San Francisco District 3 Supervisor candidate forum on AAPI issues

(1) District 3 Supervisor Candidate Wendy Ha Chau

Wind Newspaper Question 1: Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself? What has made you decide to run for your district's next Supervisor?

Chau Answer 1: I'm Wendy Ha Chau and I'm a civil rights attorney. I'm running specifically to address the concerns ruining my neighborhood. The complete failure of the Tay navigation center, a youth homeless shelter, became a magnet of drug dealing and other illegal activities that shows the complete ineptitude of our current government.

Wind Question 2: Public safety is the top priority for the Asian community. Your district covers a number of Asian neighborhoods. What is your plan to combat crimes, especially anti-Asian hate and violence?

Chau Answer 2: The first step is to recognize who is attacking the Asian community. Many mentally ill homeless people and criminals have been involved. To deal with this effectively, we must fully fund the police, create a new special operations unit and train all the officers on how to effectively work on cases related to mentally ill people (5150). Officers working for this unit (the Samson Unit) will be working assignments that will be considered unique and fall outside the realm of normal patrol duties. Training all officers and creating a new special operations unit as described will help to eliminate Asian hate crimes.

Wind Question 3: What is your plan to support the small businesses who have faced huge challenges of losing customers and retail crimes in recent years?

Chau Answer 3: The Samson Unit will be deployed throughout areas in Chinatown, Union Square and other hard hit communities. Retail theft will be eliminated. I will also eliminate the practice of mandating shop owners to clean graffiti off the walls. When elected, DPW will be in charge of cleaning up all graffiti daily. Business permit renewals will also be free of charge. With the streets being safe and clean, foot traffic will return. I will also bring business opportunities into Chinatown that will support the small business owners and eliminate the illegal street vendors.

Wind Question 4: Both residents and businesses are impacted by the related problems from homelessness. How will you handle homelessness in your district?

Chau Answer 4: When the police are being trained to 5150 all the homeless people that break the law, all of the "Navigation Centers” will be converted into locked medical units called Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs). ICFs will be staffed with MDs, RNs and Psych Techs who will provide medical drug recovery and "daily life activity" training. Two sheriff deputies (per floor) will also be assigned to work each shift. If a patient cannot benefit from our recovery program, they will be sent to live in a State Hospital.

Wind Question 5: Do you think Asian voters in your district should vote for you and why?

Chau Answer 5: My interests as being a part of the Asian community are the same interests shared by all Asians in San Francisco. We all want to live in peace, and have opportunities to live out what is best for ourselves and family. Asians have a fundamental cultural difference that is not truly understood by my opponents who all have a history of defending the wrongs done to the Asian community over the years.

(2) District 3 Supervisor Candidate Moe Jamil

Wind Newspaper Question 1: Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself? What has made you decide to run for your district's next Supervisor?

Jamil Answer 1: My father immigrated to the City in 1966 from Jordan without much but a dream for a better life. My parents were lifelong tenants, union members, and small business owners who taught me with hard work to create a better future. I have over two decades of experience as a teacher, attorney, and community advocate. As a 10-year resident of the District, I have served on the boards of Russian Hill Neighbors, San Francisco Heritage and Union Square Foundation, as former Chair of the Middle Polk Neighborhood Association and Co-founder of the Van Ness Corridor Neighborhoods Council. This neighborhood is my home, and as Supervisor, I will fight every day for the betterment of our city and for accountability in local government.

Wind Question 2: Public safety is the top priority for the Asian community. Your district covers a number of Asian neighborhoods. What is your plan to combat crimes, especially anti-Asian hate and violence?

Jamil Answer 2: As Supervisor, I will be a champion for fully-funding our public safety departments and taking the steps necessary to bring them up to fully-staffed levels. I support funding the police academy and its recruitment efforts, and the creation of workforce housing for officers to ensure they are able to stay in our City. As a Deputy City Attorney, I have zero tolerance for crime, especially when it comes to hate crimes against our minority communities, including the AAPI community. I support prosecuting these crimes to the full extent of the law.

Wind Question 3: What is your plan to support the small businesses who have faced huge challenges of losing customers and retail crimes in recent years?

Jamil Answer 3: I support Prop 36 which aims to curb crime, specifically retail theft. I’ve built strong relationships with small business owners and I look forward to partnering with them to cut red tape and reduce business fees. As Supervisor, I will pursue financial incentives to get downtown, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Chinatown back to pre-COVID vibrancy. I am in support of free parking, as well as safe, reliable transit services to and from Chinatown.

Wind Question 4: Both residents and businesses are impacted by the related problems from homelessness. How will you handle homelessness in your district?

