Story Archives 2000

by Queennandi XSheba & RAM

This was the 14th annual national day of protest against a plague of legal lynchings that if the Sssystem was true to its’ citizens, would never exist - po’lice terror.
This was the national day that fallen comerades & leaders such as Idriss Stelley, Cameron Boyd, Sean Bell, Oscar Grant, Bobby Hutton and Chairman Fred Hampton were remembered. For some of us at the march, it was an almost-new experience, but for those such as myself, It was a wound re-opener and a slap-in-the face fact that regardless of our heroes and sheroes waterfalls of bloodshed, The struggle continues. Painfully, I listened to the mother of our SBP (Slain By Pig) brother, choked up with emotions speak on her child. “He was a father, a brother-my son!” The pictures of Asa Sullivan, Idriss Stelley, Anita Gay, and many, many more shone away on this beautiful day as if the sun was their spirits, sending their warm blessings to inspire us to keep on fighting, and not to forget them.

All of us in the crowd jeered and booed when learned that the change of venue in SBP brother Oscar Grant’s Case was granted, for we all believe that if the crime was committed in Oakland, it should very well stay there. How is it that a pig like Johannes Mehserle can murder a man in cold blood, and his so-called right to be tried by a jury of his peers be handed to him on a gold platter? The foundation of the venue change is made of racism, cover-ups, political bootlickin’, back room shady deals, and of course, the pig’s right to a jury of his peers, so definitely the trial will be held on copland territory.
Fellow comerade, and “Man on the cross”, Brother JR spoke with fire:

“Wherever the trial goes, we will go! We will organize and educate the people ( in the area that the trial will be taking place) and enlighten them on the seriousness of po’lice brutality and murder!” Brother JR himself has been nailed to the cross for his souljah role in seeking justice for Oscar Grant. (JR’s court date is set for Oct 30th in Oakland) His unbroken spirit opened eyes and restored faith in the fact that the only way to justice is in the hands of Just Us.

I held back tears as I spoke on the assault I endured when I was seven months pregnant by SFPD’s “finest” officers Miller (ret) and shea. I was slammed viciously on my huge belly, and when witnesses began to gather around to protest, I was punished even more. One officer actually had the “beastly” nerve to put his knee on my back, using all of his weight and I thought for sure that my unborn cub wouldn’t survive. Po’lice brutality has become a generational experience in my family. My mother and younger brother did not survive this hateful wicked Sssystem, and it is up to me, and the rest of us to take a stand to demand of this murderous Sssystem that there will be NO MORE STOLEN LIVES!!!

With that said, I’d like to share a piece I wrote entitled “I AM TIRED OF BEING A SLAVE!”

QUEENNANDI. PNN

by Joe. B.

Thursday, Sept. 28, 2001 10:54 am.

Personally dazed and confused wondering how this could happen I could not write "Mess on Market Street" series for a while until I let sink in what happened on Tuesday, September, 11th 2001.

Went to bed, have a restless sleep.

Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2001 7:30 am seven people including myself walking on Market Street. Gray skies meet me with a whiff of a cool wind.

Usually a taperecorder, an aide to voice and memory, is in my hand.

A week or two ago it is lent to someone who need was greater than mine hopefully today or in days to come it will safe in its owner's possession soon.

Please send donations to Poor Magazine
C/0 Ask Joe at 255 9th St. Street,
San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:
PO Box 1230 #645
Market St. San Francisco, CA 94102
Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by By William T. Hathaway, william.hathaway@ewetel.net

After the savage denouement of Election 2000 we can look back on a campaign that saw Gore sacrifice his principles and Bush sacrifice our democracy, all to the great god Winning. The final debacle agonized but didn't surprise us. With grim inevitability it stripped away the last facade of red, white and blue idealism. Five weeks of political thuggery made it clear that our votes don't count. Bush didn't win this election; he seized power through a legalistic coup d'etat.

We may mourn for Gore, but he wasn't even outraged. A true son of the system, he'd rather sink than rock the boat. Despite some positive qualities, he's not a genuine agent for change. Like Bush, he supports capital punishment, genetic engineering of foods, corporate globalization, and a military build-up. Economically, the two men differ only in the size of their trickle down.

To find the reason for this Tweedledee and Tweedledumb pairing, we just need to look at their mega donors. The soft-money moguls don't want us to have a real choice. Campaign financing shows us that the major parties are just two sides of the same gold coin, two modes of control by the corporate oligarchy.

