THE BUZZ— YIMBY, NIMBY, SCHMIMBY: Today, San Franciscans on the east side of town will decide between two Democratic Assembly candidates with competing philosophies and records on affordable housing in one of the nation’s thorniest and most expensive real estate markets.

David Campos and Matt Haney are facing off to take over the Assembly District 17, left vacant by David Chiu when he was appointed to serve as San Francisco city attorney last year. Haney and Campos were the top two vote-getters in the February primary, nearly tied with 36.4 percent and 35.7 percent of the vote, respectively.

Housing is a crucial issue in the race for this seat, which covers the Mission and the Financial District, where residents have long complained about housing costs. The concerns in San Francisco mirror statewide issues around affordability and the slow pace of construction, and both Haney and Campos have vowed to bring solutions to Sacramento.

Campos, who served on the Board of Supervisors until 2016 and is currently vice chair of the California Democratic Party, has caught some flak for opposing certain housing projects during his time in San Francisco City Hall. One Berkeley political science professor, David Broockman, recently authored a report on Campos’ alleged NIMBY (“not in my back yard”) tendencies, pointing out his district’s low rate of new housing construction (157 units per year) and that Campos has frequently repeated NIMBY talking points. Campos told The San Francisco Chronicle that the report was poorly done and biased, and that it failed to highlight his focus on keeping people in their homes and preventing no-fault evictions.

Haney, on the other hand, was praised by the same professor for a faster rate of housing construction in his city district (2,255 per year). Though Haney now gets the mark of approval from California YIMBY, too, he has opposed certain housing measures in the past, like Senate Bill 35, which streamlined housing construction in cities that couldn’t meet the stand-mandated minimum. Both Campos and Haney want more tenant protections and support greasing the construction tracks at the state level to get more houses built faster. Both want to extend the state’s eviction moratorium. And both want to overturn the 1995 Costa-Hawkins Act, which allows landlords to raise the rent on rent-controlled units when they become vacant.

Haney also has the backing of Mayor London Breed, who will get to appoint his successor on the Board of Supervisors if he wins. Interest groups have bombarded voters with more than $1.8 million worth of outside spending since January, the bulk of it on Haney’s behalf, as organized labor and real estate interests spent heavily to promote Haney or diminish Campos — bolstering the perception, as does Breed’s nod, that Haney is the establishment pick. As the campaign unfolded, Haney’s fellow supervisors have beefed with him in public view.

Polls close at 8 p.m. tonight — though with turnout expected to be low, we likely won’t have to wait long for a clear victor to emerge. Whoever it is will have to turn around and defend their seat in the newly-drawn District 17 on June 7.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. Closely-watched legislation to place guardrails around kids’ social media use gets its first hearing today in the Assembly Privacy Committee — California’s contribution to a wider-ranging debate about protecting young people online.

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up [email protected] and [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte. 

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Yes, she’s a longtime friend, a proud public servant and someone he has long enjoyed serving with and working with.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki on whether President Joe Biden has trust in California Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Associated Press reporter Kathleen Ronayne @kronayne asks: “Is Tuolumne one of the most difficult words to spell in the world of California water? Or is that just for me?”

BONUS TOTD: Rufus Jeffris @rufe3 answers: “The most difficult word in the world of CA Water? Compromise”

WHERE’S GAVIN? In Butte County to highlight the state’s climate and drought response.

CHECK THIS OUT: Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, POLITICO predicted how every single midterm race will go — and things are looking good for the GOP. One of the most vulnerable GOP incumbents in the country is Rep. Mike Garcia in California’s 27th Congressional District. His district, north of Los Angeles, voted for President Joe Biden by 13 points.

Want to see more on how California is looking? Use our Election Forecast to see which races you need to watch this year — and who we think will win each one.

Later this week: Join us for a live discussion on California midterm races to watch. Tune into our Twitter Space on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. PT/ 2:30 p.m. ET as our reporters Lara Korte and Jeremy White break down the California midterm contests to keep an eye on this year. You can read their breakdown here.

