Supervisor Aaron Peskin, already a known candidate, made it official on Saturday: He is running for mayor of San Francisco.
In a maelstrom of supporters , Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, already a known candidate, made it official on Saturday: He is running for mayor of San Francisco.
Before the rally, a few dozen protesters gathered outside of Portsmouth Square. They alternated between the more traditional “Hey hey, ho ho, Aaron Peskin has got to go!” and a more sporty-sounding “Pesky Peskin!” They held up signs ranging from “Aaron Peskin: Not in My Backyard” to “Anybody but Peskin” to, more enigmatically, “Peskin: The Trump of the West.” Many of them carried fly-swatters, which they whacked against their signs for emphasis.
And with that, by 11:40 a.m, it was over. The crowd dispersed into the sunny afternoon, leaving behind a sea of white folding chairs. It’s wonderful to see so many friends here in Portsmouth square, the heart of San Francisco’s Chinese community, and the birthplace of our city. Thank you so much to each and every one of you for coming. And thank you Mr. Win Ho Leung for your kind introduction.
I know that recovery is not something you do alone. You do it together. And recovery only works when we are honest with ourselves and each other. And I know that recovery is not about anger and hatred. It’s not about harboring grudges and pursuing petty vendettas. To recover, you need to be firm, and draw clear lines, but always stay compassionate
Let’s talk first about crime and public safety. It’s not enough to make people safe. We have to make people feel safe, too. But what we have seen from this administration and its allies is an effort to make people feel afraid, for their own political gain. We have seen an administration try to solve crime by press release, instead of policy. To make this city safe, we need a change. Right here in this neighborhood, I have stood up for safety. Stood up against hate crimes.
I will create a schools-to-officers pipeline to recruit people directly from our communities into the police force, so that students get a college education and our neighborhoods are kept safe by police officers who understand them and respect them. And I will finally establish citywide community policing, that has been long-promised but never realized with foot patrols and community ambassadors in every neighborhood.
My approach to homelessness will be based on four pillars: Prevention, shelter, treatment and housing. Prevention and shelter are critical. We often hear that substance abuse and mental health problems cause homelessness. But, just as often, these problems only become acute after people lose their homes and are forced to the street. By keeping people housed, we can stop the downward spiral before it happens.
The final pillar is to build affordable housing. The State of California has said that San Francisco must build 46,000 units of affordable housing in the next eight years. 46,000 units. This requirement — not the 36,000 market-rate homes also required — will be the most difficult, and the most important, to achieve.
As Mayor, I will continue to support housing at all income levels. The state requires us to approve 36,000 market rate homes in the next 8 years, and I will lead the efforts to get that job done. And I will say, if you look at the candidates running for Mayor, I am the candidate who is actually most likely — not least likely — to build the most housing this city possibly can. Why? Because I know how to bring people together and forge consensus.
This is just some of my vision to help the city we love. There will be many, many more. We will run a citywide, grassroots campaign. In every neighborhood, every community, and every corner of this city. I intend to listen to the voters I meet, and bring their ideas for recovery into our campaign. Aaron Peskin, running for mayor, sells himself as a man in recovery for a city in need of recovery. Will voters buy that?Consider donating to Mission Local today. We're a nonprofit newsroom that has been covering San Francisco since 2008, digging deep to bring you the political analysis, investigative stories, follow-up reporting, and neighborhood news you won't get elsewhere.
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