Details on Prop B, and ways we’ve benefited from Biden’s Infrastructure Law

Indivisible SF Newsletter
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It’s here! California’s one and only primary election has begun. You may have already received your ballot in your mail.

First time? Haven’t voted in a few years? We’ve published a new voting primer ([link removed]) for San Francisco voters that walks you through casting your ballot step-by-step.

If you haven’t gotten a ballot yet, you should check your voter registration ([link removed]) to make sure your voter registration is active, your party affiliation is correct, and your address is current. You may wish to sign up for ballot tracking ([link removed]) to get notified when your ballot has been mailed out.

Our Vote ([link removed]) page is full of helpful information, including links to voter guides, our voting primer, and ways you can help get out the vote. Feel free to share it with friends and family members who are eager to vote in the Democratic primary election.

Already voted? Send us a picture of yourself with your “I Voted” sticker (you don’t have to show your face if you don’t want) at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) , and we may include it in a future email or social media!


** Environmental Priorities in the Biden Infrastructure Law
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In 2020 Joe Biden campaigned on an ambitious climate action platform. Voters gave President Biden a slim Democratic majority in Congress, so he wove clean energy infrastructure, climate action, and environmental justice into his Administration’s urgent pandemic recovery legislation and kept that momentum going through later bills of the 117th Congress.

Among the benefits of these acts has been putting millions of Americans back to work. Jobs reports have consistently defied expectations and January did too, with 353,000 jobs added. Unemployment is at 3.7 percent, which means it has now been under 4 percent for almost two years—a historic achievement. Workers are in demand and unions are empowered and respected again, so wages are rising too. As inflation has settled down, real wages—and the workers earning them—have pulled ahead.

President Biden and then-Speaker Pelosi used their experience in Congress to anchor many of the Democrats’ environmental priorities in two signature pieces of legislation. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (or, as we call it, the Biden Infrastructure Law) provided $550 billion for improving roads and bridges and also funded clean energy projects, mass transit, electric vehicle charging, and more. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 authorized investments of $369 billion dedicated to accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy.

This week we’re looking at some of the work made possible by the first of these two bills. Learn about environmental priorities in the Biden Infrastructure Law and their impact in California in our blog. ([link removed])



** On your ballot: Prop B, the police staffing ballot measure
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We hear a lot of debate, especially over social media, about how many police officers the City needs versus how many it has.

Currently, the Board of Supervisors controls how many officers SFPD can employ. They wield the power of the purse, so they can add or remove budgeted positions at any time, subject only to political will and budget limitations.

(About those budget limitations: We're entering a period of steep budget deficits. Increasing anything in the budget is either going to be entirely infeasible or require deep cuts to other services. For this year, Mayor Breed has asked for no new openings and the closure of existing vacancies.)

One of the propositions on your ballot is Proposition B, which its proponents claim would impose a new Charter mandate on police staffing levels. But it wouldn’t bring more cops to our City, nor would it address causes of crime.

Our Deep Dive ([link removed]) explores what Prop B would actually do, what it wouldn't, and the harms it might do.



** Golden Gate Bridge tolls going up again
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The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District, facing revenue shortfalls in the near future, is considering four possible schedules for annual increases to the toll paid by drivers coming to the City over the Golden Gate Bridge. One proposal is a 4 percent increase each year, and the other three are different fixed amounts each year.

The District will be holding virtual open houses next Wednesday, February 14 at noon, as well as the following day at 7 PM, and an in-person public hearing on Thursday, February 22 at 9 AM.

For details of the proposed increase schedules, as well as details on how to give public comment, see the proposal ([link removed]) on the District’s website.


**
Volunteers welcome: We’re looking for an Editor and a Social Media Person!
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This year is going to be a busy time, and we’d love a few more volunteers on board to help with editing our weekly newsletter and publishing ongoing social media posts.

Our newsletter team meets every Tuesday night, and our editor helps us make sure everything looks professional, all the links work, and all the commas are in the right places.

Several members of our team post on various social media websites (Twitter, Mastodon, Instagram, etc.). This is more of an ad-hoc role. We especially would like someone to help us create, schedule, and monitor posts on the Meta Suite (Facebook and Instagram) and Threads. No prior knowledge required—we can train you!

If you’re interested in volunteering, let us know at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
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TODAY: Swing Left Phone Bank for NY-03 Tom Suozzi: Wednesday, Feb 7, 2:30–4:30 PM PST. Join the Bay Area Coalition together with Swing Left Tri-Valley to phone bank in support of Tom Suozzi to replace George Santos in NY-03. RSVP here. ([link removed])

Special Election: Make calls for Tom Suozzi in NY-03: Wednesday, Feb 11, 1–3 PM PST. Join Swing Left to GOTV for Tom Suozzi for the special election in NY-03 on Feb 13. RSVP here. ([link removed])

Bay Area Coalition Phone Banks to CA, NV, and AZ: Wednesday, Feb 21, 5–7 PM (and every Wednesday afterwards). Join to help elect Adam Gray in CA-13 and Rudy Salas in CA-22. This phone bank also calls into swing states Nevada and Arizona. RSVP here. ([link removed])


** About this week’s photo
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If you’ve seen our newsletter posts on social media, you might have noticed that we include a photo or graphic with each issue.

Today’s graphic is a photo of a San Francisco ballot arrival envelope taken by one of our members. Look for yours in your mail!

Keep Fighting,
The Indivisible SF Team ([link removed])

If you'd like to support our all-volunteer team:
DONATE HERE ([link removed])

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