Proposed legislation would criminalize the care-givers of elder and disabled Californians
by Marlon Crump/PNN
“It (the proposed legislation) will impact a lot of consumers, family members, husbands, wives. They (home health care workers) take care of them, and a lot of those people have felonies. If they won’t be able to provide a service to that consumer, then they could get sick and die," said Caesar La Tour of the United Healthcare Workers (West) in a POOR Magazine/PNN interview at San Francisco City Hall on December 14, 2009 outside the Board of Supervisors Chambers. For six years La Tour worked as a home health care provider, but he’s cared for the seniors and his family since he was six years old.
A “Felony Exclusion Resolution” was the item agenda for this public hearing before San Francisco Supervisors Chris Daly, John Avalos, Bevin Duffy, David Campos and Sean Elsbernd, all whom apparently opposed this legislation.
Among the various San Francisco Bay Area community groups attending this public meeting that also opposed this law were Senior Action Network and Planning for Elders.
Bruce Allison, Carina Lomeli,
“Tiny” Lisa Gray-Garcia, and myself, all representing POOR/PNN, attended this hearing for an emergency re-porting and sup-porting intervention against this criminalizing legislation.
"At POOR Magazine/PNN we practice ancestor worship and eldership."
~Excerpt from POOR Magazine's mission statement.
As I conducted research on the proposed legislation I was reminded of this statement because our elders are endangered by Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal to prevent any In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) worker to care for an elder if they have a felony background or a “serious misdemeanor” offense.
“This particular legislation will ruin and take away choices from elders,” Bruce Allison, POOR comrade of mine and Elder Scholar, said to me with concern. “We’ve had enough stuff taken away from the ‘gentleman’ (Schwarzenegger) in Sacramento. This is one of his plans to shove us all in nursing homes and concentration camps.”
The legislation requires fingerprinting for anyone interested in becoming a service provider, even if his or her offenses range back to 35 years and they’ve had no further discord with the law. This policy will violate the right of consumers to choose who they want to care for them.
“The consumers are very upset because of this law that Arnold is trying to push upon us,” Mrs. McArthur, senior and IHSS worker, explained during an interview. “It should be their choice of who they want to work for them.” I asked her if there have ever been any troubles committed from home health care service providers towards the consumers.
“They are happy with the providers, but not with what the system is doing,” she replied. “Some of them (consumers) have a relationship with their health provider. Trust is the most important thing in this job.” Mrs. McArthur is deeply concerned with what the measures for fingerprinting will entail, and where the funding will come from to support this process?
In San Francisco, there are 22,000 low-income seniors and people with disabilities who rely on service care to avoid institutionalization. Statewide, over 44% of IHSS recipients receive care from a family member.
The legislation contradicts current state law, which only excludes IHSS workers that have had convictions of child abuse, elder abuse, and fraudulent activities against government health programs. The legislation is also inconsistent with a federal law that excludes people from being service providers only for job-related offenses, and makes it illegal to use preventions of employment based on a prior conviction. Furthermore, the proposed legislation contradicts the City and County of San Francisco’s Civil Service employment policies, which do not permit a ban on employment based on conviction history. Rather, a case-by-case evaluation is required depending on the nature of the offense, the time elapsed and the job that the applicant performs.
Bruce Allison and I sat in on the hearing to witness the testimonies of those that opposed the Schwarzenegger policy and praised the Felony Exclusion Resolution.
S.F. Public Defender Jeff Adachi addressed his concerns to the Board of Supervisors about the kind of impact the law will have on people, predominately those of color, and stated statistical numbers in reference to those concerns.
“It behooves you, Board of Supervisors, to say NO to this legislation from Schwarzenegger,” I said during my public comment address to the board. I followed up with a slice of sarcasm stating, “Keep in mind, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a senior himself…with or without the massive muscles.”
