Here is the Kate Slate for the March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary in San Francisco.<\/p>\n
The goal of the Kate Slate is to encourage others to <\/span>VOTE!<\/b> by sharing my cheat sheet. You probably won\u2019t agree with me on everything, and that is okay! Just please vote on or before Tuesday, March 3, 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n If you can, it is always best to cast a live ballot at your polling place. You can always go to City Hall on Election Day (March 3!) 7am-8pm to register and cast a provisional ballot If you don\u2019t know your polling place, or where you were last registered to vote, or even if you don\u2019t know if you are registered. But go vote.<\/span><\/p>\n If you have an absentee ballot, you can surrender your absentee ballot for a live ballot at your polling place. This is what I usually do. The poll workers will destroy your surrendered absentee ballot and its envelope, and will give you a live ballot. This assures you that your ballot is read and counted as you intended it. (When you vote absentee, if a machine rejects your ballot, the machine depends on a human to interpret your absentee ballot. I am not trying to be all conspiracy-theorist here, but feeding your own ballot into the machine and hearing it beep is the best way to ensure your ballot is interpreted as you intend it to be, particularly if you abstain on votes as I will this election.)<\/span><\/p>\n I write the Kate Slate race-by-race, issue-by-issue, and sometimes end up voting against something that seems right up my alley if it has some fatal (to me) flaw. I tell you if I think it does and why.<\/span><\/p>\n My opinions in the Kate Slate are my own, and in no way should be thought to represent any views of anyone other than myself. I have thoughtful engaging conversations with well-informed friends who sometimes shed light on aspects I hadn\u2019t considered; I get the tacky expensive mailers you get (no I am not going to vote for you Mr. Super Billionaire); and, cool people like yourself send me others\u2019 slates. I am not affiliated with any party.<\/span><\/p>\n When I voted for the very first time as an eighteen year old, I found myself in the voting booth surprised that I didn\u2019t understand all the issues or know all the candidates on the ballot. The next election, I studied the ballot and shared my notes with friends, bringing about the Kate Slate. For the past decade the slate is preceded by a Slate Party my pal Sacha Ielmorini co-hosts with me. The Slate Party is a big informer of the Kate Slate, as is the<\/span> League of Pissed Off Voters<\/span><\/a> (thank you for your impeccably-researched guide),<\/span> social media and coffee break chatter.<\/span><\/p>\n Feel free to forward the Kate Slate to friends (and friends, if someone other than me\u2013Kate\u2013sent this to you feel free to drop me a line if you end up reading it, I like to hear who this made its way to, and I can add you to the email list for the next Kate Slate).<\/span><\/p>\n As always, thanks for reading, now please go vote. Take others with you.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grab and go! (The short version you can take with you to the polls. See below for the details.)<\/b><\/p>\n President of the United States – Elizabeth Warren<\/b> <\/p>\n Now for the long form version of the Kate Slate:<\/span><\/p>\n President of the United States – Elizabeth Warren<\/b><\/p>\n I am excited to vote for Elizabeth Warren. She is the candidate I\u2019d most like to vote for in the primary and in the November presidential election. And, like most voters, I hope that it is possible that the candidate who runs against the president in November is someone whose politics align with mine. In this primary, there are only two candidates who I feel do: Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. While I think it is tempting to vote for my second-best since he may better align with \u201cthe rest of America,\u201d if we all do that, we will nominate our second-favorite candidate rather than our favorite.