Story Archives 2003

by Andrew DellaRocca/PNN Community Journalist

The other day on my doorstep I found one of Gavin Newsom's propaganda
materials for his Care Not Cash, Proposition N campaign. It was one that I
had seen months before, so I was familiar with its literature. I was
surprised, however, that it was still being circulated, what after the
discovery by Prop N's opponents of all of the lies that have been
perpetrated by Newsom's campaign materials. I hoped that after such actions
as the numerous press releases which have been released outlining the
falsehoods, and the lawsuit which was filed against the campaign a few weeks
ago, Prop N's proponents would have changed their strategy and eliminated
lies from the campaign. But, there on the door-hanger it was, the hallmark
of the Care Not Cash illusion:

"[M]edical professionals have found that cash-only systems contribute to
drug and alcohol overdoses. A recent study in the New England Journal of
Medicine showed a direct correlation between cash grants like those given in
San Francisco and drug overdoses."

The Proposition N campaign, which seeks to reduce cash assistance to
homeless General Assistance recipients, has relied heavily on the
superstition that cash assistance is directly related to addictive disorders
and drug overdoses. This message has invaded San Francisco's mainstream
media outlets for the past months. Ironically, proponents of Proposition N
have been unable to find medical or statistical evidence to support these
claims. So, instead, they have published false statements like the one
above.

The study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 341, #20,
on November 11, 1999, does not show any correlation between cash grants and
drug overdoses, as Proposition N's proponents boldly claim. Instead, the
study, entitled "An Increase in the Number of Deaths in the United States in
the First Week of the Month," analyzed all computerized death certificates
in the United States for the period between 1973 and 1988. It found an
increase in all types of deaths for the first week of the month, not solely
overdose deaths, and did not examine the income source of the deceased. A
correlation between public assistance and overdose was neither studied nor
found. In fact, the New England Journal of Medicine has issued a cease and
desist order to Supervisor Newsome to stop erroneously using their logo in
campaign materials.

Many concerned citizens and advocacy organizations have decided to conduct
their own research into the possible connection between cash assistance
programs and drug overdoses. In addition to discovering the true
conclusions of the frequently referred to New England Journal of Medicine
article, which actually contradict Propositions N's claims, similar studies
were found, none of which support the Care Not Cash statements, nor
Proposition N's proposed remedies. The Journal of American Public Health
will soon be printing a study by the Urban Health Study that examined
commonalities in drug overdose. While the study did find that living alone
in Single-Room Occupancy Hotels was a major factor related to drug overdose,
there was no demonstrated relationship between the payment of checks and
drug overdoses in San Francisco over the past three years. Likewise, the
San Francisco Department of Public Health Epidemiology Homeless Deaths
Study, which was conducted from 1996 to 1999, found no correlation between
receipt of cash assistance and overdose. Overdose deaths occurred
throughout the year.

While most informed citizens realize that taking away cash payments from
homeless people will neither decrease drug overdose deaths nor cure epidemic
homelessness, some feel that Proposition N's policies might alleviate some
of San Francisco's financial burden. In 1996, the Federal Government
eliminated Supplemental Security Income benefits, a large part of which is
cash payment, for people with disabling substance dependence. The
California Policy Research Center published a study of this policy's effects
in Los Angeles, and concluded that taking cash payments from substance users
increased financial burdens in other areas of government, and did not appear
to help the addicts recover. "Loss of SSI was associated with more unstable
housing, greater incarceration, lack of stable employment, and decreased
income." The report can be found at www.ucop.edu/cprc/podus.pdf .
Taxpayers interested in saving San Francisco a few dollars will be duped if
Proposition N passes, as a similar pattern will likely occur.

Free societies foster creative expression. Gavin Newsom's Care Not Cash
campaign has certainly been a practice in creativity. In addition to false
references to scientific studies that support his claims, his campaign
frequently refers to similar "successful" programs in neighboring counties.
The truth is, in Alameda County, where cash benefits have been reduced,
there has been a substantial increase in homelessness. And in San Mateo
County, homeless people are able to put the housing amount deducted from
their check into an escrow account they are then able to use for move-in
costs. Proposition N does not provide a similar benefit.

When a work of the imagination burrows itself into the practice of civic
policy, it can assume a false cloak of legitimacy. People seduced by the
Care Not Cash campaign's romanticism begin to mistakenly attribute genius to
its civic application. The true genius of the Proposition N campaign,
however, is confined to its presentation only. If the public embraces the
strategy of the campaign, a dangerous policy will sneak through at the
ballot-box, and begin its damage immediately.

by Joe B.

Rules ‘n’ Other Junk Pt. 2

I recently finished reading Ms. Nancy Friday’s 1991’s book "Women On Top."

Now when I walk down the street I’m aware they also watch men’s bodies as I see women’s and the fantasy’s.

