The implementation of the dangerous new Proposition N (Care-Less Use of Cash) in San Francisco
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by Clive Whistle, Ace Tafoya and Tiny/PoorNewsNetwork The War on the Poor
Yes, I said the War on the Poor "This isn’t official yet but you people need to know what’s coming…" One of the case managers at my shelter stood at the front of our over-stuffed line of nervous poor folk – it was 9:00 am and we were about to be shoved out of the shelter for our collective days of wandering, food gathering and/or job hunting depending on our respective abilities or more important our Dis-abilities… You see, ever since the voters of San Francisco voted in Prop N (Care Not CasH) ie the voters of SF went for rich-white-boy-Newsomes campaign lies about "helping homeless San Franciscans" when he really meant ; Help me get elected as mayor on the backs of homeless people, Prop N has been racing toward a July 1st implementation date, in other words ASAP… "Once it is implemented – it will mean that people who are not currently receiving CAAP (welfare) will not be able to stay in the shelters cause the beds will be reserved for CAAP recipients. That means people on SSI, .. and any of the seniors will need to be transferred to State funded homes for the elderly" What?, I screamed inwardly first for my own disabled vet self and then for my two elderly friends in the shelter… why don’t they just put us all in jail right now and get it over with….. " Senor..senor – what about me – what about people who are just working but don’t have enough to afford rent in this town? "Yea brother, what about us working poor folks?" Two men from the line, one an immigrant from Mexico, one a refugee from eviction in The Fillmore asked the case manager… "No you two will not be given beds over the GA/CAAP residents – of course, if there are beds left over then hey – sure you can – but they will be given first priority.." Yea, I thought and the fact there are over 12,000 homeless folks in SF, and only 1,350 beds in all of San Francisco for single adults, over 2900 homeless CAAP recipients – not to mention that over 20% of the houseless are seniors 40% are disabled vets like me %25-40 disabled, 13% immigrants and 15% working poor – yea we’ll get a bed alright – in the county jail. "Your button should say, "I’m scared " because obviously you are scared of the homeless and trying to get rid of homeless people" I thought about the Prop N implementation meeting that occurred last week – fellow POOR Magazine reporter, Ace Tafoya, started by addressing the Gavin Newsome supporters that filled the room all wearing a hypocritical button "I Care" on their lapels. Ace went on to address the other frightening aspect of Prop N, " why is DHS’ planning to install Bio-metric imaging machines into shelters. This will frighten people, immigrants, people with mental health issues and even veterans. They might think they are being arrested and may not want to seek help. We strongly urge you to use this type of money on other services we really need"
The meeting at City Hall like this shelter line was filled with several hundred people
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