2005

by tiny/PNN

My three pound eyelids crashed down into their exhausted eye beds…"Whoo whooooo" My baby's fever-filled scream of need shatter them open……and then they drop once again for a sweet, guilt-inducing second of pseudo-sleep

"Whoo whooo" … only to be ripped from their just-about-but-not-quite sleep state once again by his desperate cry.

And that’s how it went last week… minute after dreadful minute. Me, unable to afford child care as a working poor mother and unable to get much work done with a sick child, I continued to try to get a very difficult data entry job completed that was one of many low wage jobs I struggle to complete each week just to get enough money together to feed my child, pay utilities and buy diapers in 21st century Amerikka. Crazy things like rent and gas a distant luxury. Mothering While Poor -MWP - an impossible state of being, a frightening state of being, an insurmountable economic injustice….

I reflected on this economic injustice as I heard about the recent case of Ophelia Vanider Hill, a 31 year old immigrant from South Africa who was charged two weeks ago with manslaughter and cruelty to a child for allegedly abandoning her infant in her Palo Alto apartment which she was evicted from in April for non-payment of rent.

Ms. Hill worked over time in Bay Area hotels as a concierge still not making enough to cover the rent before there was a child. As a poor immigrant woman with no resources, family or support systems, life with a child would be almost impossible.

"Where is the family support system? If someone is pregnant, most families come together to help the new mom. When someone is isolated, they don't have any of that." said Ken Borelli of the Santa Clara County Social Services Agency.

But Ms. Hill is not alone. In just the last four weeks 3 more poor immigrant women in the Bay Area have abandoned their infants, in shopping carts, in Porta Potties in a strawberry field, in a trash bag behind a Days Inn. Aside from being very low-income immigrant women, they are all low-wage workers; maids, hotel workers, and strawberry pickers or as Okwe, the African immigrant protaginist in the shocking 2003 anti-globalization movie DirtyPrettyThings said; "We are the people you don’t see.. the ones who clean your rooms, drive your cabs and suck your (cocks)

Although the numbers of American women abandoning their children have gone down nationally since 'don't ask don't tell laws' have been instituted, like they have in California which allow women to drop their infants at emergency rooms with no questions asked, the numbers of immigrant women abandoning their children has risen.

But this really doesn’t surprise me and no I do not blame these women , I blame an increasingly impossible Apartheid-like Amerikkan economy which does NOT support poor parents, promotes low wage corporate slave work and in fact, criminalizes the marginal parent for everything they do. Unlike economies like Canada which subsidizes child care for all parents for the first two years of the childs' life.

"Whooo Whoooo.. " My tired eyes are finally permanently open.I stagger over to the crib to comfort my sick child. I love my son and I love his screams, I am overwhelmed, I am exhausted and as I give him his nose drops, I pray for all the other poor mothers out there making frightening choices that will haunt them forever based on more insurmountable injustices.

by tiny/PNN

The new Diaspora

Africans Arriving in The cities by the Bay

450,000 strong

willing, ready

and able to get down

for ones daily bread

Sat Nan (truth and identity)

But now, again I must ask

Where's my forty acres and a mule?

Excerpt of Diaspora by Dharma, from the Houzin Project, Words, Art and Resources on Eviction, Gentrification, Displacement and Homelessness by POOR Magazine

"I have lived here for 60 years and as community residents we have the right to give input into what's gonna happen to this train station," Evonne Smith, life long resident of West Oakland who came to the Bay Area from Chicago with her family as part of a mass migration of thousands of African Descendent folks in search of jobs and economic opportunities in the 1940's, spoke to me over the soft sounds of children, elders and adults gathered at the corner of 16th and Wood streets in the heart of West Oakland. As she spoke I eyed the ancient elegance of the now faded Wood Street Train Station standing forlornly behind a high barb wire fence in the background. Ms. Smith concluded, "We are here to make sure that this place won't just be turned into more housing for the very rich" Ms. Smith was one of several hundred community residents and housing activists opposing a huge "market-rate" housing development planned for the Train station.

The planned development dubbed "Central Station" would produce up to 1,500 new housing units mostly for sale starting at $300,000 per unit. As PNN/Bayview readers will note this kind of Gentrification is in keeping with what POOR Magazine dubbed "Gerrification" in its 1999 Media Action on Oakland City Hall Plaza ,i.e., the master plan by the so-called" Strong" Mayor Jerry Brown to bring rich folks by the hundreds of thousands into Oakland as the answer to Oakland's "blight" which is another euphemism for poor folks, mostly of color, who supposedly people Oakland now. Of course the thing that is never talked about by the corporate media and the policy makers is that rather than "cleaning-up" an area, those kind of massive redevelopments of very poor areas that aren't rooted in the communities themselves lead to more homelessness or like Po' Poet Laureate A. Faye Hicks said in her piece on the Kkkolinization of San Francisco's Fillmore District, "when we (poor folks) are evicted and gentrified out of our homes and neighborhoods we don't leave we just go live in the sidewalk hotels."

"I started in West Oakland when I was nine years old, my family migrated here from Louisiana, during the time I was coming up, West Oakland was beautiful," Linnie Cobb, another OG resident of West Oakland rooted in the community was touching on the real roots of gentrification/colonization, i.e., the descimation of healthy communities through redlining and zoning laws, which in West Oakland happened when zoning laws were changed many years ago facilitating the plethora of liquor stores and bars, i.e., the ruin of a thriving Black community which now facilitated the current cheap land grabs by big developers like Central Stations Rick Holiday , also known for kick-starting loft development in San Francisco. After explaining her communities' interest in seeing a monument created to honor the Black folk who built up the area Linnie summed it up perfectly, "There is a history here, and its Black History.

"Its about this place becoming a Museum for the Pullman porters, they threw us on the army base, well we deserve a home here…,"After I spoke to Linnie I ran into the eloquent Monsa Nitoto, Economic justice activist from CWAR and West Oakland resident who was explaining the struggle to build a Museum for the Pullman Porters. " They are talking about building housing that most West Oakland residents will not be able to afford and they won't work with local developers like The Alliance of West Oakland Development that offered to buy 250 units that would go to affordable and subsidized housing, but they wouldn't sell it to them," Monsa went on to explain that one of the important things that need to happen to insure real local involvement is that the Board for the Central Station project needs to have community members that control it, rather than Rick Holidays'; yesmen

"I was a Pullman Porter for 46 years, my first trip to California was into this station"
After I spoke to Monsa, I had the honor of speaking to Herman Simmons, an African Descendent elder who was one of the original Pullman Porters who would be honored if there was a proper museum created for them in the Central Station project. The train station site has been seen for a long time by community members as the perfect location for a Pullman Porter Museum. The Porters West Coast Headquarters was in West Oakland and many West Oakland families, like Linnie Cobb, had family members who worked the trains coming through the Old Station. In fact most African Descendent families in Oakland originally arrived here via the 16th and Wood St Station. Ron Dellums Uncle C.L. Dellums was a local leader in the union which assisted in many other civil rights efforts.

"The train station was one of the original places that African -American folks came into and the developers are planning on building housing that noone in the neighborhood can afford" Adam Gold, one of the organizers from Just Cause spoke to the fight by the community and housing activists that is just beginning to insure that The train Station is community run, integrates 25%-30% affordable housing that is really affordable, and includes a community controlled Pullman Porter museum. So far their effort has gathered over 500 signatures calling for these demands to be met.

In some ways the life of developer Rick Holliday, reads like a horror story out of the pages of POOR Magazine's Houzin Project, a book released in 2003 on POOR Press focused on the root causes to homelessness and poverty. In the 80's he was a "good" developer, i.e., launching Bridge Housing in San Francisco, which originally created several hundred units of affordable housing. But in the 90's like so many of his yuppie forefathers, he took his privileged education and personal access and abandoned the non-profit development world to start his own development firm and in fact launched the entire gentrification effort on San Francisco's South of Market area. In the process almost single-handedly creating the notion of trendy lofts and forcing the eviction of hundreds of poor families from that previously low-income area of San Francisco. His rationale for not including affordable housing in the Central Station project is that West Oakland already has enough such housing.

To get involved in the effort to resist this massive gentrification project call Just Cause at (510)866-7105.

by Joe B.

Imperfections

I will talk about something deeply personal for me.

I’ve talked about my lazy left eye,how it could’ve been corrected by a flesh colored (tan brown) plastic eye patch worn over the good right eye to strengthen the weaker left one.

Not listening to my parents,peeking through the patch destroys what could have been two good eyes.

Ok,really messed up because no kid wants to seen as different, developmentally slow (then called retarded) and riding the yellow bus to school didn’t help.

Making up stories to spend the time that was fun because it opens up all our imaginations about the future and what we could do when we get older.

Trying athletics is a disaster like being hit in the right eye by a yellow plastic puck,too lightweight for foot ball.

Able to help girls with homework but not as a date or as a substitute one until someone else comes by,the third wheel of a couple as comic relief.

Bookworm, only swimming, weight training,and learning martial arts help build much needed confidence.

Skip all the fights, jokes about the lazy eyes and children wanting to look straight or scaring some.

The first few girls, women ignore that and have a pleasant surprise – listening to love instructions,retaining them,coming up with variations.
(reading Playboy,Oui,Gem, Gent,articles not only looking at the pictures of semi to fully nude women to helped in sex too).

Being publishing a poetry chap book Poetry Flash,helps build more confidence in myself over the years.

Swimming,Weight training,and Martial Arts became spotty then less and less as time went on and gaining employment looms as more important.

Different low wage, dead end,jobs,becoming houseless,travel to Los Angeles and back to Oakland then San Francisco.

