WeSearch Study-

Subject: Anti-Poor People Criminalization in Berkeley

Date: July 6, 2015

Location: Berkeley, California

WeSearchers: RYME Youth Skolaz: Heidy, 15 yrs old Ana, 15 yrs old,  Tiburcio 11yrs old

Poverty Skolaz, Muteado Silencio, "Tiny" & Tony Robles

What is WeSearch: Wesearch is poor people lead research and pro-active media deconstructing the lies told about criminalized communities. We say wesearch instead of researching because we, the people, are searching for answers while research means going to an institutional source or point of view.

The problem being WeSearched was anti-poor people criminalization and profiling by Po'Lice and business owners in light of recent attacks on houseless residents of Berkely. 

On June 30th yet another layer of poor laws were proposed to the Berkeley City Council which would make it illegal for houseless people to use technology, including phones and computers on the streets or put their backpack on the sidewalk or street.

So our WeSearch team from POOR Magazine conducted an experiment and a survey on Monday July 7, 2015 in Berkeley on Shattuck Avenue. We would walk on the sidewalk and put a backpack down while pretending to be on a cellular device. We wanted to see if any of the establishments there would call the police on us or if the police would just “mysteriously” show up.While we were there for approximately 45 minutes using our phone and leaving our backpack on the ground no police bothered us or asked us to leave. The houseless people sitting on the street next to us were asked to leave by police within that same 45 minutes.

After that, we conducted a survey with four random people, as they passed by, each from different races, age, class, and gender. When asked if any of them have ever been arrested for putting their backpack down on the street or using their digital devices all of them said no except the one houseless person of the four/(see below to watch the interviews)

He goes by the name of Moon and he said, “What's even more concerning to me is the fact that there's so many people that have a valid voice that see it occurring everyday and they do nothing...it's very easy to brush aside homeless people. There's a large attempt nationwide to make homeless people look bad.”

As we left that day we returned back to homefulness with the findings that if you are a person of color or not, who's dressed nice, you wouldn't be arrested for putting your backpack down or using any electronic device.

 

July 14, 2015

I suppose I should just resign myself to being emotionally abused by my new doctor
or to find another one.

The onslaught continues in the emotional tug of war between me ascertaining my rights and her attempting to impose her will over me.

My doctor continues to attempt to interrogate and cross examine me rather than advise and offer me words of encouragement. Case in point occured during my most recent office visit to Tenderloin Healthcare formerly known as Glide Health Services. I far exceeded my health goal of walking more. I also joined a gym. I routinely put in excess of 2 hours a day in the gym not just a couple of times a week but about everyday, taking an occasional day off only because I know my back will give out if I don't. My walks are not just around the block but rather up and down some of the steepest hills the city has to offer. My diet, although it's not perfect, has been trimmed of many of the bad food items and they have been replaced with healthier alternatives. True enough, I admit that I'm eating more but it's due mainly to my increased physical activity.

Rather than congratulate me and encourage me to keep up the good work she just tells me unnecessary and unwanted things like, "If you need me to write a letter to the Y to get a discount, I can do that." Why would that be necessary if I joined a gym?

According to my chart I gained 2 lbs, but rather than thinking that maybe the best plan of action is doing a body mass index [bmi], she says, "well it looks like you gained 2 lbs. so you're right back where you were. I would advise you to watch what you eat so you can lose weight." Why would she say this when she knows that my diet is cheifly dictated by food pantries and soup kitchens?
Could it be that I gained 2 lbs or more of muscle and lost some fat?

When I told her I'm peeing more because I'm drinking more tea she asked, "Is it sweetened tea?"
I feel like she is constantly trying to catch me in a lie so she can prove how right she is. If she bothered listening to me she would know I know a great deal about nutrition and exercise and have been applying it.

July 7, 2015

On June 17, 2015,  a white gunman identified as Dylann Roof went into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal [A.M.E.] Church, allegedly to attend a Bible study and prayer meeting.