Whew, if that was over ten years ago I‘ve no idea what they’re thinking, I never know what’s on their minds.

Aside from that and other books I’m taking time to really read.

I, like most men are always confused about women’s verbal and mental motives but equally they really don’t know us especially when we leave our mother’s wombs for the great unknown of adult exploration and what happens to us.

Some of our experiences before we get to try and know, and be with them.

Men are always somewhat caught off balance when women say that they hate us, love us, are indifferent, say we’re dogs, and in turn angels and devils all at once.

They are the Bitch Goddesses, Earth Mother, Virgin/Sinner, and the old Madonna/Whore complex.

You know that Meredith Brooks song "I'm a little bit of everything all rolled into one, I do not feel ashamed.

I'm nothing in between. You know you wouldn't want it any other way.

Yes, women have always been faster, quicker, emotionally, stronger than men just because it’s true now does not mean it will always be so.

Women have and are changing men too are changing albeit slower but you know how we are; Oh, wait, you don’t it’s a

Transubstansive Error

But women catch on like quicksilver they make learning curves obsolete.

But isn’t it strange how as men learn to be more themselves if not like women but balanced in their own lives.

Having platonic female friends without women having to turn to homosexual men to feel safe without sexual tensions rising.

Yet if a heterosexual guy is a true friend to a woman and asks nothing but continued friendship why does the woman then want to jeopardize by wanting more – it ‘kinda defeats or short circuits the whole equalization the sexes process?

I heard this from a few guys.

Unless their quicksilver brain tells them they’ve found a male who has become more than her friend, emotional sounding board and now knows if he finds another girlfriend with sex included she may not only lose a good steadfast friend but also a future husband and father of her children as well.
[Guys, being a girl's or woman’s best friend is not necessarily the kiss of death we once thought.


We just cultivate more girlfriends.
Even if most are platonic (non sexual)

When women speak to each other and they will
about men, find they count you as a good one.

The R, C. and M. words will be spoken and a few will plan removing you from both your and their good female friends.

Oh,Relationship, Commitment, and Marriage are the words spoken in whispers.]

If your pissed off at my column… please explain.

I’m a dumb-stick after all, I always seem to be in a dark cave where women are concerned. No pun intended.

Guess who edit’s my work, two women.

And, Thanks to Ms. Meredith Brooks’ song "Bitch" …… Bye.

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Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street St. Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:
PO Box 1230 #645

Market St. San Francisco, CA 94102

415- 626-4405

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Joe B.

Its another day in Alternate Nightmare "War World" where the ‘Prez of A mythical place called America resides.

This is another non column blast.

For all the readers over the years who’ve have ever laughed, joked, snickered, and otherwise learned from my neuron misfiring and synaptic cross linked odd strange blend of science, technology and imagination.

I always wonder if people really read my rants.

I really want letters of how my column might have helped someone especially in human relations.

Am I in the wrong area for dating or is it women and men are already paired up and I’m out of the loop?

That’s why questions to sent to POOR Magazine or Me (Joe) personally by snail mail.

Or email. (I prefer snail because people write reams of stuff before getting to specifics).

I don’t do economics because more of you out there know about than I do.

As for everything else including Sci/Tech too but not everything.

So again folks.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street St. Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:
PO Box 1230 #645

Market St. San Francisco, CA 94102

415- 626-4405

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Joe B.

Rules ‘n’ Other Junk Pt. 1

I remember fanfare about a book called "The Rules" by Ellen Fein, Sherrie Schneider.

One of ‘em had a divorce placing a pall on it.

I haven’t read it yet now there’s a sequel Rules 2
which is an update.

Its like the "men are generic comment on some late night radio show.

Only problem is men don’t all look, act, feel, the same, they are not all alike.

Just because we have basic equipment doesn’t make us generic, there are variations of form and function in height, weight, physical, and psychological makeup.

Think of our brains and bodies; the size does matter or doesn’t range of individual preferences by women is damning proof and blows away this theory.

I think guys have their book of rules for women too for compiling and comparisons.

I was thinking of my own book of rules entitled "Women. Mysteries And Enigmas, or If They Don’t Understand Themselves How Are Men Supposed To?

Some people will call thisTransubstantiation

Explained by Dr. Wade Nobles, a tenured Professor in Black Studies at San Francisco State University, an author of many books on African psychology…

Dr. Nobles said "Its looking at surface behaviors of a people, you can draw conclusions about meaning and value of behaviors, but the meaning and the value comes from deep structure of a people’s culture and values.

I’m saying men are looked at by women as a group at similar surface levels and don’t to see our deep structures.

Just as women won’t stand to be seen as the same screech to high heaven that they are unique individuals with talents, feeling, and will be taken seriously.

