Broad Coalition Unites Against Newsom Budget Plan

by Beyond Chron (reposted)

Wed, May 18, 2005 8:05AM

Casey Mills 18.MAY.05 ::
In a strong display of unity among the progressive community, members of organized labor, social service providers, seniors and a variety of activists gathered on the steps of City Hall yesterday to voice opposition to Mayor Gavin Newsom’s new plan for the City’s budget. Soon after the revelation that San Francisco would be $40 million richer next year due to jump in tax revenue, Newsom announced a plan to use all of this extra money for capital improvements, or in his words, “fixing potholes.” Those who gathered for yesterday’s rally argued that the money should go towards keeping vital services for our city’s most vulnerable operating instead.

Newsom’s proposal comes at an odd time, as many service providers say they’re still from the mid-year budget cuts, which slashed funding for city parks and a variety of health care operations primarily serving low-income and uninsured San Franciscans. The idea that even further cuts could be prevented, but may not be due to the Mayor’s prioritizing filling potholes above health care for poor people, shocked those at the rally.

“We’re still recovering from the last cuts we had,” said Martha Hawthorne, a nurse at the Castro-Mission Health Center. “It was a 20 percent cut that meant sick children, sick adults and seniors who don’t have health care are on our waiting lists for the first time in our history. If the cuts get worse, that could mean 8,000 people who depend on health centers who would have nowhere to go.”

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