As soon as the prayer meeting was over he began to open fire in a massacre that killed 9 church members, including the senior pastor Clementa C. Pickney who was also a State Senator. Several others were injured in the shooting spree.

One victim tried to talk Roof out of committing this heinous act, who is alleged to have said, "You rape our women and you're taking over our country. You have to go."

Ironically the vast majority of the shooting victims were middle-aged and elderly women.

Several images of Roof have been posted online with him posing in front of a confederate flag.

Since this incident, Confederate flags have been removed from state capitols in the south faster than the spread of the flames of Sherman's army.

The history of the Confederate flag, once the battle flag of the Confederacy during the war between the states, has consistently been present in terrorist attacks on blacks after the Civil War. Its raising over Southern state capitosl has generally been viewed as a Southern act of defiance, seemingly stating, "We lost the war but we still reserve the right to treat blacks as bad as we want."

Roof is alleged to have claimed on his personal website that he intended to carry out a racist attack on blacks because of his race hatred. He is also alleged to have stated he attacked that church in particular because of the work it had done to register voters during the Civil Rights Movement. According to witnesses he specifically asked to speak with Pastor Pickney, which would suggest his killing spree was premeditated.

A.M.E. Churches in general are the oldest known black Christian churches in the country, established when blacks were finally allowed to openly worship during the time of slavery. Prior to this, blacks were not allowed to worship in any religious or spiritual ceremonies nor gather publicly together, and of course weren't allowed to worship alongside whites.

July 7, 2015

More than a year has passed since the Sewol Ferry sank on April 16. Despite the broken promises, media smearing and obfuscation, public backlash, red-baiting, pepper spraying, and beating, the families of the Sewol victims (families) continue to lead the movement for truth, justice, closure, and a society where such tragedy would never re-occur. Only truth and social change can bring meaning to their sons’ and daughters’ senseless deaths. They fight not only against time, but against the Park Administration which is determined to cover up the truth. In their latest battle to uncover the truth, the families fight the Park Administration’s enforcement decree to the special law which instead of implementing the latter, effectively neutralizes its ability to search for the truth.

An Accident Turns to National Tragedy
On April 16 2014, the Sewol Ferry capsized on its way to Korea's Jeju island after making a
sharp turn. The captain and his crew ordered the passengers to stay put. They evacuated the ship when the Coast Guard arrived, while 304 passengers, mostly high school students, stayed put awaiting instructions. 172 made it off the ferry and were rescued. Without an emergency response plan or coordination, the Coast Guard and Navy fumbled through the rescue and saved none of the 304 inside.

While the immediate cause of the accident was a sharp turn that careened the ferry to one side and the extra cargo and passengers--in makeshift holds and cabins--that prevented it from regaining balance, it was the convergence of corruption, greed, and lax regulation that led to sinking of the Sewol by turning a blind eye to the excess weight, hiring inexperienced mostly irregular workers, providing little emergency response training, and allowing the ferry to operate in Korea after it was retired in Japan. As the Coast Guard and Navy fumbled through the “golden time” of rescue and then underwater search and rescue, they saved no one and the accident became a national tragedy live on television.

Mourning Turns to Anger and into a Movement
So many absurdities converging together into the tragedy called into question Korean society: “What’s it mean to be developed, if we couldn’t rescue any of them?” “What good is money when people die?” “What are our schools teaching our children to survive in the world?” Then catatonic sorrow turned to a desperate yearning for the truth led by the families. As their search for answers were frustrated by those carrying out the rescue and recovery and then by the Park Administration’s vague delaying promises of doing their best, the yearning turned to a demand for a special law that would grant the authority to inquire and investigate the truth, and prosecute those responsible. When members of the ruling Saenuri Party accused the families of pushing for the special law to gain postmortem honorary designations for their deceased children and scholarships for alive ones, the media obliged and continued misinforming the public even when no such provisions existed in the special law proposed by the families. As the families escalated their demands for a special law to investigate the truth by going on hunger strikes and one father hunger striking for 46 days, members of the Saenuri party attacked the sincerity of the hunger strikes, right-wing counter-protesters held eating parties at the site of fasting, and the media redbaitted the father. Despite all the efforts to break the families’ spirits, their demand for investigating the truth remains. Fueled by grief and moral outrage at the senseless deaths of
their sons and daughters, they have dedicated their lives and bodies to leading a movement for the truth about the Sewol tragedy and a safer society.

