Proposition O

The voters of San Francisco, ending an almost year-long battle, voted to defeat an initiative that would have changed Cesar Chavez Street back to Army Street.

The initiative, which passed by about 10 percentage points (55 to 45), stirred up emotions and animosity on both sides.

Now that the issue has been decided, those emotions still linger.

"I think the decision reflects the positive will of San Francisco," said Carlos Solomon, senior fellow at SF State's Cesar Chavez Institute.

"The voters looked beyond any political issues and their own self-interests to do something that will benefit all of San Francisco," Solomon said.

Solomon added that while "there is obviously still friction" concerning the issue, he hopes that "both sides can sit down at the table, work things out and move on."

SF State Associate Vice President Ed Apodaca said he was pleased that San Francisco voted with its conscience.

"It would be a terrible embarrassment to the city, and to the name of Cesar Chavez if it had gone the other way," Apodaca said.

"The city has changed over 400 street names, and not one of them has met with this kind of resistance," Apodaca added.

Apodaca, who said he signed the legislation which introduced the Cesar Chavez Street name, said the name change was important to the Latino community, and especially its youth, to have someone to identify with.

"Most of the Spanish names in the city are of saints or conquistadors. It's hard for the kids to relate to that. Cesar Chavez was a real-life, flesh and blood hero," Apodaca said.

Apodaca also expressed a desire to put the controversy in the past, and hoped that everyone could "continue working as neighbors."

On the other side, the issue is not dead.

Harry Aleo, a realtor involved with the Yes on O campaign, said the bitterness from Proposition O will not go away anytime soon.

"The people who supported this proposition are very bitter --bitter with the Board of Supervisors, who shoved this thing down the city's throat," Aleo said.

"All the arguments that the other side made calling this a racial issue proved to be right," he said. The only thing was, it was an anti-white initiative," Aleo said.

Aleo said he hoped the voters angry at the proposition's defeat would remember the vote when it came time to elect city supervisors.

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[ Golden Gater Online November 9, 1995 ]

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