Kaiser Responds To Homes Not Jails Takeover

In response to yesterday's takeover of its long empty building on Divisadero and O"Farrell streets in San Francisco by Homes Not Jails, Kaiser Permanente workers were screwing in heavy plywood panels over the doors on street level when I went by the site earlier this afternoon.

Kaiser "security" personnel, who were notably absent when I was on the scene of the takeover yesterday evening, stood around as the workers performed the real labor. A city pickup truck was driving away as I approached the building. Maybe Kaiser needed to borrow a few more screws.

The front entrance on Divis was open when I strolled by, with other workers inside tidying up the remains of Monday's bad publicity day for Kaiser. A cart on the sidewalk held more pieces of plywood waiting to be screwed in, along with a sign that read NO MORE HOMELESS DEATHS.

The message was clear. This building, sitting here uselessly for years, except as a tax write off for Kaiser, is being turned into an prison to keep people out, to prohibit anyone on the streets from entering it in a desperate attempt at shelter.

The other part of Kaiser's message, intended or not: MORE HOMELESS DEATHS.

Kaiser evicted families living in this building years ago, and has kept it empty ever since.

Ironically, the plywood covers the previous message Kaiser had stamped on the doors: PRIVATE PROPERTY NO TRESPASSING.

As Woody Guthrie sang, "But on the other side, it didn't say nuthin, that side belongs to you and me."