2000

by TJ Johnston

Having lived in this burg for a few years, I do so with a minimal sense of obligation - go to work, pay the bills, don't transmit any STDs. In addition to this bare minimum, I also fulfill other requirements: converting to a State ID and registering to vote.

The unintended benefit of either of the latter two acts is an invitation to participate in that hallmark of English common law, jury duty. Something comes over me when I get the summons, a feeling which fails me when I buy Girl Scout cookies or do volunteer work: the feeling that I can make a difference.

Not even my roommates's derisive laughter as she shows me the official document can curb my newfound enthusiasm for discharging my civic duty. Why should I care she "no habla ingles'-es her way out? She'll only have to display an even lesser command of the language to be disqualified next time (I have half a mind to drop a dime to the Jury Commissioner---"the books she reads may be in a New Agey, self-help dialect, but English is still her first language!").

The summons arrives one month prior to the date I have to report. I am assigned a badge with a bar code, a group number and a voicemail line I can call to ascertain when my group when my group should avail itself. I am now in the running for the Irish Sweepstakes of American jurisprudence.

"You have reached the Jury Duty Hotline. If you know the group number you've been assigned, please enter it now. If you have a rotary phone, find yourself a cave to ensconce yourself with your phone, Atari, vacuum-tube TV, and other outmoded items of your backward existence and kindly remove yourself from the twenty-first century at your earliest convenience."

Quickly, my fingers dance on the touch-tone buttons.

"If this is your group number, please dial again tomorrow after 6:00pm."

Rats! This is the outgoing message I am subjected to three days straight. Another two days of this means no oppotunity to decide on the next Scopes, Rosenberg, or Jenny Jones trial.

Day four. Same dial-pad drill. "I this is your group number, please report tomorrow to Room 7 in the Civil Courthouse at 400 MacAllister Street. If you were not listening, please hold for a stern reprobation for your attention deficit..."

Yes! I make it through the qualifying round.

The following afternoon, I arrive in what passes as "business casual" with summons in hand. I attest, under penalty of perjury, that i am born or naturalized in the US, fluent in English, not a California Peace Officer, absent any felon or parolee status, or otherwise physically, physically, emotionally or spiritually incapacitated in a way which would preclude my being one of a dozen masters of another person's destiny.

Now, the wait. One minute turns to two. Two turns to six. When six becomes nine, the clerk announces, "The following people please report to Room 509 for jury selection..." Having a patronymic beginning with a middle letter of the alphabet has historically proved itself to be, at best, a mixed blessing. Fortunately, no Gs, Hs or Is delay her from calling my name.

The cattle call continues. The judge of this case introduces himself and establishes the rules of the game.

"Our bailiff, Rusty, will hand you a questionnaire," states the jurist. "Some questions are general, others specific to the case. Remember there are no right or wrong answers."

Obviously, he never took the Scientologists' Personality Test. But if I can beat L. Ron Hubbard's instrument of mental fortitude, then i can will my way through this inventory.

"Do you know any lawyers or parties to this liability suit?" (No.)

"Do you have any feelings about lawyers?" (No.)

"Do you feel jury awards are generally too large, too little or just right?" (Often too little.)

"Is there anything in the media about this case that would, in any way, bias you?" (None that they don't slant already.)

"Can you give a corporation a fair trial?"

The last question gives me pause. Ninety-nine times out of 100, corporations are responsible for public health catastrophes, like Union Carbide's toxic gas leak in Bhopal, Phillip Morris' willful snaring of people into tobacco addiction, and McDonalds' overheating of caffeinated beverages.

There are nine plaintiffs in this case and deep pockets to be dug into. When will I again have the opportunity to ally myself with The People and stick it to The Man (and to the tune of millions of dollars)? Probably never. If I mark the X accordingly, I may be bumped off the case.

Twenty minutes later, my quandary continues.

"Can you give a corporation a fair trial?" (Nnnn---yes!)

As I hand the Sheriff's Department rent-a-cop my questionnaire, I am instructed to report back one week from Monday---after the judge's vacation.

Jury Selection day. The door to the courtroom has a chart indicating assigned seating for each of the fifty prospective jurors. I have no idea why I am Number 17 (and I figure I'm better off not knowing).

The same judge, tan and well-rested, points us to an easel, and impels us to disclose certain details about ourselves.

"My name is TJ Johnston. I live in the Haight and have been living here since 1994. I'm on unemployment and I like to tree surf. I've never served on a jury before, but I'm a big fan of the judicial process!"

"Oookay," I hear the judge mutter. He hands the meeting over to the attorneys whose function is to determine our fitness and eligibility to sit in a jury box.

The Plaintiff's Attorney, who filed suit against the corporation, begins the proceedings. I am immediately impressed. She looks like Lara Flynn Boyle, only better nourished. The Defendant is a middle-aged white guy. Based on these factors alone, I know where my sympathies lie.

Lara Flynn (plus fifteen pounds) starts with other juror wannabes (as well as unwannabes): blue-collar tradespeople and other workers of the world, and also people whose family members were afflicted. She begs of one person to expond his feelings about jury awards. The gut rejoins,"I thought the woman who spilled McDonalds' coffee got way too much. Coffee is meant to be hot and nobody with any sense would put it on their lap." She asks if he could put those feelings aside for this case. "I don't know. I still think they give too much money."

Thank you for playing.

Plaintiff's Attorney then directs questions at me. "Is there anything you've heard today that would bias you?" I blurt out, "I don't think so." Immediately, I know it's the correct answer.

Next question: "There are nine plaintiffs in this case. I f you wondered 'where are all the other complainants,' would you consider that?"

Defense demands a ruling. "Your Honor, I think the question is vague and misleading." His Honor replies, "I'll allow it." Lara Flynn riterates her question. I tell her I like to think I could limit myself to just the parties and specifics of this case. She smiles and nods approvingly. Good answer, I think, and I think I'm connecting with the lawyer babe.

Defense asks Juror Eighteen, seated next to me, about his sick relatives. Eighteen feels that his employer's afflicted his dead uncle. By lunchtime, Number Eighteen is excused. The new Number Eighteen is also quizzed by the Defense, this time about Number Eighteen's previous litigation experiences. "I sued somebody once and got jerked over. another time, I was sued and got jerked over again." Would he be able o except those experiences if he sat on this jury? "Hell, no. i might get jerked over a third time." With that, the second Number Eighteen is cast away.

I notice it is already 3:00pm when the judge orders another break. I feel jazzed to have made it this far. Soon enough, I'll learn my fate vis-a-vis eleven of my peers, a Lara Flynn Boyle who doesn't skip meals, and, by extension, the victims of corporate malefactors.

After recess, the herd considerably thins out. Thirty people remain and the afternoon commute for courtroom personnel is only minutes away. They need their twelve angry men (and two disgruntled alternates) now. It is time, the Plaintiff's Attorney announces, for the Preemptory Challenge (cue kettle drums here)!

In this lightning round of the legal realm, the attorneys from each side take turns in excusing Jurors One through Twelve without needing an excuse. After the number is called, the next jurors from numbers Thirteen to Thirty takes the ousted juror's seat and number. Each attorney is allowed eight turns to arbitrarily send a juror back to his or her dreary life. At the end of the Challenge will remain the Twelve and Two.

This is my last chance to gain the favor of Helen Gamble's stand-in. Positive energy, positive energy.

The advocates start throwing out numbers. Seats immediately empty and are filled. After round four, Number Sixteen usurps a vacancy. When Defense excuses Number Five, I take delight in my sudden promotion. I jump an even dozen notches, with a bullet, into chair number five. I am all that and a bag of chips!

Successively, Lara Flynn announces, "The court would like to thank and excuse...Number Five."

I am the Weakest Link. Goodbye!

Cue the violins to accompany my exit and forlorn journey to the assembly room, where I bid a profound and heartfelt farewell to the clerk, as she revokes my barcode and processes me out. "Next!" This is more than what the David E. Kelley reject upstairs offered me.I never even received a lovely parting gift.

I feel a hundred different emotions as I leave the building. Disappointment. Loss. Need to urinate. Disappointment. Loss... well, I feel different emotions at least. To have my attempts to right a heinous wrong thwarted, in such a random fashion, is a sever blow.

I tell my friends that I went "for the experience." That is true enough, but I yearned to be chosen.

I run into acquaintances who cavalierly ask if I beat jury duty.

"No," I solemnly reply, "it beat me."

(This article originally published by One 'Zine SF, Jan. 2002.)

by Sam Drew/PNN

"Your health is your wealth." These words were kindly spoken to me by my Grandmother as I worried myself sick over a minor financial situation. She confided in me that "without your health all the money in the world is useless."

In San Francisco we have a chance to prove that your health is indeed your wealth. The medical cannabis dispensary at 350 Divisadero Street is being evicted because the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is sending out threatening letters to landlords that rent to medical cannabis caregivers. These letters tell landlords that if they don't evict medical cannabis dispensaries, they will face fines, imprisonment and possible forfeiture of their property. Although San Francisco and the rest of California voted to recognize cannabis as a medicine, the Feds continue to see it as an evil drug that will destroy our way of life and corrupt the morals of our youth or something like that.

Reverend Randi Webster co-founder and co-director of the San Francisco Patients Cooperative cuts through the legal and moral doublespeak and gets to the heart of the matter as she told PoorNewsNetwork, "After 9 years we have to close our doors. If a community center isn't found again we will end up going to a lot of funerals!" These funerals will be those of sick patients who will have their only lifeline closed if 350 Divisadero is left without a home.

Echoing Randi Webster's powerful statement were two POOR Magazine staffers Jewnbug and Brother Y who also offered words in support of 350 Divisadero.

"350 Divisadero has saved my life. It gives patients space to heal. People stay alive due to medical marijuana," Jewnbug said powerfully. Brother Y informed everyone that "San Francisco has the largest concentration of HIV/AIDS patients in the United States," and that these patients need safe access to survive.

350 Divisadero is not only a dispensary of medicine but also offers peer counseling, social services and entertainment like open mike nights and bingo. Treating the whole person, and not just individual parts, helps the healing process go faster. This is a fact that the medical industry has chosen to ignore in the face of big profits and corruption.

Many politicians have spoken out in behalf of medical cannabis. These same politicians need to speak on behalf of 350 Divisadero and help this community center find a new home to continue to treat patients.

"Mark Leno, Carole Migden and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums have spoken out against the DEA's letters of threat," said Webster. However, one major Bay Area politician has not, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. "When Gavin Newsom was a supervisor he wrote a letter on our behalf so we could move into 350 Divisadero, but now he has chosen to remain silent," Webster said.

Trying to avoid a controversial issue, Mayor Newsom has abandoned his own city's residents by refusing to stand up to the Feds on this life and death issue and in doing so he has backed the for-profit medical world, which chooses wealth over health. Using these punitive tactics, the DEA is not only fueling the prison industrial complex by criminalizing medical cannabis, but is also gaining profits and land to resell by wrongly evicting patient's safe havens.

