Save SF Public Defender's Office; Call Bd of Supes Today

The lawyers for the poor accused of crimes, usually of being homeless, namely the public defenders, are going to be eliminated from the city's budget if you do not get on the phone today and call all 11 supervisors to demand that they restore all funding to the Public Defender's Office, and never give more money to the anti-poor District Attorney's Office, as they did. Bastille Day, July 14 is the last chance to save the Public Defender's Office from serious budget cuts and privatization.

The full story may be found on the Public Defender's website at:
http://sfpublicdefender.org/
and in particular:
(1) A comment by former public defenders Matt Gonzalez (who was also a supervisor) and Witney Leigh at
http://sfpublicdefender.org/media/2009/07/defending-public-defender/
(2) A July 8, 2009 beyondchron.org story at
http://sfpublicdefender.org/media/2009/07/newsom-public-defenders-part-ii/
also at
http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Guest_Editorial_Newsom_v_Public_Defenders_Part_II_7114.html
Other good commentaries are:
(1) SF Chronicle 6/25/09 editorial (rare good editorial)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/25/EDCF18D3LT.DTL
(2) SF Bay Guardian 7/9/09 editorial
http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=8663&catid=4&volume_id=398&issue_id=435&volume_num=43&issue_num=37
"Newsom increases funding for police investigators by $7 million while cutting the Public Defender's office by $2 million . He's preserving his own bloated political operation (a big press office, highly paid special assistants...)

Here is how the Public Defender describes its position:
"For over 85 years, the San Francisco Public Defender's Office has provided effective and competent legal representation to people who are charged with a crime and unable to afford an attorney."

"Led by Jeff Adachi, California's only publicly elected Public Defender, the office provides legal representation to over 25,000 indigent people charged with crimes each year."

ALSO, CHECK YOUR MAILBOX TODAY. Many of us received an excellent 4 page multi-color slick mailer from the Public Defender explaining the crisis with lots of quotable quotes, all good talking points when you call all 11 members of the Board of Supervisors TODAY.

LET US BE CLEAR WHAT WE DO NOT NEED:
(1) The entire police department and the jail system. The police are usually making at least $127,000 a year. We need social services and job training to rehabilitate everyone accused of a crime. Poor people accused of crimes also need decent housing and medical care, free of charge, paid for by the City if the accused cannot afford to pay for a home and for medical care, 2 basic human rights.
(2) The redundant fire houses. Firefighters make at least $97,000 a year. We certainly need a fire department, but do not need excess.
(3) ANY press office for the mayor (this is just his governor's campaign office at taxpayer expense)
(4) ANY special assistants to the worthless, millionaire, anti-tenant, viciously reactionary Democratic mayor Newsom.
(5) ANY salary that is over $200,000 a year for a city employee. All excess salaries should be cut to $200,000 a year. There are lots of managers receiving far more than $200,000 a year and that must end now.

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO CALL SUPERVISORS CHIU AND AVALOS, WHO GAVE THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S MONEY TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY! YOU MUST CALL ALL 11 AS THEY ALL VOTE ON THE BUDGET. AND REMEMBER, THIS IS ALL CAUSED BY THAT TERRIBLE REACTIONARY DEMOCRAT SITTING IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, GAVIN NEWSOM. Next time you vote, be sure to vote for only Green or Peace & Freedom Party candidates and if they are not running for a given position, skip that position. We need Green/P&F candidates to run against Chiu and Avalos as this is outrageous. 10 of the supervisors are Democrats; Ross Mirkarimi is a Green Party member.

They all have voice mail, so you can call them at any time to leave a message. You can also Email them. It is too late for US mail. You must get on the phone or send an Email right now. They are in your San Francisco phone book, blue-striped white pages and at
http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_index.asp?id=7271
and here:
Michela Alioto-Pier
District 2
(415) 554-7752 - Voice
(415) 554-7843 - Fax
Michela.Alioto-Pier [at] sfgov.org J

John Avalos
District 11
(415) 554-6975 - Voice
(415) 554-6979 - Fax
John.Avalos [at] sfgov.org

David Campos
District 9
(415) 554-5144 - voice
(415) 554-6255 - fax
David.Campos [at] sfgov.org

David Chiu - Board President
District 3
(415) 554-7450 - Voice
(415) 554-7454 - Fax
David.Chiu [at] sfgov.org

Carmen Chu
District 4
(415) 554-7460 - Voice
(415) 554-7432 - Fax
Carmen.Chu [at] sfgov.org

Chris Daly
District 6
(415) 554-7970 - Voice
(415) 554-7974 - Fax
Chris.Daly [at] sfgov.org

Bevan Dufty
District 8
(415) 554-6968 - Voice
(415) 554-6909 - Fax
Bevan.Dufty [at] sfgov.org

Sean Elsbernd
District 7
(415) 554-6516 - Voice
(415) 554-6546 - Fax
Sean.Elsbernd [at] sfgov.org

Eric Mar
District 1
(415) 554-7410 - Voice
(415) 554-7415 - Fax
Eric.L.Mar [at] sfgov.org

Sophie Maxwell
District 10
(415) 554-7670 - Voice
(415) 554-7674 - Fax
Sophie.Maxwell [at] sfgov.org

Ross Mirkarimi
District 5
(415) 554-7630 - Voice
(415) 554-7634 - Fax
Ross.Mirkarimi [at] sfgov.org