Story Archives

by A. Faye Hicks

LL Chappelle is survivor, suffering everyday

Light skinned, medium tall afro brother

Dressed in the style of his generation

Shaved head black knitted cap

Pants Jailing, designer shoes

No money in the Pocket

Been smoking dope before he could walk

In the streets of Oakland

Coke Town U.S.A.



Twenty-six now and walked off the Bart Train With me

Slept on a hard cement sidewalk with me

Lives ina Homeless Shelther

Stand St. Anthonys Food Line

Fills out a Job Resume

Struggling to go to work and to school

Even in Whiteman’s Hell

County Jail



He once sold crack on Telegraph ave in Oakland

With the rest of his Crew,

Some survied and some did’t

In the Penn or 6feet under



He went to Continous School Like is mother

Worked at MacDonald’s

But couldnot live on median wages



But recently he was released from San Bruno

Locked up for a misadeaner

He handed me his G.E.D certificate

Studied in a Jail Cell

Wore A Cap and a Gown Because he has love for is mother.

by Staff Writer

HAND GROWN FROM

CONCRETE

GREY POUPON

CHITLINS

SHELTERS

STREETS

BEACH

HOME

MIGHTY HAND GROWS

MIGHTY OAK HAND

WIND BLOWING

HAND SWING

CATCHING

I WILL

CHOKE

OPPRESSOR

by Staff Writer

BORN INTO POVERTY.

3 OF 3 LIVING SONS.

WE WERE POOR

AND

I’M

GETTING OLD

STRANGE I NEVER FIT

" ANYWHERE"

I UNDERSTAND

IT’S NOT MY FAULT

I WAS NOT

DESIGNED " TO FIT" .

I PUT ON MY SILK ROBE

DRINK TEA BY THE CANDLE LIGHT

JOB TO JOB

PANTING

DISHWASHER

CAR-PORTER

CAR WASHER

BOOT LEG COOK

PIZZA MAKER

I LOSE TRACK

DO I HAVE MORE JOBS

OR MORE BIRTH DAYS .

STATS SAY THE STATE GOT POORER IN THE 90’S

I SAY , I GOT TIRED OF THE

EMPTY LIFE

OF THE

EMPTY JOBS

OF THE

EMPTY S.R.O.’S

ROACHES CROWING IN MY NAKED BODY

THERE’S A HOLE IN MY BUCKET

THEY GAVE ME THIS BUCKET

I’M JUST TRYING TO PUT MY DREAMS IN IT

SUICIDE RUN

I’M IN CALIFORNIA NOW

by Michael Vizcarra/PNN media Intern

My left arm is on fire. I can barely breathe because the air is so
heavy and hot. Beads of perspiration appear on my forehead. I try not to
worry about my arm. I should have put on sunscreen earlier. It sucks not
having air conditioning in my car, but there’s a breeze blowing through my
open windows. At least the scenery is beautiful up here in the Capay Valley
of Yolo County. The curving two-lane road, the rolling green hills, the
farms and farm animals, the quiet towns, all bring back memories. I’m on
Highway 16 just off of Highway 505. I used to drive through this valley at
least once a year every summer to go river rafting. But one familiar site
that I always passed and never paid much attention to is the Cache Creek
Indian Bingo and Casino, a big structure located smack dab in the middle of
these small towns and farmland. I never had much concern for the casino,
until now.

The Cache Creek Indian Bingo and Casino is expanding. In fact,
they are planning to increase the size of the existing casino by almost 500%
(from 113,000 sq. ft. to 530,278 sq. ft.), transforming it into a major
destination resort. This has raised more than a few eyebrows from local
farmers within the Capay Valley, who are trying to do whatever they can to
stop the expansion before their concerns are dealt with.

Let me back up a second to give a little background to the area.
The original residents of the Capay region were the Wintun tribe and other
related tribes living along the valley’s waterways. In the early 1800s with
the introduction of white settlers, the Patwin Indians (as the entire group
of tribes were called by the U.S. government) were nearly wiped out by the
diseases brought on by the settlers. Things didn’t get any better when the
Gold Rush hit. The gold miners took their lands and enslaved, infected,
starved and massacred the Native Americans around the area. This treatment
continued well into the late 1880s when even the state of California paid a
bounty for Indian scalps.

By the 1920s the Federal government had established rancherias for
surviving tribes and part of the Wintun tribe was placed in Rumsey, a small
town in the Capay Valley. In 1942 the Tribe moved to a 56-acre site just 15
miles north of Rumsey. They were able to purchase a 118-acre site and made
that into a trust parcel (meaning they put the land “in trust” to the
Federal government, which is necessary in order to have gambling). The site
is also where most of the homes and business enterprises for the Tribe are
located. Shortly after the completion of the Casino in 1985, the Rumsey
Band were finally able to reunite their scattered members and bring them
back home.

I spoke with Frank Rose, a hay farmer in the Capay Valley and
advocate for the farmers against the expansion. He says the main concern of
the farmers is the amount of traffic the expansion is going to bring into
the valley. “The two-lane highway [Hwy. 16] is the lifeline for farmers,” he
says. And since the valley is heavily populated with agriculture, the
increased flow into the valley would hinder the movement of farm equipment
and produce shipments. He also states that the proposed expansion (outlined
in a document called the Environmental Evaluation (EE) prepared by the
Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians and their consultants) makes no showing of
compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, or Endangered
Species Act, which are among the Federal laws that apply to tribal lands.
He says the farmers want the Governor to stop the expansion until their
concerns are mitigated. The farmers also want the Tribe to do an evaluation
that is accurate.

