THE FAILURE TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY RESPONSE NETWORK WITH A VIABLE BLUEPRINT (12/01/12)

I have been at the table from the inception when the Community Response Network was in its planning stages - and over ten years since 2002 have seen policy makers at the top - impede the progress and curtail violence with intent. Again and again; over the years some of us who have continuously attended the Safety Meetings at City Hall, taken courses linked to Violence and related issues. Got qualified certification on Justice Issues - participated at other pertinent forums and meetings with the San Francisco Health Department on health, contamination, violence, killing and related issues - have been holding our peace. Some of us; community advocates who have been attending the forums put up by the Public Defender, Jeff Adachi, the recent forum on Realignment by Senator Mark Leno - we have seen the absence of those policy makers from City Hall and key City Departments; that purport to know about factors and how to deal with Violence, Violence Prevention - elements linked to these factors - but have failed to participated at these meetings and forums - in a meaningful manner. These policy makers think they can bluff us and the time is come to call their bluff. To set things straight the money spent by these agencies, departments, Community Based Organizations - is tax payers' money. As I mentioned earlier we have seen the lack of leadership and with it the lack of accountability and full transparency. More so; from the year 2000 to the year 2012 two communities have suffered the most the Polynesian community; more the Samoan community and the Black community. Hundreds of our young men and women have died and among them besides the Black, the Polynesian - the Latino, Asian and others. The policy makers have failed and they have failed, miserably. They have no leadership. Good leaders know the way, show the way, and go the way. Many of us advocates; do what we do best and we get NO funding from the City and County of San Francisco that uses our tax payers' money. Waste our money on Administrative salaries and fail to fund the front line workers. We have seen this again and again. The policy makers be it the former Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, the present folks involved with a fake Violence Prevention Strategy situated at the Mayor's Office ˆ Interrupt, Predict, and Organize (IPO). No sound organization can interrupt any factors without having a sound Blue Print that is proven. No organization can attain any sound goals without accountability and transparency and the ability to have the right, vetted information. This acronym IPO reminds one of Initial Public Offering - and does not bear well with those that are involved with solving and reducing Crime and Violence; in our fair City and County of San Francisco. We have IDIOTS furthering their cause and disrespecting the community and more the front line workers - who are putting their lives in danger each and every day. A fitting acronym for these jokers would be Idiots Proffering Obstructions. While Law Enforcement with the blessing of our City Attorney Dennis Herrera and former District Attorney Kamala Harris with the blessing of former Mayor, Gavin Newsom have used Gang Injunctions and other para-military tactics in the past - the buffoons have failed to address the pertinent and salient factors that should be addressed in the first place. Quality of Life Issues. We have hot spots in our fair City and County of San Francisco where folks are treated like dirt. With unemployment at over forty percent in these areas in the year 2012; young women and men bombarded with toxic particulates, the worst contaminants, in one case thousands living near a Superfund Site - our SF Health Department and former Mitch Katz and present Barbara Garcia have failed all San Franciscans. The SF Health Department has a one billion dollar budget. Contamination, pollution, and related elements go hand in hand when it comes to adversely impacting our babies, our youth, our young adults and NOT once have Law Enforcement, City Policy Makers, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families; factored these pertinent elements - as part of their policy making and adjudication. The reason for this is well known - they are NOT educated on issues and cannot think outside the box. The all tow the line and do not want to create any waves. Our SF Police Department was so dumb that they located their "Tactical Team"; the SF Police Laboratory, other police personnel next to Parcel E2 at Hunters Point; one of the most toxic areas. Many of our police personnel came down with cancer and other chronic illnesses. It cost over $3 million plus per person who spends 10 years or more working for the SF Police Department. Go figure. Over the years; I testified at City Hall and before many Police Commissions about the above situation. Even in this case it took the City and County of San Francisco - twelve years - to move our Police personnel 17th Street. Who may I add must be responsible for putting these personnel in harms way for so long? Recently; we have had killings and shootings and they are still ongoing skirmishes among the Blacks and Polynesian. Someone thinks an acronym like IPO can curtail such violence. The disconnect is evident; Mickey mousing with life and treating the situation like a JOKE. How can you INTERRUPT when you have no clue