Catherine Stefani
- Office: Supervisor, District 2
- Election Date: November 8, 2022
- Candidate: Catherine Stefani
- Due Date: Tuesday, July 12
- Printable Version
Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 2022 General Election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city via common-sense solutions and effective government.
The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco and have the expertise to enact meaningful policy changes.
We ask that you please complete this questionnaire by Tuesday, July 12 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.
Table of Contents
Topical questions
These issues have been in the news recently. Please tell us your opinion and how you might address them as Supervisor:
A Place For All legislation
Supervisor Mandelman's "A Place For All" legislation requires that the city make a plan to end unsheltered homelessness.
- If you are a sitting Supervisor, did you vote for it? Why or why not?
Yes, I voted to pass Supervisor Mandelman's "A Place For All" Legislation, and I was also a co-sponsor. It is no secret that our most vulnerable populations are struggling. Public safety has been my number one priority during my time in office, and protecting our homeless population is a key component of that. Requiring the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) to submit plans to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor to help address access to shelter and supportive housing is essential for making progress.
- If you are not in office, do you support it?
JFK Promenade
Do you support making JFK Drive accessible only to people walking, biking, using personal mobility devices like wheelchairs, and other non-automotive uses?
I supported the closure of JFK Drive at the board of supervisors. I believe that a long-term compromise will need to be made so that people with disabilities and those that do not have adequate public transportation access to Golden Gate Park can be accommodated. We cannot gatekeep our city's most beautiful park and museum spaces for the able-bodied and those who live close to the park.
Great Highway
The Great Highway is currently open to cars on weekdays and open to people walking, biking, using personal mobility devices like wheelchairs, and other non-automotive uses on weekends. Do you support this compromise position?
Yes, I believe this is a great compromise and is evidence that we can all work together on decisive issues. I will pay close attention to the final plan as street closures must be paired with transit improvements, improved pedestrian safety, and traffic mitigation measures. This project has the potential to be a win-win for all involved, and I want to make sure we aren't pushing vehicle traffic through different residential neighborhoods and passing it off as a win for the environmental/walkable city community. Pushing traffic into neighborhoods will create its own set of problems. Given the Great Highway's vulnerability to environmental change, we must consider how expensive and resource-intensive it could be, keeping it open to vehicle traffic.
Affordable Homes Now ballot initiative
GrowSF is running a charter amendment ballot initiative alongside the Housing Action Coalition, YIMBY Action, SPUR, Habitat for Humanity, Greenbelt Alliance, and the NorCal Carpenters Union. This ballot measure will make it faster and cheaper to build housing. Do you support it?
I absolutely support this measure and believe that we must do everything we can to make housing faster and cheaper to build in San Francisco. We cannot stick our heads in the sand and hope the housing and affordability crisis solves itself.
Board of Education recall
In February San Franciscans recalled three members of the Board of Education. Did you support these recalls? Why or why not?
Yes, I supported the recall of the three members of the Board of Education alongside more than 70 percent of San Francisco voters. The Board of Education and its members have an obligation to put children and families first, prioritize safety, and address achievement gaps and learning loss caused by the pandemic. The board failed to prioritize the issues affecting parents and students in San Francisco and was removed as a result.
District Attorney Chesa Boudin recall
In June San Franciscans recalled District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Did you support this recall? Why or why not?
Yes, I supported the recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin. As a public official, it is my duty to protect and serve the people of San Francisco. Chesa was not only not performing at his job but was endangering San Franciscans city-wide. When it came to criminal justice reform, his office instituted an all-or-nothing approach that put people in danger. Solutions are rarely black and white - and his inability to compromise, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, was his downfall. He failed to prosecute repeat offenders, which led to many preventable and tragic deaths. He failed to protect victims of crime and victims of domestic violence. His recall and that of the School board members show that San Franciscans are sick and tired of political rhetoric over results.
Vision
GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous San Francisco. We work to propose and pass laws that align incentives of private businesses and individuals to promote shared prosperity for every San Franciscan.
This section of our questionnaire seeks to help us gain an understanding of your alignment with our vision for San Francisco. Note that some of the questions may be outside the scope of the office you're running for.
Short-form questions
Please mark the box that best aligns with your position. You may explain any position if you so desire, but this section is designed to be a quick overview of your governing philosophy and view of the city's problems.
