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by JR/PNN-Bayview Community Journalist
What would life be like if the city of San Francisco thought that you only
needed $59 a month to stay alive? They would expect for you to make that
money stretch to supplement your food stamps, if you get them,
travel/commute to school or work, buy yourself, your children, and any other
dependents clothes, buy cleaning supplies, save money to start a business,
put your child/ren into youth development activities, which is so vital for
Black youth in the 'hood, and try to relax on a meager $59 a month.
San Francisco County Supervisor Gavin Noose'em is proposing with
Proposition N, to take away a majority of the cash given to welfare
dependents, with the promise of "guaranteed services" and $59 big ones.
What "guaranteed services" are going to make up for the cash that is being
taken? That's one thing that is not spelled out in his newspaper ads.
Although he is not giving you enough information to make an informed
decision, he definitely spells out that he wants for you to support his
initiative. If you are wavering on whether to trust Gavin Noose'em or not,
you should look at all the promises that were made to the residents of
Hunter's Point in '97,from the city with the PG & E Power Plant. The city
made an agreement with PG&E where they would close down their plant in
Hunter's Point that year, but they ended up upgrading the facility, and they
are currently, doing more business than ever. Another example of shady
politics is the way that the navy refuses to clean up a 46 acre radioactive
dump, in Hunter's Point, which is reported to be one of the most polluted
areas in the whole country, and the city and county, for the most part are
doing nothing on behalf of the people to insure a safe environment for
future generations. If Supervisor Noose'em is really trying to help somebody
why isn't he looking into these issues, environmental issues that effect
everybody. Or is he operating out of self-interest?
You can also look at it like this, by supporting Noose'em you are
supporting a rise in the level of violent crime, East Oakland should show
you, that "ain't nothing funny when the money gets low" like East Oakland
based rapper A.E.M. s/c Askari X likes to rap.
What's silly about this whole debate is the fact you can turn on the
tell-lie-vision on any given day, and watch a news story vilifying Fidel
Castro and Che Guevara, and demonizing the Cuban Revolution, which has found
a way a way to satisfy all the basic survival needs for all Cuban citizens.
All of this had been organized, under the Cuban Revolutionary government
headed by Fidel, withstanding a 30 year U.S. embargo. If you are a citizen
of Cuba, you could wake up tomorrow and have a heart attack, go and get open
heart surgery, get bandaged up and walk out, without spending a penny.
Noose'em is not talking about this caliber of services, in San Francisco,
one of Amerikkka's richest cities, but Fidel is doing it in one of the
world's poorest countries. Now you tell me who looks like the criminal. If
Supervisor Noose'em is not trying to lench the poor people in the ever so
rich city of San Francisco, he can prove it to us by giving up his salary,
which is at least 100 times more than $59 a month, for a month to prove that
he could live off $59 in the Bay Area's economy. If he isn't willing to do
that he shouldn't ask any one else to do it. |
