Story Archives 2002

by Gretchen Hildebran/PoorNewsNEtwork

I almost didn't notice the small sticker on the streetpost at 27th and Mission. As I lit a cigarette and waited for the bus, I had time to appreciate its easy formula. It read, "2001=1984". On this same night, January 8h, bombs were dropping on Afghanistan and Iraq in the name of freedom and the governor of California gave his State of the State address. Gray Davis gave a rosy overview of the "bright future" of our state despite the 12.5 billion dollars that has disappeared from the state's budget in the last four months.

In 1984, George Orwell describes a "fictional" world of fascist society and political double-speak where phrases like "Peace is War" justify an insatiable war machine and the obliteration of human rights. In his speech and the proposed budget that followed two days later, Governor Davis did a terrific job of bringing life in 2002 even closer than last year to the nightmare world of that novel. He fell over himself pronouncing the tremendous progress of California's social services network, claiming that in providing health care to all Californians, "the results are stunning!" What we need to focus on now, he insisted, is building our public safety against terrorism. At the same time, he would remedy the shortage of state funds by cutting social services a total of $742 million.

Davis and the California legislature get to decide what to do with the taxes from my paycheck (when there is one), from my food and my cigarettes. I wanted to find out how he could justify collecting taxes for anti-terrorism measures while turning his back on basic services. I found a copy of the budget online at the government website, but found it nearly impossible to understand, as every cutback is neatly disguised in the shiny wrapping of prudent financier lingo. So I checked out the California Budget Project, a non-profit that posts an independent analysis of the budget on their website and explains a little more of what this budget will do to actual people, especially those who depend on Medi-Cal and similar public programs for daily survival. There I discovered that California's public health care system alone is slated to lose $407 million. The proposed budget scrapes money off numerous programs, like those designed to sign more people up for Medi-Cal and the Healthy Families Program. It instates a co-pay by Medi-Cal clients for doctor's appointments and emergency care. The fees charged appear nominal, $1 to $5. But this cost is an erosion of the basic concept of accessible public health care and hands off a total burden of $30.6 million to the state's poorest people.

On the provider's end, government reimbursements to Medi-Cal doctors and clinics will be cut back, rescinding the rate hike they earned in 2001. In addition, public hospitals, including the UC health system, will be charged an $85 million dollar provider fee. The combination of higher fees owed to the government and lower payment for the doctors, clinics and hospitals that provide public health care has raised complaints from public health care institutions. But the people who will shoulder the burden of these cutbacks will be those who depend on Medi-Cal to receive timely, decent care. Recently a friend on Medi-Cal was relating to me her experience of being referred to a UC Urgent Care clinic by telephone. Even though she was told on the phone that she could be treated at the clinic until 5pm, she arrived to be told that the clinic had accepted its last client at 4:15. This meant she had to go to the emergency room or put off her urgent medical problem until tomorrow. When she complained, the attending physician brushed her off, saying, "We're operating on a shoestring budget." This kind of negligent treatment negates the successes that Davis touted in his speech. While he bragged of enrolling record numbers into Medi-Cal, he plans to severely reduce access and quality of care that poor people will receive. One of the other biggest "savings" planned in the budget is in freezing Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) for many state employees and programs, including foster-care programs, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, and CalWORKS employees. The millions of poor folks who depend on SSI as a safety net will again be left behind in the face of rising costs for housing, food and other basic necessities. The state will save a tidy $132.2 million again on the backs of those who have the least resources.

Some other folks who are left behind are those who depend on California for food stamps. 83,066 people who cannot receive federal food stamps due to their immigration status will be cut off from California's food stamp program starting on July 30 of this year. Davis justifies this move by declaring that these folks will be eligible for federal food stamps in October. While it is questionable whether the federal government is even willing to pick up the $35 million tab for this shift, only a politician who has never had to survive on food stamps could find this time gap acceptable. What exactly are people supposed to do without food for two months?

In addition to the cornucopia of open cuts to social service, there is a hidden strategy behind this budget's planning around federal aid. Instead of explicitly cutting another $400 million from Medi-Cal, Davis is expecting this amount to be made up by the federal government. While this hope may simply appear naive, it leaves the fate of California's public health care system up to a Bush administration hell-bent on spending billions on war and entirely eliminating its social service spending. A child could anticipate that federal Medi-Cal funding is not guaranteed. Davis is setting up our state for an enormous health care collapse that he can then blame on Republicans in an election year. Call it a $400 million dollar contribution to Davis' reelection campaign by the poor and underserved clients of Medi-Cal. Davis plans on using federal money to "bridge the gap" for $50 million worth of undefined social service programs, probably substance abuse and mental health treatment programs, both of which will experience severe cutbacks and are always easy sacrificial lambs for politicians. His other funding strategy borrows against state bonds that have not even been passed yet. This is a dismal situation for affordable housing programs. The 2002 allocation in this budget to the Department of Housing and Community Development drops from $559 million to $37.7 million, a 93.3% reduction. Davis plans this cut around the passage of a $2 billion dollar affordable housing bond that was supposed to create one million new affordable homes. If the bond passes this year in conjunction with this budget, it will just be making up for these cuts.

The Legislative Analyst's Office, another independent group that interprets budget and state finance, calls Davis' budget proposal "overly optimistic." They call into question the amount of available resources and the balancing act which will so heavily rely upon federal help. Davis isn't just going to use federal money to prop up Medi-Cal. He is planning on another $350 million in assistance from Bush for security "enhancements" in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. In this case it seems like Davis and Bush are on the same page (maybe accounting for Davis' excessive use of Bushisms in his speech: "Make no mistake, I will not raise taxes.") The plans for California anti-terrorism measures are as sweeping as the spending cuts that plague social services. The "Security and Public Safety" section of the budget outlines pages of plans to patrol and police highways and bridges and borders, as well as introducing federal surveillance and alert systems to state emergency services, including hospitals, clinics and pharmacies. Early in his speech Davis also stated, "We'll ensure that law enforcement officials- with the authority of the court- can monitor communications by suspected terrorists and allow 'roving' wiretaps on suspects."