Help save 350 Divisadero Street and all community centers offering service and support to those in need. Demand Mayor Newsom stand up for the medical cannabis patients.

by Staff Writer

Washington, DC--Native American leaders in the emerging green economy
traveled to our Nation's capital to lobby representatives, network,
and work together to demand good and green jobs, careers, and
communities for Indian Country. Representatives from the Navajo,
Acoma, Oglala Sioux, Ojibwe, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations
participated in the Good Jobs Green Jobs National Conference in
Washington DC this week.

"We are here to ensure that Indigenous communities and Nations will be
a part of the emerging green economy", says Jihan Gearon, Native
Energy Organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network and member
of the Navajo Nation. "More so than mere participation and
tokenization, we are here to ensure that in this emerging economy, our
communities truly benefit and lead. There are numerous opportunities
in Indian Country to do so".

The Navajo Green Economy Plan is one such example. The Plan would
generate hundreds of green jobs across the Navajo Nation and support
local, community led, owned and operated initiatives such as small and
large scale renewable energy development, green manufacturing textile
mills, weatherization projects, weavers coops, traditional and organic
agricultural markets, and green jobs training programs.

"With millions of federal dollars ready to be distributed across the
country to support green jobs, we are prepared to support our local
community and in doing so lead the Nation in creating sustainable and
just societies", says Kelvin Long, member of the Navajo Green Economy
Coalition and the Navajo Nation.

Native American lands, as well as Indigenous territories worldwide,
have been historically and systematically targeted for fossil fuel,
coal, oil and gas development, which has resulted in the
contamination and depletion of water, land and community health".
Solutions to energy independence and climate change in the U.S., such
as nuclear power and clean coal, pose the threat of exacerbating these
negative affects.

"Green jobs must not include jobs for industries that will drag out
the use of dirty and unsustainable energy", says Petuuche Gilbert of
Acoma pueblo in New Mexico, a community affected by uranium mining.
"In this new economy, we must break the cycle of being marginalized
people and forced to choose between economic development and
preservation of our culture and lands. We are against renewed uranium
mining. Nuclear is not green".

Tribal lands have an estimated 535 Billion kWh/year of wind power
generation potential, about 14% of U.S. annual generation. Tribal
lands also hold an estimated 17,000 Billion kWh/year of solar
electricity generation potential--4.5 times total U.S. annual
generation. As Winona LaDuke, Executive Director of Honor the Earth
and member of the Ojibwe Nation points out, "The reality is that the
most efficient, green economy will need the vast wind and solar
resources that lie on Native American lands. And we are prepared to
lead".

by Tiny/PNN

Houzless chyle….

sky iz r roof

keepin us lookin up.

windowz r tha eye’z of r people

showin us socitiez

justice iz just.ice.

capitalizm has no human worth

Excerpt from the poem :Houzless Chyle by Jewnbug, Po’ Poetz ProjecK of, POOR Magazine

"We are here today to hear the truth of homelessness and to remind people that there are homeless people who have died on our streets….we have to find a more compassionate way to solve homelessness and to be compassionate really means to suffer with people and through the identification with people, to relieve their suffering," I watched the warm brown eyes of Reverend Dorsey Blake from the Church of the Fellowship of all
Peoples as he prepared to participate in the multi-denominational, and truly inspiring Covenant of Compassion ceremony held last Sunday in San Francisco’s City Hall plaza. As he spoke, I clutched a handmade wooden cross, one of 100 crosses created by the ceremonies organizers; Religious Witness with Homeless People covered with the name of a houseless San Franciscan who had passed, unnoticed, uncounted, unnamed and unremembered, until now, on the ice-like streets of San Francisco in 2004.

As a formerly houseless, member of POOR Magazine’s Po Poets Project, I, too was preparing to participate by spitting spoken Wordz and poverty scholarship with my fellow po’ poets Jewnbug and, A. Faye Hicks, in a day focused not only on honoring the houseless who have passed but also to hear, recognize and act compassionately on the real story behind the racist, classist, anti-homeless people legislation known as Care Not Cash(CNC) launched as the mayoral platform for Gavin Newsom

"We live in very violent times when the current (presidential) administration is more outraged at a breast shown at a football game than the systematic abuse and torture of people in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay" The day began by hearing from

Assemblyman Mark Leno who along with SF supervisors Chris Daly and Bevan Dufty sponsored a legislation that would force the City to start counting and naming the City’s homeless who died on the streets, a process which used to happen every year but was ended in 2001, Mark continued, "when violence is so glorified, humanity and the value of humans is debased –we need to put a name and a face on the people that have died on the streets"

SF Supervisor Chris Daly followed him,"Its not just about the fact that people who have died on our streets should not go unmarked and un-mourned but its also about analyzing how we’re doing as a city and a society on one of our most difficult and confusing issues, homelessness"., With his support of this and other issues Chris continues to be one of the few consistently progressive voices on the board for economic justice in San Francisco

"Allaaaaaaah Aloo Akebah" After the triumphant news that we had won back the right to recognize the passing of San Francisco's’ homeless, the diminutive and powerful Sister Bernie, Executive Director of Religious Witness with Homeless People launched the days cross denominational "Solemn Opening of Service" which included a Buddhist bell sounding, a Jewish horn, a song about homelessness and a haunting Muslim chant by Souleiman Ghali. As he sung/chant I was transported to the multiple targets of Bush/Cheny Inc.'s Krusades/kolinazation efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran and mused at the similar ways in which the corporate media promoted international abuses and local abuses of marginalized and unheard peoples.

"We come here today because our sisters and brothers with no homes have asked us to listen to them in their time of suffering despite the rosy picture created by the media" After the Solemn service Reverend Jana Drakka described the focus of the covenant of compassion, "Throughout the past eight months that the legislation Care not Cash has been in effect the media has repeatedly reported on its wonderful results and indeed over 628 homeless adults have been placed in rooms. And we rejoice as members of religious witness in that fact as we have been advocating for housing with supportive services for the last eleven years. Sadly, however, the way Care Not Cash has been implemented has resulted in the suffering of many other homeless people- by both the 1000 people targeted by Care Not Cash as well as the over 13,000 San Franciscans not targeted by Care Not Cash - a study released in November conducted by homeless people confirmed what we have been told.

She concluded with a grace that only a religious leader could muster, "Let us be clear we are not here to question the commitment of Mayor Newsom and his administration to, and I quote, 'end homelessness as we know it' but we Leaders, friends and members of religious witness are committed to listening to the voices of our poor and homeless brothers and sisters to stand compassionately with them in their suffering and to join them in their struggle for justice."

"We think its wrong for a shelter to be considered "housing" which is how it is worded in the CNC legislation," Shelly Roder from St Boniface Shelter was one of the first advocates to address the gathering, "to consider a mat or cot cramped in with a lot of other people which often ends up being a mat on the floor, housing, is not right- and then making a shelter mat part of a (welfare) benefit package displaces many of the homeless who don't receive city funds (i.e., Welfare/ General Assistance/GA ) cause the beds are reserved for people on GA"

"I just wanted to start by thanking Mark Leno cause Food stamps were restored to felons who were convicted for drug offenses thanks to his tireless efforts" Next we heard from Bill Hart, the formerly houseless, executive director of General Assistance Advocacy Project /GAAP

He continued,"Before Care Not Cash there were 2,497 homeless people receiving welfare benefits-its now down to 852 - but where did the 1090 people go?- most of them dropped off the program cause its too hard to do all the hoops just to get $29.00 every two weeks, including a new rigorous form of job search and they don't even give you a bus pass, so people just said forget it I can’t to do all that"

"We are starting this new year tragically for poor and homeless people. One of the saddest examples of this is when I meet previously homeless people who are now incarcerated telling me that they are better off in prison (where they are now) in San Quentin- they only thing they lost was their freedom but that was better than how they felt on the streets of San Francisco under care not cash living on $59 a month." With tears of horror in my eyes at Bill’s last comment, I wondered if the "paupers prisons" my poor Irish Grandmother used to tell me about could be far behind. But of course who needs them, they are already here…

"Hi, I am Ken Sanders, I am 55 years old and I am a diabetic residing at Hospitality House - I have lived in SF all of my life- only homeless for the last four years - homelessness is a hard job-and cause of Care Not Cash, its even harder" The most important part of the day, the testimonies of folk struggling with this CNC mess, was launched with the tragic voices of African Descendent, Latino and White folks like long-term SF resident, Mr. Sanders and the next speaker, the eloquent David Hawkins-Bey

"I am from Detroit Michigan, I came to the Bay Area in July of 2004 I came here to work in the hotels and come to find out they were on strike. I eventually started to receive the $29.00 CNC benefit but my whole purpose of being here was to work and it seemed like I was being penalized for working part-time and receiving $200-300 a month which I was going to use to move in to an apartment. Instead my food stamps were cut and I still haven't found any housing, I thought if I proved myself to be a productive citizen that the GA program would work for me. In Michigan there is no general Assistance program, no welfare, no nothing- I came here in the hopes of providing a better life for myself and in the end I know that the only savior is love and to believe in love and the love of God - it is all you can take with you"

We then heard a bi-lingual plea for economic justice from the Lorenzo Cruz, a homeless, immigrant day laborer, "The life for day laborers is very hard- in the past, day laborers like me could stay in shelters for a place to sleep but now because of Care not Cash the shelters are no longer a place to sleep for us- and with little work immigrant workers have no money to rent a room- why is this city making the lives of poor people so difficult?"

The day was filled with the poverty scholarship of many more homeless folks trying to express the unbelievably difficult position of poor people living under this corporate poverty pimpin program called Care not Cash sponsored by the city government including one man who spoke of spending all night just to get one bed only to be told at 11:00pm, that his struggle was futile as there was in fact, no room at the Inn.

The powerful and tragic day closed with a Dance of compassion, response "to the testimonies" by Reverend Jane Schlager and Reverend Nobu Hanaoka and closing hymn called The Lord hears the Cry of the Poor……

by Joseph Bolden

Ok,a column about as Mr. Will Smith would say on "Hotness"

Everyone has their unique definition on this subject because Ms. Tiny aka Lisa also hales from Los Angeles there’s a "Hollywood Glam factor added.

Being hot has expanded for so many people, from so many places that’s its difficult to pin it down so I won’t.

When one works for and is friend any person for a period of time one observes many facets of an individual.

Tiny is a genuienly multifacited individual whether it be in her work as Co to publisher of Poor Magazine, instructor of interns in the ways of media capture, in the Daily PNN brain center P-M central reinterpretation/recasting news or "The News That Doesn’t Fit into mainstreams bottom line.

AS poet, interviewer/ee on PNN and KPFA’s morning show (bottom half (7:30am) hour near or on the last day of each month.

Finally, when she lets her hair down, don’s party clothes and lets loose on the dance floor tranforming into diva surpreme sizzling, burning up dance floors where ever she goes. It is a mighty sexy sight to behold!

