News
District 10 the "Wild Card" at Tonight's DCCC
Paul Hogarth, Beyond Chron
District 10 Candidate Eric Smith. Photo by Linda Post.
Tonight, the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC) will make its endorsements for November, at 7:00 p.m. in the State Building. With an official "stamp of approval" from the Democratic Party comes resources for candidates, and - of course - the crucial slate card. It's the ultimate insider's game, where candidates for Supervisor who sit on the Central Committee are favored to win. But District 10 is the "wild card," where no candidate has an "inside track" as a DCCC member - and there's no clear frontrunner. And with last-minute endorsements coming from DCCC Chair Aaron Peskin and State Senator Leland Yee, what happens tonight will be anyone's guess. I went to Bayview last night for a District 10 candidate's forum, to check out the field. And a few DCCC members also showed up as well, perhaps to make a last-minute decision. Read more
D. 10 candidates split on Lennar's plan
Sarah Phelan, Bay Guardian
One of the key questions at the Potrero Hill Democratic Club's forum for D. 10 candidates revolved around Lennar's Candlestick Point-Hunter's Point Shipyard redevelopment plan.
The current Board of Supervisors recently approved Lennar's plan by a 10-1 vote (D.6 Sup. Chris Daly dissented). Following that vote, Mayor Gavin Newsom rushed to sign twelve pieces of legislation that approve and enable what could shape up to be the largest redevelopment project in San Francisco's history.
"Today is a historic day for San Francisco and a testament to so many who have worked for more than a decade to secure this critical engine for our City's economic future," Newsom said in a press statement, after he signed off on the Lennar deal. "I want to thank Sup. Sophie Maxwell for spearheading this effort throughout her entire tenure on the Board of Supervisors and our State and Federal representatives including Speaker Pelosi and Senator Feinstein as we take a giant leap forward towards our shared vision of jobs, housing, and hope for the Bayview-Hunters Point community."
But with Maxwell termed out in January, the successful candidate in the D. 10 race stands to inherit a plan that has been approved, but apparently isn't funded yet. And by my accounting, the majority of the candidates who spoke at the D. 10 forum expressed reservations with Lennar's proposal, with only a few firmly against it, and only a few firmly in favor of it. But read their comments, decide for yourself--and keep tracking this fascinating race! Read more
Adachi's pension reform and the D. 10 candidates
Sarah Phelan, Bay GuardianAs pretty much everyone knows by now, Jeff Adachi collected enough signatures to place a charter amendment on the November ballot that would reform the city's retirement and health benefits plan. His amendment has become such a hot political topic that the Potrero Hill Democractic Club asked the 15 candidates who spoke at the club's August 2 and 3 District 10 forums what they thought of Adachi's "smart reform." Read more
Eric Smith officially endorsed by ACCE for District 10 Supervisor!
Friends, I was humbled and honored today to receive the official endorsement of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, (ACCE). This is a major boost for my campaign for Supervisor of District 10. My message of rebuilding the middle class, creating green jobs, and promoting a healthy, sustainable environment, along with my commitment to transparency and accountability truly resonates with their membership. We have only just begun!
August 1, 2010
Dear Friends and Supporters,
This week my campaign for District 10 Supervisor submitted documentation to have the funds we've raised from San Francisco residents matched by the City through public financing. Thank you again to everyone who helped me reach this goal.
In a very crowded field, I am finding that my vision of a new green agenda for D10, my candor, and my independence resonate with the voters in D10 as something entirely new and different.
If you have not given the maximum $500 contribution, please consider making another donation, as the City will contribute $4 for every dollar San Francisco residents donate. That turns your $50 into $250 or your $500 into $2,500. Every donation helps me reach more voters, so please give what you can today. Thanks.
Sincerely, Eric Smith
Happy Hour Fundraiser for Eric Smith for District 10 Supervisor
Neighborhood Outreach: "My Block for Doc"Stop by Dogpatch Saloon Thursday, January 28th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm and say hello to Eric Smith, candidate for District 10 Supervisor and D10 advocate.
As Eric says, "Our needs are great: District 10 desperately needs new, good paying jobs that offer career options and which stay in the district. We need truly affordable housing, smart industrial growth, and sensible mixed-use development that includes open space. Our businesses need support. And we need someone who understands all these issues and will respect and represent all the people behind them."
