Haaland's sit-lie resolution
Robert---I don't know what the "Gabriel" is about---Haaland's proposed resolution (below in italics) illustrates nicely the delusions characteristic of city progressives. Conflating gay rights, hippies, and the homeless with the sit-lie issue is so far off base that it qualifies as a delusion, since the real issue is whether to allow lowlife punks to sprawl on the sidewalks of the Haight, panhandling and harassing residents and passersby.
They may indeed be homeless, and it's likely that many of them are living in nearby Golden Gate Park, which is also encouraged/tolerated by city progressives. Suggesting that they are just poor people---they need "youth programs"!---who are having a hard time paying the rent in SF is laughable. Based on how they dress and behave, these folks have chosen living on city streets as a way of life.
They may indeed be homeless, and it's likely that many of them are living in nearby Golden Gate Park, which is also encouraged/tolerated by city progressives. Suggesting that they are just poor people---they need "youth programs"!---who are having a hard time paying the rent in SF is laughable. Based on how they dress and behave, these folks have chosen living on city streets as a way of life.
Interesting to note that uber-prog, Supervisor Mirkarimi---he represents the Haight---isn't listed as a sponsor of the resolution. Maybe he's beginning to understand that he needs to take sensible positions on these quality-of-life issues if he's going to run for higher office.
Recall too that in 2008 the Democratic County Central Committee endorsed legalizing prostitution in the city and dumping JROTC from city schools. Of course they're going to adopt Haaland's resolution.
By Gabriel Haaland
April 10, 2010
Below is a resolution I will be introducing at the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee. Please come and lend your support on Monday, April 21, 6PM, State Building on Golden Gate Avenue.
Whereas in the 70s, the City passed a law which banned sitting or lying down on city sidewalks in response to a call to remove hippies who were sitting on sidewalks in the Haight District of San Francisco, and whereas law enforcement personal ultimately selectively used these powers primarily against mostly gay men who were sitting on sidewalks in the Castro District, usually outside of bars (which lead to an incident in 1974, wherein City law enforcement personnel beat up a young gay man outside of a bar in the Castro, and arrested 18 others for “obstructing” the sidewalk). The gay community, led by Harvey Milk, rallied to their cause and against police harassment. One year subsequent to Harvey Milk’s death, the sit-lie law was found to be unconstitutional.
Whereas, the sit/lie law currently proposed will not prevent obstruction of sidewalks or harassment of passersby, as it’s already illegal to block the sidewalk and harass pedestrians and this legislation will not solve longstanding, complex problems and City Hall has openly and repeatedly admitted in the press that the criminal justice system is failing to deal with similar issues in the Tenderloin, and has created an alternative known as the Community Justice Court that is founded on principles of Restorative Justice;
Whereas a process known as Restorative Circles, a method based in Restorative Justice that has been used in the favelas (or shantytowns) of Rio De Janeiro, where drug gangs are the main employers of youth and homicide is the most common cause of death for people under the age of 25, unlike incarceration, has resulted in reduced recidivism and high rates of satisfaction by all parties, and has been embraced as an effective strategy.
Therefore Be it resolved, the San Francisco Democratic Party urges the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor to oppose incarceration for non-violent crimes and explore successful alternatives to incarceration, specifically the Restorative Circles Process; and
Be it further resolved, the San Francisco Democratic Party urges the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor to immediately prioritize funding for homeless youth programs to restore funding for youth employment, programs, and housing.
"If you want people off the street, give them a place to live!"
Sponsored by Gabriel Robert Haaland, Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, Supervisor David Campos, Supervisor Chris Daly, Supervisor Eric Mar, Aaron Peskin, Hene Kelly, Rafael Mandelman, Michael Goldstein, Joe Julian, Jane Morrison, Jake McGoldrick, Michael Bornstein, Debra Walker, John Avalos, Alix Rosenthal
April 10, 2010
Below is a resolution I will be introducing at the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee. Please come and lend your support on Monday, April 21, 6PM, State Building on Golden Gate Avenue.
Whereas in the 70s, the City passed a law which banned sitting or lying down on city sidewalks in response to a call to remove hippies who were sitting on sidewalks in the Haight District of San Francisco, and whereas law enforcement personal ultimately selectively used these powers primarily against mostly gay men who were sitting on sidewalks in the Castro District, usually outside of bars (which lead to an incident in 1974, wherein City law enforcement personnel beat up a young gay man outside of a bar in the Castro, and arrested 18 others for “obstructing” the sidewalk). The gay community, led by Harvey Milk, rallied to their cause and against police harassment. One year subsequent to Harvey Milk’s death, the sit-lie law was found to be unconstitutional.
Whereas, the sit/lie law currently proposed will not prevent obstruction of sidewalks or harassment of passersby, as it’s already illegal to block the sidewalk and harass pedestrians and this legislation will not solve longstanding, complex problems and City Hall has openly and repeatedly admitted in the press that the criminal justice system is failing to deal with similar issues in the Tenderloin, and has created an alternative known as the Community Justice Court that is founded on principles of Restorative Justice;
Whereas a process known as Restorative Circles, a method based in Restorative Justice that has been used in the favelas (or shantytowns) of Rio De Janeiro, where drug gangs are the main employers of youth and homicide is the most common cause of death for people under the age of 25, unlike incarceration, has resulted in reduced recidivism and high rates of satisfaction by all parties, and has been embraced as an effective strategy.
Therefore Be it resolved, the San Francisco Democratic Party urges the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor to oppose incarceration for non-violent crimes and explore successful alternatives to incarceration, specifically the Restorative Circles Process; and
Be it further resolved, the San Francisco Democratic Party urges the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor to immediately prioritize funding for homeless youth programs to restore funding for youth employment, programs, and housing.
"If you want people off the street, give them a place to live!"
Sponsored by Gabriel Robert Haaland, Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, Supervisor David Campos, Supervisor Chris Daly, Supervisor Eric Mar, Aaron Peskin, Hene Kelly, Rafael Mandelman, Michael Goldstein, Joe Julian, Jane Morrison, Jake McGoldrick, Michael Bornstein, Debra Walker, John Avalos, Alix Rosenthal
Labels: Homelessness, Right and Left, Sit-Lie
posted by Rob Anderson @ 10:27 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
" 'If you want people off the street, give them a place to live!'
Sponsored by" the same people that got San Francisco in the mess it's currently in.
Even if those street people/youths/whatever are given a free place to live (assuming they don't already have one) they will still congregate on the sidewalks because they don't have anything better to do during the day.
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