During these desperate times a lazy eye is of no importance surviving, living through a houseless existence is.

Writing,losing it, learning black and white photography,getting publishing short stories, poems in transitional housing newsletter.

Getting off General Assistance and onto Work Fare in the mid 1990’s working for Goodwill Industries PC program brushing up on computer basics,programs and while working for Poor Magazine part time.
(I remember paying $90 to improve my writing skills.

It was difficult coming up with the $30 dollars 3 separate times for 3 months but I made a commitment and stuck with it.)

I had volunteered on and off for Poor M,sometimes got paid for work contributed by photography or writing food reviews, poems,or articles.

After Goodwill I had to find work a telemarketing job.

"Read the script if this doesn’t work,say this, and if not,then this."

It’s a disaster I considered it not selling but lying to make sell, make a sale,get a commission.

I didn’t last through the first or second practice call.

Luckily Poor Magazine is up and running and Mr. Shawn,the staff writer is there and he left for Oakland leaving an opening for me.

That was way back in 1998 now six year later I feel I’ve learned a lot and its my time to go and let someone else have a crack at this organization.

I go to work with time to stop off at the post office to see about a letter that’s been delayed for a few weeks.

While walking to my goal a young black girl and white guy walks in my direction.

The woman did a cringe of distaste which I see but did not acknowledge heading into the mailbox.

The letter has not arrived,I go out,the woman is talking to some other woman and I hear laughter as I pass.

I don’t know if it’s nervous laughter or derision but I have not had that happen to me for years.

I always wonder having a slightly scientific bent that someone has a great exterior look is the interior the same?

The letter didn’t show again today,I go out, see the woman talking to someone.

I want to speak to her about her reaction to me but thought better of it knowing it would look as if a crazy,cross eye,angry guy is attacking her verbally.

She’d look perfectly innocent as I stood next to her ranting at her.

It proves to me that fairy tales,TV shows about Beauty and the beast is that fiction.

The true reaction is what the woman showed in her cringing,startled reaction.

It’s not only that but afterwards the laughter which I don’t know is a nervous reaction or derision.

What galls me is that women who are supposedly more sensitive,emotive, almost empathic to others pain.

She proved not all are and can be as hurtful and anyone.

Also women know how to mask their feelings like chameleons changing colors against predators but not to me I was beneath her did it I was so under her contempt that she need not hide her revulsion or my repulsive look of imperfection.

I’ve too learned to hide my immediate reaction but she did not maybe she feels superior in looks and brain department but as you can see she’s does not write down her reaction she just reacts and kept walking – I could be wrong and it was an accidental hick up of emotional realism.

Human’s are not yet perfected beings some have perfect bodies,some minds, others,enhanced senses, but few have if perfect but clean uncorrupted by cosmic, organic human made radiated mutation.

For perfection to even begin we must see pristine genes,give them a protective coating,slowly build better ones and replace bad ones with good all with no self replicating protective shielding.

Find,reconstruct molecularly bone, skin, and muscle until all is connected,improved.

What I have describes is Gene Enhanced Cosmetic Beauty from the interior to interior.

Since it’s now known we many aspects and many standards of what beauty, handsome,cute,or what’s hot is.

Anyone can be beautiful, have physical flaws genetic in origin replaced and people made the way they should’ve been in spite of nature or genes conspiring with Kismet.

Who knows if I live long enough I might not only regain youthful vigor,but also have much better features of face and body than originally born with.

Even the body I’m might be an improved cloned version of my original or another body completely with my electro-chemical essence encased within soft brain tissue or on a silicon chip.

Ok,I really went far a field of imperfection but I know its coming if not in this country then in another.

I’m an American, and I’ll never betray my country but as thinking sentient being to preserved my unique identity I must do everything I can to seek,pull,break open that other door – the door to prolonged life span if not immortality.

Well,that’s my thoughts today,what have you to say readers?

1095 7th & Market Street,

S.F. Ca.94103

Snail or Email

Joe at:
1230
PO Box #204

S.F., Ca. 94102

by Dee/PNN

In January of 2003 San Francisco became the largest city to pass a resolution which "affirms that any efforts to end terrorism not be waged at the fundamental civil rights and liberties of the people of San Francisco"

On Thursday June 3rd at about 5 pm PNN co-editor tiny and I were driving up Larkin st. in San Francisco. As we approached the Federal Building we noticed a very large sparkling white van with the words Homeland Security in bold black letters written on the side. Tiny and I immediately started fumbling around the car desperately searching for a camera. Finding nothing we raced to Walgreens to buy one. When we returned minutes later the van was gone. However, we questioned why it was there. Tiny said it resembled a satelite spy vehicle and it was
probably parked in the garage of the federal bldg

I thought it must be here for the June 5th anti-war march or the June 8 bio-tech conference, especially since according to the wording of the act itself, " The Patriot act has removed legal barriers that prevented the law enforcement, intelligence and national defense communities from talking and coordinating their work to protect the American people and our national security".

Considering what occurred at the protests for the racial justice rally and the entire reclaim the commons protest of the bio-tech conference with so many people arrested and the extreme amount of unnecessary law enforcement that was present it seemed that if Homeland Security had "worked with" the SFPD in the arrests or the planning of the police action that it was in a direct contradiction to the resolution passed by the city against the Patriot act.

In order to find out just how much the Homeland security had been involved in the police action against the biotech protests I called the mayors office and asked the first person that answered why there was so much police presence at the biotech conference protests," Because the community wanted it" , was the answer. Then click.

I called back again only to talk to the same person who said, "are you just calling to fuss with me?" I said no I wouldn’t waste my time and that I would like to speak to someone who could answer some questions and was then transferred to an office manager who answered the same question by saying, " No comment and I mean no comment." This person gave me another number for the press person and I proceeded to leave a question on their voice mail which was, "What part did homeland security play in the police action against the protesters at the bio-tech conference?"

Two days passed and noone called back to answer the question. On Friday June 11th. "President" Reagen's holiday, I called and left the same question for the press persons for the supervisors, Matt Gonzalez, Chris Daly, and Jake McGoldricks own voice mail as well as another message for Gavin Newsom’s press person. None of them returned the call even though I said there was a deadline for the report for the Bayview paper and PNN

Because there were no return calls and no other information except our hunch and because we hadn’t seen the homeland security van again during the whole week of protests, we began to wonder if our hunch was correct. Then as I was trolling the internet for research I discovered a clever person had captured a photo of the same homeland security van on Friday June 11th parked in front of city hall with people boarding it.

There concentrated police/surveillance work completed, the Homeland Security Army could leave San Francisco and help other police departments in other protests attack the civil liberties of Americans who dare to disagree with the policies of the justice dept and the amerikkan government and perhaps undermine resolutions made by cities to help protect Americans in their city against the abuses of the Patriot act. Even though those cities have perhaps been promised by resolutions of their city governments to protect its citizens against those abuses, such as the resolution made by the SF Board of Supervisors, which it seems was a resolution with out any substance.

Dee is co-editor of POOR Magazine/PNN for more work on issues of poverty and racism go on-line to www.poormagazine.org

by TJ Johnston/PNN

After driving to Monterey, CA last Wednesday, July 21, I saw angels and there hadn't been that many since they were trendy in the early '90's.

They were not the celestial kind: these were more earthy angels from San Francisco's Media Alliance that were sighted at a rally before the only FCC localism hearing convening in the West Coast this year. They manifested themselves outside the Monterey Convention Center in response to Chairman Michael Powell's now famous query for "the angels of public interest" to speak out against media conglomeration. Had Chairman Powell not been AWOL, he would have seen the seraphim first hand.

Fellow Poor Magazine reporter Joe Bolden and I caught a ride and observed the town depicted in John Steinbeck's Cannery Row. Two hours away from San Francisco, we found it to be very touristy and yuppified. We also observed the military and Homeland Security facilities and concluded this was not a progressive hotbed.

The hearing is the fourth of six devoted to public input, or should I say outpouring, since last year's FCC ruling allowing corporations to concentrate more media outlets in fewer hands was stayed and eventually thwarted. Readers of PNN might remember the heretofore unheard uproar to our airwaves' regulators prior to the FCC commisioners' 3-2 vote. Three of those commissioners were present at the hearing, presumably to make up for Powell's absence. The Third Circuit Court in Philadelphia instructed the FCC to hear the vox populi (not just the Fox Network) before taking further action. Already, hearings took place in Charlotte, NC, Grand Rapids, SD, and San Antonio, TX (capital of the Clear Channel and SBC empires).

I took the occasion to give the FCC my two cents' worth in the almost-six hour meeting. I wore a new thrift-store shirt (Perry Ellis) and had a prepared statement for the open mic session. Long story short, a lottery was involved and I drew the wrong number. Attempts to log on to fcc.gov proved fruitless (I had to snail mail it).

On a panel which included Commissioners Kathleen Abernathy, Michael Copps and Michael Adelstein, big media's usual suspects (Hearst-Argyle, Telemundo) were represented. But Hard Knock Radio's Davey D drew applause for his remarks of corporate radio's "public service." Despite what he calls their smoke and mirror act of changing to more community-oriented broadcasting, "they're not institutionalized. They can't just be nice guys doing you a favor!" Davey D was done the favor by Clear Channel's KMEL by taking away his severance package after he spoke on his public firing in the wake of 9/11. He also spoke of recording artists' fear of intimidation and blacklisting if they interview with competing stations. Clear Channel not only owns 1200 stations in the US, but is also a leader in performing venues and outdoor promotion. Davey D also cited the dearth of community affairs programming, often relegated to 5:00am on Sundays. Despite advertising for the "Clear Channel Fund," their service does not include voter registration campaigns or election coverage. According to Davey D, Clear Channel also failed to credit members of the hip-hop audience for monitoring content and making recommendations to the stations once those changes were implemented.