But if you are worried about losing your right to privacy, don't worry. Later in his speech Davis assured us that "we've already made significant strides" in protecting our privacy against telemarketers. Several anti-terrorism bills are currently working their way through the State legislature already, like AB-1647, authored by Orange county Assemblyman John Campbell. The bill would allow any law enforcement official, including deputy sheriffs, Child Protective Services and tax officials, to record any conversation with "suspects" without their knowledge. If it comes down to a scarcity of resources, there is no doubt that these security measures are more likely than Medi-Cal to see funding from the federal government. Rather than safeguarding our social services and safety net from the Bush administration, Davis is playing the budget shortfalls for whatever advantage he can in an election year. By promoting "security" measures rather than things like public health and housing, he sacrifices the well being of poor folks to cater to the 1984-like actions of our political leaders. As POOR co-editor Dee mentioned to me upon hearing about Davis' budget, "who needs Bush when we already have Davis doing his work for him?"

Check out the budget yourself at www.cbp.org

by Aldo Dellamaggiora/PoorNewsNetwork

I watch the shiny cars and taxicabs roll through the San Francisco streets as the Saturday nightlife awakens. As the night begins a spark of fire ignites at the Women's Building. Featured speakers gather to discuss the war on terrorism. The discussion is lead by Omali Yeshitela, chairman of the African Peopleís Socialist Party (Uhuru Movement leader), Jess Ghannam from the Palestinian Right to Return Coalition, Kawal Ulanday of the Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, Quetzaocelacuia from the Barrio Defense Committee, Russell Redner of the American Indian Movement, and Abdul Mobin Akhunzda from the Afghan Muslim Association.

'Tierra libertad', we say 'tierra libertad' reminding our gente and the whole world about our fundamental struggle for raza: the indigenous people of this land, the Mexicans, Salvadorians, Nicaraguans. We are the indigenous people of this land, we won't be free until we reclaim our land. Quetzaocelacuia begins the night reminding us about the 500-year struggle of raza. Quetzaocelacuia, as well as this reporter, believe that the word raza represents anyone of indigenous decent from North to South America. Raza people represent about 35 million in the United States, and contribute greatly to the economic wealth of this country.

ìSince the U.S. government was formed out of the genocide of indigenous people, our political and law and enforcement sectors use Mexicans as scapegoats, stereotyping us into criminals, illegal aliens, nortenos, surrenos, Hispanic in order to divide the raza. The colonization of Indios and exploitation of Africans has developed the American economy. Indios and Africans were used by the government to extract natural resources, such as gold and silver, build the railroads for mass transportation, and harvest the agricultural fields so that the government could establish a strong economy for themselves.î Quetzaocelacuia continued to discuss the U.S. government's history of oppressive acts against the raza.

Back in 1848 the U.S. had declared war on the Mexican Nation. The Mexican Nation came into existence due to European rule wanting to dominate indigenous people. This was a struggle of independence from European oppression. The U.S. government was also moving in to take territory from the Mexican nation. The Mexican government had a gun to its head, signing the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2nd, 1848 by which over three fifths of Mexican land was stolen by the American government. This included various southwestern states including California, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and Wyoming. The Government took away the right for the Mexican people to have their own plot of land. This agreement was part of the treaty of Guadalupe.

When the American government saw raza organizing in the fields, factories and railroads to debilitate their labor struggles, the U.S. government began to deport Mexicans and put them in federal prisons.

Today police institutions are used to brutalize raza. The largest population in the California prison system is raza; the same can be said for a prison program called the SHU (Security Housing Units) that denies people the use of their five senses, breaking down inmates physically and mentally.

The economic situation of the raza right here in California is dismal: the medium income is less then $25,000 a year, three fourths of the prison is composed of the raza, less then 1% of university and professional people are raza, the people of the raza are killed by U.S. police agencies everyday. That means that the U.S. government, with its laws and policies, are controlling our people economically, socially, and politically. We are a colonized people, and the U.S. government maintains us in a colonial state. The situation of the raza in the U.S. is an important backdrop in the discussion of the war on terrorism.

Freedom Freedom NOW

Freedom Freedom NOW

Freedom Freedom NOW

Freedom Freedom NOW

U.S. U.S. OUT

U.S. U.S. OUT

U.S. U.S. OUT

U.S U.S. OUT

This chant was lead by Kawal Ulanday, a Filipino youth who delivered a very strong message for justice. According to Kawal, the Philippines have had a long history of military occupation. This militarization has resulted in the deaths of many innocent civilians, over ten of whom were killed by official orders. Troops are being deployed in the South of the Philippines, the Mindanao, and near Manila to go after a Muslim rebel group of 500 men. The people in the Philippines have not overlooked what has recently happened in places like Afghanistan, Palestine, Brazil, Oakland, Hunters Point, etc. ìWe are all up against the same enemy,î Kawal points out. According to Kawal, the reason why the Philippines is in economic and social crisis is because of the American intervention that has spread feudalism, imperialism, and capitalism. ìThere are a small number of betrayers that are in government dividing and conquering, and the majority of the people are side by side.î The people in the Philippines are proud about the Muslims in Mindanao because Spanish colonialism could not take them out. Kawal concluded with another chant.

Keynote Speaker Omali Yeshitela explained, ìWe as American citizens have the responsibility to educate and speak about the war on terrorism. The people of Afghanistan are suffering genocide aggression administered by the U.S. government. After George W. Bush stole the election, he declared a world war that has no defined enemy, duration, definable borders, nor any war terms, which the congress has supported, except for Barbara Lee.î

Omali continued, ìAfter America launched its attack on Afghanistan, mainstream media has told the public that a letter survived the fire at the World Trade Center proving that Osama Bin Laden was responsible for bombing the World Trade Centers, even though Osama Bin Laden is a U.S. creation." Omali is convinced that the airplane that flew over Pennsylvania was shot down by the U.S. government. "They have not explained how four airplanes could be off-course for forty minutes without any movement of U.S. air force. The U.S. government has bought all of the satellite imaging of Afghanistan; every piece of news has been filtered through the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon.î

According to Omali, George W. Bush went into office with a War Cabinet after he stole the election. Colin Powell, the Secretary of State, was a General; Former Secretary of Defense, Richard Cheney, is now Vice President; Donald Rumsfield is also former Secretary of Defense; Condoleeza Rice was National Security Advisor; and last is the Christian fundamentalist right-winger, John D. Ashcroft, appointed as Attorney General.

