Story Archives 2007

by Joseph Bolden

B-Day, Whoop De Do.

Today is pre birthday.

Don't feel my years,am I to feel old because of a few decades of life I don't think so.excuse(?)glitch

Few aches or pains some Yoga helps,walks,sex is a great calorie reducer and relaxing,beats taking laxatives or drinking when depressed.

Food was my choice of self destruction now exercise in place of that.

I figure the more depressed I get the better I'll look.

At 54 life isn’t bad at all sure with aids or std’s [sexually transmitted disease] running riot it’s a wonder I didn’t catch anything especially being part of a floating population of what’s called houseless,transient,folk.

In this instance being negative is a good thing and I've always tested negatory thank God/Godesses
for small miracles!

Found transition housing and staid for a while.

Time to leave maybe find a place with apartments full of single ladies or share rent with a few.

With a new job, ideas of what to do next now possible.

I’m still working on chronological/biological matrix in that one does cancel the other.

Biological caps Chronological.

Here’s what’s meant if one can figure out true not cosmetic age reversal biologically then chronological numbers mean zilch.

Its as if an 80 year woman or man found ways of reversing their age 30 or more years.

They look,act,are younger chronology matters less.

So I’ll try that theory for a long time too bad governments are not testing this on people by gene manipulation or using new improved artificial genes.

I’d volunteer for slow or reverse aging therapies with a slight stipend for my time a guinea pig.

Thinking of more travel, besides Atlanta, or Hawaii (my family is helping with that).

Legal money making schemes, schools, for all kinds of stuff I’ll not mention.

Yeah,life has been exciting,ridiculously dangerous and odd at times but if I’d like a few hundred to a thousand years to contemplate and enjoy.

One thing would really please me and that’s living so freakin’ long unmarried that finally society says nothing is wrong with being a single man or woman.

I’d like to get dates because I’ve braved staying along.

Women are praised for it while are men are look at as strange short lived creatures!

To outlive the single guy,bachelor,image of someone in need of a woman or women.

The joke Married men live longer,single men don’t because they don’t take care of themselves has to be retired along with other so called truism 27 year old women as spinsters.

Imagine a world where because one has lived, loved,experienced, and continues to stay vital they get dates for my um, instructive experience.

For now society has its rules and its up to me and all of us to bend, loosen, stretch, or brake so rules that are arbitrary in nature except (bestiality, child molestation/rape or murder society is needed for the good it also does.

So lets see within a decade or two is society bends again.

In the meantime there are jobs, stuff to learn, friends to make, and lives to live.

How many isn’t know but wouldn’t be wondrous having a few centuries to take the time to find out?

That’s what I’m going for and if its against societies laws oh well, just call me an outlaw.

You I’ve never really been bad maybe this is my chance.

Got to go Life is Calling and Eternity Awaits.

by Joseph Bolden

Live A Life

My birthday passed last week,about to travel to Atlanta for the U.S. Forum learning/training how to set up a blog/web site, report while simultaneously being part of the news,lot of things are unknown to me at the moment.

A given challenge to myself is more travel and doing more which includes finding better low to higher tech ways to live longer,slowing my aging, enjoy its benefits.

Already have a head start because of good genes,not drinking, smoking,drugs,and protected sex.

The latter more difficult still not wearing,using prophylactics,dental dams, creams,jells,or electronic skin stimulation devices.\

I like skin to skin minus all the extra crap there are times to go that extra mile sometimes.

About life in general barring accidents,homicide.

I’d really like to change,improve,have better genes especially melanin for darker,silkier African Ancestor skin along with automatic vitamins, minerals,trace minerals, virus,and microorganisms in symbiotic not parasitic ways helping improve the overall health of brain and body.

If I had the money, time,and people needed for this creative endeavor that would be the best ongoing present to myself.

Yes,it helps me could help many folks.

Not a greedy guy its better to have more people living longer like me than being hogged by myself along so I don’t mind sharing whatever life extended science that emerges.

I this government stopped using its vast resources for killing and began healing everyone would be better off instead of being hated,seen as an obscene joke as Amerikkka now is the full blossoming of life extending technologies would make Americans envied,once again bringing the best and the brightest to her shores.

This is what we ought to be doing besides a return to the moon which to me seems a stand still if not heading backward.

This President will soon be part of an awful history of misery and death for oil and lost lives.

I’ll never be president at least in this life time but given a few centuries who knows what an ordinary man like me may accomplish but me,we,cannot wait for wars end.

I’m going my own way and if that means being a guinea pig for a super secret multicorp dedicated to having humans live longer in better health or renegade research scientists,students, professors who’ve found out some way to ward reversing of death by rejuvenation, regeneration,science.

