February 25th at 7:00pm at the Richmond District Police Station (461 - 6th Ave).

On the Agenda:

Treasurer’s Report

California Democracy Act

Statewide Constitutional Convention

Additionally we are planning an endorsement meeting for the March meeting, that means it will be very important to renew your membership and pay dues at the February meeting.

Reminders regarding the March endorsement meeting:

Who may vote on endorsements:

Continuing members who reside in Supervisorial District 1, and who have paid dues for the current year.

New members who have paid dues at least 1 month prior to the vote.

Continuing members may renew at the beginning of the meeting by paying dues.

Dues are $15 or 2 for $25 and can be paid at meeting:

We will be discussing the 5 measures and two offices on the November 3 Municipal Election ballot.

We expect to have representatives from both sides of the ballot measures as well as the candidates for the two offices present to represent their issue and take questions.

See Upcoming Events for more information.

So fun was our dinner that nearby non RDDC diners decided to join us, especially when we had the charismatic candidate among us!

WHEREAS the Presidio of San Francisco is a National Park, and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and a National Historic Landmark managed by the Presidio Trust established by an act of Congress which made a finding that…

…”Preservation of the cultural and historic integrity of the Presidio for public use recognizes its significant role in the history of the United States”

…”As part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Presidio’s significant natural, historic, scenic, cultural, and recreational resources must be managed in a manner which is consistent with sound principles of land use planning and management, and which protects the Presidio from development and uses which would destroy the scenic beauty and historic and natural character of the area and cultural and recreational resources…”

WHEREAS Don and Doris Fisher have proposed a 100,000 square foot Contemporary Art Museum at the south end of the Main Parade Ground of the Presidio, adjacent to and looming over Pershing Square and the original Spanish El Presidio, which proposal has been selected by the Presidio Trust, rejecting an alternative proposal for a History Center at the Presidio and selecting in addition an 80,000 to 95,000 square foot hotel on the east side of the Main Parade Ground, both of these selections by the Trust vigorously opposed by numerous San Francisco neighborhood organizations and historic associations.

WHEREAS the National Park Service, in a letter dated April 14, 2008, makes the following statements about the Fisher project:

“…The projects as proposed in the current undertaking are not consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, nor are they in keeping with the Trust’s own planning guidelines and cultural landscape analysis for the Main Post…”

“…Locating any large-scale building at the head of the Main Parade Ground with the massive scale and materials of the proposed museum appears to be in direct conflict with all of the above cited PresidioTrust Master Plan (PTMP) guidelines, as well as the analysis and recommendations of the cultural landscape assessment…”

“…The end result of these projects and the others included in this undertaking, if they go forward as planned, would have an adverse effect and significant impact on the Presidio that would threaten the status of the district as a National Historic Landmark…”

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Richmond District Democratic Club does hereby express its complete opposition to all actions by the PresidioTrust to elect, negotiate, or otherwise encourage or develop the Fisher Contemporary Art Museum and hotel, or any similar projects, in the historic Main Post area of the Presidio, and that the Club’s opposition to the projects be conveyed to the Presidio Trust Board of Trustees and Federal, State and City representatives and other persons as deemed appropriate.

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Richmond District Democratic Club recognizes the civic-mindedness of the Fisher family and urges the City and County of San Francisco to identify a suitable location for the modern art collection in the City of San Francisco where the vast numbers of tourists visiting the City, as well as its residents, may have suitable public access to it.

Nancy Pelosi

Member of State Assembly–AD 12

Fiona Ma

Superior Court Judge–Seat 12

Gerardo C. Sandoval

San Francisco Propositions

YES A — School Parcel Tax

YES B — Fiscal Reform of Retiree Health Care

YES C — Forfeiture of Retiree Benefits for Certain Crimes

YES D — Diversity on Boards and Commissions

NP* E — Appointments to Public Utilities Commission

NO F — Bayview Development Plan (Daly)

YES G — Bayview Development Plan (Lennar)

NP* H — Campaign Finance Reform for Certain Committees

(NP = No position)

California State Propositions

NO 98 — Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property

YES 99 — Eminent Domain, Acquisition of Owner-Occupied Residence

Democratic County Central Committee –12th AD

Michael Bornstein

Emily Drennen

Hene Kelly

Eric Mar

Jake McGoldrick

Jane Morrison

Melanie Nutter

Connie O’Connor

Arlo Hale Smith

David Wong

Monday, January 28th

7:00 to 8:30

San Francisco Jewish Community Center

3200 California Street

Kanbar Hall

Moderator: John Rothmann, KGO Radio

Confirmed Surrogates:

