Welcome to “Meet the Candidates,” where Mission Local asks supervisor hopefuls questions in the lead-up to the November election. In District 7 — which includes the Inner Sunset, Parkmerced and West Portal — Matt Boschetto and Stephen Martin-Pinto are running against incumbent Myrna Melgar.
In this election cycle, there is much discourse around how much power city officials should or shouldn’t have, and how that power distributed, including among the District 7 candidates themselves.
The well-funded political action group TogetherSF has put forward two related measures on the November ballot. One of them would limit the number of city commissions and significantly increase mayoral power by allowing the mayor majority appointing power for any new commissions, as well as sole hiring and firing power of department heads.
This week, we have asked the candidates: Do you support TogetherSF’s proposed measure?
See their responses below. Have a question for the candidates? Let me know: kelly@missionlocal.com — or come to meet me for coffee next week. I’ll be at Ballast Coffee (329 West Portal Ave.) on June 12 at 6 p.m.
Myrna Melgar
- Job: District 7 supervisor
- Age: 56
- Housing: Homeowner
- Transport: Bike
- Languages: Spanish, French, Swedish
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, Excelsior College; master’s degree in urban planning, Columbia University
- Residency: Living in Ingleside Terraces since 2011, and lived in District 7 while in college at SF State between 1987 and 1991
I agree, in general, that we have too many boards and commissions, and that some are not effective or productive and require resources and staff time that is limited. Some of these commissions are productive, and the oversight they provide is good. Some are necessary; some, like First Five, for example, are mandated by the State of California. This ballot initiative sets forth a process for eliminating the bodies we may not need, and puts a cap on the number we can create. I have not yet taken a position on this proposition, because it also does more than eliminate boards … read more here
Endorsed by: SF Labor Council, SF Tenants Union, Supervisor Aaron Peskin, Supervisor Hillary Ronen, Supervisor Connie Chan, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Supervisor Catherine Stefani, Senator Scott Weiner, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins … read more here
Stephen Martin-Pinto
- Job: Firefighter/major, U.S. Marine Corps reserves
- Age: 46
- Housing: Tenant in SF, Property owner and landlord in Lemon Grove, Ca.
- Languages: Spanish, Russian, Georgian
- Education: University of California, Davis
- Residency: Living in District 7’s Sunnyside since 2014 and, earlier from 1983 to 1998
The proposal is an immense step in the right direction, and there is little in the proposal that I don’t agree with. We have an absurdly high number of commissions, both chartered and unchartered, that provide little to no value to San Franciscans (except to perhaps elevate the careers of politically ambitious or well-connected people). I also support giving the police chief full authority to adopt rules governing police tactics. The police commission has become too obstructionist and political, and has severely crippled public safety. I also support giving the mayor authority to appoint a percentage of the commissioners without the Board of Supervisors’ approval.
Endorsed by: Former District 7 Supervisor Tony Hall, former Planning Commissioner Michael Antonini, former Police Chief Tony Ribera, drug policy advocate Tom Wolf, BART Board Director Debora Allen … read more here
Matt Boschetto
- Job: Small business owner
- Age: 35
- Housing: Homeowner
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Saint Mary’s College of California
- Residency: Living in District 7 since 2014
Did not respond.
The order of candidates alternates each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar.
Do you have a question for the candidates? Let me know: kelly@missionlocal.com
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
Melgar proposed a program where families with $200,000 income can get help with down-payment for a house and possibly not paying the money back.She did not know where the money was coming from.She did not know the requirements for the applicants.She did not know the rules for not paying the money back.Land use and Transportation Committee meeting.