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Mission Dispatch -- > From Ammiano > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5
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Nothing Stops a Bullet as Fast as a Job
By Tom Ammiano, D9 Supervisor, Oct 06, 2008
The Board of Supervisors reconvened after its recess this last Tuesday. Foremost amongst the tasks my office is faced with upon our return is that of combating the drastic surge in violent crime and homicides in the Mission. Between Aug. 22 and Sept. 4, 7 people were murdered and many of the murders appear to be gang-related, though few of the victims seem to have been affiliated with gangs in any way. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the people whose lives have been tragically cut short. The roots of the problems which lead to violence in our community are many and complex, but our city is resource rich and one of the many steps which the city family must take to address the violence is to better coordinate our resources, particularly those of law enforcement and the community based organizations which do violence prevention outreach work. Such coordination must become institutionalized, and my office will be facilitating this process. We have already held a number of meetings with the community groups and the Police and Sheriff’s Department with the aim of opening lines of communication. It is now, more than ever, a matter of life and death for the left hand to know what the right hand is doing.
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Sanctuary Ordinance Not Cause Of Crime
By Tom Ammiano, D9 Supervisor, Aug 09, 2008
Many Mission residents may be worried by the recent attacks on San Francisco status as a Sanctuary City. We need to be clear that our Sanctuary Ordinance is not the cause of crime. Rather, it reduces crime by supporting the immigrant community in reporting crimes and engaging in civic life. The Sanctuary ordinance is a means to increase, not decrease public safety. This law is important for all San Francisco residents because at the core it's about public safety and engaging in civic life. As the Mission’s representative, I am aware that my constituents need to feel safe calling the police or fire department, and not fear arrest while taking their children to school or the hospital. Fortunately there are many in our city ready to defend our sanctuary policy and fight these attacks. At rallys on July 29 and 30, approximately 300 San Franciscans rallied in front of City Hall to voice their support.
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Our Schools Deserve the Best
By Tom Ammiano, D9 Supervisor, Mar 18, 2008
Parents and teachers in the SF Unified School District are justifiably nervous about Governor Schwarzeneger’s threat to drastically slash school funding. I share that concern now as I did in 2003 when I authored Prop G, the Rainy Day Fund. The Rainy Day Fund requires the City to put aside excess revenue in a savings account to be used in lean economic years, and it allows for the City to transfer up to 25% (or around $29 million) of the Fund to the School District. I am currently in the process of making sure the political will is there to give our schools all they need to fill the funding gap they are facing. Please call or email the other members of the Board of Supervisors to make sure they understand how important the Rainy Day Fund is for our children’s future!
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Healthy SF Moves Forward
By Tom Ammiano, D9 Supervisor, Feb 15, 2008
I have very exciting news to report regarding the implementation of Healthy San Francisco (HSF). The City suffered a setback in December when a conservative judge struck down the employer mandate component of the ordinance. However, the 9th Circuit Appeals Court has since granted the City’s request for a stay, which allows us to go forward full speed with the implementation of this groundbreaking health care plan. The 9th Circuit panel, composed of three judges, unanimously agreed in a 35 page decision that the City has a “strong likelihood” of prevailing in its argument that HSF does not violate federal law. Additionally, the judges stated that the City should be able to enforce the employer spending requirement in order to prevent “avoidable human suffering”.
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Health Care Ordinance Suffers Blow
By Tom Ammiano, D9 Supervisor, Jan 15, 2008
The Health Care Security Ordinance and Healthy San Francisco suffered a blow last week after US District Court Judge White sided with attorneys from the Golden Gate Restaurant Association who claim the ordinance violates a Nixon era law. However, on Jan. 3, the 9th Circuit Appeals Court openly stated that they felt Judge White had made serious errors in his ruling, thus signaling that the ruling could very well be overturned on appeal. This is hopeful news for San Franciscans who are in desperate need of affordable health care. Mayor Newsom and I are supremely confident of victory on appeal.
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