Senator Hillary Clinton
Dennis Herrera, San Francisco City Attorney

Senator John Edwards
Betty Yee, State Board of Equalization Member

Senator Mike Gravel
Lynn Moiser, Daughter of Senator Gravel

Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Tom Gallagher, Former Massachusetts State Legislator

Senator Barack Obama
Jonathan Spalter, Former Clinton/Gore Foreign Policy Advisor

Followed by Dessert Reception and Club and Candidate Tabling

Free and Open to the Public

Co-Sponsored by:

African American Democratic Club, Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, Bernal Heights Democratic Club, Central City Democrats, Democratic Women in Action, Democratic Women’s Forum, District Three Democratic Club, Richmond District Democratic Club, SF Young Democrats, Sunset Democratic Club, San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee,12th AD Democratic Club

A–Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond Yes

B–New Deferred Retirement Option for SFPD Yes

C–Adopting Policy to Acquire Alcatraz Island
to Make it a Global Peace Center No

California State Propositions

92–Community Colleges. Funding Yes

93–Limits on Legislators’ Terms in Office Yes

94–Referendum Petition to Overturn Amendment
to Indian Gaming Compact No

95–Referendum Petition to Overturn Amendment
to Indian Gaming Compact No

96–Referendum Petition to Overturn Amendment
to Indian No

97–Referendum Petition to Overturn Amendment
to Indian Gaming Compact Gaming Compact No

At the RDDC meeting on September 27, members discussed what little was known at the time about the proposal and were concerned that there had been no public review. While members agreed that the proposed garden would be a beautiful and generous gift, as it would be modeled on a garden in Shanghai and would have a pavilion, waterfalls, lakes, and other structures, they raised a number of issues. Foremost among these were the lack of public process, preservation of open space, and contravention of the master plan for Golden Gate Park, which states that “new cultural buildings should be located outside existing parks… additional structures would disrupt the balance that is present between open space and special uses requiring buildings.”

Since the September 27 meeting, the Richmond Review has featured this issue in its November edition (go to www.sfrichmondreview.com to read the article once it is posted). In the article, James Fang, Chair of the Shanghai Sister City Committee, laments the fact that the proposed gift is being discussed prematurely, as it is in the early planning phase, and that the public response has been based on inaccurate information. For example, he is quoted as saying that the proposed size of the project is less than two acres, not the five acres stated in earlier media reports. This would appear to be an argument in favor of a more open public process.

My personal opinion is that the Mayor should take the lead on this project and hold public meetings at which the size and scope of the garden, its financing and on-going maintenance costs, and, most importantly, its location are discussed before we are presented with a fait accompli and the usual public wrangle that would follow and would embarrass both sister cities, when in fact Shanghai has proposed a beautiful and very generous gift.

Susan Hall

RDDC Board Member

WHEREAS, the gift of a walled Chinese garden with a pavilion, waterfalls, lakes, and other structures is being proposed by the SF-Shanghai Sister City Committee to be located in San Francisco, and the five acres selected for this project are to be in Golden Gate Park adjacent to Spreckels Lake between 31^st and 33^rd Avenues; and

WHEREAS, the choice of the location for this gift has not had the benefit of a public process, nor has there been open discussion of other possible sites, and there is concern that preserving the open space in our parks has not been observed, as is clearly defined in the City’s General Plan; and

WHEREAS, there is also concern regarding the precedent-setting nature of using park lands to accommodate possible gifts from our other 13 sister cities in San Francisco*;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that, while we are excited by the prospect of having such a garden in San Francisco, the Richmond District Democratic Club urges a full public review and debate of this proposal before there is any further planning or financing for it at the Golden Gate Park site.

*Other Sister Cities:

Abijan, Ivory Coast

Assissi, Italy

Cork, Ireland

Haifa, Israel

Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Manila, Philippines

Osaka, Japan

Paris, France

Seoul, Korea

Sydney, Australia

Taipei, Taiwan

Thessaloniki, Greece

Zurich, Switzerland

Resolution Adopted by the Richmond District Democratic Club at its General Membership Meeting on September 27, 2007.