Guys, you know I’m right and women if they’re honest know it too seeing us generic and not all that while saying of themselves that they are all that and more is Transubstantiation or a Transubstansive Error. (Hope its spelled correctly)

Women have said about men, that men have said about women.

That’s why I always say both sexes are equally unique, weather one doesn’t think they need the other both our abilities are needed.

Until men and women evolve to perfection or artificial intelligent males and females are created for those who’ve written off both flesh and blood sexes the original model will have to continue for now.

I am telling the absolute truth, men are going through all kinds of private purgatory if not hell because women say one thing then do another.

We know how their hearts have been bent, broken, emotionally torn asunder and physically too.

Men have recently been told its alright to cry, let feelings show however there’s a balance of appropriateness women know of that few of the men didn’t so when we over do the touchy feelings the wimp word comes to mind.

Men not wanting to be set up again go into their shells and are called unfeeling brutes.

I think women like/want men to always be in a box to be slammed, blamed, derided, and ridiculed.

Its so easy to bash someone who knows what they’ve done, are doing better, most of us take the abuse as they slowly improve but it’s invisible to many if not most women’s radar.

Because women have and are still being hurt treated rotten that few believe men can change and don’t, cannot, or won’t see it when its in front of them.

Women learn faster, verbalize, earlier, are able to emote and turn into puddles and its all good.

A guy doing the same thing gets beaten up labeled a ‘homo, fairy, and if he is heterosexual.

Both kinds of males because of real or percived Homophic hysteria can be killed as warning or threat to others.

To stay in their closets and not expand alternative deffitions of what being a man, male, or men can mean.

He might get just an extra beat down or verbal bashing by young girls, women.

Yet, he’s the very guy they should seek out to date.

Between a gentle straight male or gay man both society brands both odd ducks.

Gay men have a vibrant, thriving not so hidden subculture and like women have support groups to fall back on.

Straight men are still straight jacketed into so called cultural correct behavior difficult if not impossible to break away from.

Even though young girls, women zoom past males early in life intellectually its not all cut and dry.

A sad reality is young girls aren’t really smart when dating tough, rough, acting types.

It takes time for them to find a guy who treats them decent, honor, cherish them when they do find this diamond among glass.

because they’ve been so wretchedly mistreated by bad boy-men types that when women find this near mythical decent guy it is he who is rejected because they’re use to bad treatment not less rough pampering.

I get a distinct feeling that if men ever did simply drop the macho posing attitude, be their true vulnerable selves most women would be confused or run the other way because they’d have nothing to be angry about.

Indeed they would be angry that men have become the very image of what they themselves believed to be and that’s Strong, independent, loving, nurturing, emotional, and spiritual.

Every attribute is not male or female either sex can claim them women have just been louder in their verbal claim of the mantle.
End of Part 1.

Please send donations to

Poor Magazine or in C/0

Ask Joe at 1448 Pine Street St. Street,

San Francisco, CA. 94103 USA

For Joe only my snail mail:
PO Box 1230 #645

Market St. San Francisco, CA 94102

415- 626-4405

Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org

by Paul Boden, Executive Director, Coalition on Homelessness

Sandwiched between a recorded address by Mumia Abu-Jamal announcing, “War is not inevitable. No to ‘Blood For Oil’,” and ‘Pentagon
Papers’ Daniel Ellsberg, urging “If the bombing starts, the marching should not stop,” Homeless Coalition Director, Paul Boden delivered this
vigorous address to a an estimated 75,000* strong, enthusiastic, and colorful crowd this sunny Saturday San Francisco afternoon on the
green lawns of Civic Center Plaza stretching out behind City Hall.

“I want to welcome you all to my home. Fifteen years ago I was part of the group of people who have been sleeping out here on our
streets across this country. We are the people that are funding this war that we are all here today to denounce.

Over the past 20 years, $14 billion dollars a year has been cut from the development of affordable housing for poor people in this
country. It has been transferred over to a hundred billion dollars last year in mortgage interest tax credit deductions for households making
$135,000 dollars a year, on average, that is being subsidized by our tax dollars.

That $355 billion dollar a year military budget you were all so disgusted about yesterday --- that is money that is coming directly from the
fact that poor and homeless people are dying in our streets, that poor and homeless people are being cut off of welfare, denied education,
denied treatment, denied mental health / substance abuse treatment, disability treatment. That is being cut.

Seven hundred families in San Francisco alone in December are going to lose either a portion or all of their welfare benefits because the
United States Government wants to put that shit into military spending to kill people in other countries.

Every time we allow the San Francisco Police Department to shoot and kill mentally ill young men in our movie theaters in this town, * we
are promoting George Bush’s agenda to shoot and kill poor people in South American, and Iraq, and throughout the world.

We have to build a connection!