Omali discussed important events surrounding the the U.S. conflict with Afghanistan, "Diplomats around the world were concerned when Bush came into power for several reasons. President Bush wanted to change the balance of nuclear arms by establishing a Nuclear Defense Shield project that would be capable of defending against any arms threat from around the world, while simultaneously eliminating defensive strategies against U.S. aggression. On September 10, 2002, George Bush opposed protection for the planet from the toxic emissions coming from the industrial countries. From August 30 to September 7, 2002, worldwide officials meet in Durban, South Africa, and the majority stood with the Palestinian movement against their oppressors- the Bush Administration and Israel. After this on September 11, the world was told that a fundamentalist Muslim group attacked America. Thousands of innocent Afghani families, incapable of defending themselves, are being bombed over Osama Bin Laden, who may be dead. These are our courageous U.S. troops. The U.S. government bombs Afghanistan and then sends in the Northern Alliance. A series of more bombs follows. After the military Special Forces are sent to go into the caves to find Osama and his network, they bribe the Afghanis with money and food to go into the caves. That is what makes them special ops, just because they are carrying the money around to bribe somebody else to do the dirty work.î

ìWe live in a frightening time where lofty moral terms can justify American acts of terror all over the world. Now that the terror has hit the U.S., people want to take a patriotic stance to protect the American way of life (consumerism), which has nothing to do with human dignity. Being a patriotic American means being able to unite with the oppressions, against the people of the world This ideology in patriotism is rare and maybe a reason why John Walker may be in jail. He could not find a meaningful movement in Marin County that would help him find a way to deal with the history of American exploitation.î

ìGeorge Bush claims he wants peace but he will not stand in solidarity with oppressed people of the world. In fact, President Bush would rather subdue resistance against U.S. domestic and foreign policy anywhere around the world. Should the slave rise up and kill the slave master and destroy a system of slavery? Of course!î

Omali expressed concern regarding the lack of people acknowledging the reality of Imperialist America and its terrorism. ì This is why we always feel like we are standing on shaky grounds, because it is shaky grounds.î This country was founded on the exploitation of Africans and Native Americans. This country has invaded Cuba, Haiti, Central America, Colombia, Somalia, Wounded Knee, Palestine, Rwanda, Iraq, Vietnam, Korea, and here they have invaded our Liberation Movements- the Black Panthers, the American Indian Movement, and many others.

Omali advocated for organizing a broad coalition of people around the world exercising unity and respect for human rights. The Palestinian crisis canot be ignored because they are faced with aggressions backed by U.S. dollars and a mainstream media that twists information.

ìUnder the guise of humanitarian aid, the U.S. went to Somalia in 1993. U.S. backed ruler Siad Barre was overthrown in the midst of a civil war. . Apparently the U.S. was interested in the oil that was bought by four oil companies in Somalia that extends into Sudan.î

ìBush wanted a coalition government rather than one strong central government because four major oil companies had bought two thirds of Somalia from the previous leader who was head of state. So when former President George Bush ordered the military into Somalia, the people of Somalia shot down a helicopter killing eighteen U.S. troops. This resulted in an eighteen-hour blood bath where an estimated 7000 Somalis died.î

Recently the Pentagon supplied troops, planes, and bases to Hollywood to make a movie called Black Hawk Down which is supposed to shape public opinion and help justify American troops returning to Somalia under the guise of fighting terrorism. The real intention, however, is to manipulate the government in order to get oil. American Somalis send from 200 to 400 million dollars annually to their country. President George W. Bush claims that this money has been funding terrorism in Somalia.

Russell Redner of the American Indian Movement spoke next. ìIndigenous People are misrepresented amongst the different Freedom movements. This is due to the lack of the indigenous population. But there are Native American Movements still standing strong in the struggle for justice. We could not figure out a way to connect with the rest of the movements that are still active. Like the Black Panthers and the Brown Berets, all these movements were very strong, but we could not figure out a way to connect with these movements because we did not have the intelligence, connection, or the words. We did not know how to rap or to sing, we did not have all the stuff that you had to have to be an activist. But by the same token, they did not know how to sing and dance our Indian songs. The Native Americans hosted these movements on their land. There was never a strong effort to bridge those Movements of the Native Americans and the other Freedom movements." Russellís message is to not forget the Native brothers and sisters because we all need each other.

The speaking continued on with Jess Ghannam with the Palestinian point of view. "Fifty-three years ago 90% of Palestine was farmed and owed by Palestinian Arabs. In 1948, the British and U.S. governments formed a Jewish colony on the claim that God gave the Jews that land. The government of Israel justified its occupation of Palestine by declaring a war of independence that was their propaganda used to cover up their colonization of Palestine. This occupation protected oil interests."

Ariel Sharon is a war criminal. When the world came together to fight racism, the only two countries that decided to walk out were Israel and the United States. The liberation of Palestine scares the U.S., scares Israel, because we know when Palestine is liberated, the rest of the colonized world will be liberated. 900 Palestinians have been murdered or assassinated, 25% of these murders have been children. 18,000 Palestinians have been injured, and 8,000 of these were injured children. Israeli Defense forces have carried out these acts of brutality. American tax dollars pay for the weapons Israel uses. The Palestinian Right to Return Coalition represents the four and a half million Palestinian refugees scattered throughout the world that canít go home." Jess expressed gratitude and and felt "privileged to be amongst the other keynote speakers.î

Abdul Acasa spoke as a representative of the Afghani Muslim Association. His views on freedom are that it is an obvious right of human existence. "This Freedom did not exist after September 11, where 50,000 women were raped in the city of Kabul. The war in Afghanistan is about oil, not the Taliban. The women in Afghanistan are not liberated, the women cannot come out of their houses today in Afghanistan. They are in the worst situation anybody could ever be- raping, killing, and destruction. Become an Ambassador of Truth, tell the people the truth. Tell the people that the oppressed have got to get together. Oil for blood." Abdul said that the war in Afghanistan is truly unjust.

