Thread by @AsterZephyrIsis

A little thread on what just happened with the position of San Francisco mayor tonight for those who missed it or haven't been paying attention:

San Francisco just followed its charter by voting to remove the "interim" mayor (London Breed) who will be running for election in June, and to appoint a temporary "caretaker" mayor, who is NOT later running for mayor.

If London Breed continued as interim mayor, she would have four jobs/positions of power: District 5 Supervisor, President of the Board of Supervisors, Interim Mayor, and full-time Mayoral candidate.

Working with someone who is the Mayor, President of the Board, D5 Supervisor and a running candidate would be "a lobbyist's dream" said someone who spoke in favor of putting her position to a vote.

Aside from being a "lobbyist's dream", Breed's consolidated political power,and established recognition as mayor would give her an unfair advantage when it comes to actually running for mayor in a democratic election.

London Breed is a Black woman who grew up in a San Francisco housing project. She is also a groomed establishment politician with conservative politics who supports real estate developers, tech companies, and the police.

London Breed has given away properties to market-rate developers, reneged on affordable housing promises and increased police activity in the Fillmore- Western Addition, her historically-Black and rapidly gentrifying district.

Here London Breed is proposing that San Francisco re-join the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. San Francisco left the task force after Trump's election and Breed wants to "reevaluate":
sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/12/26/pie…

Here London Breed is working to put more uniformed and plainclothes police on the street to prevent property crimes, which means the surveillance and profiling of people of color in San Francisco:
sfmayor.org/article/acting…

London Breed has given *zero* support to African American seniors on San Francisco's longest-running rent strike at Midtown Park Apartments. She's made no moves on reparations for Black tenants & homeowners for home equity stolen through Redevelopment:
48hills.org/2016/09/15879/

As a result of having a Left populace, San Francisco City politics are strongly identitarian and Democratic-party based. There are no Republicans, only "progressives" and moderate democrats (like London Breed) who often campaign based on their identity, not their actual politics.

There are actually several "firsts" in this mayoral race: Breed would be the first Black woman mayor (though not the first Black mayor), Kim would be the first Asian American woman mayor, and Leno would be the first openly gay mayor.

So while it might appear to some that a conservative power structure is subverting Breed's chance to be first African American woman mayor, unfortunately its Breed that is the power structure. She was groomed for this position by the past three majors, starting with Willie Brown.

There's been very little actual democratic process in San Francisco elections in the past 10 years. Mayors have appointed their own choices, creating a smoothly-running political machine of which Breed is a part. A caretaker mayor was a chance to reclaim that process for voters.

Another thing: San Francisco City commission positions are split and independently appointed by both the Mayor & the Board of Supervisors. If London Breed were mayor, she would've be able to appoint literally *100%* of new commission positions.

Don't forget that Ron Conway (Airbnb, Google and PayPal investor and San Francisco's number one power broker) was pushing London Breed for mayor **at Ed Lee's funeral**.

Mark Farrell is clearly a poor choice. The board could have elected another woman of color who was qualified, of which there are several. But it doesn't matter because the position is temporary and the most important qualification is that the candidate isnt running for mayor.

Mark Farrell, a venture capitalist from the City's most conservative district, and London Breed, an African American woman raised in public housing, actually have remarkably similar politics. Mark Farrell is a venture capitalist, and London Breed is backed by one.

Honestly we really need to stop judging candidates on their identity and start judging them on their POLITICS. It is literally the only clear indication of their intentions and the only way for us not to get continually screwed over by politicians.

I personally would LOVE if a San Francisco native and woman of color were mayor... but only if she had the radically progressive politics needed to take back San Francisco from being a playground for the rich. London Breed is just not that person.