Welcome to โMeet the Candidates,โ where Mission Local asks supervisor hopefuls questions in the lead-up to the November election. In District 7 โ which includes the Inner Sunset, Parkmerced and West Portal โ Matt Boschetto and Stephen Martin-Pinto are running against incumbent Myrna Melgar.
This week’s question: What will you do to support children and families in San Francisco? See their individual responses below.
Do you have a question for the candidates? Let me know at kelly@missionlocal.com, or come to meet me for coffee. Next week, Iโll be at Ballast Coffee (329 West Portal Ave.) on Thursday, June 20, at 5 p.m.
Mission Local will also be hosting a forum with the District 7 candidates on June 27 at Bookshop West Portal. Find more details here.
Matt Boschetto
- Job: Small business owner
- Age: 35
- Housing: Homeowner
- Transport: Car
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, Saint Mary’s College of California
- Residency: Living in District 7 since 2014
San Franciscoโs children are its most precious asset, yet many families are leaving due to failed leadership and bad policies. As a father, I am committed to making our city more livable for families by addressing public safety, affordability and educational improvements. Simply throwing more money into programs for kids will do nothing unless we also address the foundational failures of City Hall. I will work to restore our sense of safety, reduce living costs and ensure our educational system is world-class, making sure the city is a place where families and children can thrive.
Endorsed by: San Francisco Police Officers Association
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 will ensure that public funding intended to support children is protected during tough budget years, and children’s needs are elevated. As a supervisor, our children’s success has been my top priority, from co-sponsoring the Children’s Success Fund, to serving on the First Five Commission, to forming the Department of Early Childhood, and protecting baby Proposition C to create a universal childcare system, children have been at the top of my legislative agenda. I was recognized this year as a children’s champion by the Children’s Council for my work at the board on behalf of our city’s children.
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, California
- Transport: Fairly evenly split between car, Muni and walking
- Languages: Spanish, Russian, Georgian
- Education: University of California, Davis
- Residency: Living in District 7โs Sunnyside since 2014, and earlier from 1983 to 1998
- End the lottery system for public-school admissions. Ensure every kid has guaranteed admission to their nearest available public school.
- Advocate for high-quality public education to include early algebra, art, music and foreign language immersion opportunities.
- Guarantee safe passage for all students. No stepping over needles, feces, or through open-air drug markets, by passing legislation prohibiting such activity within 1,000 feet of all schools.
- Expand access to after-school programs such as Police Athletic League sports and other youth programs.
- For older students, expand vocational opportunities by linking them with CityBuild and City … read more here
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
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.
