endorsements, and an online discussion with local activists… I’d love your input (I’ll post comments people submit to me below)– 

State Assembly Member, District 17: David Campos

School Proposition A: No recall

School Proposition B: No recall

School Proposition C: No recall

Assessor Recorder: as you wish

Vegan Diet Good for Environment and Health

A vegan diet is good both for the environment and for individual health.

Vegan Diet and the Environment

Climate change mitigation and health effects of varied dietary patterns in real-life settings throughout North America: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/100/suppl_1/490S/4576703 (pdf available)

Vegan Diet and Health

Some articles:

The Oxford Vegetarian Study: an overview: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10479226/

Vegans found to have highest amount of disease-fighting biomarkers: https://news.llu.edu/research/vegans-found-have-highest-amount-of-disease-fighting-biomarkers

Does the Vegan Diet Extend Your Lifespan? https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/do-vegans-live-longer

Cardiovascular Disease Mortality and Cancer Incidence in Vegetarians:
A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review: https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/337301

Vegetarian Dietary Patterns and Mortality in Adventist Health Study 2: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4191896/

Mortality in vegetarians and comparable nonvegetarians in the United Kingdom: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4691673/pdf/ajcn119461.pdf

Vegetarian diet and all-cause mortality: Evidence from a large population-based Australian cohort – the 45 and Up Study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091743516304479

Loma Linda’s longevity legacy: https://news.llu.edu/health-wellness/loma-linda-s-longevity-legacy

Vegetarianism and Health: Research on Vegetarian Nutrition: https://libguides.llu.edu/c.php?g=429401&p=2929209

Geographic study of mortality, biochemistry, diet and lifestyle in rural China: https://web.archive.org/web/20120306122055/http://www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk/~china/monograph/

Huge Study Of Diet Indicts Fat And Meat: https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/08/science/huge-study-of-diet-indicts-fat-and-meat.html

Election Slate for November 3, 2020

Each election I prepare a slate card for my friends so we can debate how to vote here in San Francisco (and beyond). Here’s what I have so far, based on the ballot I received in the mail, various organizational endorsements, and an online discussion with local activists… I’d love your input (I’ll post comments people submit to me below)– 

* = especially important

Elected Offices

US President/Vice President: Joseph Biden/Kamala Harris

US Representative, District 12: No vote (I was going to protest vote for Buttar against Pelosi, but there is scandal with Buttar)

State Senator, District 11: Jackie Fielder

State Assembly, District 17: Starchild (as protest vote against David Chiu)

Board of Education (no more than 4):
*1. Matt Alexander
*2. Mark Sanchez
3. Kevin Boggess
4. Alida Fisher

Community College Board (no more than 4):
*1. Anita Martinez (the only candidate that actually seems to have CCSF students and faculty interests in mind… see comment below about why to “bullet vote” only for Anita!)
2. no vote
3. no vote
4. no vote

BART Director, District 9: Bevan Dufty

Board of Supervisors, District 9: Hillary Ronen

California Propositions

14: No

*15: Yes (most important measure on the ballot IMHO, tax commercial property worth over $3M at current values, leaves unchanged the exemption to value-based tax increases for residential property and commercial property under $3M)

16: Yes

17: Yes

18: Yes

19: No

20: No

21: Yes

*22: No (don’t let “gig” mega-corporations carve out special exemptions to California/federal employment law, spending $180 million plus on campaigning that could have gone to employee benefits)

23: Yes

24: No

25: No (I support getting rid of money bail system, just not like this… don’t use algorithms… this particular measure could actually increase pre-trial detentions)

Regional Proposition

RR: Yes

San Francisco Propositions

A: Yes

B: Yes

C: Yes

D: Yes

E: Yes

F: Yes

G: Yes

H: No

*I: Yes (tax wealthy real estate owners a bit)

*J: Yes (support teachers and prevent potential lawsuit clawback of previously spent education funds)

