John Avalos visita a la Sala Comunitaria/John Avalos visits Community Newsroom

p emEditors Note: Community Newsroom is POOR Magazine#39;s Indigenous News-making circle. This is the poor people-led , indigenous people-led process where we produce all of our radio, video print and written media. It is open to the whole community who respect this sacred space and desire to get heard about issues impacting youth, adults and elders in poverty locally and globally. John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="5"Avalos/span came through as a community member. As a no-profit, very grassroots,arts organization all candidates are welcome to come to Newsroom and we are not endorsing any candidate running for office in span data-scayt_word="Amerikkka" data-scaytid="21"Amerikkka/span./em/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p nbsp;/p p strongScroll down for English/strong/p p strongJuan span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="6"Avalos/span span data-scayt_word="visita" data-scaytid="22"visita/span a la span data-scayt_word="sala" data-scaytid="23"sala/span span data-scayt_word="comunitaria" data-scaytid="25"comunitaria/spanbr / span data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="27"por/span Ingrid span data-scayt_word="DeLeon" data-scaytid="37"DeLeon/span/span data-scayt_word="Voces" data-scaytid="38"Voces/span de span data-scayt_word="inmigrantes" data-scaytid="40"inmigrantes/span/span data-scayt_word="PNN" data-scaytid="42"PNN/span /strong/p p span data-scayt_word="Estuve" data-scaytid="44"Estuve/span en la span data-scayt_word="sala" data-scaytid="24"sala/span span data-scayt_word="comunitaria" data-scaytid="26"comunitaria/span de la span data-scayt_word="Prensa" data-scaytid="45"Prensa/span span data-scayt_word="POBRE" data-scaytid="46"POBRE/span, span data-scayt_word="cuando" data-scaytid="47"cuando/span mire a un span data-scayt_word="señor" data-scaytid="48"sentilde;or/span y me span data-scayt_word="almire" data-scaytid="49"almire/span al span data-scayt_word="verlo" data-scaytid="50"verlo/span con span data-scayt_word="traje" data-scaytid="51"traje/span de span data-scayt_word="vestir" data-scaytid="52"vestir/span y span data-scayt_word="corvata" data-scaytid="53"corvata/span. Me span data-scayt_word="asuste" data-scaytid="54"asuste/span y span data-scayt_word="dije" data-scaytid="55"dije/span y el span data-scayt_word="quien" data-scaytid="56"quien/span span data-scayt_word="es" data-scaytid="58"es/span? Se span data-scayt_word="veia" data-scaytid="61"veia/span span data-scayt_word="amable" data-scaytid="62"amable/span y span data-scayt_word="sonriente" data-scaytid="63"sonriente/span y al span data-scayt_word="poco" data-scaytid="64"poco/span span data-scayt_word="tiempo" data-scaytid="65"tiempo/span de span data-scayt_word="estar" data-scaytid="66"estar/span span data-scayt_word="reunidos" data-scaytid="69"reunidos/span se span data-scayt_word="presento" data-scaytid="70"presento/span, y span data-scayt_word="supe" data-scaytid="71"supe/span span data-scayt_word="quien" data-scaytid="57"quien/span era./p p Se span data-scayt_word="trataba" data-scaytid="72"trataba/span nada span data-scayt_word="mas" data-scaytid="73"mas/span de Juan span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="7"Avalos/span/p p span data-scayt_word="Yo" data-scaytid="75"Yo/span no span data-scayt_word="podia" data-scaytid="77"podia/span span data-scayt_word="creer" data-scaytid="78"creer/span, span data-scayt_word="pues" data-scaytid="79"pues/span me span data-scayt_word="parecia" data-scaytid="81"parecia/span span data-scayt_word="increible" data-scaytid="83"increible/span span data-scayt_word="ver" data-scaytid="84"ver/span span data-scayt_word="su" data-scaytid="85"su/span span data-scayt_word="rostro" data-scaytid="87"rostro/span span data-scayt_word="sonriendo" data-scaytid="88"sonriendo/span con span data-scayt_word="todos" data-scaytid="89"todos/span span data-scayt_word="como" data-scaytid="91"como/span span data-scayt_word="si" data-scaytid="94"si/span nos span data-scayt_word="conociera" data-scaytid="96"conociera/span, span data-scayt_word="desde" data-scaytid="97"desde/span span data-scayt_word="muchos" data-scaytid="98"muchos/span span data-scayt_word="años" data-scaytid="99"antilde;os/span span data-scayt_word="parecia" data-scaytid="82"parecia/span span