because we see 10 and 12 people coming through the nert program. i think any type of incentive would be welcome. i don't know what the exact answer would be but it would help us. >> i think you need to go to the legislature, state legislature to get the kind of incentives you want. local municipalities don't have the tools to provide the incentives. there are a lot of things they can do, permit, but they can't reduce the property tax on their owns. you can't reduce benefits unless you have a 2/3 vote of the people in the area. i think you need to go to the legislature. i would be remiss to say we keep thinking 22 years ago. we still haven't repaired the bridge yet. the bridge will be ready hopefully next year. so 22, 23 years later. >> i would just like to say it is extremely difficult to get people engaged in advance to do the things that need to be done and then there's a lot of people, as you mentioned, that

will be visits or what not -- visiting or what not that would have no clue. so i think probably as a strategy maybe the next level of the certain nert training is to actually think about ways of postdisaster immediate communication and engagement with people so they can be brought up to speed about the fact that this structure does exist and there is a set of procedures and whatever that then help people to get the big picture because i don't think whether it's the legislature or anything else, that's a hard one to get to. so i would say try to think about what you can do anticipating the problem you're going to have and think of some pragmatic responses. >> good morning. my name is danielle hutchins. i'm from the association of bay

area governments and i just wanted to respond to mr. jacks' opening question about what else we need to do to be prepared for a next earthquake. i would like to advocate for a regional perspective. obviously cities must be prepared, neighborhoods must be prepared to take care of their own cities to bring those back. but we have a number of regional issues that we're going to face and lifelines and our utilities and road networks, housing, regional economic development. and i think it's really important we look at that as our bay area region, as our bay area identity. so along those lines i wanted to -- passed out an invitation to a workshop where we're going to begin to look at some of those regional issues. it will be at november 1 at ames. i hope everyone can attend. >> the importance at looking at a regional level is half of our work force lives outside of san francisco. so looking from a regional perspective, i think that would be really important too. >> i would say one of the

biggest gaps we have is the lack of that regional recovery planning which i know there are various -- i know there are various initiatives nowadays moving forward. i think it's very important. i also think at the state level we really need to think more substantive recovery plan that would, you know, seek to tie a lot of these pieces together. >> i might just add that there's a thing called the joint policy committee. it's immediating up with the four agencies, regional -- it's meeting up with the four agencies, regional agencies. now implementing, trying to figure out how we can implement the bay plan that was just approved by vcdc to figure out how we can implement the plan. in addition to that they are looking at climate change and disaster preparedness too. we do have some regional activity that's taking place in addition to that work. >> there is something to be said in bringing together

resilience. economic resilience, climate change resilience. it's really all about being resilient. i think if we can put those into one conversation we can be stronger. >> i want to thank all very much for doing a great job as our moderator and for the entire panel, i had the opportunity to work with barbara garcia for 16 years at the health department and heard her very compelling story about the response to loma prieta. so really happy that you were here and each and every one of you were able to provide very unique perspectives that began to give us the whole picture of what a full community response looks like. i'm sure you'll join me in giving a big hand to our panel. [applause]

i don't know about you all but i think this was a wonderful opportunity to share ideas this morning, to see old friends, meet new friends and really continue this dialogue which is so important in our recovery. there will be more of this in the future. thank you all for coming and encourage you all to be prepared and to think about our response and our working together. thank you very much. have a great day. [applause]

>> just a few steps away from union square is a quiet corner stone of san francisco's our community to the meridian gallery has a 20-year history of supporting visual arts. experimental music concert, and also readings. >> give us this day our daily bread at least three times a day. and lead us not into temptation to often on weekdays. [laughter]

>> meridians' stands apart from the commercial galleries around union square, and it is because of their core mission, to increase social, philosophical, and spiritual change my isolated individuals and communities. >> it gives a statement, the idea that a significant art of any kind, in any discipline, creates change. >> it is philosophy that attracted david linger to mount a show at meridian. >> you want to feel like your work this summer that it can do some good. i felt like at meridian, it could do some good. we did not even talk about price until the day before the show. of course, meridian needs to support itself and support the community. but that was not the first consideration, so that made me very happy. >> his work is printed porcelain. he transfers images onto and spoils the surface a fragile

shes of clay. each one, only one-tenth of an inch thick. >> it took about two years to get it down. i would say i lose 30% of the pieces that i made. something happens to them. they cracked, the break during the process. it is very complex. they fall apart. but it is worth it to me. there are photographs i took 1 hours 99 the former soviet union. these are blown up to a gigantic images. they lose resolution. i do not mind that, because my images are about the images, but they're also about the idea, which is why there is text all over the entire surface. >> marie in moved into the mansion on powell street just five years ago. its galleries are housed in one of the very rare single family residences around union square. for the 100th anniversary of the mansion, meridian hosted a series of special events, including a world premiere