How do you fund a military industrial complex? You fuck over poor people, and you take money from poor people to put it into military
spending run by corporations that are run by filthy rich white dogs.

If we can’t make the connection between Prop N and George Bush, we are living in a delusional world. The only reason that the City and
Country of San Francisco thinks that taking away money from poor people is good for poor people in an initiative being run by a millionaire is
because they have seen the Federal Government get away with it; they have seen the State Government get away with it. They have
watched us not have 80,000 and 100,000 people like we need to have every time they screw any of us.

We should all be here for each other. We should all be here, and we should be strong, and we should tell them, “An Injury to One Is An
Injury to All!” We are going to stop this shit. We are going to fight back, and we are going to win! “

*Crowd estimates vary from SFIndymedia's 200,000 to CNN 75,000.

**Reference to Idress Stelly, 23, fatally shot 27 times by SFPD during a psychiatric crisis at the Metreon Theater complex.

by Mike Vizcarra/PNN Pilipino Community Journalist

A small, dark room is filled to capacity. People in the front
have the prime seats, sitting on the floor, right in front of the stage. A
few rows of chairs follow. I1m at Bindlestiff Studios. There are probably
50-60 people here; friends, family, and folks interested in the spoken word.
The air is thick with anticipation. This could be a scene from the 60s, as
Beat poets waxed lyrical on social issues. But no, this is now. This is an
urban, hip-hop crowd. This is predominantly a Filipino-American crowd, here
to support their friends and show their love and appreciation for their
poetry and message. The lights dim. 8th Wonder takes the stage.

8th Wonder is an 8-member group made up of 4 Pinays and 4 Pinoys
(Jocie de Leon, Irene Duller, Golda Sargento, Lillian Prijoles, Jason Mateo,
Isagani Pugao, Jeremy Bautista, and Allan Maramag) ranging in age from 22 to
27. On Sunday, though, there were only 7 (Lillian being in New York).
Named after the 8th Wonder of the World, the rice terraces in the
Philippines, the group expresses their experiences and perspectives through
spoken word poetry. This past weekend was their first performance since
April 2001, and they start off with a bang.

From politics to social conditions, from love to the corruption
of mass media (especially television), the members of 8th Wonder spit out
magical, intertwining lyrics that left me captivated and enthralled in their
spell. Each member had their own distinct way of delivering their words,
from the in-your-face rapid-fire style of Allan Maramag to the hypnotic and
melodic songs of Golda Sargento (similar to Telepopmusik1s song, 3Breathe2).
I couldn1t help but get caught in the powerful emotions they evoked. 3I
don1t need a television,2 yelled Allen during one of his pieces, 3I can TELL
a vision!2 Tears flowed down Jocie de Leon1s cheeks as she recited her
moving poem, 3Beautiful Reflection,2 showing the audience her conviction and
passion for the words she spoke. Jason Mateo1s story-telling style in his
poem, 3Big Boulders, Big Brother,2 held the audience as he voiced his
concerns and gave advice about the television and play-station world his
little brother lives in.

One of the most entertaining parts of the evening was a
free-style session, with each member taking turns on the mic or doing a
collaboration with another member. The poetic verses shot through the
microphone with such electricity I1m sure goose bumps ran through everyone
there. The crowd was also very receptive and would often shout words of
encouragement to their poets onstage. It was hard for me to take notes as I
was too engrossed with the messages these poets were delivering.

Formed on July 7th, 2000, this group has come a long way. 3We
organized to come in here, representing the Pilipino community,2 says Jason
Mateo. They1ve performed in Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles, to name a
few cities. Asked why they haven1t performed in almost a year and a half,
Jocie replies, 3Some of us are moms or dads, or have families. We1ve got
jobs or school to go to.2

So what1s next for this talented group? Besides going to Los
Angeles to perform in November, the University of Hawaii has invited them to
perform on their campus. The problem is they have to come up with the funds
to go there. Hopefully if they can raise enough money they1ll be able to
spread their message. They1re an amazingly gifted group who should be seen
by everyone, Pilippino or not.

by Alex Cuff/PNN Community Journalist

When I boarded at the 24th Street/Mission station, the BART was packed with folk decked in everything from jeans and khakis to mohawks and pink braids. The demographic seemed more energetic and possibly younger that the average Saturday morning crowd, and the train more full. As I had optimistically suspected, the train emptied at the Montgomery station as hundreds clogged the escalators, and the more restless of us ascended the endless stairs, to join the thousands of anti-war protesters marching from Justin Herman Plaza to the Civic Center. Once in the street I was surrounded by women, children, and men of all ages and races ñ some holding signs, some singing, some talking with neighboring marchers and some walking, silently, with heads held high ñ all participating in the great act of expressing disgust with the Bush administrationís conceivable war against the people of Iraq.