Recently, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch halted the state with a temporary restraining order by excluding people with felony records from working as caregivers in California's IHSS program. This order forbids the state from enforcing the proposed law’s restrictions until January 29, 2010, when Roesch will hold a hearing about a possible injunction.
Governor Schwarzenegger and his administration continue to attack services vital to the poor, the elderly and the disabled. He has no compassion for the lives of people who can no longer care for themselves without assistance from others. A person’s past determines how they care for the vulnerable in the future.
“My mom (‘Mama’ Dee Gray) became disabled when I was 11-years-old, and it was necessary that I cared for her. I was her sole care giver,” co-founder of POOR “Tiny” Lisa Gray-Garcia said to me during an interview.
Tiny stated that she does have a record for “Crimes of Poverty.” Described in more detail throughout her book, Criminal of Poverty, Tiny underwent a life filled with citation issuances every time she and her mom had to park their car just to get a good night’s sleep in.
Regardless of Tiny’s heroic ability to care for her mother at a very young age while managing their survival with no financial security, her record is forever stained with “Crimes of Poverty.” What would it have meant for people in poverty who provided for seniors, sick and disabled if this newly proposed law would have arrived in the past?
“This legislation would’ve made sure that we had no source of support,” Tiny said. “When we ended up in homelessness and poverty while my son was born, she (‘Mama’ Dee) became ill. The only money that we had was an in-home support services payment. It allowed us to eat.”
“The verdict acquits the raven, but condemns the dove.”
Gays,Lesbians marry,
raise children and oops what
happened to Gay Pride Parades?
What is the true meaning of
love between two people?
by Joe B.
Sacred Bonds/Long Lives
Looks like Conservatives have their hackles up about same sex marriage,New Mayor Newsom Didn’t brake laws getting folks married it just seem way to radical but then again we’re in San Francisco to the tune of $50,000 which is not bad for one day and this week that record can easily be broken.
But this is serious being Roman Catholic taught in New York I’d to have qualms about the same sex issue except it came to me:If the institution of marriage is so strong why would two men,women joined in the holiest of binding ties weaken the institution? Doesn’t the fact that two people deciding to love,cherish,protect in sickness and health prove that marriage is still strong?
To the very though of President Bush’s bull for a constitutional amendment restricting or banning same sex unions while making Man/Woman unions the only legal standing in America tell me more about his personal view than the countries.
Face it people Same sex marriages will take place it may be slowed for year but it will happen and this country will be better for it.
There was a time not so long past that Blacks could not marry Whites, Chinese,and were not respected as couples themselves.
Imagine a country where because of myths,tales, and tragic events happen not because of one race choosing to honor clandestine back alley torrid emotions by finding a minister to be honorably married in the creator’s eyes.
As a child I though don’t white folks get enough lovin’ everywhere they go they have women of other races when I learned of consensual sex it made me wonder,if I found a plain Jane white girl or women of any race and we loved each other the very thought of our not sneaking around but being open could get us(mainly me) killed for something as private and intimate as peck on a woman’s cheek.
It still goes on this insidious sexual jealousy, projection onto victims.
Now one the last taboos gay men and women in committed relationships demanding equality of marriage.
The Bible says its wrong but its wrong thinking impure thoughts, Civilization didn’t begin with marriage but children had to know who their mother’s and father’s were and for the longest time women we’re child baring chattel.
Like it or not you cannot stop a determined people and for a President to carve in stone and enshrine that only man and woman constitutes a family is arrogance of one man in a high office whose personal preference, bigotry,belittled the office makes him not the office small.
Between birth and abortion two of the most powerful engines of creation and destruction literally rests in the hands of and wombs of women and men may believe they have power over them as President B’ think using religion and his own belief system on how women should behave means nothing to girls with too many children,girls too young having them or those wanting to keep their child.
And of mature young women knowing what they want getting abortions-on -demand silently suffering emotional,psychological turmoil punishing themselves long after they’ve achieved their career goals even marrying and having children.