*K: Yes (removes legal obstacle to city-built affordable housing)

*L: Yes (reverse income inequality)

Election Slate for November 5, 2019

Each election I prepare a slate card for my friends so we can debate how to vote here in San Francisco (and beyond). Here’s what I have so far… I’d love your input (I’ll post comments people submit to me below)–

Elected Offices

Mayor: Joel Ventresca

Board of Supervisors, District 5: Dean Preston

City Attorney: Dennis Herrera

District Attorney: Chesa Boudin 

Public Defender: Manohar Raju

Sheriff: No Endorsement

Treasurer: Jose Cisneros

Board of Education: No Endorsement

Community College Board: Ivy Lee

San Francisco Propositions

A: Yes

B: Yes

C: No

D: Yes

E: Yes

F: Yes

Election Slate for November 6, 2018

Each election I prepare a slate card for my friends so we can debate how to vote here in San Francisco (and beyond). Here’s what I have so far… I’d love your input (I’ll post comments people submit to me below)–

Elected Offices

California Governor: Gavin Newsom (despite Newsom’s stance in favor of charter schools and against helping the homeless)

California Lieutenant Governor: Eleni Kounalakis

California Secretary of State: Alex Padilla

California Controller: Betty Yee

California Treasurer: Fiona Ma (supports public bank)
[Friend’s comment: “Fiona Ma is not a good choice for Treasurer. She has been an ineffective SF Supervisor and State Legislator, and is without a backbone or independent thought. I agree with the Bay Guardian that she will do what she is told by the rich and powerful. I approached her about the plight of women prisoners at Valley State Prison for Women some years ago and she couldn’t have been less interested, and offered that she join a delegation of women legislators to investigate which she declined. I don’t think there is an excellent candidate for that position. She may say she is for a public bank, but I don’t think she could actually ever do anything about that…………all the best, Corey”]

California Attorney General: Xavier Becerra

California Insurance Commissioner: Ricardo Lara

California Board of Equalization, District 2: Malia Cohen

United States Senate: Kevin De Leon

United States Representative, District 12: Nancy Pelosi

California State Assembly, District 17: No one (I feel like David Chiu’s political tactics border on the unethical)

California State Assembly, District 19: Phil Ting

For all of the Justices, there is no choice, so vote yes or no as you wish. However, a friend points out that: “When gay marriage was legalized in California in 2008, it was by a 4-3 vote of the California Supreme Court.One of the three justices who voted against it, Carol A. Corrigan, is on the CA ballot Nov. 7. Please vote NO on Justice Corrigan, and spread the word.”

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond

Community College Board: Thea Selby, Brigitte Davila, John Rizzo (vote for up to 3)

San Francisco Supervisor District 2: Catherine Stefani

San Francisco Supervisor District 4: Gordon Mar

San Francisco Supervisor District 6: Matt Haney

San Francisco Supervisor District 8: *not* Rafael Mandelman due to long record of poor decision making on the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees

San Francisco Supervisor District 10: Tony Kelly

Board of Education: Alison Collins, Faauuga Molina, Gabriela Lopez (or Li Miao Lovett) (vote for up to 3)

California Propositions

1: Yes

2: Yes

3: Yes

4: Yes

5: No

6: No [Friend Alice Chan mentions: “For what it’s worth, I’m voting yes on Prop 6 because I vote against sales taxes on principle, since they are regressive taxes that disproportionately impact those of lower income. California’s budget is loaded with pork, because of obligations to the big money interests that control prisons, etc. We need legislators that will off-load the pork so that regular income tax revenues can be spent on things that really matter, like road repairs, instead of those things being funded by sales taxes.”]