Marriage probably isn’t on my dance card so I thought of Polyamory = Single or Multipartner friendships not sexually exclusive monogamous relationships.

I think why not have more friends who are married or not and lover’s without awkward sneaky, icky, betrayal factor.

My capacity to love more than one person is a given I want people sharing with me also.

Well,it’s a great way to solve loneliness and with enough friends over the years it won’t be a lonely life which means I must be as giving,helpful, and fully engaged as most if not all of my new found poly-friends to be.

by Olivia Colt/Race, Poverty and Media Justice Intern

Soft-spoken and determined, Lisa Washington is a loving mother of two and a devout follower of her faith. Like almost all mothers, her eyes brighten with the mention of her two sons, Franshat and Daylan, but the light goes out quickly and a dark cloud covers her eyes. Her expressive face crumbles with grief when she talks about losing her children.

Lisa is a victim of Child Protective Services (C.P.S.). She is just one of so many whose families have been torn apart by the C.P.S. system. Lisa hasn’t seen her eldest child, Franshat, in four years and is only allowed bi-weekend visits with her younger son, Daylan.

“I lost my children and was refused legal council because of my religious beliefs,” Lisa stated clearly and unapologetically in POOR Magazine’s Community Newsroom, where she had come to share her five year struggle with C.P.S. Lisa is a Jehovah’s Witness and has experienced severe religious discrimination firsthand in a country that claims to give all people the freedom to practice and exercise their own religious beliefs, as well as denounces and makes illegal discrimination of any kind based on religious beliefs.

As I sat listening to her painful story, I thought about my three cousins, Shaleena, Joseph, and Diamond. They are my Uncle Jackie’s children and live near Tacoma, Washington with their mother Ingrid. I saw them this past Easter holiday when I went to visit family in San Diego. Unlike the rest of my very Catholic family, these three cousins are Jehovah Witnesses, and like Lisa have struggled with discrimination and persecution for their religious beliefs.

Lisa’s personal struggle with discrimination and C.P.S. began on March 11, 2002 when Alameda County took custody of Franshat, placing him in foster care, due to a disciplinary action by Lisa: she pulled his ear. My parents have disciplined me very similarly while growing up—spanking, ear pulling, wooden spoons, and one of the most memorable: my mom took off her shoe and threw it at my head. I look back on these instances in my life and cannot imagine being separated from my mother for these occurrences; I misbehaved, therefore I was punished. Lisa acted in a way no different than most parents do. This does not make her a bad parent, an ill-fit parent, or any of the other labels widely overused by C.P.S. to rope in more children, more money, and break more homes.

Ripping a family apart detracts from the mission and stated goals of C.P.S., which are to “provide specialized welfare services that seek to prevent dependency, abuse and neglect of children.” They also seek to provide services that will stabilize families in crisis and preserve the family unit. Inherently, the original purpose of C.P.S. was respectable, pulling children out of homes where there is extensive physical, emotional, and mental abuse. However, as C.P.S. has grown, greedy and self-serving people have found a very lucrative and easy way to access a tremendous amount of money. FightCPS.com stated that in 2003 alone, bounty payments for adoption in 44 states and territories amounted to $17,896,000.00.

Lisa is not an unfit parent. She is a hard working woman who loves her children. He ex-husband even testified to that extent during a custody hearing in 2003 regarding the fate of her younger son’s custody. In fact Claiborne Sibley defended his ex-wife, until the council representing their children shushed him. Lisa has also willing undergone psychological and psychiatric evaluations and examinations to prove her sound mental and emotional health.

Over the last 4 years of her case, Lisa has had turn over in her legal council several times by her court appointed public defenders. Many of which had been advised to not take her case because of faith base—because she is a Jehovah Witness. In fact, one of her attorneys, Ernest Anderson, a long time friend of the family, was asked by Commissioner Sue Alexander if he was comfortable representing Lisa. In open court, he said yes. Several months later, Mr. Anderson removed himself from the case due to extensive harassment from associates and colleagues for representing Ms. Washington.

“My trails of injustice have driven me to this conclusion—that my defeat is solely based on a religious prejudice that resides in our judicial system within Alameda County,” Lisa stated adamantly. The C.P.S. has once again employed blatant intimidation tactics and persecution of mothers for something as simple as a tugging of the ear.

Eventually the case was settled. The court granted Claiborne Sibley full custody of their youngest child Daylan. Franshat is still in the clutches of the system moving from foster home to foster home, as Lisa desperately tries to piece her family back together. Living without her two children, Lisa’s life is filled with pain and sadness.