data-scayt_word="estar" data-scaytid="67"estar/span en span data-scayt_word="familia" data-scaytid="100"familia/span, span data-scayt_word="yo" data-scaytid="101"yo/span lo span data-scayt_word="senti" data-scaytid="106"senti/span span data-scayt_word="como" data-scaytid="92"como/span span data-scayt_word="uno" data-scaytid="107"uno/span de los span data-scayt_word="nuestros" data-scaytid="108"nuestros/span. Le span data-scayt_word="hicieron" data-scaytid="109"hicieron/span span data-scayt_word="algunas" data-scaytid="110"algunas/span span data-scayt_word="preguntas" data-scaytid="111"preguntas/span y el span data-scayt_word="las" data-scaytid="112"las/span span data-scayt_word="respondio" data-scaytid="117"respondio/span a span data-scayt_word="todas" data-scaytid="118"todas/span. span data-scayt_word="Dijo" data-scaytid="119"Dijo/span span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="121"que/span se span data-scayt_word="esta" data-scaytid="135"esta/span span data-scayt_word="postulando" data-scaytid="137"postulando/span span data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="138"para/span span data-scayt_word="alcalde" data-scaytid="148"alcalde/span span data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="139"para/span la span data-scayt_word="ciudad" data-scaytid="149"ciudad/span de San span data-scayt_word="Fransisco" data-scaytid="150"Fransisco/span span data-scayt_word="su" data-scaytid="86"su/span span data-scayt_word="proposito" data-scaytid="151"proposito/span span data-scayt_word="es" data-scaytid="59"es/span span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="122"que/span span data-scayt_word="esta" data-scaytid="136"esta/span span data-scayt_word="cuidad" data-scaytid="152"cuidad/span sea span data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="140"para/span span data-scayt_word="todos" data-scaytid="90"todos/span./p p ldquo;Las span data-scayt_word="comunidades" data-scaytid="154"comunidades/span y span data-scayt_word="las" data-scaytid="113"las/span span data-scayt_word="familias" data-scaytid="155"familias/span de span data-scayt_word="una" data-scaytid="156"una/span span data-scayt_word="cuidad" data-scaytid="153"cuidad/span span data-scayt_word="prospera" data-scaytid="158"prospera/span y span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="123"que/span la span data-scayt_word="gente" data-scaytid="159"gente/span span data-scayt_word="puedan" data-scaytid="166"puedan/span span data-scayt_word="sobre" data-scaytid="168"sobre/span span data-scayt_word="vivir" data-scaytid="171"vivir/span en span data-scayt_word="paz" data-scaytid="173"paz/span y span data-scayt_word="tranquilidad" data-scaytid="174"tranquilidad/span, span data-scayt_word="aunque" data-scaytid="175"aunque/span span data-scayt_word="ahora" data-scaytid="176"ahora/span soy el supervisor span data-scayt_word="estoy" data-scaytid="177"estoy/span span data-scayt_word="luchando" data-scaytid="178"luchando/span y span data-scayt_word="ayudando" data-scaytid="180"ayudando/span a la span data-scayt_word="gente" data-scaytid="160"gente/span span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="124"que/span span data-scayt_word="realmente" data-scaytid="181"realmente/span lo span data-scayt_word="necesita" data-scaytid="182"necesita/span span data-scayt_word="hago" data-scaytid="183"hago/span span data-scayt_word="esto" data-scaytid="184"esto/span span data-scayt_word="porque" data-scaytid="186"porque/span span data-scayt_word="mis" data-scaytid="188"mis/span raises span data-scayt_word="vienen" data-scaytid="189"vienen/span de span data-scayt_word="gente" data-scaytid="161"gente/span span data-scayt_word="trabajadora.”" data-scaytid="1"trabajadora.rdquo;/span span data-scayt_word="dijo" data-scaytid="190"dijo/span Juan span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="8"Avalos/span./p p Y a span data-scayt_word="pesar" data-scaytid="192"pesar/span span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="125"que/span span data-scayt_word="estudie" data-scaytid="193"estudie/span en un span data-scayt_word="colejio" data-scaytid="194"colejio/span .Para mi la span data-scayt_word="gente" data-scaytid="162"gente/span span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="126"que/span span data-scayt_word="trabaja" data-scaytid="195"trabaja/span y span data-scayt_word="lucha" data-scaytid="196"lucha/span span