The economic power base of both parties lies in the business establishment, and they represent two tendencies within it. The Republicans support a fiscal orientation aimed at preserving the value of capital by keeping taxes and inflation low. To them, a moderate increase in the number of poor people provides an anchor on the economy by holding wages and thus inflation down. The Democrats support a mercantile orientation aimed at expanding public buying power. To them, a moderate increase in the number of prosperous people enlarges the customer base. Each party contains more than this, but this is their economic core that keeps their leaders from acting against corporate interests. The alternation of power between them ensures that neither tendency gets carried so far as to destabilize the very profitable enterprise. Given this structure, the changes we need can't come from them.

Through ballot-access laws, matching-fund regulations, and debate policies, the major parties try to shut out other approaches. They're the only game in town, and it's now obviously a shell game with no winners except them.

They and the corporate media have also avoided an open discussion of their economic interests by riveting public attention on the emotional sideshow, the battle of winners and losers. Politics, like the news, has become garish entertainment for an increasingly ignorant populace: we, the people.

Both parties are now calling for restoring harmony, for pulling the country together, for healing the national wounds. But what they really mean is healing the wounds to the establishment.

For the first time since our defeat in Vietnam, a major crack has appeared in our two-party but one-purpose elite. As they try to patch that crack and restore the cosmetics of democracy, we can expect a media campaign to create good feelings about America. Hollywood will get into the act, as it did after the Vietnam war with films such as PRIVATE BENJAMIN, AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, and TOP GUN, designed to restore the charisma of the military. The studio execs are probably already conceptualizing a hip, "mock the system at the same time you reinforce it" version of MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. And George W. Bush will now play Mr. Nice Guy, dismantling only gradually and indirectly the few progressive measures that Clinton was willing or able to implement.
But the crack is there and it can be widened; a wedge can be driven into it and it can eventually be split apart, and this monolith of power can fall and something new and more humane can take its place. Otherwise the establishment wouldn't be trying so hard to patch it up and erase the memory.

Forty-five thousand ballots that antiquated voting machines couldn't read, most of them from poor districts, still remain uncounted in Florida. Paid Republican demonstrators interfered with the counting, Florida officials governed by Bush's brother refused to accept revised vote totals, and the Republican-dominated US Supreme Court insisted on enforcing a deadline that the law itself says is flexible. Due to this coup, Bush won Florida by 193 votes and assumed the presidency against the national popular vote.

We must not forget this! But most people already have because it's too painful.

If the Left can reach those who haven't and turn their alienation into radical engagement, we may yet see a ground swell of political activism that will force fundamental changes. Until that happens, we, the people, will continue to be the losers.

by Joe B.

Welcome to One-Stop-Radio.

Had a call from a fem friend I haven't seen or heard from in months she called both my job-message and home phone.

Its an excellent night in 'Berk. I'm 'feelin an energized high another date planned Friday night.

Then the FCC Media is set for Saturday 10 pm.

Don't want to go, I know its important for free airwaves for everyone or there only be one concglom national mega corp spewing out its one message.

I get that. I go.
(I'm a apolitical worker in a political organization).
[its like 2 identical twin brother’s separated from birth. 1 is a sultry rhythm & blues singer the other a ‘gansta rapper who’s friends mistakes him as their buddy.

I may look the part but it ain't who I really am.]

I get a seat first where elders and persons in wheelchairs sit bad choice eventually they come and I have to find another spot to sit with room 253 rapidly filling up.

Another assignment is to get people-of-color from The Young Democrats. (My 3rd. editor is part of that group)

Something will go awry because I cannot be in two places at once if time overlaps between The FCC meeting and Young Democrats outside or in another room.

Moderator:Heather Hudson,Dir. of the Telecommunications Mgr.
Teresa Moore, Media Studies Instructor at the University of San Francisco. spoke also Supervisor Matt Gonzales,
Jonathan S. Adelstein,
Member of the Federal Communications Commission. F.C.C. (An unassuming hero but a he is one).
Ben Bagdikian, Former Dean of Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California at Berkeley.
Dino Dinovitz, Pres. and Gen. Mgr. of KRON-TV and member of the Board of the National Association of Broadcasters.

KRON-TV (The only news outlet covering this important session) ABC, CBS, NBC are noticeably absent which is as telling as if they were trying to argue their case for Consolidating the airwaves.

There's another name which I've forgotten.
Brenda Payton, Columnist for the Oakland Tribune.
Aimee Suzara, Youth Media Council activist and writer.

There was also Peter Coyote, Actor/Activist and Songstress Sarah Jones
Patti Miller’, Dir. of Children & the Media Program at Children Now.

Gail Silva, Executive Dir. of Film Arts Foundation.
Brother J, Hip-hop artist.

There are many more people to long to mention.

An overlap in time did happen before 12 noon arrived Sarah Jones, an intoxicating songbird spoke eloquently about Clear Channel's power to determine an artists career to help or hinder their them in what they write and or sing.

I quickly asked her for a picture gladly she said it would be alright.

Outside is another problem.

