The Alioto name is synonymous with San Francisco politics. The latest member of the family to take to the hustings is 34-year-old Joe Alioto Veronese, son of former San Francisco Supervisor Angela Alioto, and the grandson of the legendary Joe Alioto, who was mayor of San Francisco during the turbulent 1960s and early 1970s.

Julie is working with the San Francisco Archdiocese and with Cardinal William Levada on the project. The new Portzuincula is being built next door to the Shrine of St. Francis Church on Vallejo Street (at Columbus) in North Beach.
    

Joe and his wife live in the Marina District, where we had a chat with the candidate.

Northside S.F.: Why are you seeking this office?

Veronese does not like the term “politics” very much; he prefers to call it public service.
His first foray into elected politics, or public service, is his bid for the State Senate in District 3, a very large area that includes San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma Counties. He faces tough competition in the June primary from two veterans of the political landscape – the incumbent, Carole Migden and State Assemblyman Mark Leno.
   

Veronese is currently a San Francisco Police Commissioner and a practicing civil rights lawyer in the family firm. He also operates a small winery, Verotto, in Sonoma. He spent a great deal of his childhood in Marin, where his father, Adolfo Veronese, ran several restaurants.
   

Joe worked as a personal assistant to former Governor Jerry Brown. He’s a graduate of the USF School of Law and UCLA, and is a member of the California Commission on Criminal Justice. He’s also the Chair of the San Francisco Assisi Sister City Committee.  

A dedication to St. Francis of Assisi looms large in the Veronese household. Joe’s wife, Julie, works for the Renaissance Project.    

Joe Alioto Veronese: People are fed up with politics-as-usual. In Sacramento you see good legislation dying a political death because of all the infighting. That’s a big problem. To be a good legislator, it seems to me that you need common sense, a strong belief system, a willingness to listen, and the ability to lead people in the right direction. You also have to negotiate and compromise for the public good. I come from a place of public service with my family. My grandfather, my mother, my cousins were and are engaged in serving people. Today my mother has the Homeless Council in San Francisco. I’m very proud of the work that my family has done in San Francisco and California.

Northside S.F.: Why are you challenging an incumbent Democrat?

Veronese: I believe that this district is being let down. My opponents have been around for a long time, and they’ve had their chance. A lot of people haven’t seen the kind of vision we need to lead California into tomorrow.
  

 Part of the blame is that we’ve allowed a political welfare system where, because of term limits, politicians bounce from job to job to job. Migden and Leno have been prime beneficiaries of this system. The residents deserve better.
    

There may be 90,000 people who vote in this election, and a lot of them are tired of the gamesmanship in Sacramento. The voters are already seeing the positive effects of my candidacy because you have a state senator [Migden] who hasn’t spent a lot of time in many parts of the district throughout the years. Now as a candidate, she’s forced to campaign in Marin and Sonoma, though I think people see through that sort of thing. Mark Leno has no experience in Marin or Sonoma for that matter.

Northside S.F.: But isn’t it a little difficult for one person to address all the problems in a district that includes three counties?

Veronese: For some people it would be, and is, but for me, I think it’s different. I’m uniquely qualified to represent every part of the 3rd Senate district with its three counties. It’s very large and diverse – it goes from Hunter’s Point up to the Marina, then across the bridge, includes all of Marin County, and southern parts of Sonoma County. I live in the Marina district of San Francisco, own a small winery in Sonoma County and spent a fair amount of my childhood in Marin County where my father ran restaurants. I know the district well. I know what the residents need from their legislators.  

And I have broad real world experience, which I can bring to the California Senate. With my winery, I know the challenges of owning and running a small business in this district. As an attorney, I’ve provided legal representation for all kinds of people who were faced with a variety of issues that needed solving. As an investigator in the D.A.’s office and a police commissioner, I’ve seen how crime and quality of life issues affect the average person, and I’ve had to help come up with the solutions to make our City safer, and the criminal justice system more responsive to the citizens of San Francisco.

Northside S.F.: You, Carole Migden and Mark Leno are all Democrats. It’s hard to believe that you really disagree on many issues.

Veronese: When it comes to national Democratic issues like health care, environment and war, we generally agree, but we do disagree on local issues and our approach to governing. Two important examples: There is a plan to raise the Golden Gate Bridge toll in order to fund reconstruction of Doyle Drive. Both Migden and Leno support the plan. I oppose it. Raising the bridge toll would have a negative impact on so many of the residents of this district. There are other ways to pay for the Doyle Drive project that need to be explored.
  

