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.

Less than two weeks before the election, the SF Bay Guardian has published a detailed editorial urging voters to vote for transit, not traffic – Yes on A and No on H.

We agree! Don’t forget to mail in your absentee ballot or vote on November 6, and get involved at the Transit not Traffic campaign.

John Diaz of the Chronicle slams Prop H in Sunday’s edition and points out the dealing in bad faith that has led to No on A mailers being sent to voters despite a supposed deal between proponents of better Muni service and opponents of San Francisco’s transit-first policy, led by Republican billionaire Don Fisher.

If you agree with us that SF does not need massive increases in auto traffic, vote NO on H, and get involved! The campaign needs your help in the last two weeks before the election.

More evidence that Proposition A makes sense to clean the air: a study by SAIC for the American Public Transit Association has found that taking mass transit can be ten times more effective than other common activities (e.g. installing compact fluorescent bulbs) to reduce an individual’s carbon footprint.

Better Muni service is key to making this happen in SF. Get involved now with Yes on A and No on H!

Update: Supervisors Peskin and Elsbernd urge a yes on A vote in today’s Chronicle.