Dear friends,

I am writing to you to ask you to vote no on Prop 6, the Runner Initiative on Tuesday at the Harvey Milk Club. The PAC took no position, and I feel it is vitally important that we fight this hateful, racist initiative with vigor. Please attend the membership vote Tuesday night between 7-9PM and vote no. The meeting is at the LGBT center. I suspect that it got lost in the shuffle as there are so many initiatives on the ballot, but this is a one of the most important issues for progressives and for the club on the ballot. If it passes, it is an unfunded mandate that would pour billions of state dollars into more prisons and more police and away from schools, hospitals, and other programs we care about. Prop 6 would:

The initiative numbers for November’s election have been announced. The numbers have been reset, so we start again with Prop 1. I think that the legislature can still add more, but here’s the list of what we have so far:

1. High Speed Rail
2. Treatment of Farm Animals
3. Children’s Hospital Bond Act
4. Parental Notification
5. Sentencing Reform
6. Sentencing Increase
7. Renewable Energy Laws
8. Anti-Gay Marriage
9. Victims’ Rights
10. Alternative Energy Bonds
11. Redistricting

This is, if I am not mistaken, the third time in the last 3 years we’ve had to put up with a “parental notification” initiative. There’s something pretty broken about an initiative process where any misogynistic asshole with a couple million dollars can get one of these almost-identical propositions on the ballot again and again and again.

During the last couple of days, I frequently peeked in on the LGBT news blogs and the CBS and SFGate Websites. A happy smile frequently crossed my face as I gazed at footage and pictures of radiant couples up and down California having their relationships receive an important legal and social stamp of approval.

When all is said and done, the most important thing on the ballot is not defeating Joe Nation. The most important thing on the ballot is defeating Prop 98 and saving rent control. Period. So get out and vote now at City Hall so you can volunteer tomorrow to save rent control. Go. Now. You can vote in the basement. Do it at lunch.

There really is no excuse. You can spend part of tomorrow at some point helping. Go to 16th and Folsom. The office is under the All Star Hotel. Do it. You can volunteer today too.

Not content with inviting questions about where he lives, Joe Nation’s now claiming support he does not have.

SAN FRANCISCO. May 31, 2008 - The Sierra Club has condemned deceptive campaign mailers for Joe Nation that falsely imply Sierra Club endorsement of Mr. Nation for State Senate District 3 in next Tuesday’s election. The Sierra Club also has protested the unauthorized, illegal use of its logo on campaign literature promoting Mr. Nation. The Sierra Club is demanding that these unethical and illegal activities cease immediately.

Bay Area Political Chair John Rizzo spoke with Mr. Nation to inform him of the Sierra Club’s objections to the misleading mailer pieces.

I haven’t written much about the State Senate race. Although I have my preference, I think we’ll do OK if either Leno or Migden wins. It’s pretty clear, though, that a win for Joe Nation will be a bad thing for California, and San Francisco in particular.

Nothing to do with the Presidential election, or the State Senate race. Just a few events I went to over the last week, and one I missed.

From a Chronicle article on the California Air Resource Board’s effort to regulate carbon dioxide emissions,

“It’s disconcerting to business and industry, because we don’t know who’s in charge,” said Dennis Bolt, manager of the Bay Area division of the Western States Petroleum Association. “You have too many oars in the water, and in the end a logjam comes down the road. It’s not constructive.”

Save Rent Control Campaign Activities & Events

Phonebanking (Monday, Wednesday & Thursday)
Save Our City Rally (Wednesday)
Haight-Ashbury Literature Drop (Saturday)
Carnaval Flyering (Sunday)
Get Ready For GOTV (Get Out The Vote)

Just 2 weeks to election day—so far so good but a lot to do this week and in the next few weeks. We’ll step up phonebanking, non-profit housing groups have organized a No on 98 Rally, we’ll deliver literature in the Haight-Ashbury–a key base neighborhood, and Carnaval this weekend provides a great flyering opportunity. We need to make sure we do a big push these last two weeks—landlords have $5 million in their campaign account and will be hitting us hard in the final two weeks, by mail, radio and probably on TV. We’ve done a great job so far: over 80,000 pieces of literature have been delivered door to door, we’ve called thousands of renters, mailed to 90,000 absentee renters and distributed thousands of flyers. But we can’t sit back while $5 million is thrown at us!

Same-sex marriange ban overturned!

The California Supreme Court has overturned a ban on gay marriage, paving the way for California to become the second state where gay and lesbian residents can marry.

The case involved a series of lawsuits seeking to overturn a voter-approved law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

With the ruling, California could become the second state after Massachusetts where gay and lesbian residents can marry.