Dear All:
Attached (and copied below for those who can't open Word documents) are the minutes of the most recent LPSF meeting. Please note that, as usual, copying the document does not reproduce its exact look. Please let me have your corrections within the next week.
Thanks,
Francoise
Minutes of the LPSF meeting of August 11th, 2007
Members present: Starchild (Vice-Chair) presiding, Francoise Fielding recording, Rob Power, Bryce Bigwood, Ron Getty, Marcy Berry, Jeremy Linden, Justin Sampson, Tim Kuklinsky
Guests: Brian Miller, Scott Walker, Chris Madden, Kevin Takenaga
Announcements
The deadline for ballot arguments is August 16th at noon.
Note: Next year we should start working on ballot arguments in July.
The San Francisco Taxpayers Union is meeting Monday August 13th at noon at the Double Play Restaurant at Bryant and 16th. Starchild is our official representative and will be attending. Anyone else who wishes to attend is welcome.
Additional Agenda Items
Discussion re invitations to candidates on the November ballot to appear before the LPSF and LPSF recommendations or endorsement of candidates.
If we are going to have a candidates night we should do it soon.
Officers Reports
Treasurer: Justin Sampson: Justin gave Phil Berg a check for $800 last month to reimburse him for the money Phil had laid out for the LPSF poster. He also paid Weblogic $45 for the next three months.
Secretary: Francoise Fielding reported on mail received: brochures from Daniel Imperato- candidate for President, Voice for Democracy from Californians for Electoral Reform, and various items of junk mail.
Acting Chair: Starchild. He has been volunteering at various Ron Paul events and attending local medical marijuana hearings. He also went to the Josh Wolf and Chicken John debate (a fundraiser for these potential mayoral candidates). Chicken John is a registered libertarian, however he is not an orthodox candidate and Starchild questions whether hed be willing to work with us since he seems to be focusing on a narrow range of issues. As of today we dont know if either of these candidates has qualified.
Committee Reports
Website Committee: Bryce Bigwood reported that the DNS got switched over Thursday. There are still some problems getting the mail (ie. treasurer@lpsf.org) but other than that everything is working fine. When the mail problem is solved Justin will see if we can get reimbursement from Weblogic for the money we paid in advance for the next three months. Bryce has set up the calendar. As of now anyone can post events. We can add more security later if that proves necessary.
Starchild would like to have the banner redesigned and to keep things current. Bryce said re keeping things current that old events and newsletters will be taken off and archived. Starchild also suggested it would be helpful if emails were sent out to remind people to blog.
Newsletter: Starchild has more or less finished the newsletter. He still has to do the calendar. The newspaper contains Starchilds privacy/surveillance brochure (he will put his name on the brochure after the introductory part) , an article on libertarian values by Anthony Gregory, an article on medical cannabis, a full-page reproduction of the LPSF poster, the cartoon that Mike Acree recently circulated and an ad from Starchilds libertarian dentist. Starchild will include a membership form with the revised membership fee schedule.
City Hall Watch: Phil Berg is the committee and he has been sick so there was no report.
Starchild expressed an interest in arranging a meeting with Ed Jews office to get him to appoint some libertarians to city committees before he leaves office.
The sense of the group was that that would not be a smart move on the LPSFs part at this time and that, in any event, the Supervisors would be unlikely to approve such appointments. If Starchild wants to try get himself appointed he is free to do so.
New Business
Discussion of Ballot Initiatives and Candidates for Election. Straw polls were taken. Formal recommendations will be voted on at next months LPSF meeting
Charter Amendments:
Limiting Hold-Over Service on Boards and Commissions
This measure allows appointed commission members to stay over for up to an additional 60 days from time of expiration of their service unless re-appointed to another term.
We need to review previous law regarding appointee holdovers before making a decision.
Public Hearing on Initiatives
This measure requires public hearings to be held at least 45 days before the deadline to place an initiative on the ballot by the Supervisors or the Mayor.
Recommendation: yes vote. This measure gives voters notice of what they
will be voting on.
Mayor to Appear at Board
This measure would require the Mayor to attend a Supervisors meeting once a month to answer questions
Recommendation: No recommendation. We do not want to get involved in political squabbling between the Mayor and Supervisors.
Library Preservation Fund
This measure renews the Preservation Fund previously approved by voters.
Recommendation: No vote. This measures would continue an additional tax of 2 ½ cents per $100 of assessed property value.
Emissions Reductions and Transit Reform
The Save the Muni law to require a larger percentage of revenue be directed from parking fees and other internal Muni matters would relate to pay scale determination and driver discipline.
Recommendation: No vote . This could raise taxes.
Retirement Benefits for Police Department Employees Who Were Airport Police Officers
These officers previously were covered by CALPERS and for some reason they want to be included in the SF Retirement system. There are limits on how much would be allocated but no reasons given for the transfer from one retirement system to another.
Recommendation: No vote. Retirement benefits under this measure might be more generous therefore raising taxes. The officers knew what they were signing up for and there is no reason to change that.
Ordinances:
Small Business Assistance Center Ordinance
This is the Mayors proposal to have a one stop shop for small businesses in SF.
Recommendation: No vote . The Mayor can reorganize City Departments to address the issue of providing easy access to small businesses for permits and licenses without spending additional taxpayer money
Golden Gate Park Stables Ordinance
This measure proposes a matching funds program where SF would allocate up to a maximum of $750,000 on a 3:1 basis of contributions to City funds for repair, upkeep, and maintenance of the SF stables. .
Recommendation: No vote. The City should not be in the stable business.
Parking initiative
This measure would have opened up more parking spaces in new projects in selected neighborhoods. It competed with a last minute addition to the new Muni Amendment by Peskin. A last minute agreement has been made by Peskin and the Parking group to place an initiative on the February ballot to address these issues. The Parking group has agreed to not promote the parking initiative on the ballot as it can not be pulled at this time.
Recommendation: No Recommendation.
Declarations of Policy:
Street Furniture Declaration of Policy
Limits the amount of advertising placed on benches and news racks and kiosks and city buildings bus shelters.
Recommendation: No Recommendation.
Universal Wi-Fi Declaration of Policy
A request for an endorsement of the proposed privately installed WI-FI network for SF.
Recommendation: No Recommendation.
Candidates for Election
Fourteen candidates for Mayor are listed on the Department of Elections website. no one has been approved yet.
When we know who has been approved, Chris Maden will put together a candidates night.
Although there is no one significant that we would want to endorse, networking is worthwhile and exposes candidates to libertarian positions.
There are 3 candidates for Sheriff: the incumbent Michael Hennessy (who will likely be re-elected), Anthony Carrasco and David Wong
Continuing Items
Allocation of funds for privacy brochure has been postponed to the next meeting.
Final Announcements:
Rob Power will no longer be able to store LPSF items after September. Jeremy Linden is moving to a new place. He thinks he will be able to take over the storage function.
Starchild going to trial in September. His lawyer will do a fundraiser at the end of August.
Two of the employees of the LPCA have left. It is not known who will replace them.
Kevin Takenaga may be open to opening an office in Northern California
Francoise Fielding
820 Stanyan Street,#5
San Francisco, CA 94117
415-386-8643
Minutes_of_August_11.doc (56 KB)