A message from CVS Health:

Throughout the pandemic, in California and communities across the country, CVS Health has been there. We’ve opened more than 4,800 COVID-19 test sites, administered 41 million tests and given 67 million vaccines. We’ve expanded access to prenatal and postpartum care via telemedicine, increased remote access to mental health services and invested in affordable housing to help build healthier communities. We’ve been on the frontlines, making health care easier to access and afford. Learn more.

GOING ON STRIKE — “Fed-up nurses walk out at Sutter Health and prepare to strike at Stanford hospitals,” by S.F. Chronicle’s Nanette Asimov: “Hospital nurses across California say they’ve reached a boiling point two years into the pandemic. Despite being hailed as health care heroes, they say they are exhausted from understaffing and overwork, and angered by offers of raises they consider puny.”

ABORTION — “Why I’m telling my abortion story now,” writes Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California President Jodi Hicks in the LA Times:  “The United States is facing the most consequential year for abortion rights since Roe vs. Wade was decided in 1973. And it isn’t just a matter of the pending Supreme Court decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Mississippi case that is likely to overturn Roe.”

NO MASKS REQUIRED — “TSA won’t enforce mask mandate for travel, following Florida ruling,” by POLITICO’s Alex Daugherty and Erin Banco.

 SEPARATION & SCANDAL — “Sonoma State president announces separation from husband amid sexual harassment claims,” by the Press Democrat’s Martin Espinoza. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE — “California man exonerated after 32 years in prison,” by the AP: “A California man who spent more than three decades behind bars for a murder he did not commit was exonerated of the crime Monday, clearing the way for his release from prison, officials said.”

SPOTTY RECORD — “Rick Caruso missed nearly 40% of meetings as LAPD commissioner,” by the LA Times’ James Rainey: “Businessman Rick Caruso missed nearly 40% of Los Angeles Police Commission meetings when he served on the volunteer panel two decades ago, an attendance record far worse than his fellow commissioners.”

WHAT BASS CAN DO — “‘A metastasizing ​​crisis’: can Karen Bass end street encampments in LA?” by The Guardian’s Sam Levin: “Unveiling her homelessness platform in January, Bass made bold commitments: if elected, she would “end all street encampments”. She would provide housing to 15,000 unhoused people by the end of year one; rapidly get people off the street; convert empty properties into shelter; and build more permanent supportive housing.”

CA-38 — “Elections 2022: Get to know Rep. Linda Sánchez, two more candidates in 38th District race,” by the OC Register’s Brooke Staggs: “Sánchez is the heavy favorite to win an eleventh term in Congress this year, representing a solidly blue district.”

DAHLE’S HOPES — “What would Brian Dahle do as California governor?” by CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff: “After a decade in the GOP’s (super)minority in Sacramento, Dahle said he knows how to build relationships across the aisle and pass bipartisan legislation — inviting colleagues to his seed farm in Lassen County, bringing them fresh peaches from a neighbor and annually gifting them See’s candies, purchased through a fundraiser to help a local eighth grade class visit the state Capitol.”

AHEAD OF THE PACK — “Mullin pulls ahead in money race in Peninsula congressional contest,” by SF Chronicle’s Tal Kopan: “Assembly Member Kevin Mullin significantly outpaced his competition in fundraising for the open congressional seat in the Peninsula in the first quarter this year, turning around what was an initially disappointing showing in the opening weeks of the race.”

— “He spent 30 years in prison on a wrongful murder conviction. A Chesa Boudin campaign promise will free him,” by the SF Chronicle’s Joshua Sharpe. 

A message from CVS Health:

PUBLIC PAIN — “A Rising Tally of Lonely Deaths on the Streets,” by NYT’s Thomas Fuller: “Across Los Angeles County last year, the unsheltered died in record numbers, an average of five homeless deaths a day, most in plain view of the world around them.”

DROUGHT SEASON — “Sonoma County proposes first-ever fees for well water pumping,” by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat’s Guy Kovner: “In a dramatic shift from California’s history of allowing landowners to freely pump and consume water from their own wells, Sonoma County’s rural residents and many others will soon begin paying for the water drawn from beneath their feet.”

