The Recall, the Redistricting and the Fight to Restore Neighborhood Controls
• • • • • • • • • • September 2025 • • • • • • • • • •
Abusiness executive in Denver gave his employees long vacations this year to find out which ones he could do without.
As summer fades, I’m reminded that the ideal summer resort is where the fish bite and mosquitoes don’t!
Even though he has all the money he needs from tech billionaires who don’t live in Supervisorial District 4 in the Sunset, Joel Enguardio doesn’t appear to be a sure thing to prevail on September 16th, despite the San Francisco Chronicle’s pandering to his campaign. He and the Examiner imply defiance of the recall is a “sure thing.” Those complicit wags downtown, Pacific Heights, and Seacliff feed cash to the fellow who never ran in an at-large supervisorial citywide election. Finally, he used district elections to hop on the City’s Proposition K. He was later joined by four other Room 200 City Hall phonies, demonstrating their obeisance to neighborhoods. These neighborhoods didn’t vote 65% “No” on Prop K last November 5th, as Richmont District voters did!
Everybody can become a taxpayer. As a California taxpayer recently moaned: “I owe the government so much money it doesn’t know whether to throw me out or recognize me as a foreign power.”
Waiting in San Francisco Superior Court is a lawsuit filed by Lisa Arijes, a Sunset voter, Albert Chow, a longtime Taraval Street hardware store owner, and Matthew Boscetto, a lawyer whose family has graced District 4 for many decades. Judge Jeffrey S. Ross, a relatively new Superior Court judge, was assigned the non-jury trial which he postponed last month from Sept. 29 to Nov. 10, at 1:30 p.m., at San Francisco Superior Court, 400 McAllister St. Eli Love, Esquire of Rutan and Tucher, will try the case for District 4 voters, and you should be there to inspire our lawyer and ensure a fair trial.
Over one decade ago, while I was a Superior Court judge and no longer (after 1998) a State Senator, the California Senate and Assembly decided to end gerrymandering in drawing U.S. House of Representatives 52 district boundaries for the next decade’s House elections. It was approved by voters as good government in action, especially in this virtual one-party state. Democrats, Independents, Republicans voted for it, and it’s been successfully applied to produce a delegation of 43 Democrats and 9 Republicans. We are the only state to grant such authority to citizens, not legislative politicians. We should all be proud of that.
Now, however, California Democrats, led by the Governor, want to discard such citizen authority and return the subject to the Democratic-dominated legislation. California redistricting by Democratic legislators (to match Texas’ Republican legislation) requires an amendment to the state constitution. So on November 4, 2025, voting places across California will be open for “monkey business.” The purpose, of course, is to allow the Democrats to win at least four more House of Representatives districts to match or outdo those nasty Texas Republicans who’ve already broken historical American government practice of redistricting after the 10-year U.S. census is taken. As an Independent, I urge a “No” vote on this November 4th state ballot measure.
While false provocateurs spread disinformation about California’s and San Francisco’s need for more housing while population declines, Our Neighborhood Voices constitutes a statewide organization, which is seeking to qualify a 2026 ballot measure to restore zoning decisions to locally-elected officials (city council members and supervisors). I support the effort. Join the crusade.
All Californians should honor state history on September 9th to commemorate the 175th anniversary of California’s statehood. In 1906, my paternal aunt and uncle, their son, and their daughter moved to Los Angeles from Syracuse, New York. They were encouraged by promises of participation in the movie industry, where my aunt’s forebearers founded 20th Century Fox Movie Studios to produce films and display them in their movie theatres all over the U.S.A. My pharmacist uncle became a movie theatre manager; my aunt read current books to recommend which were suitable for movie production.
I settled in San Francisco on December 20, 1955, after college, law school, U.S. Air Force service (1952-1954), and one year in New York City as Assistant Counsel to the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor. All hail California from Diego to Del Norte County.
America and California are lands of opportunity. Everybody can become a taxpayer. As a California taxpayer recently moaned: “I owe the government so much money it doesn’t know whether to throw me out or recognize me as a foreign power.” Happy Labor Day!
Quentin Kopp is a former San Francisco supervisor, state senator, SF Ethics Commission member, president of the California High Speed Rail Authority governing board and retired Superior Court judge.
September 2025