Jamil Answer 4: Encampments are an unacceptable encumbrance on public streets. The city should be working on permanent solutions, rather than moving people around as we’re seeing today. I support reuniting the estimated ~40% of unhoused people with friends and family who are able to provide care for them. We must transition people off the streets into treatment and recovery services that offer shelter and permanent and supportive housing. As Supervisor, I will support investments in recovery-based housing managed by organizations with a proven track record of success and accountability.

Wind Question 5: Do you think Asian voters in your district should vote for you and why?

Jamil Answer 5: The issues of Asian constituents are deeply important and personal to me because 3/4ths of my family is Chinese! My wife Annie, and our two children, Oliver and Kate, are Chinese. During college, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Hong Kong where I learned Cantonese and a deep appreciation for the culture and customs. I am committed to preserving the cultural significance of Chinatown and the priorities of Asian constituents in District 3.

(3) District 3 Supervisor Candidate Sharon Lai

Wind Newspaper Question 1: Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself? What has made you decide to run for your district's next Supervisor?

Lai Answer 1: I first moved to San Francisco for the first time in 2005, right after college. San Francisco has been my home for 19 years. This is my chosen home and I’m invested to help address our challenges so that it can be a welcoming place for all and that my family and other working families can stay. Being effective requires the ability to build agreement across the Board, with the Mayor’s office and with City Departments. My track records of public, private and nonprofit collaboration demonstrate that ability. I’m running to bring competence and balance to city hall.

Wind Question 2: Public safety is the top priority for the Asian community. Your district covers a number of Asian neighborhoods. What is your plan to combat crimes, especially anti-Asian hate and violence?

Lai Answer 2: Eliminating hate crimes against Asian communities is a priority of mine. We need to first fully fund and fill police vacancies, expand foot patrol including Chinese speaking officers, increase community police and ambassadors with effective eyes on the street. We also need to fund other emergency response positions including 911 dispatchers, firefighters, and the new office of victim and witness services, push for more API victim services and staff in our DA’s office, gather data and enable data sharing across departments to fully understand the scope of the issue. As an SFMTA Commissioner I led the advocacy to uncover data on the attacks on transit operators that revealed dramatic increases of violence on API workers in 2020. With that data, I was able to triple the public safety budget to make transit system safer.

Wind Question 3: What is your plan to support the small businesses who have faced huge challenges of losing customers and retail crimes in recent years?

Lai Answer 3: The most important elements to supporting small businesses are to help bring back predictable foot traffic and to invest in public safety and cleanliness. We need to make sure that our streets and neighborhoods are attractive with safe places for both businesses and visitors, create an environment that fosters both the establishment of new businesses and the sustainability of existing ones. As Supervisor I would expand our legacy business program and victims support funding, like the window reimbursement program, create programs including a small sites acquisition program, a directory of vacancies, a proactive retail strategy, a one-stop shop for the permit process.

Wind Question 4: Both residents and businesses are impacted by the related problems from homelessness. How will you handle homelessness in your district?

Lai Answer 4: San Francisco’s homeless response system needs to work as a continuum to move people off of the streets to lessen the impacts that we see on our businesses and residents. In District 3, we have seen homelessness change, including more unsheltered homelessness in the lower Polk area, even in Chinatown, and along our commercial corridors. Our Board of Supervisors needs to do a better job of ensuring our current spending on homelessness is effective. As Supervisor, I would work to make better use of the $800M+ we spend on homelessness annually.

Wind Question 5: Do you think Asian voters in your district should vote for you and why?

Lai Answer 5: Asian voters should vote for me because of my competence, demonstrated track record on issues, and my lived and shared experience. As an immigrant I’m running for office to ensure that the immigrant community is represented. As the only native Cantonese speaker running in District 3, I would be proud to double the API representation on the BOS. As a former and only Asian SFMTA Commissioner on that Board, I took on reforms including improving language translation, expanding the budget to hire a bilingual outreach staff for Chinatown, and led advocacy for the first successful free muni and free parking during lunar new year in Chinatown.

(4) District 3 Supervisor Candidate Eduard Navarro

Wind Newspaper Question 1: Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself? What has made you decide to run for your district's next Supervisor?

Navarro Answer 1: With over 20 years of international experience in urban design, finance, and community development, I am committed to addressing the unique challenges our city and district face. As an entrepreneur, I built an investment firm from the ground up, designed new towns, managed cross-border investments, and led infrastructure projects nationally and internationally. My experiences in Atlanta, NY, Saudi Arabia, and Spain have enriched my leadership. I am proud to be Hispanic, LGBT, and fluent in five languages. As your Supervisor, I will leverage my background and experience to bring our city together and defend our values.

Wind Question 2: Public safety is the top priority for the Asian community. Your district covers a number of Asian neighborhoods. What is your plan to combat crimes, especially anti-Asian hate and violence?