Park Undoes the Special Sewol Law with Its Enforcement Decree
Nearly 7 months of struggle later, over 6 million signatures, numerous protests and candlelight vigils, 40+ day hunger strikes, and marches, the families passed a special Sewol Law through the National Assembly that contained a special committee to inquire about the causes of the tragedy. While the final version was a greatly weakened one from that proposed by the families, the families nonetheless accepted it as it contained various provisions that would help search for the truth.

Yet, on March 27 2015, through the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Park Administration introduced an enforcement decree that undermines - rather than implements - the special Sewol Law‘s inquiry committee by controlling key support roles and limiting its scope of inquiry. First, it undercuts the committee’s independence by appointing a ruling party member to be general secretary and filling strategic support roles, including for the truth investigation, with government officials. This allows a backdoor for the Park Administration and ruling party to paralyze and influence the inquiry even as the key actors/villains in this tragedy are in the Park Administration and ruling party.

Secondly, the enforcement decree limits the committee’s capacity by arbitrarily decreasing its
size from that stipulated in the special Sewol Law and by filling a majority of the support personnel positions with government officials including from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Public Security and Safety (which includes the Coast Guard): the latter two are the central actors/villains in the accident and rescue operations.

Finally, it limits the scope of the inquiry. While the special law stipulates that the committee is mandated to analyze and inquire into the causes of the Sewol tragedy, the enforcement decree limits the scope to the results from the government’s investigation. The special law stipulates that the committee can inquire into the government’s rescue and recovery operations; the enforcement decree limits it to its rescue and recovery documents. Furthermore, it limits the special Sewol Law’s mandate of inquiring into disaster prevention and response in general to the Sewol tragedy in particular. That is why the families are demanding the enforcement decree be abolished.

Against overwhelming odds and great foes, led by the indomitable spirit of bereaved parents, a movement wrested the special Sewol Law from the elite and its henchmen. Now the Park Administration threatens to end the search for the truth with its enforcement decree. The Sewol tragedy was no accident; it was a symptom of a society that values economic growth and
profits over people’s livelihoods. To turn the world right side up, the families of the Sewol victims cannot do it on their own. They, alone, cannot create a safer society for all. It is while fighting for a safer society that values life and people that we will transform ourselves into one, and it starts with the truth.

Abolish the enforcement decree! Recover the Sewol! Recover the truth! Recover the 9 missing bodies! 

    On July 14th, we went to San Francisco for a government voting on revisions to the city's short term rental ordinance, and the number of allowable days. “Overall impact on San Francisco is negative” said David Campos and with good reason. Just like this is happening in San Francisco it is also occurring across state.

    Airbnb is in 34,000 cities and 190 countries. Including cities like San Francisco, Berkeley, and New York Los Angeles is the current city with a housing crisis. With rising prices locals are having a hard time staying in their homes and the tourists are flooding in. When people think of cities with the least-affordable housing they think of San Francisco or New York, but Los Angeles is the next possible expensive Airbnb take over.  “The Los Angeles-Santa Ana-Long Beach Metro Area is now, by one measure, the most expensive big-city region in the country in which to buy a home; the average home price is nine times the average income.” Henry Grabar explains in his story about the housing crisis in Los Angeles. This further provides evidence that airbnb is now turning attracting high wealth tourists to the city increasing the vacant apartments and kicking low income tenants.