“I mean, we’re not against Indians,” Mr. Rose says, “We voted for
them to have a community center down the road, but this is too much. What
more do they want?”

Does this sound like NIMBYism to you?

I also spoke with Mr. Howard Dickstein, the lawyer for the Tribe.
He says the accusations that the EE relies on inaccurate assumptions and
baseline data are “vague criticisms and inaccurate”. “None of the State
Agencies had concerns, only the county [Yolo], which is politically driven,”
he says. “But the County Land Use Ordinance and Regulations do not apply to
Indian Tribes.” Mr. Dickstein also said the Tribe is having meetings with
Yolo County supervisors and would consider additional mitigation. They
would study the concerns and would act in good faith. “But the tribe will
not subject economic self-sufficiency to a veto by Yolo County or any
individuals,” states Mr. Dickstein.

I think Mr. Dickstein has a great point. It boils down to being
self-sufficient. Before the Casino, many of the Tribal members earned a
living working as farm laborers and many were receiving public assistance.
Now, all tribal members contribute and are compensated for helping run
Rumsey Rancheria and none are receiving any outside assistance. Where Mr.
Rose said the two-lane highway is the lifeline of the farmers. Well, Mr.
Rose, the Casino is the lifeline of the Rumsey Band. Not only does the
Casino provide self-sufficiency for the Tribe, but also it provides year
round jobs for more than 1,500 people. They contribute annually to support
regional needs in education, community health, arts and humanities,
environment, community development and social services.

It’s weird when I hear the words, “It’s not fair,” coming from the
mouths of these farmers, especially when they’re referring to a group who
has brought themselves up from economic hardship to a better way of life.
But these are the words I continue to hear. Mr. Rose has only been in the
valley for four years. Four years! I can only speculate how long the
Native Americans have been in the Capay Valley, but I’m definite it’s longer
than four years. The farming industry is the most subsidized industry in
the nation. I don’t think I hear many people saying, “That’s not fair”.
The next time I drive through this valley I will expect to see the familiar
sites of farmland and small towns. But I will also hope and expect to see a
bigger Cache Creek Indian Bingo and Casino Resort.

by Alexandra Cuff and Joseph Bolden /PoorNewsNetwork

Up earlier than I should have been on a bleak Saturday morning, I stared at the early risers on the 49 bus wondering what clever question I could possibly ask Gavin Newsom about his Care Not Cash initiative. From what I’ve read about him, he seems impenetrable and I imagine that he has a million dollar premeditated answer to anything that challenges his precious campaign that is going to cure our city of the disease of homelessness. I wondered how I would perform when finally face-to-face with the golden boy himself. The sun was nowhere to be seen in the San Francisco august sky. I never ended up writing down the address of the Plumbers & Pipefitters Union so I walked around the province of Market Street and Gough for a few minutes in an overcast-bred daze.

When I saw a score of protesters gathered on the sidewalk I realized I had found my location. I walked over and hung out with other Care Not Cash opponents while wondering what we were doing outside when the campaign rally was inside. I didn’t know that these events weren’t open to all. Turns out the bouncers were just there to keep out folks that weren’t Newsom supporters. I walked past and mentioned that I was with Poor Magazine. I was asked for a press pass and responded with, "we are a poor magazine, we can’t afford passes." The man guarding the door looked me up and down to my worn shoes and asked me, with all sincerity, to please keep it outside if I was going to protest. I assured him I wasn’t going to protest and walked up the stairs to the main event.

I had to pass 2 tables of petition-pushers before finding my seat in the white-dominated sea of people dressed in jeans-Friday office garb. I didn’t know what to expect because I’d never been to a campaign rally before so I was pleased to see the breakfast spread and helped myself to some orange juice. Just then I flashed back to Thursday where I spent the majority of the morning at DHS (welfare) waiting to see my food stamp worker. I always thought it would be cool if there was juice and coffee for all the poor folk applying for assistance. I’m sure that will never happen though for fear that people would have more of a reason to follow through with the grueling intake process…just a thought.

The amusement of watching Gavin walking around the room flashing his Ken doll smile and thanking people for coming was interrupted by Jim Ross, the campaign manager, who was leading the masses in a slow clap. And so the pep rally began. All around me the slow clap got louder and louder leading me to look to the back door where I expected the Giants to gallantly run into the room and begin to warm up for a game. With a couple of yee-haws Ross brought the clap to a normal pace and asked the crowd to "applaud for our protesters outside who don’t support Care Not Cash." I felt like an alien while looking around for non CNC cult members and was steadied at the site of Joe (POOR Magazine columnist) who was sitting a couple of folding chairs ahead of me.

Ross held his hands up letting the automaton’s know that they could stop clapping as he announced that the 23,000 signatures submitted to the Department of Elections on July 8th placed the Care Not Cash initiative on the November ballot. He went on to say that as the campaign manager, he’d been really nervous during the whole process. My immediate reaction was to wonder what personal stake Jim Ross had in seeing homeless people’s GA slashed. He also announced that the campaign finally landed a space on 12th and Irving and joked that if anyone has a chair to donate…playing up to the Newsom-is-not-privileged-and-can’t-afford-a-chair-so-we-need-more-money image.

