Because I couldn’t get enough of the debatin’, I headed down to SF’s Mission District for the D9 Supervisor debate. John McCain and Barack Obama move to the back, I’m listening to Mark Sanchez and David Campos ask each other questions about the decriminalization of prostitution, and who will be Board President next year (never mind that 7 of the 11 seats are up for election, but whatevs). It’s a blast. I promise.
The debate was hosted by Sweet Melissa, so it was definitely a must-see. By the way, she would have done a better job than Tom Brokaw. Check the flip for a few points of interest from the debate.
The debate began with 3 min intro statements from each of the 6 candidates in attendance (of 7 total candidates.) Now, you must understand that the district, currently represented by future Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, and is a very mixed neighborhood. It ranges from the picturesque hillside cottages of Bernal Heights to the challenging neighborhoods surrounding the two BART stations in the district. This district needs a strong leader like Sup. Ammiano who knows how to work within the system to produce results for the area.
The format was rather interesting in that after the intros, we got a barrage of Yes or Nos on the SF ballot measures. The third round was a series of questions between the candidates. There were some interesting points between the candidates. BOE President Mark Sanchez elicited reactions from his opponents by asking about the future Board President. But, it was clear the main issue in the district was public safety.
There has been a recent rash of murders in the district, and the Mission St. corridor shows the wear and tear of the drugs and prostitution that is so easy to attain. All of these candidates are searching for solutions.
With so many candidates at the debate, it would be hard to call this debate for anybody. While these debates are interesting, it seemed that a large majority here were already decided. I look forward to this particular election as there are really several people who have a good shot at it.