"Distinct communities are ignored," said Hawaii Localism Coalition delegate Sean McLaughlin, when local coverage is de-emphasized. He urged for a "home rule" of community airwaves, including local, diverse ownership, mandatory set-asides for local media resources and more local oversight.

Heartened that the FCC got an earful at the meeting, I still feel obligated to make my position on corporate use of or common space known to the world. Here is the prepared statement I brought:

"My name is TJ Johnston, Community Journalist for poormagazine.org and Poor News Network.

"Poor Magazine is a grassroots, nonprofit, nonhierarchical organization dedicated to providing media access, education, and advocacy to very low- and no-income youth and adults as well as creating a radio show on KPFA-FM 94.1, an online news service and a training program in media and poverty. This is as 'public interest' an outlet could get.

"The communities which PNN serves find it impossible for media conglomerates to address our issues and include our voices. In their current State, the Clear channels, the Infinities and all the other multibillion dollar media corporations are out of touch with our communities and fail to act in the public interest."

Postscript: Sakura, one of the public-interest angels, also articulated our sentiment with a sign with a quote found in Howard Zinn's A History of The United States: "The cry of the poor might not always be just, but if you don't hear it you'll never know what justice is."

by Joe B.

Democrat Convention /New Org.

Usually,I’d be with Dee, Lisa,sometimes Mr. Leroy Moore,or other guests on PNN(Poor News Network) on KPFA’s FM 94.1 Morning show in Berkeley.

A serious health emergency involving Tiny’s child who’s high fever worried them combined with KPFA’s own internal problems caused the PNN segment to off the air at least temporarily.

I do enjoy the whole day off usually when time permits I write a script from an old or current column for radio production.

My very first script written work is about economics from the start of the great depression to the 1980’s.

It had introduction bumper music,which I had learned after a few weeks to time to begin, fade in, and fade out,talking under, over,and through it making fewer mistakes as I learned.

A mini tape-recorder, radio,and extra batteries helped a lot until it all went together seamlessly.

My voice would go dry, too high,low,it was difficult but after a few month its second nature I even wanted to try faking three voices in one paragraph for a column- turned-radio segment but it is nixed by tiny.

A year or two past I had story of going to a nude beach that went wrong though the most exciting part is cut out that I wanted but again told not to use even though I’m able to cut out other words to keep them in.

After that I rarely place anything of my own on the show only announcing the Berkeley radio stations call letters and PNN’s mission statement.

So,I’ve learned how to speak on the radio though sometimes still nervous its no longer alien and when given a script to read on a day (more often hours notice) I do a job learning professionalism in the process.

Listening to the Democratic Convention after work,on my days off is rare for me though this time its really important to get the current white house residents out and gone somewhere else.

I won’t name drop but all our votes counting, founding father’s and mother’s wisdom,working poor,houseless issues, and stem cells by one of the son’s of a 1980’s President made me really listen and look at what will change if a new administration is voted in.

All I’ll do is vote for the candidates and avoid certain political debates with a dear friend on hiatus this summer.

Lunchtime on my day off I’m standing in a food line
(formally houseless, steady job,in transitional housing) there are still thin times when going to the dollar stores in the Mission District off Valencia,frequenting inexpensive stores is a must to stretch non profit dollar salary I work for.

Anyway,at a food line at Glide Memorial Church near 12 noon I see young and older adults in new what t shirts with black lettering on them which reads "Project Connected"

I didn’t think about it my stomach growling, churning a bit. What The Fuck Is Project Connect?
some loud mouth says.

Following the line I go into the church,downstairs like everyone else and soon eating a hot nutritious meal of potato’s,loose corn,turkey,light dressing over lettuce and tomatoes, also cranberry sauce and water.

I would’ve gone for a second helping but the line is too long.

While hurrying to St. Anthony's for a possible first serving and a second helping of lunch I see a group of t shirted young folks walking in my direction.

I asked "How old is Project Connect?"

One of them said it’s a new organization finding out what people need in the communities of San Francisco."

Then a young woman hands me a blue piece of paper.
PROJECT CONNECT TENDERLOIN Its from the Mayor’s Office of Community Development.

Well,fresh new troops on the ongoing war to help feed,protect,and house whomever wants and needs the help.

I do wish them all the best,maybe from some of these folks the next Youth Commissioner’s and politically savvy political career minded adults will come from.

Food is on my brain along with Stem Cells, Therapeutic Cloning, automated robot technology, rejuvenation,regeneration, and ways to trick,slow, reverse,retard,and stop the aging process.

Just because I’m on the lower economic scale for not does mean I’ll be here forever.

That is if I figure out ways to finagle myself into a prolonged, extended life span.

People have their plans for life and I have mines, I just hope my plans last longer.

To everyone who has rarely or never voted, whether your young,old,its time to do your civic duty and vote for better times, years ahead – We’ve have a chance lets not blow it.

Please send what you can be they Palm Pilots, or working laptops minus full hard drives,and digital or web camera’s if you can (need both money-MOs,tech help bad!)
To

Poor Magazine

1095 7th & Market Street,

S.F. Ca.94103

Snail or Email Joe at:

PO Box #204

1230 S.F. 94102

by David Rosenzweig LA Times Staff Writer

Dessie Robinson, a 55-year-old welfare recipient who suffers from a heart ailment, diabetes and ulcers, had just finished showering in her room at a
downtown homeless shelter early one morning in July when she heard a loud knock at the door.

Throwing on some clothes, she opened the door and was confronted by half a
dozen armed federal agents who proceeded to arrest her on a misdemeanor
charge of cheating the government out of $746.10, the monthly payment she
receives under the federal program to aid the blind, disabled or elderly
poor.

Robinson was among 21 people arrested at gunpoint that week during a sweep
targeting individuals who said they hadn't received their monthly
Supplemental Security Income checks, but who allegedly cashed the original and the duplicate checks, according to prosecutors.

Most of those taken into custody were physically or mentally disabled and
frightened out of their wits as they were handcuffed and hauled off to
court, according to lawyers from the federal public defender's office.

Several were schizophrenic. One was blind and in a wheelchair. Another had given birth the previous week. One man was taken to court dressed only in his undershorts. All those arrested, with one exception, were freed several hours later after being arraigned by a magistrate judge.

Federal public defenders, who represent most of the 21 defendants, have denounced the arrests by agents from the Social Security Administration's inspector general's office as an outrageous abuse of authority.

Lara Bazelon, a public defender, said the agents who carried out the arrests "acted like they were on some kind of glorified mission, like they
were arresting terrorists from Al Qaeda instead of frightened physically
and mentally disabled people, none of whom reasonably could be perceived as posing a threat to anyone."

The arrests were a departure from standard procedure at the U.S. attorney's
office. Normally, prosecutors send a summons to a defendant accused of a
nonviolent misdemeanor, but that practice was scrapped during this
operation.

More puzzling, many of those arrested had previously reached accommodations
with the Social Security Administration and were making restitution by
having money deducted from future SSI checks, according to court papers.

All were African Americans, a fact that public defenders cited as an
indication of possible racial discrimination.

In a gesture considered rare for a prosecutorial agency, U.S. Atty. Debra
W. Yang two weeks ago apologized for the arrests in a letter to Christopher
Prince, president of the John M. Langston Bar Assn., an African American
lawyers group. Prince had written her expressing concern about the roundup.

Summonses were not sent, Yang said, because some defendants had criminal
records and Social Security Administration investigators believed they would not appear in court voluntarily.

"All this aside," she wrote, "I agree with you that, in retrospect, in some
of these cases we made a mistake and should not have proceeded as we did."

Though the arrests were legally valid, she added, prosecutors should have
allowed defendants who did not pose a flight risk to appear voluntarily.
She promised to return to the standard practice in future cases.

On Friday, Robinson's public defender filed a motion to dismiss the
criminal charge against her, contending that she and the others were victims of selective enforcement, a violation of the U.S. Constitution's
equal protection clause.

The motion by Deputy Federal Public Defender Reuven Cohen accused
prosecutors of acting with "an evil eye and an unequal hand" by threatening
to ratchet up the charge against Robinson to a felony unless she agreed to plead guilty on their terms.

"Like other African Americans caught up in the government's sweep," he wrote, "she has been told in no uncertain terms" that she will face felony charges in the event that she exercises her right to a public trial, files
any pretrial motions or pleads without accepting a plea agreement dictated
by the prosecution.

Under that proposed agreement, the prosecution would not ask for any jail
time provided that Robinson offered to perform 500 hours of community
service, something that white defendants in similar circumstances have not
been required to do, according to Cohen. He said the prosecution's terms
were "condescending and paternalistic" and that Robinson and many of the others would not be able to perform community service because of their disabilities.

Except for the 21 defendants, Cohen wrote, his office has been unable to identify any other defendants who have been arrested and prosecuted in the same fashion in the federal judicial district that includes Los Angeles.

Though not specifically accusing the government of singling out the defendants because they were black, the motion said that race was a likely factor. The defense reserved the right to raise the issue as it gathers more evidence in the case.

Responding to the allegation of selective enforcement, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office said Friday that "race never plays any role in our
charging decisions, and that certainly applies to the case against Ms.Robinson and the others."