Most men don’t acknowledge this power of life and death and as friend said to me once: There’s A Reason Why Men Can Not Give Birth!
99% cannot take the physical,emotion, pain of it constitutionally.
In South Korea cloning of embryo breakthrough shows too that therapeutic is not in some dim future but here as for whole body cloning – that’s up to people who can afford the failures until either or both therapeutic and whole cloning is here.
Lost body parts, nerve regeneration,even brain cell replacement alleviating the lonely curse of Alzheimer.
Could it be that by the time 2020 or 2030 rolls around America may not only have same sex marriages legalized and be normal as like so called traditional family raising children of their own but therapeutic cloning and nanotechnology in our clothes and in us keeping us alive,youthful, healthy,and free of disease and minor ills aches and pains?
This coming election is about which way America will go.
Will the big-A lead the world into a new dawn of a bright future or will it falter,fall back like a preverbal ostrich its long neck in the sand while new countries take the bold steps into the glittering, shining future with all the perils,pitfalls,joys, and agonies it takes to stay Phoenix like renewing themselves as America stagnates behind?
Its not up to politico’s but we the people to elect bold leaders from our ranks to herald us past the dawn into a new day.
Advocates and consumers demand their right to basic healthcare
by Bruce Allison/City Hall Resistance Beat
At 9am August 9, 2009, this reporter went to a meeting with about 20 other people. Most of it was about the cuts that Governor
did to the Healthcare budget and due to the mistake he did by using
the money while cutting the budget at the same time. So it was taken
by the Gray Panther‚ and Senior Action Network lawsuit was placed by
them. These groups with other groups sued the Governor for violating
the stimulus money from the U.S. government. It says that no money
shall be taken out of any of the health programs that is already
there. So the Governor removed health plans as dental, podiatry,
vision and others.
As I gave my speech about the cut in in-home supportive services and
the finger printing as the cost of this will cost $10,000,000 dollars
for a chance of fraud of 1% for all in-home supportive services for
the whole state.
Due to the Governors fear that there are 30% fraud. At this time he is
totally wrong. According to the Director of the Public Authority of
San Francisco County who runs all homecare in the City of San
Francisco ‚ Donna C. and Tony Nico the Director of Homecare for D.O.S.
[Department of Social Services] agrees ‚ that its only 1%.
At the rally, the final speaker came up. He was a gentleman in a wheel
chair with diabetes. Because of the governors cuts, he cant get his
toenails cut medically. Due to the cuts, they took away his so-called optional services. His only other option is one of two that is deadly and dangerous. One is to have his home care worker, who isn't
trained, cut it for him. Because he is diabetic, if they are cut wrong, he may lose his feet. The second option is for him to cut them
himself, which in this disability and elder scholar is the least
practical and safe option. If he gets gangreen, it will cost the
state $20,000 to treat him--do the math, people. The next day, I
found out that the optional services will be restored in two weeks.
The money that is needed to generate the rainy day fund is still
being negotiated. Stay tuned because Bad News Bruce will keep you
updated
PNN staff intern questions POOR Magazine’s notion of Panhandling as work
by Takuya Arai
( POOR Magazine released Volume #4 The Work Issue in 1998. In that issue we explored the concept of Unrecognized labor and specifically the idea that Panhandling was, in fact, work)
I was walking down Haight Street in the city of San Francisco with my roommate. After the consecutive cold days of rain and chilly wind, we finally had a nice, warm day. We were approaching Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Shop on the corner, where a group of four teenagers with eccentric attire were begging for change from the pedestrians. When we walked across the street, I noticed that one of them looked at me and turned to her companions to talk about my MTV T-shirt, which I knew looked pretty stupid. They were laughing at me.
"Can you spare me some change?" she said to us with a sneer.
"I am sorry, but I am broke too," I replied, because my financial situation is getting really tight these days.
"No, you’re not!" To my surprise, she suddenly raised her voice, telling me not to lie to her. I think she was just trying to get some fun out of us because it seemed they did not have anything else to do. But I felt offended.