Newsome appeared and immediately gave the enemy a framework: "You all heard there are some rumblings going about. There is opposition. It’s important to get our message out to people. Whoever thinks the current homeless system works is really deluding themselves." I felt like I was in a scene from the sci-fi miniseries "V" where the underground is getting ready to overthrow the invading aliens. Unfortunately, this event hadn’t the least bit to do with revolution. Chuckles went up all around me and a question I had asked myself over and over was answered: How could so many people (apparently from the signatures over twenty thousand) easily go along with an initiative without listening to the opposition when there are people protesting every Newsom-sponsored event. I sadly realized that people are lazy. They want to see the black and the white. There is homelessness therefore we need a cure. Or, Newsom wants to fight homelessness and everyone that doesn’t agree with his panacea thinks the current system works just great. In other familiar words, if you’re not with Newsom, you’re against all homelessness reform.

30 seconds into Gavin’s soliloquy he was interrupted by an person in a Gavin Newsom mask ( a group of activists began a performance in the audience section below him) – one moment I was resisting a politician’s charm and the next I was at a mime troupe performance. The Newsom mimic danced up in Gavin’s face calling "Oh Gavin, Gavin you are so beautiful, I love you" while a couple other perpetrators in the audience asked questions translating to "why do you want to fuck over the homeless people." The protesters represented Gays Against Gavin. I can’t quote any of what I imagine were clever remarks on the protesters part because in no time Jeff Ross, our trusted campaign manager, had gotten everyone to begin clapping in order to drown out the voice of the forbidden other. I turned around to catch the reaction of some of the clappers and caught a woman behind me turn around to her friend and with a numskulled smile ask, "why are we clapping?" Enough said about that disturbing observation. The infiltrators ran around the room handing out, and throwing, anti-Care Not Cash propaganda which mostly ended up on the floor, unread.

Once things had calmed down and the performers were ushered out by angry Newsom cult members, Gavin got on with his own performance. He began, "the truth hurts." The uproar of whooping and applause started up. I scanned the room and thought, yes, the truth definitely hurts. I could only think of the Stepford Wives. But what gospel was Newsom talking about? I was constantly baffled by his sound bites. He’d refer to a victory and I’d wonder who the fight was against? The poor people? Why? He went on to talk about how the money currently spent to fight homelessness is a form of consumerism and with a furrowed brow said, "you see where that money is going when you drive through the streets – it’s an outrage, a disgrace." I noticed his polished getup and thought of how I couldn’t afford to eat at his restaurant if I wanted to and wondered what he knew about an excess of consumerism.

He went on to make fun of the protesters who peopled the July 18th Care Not Cash (CNC) fundraiser at the Cal Insurance and Associates Building by cheapening their direct action approach without addressing the issues that were brought up by the opposition. He scoffed that the organizers provided dinner and transportation to the folks attending the protest making it sound like a bunch of ignorant homeless people were enticed with a food offering. People actually laughed at this. He said, "they can’t debate the fact that truth hurts and that Care Not Cash is going to turn this around. They are avoiding the facts and attacking the messenger." I assume he is referring to himself as the holy messenger.

More cheering from the drones and he still hasn’t mentioned anything about what the initiative will actually do to benefit the poor and homeless of the city. He also mentioned that if people are whining that there are no services they should be supporting CNC so that we can get organized and make change. After going on a little bit more about how the CNC opponents actually inspire him, he entered the final stage of his act and thanked the supporters of the initiative: SF Medical Society, the police and fire departments, the doctors of SF General and of the Haight Ashbury clinic, and the SF City of Neighborhoods.

Newsom then proclaimed "we have a little skit of our own" and two campaign frat boys got up and acted out the "right and wrong way to ask people for signatures and endorsements." They pretty much insulted anyone who has signed the petition because even in the "right way to ask" they never explained the initiative, they just asked more nicely than in the "wrong way" and the actor playing the passersby signed without hesitation. Newsom closed by reminding us of the protesters outside: "A warning – they have the right to yell outside. Stay calm, ignore it. We don’t want a real conflict. We don’t care about what they yell at us."

I thought I might be able to avoid direct contact with the charming supervisor but when his pep talk was over, I realized that’s all it was – a pep talk – and that I didn’t get any of my questions answered. So I approached the half moon of bodies that had gathered around him to ask questions and/or to kiss his ass. While waiting for my turn to talk with the most popular boy in the room, I was present for the discussion that took place before mine. A man of African-decent (1 of the 3 in the room) introduced himself as a homeless man and let him know that the image of homeless folk that Newsom is creating with this campaign is just a stereotype. He asked Newsom if he’d like to be lumped under the category of politician…because we’re all familiar with that stereotype. Gavin’s eyes scanned the circle of us quickly and his lips held a friendly smile as he explained that he’s spent a lot of time talking with homeless people and has gotten their input regarding the initiative.

When my turn came I wiped the sweat of my palms onto my jeans and introduced myself while shaking his hand. I identified myself and a transplant from a middle class family on long island and went on to explain how GA helped me by providing income to contribute to a casual living situation at a time when I had no employment or home. I related that if I’d been denied cash and had to stay in a shelter, I would never have pulled myself together enough to find work or let alone stay in a nurturing environment where I could cook with friends or sleep in all day if I needed. He looked me in the eye and shaking his head with understanding went on to tell me that CNC will not affect anyone’s cash aid that isn’t living on the street.

"Do you mean there is no cut in cash aid for people that aren’t homeless?" I asked dubiously. He explained that only 30% of people on GA are homeless and those are the people they want to help by ensuring they get off the street. Hm. "Well why would you provide shelter vouchers for people instead of cash when shelters are already free? Also, there aren’t enough shelters as of now to house everyone." Newsom assured me with complete body language (an empire’s strike three hand signal) that "this is a voucher-less system!" Then he went on to talk about how we are the last county in the nation to provide cash benefits and that he has spent a lot of time in New York City observing the way in which they are dealing with homeless issues.