7: Undecided

8: Yes

9: Removed by CA Supreme Court – you won’t be able to vote on splitting the state into 3 parts

10: YES (the most important item on the ballot)

11: No

12: Yes (better to ban factory farms altogether, but a good first step)

San Francisco Propositions

A: Yes

B: Yes

C: YES

D: Yes

E: Yes

More Elected Offices

Assessor-Recorder: Paul Bellar

Public Defender: Jeff Adachi

Election Slate for June 5, 2018

Each election I prepare a slate card for my friends so we can debate how to vote here in San Francisco (and beyond). Here’s what I have so far… I’d love your input (I’ll post comments people submit to me below)–

Elected Offices

California Governor: Delaine Eastin (due to Gavin Newsom’s stance in favor of charter schools)

California Lieutenant Governor: Gayle McLaughlin (rocking former Richmond mayor)

California Secretary of State: Alex Padilla

California Controller: Betty Yee

California Treasurer: Fiona Ma (supports public bank)
[Friend’s comment: “Fiona Ma is not a good choice for Treasurer. She has been an ineffective SF Supervisor and State Legislator, and is without a backbone or independent thought. I agree with the Bay Guardian that she will do what she is told by the rich and powerful. I approached her about the plight of women prisoners at Valley State Prison for Women some years ago and she couldn’t have been less interested, and offered that she join a delegation of women legislators to investigate which she declined. I don’t think there is an excellent candidate for that position. She may say she is for a public bank, but I don’t think she could actually ever do anything about that…………all the best, Corey”]

California Attorney General: Dave Jones

California Insurance Commissioner: Nathalie Hrizi (supports single-payer healthcare system without insurance companies)

California Board of Equalization, District 2: Malia Cohen

United States Senate: Kevin De Leon

United States Representative, District 12: Ryan Khojasteh

California State Assembly, District 17: No-one (I feel like David Chiu’s political tactics border on the unethical)

San Francisco Judge of the Superior Court No. 4: Phoenix Streets

San Francisco Judge of the Superior Court No. 7: Maria Evangelista

San Francisco Judge of the Superior Court No. 9: Kwixuan Maloof

San Francisco Judge of the Superior Court No. 11: Niki Judith Solis

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tony Thurmond

San Francisco Mayor: Jane Kim (rank 1), Mark Leno (rank 2)

[*not* London Breed; thanks to Rachel who writes that adding Angela Alioto as a third is not a good idea: “Not sure if Angela Alioto remains a good third choice. According to SF Examiner, she has introduced a measure to undermine San Francisco’s sanctuary city status. And she’s repeating the right-wing Republican rhetoric, debunked by FactCheck, that sanctuary cities have higher crime rates.”]

San Francisco Supervisor District 8: Jeff Sheehy (*not* Rafael Mandelman due to long record of poor decision making on the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees.)

California Propositions

68: Yes

69: Yes

70: No

71: Yes

72: Yes

Regional Proposition

Regional Measure 3: Yes

San Francisco Propositions

A: Yes

B: Yes

C: Yes

D: No

E: No

F: Yes

G: Yes

H: No

I: Yes

Happy and Sad Lists

I will keep adding items as they occur to me.

Things that make me happy:

  • Eating breakfast sitting on my sunny front porch
  • Making love / feeling loved / expressing love to someone who adores it
  • An excellent conversation
  • A delicious meal
  • The sense of accomplishment at a task or project well done
  • A cool breeze on a warm day
  • Harvesting food from my garden
  • A just-cleaned home
  • A clean, warm towel
  • Clean bedsheets
  • Myself or someone else growing to their full potential
  • A kind offer of assistance, given or received
  • A heartfelt apology for wrongdoing, given or received
  • Returning home after a journey

Things that make me sad:

  • Leaving a much-loved person or place
  • Being ill
  • Feeling alone
  • Injustice
  • Untimely or unwarranted death
  • The ravages of unbridled welfare capitalism
  • Evictions
  • People who convince themselves they aren’t worthy (unless it’s part of a kinky scene)
  • People who underestimate themselves or others
  • People who can’t see beyond the box they are in
  • Unfairly judging people on personal characteristics such as race, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.