San Franciso Women's Political Committee

The weekend of August 28th, SFWPC’s Endorsements Committee met over a rigorous round of candidate interviews and ballot measure debates in order to provide endorsement recommendations to our membership for a vote, which took place on Tuesday, August 31st.  The Membership vote was very well attended, as usual, and the overwhelming majority of the Endorsement Committee recommendations were approved.

For more photos, please see our Facebook page.

Thank you, everyone, for making Summer in the City 2010 so great!

When I said that this year’s Summer in the City event looked like it would be the best summer party yet, I had no idea what we were in store for! A brand new location with a heated patio facing the iconic North Beach provided the perfect festive atmosphere for our guests.

Our featured honorees reminded us why we do what we do: “Woman Warrior” District Attorney Kamala Harris said “this is home”; “Champion” Board President David Chiu said that throughout his political career, SFWPC has always been a partner; and Woman to Watch” Navy Reserve Commander (Ret.) Zoe Dunning asked everyone to turn to a woman and thank them for their hard work and perseverance.

We have 50+ new members excited to do the work of electing women. This year promises to be a huge political success thanks to all your dedication and enthusiasm for our common cause. I want to thank all of our new members, Board and Committee members, our fantastic crew of volunteers, the staff at Enrico’s, and of course, our amazing and generous sponsorsfor making this Summer in the City so successful!  We look forward to working with you all in the months to come.

A big THANK YOU to our sponsors – we couldn’t have done this without your support!!

Oval Office
SEIU 1021

Speaker of the House
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
State Senator Leland Yee
State Senator Mark Leno
Assemblywoman Fiona Ma
Janet Reilly
Platinum Advisors

Speaker of the Assembly
City Attorney Dennis Herrera
Hon. Carole Migden
Undersheriff Chris Cunnie
Melanie Nutter
Debra Walker
Rebecca Prozan
Malia Cohen
Barbary Coast Consulting
Terris, Barnes & Walters
Hope Road Consulting
Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates
Jim Ross Political Consulting

SFWPC Champion
Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting
Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi
Democratic Women In Action
San Francisco School Board Member Kim-Shree Maufas
Rafael Mandelman
Michael Nava
Community College Board Trustee Chris Jackson
Community College Board Trustee John Rizzo
Heidi Sieck
Catalina Ruiz-Healy
Annie Eagan
Benj Jurcisin
Leah Pimentel
Caroine Alain Rodman
Lynna Do
Meghan Doran
Kristine Enea

The San Francisco Women’s Political Committee is poised to transform the political conversation throughout this busy and exciting year. Our 2010 objectives are 1) increase representation of women in San Francisco leadership, 2) advance gender parity policy and legislation and 3) lead the sustainability of the women’s movement in San Francisco.

We hope you don’t miss a moment. Be a part of SFWPC! Please stay in touch, check our calendar of events frequently and become our friend and supporter on our social media networks – SFWPC Twitter, SFWPC Facebook, and SFWPC LinkedIn.

SFWPC has the pleasure of announcing our brand new Policy Chair, Dr. Amy Bacharach. Amy comes to the Board of Directors from the Policy Subcommittee, where she has worked on many of our successful policy initiatives for almost 2 years. Amy will replace our former Policy Chair, Shakari Byerli, who has served an extraordinary term of 1.5 years and whose dedication and hard work leave SFWPC a legacy of true leadership and collaboration. Shakari will now serve on the Policy Subcommittee in order to continue her policy development work, as well as focus on her professional projects. We are incredibly proud to have a former subcommittee member as our new Policy Chair and are looking forward to working with Amy for the remainder of the year!

March, the National Women’s History Month, is drawing to a rewarding close, and there are still many opportunities to honor the courageous women leaders who have paved our path to success by endorsing, empowering, and electing the prominent women who will help to build our future.

I’m talking about your sister, daughter, best friend, mother, partner, mentor, and mentee; she will be the loud and unrelenting voice of your values, but we must first rally behind her to show that our network is strong, our members are ready for action, and our hearts are generous.

Every time you show up to an event to support a woman candidate, you’re helping to strengthen the legacy of the first woman in congress, the first female mayor of San Francisco, and the first female Speaker of the House. Every time you donate to a woman candidate, you’re becoming an active part of politics that we can all believe in.