That’s one example, and here’s the second:    

The California Department of Corrections recently came out with a policy that would undermine current state and federal laws that make it possible for the San Francisco Police Department to properly track registered sex offenders, laws that we need to protect kids from these predators. Both Leno and Migden supported this very bad policy. I authored the police commission resolution, which condemned the CDC policy and calls for its reversal.

Northside S.F.: Tell us a little bit about the Alioto tradition of public service.
Veronese: It makes it fun to campaign. Everyone loved my grandfather, and wherever I go everybody seems to have a story about him, from the shoe shine guy to the CEO of a large corporation. He had the great ability to bring people together, to get things done so all sides won. Being exposed to that commonsense approach, I could see how much we could achieve by avoiding the divisiveness we have now. This is why I’m running for this position.

Northside S.F.: Your mother is still famous as a public servant, a legend. Herb Caen said she had a heart as big as all outdoors.

Veronese: She’s been a great role model. She cares about people and she knows how to get things done. With the Homeless Coalition, she put people together in the same room who hadn’t spoken to each other for years. As a result, the City got federal funding that we might not have gotten – and we got it from the Bush administration.

 
Northside S.F.: I remember when your mom announced her legislation to ban smoking.

Veronese: That was groundbreaking – and she put together a coalition that got it passed. You’ll remember that people said she was crazy, and that smokers wouldn’t obey the law. Even nonsmokers thought it would be a failure, but she knew it was important for our health. It was the very first antismoking piece of legislation in the country. She was named Public Enemy Number One by the tobacco industry. If you can believe this, it is now in Italy and France – they are proposing smoking bans.

Northside S.F.: Tobacco’s Public Enemy Number One. That’s a nice accolade.

Veronese: It’s not a bad thing to have. Good legislation so often is really just common sense. Many times vested interests come out against you in a big way, but you’ve got to deal with that and stand up for what you believe. That’s leadership. You may succeed or you may not, but you have to try based on your beliefs. When I made the decision on the Police Commission to promote Theresa Sparks to the presidency, people thought I was nuts …

Northside S.F.: Because she’s a transgendered person …

Veronese: Yes. Some were focusing on the divisive. On this one issue, that is irrelevant. They weren’t looking at who she is. She’s a reasonable, smart person who makes great decisions. Just last night she supported my resolution on sex offenders. She didn’t have to. In fact, she got phone calls asking her not to support it. She supported me because she’s a common-sense person. She’s a leader. Most people don’t know that she served two tours in Viet Nam, and she has two children who are currently serving in Iraq. When people learn this, they suddenly give her respect. That’s good, but they should give her respect because she’s capable and well-qualified for the job. My vote for Theresa was the right one. Even the mayor didn’t agree with me at first, but he’s since changed his mind, and later on Fox News, said so.

Northside S.F.: You’ve mentioned divisiveness a few times.

Veronese: Yes I have. Migden and Leno, it seems to me are skilled players at dividing rather than uniting. They do it for what they think will be their own political gain. As an example, Leno had a piece of legislation that would have prevented cancer-causing fire retardants from being used in certain child-related products. It was a good piece of legislation and Sacramento forces killed it because it would have looked good on Leno’s legislative record, and he’s running against Migden. Leno does the same thing to Migden in Appropriations. People deserve better.

Northside S.F.: How do you assess the mayor as he enters his second term?

Veronese: Boy, that’s a tough job. Gavin’s doing an excellent job. Gavin likes to get into the pothole issues personally. If there’s a pothole that needs to be fixed, Gavin will go out there and fix it. That’s great for the City, but you also have to have departments that you can trust, so city government can work as efficiently as it needs to.

Northside S.F.: Beyond your Alioto political connections, you’ve been pretty well connected to other elected officials, haven’t you?

Veronese: I’ve been very fortunate to have seen politics and public service firsthand. I grew up around Nancy Pelosi and her kids, and Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. I’ve been getting support and advice from Willie Brown, who knows the political scene better than anyone. I worked for the Democratic Party as one of my very first jobs. I was appointed to the State Commission on Criminal Justice by Senator John Burton. He knew my interest in the criminal justice system and my desire to make it better. It’s all been good and contributed to my interest in public service.

At this point in the interview, Veronese’s Treo rang. It was an update from the Police Department, informing him that the homicide rate had gone up to 93, a 10-year high. Veronese and other police commissioners are alerted by the SFPD to any major crimes that occur. The phone may ring at any time of the day.

Northside S.F.: Does the police department always call you with the latest crime news?

Veronese: Yes, we get regular updates. For civilians who aren’t used to this type of thing, it’s pretty eye-opening. If you really want to understand crime in San Francisco, get yourself a police radio. For eight years, I was a peace officer in San Francisco. Just driving around the City and hearing what’s going on is pretty incredible.

