From the June 2008 Newsletter:

Prop. 98 goes down, but the fight for fairness continues, and SPOSFI is there
By Noni Richen, President

Fellow small property owners and supporters, thank you for all the effort and dedication you put into working for Prop. 98. Prop 98 would have ushered in the beginning of the end of rent control, clearly a government taking that forces a group of private citizens to assume what should be government’s role—supporting needy renters. We, a tiny minority, did all that we could have done. We can now hold our heads up and go forward with our efforts to achieve fairness. The only other alternative is to do nothing and accept things as they are. Our organization would not have existed these past 10 years if the status quo were an acceptable situation.

Electing moderate supervisors is top priority We have a vital and challenging task before us right now. The November San Francisco Board of Supervisor elections, with seven seats open, offers a rare opportunity for SF property owners to change the tenor of the Board by electing moderates in two or three seats and supporting moderate candidates in districts that have elected moderates in the past. Two seats, D3 (Peskin) and D1 (McGoldrick), and possibly D11 (Sandoval), offer strong moderate possibilities already; electing a reasonable, sensible candidate in even one of these districts would be a major victory for a livable San Francisco that is not the laughingstock of the rest of the nation.

We will be calling on each of our members to contribute time, and—if possible—money, to effect this change. We will ask everyone to volunteer in a candidate’s campaign office. Everyone can do something– man telephone banks, stuff envelopes, solicit donations, shuttle our housebound members to offices. We will wear pins that identify us as members of SPOSF (our lobbying organization), so the candidates will recognize that our endorsement means more than words on paper. If you live in one of the targeted districts, consider holding a house party for our candidate. Other members and the SPOSF board of directors will assist you. Supervisory elections are very dependent upon grassroots efforts. What may seem like an inconsequential effort can, in fact, be powerful, introducing our endorsed candidate to all of your friends and neighbors. Right now, we need to hear from members who know they want to help in contacting other members. It doesn’t matter which district you call home; helping in the targeted districts will benefit us all. Don’t wait for us to contact you, because we might not know about your talents. Please send us a note at info@smallprop.org or phone us at (415) 647-2419. The fruits of our efforts will be apparent in 2009 and far beyond.

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