San Francisco politics is increasingly run through PACs and nonprofits. They raise big checks, buy access, and dominate the headlines. But here’s the difference:
1. Who We Are vs. Who They Are
- PACs are built to move money and win elections.
- We are neighbors, small business operators, and residents (renters/homeowners) with no fundraising arm and no candidate to promote. Our only interest is the neighborhood where we live and work.
2. Access vs. Exclusion
- City Hall takes PAC meetings, staffs PAC events, and adopts PAC talking points.
- Constituents get form emails, staged “outreach,” or outright exclusion from process. When the Neighborhood Services Office was eliminated, ordinary residents lost their last direct channel. PACs filled the vacuum.
3. Incentives vs. Consequences
- PACs invest for political returns: a headline, a ballot measure, a candidate victory.
- We advocate for survival. If policies like the Hayes Street closure or Entertainment Zone fail, it’s our businesses, our families, and our streets that bear the fallout.
4. Accountability vs. Escape
- PACs can pivot to the next cause or district when the politics shift.
- We don’t have that luxury. We’re here the day after, living with the policies PACs pushed.
5. What We’re Not
- We don’t raise six-figure checks.
- We don’t climb political ladders through photo ops.
- We don’t answer to donors.
6. What We Are
- An independent voice built by neighbors.
- A coalition that existed before the latest Supervisor and will be here long after PACs move on.
- People who expect fair process, transparency, and policies that serve residents — not political machines.
That’s what sets us apart, and that’s why our voice matters.