Extracts of Promises Made by Prominent San Franciscans in 1999 Voter Guide Paid Arguments In Favor of Proposition A

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[Note: This document contains only extracts of the key arguments made to voters in 30 of the 42 arguments throughout 17 pages of paid arguments in favor of Prop A in the 1999 voter guide. The extracts are part and parcel of the promises made to San Francisco voters that the bond financing would be used to rebuild Laguna Honda for elderly and disabled San Franciscans. Bracketed page numbers refer to the voter guide pages.]    To start of extracts    

The Authors

American Institute of Architects	Dr. Carlota del Portillo	Bill Kirkpatrick	Sal Rosselli
Asian Pacific Democratic Club	Ray G. del Portillo	Julie C. Kung, CNA	Richard Rothman
Filipino-American Democratic Club	Rebecco Delgado-Rottman	Milagros A. Laperal, CNA	David J. Sanchez, MD
San Francisco Tomorrow	Bob Demmons	Esther Lee	Sabrina Saunders
The Golden Gate Restaurant Association PAC	Chris Dittenhafer	Mark Leno	Jeff Sheehy
Tom Ammiano	Pat Durham	Marylouise Lovett	Kevin Shelley
Phillip Babcock	Dianne Feinstein	Dr. Randall Low, SCC/TR	Mervyn Silverman, MD, MPH
Alicia Becerril	Richard Fine, MD	Carolene Marks	Stanley Smith
Martha Benioff	H. Welton Flynn	Victor Marquez	Roger Smith, MD
Natalie Berg	Wayne Friday	Gabriel Medina	Tricia Stapleton
Sue Bierman	Dr. Gordon L. Fung	Sonia Melara	Mabel Teng
Laura M. Blue, RN	Aquillina F. Garcia, CNA	Alene Meyers	Holli P. Thier, JD
Kathryn Borgenicht, MD	Margaret Gavney, RN	Charles Meyers, Sr.	John Umekubo, MD
Harry Britt	Anthony Gee, MD	Michael Mikolasek, RN	Robert Varni
Amos Brown	William H. Goodson III, MD	Ross Mirkarimi	Paul Volberding, MD
Willie L. Brown	Dean Goodwin	Kent Mitchell	Howard Wallace
Marrie Brown, CNA	Naomi T. Gray	Lee Ann Monfedeini	Doris Ward
R. Alexander Burnett	Ted Gullicksen	Jane Morrison	Melissa Welch Barker, MD
John Burton	Roma Guy	Alfred J. Nelder	Adam Werbach
Robert Burton	Robert Haaland	Wendy Nelder	Earl H. White
Mike Casey	Barry Hermanson	Dr. Juanita Owens	Bud Wilson
Dr. Kenneth D. Chan	Mary T. Hernandez	Nancy Pelosi	Stan Wipfi
Frank Chong	Sandra Hernandez, MD	Robert Pender	Nancy Wohlforth
Edward A. Chow, MD	Ronald Gene Hill	Bill Price	Lawrence Wong
George Christopher	Frederick Hobson	Lee Ann Prifti	Russell D. Woo, MD
Tim Colen	Thomas Hsieh, Sr.	Tyrone Pruitt	Jill Wynns
Steve Collier	Arthur Jackson	Tom Radulovich	Michael Yaki
Rosalinda R. Concha, LVN	Sharon Johnson	Louise Renne, Esq.	Benny Yee
Carole S. Cullum	Walter Johnson	Raye G. Richardson	Leland Yee
Chris Cunnie	Mary Anne Johnson, MD	Jim Rivaldo	Mee-Lai Yee, RN
Salim Dahud	Leslie Katz	Rodel E. Rodis	Monique Zmuda
Gerald "Jerry" De Ryan	Mitchell Katz, MD	Hadley Roff
Steven G. Deeks, MD	Daniel Kelly	Criss Romero

