Accomplished Excelsior Community Member Launches Campaign for San Francisco District 11 Supervisor Seat

Okay I realize this is a little late, but the press release did go out well before the event which was high on neighbors from the District 11 community. Check out Luke Thomas photos. Other photos to follow.

News

For Immediate Release Contact: John Avalos
June 20, 2008 john@avalos08.com

Accomplished Excelsior Community Member Launches Campaign for San Francisco District 11 Supervisor Seat

At 11am on Saturday, June 21, 2008 at the Excelsior Playground (corner of Russia and Madrid), John Avalos will be kicking off his grassroots campaign for the open District 11 Supervisor seat to be vacated by Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval.

As a ten year District 11 resident, Avalos has worked for and collaborated with numerous community organizations on civil rights issues and to improve San Francisco and District 11 for working families. Between 1996 and 2002, while earning his Masters in Social Work at San Francisco State, he worked for Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth where he focused on neighborhood parks, environmental justice, child care services, youth employment, neighborhood beautification projects, government accountability and school reform.

Mr. Avalos has also been an organizer with SEIU Justice for Janitors Campaign where he served in San Jose and San Francisco and lead efforts to ensure workers contracts with better salaries and affordable health care.

As a legislative aide in City Hall, John Avalos has demonstrated a great understanding of the city budget and how the budget can be an instrumental tool to promote sound public policy. Through his work collaborating with City Hall insiders and labor and community groups alike, he has been able to expand funds for senior citizens, youth, affordable housing, homeless people, immigrants, mental health and substance abuse clients. He has worked on capital improvements to parks, health care centers and city streets.

Mr. Avalos has also drafted legislation ranging from tenant protections and minimum wage policies to setting ethical standards for local campaign law.

Heretofore, John Avalos is endorsed by the San Francisco Labor Council; UNITE HERE Local 2; SEIU Locals 1021, UHW, 1877 and 24/7; the California Nurses Association; the United Educators of San Francisco; AFSCME 3299; the TWU as well as Sheriff Michael Hennessey, Public Defender Jeff Adachi, President of the Board of Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Supervisor Chris Daly, Supervisor and soon to be Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, School Board Commissioners Eric Mar, Kim-Shree Maufus, Jane Kim, and Norman Yee.

John Avalos has qualified to receive financial support from San Francisco's public financing program. He has also vowed not to take money from corporate interests, real estate developers and registered lobbyists. "Public financing makes it possible for me to run for office and not have to kowtow to the big downtown political players," said John Avalos. "I'm running as a community member. My wife Karen Zapata is a teacher and my kids are students in the San Francisco Unified School District. I'm running to strengthen the voices of District 11's vibrant communities so that District 11 can get the attention from City Hall that it deserves."