Among the thousands proceeding down Market Street, we were on bicycles, in wheel chairs, we were elders, we were anarchists, socialists, communists, mainstream liberals, and we represented a diversity of races. Just before reaching the Civic Center I ducked into a coffee shop on McAllister to use the bathroom where I unfortunately shared the idea with 50 others. During my twenty minute wait on line I began speaking with Bombay-born Maribel, a woman with soft features and sad brown eyes, who began our conversation by telling me it was her first rally. She had flown out from Houston despite the wishes of her husband and her circle of ìbourgeoisieî friends. After years as a dentist practicing in a conservative area of Houston, she quit her job and has dedicated herself as an activist against the growing pro-capitalist and militarist trends in the world.

The volume of bodies amassing before the stage on Civic Centerís lawn was astonishing. We poured off the grass into the surrounding parking lots to the front of the library. Being a modest five feet, there were times as I eased my way towards the amplified voices coming from the stage, that I couldnít tell which way was forward. When I finally emerged from the ocean of bodies, I was as close to the stage as I was going to get, I raised my hand over my eyes in a salute against the October sun and joined those around me paying attention to the speakers. At this point, people were still filing in - in fact the last marchers, many carrying ìRegime change begins at homeî signs, were still leaving Justin Herman Plaza as the first arrived at Civic Center.

The speakers included Congresswoman Barbara Lee; Barbara Lubin, Director of the Middle East Childrenís Alliance; Paul Boden, Coalition on Homelessness;  San Francisco Supervisors Tom Ammiano and Mark Leno; Richard Becker, a member of the ANSWER steering committee;  Ron Kovic, Vietnam veteran and author of "Born on the Fourth of July;" Richard Mead, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union; Ramiz Rafeedie, Free Palestine Alliance; and a youth organizer from A.N.S.W.E.R whose name I didnít catch. Needless to say there was no absence of tax-funded cops surrounding us in case some of the non-violent, antiwar protesters decided to wield weapons of destruction upon one another.

Around 2pm I slid back away from the stage toward the library to use the pay phone in order to track down my sister and brother who I never managed to meet up with earlier in the day. As I was coming out of the Grove Street exit I caught the tale end of what I learned afterwards was a break away march which proceeded back down Market Street to the Embarcadero where the protesters, exercising a more radical action, stopped in front of the Recruiting Center where folks continued to speak out against the war.

When I did catch up with my siblings in front of the falafel place on Grove Street, my brother offered me a piece of paper he had been handed at one of the info tables. ìCan you believe this, Al?î It stated the statistics regarding the amount of Palestinian children murdered in the past year by US-funded Israeli arms. He has just moved to the Bay Area from Long Island where he has not been exposed to, nor has necessarily sought after, non-corporate media coverage. My brother reminded me that although our actions on Saturday are not changing the morals of the Bush administration nor helping them to move away from their profit-and power-based agenda, we are educating those who have a right to know. We are creating, through an organized popular dissent, a voice that canít be ignored by the corporate media, our government, by our politicians, or by those funding our politicians. We are demonstrating that violence is not the only form of power.

by Valerie Schwartz/PNN Community Journalist and Poverty Scholar

"Some have named it Bedbug Manor and it don't feel good to live in a place named that", I was listening intently to a very uncomfortable Fernando Robinson, President of the Altamont Tenants Association, a SRO (single room occupancy) in the Mission district of San Francisco. Fernando was a pleasant man with a very earnest demeanor who contacted POOR Magazine seeking some help. He came to discuss an ongoing problem with bedbug infestation in the Altamont Hotel that for some reason has not been able to be eradicated for the last year. The tenants are miserable. They are tired of the parasites and the health hazards it has created.

He was addressing the POOR staff at Community Newsroom, "The bedbugs are the tenants and we are the visitors." I asked Fernando , "How long has this been a problem?" He then explained, "This has been documented since December 11, 2001 and some of the tenants say it has been longer than that."

I researched the little "critters" that are wreaking havoc upon the tenants of the Altamont Hotel/SRO. This is what I have found: 1. Bedbugs need to feed on blood for their nutrition. 2. They primarily feed on humans but will also feed on rodents, rabbits, bats, and other warm-blooded animals. 3. Adult bedbugs can live for periods of 6-12 months and can survive starvation in proper conditions for a year. 4. They usually only feed at night in the dark, unless starving then they will come out to feed in a darkened room in daylight hours. 5. Each female will lay 2-3 eggs a day, during the course of its life, and these eggs hatch within 10-days. 6. Bedbugs may be a vector for Hepatitis B. 7. Bedbugs conceal themselves under the seams of mattresses, floorboards, and in the cracks and crevices of walls, paintings, furniture, and behind loose wallpaper. 8. Their movement is determined by the relocation of infected furniture and possessions and that initially small infestations will happen as a result of the transfer, but if left untreated or treated improperly, the population of bedbugs will increase dramatically. 9. The bite of a bedbug can facilitate a secondary infection such as cellulitis and impetigo. Bedbug bites can also produce considerable anxiety. 10. Bedbugs are 5-7mm, about the size of a lentil or small ladybug.