Proponents’ Argument in Favor of Proposition A
“Since 1866 San Francisco has cared for our elderly and disabled at Laguna Honda Hospital. Proposition A enables us to continue fulfilling this moral obligation into the next century. … Thousands of San Francisco families have depended on Laguna Honda Hospital to provide compassionate medical care for elderly and disabled family members whose needs cannot be met at home. … If Laguna Honda closed, with San Francisco’s severe shortage of nursing home beds, many patients would fail at home, requiring them to seek expensive emergency room treatment and acute care in hospitals such as San Francisco General Hospital. Extensive studies by medical experts, architects, financial analysts and patient advocates show conclusively that rebuilding Laguna Honda at its current location is the most cost-effective and humane solution.”  [Page 34]
Board of Supervisors
To List of Authors

Board of Supervisors Rebuttal Argument
“Painstaking analysis by healthcare, finance and social service experts shows that rebuilding Laguna Honda Hospital is the least expensive way to provide quality healthcare to the greatest number of San Francisco’s elderly and disabled. ... Yes, rebuilding Laguna Honda is expensive, but other alternatives serving the same number of people would be far more costly. … Dispensing Laguna Honda’s population to smaller public facilities would require wasteful duplication of costly medical equipment. …” [Page 35]
Supervisors Tom Ammiano
Alicia Becerril
Sue Bierman
Amos Brown
Leslie Katz
Mark Leno
Mabel Teng
Michael Yaki
Leland Yee
[Supervisors Barbara Kaufman and Gavin Newsom voted against submitting the Rebuttal Argument]
To List of Authors

“… This long-term care hospital is the last resort for disabled and senior San Franciscans who can’t afford other facilities. If it closes, they have nowhere to go.” [Page 36]
San Francisco Tomorrow
To List of Authors

“… Laguna Honda Hospital provides one third of all the skilled nursing beds in San Francisco. The capacity to care for Laguna Honda patients does not exist elsewhere in the private or public sections. The closure of Laguna Honda would create a health care crisis for the patients in need of skilled nursing care. …” [Page 36]
American Institute of Architects, San Francisco Chapter
To List of Authors

“Proposition A will provide long-term care and assisted living for even the poorest San Franciscans. ...” [Page 36]
Holli P. Thier, JD, Co-President, League of Women Voters of San Francisco
Martha Benioff, Co-President, League of Women Voters of San Francisco
To List of Authors

“It’s the only hope for severely disabled people of all ages who are rejected by for-profit institutions. …” [Page 36]
Jane Morrison
To List of Authors

Democratic Leaders Support Laguna Honda
“For more than a century, San Franciscans have felt a moral obligation to provide compassionate, quality healthcare to our city’s most vulnerable citizens at Laguna Honda Hospital. … Everyone agrees that using San Francisco’s share of money won from these tobacco companies to build Laguna Honda Hospital is the best use of this once-in-a-lifetime financial windfall.” [Page 37]
Mayor Willie Brown
State Senator John Burton
Kevin Shelley, Assembly Majority Leader
Doris Ward, Assessor-Recorder of San Francisco
Natalie Berg, Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party
To List of Authors

Senator Feinstein Supports Laguna Honda Hospital
“For over a century, Laguna Honda Hospital has provided long-term medical care to San Franciscans regardless of their ability to pay. Laguna Honda Hospital is a vital part of our social fabric, enabling generations of San Francisco families to feel secure, knowing that their elderly and disabled loved ones were receiving skilled and compassionate care. …” [Page 38]
Dianne Feinstein, United States Senator
To List of Authors

“Laguna Honda Hospital has been a proud part of the legacy of our city. ... Finally, proposition A provides a safe, caring fiscally sensible, state-of-the-art solution. It’s about time. ...” [Page 48]
Dianne Feinstein, United States Senator
To List of Authors

Democratic Leaders Support Proposition A
“I support Proposition A to save Laguna Honda Hospital because it is the best option to ensure the 1,200 patients at the hospital get the best quality long term care possible.” [Page 39]
Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Congresswoman
To List of Authors

