Vehicle Dwellers Will Be Driven Out by Van Ban in S.F.

“In my mind, this is displacement,” said Nick Kamura. “It’s just not getting to the root of the problem, and the problem is people living in their vehicles, and they’re being criminalized for it.” The migration of vehicularly housed people after the ban’s initial phase signifies a failure in homeless policy.

Homeless People in San Francisco Can Phone in for Shelter Beds

Homeless people may use the 311 telephone system to reserve a bed for up to 90 days, using a unique identifying number to determine their spot on a waitlist. This method aims to move homeless people away from lining up at resource centers before they open, sometimes by sleeping outside overnight.

Lawmakers Bludgeon the Food Stamp Program

The Farm Bill includes massive cuts to the food stamp program that will affect about 47 million people living in poverty. Food stamp recipients will receive 90 dollars less per month when the cuts take effect, and in California alone, some 700,000 people in poverty will see their benefits shrink.

Controversy Over Plans for Jail Expansion in San Francisco

Opponents of this jail expansion, including advocates for jail reform and Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB), dispute the need for a new jail. They oppose the idea of spending millions on a new jail instead of on mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment and affordable housing.

Fast Food Workers Face Silent Raids and Firings

Since the Golden Arches rose above the first Southern California drive-ins, workers have labored for the lowest legal wage a boss can pay. Jack in the Box in Oakland recently fired two immigrant women without warning. Did the corporate office decide that the time had come to give workers a good scare?

Yet Another Attack on Homeless People in San Francisco

The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club held a sleep-in at Dolores Park to protest the anti-homeless ordinance. “This is yet another attack on the homeless, on queer people, poor people and people of color, and our right to exist in public space in our society,” said Harvey Milk Club president Tom Temprano.

Immigrant Activists Fight Government’s Firings and Deportations

Tucson police, implementing the hated immigrant profiling law, stopped a car for a faulty light, and the Border Patrol detained the passengers. People surrounded the car to stop the deportation, but 40 Border Patrol agents and more police set at them with pepper spray, rubber bullets and dogs.

A Place of Freedom Where the Sea Meets the Sky

People who could not find anywhere else to live, lived in this beautiful place. They had the solace of living in nature, and loved the landfill for its wildness, for the fact that it wasn’t controlled and tamed.

Prisoners Vow to Renew Their Fight for Human Rights

“No matter how many times the Department of Corrections tries to justify our suffering and dehumanization through character assassination and dirty political games, the whole world will watch and bear witness as we continue to show our unity by fighting for human rights in the most virtuous and honorable ways possible.”