Youth with bloody wounds and scars (fake) are eating lunch standing in line as the Salvation Army fed them and later me with ham sandwiches, pink lemonade, soda, potato chips and regular or fluoridated water.

I had forgotten something (it happens when there is too much to do I tend to dump something like PC's dumping excess info.

Seeing for four Asian youths all young girls.

I tell them my name, who I'm with and asked them can I take a photo of them quickly adding "If you say no I won't do it.

Some giggling, chatting, looking about and they say yes.

One shot of the four length wise.

"Thanks, My job's done" I announced.

It sounds idiotic but got me back into City Hall.

It bores, excites, and is tiring but I stay.

Ashley Adams or Addams spoke more eloquently with more passion than I could muster.

All I could’ve said is "I like going to Malls and Mega Super Markets they’ve got almost everything in them you’d want to buy or need but it there’s an item I want they don’t have they tend to say "If we don’t stock it then its not needed."

I also so like small stores that have things mega stores don’t have and given the choice I chose small Mom & Pop stores.

I don’t want to hear one-voice, view, or side of many sided stories.

Mr. Michael Powel, son of Gulf War General Colin Powel says "Mergers make media profitable."

He’s alright with consolidation its all gravy to him.

To me will all this Con-Solid-deviation will end up scraping the bottom of and everyone else will be starved for information that will be harder and less able to find.

Choice and free market controls is what is needed not a return to the late 1800’s infamous robber baron’s of railroad owner fame.

Time to link up, find whom owns what, their connections, and not buy, listen, dis-investment there and reinvestment of independent voices.

What does this all boil down too? Money.

Switch dials, turn radio’s off, you can by dvd’s, video’s from independent makers dis-linking from corporations.

They lose or hemorrhage money spending ad time, giving freebies, to regain a customer base no longer listen, looking, or buying their adds.

Folks the money they make to use against us is our own money!

Lets spend it in our best interest not theirs.

If any readers have other suggestions please hurry up and spread the word before June 2, 2003,

Because its 37 days and we don’t have a secret government "Back-Step" to ward off stealth theft of the publics airwave’s. Bye.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:

1230 Market St.

PO Box #645

San Francisco, CA 94102

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Boys and Girls Club of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe

Kayleen Monroe

Slam Bio

Tan

Orange

Orange

Orange

Caterpillar

P

S

C

O

S

L

S

U

WHOAH

WHOAH

by Joseph Bolden

OH,Noooo,Fandom?

For Six or more I’ve written my Ask/Tell Joe Columns in the humble knowledge that even though supposedly online that no one’s really reading.

I think the same on radio in the Castro District and Noe Valley.

Haven’t been on air for awhile and have forgotten call letters, numbers I’m bad remembering names, dates, address, and areas on maps.

So,in Poor Magazine’s early days I got lost a lot lucky the women interns didn’t mind my gross sense of direction especially when

I’d say "I know where we are I’ve been lost here before."

Now Alexander Book Co. on 50 Second Street good luck to me finding a place I’ve never been to before.

I’ve been known to get lost at places that I have visited before how Darwin Award Winning is that!

What will I read, say, something short and to the point then listen to others while I eat.

As for pornographic work I only did stuff on my experience in dance bars, strip joints or and if I expressed an impossible dream of being in a porn film or a few.

That doesn’t hurt anyone but me or the female actress under me or I’m under.

As most dreams go its something I can at least accomplish because one has to have either a great face or banging body.

I don’t have either but endurance for the act itself while ignoring camera and people around me seems doable.

Some of those guys on film look awfulall I need is an eye patch and few months as a gym rat and concentrated bodywork.

It may never happen so what it’s a worthwhile goal and being writer could also help me write scripts, direct, produce, or have a distribution/marketing company and don’t forget the many friends (mostly women) especially director/ producer, actress-writer ones.

So what to say to my readers.

First my apologies to you all for my atrocious written works of bad syntax, spellings, and sentence structure but hope you understood a few of the applied science delved into.

Why should the very rich have extended lives when all our lives are equally if not as important.

Once in a while there are neuron misfires in my brain and it turns to life, sex, the eternal not necessarily in that order.

My dislike of technology isn’t fear its seeing it bundle up remember the clock/radio? Well, that’s what going on now.

Texting in cell phones, pics on pc’s is not person is virtual and virtual isn’t real.

It's why I love sex skin to skin not screen to screen one is undeniably real while the other always pails in comparison.

No porn alone, have fems and men and share it.

Send mail to deeandtiny@poormagazine.org and or to

jsph_bldn@yahoo.com for feed back (I might get some this time).

by Noemi Martinez

dear jesus

why can’t the govt

give me some $

for the clunker in the
driveway

it’ll die soon

and I need to get to
work &*

get the kids to school

don’t ask me to

buy some $14k ride

thats just crazy

come on, be real

let me buy another one

to last a few more
years

so i can keep going to
work*

paying rent, (going
crazy

& telling lies)and
shit like that.

