The Grow SF Report, Governor Recall Edition
Don't forget to vote on the California Governor Recall election
Why is it important to vote in this recall? This is going to be a very low turnout election, which means a few motivated Republican voters will be able to recall Governor Gavin Newsom if enough Democrats sit it out.
What can you do? The ballot will consist of only two questions: (1) Should Governor Newsom be recalled? and (2) Who should replace Governor Newsom if he is recalled? Be sure to answer both! The Grow SF PAC Voter Guide breaks down the alternative candidates so you can make the best decision.
What You Need To Know
The latest updates on SF government progress, policies, and priorities:
Judge Throws Out Alison Collins Lawsuit…
School Board Commissioner Alison Collins wrote racist tweets about Asian Americans in 2016 that resurfaced in 2021. She then attempted to sue the school district and her fellow commissioners for $87 million after they censured her for the tweets. A judge threw out the lawsuit this week, saying “the claims had no merit.”
…Now We Need to Throw Collins Out of Office
Before Alison Collins tried to sue the school board, she was busy bullying educators and pushing to rename schools while refusing to hire consultants to reopen them. The case for recalling Collins and her colleagues Gabriella Lopez and Faauuga Moliga is clear. Here’s a recap of what they did:
Fired top administrators not in line with the school board’s ideology, which created instability and left a vacuum of expertise that made navigating the pandemic even more difficult.
Refused to hire a consultant to create a plan for reopening schools.
Chose to rename schools with a flawed process before making any plans to reopen schools.
Ended merit-based admission at one of the nation’s top high schools rather than focus on reopening high schools or creating more high schools with high academic standards.
Allowed deficits to grow and enrollment to decline to the point that the school district’s credit rating was downgraded by Fitch and Moody’s because of “governance” problems.
School Board Recall Update
The recall effort needs 70,000 signatures to put the recall on the ballot. They have about 58,000 so far.
A recent poll shows that the recall will win — if it can get on the ballot. But without 12,000 more signatures by September 7, there won’t be a recall.
Here’s what you must do ASAP to ensure the recall happens:
Visit one of the many locations throughout San Francisco where you can sign an official recall petition. Click here for locations and times.
Click here to download and print your own recall petition to sign and mail back.
Get your friends and family to sign a petition, and share this message with your networks.
Census: Bay Area Population Increase Outpaces the State
“From 2010 to 2020, the nine-county region added 614,901 residents amid a tech boom, an 8.6% increase that surpassed California’s growth rate of 6.1% and the U.S. rate of 7.4%, “
People want to live in California. We have a booming economy, lots of jobs, and the best weather in the world. This is why we need to build more housing.
Related: data from RentCare, a real estate listing service, shows that rental applications into SF have more than doubled from a year ago.
SF to Require Vaccines for Indoor Activities
Some businesses already require proof of vaccination, but starting August 20 there will be a city wide vaccine mandate for all indoor restaurants, bars, gyms, theaters, and large venues.
A photo of your vaccination card should be sufficient, and you can get a QR code to a digital copy of your vaccination records on this CA website.
After a year of being stuck at home, it might feel weird to be out and eating indoors again, but it helps knowing that everyone around you is vaccinated. SF businesses are launching a campaign to let you know it’s safe to eat indoors, “Relax, We’re Vaxxed.”
Update: SF COVID-19 Vaccinations
With the delta variant spreading, it’s important that everyone who is eligible get vaccinated.
Delta variant update
If you received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine and are worried about the Delta variant, San Francisco’s Department of Public Health Adult Immunization & Travel Clinic (AITC) and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) are offering supplemental mRNA shots.
Current stats
Vaccination Rate: 85% of SF residents over 12 have received at least 1 dose. 79% have been fully vaccinated.
Eligibility: All SF residents 12 and older are eligible to be vaccinated!
Vaccine Sites: Find a vaccine site near you.
What else can you do to help? Make sure your family, friends, and neighbors are all vaccinated. Meet Felisia Thibodeaux who convinced 1,270 to get vaccinated. Incredible!
Fun in SF
Check out some of our favorite fun activities happening in SF right now:
ArtScape SF this Saturday!
Every 3rd Saturday of the month the Sunset Mercantile space is taken over by ArtScape: local musicians and artists selling their artwork, along with food trucks and a kids art area. Check it out!
SF's Cliff House to Reopen as Popup Museum
We we sad when the Cliff House closed last year. While the National Park Service looks for a new restaurant to take it over, they are opening it as a popup housing Cliff House memorabilia.
If won’t open until October, but mark your calendars now!
Topical Tweets
Yes, there is good stuff on Twitter. Here’s some of it:
Very exciting to see progress on the Central Subway!
We are speechless.
