Mayor's Budget Cuts Proposal Hearing and People's Rally 6/21/07

Mayor's Budget Cut Proposal and People's Rally on 6/21/2007

By Marlon Crump.



"We can't keep relying on them (San Francisco Board of Supervisors) to come and save or help us. This is OUR money and not theirs! Every year, it seems like these kinds of things just keep happening, over and over. It all comes down to all of us coming together and taking care of ourselves, we can't rely on anyone else to do it!"


I've known Bobby Bogan, speaker for the Seniors Organizing Seniors organization, for a couple of years, dating back to the days of our unfortunate plight of living at the homeless/houseless shelter, the Episcopal Sanctuary, throughout the Year of 2005. I was surprised and impressed of his explosive Morgan Freeman/Joe Clark- like "Lean On Me" vibrant vocals, as it really broke through the barriers of everyone's minds, at the massive rally on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, June 21st, 2007.


During the course of the past couple of years, I've gotten so used to coming here, but this particular day to date, was possibly one of the most historic days for every struggling working class, seniors, people with disabilities, people living in shelters, houseless families, immigrant workers, people undergoing substance abuse treatment, etc, etc, in San Francisco's History.


I briefly thought back to May 2nd, 2005, when I recited my "Care Not Cash/Trash" Poem, with over a hundred in attendance, in criticizing this policy and it's ineffectiveness, at least in part. Thinking back, I stated that "I didn't have anything against the mayor, but only wanted to see better change, and I'm only critical of his policy, not him."


If only I could time travel and kick myself in the ass.


This evening, advocates, activists, members, and speakers from the Coalition on Homelessness of San Francisco, Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, Central City Collaborative, Richmond District Neighborhood Center, Union Yes, United Playaz, Filipino Resource Center, AIDS Alliance, African Immigrant Committee, Veteran Case Management Services, retired and current personnel of the San Francisco Fire Department, just to name a helluva lot more. Of course, my favorite and being a Poverty Scholar of the legendary grassroots-one-day-to-be-an-unbreakable, economical dynasty, worldwide in the ultimate foundation of, race, class, and media justice.................. POOR Magazine.


"Tiny" Lisa Gray-Garcia, and Joseph Bolden, kept their graceful composure, by silently holding a banner, in the center steps of City Hall, for all the news cameras to see. Massive rally or not, when we face the monstrous measure of economical deprival, into the complete shrinkage of an-already struggling society; attention is what we are here for, and nowadays, what we ultimately lived for, in order to be heard.

The night before this highly anticipated and vital budget cut proposal meeting, before the Board of San Francisco Supervisors, on a windless Thursday June 21st, summer evening, I caught the Channel Kron 4 News, which carried a "War of the Words" controversy topic, on every major news network. This was between Supervisor Chris Daly of District 6, and San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsom (Gruesome in error) during a Tuesday meeting. The meeting was held between members of the public and the supervisors themselves regarding Newsom's budget cut proposal.


Daly angrily exploded, as he expressed his outrage of one of Newsom's cuts would significantly impact users in alcohol and drug treatment programs, in his outburst, "Here the mayor is proposing cuts on treatment programs that deeply impact people in these treatment programs, but yet he quickly dodges the question on the allegations of his own cocaine use!" Needless to say, Gruesome Newsom didn't take kindly at all, to those words. "It's as far as it goes, this is a sleazy cheap shot. If you want to engage in a heated debate, over issues we face in the economy, I'm willing to take you on!" The Gave fired back, with his eyes gazed blankly, at the news cameras.

How and so ironic, that these VERY WORDS in his own quote, that here we all standing over a thousand strong, nearly an entire area code, of community groups, activists, advocates, fighting against this "proposal cut" by metaphorically seizing these very words nervously uttered by a man and his administration, that is lustfully-relentless in the reduction of everyone amidst poverty, by storing away it's money for it's "future plans" The most targeted are going to be families with children, seniors, immigrant families, workers, and houseless individuals, living in San Francisco.


Out of a SIX BILLION DOLLAR budget, the mayor's 2007/2008 budget cuts of vital city programs that impact people in need of basic necessities, and resources, Newsom's proposed cuts come fatally close to $5 million or more dollars, after viewing the chart, myself, of the targeted programs, towards the poor. Even after providing all monies in the budget, for all city assets, entities, and employees, there should still be a giant chunk left of it for the city to provide even more housing, jobs, allocation towards poor families, children, immigrant workers, immigrant families, and not setting it aside for incarcerated future schemes of "poverty community courts" and "ReDevelopment"attempts.


One possible explanation (if any) that concluded for the Newsom Administration to propose these cuts, is to greatly reduce San Francisco's poverty population, of the homeless, immigrant families, workers, and children from making the city itself, as a safe haven for them. The San Francisco Police Department and the city, was recently slapped with a lawsuit by the federal government, for it's failure to comply and report undocumented workers and families, living in San Francisco. It's a strong possibility these are just one of the measures it's relying on, to reach that twisted little goal.


At about 4:45p.m people started to pile into City Hall, even covering the back entrance on Grove Street to get whatever seating possible, in the Supervisor's Chamber Assembly Room. I suspected the room would quickly overflow, so I hung around, greeting familiar activists and advocates. I ran into fellow comrade POOR Poverty Scholar, Vivian Hain and we both decided on just going downstairs to the North Light Section, an overflow alternate room to watch the televised Supervisor's Meeting.


The Family Budget Committee was generous enough to provide pizza and other refreshments for everyone, as people began to patiently wait upstairs to be heard, on Public Comment. After Vivian left, I sat in observance of everyone that approached the mic. Brian Basinger, an AIDS activist of AIDS Alliance, who also spoke during the rally outside, angrily addressed all of us, of Newsom's inclusion of HIV/AIDS into his proposed budget cuts. "Why has the mayor targeted people living with this disease, by cutting this program that people rely on everyday living with HIV and Aids?!" Basinger yelled out.


