Jose Morales
- Office: Board of Supervisors, District 11
- Election Date: November 5, 2024
- Candidate: Jose Morales
- Due Date: June 28, 2024
- Printable Version
Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the November 5, 2024 election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city via common sense solutions and effective government. Our work includes running public opinion polls to understand what voters want, advocating for those changes, and ensuring that the SF government represents the people.
The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco.
Please complete this questionnaire by June 28, 2024 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.
Table of Contents
Your Goals
We'd like to get some details about your high-level goals and how you intend to use your elected office to achieve them.
Why are you running for Board of Supervisors, District 11
I am running because I am sick and tired of the status quo, we need new leaders who are ready to steer the city into a new direction. I am running because I am sick of the hard working middle class families that make up district 11, having their needs ignored while taxed to the brim. We need accurate representation, someone who cares about the community and that is why I am running.
What is your #1 policy goal?
My #1 policy goal is to enhance public safety and quality of life in San Francisco by focusing on a comprehensive approach to reducing crime and improving community well-being.
How will you build the coalition and political capital to enact your #1 goal?
To build the coalition and political capital necessary to enhance public safety and quality of life in San Francisco, I will focus on a comprehensive strategy involving engagement with key stakeholders, collaboration with elected officials, and robust public support. First, I will actively engage community leaders, neighborhood associations, and local organizations to gather input and build grassroots support for public safety initiatives. Regular town hall meetings and forums will facilitate ongoing dialogue and transparency, ensuring that community voices are heard and considered in decision-making processes.
Additionally, collaboration with elected officials, including members of the Board of Supervisors and state and federal representatives, is crucial. I will work closely with fellow Supervisors to build consensus on public safety priorities, presenting data-driven proposals that demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed measures and address concerns from different districts. By leveraging existing relationships with state and federal lawmakers, I will advocate for increased funding and policy changes that support local public safety efforts.
Public support is essential for the success of these initiatives. I will launch public awareness campaigns to educate residents about the importance of public safety measures and how they can contribute. Engaging with media outlets to communicate the goals and progress of these initiatives will maintain transparency and build trust within the community.
Furthermore, forming strategic partnerships with private sector businesses and non-profit organizations will provide additional resources and support for public safety projects, addressing the root causes of crime and enhancing community well-being. By leveraging data and evidence to guide decision-making and implementing pilot programs to demonstrate success, I can build the necessary coalition and political capital to achieve meaningful improvements in public safety and quality of life in San Francisco.
Will the power of the office of Board of Supervisors, District 11 be enough to achieve this goal?
While the power of the office of Board of Supervisors may not be enough on its own to fully achieve the goal of enhancing public safety and quality of life, it can significantly influence change by leveraging legislative powers, building coalitions, and engaging the community. By fostering strong relationships with fellow Supervisors, city departments, and law enforcement agencies, and advocating for data-driven policies, I can help push through essential initiatives. Community engagement and transparency are crucial for mobilizing public support, while partnerships with private sector businesses and non-profits can provide additional resources and expertise. Through a collaborative, multi-faceted approach, significant improvements in public safety and quality of life can be realized.
What are your #2 and #3 policy goals?
My second policy goal is to address the affordable housing crisis and reduce homelessness in San Francisco by increasing the supply of affordable housing, implementing effective homelessness prevention programs, and providing comprehensive support services. This involves incentivizing developers to build affordable units through tax breaks and expedited permitting, utilizing publicly owned land for housing projects, and partnering with non-profits to ensure long-term affordability. Additionally, providing wraparound services, including mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and job training, and expanding permanent supportive housing will help individuals transition out of homelessness and maintain stability.
My third policy goal is to foster economic development and create jobs, particularly in underserved communities, by supporting small businesses, attracting new industries, and investing in workforce development programs. This includes providing grants and low-interest loans to help small businesses start and grow, especially in economically disadvantaged areas, and simplifying permitting and licensing processes. Attracting technology and green industries, which offer high-paying jobs and support sustainable development, is also essential, as is offering incentives for companies to relocate to San Francisco. Additionally, investing in job training and apprenticeship programs will equip residents with skills needed for high-demand industries, and collaborating with local colleges and universities will ensure that educational ciriculum align with industry needs, ensuring graduates are job-ready.
Will the power of the office of Board of Supervisors, District 11 be enough to achieve these goals?
Yes.