'That's none of your business. Get out of my sight." I did not say that, but I wanted to.
I just ignored her and went to a bookstore to buy my textbook. With the textbook in my hand, we passed Ben & Jerry's again on our way back. They were still there.
"Now you have some change because you bought something." I could not believe how she could have the nerve to say that.
"What the fuck!? I'll give you a penny if you lick the sole of my shoe." I did not say that, but that was my immediate response. Instead, I just stared at her eyes for about 15 seconds as we passed her by. She cast her eyes aside, so I stared at her other companions.
I am Japanese. Haight Street is introduced in the Japanese best -selling tour book "How to Walk the Earth" as one of the hottest spots to visit in San Francisco. Whenever I go there, I encounter several Japanese tourists wearing nice, fancy clothes with GAP shopping bags in their hands (although I have no idea what GAP has to do with Haight community). So I knew how she felt when I told her that I am broke, because I think she knew that I was Japanese and most of the Japanese people she sees on Haight Street can afford to go traveling and shopping.
If you live in a big city, you have a few chances a month to encounter people who ask for change on the street. The other day, I was driving my car and I stopped at a traffic light where a homeless person was standing. It was a cold, windy day. With a brown cardboard sign that said, "Homeless, even a smile would help," this disabled man in his 50's, wearing a torn shirt and ripped jeans, was bending forward and asking drivers in every car that was stopping at the traffic light for change. Although I did not know anything about this person, his shabby appearance immediately aroused a feeling of pity and made me want to do something for him.
At the same time, however, he reminded me of a teenage girl on Haight Street who was basically doing the same thing that this homeless person was doing. Instead of giving her some change at that time on Haight Street, I gave her a contemptuous look. While I was thinking about the difference between the girl on Haight Street and this homeless person at the traffic light, he came to my car. I opened the window and gave him eight quarters. With a big, warm smile on his face, he said, "Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you. Now, you have a pleasant day." He had a hoarse voice, but I felt good. I gave him change because I thought it was worth more to him than it was to me. I guess I gave him money out of compassion.
I wondered if it was the right thing to do. I think I did the right thing because I helped him, even temporarily. But then I wondered if he deserved money that I gave him.
We live in a free-market capitalistic society where money is used as a means of transaction. Money is an officially issued coin or paper note that is legally established as an exchangeable equivalent of all other commodities. It is used as a means of storage of assets and as a measure of comparative values on the market. Therefore, whenever somebody pays money, they get something of equivalent value in exchange.
When I gave the homeless man money, what did I receive in exchange? It is true that I felt good when I gave him money, because I felt like I helped him and he thanked me. But does that mean that I bought conscience? Did I receive good karma? Was he selling misery? If so, is there any demand for the product or service he offers? When he spends money that he received from the pedestrians, how does he feel about it? Does he feel guilty? What if he lived in a society where barter is the main form of commercial transactions? Would he still be begging for food without giving anything in exchange?
According to a dictionary, "work" is defined as physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something. A "job" is defined as a regular activity performed in exchange for payment, especially as one's trade, occupation, or profession. It is a task that must be done, a specified duty or responsibility, and a specific piece of work to be done for a set fee.
Without any guarantee to secure enough money to get by, panhandling on the street for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week must be harder than any type of job we have on the market. But when people are standing on the street begging for change, how are they contributing to the good of the society? What are they producing? What are they trying to accomplish? Are they responsible for anything? Are they trying to give us a signal that the society is not functioning properly? I really do not know if we can call panhandling work.
One thing is true. When I gave him change, it was mutually beneficial. I felt good and he got what he wanted.
Haven't been to Cuba
would like to visit
for a few months.
Anybody Have Free
Round Trips Tickets?
by Joe B.
Wednesday, April, 3, 2002.Between the early morn and night lots of activities happened from Food Bank cruising for donated delicacies to riding a bus on Valencia and listening to Junebug spitting truth, sacred word gems.