I couldn’t imagine not living with my mother because she tugged on my ear when I was bad or my cousins being torn away from their parents- caught somewhere in the claws of the system- just because of their family’s doctrine of faith. Religion and discipline are both personal choices and have nothing to do with how we love our families.

On Easter I sat with my cousins, we broke bread together and shared a meal. It didn’t matter that they didn’t celebrate this holiday the same way we did because we are a family that loves and cares for each other in spite of everything else. The same way Lisa loves and wants to care for her two children, but can’t because of a system that wants to separate, not support families.

For more information about COURTWATCH – you can call POOR at (415) 863-6306. or go on-line to www.poormagazine.org. To get in contact with Lisa Washington you can call her at 510- 300 7014

by Sam Drew/Poverty and Race Scholar/PNN community journalist

Let me get this straight. San Francisco has an unexpected surplus of $130 million in its budget. The Board of Supervisors voted $28 million for affordable housing in one of the most unaffordable cities on the planet and the Mayor vetoes the appropriation and refuses to spend the money! But wait, the story gets even stranger. This is the same city that wonders why working class families are leaving in droves and openly asks what it can do to maintain it diverse population. Doesn't make a damn bit of sense does it?

To fight against the senselessness and injustice in the mayor's decision, representatives from The Coalition on Homelessness, as well as POOR Magazine poverty scholars, Supervisor Chris Daly, State Senator Carole Migden and several other community organizations stood on the steps in front of San Francisco's ornate City Hall. These groups had merged together as one to collectively slap some sense into the mayor and to demand that the money that was earmarked for public housing repairs and services and affordable housing be restored.

John Avalos, aide to Supervisor Daly wasted little time getting to the
heart of the matter, as he said to the crowd, "We asked the Mayor for support" for the $28 million budget supplemental but all "we got was a back door veto."

The need for this money is painfully obvious in a city whose housing market has become increasingly unaffordable. The reason this money is needed, as Avalos simply stated, is "to keep San Francisco working people living in the city."

Housing in San Francisco is three times as expensive as the national average. In the Bay Area affluent housing markets are getting stronger, while the housing market in poorer areas is softening and hardly any lower income families can afford to purchase housing. The median price for an existing single family dwelling in the Bay Area hit a record high of $720,000 in April.

Jazzie Collins addressed one of the most vexing issues about affordable housing, which is the problem with the definition of affordability itself. "Let us take the lead in [making] affordable
housing under$100,000 a year...what we have [now] is only affordable to those that can buy a condo." The message was directed to the Mayor to let him know this is strictly business not personal, "To the Mayor we are attacking your positions not your character," Jazzie added.

This tug of war over appropriations and budget supplements goes to the heart of what this city stands for. Can San Francisco become a "family
city" or will we become a big museum with exhibits on 21st century working families? Do we try to decrease the number of people forced to live on the streets or do we do a Manhattan shuffle like Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York and play hide and seek with the problem?

Skyrocketing housing costs make middle and low-income families more vulnerable to homelessness if they lose their jobs. One of the fastest growing segments of the homeless population is children

Poverty scholar and POOR Magazine representative Jewnbug gave arousing speech focusing on her housing difficulties. "I was homeless at the age of 8. I'm still struggling to live in San Francisco. The
only way I can live in San Francisco is on Section 8". Jewnbug put a humorous touch on the dire need for housing when she said, "Housing is a right. It shouldn't have to be like buying a diamond necklace!" As she left the podium she was visibly shaken after her deeply felt oration. While she put her hands over her face the crowd and I clapped heartily at her emotional outpouring.

The percentage of San Francisco Bay Area households who could afford a median price house fell from a paltry 20% in July 2003 to under 10 per cent in 2006.

The question arises if the city doesn't assist those in need of housing. Then who does it benefit with its surplus?

"Who is getting housed in this city? - its huge corporations like Lennar," exclaimed tiny aka Lisa Gray-Garcia editor of POOR Magazine and poverty scholar. Lennar Corporation is the Miami based company in charge of the asbestos laden redevelopment project at the Hunters Point Shipyard. This billion-dollar company has had the red carpet rolled out for it while doors are being closed on the homeless, poor and working families.

SRO Collaborative Families with children living in SRO Hotels are
considered homeless in San Francisco. The Mayor's Budget includes a 25% cut to families living in Single Room Occupancy Hotels (SRO Families United). This will dramatically reduce peer-based services to the 527 families residing in SRO hotels in San Francisco. In addition, the SRO FU is in need of a $100,000 in funding from DPH to make up for budget cuts from Human Service Agency.

