Ammiano, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, launched his write-in mayoral campaign October 15, three weeks before election day. His election efforts were spearheaded by the Harvey Milk Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Democratic Club and tenants rights activists. Union leaders among city health-care unions also backed his campaign. He received nearly 46,000 votes — 25 percent of the total.

Ammiano outpolled Clint Reilly, a political consultant, and Frank Jordan, former Republican San Francisco mayor. Brown garnered 72,657 votes, or 39 percent.

"Until a few days before election day the mayoral campaign followed the standard pattern of mud slinging exchanges between capitalist office holders and their challengers. Many of my campaign supporters were surprised, too, by the vote for Ammiano, but we shouldn't have been," said Hart.  
 

Ammiano taps discontent

"Instability more and more characterizes capitalist politics today as the capitalist system marches steadily toward fascism and war," the socialist worker continued. "The U.S. economic upturn has not eased the grinding attacks on wages, working conditions, and living standards of workers and exploited farmers.

"A substantial portion of the middle classes also face ruin from small business failure, corporate downsizing, skyrocketing rents and home prices. The hard-pressed middle classes look for politicians who will protect them from being thrown down into the working class. This is why figures like the 'strongman' Reform Party governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura, get a hearing. This crisis is also breeding incipient fascist politicians such as Patrick Buchanan."

Ammiano is not a rightist like Buchanan or Ventura, but rather a liberal Democrat. His appeal to young and working-class voters included the fact that he initiated "Living Wage" legislation in May 1999 that would require all nonprofit agencies and businesses with city contracts to pay their employees at least $11 an hour plus health benefits. The measure affects more than 13,000 workers.

Hart said, "This bill should be supported by working people. But for the Bay Area, this much needed wage increase is modest," he said, pointing to the astronomical rents and other high living costs in the area.

"While Brown also supports the living wage bill, his administration is more closely aligned with the banks, real estate companies, and landlords that are making San Francisco unlivable for working people," stated Hart.

Declining support for Brown contributed to the voter turnout for Ammiano. "In fact, voter turnout for the mayoral contest was lower than in 1995. Only 20 percent of eligible voters voted."

Brown's callous disregard for human dignity was captured weeks before the election when he ordered city police to confiscate shopping carts from the homeless. Brown quickly halted the effort after the story gained media attention.  
 

No alternative to working-class struggle

Many liberal and radical groups are hailing the Ammiano vote, while the main leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties are rallying to insure a victory for Brown in the December 14 runoff.

"Whoever wins, little will change in San Francisco," said Hart. "The choice is, in fact, between two liberal Democrats. There is no working-class alternative in this run off."

Hart pointed to the need to build a new working class movement "uniting workers — both union and nonunion — with exploited farmers and others among the rural poor. We will have to look to and make alliances with workers internationally as our allies in these fights.

He pointed to the strike for union recognition at Overnite Transportation and fight against union-busting at Basic Vegetable in King City, California, as well as struggles by working farmers to hold onto their land as the initial stages of this movement.

Hart outlined a program of action that can unite working people, including "a fight for a shorter workweek with no cut in pay — 30 hours work for 40 hours pay — in tandem with a campaign for massive federally funded public works programs that would build hospitals, schools, day-care centers, and infrastructure. Millions of new jobs could be created through this program."

He called for an immediate restriction of rents to 10 percent of a person's income and full implementation of affirmative action in employment and education. "Implementation of affirmative action would include an immediate, massive increase in the minimum wage," he said.

"The struggle to defend workers rights and living standards will not be settled in elections on a local, state or national level," Hart concluded. "This fight will require a new government, a workers and farmers government, that replaces the capitalist government in Washington. A government that will step-by-step replace capitalism with socialism, a system based on human needs not profits."  
 
 
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