David Butler, special agent in charge of the inspector general's Western regional office, declined to comment, referring all questions to the prosecutor's office.

by Anna Kirsch/POOR Magazine

In 2003 POOR Magazine launched a new branch to its ever expanding web of media resistance, POOR Press and its education arm; Digital Resistance. In this program, very low and no income adults and youth are given the opportunity to create a book from start to finish, beginning with creative writing, narrative essays and poetry and then progressing to graphic design and layout publishing and promotion. Since its inception, POOR Press has allowed over 46 youth and adult poverty scholars to publish books of artwork, poetry and short stories, sharing their extremely valuable, but all too often ignored, experiences, views and opinions with the world.

This semester, POOR Press is releasing ten amazing, insightful books addressing issues ranging from child abuse and police brutality to homelessness and poverty. Each author in this year’s class has overcome many extremely difficult obstacles and dedicated numerous hours to learning the computer programs necessary to publish their books. These authors have all persevered to share their stories and scholarship.

Written honestly and from the heart, these pieces of writing and artwork are truly unlike anything else found in the corporate world of publishing today. These books allow the reader to experience and learn about the very personal struggles and resistance of the authors

The artists, essayists and poets coming from different positions of poverty, oppression, survival and resistance will be reading, performing and spitting scholarship at a bookstore, club, café or jail near you as part of the Race, Poverty and Resistance Book Tour in tandem with POOR Magazine editor, welfareQUEEN, daughter of dee and poverty scholar Lisa Gray-Garcia aka tiny, whose memoir; Criminal of Poverty; Growing Up Homeless in America will be released on City Lights Press in December. Tiny paints a vivid, intense portrait of her and her mother’s struggle with poverty , homelessness and the growing criminalization of poverty and poor folks in America as well as the fascinating story of the development of the highly innovative grassroots, organization, POOR Magazine and publication of the same name.

The following is the powerful list of POOR Press Publications and the poverty scholars that shared their knowledge and scholarship in each.

Selected Wordz

Jewnbug

Poverty scholar, welfare QUEEN, mother, arts educator and co-founder of the F.A.M.I.L.Y. Project, Jewnbug has authored a collection of metaphorical texts as well as drawn, painted and graphically designed images to raise a new level of consciousness in her readers. Selected Wordz uses speech in a new, inventive way to address spiritual and emotional issues. A self-proclaimed wordsmith, Jewnbug says she is sharing these writings to heal and to encourage consciousness on an extremely deep level. She does not fail in her task to challenge her readers and provide a new, unique perspective on life, language and spirituality. This book has the power to change its readers way of thinking and living.

Why Can't We Play In Our Own Backyard?

Byron Gafford

Another poverty scholar and child abuse survivor, Byron Gafford has taken his own painful experiences and shared them through poetry to educate the public about the numerous problems surrounding the system of foster care and the child protective services. In his third book of poetry, Why Can't We Play in Our Own Backyard? Gafford uniquely addresses the problem of child abuse through simple, eloquent poems told through not just the eyes of a child, but also the voice of an adult survivor. These 34 poems are powerful and open the readers’ eyes extremely wide to the painful reality of child abuse that’s occurring in our own communities everyday.

El Viaje de Una Madre Immigrante

Ingrid De Leon

Ingrid De Leon is an immigrant mother, artist, writer and POOR poverty scholar. Her first POOR Press Publication, El Viaje is a first hand account chronicling her own journey on foot from Guatemala through Mexico and finally into the United States. De Leon shares her own story of struggle, pain and sacrifice. Published in both English and Spanish El Viaje is an extremely powerful, poignant and meaningful story that takes the reader on a journey to a new awareness of the immigrant struggle and the connection that all impoverished humans share.

System Bitch

Ecsta Scene

In the first edition of her zine called System Bitch , poverty scholar, welfare QUEEN and mother, Ecsta Scene has published a collection of what she calls witness statements. Authored by a variety of different people, these witness statements are first hand accounts of people’s interactions with systems in today’s modern world. System Bitch is unlimited in the scope of systems its authors confront, including but not limited to jail, child abuse, work, love, religion and politics. Ecsta Scene has put together a truly insightful collection of work, which begs for further evaluation.

Paradise Ventures II

Marvin Crutchfield

In his second book of poetry, Paradise Ventures II , Marvin Crutchfield shares his strong belief in God, knowledge and newfound peace with the reader. In this collection of 28 poems, Crutchfield boldly and directly states his beliefs and views about the role of Jesus in life. Although direct, his poems don't simply preach about his passionate beliefs, but also tell the story of his own life experiences since finding God in his struggle to come up and out of poverty. Simple and eloquent all at the same time, these poems address the importance of finding peace in the struggle for survival.

Dream Owls

Janie Dickens

A new POOR Press author, Janie Dickens is not only a poverty scholar and digital resistor but also a poet and artist. Her first publication, Dream Owls proves her engaging artistic talent and insightful writing skills. A colorful and playful book, Dream Owls , is a collection of poetry and art about why people are poor. Dream Owls has an enjoyable touch of playfulness while still engaging the reader in challenging subjects such as the environment, homelessness, childhood, and love. Dickens' poetry is full of life and reads to a nice rhythm that flows easily from one poem to the next.

My Life X 4

Jasmine Hain

Twelve-year old Jasmine Hain and her mother Vivian Hain are co-authors of My Life X 4 , which chronicles the four years their family spent living in a store front window during the dot-com boom. The book includes stories, poems, artwork, quotes and reflections of Jasmine, which highlight her remarkable social consciousness and incredible talent. Vivian and Jasmine's collaboration on the book emphasize the unique and sacred bond the mother and daughter share. My Life X 4 provides a new perspective on poverty, one that is not heard in traditional media today and should be read by all.

Citizens, Civilians Over Corruption:Savagely Removed Occupant (S.R.O)

Marlon Crump

Marlon Crump is a poverty scholar, digital resistor and extremely talented author whose debut book, Citizen, Civilians Over Corruption: Savagely Removed Occupant (S.R.O.) appears as a fictionalized account of a future where poverty and injustice run rampant in the wake of police corruption The story, however, was inspired by Crump's own experience with police, who illegally stormed his S.R.O. and arrested him for a crime he did not commit. Using his unique first-hand experience with police brutality, Crump, through this thoroughly interesting story, sheds light on the barriers that exist between race, poverty, and law enforcement. A truly enjoyable, informative and educational, novel, Citizen, Civilians Over Corruption: Savagely Removed Occupant is a shinning first novel.

Reflections of Unknown Artists

Dharma

Dharma, welfareQUEEN, poet, musician, artist and graphic designer, has created a visual and literary montage of poetry, art and essay focused on the struggle, survival and resistance of a African Queen living and trying to thrive in the Bay Area in 2006, with her book; Reflections of Unknown Artists

Ask Joe Holding Up the Sky

Joseph Bolden

Poverty scholar, digital resistor, founding member of POOR Magazine and SRO tenant, Joseph Bolden provides his readers with a funny, insightful collection of his POOR Magazine columns. Bolden shares the dreams, thoughts and desires of a very low-income man living in a 21st century media-informed universe. He explores relationships, gender differences, technology and much more, disclosing his brutally honest opinions, views and experiences.

To purchase any of these books for innovative, revolutionary holiday gifts, please call 415.863.6306

To book a reading, workshop or performance with the artists on the Race, Poverty and Resistance Tour please email deeandtiny@poormagazine.org or call POOR at 415-863-6306. Another aspect of the tour is a series of talks, symposiums and workshops focused specifically on the increasing trend of criminalizing poor communities of color locally and globally, for more information on this national tour please email anna@poormagazine.org

See below for the current calendar of readings and performances

Upcoming Book Tour Events

Wed Jan 10th, 6-7:30 p.m. San Francisco Public Library Civic Center See Tiny read and speak from her new book, Criminal of Poverty at the Radar Reading Series, which features emerging and underground writers performing new work. Hosted by Michelle Tea FREE

Thurs Jan 11th, 7 p.m. City Lights Bookstore @ 261 Columbus Ave. & Broadway, SF FREE

Thurs, Feb. 8th 6 p.m. Modern Times Bookstore @ 888 Valencia St, SF FREE

Wed, April 11th Intersection for the Arts @446 Valencia (bet. 14th & 15th St.) SF FREE

For more information on tickets or to book a date, Call POOR Magazine at 415-863-6306

You can also catch the POOR Mag Poverty and Race Scholars on their monthly radio show on KPFA�s morning show at 94.1 F.M.

by Iris Biblowitz (c/o Michael Lyon)

Dear Joan Ryan:

Your columns give me hope that you will write a balanced account of a
complicated story: how cuts to public health will affect vulnerable
San Franciscans.

The public face of Mayor Newsom's budget is one of minor
inconveniences and shared but manageable pain for all. This is not
true. Please investigate and publicize the details of the devastating
effects budget cuts to the Department of Public Health (DPH) will have
on our community, especially people who are homeless, poor, and
undocumented.

All the neighborhood clinics are being cut. Attached below is a fact
sheet specifically about Tom Waddell Clinic, a block from City Hall,
where I work as a nurse. Tom Waddell Clinic sees about 70,000 patients
a year. They are divided among urgent care, primary care, and
community sites such as shelters, hotels, and the Day Labor Program.

We are the main clinic for people who are homeless, and our urgent
care clinic functions like a small emergency room. Open six days a
week, it is a huge safety net for the entire city, especially for the
most marginalized, vulnerable people. Urgent care at Tom Waddell also
provides a more cost-effective alternative to the swamped ER at San
Francisco General Hospital.

There is so much PR around Care Not Cash, but we are the frontline
clinic that serves people who are homeless, and DPH Director Dr. Mitch
Katz has proposed completely cutting urgent care at Tom Waddell and
severely diminishing our ability to give care in our primary care
clinics. These cuts will lead to more than simply minor
inconveniences.