& lets see about

getting some good

care for my dad

who only sees

shadows, and blue
lights & i wonder

(why is he blind now &

i don’t take his calls)

who’s taking him to

get groceries

cuz I cant (I remember
the hidden food but
can’t remember if its
real or not)

& can u see

about getting my
hermano into a good
rehab after this last
stint becuz he’ll be
dropped out at a bus
station, and I can’t
invite him here and

he'll sleep at
shelters & then he
(don’t say he’s

gotta be saved,

we are all lost

& fucked

& if he can’t ask

i’m asking for him)

I'll find old friends

& then

he'll see its

all useless & so i
dont blame him

because we all look
for release

see, but i can't

have him here (we all
want guns) &

he dreamed the address
of his kids

in that little cell,
made cafe in the
shower but i wonder

if dreams get spiked

with memories

or the other way
around who can

tell the difference
anymore-

he dreamed them, their
address, their house

and sent them letters

& i found them on
myspace

& it looks like they
have that

that thing

too, that companion
that follows us

& any day now, any day
right right right

things will change

& why’d you give us

hope

i’m asking

***

by Chance Martin

As part of the latest wave of human rights abuses directed at poor and
homeless people in San Francisco, Food Not Bombs(FNB) had their 5:30 food servingto homeless people in UN Plaza disrupted by San Francisco Police Department.

This is following the midnight removal of the plaza's benches Saturday,
April 28th in supposed "official reaction" to an investigative report on the
Hearst Corporation's KRON that aired on the previous evening's news. The
KRON newscast was slanted to portray all of UN Plaza's homeless residents as
violent drug addicts.

Subsequent FOIA requests made by the the Coalition on Homelessness revealed
that Mayor Willie Brown's office has been planning the benches' removal
since October, 2000 -- in callous and cynical disregard of the valid needs
and reasonable accommodations for disabled and senior citizens, homeless or
not.

FNB'ers at risk of arrest relocated the serving across Market St. from the
plaza, regrouped, then decided collectively to return to their regular
serving spot in the plaza. Two cops on bikes advised FNBers that they were
in violation of a court order and would be arrested if they did not stop
serving. They did not stop serving and the cops called it in.

Lt. McDonough, SFPD arrived shortly with court order in hand and simply
pointed and arbitrarily said, "you're arrested" to FNB servers and
organizers present. Soon after there were at least 8 police cars, a police
van, and 6 more bicycle cops.

A total of four FNBers were cited, two were cited and released, and two weretaken into custody for lack of proper identification.

FOOD NOT BOMBS NEEDS OUR SUPPORT!!!

THE NEXT SCHEDULED SERVING IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 9TH 2001 AT 5:30PM.
There Will be a press conference at 5:00pm

BE THERE! BRING A CAMERA! BRING A RECORDER! BRING A FEW FRIENDS!!!

EVERYONE TAKE NOTES, NAMES, BADGE AND VEHICLE NUMBERS!!!!

¡¡¡¡BE CREATIVE!!!!

It's time to end human rights abuses in the United States.

It's time to end ONGOING human rights abuses within spitting distance of a
monument to the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING...

by PNN Staff

The Po’ Scholar fund needs your help to sponsor very low-income media makers get their voices heard in print, on-line and radio media

POOR’s New Journalism/Media Studies Program has been teaching very low-income poets, writers, and journalists how to investigate, research and write a story on issues related to poverty and racism that impact their communities and families. While they train in a classroom setting, they also get field training as "Community Journalists", for PoorNewsNetwork (PNN) and The San Francisco Bayview reporting on serious issues such as police brutality, race and class based profiling, homelessness, youth justice, disability, immigration, welfare reform and many more issues facing all of us as a community.

Please help POOR Magazine empower these new scholars with a Voice – so they can be heard to make change. Due to the position of people in poverty they are unable to attend training without your financial help. Any donation helps!!!!

Sponsor Program

100% of your donations go to the cost to train each intern and to a stipend that is given to the Community Journalists – the stipends are $450.00 per month for 6 months. Their tuition is $600.00 for the entire semester program at POOR Magazine

Donor Levels:
Full Sponsor (sponsors the full tuition and stipend of an intern for six months)
$3300.00
Partial Sponsor ( sponsors the stipend of an intern for 6 months)
$ 2,700.00
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All donations are tax deductible – no donation is too small. Please send check or money order to POOR Magazine 2940 16th street #301 -Make checks out to POOR Magazine (note Po Scholar fund on your envelope) or call us at (415) 863-6306 for more info

by Staff Writer

Part 2

Part 3