However for the four letters emailed to me about how hot she is… Well, this does not immedietly occure to me.

We first met before even the concept of Poor Magazine gleamed in Mama Dee’s or Lisa’s minds.

A few years later in a cramp place the nucleus began
as their join dream-process radical in scope, inconcievable in its objective: For regular Poor People to have a voice,
break into media with solutions they know because of living, surviving through poverties harsh lessons.

Giving technical access to those most in need and denied as automatically unworthy.

Its still an uphill hazzardous battle.

Someone with that much going against her from her youth with her mother guiding her and then Tiny returning the feirce love infinitely back is profoundly, deep, being grounded in
reality gives on the power to let loose when the need arrises and Tiny was and is in need of release at times from the work she’s constantly does.

Me, it had not occurred to me to even dream of my former boss and friend in this light.

Call me naieve we were way to serious and both of us had our own private housing, rent, food, and dating concerns.

Honestly she was not my type though pretty with yellow-red hair,

her endomorphicLook it up folks dancer-fit-figure isn’t what I go for and besides being my boss she’d could’ve been the harraser not I.

Have I mentioned she was into kick boxing at the time?

While my rusty Tai Kwon Do would be to slow the best I could do is block the faster hands and dash away sprinting at top speed.

For the four people who’ve sent the letters to me about getting with HOT TINY, sorry to say she’s taken by an equally if not more Hotty Guy eye candy.

That’s what other people call him though he does have movie star looks, he too has faced challenges,
dedicated to

‘Po folks access and fixing the social/political inequities.

I guess that makes him a tripple hottie in Tiny’s eyes.

At this time another person arrived who’s youthful misteps, slight errors in judgement due to both inexperience and experience has some family members write her off as lost to the streets.

Few keow if they’ed only gave her a chance to explain some of her dire actions.

As a world traveler with her family and later on her on she lived on the street,

surving as best she could helped and was helped by friends she’s grown up with in San Francisco.

There are too many accomplishments to go into all I can say at one point she could’ve been killed by an abusive adult or boyfriend(s).

As one of many youth commissioner encouraged by Jewnbug another struggling youth and mother-to-be Ms.

Mari Villaluna has met challenges many other youths may have fallen never to be heard from again.

After surving harrowing experiences this veteran
yes, she’s also a veteran peiced her life together

Part of it was working with Poor Magazine while a Youth Commissioner at City Hall in San Francisco, attending City College of San Francisco, and later as graduate of Mills Women’s College in Oakland.

The young woman had a lot to accomplish because she felt she missed so much.

Parts of precious, irreplaceable childhood gone which she suffer from still.

At one time this dyamic dynamo of a feminine strength and super,no hyperhuman willpower at one time thought herself not worthy of Mills College!

This is why I feel privilidged and proud to be one her many friends.

In a small way I was able to help her see that

she is errily,scary, smart,to take advantage of higher education and not worry about her family,
or what some friends may say its your life and you must live it!

Yes, I admit to dreaming of her at times.
(I’m a normal guy) she’s a young adult looking younger than her hard years would tell guess being a vegetarian help slow aging process a little.

We didn’t go on dates but sometimes needed to be accompanied to bars because after days or weeks of
difficult legislation drawn up, fought over, changed, win, lose, or draw Mari had get her dance on!

Yes, Ive danced a bit,nowhere near as sexy, spicey, as she but have my ways. "Joe, You Can Move!"

"I close my eyes, let the rythms move me."

Have to day "Damn, the girl, uh young woman either gained or lost weight from Taiwan visit always has a cute curvy figure and a back that most black and brown guys drool over.

And thick too, I admit to admiring both front and backside platonic friend or not she's that bomb sexy even waring glasses she sex bomb!been wanting say that but it would frighten her but now I can say it and she's to far away to kill me.

I think she calls me Uncle even when I don’t think uncle thoughts about her.

Because of her past, present, the way she survived, surpassed everyones expectations, and what she still
suffers from as a young woman of mixed heritage which includes Iroqoui/Ph-Fillipina/Spanish and S.F. born.

All the above makes her extremely (HOT–SEXY in my view and to my eyes.

Years past, don’t know the event someone is elected for somehing Mari and I go into a bar, a Lesbian or Gayelle
1. adj. Adv. Feminine form of gay meaning homosexual.
2. Noun Gay and Female member of a group or movement that prefers to called Gayelle rather than Lesbial (for more info on this go to: www.feastoffools.net/community/topic

In this bar I’m cool, writing stuff while petite Mari who’s a girly girl (attractive feminine )kind of woman is also attracting Gayelles just being her femmy self she has a few friends she wanted to see.

I’m about to play some pool, didn’t have money to buy any beer. Mari wants leave.

Just as I’m about to play a woman I don’t know if she had substantial rack or not but she being gayelle won’t distract me though I’d enjoy the veiw.
(I repeat I’m a guy if any woman is stretching her sweater or has deep cleavage from bra or braless showing I’m peeking that’s just me.

There lots of striking, heart stop beautiful gayelles just because I cannot touch don’t mean I won’t look they know that.

Beauty is beauty I’m only human!

Some gayelles are so freaky beautiful can make any straight guys heart leap. some wym's are just that way truth be told.

Problem is my gayelle radar is faulty, I can easily fall for either bi wym/s or gayelles.

At the time it funny that gayelles were drooling over this hot girly girl straight femmy and couldn’t have a taste, maybe she experimented in high school/college and that was it for her.

For me that’s the ultimate compliment, to be wanted by her own sex and finding a no-deal situation.

It soothes me a down a lot after years of tourching for her,
(sorry I lied about that)
seeking other women to block her out my mind.

She’s still a very sensuous, sensual, sexy, femmy dynamo who’s radar makes her choosy about with men sometimes it's faulty too.

she’ll let some into her life either for fun, long short relationships or soul mate for life.

The Longest Walk continues and I pray for her and people on the walk to stay safe and comfort each other and that from whatever harm.

Mari is healing from personal hurts, I’ll always have her back as she’s had mine.

Again pray she returns to Washington safe, sound, reinvigorarted.

The four letter writers to me sorry but I have say Ms.Villaluna is
SMOLDERING HOT!

To Mari, my deepest apologies, unless you get lots of dates from this especially if a few of your Hot friends date healthy elder goats like me.

I gave it a shot, I’m a horny, elder straight guy.

Just as Tiny is in her own way is very hot I think of a few other women just as HOT

keeping that to myself.

Thanks for writing to me.

by Felicita Pedroza

These foster families think they are better than us

Saying all we know how to do if fight and fuss

Back biting saying, "Your parents were never there"

Poisoning our minds with words of "Your parents don't care"

Yelling, "You just can't seem to do anything right"

Placing themselves higher than us; they hold a powerful might

Criticizing our families of being worthless and uneducated

Constantly reminding us that we were separated

We are belittled, while they stand above

Saying, "No one has taught you the meaning of love"

Constantly verbalizing, Love is when your family keeps you, not give you away

But they don't love us; they do it for the pay

Telling us that we'll only go from home to home

Why won't these foster parents just leave us alone?

They act like we never been to any place above a dollar

Around our necks they tighten collars

We don't have the same privileges as their own kids

Because we are oppressed by what our parents did

Reminding us of our parents mistake, like they don't have their mistakes

I wonder if they do this to every foster child they take?

by Dee/PoorNewsNetwork

The San Francisco Department of Human Services (DHS) began implementation of SF Board Supervisor Newsom’s draconian Proposition N (Care Not Cash) even before the July 1, 2003 implementation date by serving eviction notices on people who are in long-term case managed programs like the SF shelter Next Door. (The rationale for this is that under Prop N, shelter beds are supposed to be prioritized for folks on SF’s CAAP program –welfare- and therefore not available for anyone on SSI, or the working poor - see Racial and Economic Cleansing #101
for more info on this issue)

While this economic genocide is waged on poor San Francisco residents, so-called liberal democrats like Nancy Pelosi who say the following; “We give unequivocal support and appreciation of the Nation to the president as Commander in Chief for his firm leadership and decisive action in the conduct of military operations in Iraq as part of the on-going Global War on Terrorism” and support the Bush administration budget which spends 80 billion to support the war on Iraq, Homeland Security and Airline Bailouts.

More money for the war means less money for the states and cities – social programs to support housing and health education programs, etc. Please join POWER, POOR Magazine, The Coalition on Homelessness and other poverty rights activists and poor folk in fighting this racist and classist proposition, see below for info on an upcoming action....

UNITE TO FIGHT AGAINST SHELTER EVICTIONS

Say No to Expulsions and Exclusions in the San Francisco Shelters

The Department of Human Services in San Francisco has hatched a plan
to hijak the shelter system as part of their plan to set up Prop N
(the cuts to assistance for the homeless initiative). They plan to
force homeless county assistance recipients into the shelter and
expel the non-assistance recipients who are immigrants, seniors,
workers, and people with mental illnesses or other disabilities. All
of this just to turn a profit. Come stand with POWER to say No
Expulsions, and No Exclusions! We Demand Shelter for All!

March, Rally, and Press Conference

Thursday April 17th, @ 4 PM,

Meet at the office of the Coalition on Homelessness

468 Turk St. @ Larkin

When Newsom and the tourism industry poured thousands of dollars into
their lie campaign for Prop N, they were full of promises. Sure our
checks were gonna be cut, but in the place of our wages we were going
to housing, food, and services. Now that July is just 2 months away,
the truth is coming out that Prop N is nothing more that $59 and a
shelter bed. Last week, Next Door (the city's "care facility") made
all of their residents sign eviction notices stating that no one
could remain in the shelter after June 30th. (notice then revoked
one week later) Why? Because DHS's big care plan is to force all
homeless CAAP recipients into the city's over-crowded shelter system
and charge them $300 rent a month, while forcing all immigrants,
disabled people, and working poor folks out into the streets. That's
not care, that's discrimination. Trent Rhorer even said that they
hope the new system will be so worthless and difficult that they
expect over 80% of to just quit the program and fight for own
survival on the streets with no assistance at all. That's bullshit!
Are we going to continue to let these politicians make their wealth
off our poverty? Hell no! Now is the time to fight back!

--

People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER)

32 - 7th Street

San Francisco CA 94103

415.864.8372 - phone

415.864.8373 - fax

by Tiny and PoorNewsNetwork’s Shelter observer

We are finger printed

Photo image printed, in living color

Social Security numbers registered

My privacy invaded, My rights violated

What’s a Poor Client to do?

The homeless, elderly , disabled, wheel chair bound

Kicked out of the shelters

Belly half empty

Thrown into a Mad Rush to get a shelter ticket

Twenty blocks a way

Still you might not receive a bed

And then the Side Walk Hotel for you that evening!

