In our “Meet the Candidates” series, we are asking every supervisorial hopeful in the November 2024 election one question each week. Candidates are asked to answer questions on policy, ideology and more in 100 words or less.
Answers are being published individually each week, but we are also archiving the weekly series here.
In terms of political happenings this week in the district, District 9 candidate Trevor Chandler will be at Manny’s at 3092 16th St. for a community conversation and a town hall meeting on Thursday May 9 at 6 p.m.
If you know of other political events, let me know and I will add them to the post.
I will be at at Stable Cafe at 2128 Folsom St. on Thursday, May 9, at 11 a.m. to say hello and talk about the district, or you can email me at oscar.palma@missionlocal.com.
This week’s question: In my last meeting with community members, multiple people shared their frustration with the small number of garbage cans in the district. They say that after the city took away more than 1,000 trash cans a couple years ago, their neighborhoods look substantially more dirty. What do you propose to solve this issue?
At current address for nine years, redistricted into District 9 in April 2022
Education: Bachelor’s in education and Master’s in Special Education from Clemson University.
h brown
Retired special education teacher.
Age: 80. Housing: Tenant.
Two suggestions:
First, copy Manny Yekutiel’s ‘Disco Sunday’ concept.
Which boils down to establishing a regular time and place for DPW or Recology to come pick up trash gathered by neighborhood volunteers, whose reward, other than the satisfaction of doing good and widening their circle of friends, includes a potpourri of gifts from grateful businesses.
Second, make one of the ‘Rewards’ a million dollar lottery ticket.
That’s first place.
Next 100 winners each get ten thousand dollars.
Work one hour picking up trash and get a fancy lottery ticket.
Lived in District 9 Summer 2001 to Fall 2003, and returned in the Summer 2010
Languages: Spanish
Education: Moorpark Community College and San Francisco City College as work has permitted.
Stephen Torres
Bartender at Twin Peaks Tavern, customer service at Flowercraft Nursery and freelance writer.
Age: 46. Housing: Tenant. Transport: Public.
Like many in the District, I have seen refuse and street conditions deteriorate in the wake of years of corruption and grift in DPW and Recology and a reductive “less is more” approach to street infrastructure like trash cans and benches. Instead of trying to endlessly reinvent the wheel (i.e. wasting millions more dollars on delayed bespoke trash cans), we need to reform DPW contracting to streamline trash-can production and installation, and hold Recology accountable to a contract that prioritizes increased service in our densest neighborhoods.
Endorsed by: Mark Leno, Former State Senator, Aaron Peskin, President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Hillary Ronen, Supervisor, District 9. More here.
Has lived in District 9 since July 2021
Education: Plymouth State University.
Trevor Chandler
Public school teacher since 2023. Former director of government and public policy at Citizen, a public safety app. Tenant.
Age: 37. Housing: Tenant. Transport: Public.
I regularly volunteer to pick up trash across District 9, and our streets are filthy. The Chronicle recently found Mission and Bernal Heights to have the dirtiest sidewalks in the city.
We absolutely need more trash cans, but City Hall can’t even get that right, wasting more than $500,000 trying to design bespoke cans, including one famously installed backwards on Cortland costing $10,000 that regularly overflows.
DPW still lacks permanent leadership following the [Mohammed] Nuru scandal, and is failing D9 residents and small businesses. I’ll hold them accountable, cut out the graft, and ensure D9 residents get the services they pay for.
Endorsed by: Latino LGBTQ political organization HONOR PAC, State Senator Scott Wiener, Assembly Member Rick Chavez Zbur, Brownie Mary Democratic Club, Supreme Court Marriage Equality Lead Plaintiff Jim Obergefell. More here.
Lived in District 9 Sept. 2017 to June 2018, Oct. 2019 to Aug. 2020 and April 2021 to present
Languages: Spanish.
Education: Stanford: Bachelor’s in public policy and master’s in sociology.
Jackie Fielder
Nonprofit co-director at Stop the Money Pipeline. Former educator at San Francisco State University, co-founder of the San Francisco Public Bank Coalition. Democratic Socialist.