This year, we will raise money. We will walk precincts. We will meet each other, collaborate on ideas, and enact policy. We will fight to keep women and families in San Francisco, and we will elect women.

Please join SFWPC in transforming the Women’s History Month into the Women’s History Year.

Contact: Brendan Daly/Nadeam Elshami/Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616
Monday, March 1, 2010

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement in recognition of Women’s History Month, which begins today.

“During Women’s History Month we remember the trailblazers who reached for the ballot, demanded equal rights, and paved the path for progress. Yet we also recall the silent heroes of our history – the women who pay the bills, take their kids to school, and bring home a paycheck in this challenging economy without any accolades or recognition. Every day, they inspire us to act. As a mother and grandmother, I know that their actions make America a better place for the mothers, sisters, and daughters of all generations.

“It is in their name that we continue the fight for quality, affordable health insurance for all. Women are the primary consumers of health care for their families; they pay more for care and face greater discrimination in the insurance market. And when we pass health reform legislation, unfair practices will end; insurance abuses will be a thing of the past; and being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing condition.

“It is on behalf of these women that the 111th Congress has made putting Americans back to work a top priority – especially at a time when women have surpassed men as the majority of the workforce. It’s why we passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, ensuring all workers have access to our judicial system when harmed by discrimination. And it is for them that we will work to make equal pay for equal work more than a promise, but a core principle of our economic future.

“Women’s History Month honors the giants of American history. But it must also recognize all of our country’s women – those who strive to make the dream of equality a reality on a daily basis. This March and throughout the year, Congress must keep fighting to ensure that the voices of America’s women maintain their central place in our country’s past, present, and future.”

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Despite the early endorsements SFWPC has already made in several races, we still have many more to endorse. The November ballot promises to be intensely measure-heavy, so we have re-organized our Board of Directors to add a Co-Chair to the Endorsements Chair position.

SFWPC proudly welcomes two active members to our Board of Directors: Leah Rowell and Michelle Myers will both take on the extensive duties of the role of Secretary as our current Secretary Susan McIntyre moves to the Endorsements Co-Chair position.

Leah Rowell will serve as Secretary Recording, and Michelle Myers will serve as Secretary Corresponding. We are looking forward to the many exciting things we will be able to accomplish this year. What an amazing Board!

Congratulations to our award winners: SFWPC Leader of the Year Betty Yee, Legislator of the Year Senator Leland Yee and SFWPC Woman of the Year Sueanne McNeil Biotti.

AND NOW, my friends, it is my great honor to close our program as the newly elected 2010 president of the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee.

First I want to thank all of the co-hosting women’s organizations for coming out tonight and our amazing sponsors.

Good Ol’ Girls, Emerge California, Filipina Women’s Network, National Organization of Women – SF Chapter, NARAL Pro-Choice California, and NWPC Marin

Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Congresswoman Jackie Speier
Board of Equalization Chairwoman Betty Yee
Assemblywoman Fiona Ma
State Senator Leland Yee

Platinum Advisors, GreenDog Campaigns, Democratic Women’s Forum, Hope Road Consulting, BergDavis Public Affairs, The California Group, Laura Spanjian, Janet Reilly, Benj Jurcisin, Linda Colfax, Kristine Enea, Malia Cohen, Leslie Katz, Rebecca Prozan, Debra Walker, Mary Silver, Bonnie Jean von Krogh
Linda Richardson

This is an extraordinary time to be working in San Francisco politics. It’s going to be a year of great challenges and great opportunities. I’ll be honest, I’m really excited for the potential to elect great candidates in the 2010 elections, I’m terrified about the local budget deficit and I’m concerned about the absence of leadership in some areas of local government. And that is all that I will say about that.

We are calling 2010 the Year of the Woman. But that means many different things to each of us in this room.

Through the past three women’s policy summits, we’ve come understand that the women’s movement in San Francisco is so much more than female candidates and women’s issue. “Women’s Issues” as a separate concept don’t necessarily exist any more. Women are half of the planet. EVERYTHING effects us.

So I think that I speak for all of us in this room when I say that we are committed to supporting candidates and developing policy that is RATIONAL, KIND and represents the voices of half of humanity.

If we are going to be successful in this endeavor at all – and by successful, I mean that we eventually end up in a better place from where we started – we MUST build networks and relationships that are strong and collaborations built on respect, common purpose and trust.

