To the Editor:
Your publication has falsely reported that Phil Ting endorsed Matt Gonzalez for Mayor in 2003. Other media outlets, including The Chronicle, have made the same mistake. By his own admission, Mr. Ting supported moderate Susan Leal in that race. Furthermore, he did not support Gonzalez in the runoff.
While it is true that Mr. Ting was appointed by Matt Gonzalez to serve on the Building Inspections Commission, it should be noted that Gonzalez appointed and voted for people of all political philosophies and backgrounds when making appointments to City Boards and Commissions.
Mr. Ting is not some stalwart progressive, as some may suggest*he is a moderate. And, in fact, he has taken some conservative stances on certain topics.
Last year, for example, Mr. Ting, as Executive Director of the Asian Law Caucus, was explicitly asked if he would support Prop. F, a charter amendment that would have expanded voting rights to non-citizens so they could vote in school board elections. This should have been an easy decision for Mr. Ting. After all, he was the head of a civil rights organization that serves the Asian immigrant community. Inexplicably, however, he refused to do so.
Mr. Ting’s supporters who now seek to portray Mr. Ting as a progressive leader must examine his record closely and not merely cling to a fictitious endorsement of Matt Gonzalez.
Enrique Pearce
Campaign Manager
Matt Gonzalez for Mayor
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