Small Business
In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy to…
| Too hard | Just right | Too easy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open a new business | x | ||
| Run a business in the city | x | ||
| Hire staff at a living wage | x | ||
| Obtain various licenses & permits (liquor, entertainment, etc.) | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Housing
In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy to…
| Too hard | Just right | Too easy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expand your home (adding new stories, rooms, decks, etc.) | x | ||
| Demolish your home and redevelop it into multifamily housing | x | ||
| Redevelop things like parking lots and single-story commercial buildings into multifamily housing | x | ||
| Build subsidized Affordable housing | x | ||
| Build market-rate housing | x | ||
| Build homeless shelters (including navigation centers and "tiny homes") | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Public Safety
In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy to…
| Too hard | Just right | Too easy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| File a police report | x | ||
| Recover a stolen item like a bike or laptop computer | x | ||
| Arrest & prosecute criminals | x | ||
| File a domestic violence or rape report | x | ||
| Charge & prosecute domestic violence or rape | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Education
In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy to…
| Too hard | Just right | Too easy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attend a school of your choosing | x | ||
| Transport children to school | x | ||
| Hire teachers | x | ||
| Fire teachers | x | ||
| Evaluate performance of schools | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Budget
Do you think San Francisco spends too little, too much, or just enough on…
| Too little | Just enough | Enough, but badly | Too much | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police and public safety | x | |||
| Street cleanliness | x | |||
| Homeless services | x | |||
| Affordable housing | x | |||
| Parks | x | |||
| Roads | x | |||
| Bus, bike, train, and other public transit infrastructure | x | |||
| Schools | x | |||
| Medical facilities | x | |||
| Drug prevention and treatment | x | |||
| Arts | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
What are the top three issues facing San Francisco, and what would you like to see change?
I believe the top three issues facing San Francisco are homelessness, public safety, and a lack of affordable housing. I would like to see drug dealers held accountable for open-air drug deals and more programs implemented for homeless residents to receive safe housing and addiction treatment programs. I would also like to see the new District Attorney's office address the crimes San Franciscans are concerned about (car break-ins, burglaries, and hate crimes). My office has created the Anti-Burglary Neighborhood Network to connect residents with community safety resources, current crime data, and other neighbors. Violent and repeat offenders must be held accountable for the harm they are causing in our community. Lastly, San Francisco is behind when it comes to addressing the housing crisis, and every Supervisor must get engaged in creating solutions. We must build housing at all income levels and increase density around transit corridors.
Tell us one thing you think needs to change in SF that the average voter wouldn't know about.
I believe the average voter does not realize the rise in domestic violence cases permeating our city. In 2020, the Police Department presented 131 felony domestic violence cases to the District Attorney's office. The office dismissed 113 cases, including 13 of the 19 involving children. In 2021 alone, there were 7,241 domestic violence-related calls to 911 in San Francisco. However, while domestic violence cases rise, almost 90% are not charged, leaving victims and their children vulnerable. My measure passed in June 2022, Proposition D, is a start to addressing these crimes; however, we all need to do more to protect the most vulnerable. That includes keeping the police and the district attorney's office accountable for inaction.
Long-form questions
This section is optional.
We know your time is short, so please feel free to respond to the questions below which you think are most relevant to the position you're running for (but you are, of course, welcome to answer all of them). It is not necessary to answer these questions to secure our endorsement, but more context always helps us make better decisions.
Public health
Do you support the creation of safe consumption sites in San Francisco?
Yes, I support the creation of safe consumption sites in San Francisco. We have an epidemic of overdose deaths in San Francisco, and these sites drastically reduce the chance of death for those suffering from addiction. We also need to ensure safe consumption sites have staff on board that can educate people about treatment options and helps them get into treatment.
Do you support our current laissez-faire approach to open-air drug usage? What would you change?
No, I do not. Despite overdoses being the single greatest issue and contributor to death in San Francisco, the inaction is unacceptable. I fully support the prosecution of drug dealers and repeat offenders. We need to protect and care for our citizens with substance abuse and addiction problems - a sentiment that I do not extend to those capitalizing on their suffering.
Urbanism
Do you support banning cars from central downtown areas and certain retail or residential corridors?
I do support banning cars from certain central downtown retail areas and residential corridors; however, it entirely depends on the location and community input. Those most affected by the closures should ultimately have the strongest say, and I am committed to listening to my community before making a final decision. We must build adequate options and good public transportation.
Policy
Now that we know where you align and differ from our vision for San Francisco, we'd like to get some details about how you intend to use your elected office to achieve your goals.
Why are you running for Supervisor?
I am running for Supervisor because I love San Francisco, and I want to continue the work I started. I am excited to have the opportunity to be running unopposed because it allows me to focus on the issues that matter most. I have served the residents of District 2 for 14 years, first as a legislative aide to my two predecessors, former Supervisors Michela Alioto-Pier and Mark Farrell, between 2007 and 2016, then as the County Clerk, and I have been the District 2 Supervisor for the last five years. I am a mother, a former prosecutor, and previously served as the Vice President of the Cow Hollow Association and on the board of directors of the Homeless Prenatal Program. I am also a member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. I am deeply committed to my neighborhood, my community, and San Francisco, and my work over the last five years has shown that.
Thank you
Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!
If you see any errors on this page, please let us know at contact@growsf.org.