San Francisco Considers New Anti-Homeless Laws : Indybay

STOP THE ATTACKS ON POOR PEOPLE!
Legislation is pending that would
punish us for being poor
come speak out against this attack at the hearing on:
THURSDAY, MAY 16 2002
10AM AT CITY HALL IN SAN FRANCISCO

The City wants to implement laws that will punish and discriminate against homeless people, immigrants and people of color. These shameless politicians want to:

Make shelters and other services invasive and inaccessible.
They're proposing: more money to fund the bureaucracy - less for people's needs.

One place to enter all shelters, no choices.
That homeless people would need to answer a lot of personal questions before entering a shelter. That information would be entered into a very expensive central database which would risk individual's confidential information.
To fingerprint everyone requesting a shelter bed.

Punish people for being on the streets.
They're proposing a $500 fine or 6 months in jail for:

Panhandling on median strips or city-owned parking garages
Sleeping or lying on sidewalks
$500 fine for urinating or defacating in public
Close all public restrooms from 10pm to 6am

The people who are affected by these laws are the same people who work and maintain this city. Spending lots of money on a centralized database and finger-printing will not solve homelessness! We deserve affordable housing, living wage jobs, education, child care, and health care!

For more information call 346-3740 or come to our Thursday meetings, 2pm at 468 Turk Street, between Hyde and Larkin