Live Blog: SF Standard’s District 6 Supervisor Debate

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In the second event of The Standard’s election debate series, Supervisor Matt Dorsey and candidates Honey Mahogany, Cherelle Jackson, and Billie Cooper will face off Wednesday evening to discuss the key issues affecting District 6 and the city at large. Below are live updates.

6:03 P.M. And we are live!

The Standard’s second general election debate, which is being held at our dapper headquarters on Division Street, has welcomed several dozen guests to listen to the four District 6 candidates discuss the issues. Our Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Weber will be moderating. The format will start with short introductions by the candidates and then questions in which candidates can respond, followed by rebuttals. The candidates will also be allowed to pose questions to each other and then the public will have its own chance to grill the candidates. Let’s go!

6:15 P.M. Meet the candidates.

Honey Mahogany, a social worker who has previously served as a staffer in District 6, opened the introduction period of the debate by saying the city needs to hire more nurses and social workers to help the thousands of people in need on San Francisco’s streets. “It is a simple matter of prioritization,” she said.

Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who received an appointment after Matt Haney relinquished his post to take a seat in the state Assembly, said one of his top priorities if elected would be to institute a plan called San Francisco Recovers. He created the plan to address the city’s drug crisis with colleagues Catherine Stefani and Rafael Mandelman.

Cherelle Jackson, president of the Black Voices and Allies Leadership Committee, noted that as an essential worker she has seen firsthand how the city needs to provide more funding for treatment programs. “This is about making sure they have the resources they need,” she said.

Ms. Billie Cooper, who like Mahogany is a transgender woman, said that as a person in recovery, she feels the city needs to make sure it is diagnosing people properly. This would apply to those addicted to drugs or dealing with mental health issues.

6:18 P.M. Does the city have enough money to fix its crises?

Dorsey pointed to spending money from the city attorney’s lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies. Mahogany noted that she spent four years working in City Hall and knows “how the sausage gets made.” She added that the city has plenty of money to fill needed positions. Jackson said that San Francisco needs to make sure current programs are properly funded. And Ms. Cooper, whose voice is booming over the other candidates, said it’s time for elected officials to roll up their sleeves and help those who are marginalized.

Ms. Billie Cooper answers a question during Wednesday’s District 6 debate at The Standard’s offices. I Photo by Noah Berger/Special to The Standard

6:24 P.M. Candidates getting a little feisty.

Candidates were asked to answer questions with a simple answer of “yes” or “no,” but the segment went a bit off the rails when Ms. Cooper told Mahogany to “close your mouth” after the latter questioned if she could answer with a full answer—as others did—or needed to limit herself to a one-word answer. Weber was able to restore order. We’re having fun!

6:28 P.M. Conservatorships and citing drug users.

Should people clearly suffering from mental illness be forced into conservatorships? Should people addicted to drugs be cited when police come across them using in the street? These are real questions San Francisco is trying to answer, and many people are divided on what is a compassionate approach and what leads to lawlessness and unsafe streets.

Below is a rundown of the yes/no answers from the candidates:

See Also


Conservatorships

Jackson – yes
Dorsey – yes
Mahogany – yes
Cooper – no 

Should drug users be cited?

Jackson – yes
Dorsey – yes
Mahogany – yes
Cooper – no

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