This is the second edition of our District 9 newsletter, "Campos Connect," which aims to give you a brief overview of some key developments in City Hall and throughout our District.

It has been an eventful couple of months and below is a highlight of some of the main issues we have been working on.

Muni. A number of us on the Board of Supervisors have raised questions about the SF Municipal Transportation Agency's (SFMTA) proposed budget. SFMTA faces a $126 million budget deficit. However, the department has been paying other departments (e.g., SFPD, 311) more than $83 million in work orders that may have nothing or little to do with public transportation. This is happening as SFMTA is proposing to increase Muni's daily fare from $1.50 to $2. On top of this, SFMTA is proposing severe cuts in Muni service, including many service cuts that will directly impact District 9. While I don't relish the thought of rejecting SFMTA's budget, as a Supervisor, I will not support a budget that doesn't ensure that SFMTA's money is actually spent on public transportation, nor will I support a budget that doesn't try to minimize Muni service cuts and avoid fare increases. In my opinion, given the state of the economy, as well as people's reliance on Muni, cutting service and increasing fares is the last thing we want to do. The revised SFMTA budget is going back to the SFMTA Board of Directors and we will keep you posted on the latest.

Public Safety and Budget Cuts. It takes a lot of things to keep a neighborhood safe. And while law enforcement is an important part of the equation, public safety is also affected by the violence prevention work of many community- based organizations and City agencies. The police will be the first to tell you that, without the services provided by many of these groups, as well as the after school and other services provided by City agencies, our communities would not be as safe. This is why, as Chair of the Board's Public Safety Committee, I will be holding a hearing (on Monday, May 18, at 11:00 a.m., in the Board's Chambers in City Hall) on the impact that some of the proposed budget cuts could have on public safety. Please come to City Hall and let us know your thoughts on this important issue.

Minimizing Service Cuts. Unfortunately, service cuts will be a reality in these tough economic times; but I want you to know that my staff and I are working as hard as we can to make sure that the impact on our communities is kept to a minimum. This is why we fought hard to keep Recreation & Park from significantly reducing the hours at Garfield pool and why we will continue to fight any effort to reduce the important services our City provides.

Presence in the Community. We continue to be out and about in the community as much as we can. I have met with a number of neighborhood organizations, including the Mission Merchants Association, the Mission Dwellers, and the Shotwell Neighborhood Watch. I have also visited a number of community-based organizations and institutions, including the Mission Beacon, Arriba Juntos, Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, SRO Families United, and John O'Connoll High School.

 
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