Navarro Answer 2: Increased community policing to address immediate safety concerns, increasing police presence in high-crime areas can act as a deterrent to criminal activity. Specifically, we should focus on hiring police officers who speak Cantonese to better serve our Cantonese-speaking residents. These officers should also be encouraged and enabled to live locally, fostering stronger relationships with the community. Improved lighting and surveillance to enhance street lighting and install surveillance cameras in key areas can significantly reduce crime rates. These measures can increase visibility, making it harder for crimes to go unnoticed and unreported. Establishing rapid response teams that can quickly address violent crimes.

Wind Question 3: What is your plan to support the small businesses who have faced huge challenges of losing customers and retail crimes in recent years?

Navarro Answer 3: We should focus on the following strategies, financial assistance and incentives with grants and low-interest loans, tax breaks and incentives for businesses that open in empty storefronts and hire local employees, streamline regulations to simplify and expedite the permitting process for new businesses to encourage entrepreneurship, support for new ventures by providing resources and guidance for startups and small businesses navigating regulatory requirements, promote local shopping, enhance infrastructure and safety, support digital transition, bring back business and leisure tourism.

Wind Question 4: Both residents and businesses are impacted by the related problems from homelessness. How will you handle homelessness in your district?

Navarro Answer 4: Public space is our shared living room, meant for all of us to enjoy, connect, and thrive. It is not an alternative to having a home. Public space belongs to all of us and should not be occupied permanently; it should be clean and safe. We must move away from the dichotomy of the street as an alternative to a home. We need to provide appropriate shelter, housing, and institutional solutions and support services for those experiencing homelessness off the street. Let’s work together to redefine public space as a place for communal engagement and not as a last resort for shelter.

Wind Question 5: Do you think Asian voters in your district should vote for you and why?

Navarro Answer 5: Many Asians residents in District 3, particularly in Chinatown, live in Single Room Occupancies (SRO's) and represent some of the lowest income individuals in our city. Many opportunities for advancement, both with public assistance or the private sector, are lost due to language barrier. However, where others see shortcomings, I see opportunity. I bring the most diverse international experience of any candidate, along with a unique background and vision that will help harness the strength of San Francisco’s Asian community. Together, we can unlock this potential and build a brighter future for all.

(5) District 3 Supervisor Candidate Danny Sauter

Wind Newspaper Question 1: Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself? What has made you decide to run for your district's next Supervisor?

Sauter Answer 1: I’m a 10-year resident of District 3 with a deep background in serving our neighborhoods. I’ve been the President of our neighborhood association, led the effort to start the North Beach Farmers Market, organized monthly street cleanups, and worked with our community centers. I’m running for Supervisor because this district deserves someone who is ready to fight for these neighborhoods and doesn’t only show up in an election year. I’ve spoken to thousands of neighbors who are ready for cleaner streets, safer neighborhoods, and more affordable housing and I’m ready to go to City Hall to deliver progress for them every day.

Wind Question 2: Public safety is the top priority for the Asian community. Your district covers a number of Asian neighborhoods. What is your plan to combat crimes, especially anti-Asian hate and violence?

Sauter Answer 2: As Supervisor, I will lead the work to create safer communities, particularly for the Asian community. We will hire more police officers and 911 dispatchers, with a special focus on expanding language capabilities to prioritize Cantonese and Mandarin law enforcement. I will partner with our District Attorney to make sure her office has all the resources necessary to take hate crime prevention and enforcement seriously. This is not just talk for me. I’ve already been active in working to create safer communities, from rallying against Asian Hate to organizing safety town halls.

Wind Question 3: What is your plan to support the small businesses who have faced huge challenges of losing customers and retail crimes in recent years?

Sauter Answer 3: As someone who has started two small businesses in District 3, I know firsthand that our city makes it too hard on small business owners. We need to completely change the tone from City Hall and see business, large and small, as partners in our economic recovery and in making our city thrive. For new and expanding businesses, we need to make our permitting process easy, clear, and expedited. The city needs to do its job by providing clean and safe streets every day so employees feel safe coming to work and tourists return. I support Prop 36 to make sure we take retail theft more seriously.

Wind Question 4: Both residents and businesses are impacted by the related problems from homelessness. How will you handle homelessness in your district?

Sauter Answer 4: Everyone in San Francisco, from residents and businesses to those on the streets, deserve to get better results for the money we spend on homelessness. Our current approach needs drastic reform. We must consolidate services, audit performance, and establish more clear lines of responsibility and coordination. Today there is too much overlap in services and too few results. I believe our neighborhoods should be clear of tent encampments and we need to use money to invest in recovery programs, shelter beds, and drug-free housing.

Wind Question 5: Do you think Asian voters in your district should vote for you and why?

