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For California's prop L, game over
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I ’ve got to admit I’ve always hated the postgame interview. It’s not that I don’t like sports (I grew up in Georgia, after all, and knew the definition of “blitz” well before “blintz”). I just find the postgame conversations to be so much twaddle, peppered with questions such as, “How does it feel to win?” Ugh! What are people supposed to say? Of course it’s good and yay and yada yada yada.
Which brings me to Proposition L on this November’s ballot. Prop. L requires funding for the proposed Community Justice Center. Generally, the center the center will co-locate prosecution and social services for San Francisco residents arrested for misdemeanors and nonviolent crimes in the Tenderloin. People keep arguing the merits of the center, but that’s really beside the point. It’s going to happen. Period.
So why are voters being asked to weigh in on this fait accompli? Exactly my question.
In June, the Board of Supervisors refused to release funding that had been allocated for the center because of the other cuts to services in this year’s budget. (Not fair to arrest a bunch of destitute people to get them into programs that aren’t available, they argued.) A week later, Mistermayor put Prop. L on the ballot. It made sense at the time.
In July, having restored much of the funding for the social services of concern, the board passed an ordinance restoring the funding to the CJC. In the course of approving that ordinance, Supervisor Chris Daly said, “I can’t wait until we have a new Board of Supervisors that can eliminate the Community Justice Center in next year’s budget.” So, despite the fact that the center was funded, Mistermayor was all: I’ll be leaving Prop. L on the ballot in case the game goes into overtime (read: the new supes try to undermine the center).
But the game is already over. And the center won. Here’s why: the City’s fiscal year runs from June 30 to July 1. Conceivably, newly minted supervisors sworn in Jan. 8 could join with current supes to vote to de-fund the center from January to June. To do so, they would have to pass a “supplemental deappropriation ordinance.” But ordinances can be vetoed by the mayor. (SF Charter, sec. 3.103.) And you can bet your Golden Gate Bridge snow globe that Mistermayor would veto such an ordinance. The City’s fiscal year runs from June 30 to July 1. And you can bet your Golden Gate Bridge snow globe that Mistermayor would veto such an ordinance.
The question then becomes whether there are eight votes by the board to override that veto. (SF Charter, sec. 2.106.) To put it another way: Are there four supervisors who would be on Mistermayor’s side? Yep.
Let’s count: Supervisors Michela Alioto-Pier and Bevan Dufty aren’t up for re-election and would vote to protect the center’s funding. Supervisor Sean Elsbernd is guaranteed reelection and is pro-center, which makes three. Finally, neither Supervisor Carmen Chu nor her only real competition, Ron Dudum, would vote to de-fund the center, so no matter who wins in District 4, there are four votes to block any attempt to end the center.
Then why leave it on the ballot? One can speculate about why we need a popular showing of support for the center and/or the utility of using Prop. L to single out anti-center candidates. But for us average voters, Prop. L amounts to little more than postgame chatter: “How do you feel about that thing we already did?” Of course it’s good and yay and yada yada yada.
--Melissa
EXTRA DETAILS:
- June 10, the Board of Supervisors refused to release $500k that had been allocated for the CJC because of the other cuts to services in this year’s budget.
- June 17, Mistermayor put Prop L on the ballot.
- July 16, having restored much of the funding for the social services of concern, Supervisor Jake McGoldrick introduced an ordinance to fund the CJC.
- July 22, when that ordinance was heard in the Budget and Finance Committee, Supervisor Chris Daly said, "I can't wait until we have a new Board of Supervisors that can eliminate the Community Justice Center in next year's budget."
- July 29, the Board went on to pass the ordinance to fully fund the CJC, Mistermayor was all: I’ll be leaving Prop L on the ballot now, thanks.
- August 1, the deadline for pulling an ordinance off the ballot comes and goes.