West of Twin Peaks Neighbors Support Laguna Honda Hospital
“For generations, residents of the West of Twin Peaks area have been fortunate to have Laguna Honda Hospital as a neighbor. ...” [Page 39]
Wendy Nelder, Former President, San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Lee Ann Prifti, Diamond Heights Community Association
Bud Wilson, Neighborhood Activist
Tim Colen, President, Greater West Portal Neighborhood Association
To List of Authors

Senior Leaders Rally for Laguna Honda Hospital
“Proposition A combines a forward-thinking design with a realistic vision for meeting the city’s long-term health care needs. San Francisco’s senior population will explode in the next 20 years. The acute needs of Laguna Honda Hospital’s patients cannot be met by private, for-profit facilities. … Closing Laguna Honda Hospital would set off a major crisis in our whole health care system, and leave seniors vulnerable. …” [Page 39]
Pat Durham, President, Commission on Aging
Bill Price, President, Senior Action Network
Gerald “Jerry” De Ryan, American Association of Retired Persons, Vote Volunteer
To List of Authors

Saving Laguna Honda Hospital Is Good Health Policy
“… San Francisco’s poorest and most vulnerable will have nowhere to go, as other convalescent and skilled nursing facilities often do not accept Medicaid or Medicare payments. Please don’t abandon our poor, disabled, and frail senior citizens. …” [Page 39]
Frederick Hobson, Chair, San Francisco Health Plan Public Policy Committee
To List of Authors

Tenant Leaders Support Laguna Honda Hospital
“... Rebuilding Laguna Honda Hospital ensures that it will be there to serve us into the next century - helping elderly, sick, and disabled patients, most of who are unable to feed, bathe or clothe themselves. San Francisco does not have enough acute care beds to meet their needs, and the problem will only get worse as the baby boomers age. ...” [Page 40]
Affordable Housing Alliance
Ted Gullicksen
Robert Haaland, San Francisco Tenants Union
Steve Collier, Tenants’ Attorney
Robert Pender, San Francisco Tenants’ Network
To List of Authors

Please Join Us to Save Laguna Honda Hospital
“… We chaired this commission, which was appointed by the health commission, with the goal of identifying the very best plan for rebuilding Laguna Honda Hospital. … We are convinced that Proposition A is the best way of ensuring that San Francisco has a modern hospital equipped to care for our community’s needs into the next millennium. …” [Page 41]
Mitchell Katz, MD, Chair, San Francisco Director of [Public] Health
Louise Renne, Esq., San Francisco City Attorney
To List of Authors

Union Leaders for a Renewal of Laguna Honda Hospital
“… Laguna Honda Hospital is one of the City’s great treasures. We can’t let it be lost. It is one of the reasons San Francisco is known worldwide for its civilized, progressive and caring traditions. Generations of San Francisco workers have had their last years bless by the facility’s skilled and loving support. …” [Page 41]
Walter Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer, San Francisco Labor Council,
Sal Rosselli, President Healthcare Workers Local 250
Stanley Smith, Secretary-Treasurer, S.F. Building Trades Council
Kent Mitchell, United Educators of San Francisco
Nancy Wohlforth, Business Manger, Office and Professional Employees, Local 3; Pride at Work
Mike Casey, Union Organizer
Howard Wallace, Organizer, Health Care Workers Local 250 (SEIU)
To List of Authors

We Cannot Lose Laguna Honda Hospital
“… For years, Laguna Honda Hospital has been doing an outstanding job in helping patients who need 24-hour-a-day skilled nursing care in a clean and caring environment. It’s a much-need3d service that all San Franciscans should be proud of and should support. …” [Page 42]
Charles Meyers, Sr., California Assemblyman, 1948-1970
Alene Meyers, Retired Laguna Honda Hospital Registered Nurse
To List of Authors