"Optional for who?" PNN’s shelter observer proclaimed ,as she and I sat in deep worried discussion about the impact of Proposition N hovering over our morning coffee in the POOR Magazine breakfast room. It was free breakfast day at POOR- one of our only remaining free breakfast days due to our own organizational funding crisis in these post budget cut dog dayz of summer.

"they say optional on the fingerprinting form – but then they say, " yea, its optional – but you won’t get a shelter bed if you don’t do it", Ever since the unofficial implementation of Prop N in San Francisco’s shelter system there has been an extremely illegal, ageist, and ableist, manifestation of procedure on the very poor who seek a bed in the City. On paper and in person, Trent Roher, executive director of SF department off Human Services and his representatives have publicly stated that all of these "registration requirements" are completely optional for all people seeking a shelter bed. And then in reality all the people who actually use the services have been forced into "registering" and have encountered an impossibly confusing and difficult situation.

"The hoops they make us jump through are so crazy- nobody can do they requirements if you’re not young and healthy, the other day, I started helping all the elderly women in the shelter to get through all the requirements. They had to take two buses just to get to the registration place, where they get fingerprinted and scanned. By the time we made it there at 8:00 am, the beds were all gone, They were told to come back at 7:30 p.m that same day. to "SEE" if any were open, If none were available, they told us to come back to tomorrow,If they all weren’t so out of breath, they might have laughed.

Since the beginning of this whole process, originally inspired by SF board supervisor , Gavin Newsom,s attempt to become mayor on the backs of the poorest people in San Francisco, Sf Department of Human Services has begun the default implementation of a Prop N "alike" set of rules and regulations which results in making San Francisco’s shelter system impossible for most people, meanwhile, poor folks and advocates gear up for a July 8th hearing/debate between Newsom’s prop N, Jake Mcgoldricks’ anti-displacement legislation which will make it illegal to prioritize shelter beds at all and Chris Daly’s legislation which makes funding go into housing instead of shelter.

"If they vote in Prop N without McGoldrick’s legislation being passed – me and the other disabled elders, working poor and immigrants in the shelters – are out – its that simple, I don’t know what to do" She drained her coffee cup with an angry thump and neither of us knew what to say to each other – I tried to look strong and inspiring but at this moment, I was unable to…

Postscript; At the Tuesday, July 15th BOard meeting McGoldricks' legislation passed unanimously - Newsom's legislation was tossed around and ended up being sent back to committee for further discussion (read:time wasting)

by Michael Vizcarra/PNN Media intern

They say you're only as old as you feel. If that's the case, the performers
of the Senior Action Network's (SAN) 9th Annual Gray Cabaret at the Victoria
Theatre are definitely in the prime of their youth. The Senior Action
Network is a grassroots advocacy organization passionately devoted to issues
which affect the Senior communities. SAN's mission is to organize and
empower Seniors to influence public policy*. The Gray Cabaret showcases the
wealth of talent of San Francisco's senior citizens. It features music,
dance, poetry, and singing, highlighting the diverse multicultural,
multiethnic make-up of San Francisco.

Stepping into the Victoria Theatre (near 16th and Mission), the first thing I
notice is the sense of pride exuding from the predominantly senior citizen
audience who are here to support their friends, family, and their community.
Even though the audience members are mainly senior citizens, there are people
here who encompass a broad range of age from mothers, fathers, daughters,
sons, granddaughters, and grandsons, all here showing their pride and
support. Also present in the audience is Chris Daly, S.F. Board of
Supervisors, whom the audience showed much appreciation for.

The hosts for the afternoon's event are Angela Alioto (daughter of former
Mayor Joseph Alioto) and Geraldine Earp (SAN's former President) who dedicate
this event to Richard Reed, an advocate for homeless senior citizens, who
passed away recently. After a moment of silence, I take a seat and prepare
to enjoy a couple hours of entertainment. The first act is Henry Irvin doing
his version of "Night and Day" followed by Dorothy Lefkovits doing her
rendition of "Teach Me Tonight." Both songs are reminiscent of the
1930s/1940s style of singing, when crooners and their lyrics really meant
something.

A few of the performances really caught the eyes of the audience and myself.
One of them was the San Francisco Center Chinese Folkloric Dance Troop doing
Tai Chi to a musical score. Their beautiful costumes, complete with red fans
as props, brightened the dark theatre and captivated us with their fluid,
youthful movements. I can see the pride beaming from the Troupe's faces as
they performed their routine. Another artist that caught my eye was Erma
Hennessy. She wrote and read a poem entitled, "When You Are Finally Old".
This was a fantastic tongue-in-cheek poem about the daily ailments and little
idiosyncrasies of everyday life of a senior citizen, " my teeth will sleep
in a cup of water, that's where they will stay all night‚ I know in the
morning, at least they'll be all white." She had us rolling in the aisles
with laughter. It's very funny poem indeed, but also giving a sense of truth
to what senior citizens go through. The last performance of Act One was by
Jean Ammerman, who sang "Can't Say No". Her comical rendition of this song
also had us cheering and laughing. Her performance was excellent, complete
with the irony of being a senior citizen but playing the part of a little
girl.

Act II featured even more diverse performances. The International Folk
Dancers, "Stelita", performed twice. The first being a traditional Mexican
folk dance, and the second a Tango. Mario Herrera, a Filipino-American, sang
twice as well, the first a Filipino folk song, "Cometan" and the second a
Latin American folk song, "Usted". I had the pleasure of sitting next to Mr.
Herrera's wife who was quick to show her pride and support of her husband by
saying that he is an actor as well as a singer. She also showed generosity
and kindness by offering me part of her sandwich and some fruit, which I had
to accept out of respect, myself being a Filipino-American as well. Another
performance that needs to be recognized was that of Mai Lan. She is the
pianist who accompanied many of the performers in their songs. Despite the
fact of having to be led to and from the piano, Ms. Lan showed how vibrant
and youthful she really is by demonstrating the dexterity needed to play the
instrument. Once seated in front of the piano, she was as nimble on the keys
as any person of any age.

The Gray Cabaret was a spectacular event. I was surprised myself at how much
I enjoyed it. The diversity, the wealth of talent, and the sense of pride by
the performers showed me that being a senior citizen is about being youthful
and celebrating your strengths, achievements, and passions. If you are only
as old as you feel, then these performers will forever be young.

by JR/PNN-Bayview Community Journalist

What would life be like if the city of San Francisco thought that you only
needed $59 a month to stay alive? They would expect for you to make that
money stretch to supplement your food stamps, if you get them,
travel/commute to school or work, buy yourself, your children, and any other
dependents clothes, buy cleaning supplies, save money to start a business,
put your child/ren into youth development activities, which is so vital for
Black youth in the 'hood, and try to relax on a meager $59 a month.
San Francisco County Supervisor Gavin Noose'em is proposing with
Proposition N, to take away a majority of the cash given to welfare
dependents, with the promise of "guaranteed services" and $59 big ones.

What "guaranteed services" are going to make up for the cash that is being
taken? That's one thing that is not spelled out in his newspaper ads.
Although he is not giving you enough information to make an informed
decision, he definitely spells out that he wants for you to support his
initiative. If you are wavering on whether to trust Gavin Noose'em or not,
you should look at all the promises that were made to the residents of
Hunter's Point in '97,from the city with the PG & E Power Plant. The city
made an agreement with PG&E where they would close down their plant in
Hunter's Point that year, but they ended up upgrading the facility, and they
are currently, doing more business than ever. Another example of shady
politics is the way that the navy refuses to clean up a 46 acre radioactive
dump, in Hunter's Point, which is reported to be one of the most polluted
areas in the whole country, and the city and county, for the most part are
doing nothing on behalf of the people to insure a safe environment for
future generations. If Supervisor Noose'em is really trying to help somebody
why isn't he looking into these issues, environmental issues that effect
everybody. Or is he operating out of self-interest?
You can also look at it like this, by supporting Noose'em you are
supporting a rise in the level of violent crime, East Oakland should show
you, that "ain't nothing funny when the money gets low" like East Oakland
based rapper A.E.M. s/c Askari X likes to rap.

What's silly about this whole debate is the fact you can turn on the
tell-lie-vision on any given day, and watch a news story vilifying Fidel
Castro and Che Guevara, and demonizing the Cuban Revolution, which has found
a way a way to satisfy all the basic survival needs for all Cuban citizens.
All of this had been organized, under the Cuban Revolutionary government
headed by Fidel, withstanding a 30 year U.S. embargo. If you are a citizen
of Cuba, you could wake up tomorrow and have a heart attack, go and get open
heart surgery, get bandaged up and walk out, without spending a penny.
Noose'em is not talking about this caliber of services, in San Francisco,
one of Amerikkka's richest cities, but Fidel is doing it in one of the
world's poorest countries. Now you tell me who looks like the criminal. If
Supervisor Noose'em is not trying to lench the poor people in the ever so
rich city of San Francisco, he can prove it to us by giving up his salary,
which is at least 100 times more than $59 a month, for a month to prove that
he could live off $59 in the Bay Area's economy. If he isn't willing to do
that he shouldn't ask any one else to do it.

by By Isabel Estrada

Chapter 1. The Girl With Long Hair
"Mama, every inch that my hair grows, I come closer to death," said Indravas to her mother. But Kaza only laughed and said; "Don't you ever listen to my words? A woman's spirit never dies, it rises and falls like an abandoned ship, but it never dies. Haven't I told you the story of Grace Vayshnavia?"

Chapter 2. All Spirits Must Rest
Grace Wells' small home was at 908 Page St. in a city that pretends to be big, in a state that pretends to own the sun, in a country that pretends to own the sky. It just so happened that that morning there was a crowd of people outside of her home. They were protesting another phase of the invasion of the Yuppies that would force Grace out of her home and set her right in the middle of the street. However, they hadn’t come to understand the special powers of a woman’s spirit and therefore didn’t know that in a sense, she was gone already. Grace no longer wanted to fight against the invasion of the peculiar species that had taken over her neighborhood years ago and was still taking over the small city. These invaders, called Yuppies, followed, literally followed in straight lines like the seam on Khaki GAP pants, two basic principles: money and trends. And it had happened that the confident, oblivious invaders had chosen her city as their biggest conquest. In the process they would clear the vibrant, tense streets in order to move in their own colorless lives.

But the spirit named Grace had been inhabiting the body named Wells since Wells was nine years old, when her Mother disappeared and she realized that she was all alone in the world. Grace had helped her get up in the morning and get to work when in reality she was tired and would rather curl up in her bed and dream of other times and other lives. She'd given Wells the necessary portion of optimism to numb the pain of arthritis and a heart condition. In Wells' 84th year, Grace had provided her with the power to continue fighting the landlady who wanted to include Wells’ home in a large mansion for herself. Grace beat at Wells’ heart whenever she started to believe what her landlady said, believe that perhaps she herself didn't exist. Grace helped keep her warm when the landlady turned off her heat in the middle of winter.

