SF Prop F Defeat Analysis

SF Prop F defeat!

November 26, 2004

thanks. unfortunately we could have won in sf on Nov. 2nd with a better run
campaign for immigrant voting rights but we lost by a few thousand votes or
1-2% of the vote]. I think if we had a better run field campaign and raised
a little more money to counter the opposition we would have won. Turnout
was strong [74%] but the No on F propaganda [SF Chronicle and big business
groups] was just too much to overcome by our fledgling campaign. In
addition, perhaps it is still just too close to 911 to win proactive
immigrant rights campaigns at the ballot box.

Nov 2004 SF vote - MEASURE F
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 164,609 51.44
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 155,373 48.56

Big business groups under the guise of 'SFSOS' and individuals like Don
Fisher [founder and former CEO of the GAP and Old Navy] kicked in lots of
$$$ to defeat F. Sen. Diane Feinstein and others were also central in
creating an anti-immigrant climate to mislead voters about Prop F's impact
as well.
We fought them at every level and successfully won a unanimous vote at our
school board in support of Prop F just a few weeks before Nov. 2nd but it
wasn't enough.
i am sure after we have done a full assessment of our campaign we will
share it with folks in the movement.
i am attaching our school board resolution which passed unanimously in late
september.
and here is a link to some press coverage and our campaign website -
http://www.sfexaminer.com/article/index.cfm/i/092904n_vote
http://www.voice4parents.com

eric


Adopted, As Amended, by the Board of Education at its Regular Meeting of
September 28, 2004

Subject: Resolution No. 48-10A10

Resolution In Support of Proposition F, the Campaign to Allow

Immigrant Parents to Vote in San Francisco School Board

Elections, a Charter Amendment on the November 2004 Ballot

- Commissioners Mark Sanchez, Eric Mar, and Sarah Lipson

WHEREAS: 37% of San Francisco residents (approximately 285,500 people) are
immigrants; and

WHEREAS: Although there are no accurate numbers of how many non-citizens
have children enrolled in San Francisco’s public schools, approximately 30%
of SFUSD’s students are English learners; and

WHEREAS: Citizenship has not always been required for the right to vote in
the United States. For a 150 year period in our nation’s history,
immigrants could vote. 22 states and territories allowed immigrants to vote
and even to hold political office during the 19th century and the first
three decades of the 20th century until the anti-immigrant backlash
following World War I; and

WHEREAS: Over the last 25 years, U.S. jurisdictions in the states of
Maryland, New York, Illinois and Massachusetts have permitted non-citizen
voting rights. For example, in New York City, before Mayor Michael
Bloomberg dissolved the school councils in 2002, non-citizens voted in
school elections for 25 years; and

WHEREAS: The unfortunate effect of these separate local school board
elections on school board governance was to severely suppress citizen
voting participation in school board elections, reduce support for school
measures and contribute to the erosion of democratic governance in New York
City where there is currently no Board of Education; and

WHEREAS: Non-citizen voting is common practice in other nations, with 23
countries allowing some form of non-citizen voting, including Belize,
Canada, Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom; and

WHEREAS: Immigrants who want to become citizens face enormous bureaucratic
challenges, waiting an average of 10 years to go through the process to
become citizens; and

Resolution No. 48-10A10

Resolution In Support of Proposition F, the Campaign to Allow Immigrant
Parents to Vote in San Francisco School Board Elections, a Charter
Amendment on the November 2004 Ballot – Sanchez, Mar, Lipson Page 2

WHEREAS: Following the 9/11 attacks, backlogs in waiting times have
dramatically increased for those waiting to become citizens. From 2002 to
2003 the processing times for (1) family-based petitions doubled, (2)
applications to replace green cards doubled, and (3) naturalization
applications increased by 40%. Adjustment-of-status application backlogs
are at an all-time high, with 1.24 million cases at the end of 2003; and

WHEREAS: The constitutional question of the link between citizenship and
voting in school board elections in California has not been adjudicated; and

WHEREAS: This waiting time for many non-citizen parents lasts the duration
of their children’s tenure in public schools; and

WHEREAS: Immigrant parents’ children, many of whom themselves are citizens,
benefit with more participation in the democratic process; and

WHEREAS: Immigrant households in the United States paid an estimated

$133 billion in taxes to federal, state and local governments -- from
property, sales and income taxes (Cato Institute, 1997); and

WHEREAS: Immigrants have fought in every major American war and have at
times been subject to the draft. Currently, more than 37,000 non-citizens
serve in the U.S. Armed Forces; and

WHEREAS: A super-majority of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors support
President Matt Gonzalez’ proposal to allow non-citizen San Francisco
parents or guardians with students in public schools to participate in the
vote for those who serve on the San Francisco Board of Education; and

WHEREAS: The voting rights measure, Proposition F, is on the November 2,
2004, ballot as an amendment to the City and County of San Francisco’s
charter, and, if passed, the measure would apply for just two election
cycles--thereafter, the Board of Supervisors would review its efficacy; and

WHEREAS: Many immigrant and civil rights organizations like La Raza Central
Legal, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition,
Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Northern California Citizenship
Project have worked locally for decades to improve the status of immigrants
and to promote increased participation in our democracy.

Resolution No. 48-10A10

Resolution In Support of Proposition F, the Campaign to Allow Immigrant
Parents to Vote in San Francisco School Board Elections, a Charter
Amendment on the November 2004 Ballot - Sanchez, Mar, Lipson Page 3

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the San Francisco Board of Education
supports the November 2004 charter amendment to allow non-citizen parents
and guardians with students in SFUSD to vote in San Francisco Board of
Education elections; and

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED: That the Board of Education is interested in the
outcome of any constitutional debates related to citizenship and voting and
wishes to be informed of the progress of such actions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the Board of Education is committed to
maintaining and enhancing a high level of participation in School Board
elections by all eligible voters and opposes any implementation of Prop F
that would separate the School Board election from regular ballots and
regular elections and therefore calls on the Board of Supervisors and the
Department of Elections to implement Prop F., should it pass in November,
without removing School Board elections from regular general elections or
from regular ballots, and

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED: That if Prop F is passed by the voters and found to
be constitutional, the Board of Education urges the Board of Supervisors to
consider measures that would allow non-citizen residents of San Francisco
to vote in all local elections.

8/10/04

9/14/04

9/28/04

Please Note:

À¾ Referred on 8/10/04 to the Rules, Policy, and Legislation Committee by
order of the Chair.

À¾ Taken up by the Rules, Policy, and Legislation Committee on 9/1/04.
Positive recommendation, as amended, to the Board of Education by a vote on
2 ayes, l nay ). New language in bold, italics, underscored.

À¾ Postponed on 9/14/04 by action of the Board of Education to be heard at
the meeting of 9/28/04.

À¾ Adopted, as amended, on 9/28/04.

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