We're one of the main entry points for patients to get into detox. How
will they get into these programs now? Many of our patients have major
mental health problems. How will they navigate the system? Who will do
all the TB and STD screenings now performed at Tom Waddell? Our clinic
does critical outreach for the HIV, homeless, and transgender
communities.

All this translates into not only decimating care for the poorest
people in San Francisco but also into creating great risks to public
health in general. Many of our patients would have gone without care
and died were it not for our urgent care clinic.

The reporting about DPH cuts has given the impression that
neighborhood clinics would remain intact and that cuts would mostly
affect administration. Many nurses will be cut, and clinics throughout
the city will be in tatters. Please help us get the truth out.

I hope you will contact me and some of my coworkers. I can give you
names and contact information. Thank you for your patience in reading
this long letter.

Sincerely,

Iris Biblowitz, RN

415/285-4536

c/o ftaylor@cmp.com

by Joe B.

War‘Prez? Not In 2005

"If this were a dictatorship,it’d be a heck of a lot easier,just as long as I’m the dictator."

George Bush Jr. Dec. 18, 2000.

He was joking but now in 2004 it sends a chilling message.

Now,he floats a thought balloon about suspending the election because of possible terrorist threats?

Thanks to [q2112.com] For Open Minded Readers
As Comedian Mr. Gilbert Gottfried of MTV’s I love the ‘80’s says,"What the F_ _K was he thinking? We’ve had War President’s before

Select President Bush Jr. made war,now he seeks to use it as way to stay in power without being voted in. He wasn't voted in by the people in 2000.

American people didn't vote Bush in office the Supreme Court did.

This is a faux war President who began the war and now wants to use it to suspend elections!

Vote Bush Jr. and his cronies out,we didn't get to vote him but we sure can get him out.

Folks,we must rid ourselves of this guy quick,get rid of all of ‘em minus election machines that can be altered, reprogrammed or other wised tampered with.

Another thing lets not muck around amending the constitution to ban gay marriages.

This is way the founding father,mother’s too wanted a separation of Church and State.

Just ‘cause President Bush Jr. has qualms about gay men,women,marrying, raising children with dogs along with obligatory picket fence and apartment, house,or ranch home shouldn’t have ban laws discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation.

Thers not much more I can say as a slightly visually impaired straight Black man living in San Francisco’s Market Street, also in a low paid non profit outfit to boot my sex life is on and off but I have one.

It doesn’t mean I want gay folks to stay in the closet, stay unmarried-no you work hard,earn paychecks,and should if your blessed enough to find your other have and want to make and honest couple out each other there should be no laws barring that.

Its just human for any two people to take the ultimate trip of life long partnership.

As for the bible, church law,mortal,venial,sins its all human made therefore fallible.

Remember churches loved the Dark Ages, keeping knowledge,men,women, children,under their thumb they miss the power it seems Bush Jr. and others want some of those days back but gone are those days forever.

Whatever your beliefs voice your views.



Please send contributions
(M.O.'s with lots of zero's to Poor Magazine.

1095 7th & Market Street,

S.F. Ca.94103

For the odd "acidental" topless color photo'n phone,address(Women only) also M.O.'s (hey,I work at P-M-I that's it.

Snail or Email

Joe at:
1230
PO Box #204

S.F.,Ca. 94102

by Tiny and Joseph Bolden

Over 200 poor people, mostly Black, redlined out of property and
>business ownership, shot at, harassed and profiled by cops and private
>security, homeless due to illegal evictions, condo conversions,
>demolitions, redevelopment and wide-spread gentrification, denied jobs,
>drug treatment, and mental health services stood together in San
>Francisco city hall plaza.. the first gathering of an all out class war?
>No. Just a peaceful barbeque.

A barbeque in resistance. In resistance to the implementation of one of
>the most flagrantly racist and classist legislations to come around in
>San Francisco for a long time; Care Not Cash aka Gavin Newsoms mayoral
>platform.
>

Modeled on the Rudy Giuliani/New York program - which effectively makes
>it illegal to be alive without a home and makes you pay for your shelter
>bed- instituting slave labor programs (i.e. workfare) sanctioned by the
>Welfare departments which have you work everyday just to make enough to
>pay for the shelter bed, your food and your "utilities". Care Not Cash
>lays the groundwork for Homelessness in the 21st century; the
>privatized, shelter. Government grants, private money and the sweat of
>the poor mix to create the ultimate cash cow for huge poverty pimps and
>developers; aka the modern day pauper's prison
>

"They are trying to starve poor people and people of color out of San
>Francisco - we got to fight to maintain the Bayview, the Tenderloin, the
>Fillmore, the Mission, the people who built the wealth of this city.
>

Listening to the scholarship of Julie Brown a member of People Organized
>to Win Employment Rights (POWER). I reflected on the almost two years
>and 200 or more protests, actions, committee meetings, hearings and
>finally a lawsuit challenging the legality of Care Not Cash, which
>delayed its implementation for several months. Last week the legal
>challenge was overturned by another court, giving the go ahead for our
>new mayor and the Department of Human Services to go forward with this
>dreaded legislation. Julie continued "We got to take back city Hall from
>this rich kid. The Getty's don't know what people need."
>

"If Newsom was homeless he wouldn't do this to his family," Naomi, also
>from POWER shouted angrily into PNN's mike
>

On this warm day in May, POOR staff stood in a line with all the other
>powerful poor folks waiting for our share of a tasty barbeque outside
>San Francisco City Hall. The event was organized by houseless folks and
>advocates to once again make it known that we are resisting the lies put
>out by Department of human Services, the Mayors office and the
>mainstream media (see SF Chronicle May 4, front page) As we stood there
>we pondered the concerted effort by Willies' boy Newsom to effectively
>get all the poor folks out of San Francisco.
>

"Displacement is a big part of Care not Cash - they are talking about
>outreach teams. Every mayor for the last twenty years has talked about
>outreach teams., why should those displace all the people who have
>followed the rules, worked through the system and are now in line for
>their housing, which is what this will do, just to make this mayors
>outreach team idea look good," LS Wilson from the Coalition on
>Homelessness detailed the specifics of the implementation.
>

And just as LS stated when this reporter attended the Press conference
>put on by the mayor's office that same day at the Greystone Hotel. We
>were told by one of the mayors press folks, " that (Care not Cash) will
>help homeless people because it will make housing available and
>treatment services in outreach teams"
>

In fact, as all of us dealing with the shelter system know, this
>legislation will do nothing to make more housing available, but in fact,
>just move the same meager homeless funds around, and make life more
>miserable for folks like Po poet A. Fay Hicks who reports in her last
>piece of poetryjournalism on poornewsnetwork; Barricades at the Door,
>with million dollar fingerprint imaging machines installed and
>complicated registration processes to catch the criminals of poverty if
>they dare to..?
>

Later in the day some brave warriors for the cause of economic justice
>created a civil disobedience in the mayors office demanding real
>solutions to homelessness rather than fake politician propaganda spins.
>They were arrested and released, vowing to keep up the fight.
>

As the sun bore down on our hungry bodies, a tall African descendent man
>who called himself Kelly, stood behind us in line and summed up our
>collective frustration "The man was born with a silver spoon in his
>mouth, he hates black folks, poor white folks and all folks don't have
>money, he's tryin to push everyone away.. and it jus aint right."
>

by Joe B.

Gov’s 2 word Jibe

Once in a while one leaves San Francisco to breathe different kinds of air.

Not knocking S.F. at all,its just that every few days out of a month I must pat this lovely,glittering bay lady gently on her shoulder,forehead,or rump and take a rest from her gracious arms.

I guess maybe out of a combination of frustration, anger,or tiredness the "Girlie Men" comment for legislators came for not getting the budget balanced,holding up bills or laws.

Two words belittling women,men,Transexuals. Definitely a Homophobic remark.

But when legislator’s balk bothered both these words it makes us all squirm a bit because it shows a deep dark streak of xenophobia on the Governor’s part.

A sound bite lasting three days or more than a week but if it helps move the budget crisis along, get bills,laws,signed in…

Who knows but Mr. Arnold will be paying for that remark for months or years to come.

A Saturday Night skit spoofing a body building, businessman,actor-turned California Governor,hmmm.

Thank applied science for video’s and digital video disks to go back and see what the flap is all about can be plain old research.

C-SPAN is always a good way of seeing what’s going on with what’s happening in Washington.

The Stem Cell debate with scientists,senator’s, and patients benefiting from the limited applications of adult stem cell lines is riveting.

It showed the human side of what this emerging technology is capable of in improving lives and how far it must go so all of us can benefit.

It turns political, religious,the late President Reagan is mentioned and Mrs. Nancy Reagan’s own views shows how complex this many sided issue is.

Now that I’m back, refreshed,and metaphorically kissed on my cheek,returned to her firm embrace,I am ready to begin new until again the Young mature Giantess has to much of her way with me.

Why do most men (myself included) think of certain machinery like ships, buildings,or cities as "She or Her"?

Could it be that unconsciously ships, buildings,and cities all are womb-like,warm, protective and indeed able to protect her charges as long as they in turn repair maintain,the upkeep of them - Giantess’s they’ll protect us the weak fleshy ones on or inside them.

Looks as if ‘White Flight" in Bay Area city of Concord are leaving in droves as Latino’s move in for a better life.

"W.F."is a time honored way of fleeing reality,the reality that times,people, economic conditions have slowly overtime has changed is changing.

