November 2022 Milk PAC Recommendations Are Here!

Thank you to everyone who showed up to our August PAC meeting! At the meeting, we finished up our candidate interviews, discussed candidates and measures, and cast our ballots for Milk PAC endorsement recommendations, which will be voted on by our general membership at our next meeting. The Milk PAC's recommendations are:  

Local Races & Measures

• Board of Supervisors
  • District 2:  PAC has no recommendation  
  • District 4:  PAC recommends Gordon Mar
  • District 6:  PAC recommends Honey Mahogany 
  • District 8:  PAC recommends Rafael Mandelman
  • District 10:  PAC recommends Shamann Walton
• District Attorney:  PAC has no recommendation 
• Public Defender:  PAC recommends Mano Raju 
• School Board:  PAC recommends Alida Fisher & Karen Fleshman
• City College Board:  PAC recommends Vick Chung, Anita Martinez, Susan Solomon
• Assessor-Recorder:  PAC recommends Joaquin Torres
• Ballot Measures
  • PAC has no position on: 
    • City Approval of Affordable Housing
    • Homelessness Oversight Commission 
  • PAC recommends yes on: 
    • Affordable Housing Production Act
    • Library Preservation Fund
    • Public Works Department and Commission, Sanitation and Streets Department Commission
    • City Elections in Even-Numbered Years
    • Retiree Supplemental Cost of Living Adjustment; Retirement Board Contract with Executive Director
    • Student Success Fund 
    • Tax on Keeping Residential Units Vacant
    • Gross Receipts Taxes for Guaranteed Income Programs & Small Business Assistance 
    • Additional Parcel Tax for City College 
    • Ordinance: Golden Gate Park Underground Parking Facility; Golden Gate Park Concourse Authority
    • Ordinance: Golden Gate Park Access and Safety Program 
    • Sales Tax for Transportation Authority
  • PAC recommends no on: 
    • Uses of the Great Highway and JFK Drive

State Races & Measures 

• Assembly District 17:  PAC recommends Matt Haney 
• Board of Equalization Member, District 2:  PAC recommends Sally J. Leiber
• BART Director, District 8:  PAC recommends Janice Li
• Lieutenant Governor:  PAC recommends Eleni Kounalakis
• Treasurer:  PAC has no recommendation 
• Ballot Measures: 
  • PAC recommends yes on:
    • Proposition 1, which would codify reproductive freedom under the California Constitution 
    • Proposition 26, which would allow federally recognized Native American tribes to operate roulette, dice games, wagering on tribal lands
    • Proposition 28, which would provide additional arts and music education funding to public schools
    • Proposition 29, which would require kidney dialysis centers to have licensed medical professionals on-site and other regulations
    • Proposition 30, which would increase tax on personal income above $2 million to fund programs to reduce green gas emissions
  • PAC recommends no on:
    • Proposition 27, which would legalize online and mobile sports betting over the internet and mobile devices 
    • Proposition 31, which is a referendum challenging a 2020 law prohibiting the retail sale of certain flavored tobacco (see Club statement on this measure)

East Bay Races 

• Alameda County Board of Supervisors, District 3:  PAC recommends Rebecca Kaplan
• AC Transit Board of Directors At-Large:  PAC recommends Alfred Twu

Check out all of our endorsement interviews and questionnaires here.

The Future of the Castro Theatre

Join members of the Milk Club and other community members on Thursday, August 11, at 6pm in the Castro Theatre (429 Castro St), for a Castro Theatre Town Hall Meeting. What will become of San Francisco’s iconic Castro Theatre, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary? After the theater’s new management team announced in January vaguely-worded plans for significant renovations and upgrades set to begin in 2023, many feared that concerts and conferences would become the norm and the 1,400 seat venue’s days as primarily a movie palace and as a host of LGBTQ+ events were numbered. Theater reps are hosting a free event on Thursday night to share their future plans in detail and have a Q&A to listen to the public’s concerns.  

The Castro Theatre Community Coalition and the Castro Theatre Conservancy put together some talking points and proposed questions for members, which you can access here.      

August General Membership Meeting

Join the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club on August 16, from 7pm to 9pm, for our August General Membership Meeting in person at Milk-SF (302 Valencia) and online at bit.ly/milkmeeting!

We'll be making our final endorsements for the November election, including all San Francisco races where we haven't already made an endorsement, plus AC Transit Board At-Large and Alameda County Board of Supervisors District 3. We'll also vote on nominations to the Milk Executive Board for Recorder and two At-Large Officer positions! Don't miss it!

As always, this is a hybrid meeting and will take place both in-person and on Zoom. All in-person attendees must show proof of vaccination to enter and wear a mask throughout the event. If you are unvaccinated, have any symptoms of Covid-19, or are uncomfortable meeting in person, we invite you to register and join us on Zoom at bit.ly/milkmeeting.

August Milk Happy Hour

It's time for another Milk Club Happy Hour on Tuesday, August 16 at 9pm, right after our General Membership Meeting. Mozy over to Martuni's (4 Valencia St) and let your hair down with us! You can RSVP on Facebook at bit.ly/milkhh. Questions? Reach out to [email protected].