"I awoke at 3:15 this morning as I felt bedbugs biting my lower back and feet. Pesticide exterminators last treated my room on September 5, 2002. The bedbugs resumed biting me on the 15th of September. I have been bitten for the last year countless times and have accumulated a sampling of the bedbugs in a vial of alcohol. I have undertaken to buy at my own expense, pesticide fogging bombs for the last three-months. This, despite the fact that I'm on General Assistance and cannot afford to buy them every ten-days. I am also concerned about what all the insecticide poison in my room is doing to my body and health. Lastly, the friendships among the tenants has suffered badly during this bedbug plague, as people are afraid to visit with other tenants or receive guests: afraid of picking up bedbugs. This has severely affected morale among tenants." Letter from Bernard Schatzer, tenant of the Altamont Hotel.

This was one of many letters sent to the management of the Altamont Hotel, which is run by Caritas Management and Mission Housing Development Corporation. Many of the tenants have a wide range of medical and mental health issues that are aggravated not only by the parasites but also by the chemicals used by the exterminators to eradicate the bugs.

I then asked Fernando, "What has the management done to resolve this infestation at the Altamont?" Fernando said as he shook his head with a slight bit of resign, "They come to our meetings and we ask to close the building to properly handle the problem, but they won't. They just want to keep spraying chemicals from the same pesticide company and it doesn't work...it doesn't kill them. They use the cheapest spray, some of the tenants think its water. The Pest-Control man is a damn liar! He's milking the management, he's in it for the money."

I called the Building Inspection Department/Code Enforcement of the City and County of San Francisco. I asked them if I could speak to someone about a bedbug infestation in an SRO. I was told, "That is not our department, you will have to call the Department of Health."

I called the Department of Health, the number for Pest-Control/General Complaints and I received a message for a voice box that was full. I then called Epidemiology and was referred to another department, to Mr. Mel Ripman. I asked Mr. Ripman, "Could you please define to me exactly what kind of parasite/pest a bedbug is?" Mr. Ripman responded, "It is a an insect that lives in the mattress." I asked, "Does it refer to scabies, lice, mites, or fleas?" Mr. Ripman gave me a very short and serious answer, "No, they are a separate entity."

I am intrigued with the subject of bedbugs in SRO hotels because I, as a low income tenant have been bitten by insects/parasites in many of the hotels in the Tenderloin and in the Mission. I wondered... Why is there such a problem and how do the tenants of these buildings get the help they need? I think that somehow the health department and the property-owners should perhaps circulate pertinent an useful information to the tenants about bedbugs, parasites, and health hazards that apply to living in SRO's, hotels, shelters, and public housing. Also a way should be facilitated to have some kind of seminars, on site, with BI-lingual outreach workers, to educate the tenants of these buildings and facilities about what they need to know and what they can do about pestilence, general cleaning of their rooms and personal possessions, the use of pesticides and hazards of pesticides. I know this is not a solution but hopefully an incremental step in the right direction. People who live on a fixed income, marginal at best, should not have to fall victim to negligence that results in hazardous living conditions.

Another letter from a tenant:

"I have lived here in this building for at least four and a half years. There has existed a severe building wide infestation for the past one and a half years. I suffer from severe insomnia and chronic depression, fatigue and anxiety. My medical condition has worsened progressively with the extreme infestation. Building management has consistently lied and denied in regards to this problem since day one. I have actually been threatened with eviction by building management in regards to this matter! I strongly feel that this is a retaliatory action for constantly complaining about this problem. I can no longer have overnight guests because of the bedbugs. I feel that if I could afford to do so financially, I would have moved out of this place a long time ago. Unfortunately, I now realize that legal action in civil-court against Caritas Management Co. and their parent company Mission Housing Development Co. seems to be the only solution left for me and my fellow tenants to get this depressing and disgusting situation fixed." Frank Munoz tenant Altamont Hotel.

I called Mission Housing Development Corporation and spoke with Amy Fishman. I asked her what they were doing about the infestation and how they were dealing with the tenants in regard to the bedbugs at the Altamont Hotel/SRO. Ms. Fishman explained to me, "We have replaced all of the mattresses and box-springs, and also the wooden bed frames in the rooms that had the wooden frames. We have given the tenants new pillows and provided all the tenants with laundry and dry cleaning services, everything has been treated". Ms. Fishman told me that the problem "has been a challenge" and that they have instituted a "new aggressive strategy that is an intensive, building wide, unit to unit 100% treatment." The building was treated two-weeks ago.