Northside S.F.: What kind of style will you have if you become State Senator?

Veronese: I’m not going to do what some politicians like to do, and that’s to be pigeonholed into one particular image or another. It’s not about being a Democrat or Republican or sticking to party lines all the time. It’s about working with both sides. You can’t demonize the governor, and then try to have legislation end up on his desk and expect it to be signed. Its not gonna happen. Mark Leno can put gay marriage on the governor’s desk for 290 years, and he’s not going to get it signed the way he demonizes the governor. Its just not gonna happen.
   

Julie is working with the San Francisco Archdiocese and with Cardinal William Levada on the project. The new Portzuincula is being built next door to the Shrine of St. Francis Church on Vallejo Street (at Columbus) in North Beach.
    

Joe and his wife live in the Marina District, where we had a chat with the candidate.

Northside S.F.: Why are you seeking this office?

Joe Alioto Veronese: People are fed up with politics-as-usual. In Sacramento you see good legislation dying a political death because of all the infighting. That’s a big problem. To be a good legislator, it seems to me that you need common sense, a strong belief system, a willingness to listen, and the ability to lead people in the right direction. You also have to negotiate and compromise for the public good. I come from a place of public service with my family. My grandfather, my mother, my cousins were and are engaged in serving people. Today my mother has the Homeless Council in San Francisco. I’m very proud of the work that my family has done in San Francisco and California.

Northside S.F.: Why are you challenging an incumbent Democrat?

Veronese: I believe that this district is being let down. My opponents have been around for a long time, and they’ve had their chance. A lot of people haven’t seen the kind of vision we need to lead California into tomorrow.
  

 Part of the blame is that we’ve allowed a political welfare system where, because of term limits, politicians bounce from job to job to job. Migden and Leno have been prime beneficiaries of this system. The residents deserve better.
    

There may be 90,000 people who vote in this election, and a lot of them are tired of the gamesmanship in Sacramento. The voters are already seeing the positive effects of my candidacy because you have a state senator [Migden] who hasn’t spent a lot of time in many parts of the district throughout the years. Now as a candidate, she’s forced to campaign in Marin and Sonoma, though I think people see through that sort of thing. Mark Leno has no experience in Marin or Sonoma for that matter.

Northside S.F.: But isn’t it a little difficult for one person to address all the problems in a district that includes three counties?

Veronese: For some people it would be, and is, but for me, I think it’s different. I’m uniquely qualified to represent every part of the 3rd Senate district with its three counties. It’s very large and diverse – it goes from Hunter’s Point up to the Marina, then across the bridge, includes all of Marin County, and southern parts of Sonoma County. I live in the Marina district of San Francisco, own a small winery in Sonoma County and spent a fair amount of my childhood in Marin County where my father ran restaurants. I know the district well. I know what the residents need from their legislators.  

And I have broad real world experience, which I can bring to the California Senate. With my winery, I know the challenges of owning and running a small business in this district. As an attorney, I’ve provided legal representation for all kinds of people who were faced with a variety of issues that needed solving. As an investigator in the D.A.’s office and a police commissioner, I’ve seen how crime and quality of life issues affect the average person, and I’ve had to help come up with the solutions to make our City safer, and the criminal justice system more responsive to the citizens of San Francisco.

Northside S.F.: You, Carole Migden and Mark Leno are all Democrats. It’s hard to believe that you really disagree on many issues.

Veronese: When it comes to national Democratic issues like health care, environment and war, we generally agree, but we do disagree on local issues and our approach to governing. Two important examples: There is a plan to raise the Golden Gate Bridge toll in order to fund reconstruction of Doyle Drive. Both Migden and Leno support the plan. I oppose it. Raising the bridge toll would have a negative impact on so many of the residents of this district. There are other ways to pay for the Doyle Drive project that need to be explored.
  

That’s one example, and here’s the second:    

The California Department of Corrections recently came out with a policy that would undermine current state and federal laws that make it possible for the San Francisco Police Department to properly track registered sex offenders, laws that we need to protect kids from these predators. Both Leno and Migden supported this very bad policy. I authored the police commission resolution, which condemned the CDC policy and calls for its reversal.

Northside S.F.: Tell us a little bit about the Alioto tradition of public service.
Veronese: It makes it fun to campaign. Everyone loved my grandfather, and wherever I go everybody seems to have a story about him, from the shoe shine guy to the CEO of a large corporation. He had the great ability to bring people together, to get things done so all sides won. Being exposed to that commonsense approach, I could see how much we could achieve by avoiding the divisiveness we have now. This is why I’m running for this position.

