Morality is a term that’s been co-opted by those in the US whose politics tend to do the greatest harm to the most people. Those of us who are queer, who struggle with addictive substances, who are broke and on the dole—those of us who are not the successful or the pure by this society’s standards—are denied access to moral judgment. We are burdens on society. We are corrupters of youth. We are the fallen. On June 5, religious leaders representing Jews, Friends, Catholics, Buddhists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Methodists, Muslims, Pentecostals, and Lutherans sent the political leaders of San Francisco a very different message: “One’s moral compass always points toward compassion. These religious leaders are far from alone.

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Congratulations to homeless people in Fresno for their recent court victory. See more here (28 kb PDF).

Mayor Newsom released a budget today that will terminate critical health and human services, while pumping up salaries for police by 25% and adding many new high paid patronage positions into his own administration.

Some highlights of the devastating impact of the budget include:

1. Closure of Ella Hill Hutch Shelter, which serves up to 100 people every night in the Western Addition.
2. Closure of Caduceus Outreach Services, a mental health treatment and wrap-around support program for severely disabled homeless adults with co-existing addictive disorders.
3. Almost total elimination of SRO Families United program (66% cut) for families with dependent children living in hotels.
4. Cut of 22% to residential substance abuse and mental health treatment programs budgets.
1. Removal of support from Conard supportive housing program for severe psychiatric disabilities.
2. Closure of Cortland Acute Diversion Unit for individuals in psychiatric crisis.
3. Loss of 12 out of 24 community-based medically-supported detox beds.
4. Many more residential cuts yet to be determined.
5. Cut of 30% to all outpatient substance abuse and mental health treatment.
6. Almost total elimination of STOP treatment program.
7. 1,600 people will lose psychiatric treatment through Private Provider Network.
8. Closure of Tenderloin Health, homeless multi-service center in the Tenderloin serving over 300 people a day, 16,000 unduplicated people a year. This program provides health services, HIV case management, HIV prevention, mental health services, harm reduction work, improving quality of life by getting people out of rain, hygiene kits, bathrooms, snacks, crisis intervention, and 30,000 shelter reservations a year.

What Can We Do?

Protest Newsom’s proposed budget!

Where:

The Bellaire Tower building—home of Mayor Gavin Newsom (1101 Green Street, at Leavenworth Street)

Bus 45 (Leavenworth/Union stop), Bus 27 (Leavenworth/Jackson stop), Bus 12 (Pacific/Leavenworth stop).

When:

Wednesday, June 11, 6:00 p.m.

The current hot trend in addressing homelessness in the United States’ cities is, once again, to remove panhandlers from downtown corridors. Lately the Bush administration—through its Interagency Council on Homelessness—has lauded Denver, Colorado and its ten-year planning process for coming up with one of the 20 “Major Innovations” this year. This major innovation that President Bush is so enamored with? Have people put change in old parking meters that the City then collects for the United Way, rather than giving alms directly to people who are panhandling.

Clearly another case of “Mission Accomplished!”

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Some day soon take yourself a stroll from Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza down the east side of Telegraph Avenue. Thread through students and shoppers past a couple of blocks of funky bars and stores. Soon, you will come to Rasputin Music, the flagship of nine Bay Area music outlets. There, in the windows at 2401 Telegraph, you will encounter a colorful experiment in “counter-education.”

Rasputin offers window displays featuring Japanese internment camps, disability rights, Black Panther history, and, as of this writing, homeless art.

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In March, an article appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle with the headline “3 public housing complexes to be rebuilt with more units.”

With the excuse that the projects are decrepit, and claiming that they will be “refashioned” into denser neighborhoods, the powers that be have slated countless tenants of Westside Courts in the Western Addition, Potrero Terrace in Potrero Hill, and Sunnydale Projects in Visitacion Valley for evictions.

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Try saying this without laughing: “Homeless parking meters.”

Thought you couldn’t.

Images of dispossessed meters, probably jumping on freight trains and living in hobo encampments like a scene from O Brother, Where Art Thou? are easily conjured. Actually, these meters, donated by San Francisco’s parking department and painted orange, are the latest instruments the city wants to use to dissuade people from donating spare change directly to the unhoused—and keep panhandlers out of sight.

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