Homeless families are severely neglected by the Mayor's budget. Whiles there are over 2,000 homeless families in San Francisco, there is nothing in the budget to address this crisis. $5,000,000 is needed in operating subsidies to ensure the poorest families can move into City and redevelopment funded affordable housing units going on line next year.

All one has to do is look at Mayor Newsom's donation chart to see where the deep pockets are in San Francisco. The largest per person donation came from the Financial District at $388.57 per person on a population of 374. Next highest was Embarcadero/Gateway at$75.32 on a population of 3,335.

One way I can try to make sense of the whole mess is try to define it
in terms of the politics of glass and steel versus the politics of
flesh and blood. In city after city politicians toss money at developers, building owners and huge corporations in the hope of
increased revenues.

Sometimes cities hit the jackpot and revenues flow. But more often the
citizens have to clean up after the mess the politicians have made. But there always seems to be money left over for the next slick talking developer with promises of jobs and revenues. But flesh and blood politics deals with human needs like housing, food and education. There is always a shortage of funds.

When it comes to housing the poor, there always seems to be an excuse, whether deficit or surplus. If there is a surplus we have to save for a rainy day. If it's a deficit we have to slash funds starting with you!

Weighing in on the side of flesh and blood was Valerie Tulier District Representative for State Senator Carole Migden, who said, "Senator Migden absolutely supports the community and their demands for affordable housing in San Francisco... she also wants to ensure affordable means affordable. We have to understand the strategy to address different levels."

What makes this 5o'clock veto particularly galling is that last year's affordable housing supplemental passed without the political intrigue
and controversy. Last year's appropriation delivered on 170 units of affordable family housing, 184 units for seniors and people living with disabilities and 270 units of supportive housing for formerly homeless people.

San Francisco is missing out on a golden opportunity to follow
through on last years positive steps. I hope to return for future actions to report and sup-port on the struggle for affordable housing.
But we better hurry because average people who can afford to live in San Francisco are becoming extinct

Speak out against the mayor's new budget Wednesday June 20 at noon at City Hall.

by Joseph Bolden

The U.S. Forum in Atlanta is Kickin’My Ass!

Ok,most people in the know or heard the buzz about POOR Magazine going to Atlanta.

OH,GOD! Between the preventable Katrina’s ongoing tragedy,panic from Black higher upper class, middle,or Bourgeoisie
[Not much use that word, besides being hard to say its harder to spell too]

A little history sorry ladies have patience.

Although Du Bois
W.E.D. Du Bois {Look him up when you can.}
had originally believed that social science could provide the knowledge to solve the race problem,he gradually came to the conclusion that in a climate of virulent racism, expressed in such evils as lynching,peonage, disfranchisement,Jim Crow segregation laws,and race riots,social change could be accomplished only through agitation and protest.

He clashed with the most influential black leader of the period,Booker T. Washington,who,preaching a philosophy of accommodation,urged blacks to accept discrimination for the time being and elevate themselves through hard work and economic gain,thus winning the respect of the whites.

In 1903,in his famous book The Souls of Black Folk,Du Bois charged that Washington's strategy, rather than freeing the black man from oppression, would serve only to perpetuate it.

This attack crystallized the opposition to Booker T. Washington among many black intellectuals,polarizing the leaders of the black community into two wings—the "conservative" supporters of Washington and his "radical" critics
From [www.pbs.org/whet/aaworld/reference/articles/w_e_b_du_bois.html]

There more to this in the early and late 1960’s this theme is repeated by two late 20th century leaders Brother Malcolm X and Rev. Martin Luther King both want the race to move forward Malcolm advocates self empowerment, protection arm yourself and "by any means necessary."

Martin Luther King advocates peace learning from Gandhi.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948).

King knew to have all out war would lead his people to slaughter by a still repressive white government power structure.
{Didn’t say it’s near history repeating itself?} This is from [http://www.kamat.com/mmgandhi/gandhi.htm] like Booker T. Washington both knew the power of bloody,savage, mob rule whether it be in the South or Northern cities his people were at mercy ofquick-to-anger- killers that actually protects perpetrators of violence not its traditional victims.
My deep emotion angst, anger,and duo personality as an American Citizen of African descent is why did both Malcolm and Martin have to die?

Malcolm X [B.1925–D. 1965)Martin Luther King [B.1929–D.1968]

After assassinating X why kill a peacemaker as well?

My conclusion at the time was Whites as a whole feared any voice and especially black voices who knew America’s underbelly of hypocrisy.

