Rescue Muni

Election results are coming in very slowly this year because of the Secretary of State’s requirement that they be tallied by hand, but absentee numbers came in last night, and things are looking good.

Proposition H, the nightmarish omnibus parking measure, is trailing 42%-58% in absentees, so it’s clearly headed for a well-deserved watery grave. Proposition A, the Muni reform measure, is on the knife’s edge, leading 51%-49%. People who vote absentee are usually markedly more conservative than people who vote at the polls, and since opposition to Prop A came largely from more conservative quarters (the Chamber of Commerce, the Republican Party, etc.) it’s reasonable to hope that the at-the-polls ballots will widen that margin, not tip it over to the No side.

That said, it was a very low-turnout election with a big last-minute No on A campaign push, so only cautious optimism is warranted until we see some counts of the at-the-polls ballots, from precincts distributed throughout the city geographically. But things are looking good so far.

Mayor Newsom has a 70-point lead and our hearty congratulations on winning a second term. And Proposition C is leading 74%-26%. So we’re three-quarters of the way to a clean sweep, and we have reason to think the coming days or weeks will bring good news on Prop A. We’ll keep this blog updated with news on Prop A as we get it. And you can check results as they’re updated on the Department of Elections site here.

-Daniel M.

UPDATE: (4:36 p.m.) With the first batch of at-the-polls votes counted, Proposition A’s lead has increased to 54%-46%, and Proposition H trails even further now, at 36%-64%.

Today’s the day.

If you haven’t voted by mail yet, be sure to go to the polls today and vote. This election is widely expected to be a low turnout affair, but it’s a critical election for the future of Muni. The outcomes on Proposition A and Proposition H will have an enormous impact on transportation in this city.

This election is a crossroads for Muni. It really is. We face a choice between a real Muni reform measure that extends the work of 1999’s Prop E, and injects new funding into the agency, and a measure that puts parking and private automobiles first. Muni’s on the ballot today, and Muni needs your vote.

Please vote Yes on A and No on H. And if you’ve already voted, phone a friend and urge them to vote. Tell them what’s at stake. Don’t assume they know. Don’t assume they’re already planning to vote. Send them a link to the Rescue Muni page, and to our friends at Yes on A/No on H.

Once more, for emphasis, are Rescue Muni’s complete endorsements:

Mayor: Gavin Newsom
Proposition A (Muni Reform/Clean Air): YES
Proposition C (Public Hearings on Ballot Measures): YES
Proposition H (Massive Parking Increase): NO

See you at the polls.

-Daniel M.

At our last general membership meeting, Rescue Muni members voted for the following endorsements for the November election:

Mayor – Gavin Newsom

Proposition A (Muni Reform) – Yes

Proposition C (Public Hearings on Ballot Measures) – Yes

Proposition H (Parking for Downtown) – No

Thanks to everyone who participated, and thanks to Mayor Newsom for attending the meeting and staying longer than scheduled to answer member questions.

If you can help out the Yes on A/No on H campaign in any way—either by volunteering to phone bank or by contributing to the campaign—please click here and sign up to do so. Passing Prop A and defeating Prop H is critical to Muni’s future. The campaign needs your help right now. Please consider donating time, money, or both to this vital cause.

Our next General Meeting will be on Monday, October 1, at 7 pm at SPUR (312 Sutter at Grant, 5th Floor). Our guest speakers will be Mayor Gavin Newsom and Dave Snyder from SPUR and the Yes on A / No on H (Transit not Traffic) campaign.

The Rescue Muni Board has recommended an endorsement of Mayor Newsom for re-election. Come with your tough questions for the Mayor on transit! Also the board has recommended a Yes vote on Propositions A (Muni Reform) and C (Public Hearings on Ballot Measures), and a No vote on Proposition H (Parking for Downtown). We will review and vote on these proposals.

Also we will vote on proposed new Bylaws for Rescue Muni, and discuss the proposed Washington Square extension to the Central Subway project.

Refreshments will be served. See you there!

Update: All endorsements and the bylaws were approved by the members. Mayor Newsom also made it clear that he has joined us in opposition to Prop H, in addition to support for Prop A. Thank you to all who attended!