Western Addition Resident Runs For Mayor

Quintin Mecke: Why He’s
Running for
Mayor
by Kathy Perry

It was interesting to learn that Quintin Mecke, (a Western Addition resident) was running for Mayor against incumbent, Gavin Newsom. 10 years ago, Mecke was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer serving in Niger West Africa working to combat the growing deforestation and erosion from the Sahara desert. After his U.S. Peace Corps service, Mecke moved to San Francisco.

Mecke was introduced to San Francisco politics when he became involved with Tom Ammiano’s campaign for Supervisor in 1998. Later, through Ammiano he met Matt Gonzalez and worked on his campaign for Supervisor in District 5. Mecke debated with then Supervisor Newsom on his “Care Not Cash” proposal. At the time, Mecke was working on another proposal addressing homelessness. Mecke also worked with Gonzalez’ Mayoral campaign followed by Mirkarimi’s campaign for Supervisor. A few years ago he began working and organizing around violence issues. I wanted to know why he was running.

Mecke began the discussion with observations around public safety. “Several years ago when the homicides were striking, and the rate was actually less than what it is now. There was a huge discussion at City Hall, all sorts of drama back and forth. (There was) Community Connect and all this kind of conversation, I watched the Newsom administration run around and (paraphrasing) ‘oh we’re going to have these meetings, we’re going to change things, community policing’ and all these conversations...(he paused) and nothing happened.” I acknowledged that beat cops came out of it, Mecke reminded me, “As you know, that (mandated beat cops) came from Ross! What is interesting is that it really speaks to the fact that there is a disconnect. Ross felt he had to legislate action because no action was happening.”
He continued, “The administration is not asserting any pro-active stance on public safety. The fact that (Supervisors) had to mandate the police department is really kind of stunning!” He cited that the Mayor didn’t support Proposition A in June of 2006, a violence prevention-funding proposal, and that Newsom had vetoed foot patrols not once but twice. “For me at least and (from) working in the community, I live in District 5, we’ve had two or three day time shootings here on Divisadero! Its unprecedented! The violence has increased to a point where it’s really quite amazing! There is not a comprehensive approach or strategy aside from beat patrols.”

I asked if he thought that he could get a handle on the violence if he were elected. “There is a combination of things I think that need to be done. I certainly have worked intimately with the police department and know many of the Captains in the command center. I think many of them are good folks doing good work, but I think we need to re-envision policing a little bit. I think the fact that the community and the police department has so little trust between each other and that they can’t get witnesses for even things like Ella Hill Hutch (a shooting-homicide that occurred at a community center). I mean, talk about the overall symbol of the fact that there were folks in that room that knew (or saw) exactly who it was. They (the shooter) walked in and did it, and turned around and walked out.”

I asked what he thought was the reason ing behind the community silence. Mecke answered, “Probably, first and foremost is fear.” I asked what he was going to do about that as Mayor. He answered, “You can’t legislate trust. They (the community) need to see that the police department wants to build trust. They (the city) need to grow that process of treating the community as though it’s not isolated. The fact that this City doesn’t even flinch when things happen in the Western Addition or Bayview or Visitacion Valley...We are at 91 homicides in the middle of October and the City is having no conversation about it. As you know, over 60% of the victims are African-American. If we were talking about any other population it would be a crisis, an epidemic, there would be press conferences, there would be all sorts of things. If this was Pacific Heights, but we’re not!” I asked what he would do to change things. Mecke said, go back to community policing, change the relationship between the community and the police department, invest in the community through neighborhood programs and address the conditions in public housing, which are horrendous.

Mecke explained that some of the housing unit conditions were so bad that if occurring on private property, would be considered illegal. Because the property is on federal property there is deference. “That doesn’t mean we should accept any of these conditions!” He expressed dismay at the fact that San Francisco has a homeless population and concurrently has boarded up public housing units. Mecke acknowledged that federal funding for public housing has diminished. “We need to very creatively think outside of the box.” He continued, “I think the Mayor had said earlier this year that HOPE SF (Public Housing funding) was going to be a bond issue. They were going to go to the voters. Very quickly, they looked at the initial polling and said, we can’t go to the voters it might not work out! He needs to put his political capital to use!

That is what is confusing to me! I’m not quite so sure what he (Mayor Newsom) believes in. Regardless of the poll numbers, you need to take a stand to at least tell people that this (HOPE SF) is something the City needs to do. Not just look at the poll numbers and say oh its 60/40, I guess we’ll back off. That’s not leadership in my mind. Leadership is putting yourself out there on certain issues even when its not necessarily a clear win. You have to struggle for that win.”

I asked if he would make radical changes in Mayoral appointments, Mecke was very clear, “Yeah, I think especially around issues that we know are pressing. That would range from homelessness to public health and public safety. You want to have commissioners that reflect your values. We have a very commission driven city government where a lot of the commissioners make a lot of decisions. Whether it’s redevelopment or others, we need to make sure that who is on a commission is not just simply there politically, but that they are really adding value. We should not just reappoint them because they’ve always been there.” Mecke explained that the City should move beyond some past practices. Citing the planning commission as example, Mecke said we still trust the market as if it’s going to cure everything. He believes focusing on the quality of life in neighborhoods is important.

I asked how he would represent business interests both large and small. “We often lump the business community together as one entity. I don’t think that small businesses or locally owned small businesses are represented by the Chamber of Commerce or the Committee on Jobs. Those are multinational corporations that are downtown and have very specific interests about their profit margin. I don’t think the conversations they are involved in effect small businesses. Embracing the small business folks and making sure that we can support them, through micro-lending or other ways is important .”

Mecke says that big businesses missed the boat on the issue of formula retail. What neighborhoods wanted was to have a choice. Mecke says the City recently sent business representatives to look at model practices around dealing with homelessness but did not send social service representatives or social workers.

Citing the various needs of different neighborhoods. I asked how he would meet and balance the cultural needs of the entire city. “You can make an effort to bridge some of those gaps. But from my view of leadership, sometimes it’s okay to say that you are not going to be able to. Sometimes at the expense of balance, there are certain populations that disproportionately bear the brunt of some things. If there is one group that is opposed to changing anything, then leadership means that you have to advocate for things that need happen. Balance in all sense is good, but if you have a history of imbalance then at some point you have to push the other way to right things. I think that in San Francisco the current administration has been very risk averse. It (Newsom’s administration) tries to just please people versus leading. Leading at some time is going to cause friction.” He says that it helps to know what the vision of an administration is.

I asked him to share with me his top five priorities. “Affordable housing, public safety, homelessness, muni and our school system.” Mecke said that the public is led to believe that homelessness is the fault of those who are homeless but he says it is counter to what he finds in the shelter system.

Mecke inspects homeless shelters. “I’ve met veterans from Iraq and after four years of a horrendous war these people are coming home with post traumatic stress disease (PTSD’s) their families can’t manage them, the federal government is not going to take care of them. They are ending up here or in other cities on the street in homeless shelters. Victims of Katrina, people with healthcare problems, people who have had medical issues, those are stories (not being told) we are not saying that these people are experiencing homelessness. They didn’t start off homeless! We need to make sure the homeless shelters have a standard of care, which it doesn’t. If you or I needed shelter for a night, depending on where they sent you would determine the conditions you would encounter." Mecke says that some places offere beds and blankets while others only offer a floor.

Regarding affordable housing Mecke mades a good point, “We are pricing people out and we are losing any portion of the middle class that we think still exists! Rent control is the last stand in this town for any affordable housing.”

For more information go to:
www.qformayor.org