Mayoral Election In San Francisco

Angelika Local news in San Francisco has been all about the mayoral election in recent weeks, and there are some interesting points to note about it. As you may know, Willie Brown was and is the mayor of San Francisco. He is a member of the American Democratic Party, which is the more liberal, "left-leaning" party in America. It is important to note that all the candidates running in San Francisco belong to the Democratic Party; a Republican (which is the conservative party in America, but please do not confuse it with our the German Republikaner Party) would have had no chance from the outset in the city's liberal climate. Many people in San Francisco were quite dissatisfied with Willie Brown because he failed to address the homeless problem and the issues of the public transportation system, known as "MUNI," and he is also considered to be corrupt. As a result, the city was very much in election fever.

One must know that the residents of San Francisco are very attached to their city and most are very engaged when it comes to city-specific issues. Willie Browns opponent would have had a good chance if he hadn't had a problem with alcohol years ago and occasionally raised his hand against his then-wife during those binges. Although this candidate, named Clint Reilly, has been sober for 20 years and has gotten his violence problem under control, it is very difficult to win in America with this kind of baggage. Voters demand a spotless private life (hence the uproar over Clinton's affair).

In any case, it was quite certain two weeks before the election that Willie Brown would probably win, when suddenly Supervisor (something like a city council member) Tom Ammiano launched a so-called "write-in campaign". At first, I didn't quite understand it, but through intensive inquiry, I found out what it was all about. Since the ballots are usually printed two weeks before the election, one can still become an eligible candidate through the "write-in." Write-in simply means that the voter has the option to manually add a candidate in writing who is not officially listed on the ballot and cast their vote for that candidate.

This is what happened in the case of Tom Ammiano, and lo and behold, he managed to become a serious threat to Willie Brown, as Brown would have needed an absolute majority of the votes to win. Good old Tom threw a wrench in the works, and so there will be a runoff election on December 14 between Tom Ammiano and Willie Brown. Tom Ammiano has a good chance, partly because he is actively supported by the homosexual community in San Francisco, who are known to be very politically active in this city. Tom Ammiano is himself homosexual. However, to be fair, it must be said that Willie Brown also pursues very liberal policies regarding homosexuality. This is something you only find in San Francisco: a mayor who does not actively support the homosexual movement has zero chances. So, it remains exciting.

By the way, all American elections are held on regular weekdays (Tuesday is usually election day) and not on Sundays like in Germany. No one gets the day off, so long lines often form at polling stations during lunch breaks. And while I'm at it, I would like to quickly dispel a widespread misconception. In America, only American citizens are allowed to vote. A Green Card (which grants unlimited work and residency permission) does not give one the right to vote, not even at the local level.

Recently, some of you have been asking how long we've actually been living in San Francisco and how much longer we plan to stay. We've been living here for three years now. Our AOL visa expires in July 2000. We definitely want to apply for an extension, which would be valid for another three years. Keep your fingers crossed for us that we can stay a little longer, because we still really love it here!

So, now we wish you all a reflective pre-Christmas season. Here is the quiz question once again: How do you say "thank you" in Tahitian? As always, the first correct entry wins!

Take care and get in touch in large numbers!

Angelika und Michael