I still think they fear those and other voices but now there are other voices not only Black and Male, but Women,Gay Men/Lesbian Women/Bi Sexuals /Transexual/Youth who’ve been radicalized by their experiences.

In the 60’s it was so easy to kill leaders now there are so many no state, government can to there are just too many voices coming together.

The Upcoming trip to United Form in Atlanta as possibly history in all probability yes.

Between technology exchanging or for the moment loaned to those in the digital down slope craning our neck and eyes for continued not temporary borrowed ongoing educational access to ever advancing technology.

Why do you think I as a formally houseless, jobless,struggling writer/ life extension/Immoralist keep harping on tech?

Because the left out lot is the same that’s always left we’re just more of aware,the stakes are not only political,social, sexist,agist,its applied texism.

TEXISM or imminent fear of technological progress/change.

[Don’t try googling or Wikipedian it I made it up.]

I guess I’m worried that my apolitical self may not fit in with most of the people at the forum,my books not completed and I fear I have nothing to contribute.

Who personally worries about po’s folks living less while the rich find ways of staying on the planet longer.

I don’t its seem a logical next step to outlive the poor folks by denying these new life extending sciences.

Look at Bush with his Stem Cell limit to adult stem cell lines and now scientists have found ways around that problem to create stem cells.

This Presidential war for oil on the soil of Middle Easter countries who people are so ancient and wise that math,alchemy (forerunner of chemistry) and art, sciences dwarfs our supposed Americanized ways of learning,living,and life.

I don’t know,I’m going, but it scares me that I might not be able to contribute my share.

Besides my dancing sucks,have a one drink limit,no proof of my negative hiv/aids clean bill of sexual health how am I gonna get laid?

There's organizin'and fraternizin'.
Just being truthful and practical or pragmatic.

Hasn’t science came up with an insta-test where a prick of blood or scrape from tongue or mouth confirms my negative status?

Maybe that’s it the next breakthrough instant dirty/clean sexual status.

For those who invited us toGeorgia I thank you for inviting POOR Magazine to this momentous event and hope all us can exchange our knowledge and spread in across the globe.

Maybe I’ll try to be the 6th or 10th tourist in space.

Anyone have 20 to 40 million dollars to spare to take their place in line?
[maybe in case illness I'll take someone's place, yeah,right.]

And dear merciful ladies,I'm the lone black guy with a lazy left eye.

Not as sensitive about it as once before.

I don't bite (nibble a little) but a bit shy.

Lousy dancer however when playful muse whispers I move rythmicly in sheer joy of it.

Enchalla,may grace of angels guide us all.

by Angel Garcia/Poverty and Immigrant Scholar and Sam Drew/Race and Poverty Scholar

Para espanol mire hacia bajo

On a sticky Wednesday morning in June, Sam Drew, fellow reporter from POOR Magazine and myself were invited to a wedding ceremony. The couple, greed and corruption (ICE and the Woodfin Hotel Company) were hitched at high noon under the hot sun while security guards kept the peace. This theatrical marriage was meant to symbolize these two organizations, one created by the US federal government, one from an extremely rich individual as a corporation, each full of greed and corruption, joining together to prevent the Woodfin hotel workers from asserting their right to a living wage.

A large crowd had gathered to watch the 'ceremony' at the Oakland federal building in protest of the Woodfin Suites owner’s recent action of calling ICE voluntarily against his own employees. The reason: the Woodfin employees had demanded a living wage and workers rights.

'I’m standing strong with Woodfin workers in the fight for back pay,' said Leslie Littleton, under the bright blue Oakland sky as the crowd cheered in agreement.

As an inmigrant worker, myself, I have experienced this kind of abuse and I know all too well how often this tactic is used against low-income migrant families. Families that simply want a better opportunity to provide a decent life for their children; something we can’t get in our own countries. We will do anything to survive and put food on the table. As Teresa Molina, an inmigrante reportera for POOR Magazine, said, 'I am not here to take away jobs from others…I’m here to help my children survive.'

To survive in this country, we need workers’ rights, a living wage and respect from our employers. We are simply asking to be treated as equal human beings and not like slaves simply because we are undocumented. Everyone at the protest had gathered to fight for these basic human rights.

I spoke with Senora Luz Dominguez, who told me that when the employees started asking for 2 weeks back pay, many were fired. 'We’ve been fighting very hard to get the money we are owed, ' she said. Her voice lowered to almost a whisper as she added, 'It’s very sad to see the way they are using immigration against us.'

Samuel Hardage, the hotel manager, did not seem to have a problem hiring undocumented workers until they demanded their rights. According to John Frieke, a city councilmember of Emeryville, unlike three other hotels, the Marriot, the Four Points Sheraton and the Holiday Inn, the Woodfin Suites have refused to abide by Measure C, a living wage and workers’ rights ordinance for all hotels in the area.