PADILLA’S TAKE — “Column: ‘It’s not as bad as it looks.’ Alex Padilla on life in the Senate, and spicing up Capitol Hill,” by LA Times’ Mark Z. Barabak: “Padilla will be on the ballot twice in June, seeking to finish Harris’ term, which ends in January, and, separately, to obtain his own six-year lease on the Senate seat through 2028. He’s strongly favored to win.”

DEPP DRAMA — “Johnny Depp To Take The Stand Tomorrow In $50M Defamation Trial,” by Deadline’s  Dominic Patten and Ted Johnson: “The already harsh and often explicit court clash between Depp and Heard, who divorced in 2016 amidst restraining orders and competing media narratives, started when the actor sued his Rum Diary co-star in March 2019 in Virginia for a late 2018 Washington Post op-ed about domestic abuse and the potential fallout for victims.”

RAISING FEARS — “Silicon Valley’s COVID windfall raises alarms about region’s economy,” by The Mercury News’ Ethan Baron: “An unprecedented flow of riches is concentrating wealth among Silicon Valley companies that capitalized on the world’s locked-down lives amid the pandemic, raising fears that a dramatically lopsided recovery will warp the economic future for the Bay Area.”

— “California cannabis mega-factory eyes federal legalization of weed,” by Reuters’ Phil Lavelle: “The company behind a cannabis mega-factory in California is hoping federal legalization of the substance will allow it to expand distribution of joints, oils and edibles beyond the borders of the most populous U.S. state.”

INTERSTATE BUSINESS — “California bill would allow for interstate cannabis sales,” by POLITICO’s Alexander Nieves: California cannabis businesses would be authorized to sell and transport products across state lines under a bill that cleared its first state policy committee hearing Monday.MEDIA MATTERS:

EEK — “Man, 56, dies after getting trapped in Southern California car wash, police say,” by NBC’s David K. Li.COVID CONFUSION

— “Why do some people never get COVID while others get it several times, even if vaccinated?” by the SF Chronicle’s Danielle Echeverria.

— “Sherri Papini pleads guilty in faked kidnapping, awaits sentencing in Sacramento court,” by Sac Bee’s Sam Stanton.

BBQ TIME — “In West Oakland, Barbecue Is Back — With a Side of Fried Chicken,” by NYT’s Tejal Rao.

LOST IN TRANSLATION — “The quest to save Cantonese in a world dominated by Mandarin,” by the LA Times’ Anh Do.

William Carter … Jonathan Levy of EVgo

A message from CVS Health:

At CVS Health, we’re more than 300,000 caring employees ensuring Californians and millions of Americans can access health care services.

We have been offering COVID-19 vaccines at more than 9,600 CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide.

Nothing should stand in the way of mental health and well-being, so we have been increasing remote access to mental health services.

We have been supporting safer pregnancies and expanding access to prenatal and postpartum care via telemedicine.

Recognizing the strong connection between housing and health, we have been investing in affordable housing to support underserved populations and build healthier communities.

Every day, CVS Health works to bring quality, affordable health care into neighborhoods, homes and hands—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.

Healthier Happens Together.

Learn more.

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The post Campos and Haney’s San Francisco showdown- POLITICO appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

This transcript is from an interview on our radio program and podcast “Civic,” published as part of our February 2022 nonpartisan election guide. Though “Civic” will broadcast only seven minutes of each candidate’s interview to give each equal airtime on our program, we are making a transcript of the full conversations available. These transcripts have been edited for clarity.     

Laura Wenus   

Okay, so I think I’d like to start by asking if you could give San Francisco voters a quick review of the work that you’ve been doing between when you were District 9 supervisor — I know you were a deputy county executive in Santa Clara County, and after that became chief of staff to the San Francisco District Attorney, Chesa Boudin — but maybe if you could just give an overview of some of what you’ve been working on in that time? 