about what is going on? How can you interrupt when the front lines workers are treated with disdain? How can you interrupt when there is no holistic plan to address the symptoms? How can you interrupt when no one trust you? You fail to understand that the community is against you - can you must turn it around with the community in the cockpit. Again and again the City and County of San Francisco has turned to the sell outs and held Press Conference making a fool of them. You cannot turn your back on the front line workers; fail to compensate them properly; then invite them to your fake Press Conferences; not one of them is permitted to talk; fake ass mostly black pastors spew diatribe and not once you see them on the corner of the streets; trying to bring solace to those that need it. San Franciscans; will not be intimidated by Developers like Lennar spreading their money in the community. San Francisco will not be intimidated by fake pastors who think they are respected by the community but no one respects the Black Poverty Pimp Pastors. Go talk to the youth; more those that are involved in fighting for their lives, every day; crossing three and four turfs to go to school. They will tell you; what they think about these pastors. Go on Sunday and visit the churches and see for yourself who is in attendance. These pastors more Black pastors have failed the community. Young men and women do not care about those that want to help them who come with dubious ploys and machinations. The reason is simple they do not trust them; in the past again and again promises, have been made and again and again they have been taken for a ride. Trust is a key factor on the street; and if you pontificate and think you can control remote control - you are sadly mistaken. Your acronym; Interrupt, Predict, and Organize is pure CRAP. Take it from one that knows what truly is happening on the streets. You policy makers; I know you, but I do not care about you and your many ploys. You know that I have watched you all; all these many years - the situation getting from bad to worse. You folks have permitted the death of many; there are only so many funeral that one can attend; before it reaches saturation point. Ethics, morals, spirituality at City Hall has reached the all time low. At all levels including those that purport to do right but fail most of the time. How can you PREDICT when you do not have any clue about Community Policing and do not have the "trust" of the community. For example it would be prudent to have at least three Samoan (Full Time Employment (FTEs). For the longest time recently - we had one FTE. Now we have one and half - the community is kept in the dark and acronyms like IPO are floated around; clichés that defeat the purpose and now that light has been shed where they is darkness- you IDIOTS can save yourselves, from the shame you have brought on yourselves. ORGANIZE - how can you organize when you have NO viable funding. Again and again someone comes with some band aid solution; bluff and fluff - and you think you can fool us all the time. You have tried to fool the community some of the time - but there is no way - you can fool the community - all of the time. You have appointed three point persons - one worse than the other - it is true they are paid; but each of them works without a blue print that is not holistic in nature and the end result - dysfunctional. We must reach out to Jim Queen, John Torres, John Nauer, Mitch Salazar, others to many to mention - to review the best elements of old programs that made an impact and brought about some results - when it came to violence and killings in our community at large in San Francisco. We have at the moment inept, shallow, spineless, and uneducated on issues, with no sound education on law enforcement, less criminology, sociology, housing, transportation, health, education, socio-economics, work-force - quality of life issues making good salaries and throwing arrows in the air ˆ trying to address the ongoing killings and rampant - violence. I took upon myself after hundreds of calls from the community; to do something and had some preliminary meetings and came out from these confused, confounded, bewildered, and shocked. We have folks that do not want to have accountability and transparency - they think they know it all. They do not. If these killings and shootings do not stop - these policy makers and those that perpetuated gentrification and other crimes on the community - must go. As a last resort I reached out to the community leaders and they do not like what they see. They want change. The Mayor has met me once; I have request him to meet me again; but he can read this article and stay put and do what he deems fit. I cannot and will not force anyone to do what is evident. Quality of Life issues continue to erode while all the time over $10 billion dollars worth of development is down the pipe line in the Southeast Sector the last frontier. Law Enforcement, the Mayor, the City Attorney, the Controller, the SF Health Director - others in the know; cannot sit put while the community suffers. Quality of Life issues put on the back burner. This land all of it belongs to the Ohlone; the strangers have stolen the land and contaminated it. Now, they want to leave their mark as "greedy mongers" - encouraging the "dog eats dog" mentality forcing those that cannot live in market priced units out. Fostering gentrification. Time will tell. Aho.

top - back