<\/span><\/p>\n Bernie is good but Elizabeth Warren is better. She has detailed plans on how she hopes to achieve ambitious goals that address the tough issues our country faces, from economic disparities to climate change, from the affordability crisis to health care. And, these plans take into account the problematic political climate that will hinder progress if we don\u2019t address it. Warren simply has a better track record than Sanders at doing the hard work to make substantial impactful change. I have been impressed how even during the campaign she is achieving results that are advancing positive outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n The parts of her campaign I am most excited about are her \u201cultra-millionaire tax\u201d to fund education, healthcare, and childcare, and her commitment to revitalize the agricultural industry while addressing climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n The ultra-millionaire tax is brilliant: it would tax households worth more than $5 million or more a 2% tax of every dollar of net worth above $50 million, and a 6% tax above $1 billion. That small tax would fund universal child care, high quality public education, free public college, allow student loan debt to be forgiven, and help finance Medicare for All. Wow! It would raise $3.75 trillion!!<\/span><\/p>\n Her plan for Medicare for All takes into account the hostile federal political climate and includes a transition period from our existing system. Elizabeth Warren acknowledges that any Medicare for All legislation is primed for veto by the Republican leadership, so she has a first-term approach to make anti-corruption reforms that are unfortunately necessary to make meaningful changes to health care, reduce drug prices and provide a Medicare for All option that would be free for some in her first term, and eventually free for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n As someone who grew up in an agricultural Sonoma County, I love Elizabeth Warren\u2019s smart plan for revitalizing these communities through restorative farming practices that would offset the country\u2019s transportation carbon emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n Her to-do list is strategic in all the best ways: leveraging America\u2019s greatest strengths to address our most pressing issues. There is just not a candidate as good as her. Vote Elizabeth Warren.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n United States Representative, District 12 – Shahid Buttar<\/b><\/p>\n This is a primary, and Nancy Pelosi is likely to clinch one of the two spots that are on the ballot come November, the prize of this primary election. This is a little bit of a rerun of when both Nancy Pelosi and Shahid Buttar ran in the 2018 primary. Then, the second spot on the November 2018 ballot went to Republican Lisa Remmer. In 2020, I am encouraged by the momentum for us to challenge perhaps the most powerful woman in the world with a candidate who better reflects our district\u2019s values: Shahid Buttar. <\/span><\/p>\n Say what you want about Congresswoman Pelosi, but it is inarguable that she spends the majority of her time on (currently very messy) federal issues rather than representing our district to address the challenges that matter to our community most, like climate change, health care, and housing. I get that Pelosi is set to easily win both the primary and November\u2019s election, but I am encouraged by Buttar challenging her to better serve her constituents, and having a candidate in November that better reflects our district\u2019s values.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n United States Representative, District 14 – Jackie Spier<\/b><\/p>\n I don\u2019t vote in District 14, but I always get asked what I think about this race, so here it is: Jackie Spier is a badass representative. Unlike our District 12 Representative, Ms. Spier does a great job representing her constituents. She is a staunch defender of immigrant rights, standing up to the federal governments illegal tactics during this administration in particular. And, I love that she authored legislation to force lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct to pay settlements themselves instead of using public funds, as well as introducing legislation that would remove the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment so that it may finally pass after pushing it for nearly 40 years. Finally, Jackie Spier supports the New Green Deal. She is awesome! Vote Jackie Spier.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n State Senator, District 11 – Jackie Fielder<\/b><\/p>\n Jackie Fielder is someone who cares about renters and affordable housing at the local level more than incumbent Scott Wiener. Scott Wiener lost my favor when he was on the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco. I do like that he supports transit with legislation that fund improvements, and I do agree that that state has to lead with housing policy for cities to be forced to do what is right, but I think Wiener\u2019s tactics leave a lot to be desired in achieving a housing policy that works for cities and renters. I am excited about Fielder\u2019s New Green Deal for California and she brings a unique and needed perspective to the state senate as a formerly unhoused person. Go Jackie!