At the end of the teaching I got a chance to speak to Omali Yeshitela. Omali had advised me to continue with the truth and to expand my education.

I stepped back out into the busy San Francisco nightlife thinking that even though it would be difficult to rise up from corruption and all its distractions, it would be a rewarding state of mind, fueling self-respect.

by Gretchen Hildebran/PNN

The climb up to the Potrero Neighborhood House begins at 17th Street but really kicks in just as I pass the newly renamed Enola D. Maxwell Middle School for the Arts. Late and impatient for the bus, I am breathing hard as I get to the top of the hill. My efforts are rewarded by a wide vista of San Francisco and its Bay. Inside the House, the distant bayshore is perfectly framed by the windows on the far wall of the theater. Clear blue skies have emerged behind the morning's grayness and in the distance, at the foot of the hill, I see a large white plume of smoke rise from the power plant into the perfect sky.

Despite clear-looking skies, most residents of Hunter's Point and Potrero Hill have suffered health problems caused by pollution from the aging power plants in their communities. Last Saturday, a community meeting was held at the Neighborhood House to discuss the plants. I met Lisa Watts, who has been living in Hunter's Point for thirteen years. Her motivation for coming to discuss the plans of the Mirant corporation to expand the Potrero Hill plant was basic: "I have asthma, my daughter has asthma. People
are getting sick, we get headaches."

While the outdated and toxic Hunter's Point plant still operates, Mirant has applied for a permit to expand the Potrero Hill Power Plant from its current 363 megawatt output to massive 903 megawatt capacity. This would make it the largest power plant located closest to the highest density of people in the state of California. And it is no accident that the communities located near both of San Francisco's power plants are 80% people of color and have the highest rates of poverty in the city.

Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) called the morning meeting in order to educate the public about the state process that will decide the fate of Mirant's proposed expansion. Greg Karras, a trim and confident researcher for CBE, presented and refuted
the three main arguments that Mirant is using to justify the expansion:

1. If they build a new bigger plant, it would then be possible to shut down the deadly Hunter's Point Plant.
2. San Francisco HAS to build a bigger plant to avoid power shortages like those of the past year.
3. The environmental costs of the expanded plant are "acceptable" due to the need for more power.

These three points are serving Mirant well, especially after the energy shortages and scandals of the last year. However, CBE and communities living near the power plants are organizing to show that San Francisco can meet its power demands without the expansion. In fact, the CBE's report "Power and Justice" proves that we have the means to reduce our city's dependency on polluting generators altogether.

The closure of the Hunter's Point plant is being held out as the proverbial carrot to the communities that have been suffering outrageous rates of asthma, cancer, diabetes and heart attacks, all of which have been related to the pollutants produced by the plant.
The Independent System Operator, a state agency that controls plant operation, has refused to shut this plant down despite enormous community opposition. According to Karras, on the state level there is "no process right now for shutting it down." Mirant's promise of eliminating one polluting plant in exchange for another is only capitalizing on the community campaigns that are working for this closure. CBE's report demonstrates that San Francisco could shut down the Hunter's Point plant and still meet its peak power demands without the expansion. The answer, as Karras explained, lies in "diversification of sources." CBE's plan outlines several demand scenarios and maps out a variety of energy sources to meet even peak power demand. These all rely on available technology such as solar panels, wind turbines, hydropower, and fuel cells. Some alternative sources, such as burning gases produced by sewage, are already being planned for the city. These options would considerably reduce San Francisco's use of plant power. Even in a worst-case scenario, the capacity of the current Potrero Hill plant would still be sufficient to meet peak demand.

If approved, the Potrero Hill plant expansion would operate for the next forty years, locking SF into more fossil fuel dependency, says Mike Thomas of CBE. Mirant is currently negotiating a "cost plus" contract with the state. This means that the plant would agree to always meet the city's demand for energy and the state would always cover the plant's losses when demand is low. The pressure would be on to rely on the massive output planned for the plant while ignoring potential renewable, responsible and clean energy sources. Meanwhile, the extra hundreds of megawatts produced by the plant could be sold in today's inflated energy market, guaranteeing a tidy profit for Mirant.

Residents who breathe in the direct results of plant emissions know why it is crucial to use them as little as possible. Eliza Strauss, a student intern at CBE, talked to me about how hard it is to convince people from other parts of the city that this issue is important. She goes to Urban High School, and explained that "most of the kids there are from Pacific Heights and Sea Cliff. This issue effects everybody, but a lot of people say, 'It's for those people over there and I don't have to experience it or think about it.'" Strauss lives in Bernal Heights and can see the plant from her bedroom window. She is working with CBE to get community groups involved in the fight against the expansion.

One component of the proposed plant that Bay Area groups are organizing around is the cooling system it would use. Approximately one-third of the Bay's water would cycle through the plant and be discharged as "thermal waste." This would wreck havoc on the Bay's ecosystems, killing half a billion fish larvae a year and adversely effecting fifteen Bay Area species. Although different cooling systems are possible, Mirant is insisting on water cooling, finding this kind of environmental destruction "acceptable". Now is the time for the city to review its options for power. The Board of Supervisors is putting together an energy plan, which, in accordance with a recent ballot measure, will map out clean and reliable sources of energy for San Francisco. Unfortunately, these will only be recommendations to the California Energy Commission (CEC) that makes the final decision on plant permits. While companies have been known to drop their plans due to community pressure, the CEC has never turned down an application.

