May 5-June 3 No on 98 to Save Rent Control and Yes on F for Workingclass Housing

The June 3 ballot is a 10 alarm fire for the millions of workingclass tenants of California who are threatened with the repeal of rent control by Prop. 98 and the probable loss of our homes if this should pass as the excuses for eviction will abound. The deadline to register to vote for the June 3 election is May 19, 2008. RUN TO YOUR COUNTY REGISTRAR ANY WEEKDAY, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to FIRST register to vote AND THEN IMMEDIATELY VOTE on an absentee (vote by mail) ballot as in California we can vote 30 days before June 3 on an absentee ballot.

Please also sign up to be a permanent absentee (vote by mail) voter so that you never forget to vote and you can vote in the comfort of your home instead of worrying about voting on a Tuesday. If you are already registered to vote, YOU HAVE UNTIL MAY 27, 2008 TO REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT, AND THE SOONER, THE BETTER. In San Francisco, the County Registrar is at City Hall, Van Ness and McAllister, basement on the Van Ness side.

If you simply cannot get to your County Registrar, CALL THEM ANY WEEKDAY. In San Francisco, for questions about voter registration and vote-by-mail voting (415) 554-4411 or debra.brown [at] sfgov.org. For other phone number and emails, see: http://www.sfgov.org/site/elections_index.asp?id=55665

If you did not receive your voting materials for the February election at your current address, you are not registered to vote and must REGISTER TODAY. If you moved, you must re-register. THE JUNE ELECTION IS THE PRIMARY FOR ALL STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICES EXCEPT THE PRESIDENT, which is the only office that was on the February ballot. Yes, we have THREE ELECTIONS THIS YEAR, AND WE NEED YOU TO VOTE IN EVERY SINGLE ELECTION. You do not have to vote on everything on the ballot, but YOU MUST VOTE NO ON 98 IN CALIFORNIA AND ALSO YES ON F IN SAN FRANCISCO.

SAN FRANCISCO AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES MUST CARRY MORE THAN OUR WEIGHT TO DEFEAT PROP 98, a phony eminent domain measure that is actually a repeal of rent control and other renter protection laws, a threat to water quality and supply, an attack on environmental regulations and a basis for thousands of frivolous lawsuits that will paralyze urgently needed community projects and cost taxpayers lots of money. The funding for this nightmare is overwhelmingly from landlords. See: http://www.calvoter.org/voter/elections/2008/state_primary/props/prop98.html

A good eminent domain reform measure is Proposition 99, which may be found at: http://www.calvoter.org/voter/elections/2008/state_primary/props/prop99.html
In San Francisco, the fight to save workingclass housing is being led by the San Francisco Tenants Union. For more information on this campaign locally see: http://www.sftu.org/

There will be a No on 98 rally on May 7, 2008 at Noon at Civic Center Plaza across from City Hall.

The statewide No on 98 campaign website is http://www.noprop98.org/ and the Yes on 99 site is http://www.no98yes99.com/

Remember: WE HATE 98, BUT 99 IS JUST FINE.

SAN FRANCISCO’S AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVE IS PROPOSITION F. A good analysis of that initiative and the reactionary response, the stadium swindle promoting Proposition G, are described in the Bay Guardian, 4/23/08 “Promises and Reality” by Sarah Phelan at: http://www.sfbg.com/printable_entry.php?entry_id=6206 There are also many excellent articles on Proposition F and the disaster that is Lennar Corporation, the proposed developer by the stadium swindle gang promoting Prop G, at:http://www.franciscodacosta.com/

It is this same 49er Stadium Swindle gang that promoted the horrifying election fraud of June 3, 1997 and murder of the election fraud lawsuit witness and 5 children. For more on that infamous stadium swindle, promoted by the Democrats and Republicans, see http://www.brasscheck.com/stadium Then as now, Peace and Freedom Party and the Green Party oppose the stadium swindle racket that is Prop G and support Proposition F. Both parties also oppose Proposition 98 and support 99. For more on P&F, see http://peaceandfreedom.org/home/ For more on the Green Party, see http://www.sfgreenparty.org/

Other San Francisco Propositions: No on B, C and H, Yes on D and E. As to Proposition B, before any changes are made in city healthcare payments by the City, the taxes on the rich, those who make over $200,000 a year, must be raised with the state and federal progressive income tax. The City of San Francisco could also have a city income tax for those who live OR work in San Francisco and make over $200,000 a year from all sources. The changes made with Proposition B are insulting and go the wrong way: Healthcare should be free to all, paid for with our tax dollars, from cradle to grave. The fact that some labor lieutenants of capitalism support it does not change the fact that Proposition B is a reactionary proposition. Proposition C is a change in city retirement benefits also promoted by the same reactionary Supervisor Elsbernd who is promoting Proposition B. Proposition D promotes more integration on city boards and Proposition E reforms appointments to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the board that controls our water, power and waste disposal. Proposition H is another power play by reactionary Democratic mayor Gavin Newsom, the same nephew of Nancy Pelosi, who both are promoting Lennar Development Corporation’s Proposition G. And if you are registering to vote for this election, register Peace & Freedom or Green, preferably the former, so we can get rid of the twin parties of war and fascism, the Democrat-Republicans.

NO ON 98; yes on 99; YES ON F; No on G. No on B, C and H; Yes on D and E.
REGISTER TO VOTE AND VOTE ABSENTEE TODAY. The home you save will be your own.