In addition, the Woodfin Suites did not ask for verification of their workers’ social security numbers until September 2006 after workers had complained to City Council that the hotel wasn’t abiding by Measure C. Many feel that the sole reason for the hotel’s actions was the workers’ complaints.

The hotel then started taking serious legal actions against workers protesting. Frieke said when he went with three workers to speak with the manager, for an unknown reason he wasn’t in the office. 'The next thing we know the Woodfin is seeking a restraining order against us. But the judge wouldn’t hear it. Thank God for an independent judiciary,' said Frieke.

A spokesperson from Barbara Lee’s office also spoke at the post wedding speak-out about her commitment to see justice for the Woodfin workers.

As I listened to the speakers, I began to wonder who the real criminals were, the undocumented workers surviving with pride and dignity or these companies who are working together to systematically abuse hardworking people? We are workers that are very important to the economy of this country and we’ve all been working hard for years, even decades with no rewards, no benefits and no rights. Like the Woodfin employees, I, too think its time we collect.

El matrimonio entre la avaricia y la corrupcion

Director de hotel en Emeryville llamo a agentes de migracion contra sus propios trabajadores para evitar un pago justo a los trabajadores- los trabajadores respondieron con un "matrimonio".
Por Angel Garcia y Sam Drew/PNN

En un pegajoso y aragan miercoles por la mañana el se ñor Sam Drew, un compañ ero y reportero de Prensa POBRE, fuimos invitados a una ceremonia matrimonial. Los novios, avaricia y corrupcion, los agentes de migracion y las companias de Woodfin Hotels, se casaron en la alta tarde debajo del sol mientras los oficiales de seguridad mantenian el order. Esta boda teatral simboliza a estas dos agencias, las dos llenas de avaricia y corrupcion que se union para prevenir que los trabajadores de los hoteles exijan sus derechos para un pago justo.

Un grupo grande de personas se unio para mirar la ceremonia en el edificio federal de Oakland mientra le protestaban al due ño de las oficinas Woodfin Suites por haber llamado a los agentes de migracion voluntariamente contra sus propios empleados. La razon fue que los empleados de Woodfin habian demandado una mejor paga y derechos para los trabajadores.

"Yo estoy parada fuertemente con los trabajadores de Woodfin en la lucha para que se les pagen sus pagos atrasados", dijo la senora Leslie Littleton, bajo el cielo azul de Oakland mientras el publico aplaudia en acuerdo.

Como inmigrante trabajador yo tambien eh tenido la experiencia de estos abusos y los conosco todos muy bien. Estas tacticas son communes y an sido usadas contra familias inmigrantes de bajos ingresos. Familias que simplemente quieren una mejor oportunidad para prover una vida desente para sus hijos; habeses estas oportunidades no las tenemos en nuestros paises. Nosotros hacemos todo para sobrevivir y para poner comida en nuestras mesas como la señora Teresa Molina, una reportera migrante de Prensa POBRE, dijo, "Yo no estoy aqui para quitarle trabajo a otros. yo estoy aqui para poder ayudar a mis hijos a sobrevivir".

Para sobrevivir en este pais, nosotros los trabajores necesitamos derechos, pagos justos y el respeto de nuestros empleadores. Nosotros simplemente estamos pidiendo que seamos tratados con igualdad y como personas humanas y no como esclavos simplemente por que somos indocumentados. Todos en la protesta se unieron para luchar por estos derechos humanos.

Hablé con la senora Luz Dominguez, quien me dijo que cuando los empleados empesaron a pedir sus dos semanas de pago atrasado, muchos fueron despedidos. "Nosostros hemos estado peliando muy duro para que se nos de el dinero que se nos deve", ella dijo. Mientras bajaba su voz ella agrego, "es muy triste ver la manera en que ellos esta usando a migracion encontra nosotros."

Samuel Hardage, el manager del hotel no tubo ningun problema al emplear a trabajadores indocumentados hasta que ellos excijieron sus derechos. De acuerdo a John Frieke, miembro del concilio de Emeryville, a diferiencia a otros tres hoteles, el Marriot, The Four Points Sheratton, y el Holliday Inn, las companias de Woodfin se an negado a segir la medida c. Esta medida aboga por los derechos de los trabajadores de los hoteles de la area.

Ademas, el empleador no pidio verificacion de numeros de seguro social a los trabajadores hasta septiembre del 2006 cuando los trabajadores se quejaron con el concilio de la ciudad que los hoteles no estaban siguiendo la medida c. Muchos sienten que las acciones de los hoteles fueron tomadas cuando los trabajadores se quejaron.