Grace had done her duty in the fierce woman's body and now would do it somewhere else. Even while protecting this body Grace had dreamt of music, of dancing, of a life lived on the edge of a dream. So when she lay down that night, sick of the quiet streets, she knew that her time in this body was up.

She waited for the tired limbs to loosen into the bed, she waited for the brown eyes to sink into their sockets, she waited until all the pain had left the feet and the wrinkles over the third eye had relaxed, and she left. Grace rose like steam. Below she saw the people grow small and then they disappeared and all she could see were cars. Then the cars disappeared and there were only buildings. Finally the buildings turned into patterns of color.

Grace wasn't sure where to go next. She didn’t know whether she should take a rest or move onto another body. But as she stopped to think she began to hear all the cries of the bodies down below. One collection of hoarse sobs seemed to stand out among the rest. She looked down and saw a sea of black hair that looked as though it had been taken by a storm god. The sadness in the woman’s breath drew her down, down, down. That's how Vayshnavia became strong. Grace's spirit came down to hold up her sinking body, and the spirit that was in Vayshnavia's body went to the bottom of the sea to rest awhile. All spirits must rest."

Chapter 3. Women
"I don't remember Grace Vayshnavia ever being weak," said Indravas willfully to her mother Kaza. "Vayshnavia is like any woman, when she is weak she looks the strongest and when she is strong she looks like a calm meadow. But do not disturb the meadow for it has roots beneath the soft grass, and snakes are always under foot. You were too little but there was a time when our tribe was under a spell… The story starts long, long, long ago….

Chapter 4. The Little Boy With Claws
He had always been small, which made it hard for him to live on the streets. He had to fight off all the evil spirits with the razors that he glued onto his fingernails. His oversized shirt hung down below his hands. The razor nails only emerged if someone tried to harm him first, or when he tired of being the last one of the crowd of boys to get to the trash can. When he tired of not even being able to get to the leftover food, when he tired of being left only the leftover cardboard, he would sometimes scratch his way to the front of the crowd, where the biggest boys with the most weapons would just step over him, slightly annoyed.

So when a Little Brahmin (1) found him one day and brought him home to food and clear water, he thought that Brahma (2) had finally helped him. He had snuck into a Sudra (3) village the night before. He was surprised to be mistaken for a Sudra; he had always learned that a Brahmin could smell an untouchable for miles. But under this Sudra disguise he could become a Brahmin pet, which was more than he had ever hoped for.

Chapter 5. Life Is Never Easy
At first it was an easy life. The little boy exchanged his claws for clean clothing and was given the name of Pet. All he had to do was play with the Little Brahmins when they wanted and allow himself to be stuffed with good food and sweet fruits.

One day the Little Brahmins decided that they would go to the Sudra compound to watch the women washing themselves in the river. There were only four seats in the moving tent, so Pet cleverly said that he did not want to go. But the oldest Little Brahmin, who enjoyed Pet’s smart humor, made another Little Brahmin –the one who always complained- stay and forced Pet to go in his place.

When a Big Brahmin found that the Little Brahmin had been left out for a Sudra pet, the earth had no rest from his stomping feet. The Big Brahmin waited for the boys to return from the washing river. He let all the Little Brahmins pass and then blocked Pet’s way. He said, "little pet, you are too smart for your own good, from now on you will learn your place, you will be my Little Pet." And thus it was that Pet became like a doormat for the Big Brahmins to walk on. No more good food. No more clear water.

Chapter 6. A Window In The Hall
On his 15th birthday Pet passed by a window. He noticed a boy that looked like a dog. He had a sturdy frame, a fine sharp jaw and beautiful green eyes, but he walked like a cowering dog, kicked too many times in the stomach. When he cringed at the awful boy, he saw the boy cringe back and realized that the boy was he, Pet. The shame enveloped him like the fire that sometimes emerges from a lotus. "Little Pet!" He heard the sickening snarl of the one he had come to call master. But man has his limits and so Pet took out the knife he used to cut his master’s meat and instead cut his master. From then on he called himself Veerappan and vowed never again to be anyone's pet.

Chapter 7.Veerapan and Vayshnavia
Her wide hips swirled like jungle snakes around his thoughts. "We have the most beautiful women in the world," shouted Veerappan as he examined the large flexing thighs of the dancer and slammed his cup of throat-burning Varusha (4) down onto the elephant bone table. He seemed half-animal-half-human with his broad shoulders, hard, mahogany-colored body, stocky fingers and green laughing-wolf eyes. The huge creases on the sides of his mouth are from smiling too much. At his side was Vayshnavia. Her black hair grazed the ground as she sat, with legs open wide and firmly planted to the ground, devouring her meal. She was tall with knife-edge cheekbones, piercing black eyes and a mouth that could put anyone to shame. Her fingers were long, with knots at every joint. Veerappan called them the hands that could hold up the world.

Eyes focused on the dancer, Veerappan grinned and announced, "Yes! I will take her tonight." But Vayshnavia quickly broke into his train of thought with her thundering laughter, picked up her knife and held it over the thick vein pulsating in the center of his hand, her eyes smiling viciously. "No, on second thought, she is not beautiful enough for me," Veerappan announced with a hyena grin. Vayshnavia's smile faded, she set down the knife and continued chewing on her snake meat. Veerappan never had and never would be with a woman other than Vayshnavia, he values his life too much. But looking at the dancer reminded him of the stories his grandmother used to tell him, before she died and left him alone in the world. She said that they were descendents of the original travelers. It was because of his great-great-great grandmother’s sin, being taken by a gadje (5), that his family stayed in the original land and never got to the far off places that are now the lands of his relatives. After killing his shame and his master in one fell swoop, Veerappan became determined to follow the ways of his people. This meant there were only two peoples, the original travelers and the gadje, and the original travelers had the right to live off of (and entertain themselves at the expense of) the gadje’s naivete. That’s how it had been since the beginning of time. He insisted that caste meant nothing to him.

Chapter 8. The Boy With Almond Eyes
Vayshnavia had prayed endlessly to the earth and the forest to give her a son. When finally her belly had begun to swell she became unbearable. She demanded to be carried everywhere. She brought out her knife at the slightest provocation. She would only eat freshly picked fruit and freshly butchered meat. The baby Neera came out with Veerappan’s grin and Vayshnavia’s black almond eyes. Vayshnavia carried him everywhere, making Veerappan red with jealousy. Finally they had an argument, the only one in which Veerappan ended triumphant, and she agreed that if she didn’t let the boy run around with the other children, his skin would never grow tough like his father’s. So Neera was allowed to play and Vayshnavia had more time to slap Veerappan when he got out of hand.

Chapter 9. The Sky Is Black
It was five years after Neera’s birth. Veerappan was sharpening his police knives when he saw a group of the tribe’s children come to an abrupt halt in front of him. They laid the boy Padavanis in front of him. Veerappan waited but when none of them spoke he lunged at them with one of the knives. A little girl spoke up, "They have taken Neera, and Padavanis has died defending him." She cringed and looked at the ground as she continued. "They say that if you do what the Big Brahmin says, they will give him back. The Big Brahmin said to tell you that he is the son of your… your… master." This last word cut short the storm of energy inside of Veerappan. It gave him a pain deep in his stomach. It put drops of salt-water in his eyes. It took away his smile.
* * *

Veerappan and Vayshnavia stayed in their hut for weeks. Nobody knew what was going to happen. The children left food and herbs outside of their closed door, but it only helped the village animals grow fatter. Every few hours a horrible cry would escape the elephant bone house, making the whole tribe shutter. No one knew which of the two belonged to that cry.

Finally after three weeks Vayshnavia emerged like a shadow from the white bone house. She said, "The sky has turned black, we will do as the Brahmin has asked."

Chapter 10. Knots
The Big Brahmin had been trying to hire Veerappan for a long time. They had offered money and fame. At times Veerappan had thought of capitulating but Vayshnavia was always quick to remind him how the Brahmins had not hesitated to wipe their behinds with his over-worked hands. They wanted Veerappan to kidnap the famous actor Rajkamur, who had been a sudra. Vayshnavia knew that it would be just another way for the Brahmins to hold razors to the eyes of the lower castes, thus preventing them from seeing their own pride. It would remove Rajkamur from the public eye so that he could be forgotten and at the same time Veerappan, who had been an untouchable, would be hated. But what really knotted Vayshnavia’s insides was the possibility that if Veerappan began to work for the Big Brahmin he would fall back into the spell of Shame he had broken when he had killed his master. Vayshnavia knew how weak her Veerappan could be, but she could not risk the life of her son.

Chapter 11. The Spell
And thus Rajkamur was kidnapped, Neera was returned and Vayshnavia’s gut was beyond knotting. The Brahmins enticed Veerappan with their suits made of pure gold and their ruby studded canes. So after he had kidnapped Rajkamur, he continued to work for the Brahmins and stopped taking care of his tribe. No more beautiful weddings, no more singing, and no more laughing. This was the Spell of shame.

Chapter 12. The Answer
The tribe reminded Rajkamur of his family. He had forgotten how having nothing could intensify the feeling of love and camaraderie in a family. How they had lacked for bread but never for a warm embrace and a sharing of Varusha. It pained him to see how things were changing for the tribe. Now that Veerappan was under the Spell, people were getting greedier, the children were getting skinnier and Varusha was in shorter supply. So, in an attempt to call the gods, Rajkamur decided to deny himself of all earthly delights until an answer came to him.

However, with the heart condition he had had since he was a child because of malnutrition, he was not strong enough for such a feat and died in meditation.

Chapter 13. Shiny Stones
The sky only blackened and blackened. The children were starving and the men were looking for happiness in the arms of other women, a practice that Vayshnavia had never approved of. The houses fell in disrepair and the whole time Veerappan was busy pleasing the Brahmins in order to get his hands on some shiny stones that did nothing to feed babies or satisfy women. The few times that he did return home, he would stay inside, counting all his treasure. All this was what had made Vayshnavia cry so hoarsely when Grace was looking down on the earth.

In Veerappan’s eyes Grace saw the same blank greediness as she had seen in her landlady’s eyes. She saw in the tribe the same fear she had felt at the thought of being thrust into the streets, at an age where she could no longer afford to be taken advantage of. And so, understanding the tribe’s fear, Grace had given up the idea of rest and decided to return to earth.

Chapter 14. Grace Vayshnavia
Armed with a new spirit and calling herself Grace Vayshnavia, she went to Veerappan as he was counting his jewels. She kicked him back, gathered he cold stones and threw them out the door where all the children went to collect them. When Veerappan tried to run out to retrieve them she stood at the entrance. Her feet were like roots planted into the ground. Veerappan knew that he would never get around her. Vayshnavia directed her piercing gaze toward Veerappan, as she had not been able to do in a long time. Veerappan tried to avert his eyes but Vayshnavia took out her knife, held it to his throat and spit her words into his face, "You have brought our tribe the worst illness. You have brought us shame. You lap up the Brahmin jewels like the lowliest dog, while your family is starving. If you truly believe that you are a dog with no name and no home then I will treat you like one. I will cut you into little pieces and I will feed you to my starving son!"

