Dehumanizing the homeless to get elected
By Timothy Busby on Time and time again, Berkeley’s elected officials—and wannabe politicians running for office—promise that they will solve the “homeless problem” as
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Cost’a rent not so high under Prop 10
By TJ Johnston on This November, Californians will vote on Prop 10, which will determine whether or not to repeal Costa-Hawkins—the 1995 law that placed limits on rent control in cities. If Prop 10 passes, it will be easier for California cities to lower their rents.
An alliance of tenant organizations is demanding a “full repeal of the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, nothing less.”
Don’t say “homeless”
By Andy Pope on How the language we use can have harmful impacts Once, before I had gained more savvy in the realm of
The California law that may drive many to hunger
By Keith McHenry on A new law threatens to shut down grassroots organizations that feed the hungry. By Keith McHenry On September 18, California
Rock your vote!
By Angel Mason on By Angel Mason As an African American woman, it’s fair to say that we MUST vote. If we don’t, we
Social security is not enough to live on
By Jack Bragen on When a person is born disabled or becomes disabled as an adult, they are in for a life of hardship
Sidestepping Democracy: A Berkeley Tradition Lives On
By Carol Denney on The anti-panhandling law, the anti-sitting law, the two-square-feet-of-possessions-only law, and the proposal to equip the smoke-free downtown with ashtrays have one thing in common: the Downtown Berkeley Association. This unelected group was given a free hand in crafting contradictory and unconstitutional legislation.
Greyhound Therapy: Symptom of a Failed Mental Health System
Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas handed out bus tickets to about 1500 gravely disabled patients, “transferring” them to states all over the country. Patients were sent to states where they had never been a resident and areas that had no mental institution prepared to receive them.
Penciled Out of Existence by Some Grand Authority
Our society doesn't want to be inconvenienced by someone who is suffering or is impoverished. As a disabled person, it feels as if I have been penciled out of existence by some grand authority, one which expects me to disappear into nothingness, or end up jailed, homeless or just dead.
Laura’s Law Turns a Psychiatric Diagnosis into a Crime
Laura’s Law criminalizes mental illness and is spreading like cancer across California, county by county. Those labeled “noncompliant” can be subjected to forced medication and court-ordered involuntary treatment. In essence, they become captives of the criminal justice system even though they have committed no offense.
Unethical Medical Experiments on U.S. Citizens
The United States has an epidemic of ill health due to excessive drugging. The American people are considered a giant pool of experimental subjects for massively wealthy drug companies. Many persons diagnosed with mental illness are experimented upon, often without their consent and against their own best interests.
Struggling on the Streets Without the Right to Rest
Lucy is 76 years old, and she is way past tired. Years of living on the streets have taken an irreparable toll on her. She slowly walks down a busy downtown street in San Francisco.