"Ah so where are all the homeless people in New York?" I asked. "I’m going home to visit the parents in August so I’ll definitely make sure to talk to homeless people there and hear about how much better their lives are since the city has been cleaned up." Immediately Newsom told me about how horrible the intake conditions are in New York and explained that it’s just a start. I told him I’ve read that the shelters are practically prisons and he agreed with me wholeheartedly. So I asked him a couple other questions, two regarding housing: how the act will affect SRO occupants and where is all of this housing you speak of that the now homeless have to look forward to if CNC passes. I also asked how welfare recipients who are reaching the 5 year time limit this year will be affected by the initiative. His answers were suave and I realized that although my heart was into the investigation, I hadn’t done enough research to ask the piercing questions I fantasized I would be able to.

I thanked him for his time and stood around while Joe Bolden from POOR, asked the golden question: "Are you going to run for mayor in the upcoming election." Newsom gravely answered no and to bring humor to the discussion added, "I would never be addressing homelessness if I were running for mayor – its way too controversial. If I were running for mayor I would be working on playground initiatives." Joe and I walked toward the exit and remarked at how creepily sincere Newsom’s demeanor was

So I still have questions that aren’t answered and realize that I have a lot of research to do, namely in finishing my read of the entire initiative which can be found online at www.carenotcash.org. And if anyone cares, there’s a pretty funny picture of Newsom on the home page that links to a live video stream that provided entertainment to me and my housemates this very evening. I can say that I was pretty disappointed that most of the protesters outside remained outside and more informed folk didn’t infiltrate the campaign rally. I also think it sucks that the Gavin Q&A sessions are not held in public – not even that morning when almost all of the potential questioners were his supporters.

I spent the rest of the afternoon at the AMC 1000 catching $30 in free movies after my boyfriend and I snuck in. Even among all that escapism (free, too) I couldn’t shake Newsom’s face from my mind. I kept thinking of questions I should have asked Newsom. How are people who are living in shelters going to afford medicine on less than $2 a day? CNC says nothing about increased housing for homeless nor does it guarantee any increased services. People supporting Care Not Cash need to start asking themselves questions brought up by the opposition. Folks need to put themselves in the shoes of a mother of four who won’t be able to save a dime towards transitioning out of the shelter when her cash aid is cut. Or someone with diabetes that needs to pay close attention to their diet and medicinal needs.

As the pamphlet that was handed out by the Gays Against Newsome suggested, "Its time that rich San Franciscans stop viewing themselves as the victims of homelessness. The problem with homelessness is NOT that the wealthy have to see people sleeping outside and be asked for money while walking down the street." Are those turning their heads from real solutions and supporting CNC doing so to assuage any guilt they may have from never looking a panhandler on the sidewalk in the eye? During Gavin’s speech, the woman behind me was whispering "poor souls" or "god bless them" at the mention of both homeless people and of those protesting the initiative! I guess it’s easier to let other people do the thinking for you especially when you’re not affected by any outcomes. For those of us that don’t believe in putting the issue of homelessness in the hands of god or in the hands of Gavin Goosesom, we need to keep educating ourselves and others about the possibility of real solutions. And we need to show up and ask CNC supporters and Newsom himself the questions that we know won’t be answered if the initiative passes in November.

To find out more about the Continuum of Care, a plan designed by homeless scholars and advocates to create real change and lasting solutions to homelessness, contact the Coalition Against Increased Homelessness at 415.864.8372.

by Andrew DellaRocca/PoorNewsNetwork Media Intern

At one point they asked,

"you been in jail?"

raise your fist…..

Drinking my bottle of water

I had to…

raise my fist

then they asked, "have any family ever BEEN in jail? "

raise your fist….

So now…

I have a water bottle stuck

in my mouth

& two fistS in the air ….

Finally they ask, "have any friends ever in jail?".

I decided…

not…

to stick my foot in the air.

I was clearly….

out of fists

If they asked any more questions

I’ll have to be air born

…….At the Rally….Out of FistS.. ...by Charles Pitts, Po’ Poets Project

"I am the eyes of my despised generation," speaks Dat. Dat is a poet. Dat
is a youth. Dat has forgotten his lines and so has grabbed the book in
which his poem is written. Dat felt awkward because he forgot his words.
"I only wrote the poem a few days ago, and I tried to memorize it, but I
didn't have a chance." He pleads with us with the motion of his eyes and
the movement of his limbs. Us the audience, Us the activists, Us the
artists, Us the community, Us the youth. But Us does not need an
explanation. Us does not hold tomatoes in its grasp, ready to hurl at the
first sign of a mistake. Us only wants to hear the poem. Us only wants Dat
to get his voice and his words heard. Us cheers as Dat grabs his book and
continues his poem. Dat completes his poem successfully and exclaims,
loudly, that he is "NOT down with the lockdown." Us erupts in a victorious
applause. Dat raises his microphone to the sky in triumph.

