Currently San Francisco city government does not allow the public to submit public testimony for consideration before a vote of the Board of Supervisors or a board unless that public testimony is given in person. Consequently, the voices of working people, minorities and other disenfranchised groups are often not heard simply because they can not afford to take time off work or childcare duties to go to city hall to testify in person. As a result, our democracy is being eroded as more and more policies and laws are being passed with less and less input from the people.
What can be done?
Technology exists today that allows the public not only to watch city bodies as they consider and vote on laws and policies but more importantly allows anyone to submit public testimony in real time virtually from a cell phone, a computer or any tablet device BEFORE a vote is taken. However, San Francisco currently does not allow virtual public testimony.
Other cities such as Los Angeles are ahead of San Francisco as they have pushed forward to make virtual public testimony a reality.
Your assignment is to research articles, actual policy language and pros and cons of virtual public testimony and to submit an easy to understand law (citing your research) that would mandate that San Francisco make virtual public testimony available at all Board of Supervisors and commission meetings. In addition, you are to write one editorial (no more than 300 words) to a newspaper advocating for or against passage of your virtual public testimony law.
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