He concluded, "I've been living in San Francisco alot longer than you, Mayor Newsom. You may get a pass from other people, but you won't get a pass from me!"


Basinger addressed the board of the need $750,000 towards their programs and not to be included into the proposal budget cuts. A high demand was made many speakers, of 5 million towards the resource programs for children, seniors, and the disabled. Community members of the Western Addition voiced their concerns of the much-needed funding for their youth, and creating job opportunities and programs. In the wake of last week's shooting, in which left seven kids dead, an outcry erupted by the community, and a near-week long march took place.


Supervisor Ross Mirkirami was praised by his efforts by the community, after he took to the streets with them, and lashed out at Mayor Newsom and San Francisco Police Chief, Heather Fong, for not deploying enough police presence, into the Western Addition, as it's been so longly promised by them, and the city government, itself. I personally, got gutsick with the topic myself, as it really is a no-brainer. If it was really meant to be done, it would've been done from the start. It's a nationwide problem, and not just San Francisco of failed or delayed police presence.


An overwhelming number of senior citizens and their advocates, some from the Filipino Resource Center, seemed like the vast majority of speakers. President of the Board of San Francisco Supervisors, Aaron Peskin, ordered for all seniors to be given the courtesy to speak first, at 6:00p.m. They all pleaded with the S.F Supervisor Board to keep funding funneling into their programs and housing, not to include them or any senior citizen, especially ones with disabilities, into the proposed budget cuts.


Those words, "It's as far as it goes" kept echoing in my mind of Newsom's quote, as I listened to them pleading, and nearly in tears. "Why do people need to demand, beg, or sometimes even threaten just to get their own money?" I asked myself. This same sad reality was shared and questioned by everyone, during the rally.


"If there are insufficient funds, why doesn't S.F.F.D propose to reclassify for salary ranging based positions?" asked a woman named Maria, an 18 year veteran of the San Francisco Fire Department.


"My name is Jenova, and I'm with Parent Voices. I really didn't want to be here, but I think it's important for everyone to know more about more money being spent on wars, than education. Money needs to go more for education and not war, because education doesn't kill you." These words from a young girl, possibly 9-10 years old should've melted the heart of even the most tyrannical ruler of any nation. Reduction in education for schooling of children of all ages is cold, cruel, and callous, alone.


"Speaking as a single mom, and being formerly homeless, what I would like to know, as well as everyone else does, in this city is the question of who's really getting housed? Who's facilitating corporations? People need affordable housing and not potholes. I hope all of you guys keep that in mind, when you decide on Gavin's budget cuts proposal" Tiny, my mentor of POOR Magazine, pleasantly addressed to the supervisors.


The City of San Francisco, and the Gruesome Newsom Administration, included alot of the highly recognized community-based organizations, programs, and city entities, into the "San Francisco Plan To Abolish Chronic Homelessness Ten Year Plan" which most are the programs that Newsom intends to cut funding, in his "proposal." I couldn't help, but stare at the ghastly images of houseless, poor folk, even a child, by an artist's drawing, after downloading from the internet. The image may move and appeal to the average reader, but in my opinion?: These images depicted by an artist or any artist could never shed light on how people amidst poverty, are feeling inside, internally.


The "Plan" as it so realistically and statically appears to be, is the dreaded reality of the riddance of everyone in San Francisco not part of the "status quo" or if there was such a thing. Like the bi-monthly event of Project Homeless Connect; this is really not much of a concrete connection plan at least not really beneficial to the poor. Where is the true connection towards housing and services, where people receive these services on a daily basis, anyway?



Far be it, some actually luck out in receiving housing, but with this budget cut proposal, how hypocritical is it to host this event, bringing gentle good-natured volunteers from out of state, then televising it's "goodwill toward the needy" when it's only a cycle of falsehood and illusion? The upcoming next event is to be held in the Bayview Hunter's Point, in which Newsom and his administration plans to "remove" and "rebuild" that community.


Like my novel series of "Citizens&Civilians Over Corruption" all of the proposed budget cuts by Newsom impacting individuals, children, and families in Single Room Occupancy Hotels, this proposal could result in our being a "Savagely Removed Occupant" in the end.


Monies spent by this city on surveillance cameras, it's police department's salary/contract hike, "community courts" stem cell research, (I like the idea of saving lives, but what good does it do now since President George Bush gave a most recent veto bill towards stem cell) and throwing our money towards God only knows where else, is the ultimate conclusion that San Francisco wants to greatly reduce, and rid the population of it's poor, and discourage people from wanting to come to the city and taking advantage of it's services to the poor.


It knows that very few cities give productions of it's resources towards the needy, so it's enacted this treacherous plan, mostly under Newsom's Administration, to succeed in the goal of ending "Chronic Homelessness."


Despite all of the efforts by every civil, worker, immigrant, human, children, homeless, woman, prisoners, and foreign rights heros before us, everyone has to begin to take care of each other, as Brother Bobby Bogan spoke out about. The Black Panther Party provided Free Breakfast Meal Programs, in the 60s, Mother Brown has serviced people in Hunter's Point, for many years, and even Jesus fed 5,000 people with one fish and a loaf of bread, over 2,000 years ago. My final thought and analysis: We need to be our own stone soup, if we expect to embarrass our oppressors, with any chance of a surviving and thriving our communities!


"It's as far as it goes, this is a sleazy cheap shot!" Not for ol'e Gave, but only for us.