By Avery Yu and Jen Snyder–
They say in politics you can judge someone by their enemies as much as by their friends. That’s why at Red Bridge Strategies, where we proudly specialize in running leftist ballot measures, we’ve found comfort in running some of the only ballot measures with opposition from corporate landlords and major corporations who don’t want to pay their fair share to help our city’s economic recovery.
Yes on H – Double Voter Participation for working people, people of color, and young people
Yes on O – Invest in workforce training and education at City College
Yes on M – Fill some of the 58,000 Vacant Homes in San Francisco
Measures M, O, and H are all by and for working people in San Francisco, and spearheaded by some of the strongest unions, active neighbors, and community organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America—we’re working for a city shaped by the people who live here, not the corporate forces responsible for driving out working San Franciscans.
So, what are we really up against? Surprise: the opposition to these historic tax-the-rich measures are the ones who will be … taxed. These are the wealthiest players in our city, including big corporations and those who represent the largest landlords in SF.
While San Francisco has always been a champion for progressive taxes, this year is a moment of truth for our city’s electorate. What we’re facing now in a political climate where we no longer have the anxious energy of Trump as president is that voters are feeling the squeeze of inflation, and a deep fatigue of slogging through five elections in the past year. This is an electorate that is too tired to participate.
We feel you, San Francisco; we need a break. There’s so much to keep track of on the ballot and voters are experiencing some very real fatigue. Historically, odd year elections have half the turnout compared to regular even years—so moving elections to even years with Prop H will double the turnout for the people we want to have a voice in the future of our city: people of color, low-income people, and young people, all while giving us a break in 2023.
And imagine if we demanded that the corporate landlords hoarding 58,000 vacant units in buildings with over 3 units will either put them on the market or pay for more affordable housing construction? That’s Prop M. Picture a city with Prop O—where only the largest corporations returned the favor for the mountains of cash they made through the tech-boom and ensured that every San Franciscan has access to a quality education and workforce training at city college.
You don’t have to imagine it … but only if you vote. And if it makes you pissed that it’s even a question of why we would fund those things, here’s the San Francisco League of Pissed Off Voters Guide to help you vote on all the issues:
Avery Yu and Jen Snyder are the Co-Founders of Red Bridge Strategies, a political consulting firm specializing in leftist ballot measures, public persuasion campaigns, and democratic socialist candidates. https://www.redbridgewins.com/
Out of Left Field
Published on October 20, 2022
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