GENTRIFICATION AND THE OUSTER OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE BAYVIEW

The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) is poised to oust thousands of African Americans mostly from Public Housing. Right now many of the families cannot afford the very high utilities. Added to high cost the health and safety concerns have eroded peace of mind with daily shootings, killings, murder, threats, deaths, and a whole slew of issues that are forcing the very poor into the streets and under freeways. Those who have relatives or can move leave and go to the East Bay and beyond. The situation has worsened in the last 4 years thanks to Sophie Maxwell the most inept, ignorant, and arrogant woman and District 10 Supervisor. The latest 2000 census shows the African American population in Bayview Hunters Point to be around 29%. Right now it is about 20%. Daily African Americans are leaving in droves because they cannot survive the high standard of living and most do not have jobs. The jobless rate among African Americans is as high as 30% in some hot spots and average 25% in others - that is very high. The SFRA with the help of Willie L. Brown the former Mayor, Marcia Rosen the present Director of SFRA, Sophie Maxwell, the BVHP Project Area Committee have step by step instituted zoning changes that will assure the ouster of most African Americans in 5 years. The Asians have their strongholds and extended family values that will stand them in good stead. Asians all over the Bayview Hunters Point are making great in roads buying homes and solidifying their status. True they have to deal with crime but they are organized. Much as they are organized in the Portola District where African Americans are a commodity. Asians are arming themselves and taking care of any infiltration of crime from other communities that have been preying on some older and infirm Asians. It is just a matter of time that the same will be seen all over Bayview Hunters Point. One has just to visit Silver Terrace and you will see the majority of Asians, Whites, with a sprinkling of African Americans in that enclave community. Money talks and bull shit walks. It is just a matter of time when those who have money will infiltrate all of Hunters Point Public Housing and outside the Public Housing Zones. The two major communities who are sitting on there assess and doing nothing are the African Americans and the Samoans. The Samoan and African American leaders - the few that talk most are on the take and will not work nor stand for the rights of the those in their community that need help most. They are all waiting for some divine intervention - it will not happen. The days of surviving on dole are over. Section 8 and other welfare benefits are out the door. Care not Cash, hard work, survival of the fittest are facts of life. Can you imagine there was not one single person from Public Housing at the Board of Supervisors meeting December 7, 2004 to defend their rights? Sellout African Americans gave SFRA and Lennar BVHP LLC tainted support to steal and drive out African Americans, the Samoans, and other poor folks that mostly live in Public Housing on that day. Espanola Jackson, Francisco Da Costa, and Ahimsa Sumchai were the only 3 individuals that tried to explain to the Board of Supervisors what they were intending to do by siding with corrupt developers like Lennar. Only two Supervisors seemed to pay some little attention - Chris Daly and Matt Gonzalez. The rest Peskin, Sandoval, Ammiano, Maxwell, Elsbernd, McGoldrick, Ma, Dufty, and Alioto-Pier - could care less. We have been saying that gentrification is round the corner and it has not only jumped the gun but also taken control at the highest level. Once there was some decency left among political representatives no more. Sophie Maxwell and her cronies like Arc Ecology, Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ), Bayview Hunters Point Advocates, Olin Webb, Saul Bloom, Karen Pierce - have sold out the community. They are all on the take and using the community to serve their own petty needs. Young Community Developers have not spoken for the community. They come to attend the meeting to support Lennar. Some one is on the take - who could that be? Not one single newspaper has exposed these slimy, pathetic, uncouth, scumbags who are selling the community. Adrian Hampton little tit bit stirred some minor storm but the corruption has been on going and blatant. Thugs, crooks, women and men with tainted criminal records, appear before the Board of Supervisors and other Commissions and testify with impunity. This is a crying shame. I have been saying that the community has to stand up and fight but they are lethargic and this is a shame. Come December 14, 2004 the Board of Supervisors will decide the fate of thousands living in Public Housing. Now is your last chance to fight for your survival or forever hold your breath and fade away.

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