    The city just builds trying to solve their housing crisis. In my opinion that may not solve the whole problem because if the city is creating expensive buildings for the rich, there is no possible way for po’ folks to have enough homes. Airbnb makes it possible for people to rent out their homes for nights, this is perfect for tourists. When Los Angeles is creating more homes for locals in reality they go to tourists, pushing out locals. This problem creates a chain of gentrification and evictions for low income apartments for redevelopment. This all connects and creates a vicious cycle.

    From the hosts and rich cities like San Francisco point of view airbnb is an amazing way to make money. Tourists come creating business for many. It increases the wealth of the cities which is just great for the government of those cities. “...The country has become more unequal as the number of homeowners has fallen while the number of renters has significantly risen." said Lawrence Yun, chief economists for the realtors. This proves that for big cities there is an increase and demand for condos and apartments. When I Interviewed the elderly couple in San Francisco during the board of supervisors meeting (Campos vs. Ferral) I learned something new. They use airbnb to help them pay the bills and ends meet. It’s the only way they can afford living in San Francisco.

    In my opinion airbnb isn’t the devil but they like many other gigantic corporations are the reason for so many evictions in cities like San Francisco, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and New york. People losing their homes to the rich and wealthy off those cities. The only benefit I find is that it brings people wealth, and I guess that’s enough for this to screw so many people over and cause damage in the long run. As Tina Shaft  from the Migrante organizer committee brilliantly stated “San Francisco needs to recognize that they can’t live without the working class.” It’s just not San Francisco that needs to realize this. They need us and we’re not going anywhere.

On July 14, 2015 we went to San Francisco City Hall to attend the Board of Supervisors meeting and vote on the legislation discussing the revisions of the short term rent ordinances and the number of allowable days a short term renter can rent for. “The overall impact on San Francisco is negative, “ said Supervisor David Campos.

At first glance City Hall could have been mistaken for a golden palace but as you get closer it feels like a scary dungeon used to manipulate people. As you enter you receive this eery feeling as cold and thick as ice that you are being watched as you put your objects down and walk through the metal detector.

San Francisco is in a  housing crisis. Thanks to ellis act evictions and people getting gentrified out their homes there are more people on the streets than under a roof.  Evictions have risen to over 54.7% within these last few years and with these short term rental ordinances more people will have to probably find somewhere else to live.

In the middle of this crossfire is a company called Airbnb. Airbnb is an organization that allows people to rent unique places for guests to stay from local hosts in over 190 countries. The problem with this is that it gives less people less homes to live in.

We had the opportunity to talk to an elder who uses Airbnb and he says that they were fortunate to stay in San Francisco because of Airbnb. They have a single family home and rent one bedroom They are both retired and have a fixed income so they rely on Airbnb to help them pay their taxes and make ends meet.

“We are against people using Ellis Acts to push people out,” said the elder’s wife when she was asked about how she feels about the elders being pushed out their homes.

Some people fear that if Airbnb hosts rent full time it will reduce the city's housing supply and change some aspects of residential neighborhoods.”Neighborhoods became ground zero for evictions,” said Campos.

Clients also claim that Airbnb takes down all of the complaints they posted on blogs or other travelling sites so that they can save their company’s reputation.

In San Francisco, almost 5,000 San Francisco homes, apartments, and private or shared rooms were for rent  via Airbnb. The Mission District had the most Airbnb rentals of any neighborhood. Prices are higher in “elegant” neighborhoods like Russian Hill and North Beach and lower in less upscale neighborhoods like the Sunset District and Parkside.

Airbnb is not a good thing and although it provides people with a source of income it also gives them more things to stress about when a guest causes damage to their living space and Airbnb won’t pay for the damages so the money comes out of their pockets.

In my opinion, Airbnb is a poor excuse for a company. They only care about the image of their company rather than the well being of their hosts or guests. They trick their clients and when they start complaining they’ll pretend like they care at first and then lose all contact with them.  