Running away use to be an option for some it still is but as rainbow folks gain more access to education,better jobs/ careers.

To the flighty,got-to- get-away,folk there’s not many places to run to anymore unless it outer space,the asteroid belt between Saturn’s rings,the moon,or Mars.

I say let ‘em run until there’s no more places to run.

You know the saying "Justice delayed is justice denied" Well certain folks are still running away.

They’ll always be those doing that long necked flightless bird stunt with its head in the sand.

Were you a White Flighter?

Are you children of or know relatives of White Flight?

1095 7th & Market Street,

S.F. Ca.94103

For the odd "acidental" topless color photo'n phone,address(Women only) also M.O.'s (hey,I work at P-M-I that's it.

Snail or Email

Joe at:
1230
PO Box #204

S.F.,Ca. 94102

by Joe B.

He Ruined My Birthday

Looking forward to a personal milestone is all set except one lady Berkeley and a dear friend out of the country the best I can do is visit the very first love in my life, mama.

We’d take a shopping cart through a one of the warehouse supermarkets buying fresh vegetable, frozen entrée’s, and nibble on mints and cookies before paying up and going home.

But the day a pall because the 40th President, B-actor and Screen Guild President , former Governor, and President Ronald Reagan after a decade in a Alzheimer haze died.

All the hoopla about the Gipper, Great Communicator, jokester, and affable down home likable, regular, country guy.
Its all too syrupy and honey glazed for me to watch as mama turned off the radio we looked at other like…

"What a load of bull chips and horse manure. How he blamed black women as welfare queen’s while most folks on welfare are white and female, the way he fired all the airline controller’s never thing what it takes to train people for such stress laden jobs. It’s part the reason so many planes fell out the sky and many lives lost.

He may have helped free the hostages, but President Jimmy Carter deserves the nod. As for being shot he did show lots of grit for and old guy but then he was closer to Mr. Grim Reaper than most presidents.

"Shining City On A Hill" give me a break. This guy on horseback was looking backward, riding into the past while most people were heading future forward.

The Berlin Wall coming down brick by brick was not by Reagan along but other presidents, officials, and many ordinary folks help pulled that wall down it just happened on his watch.

I don’t know the guy don’t hate him in fact I wished he had gotten stem cells to regenerate new brain cell replacing old dying ones he may have died with his mind intact but when Biotechnology was slowed, delayed, if not stopped altogether could have made Reagan’s last days memorable with loved ones surrounding him before his soul divested of his body continues the ultimate journey.

I should be glad for the guy. No more suffering in a long good by of that dreadful living death of a disease.

For myself there is still wine (only for breakfast and dinner).

Women(safe sex as I wear colorful French ticklers as long as I’m not with many woman until she finds me or I her).

I don’t feel any different but then I didn’t as many of my contemporaries do much drinking,drugs,pills, or wasn’t as promiscuous as men especially Black are mythically suppose to be. The upside is my body and mind isn’t as polluted inside or exteriorly rundown as some of my contemporaries.

I intend to maintain and improve my health. I was born in June of 1954. Now either its 9 or 10 year after D-Day but certainly 10 years before the baby boom group of 1964.

So I’m in the middle generation seeing what’s ahead and the generation behind me will have even better advantages.

There are experiences I want to have as in being a graduating student of Karma Sutra, a PH. D maybe. Some travel by cruise ship or plane.

The family with picket fence, dog, cat, and gardens may have passed me buy so I decide to instruct myself in math, (have a phobia there). Electronics, Chemistry, and Quantum Mechanics.

Keep up with life extension technologies. Lastly, learn a few languages and play brain teaser games, read mysteries (by women authors).

Generally keeping mind and body busy. If I had gotten married when I was younger my life by now would have been somewhat settled if not dull and I’d have my niche helping to raise children with a loving wife.

Maybe that’s isn’t my destiny as my life is at this moment.

He nearly ruined my birthday but after a few hours I know in a few months it’ll all blow over and he’ll be remembered little as all of move quicker by jet sky, sky boards,and jet packs rather than an old dead ‘Prez on horseback.




Please send donations to Poor Magazine

1095 7th & Market Street,
S.F. Ca.94103

Snail or Email Joe at:

PO Box 1230 #204

Market St. 94102

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org ©

by Joe B.

Best Destinies

The current "Star Trek: Enterprise is a retelling of the Trek saga when the first voyage,first contacts,weapons, transporter,translator, devices are all new,pre Spock,Scotty,James T. Kirk’s glancing the heavens.

An there’s the Archer Factor which is pre Kirk,Picard,Janeway time paradoxes that happens making quantum headaches for a far future Enterprise or other time ship captains who’s thankless task is keeping the timelines safe.

I wonder it there are Krusher (Wesley Crusher, Q + son,and Traveler timeline paradox alerts too?

It’s just a thought.

What I’m leading up to is two famous doctrines besides
The Prime Directivegoverns First Contact protocols.

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
"Or the one." The last three words always completed the Buddha-Zen -Christ like thought.

And of course Spock’s "Commanding a starship is your first,best destiny; anything else is a waste of material."

I must thank "Movie Quotes" from www.fiftiesweb.com/movies/star-trek.htm#2

Speaking of first best destiny mines seems to be slightly stuck.

As a POOR Magazine Staff Writer/Reporter/Columnist and sometime photographer lots of people,issue’s, interviews flit by scope however unlike my employer’s polls,politics, and pol’s is not even a Z on my alphabet list.

Yes,its important to vote and people has died so I can be blasé about it.

Its just that I’ve seen what happens with news items these stories don’t stay gone but keep resurfacing which leads to more research,interviews, and paper gathering.

Holding all those facts from days to weeks to months brought out a sleeping packrat personality I never dreamed existed it threatened my section 8 housing because it is seen as a fire hazard.

After a scary asthmatic attack it dawns on me that being a newsperson with the never-ending research and updates of same it had to let go.

It took me a year or two before leaving that arena of media now it’s a rare for me.

Rare is good for me.

Columns are easier,a little research not a whole lot.

I’m 99.9 closer to my goal writing a novelette, novel’s,short stories and after being published a few weeks or months of vacation then back to writing down my wool gathering.

This is my first best destiny anything else is a waste.

I just hope I’ve really had talent for it if not then voice over or writing columns may loom large in my immediate future.

What do you think your best destiny is and what was it like to finally reach it or not?

1095 7th & Market Street,

S.F. Ca.94103

also M.O.'s (hey,I work at P-M-I that's it.

Snail or Email

Joe at:
1230
PO Box #204

S.F.,Ca. 94102

by Joe B.

Health Care Organizations Unite?

Wednesday, June 4th 2004. On 1338 Mission Street between 9th and 10th Streets, time 8am. Or earlier to catch a Charter bus to Sacramento where California’s State Capital resides.

Arguing with Dee (co owner/boss of Poor Magazine).
About only having five photo ops to shoot during this all day venture results in being without a camera to shoot any film.

Maybe keep my yap shut… nah, if one is going to a function as this more than five individual shots of film is needed besides I cannot be everywhere at once as people go on and off the bus.

This is where a digital camcorder would be handy and not just film or a human portable web cam set up (a person becomes a mobile, roving web site in real
Time as it happens.)

Bottom line there was no money, its all the equipment she and arguing on the point meant no camera unless I use my own which isn’t happening because this should be digital, the more perfect copies in digital than film the images to capture and never lose to films decomposing shelf life. The old mini tape will do minus film.

Arriving early 7am. At S. E. I .U Service Employees Int. Union, where a woman waiting waits soon doors open and people enter their language’s are Russian, Spanish, Asian, Philippine, American, and other who’s dialect I don’t recognize.
Three Charter busses are ready packed with sodas, water, lunch bags. We get in, wait a bit then begin rolling to California’s State Capitol in Sacramento to protest Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cuts in health care to mentally and physically disabled people and its effects on workers, patients, and families caring for them. The Protest/rally is called: "Quality Care Begins At Home

A stop in Oakland the first leg of protests "Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Health Care Is the Way to Go."

The Highway patrol made an outer circle encircling the protestors with their ring. It almost seems a protective in a way. It’s a peaceful gathering of determined, angry, concerned, multi-lingual, culture, hued folks having our say telling Arnold –the-‘G this will not stand and he has a long fight on his hands.

We’re Here, We’re Loud…" "Arnold, Arnold Don’t you know, Healthcare Cuts Have Got To Go."

An interview within the swirl of people protesting, loud speaker’s, honking, cars, trucks, and busses makes it extremely difficult to conduct an interview let along a few.

And hour or so then to Fairfield for rest, lunch, and what’s to be done when we’re in Sacramento.

From January of 2004 to now June Governor A. Schwartzenegger has had six months to rethink his cutting the health care. For those affected work has been hard,fast,and furious to get ring the Gov’s ear have him use other means than balancing the state budget on the backs of the mentally and physically disabled. Those who’s jobs it is to help them live longer,safer,and healthier lives.

On the Capitol’lawn in Sacramento there are many eloquent public speakers. Some are health aide workers,former workers, wheel bound activist, patients,politicians,and church leaders.

All condemning the California Governor’s choice in budget cuts and balancing act.

The sun beams high, weak clouds,clear azure blue skies,need gentle breezes, water,soft drinks, sandwiches,and porta- potties insight.

My old recorder cuts in and out,my second set of batteries die making me unable to record soul stirring,heart felt speaker’s. On the bus I counted the sandwiches I’ve eaten
1 ham, 2 eggs 2 turkey, sandwiches, a diet seven up, 1 Dr. Pepper,2 potato chips and saved two apples for later at home.