"Does the Health Department have out-reach workers for the tenants of SRO's?" I inquired. Amy then relayed to me, "Jackie Greenwood of the Health Dept. has been very helpful with helping us to teach the tenants about the bugs. Says Amy, "She's the bedbug expert in the city." She then said that it was a "very challenging problem" and that it was hard to get some of the tenants to understand that they need to bathe regularly and to keep their rooms clean, but tried to assure me that they are trying very hard to accommodate the tenants so they won't be miserable and will have a safe place to live. Ms. Fishman told me that as we spoke the Health Department was doing a follow-up inspection at the Altamont from the treatment of the building on 10-07-02 and expressed her gratitude for the Health Department stepping in and helping them work with the tenants as a third-party.

After speaking with Ms. Fishman I talked with Fernando Robinson again. I asked him, "Do you feel that there is going to be a resolve with the infestation in the building?" Fernando sounding tired and worried said, "I really can't say. Some people now have larger bites than ever before and there are still big bedbugs. "Tenants have bruises from scratching and others have visible scars and scabs from the bites."

I asked Fernando if there was a great deal of concern among the tenants about being exposed to the pesticides, Mr. Robinson said, "Yes, its working on the tenants not the bugs." Fernando then expressed that he and many of the tenants do not believe that the chemicals they are spraying with are or will be effective, but in fact are very worried about exposure to the chemicals. Especially the elders and those tenants with Medical issues, Disabilities, Mental Health, and HIV issues.

Says Mr. Robinson, "We want it to be done with but I don't think it is going to work. The pesticide man still has to go down in the basement where the storage is and they said it is a tedious job. By the time they get done down there the bugs will just have moved back upstairs and it will start all over again. I still think that maybe the only way to get rid of the bugs is to close the entire building and move everyone out for the building to be thoroughly treated for however many days it would take."

The building is to be treated again in another two-weeks and Fernando and the tenants of the Altamont are waiting, trying to be patient, and praying for this misery to be over. I can tell you that parasite infestations are no laughing matter and as a person who personally lived through a few experiences such as the tenants of the Altamont that they can severely worsen morale, mental health and medical issues. It is no fun to have to hunker down and be vigilant all night every night while literally, trying to save your skin.

by Ed Willard/PNN and POWER

On Tuesday, October 22 POWER staged it's 6th and final pre-election protest against Gavin Newsom and his ballot initiative, Proposition N. Prop N, if it passes, will rob GA workers of most of their money and increase
homelessness in San Francisco. Meanwhile Newsom, who has been touring the city for the last few months making lying,
empty promises about "care" for homeless GA recipients, (all of whom, according to Newsom, are drug addicts), will
have made a name for himself at the expense of the poor.

For this action POWER chose the GA welfare office as it's target, (and as a result of this, head of DHS, Trent Rhorer
has forbidden POWER from doing outreach at the city shelters. Hah!) At 10:30 AM 50 POWER members gathered outside
the POWER offices at 32 7th St. for the short march over to GA on Mission St. Anyone still sleeping in the
neighborhood was roused up by the sound of our gutsy sound system as we marched and chanted: They say go away!
We say........NO WAY!!

When we got there we performed the POWER guerilla theatre piece which exposes the connection between Newsom, his
funders, the lying local media and slimeball, bought-and-paid-for by downtown interests, cheap bureaucrat Trent
Rhorer, director of the Department of Human Services. Then we marched down Mission to 6th Street, up 6th, crossing
Market and through the Tenderloin neighboorhood, past the food line at St Anthonys. We picked up more supporters
along the way. Even so our group was still small but, by design, we spread out and marched 5 abreast through the
middle of the streets until we reached city hall. There we picked a contingent to go up to Newsom's office. This
was headed up by POWER spokesperson Travis Bard. Newsom had got wind of us coming so, of course, his office was
closed and locked. On a large piece of butcher paper, we had documented the moneys the city had stolen from GA
workfare workers over the past year, (the descrepency between workfare folks wages and city workers pay, totaling
thirty million dollars). We were demanding reparations and tried to post the document on the wall outside of
Newsom's office at which point three members of security took it and crumbled it up. Unruffled, Travis voiced POWERs
demands of reparations to the security team.

As stated at the beginning of this story, the protest today was the last of POWER's pre-election actions but there is
a general concensus among POWER members that, even if our efforts against Prop N are successful and it goes down in
defeat, our fighting group certainly won't be disbanding. POWER is committed to continuing the fight to get real
affordable housing and living wage jobs for all. One thing, I think, should be clear to Newsom and his cronies and
that is that San Francisco's poor and working class will not be swept out of town or forced en masse into the rotten
shelter system. We're united and we're committed to taking our city back!

