San Francisco Budget Rally - May 22
Hundreds of San Franciscans rally to save vital services in face of massive budget cuts
Some 800 SEIU 1021 San Francisco workers rallied in front of City Hall Thursday, May 22 at noon to demand the mayor and Board of Supervisors not cut vital city services when balancing the budget. Scores of community members opposed to the cuts joined in the union action.
Although Mayor Gavin Newsom will not officially unveil his proposed budget until June 1, preliminary reports indicate he plans cuts in city health care facilities, services for the poor, disabled, children and elderly as well as other quality of life programs all San Franciscans rely upon. Some 350 beds will be eliminated in the city’s public hospitals, many of the non-profits that provide mental health and substance abuse programs in the neighborhoods will be gutted by slashing 22% of all their unmatched General Fund dollars, and other health care programs, including HIV/AIDS ones, will be cut.
View photos of the rallyLocal 1021 workers and clients from public health facilities and non-profit agencies in the neighborhoods testified about the importance of the services they provide and receive. Representatives from other community organizations—like the National Association for Mental Illness and Senior Action Network—whose clients and family members depend on these services, spoke on the need to maintain the city’s social safety net.
Four San Francisco Supervisors, who will vote on the budget, joined the rally, saying they will vote for no cuts in essential services.
“There is a line drawn in the sand,” said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi.
Local 1021 President Damita Davis-Howard closed the rally, leading members in a rousing chant of “No cuts to vital services!”