Its yet another day of this Wednesday off which I should have slept through then go to a movie but Nooooo, helping out a little for an upcoming “Resistance Award” dinner.
After deciding to forgo movies I leave late after taking a shower, teeth brushed, my recording machine has no batteries in them I’ll be dusting of an old notepad.
There’s a slight worry of being on the wrong bus at night, light panic looking for ”Modern Times Book Store for Junebug’s return from the “Cuba Sustainability Tour Report & Slide Show. It was a joint Ecology Center/Media Alliance and others recently returned delegation from Cuba.
The team visited mostly Havana about Cuba’s Organic Farming, Green medicine, Farmer’s Market, and Agricultual Collectives, and other alternatives to pesticides use in more developed countries like North America.
The Modern Times Book Store next to the Ethiopian Restaurant on 26th and Valencia Street which ment I had taken the right bus at 6:33 pm.!
Ms. June (Verse) is not here.
Tiny is there giving or selling the “Survival Handbook” on the counter, quickly said hi and bye.
Settle down in the rear of the room where a film projector, video machine, and portable movie screen.
I go out, by a mango juice, return-find a seat waiting for whatever will happen.
The slide show, movie, discussion afterwards is lively and energetic but no Junebug although there was a picture on screen showing her self and a cute cuddly puppie.
By 9pm people who are late are able to see the first film full of lively Cuban music and language.
Fighting sleep as I know Junebug did working earlier the same day must have sapped her near limitless energies that’s what I take naps like a demented vampire.
It was a great function to be at even though Junebug has not shown up.
Oh well, life’s-a twitch then your reborn doing all over again without remembering - you did this before. Bye.
David Duncombe is in Washington, DC, fasting in support of debt forgiveness for 33 impoverished nations. He has been on a water-only fast since his last meal on June 10. UNICEF estimates that 30,000 children die in developing countries every day because of hunger and poverty. Governments of poor countries have little left for health care, schools, housing, or sanitation services after they make their debt payments to foreign creditors.A year ago, the wealthier industrial nations pledged in Cologne to write off $90 billion of developing country debt, a 70 percent reduction. The United States' share is $920 million over 4 years. The U.S. Congress needs to appropriate $435 million this year to keep debt relief on schedule, but the House has only approved $69 million and the Senate has only approved $75 million.
David Duncombe has said: "Millions of people are starving because of Congress' inaction. I feel it is my duty to illustrate for the men and women in Congress who quite literally are making this life and death decision. That a person is willing to starve so that others may not has to speak powerfully to the soul." During his fast he has been visiting eight to ten Congressional Offices a day. For more information see the Jubilee 2000/USA website at http://www.j2000usa.org/updates/fast5.html
by Muteado Silencio/PNN Voces de inmigrantes en resistencia
Scroll down for English
El Derecho alas Tierras Ancestrales
“Para la gente Nativa Americana la tierra es todo”
Tube la oportunidad de escuchar a Danny Blackgoat, maestro (Sha’olta’i) interprete, guia de la gente Diné. Los Navajos se nombraron Diné, o “la gente’. En 1868, un “tratado de paz” fue firmado dando el derecho ala gente Navajo a regresar a sus tierras. Ahora la tribu Navajo representa la mas grande en las Amerikkkas alargandose en los altos desiertos y bosques de los cuatro esquinas de Arizona.
Ahora los Diné estan haciendo confrontados con la lucha de mantener sus tierras Ancestrales. Quienes estan haciendo desplasados y reubicados por leyes introducidas por el govierno Amerikkano.
En Montaña Grande en Black Mesa en tierras Navajo, donde
generaciones han venido y pasado, donde 150,000 lunas de oraciones han transformado la tierra y el cielo.
En lenguaje Navajo no hay una palabra para describir la reubicacion, reubicacion es desaparecer y nunca ser visto.
