Mom and Pops Unite: Taking on a Dry-clean Giant in Fairfax (in National News) State Safety Net for Immigrants in Jeopardy (in Bay Area News) Were Those Bugle Boys You Were Wearing? (in Business) Fantastic Plastic Machine: Tanaka and His Beautiful Girl (in A&E) Paying Attention: Remembering the Stonewall Uprising of '69 (in Opinion)

Swinging Parties, Doing Lines

A Shift Left

In Washington, D.C., if a mere half dozen seats swing from Republican to Democrat, Nancy Pelosi could become the next majority whip — the second most powerful office in the House. Consequently, San Francisco would become a center of political power. With a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer could stand as chairpersons on key committees and deliver for California and the Bay Area.

In Sacramento

In the State Capitol, three legislators are gearing up for career changes. State Assembly majority leader Kevin Shelley and Appropriations chair Carole Migden will be termed out in 2002. Shelley is expected to run for California Secretary of State, and Migden will be a candidate for the Board of Equalization. Meanwhile, State Senate President John Burton, termed out in 2004, can bide his time, contemplating a run for mayor in 2003.

Term limits may eventually crimp the city’s ability to flex its political muscle in Sacramento. From 1974 to 1995, the city held the Assembly Speakership under Leo McCarthy and then Willie Brown. Under state Proposition 140, however, assembly members term out after six years, while the term limit for state senators is eight years.

But Proposition 140 also created opportunities to elect Asian American state legislators: Assembly majority whip Wilma Chan of Alameda and San Jose’s Mike Honda (who went on to Congress), as well as Carol Liu, George Nakano and Judy Chu of Southern California.

Redefining Districts

With term limits and reapportionment underway, API representation could double or triple. The Bay Area, itself, is home to four of the five top Asian American assembly districts, such as the 12th Assembly District. It currently occupies the city’s western and southwestern areas, (with a population that is 44 percent API) and a sliver of Daly City, which is 54 percent API. To meet the population requirements of reapportionment, the district must expand to incorporate more people. One option is for it to run further south into Daly City, which would increase the number of Asian Americans.

However, the plan to maximize Asian American representation by statewide groups is still in limbo. Partially for fear of alienating coalition partners such as the NAACP and MALDEF, the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans for Fair Redistricting has not come up with redistricting map options for over a year.

Less Incentive

Then there’s the predicament of the city’s Democratic leadership that may have less leverage and incentive when it comes to reapportionment. Neither Migden nor Shelley will have to live with the lines after 2002, when they retire or advance to other offices. Furthermore, neither will need to maintain support from assembly Democrat colleagues to hold onto their respective positions as appropriations chair and majority leader.

However, both will need to garner March 2002 open primary votes of San Franciscans, such as Asian American Democrats and Independents, in their pursuits of higher office as both are less known beyond the city. Especially important is Shelley’s membership on the reapportionment committee, which handles redistricting for Congress, Assembly, and state Senate.

While he has championed an overhaul of California’s voting system and rights in Assembly Bill 55, Shelley is the one Secretary of State candidate who hasn’t run statewide. He will, therefore, have to vie for San Francisco votes in a crowded field of contenders with ties to the Bay Area.

Competing with Shelley for Asian American votes will be March Fong Eu, former secretary of state from 1974 to 1990. Shelley’s influence to create an Asian American district, such as the 12th, may help him secure Bay Area and statewide API votes in his quest for Secretary of State.

At the same time, an Asian American 12th district would also benefit another candidate: Supervisor Leland Yee. It also opens the possibility for former Supervisor Mabel Teng and BART Director and AsianWeek president James Fang to run.