This is a great chance to hear Eric's platform and tell him what is important to you.
Contributions up to $500 will be accepted from individuals. This is a grassroots campaign. We also welcome your $5 and $10 contributions.
District 10 Supervisor Candidates Introduce Themselves
By Joni Eisen, September 2009
District 10 Candidate Eric Smith. Photo by Quint King.
The Potrero Hill Democratic Club hosted its first open mic for candidates for District 10 Supervisor last month. A crowd of 50 heard six candidates introduce themselves in random order.
Longtime Bayview Hunters Point activist Linda Richardson cited the thousands of community meetings she’s attended and the numerous commissions on which she has served while working for environmental justice in the southeastern neighborhoods. She also described her involvement with various environmental, land use and transportation issues, including Third Street Light Rail and closing the Hunters Point Power Plant.
Potrero View Editor and Publisher Steven Moss said that as founder of SF Community Power he has worked with low-income families and small businesses “trying to make things work better.” He envisions himself doing that for government as well. He stressed the importance of civility in governmental discourse, and identified the need for more large-scale open space as a crucial issue in southeastern San Francisco.
Native San Franciscan Malia Cohen mentioned a third grade field trip she took to meet the Mayor of San Francisco at City Hall as her first inspiration to enter public service. She asserted that she has since worked to make a difference in government and with her church and community. With a background in political science and public policy and varied work experience, she characterized herself as a bridge-builder on a human level.
Eric Smith, whose background is in art and music, has lived in various San Francisco neighborhoods since 1999. He expressed shock at the multiple environmental challenges in District 10, calling it a dumping ground for San Francisco. Inspired by George Washington Carver, he is a leader in the local biofuel movement. Having always been involved in environmental justice, he emphasized green jobs as a key solution.
Real estate agent and Obama campaign activist Diane Westley Smith was raised in the housing projects, believing education is the way out of poverty. She described her passion to work with at-risk youth in the Bayview to address the lack of economic fairness in District 10, which she called “the trash bucket” of the City with its pervasive health issues. She vowed to be the thread to connect all of District 10 as one community.
Civil rights attorney DeWitt Lacy stated that he has witnessed victimization of friends and family by a system that does not value those with less. Raised and educated in the Bay Area, he named President Obama and his hard-working, self-sacrificing parents as his major inspirations. He thinks success should be measured by how much one can do for others and he called for a return to San Francisco’s past social justice and activist spirit of the 1970s.
The Potrero Hill Democratic Club will offer more opportunities to meet the candidates for the November 2010 District 10 race, and host a candidates’ forum as the election draws near.
District 10 Candidates Forum - An introduction
San Francisco FYI net by Linda Post, Wednesday, August 5, 2009.Attended the Potrero Hill Democratic Club meeting last night where six candidates for Supervisor introduced themselves and gave a small bio to explain who they were and why they were running for supervisor in District 10 - the election will be held in November of 2010. Speakers in order and in picture above: Linda Richardson, Steve Moss, Malia Cohen, Eric Smith, Diane Westley Smith and DeWitt Lacy.
District 10 includes Potrero Hill, Bayview Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley, Silver Terrace, Dogpatch, Little Hollywood and the Portola districts.
Every candidate gave an excellent presentation touching on subjects of transportation, environmental justice, land use, Eastern Neighborhoods, diversity, affordable housing and social justice. District 10 is similar to the Supervisor race in District 6 - wherein the districts are in the middle of change with decisions to be made about important issues. As Eric Smith said "the final frontier".
Excellent turnout. The audience also heard Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting talk about Closing the Loophole: Prop. 13. There were home made cookies and coffee - as always Potrero Hill Democratic Club is a "class act". Audio and photos of the candidates by Quint King.
Beyond Chron Writer Enters District 10 Race
Beyond Chron by Paul Hogarth, Wednesday, July 1, 2009.Eric “Doc” Smith, Beyond Chron’s Arts & Entertainment columnist for the past five years, filed to run yesterday for the Board of Supervisors in District 10 - in the race to succeed Sophie Maxwell. Originally from Washington D.C., Smith has made his mark in the District (which includes Potrero Hill, Bayview and Hunters Point) as an outspoken advocate for green jobs and environmental justice. In 2009, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Smith to the Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee, and Supervisor Maxwell appointed him to the Eastern Neighborhoods Citizens Advisory Committee. Smith is also a well-known player in the world of biofuel.