El hotel empeso a tomar serias acciones legales en contra de los trabajadores que se quejaron. El señ or Freike dijo que cuando el fue con tres trabajadores para hablar con el manager, por razones desconosidas el no se encontraba en la officina. " Sin que nosotros nos dieramos cuenta, Woodfin estaba consiguiendo una orden de restrincion en contra nosotros. Pero el juez no lo escucho. Gracias a dios que ay un magistrado independiente," dijo Frieke.

Mientras escuchaba a las personas hablar, yo empese a preguntarme ¿quienes son los criminales?, ¿los trabajadores indocumentados que sobreviven con orgullo y dignidad, oh estas companias que se unen para sistemáticamente abusar a los trabajadores? Somos trabajadores importantes para la economia de este país y todos hemos trabajado por años y decadas sin reconocimientos, sin beneficios y sin derechos. Asi como los trabajadores de Woodfin, yo tambien pienso que es hora de colectar.

by Joeff Davis/Bad Habits

For four days last week, 11 students from Atlanta’s
Paideia private school forsook all the comforts of
Home, including a home itself. They lived in an
outdoor playground in Inman Park, and were permitted
to bring a blanket, a plastic sheet, $5, the clothes
they had on, and a pair of old shoes.

The students were participants in teacher Elizabeth
Hearn’s homeless-immersion class. The goal is to teach
about the challenges of being homeless, to humanize
homeless people and to show students how materialism inundates our culture. According to Atlanta
Children’s Shelter, there are 2,500 homeless children
in the city.

The 11 students who participated were chosen from a
pool of 17 applicants. During the day, they walked
around Atlanta, visiting with real homeless people on
the street and volunteering in homeless shelters.
Maddie Mitchell, 13, says the most difficult part of
the experience was getting [dirty] looks from other
people while she walked down the street.

Lying on a cardboard box and looking up at the sky,
10th-grader Aryelle Cormier described an encounter the
students had with a group of people in a homeless
encampment in southwest Atlanta in almost spiritual
terms.

'They didn_t have anything, she said, but they did.'

by Sam Drew/PNN

"They have stirred up a sleeping giant. This issue has awakened the community," said Minister Christopher Muhammad as he looked intently at his audience at the Grace Tabernacle Community Church. He was talking about the continual poisoning of the Bayview Hunters Point district caused by the redevelopment project at the Hunters Point Shipyard headed by the Lennar Corporation. The sleeping giant is the organized and unified community that is confronting negligent city and county officials. The sleeping giant has had his peaceful sleep disturbed and is now seeking retribution from those who committed this dastardly deed.

In previous townhall meetings that I have attended olive branches have been extended to the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, the Health Department and the Redevelopment Agency to come and test the community's land and water to see if the claims are true. But those fair gestures were met with indifference and the community is moving on to the next phase, as Muhammad calls it "the direct action" phase.

"They have ignored the poor.now the poor are coming to their door," he stated defiantly. "Next Tuesday we need to visit Mayor Newsom in his office, Tuesday is our D-day, D stands for decision" Muhammad continued. "We call for the resignation of the Director of Public Health Mitchell Katz and if he doesn't resign the Mayor should fire him." Muhammad firmly stated.

He went on to speak about how Katz never sounded the alarms when known health violations occurred in the Bayview. Minister Muhammad was referring to the four months from April to August that the Lennar Corporations had no monitors on site to check the levels of toxicity being put into the air. Muhammad smiled as he told the engrossed audience how haphazard the monitoring system was. "Half the time they put the monitors out they didn't work," he stated forcefully.

The sleeping giant has a few more doors to knock on, besides just the mayor's office since his rude awakening. "Archeology needs to be terminated, Archeology is a non profit entity that is suppose to inform the community when they have been exposed to health issues. It is funded by the Redevelopment Agency to the tune of $600,000. Why do you need $600,000 to do nothing!" exclaimed Muhammad.

In the audience was support from Supervisor Chris Daly who received special kudos from Muhammad, "Anyone who stands up for this community needs to have the support of this community but anyone who doesn't stand up for this community should be recalled-all it takes is 10%. No one should be comfortable in a seat when the community is dying," he added.

To show the strength and diversity of this giant various clergymen spoke on behalf of this successful effort for environmental justice. Pastor Joe Niumalelega, who has been with the cause from day one spoke of the joy he felt seeing all of Gods people coming together as one. "God, I want us to come together one time. Let all nations know. Let's do this thing for our young for our community," Pastor Niumalelega said.