"It makes me feel kind of messed up, you know, because a good percentage of
the juvenile hall right now is black, black kids. It seems like they're
just trying to put black and latino kids in there. Especially with 540
beds, why do you need that many beds? You trying to do something big time
and make more money?" Lamont, one of the organizers of today's event,
speaks about the plan of the proposed construction of a new juvenile
detention center in Alameda county. Lamont fits the profile of the majority
of the youth already locked up in the current juvenile hall- black,
sixteen, male. The construction of the new superjail concerns him directly,
and so he, and other youth like him, have organized the second "Not Down
with the Lockdown" rally; a protest against the incarceration of today's
youth and the additional police presence being formed in Oakland under the
administration of Mayor Jerry Brown.

I take the BART to Oakland from San Francisco. I go under the Bay. I go
over West Oakland, and it's warehouses, and the powerlines which carve up
its skyline. I arrive at the 12th street station, and walk from there to
the Frank Ogawa Plaza where the event is being held. The sky is at first
covered by clouds, but they break apart quickly and reveal the sun promptly
at noon, the scheduled start of the Oakland rally.

Oakland, they say, has become a more violent city. Mayor Jerry Brown and
the Alameda County Supervisors think that an additional 100 police officers
and the construction of a large juvenile detention center with additional
beds for additional offenders is the proper response to the increase in
violence. Van Jones, the national executive director of the Ella Baker
Center for Human Rights and one of the organizers of this event, challenges
their approach.

"Neither Jerry Brown nor the County Supervisors are the actual victims of
the crimes. It's the young people who are the victims of the crimes, and
they're calling for the opposite. They're calling for more jobs and more
schools and more opportunity for themselves, and I think its about time that
the government officials listen to what the young people themselves say
would solve THEIR problem."

And so those that are affected most by the violence in Oakland, the youth,
have come together in Frank Ogawa Plaza to not just protest the government's
response to their problems, but to promote a peaceful and creative existence
with each other. Spoken word artists, dancers, rappers, singers, actors,
one after the other, take the stage to speak out against violence,
incarceration, and poverty, and against those institutions which have
learned to profit off of them. The consciousness is high in downtown
Oakland. Each artist uses her own medium to express the issues which lead
to crime and incarceration. Colored Inc., a local group of youth artists,
rehearses a powerful skit chronicling the social issues that contribute to
youth violence. The skit ends with the resurrection of a murdered youth,
and his reconciliation with his murderer, a peer. Rashidi Omari, from
Company of Profits, creates a lyrical picture of an adolescent trapped in
the juvenile detention system, "lost in the abyss of thinking that you're
nothing."

"They're trying to build it right next to Santa Rita [Jail]. So it's like,
OK, you leave from here, you're going next to Santa Rita. You ain't got no
hope. So you just walk across the street, you're going to the big time
prison." Lamont continues our conversation amidst the noise of the
performances, looking at me through the amber lenses of his sunglasses.
"You should try to go to the root of the problem, and try to talk to them,
try to talk to the parents, get the community involved with stuff like Not
Down with the Lockdown, help support, you know, throw little rallies, you
know, non-violence rallies like we're doing. We try to get everybody
involved so that we can stop the crime rate and everybody passing away."

California ranks 43rd in spending on public education. Meanwhile, it ranks
1st in the nation on prison spending. In addition to the money which will
be spent by Alameda county on the construction of the superjail, the city of
Oakland plans to raise $73 million to put 100 new police officers on the
streets.

"The youth of Oakland consider the Oakland Police department their number
one enemy and their number one barrier to having a peaceful life and a
peaceful existence. They call themselves peace officers but they act more
like war officers, and the war that they are prosecuting is a war on young
people. Adding to the police force in Oakland will just make the problem
worse," Van Jones explains. "These young people don't need more police and
more prisons, they need more opportunities. The safest communities in
California are not the communities with the most cops and the most prisons,
they are those that have the best jobs and the best schools, and that's what
these young people want for themselves."

"Now is not the time to be silent!" shouts the local hip-hop group Red
Guard, as they take the stage after the breakdancing group Critical Overdose
finishes their performance. The Destiny Arts Youth Performance comes on
shortly after, dancing and performing spoken word pieces. Dat's triumph is
the subsequent act.

As exemplified by Dat's interaction with his audience, the day's event is
filled with compassion, creativity, and, most poignantly, community. Each
singer, poet, dancer, and rapper that performs on this day is received by
the supportive applause of the singers, poets, dancers, and rappers that
preceded them, as well as by those that will perform after them. An example
of our youth's efforts. Society's welfare is not dependent on the
incarceration of such a future. Like the power lines that carve up the
skyline in West Oakland, more police and large juvenile detention centers
will only carve up the creative nonviolent efforts of California's youth
community.

The Bay Area's youth have been extremely proactive in their campaign. Following
the precedents set by the Civil rights movement, they've done everything
from knocking on doors to marches and sit-ins. In May, they successfully
convinced the California Board of Corrections to withhold the funding from
Alameda county that would have gone toward the construction of the
superjail. They've formed organizations like Youth Force Coalition, Underground Railroad and Books Not Bars, who sponsored Saturday's Not Down with the Lockdown rally. "And
they're not going to stop," says Van Jones, "because it's their future
that's on the line."

by Matt Dodt/PNN Community Journalist and Poverty Scholar

It was obviously one of those things that was meant to happen, me and my
new photo/video camcorder being at the His-Willieness (S.F. mayor Willie Brown)-Ordered raid on the homeless camp by the pumping station at 7th and Berry Sts. (by the Caltran station, within sight of
Pac-Bell Park) early the morning of Saturday, July 27, 2002. After all, I was
going to an all-nite rave party at the same venue where the cops tried to shut
down another event just the weekend before, so I figured I better bring my
camera along just in case. Then, before I left to go Friday nite rave-ing, I
tuned in the 10-o'clock news report on KTVU (broadcast channel 2), when what
to my wondering eyes should appear, but a news story announcing the impending
raid on the camp, a story that featured, among others, my old cohort and
sister rabble-rouser Mara Raider, from the Streetwatch* project of the
Coalition on Homelessness. Also featured in this report were residents of the
camp, including Jasin, a 47-year old woman who refused to stay at the
shelters because they wouldn't allow her and her husband to stay together.