David Campos   

Sure. Thank you very much for the opportunity. I think that I’ll sort of divide the work that I’ve been doing since I left the Board of Supervisors into two different types of work. On one hand is the work that I’ve been doing on behalf of the Democratic Party. As you know, after I left the Board of Supervisors, I was elected chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party. And I’m very proud that in that role I work together to bring the diverse group of people that are San Francisco Democrats together to focus on common ground, and specifically work with Nancy Pelosi to help her take back the house in 2018, when we ran Red to Blue SF, and then in 2020, when we ran Vote Blue SF. And I’m very proud of that work, which really made the San Francisco Democratic Party very influential in what happens in the rest of the state, in the rest of the country. And out of that work is that I ended up getting elected to lead as vice chair of the California Democratic Party. So that’s one area that I’m very proud of where we have worked to make sure that we promote San Francisco values at the state and national level.  

The second area is, in terms of my work as a professional, after I left the Board of Supervisors, I was hired by the County of Santa Clara to be deputy county executive and, in that role, oversaw the operations of several agencies. And one of those areas included the Office of Supportive Housing, where we worked to implement the housing bond, Measure A, that was passed in Santa Clara in 2016 with the objective of building, over a 10-year period, 4,500 units of supportive housing that essentially provided housing and services — mental health, substance abuse — to people who are homeless. And I’m very proud of that work that essentially allowed for Santa Clara to really get a better handle on the issue of homelessness in a way, quite frankly, that San Francisco hasn’t. That work also included overseeing the creation of the Division of Equity and Social Justice that injected a social justice, racial justice and gender justice lens to the work of the county. And the last 10 months of my term in Santa Clara County, I worked to help oversee the communications and public education around COVID and the COVID response. And I’m very proud of that because Santa Clara, as you know, had the first COVID case in the country and essentially led the way in the Bay Area response to COVID through the work and the leadership of our health officer in Santa Clara, Sara Cody.  

Then I left the County of Santa Clara to help Chesa Boudin, and I’m very proud that during my term as chief of staff in that office, we worked to get the office more connected to what’s happening in the neighborhoods of San Francisco. We created the community liaison program that assigns prosecutors and other staff to supervisory districts so that we have a better grasp of what’s happening on the ground and to better respond to issues around crime and public safety. I bring to the table the experience of a supervisor who did a lot in eight years and was probably among the most prolific supervisors to tackle some of the most important issues facing San Francisco. And I also bring the experience of someone who has run county departments and agencies. And I think that combination of legislative and executive experience is something that is very unique and will be very beneficial to San Francisco. And that’s why I think in this campaign for State Assembly, I have support of people from across the political spectrum who don’t necessarily agree with me, who might be folks who have been on the other side of political fights but who respect my ability to get things done and to bring people together as I did as a county executive, as chair of the party and as the supervisor. 

Laura Wenus   

Maybe this is a good opportunity to talk a little bit about what the Democratic Party at the state and county level actually does, because as you mentioned, you talked about it making the Democratic Party more influential at the state level. For voters who only every once in a while get a ballot that has like 50 different people on it for DCCC, that doesn’t really necessarily mean a lot. So how does that affect the people who you are now asking for their vote for you to go to the legislature? 

David Campos   

Thank you for that question. That’s very important. You know, I was chair of the Democratic County Central Committee in San Francisco, known as the DCCC, for four years. And what I found when I took over as chair of the DCCC, is that you had San Francisco Democrats — and it’s a body of about 34 people, 24 of whom are elected directly to those seats, and others are elected officials that serve in those seats in San Francisco. But what I found was that the DCCC spent a lot of time with folks arguing and fighting with each other, and you went to those DCCC meetings, before I took over, and you would see a lot of animosity — a lot of infighting among San Francisco Democrats. And that happened sometimes in San Francisco because we’re passionate about local politics. And so, when I took over, I made it clear that I was not really interested in having this body spend the bulk of our time arguing and fighting with each other, that we have to reach an understanding that we would put aside whatever local differences we had, but that we needed to figure out how we as San Francisco Democrats helped what was happening at that time. And this is, by the way, in the middle of Donald Trump becoming president, right?  

