Opinion

OP-ED: We Will Not Sell the Soul of Our City

Published

8 years ago

November 6, 2015

San Franciscans are celebrating Aaron Peskin’s victory in the District 3 Supervisor’s race, in San Francisco, and they have spoken clearly and loudly.

We will NOT sell our souls nor the future of our city to the disdainful and repulsive campaign waged by Peskin’s opponent Julie Christensen and Mayor Ed Lee, who appointed her in January 2015.

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Her campaign junk mails were disingenuous and distorted Peskin’s legislative and community advocacy records.

One junk mail even had the audacity to use the “race baiting card” strategy of employing a racist anti-Chinese graffiti, “No More Chinese,” and declaring, “Do You Want Justice?”

The junk mails and campaign attacked Peskin personally, rather than addressed the main issues confronting San Francisco, such as, how to prevent further evictions of people from their homes and how to create more affordable housing in San Francisco.

Billionaires pumped a lot of cash into the campaign to try to defeat Peskin.

Julie Christensen, Mayor Lee and their deep-pocketed financial backers were surely deluded to think that this election and the soul of San Francisco were for sale. They only insulted the intelligence of the people of the City of St. Francis.

Other San Franciscans and I look forward to Supervisor Peskin providing new leadership at City Hall. San Francisco needs his leadership, integrity and commitment to working for what is best for the people of the city.

Peskin’s victory means the Board of Supervisors will not have to bow down anymore.

On election night, Aaron Peskin, his volunteers and supporters holding blue and yellow “Peskin for Supervisor” signs, and I stood on the corner of Columbus Avenue and Union Street in North Beach, while San Franciscans drove by honking their horns.

Among us were Carl Nolte, a highly respected journalist, State Senator Mark Leno and former Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, who represented the predominantly African American Bayview and Hunters Point District.

It is a new day at City Hall – let the principles of democratic governance return to our city.

Anh Le is a writer and independent journalist.