Included in this report were statements from Jasin and other residents
saying that they preferred this site because not only was it out of the public
eye and generally not on the tourist repertoire of places to visit, but, in
the words of one resident, "There aren't the problems here that you find at
other camps or in the shelters. There isn't the fighting and the dope-dealing
that goes on in other places. People here respect each other."

The report also included statements from the mayor's office, such as,
"Because it's near a water pumping station, this encampment is a threat to
security." Ridiculous, because in this writer's opinion, it's MORE secure to
have a group of long-time residents there, many of whom are quite patriotic,
judging from the number of American flags being flown around the camp, as
that many more pairs of eyes to keep watch. Another quote from the mayor's
office was, "The conditions at this encampment are dirty and unsanitary and
therefore a risk to the residents here." Yet another statement rendered
ludicrous by the wide-angle shot displayed on the TV screen, showing that
this camp was quite clean and orderly, given the circumstances.

Other questions come to my mind: This camp had been here for years.
It's also been a number of months and many 'terrorist threats' since the
World Trade Center attacks. Why, all of a sudden, did Brown decide that
this camp now had to be terminated, without delay?

After a night of rave-ing, which included a quick catnap on a couch,
I rolled up 7th St. from Indiana St. toward the camp. Even though dawn was
just breaking, the camp was as busy as a nest of ants that had just been
stirred with a stick. Hastily-gathered possessions were being lashed onto
anything with wheels; these were being pushed toward the street with all
haste. After bicycling my way around some fenced-in areas and over some
railroad tracks, I arrived on the Berry St. side of the camp to find the
aforementioned Ms. Raider talking with one of the camp's residents.

"Hello," says she to me, "do you have your camera?" "Yes," I replied,
"that's why I'm here." A few minutes later, L.S. Wilson, another longtime
Streetwatch volunteer, walked up with a video camera in his hand, and I
had already noticed a KTVU cameraman at the scene. After some chit-chat, I
was tired of straddling my bike and decided it was time to get off and lock
it up. At that moment (about 6:20 A.M.), a large group of police cars and
another large group of motorcycle officers drove up Berry St. and descended
on the scene.

One officer, presumably the site commander, started giving orders
to, "start at this side of the camp and work back." Along with the KTVU news
crew, I wound up following the police, documenting them as they went from tent
to tent and structure to structure as a sort of UnWelcome Wagon, gently
advising the residents to, "wake up, it's time to go." The genteel nature of
the police's behavior and the whole anti-climatic feel (no resistance was
offered) of the events belied the cold, cruel, heartless nature of what was
transpiring.

The heavy presence of police officers (about 25-30) motivated the
camp residents to hasten the evacuation process. Even us non-homeless
homeless advocates - myself, Mara, L.S., and another Streetwatch volunteer
named Ken - were pressed into service, cutting down and rolling up tarps,
pushing carts and other mobile apparati laden with belongings out toward the
street, in keeping with the sacred credo of POOR magazine's journalism
department, "We don't just RE-port, we SUP-port."

After a couple of hours, things had rather settled into a routine
when who should show a face but George Smith of the Mayor's Office on
Homelessness, and P.J. Johnston, the mayor's spokesperson. A flare-up occured
between Mara Raider and Mr. Johnston while the latter was being interviewed
by KTVU and Ms. Raider, loudly and in no uncertain terms, voiced her
disagreements with Mr. Johnston's statements. I even added my spoke, which was
that many of the new evictees would inevitably be going into the
neighborhoods, which was not going to please many of the neighborhoods'
residents. And in the one-picture-speaks-a-thousand-words category, as the
camp residents were toiling away getting their shelters and possessions moved,
George Smith was seen (by me) capering and dancing while chatting with a
police officer.

The exchange between Mara and P.J. Johnston added comic relief to
the KTVU 10 o'clock news broadcast that evening. As P.J. was making a
statement, I believe it was that there were enough shelter beds to accomodate
all the new evictees, Mara, who was off-camera, could be very plainly heard
saying, "But that's bullshit."

Funny stuff, that. But in this writer's humble opinion, there's a
serious question to be raised about this action by the mayor, which at best
makes it appear extremely short-sighted and harebrained. Starting with the
issue of available shelter space: Even if there is enough for all the
evictees, as the mayor's office contends, SHELTERS ARE ONLY OPEN AT NIGHT.
Shelter clients are not allowed in until late afternoon/early evening, and
are turfed out early (5-7 A.M.) each morning. Which leaves about 12 hours
each day with no guaranteed safe, suitable place to go. So where to, then?
The neighborhoods? We've been over that already. The newly gussied-up,
extremely homeless-unfriendly Union Square Plaza, with its 24-7 police patrol
and gentrification-obsessed area merchants? Your guess is as good as mine.
Keep in mind also, that there were, to my estimation, about 100 or so people
living in this camp. No small amount of people to keep out of sight and out
of mind.

