What I would like to accomplish in office

By Gavin Newsom

A list of goals I would like to accomplish while in office

I have goals for the Health Department: Monitor DPH measures in combating Hepatitis C ; Follow-up hearing on DPH's progress for methadone access waiver ; Continue to work on enforcement measures and funding for city-wide banning of tobacco advertising ; Investigating substance abuse programs in schools, jails, and city departments ; Continue educational/medical efforts with regards to AIDS/HIV ; Investigate and advance substance abuse programs in schools, jails, and city departments ; Further develop our public outreach campaign for red light runner

I have goals for The Recreation and Parks Department: ; Revise management to promote accountability among employees and improve strategic planning ; Provide greater opportunity for public input and review in park planning through regular park needs assessments, neighborhood involvement (district councils), and baseline funding publicized for each individual park ; Address park safety to encourage use through such efforts as forming an inter-departmental task force; hearing on Dolores Park safety; increasing hours of police park patrol in the Mission ; Overhaul concessions and leases to provide more money for the city by establishing better tracking of cash businesses and quality service to customers ; Promote external relationships with other departments, including setting goals for parks to partner with schools in multi-use of land ; Commended numerous participants in volunteer park advocacy, including members of SPUR, Neighborhood Parks Council, and Friends of Dolores Park. ; Establish and promote signage policy at Ocean Beach as well as support the presence of a lifeguard ; Sharon Art Studio contingency plan for relocation ; Called for parks conference

I have goals for the Homeless program in San Francisco.

I have addressed and will continue to address homelessness from both a preventive and a remedial approach.

From my position at the Board of Supervisors, I have been working to locate land and funding for Fresh Start Farms to continue a farming program that employs and trains homeless persons. This type of hands-on education provides invaluable learning in both soft and hard skills for the persons who will be working as gardeners and marketers.

As a City, we have begun to address the problem of homelessness in a positive way. From my position on the Finance Committee, I approved funds in the amount of $2 million to finance the Mission Rock Shelter, the largest adult shelter in San Francisco, housing an average of 600 homeless persons year round. During the past six months or so, I coordinated four neighborhood outreach forums on substance abuse, with a particular focus on youth. The Health Department, Treatment on Demand Planning Council, and my appointee to the Youth Commission attended these events. Each time the floor was opened to public comment, we heard one continuing theme: there is a serious lack of residential treatment programs for youth. As a result, the Finance Committee, on which I sit, approved $500,000 in this year's budget for the Health Department to spend for substance abuse youth services. Part of this amount will be directed towards a residential program and the remainder will fund a youth drop-in services clinic.