The only time the community could impact this decision is during the CEC's hearings on the plant, which should be happening this spring. These communities are organizing to denounce the project. According to Lisa Watts, "People know what is going on." But the concerned middle-class white people at last Saturday's meeting didn't strike me as representative of these communities. I asked POOR staff writer and photographer Joseph Bolden, one of the few people of color who was at the meeting, what he thought of the turnout. "Most people are just trying to feed their kids, trying to survive. The people here must have some time to work on this." I brought up this issue with Mike Thomas of CBE. He acknowledged the importance of turning out the Potrero Hill and Hunter's Point communities. CBE is organizing people to come to the hearings. It is more direct and effective, he explained, "You can speak face to face with the commissioners who make the decision." That seems to be the best time to tell the state that the beautiful Potrero Hill views should not be accompanied by toxic wind and Bay destruction. The communities that suffer from these plants will continue to demand respect and safety until those sheltered from pollution's realities take notice. As CBE intern Strauss said, "People think you can just go from one place to another, give up your community and job and family to get away from something like this. People are afraid to call it what it is, it is just environmental racism."

by Mari/PoorNewsNetwork

I woke up from a short nap the other day and glanced at the red framed mirror near my bed- my weary eyes found a note and a one hundred-dollar bill. The note was from my friend Mark. It said, "I do not want to go on living like this," and many other things showing how unhappy he was with his life. The $100 dollars was supposed to be for my broom he accidently broke earlier, "and for anything else". I was left feeling scared, shocked, and unsure of what to do.

I called a mutual friend of ours. I asked her if she had seen Mark. She said she hadn't seen him. Then I told her the story of what had happened, and read her the letter. She was going to contact his mom, and the transitional living program where he used to be a resident. I then called the Suicide Prevention hotline. I told the volunteer the situation. The volunteer told me to call 911.

At this time I was still scared to call 911, because I did not want the cops to come out and hurt, kill, or scare my friend into killing himself. At this time I was supposed to be at a Youth Commission retreat, so I thought maybe Mark went there to go find me or someone else. I called Colleen, the Director of the Youth Commission, to see if Mark was there. I also told her what was going on. She also told me to call 911. Next, I get a call from a staff person from a youth shelter. I told him the situation also, and he told me to call 911.

So, here it is: I dial 9, then 1, and then 1. I am expecting an operator to talk to, but instead I get put on hold. My friend wrote me a note stating he doesn't want to live anymore, and I get put on hold! Then after being on hold for a while, the operator came on and I told him what happened with Mark. He said he was going to send out the cops. I told him I didn't want the cops to come; I wanted the Mobile Crisis Van to come out instead. The operator said he couldn't do that because I didn't even know if Mark was in his room or not. I hung up the phone and started praying that nothing bad would happen to Mark.

Knock, knock, knock was the sound I hear on my door. Two police officers were standing in front of me. ìI called 911,î I said, and the woman asked me ìWhat happened?î While I am telling her the story, she interrupts and asks, ìWhat is this place?î I tell her its apartments. This question has followed me for a year and a few months. I happen to live in the first housing in the nation that was created in the hopes that every tenant would be a houseless youth between the ages of 18-23. So her response was ìOh, there is just so many youth around here." She asked me more questions about what happened. She asked me if Mark had any weapons, or was on drugs. I said no in a heartbeat. I did not want the cops to take Mark as a threat. He might already seem a threat to some cops because he is a tall, black, young man. Then, the male cop asked me, ìWhat happened?î At this point in time, I already explained the whole story of what had happened. So I had to go over the story again. The guy cop asks me, "Is he white or black?" I paused for a minute. I was scared to tell the cops that Mark is black. I didnít know if they would treat Mark different if they knew he was black. I ended up telling him Mark is black.

Next, the cops knocked on the building managerís door, but she wasnít there. At this time, I thought Mark might be in his room, but just not answering the door when I knocked. The female cop kept on stating she didnít want to kick Markís door down. Then one of my neighbors was passing by and said he knew how to break into the apartment. Then I think he realized he just said this to the cops, and so he further explained that he has had to break into his own apartment before, due to being locked out of his place. Then the female cop said, ìI donít care as long as I donít have to kick down that door.î So we all walked down the hallway to Markís apartment. It felt like it took so long to walk down the hallway. Time seemed almost suspended. Then my neighbor opened Markís apartment. Then all of a sudden time seemed to start again when I saw the cops pull out their guns. I started crying and praying in my head, Oh, God please donít let the cops kill Mark. I grabbed onto my friend and he was holding me to give me comfort. I kept on thinking Why do they have their guns out? They are going to hurt Mark.

The cops came out eventually and told me Mark was not in there. Then they asked me if I had a current picture of Mark. The cops said they were going to file a missing persons report, and if I see Mark to call 911 to get him off the missing persons list.

One to two hours passed while I wondered where Mark was and if he was OK. I got a knock on my door, I rushed to my door and I saw Mark. He was all right. I hug him closely, and just thank God my friend is all right. I tell him that the building manager wants to talk to him about what is happening in his life, and that a staff person at Larkin Inn Shelter wants to check in with him. During this time I call 911 again to tell the operator Mark has been found and that he is all right. The operator told me that someone would be coming to the apartment complex to make sure Mark is all right. The operator made it seem like a mental health check was going to be done, and that a mental health professional would be performing it. But, I was so wrong.