Estan siendo desplasados y reubicados por hecho de que en Black Mesa contiene los depositos mas grandes de carbon en Amerikkka, como 100 millones de barriles de petroleo, 25 trillones cubicos cuadrados de gas natural, 80 billones de libras de Uranio.
En este momento los que toman desiciones en Washington D.C. planean formas para quitarles las tierras y extraer minerales de la tierra. Las
Compañia de carbon estan dando fondos a los Republicanos y Democratas porque tienen interes para que los ayuden.
Peabody Compañia de Carbon es las mas grande en el mundo, yactualmente planea expander sus operaciones.
Peabody Compañia de Carbon ha destruido tumbas, lugares sagrados, santuarios designados especificamente para ofrendas, prevencion de practicas rituales.
Podemos analizar como una y otra vez corporaciones desplasan a gente Indigena no solo en Norte Amerikkka pero tambien la tribu Mapuche en Ecuador en Sur America donde luchan contra Chevron que derramo petroleo en la Amazona.
Donde gente esta siendo forzada de tomar agua contaminada o morir de sed, donde se encuentran toxicos en la tierra.
“ El genocidio continua contra la gente Indigena con mucha fuerza, que podemos hacer”
Habra una caravana de gente una vez mas quienes viajaran cruzando estados de la union Amerikkkana para mostrar su apoyo a la gente de la Montaña Grande, en la nacion Navajo. En parte de la gente, sus tierras Ancestrales sagradas y por la futuras generaciones, estas comunidades siguen luchando y resistiendo los efuerzos del govierno, quien actua a favor de los intereses de Peabody Compañia de Carbon, cuales a desvastado comunidades y ecosistemas tambien el clima del planeta con la violacion de Black Mesa.
En este mes de la Historia Nativa Americana nos levantamos, protestamos, luchamos juntos a nuestros hermanos y hermanas de cualquiera manera necesaria.
“Una lesión a uno es una lesión para todos”
Right to Remain on Their Ancestral Lands
“For native people land means everything”
I had the opportunity to listen to Danny Blackgoat, teacher (Sha’olta’i), interpreter, guide from the Diné people. The Navajo refer to themselves as the Diné, or “the people”. In 1868, a “peace treaty” was signed allowing the Navajo people to return to their homeland. Today the Navajo Tribe represents the largest Indian Tribe in the Amerikkkas and stretches across the high deserts and forests of the four corners region.
Now the Diné are been confronted with struggling to keep their ancestral land, who are been displace and relocate by a policy introduce by the government of the united snakes of Amerikkka.
In Big Mountain in Black Mesa on the Navajo reservation, where many generations have come and past, where 150,000 moons of praying have shape and bound land and sky.
In the Navajo language there is no word for relocation, to relocate is to disappear never seen again.
They are been displace and relocate for the sole reason that Black Mesa has one of the largest remaining deposits of coal in the Amerikkkas, about 100 millions of barrels of oil, 25 trillions of cubic of natural gas, 80 billions of pounds of uranium.
At this moment the decision makers in Washington D.C. are planning ways to seize tribal lands to extract mineral resources. The coal companies are funding both the Republican and Democratic parties because they have huge interests.
Peabody Coal Company is the world’s largest coal company, currently has plans to expand its strip mine operations.
Peabody Coal Company has completely dug up burials, sacred sites, and shrines designated specifically for offerings, preventing religious practices.
We see over and over again companies displacing Indigenous people not only in North America but also the Mapuche tribe of Ecuador in South America that is fighting against Chevron who spill oil in the Amazon.
Where people are force to drink contaminated water and high levels of toxics can be found on the ground.
“The genocide continues for Indigenous people in full force what can we do about it”
A caravan of work crews will once again be converging from across the country in support of residents of Big Mountain regions of Black Mesa, Navajo Nation. On behalf of their peoples, their sacred ancestral lands and future generations, these communities continue to carry out a staunch resistance to the efforts of the U.S. government, which is acting in the interests of the Peabody Coal Company, to devastate whole communities and ecosystems and greatly de-stabilize our planet’s climate with their Black Mesa coal mining operations.
