[RESOLUTION URGING BOARD OF SUPERVISOR TO CONDUCT HEARING AND GATHER EVIDENCE IN IMPACTS OF PROP 54 ON CITY GOVERNMENT AND SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS]
WHEREAS The City and County of San Francisco values the diversity and culture of all its residents and will make every affirmative effort to ensure that all San Franciscans live in health and safety; and
WHEREAS, In 1989, the Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 375-89, declaring San Francisco to be a City and County of Refuge; and
WHEREAS, In 1997, the Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 211-97, codified as Article XXI, Chapter 5 of the San Francisco Administrative Code (Section 5.201) creating the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission to improve, enhance and preserve the quality of life and civic participation of all immigrants in the City and County of San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, On June 15, 2000, the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors adopted the Equal Access to Services Ordinance which is based on the percentage of the racial and ethnic composition of the district or the clientele of the City Department, and
WHEREAS, The Equal Access to Services Ordinance assure access to city services in the appropriate languages and to provide equal access to city services to all San Franciscans, including those with limited proficiency in English; and
WHEREAS, The Racial Privacy Initiative could affect ethnic communities in San Francisco and elsewhere in the state; and
WHEREAS, It is important that San Franciscans be informed about the Racial Privacy Initiative and its impact on our community;
WHEREAS, During the special election on October 7, 2003, California voters will decide whether to adopt Proposition 54, better known as Racial Privacy Initiative; and
WHEREAS, Prop 54 would forbid the state from gathering information on the race, ethnicity and national origin in public education, contracting, employment and most other areas; and
WHEREAS, the passing of Prop 54 will have a substantial impact on the ability of public entities including the City and County of San Francisco to address inequalities by race or ethnicity in health care, education, discrimination, and hate crimes; and
WHEREAS, The ban on the collection of critical information based on race and ethnicity from patients could affect the ability of the City to prevent illnesses, develop cures, bridge disparities in treatment to address our unique health needs and on the ability of doctors to make lifesaving decisions; and
WHEREAS, The lack of data on enrollment, drop out and graduation rates that help to address inequalities that persist among different groups could affect the ability of school districts to identify educational disparities, the efforts of San Franciscans in support of education and the ability of parents, teachers and voters to gain access to the type of the information they need to identify and solve problems in California’s public schools; and
WHEREAS, The lack of data on race and ethnicity could affect the ability of citizens and employers to identify and remedy discrimination in hiring, firing and promotion; and
WHEREAS, The lack of data on race or ethnicity on crime statistics could hinder the ability of public agencies to identify hate crimes, analyze and report on hate crimes trends, track hate groups, provide resources to stop them and promote hate crime prevention; and
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission supports the continued adherence of the City Departments to the principles and requirements set forth in Ordinance No. 375-89 declaring San Francisco to be a City and County of Refuge; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission continues its delegated function to monitor and uphold the Equal Access to Services Ordinance in San Francisco; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission urge the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to conduct hearings, gather evidence and inform the public of the impacts of the Racial Privacy Initiative; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission is prepared to assist the Mayor and Board of Supervisors in this undertaking; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission will conduct a press conference in October, 2003 to announce the adoption of this resolution and to address the Summit Report.