My friend tells me she sees a cop car outside, and then I look and see that there are two cops heading towards my building. I walk downstairs to see if the cops are there for Mark. I hope not because I am expecting Mental Health professionals. While I am walking down the stairs, the cops are walking up the stairs. I asked them if they were here for the 911 call. They said yes, and I told them I placed the call. I also told them Mark was across the street and told them to follow me. Then the more plump, uneasy-looking cop says, ìWait, hold up I want to know if this guy is going to run up on me or something.î I thought to myself that I called 911 because Mark wrote me a note that he didnít want to live anymore, that means my friend is not trying to think about hurting other people, only himself. I wanted to scream at this cop and tell him: How dare you come into a situation where a person needs help and you are thinking of him like a criminal already? That your first reaction is he is going to run up on you, and not is he OK? Then I wanted to tell him he should take the Police Crisis Intervention training on how to deal with people who are mentally ill. But I tell the cop ìNo. He is not going to hurt anyone.î Then the same cop asks me, ìDoes he have any weapons? Is he on drugs?î Again I say no to both questions. So we walk across the street and Mark comes out of Larkin Inn Shelter.

The cops' first reaction is to handcuff Mark's wrists. Mark says over and over ìWhy am I being handcuffed? I do not want to be handcuffed.î I ask the cops, ìWhy is he being handcuffed?î The plump cop's response is, ìThis is mandatory policy, we do this to protect ourselves, and protect you. You are not under arrest. You are being detained.î I keep on stating, ìHe does not need to be handcuffed.î The plump cop states, ìYes he does. He might try to run out into the street to get hit by a car, and then he dies.î Then I thought, Markís hands are cuffed, not his feet. He can still run if he really wanted to. Then the other skinny-looking cop says, ìWe are going to take you to the hospital to get some help.î Then all of a sudden a light bulb goes off in my head and I understand what is happening: the cops are pulling a 5150 on Mark. A 5150 is where a person is involuntarily taken to the hospital in order to have a 72-hour psychiatric evaluation.

Mark said, ìCan we at least go inside the apartment building instead of being outside on the street?î The cops said ìNo.î Mark said, ìI want to talk to someone in charge.î Then the cops called for their Sergeant to come out. Then the plump cop said, ìWhile we are waiting, letís put you in the patrol cruiser.î Then Colleen and I very loudly and clearly said ìWhy?î The plump copís explanation was that Mark seemed vulnerable. That someone could just come up and kick him or hurt him. Then I said, ìBut you canít even tell that he has handcuffs on because his back is towards the wall.î Then the cop gave up trying to put him in his car. Then Mark said, ìI donít need to be handcuffed. Why am I handcuffed?î Then the plump cop said, ìBecause you might go inside that building and kill twenty people.î Colleen and I were disgusted by what this cop had just said. Then we spoke up about his comment. Then of course the plump cop tried to justify what he had just said. During all this I ask the plump cop ìAre you pulling a 5150?î He says, ìI have to see what my Sergeant says.î Then the skinny cop pulled me aside to talk to me. He was telling me that Mark has go to the hospital. The hospital will decide if Mark is mentally ill, and at the hospital they will take off the handcuffs. He wanted me to talk to Mark and make him understand that he needs to go to the hospital.

Then shortly after the Sergeant finally came and confirmed that Mark needed to go to General Hospital. So, the cops put Mark in the back of the patrol cruiser and waited for Colleen and I to follow them. Colleen and I got in her car and waited for the patrol cruiser to move. The cop car started to drive off, and we followed.

We arrived at General Hospital. The cops checked Mark into General hospital. They told Colleen and I to wait in the lobby, and that they would be back in two minutes. Well, it was way longer than two minutes, but they eventually came out and gave me a number to call to talk to someone in the psychiatric ward about Mark.

All in all, I am glad that Mark went to the hospital to receive help. He can actually admit he has a mental illness. He goes to therapy. The thing that makes me uneasy is the way he got to the hospital. Why did he have to be handcuffed and driven in a cop car? Mark was treated like a criminal, not as a person who just needed help. My friend is now traumatized and humiliated by this event.

I asked Mark to reflect on this event in his life and how he sees police interaction with people who are going through a psychiatric crisis. His response was, "Too many people have lost their lives because of their interactions with the police, because of their lack of training in psychiatric crisis situations."

by Staff Writer

After 10 years in the HipHop industry, Askari X, of the Black Imperial Society, is ready to promote the revolution on an international stage. On his new album, Revolutionary Suicide, due to drop on Huey Newton's birthday on February 17, Askari is taking his lyrical capabilities to new heights. He has teamed up with Tajai of Souls of Mischief, M-1 of Dead Prez, The Righteous Black Guerrillas, Mahasin, Nuttso, and Hittaz on the Payroll to put down some historical collaborations. His past albums were Ward of the State which dropped in 1992, Message to the Blackman which dropped in 1996, and The Return of Askari X which dropped in 2G. Revolutionary Suicide will be Askari's fourth album, and is named after a book of the same name written by Huey Newton, cofounder of the Black Panther Party.

Within Askari X's decade long career, his lyrics have made him a legend in the streets of "The Town" of Oakland, California. Revolutionary lyrics like these from the song "I Ain't Scared to Die" on the new Revolutionary Suicide, "I know that the system is responsible for the condition of my Black folkz in the ghetto/all across America, the funk is deep/I put the message in the music to wake you up out your sleep/ but how could I keep/ my head above the waters when the source of the currents is pulling me harder than I can swim" are exactly what has made Askari a household name in the West. He has been featured on almost every Delinquents album, he did a number of songs with 3x Crazy, and recently recorded a song by the name of "Taha" with D'Wayne Wiggins of Tony Toni Tone. 2002 will be a big year for Askari because he is scheduled to do songs with Yukmouth of the Luniz, Mystic, Digital Underground, The Coup, Planet Asia, Zion I, Hieroglyphics, and Keek the Sneak.