Veerappan remembered the animal he had seen in the window many years ago and again felt a rage so powerful that it made his heart shudder. He took the knife from Vayshnavia and killed his second shame by killing his second master.
* * *

Chapter 15. Healthy Cheeks
It was when Grace’s spirit entered Vayshnavia that she gained the strength to take away the Spell of shame. Only then could Veerappan go back to caring for his tribe. And that’s why you, my little one, are so healthy, why your cheeks are plump and your hair grows quickly. Now hurry and get dressed for we must go pay homage to Grace’s spirit for she will be moving on to another body. Never forget what I have told you, a woman’s spirit never dies.

Footnotes
1. Little Brahmin: A young boy of the Brahmin (i.e. priest) caste
2. Brahma: God in Hinduism
3. Sudra: Lowest Caste, above Untouchable
4. Varusha: Strong alcoholic beverage
5. Gadje: Outsider

by Tanya Brannan/Purple Berets

A hush fell over the courtroom as Sara Hernandez began her second day of testimony in the María Teresa Macias federal civil rights trial in San Francisco. All eyes were on Sara as she told the story of her daughter‚s valiant but ill-fated attempts to escape her husband‚s violence. 

But that escape was not to be.  On April 15, 1996, Avelino Macias brutally murdered Teresa, shot Sara, and then lay across Teresa‚s dying body and blew his brains out.

Before that awful day, Teresa Macias had contacted the Sonoma County Sheriff‚s Department more than twenty times to report Avelino‚s obsessive stalking; threats to kill Teresa, her children, her mother and other family members in Mexico; and a number of other felony crimes. She‚d had friends, family and employers report incidents they themselves had witnessed, got multiple restraining orders, and reported every violation of those orders to the sheriff.  In short, Teresa Macias did everything right. 

But the Sheriff‚s Department did everything wrong.  They never cited or arrested Avelino, despite their own policy and California law requiring that they do so.  They called Teresa crazy, told her to quit coming in and to just write down her complaints instead, and then never bothered to translate the diary pages she brought them detailing more than 30 separate crimes.  They took her children into Child Protective Services custody because Teresa could not protect them >from Avelino‚s violence and sexual abuse.  And through it all, they only even bothered to write two police reports.

On the witness stand, Sara Hernandez described Teresa‚s constant fear of >Avelino, a man who had beaten her, raped her repeatedly, and shot a man in the head in their home in front of Teresa and her three young children.  He had molested and beaten with broomsticks those same children, and put cigarettes out on Teresa‚s arms.  And then Sara described the day he murdered her.

As Sara and Teresa arrived for their housecleaning job on that drizzly April morning, Avelino lay in wait.  After he forced his way into the car; Teresa escaped and ran into the house.  When he forced his way into the house, Teresa fled to the sidewalk.  As Sara picked up the phone to dial 911 she heard Teresa plead, "For God's sake, for God's sake, don't do it, don't do it." And then she heard the shot.

Sara went to the front door and saw Avelino running up the sidewalk shooting wildly.  I slammed the door closed and leaned against it because ... I was afraid, Sara testified.  Then Avelino shot me [in both legs].  I fell to my knees.  As he turned to leave, Avelino said, laughing,  "My stupid mother-in law, I have killed your daughter."

Moments after this chilling testimony, the courtroom sat in stunned silence as attorneys for the Sonoma County Sheriff announced they had reached a settlement agreement with the Macias family.  And with that historic $1 million settlement ˆ the first-ever paid by a law enforcement agency for their failure to protect a domestic violence victim leading to her homicide ˆ one of the most important women's rights cases in U.S. history came to a dramatic end.
María Teresa Macias v. Sonoma Co. Sheriff Mark Ihde had already made history in July 2000, when a unanimous decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held that the constitutional violation in the Macias case was the Sheriff‚s Department's failure to provide her non-discriminatory law enforcement.  That precedent-setting decision, the first and clearest ever to state that women victims of domestic violence have a right to Equal Protection under the U.S. constitution, kicked open the doors to justice for the millions of women victimized by their violent partners every year.

But the Macias case is not only a legal victory, it is a victory for grassroots activism.  Myself (Purple Berets) and Marie De Santis of Women‚s Justice Center investigated and exposed the sheriff‚s misconduct, organized six years of demonstrations, events and media revelations, found the attorneys and formulated the legal strategy, and helped the family deal with a host of other needs in the wake of Teresa's murder. 

And in the end, we all fulfilled Teresa Macias' last wish.  In the days before her murder, Teresa told her mother Sara, „If I die, I want you to tell the world what happened to me.  I don't want other women to suffer as I have suffered; I want them to be listened to.

For more on the María Teresa Macias case go to www.purpleberets.org or www.justicewomen.com, or read Tanya Brannan‚s two-part story in the Albion Monitor at www.albionmonitor.net. ///>///>

PURPLE BERETS

Women Defending Women

PO Box 3064

Santa Rosa, CA 95402

707.887.0262; fax 707.887.0865
http://www.purpleberets.org
///>

by John X/PNN Community Journalist

A few weeks ago I was staying in a shelter here in the city and me and one of the staff got into an argument that ultimately led to the police being called. This is a short story and history lesson for what happened. Hopefully some insight and knowledge will flow from this to help the entire shelter and S.R.O community.

Upon engaging this staff person in this argument I decided to call the police since I was told I was going to be " put the fuck out". I called the police and explained a staff person was going to put me out of a shelter of which I had a contract with management (CASE MANAGER) for services for this facility.

To avoid any more problems or confrontations I waited at the bottom of the stairs inside the facility for the police to arrive. A senior manager arrived and asked me why I was at the bottom of the stairs after curfew. I advised this person a staff member had thrown me out of the facility or at least had threatened to do so and I was waiting for the police. He briefly stated " she can't do that" and "give me a minute and I will talk to her".
I waited at the bottom of the stairs for his return while at the same time wondering where San Francisco's Finest were at.

A few minutes later the senior manager came back to the top of the stairwell area and stated " you have been denied services and you have to wait on the outside of the gate for the police." This is where it becomes interesting, as I agreed to comply again to avoid any confrontation or even appearance of confrontation with this facilities staff.

Upon arrival of the police their was a great debate as to what the staff wanted as opposed to me, the person who had actually called for the police intervention.

With 4 officers, 2 police, 1 sergeant and the acting lieutenant for the station we all began the discussion not in my return to the property, but exactly in what manner or fashion I was to not be allowed to return. The lieutenant told me that they had not removed me from the property (I removed myself when I stepped outside the gate) but at the same time had no authorization to return me. We argued back and forth a bit and the only thing I was told was they could assist me in removing or gaining access to whatever property I had in the facility but would not assist in any matter with my return as the matter was now civil in nature. I attempted in vain to explain to the police that I had a contract with this facility between myself and the case manger thus " by invitation of resident or management" I was allowed to be on the property. However this proved to be useless and went absolutely nowhere. After this 20 minute interchange I was told matter -of- factly by the police there was nothing they could or would do to assist me and I was out and they were leaving, period!

Since I had nothing better to do, (sleeping now not on the agenda) I decided to take a walk to 850 Bryant street. I spoke with the lieutenant for the station and had asked him how it was that the police could use the term " agent or representative" to give the shelter staff the authority to remove someone but for the purposes of enforcement for a violation (my unlawful removal and failure to allow re-entry) the case was now a civil matter.

The lieutenant could not explain the interchange of the two to any degree of validity and finally went to his office and came back with section 602 n of the California penal code. He had originally attempted to state that these "shelter type" facilities have their policies and procedures and under those procedures can lawfully remove someone as they chose from the property.

He was absolutely unequivocally wrong! When he returned he handed me a copy of 602 n and in short this is what it states. After reading the entire section the last paragraph reads " however this subdivision shall not apply to persons on the premises who are engaging in activities protected by the state or federal constitution, or persons who are on the premises at the request of a resident or management and who are not loitering or otherwise suspected of violating or actually violating any law or ordinance".

What this means or meant for me was this. When I had the argument with the staff I was invoking my first amendment rights (freedom of speech), also I was not charged by the police with "violation of any law or ordinance" i.e. penal code 415 - disturbing the peace.Also I had permission (request) to be on premises by management by my contract with case management for services. As such I was entitled to be present on this property. I was also entitled to have the staff attendee charged with violation of 602 n and if necessary then removed from the property for violation of 602 n and legally if staff refused to leave property also arrested and charged with standard trespassing (Penal Code 602) and criminal trespassing (Penal Code 602.5). Though I was denied any of this, I have learned that civil remedies are available to me for the police department refusing to take any actions on my behalf that I was legally and constitutionally entitled to.
Now what this means for you someone in an S.R.O environment is this. First, let me explain how this section works so you can better understand how it could fit into your situation. The rules for single room occupancies are just that, rules. Not laws or ordinances just rules. The best example I can give you is this, municipal code 25 (sleeping in doorways) is a city ordinance. That ordinance allows the police without the owner to be present on the property to remove and arrest any person found sleeping in their doorway for the state penal code (law) of trespassing 602 PC. Because again local ordinance municipal penal code 25 has been violated.

You have a right to use your space as you see fit as long as you are not in violation "of any law or ordinance" period !. This covers overnight guests, visitors (local-out of town) etc. You are paying to stay there. Your rights can not be infringed upon by anyone.
Unless the rules or policies for San Francisco single room occupancies has been standardized and local ordinances have been created with hearings held by the Board of Supervisors with voter approval and ratified they all are illegal and unconstitutional and could and should be challenged in federal court.

Now how this applies to proposition N is quit simple. Prop N states that any recipient on assistance who is in non compliance with a policy of a shelter provider and is removed from a shelter facility will be considered to be in non compliance with the requirements for his/her general assistance and will be removed from the general assistance program.
As a note, I have kept copies of the original legislative version as proof to this statement
" For the record".

.None of these shelters or single room occupancies have any laws or ordinances that support the actions of which some of the management and staff take. Although it has been stated that numerous homeless service provider organizations worked in collaboration with the Board of Supervisors on " acceptable policies and procedures " none of those procedures or policies are constitutional and can not be upheld if held to any degree of legal scrutiny of which I emplore this readership to do. It should be noted that federal law on this in two specific areas is quit clear. First, title 18 U.S.C (United States Code) Sect. 241 makes it a crime to conspire to deprive someone of their civil rights. Title 18 U.S.C Sect. 242 makes it a crime to deprive a person of any right under color of law. This section applies to everything from judges to appointed or elected city ,county or state officials (including police officers)in official capacities. I remind this readership that proposition N was drafted by "lawyers" and the rules of the city S.R.O'S was drafted by , supported and approved by the Board of Supervisors. Probably the most important point I should make to this readership is the following, federal law precludes any group,organization,or government body from creating any rule or law that is either know or to be know as unconstitutional. If it is found that any group,organization or government has created a rule or law that is found to be unconstitutional in any regard that law is to be considered immediately voided. As it is the position of the federal government that no one is to be held whether knowingly or unknowingly to any rule or law that violates any of the constitutional protections of any citizen of the United States Government. If we allow proposition N to pass we will continue to allow this city to bash the civil right of a group of people who continues to have less and less of a voice in this city except by "poverty pimps" who claim to be working for the interests of the indigent but at the same time non of them has taken the time to present a story of this type to this many people with as much of a potential legal and financial impact as I, John X, have.

by Joe B.

