San Francisco Values: 7-Point Checklist Voters Need to Know Before November’s Election

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Category: Beltway Insider

Published on Tuesday, 04 August 2020 13:48

Written by Janet Walker

Authors Geri Spieler, an investigative journalist, and Rick Kaplowitz, a former Harvard educated college dean, claim that while many shockingly doubt the existence of a pandemic, they believe our president tests our fundamental values and decency.

The co-authors penned "San Francisco Values: Common Ground for Getting America Back on Track," (Palmetto Publishing Group), tracing the evolution of America by using San Francisco's culture as a baseline, dispelling the conservative view of SF as "un-American."

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Viewed from national, regional, and local history, the book includes insights on race, health care, homelessness, and immigration. Following is a 7-point checklist, based on what San Francisco—and our Constitution—stand for, so readers may learn which candidate supports/opposes laws and practices which reflect biases based on religion, ethnicity, gender, or color:  

1. Did the President Act Quickly? In March, the San Francisco Bay Area became the first region in the nation to issue a "shelter-in-place" edict to seek control over the spread of Covid-19. Kaplowitz observes, "Trump pushed to open the economy too soon, sidelining the expertise of Dr. Anthony Fauci for the inept decision-making processes of son-in-law Jared Kushner and Vice President Mike Pence."
 

2. Is there a Red Pandemic/Blue Pandemic? The more the president launches attacks against democratic governors for their handling of the crisis, the more San Franciscan, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fights to bring sanity back to the citizens around the country who don't look at a pandemic as if it's a political candidate running for office. In the book, the authors describe how Pelosi negotiated the first pandemic bail-out bill with a member of the Trump administration.

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3. Has this administration really protected our freedom of expression? "It should not extend to putting people at risk," says Spieler. The book addresses true American freedom—not Trump's interpretation—of expression, as written in our Constitution and its amendments.

4. Does this President Really Respect anyone? California Senator Kamala Harris, who's on the shortlist to become Joe Biden's candidate for vice president, recounts Trump's "shithole countries" remark as an example of disrespect for entire segments of the US.  The book reminds us that SF does not diminish the liberty and equality of others.

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5. Does this Trump administration truly support our troops and wounded warriors? Never before have so many former-Republican military leaders criticized putting our troops at risk. The book points out that in 2001 (CA) Congresswoman Barbara Lee was the only member to vote against the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) bill and continues to put forward a bill every year since to revoke it.

6. Does Diversity—from LGBTQ rights to the Black Lives Matter Movement—Really Matter to Trump Republicans? In the book, Pelosi says, "To those who mock me for having SF values (their code for being pro-LGBTQ), I say, 'We don't tolerate our differences—that's condescending. We take pride in our diversity. And when it comes to full social equality, the inconceivable to you is the inevitable to us. Listen to what we say because pretty soon you'll be saying it too.'"

7. Are we going to hear more about building 'the wall' during this campaign? In San Francisco Values the authors quote a Brookings Institute study showing that US immigrants are less likely to commit serious crimes or be behind bars than the native-born, and high rates of immigration are associated with lower rates of violent crime and property crime. They also quote conservative tax activist Grover Norquist, who said: "I don't care how tall the fence is as long as the doors are big enough."

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Geri Spieler is an investigative journalist and has written for the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Forbes, and Truthdig.com.  A native Californian, she's lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 25 years with her co-author and husband Rick Kaplowitz, who has served as a vice president in both academia and technology. He holds a doctorate in Education and Management from Harvard University.  For more information, please visit, https://sanfranciscovalues.us.

San Francisco Values: Common Ground for Getting America Back on Track

Palmetto Publishing Group

Original Trade Paperback / $19.95

Release Date: August 11, 2020

ISBN-13: 978-1-64111-745-6