I'll finish my rant with this: Remember the word coming from the
mayor's office a few months back, wringing his hands while swinging the
budget axe? How heartbreaking it was to lay off so many laundry workers?
"It's like laying off my own mother," lamented Slick Willie. Well, this was
all a visit to Reptile World, because the tears were crocodile and the oil was
snake. How so, you ask? Because at the same time he was making these cuts,
such as laying off 'his own mother,' i.e., the laundry workers, and cutting
the funding for the POOR magazine media internship program, which moved
several other POOR magazine interns, myself included, from paid work back to
welfare, the budget was INCREASED for some of his cronies, including the
aforementioned Mssrs. Smith and Johnston, each of whom was given a significant
salary increase. I guess Da Mayor cares more about his (wrecking) crew than
about his mum.

Now back to our story. The eviction continued to proceed without
significant incident. DPW and SWAP crews, a front-end loader(bulldozer),
and dump trucks were brought in to haul away what the evictees couldn't or
wouldn't haul away themselves. Huge, thick clouds of dust, equalling those I
used to see when I would hitchhike across the desert, were raised by the DPW
doing their thing with the bulldozer, scraping the bucket across the already
parched ground. This came at a most inconvenient time, just when we homeless
advocates and houseless folx were trying to get some breakfast, a surprisingly
opulent one, hosted by Jasin and her significant other and featuring Cheerios
and milk, orange juice, granola bars, tea, and much-needed and appreciated
coffee, both standard drip and Turkish.

There's not much more to tell.The evictees and city workers all
finishing the horrible task at hand, the police slowly dispersing and the
houseless sitting along the Berry St. curb, waiting for rides, pondering
their fate and their next move. In our already-exhausted state and our energy
continuing to drain, the other homeless advocates and I discussed what the
next move should be. A few ideas were tossed out, no consensus was reached,
except that we agreed that this outrage by 'our' image and wealth-obsessed
mayor cannot be allowed to pass as water over the damned. This having been
agreed upon, we decided to call it a day. This hours-long reminder of my
former homelessness and current at-risk state, plus the growing heat of the
day and my having gotten a total of about 3 hours of sleep the previous 2
nights made the prospect of hot shower and bed seem especially sweet.

Final note This and just about everything else this mayor has done
has only convinced me that the only reason that the same political
homeless-hating, king-making machine that put Frank Jordan in office in 1991
abandoned him for Willie Brown in 1995 and beyond is that Frank Jordan was not
a good enough politician; his attempts to rid San Francisco of the poor and
homeless, i.e., the Matrix program and the crackdown on Food Not Bombs were
too clumsy, stupid, and obvious and brought The City a lot of bad publicity.
Willie Brown, on the other hand, is a much better politician, meaning a much
better snake-oil salesman. He can, and has, made anti-poor/homeless programs
that are much harsher than Frank Jordan's seem genuinely compassionate.

*The COH's Streetwatch project's mission is to address the injustices
perpetrated on San Francisco's poor and homeless population by the police and
city government, such as unlawfully-issued citations for so-called 'quality
of life' offenses, such as blocking the sidewalk, camping/sleeping/
panhandling/loitering in public, lodging in vehicles, open alcoholic beverage
containers, and unlawful detentions/searches/warrant checks. This is
accomplished by community outreach, i.e., teams of Streetwatch staffers going
out on the streets on a regular basis with notepads, OCC complaint forms,
video cameras, and literature containing information on exactly what the above
laws are, what one's rights as a homeless/at-risk individual are, as well as
tutorials on what one's rights and responsibilities are when observing and
documenting police behavior. The notepads and video cameras are for
documenting any police interactions with the poor and homeless that the
Streetwatchers encounter while on the job. Streetwatch also conducts community
forums to educate the public about the above issues, as well as what really
goes on in city government re poor/homeless issues, behind the corporate media
spin of Willie's World. Streetwatch also offers pro-bono legal representation
for tickets issued for the above-mentioned 'quality of life' offenses. This
usually results in summary dismissals for all tickets so represented,
thwarting The City's plan to harass the poor and homeless out of town via the
legal process.

by Christina Heatherton/PoorNewsNetwork Media intern

The flurry of bright colors and distant hip hop beats rising from the Precita Eyes Urban Youth Arts Festival hit me long before my crutches sank into the thick Precita Park grass. Last Saturday, the tiny pill-shaped park at the end of Mission Street was brimming with music, energy, and the murmurings of people lounging in the summer sun. The sixth annual event was a celebration and exhibition of positive, creative expression, namely graffiti art. People of all ages and skill levels were invited to express themselves with spray paint on the large white panels erected around the perimeter of the park. Rock bands, hip-hop djs, and spoken word poets also take turns doing their thing on the center stage throughout the day.

As I shuffled around the grass seeking interviews, with my camera thumping against my chest and clanging against my metal crutches, I became completely engrossed in the artwork being created around me. One of the event organizers, Suaro, later explained that a major part of the event is the very performance of the graffiti art. I had never seen graffiti created before. For me, the writing and art that mysteriously appear on freeway walls, billboards, doors, tables never had a creator. On this day, the ghost artists materialized out of hissings sprays summoned by the musical metal tinklings of their shaken cans. The artists ranged in age, race, class and ability but were all fiercely intent on their panels. Some braced themselves against the canvases with tension in their arms and issuing out their paint in dense spurts. Others moved with the fluidity of dancers, coercing elegant airy lines of paint with sweeping rhythmic movement of their arms and bodies.