Well, almost Easter, Mother Mary, Mary Madeline, the Apostles, and Jesus resurrected.

Heady thoughts to be sure but as usual mines turned to those first pre chemists that may have died breathing in mercury fumes or blowing themselves up in accidents.

What would a modern Alchemist be today?
Answer: A Molecular Nuclear Physicist working with molecules that make up the atoms that's part of all living or inorganic material.

I might night not have time to think this through so folks have a safe and exciting Easter.

Meanwhile I must get out of the city and visit family before returning and I’ll finish my long thoughts on Alchemy, Alchemists, and the good and evil of it.

See you all and stay alive don’t do no stupid bull moves guys, young men, young wimin. Bye…

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by PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO

Our country prides itself in providing its citizens with equal
fundamental rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. History
shows that these fundamental rights have been and continue to be
compromised. In many cases they were compromised under the
assumption that people of color were not equals, and today we see
a distinct fissure between the haves and have-nots -- those that
can afford to have rights, and those that simply can't afford
them. The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous decision on March 26,
2002, confirming that tenants residing in public housing will be
evicted if anyone in their household, a guest, or other person
under their control engages in any illegal drug-related
activities, is a prime example of this unfair "selectivity of
rights."

The Supreme Court ruling came in response to a combination of
cases in which tenants were evicted because someone else in their
household was involved in drug activities. One of the cases
involves 63-year-old Barbara Hill and 71-year-old Willy Lee, who
have been in public housing for over two decades, and whose
grandsons were caught smoking marijuana in the parking lot of
their apartment. Another involves a 63-year-old woman, Pearle
Rucker, whose mentally disabled daughter was caught with drugs
fairly near the Oakland housing project they resided in. Rucker
argues that she never observed any drug use on behalf of her
daughter. Lastly, the fourth case involves Herman Walker, a
disabled 71-year-old man, whose caretaker and guests were found in
the possession of cocaine in Walker's apartment. Although Walker
fired the caretaker, he was still given an eviction notice.

All of the tenants above were sent to the Oakland streets
regardless of their age, circumstances, or lack of knowledge that
the person who they were responsible for was engaged in drug-
related activities. Many of the tenants had lived in public
housing for years; how could they possibly afford anything else?
Rents aren't getting any lower. The Just Cause Coalition in
Oakland reported that rents in Oakland have increased 25 percent
in 2001 alone. In 1998 there were 84,000 low-income renters, but
only 36,000 low-income rental units. Public housing is therefore
essential for many families that qualify. In order to qualify for
public housing in Oakland, residents cannot make more than 30
percent of the city's family median income. Currently, most people
living in public housing are single mothers with two or more
children, senior citizens, and disabled people.

Hence, we come to an irrefutable contradiction. During President
Roosevelt's era and his analysis of the country's poor, the
"culture of poverty" was deemed to be an individual issue. The
whole philosophy of "blame the individual," began to saturate
American minds. If you were poor, it was because you weren't
working hard enough; you were lazy or perhaps incapable or
unwilling to compete. The assumption was that capitalism provided
everyone with tools for prosperity, and if you were poor it was
simply your choice. And Americans believed it. They still believe
it. And they will continue to believe it, unless we begin to
disclose the truth. The truth is that the number of poor continues
to grow at an exponential rate. We are all human beings that want
to live well, want our children fed, and want to live life to the
fullest. The second reality is that in our country you have to be
able to afford it all. If you can't afford it, then you lack the
basic necessities for survival. First the poor are accountable for
themselves. Now they're not only accountable for themselves, but
they are responsible for others as well. How is that just? So if
the poor are responsible for those that reside in their apartment,
then who's responsible for the poor that reside in the United
States? When is our government going to be held accountable for
our poor, homeless, elderly, and handicapped?

It's not really about ridding our communities of drugs. If that
were really the issue, Congress would be focusing on the
millionaires who can afford to produce the drug, smuggle it into
the U.S., and whose middle men bring it into our poor communities.
They are the true criminals, and who ironically would never find
themselves in the position that public housing tenants are in. Why
not focus on the root of the problem? It's all a scapegoat.
Throwing people out on the street will not solve anything. It will
only increase the number of homeless we have on our streets, the
number of ill and malnourished, and the number of neglected
Americans. The U.S. Supreme Court decision is an attack on the
poor. When can they ever strive for prosperity if they're
constantly bombarded with laws that strip them of their civil
liberties? The new class of poor is growing, and as Congress
attempts to disperse them, they are going nowhere. They will be on
park benches, on street corners, under trees, and if they're lucky
they will be working at fast food joints, serving coffee, cleaning
buildings, bringing your groceries, building, painting, selling
... enough to survive.

The means exist to end poverty. But we are going to have to fight
for a new system -- one that does not blame the poor for their
poverty.

******************************************************************

This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO
(Online Edition), Vol. 29 No. 5/ May, 2002; P.O. Box 3524,
Chicago, IL 60654; Email: pt@lrna.org; http://www.lrna.org
Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The
PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE/TRIBUNO DEL PUEBLO depends on donations from its
readers. To subscribe, send email to majordomo@gocatgo.com with a
message of "subscribe pt-dist". To unsubscribe, send email to
majordomo@gocatgo.com with a message of "unsubscribe pt-dist"
******************************************************************

by Alex Cuff/PNN News Brief Editor

For over a year the body of Armando Chapal Ramirez lay forgotten, by hospital staff, and decaying in the morgue at Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center in Hawthorne. Armando’s family had certainly not forgotten him. The hospital, "had him there the whole time down there. Meanwhile, we were suffering day and night, waiting for the worst," said Ramirez’s father, Jesus, 45, a stock clerk in Gardena.

After a family barbecue on September 30, 2001, Ramirez who had an addiction and would go on binges for two or three days every month or so, slipped out of the house unnoticed. When he didn’t return, his parents began driving around the neighborhood inquiring with several area hospitals, store owners, friends, and neighbors. Jesus then filed a missing-person report with the police.

Ramirez was brought into the emergency room at Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center on October 1, 2001. He had pneumonia in his right lung and suffered kidney and liver failure. He was reported dead on October 9th and his body moved to the hospital morgue. Standard operating procedure is to call a law enforcement agency and ask them to take a death report which then generates a report to the coroner’s office. This was never done in Ramirez’s case.

Douglas Shaffer, the family’s attorney described the event as "the height of incompetence and neglect." When the family first got the call, they thought Armando had just died. They had been searching desperately for 11 months. "It was a great horror," his mother cried, "I’d never expect that a hospital would just keep a young man all alone like that."

by Joe B.

Where was I? Oh, yes-good or bad Alchemists.

Before and during Easter and Spring Break vacation besides the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection it also got me thinking about exact opposites of good and evil.

As children most of us were told and literally scared into believing that both God, Satan, Saints, and Angels existed and an eternal battle for our priceless human souls and not to sell or barter it at all but if we did be aware once sold rarely will we get it back!

On those lines a thought pops into my brain.

If minions of demons are Satan’s to command then Alchemist’s are under spiritual command of God.

If a few demons wish to be good then why not the same hold true for accomplished enlightened Alchemist’s who’ve achieved the great work.

If demons or mythical Vampires fighting their evil side and brethren, sister’s wouldn’t alchemist with dark sides also turn?

Yes, avoiding so called war talk, a macabre empty victory dance over in Iraq’s blood soaked oil and sand while scientist’s, researchers, brightest students around this globe find hydrogen and other alternative renewable energy sources beyond dead decomposed dinosaurs.

Back to God’s few but powerful soldiers.

I know most Alchemist’s were long suffering men and women seeking portents or signs in astrology, numerology, even the Cabala. Some use pure primitive science.

For the majority death by explosion or suffocation from mercury gases or other fumes.

Those surviving, testing the, lead/brass into gold and succeeding found after taking a terrifying drink of what could’ve been poison gagged a little and found them selves not only alive but changing in ways they never imagined!

Their minds afire with there own past lives confronting them, everything they ever saw, felt, heard, learned, supposedly forgotten, all the joys, hurts, pains, physical/mental flash immediate all clear crisp as their whole being expands.

Not only that but voices of living or long dead friends, lovers, surround them, other alchemists, and cutting through it all God’s voice and vision both female/male telling you "Careful Child; Sit, Rest, Do Nothing But Relax - The Changes Will Take A Few Moments And Only When I Say Its Time Explore Your Being."

What does on do when hearing God’s command for one to rest, relax, pause, as your body, mind, spirit changes?

You do as the Lord says as you change from mortal to a being if not eternal but closer to immortality than most mortals will ever be.

Days, hours, months, or years however long it takes you rest as commanded as your powers are slowly revealed to you.

After this long rest where you might have to isolate from others the real adventures begin as death is less an adversary more an annoyance there are plan: long range plans you have to rethink everything because your life span is so long you cannot see its end which is still disconcerting if not downright frightening.

The mysterious alchemist Fulcanellie and Nandita (Mohuya Mellamphy) comes to mind.From www.alchymie. net/english_version/critiques/fucanelli_uk_.htm. You folks will find a title there too.

If they both drank from it a man’s virility is restored and for women besides youth they become prolific who knows how may children came from them or if they decided to stay a physical loving twosome without progeny.

After a long rest what happens? That’s another thought for another day… Bye.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 Market St.

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San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Joe B.

Who is Mr. Gavin Newsom?

Where does he come from?
Who or whom are his friends, business contacts, former girlfriends?

And why is it so important for him to be mayor in 2004?
Why the rush of his "Cash Not Care" on the ballot?

I really don’t know about him, don’t care all that much but if he’s gonna improve or muck up my or other people’s lives then a few things should be known about him.

Handsome, charismatic, from a powerful dynasty and that’s it.

Some of you folks know the real dope on the guy as he’s send out feelers, trial balloons for a possible run for City Hall’s top spot the same should be for him.

There is more of you readers out there that know bits and pieces of his life talk to each other tie them together and the whole story will be known long before the day of election.

Good, guy, bad guy, dull, or mundane either way it is only fair we know about him as he assumes he knows about the houseless, working poor families, or individuals.

That’s a fair deal and it seems more than Sup. Gavin Newson is doing.

My next column will be on how this Newsom guy can really help if his plan was more innovative, creative, and imaginative than what he’s borrowed from Alpha City.