data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="141"para/span span data-scayt_word="sobre" data-scaytid="169"sobre/span span data-scayt_word="vivir" data-scaytid="172"vivir/span, span data-scayt_word="yo" data-scaytid="102"yo/span la span data-scayt_word="admiro" data-scaytid="197"admiro/span span data-scayt_word="dijo" data-scaytid="191"dijo/span span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="9"Avalos/span span data-scayt_word="yo" data-scaytid="103"yo/spannbsp; span data-scayt_word="pongo" data-scaytid="198"pongo/span span data-scayt_word="las" data-scaytid="114"las/span ideas span data-scayt_word="sobre" data-scaytid="170"sobre/span la mesanbsp; y span data-scayt_word="trabajo" data-scaytid="199"trabajo/span en span data-scayt_word="las" data-scaytid="115"las/span span data-scayt_word="cortes" data-scaytid="200"cortes/span span data-scayt_word="luchando" data-scaytid="179"luchando/span span data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="28"por/span la span data-scayt_word="gente" data-scaytid="163"gente/span ./p p nbsp;Y span data-scayt_word="eso" data-scaytid="201"eso/span span data-scayt_word="si" data-scaytid="95"si/span span data-scayt_word="es" data-scaytid="60"es/span span data-scayt_word="cierto" data-scaytid="202"cierto/span span data-scayt_word="porque" data-scaytid="187"porque/span span data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="29"por/span span data-scayt_word="ejemplo" data-scaytid="203"ejemplo/span la span data-scayt_word="Policia" data-scaytid="206"Policia/span en span data-scayt_word="vez" data-scaytid="208"vez/span de span data-scayt_word="ayudar" data-scaytid="209"ayudar/span span data-scayt_word="hasta" data-scaytid="211"hasta/span span data-scayt_word="matan" data-scaytid="212"matan/spannbsp; span data-scayt_word="segun" data-scaytid="213"segun/span span data-scayt_word="ellos" data-scaytid="214"ellos/span lo span data-scayt_word="hacen" data-scaytid="217"hacen/span en span data-scayt_word="defensa" data-scaytid="219"defensa/span span data-scayt_word="propia" data-scaytid="220"propia/span y span data-scayt_word="yo" data-scaytid="104"yo/span he span data-scayt_word="visto" data-scaytid="221"visto/span span data-scayt_word="como" data-scaytid="93"como/span span data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="30"por/span span data-scayt_word="una" data-scaytid="157"una/span span data-scayt_word="cosa" data-scaytid="222"cosa/span tan simple span data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="31"por/span span data-scayt_word="ejemplo" data-scaytid="204"ejemplo/span la span data-scayt_word="Policia" data-scaytid="207"Policia/span span data-scayt_word="ve" data-scaytid="223"ve/span a span data-scayt_word="algun" data-scaytid="224"algun/span span data-scayt_word="borracho" data-scaytid="225"borracho/span span data-scayt_word="tirado" data-scaytid="226"tirado/span en la span data-scayt_word="calle" data-scaytid="227"calle/span llamanbsp; a span data-scayt_word="sus" data-scaytid="228"sus/span span data-scayt_word="compañeros" data-scaytid="230"compantilde;eros/span y span data-scayt_word="aparesen" data-scaytid="231"aparesen/span span data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="32"por/span lo span data-scayt_word="menos" data-scaytid="232"menos/span span data-scayt_word="tres" data-scaytid="234"tres/span span data-scayt_word="patruyas" data-scaytid="235"patruyas/span con dos span data-scayt_word="policias" data-scaytid="236"policias/span span data-scayt_word="cada" data-scaytid="238"cada/span span data-scayt_word="patruya" data-scaytid="239"patruya/span span data-scayt_word="cuantos" data-scaytid="240"cuantos/span span data-scayt_word="policias" data-scaytid="237"policias/span son?solo span data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="33"por/span un span data-scayt_word="borrachito" data-scaytid="241"borrachito/span./p p span data-scayt_word="Yo" data-scaytid="76"Yo/span span data-scayt_word="entiendo" data-scaytid="242"entiendo/span de span data-scayt_word="Jovenes" data-scaytid="243"Jovenes/span sin span data-scayt_word="oportunidad" data-scaytid="244"oportunidad/span span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="127"que/span no span data-scayt_word="ven" data-scaytid="245"ven/span el futuro, ynbsp; span data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="34"por/span span data-scayt_word="ellos" data-scaytid="215"ellos/span