by WILL JARRETT FEBRUARY 5, 2024
Welcome back to our “Meet the candidates” series, in which District 9 supervisorial hopefuls respond to a question in 100 words or fewer. Local politico H. Brown has joined the contest, bringing the total number of candidates to eight.
The question for week four: What will you do to curtail corruption in city government?
Julian Bermudez
Transparency and accountability: Two values that I will hold true to myself as supervisor. I plan to have a social media platform where I — and potentially other supervisors, government officials, and residents — can share and discuss city politics coming straight from the source.
From a small reel informing people of a new policy in place to a podcast-type interview where a public official comes in to explain their plan in a neutral environment. It is important that the people of San Francisco are aware and well informed about everything that is happening out of City Hall.
h brown
Voters: Greed is genetic and has many children, of which ‘corruption’ is but one. I propose the City get ahead of the curve and create a ‘Cybre Cop’ to detect as many of the signs of a dirty player as an unleashed AGI program can find.
Knowing their applications will be subjected to screening by our ‘SFCF’ system will discourage bad actors. Acronym is for: ‘San Francisco Cybre Filter’. It’s really an electronic Law Enforcement Auditor that constantly upgrades itself as Public Records become available.
You think the FBI is good? Wait til you see the AGI. Go Niners!
Trevor Chandler
The fact that the role of “Permit Expediter” even exists epitomizes a system that encourages and legitimizes corruption.
Using the proven structure from the federal False Claims Act we will empower citizens to file lawsuits on behalf of the government against corrupt public officials and contractors who have defrauded taxpayers, allowing them to receive a portion of the recovered funds as a reward. This has resulted in over $2 billion in awards and settlements at the federal level in 2022 alone.
The time for action is now. San Francisco deserves a City Hall that operates with integrity and accountability.
Jackie Fielder
The Nuru saga, the building inspector scandals, and now a police nonprofit financing a Tahoe getaway when it should be giving free security assessments to small businesses. The amount of corruption that’s been swirling around the mayor’s administration is unacceptable.
Every single department head reports to the mayor. The mayor has the majority of appointment power over the city’s more than 100 departments, boards, and commissions. We need a new mayor who can clean house and put real public servants in charge. We also need stronger contract auditing protocols, whistleblower protections, and more democratic RFP reviews for contracts.
Jaime Gutierrez
Corruption in city government exists: DPW, DBI, nonprofit expenditures and some members of government profit from flipping properties. Any person or affiliated company committing a crime against the public integrity of the city needs to be punished beyond just prison or financial penalty. We must preserve civic integrity.
The individual and their connections past or present must be held accountable. They should be banned from any further business with the city. I will fight to expose those involved to bring integrity and security to San Franciscans. Transparency is the key to a city government that is accountable to its citizens.
Roberto Hernandez
Corruption in City government or by those doing business with the City is unacceptable. The Board of Supervisors can send a strong message there will be consequences for such conduct.
I pledge to support current Board efforts and work on anti-corruption legislation. Within 45 days of taking office, I will introduce an ordinance requiring City departments to adopt anti-corruption operating procedures governing their internal operations and contract processes, including penalties for non-compliance.
These procedures will be filed with the Board and departments must affirm their compliance with the procedures whenever seeking Board approval for any matter.
Michael Petrelis
I’d start by continuing to file many public records requests for the calendars of elected officials and department heads, to learn who they’re meeting with and what topics are being discussed. Calendars of all public servants required to keep a Prop G [publicly accessible daily calendar] must be shared on their City-funded sites, on a weekly basis.
Next, I want annual forensic audits performed of all City agencies and bi-annual audits of nonprofits receiving $250,000 or more in municipal funds. A website containing the findings would be established for much needed public inspection. More transparency equals less corruption at City Hall.
Stephen Torres
Curtailing corruption in city government should be constant and lies in more reform, transparency, and oversight, not less.
I have seen how the various oversight bodies that have been implemented within our government have strengthened citizen representation and voice over what happens in this city. It is not perfect — there are still trappings built into some that facilitate corruption and this is where the reform needs to happen. The idea, however, that what we need is to lessen community and board oversight and consolidate more power for the mayor as a means for reform should be met with serious concern.
Note: Nine candidates have officially declared their candidacy for the District 9 race. However, Rafael Gutierrez told Mission Local that he is withdrawing from the race, so he is not included in these questions.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at will@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
READ MORE CANDIDATE ANSWERS
Meet the candidates: All 2024 District 9 supervisor questions
by WILL JARRETTJANUARY 15, 2024
WILL JARRETT
DATA REPORTER. Will was born in the UK and studied English at Oxford University. After a few years in publishing, he absconded to the USA where he studied data journalism in New York. Will has strong views on healthcare, the environment, and the Oxford comma.More by Will Jarrett
