Another mailer, another set of outright lies.
This one arrived today, and calls Prop. I a “nonprofit slush fund.” Prop. I “ties the city hand by requiring millions to flow to a small group of nonprofits such as those who wrote the measure with no requirement that they actually build housing.”
That’s factually untrue.
Prop. I would mandate that the money that the voters approved in 2020—which must by law go for non-market housing—be spent on that housing.
The money would not be controlled by nonprofits, but by the Mayor’s Office of Housing; that is, Mayor Lurie, who is leading the campaign against Prop. I and calling it a slush fund, would be the one in charge of the money.
Then there’s what I can only call Trump-style red baiting: “Nonprofits would spend taxpayer dollars to buy rent controlled apartments and permanently take homes off the market for everyday San Franciscans.” Yes: The idea is to buy rent-controlled buildings that are at risk of falling into the hands of speculators who will kick out all the tenants and turn them into high-end condos—to permanently make homes affordable to everyday San Franciscans.
Lies. No other way to say it. Paid for by the mayor’s friends.
It gets more bizarre: “Prop. I forces the city to spend millions every year on collectively owned of community managed housing. Residents would need to get approval from committees to make decisions in their own homes.”
This reeks of 1950s attacks on housing co-ops. Nobody would ever be forced to live in a co-op—but for many folks, that type of housing is affordable and appealing.
“Prop. I forces the city to take money from the General Fund—the same money we use to pay for firefighters nurses, and emergency services—and gives it to the nonprofits who support this measure.”
Another lie: The money that Prop. I sends to affordable housing would not exist if the voters had not approved a tax on high-end property sales to fund … affordable housing. A proposal for taxes to pay for more cops failed.