What is an existing policy you would like to reform?
One existing policy I would like to reform is the homelessness prevention policy in San Francisco. While there are efforts in place to address homelessness, there is a need for a more comprehensive and effective approach to prevention and support.
What is an "out there" change that you would make to state/local government policy, if you could? (For example: adding at-large supervisors, changing how elections work, creating a Bay Area regional government, etc.)
One "out there" change I would propose for state/local government policy is the implementation of a universal basic income in San Francisco. This would involve providing all residents with a regular, unconditional sum of money to help cover basic living expenses, regardless of their employment status.
Tell us one thing you think needs to change in SF that the average voter wouldn't know about.
One significant issue in San Francisco that the average voter might not be aware of is the inefficiency and high cost associated with the city's permitting and inspection processes for small businesses and construction projects.
The Issues
Next, we will cover the issues that voters tell us they care about. We hope to gain a better understanding of your policy positions, and we hope that you use this opportunity to communicate with voters.
Public Safety
What is the #1 public safety issue today?
The #1 public safety issue in San Francisco today is the surge in drug-related overdoses and the associated street-level drug activity.
San Francisco currently has about 1,500 sworn police officers. Some have argued that the City should try to match the per-capita staffing levels that other large cities have. If we matched cities like New York or Paris, we would need to have about 3,400 sworn officers. What do you think of this idea? If you support it, how would the City fund recruitment at SFPD to achieve this staffing level? If you don't support it, what would you propose to do instead?
I don't support increasing the number of sworn officers to match cities like New York or Paris because, having visited both cities recently, they don't feel any safer than San Francisco. Instead, we need a police force that can do their job effectively, led by a police chief with a clear and strong vision. It's crucial to ensure that we appoint the right people to the police commission—individuals who support the police in performing their duties efficiently without imposing unnecessary hardships that ultimately make things worse for citizens. Improving police effectiveness and leadership, rather than merely increasing numbers, will better serve our community's safety needs.
What solutions might exist to improve public safety that don't involve expanding the size of SFPD?
Community Ambassadors, more police outreach programs in underserved communities like D10 and D11
What three things would you change about how SFPD operates?
Allow officers to carry tasers, better de-escalation and bias awareness training, increased resources to the hiring department. SFPD currently only has one recruitment officer.
Do you support policies commonly referred to as "defund the police"? Why or why not?
I do not support any "defund the police" movements, but I also don't believe in blindly throwing money at the police department and expecting it to result in effective outcomes. For example, SFPD's purchase of a $270,000 robotic police dog is completely unnecessary and a waste of money. We should have a funded police department that operates efficiently and effectively, but not at the expense of investing in frivolous or excessive military-style equipment.
Please explain why you did or did not support the recall of DA Chesa Boudin. If you were ineligible to vote in that election, please explain how you would have voted.
I supported the recall of DA Chesa because I believed he was to soft on crime.
| Should San Francisco… | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Try to achieve "full staffing" for SFPD? (Defined as about 2,100 officers, according to the City) | x | |
| Change the cite-and-release policy so officers can arrest suspects of misdemeanors like shoplifting and car break-ins? | x | |
| Arrest and prosecute street-level fentanyl dealers? | x | |
| Prioritize diversion instead of incarceration for street-level fentanyl dealers? | x | |
| Investigate, arrest, and prosecute fentanyl distribution ringleaders (like organized crime and cartel members)? | x | |
| Arrest and prosecute street-level vendors of suspected stolen goods? | x | |
| Investigate, arrest, and prosecute the leaders of theft rings and fencing operations? | x | |
| Arrest and prosecute street food vendors operating without a permit? | x | |
| Fine street food vendors operating without a permit? | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Drugs
In general, how should the City handle people who are abusing drugs on City sidewalks?
It should be illegal to do drugs on our city sidewalks, and the police should arrest anyone partaking.
Do you support the creation of safe consumption sites in San Francisco? If so, please detail how they should be run. If not, please explain a viable alternative.
No. Drug use should be illegal and frowned upon by society
Some have argued that safe consumption sites (or sobering centers) are only viable if they are paired with implementing zero-tolerance for public consumption of illegal drugs like fentanyl and heroin. Do you agree or disagree with this view?
Yes I do
Should fentanyl dealing be penalized differently from dealing other drugs?
Yes because of the higher likelihood of an overdose.