And so, what I set out to do was to figure out how the San Francisco Democratic Party could help push back against the Trump administration, and the one area where we felt we could make a difference was in taking back the House of Representatives. And so, we reached out to the state party at the time — the party at the state was not interested in working with us on that. So, we communicated with Nancy Pelosi, our representative, and clearly she was interested in doing something to take back the house. That’s what she was focusing on, and we decided to be partners. And Nancy Pelosi and the San Francisco Democratic Party ran this operation that we call Red to Blue SF. We rented a space at the corner of Market and Castro where we, basically, for the last two months of the election in 2018, we had thousands of volunteers, San Francisco Democrats who came in to focus on calling swing districts throughout the state of California. We started with about seven swing districts, districts that we wanted to turn from red, Republican, to blue, Democrat — that’s the name: Red to Blue SF. And we started out with seven congressional districts. That number, quite frankly, grew because we started getting more volunteers coming into that space. And by the time that we had finished that effort in 2018, the number of districts that we had focused on was about 19, actually, and we ended up being players and helping to flip about 16 of them. We ended up including districts outside of California, just because we had so many people that were interested. And so that’s an example of how the local San Francisco Democratic Party can influence what happens at the national level.  

What happened as a result of that is that we as Democrats took back the House of Representatives. And not only that, but we helped Nancy Pelosi get elected speaker. Because our efforts had a lot to do with some of the new members that were elected, and I’m very proud of that. And I think that I’ve always understood, and one of the reasons that I did it was that as much as we have differences, when it comes to local issues, as San Francisco Democrats we have a lot more in common with each other than we want to admit, and that when people work together on something, that it creates a special bond. And so, I think there’s something to be said for sitting next to your local political opponent, perhaps, calling the same congressional district in Orange County that you’re both trying to flip. 

Laura Wenus   

I want to bring us back to this particular race — although that is interesting — because I only have a limited amount of time. You mentioned opponents. This might be a good segue into a question about your opponent Matt Haney’s accusation that describing yourself as a civil rights attorney on the ballot isn’t accurate. Would you like to respond to that? 

David Campos   

Well, I think that the ballot argument speaks for itself. The reality is that I have been practicing in the area of civil rights all of my life. And in fact, one of the reasons that I was hired to play the role that I played in the District Attorney’s Office was to inject the lens of civil rights into the work of that office. Criminal justice necessarily implicates civil rights. When you are looking at whether or not to charge someone, the civil rights of that individual, that civil rights of the victim are necessarily implicated. And there are a number of special teams that we have in that office that focus on protecting the rights of workers, the rights of consumers. And I think it’s actually disappointing that a candidate would spend their time worrying so much about what another candidate does, and I understand that the supervisor hasn’t practiced law. (Editor’s note: Matt Haney has an active legal license with the California State Bar association. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has also served as a pro bono tenant attorney in San Francisco.) So, maybe that’s not entirely clear to him. But we’re very proud of the work that I have done, and it’s work that precedes the DA’s office, that goes back to my work in the City Attorney’s Office, to my work in private practice. I have been a civil rights attorney for most of my legal practice. I’m very proud of that and I think that voters have every right to know about that record.  

Laura Wenus   

One of the things that you want to work on at the state level is equitably addressing the economic recovery from COVID-19. At the time of this recording, we are seeing a massive spike in cases nationwide and in San Francisco. First of all, how do you think the state legislature should be addressing the ongoing pandemic and those spikes in cases? And then we could talk about recovery. 