With my notebook alternately in my teeth or shoved under my arm I first spoke to Deenone from TMF crew who has been a Bay Area graffiti artist since early 80s. He proudly explains that his section was reserved for the older writers. We exchange questions and answers in loud screams competing with the brassy roar of the rock band, PPAVARTTAANNA. Deenone describes the changes of old and new school. It’s easier for the new writers "to get better quicker" he explains because they have access to graffiti videos, magazines, and classes, such as the Urban Arts Class taught by Precita Eyes.

I soon found that other artists weren’t as encouraging. Spelio spoke to me while spraying a deep forest green background. He was more critical about graffiti’s transition from street art to more commercial and gallery art. He likens it to the mainstreaming of hip-hop. I ask him whether the transition has neutered the political potential of graffiti especially for people who feel they have no other means of expression. He answers, "No" and explains that despite graffiti’s increasing popularity in mainstream culture, "political graffiti done illegally means that people have no choice but to look at it." I ask him about the diversity of classes and races that the festival has attracted and he responds saying that he appreciates the "open minds" of the diverse crowd.
.

On the opposite side of the wall from Spelio, I speak with two weary young brothers. They reluctantly answer my questions while taking turns trying to control awkward blasts of red paint. Their father stands proudly over them with encouraging comments. He explains to me that graffiti art is a great means of expression "as long as it’s not damaging property" and as long as it’s in "areas set up for it". He tells me more about the "suffering of the public" that occurs when graffiti is done illegally and I begin to wish that he and Spelio could have a heart to heart.

I excuse myself from the conversation to catch up with Antonio and Gabriel, the two members of the band, PPAVARTTAANNA. Antonio, the drummer describes how graffiti is a "disregard of society’s perception of private property" that attracts people from all walks of life. While the two are also visual artists, they explain that they enjoy providing "a challenge to the audience" with their music. Their unique sound is called math rock which uses irregular time signatures to produce nonlinear songs with little repetition that ultimately prevents anyone from bopping their head to the music.

For much of the festival I milled about taking in the scene. During a particularly angry spoken word poem, I watched as a mother arranged her little girl’s hair and hissed to her daughter, "You better plug your ears". I slowly made my way to the various tables that had been set up at the festival. The organizers invited a variety of groups that would aid and interest festival goers and artists. Among them were the Do It Herself Collective which "offers workshops, events and projects that challenge genderized learning and empower our communities." The Culture Cache was also present. It provides hip-hop gallery space for graffiti artists to display their non-graffiti artwork. Additionally, many local markets provided free food and drink for festival goers.

There was one unwelcome guest at the event. Starbucks, who had not invested any money in the event and had turned down Precita Eyes’ applications for grants, had the gall to come and advertise. They slipped in as though they had been invited and took advantage of the large crowd to pass out samples of their new over-caffeinated drink. My 11 year old cousin was given one and he promptly spit it up in the street.

I only had time to hobble to one table which honors fallen artists. I spoke to Lil’ John of the Dream Fund. His brother, Mike Dream was one of the Bay Area’s premier stylistic innovators of graffiti art and also a hero of using the medium to fight injustice. Dream was gunned down in Oakland two years ago leaving behind an infant son. The Fund sells books, T-shirts, and stickers of Dream’s artwork to raise money for Dream’s son. Dream’s pieces are incredible. I recommend that anyone who doesn’t know his art or his name get themselves informed.

The folks at Precita Eyes put on an incredible festival. I left the event with my ears ringing and my arms exhausted completely inspired and excited.

For information about:

Precita Eyes and their Urban Arts Classes visit: www.precitaeyes.org

The Mike Dream Fund: www.dreamtdk.com

The Do-It-Herself Collective: www.do-it-herself.org

The Culture Cache: www.culturecache.com

by TJ Johnston

Operation TIPS (Terrorism and Information Prevention System) is looking for snoops (I mean citizens) like you as a first line of defense. You could act as the government's eyes and ears while performing your usual duties. Make that go-nowhere job at the pizza chain count for something.

The FBI, CIA and NSA require their candidates to have a bachelor's degree and undergo a rigorous program. For Operation TIPS, no degree or long and boring classes are necessary. Just be your nosy self. It's like becoming a G-man without the training.

As a TIPSter, you can report in at our toll-free number or website after catching these telltale signs: unusual accents or unintelligible speech (as well as illegible signature); ordering exotic take-out food; politically volatile posters, books and CD's (like Diego Rivera, John Steinbeck or The Clash's "London Calling"); large groups of people sharing cramped living quarters (that sleeping baby might be a sleeper agent).

Worried about infringing on civil liberties? The US Postal Service appears to be---those pansies! That's why they're not participating (You'd think with their collective firepower, they would be down with TIPS and take down some terrorists).

When you enroll with TIPS, you won't be bothered with the muss and fuss of warrants and probable cause. And because the calls are anonymous, no one need know who dropped a dime. What other informants can lay that claim?

If you're a utility worker, monitoring kilowatt usage and telecommunications is simpler because you're effectuating the USA Patriot Act.

Shopping mall security can catalog the buying patterns of the next Al-Qaeda. Campus security could call in the next meeting of suspect student organizations.

Serve your country (or if you're not a citizen, this country) by calling Operation TIPS. Wages for your job range from minimum to barely-living. The feeling you get for ensuring national security is priceless.

(On Sept. 3, the Senate will begin cosideration of Motion to Proceed on HR 5005, the Homeland Security Bill. To send a FREE fax to your Senator urging against implementation of TIPS, log onto the ACLU website: http://www.aclu.org/action/tips107.html. (Contact info for your elected representatives can also be found on www.firstgov.gov).