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Mission Local is publishing a daily campaign dispatch for each of the major contenders in the mayorโs race, alternating among candidates weekly until November. This week: Daniel Lurie. Read earlier dispatches here.
One day before the first mayoral candidate debate, contender Daniel Lurie had a one-hour warm-up in front of some 30 enthusiastic Noe Valley residents at the Noe Valley Democratic Club, which has yet to endorse a mayoral candidate for November.
Standing among the crowd on the packed wooden patio behind the Valley Tavern on 24th Street, Lurie detailed what he had delivered and achieved with Super Bowl 50 and his nonprofit, Tipping Point.
He also talked confidently about his policy platforms on issues like public safety, climate, shelter and homelessness, including his latest idea of a climate innovation hub, which would use empty downtown office space and combine artificial intelligence with local university expertise and big tech resources.
Whether or not they wanted more, he elaborated on his “accountability” style of running City Hall, which came up 18 times during the evening.
At the same time, Lurie, who brands himself as an “outsider,” pointed out the failures of his opponents. “They are going to ask you in November for yet another chance after multiple terms of failing to deliver,” Lurie said.
His opponents, whom he will debate Wednesday evening, are all career politicians, including incumbent Mayor London Breed, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, former Mayor and Supervisor Mark Farrell, and District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaรญ.
His measure of mayoral success is Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York from 2002 to 2013. He “ran the city very well in the 2000s,” Lurie said.
He also invoked the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who served as mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988. He promised to emulate what Feinstein did โ walk the streets and call department heads out and say, “this job is not done.”
How would he make his administration accountable? It would start at 8:30 a.m on Monday mornings with all major department heads gathering in Room 200 to report on what they will be working on for the week, and their goals for the next six and 12 months.
The report, he said, will be detailed, including specific issues like the latest on the Valencia Street bike lane, which he described as “a disaster on all fronts.”
But, when asked if he will fire any commissioners or department heads in his first days of office, Lurie refused to be dramatic.
“I’m not going to tell you here and now all the people that I’m firing. That, I’ll leave to another candidate,” Lurie said. The crowd laughed.
But, he said he would sit down with every department head and put them on notice that an unprecedented level of change would be coming to City Hall.
“They’re going to have to basically interview for their jobs,” he said.
Lurie underscored public safetyโs importance โ the lack of it being at the root of many of the cityโs troubles. He said Manhattan’s tourism and foot traffic came back from the ashes of Sept. 11, 2001, and he promised San Francisco’s will recover once people feel safe.
“Give me one promise that you will accomplish, and you will have my vote,” said Yezdi Unvala, a longtime Noe Valley resident who arrived late. Unvala, who has been living in the neighborhood for 35 years, said he cares only for policies, not politicians.
“I’ve seen different movies where the election comes down to one vote,” Lurie said jokingly, to lighten the mood.
Lurie then made the promise: San Franciscans will be able to walk with their kids through the streets side by side, especially in the Tenderloin, and not step over somebody who is overdosing.
By the end of the event, Unvala said he wasnโt entirely convinced by what Lurie said, but would like to see him in action.
“I wanna see what he does,” he said.