I don’t know if this is even possible in politics, but I BELIEVE that it could be here in San Francisco. Let’s strive for this, shall we? Because we have so much to do.

So please raise your glass, my friends, to 2010 The Year of Women and the Year of Working Together as we never have before. Thank you for all that you do. I look forward to working with you all.

Up with the Matriarchy. And please don’t forget to tip your bartendar.

Heidi Sieck
San Francisco Women’s Political Committee
2009 Vice President
2010 President

We are extremely proud to tell you that during the San Francisco Women’s Holiday Party 2009 the SFWPC membership overwhelmingly approved our early endorsement of Janet Reilly for District 2 Supervisor, 2010; Carmen Chu for District 4 Supervisor, 2010; and Debra Walker for District 6 Supervisor, 2010. We have truly kicked off the Year of the Woman, and we are more hopeful about 2010 than ever.

We are pleased to announce that the SFWPC membership also approved the proposed SFWPC Board of Directors for 2010. Please welcome your new board:

President – Heidi Sieck
Vice President – Catalina Ruiz-Healy
Secretary – Susan McIntyre
Treasurer – Jacqueline Piccini
Policy Chair – Shakari Byerly
Endorsements Chair – Frances Hsieh
Endorsements Vice-Chair – Summer Graham
Fundraising Chair – Annie Eagan
Public Relations Chair – Kay Vasilyeva
Membership Outreach Chair/Programs Co-Chair – Ellen Hong
Programs Co-Chair – Leah Pimental
Programs Co-Chair – Suzy Loftus
Advisory Board Chair – Jaynry Mak
Advisory Board Special Projects Co-Chair – Melanie Nutter
Advisory Board Special Projects Co-Chair – Benj Jurcisin

We hope to serve you well and make 2010 the best year for electing women and promoting our bottom line issues.

If you are interested in getting involved in any aspect of the work done by SFWPC, please consider joining a Subcommittee! It’s a great way to flex your skills and influence politics in San Francisco. Please inquire by emailing Membership Outreach Chair Ellen Hong at membership@sfwpc.org.

The following items on the November 2009 General Election Ballot were voted on by our membership at our monthly meeting on October 14, 2009, 6:00-8:00 pm, at Soluna Bar and Lounge (272 McAllister Street @ Larkin Street). Members also voted to early-endorse Kamala Harris for California Attorney General and Betty Yee for Re-Election to the State Board of Equalization.

For more information about our endorsement process, contact SFWPC Endorsements Chair, Frances Hsieh at frances@sfwpc.org

Official SFWPC Endorsements
November 3, 2009 General Election

Ballot Measures:

A – 2-year Budget Process
SUPPORT (YES)
A more thoughtful approach to City budgeting, this legislation will require more long term planning, which can help offset the impact of economic downturns on funding streams for women, children’s, and family services. This measure would also better align the City’s deadlines for labor contract approvals with the City’s budget process.

B – Board of Supervisors Aides
SUPPORT (YES)
This measure removes charter references to the number of Supervisor’s aides. This would offer greater opportunity to a key policy position and more capacity for district offices to work on policy and constituent issues.

C – Candlestick Park Naming Rights
OPPOSE (NO)
San Francisco voters have overwhelmingly defeated this measure in the past. This measure also restricts funding to the Recreation and Park Department to an overly narrow set-aside.

D – Mid-Market Special Sign District
SUPPORT (YES)
The committee was divided on this controversial proposal that aims to revitalize a neglected section of Market Street between 5th and 7th Streets by amending a 2002 ballot measure where that banned new commercial advertising. This proposal encourages more theater and arts uses in the mid-Market area by offering a financial incentive to property owners to rent to community/arts groups. It also puts City permitting into the hands of a private entity – the Community Benefits District Board.

E – Limiting Advertising on City Property
SUPPORT (YES)
This measure codifies a previous voter mandate to prohibit new general advertising on City property.

Local Candidates:

Dennis Herrera, City Attorney – YES
Jose Cisneros, Treasurer – YES

Early Endorsements
June 8, 2010 Primary Election

The SFWPC Board of Directors is recommending the Early Endorsement of Kamala Harris for California Attorney General and Betty Yee for Re-Election to the California Board of Equalization. SFWPC has endorsed both of these candidates in the past and has a long history of working with them.

Kamala Harris, CA Attorney General
Betty Yee, Board of Equalization, Seat 1