Candidate Position : People's Access to the People's Business
Manuel Jimenez – The Quality of Life Candidate for District 6
Candidate Statement: People’s Access to the People’s Business
January 22, 2006
Having the Board of Supervisors meet on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. prevents the public’s right of participation to working and middle class residents of San Francisco, allowing undue influence of the moneyed interests that conduct business in the city. What will you be doing on Tuesday, at 2:00 p.m. If you are like most residents of San Francisco, you will be at work, and will be unable to attend the Board of Supervisors regularly scheduled weekly meetings. That is because those meetings are held at on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m., inconveniently scheduled for a weekday, after the standard lunch hour.
What this effectively does is keep working class and middle class residents of San Francisco from attending board meetings. While it is true that the meetings are telecasts, and that the board accepts written public comments, that is no substitute for personal, face-to-face public participation.
Although you may not be attending these meetings, the moneyed interests that conduct business in the city, and unduly influence public policy, will be attending either in person or through their lawyers, lobbyists and representatives. They can afford to attend, and they know it’s important to attend.
For example, say you are a dyed in the wool 49ers fan, and have an objection to the Honorable Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval’s resolution, File No. 060072, recommending that San Francisco adopt the Seattle Seahawks as its official football team during the off-season for the duration of 2006, you probably won’t be there to tell the Board of Supervisors your opinion.
- This is what I propose: All Board of Supervisor meetings should be held in the evening, no earlier than 5:30 p.m. This would allow the people who vote, pay taxes, and live here to face and inform the Board of Supervisors about how they want the people’s business conducted. After all, the Board of Supervisors work for us.
Candidate Statement: People’s Access to the People’s Business
January 22, 2006
Having the Board of Supervisors meet on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. prevents the public’s right of participation to working and middle class residents of San Francisco, allowing undue influence of the moneyed interests that conduct business in the city. What will you be doing on Tuesday, at 2:00 p.m. If you are like most residents of San Francisco, you will be at work, and will be unable to attend the Board of Supervisors regularly scheduled weekly meetings. That is because those meetings are held at on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m., inconveniently scheduled for a weekday, after the standard lunch hour.
What this effectively does is keep working class and middle class residents of San Francisco from attending board meetings. While it is true that the meetings are telecasts, and that the board accepts written public comments, that is no substitute for personal, face-to-face public participation.
Although you may not be attending these meetings, the moneyed interests that conduct business in the city, and unduly influence public policy, will be attending either in person or through their lawyers, lobbyists and representatives. They can afford to attend, and they know it’s important to attend.
For example, say you are a dyed in the wool 49ers fan, and have an objection to the Honorable Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval’s resolution, File No. 060072, recommending that San Francisco adopt the Seattle Seahawks as its official football team during the off-season for the duration of 2006, you probably won’t be there to tell the Board of Supervisors your opinion.
- This is what I propose: All Board of Supervisor meetings should be held in the evening, no earlier than 5:30 p.m. This would allow the people who vote, pay taxes, and live here to face and inform the Board of Supervisors about how they want the people’s business conducted. After all, the Board of Supervisors work for us.
posted by vicioustwist at 1:21 AM
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