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n State Assembly Member, District 17 – Abstain<\/b><\/p>\n I stopped voting for Chiu in 2018. There are just so many city issues being tangled by state policy, from the housing crisis to innovative street design, and we need strong leaders representing San Francisco. David Chiu is unfortunately running unopposed so there is no need for me to vote for him for another term.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Judge of the Superior Court, Seat #1 – Maria Evangelista<\/b><\/p>\n I asked my pal Jesse Stout who is a <\/span>criminal justice activist and attorney in San Francisco what he thought about the candidates for judges, and he gave me insights on the races for seats #1, #18, #21 that I will share with you here: Maria Evangelista brings <\/span>charisma to her causes, and is dedicated to seeking justice for her clients. She\u2019s a native San Franciscan born to undocumented parents. Her opponent has worked as a prosecutor.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Judge of the Superior Court, Seat #18 – Michelle Tong<\/b><\/p>\n Michelle Tong is also running against a prosecutor. Tong has litigated on behalf of tenants, immigrants, and workers. And she is apparently also a really fun person, according to the aforementioned Jesse Stout.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Judge of the Superior Court, Seat #21 – Carolyn Gold<\/b><\/p>\n I think I am most excited to vote for Carolyn Gold of the judge candidates. She is the litigation director at Eviction Defense Collaborative. For 15 years, she’s protected thousands of San Franciscans from eviction. Since we passed Prop F in 2018 she’s helped lead implementation of SF’s civil right to counsel for evictions. A candidate you can feel good voting for. And, surprise! She is also running against a prosecutor. I guess it is a theme.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n State Proposition 13 – Bonds for Facility Construction at Schools – Yes<\/b><\/p>\n This would be the largest school construction bond in California state history if passed and it enables districts to place bond measures to raise the taxable limit of property for schools that would then be matched. I am sure many people are going to be confused that this Prop 13 funds school construction when California\u2019s 1978 Proposition 13 gutted school funding, but that is a different conversation. Here we are in 2020 and for this Proposition 13, I am voting yes.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n School Proposition A – City College Job Training and Earthquake Safety Measure – Yes<\/b><\/p>\n This is a much needed measure to fund facilities and training at one of San Francisco\u2019s most important institutions. What\u2019s great about this one is that it is smartly designed legislation. Pals at <\/span>League of Pissed Off Voters<\/span><\/a> explain, \u201cNone of the money can go to administrator salaries, the state has to keep their hands off the money since it\u2019s coming through a local measure, and there\u2019s an oversight committee to watch how the money gets spent.\u201d Yes, vote yes!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n City and County Proposition B – San Francisco Earthquake Bond – Yes <\/b><\/p>\n
\nUnited States Representative, District 12 – Shahid Buttar<\/b>
\nUnited States Representative, District 14 – Jackie Spier<\/b>
\nState Senator, District 11 – Jackie Fielder<\/b>
\nState Assembly Member, District 17 – Abstain<\/b>
\nJudge of the Superior Court, Seat #1 – Maria Evangelista<\/b>
\nJudge of the Superior Court, Seat #18 – Michelle Tong<\/b>
\nJudge of the Superior Court, Seat #21 – Carolyn Gold<\/b>
\nState Proposition 13 – Bonds for Facility Construction at Schools – Yes<\/b>
\nSchool Proposition A – City College Job Training and Earthquake Safety Measure – Yes<\/b>
\nCity and County Proposition B – San Francisco Earthquake Bond – Yes <\/b>
\nCity and County Proposition C – Make retiree health care coverage available to former San Francisco Housing Authority employees? – Yes <\/b>
\nCity and County Proposition D – Tax owners or tenants who keep ground floor retail or other commercial space vacant to assist small businesses? – Yes<\/b>
\nCity and County Proposition E – Tie annual allotment for Large Office Projects to Affordable Housing Goals and change the approval criteria for office projects? Yes<\/b>
\nDemocratic Party County Central Committee (DCCC) Assembly District 17 <\/b>John Avalos, Peter Gallotta, Matt Haney, Frances Hsieh, Jane Kim, Honey Mahogany<\/span>
\nDemocratic Party County Central Committee (DCCC) Assembly District 19 <\/b>Queena Chen, Leah LaCroix, Janice Li, Faauuga Moliga, Mano Raju<\/span><\/p>\n