Reverend Victor Santana told of his problems attempting to explain to the Supervisors the importance of this issue, as he said, "The last time I went to the civic center to explain to the Supervisors the Supervisors didn't understand."

To reiterate the simplicity of what the community is asking for, Minister Muhammad once again explained the reasonable demands the community is demanding. "We're asking for a temporary shut down of the construction at the shipyard, so we can access the levels of exposure from arsenic and lead and we can't trust the Health Department under Mitchell Katz to do it.we want an independent party."

To put a human face to this story of toxic nightmares, I spoke to local resident Pat Thomas who lives close to the shipyard. She told me how her life has changed since Lennar began digging and showering the community with toxic dust.

"For the last six months my eyes are red and itching. I have headaches and I'm short of breath. I've been breaking out in rashes. Where I live at we had green stuff on the carpet. My husband had to wash it off," she said exasperated.

Host Pastor Ernest Jackson compared the movement for environmental justice to another famous and successful movement. "In the sixties I was too young to be involved in the civil rights movement. I've always regretted that [but] this movement has allowed me to be in a cause for humanity, at least I can say I was with them," he said.

The pastor added the final words to the evening's powerful meeting, as a call to all community members and anyone with principals willing to stand up for what's right.

"The doors will remain open at Grace Tabernacle Community Church."

The new Headquarters is located at 4909 3rd street

by Joseph Bolden

Random Rants

Ok whom ever reads myspace.com in Atlanta,go to it and you’ll my column or blog never know which is which yet another reason I’m visiting Atlanta.

Almost as if I’m visiting Mecca because these are people from the south where times were way harder than in the North.

Though northern Black Yankee’s lost lives hanging from trees,chained up,run over by trains and local authorities called them suicides.

Untold billions of never to be solved murders or as today termed "disappeared" Cannot dwell on that it’’ drive you stark raving loony.

I’m just humbled and glad to go and want to be on my best behavior to represent my folks.

Its strange I’ve never heard of "Northern Hospitality."

Stuff to learn,people to meet,ideas,crossing pollinating,technology which is shared with all is that too much to add,its getting late in the day.

I must grab some old and new poetry some profound, some odd,and a few down right erotic.

Sometimes I did cross the line when speaking on relationships of the sexes same,straight,or whatever its no wonder I had three editors (all women) looking at my work saying to themselves.

"Its Joe, first talking living in space,then immortality,cryonics, and slow,casual sex,giving way to much information got to cut five paragraphs."

I learned to keep the best knowledge for myself and using my job as a date site is sort-a porn like but at least I got one partial visit from a nice woman from it.

But lesson learned. (Have money,pay the site, join and be a member instead of going for free on and place a photo which helps.)

I’ll be too busy in Atlanta it’ll be strictly business until we unwind at the local watering hole (dance bar/clubs).

Man, not good dancer but do have some rhythm.

I dread dancing maybe private lessons from a few lovely ladies will help and

I mean southern all southern bells.

Maybe it’s best to knuckle down,be serious and show what I can do?

Whatever transpires it will be an adventure worth having.

by Joseph Bolden

Journey To U. S. Forum In Atlanta, Georgia

On the way to the U.S. Social Forum in Atlanta, Georgia minor problems begin. First a customer using the same 10 person van Poor Magazine folks would be using was returned by the last customer without reinstalling the two extra seats.
It means going back to Colma? City for an hour or more. We stop in Hunter's Point to pick up The Bayview Newspaper to distribute in Atlanta. We rode the highway. They've printed our news, columns, poems, and stories now we rep. It's all good.
In the background Paris and Public Enemy spit reality street knowledge.
By 4pm Ms. Laura Yaya has been driven for four or more hours straight and now is relived by second driver Mr. Arnulfo. Ms. Yaya and Arnulfo also consulted the map double checking for errors. Starting late we didn't know how we'd make up for lost time. Me, like the others mostly napped Ms. Yaya videoed what she can with a minicam. Mickey D's, Carl Jr's are eateries most of the group chose, I, Joe
wasn't hungry, couldn't keep any thing down since the turkey sandwich I had eaten Friday morning. My cold had broken earlier but I stiff feel sick.
Ever since I was young a bloody nose signals the break or end of my flu though
after effects linger for days. and everyone were warned to stay “Hydrated,
because once you feel thirsty its too late your brain is all ready cooking!
Drinking and pouring writer on my head and face keeps my body from over heating cooling me off. We're in Lost Hills? 4:32pm Mr. Dee, Allen's travel reads. By 7am we drive through a town named Boron.(to be continued)