It was an experience I might do again sometime.
Going home is a pleasant ride with zzzzz’s until its time to disembark.

If poor folks stopped work altogether everywhere after saving up 6 to 9 months of rent, food, medical,with support from a few who do work.

Those who have access to food,pharmacological, or other health necessities can also be of immense help. I walk to my home glad that I participated.

Thinking of my mother, if anything happened to her health how would I cope? That’s a scary thought because I wouldn’t want to spend her money down then place in a lonely old room with strangers kind people but strangers not the less taking care of her.
It’s a hard world and everyone catches their pieces of hell but it shouldn’t go on when one is the autumn of their years this is the time a rest, relaxation, and looking back, without any worries. At least that’s how I always believed about Sunset years.

And hour or so then to Fairfield for rest, lunch, and what’s to be done when we’re in Sacramento.

From January of 2004 to now June Governor A. Schwartzenegger has had six months to rethink his cutting the health care. For those affected work has been hard,fast,and furious to get ring the Gov’s ear have him use other means than balancing the state budget on the backs of the mentally and physically disabled. Those who’s jobs it is to help them live longer,safer,and healthier lives.

On the Capitol’lawn in Sacramento there are many eloquent public speakers. Some are health aide workers,former workers, wheel bound activist, patients,politicians,and church leaders.

All condemning the California Governor’s choice in budget cuts and balancing act.

The sun beams high, weak clouds,clear azure blue skies,need gentle breezes, water,soft drinks, sandwiches,and porta- potties insight.

My old recorder cuts in and out,my second set of batteries die making me unable to record soul stirring,heart felt speaker’s. On the bus I counted the sandwiches I’ve eaten
1 ham, 2 eggs 2 turkey, sandwiches,a diet seven up, 1 Dr. Pepper,2 potato chips and saved two apples for later at home.

It was an experience I might do again sometime.
Going home is a pleasant ride with zzzzz’s until its time to disembark.

If poor folks stopped work altogether everywhere after saving up 6 to 9 months of rent,food, medical,with support from a few who do work.

Those who have access to food,pharmacological, or other health necessities can also be of immense help. I walk to my home glad that I participated.

Thinking of my mother, if anything happened to her health how would I cope? That’s a scary thought because I wouldn’t want to spend her money down then place in a lonely old room with strangers kind people but strangers not the less taking care of her.
It’s a hard world and everyone catches their pieces of hell but it shouldn’t go on when one is the autumn of their years this is the time a rest, relaxation, and looking back, without any worries. At least that’s how I always believed about Sunset years.

Please send donations to Poor Magazine

1095 7th & Market Street,
S.F. Ca.94103

Snail or Email Joe at:

PO Box 1230 #204

by Tiny/PNN

"Well I'm sorry there's just no money left in the Section 8 program" The words sliced into my head slowly like a dull knife wielded by a murderer without proper tools.

"But that will render my family homeless within three months…", I started to say, but couldn't quite listen to the response I was given, something about how I waited too long to find a place (families are given 90 days to find a landlord that will take the voucher which in my case fell right in between the high-risk birth of my son and my mom getting a heart condition) and therefore I was unofficially dropped off the program and was now told my chances at reinstatement were slim. The whole conversation, which permanently closed the lid on my chances at permanent homefulness lasted all of three minutes. Homelessness, my "at risk" status and the viscous cycle of poverty for poor families can last a lifetime.

"In San Francisco we have over 18,000 families on the section 8 waiting list, many of these families are homeless, the proposed cuts will eliminate their chances of getting housing insuring that those who are homeless will stay homeless and those that were able to get vouchers will become homeless," Jennifer Friedenbach from The Coalition on Homelessness shouted into the morning wind circling around the small but determined group of families and advocates from The Family, Rights and Dignity Project of The Coalition on Homelessness holding an urgent press conference in front of the federal building on the current very serious crisis hitting the Section 8 program locally and nationally. Jennifer continued, " All of this from a president who vows to end chronic homelessness"

For the last three weeks PNN community journalists have been re-porting and supporting on the resistance by hundreds of tenants from the city of Alameda who in June were given three weeks notice by The Alameda Housing Authority that the Section 8 vouchers which were keeping them housed would be rescinded thanks to the budget cuts Jennifer referred to. With those cuts the 264 low-income families, elder and disabled tenants in Alameda would join hundreds of thousands of poor folks across the nation from New York to Los Angeles facing this same unbelievable crisis thanks to the fact that there were already cuts of over 1.92 billion to the existing Section 8 program causing San Francisco Housing Authority to stop issuing vouchers to families like mine and that there are another 1 billion in cuts being proposed for Fiscal year 2005. All of these homeless-making policies are courtesy of the Bush Administration who just diverted more than $22 billion dollars in federal money to homeland security with $2 billion dollars of that amount coming from HUD's budget, making this the largest raid on a public program used by the poor for the past twenty years!

"But the joke gets worse, Bush's so-called Section 8 reforms will introduce the very dangerous Flexible Voucher Program, " Jennifer concluded by outlining the elements of this odd "reform", which among other things will eliminate the rule that %75 of the vouchers go to extremely low-income families and individuals, i.e. disabled elders, children and families who are way below the poverty line and usually homeless.

" We are demanding that Congress restore 1.92 billion to the existing section 8 budget and oppose the flexi-voucher program." Jennifer concluded with these necessary demands and by making the correlation between cuts to HUD/Housing Authority budget and the establishment of homelessness "In the early 80's when the Federal housing budget was cut by 80% San Francisco opened its first homeless shelter."

"Without Section 8 I will never have the chance to have a place of my own, " Next up was a very pregnant fierce young woman, Laya Hill who spoke truth to the crowd" As it is now I am paying over %80 of my income on a tiny place I have to share " Laya highlighted the reason that the Section 8 program is, as it was pre-Bush, a great program for very low-income folks, as it allows you to pay 30% of your income even if that income is very low as it is for working poor folks like me or from the meager cash grant received from welfare. This insures that poor families won't become homeless when they become unemployed or go on welfare and can't afford market rate rent.

"Between July 2002 and July 2003 597 new homeless families signed up to get shelter," Advocate Bianca Henry outlined the existing numbers of homeless families in San Francisco and how they will be impacted by these cuts, "We will never be able to solve the so-called "homeless" problem in San Francisco and across the nation if we cause more homelessness through these cuts , the point is, its cheaper to keep families together rather than separating them into foster care and CPS" PNN has documented the stories of hundreds of families who due to poverty and homelessness have lost custody of their children to these racist, classist "systems"

After Bianca we heard from Dan Bernal, a representative from Nancy Pelosi's office who read a statement from Nancy denouncing the "outrageous" housing policies of the Bush Administration and her commitment to join Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts in co-sponsoring Legislation (HR 4263) that will direct HUD to fully fund housing vouchers as they have during each of the past 30 years.

"This is the plan to end chronic homelessness, it takes care of 3000 chronically homeless people in San Francisco", one of the last speakers we heard from was Angela Alioto who is working for the mayor on implementing The "Plan to end Homelessness", which I personally have serious reservations with as it only reinvents the wheel already created with the Continuum of Care policy document created by homeless and formerly homeless folks but never really funded so we keep having new mayors creating new programs on top of an old problem, but she did make a very good point which I was happy to hear as she waived the thick glossy covered "Plan…." in the air above her head, "A principal part of this plan is prevention, how do you prevent homelessness? by NOT cutting Section 8" she continued by outlining the connection between the jails, mental institutions and the foster care system as the new ways of "housing the homeless".

"Aint nobody gonna be homeless but a bunch of children and families like me, I am homeless mother of three and these cuts are affecting somebodies like me who just need a chance" as Arieanne Harrison closed out the conference I felt hopeless again. I hadn't heard from Section 8 again and although we are currently pursuing an appeal for reinstatement, Arieanne was right, these horrendous cuts are just gonna affect a lot of somebodies like her and me who just need a chance…a chance at being housed.

by Staff Writer

A spoken Word Rent Rescue Marathon (and housewarming-we just moved) on sunday, June 13th @ 4:00 pm - Youth and adult poets from the Po Poets Project, Molotov Mouths and more will be spittin words of resistance... Refreshments will be served - please come and help save our collective buts...otherwise our community will lose anotha voice of truth in a sea of corporate media lies!!!! - Take Part in the Spoken Word marathon by sponsoring yourself or your favorite poet @ $3.00 per poem

Where; 1095 Market street #307

San Francisco, (at 7th & Market)

when: sunday June 13th @4:00 pm

contact : tiny (415) 863-6306 (or cel) (510) 435-7500

cost:sliding scale - $5.00-10.00 or mo' ( or what you can afford..)

by Laurence Ashton/PNN Youth in Media

A dim street light flickered on and off, a crumpled can of malt liquor rolled back and forth and then suddenly, out of nowhere, Los Angeles street in the heart of Skid Row was awash in a blinding spotlight "Hey what are you doing near that car?" a mechanical voice shook the asphalt in half

Last week I woke up with a start - there were pictures of a 36 year old black man named Stanley Miller with a bruised and bleeding face flashing on the TV news. In the foreground was a satelite videotaped clip of Mr. Miller being beat down by LAPD after he had been "caught" for grand theft auto in Los Angeles. I tried to go back to sleep, but all I could do is toss and turn unable to get the picture of my father's face 10 years ago, three years ago and last year after he met with several flashlights belonging to one or more Lapd officers. You see my father is a Black disabled vet who is homeless in LA, he and I still talk and every so often I convince him to get a room but his inner demons get the best of him and back he goes to the streets.

