Common Cents Coalition Emergency Action to Make BofA Pay

THE COMMON CENTS COALITION
a stop the violence community campaign

EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION:
TELL THE ASSESSMENT BOARD TO MAKE BofA PAY!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 3RD, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL
4:30PM

$4.6 million could save young people's lives!
<<THE COMMON CENTS COALITION.doc>> for more info, call NTanya at 412.3848


Six weeks ago, a vibrant and diverse crowd of 50 youth and community
activists came together to protest the attempt by Walter Shorenstein and the
Bank of America to get out of paying over $4million in property taxes!
Standing at the foot of the Bank of America building (555 California), in
the center of San Francisco's financial district, we raised our voices
against corporate greed, and called on the city's largest landowners to pay
their fair share of taxes.

We were united in saying that in the face of such a serious community crisis
around youth violence, when the city is struggling to fund youth programs,
it was an outrage that the city's "corporate citizens" are prioritizing
profit over human lives. It was a lively action, with street theatre and
decent press turnout (Bay Guardian, SF Examiner, Beyond Chron
http://www.beyondchron.org/link.asp?smenu=110&sdetail=516, SF Business
Times, SF Bayview). Members of Coleman Advocates, Youth Making a Change,
HOMEY, Inner City Youth, Young Community Developers, Lets Get Free, the
Youth Commission, YouthSpace and many other organizations were there!


Since that time, a lot has happened:
* The city's "site visit" to 555 California that was scheduled the day
of our June 18th action was suddenly and mysteriously cancelled, and they
have never rescheduled it. We scared them away! They are afraid of public
scrutiny!
* Bank of America has sold its half of 555 California for WAY more
than they claimed it was worth (sfgate.com).
* The city's Tax Assessor's office has completed its findings and has
recommended that the value of the building remain unchanged, so that the
BofA building owners would have to pay the $4million they owe.
* The action is now at the Assessment Appeals board, which has
scheduled a series of CLOSED meetings this week on the BofA building. It
looks like they will make their decision this week. Just today we found out
that the first meeting is scheduled to begin Tuesday at 5pm. Since the
public is not allowed in the meeting, we should be at city hall to let city
officials know WE ARE WATCHING!

We will gather at 4:30 right outside city hall, facing the civic center
plaza.

I hope to see you at city hall tomorrow afternoon! If you cannot make it,
please email me your name and/or organization so we can add you to the
endorser list that we distribute to press tomorrow!



...........................................................................
NTanya Lee
Project Director, Youth Making a Change
Director of Youth Policy, Coleman Advocates for Children & Youth
nlee [at] colemanadvocates.org