If you are interested in seeing Askari X online, you can go to launch.com to see the "Oakland Streets" video. When the album drops you will be able to order it online from urbanfacez.com. If you are interested in getting more information or booking Askari for a show, you can contact the Black Imperial Society at bis@scientist.com.

by Staff Writer

WE love you all and are soooooo happy and inspired that you exist on this planet with us - that you speak and print truth and wisdom 'bout poor folk like us and others who would otherwise not get their truths and voices heard! and that you’all activate the world of media in such a way as to inspire, revive and wake-up all people who need wakin’,educatin’ and inspirin’….

by Tom McKay

This is an autobiographical account of a southern California woman who was made into a U.S. Government mind-controlled slave. She was controlled by her family as well as Bob Hope and Henry Kissinger. She was used as a sexual slave to provide favors to carefully selected individuals, and to gather information from important people around the world. She was sometimes used to seduce people and create situations so people could be compromised and blackmailed. She was used to carry secret messages from the 5-man Council who dictated policy to the presidents of the United States, JFK, LBJ, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. The secret Council is working behind the scenes to create a Global Dictatorship of the Secret Elite which is sometimes referred to as the New World Order.

Susan was born in 1951 in southern California to a multi-generationally abusive family. Her father deliberately tortured her from the earliest months of her infancy in order to create multiple personalities. Since her ordinary personality didn’t know what her alternate personalities experienced, this created total amnesia and forgetfulness about the secret slavery and exploitation of her other personalities. Her ordinary personality thought she was having a rather ordinary life. For some strange reason, this trauma-based mind control created several personalities with photographic memory and extremely powerful mental abilities to see and remember exact wording of long and technical documents.

Her father also began abusing her when she was several months old, so that she could be used and exploited for child prostitution and pornography by the age of two years old. The trauma that she experienced as a child broke her will and she gradually became accustomed to obeying orders unquestioningly. She was never allowed to learn that she could have a will and a mind of her own.

When Susan was several years old she was "sold" to Bob Hope as a mind-controlled slave. Shortly after Bob Hope bought her, Susan was introduced to Henry Kissinger. Together, Bob Hope and Henry Kissinger trained her and prepared her for her secret government services. Bob Hope helped to create social occasions where Susan could be introduced to a wide variety of political leaders and other important people. Bob Hope did not use Susan for his personal sexual pleasure until after her puberty when she was more developed.

Kissinger used the mental abilities of some of her alternate personalities as a mind-file and memory bank, but never used her sexually for his own pleasure. He was also clever enough to get other people to perform the regular torture and traumatization which was necessary to maintain the forgetfulness by switching her to alternate personalities. Nevertheless, Kissinger exploited her slavery in every way by using her to seduce and give pleasure to carefully selected people that he wanted to manipulate, blackmail, and exploit.

Susan says, "The trauma and torture was endless, occurring nearly every day and night of my childhood" (page 17). It seems that she survived and eventually escaped from her ordeal as a result of Divine intervention. She says, "I have had so many near-death experiences that I am familiar with dying. Death is not at all frightening to me. My life has been restored through Divine intervention countless times and I trust that when God is ready for me to leave this world, I will go, and I won’t go until that Divine timing is completed" (page XXXI). At least once during her childhood torture she had an out-of-body near-death experience in which she saw angels who helped her survive her ordeal.

For many years Susan witnessed the criminal activities of the people who are secretly controlling our government and the world. She says, "People in America think they elect their Presidents, but from what I witnessed, they do not – as the process of putting them into office is a highly controlled and corrupt one. The media is so controlled that the American people never get the full and accurate story. The presidents are selected long before they are ‘voted’ into office" (page 115).

In 1987, when Susan was 36 years old, she had a horseback riding accident in which she smashed her head into a tree and broke her back. During her recovery process she prayed deeply and intensely for healing and became spiritually closer to God. As she began to recover the memories of torture and abuse she was very confused about what was happening.

Susan became dysfunctional and was hospitalized in a mental hospital. As she continued to recover her memories, the government tried desperately to traumatize and torture her back into forgetfulness but it no longer worked. Susan’s alternate personalities were accustomed to being tortured, and her ordinary personality was determined to heal herself and understand what was happening. Her deep prayers brought the guidance and healing powers of the Holy Spirit into her life.

One day George Bush and Henry Kissinger discussed what to do with Susan. George Bush said, "We’re going to have to waste her Hank" (page 257). Henry argued against that approach because there were so many other mind-controlled slaves who could experience a similar recovery process that they would need to devise a strategy for all of them.

The government harassment against Susan continued, but so did her healing process. Writing her memories in a journal was an important part of her healing process. In 1995 Susan self-published her first book under the pseudonym of "Brice Taylor," "Starshine: One Woman’s Valiant Escape from Mind Control." This first book was a dramatization of her recovery process and escape from slavery.

"Thanks For the Memories" is the second book that Susan has self-published under the pseudonym of "Brice Taylor." This second book is not a dramatization, but "is a documentation of events as they happened from the best of my recollection" (page XXXII). This book is a magnificent story of a victim of abuse who has managed to turn the tables on her torturers and expose their sadistic insanity. This book exposes the scandalous and criminal manner in which members of the Secret Elite control people.

I believe Susan’s story because I have personally experienced covert criminal harassment and abuse from our government for more than seven years. I am also in e-mail communication with hundreds of other people who have been experiencing covert government torture and abuse. All covert government abuse must be stopped immediately.

This book deserves to be in every library and every person should read it. The American people need to know about the secret criminal behavior that our leaders have been perpetrating on innocent people. Susan Lynne Ford Eckhart is profoundly worthy of our respect and admiration.

by Joe B.

The Newsom Plan:Will it Help Homeless People and Working Poor
with a firm just hand, or the old velevet covering taloned hands of steel?

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2002 - Wet streets, gray skies, and less nippy, even a tad warmer today.

10:30 am or 1pm 'kinda heard out of one of my ears.

City Hall Supervisor Gavin Newsom is trawling for votes for his 23-25 or 28 point plan on helping homeless and working poor people.

I don't know if its fix or hide a glaring, growing divide between haves and have nots - it's a big deal.

Me, I'd like to rerun this day with me firmly in bed sleeping knowing I don't have to work, preferably with feminine companion, under cover too warm, snugly- yes, except I have to be up 7-8pm 'um am.

See! I don't get enough sleep. I mean my Bio rhythms are off.

After wallowing in throws of afterglow I'd go to a gym for exercise and then return to snuggling again if she has a day off too.