Age: 29. Housing: Tenant. Primary transport: Public.
Everyone is going to say “more trash cans,” which I agree with. But we also need to fix our HR department, fix our staffing crisis and weed out corruption. Well-connected private contractors are gouging the city for bathrooms, trash cans and street lights. Clean and safe streets are one part infrastructure and one part staffing. Job applicants shouldn’t have to wait a year or more to get hired for city jobs like street cleaning in public works. We need to invest in the workers that make this city run, and in stronger auditing protocols for contracts.
Endorsed by: City College Board President Alan Wong, Former D9 Supervisor David Campos, Former Mayor Art Agnos, City College Trustee Vick Chung, D3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin. More here.
Born in District 9 in 1967 and, except for three years spent in the Army, has resided here ever since
Languages: Spanish.
Education: U.S. Army, City College of San Francisco, University of California, Berkeley.
Jaime Gutierrez
Transit supervisor for SFMTA/Muni.
Age: 57. Housing: Tenant. Primary transport: Bike.
Having a trash can on nearly every corner in the district is a must, because San Francisco has more dogs than kids. Allegedly, there are 5,000 cans in the city. I don’t see them. DPW could make a concrete form, and crank them out pretty quickly and cheaply! Allegedly, the trash cans were taken away because the city approved a spoked aesthetically pleasing design. Budget constraints halted this. The budget is still tight, and we have a dirty city that has not addressed this issue adequately. The solution is fairly feasible, if only the bureaucracy would allow it to happen.
Endorsed by: Transportation Workers Union Local 200. More here.
Born in the Mission in June 1956 and has not left
Languages: Spanish.
Roberto Hernandez
CEO, Cultura y Arte Nativa de Las Americas (CANA).
Age: 68. Housing: Homeowner.
My policy on keeping the district clean can be summed up in five words: We need more trash cans!
Providing D9 residents with enough simple, cost-effective vessels with well-designed compartments to separate trash from recyclables is a clear priority. As supervisor, I’ll advocate at the citywide level for the Department of Public Works to designate each neighborhood with an individual manager responsible for keeping it clean. I’ll work with the school district to ensure that children are properly educated, and I’ll apply for arts grants to fund culturally specific murals on our garbage cans to instill a sense of neighborhood pride.”
Endorsed by: State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Supervisor Myrna Melgar, Supervisor Shamann Walton, State Senator Scott Wiener, BART Director Bevan Dufty. More Here
Has lived on Clinton Park since May 1996, which became part of District 9 in April 2022
Michael Petrelis
AIDS and LGBTQ activist
Petrelis said he wishes not to participate.
Endorsed by: Not seeking endorsements, and I see much of the Endorsement Industrial Complex as corrupt, rife with payola and favor-trading, and for gotcha responses.
Born SF in 1996, raised on and off in District 9 until he left for college in 2015, then the army in 2019 and now back, living in the Mission
Julian Bermudez
Works in and directs his family business, Rancho Grande Appliance.
Age: 27. Housing: Tenant. Primary transport: Carpool/catch a ride.
If I am elected to the board of supervisors, one of my first proposals will be to add extra garbage cans. In contrast to earlier attempts, I want the garbage cans to be cost-effective, long-lasting and reliable. There is no reason to spend $10,000 on a single trash can. My garbage cans will be double-bin trash cans, with one side designated for landfills and the other for plastic and aluminum recycling. I want them at every Muni station, near parks and schools, and in commerce areas, restaurants, and bars. I feel that everyone wants a clean street, but the city. Read More.
Languages: Spanish.
Education: City College of San Francisco, Chico State University.
Candidates are rotated alphabetically. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at oscar.palma@missionlocal.com
Read the rest of the District 9 questions here, and the entire “Meet the Candidates” series here.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
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OSCAR PALMA
Oscar is a reporter with interest in environmental and community journalism, and how these may intersect. Some of his personal interests are bicycles, film, and both Latin American literature and punk. Oscar’s work has previously appeared in KQED, The Frisc, El Tecolote, and Golden Gate Xpress.More by Oscar Palma