reading by lawrence ferlinghetti. >> the birth of an american corporate fascism, the next to last free states radio, the next-to-last independent newspaper raising hell, the next-to-last independent bookstore with a mind of its own, the next to last leftie looking for obama nirvana. [laughter] the first day of the wall street occupation set forth upon this continent a new revolutionary nation. [applause] >> in addition to its own programming as -- of artist talks, meridian has been a downtown host for san francisco states well-known port trees center. recent luminaries have included

david meltzer, steve dixon, and jack hirsch man. >> you can black as out of the press, blog and arrest us, tear gas, mace, and shoot us, as we know very well, you will, but this time we're not turning back. we know you are finished. desperate, near the end. hysterical in your flabbergastlyness. amen. >> after the readings, the crowd headed to a reception upstairs by wandering through the other gallery rooms in the historic home. the third floor is not usually reserved for just parties, however. it is the stage for live performances. ♪

under the guidance of musical curators, these three, meridian has maintained a strong commitment to new music, compositions that are innovative, experimental, and sometimes challenging. sound art is an artistic and event that usually receives short shrift from most galleries because san francisco is musicians have responded by showing strong support for the programming. ♪ looking into meridian's future, she says she wants to keep doing the same thing that she has been doing since 1989. to enlighten and disturbed. >> i really believe that all the arts have a serious function

and that it helps us find out who we are in a much wider sense than we were before we experienced that work of art. ♪ >> i would like to call to order the november 9, 2009 meeting. will the clerk please call the roll? >> commissioner alexander. >> here.

>> the vice chair. commissioner gonzales is absent. commissioner hill. >> here. >> commissioner mccarthy. >> present. >> commissioner perez is excused. >> thank you. good evening. i am the chair of the immigrant rights commission. on behalf of the immigrant rights commission, i would like to welcome everyone to this

symposium. four members of the public, the immigrant rights commission represents the voices of the san francisco immigrant communities. we are responsible for advising the mayor and the board of supervisors on any matters related to the well-being and concerns. the commission meets regularly on the second monday of every month beginning at 5:30 p.m. at city hall. in april of 2009, we have the joint hearing with the human rights commission to listen to the first 10 testimonies from san francisco residents. the purpose of tonight symposium is for the commission and for the rest of the city family to hear from national experts on comprehensive immigration reform, and to obtain guidance

on how local governments, commissions, and community organizations can weigh in on the comprehensive immigration reform debate. tonight's information will be used to guide the commission's work and to help shape our recommendations on behalf of the city immigrant community. i would like to introduce our presenters for tonight's symposium. the office of assembly man is here. thank you. the northern california chapter of the immigrants lawyers association. the commission would also like to thank our symposium partners. the asian american justice center from washington, d.c. the center for state and local government law.

the chief justice earl warren institute. the consulate general of mexico. the quality federation. -- equality federation. the national center for lesbian rights. san francisco chamber of commerce. the san francisco department of children, youth, and their families. san francisco department on the status of women. san francisco zero divided foundation. we would like to thank the city department heads that are here.

the department of status of women. the human rights commission, and our own director, the office of civic engagement and immigrant affairs. you have an opportunity later in the meeting for public comment. please indicate if you would like to speak or write down your questions and return the cards to staff members. i would like to introduce an outstanding leader who has worked hard to bring the diverse segments of the san francisco community together to reach a common ground. since coming into office in january of 2009, he has brought thoughtful leadership to our city. we're pleased to welcome the president of the san francisco board of supervisors. thank you. [applause]

>> good evening. i am pleased to be with all of you today. i want to think the immigrant rights commission and all of the many partners here to talk about a very important topic. 13 years ago, i lived in washington, d.c.. i worked for the senate judiciary committee during the last debate about immigration reform won the 1996 piece of legislation that we will hopefully overturned was passed. it was a fairly dark time in washington, d.c. the republicans controlled washington at that time. at least on the senate and house side. there are many things that immigration advocates were not able to get done. i moved here for many of the reasons that i think we're all here in san francisco. we're a city of compehensive immigration refoimmigrants.