Nice dream isn't it? But reality beckons Reality Sucks.
I dream simply but doable.

Because yay or nay people will live, do their thing, to get over any way they can.

I don't think Newsom is really 'gonna get over on this because too many people know and have experienced the hype before, unless he has a real vision of the problems.

Just up-dating hand-me-down non solutions from others before him don't work.

Being next to former Sup. The Honorable, Reverend Amos Brown and soaking up some of his ideas doesn't sit right with most working poor and homeless folks.

I hope this Newsom guy is not another joker in a pack of cards that are only playing at helping people down and out.

Unlike "The Rock who can possible be hurt wrestling in the circled ring.

Newsom's replanting New York's Model instead of being original in using San Francisco's unique situation seems the easier deal.

Don't know how this guy will fare but I say find out and know every thing possible about this Pol's family, friends, and how he rose to prominence and his ultimate ambition in political circles.

Now, looks like I'll miss this City Hall Whoop Whoop, guess I'll have to go across the bay, dial a woman or two and snuggle for a few hours.

Its a bad alternative but life is what one makes of it and I am out of here.

Anyone know about the Newsom 'Pol machines give
folks at POOR Magazine a buzz, e-mail, or snail mail letters.

'Gotta go folks, call some numbers and have a good 'um, rest.

by TJ Johnston

I cursed myself because I couldn’t find the Boston-themed sports bar that was supposed to be on Polk Street. What better place to watch the 2002 Super Bowl (forgive me, but they should lose the Roman numerals) than amongst expatriate New Englanders such as myself? It was almost 1:00pm: kickoff was two and a half hours away, but I was missing out on most of the pre-game festivities.

Normally, I would abstain from the bread and circuses this championship game provides. The last time I decidedly glued myself to the TV on Super Sunday was in 1991 (to refresh your memory, it was Buffalo vs. the New York Giants amidst a Gulf War backdrop). Like this year, I wasn’t focused on the game as much as the zeitgeist surrounding the event. It was also a worldwide pep rally for the US Military.

My search for the Boston bar proved fruitless, so I had to take three buses back home.

At my place, I tuned in to a musical number featuring Patti Labelle, Wynonna Judd, James Ingram and Barry Manilow surrounded by a chorus in tricolor spandex. I later learned that Manilow penned this ditty, "Let Freedom Ring." What happened to Up With People? Were they unavailable?

Naturally, the salute to US Militarization did not end there. This year’s spectacle became the first sporting event ever to be designated a National Security Special Event. The US Secret Service coordinated with ten other law enforcement agencies to avert disaster (I wonder if anyone rented Black Sunday?). No automobile was allowed with a two-block vicinity of the Louisiana Superdome, not even limousines. Purportedly, everyone had to be searched, patted down and produce some ID (meaning Paul McCartney couldn’t skirt past security with the standard, "I’m with the band.").

Less than sixty minutes before zero hour, actors potraying the Founding Fathers recreated the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For the performers, that must have been a step up from their usual hygiene film gigs.

Milking the "Spirit of 1776" theme, Fox cut to a recitation of the Declaration of Independence by former NFL players. Telling off the King of England were Jim Brown, Navy veteran Roger Staubach, ex-Congressman and HUD Secretary Jack Kemp, and Minnesota Attorney General Jim Marshall. The Boston Pops Orchestra, who played Aaron Copland under the collective speech, accompanied them, as well as the living former presidents and Nancy Reagen.

Any subtlety in that segment was lost when they incorporated footage of the collapsing World Trade Center. The Iwo Jima recreation also seemed a bit much. Especially egregious were the PSAs from the Drug Czar’s Office. In these spots, they equated recreational drug use with supporting terrorism. Makes you long for the "frying egg" ads, doesn’t it?

When they weren’t cutting away to Kandahar, where troops were watching courtesy of the US Armed Services Network, the star-and-stripe-studded affair continued. Sir Paul is still alive and plugging a new album and tour. Mariah Carey even performed a relatively low-key rendition of the national anthem, saving the high note for "the land of the freeeeee" (the Xanax must be working). Stay tuned to see if airplay of her cover outdoes Whitney’s.

Did I mention that men in uniform were featured at every available opportunity, including graphics of the player line-up? Comedian George Carlin long ago delineated the martial imagery of football. Including a team called the Patriots must have been gravy to jingoists, including John Ashcroft.

I had mixed feelings about U2’s halftime show (brought to you by the NFL, E-Trade, and Clear Channel). During their set, the names of the September 11 casualties scrolled on a screen. They performed some good numbers ("Beautiful Day," "MLK," and "Where the Streets Have No Name," if you’re interested), but they could have turned up a notch if they included snippets of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Bullet the Blue Sky." I knew that wouldn’t happen when Bono exposed the US flag sewn in the lining of his jacket. It would be so much easier to dismiss them if their last album sucked.

After Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal was greeted by a blizzard of red, white and blue confetti, the event’s nationalism persisted. "Spirituality and faith are the cornerstones of our democracy," sermonized Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft."Today, we are all Patriots."

One of the players stretched things a bit: "We believed we would win and people died for their beliefs. Our belief came true." You’ve just won a football game. Why not just stick to the standard "I’m going to Disneyland?"

My memories of the 1991 game resurfaced. Like this year’s championship, it was a match that went down to the wire. The military hoopla surrounding the New York-Buffalo contest was brazen in comparison (plus New Kids On The Block played halftime). I feel better that a Boston/NE team overcame a history of heartbreak, but that doesn’t mean I’ll buy Bush’s "hearts and minds" campaign.

So, how about those Red Sox?

by Staff Writer

Who is Poor?

I know a homeless guy who I say hi to

when I walk to school. He seems really smart

and he warns me to stay in school.

He sleeps in a sleeping bag on Bartlett where you

can smell the smell of raw fish being taken into

the big food market.

I am

I am white/Latino

I am not poor and not rich

and I don't care what

people think about me.

I am me and

that's all I will be.