Yes on G, No on F Rally Draws Hundreds

On April 26, hundreds of Bayview-Hunters Point residents packed the Marketplace Fellowship Church on Innes Avenue, just down the road from the abandoned Shipyard. People took time out of their bright Saturday mornings to hear community leaders and politicians argue in favor of Proposition G--and against Proposition F--on this June's ballot.

A Clear Difference

	Senator Feinstein talks with Yes on G supporters about the positive impact it will have on their lives.

Supporters at the kick-off rally included Senator Dianne Feinstein, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell, and Rev. Gary Banks, pastor at Marketplace Fellowship Church. The speakers emphasized Proposition G's potential to deliver tangible results and real opportunity to the community--unlike Proposition F, a competing ballot measure.

Senator Feinstein remarked that while the whole city of San Francisco is voting, many of its residents are not aware of what's at stake. "I've been around a long time, and I'm not easily fooled. Proposition F is a divide-and-conquer measure."

"'G' is good and green, and 'F' is for failure," proclaimed Supervisor Maxwell. "If (Proposition) F passes, G will not be able to go forward."

Mayor Newsom spoke of change at the Shipyard being promised for decades and declared that he saw the community's goal of renewal within reach for the first time with Proposition G. "At the end of the day, what matters are the resources to make the change."

Senator Feinstein endorsed Proposition G's plan for jobs, parks and housing for current residents as well as new projects, saying, "You have an ironclad commitment from the Mayor that no one will be displaced."

Asked why he supports Proposition G, Reverend Banks, a San Francisco native, replied that he sees it as a chance "To really complete the city as it relates to the diversity that's here. I think it's going to open up opportunities--long-term sustainability for people to live here and stay here."

Long-Overdue Resources

Supervisor Maxwell, who represents Bayview-Hunters Point's District 10, believes that "Proposition G is truly a good thing--not just for the people to come, but for the people who are here now. It's for better transportation. It's for convenient shopping. It's for convenient jobs. It's about walking around in your community. It's about going to parks and a lot of things that people in other communities take for granted."

Cheryl Smith, director of community affairs for Lennar Urban, drew a cheer from the crowd when she asked, "Why shouldn't this community have natural amenities for peace and serenity when we need it? We should have options about how we want to live."

Bayview-Hunters Point residents have long been in need of healthy places to enjoy the outdoors. Both women expressed their confidence in Proposition G's plan to create more than 300 acres of parks and open space.

Community Involvement is Key

"As African-Americans, we weren't supposed to be standing up here. We were thrown away...but we changed that," Maxwell told rally participants. "This goes deep, and it's up to you," she added, urging community members to join the campaign on behalf of Proposition G.

A young man who grew up in Hunters Point had similar thoughts on voting yes on G. Twenty-five year-old Micah Allen said, "What gets me excited is that it will allow for everybody to come together and knock out some of the segregation that's been happening, that we have today. So it'll include everyone. No matter who you are, what background you have, you can be a part of this community. We have the opportunity to expand the city and expand the community on a broad scale. And get rid of the toxic mess that exists today."

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