y span data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="142"para/span span data-scayt_word="ellos" data-scaytid="216"ellos/span quiero span data-scayt_word="luchar.El" data-scaytid="2"luchar.El/span dinero span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="128"que/span gastan en span data-scayt_word="las" data-scaytid="116"las/span guerras deberian ser span data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="143"para/span la span data-scayt_word="gente" data-scaytid="164"gente/span span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="129"que/span lo nesesita y span data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="35"por/span lo span data-scayt_word="menos" data-scaytid="233"menos/span span data-scayt_word="puedan" data-scaytid="167"puedan/span pagar span data-scayt_word="sus" data-scaytid="229"sus/span rentas. Quizas hacer span data-scayt_word="mas" data-scaytid="74"mas/span grandes los taxes span data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="144"para/span los span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="130"que/span tienen mucho dinero span data-scayt_word="yo" data-scaytid="105"yo/span creo span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="131"que/span span data-scayt_word="esto" data-scaytid="185"esto/span va span data-scayt_word="ayudar" data-scaytid="210"ayudar/span y span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="132"que/span la span data-scayt_word="gente" data-scaytid="165"gente/span tengan voz./p p Tenemos span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="133"que/span empujar span data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="145"para/span hacer el cambio span data-scayt_word="por" data-scaytid="36"por/span span data-scayt_word="ejemplo" data-scaytid="205"ejemplo/span tenemos dinero span data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="146"para/span la guerra en Irak pero sin embargo se span data-scayt_word="hacen" data-scaytid="218"hacen/span recortes de escuelas y a donde se ba ese dinero? span data-scayt_word="pues" data-scaytid="80"pues/span a la guerra y no se hace nada span data-scayt_word="para" data-scaytid="147"para/span cambiar./p p nbsp;Hay razones de span data-scayt_word="estar" data-scaytid="68"estar/span en el City hallnbsp; hay cosas span data-scayt_word="que" data-scaytid="134"que/span quiero hacer y ya tengo planes. span data-scayt_word="Dijo" data-scaytid="120"Dijo/span Juan span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="10"Avalos/span./p p strongEnglish Follows/strong/p p John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="11"Avalos/span Visits Community Newsroombr / By ingrid De Leon/span data-scayt_word="Voces" data-scaytid="39"Voces/span de span data-scayt_word="inmigrantes" data-scaytid="41"inmigrantes/span en resistencia/span data-scayt_word="PNN" data-scaytid="43"PNN/span/p p I was at POOR Magazine#39;s monthly Community Newsroom in July whennbsp; I noticed a strange man wearing a suit and tie. Fightened I asked myself who is this man? He looked sincere and happy, in a few moments later after the newsroom had begun he presented himself and then it became clear who it was./p p br / It was no more or no less than John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="12"Avalos/span./p p br / I couldnrsquo;t believe it,nbsp; it was incredible seing his face in happiness as if he had known us for many years, he appeared to be around family, I felt him as one of our own. We asked him questions and he answered all of them. He said that he was running for Mayor for the city of San Francisco his goal is that this city should be for everyone./p p br / ldquo;The communities and families should be together for onenbsp; prosperous city, so folks can survive in peace and tranquility even though today I am the supervisor I fight and help everyday those people that really need it, I do this because my roots come from a labor hardworking background, said John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="13"Avalos/span to all of us/p p br / He continued, Even though I went to college. For me the people that work and fight to survive, I admire span data-scayt_word="them.”" data-scaytid="3"them.rdquo;/spannbsp; Said John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="14"Avalos/span. ldquo; I put ideas on the table and work on the budget cuts