Dear Editor:
Legislators from Northern California serving in Sacramento—Buffy Wicks and Scott Wiener, with backup from Nancy Skinner, Jesse Arreguín, and Mia Bonta, and careful support from Gov. Newsom (who signed the legislation)—are responsible for the corporate-friendly legislation now resulting in projects opposed by neighbors, with limited or no input, and lacking most environmental review or oversight.
The legislation was fiercely opposed by legislators, mayors, and activists from other parts of the state, including L.A. Mayor Karen Bass. Their YIMBY agenda dramatically limits or eliminates local zoning and fast-tracks immense projects—all in the name of the housing crisis. This is despite the glaring fact that the projects that have aroused intense opposition in Oakland and San Francisco are all market-rate, or for the rich, with no affordable housing for those who really need it, while benefiting wealthy corporations and investors.
New York Times contributor Ezra Klein gave Wicks and Wiener a national profile by featuring them in his best-selling book, Abundance. Wiener is now running for Congress to replace Nancy Pelosi, assuring his prominence and platform for years to come, if successful.
Wiener, along with his corporate agenda, is in the political race of his life, effectively tied in the polls with his opponent, S.F. Supervisor Connie Chan, who’s running on an explicit message of keeping Sacramento out of local planning and zoning. She’s received the endorsement of the outgoing Speaker Pelosi, current and former senators Adam Schiff and Barbara Boxer, progressive stalwarts Ro Khanna and Pramila Jayapal, former SF Supervisor Aaron Peskin, and gay icons Tom Ammiano and Cleve Jones. (Rockridge Voice readers are encouraged to visit both candidates’ websites for more about their endorsers and positions.)
Encourage your S.F. friends to support her. If you have any money left over after contributing to legal battles and organizing efforts, you might donate to her campaign or volunteer. Wiener’s campaign, unsurprisingly considering his agenda, is very well-funded.
Surely Wicks aims for higher office, too, once she is termed out, like Wiener, even with her NIMBY interior when it comes to her own backyard, which was exposed when she wanted Hillegass closed to through traffic on “her” blocks. She then threatened to pass a bill in Sacramento to allow it until neighbors on the affected streets and City planners balked.
Buffy Wicks is also on the November ballot, with opposition from the Green Party candidate, Mark Rendon. Even if you’ve never voted Green before, this might be the time. If Wiener is defeated, undone by his signature issue and accomplishment, Wicks will surely get the message: Winter’s coming—think of the prairie fire of grassroots opposition to data centers!
And don’t let Zac Unger wriggle out of this—he expedited implementation of SB79 and now claims he’s helpless to represent his constituents. To paraphrase Harry Truman, Unger chose to be in the kitchen, so he should expect the heat!
Make your vote count—democracy and citizen participation, from top to bottom, are on the ballot.
