Earlier this month, the Bay Guardian spoke with every San Francisco Supervisor about their priorities for the year. Supervisor Eric Mar has two more years in office and in his talk with SFBG, he identified the top issues he plans to focus on. Below is their full discussion with Supervisor Mar.
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They have issues: Members of the new Board speak
SFBG Politics Blog
January 18, 2011
Supervisor Eric Mar
District 1
Issues:
- Budget
- Assisting small businesses
- Programs and services for seniors
- Food Security
- Issues surrounding Golden Gate Park
Elected in 2008 to represent D1, Sup. Eric Mar has been named chair of the powerful Land Use & Economic Development Committee and vice chair of the City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee.
Asked to name his top priorities, Mar said, “A humane budget that protects the safety net and services to the must vulnerable people in San Francisco is kind of the critical, top priority.”
It’s bound to be difficult, he added. “That’s why I wish it could have been a progressive that was chairing the budget process. Now, we have to work with Carmen Chu to ensure that it’s a fair, transparent process.”
A second issue hovering near the top of Mar’s agenda is lending a helping hand to the small businesses of the Richmond District. “There’s a lot of anxiety about the economic climate for small business. We’re trying to work closely with some of the merchant associations and come up with ideas on how the city government can be more supportive,” he said. Mar also spoke about the need to respond to the threat of big box stores, such as PETCO, that could move in and harm neighborhood merchants. “I’m worried about too many of the big box stores trying to come in with an urban strategy and saying that they’re different — but they sure have an unfair advantage,” he noted.
Programs and services for the senior population ranked high on his list. Mar noted that he’d been working with senior groups on how to respond to a budget analyst’s report showing a ballooning need for housing – especially affordable housing – for seniors. “It’s moving from the Baby Boom generation to the Senior Boomers, and I think the population, if I’m not mistaken, by 2020 it’s going up 50 percent,” he said. “It’s a huge booming population that I don’t think we’re ready to address.”
Addressing food security issues through the Food Security Task Force also ranked high on Mar’s list, and he noted that he’s been working with a coalition that includes UCSF and the Department of Public Health to study the problem. “We’ve had a number of strategy meetings already, but we’re trying to launch different efforts to create healthier food access in many of our lowest income neighborhoods,” Mar said.
Finally, Mar talked about issues relating to the park. “I do represent the district that has Golden Gate Park, so I’m often busy with efforts to preserve the park, prevent privatization, and ensure enjoyment for the many residents not just in the Richmond but throughout the city that enjoy the park.” Although it’s not technically in his district, Mar noted that he is very supportive of HANC Recycling Center – and plans to advocate on their behalf to Mayor Lee.
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What do you think of Supervisor Mar’s priorities? Leave a comment to let us know.
Sarah B.
What about all the businesses on Clement and Geary being closed and sued by that corrupt lawyer for people with disability access? What about the rise in parking tickets and parking permits for residents? Mar’s a joke. No real business background or work experience and here he is spending our money on banning Happy Meals and wasting his time on non binding resolutions.
@Jake: Mar left this comment on the earlier ADA article (https://richmondsfblog.com/2011/01/14/kgo-interviews-ada-litigant-pot-de-pho-is-latest-casualty-among-dozens-being-sued-where-is-eric-mar/):
Last week, Supervisor Mar joined several Supervisors at a press conference to share information on how to deal with potential lawsuits. Tax credits and business loans are available to help reduce the cost of barriers. An informational packet sent to every San Francisco business in the near-future containing this information. The packet will contain materials in English, Chinese, & Spanish. Those who may need help in Russian should contact our office at 415-554-7410. Although the laws that govern ADA compliance are State and Federal laws, our office is looking into what legislative powers the City may have to provide some relief for our business owners. For more information, please contact our office at Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.org. There are also pamphlets posted online through the Small Business Assistance Center http://www.sfgsa.org/index.aspx?page=3805
Mar Staff
More info in this SF Chronicle article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/13/BU4O1H8M9O.DTL
I wish the Supervisor would be more specific regarding how he intends to fight privatization of Golden Gate Park. Although I’m a fan of free concerts in the park, the yearly for-profit Outside Lands festival is too large and too exclusive to be appropriately held there. The damage done to the park is in stark evidence each time and there’s no clear public accounting of where any alleged funds used to restore it actually go. If Mr. Mar has done anything to oppose this ongoing abuse of a public resource, I’m unaware of it. For whatever reasons the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass event appears to attract a more respectful crowd, although the issue of restricted public access and the use of the park for promoter profit is as relevant.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Mar is only vaguely referring to the controversy about the Stow Lake concession as opposed to more egregious issues of privatization of our crown jewel resource.
Supervisor Mar forgot to include: “Avoid interviews with The Daily Show at all costs.”
Useless twit.
I’m baffled that Eric Mar believes that chains have some kind of “unfair advantage” over local places. Did PetCo not start out as a single store? Do we not have retail chains based in SF and the Bay Area that have thousands of stores across the country/world? Could a successful new store started in the Richmond not open multiple branches and succeed in becoming a national chain?
I’m very curious to hear how somehow stores started in the Richmond are not allowed to be successful, grow, and expand to thousands of locations like stores in other parts of the city/region/country have done.
He’s such an embarrassment. By supporting the HANC recycling center (& refusing to stop the ‘cruising’ that plagues the west end of GGP), Mar shows that he doesn’t care about 99% of us who are respectful park users. The HANC recycling center provides quick drug/alcohol cash for the bums that infest GGP.
Contrary to Mar’s opinion, I’m very glad that Carmen Chu is the new chair of the budget committee! Sadly, Mar sees the world through ‘progressive’ colored lenses. It is too bad we can’t clone Carmen Chu (or Sean Elsbernd) to represent the Richmond.
I also didn’t like the dig at Supervisor Chu. She’s done a great job for our district while also addressing large city issues in a responsible way.
Hmmm… no mention of Muni or transit…. um, Mr. Mar? Many of us try to use our city’s public transit, thru all the issues that it has…. not only people who are not on the “vulnerable people in San Francisco”, but those of us who have jobs, pay rent, work & play in the city! How about worrying about us, vs your “progressive politics of happy meals” plans? Obviously, he doesn’t rely on Muni to get around town!
what a waste of oxygen.
Thanks Eric for working hard for District 1.