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I’m excited to share that last week, the Board of Supervisors voted to place a critical ballot measure I authored on the November ballot: our city’s first loan forgiveness fund for first responders!
This measure, if passed, will reimburse San Francisco first responders for outstanding student loans and job-related educational expenses up to $25,000.
The fund would be made available to employees of the 911 dispatchers, police, fire, and sheriff’s departments, as well as registered nurses and paramedics. The measure will help address our city’s critical staffing, recruitment, and retention challenges by attracting and retaining talented professionals in public safety and healthcare positions to San Francisco.
Today, our city faces a severe shortage of first responders. We’re about 400 police officers short, which leads to longer response times for 9-1-1 calls. Additionally, a shortage of around 175 deputy sheriffs has exacerbated violence and injuries within our jails. It’s concerning that we’ve reached a point where our sheriff is requesting the National Guard to provide assistance to our jails.
Public safety is a top priority, and we must address these staffing issues. But this measure is about more than that. Because of these staffing shortages, San Francisco is paying out millions in overtime to our overburdened first responders, which makes our city’s ongoing deficit even worse. That’s just not smart and it’s not sustainable.
This measure is fiscally responsible. It supports the wellbeing and stability of our first responders. And it will improve public safety across our neighborhoods. It’s a win-win-win for San Francisco.
Please make sure to vote yes on this measure on the November ballot. I’ll be back in touch soon with more information about it.
Thanks for standing up for our first responders and for a safer San Francisco for all of us.
Ahsha Safaí
Candidate for Mayor of San Francisco
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