But what matters the most is that innocent people are losing their homes and it is unacceptable.

Editor's Note: Jose H. Villarreal is one of several power-FUL PNN Plantation correspondents who contribute to Poor Magazine notes from the inside, a column of planation resistors who needs your help to get justice.

Three Strikes

California's shameful legacy holding it's poor hostage, locked in a fascist visegrip without a conscious.

Dont' touch that bread for your hunger may cost you your head, a caste – like system that would leave confederates in awe and without all the end.

When stealing a burger gets you more time than a murder, the public deceived when the vehicles a pervert.

Using Amerika's pass time to steal oppressed lives,

The people's victory will be tripled runs not fly's.

Modern day slavery – a new plantation,

Lady liberty a waitress, and our bodies the concession.

500 years of their regurgitated scheme,

Amerika's air conditioned mightmare was never a dream.

By Jose H. Villarreal

5-1-12

Editor's Note: Jose has a new book, available at www.prisoncensorship.info/chicanopower. Please check it out

Editors Note:Anthony Robinson Jr.  is one of several power-FUL PNN Plantation correspondents who contribute to Poor Magazine notes from the inside, a column of plantation resistors who needs your help to get justice

One of the greatest loves anyone can experience is having the ability to feel a deep clearness of concern for another person. Now I have the capacity to love myself and others and their feelings as well, in the sense of true concern. Because now I do know, it's not all about me all the time. I have to think about others too. First, I must see and value myself as a good person worthy of being loved as others love themselves and their families. Who am I? Now I'm a person who has to think of others as well as myself. Once I've made this change, then I know I was the cause of the problem dealing with other people, not them.

As I learn these programs about violence and the magnitude of impact especially with life crimes, I know there is never just one victim. I share this with my ability to understand who and how my crime affected me and affected others.

Yes, there were many people I hurt that were around me like family and friends. Being a father, a son, and a teacher of men here in prison, I now can look honestly into myself and my past actions, so I can help others as well as myself.

p.s. Do you men and women on the outside know who you are?

Editors Note:Timothy Yeargin is one of several power-FUL PNN Plantation correspondents who contribute to Poor Magazine notes from the inside, a column of plantation resistors who needs your help to get justice

I ask this because we serve life sentences and have left our children and teens do for themselves.

Some of us don't like the way other people raise our teens now, but you and I are left out of the job that was ours. We are upset because our sons or daughters took on another person as their idol because we were not there.

Now, I ask why you always do what he says. I am your father. Why don't you listen to me? Our young teens will say to us, “Who left?” Dad, who are you? Because you were never around, I talked to my uncle and my stepfather about life and what I wanted to be.

They were my idols growing up and also some of my friends' fathers and mothers. Now you come into my life asking me who who are they to teach me because that's your job! Dad, you let us and mom down.

Now, my brothers want to know who you are and where you have been. I ask again, who are you? If you know who you are, take time to love and understand your children. Care for them and talk to them too.

I come to you in concern for all prisoners that are locked up and trying to do something better with their lives, so that we can get back into society. We have a lot of inmates here in prison that have families out there trying to do their best.

Here at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison we are trying to start a young men's awareness group dealing with insight into criminal behavior, etc. Since we are a group of older fathers in prison we do need help from the public. We do need volunteers to serve as mentors for men who want to change their lives so they can be better fathers. This program needs to be here. Some fathers in here are really hurting and don't know how to let it out. This is why when society hears about fathers behind bars many people on the outside can say this program is helping our young fathers to learn to avoid violence.

Our young men need help and our children too, so will you please hear our cry so all of us can save our children. To help our young men, it takes all of us. It has to be something that we in here can use or feel that hits us hard at home, so we fathers can look at ourselves with more pride and dignity. As we lift up one another we lift up ourselves.

Help us to look out for our young children and young men out there.