********************************************

In Honor of Theresa Guerra- a companera who will be missed

A week ago, on Friday in the morning our sister Theresa Guerra passed away. All of the circumstances surrounding her death have yet to be revealed. So this story is meant to be only a preliminary report.

Theresa first became involved with People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER) only about three months ago. In such a short span of time it’s hard to believe that someone could have become such an important part of the organization as Theresa did. My own impressions of her are from the times I worked together with her on the No on Proposition N campaign and I’d like to try to record a few of those here.

Since earlier this year POWER has been engaged in a battle with Supervisor Gavin Newsom to stop his Counterfeit Care initiative, Proposition N. Sometime in the summer Theresa came on board and lent her help in the fight. The first time I recall seeing her was when POWER organized an action against Harrington’s Bar and Grill. The owner, Kathleen Harrington, is also president of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA). GGRA has been a major funder of Newsom’s Prop. N campaign. We wanted to expose Newsom’s connection with downtown business.

For this action POWER and POWER’s allies made a strong showing with 100 people, a few of whom were designated to present Kathleen Harrington with a list of demands. Theresa volunteered to take the lead and be the spokesperson for the group, stepping forward as someone who was currently homeless, staying at the Next Door shelter, 1001 Polk Street. Physically, Theresa was a large woman, solid looking and she carried herself well, I remember her at the point of this group, speaking in a loud, sure tone as she voiced the demand that Harrington stop funding a proposition that, contrary to what it pretended, was no solution to homelessness and would indeed cause more homelessness.

The message we gave to Harrington that day was that, if things didn’t change "we’d be back". True to our word, months later we did come back, this time "armed " with a guerilla theater piece, written and acted out by POWER members. Now, Theresa was taking a lead role, her part being a GA workfare street sweeper who was sweeping out corrupt politician, Gavin Newsom and his cronies, funder Harrington, lying SF Examiner columnist, Frank Gallagher and head of the San Francisco welfare programs, Trent Rhorer. On that day our main audience was a group of unappreciative patrons of Harrington’s sidewalk café (some of whose lunches could well have amounted to GA folks entire check if Prop. N passes). Later we marched down Market Street, stopped and performed again in front of the Gap, another financial contributor to Prop N.

Totaled up, POWER has performed its skit four times, the last being in front of the GA welfare office this past Tuesday. Sadly, Theresa was no longer with us and though POWER member Donna did a fine job filling in, it just didn’t seem the same without Theresa, whose courageous fighting spirit will be sorely missed. She will be missed in the movement overall and missed more specifically for the last part of our No on N campaign.

There’s one very striking irony in this story that’s worth mentioning and that has to do with the location of Theresa’s death. She was found unconscious in her bed at Next Door shelter (formerly MSC North) early last Friday morning. The coroner’s office has not released a full report as to what the cause of death was. There are many versions and stories as to the details surrounding Theresa’s death. But what we do know for sure is that this all happened in the daytime and hours passed before emergency medical technicians were called. This all happened in a "care facility" with staff on hand, and at a time of day when surely there was lots of activity. By the time the ambulance got to Next Door, it was too late to save Theresa. It’s said that the emergency technicians complained they could’ve saved her had they been called just half an hour sooner.

The bitter irony is that Next Door shelter is the very place that Gavin Newsom chose to kick off his Care not Cash campaign back in February of this year. The reason he chose Next Door is that this shelter is the shining star of the city shelter system, it is the most modern and cleanest of shelters, but we have to wonder about the "care." This is significant too because the more we examine social programs legislation from Newsom and those like him, the more we see that there is a broader agenda at hand. The objective of this agenda is to economically and racially "cleanse" San Francisco. It’s a war against the poor, and those who stay are forced into shelters or "care facilities" that look more like prisons than housing. The gravity of these attacks is seen in the casualties of its effects.

People have been willing to stand up and fight against this agenda to kick us out of San Francisco. Back in February, Newsom was met by an angry contingent of community activists who were determined not to take his crap sitting down. On that day our group of 40 some odd angry folks put Gavin on the run, (literally he was escorted out of the place and back to city hall by the police). And our sister, Theresa Guerra’s tireless and courageous efforts over the coming months contributed to keeping him on the run. She will be sorely missed, yet we know that her fighting spirit will accompany us as we continue on with the struggle for justice, fighting to build a world where precious lives like Theresa’s are not lost in vain.

POOR will do an in-depth investigation of Theresa’s death within the next two weeks- please stay tuned.

by Pastor Niemoeller (a victim of the Nazis)

"First they came for the Jews,

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists,

and I did not speak out

because I was not a communist.

And then they came for the trade unionists,

and I did not speak out

because I was not a trade unionist.

And then they came for me,

and there was no one left

to speak out for me."

…..Pastor Niemoeller (a victim of the Nazis)