David Campos   

Well, I think that there has to be an equitable response. And as someone who played a leading role in the response in Santa Clara County, I can tell you that as much as all of us are hurting from COVID, there are some communities that are being disproportionately hurt. And I think that the response should take into account the disproportionate hit that COVID is having in communities of color, as an example. You know, there was a study that was done by the L.A. Times looking at Latinos in California, in the generation that’s 22 to the mid-50s. In that generation, they’re eight times more likely to die from COVID, and I think that something has to be done about that. So, I do think that there has to be more done to address the infections — the disproportionate number of infections — that are happening in these communities. And I can tell you, in the Latino community as an example, so many members of that community are essential workers here on the frontlines. And I don’t think we’re doing enough to not only help prevent them from being infected, but once they’re infected, to help them and their families not only to keep the infection from spreading, but also helping them recover and helping them have access to health care. And not just access to health care, but once they recover, that they have access to economic opportunity. And that’s really at the core of this campaign for me is that COVID has not created the inequities in our society, but it certainly has highlighted them and exploited them. And it is not surprising that certain groups have been hurt the most because that hurt is directly linked to the inequities in our society. And if there’s ever a time to address those inequities, this is the time.  

I am running to be a champion for the people that have been on the frontlines of the COVID response and who have been forgotten, quite frankly. I think that they need a voice in California, and it’s something that I think that we all should care about. I am lucky to have a law degree and, in that sense, I have the ability to avoid infection in the way that someone who works at a liquor store or who delivers food cannot. But it’s in my interest as someone who doesn’t have to do that, that the person who delivers my food, the person who might clean my house, that they are taken care of — the health of those individuals is connected to our own health, but beyond that it’s the right thing to do. 

Laura Wenus   

And where do you think that the state legislature has fallen short, specifically, on planning for an equitable recovery and addressing this equitably? Because it is a state legislature seat that you’re running for. So how can legislators at the state level address this? 

David Campos   

Well, look, I know that many of the legislators have tried, but I think that more has to be done and let’s begin with the health care system. And that’s why, for me, the first thing that I’m going to do is to address the issue of lack of equitable access to health care, and that’s where single-payer and Medicare for All comes in. The reality is that one of the reasons why these communities were hit so hard is, not only because they were on the frontlines, but because they did not have the same level of access to quality and affordable health care. And so, we need to make that health care accessible. And one way in which the legislature has not done that is that it has failed to pass Medicare for All. And that’s why I think that’s the first thing that has to be done. If we don’t pass Medicare for All — that makes health care accessible and affordable for all Californians — if we don’t pass it after a pandemic that has killed so many Californians, then when do we pass it? And so that’s the first thing that I’m going to do to make sure that we address the inequitable access to health care.  

The second thing that has to be done once you address the issue of health care, is the recovery. We need a more equitable recovery. And I appreciate what is being done at the federal level with Build Back Better, but we need to do more. California needs its own recovery plan. I would call it Build Back Fairer, and “fairer” because I think that there has to be an added focus on those communities that have been hit disproportionately by COVID. I think that we need a Green New Deal as part of this recovery — that California needs its own infrastructure plan. We need to add our own money as the fifth-largest economy in the world to create more job opportunities in these green jobs — move away from fossil fuels. Not only are those renewable energy jobs better for the environment, not only do they save the planet down the road, but they’re cheaper. And so we need to invest in those new industries and I think that the recovery should create more opportunities, prioritizing those communities that were hit the hardest by COVID.  

As I explained to people, I want to be a champion for the people who work with their hands, for the people who can’t shelter in place and work from home. They need to have a focus in this recovery, for this recovery to really include all of us. And then connected to this — and this is more of a long-term strategy, but it’s something that I think has to be a part of addressing the inequities in society — is education. The reason why I, as a formerly undocumented kid from Guatemala who spoke no English, that I got to be where I am today — a graduate of Stanford and Harvard Law School — is because of the public school system. And right now, the public school system in California is severely underfunded. We’re in the bottom 10 among all the states in per-pupil spending. We should be in the top 10. A college education is so expensive. For so many young people, and adults in California, we need to make it more affordable. I personally think that as the wealthiest state in the country, that we could make college free if we wanted to, or at least make a secondary education or vocational training, whatever the person wants to pursue, that we can make it free. It’s an investment that I think is worth making. And if countries like Ireland can do that, we as the fifth-largest economy in the world certainly can afford to do so as well. 

The post Interview Transcript: David Campos – San Francisco Public Press appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.