2016 SF DCCC Endorsement Questionnaire
NAME: OFFICE RUNNING FOR: CAMPAIGN ADDRESS: CAMPAIGN CONTACT AND CELL PHONE: EMAIL ADDRESS:
Rob Geller Board of Education 1380 Howard Street, SF, CA 94103 Rob Geller 415-‐255-‐3781
[email protected]
Instructions Please complete this questionnaire and send electronic copies by end of business on August 9th, 2016 to
[email protected]. The 2016 endorsement interviews for candidates will take place during a special meeting of Saturday, August 13th, from 9:30am-‐1pm, at 209 Golden Gate Ave. The SFDCCC’s endorsement vote will occur the meeting of the SF Democratic Party at the Milton Marks Auditorium, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA on Wednesday, August 17th, at 6pm. Only candidates who return a completed questionnaire electronically by 5pm on August 10, 2016 will be allowed to present before the committee. At the time of the interview, you may also provide 15 copies of up to 4 pages of information for distribution to SFDCCC members. While it may seem that some of these questions do not apply to the office you are seeking, they represent Democratic Party principles and since you may run for higher office where these questions will be relevant, we would like them addressed. We will distribute the questionnaires to the DCCC members and post them on the S.F. Democratic Party’s website (at http://www.sfdemocrats.org) for the public to view.
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General Questions 1.
Are you a registered Democrat? Yes: X
2.
No:
When did you first register as a Democrat? 1978
3.
Who did you vote for in the last two Presidential general elections? O!
4.
Have you ever voted for or endorsed a non-‐Democrat in an election? Yes:
No: X
If “Yes,” who? When?
5.
Please provide a brief summary of your qualifications for this office. (No more than 200 words.) The explicit role of the San Francisco Board of Education is Citizen Oversight, and I am a Citizen of San Francisco, for 30 years! As the parent of two children in the San Francisco Unified School District, I have a substantial interest in the success of our schools. I have worked for 17 years for the City and County of San Francisco in Public Health Finance, doing complex transactions with the State, maximizing funding streams so over 100 agencies can provide much-‐needed Mental Health services to tens of thousands of San Franciscans. I come from a family of teachers, including my wife, and my brother Lou Geller, who taught in our great District for many years. I am a member of Dearborn Community Garden, the Mission Dolores Neighborhood Association, and SEIU 1021, and have been a SF Youthworks mentor to High School students exploring careers in Public Health. 2
8.
Please describe your contributions to the Democratic Party at the local, state and or/national level in the last 4 years. (No more than 200 words.) I most recently worked for the candidacy of Bernie Sanders for President, and have worked on various campaigns for, contributed money to, and voted for hundreds of Democrats over the years.
9.
If elected, what are the three top issues you will work to affect? (No more than 200 words.) I will strive to make San Francisco livable for teachers and staff, by working to repeal Proposition 13, which unfairly starves the school of Property Tax revenue, by building new teacher housing, and by working to protect and expand Rent Control. I want to make San Francisco the first large School District in the nation to go to an All-‐Organic Cafeteria! It’s being done successfully in a small District a few miles north of here, and is positively transformative! And surprisingly affordable. Let’s not just feed the kids, but truly nourish them! I can’t wait to get a pilot started in our district. As a musician, I would like to see more music teachers in the Elementary Schools! I’d like to see if we can increase instrumental music instruction from once to at least twice a week, and start earlier than 4th grade. Learning and playing music is invaluable for brain and social development. Let’s hire more music teachers! 3
10. What have you done to mentor women and people of color in your field? (No more than 200 words.) In the workplace, I have been a mentor for High School students of color exploring careers in Public Health, through the SF Youthworks program. As a highly-‐engaged father of two daughters in the SFUSD schools, and husband of a full-‐time classroom teacher, I feel strongly that girls and women should have the same opportunities as their male counterparts, and work daily toward that end. As Commissioner, I will focus on hiring more teachers and principals of color, because what better role model for a student of color than the teacher or principal standing right in front of them! 11. Please list the organizations and elected officials who have endorsed you. The San Francisco Democratic Party?
Issues Questions Please only mark whether you SUPPORT or OPPOSE each position. QUESTION
SUPPORT
1. Do you support or oppose a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion?
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X
OPPOSE
2. Do you support or oppose affirmative action?
X
3. Do you support or oppose privatization of essential government services?
X
4. Do you support or oppose expanding rent control to post-‐1979 buildings? 5. Do you support or oppose San Francisco’s sanctuary city policy?
X
X
If you need to add further explanation or qualification to any of your support-‐or-‐oppose answers above, you may do so here:
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