The Hotel Council of San Francisco is sponsoring a billboard ad campaign which can be seen on MUNI buses and taxis around the city. The ads depict panhandlers as being “aggressive,” drug-addicted maniacs. In response, on August 6th, 7th, and 8th, community activists and concerned citizens held three days of protest in response to the SF Hotel Council’s hate campaign. The campaign has several billboard ads with a similar theme. One ad reads: “Today I adopted a cat, gave some change, and shut down my corner grocer” with a sub-message: “giving to panhandlers doesn’t help, it hurts.”

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In these days of constantly changing voting habits, we are continually bombarded with new initiatives and amendments that need our attention. In the upcoming recall election to oust Governor Gray Davis, as well as the election in November, we will be making decisions that affect our daily lives both directly and indirectly. What do we need to know or do in order to become voters who are more effective?

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Mayoral candidate Gavin Newsom, the Hotel Council, the Chamber of Commerce and their friends are at it again. These shameless bedfellows want to punish homeless folks without offering any real solutions. They want to play politics with the suffering of poor people. In other words, business as usual. On the heels of last year’s political gimmick, Care Not Cash, comes another initiative and a well-financed ad campaign from these shameless bedfellows, this one to crack down on panhandling in San Francisco.

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Amidst the noise and the clamor of San Francisco’s 7th Ave. right off Lincoln Way, just before 7th Ave. becomes Laguna Honda Blvd., lies a small public preserve known only to a select few, unless you happen to be homeless. This area is known as the Laguna Honda Reservoir. Faced with the uncertainty of a guaranteed shelter bed in one of San Francisco’s notorious shelter traps, many homeless people seek to carve out a temporary homestead by camping in one of San Francisco’s many parks. In the case which we will describe, what appears to be a park is actually a parcel of land owned and operated by the San Francisco Public Utility Commission (SFPUC).

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En toda campaña electoral siempre hay un caballito de batalla político, no hay la menor duda, el mundo entero siempre a soportado esta epidemia que hoy sudan con partos de dolor las clases menos favorecidas de la cuidad de San Francisco, los inmigrantes latinoamericanos, y los mendigos pobres y desamparados. Para muchos políticos de hoy en día, hay una casta que ante sus ojos les resulta abominable; son un estorbo para esta sociedad piensan algunos de ellos, son gente improductiva sostienen otros, además de que afean esta bella cuidad turística, es el común pensar de todos ellos.

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Hogares Sin Barreras, así como otros proyectos de la Coalición de Desamparados y otras organizaciones de la ciudad, está trabajando en una encuesta para conocer la opinión de la gente sin vivienda sobre las normas que obligan a dejar las huellas y fotografía a toda persona que busque una cama en un shelter. Es importante para nosotros saber que piensa la comunidad latina sobre este tema. Para obtener más información, llámenos al (415) 861 7419 o (415) 346 3740, y pregunte por Juan Prada o Miguel Carrera.

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WHAT:

ArtAuction03 - From Traditional to New Media, a Live & SilentAuction benefiting the Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco

WHEN:

Thursday, September 11, 2003 - 5:30-8:30PM

WHERE:

Somarts Gallery

934 Brannan Street (between 8th & 9th Streets)

San Francisco, CA

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As I watch far away images of body bags being filled, I see much closer images of bodies. I went by a local park the other day and it looked like a concentration camp crossed with a mass murder scene.

There were people in rags and covered with filth lying scattered all over the place. At least twenty people were on crutches, had parts bandaged, or with open wounds not even covered.

They were all hungry and a large majority were sick.

All around this city I live in, and nationwide, the level of homelessness and poverty is growing alarmingly. From the last counts and estimates nation-wide, there has been at least a 35-45% increase in homelessness and poverty.

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