Building an Opportunity Economy

By Susan Leal

As Mayor, my primary economic goal is to create jobs for San Franciscans by making San Francisco a welcoming place for entrepreneurs, small business people, national and international companies. My plan, Building an Opportunity Economy, leverages San Francisco's unique economic strengths--talent, ideas and location--and aims to cut unemployment and generate 25,000 new jobs for San Franciscans in my first four years as Mayor. Developed in consultation with small business and corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and economists, Building an Opportunity Economy outlines the specific economic recovery and job creation priorities of a Leal administration:

• Cut unemployment and create 25,000 new jobs for San Franciscans before the end of the first Leal administration.

• Make it easier to "do business" with the City by creating a "single portal" within City Government that offers true customer service and "one-stop shopping" for businesses large and small who want to set up, get permits, create Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and navigate city requirements and regulations.

• Invest in Our People, Our Ideas # Create a "San Francisco Opportunity Fund" # a public private enterprise fund that offers low- interest micro-enterprise loans, grants for neighborhood improvement projects and business incubators. We will also work more closely with lenders and private investors to expand access to capital for local small and mid-sized businesses and startups.

• Launch a concerted, coordinated campaign to market and promote San Francisco's unique economic strengths to attract and retain businesses at the regional, state, national and international levels.

• More aggressively market San Francisco's thriving arts and cultural communities and institutions to attract compatible businesses.

• Establish a San Francisco Sports Authority # work with the Convention & Visitors' Bureau, our professional sports teams, colleges and the hospitality industry to create a public-private partnership that will leverage San Francisco's outstanding athletic conditions and facilities to attract more privately funded national and international sports events and fans.

• Revamp the Mayor's Office of Economic Development to support local and neighborhood small business, leverage state, federal and other grant monies, coordinate workforce development programs and lead more aggressive marketing & promotion efforts to business.

• Expedite and improve local hiring for capital improvement projects like the Third Street Light Rail/Central Subway extension, Bloomingdale's project and others that bring a high level of public good.

• Publicize and streamline the certification and monitoring processes to make it easier for Minority/Women/Local Business Enterprises to do business with the City.

• Business Tax Incentives & Reform # expand enterprise zones in economically disadvantaged areas, create Art & Cultural Zones to foster the arts; study options and develop a specific plan for moving the City away from a payroll tax and toward a tax that does not provide a disincentive to hire employees.

• Workforce development and job training -- Link an educated workforce with job opportunities by focusing job training on industries with job growth and using City College and nonprofit agencies to coordinate training.

• Develop a long-term strategic economic plan for San Francisco to smooth the "boom and bust" cycles of the local economy; convene stakeholders, neighborhood and business leaders to envision and build consensus around San Francisco's long-term economic development priorities.

To read the complete version of my economic plan for San Francisco, please visit my website at http://www.susanleal.com.