He is on the Board of the Biofuel Recycling Cooperative in Bayview, who helped create the Public Utilities Commission’s SF Grease Cycle program (which makes biodiesel for some of the City’s Muni buses from waste restaurant grease.) “There is a desperate need to create new, good paying, green jobs that stay in District 10, to provide truly affordable housing, and to require smart industrial growth and sensible mixed use development that includes open space,” said Smith. “I am committed to making those issues a priority.” With no front-runner in the race, District 10 is a wild card.
Eric 'Doc' Smith Tosses Hat Into Increasingly Crowded District 10 Ring
SF Weekly, By Joe Eskenazi in Breaking News, Politics, Tuesday, June 30, 2009.Eric "Doc" Smith -- a musician and environmental activist who those keeping track of such things have noticed showing up at an increasing number of politically important events and standing on the podium side of a growing tally of City Hall demonstrations -- told SF Weekly this morning he's officially filing his papers today to run for District 10 supervisor.
Smith joins what is already the most packed electoral field -- he's the eighth would-be successor to Supervisor Sophie Maxwell to officially toss his cap in the ring -- and he expects throngs more locals to follow suit: "I imagine it will become ridiculously crowded," he says.
Here are the candidates thus far: Drug counselor Cedric Akbar, educator James Calloway, Marie Franklin, activist Espanola Jackson (described as "the ubiquitous Espanola Jackson" by the Potrero View -- make of that what you will), La Vaughan Moore, community worker Rodney Hampton, Jr., and realtor Diane Wesley Smith. Former Supervisor and State Senator (and current Integrated Waste Management Board member) Carole Migden is looming around this race, headed for either an improbable political comeback or the crushing political defeat that may end her career as an elected official once and for all -- should she choose to run.
Smith, using the judicious language of an officially declared politician, noted that "A certain Ms. Migden is deciding" whether to run, "and I am undaunted in that regard."
We're putting our money on the crushing defeat as well.
For those following the eclectic D-10 political scene, Smith is a boardmember of the Biofuel Recycling Cooperative, and was appointed to the Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee this year by Mayor Gavin Newsom and to the Eastern Neighborhood Citizens Advisory Committee by Maxwell; he is the former Web maven for Randy Shaw's BeyondChron.com and decribes himself as a progressive.
Also, he invented a digital percussion instrument called the "drummstick" and has drummed or worked as a sound engineer for Madonna, Mickey Hart, Jimmy Cliff, Brian Eno, Gladys Knight, and others -- meaning he'd have the best musician stories of any supervisor since Tom Ammiano (Tom wasn't a musician -- but he always has the best stories).
Environmental Justice Advocate Eric Smith To Run for District 10 Supervisor
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Today at San Francisco’s Department of Elections, Eric Smith will file his
intention to run for the open District 10 Supervisor seat to be vacated by
current Supervisor Sophie Maxwell in 2011. Smith has established himself
as an outspoken advocate for green jobs and environmental justice in
District 10.
In 2009, he was appointed to the Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee
by Mayor Gavin Newsom and to the Eastern Neighborhoods Citizens Advisory
Committee by Supervisor Maxwell. Smith is also a member of the
Bayview-Hunters Point Restoration Advisory Board and a board member of
Literacy for Environmental Justice.
“There is a desperate need to create new, good paying, green jobs that
stay in District 10, to provide truly affordable housing, and to require
smart industrial growth and sensible mixed use development that include
open space, and I am committed to making those issues a priority,” said
Smith.
As a member of the Board of Directors of the Biofuel Recycling
Cooperative, architects of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s
successful SF GreaseCycle program, which makes biodiesel for the City’s
fleets from waste restaurant grease, Smith is working to secure funding
for experience-based, first hire green job programs for District 10
residents at all skill levels.
"The environmental problems of other districts pale in comparison to those
facing our district but I believe a unified District 10 can address the
problems associated with the Potrero Hill power plant, the clean up at the
Bayview Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, and the aging digesters at the
Southeast Treatment Plant,” added Smith. “Leadership that embraces a
transparent and honest process can help turn any offending environmental
players into more responsible ones by making them truly accountable to the
community.”