Mental Health
Should San Francisco amend our current laws around mental health crisis intervention to better help people suffering on the streets? If yes, why and how? If not, why not?
Yes, we should increase public conservatorship to the most severe cases
What is the role of government in providing care for those who cannot care for themselves?
The government should provide care for those incapable of doing it through specialized care centers.
Some have argued that San Francisco should place people who are experiencing mental health crises on the streets into involuntary mental health holds at psychiatric facilities. Do you agree or disagree with this view? Please explain why or why not.
I agree. The alternative is to continue experiencing a mental health crisis on our streets, risking injury or even death to themselves or others. It is our duty to protect both the public and the individuals from harm.
If you agree with this view, please outline some guardrails and oversight the City must provide to prevent abuse.
To ensure the ethical and effective implementation of involuntary mental health holds in San Francisco, it is crucial to establish clear criteria, enhance transparency and accountability, and provide mandatory training for all relevant personnel. The criteria for involuntary holds must be well-defined, ensuring they are applied only when individuals pose a significant risk to themselves or others. Assessments should be conducted by licensed mental health professionals, with mandatory periodic reassessments by independent professionals to prevent unnecessary extensions of the holds.
Equally important are transparency and accountability. Comprehensive documentation for each involuntary hold must be maintained, detailing the reasons, assessments, and care provided, and these records should be regularly audited to ensure compliance and identify any patterns of abuse
If you disagree with this view, please outline your preferred alternative solution as well as any drawbacks it might have and oversight it might need.
Education
Should the Board of Education be reformed to bring more accountability and better performance to the Board, and boost public school performance? If so, how; if not, why not?
Yes, the Board of Education should be reformed to bring more accountability and better performance to boost public school outcomes. Reforms could include implementing stricter performance evaluations for board members, establishing clearer goals and metrics for student achievement, and enhancing transparency in decision-making processes
Some parents prefer their children attend religious schools, others prefer magnet schools for specific skills (like the Ruth Asawa School for the Arts or Lowell), and others prefer charter schools with nontraditional curricula. Do you think all of these educational options should be available to students in San Francisco?
I believe parents should have the right to choose the type of high school that best meets their children's needs. I attended San Francisco Community School for K-8 and then Archbishop Riordan High School, a Catholic high school.
Did you support the recall of Board of Education members Collins, López, and Moliga? Please explain why you did or did not support the recall of each member.
I supported the school board recall because I believed the commissioners were incompetent in their leadership roles. Instead of addressing critical issues like declining enrollment, student performance, and an impending budget crisis, they focused their time and energy on trivial matters like renaming schools.
| Should San Francisco… | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Offer Algebra in 8th grade to students who want it? | x | |
| Offer Algebra in 7th grade to students who want it? | x | |
| Offer AP courses to high school students who want them? | x | |
| Require schools to improve student performance, and fire teachers who consistently underperform? | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Small Business
What would you change about the process of new retail business formation in San Francisco?
To streamline the process of new retail business formation in San Francisco, I would simplify the permitting and licensing processes by creating a one-stop online portal where businesses can apply for, track, and manage all necessary permits and licenses. Additionally, I would reduce redundant steps and shorten approval times by consolidating the number of agencies involved in the process.
Should all businesses be permitted by-right? If not, which business categories do you think should require special government approval?
Yes they should be.
Some in the Small Business community have argued that San Francisco should increase the number of available ABC permits (also known as a liquor license) to lower the cost of running a business and increase customer revenues from alcohol sales. Others have argued against increasing the number of permits because they don't want more competition, or have already paid a lot of money for their liquor license. What do you think the City should do?
I believe the city should promote free market competition while also providing rebates to those who paid high prices for their permits, as a gesture of goodwill. The increased revenue from allowing more competition would support the cost of these rebates.
Similarly, some in the legal cannabis retailer community have lobbied to reduce the number of available permits. Economists have argued that this reduces competition, raises prices for consumers, and raises profits for retailers. What do you think the City should do?
We should also allow the free market to dictate how many locations an area will tolerate. It would lower prices and increase tax revenue for the government.
| Should San Francisco… | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce the time to obtain all permits to open a new business to no more than 3 months | x | |
| Reduce the cost of obtaining permits to open a new business | x | |
| Reduce the number of activities which must obtain permits, and expand the number of by-right activities | x | |
| Try to attract businesses of all sizes to the City? | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Housing
Do you believe that San Francisco has a shortage of homes? Why or why not?