Physicians Support Proposition A
“Laguna Honda Hospital plays a crucial roll in San Francisco’s health care system. The hospital cares for individuals who need the 24-hour a day/seven days a week medical and nursing care that is provided in the hospital. If it were not available, many San Franciscans would not receive the care they need. .... Others would be sent to out-of-county facilities, far away from their families. Also, in the absence of Laguna Honda Hospital, many patients would be unable to be discharged from acute care hospitals, thus typing up needed acute care beds. With the already-present shortage of such beds, especially in wintertime, San Francisco can ill afford the loss of Laguna Honda Hospital. The physicians at Laguna Honda Hospital provide medical care that is technologically state-of-the-art, compassionate, and desperately needed. [Page 42]
William H. Goodson, III, MD, President, San Francisco Medical Society
Mervyn F. Silverman, MD, MPH, Former San Francisco Director of Health
Sandra Hernandez, MD
Kathryn Borgenicht, MD, Associate Clinical Professor, UCSF
Mary Anne Johnson, MD, Vice-Chief, Division of Geriatrics, UCSF
Roger Smith, MD, Chief of Staff, St. Francis Memorial Hospital
Dr. Randall Low, SCC/TR, Chinese Hospital Medical Staff
Russell D. Woo, MD, Past Chief of Staff, Chinese Hospital
Dr. Gordon L. Fung, Past-President, AHA-San Francisco Division
Dr. Kennth D. Chan, Immediate past Chief of Staff, Chinese Hospital
Anthony Gee, MD, Assistant Clinical Professor
Steven G. Deeks, MD
Paul Volberding, MD, Director; Positive Health Program
Richard Fine, MD, Past Chief of Staff, San Francisco General Hospital
To List of Authors

Laguna Honda Hospital Is Vital
“San Francisco is committed to providing as many options as possible for long-term medical and skilled nursing care for our elderly and disabled residents Laguna Honda Hospital provides the options that no other facility can offer - quality care regardless of a resident’s ability to pay. Rebuilding Laguna Honda Hospital is the least expensive and least disruptive way to assure continued care for current residents, and to assure the availability of medical/skilled nursing care for San Francisco who will need these services in the future. Talk of a ‘smaller Laguna Honda’ by Proposition A opponents is irresponsible for many reasons: San Francisco already faces a severe shortage of long-term nursing care beds. ... The total cost to taxpayers of building other, smaller facilities throughout the city to meet current and future needs would be much, much greater - if appropriate sites could even be found. .... If Laguna Honda Hospital is forced to close, current and potential residents could be forced to move to facilities outside the city. ....”Page 43]
Lee Ann Monfredini, President, San Francisco Health Commission
Roma Guy, Vice-President, Health Commission;
Health Commissioners
Edward A. Chow, MD
Ronald Gene Hill, Chair, Budget Committee
David J. Sanchez, MD
John Umekubo, MD
Arthur Jackson, Past-President, San Francisco Health Commission
To List of Authors

Green Leaders Support Proposition A
“Rebuilding Laguna Honda Hospital is the most environmentally sound decision San Franciscans can make. It preserves acres of green space and keeps a low-impact environmentally-sensitive campus in the middle of San Francisco out of the hands of developers. If Laguna Honda is not rebuilt, the existing buildings could be demolished and the land cleared for possible residential construction. ... That means a much denser population that will aggravate problems related to parking, traffic, open space and construction. ...” [Page 44]
Tom Radulovich, BART Director
Adam Werbach
Ross Mirkarimi
To List of Authors

Laguna Honda Hospital Nursing Staff Ask You to Support Proposition A
“... We add our voices to the majority of San Franciscans who believe that we have a civic and moral obligation to take care of our elderly and disabled. ... Every day we see the difference that the hospital makes in the lives of the frail elderly and disabled who live here and find more than just exceptional medical care here - they find a family to offer them community and comfort in a very difficult period of their lives. Without Laguna Honda Hospital, there is no guarantee that these patients will be cared for. Without Laguna Honda Hospital, the already-overwhelmed San Francisco Public Health Care System will be overwhelmed. ... “ [Page 44]
Michael Mikolasek, RN
Laura Blue, RN
Rosalinda R. Concha, LVN
Marrie Brown, Certified Nurse’s Assistant
Milagros A. Laperall, Certified Nurse’s Assistant
Aquillina F. Garcia, Certified Nurse’s Assistant
Julie C. Kung, Certified Nurse’s Assistant
Mee-Lai Yee, RN
Margaret Gavney, RN
To List of Authors