fighting for the span data-scayt_word="people.”" data-scaytid="4"people.rdquo;/span/p p br / And this is true because I have seen for example the police instead of helping they murder, supposedly in self defence. I have seen how for simple things like seeing a drunk man on the streets, they call their comrades and suddenly three cop cars are there with two cops in each vehicle, how many cops are they? Just for one drunk. In reality its better to have a school for the children of the future./p p br / I know youngsters without opportunities, they donrsquo;t see the future for them, and for them I will fight. ./p p br / ldquo;I want to have new projects and I will push to make a change. For example we have lots of money in Iraq but we make lots of cuts to education and where is this money going? To the wars and nobody does anything about thisrdquo;./p p br / I felt that he was being honest and I wait to see his support because we really need him.br / nbsp;/p p br / strongLess Double Talk- A reflection on John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="15"Avalos/spanbr / nbsp;by Stacey Langley-Watts, Poverty Scholar/strong/p p John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="16"Avalos/span of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (representing the Outer Mission and Excelsior) visited us at POOR Magazine#39;s Community Newsroom last week.nbsp; I had heard a little about him from some friends on Facebook, but it was interesting to meet with him in person.nbsp; Though I am involved in party politics in my home state, I still don#39;t feel that most major candidates really give a shit about what#39;s really going on with the common people.nbsp; I didn#39;t get that impression with John span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="17"Avalos/span.nbsp; He#39;s been involved in activism since his days as a labor organizer with the Justice for Janitors Campaign of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1877, which won union members affordable health care and wages to support their families.nbsp; span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="18"Avalos/span comes from a working-class background himself, though he was among the first generation of his family to attend a four-year university, graduating from UC Santa Barbara and then receiving a masterrsquo;s degree in social work from San Francisco State University./p p br / He seemed like someone that had a real concern for better community conditions, and he told me that he wanted to fight a war on poverty, increase opportunities for San Franciscans, and make San Francisco a more livable and sustainable place.nbsp; He said that power, money, and access create laws, and that it takes a lot of organizing for change, because people are resistant to it.nbsp; He also believes in the inside/outside strategy of working in politics, to which I can relate./p p br / In his term as Supervisor, span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="19"Avalos/span has been involved with passing the countryrsquo;s strongest local hiring legislation.nbsp; Coming from a state that doesn#39;t give a crap about job creation, I was impressed when he discussed that.nbsp; He has also fought to save city programs affecting elders and children from the budget ax./p p br / He also seemed concerned about the immigrant community.nbsp; He told us, They have an ally in me.nbsp; In response to a question regarding squatting, he mentioned that he could not legalize squatting, but said I could see not doing anything about it./p p br / We asked him about gentrification, and he seemed like he didn#39;t want to answer the question.nbsp; I didn#39;t really understand his answer, being unfamiliar with San Francisco geography, but I got the impression that he was dancing around the topic.nbsp; He did discuss how some communities are improving and that we need to look at the conditions that lead to violence.nbsp; He added that he wants the police in his district to get out of their cars and get on their feet./p p br / It seems to me that span data-scayt_word="Avalos" data-scaytid="20"Avalos/span cares about the local community, and uses less double talk than most politicians I have met over the years.nbsp; Nobody#39;s perfect in politics, but he looks like someone with whom our community can sit down and discuss the issues important to us.br / nbsp;/p