Northside S.F.: Your mother is still famous as a public servant, a legend. Herb Caen said she had a heart as big as all outdoors.

Veronese: She’s been a great role model. She cares about people and she knows how to get things done. With the Homeless Coalition, she put people together in the same room who hadn’t spoken to each other for years. As a result, the City got federal funding that we might not have gotten – and we got it from the Bush administration.

 
Northside S.F.: I remember when your mom announced her legislation to ban smoking.

Veronese: That was groundbreaking – and she put together a coalition that got it passed. You’ll remember that people said she was crazy, and that smokers wouldn’t obey the law. Even nonsmokers thought it would be a failure, but she knew it was important for our health. It was the very first antismoking piece of legislation in the country. She was named Public Enemy Number One by the tobacco industry. If you can believe this, it is now in Italy and France – they are proposing smoking bans.

Northside S.F.: Tobacco’s Public Enemy Number One. That’s a nice accolade.

Veronese: It’s not a bad thing to have. Good legislation so often is really just common sense. Many times vested interests come out against you in a big way, but you’ve got to deal with that and stand up for what you believe. That’s leadership. You may succeed or you may not, but you have to try based on your beliefs. When I made the decision on the Police Commission to promote Theresa Sparks to the presidency, people thought I was nuts …

Northside S.F.: Because she’s a transgendered person …

Veronese: Yes. Some were focusing on the divisive. On this one issue, that is irrelevant. They weren’t looking at who she is. She’s a reasonable, smart person who makes great decisions. Just last night she supported my resolution on sex offenders. She didn’t have to. In fact, she got phone calls asking her not to support it. She supported me because she’s a common-sense person. She’s a leader. Most people don’t know that she served two tours in Viet Nam, and she has two children who are currently serving in Iraq. When people learn this, they suddenly give her respect. That’s good, but they should give her respect because she’s capable and well-qualified for the job. My vote for Theresa was the right one. Even the mayor didn’t agree with me at first, but he’s since changed his mind, and later on Fox News, said so.

Northside S.F.: You’ve mentioned divisiveness a few times.

Veronese: Yes I have. Migden and Leno, it seems to me are skilled players at dividing rather than uniting. They do it for what they think will be their own political gain. As an example, Leno had a piece of legislation that would have prevented cancer-causing fire retardants from being used in certain child-related products. It was a good piece of legislation and Sacramento forces killed it because it would have looked good on Leno’s legislative record, and he’s running against Migden. Leno does the same thing to Migden in Appropriations. People deserve better.

Northside S.F.: How do you assess the mayor as he enters his second term?

Veronese: Boy, that’s a tough job. Gavin’s doing an excellent job. Gavin likes to get into the pothole issues personally. If there’s a pothole that needs to be fixed, Gavin will go out there and fix it. That’s great for the City, but you also have to have departments that you can trust, so city government can work as efficiently as it needs to.

Northside S.F.: Beyond your Alioto political connections, you’ve been pretty well connected to other elected officials, haven’t you?

Veronese: I’ve been very fortunate to have seen politics and public service firsthand. I grew up around Nancy Pelosi and her kids, and Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. I’ve been getting support and advice from Willie Brown, who knows the political scene better than anyone. I worked for the Democratic Party as one of my very first jobs. I was appointed to the State Commission on Criminal Justice by Senator John Burton. He knew my interest in the criminal justice system and my desire to make it better. It’s all been good and contributed to my interest in public service.

At this point in the interview, Veronese’s Treo rang. It was an update from the Police Department, informing him that the homicide rate had gone up to 93, a 10-year high. Veronese and other police commissioners are alerted by the SFPD to any major crimes that occur. The phone may ring at any time of the day.

Northside S.F.: Does the police department always call you with the latest crime news?

Veronese: Yes, we get regular updates. For civilians who aren’t used to this type of thing, it’s pretty eye-opening. If you really want to understand crime in San Francisco, get yourself a police radio. For eight years, I was a peace officer in San Francisco. Just driving around the City and hearing what’s going on is pretty incredible.

Northside S.F.: What kind of style will you have if you become State Senator?

Veronese: I’m not going to do what some politicians like to do, and that’s to be pigeonholed into one particular image or another. It’s not about being a Democrat or Republican or sticking to party lines all the time. It’s about working with both sides. You can’t demonize the governor, and then try to have legislation end up on his desk and expect it to be signed. Its not gonna happen. Mark Leno can put gay marriage on the governor’s desk for 290 years, and he’s not going to get it signed the way he demonizes the governor. Its just not gonna happen.