Asian-Americans Support Saving Laguna Honda Hospital
“Our culture teaches us to respect and care for our elders. ... Laguna Honda Hospital has provided long-term, quality health care for thousands of San Francisco’s elderly and needy citizens. ... Proposition A allows to build a state-of-the-art hospital, completed with medical, dental and skilled nursing care clinics, that is seismically safe and able to serve our city’s elderly and sick for another 100 years. ...” [Page 45]
Asian Pacific Democratic Club
Filipino-American Democratic Club
Thomas Hsieh, Sr., Former San Francisco Supervisor
Benny Yee, President, SFRA Commission
To List of Authors

The Golden Gate Restaurant Association PAC Supports Proposition A
“The Golden Gate Restaurant Association supports to use of funds from San Francisco’s legal settlements with tobacco companies to defray the cost to taxpayers of rebuilding Laguna Honda Hospital. The City expects to receive $347 million over the next 25 years from these settlements. What better use of that money than to directly care for our frail elderly? Proposition A allows the voters, not the politicians, to determine how the tobacco settlement will be spent. Vote Yes on Proposition A to ensure that the tobacco settlements are spent on public health, not politics!” [Page 45]
The Golden Gate Restaurant Association PAC
To List of Authors

Former Mayors Support Proposition A
“Laguna Honda Hospital has been an important part of the legacy of our City. ... Finally, Proposition A provides a safe, caring, fiscally sensible, state-of-the-art solution, and delays will only increase the ultimate costs. ...” [Page 45]
George Christopher, Former Mayor of San Francisco
To List of Authors

African-American Leaders Support Laguna Honda Hospital
“... Laguna Honda Hospital serves hundreds of African-American patients and is there as a resource for the rest of us. Without Laguna Honda Hospital, there is no guarantee that San Francisco’s sick and elderly will receive the high-quality care they deserve - they may even be shipped outside of the City. ... We cannot turn our backs on the most need among us. Please save Laguna Honda Hospital and our tradition of caring. ...” [Page 46]
H. Welton Flynn, President, Public Transportation Commission
Sabrina Saunders, Commissioner, Board of Permit Appeals
Naomi T. Gray, Former Health Commissioner
Raye G. Richardson, Co-owner, Marcus Books
To List of Authors

Latino Leaders Support Rebuilding Laguna Honda Hospital
“A visit to Laguna Honda Hospital reveals a true multicultural facility, with members of almost every ethnic population found in San Francisco receiving care on site. Many of these patients have no other options in terms of long term, quality care. The patients at Laguna Honda Hospital are the parents and grandparents of members of our community. They deserve our support and respect by ensuring they continue to receive the care they need. ...” [Page 46]
Rebecco Delgado-Rottman, Recording Secretary, San Francisco Democratic Party
Dr. Carlotta del Portillo
Commissioner Ray del Portillo
Victor Marquez, Civil Rights Attorney
Gabriel Medina, President, San Francisco Young Democrats
Sonia Melara, Director, Commission on the Status of Women
To List of Authors

Disabled San Franciscans Need Laguna Honda Hospital
“Laguna Honda Hospital fulfills an urgent need for people with disabilities. ... Everyone at Laguna Honda Hospital receives the highest quality medical care, companionship and community. For many people with disabilities, living independently or at home with their families just isn’t possible. Laguna Honda Hospital provides a secure, supportive home for them, regardless of their ability to pay. ... Proposition A is the most cost-effective way to provide the greatest number of options for quality medical care and assisted living to people with disabilities. ...” [Page 47]
Richard Rothman
To List of Authors