Yes, readers may have to wait a day or two for what I have to write but all you have to do is read it; its me, the poor boob that has to think and write the stuff up… Bye.

HouseCare-Pro Price range:
$25 per day or 100 a week for
1 bdrm. Apt, small House.
4 to 3 bedrooms, $50 to $100 a week,
$5,000 a week for 20 to 40 rm. Homes.
$25,000 by the week or $100,000 for
50 to 100 rm Mansions
Prices are negotiable.
Non drinker, smoker, drugs (unless its aspirin & vitamins)
Not a party animal, Boredom, works me.

For Joe only my snail mail:
PO Box 1230 #645
Market St. San Francisco, CA 94102
Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Alex Cuff/ PoorNewsNetwork Community Journalist

Room 551 at 850 Bryant Street was filling up when I arrived for the Police Commission meeting this past Tuesday,
January 8th. Before it began we all stood to go through the motion of pledging allegiance to the amerikan flag. (I
was amused later on to look at the official meeting agenda and see that the Pledge of Allegiance was actually the
first item.) The reason I was there was to cover the scheduled hearing regarding the banning of SFPD practice of
consent searches. I was ready for a comprehensive report from those who are advocating the ban and accounts of folk
who have been victims of racial profiling. What I got was almost 2 hours of police-affiliated speeches on the
necessity and constitutionality of consent searches and less than an hour of personal accounts where folks have been
victims of consent searches.

A consent search is when police officers ask permission to search an individual, or the belongings of an individual, in the
absence of probable cause. Although people have the absolute right to refuse, most of us don’t know we have that right. Data
collected by the SFPD shows that the practice of consent search is used twice as often against African Americans as whites and
that the searches usually don’t find anything. According to an ACLU report on stops and searches of motorists titled "A
Department in Denial - The San Francisco Police Department’s Failure to Address Racial Profiling" the SFPD is failing to take
the issue of racial profiling seriously. The author of the report Mark Schlosberg, who was present at Tuesday’s meeting, states
"The department’s consistent failure shows the need for a clear policy prohibiting racial profiling and an independent auditor to
oversee the data collection program."

The first speaker to address this report claims "we didn’t see racial profiling as an issue until we saw a report. The data we
have is clearly flawed...We need to work to change the perception because racial profiling isn’t a part of the SFPD." He assured
us that by June 2004, all SFPD officers would have received racial profiling training. He said that the proof of racial profiling in
the report is flawed due to "statistical problems" or a problem of "technology."

Although it’s nothing new, I am always terribly dumbfounded that individuals and organizations that devote their entirety
to a specific topic such as police brutality, homelessness or mental health issues are not paid any mind by the state when it
comes to a remedy for the proposed problem. A great example is the Care Not Cash campaign victory over folks who knew the
"care" wasn’t there and who are veterans of poverty and homeless advocacy such as the Coalition on Homelessness and Poor
Magazine. So there we all sat for almost 2 hours while the SFPD took up our time and the Police Commission’s time defending
consent searches and the US Constitution while those who had experienced the intimidation and injustice of these unwarranted
searches, were given 3 minutes each to speak sometime around 7:30pm.

I was sitting next to Gregg Lowder, the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. The entire time before he went up
to speak, he was pouring over a document filled with so many red marks and scribbled out sentences that it looked like
anyone’s
worst nightmare of a graded paper. At the podium, he claimed that a consent search is a sound strategy for criminal
investigations because it is a psychological strategy that catches those who are guilty. He pointed out that a guilty person
thinks differently than someone who is not guilty so they consent to a proposed search. According to Mr. Lowder, a guilty
person will a) think they are too clever to be caught and consent or b) figure they are already caught and will win favor with the
police for cooperating.

Lowder apparently believes that in most cases of consent searches, the police are not using intimidation, threats (verbal
or with drawn guns) or other forms of coerciveness such as telling a victim that a warrant is on its way. He did though relate
that "the mayor is aware of this problem – nobody tolerates racial profiling, racism, certainly not in the police department." He
went on to say that the stats are wrong since the police didn’t collect the data they were supposed to and that "the mayor is
concerned about inaccurate numbers." We were told that a leading authority in this area, from Harvard…I’ll stop right there and
say, Who gives a shit what an academic from Harvard has to say about the relationship between the SFPD and the men,
women and children who are being targeted by them, in their own neighborhoods, as criminals? Stay in Cambridge with your
analysis – we are trying to address local topics such as the military-esque intervention of a fight in a Bayview Hunter’s Point
high school or the epidemic of youth who are sleeping in their cars due to HUD’s One Strike policy. These
issues are not quantifiable especially by ivy league numbers - they have to do with accountability of police practices
in SF and of oppressive policy effecting the poor, people of color, and disabled persons and youth.

Another SFPD affiliate remarked that consent searches are embedded in our law and social systems – we learn from our
parents that if we want something, we ask politely for it - which is what the police are doing when they seek compliance for a
consent search. When it was finally time for those who are trying to get consent searches banned to speak (the same persons
who actually asked for this hearing to take place) it was 2 hours since the meeting had begun.

Mark Schlosberg was given 5 minutes and it was said that each additional citizen that wanted to make a public comment,
would be given 3 minutes! Schlosberg began by pointing out that after an hour and a half, he probably wouldn’t be able to
respond to the pro-consent search rally in 5 minutes. He responded to SFPD’s "wrong stats" excuse by admitting that the
"unreporting" doesn’t invalidate the ACLU report but that it could be worse! He pointed out that we don’t have the data from
those officers who didn’t do what they were supposed to do. He also talked to the fact that among the persons who spoke
earlier about consent searches, some said they are used a lot; others said they are hardly used. He proposed that both of
those claims couldn’t be right…who could argue that?

"Plug the biggest loophole in the 4th Amendment – consent searches." These words came from our own Public Defender,
Jeff Adachi, who went on to say that if he had a dollar for every police report which said that the accused consented when the
accused denied the consent, he would be a very rich man. He said the 3 problems with consent searches are 1) most people
don’t know their rights 2) it’s a coercive environment (being stopped by the police) 3) it is ineffective – less than 10% of
consent searches result in finding anything.

Now the line of citizens waiting to speak their mind about consent searches filled the room and poured into the brightly lit
hallway. Ishmael Tarik of the Bay Area Police Watch, a project of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, took part of his 3
minutes to tell the overcrowded hearing room a story: The story was about Mr. Lies who was naked, and Mr. Truth who was
clothed. Mr. Lies steals Mr. Truth’s clothes while Mr. Truth is asleep. Mr. Truth who is now naked chases Mr. Lies around town.
The moral of the story is: When you see Lies, you’ll soon see the Naked Truth. After the amusing and palpable anecdote,
Ishmael’s clear voice of reason related that consent searches are inherently coercive – to everyday citizens who unfortunately
don’t know their rights (as I surely didn’t when the cops busted into my apartment and scared the shit out of me), a search is
clearly an affront.

Quentin Adams, an African American network engineer and SF resident, told his story of being stopped by 2 officers for
stepping off of the sidewalk and then back onto the sidewalk when the light was red. I can’t even count how many times I’ve
"jayed" all over town in the presence of passing police vehicles. I’ve never been confronted like Quentin was: he was asked if
he was on parole, if he had any sharp objects on him, he was patted down, asked for ID. They found nothing on him but he
was given a citation.

When he asked how much the ticket would be, one of the officers replied that the fine for running a red light is $170. The
only other interaction Quentin has had in the past with the police is through the check he sends each year in support of the
Police Activities League. Before he stepped away from the podium he commented that he doesn’t want to vilify the SFPD but
there seems to be a problem with racial profiling when a "computer geek gets stopped and frisked on the street."

A white woman came up and testified that while driving home she saw several police cars pulled over and they had 5 or 6
youth cuffed against a wall near 3rd Street. She pulled over to see what the problem was and learned that the cops found
nothing on the kids. Another time while at home, she heard sirens and saw lights outside of her house. Someone had been
pulled over. The cars were blocking another woman’s car who was yelling that she had to get around because her children were
home with a babysitter who was due to leave. The cops pulled her out of her car too. After the officers released both of the
victims she heard one say "It’s not even worth writing up but I don’t feel like getting yelled at." She commented that the
police actions are demoralizing for the youth in the city and although the police have no problem harassing the kids, she
knows of actual shootings that aren’t even investigated.

Although a ban on consent searches won’t eradicate the racism and classism that infects our criminal justice system and
fills our prisons, it is a start to prohibit racial profiling by law enforcement. I didn’t know that we have the right to say no to
police. If you are asked for consent to be searched, remember you have the right to say no! If you do consent, keep the
following in mind: the request for consent must be uncontaminated with duress or coerced stress; once consent is given, it can
be withdrawn; you can consent to only certain areas of a house or car – for example, you can search the car but not the trunk,
etc.

by An illin and Chillin editorial By Leroy Moore/PNN

Both are robbing Paul to pay Peter? From San Francisco to Sacramento people with disabilities will and are bleeding from proposed budget cuts and local propositions. In San Francisco Proposition N, Care not Cash is racing to the implementation deadline of July. First it was the Dot Com Boom that kicked us out of our own community now under Gavin Newson’s Pro N San Francisco’s homeless shelters will be evicting people who are not on CAAP including people with disabilities to make room for recipients of CAAP. That means people like me who are disabled and on SSI will need to be transfer to state funded nursing homes but these nursing homes are full and goes against full inclusions that is the theme of federal, state and local disability laws. On April 17th the Coalition on Homelessness had a rally at Next Door, a San Francisco Homeless Shelter, and many elders and people with disabilities are trying to answer the question that Gavin Newson and some voters didn’t think of! With a lack of low-income accessible housing and proposed budget cuts in the Bay Area and at the capital, where will housing and independent living services come from?

On a state level Governor Gray Davis is proposing the most sweeping cuts to the developmental disability system ever, calling for suspension of the 1977, Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act. On April 7th The Community Advocacy Network headed by Trry Boisot and Marty Omoto who is the legislative director of United Cerebral Palsy Association called over 2,500 advocates, family members and service providers to the State Capital. We attend two budget hearings, in the Assembly and Senate pertaining to services, laws, and other programs that people with developmental disabilities rely on. While Prop N talks about services, Governor Davis is proposing to scale back services for people with developmental disabilities. For example, eliminating18 optional Media-Cal Benefits i.e. physical therapy, medical equipment dental services etc., making parents pay for Regional Center’s service under the Parental Co-Payment proposal and tighten the state’s definition of disability which is used to determine weather individuals are eligible for services. Another common factor of San Francisco’s Prop N and Governor’s proposed cuts in developmental disability system is the hijack of the funds in both systems to the general fund to balance the budget.

For more information on the advocacy activities of the Community Advocacy Network around the state budget and people with developmental disabilities call:
Marty Omoto (916) 446-3202 and for info on updates on Proposition N and to get involved to stop the implementation of it call the Jennifer Freidenbach at the Coalition on Homeless at (415) 346-3740.