Photo courtesy Eric Quezada campaign.
From the campaign to elect Eric Quezada to District 9 Supervisor
October 3, 2008
At a rally in front of City Hall Wednesday, District 9 Supervisor candidate Eric Quezada demanded that the current Supervisors pass an innovative People’s Plan for affordable housing and new economic opportunities in the city’s eastern neighborhoods.
The Plan is the product of years of organizing and leadership by Quezada and others to ensure that city planning incorporate housing affordability, lasting employment, and public safety programs that protect youth and families.
“We need to pass a plan that’s from the community,” Quezada told a crowd on the steps of City Hall, before testifying at Supervisors hearings on the issue. “We need a plan that’s going to meet the community’s affordable housing needs, that’s going to meet the needs of our youth.”
Quezada has been a leader on District 9 housing and public safety issues over the past 20 years, and currently works as executive director of Dolores Street Community Services.
“We need a plan that is going to make us safer,” Quezada said, linking the district’s ongoing crime problems to the issues of planning and housing. “There’s so much violence in our community, and we need to address it by passing the People’s Plan. We can get an additional 2,500 affordable housing units if there’s the political will, if Supervisors listen to the community needs and not just developers’ needs.”
If the current Board doesn’t adopt the Plan, Quezada said, “The next Supervisors will have to pass and implement this plan. I want to bring those years of organizing work and movement work to City Hall.”
The rally also featured community leaders from the Mission Anti-displacement Coalition, voicing support for both the Quezada campaign and the People’s Plan. The crowd then marched to the Board of Supervisors Land Use Committee hearings to call for adoption of their plan, which would create thousands of additional affordable housing units in the area while protecting families and creating youth opportunities.
Earlier in the day the Quezada campaign released its new position piece linking housing, planning and public safety. For more information, visit www.ericquezada.com.
The Hunger Site
October 13, 2008 at 6:57 am
The People’s Plan is all well and good, more or less, but the problem has been in execution. The Eastern Neighborhoods Planning Process has been underway for the better part of this decade, but the MAC has not been able to raise the kind of energy that they did in 2000. Why is that? Because the leadership of the MAC has held its cards close and adopted a vanguard position that they know best. This is very risky because we are coming down to the wire and there is no indication that there are 6 votes, Daly is conflicted out, to pass the People’s Plan. Had there been organizing or had Eric Quesada and MAC been open to a democratic Western SOMA like process, which they nixed, then there would be the broad base of community support for a more progressive plan. Fortunately, as it appears that the housing price correction will lock up credit for construction, some pressure is relieved. But that does not address the faults in the vanguard notion of political leadership that simply does not bring home the goods.
As far as David Campos goes, he is whatever he needs to be in order to jump through the next hoop. Whether that means being Ackerman’s legal lap dog at the behest of Louise Renne and prioritizing Heather Hiles swing vote on giving Ackerman a platinum parachute over the express intent of the voters, or screwing over Renne to elect Sparks as Police Commission President (glad Sparks is prez, but has she done much to fix the cops as prez? no, more like a seat warmer) it just shows that Campos’ priorities begin and end with Campos’ ambition. Perhaps David views his ambition as his civil right?
The main question for D9 is why so many progressives seem intent on ratifying existing kinship relationships even when it means rewarding lack of accomplishment and abject failure?
-marc
October 7, 2008 at 3:45 pm
mwbsf, is there Campos campaign literature that states “civil rights attorney”? His website says “civil rights advocate”. To me, those are different words with different meanings.
I’m not a Campos supporter, but I would like to know why I’ve heard this and other statements similar in tone aimed from Sanchez’s campaign toward Campos’ campaign. People who live in glass houses…
Sometimes there are lots of things that could be said to attack a person’s character. Sometimes people make clear and firm decisions not to engage in that behavior. Sometimes people prioritize keeping campaign work focused on issues.
Are you involved in public safety work in the district or have you been following public safety issues?
October 3, 2008 at 7:46 pm
A leader on public safety issues for 20 years. News to me. Kind of like Campos saying he’s a civil rights attorney.
October 3, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Went to Google. Typed in “Mission People’s Plan”. It was there! Lot’s of details! A plan in 2 parts! Everything!
The People’s Plan Part 1
http://mac-sf.org/documents/Peoples_Plan_Draft_part_1.pdf
The People’s Plan Part 2
http://mac-sf.org/documents/Peoples_Plan_Draft_part_2.pdf
October 3, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Went to Quezada’s website to read the People’s Plan. Not there. No details. No plan. Nothing.