Laguna Honda Hospital Needs Us
“... Laguna Honda Hospital serves the elderly, and the sick and disabled, almost all of whom are supported by Medi-Cal or Medicare. ... Without Laguna Honda Hospital, San Francisco would not be able to guarantee these patients the quality medical attention they deserve. ...” [Page 47
Carole S. Cullum
Sharon Johnson, Former Director, San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women
Commissioner Carolene Marks
Marylouise Lovett, Democratic Women’s Forum/Vice President
Tricia Stapleton, San Francisco National Organization for Women PAC
To List of Authors

San Francisco Business Leaders Agree: Save Laguna Honda Hospital
“... The Laguna Honda Hospital bond measure is a vital piece of long term planning and care. ... With Laguna Honda repaired, San Francisco’s most vulnerable patient population will continue to receive the quality care they need and deserve. ...” [Page 48
Earl H. White, President, San Francisco Black Chamber of Commerce
Stan Wipfi, Board Member, Golden Gate Business Association
Salim Dalhud, Small Business Owner
Chris Dittenhafer, Small Business Advocate
Barry Hermanson, Owner, Hermanson’s Employment Services
To List of Authors

Educators Advocate for Laguna Honda Hospital
“Any society can be judged by two great standards: how it educates its youth and how it cares for its elderly. ...“
[Page 48]
Dr. Juanita Owens, President, San Francisco Board of Education
Lawrence Wong, President, San Francisco Community Collage Board

Board of Education Members:
Frank Chong
Mary T. Hernandez
Daniel Kelly
Jill Wynns

Community College Board of Trustees:
Robert Burton
Rodel E. Rodis
Robert Varni
To List of Authors

Public Safety Leaders Urge Yes on A
“Many elderly retired San Francisco police officers, firefighters and deputy sheriffs call Laguna Honda Hospital their home. Many others who suffered injuries in the line of duty receive physical therapy and skilled nursing care at Laguna Honda Hospital. ... The former police officers, firefighters and deputy sheriffs now at Laguna Honda Hospital performed their civic duty with honor. ...” [Page 49]
Bob Demmons, San Francisco Fire Chief
Alfred J. Nelder, Former Chief of Policy, San Francisco
Chris Cunnie, President, San Francisco Police Officers’ Association
Tyrone Pruitt, President, San Francisco Black Firefighters Association
Wayne Friday, Policy Commissioner
To List of Authors

Without Proposition A, Laguna Honda Hospital Could Close
“Laguna Honda provides 1/3 of the skilled nursing beds in San Francisco, without which the elderly and impaired of all ages would not be able to receive required care. The population of San Francisco is aging rapidly, with citizens 65 and older increasing from 15% to 23% in the next 20 years - further increasing the need for Laguna Honda Hospital. San Francisco’s Healthcare delivery System will be severely and permanently damaged unless Laguna Honda Hospital is replaced. ...” [Page 49]
Melissa Welch Barker, Chief Medical Officer, San Francisco Community Health Network
To List of Authors

The Laguna Honda Hospital Rebuild Plan Is Fiscally Sound
“The plan to rebuild Laguna Honda Hospital is cost-effective and reduces the financial burden that would otherwise be incurred by property-tax payers. ...” [Page 49]
Hadley Roff, Former Deputy Mayor of San Francisco
R. Alexander Burnett, Managing Director, Public Financial Management
Monique Zmuda, Chief Financial Officer, Department of Public Health
To List of Authors

Laguna Honda Hospital Is Vital for the LGBT Community
“Laguna Honda Hospital is the most important AIDS hospice in Northern California and a haven for a great number of elderly and frail lesbian and gay residents. ...” [Page 50]
Harry Britt, Former San Francisco Supervisor
Dean Goodwin, Co-Chair Alice B.Toklas Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club
Esther Lee, Co-chair Alice B.Toklas Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club
Phillip Babcock, Vice President, Harvey Milk Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered Democratic Club
Jeff Sheehy, Founder, Equal Benefits Advocates
Jim Rivaldo
Bill Kirkpatrick, Gay and Lesbian Outreach to Elders
Criss Romero, President, Harvey Milk Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered Democratic Club
To List of Authors