In November which is Native American History Month we stand with our brothers and sisters to fight to defend to not give up, by any means necessary.
I was riding Muni the other day. An African descendent sister sat nearby. Suddenly she said aloud, "God don't like ugly". I thought about those words. I wondered who first uttered them. Perhaps a poor person, a person removed from their land or perhaps it was a person wrongly incarcerated. I glanced at the other passengers. They stared straight ahead. It was as if the woman's words met deaf ears. I heard them. They touched my heart and mind.
Senior Action Network (www.senioractionnetwork.org) recently honored Mission District elder Jose Morales for his long fight against displacement and gentrification. Jose was evicted from his Mission District home courtesy the Ellis Act--a place he had called home for over 40 years. Jose fought for more than a decade to keep his home while his landlord fought to take it off the market for the purpose of converting it into a condominium. Folks from the community sat in Jose's kitchen listening to this elder describe his long struggle--the clock ticking in the background. Jose talked about the harassment of his landlord. The weight of the fight and the struggle and the harassment could be seen in Jose's bent back. We waited for the sheriff.
And what of the countless numbers of tenants, elders, people with mental and/or physical disabilities who have suffered from the physical and emotional stress of landlord harassment? Cases of harassment are well-documented--residential burglary, severed phone lines, sawing holes in floors, stalking, mysterious fires, etc.
San Francisco currently has no laws protecting tenants from harassment. The rent board does not involve itself in such cases. Presently the only thing tenants can do to fight is to document harassment, which might be over a period of months or years. Once the abuse has been documented as being so egregious as to cause physical, mental or financial damages--can the tenant then file a lawsuit.
Proposition M will add an important section to San Francisco's rent control law a section that will define and ban harassment. Prop M would give tenants a rent reduction when harassed. It will also give tenants attorney's fees to fight eviction attempts. Longtime tenant advocate Tommi Avicolli Mecca of the Housing Rights Committee (www.hrcsf.org) sees prop M as necessary. "Prop M gives tenants a tool for fighting landlord harassment. Currently, we don't have much that we can do when a landlord is tring to pressure us into leaving our apartment or is making it extremely uncomfortable for us to live there. Putting this in the rent ordinance makes perfect sense, its where most of our rights as rent-controlled tenants are already stored. This is a very important proposition--particularly for elders on fixed incomes who should be honored and cared for,not harassed. As the sister on Muni said, "God don't like ugly".
Talk-Story Circle on Land, Migration and Resistance - A POOR Press Benefit- Wednesday, November 11th @ 6:00pm Galeria de la raza, 2857 24th Street, SF
Talk-Story Circle on Land, Migration and Resistance - A POOR Press Benefit- Wednesday, November 11th @ 6:00pm Galeria de la raza, 2857 24th Street, SF
by Anna Kirsch/PNN
English follows
"Desde cuando los sue�os se volvieron en suicidio, desde cuando que los sue�os le quitan la vida a la persona. �Qu� es el sue�o Americano?" La voz poderosa de Muteado quebro el aire caliente y mal ventilado que llenaba el cuarto de poesia en la Librer�a City Lights. Era la apertura del nuevo proyecto revolucionario de Prensa POBRE, Los Viajes.
Exprimidos en filas de sillas escasas y rodeado por estantes de libros de poesia, lo oimos explicar la lucha de migracion en su poema, �El Sue�o Amerikkkano.� Un sabio de inmigracion y la pobreza, Muteado es uno de varios autores, poetas y artistas publicados en Los Viajes.