Stanley Miller was hit at least 10 times by at least one officer and who knows how many more times by the other seven officers present after he surrendered to officers after a car chase. My father was hit, punched, spit at and called every name you could think of by a collective total of 36 officers of the LAPD. And of course the only reason we even know about Mr. Miller is because his attack was caught on videotape ala Rodney King.

As a young black man, I have had my DWB (Driving While Black or Brown) and WWB (Walking While Black) run-ins as all Black and brown men have had but what folks don't know is these nazi's in uniform have been harassing and violently attacking homeless people of all colors for a long long time, and who knows, who will ever know, because TV news crews rarely document Skid Row except when they are supporting a "clean-up" effort by the Pigs or some other subjugator.

"We've worked too hard to build our relationship with the community to have it jeopardized by thoughtless actions of a few,"LA Mayor Jim Hahn was quoted as saying as he worked quickly on damage control for the LAPD.

Apparently, John Hatfield, 35, a seven-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, was the officer wielding the metal flashlight. Hatfield is among eight officers pulled from patrol duty and given paid administrative assignments in the wake of the beating.

The chief of the LAPD, William Bratton has said it appears police acted "inappropriately" in the arrest, and he also urged the public to withhold judgment until the investigation is complete. In other words until the lies and cover-up are manufactured. Bratton was hired in 2002 after so much corruption and civil rights abuses of citizens by the LAPD caused the LAPD to at least appear like they were doing something to change the status quo.

The most hilarious part of all of this is, the attack on Mr. Miller occurred just a week after the LAPD said it had successfully implemented reforms mandated by federal authorities after they identified a "pattern and practice" of civil rights violations by the LAPD.

The violent attack on Mr. Miller has spurned ongoing protests by civil rights activists in LA who have long accused the LAPD of discrimination and use of excessive force against people of color, "The thing that hasn't changed is the accountability level as far as police violence goes, and particularly the department's continued failure to weed out rogue cops," said former police commissioner Melanie Lomax.

I haven't heard from my dad for over a month. I hope he is ok. He probably isn't, but at least I hope he hasn't met with any flashlights lately.

Laurence Ashton is a member of the Youth in Media project at POOR Magazine. He is also a graduate of the Poverty Studies/Media Activism Institute at POOR .

by Joe B.

Two Weeks And Half A Century Later

Last Saturday two American’s died both of humble origins.

One rose to prominence with a genius ear, voice, music, and lyrical talents.

The other able to make an audience suspend its belief first by his sheer voice, second by physical presence.

One becomes leader of superpower while another changes hearts and minds with his inner vision his second sight more powerful non seeing orbs.

Both gone, one way too soon, and yet both communicators to the masses in their perspective. Both belong to the ages.

Only Jesus and Angels guarding gates of Heaven or Hell can judge now it’s no longer in our frail mortal hands.

Its nearly two weeks after my 50th birthday.

So far my health is excellent, I’m a randy old goat instead of a young guy.

Funny, how women and men at certain ages are deemed dirty old men, women because they still in their hearts, minds, and physically able to show emotions of lust, love and caring for others.

I might as well keep my satyr status even in this conservative climate of sex = death climate.

I cannot even say it wasn’t planned, this is what happens when people in their youth do little or no drinking, smoking, drugs, or bed hopping.

A positive consequence is a body and mind fairly bursting with excess energy though having good genes also help.

I don’t regret not being married at this time many in my situation aren’t, some all of us are not mommy and daddy material.

If I had gotten properly hitched I would’ve stayed a Certified Nurses Assistant/ Dietary or Kitchen Helper working many overtime hours to support my family.

I would not have learned about painting, black & white photography and how to use chemicals darkroom to develop films, and later with POOR Magazine silk screening, reporting, writing columns, radio production, reading and speaking from scripts. Lots of interns entered, learned, and exited PM’s classes better informed, with multi faceted tools in the ever-changing workplace.

Deciding my direction has been difficult but its clear a 9to5 job is not I unless I am able to choose my hours.

Whether its voice over work, reading shortened sound bites of my written I-net columns on radio, or by some fluke on TV even if its cable it’d be a regular gig and who knows some cable shows get grabbed to become national.

Travel, languages, tinkering with electronics, Electro- magnetism and other pieces of lawful and especially outlawed or forbidden science.

As for the eternal mystery that is woman more intense study, learning, mental and physical contact is a given in less taking and more giving that always opaque, clouded, speaking-in-tongues earthy mother’s natural wisdom.

I know in my columns I’ve argued, was harsh, and really overstepped my bounds in the discussions of women and their multi sexual, dimensional, emotional selves.

There is only three ways to completely understand the opposite sex:

1) Share the properties of women’s connected brains in men.
2) Place our male electrochemical selves (equivalent of a soul) into the body of a woman.

3) If possible balance the male brain as female ones are balaced,it may be the last evolutionary key to both longevity and guaranteed survival of our species.

Ok,that maybe a little too far out for many folks out there.

If somehow women can think clearly through deep emotional pain for solutions while few men cannot.(Some can)

It seems logical to find out how this natural higher brain can be made to improve our species.

If it were to become reality guess what men would think before talking, be less color blind,be more independent of opposite sex and yet not worry about loneliness.

Men’s life span will be drastically increased and the only other biological limitation would be not being able to carry offspring within them.

I tell you some men then most of them after a time would be able to take the pain of giving birth.

They’ve already they are as nurturing and selfless in giving their lives for children and family as women are its just few are given the chance.

Imagine if men conceived children as women do?

Women have always said men would change all the abortion laws if they gave birth, true.

They also would fight to prove they too could give birth,nurture and raise children.

It would no longer be an uneven playing field with women saying,"Men couldn’t deal with the pain."

Women easily forget that if men were able to give birth war would be over, life more important because they’d know how precious, perilous,and tenuous without ever going to a war.

Women have their ("We create life, you just contribute sperm."

They’d never be able to make that boast in supreme superiority of ultimate power.

And what if men decided to have children without women’s wombs using their own it become academic that is the so-called superior sex.

Not that I would want to have a child but if by a miracle I was younger and given the choice.

I’d like to see if I,a man could carry a child to term.

If it came to a choice between a healthy infant and my death,then gladly dead I’d be.

I would watch over my child unable to my earthly bond until I know my child was safe and happy.

Only then would I appear to my child,her/his adopted parents and or wife/husband and happily go to my rest.

Hey ladies,this is what guys also think about too.

you’re not the only ones with deep emotional/intellectual, sensitive feelings.

Just because you express it more openly and verbally better does not mean your more open.

It just seems that way.

I’ve said enough.

What have women whatever your age have to say about it?(Will you say anything its all mute… For Now!

Please send donations to Poor Magazine


1095 7th & Market Street,
S.F. Ca.94103

Snail or Email Joe at:

PO Box 1230 #204

Market St. 94102

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org ©

by Clive Whistle/PNN

"If you don't come right away this man's gonna hurt someone" That was me last week calling the cops on one of best friends in The City who, like me, has bounced in and out of shelters and the streets for the last 5 years and was alternately holding a gun to his head and then wa ou.

The police, who as a poor black man, I do not trust, like or even want to deal with at ALL, much less call on for help were the target of my 5150 (mental illness emergency) call, because in his mind and in reality, my friend had run out of options. My friend was only a young cat, who before he became homeless was in foster care but once he reached 18, was thrown out into the cruel world with no support services or help to "fend" for himself. My friend had sought help to no avail. My friend was mentally ill.

The frightening part of my 5150 call to the police is my friend, who reminded me of Idriss Stelly, another beautiful young African Descendent brother sufferinng from mental illness murdered by SFPD after a 5150 call, stood just as good of a chance of being shot at the hands of the police as he did of shooting himself.

"With this legislation we would like to see more treatment available for juvenile inmates who suffer from traumatic exposure to street or domestic violence at an early age" District Attorney, Kamala Harris spoke to a packed crowd of politicians, bureacrats and mental health advocates gathered at City Hall on Friday to discuss the benefits of Prop 63, a legislation that would add approximately 50 million to California's Mental Health Services budget by adding a special income tax on the rich.

As it stands now, people like myself and my friend, poor folks without insurance, have to seek help at County Hospital Emergency rooms under a psychiatric emergency call, which means if you are lucky enough to actually see a therapist you might get a referral to very short term, talk therapy (one-three sessions) but most likely will get some psych meds (pills) or even more likely, nothing at all According to the statistics provided by the San Francisco Mental Health Board, San Francisco has one of the States highest rates of 5150 calls

I was holding that same gun 4 years ago, I was lucky enough to get some psychiatric care through Veterans Hospital because I am a vet and it saved my life. My friend is not so lucky.

"We are not mental health professionals" Chief of police Heather Fong spoke at the conference. She went on to say that although there are more than 250 SFPD officers on the force with crisis intervention training, she'd much rather see mental health professionals responding to day and night "well-being" checks than police officers.

"We run one of the largest mental health institutions in the state of California" , Sheriff Mike Hennesey brought out the truth that most poor mentally ill people know and he went on to say that he would like to stop that so he could "make room" for real criminals.

The proposals sponsor, Democratic Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento said his vision of taxing income above $1 million with a 0.1% surcharge would create an annual funding stream of up to $1 billion statewide.

My friend made it out of that night, barely, the cops came, he was thrown in jail for 30 days where he received no treatment. After his release he was still never given any treatment and is self-medicating with Crack as I write this. I wonder how many more days or nights will pass before his internal torture lashes out again and actually does permanent harm to himself or others

Clive Whistle is a poverty scholar and community journalist for POOR Magazine/PNN. To read more journalism by folks dealing with poverty and racism go on-line to www.poormagazine.org