Yes, San Francisco has a significant housing shortage and a major affordability issue. The low supply of available homes has created a high demand, driving up prices for residents. This imbalance has made it increasingly difficult for people to find affordable housing in the city. There are also some external factors that influence pricing but I mostly believe it is a supply and demand issue.
Do you believe that housing prices are set by supply and demand constraints? Why or why not?
Yes, but there are also external factors at play, such as price collusion among large property management firms like RealPage.com.
San Francisco will almost certainly fail its Housing Element certification, which will cause the State to take over local land use regulation. What should we do now?
Make it easier to build housing by removing many zoning restrictions and allowing for higher building limits. Additionally, SB9 is a viable option for multigenerational homes and provides an additional tax source for the city.
Should homeless shelters be exempt from CEQA, Discretionary Review, and Conditional Use permits?
Yes, they should be exempt. Our homeless crisis requires immediate action, and these reviews only delay the necessary steps we need to take to clean up our city streets
Should subsidized Affordable housing be exempt from CEQA, Discretionary Review, and Conditional Use permits?
Yes
Should market rate housing be exempt from CEQA, Discretionary Review, and Conditional Use permits?
Yes
Should San Francisco retain, loosen, or even abolish the existing limits on height, density, and bulk for residential buildings? (ie taller, denser, and fewer/reduced setbacks)
Loosen the existing limit to allow for more height especially allow our transit corridors
San Francisco Planning requires that new street-facing windows comply with City-imposed design requirements that both raise the price of windows while lowering their thermal and noise insulation. Should the City abolish these requirements?
Yes they should abolish this requirement.
In general, is it too hard, just right, or too easy to…
| 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 | ||
| Renovate your home (update bathroom, kitchen, etc) | x | ||
| Demolish your home and redevelop it into multifamily housing | x | ||
| Redevelop things like parking lots and single-story commercial into multifamily housing | x | ||
| Build subsidized 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:
Transit Infrastructure
Should Muni be free for everyone? If so, what other programs would you take money from in order to fund this change, or what new tax would you propose to fund it?
No, Muni should only be free for low-income and no-income earners, including children under 18. I propose funding this initiative by reallocating money currently allocated to the bike coalition and Vision Zero by the SFMTA. This approach ensures that those who need it most can access free public transportation while maintaining a balanced budget by redirecting existing resources.
Some have argued that the cost of fare enforcement exceeds the benefit. Others have argued that not enforcing fare payment starves the Muni and BART systems of revenue, lowers quality of service, and makes the systems less safe. What is your position?
Fare enforcement is crucial in order to ensure both Muni and Bart are able to offer high quality and safe services to all our residents.
Recent State funding requires Muni and BART to enforce fare payments in order to receive that funding; do you agree with this requirement?
Yes
Should it be the policy of San Francisco to build a citywide protected bike lane network? Why or why not?
If it could be done in a way that benefits the majority of the people, yes.
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Do you support banning cars from central downtown areas and certain retail or residential corridors? | x | |
| Do you support congestion pricing? | x | |
| Should San Francisco prioritize buses over car traffic by creating more bus-only lanes and directing traffic enforcement officers to ticket drivers who ignore the restrictions? | x | |
| Should Uber, Lyft, Waymo, and other ride-share services be permitted to operate in San Francisco? | x | |
| Should San Francisco allow more bike share and scooter share companies? | x | |
| Should San Francisco allow bike and scooter share companies to operate with fewer restrictions on the number of vehicles they offer for rent, and in more places (including inside Golden Gate Park)? | x |
If you want to explain any positions above, please feel free:
Budget
San Francisco is facing a large budget deficit due to declining tax revenues from our struggling downtown. What will your approach be to fix this?
Do you think San Francisco spends too little, too much, or just enough on…
| 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:
Personal
Tell us a bit about yourself!
How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?
I am 28 years old and I was born and raised here in District 11.
What keeps me here is the beauty that surrounds me. I love living in a major city with McLaren Park just five minutes away from my home and the beach only 20 minutes away. This is the best place on earth with the most stunning views.
What do you love most about San Francisco?
The diversity and the views.
What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?
The crime and addiction plaguing our streets.
Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)
- Volunteer work with Advocates 11
- GrowSF community clean ups
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.