Los Viajes es un libro y proyecto de audio que arroja una nueva luz sobre el significado de la inmigracion y cruce de la frontera. Redefinar inmigracion. Los Viajes comparte el dolor, la esperanza, y la lucha de gente Ind�gena quien cruza la fronteras por todo el mundo. Desde Mexico a los E.E.U.U., Oakland a Berkeley, del pasado al presente. Los Viajes explora lo que significa para la gente lo que es luchar con el racismo y la pobreza, en cruzar las fronteras fisicas, de identidad y racial.
"Para que la gente tenga la oportunidad de publicar es halgo realmente revolucionario." Tiny, la co-fundadora de Prensa POBRE hablo despues, ��Como es que se crea acceso para voces muteadas? �Como es que se crea la revoluci�n para que se mire como nosotr@s?� su voz poderosa cauptivo a todos en el cuarto. �Lo hicimos con nuestr@s ancestr@s, nuestras familias, y hij@s,� dijo ella, �Nosotr@s somos due�@s de nuestras propias historias, noticias y arte.�
Para crear Los Viajes, el proyecto escrito de prensa POBRE inicio talleres gratis, multigeneracional de arte y escrito en refugios, escuelas y centros comunitarios. Estos talleres les dio a adultos, jovenes, y ancian@s la oportunidad de contar sus historias y ser due�@s de su propia noticias y arte; para rechazar el titulo de inmigrante.
La musica se oyia del callejon al lado, mientras l@s sabi@s contaron sus historias. Ingrid de Leon, la primera reportera de prensa POBRE y la inspiracion para Los Viajes, compartio su lucha en el trabajo, �Tengo Miedo� ella hablo honestamente y claramente. �Soy dicriminada y humillada por mis patrones,� ella dijo. Angela Pena nos conto de su viaje a los E.U. para salvar la vida de sus nieto. Vivian Hain nos conto de su familia, y cuando se migraron de Oakland para Berkeley en sus historia, �Cajas Cerradas.�
En cada historia del sabi@ hubo dolor, pero tambien esperanza porque sus verdades finalmente fueron contadas.
Ingles Sigu�
"Since when did dreams become suicide, since when did dreams take people's lives. What is the American dream?" Muteado's powerful voice cut through the warm, stuffy air that filled the poetry room at City Lights Bookstore. It was the launch of POOR Magazine's latest revolutionary publishing project, Los Viajes (The Journeys).
Squeezed in tight rows of chairs and surrounded by shelves of poetry books, we listened to him describe the struggle of migration in his poem, "Amerikkkan Dream." A race and poverty scholar, Muteado is just one of many authors, poets and artists published in Los Viajes.
Los Viajes (The Journeys) is a book and audio project that sheds new light on the meaning of migration and boarder-crossing. Redefining migration, Los Viajes shares the pain, hope and struggle of indigenous people crossing boarders all over the world. From Mexico to the U.S., Oakland to Berkeley, past to present, Los Viajes explores what it means for people struggling with racism and poverty to cross physical, identity and racial boarders.
"For poor people to publish is truly revolutionary," Tiny, the co-founder of POOR Magazine spoke next. "How do you create access for silenced voices? How do you re-make the revolution to look like us?" her powerful voice captivated all those in the room. "We do it with our ancestors, our families and our children," she said. "We own our own stories, media and art."
To create Los Viajes, POOR's community writing project conducted free, bi-lingual, multigenerational art and writing workshops in shelters, schools and community centers. These workshops gave adults, youth and elders the opportunity to tell their own stories and own their own media and art; to reject the label of immigrant.
Music wafted in from the alleyway below as the scholars shared their stories. Ingrid De Leon, the first reportera for POOR Magazine and the inspiration for Los Viajes, shared her struggle in the workplace. "I am scared," she spoke clearly and honestly. "I am discriminated against and humiliated by my own bosses," she said. Angela Pena told us about her journey to the U.S. to save the life of her grandson Vivian Hain described her family's migration from Oakland to Berkeley in her story, Sealed Boxes.
In each scholar's story there was pain, but also hope because their truth was finally being told