Sauter Answer 5: I am proud of my record of always showing up for the API community. From learning Cantonese to regularly volunteering with nonprofits in Chinatown and standing up to Asian Hate, I am committed to partnering with this community to improve our city. I will work with leaders and community organizations so that together we can find solutions, from better living conditions in Chinatown SROs to improving internet access for merchants to improving our public schools and making sure families and seniors feel safe walking our streets again.

(6) District 3 Supervisor Candidate Matthew Susk

Wind Newspaper Question 1: Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself? What has made you decide to run for your district's next Supervisor?

Susk Answer 1: I'm a 3rd generation San Franciscan, small business owner, and I’m running for the Board of Supervisors in D3 because San Franciscans deserve safe streets, thriving businesses, and government accountability. I’m not a career politician. I’m a small business owner who loves my hometown. Growing up in District 3, I developed a profound appreciation for San Francisco’s unique culture and challenges. My opponents have tried and failed with the same old insider playbooks. It’s time we try something new. I believe in public safety, cutting costs, and investing in our local economy – and I’ve got the record to prove it. I’ve spent the last decade in the private sector – advising government pension plans, starting a small laundry business right here in San Francisco, and helping thousands of families achieve their dream of homeownership.

Wind Question 2: Public safety is the top priority for the Asian community. Your district covers a number of Asian neighborhoods. What is your plan to combat crimes, especially anti-Asian hate and violence?

Susk Answer 2: Public safety is the number one issue for our neighbors and my number one priority. Everyday, I speak with seniors who are afraid to go out at night. I talk to young families who zig zag across the street as they walk their children to school. That is unacceptable. We must fully fund and fully staff the Police Department. We are over 600 officers short, which means fewer squad cars on the street, fewer dispatchers on duty, and fewer investigators solving crime. We need our first responders to help close the open air drug markets and clear tent encampments, so that San Francisco can reclaim its reputation as the greatest city in the world.

Wind Question 3: What is your plan to support the small businesses who have faced huge challenges of losing customers and retail crimes in recent years?

Susk Answer 3: . As a small business owner, I have first hand experience with the bureaucracy, red tape, and unnecessary fees hurting our businesses. The writing is simply on the wall: sales tax revenue in District 3 is down 21% in 2019. It’s the young chef I met just a few weeks ago who waited patiently and rented a space for over a year, only to have her plans crushed by conditional use. It’s the Whole Foods that would’ve created hundreds of good jobs and added an affordable place to shop on Polk that was blocked by City Hall insiders and outdated interests. We must modernize our approach and provide businesses with the flexibility and support they need to thrive.

Wind Question 4: Both residents and businesses are impacted by the related problems from homelessness. How will you handle homelessness in your district?

Susk Answer 4: We are facing a drug and mental health crisis that is driving homelessness in our community, and we must treat it with urgency. Tackling this issue requires a comprehensive approach, addressing both the supply and demand sides of the problem. On the supply side, I believe we must prioritize arresting and incarcerating drug dealers who are poisoning our streets. For the demand side, we need to provide recovery on demand, ensuring anyone who wants to get clean has immediate access to treatment. I will advocate for opening more transition housing and funding our homeward bound program to reunite individuals with support systems. Additionally, we should explore opening recovery facilities outside city limits to reduce the temptation from street dealers and give people a real chance at recovery. This multi-pronged strategy is essential to restoring dignity to our streets and helping our homeless neighbors.

Wind Question 5: Do you think Asian voters in your district should vote for you and why?

Susk Answer 5: As an outsider, I am committed to returning San Francisco to its former glory. My top priority is public safety. I will work to ensure our neighborhoods are safe for families, businesses, and all residents. Small businesses are the backbone of our city, and I will be a strongest advocate for their success. I bring a results-driven approach and will hold government officials accountable for their actions. I am committed to transparency and effectiveness.

*Editor's Note:

Wind Newspaper, an English and Chinese bilingual weekly news publication based in San Francisco, was launched during the pandemic in 2020 with a goal to keep the Chinese and Asian community members informed with local news and be the voice for them.

In a major election year in 2024, while most of the local news media coverage is focused on the mayoral race in San Francisco for the November 5 election, Wind Newspaper is interested in helping San Francisco Asian voters who make up 37% of the population to know more of the candidates who are running for Supervisor positions in six districts where all of them cover the Asian populated neighborhoods.

Wind Newspaper sent a questionnaire with the same five questions to all 34 supervisor candidates and provided two different deadlines to accommodate their busy schedules.

Wind Newspaper publishes the Supervisor Candidate Forum in both English and Chinese languages. Some answers in Chinese were submitted by candidates, some were translated by Wind Newspaper. Some answers were edited due to the length of their submissions.

Seven candidates who have not responded or answered to our questionnaires are Allen Jones and Scotty Jacobs running for District 5 Supervisor, Edward Yee for District 7, Julian Bermudez and H. Brown for District 9, Oscar Flores and Roger Marenco for District 11.