Fast Time Friday, Well, I'm late to the ball but tasted cake.

by Joe B.

Fast Time Friday

Friday,June 18,2004.
Families are being set upon tossed out with little or no recourse.

At 555 California the location of a towering opaque glass, cement, and steel Bank Of America building is the site of people of all ages from neighborhoods protesting forced evictions by certain corporations.

Some chants begin "Pay Your Taxes,Pay Your Taxes."

When sitting down to gather film,tape for reporting a neatly dressed, middle aged black man says to me and another person standing up said we would have to leave the property.

J:"I cannot sit down

because it’s public property,private property; is this private property"?

I say aloud.

We moved, police be around not quite bored just sort-a glad to draw a less lethal duty though weary about it too.

At least that what it seems like to me.

A man who looked like the world renowned Charlie Chaplain’s "little hobo" character in his suit, bowler hat, and trademark mustache.

He "The Unholy Banker" he calls him self with a pail of green paper’s with marking resembling money.
J:"And you are, besides being the unholy banker."
M:"Right."

J:"You are also?"

M:"Michael Gance or Ganse."
"Background sounds make Michael’s interview unable for me to hear.

Pictures are taken for different angles, close ups, and crowd shots and individuals. Then back to interviewing.

J: "What’s this all about again, what’s happening, what they ‘doing wrong now?"

M. B: "What’the corporations are doing their trying to get the property (the value) lowered to get more money into their coffers.

If they paid the proper set values which is $890 million dollars it would equal more money for the city coffer’s and we hope that would translate to more jobs, money for homeless, more money for child care."

As you can see most importantly we got the young people our here from Sunnyvale, Oceanview, Bay View, Double Rock, and from all over… getting involved in activism.

That is so important to me." And hopefully we will this cause, but, like I said, the people out here are here to help our communities."
J: "And your name sir?"

Mike Brown, (I. C. Y.) Inner City Youth.",

J: "Thank You."

I spoke with Mr. Joe Wilson next for a quick interview.
J-W: "Yes, you are."

J: "I’m from POOR Magazine; well, what’s happening?"

J-W: "I’m Joe Wilson, of Colemen Advocates.
Well, today we’re here at Bank Of America urging B of A to pay its fair chair of taxes. Because these property taxes go a long way to funding youth programs, youth jobs, after school programs, childcare, and vital prevention in neighborhoods all over the city.

So B of A is trying to cheat the city out more than $4,000,000 dollars – $4.6 million dollars in fair property assessment and we think those dollars can go along way to helping a lot of youth in our communities to stem the tide of violence."

Another person in the fight against corporate greed is N’Tanya Lee. A petite young woman who doesn’t honey-up the truth; serves it raw for all to hear.

I’ve taken a picture of you…" (N’tanya L.) Ms. Lee spoke up right away.
N-L: "We’re here because at a time in our city, where young people are dying at unprecedented and the city is facing the worst budget crisis in fifty years with the we’ve got wealthy corporations in the city who are refusing to pay their fair share of taxes. We’re saying Bank of America… and some of the richest companies in the entire world that’s right. They…"

J: "Sucking all the money from the city."

N-L: "They basically are trying to cheat the city out of millions of dollars in taxes that the community needs to pay for youth services, programs, youth jobs.

Things that can make a difference in young people’s lives that can save an actually be a real solution to the violence in our communities."

J: "Thank you, and your name?"

N-L: "N’Tanya Lee, Common Sense Coalition and Director of Coleman Advocates."

With the story done I take one last picture of B of A’s 555 stenciled words on glass before leaving.

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