With Barack Obama having sealed the presidential nomination, California progressives can finally shift their focus to the June 3rd statewide primary. Yesterday, a broad coalition rallied in front of San Francisco City Hall – calling on the state’s voters to defeat Proposition 98 that abolishes rent control, repeals inclusionary housing laws, guts environmental protections and endangers water projects. The local Department of Elections mailed out ballots to permanent absentee voters this week, and early voting has already begun at City Hall. If the “No on 98” effort reaches enough voters in the next 27 days and reminds them that there is a June primary, Prop 98 will go down in flames. Meanwhile, the “San Francisco for Obama” team is busy registering new voters – with a mobilization set for this weekend.

“Eighty percent of the money for Prop 98 comes from landlords,” said Ted Gullicksen of the San Francisco Tenants Union. “It is a real Hidden Agenda Scheme that uses eminent domain as a means of passing their devastating right-wing objectives. We are a city of renters that will see San Francisco change dramatically if Prop 98 passes, as we will lose our character and diversity.”

Yesterday’s rally – timed to remind early absentee voters who will get their mail ballots this week to vote “no” on Prop 98 and “yes” on Prop 99 – featured many of the usual progressive activists who showed up in November to kick off the campaign.

But Prop 98 is so bad that in the past six months a coalition that spans the political spectrum has formed to oppose it – with even Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, ex-Governor Pete Wilson, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and the California Chamber of Commerce all against it. Yesterday’s rally had speakers from the American Association of Retired People, League of Women Voters, California Alliance of Retired Americans and Sierra Club to all present a united front that Prop 98 must be defeated.

“The League of Women Voters strongly opposes Prop 98,” said Linda Craig, “because it’s a deceptive measure. It has a hidden provision that eliminates rent control, and our organization believes in government transparency. Prop 98 is anything but transparent.”



Efforts to defeat Prop 98 will fall short, however, if voters don’t turn out – which is exactly what the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer’s Association (who put it on the ballot) are counting on. Its President, Jon Coupal, has admitted that they chose June 3rd because the voter turnout model on that ballot “should be very low and very conservative.” Californians support rent control and oppose Prop 98 – but only if they vote will they have their voices heard.

Which is why an effort to get tenants engaged will be so critical. Holding up a cardboard box, Guadalupe Arreola of St. Peter’s Housing Committee said: “this is the kind of housing that people will have if Prop 98 passes. Our organization helps over 500 tenants in San Francisco facing rent increases, evictions and landlord harassment. All the basic rights they have now will be gone, and Prop 98 empowers landlords to mistreat tenants.”

Many tenants are not registered to vote – but they still have about a week to do so before the May 19th deadline to qualify for the June 3rd ballot. Which is why the Democratic presidential nomination fight could not have ended more quickly. Having secured a sizable lead over Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama has launched a 50-state voter registration drive called “Vote for Change” to keep his base engaged and involved for the long haul.

Here in California, Obama had a sizable grassroots following of people who were not part of the regular political network. With the Obama campaign mobilizing them to start registering voters on May 10th, such efforts can help defeat Prop 98 by bringing new voters into the system.

In San Francisco, Obama volunteers will gather on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the Ella Hill Hutch Center (1050 McAllister Street – between Laguna and Webster) to start registering new voters locally – and will have three-hour shifts throughout the day. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Tenants Union – along with the Sierra Club – will gather at 11:00 a.m. in the Marina to continue their “No on 98” outreach to San Francisco renters.

With activists ready to zero in on the June primary, Prop 98 can be defeated.