we know that san francisco was built on the backs of immigrant labor. we also know that for the past 10 years on so, it has been fairly dark nationwide for our immigrant community. we've had a new record number of rates belief had a tremendous backlog of applications of legal immigrants that are trying to become citizens. there have been countless stories of constitutional and civil rights violated of many of our family members and friends. i used to be an immigrant rights attorney. i can tell you firsthand that i would visit the ins detention center and see individuals who had been beaten by ice agents. this conversation cannot be more

timely and more important with the new administration and a new recognition and importance of building an immigrants rights movement. hopefully we will soon get healthcare reform behind us. hopefully the next question that our nation grapples with is how do we tell you the constitutional and civil rights that all individuals must have. hopefully we will be able to some they put as an outdated statement the fact that there is some consideration to the concept that certain human beings are illegal. on behalf of the city and county of san francisco, i want to welcome you for taking part in this important conversation. obviously, the next person i would like to introduce is someone who has been a tremendous champion for many

segments of our society, especially individuals and communities that have been marginalized. he has been fighting for immigrants for your entire life. certainly at every step during his political career. we have had a really empowered immigrants rights movement here. we are trying to extend that statewide. tom has been trying to put out the message that as we can do here in san francisco, living among tolerance, we can hopefully do around the country. i apologize. i need to leave. i have to go to another commission to talk about some legislation. i know you are in very able hands with him. [applause]

>> good evening. thank you very much. it's an honor to be here. i want to commence the commission. i always championed the commission when i was on the board of supervisors. i remember when and this applingus applied. when you climb that ladder, it's important not to pull the lever up after you so the next person will not make up. was that close enough? it is very irish. politics and mighpoetry, my favorite. it is not the melting pot in the cliche way, the san francisco public schools, but it presents you with many opportunities to see what newcomers bring, to see the challenges they face. the institutions are not user

friendly. i remember a principal not wanting to provide free breakfast to any kid that was undocumented. i remember we got notes from the principle that saidthis would be spoken on the play yard -- said that no spanish would be spoken on the play yard. i turned to the community. the school district was not responding at that time. they got a moratorium on iq testing because it was so culturally biased. i think one of the questions was they showed a toboggan and asked what was a toboggan. if you did not have snow or a certain privileges in your live, you did not know what a

toboggan is. we have come a long way, but we still have contradictions. we get attacked for the sanctuary city. the id cards in san francisco and connecticut are very, very good. this is an issue that most elected do not want to deal with. in sacramento, it is not a user- friendly situation. people acknowledged that something has to be done, but then they run away from the. commissions such as this, cities such as san francisco, and basically the reality. sometimes i make a joke about immigration. we are here already. we are not going to go away. if you're worried that we have h1n1, then give us health care.

i went to washington and ask what is going to happen with health care reform? you have to think of ways. you have to give us more funding for community clinics so people will not be worried about getting deported and not be worried about getting health care. and not be worried about somehow being identified as a criminal. we have a lot of responsibility to all our brothers and sisters who made this country great. we cannot be intimidated. we are a productive people. i walked on the picket line the other day. almost everyone there had a different background. their children are here. yet they are still quibbling over whether or not they can get

health care, and who cleans their toilets, and who makes their bets. there's a lot of class issues within the immigrant community. they need to be remedied as well. there are people in the immigrant community and we're very well educated. they get very high-paying jobs. when it comes to other infrastructure jobs, we cheat people. we have a lot to do, but i'm always very helpful. if san francisco is anything, is a city of opportunity. i salute you. anytime you need anything, you can call me. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you. and thank you, president chu. before i go further, i would like to take care of a little more.

i would like to recognize a few more people. harry it from the office of speaker pelosi. forgive me. dominique from the office of congresswoman barbara lee. thank you for coming. office of congresswoman barbara lee. office of congressman mike honda. thank you for coming. the juvenile probation department. thank you for coming here this

evening. thank you for coming. ok. we are now going to begin tonight's program. first we'll hear from one of the nation's leading legal scholars on the long-term economic impact of immigrant rights policy and reform. we will hear from a panel. after the panel discussion, we will have time to hear from the local elected officials. then we will open the meeting for public comments. if you would like to speak during the public comment section, please fill out a yellow card and return that to a member of our staff. i would like to introduce

adrian, who has done amazing work for this commission. she's the executive director of the office of immigrant affairs would you introduce the speakers and panelists. thank you very much. >> thank you, chair mccarthy. it's truly a pleasure to introduce tonight's keynote speaker. the professor is a highly respected legal scholar. he is an sbure, he is an author and an expert on immigration law. among his many leadership roles at stanford law school are director of the arthur and tony rock center for corporate governance, associate dean for executive education and special programs, co-director of the director college and if that wasn't enough, he is also co-founder of the open source corporate governance