tv [untitled] October 18, 2011 5:00pm-5:30pm PDT
5:00 pm
notice earlier the contrast of the democracy that takes place in this room with the mayor coming in with prepared statements delivered in monotone with no passion curses the democracy that i have seen take place at justin herman plaza. it is real democracy, it is something that you may have never seen it. i really recommend that you go down there and you see this. he will be inspired, you will learn something and you will realize that something extraordinary is happening in the city and in this world. you can be on the right side of history or be lost on the wrong side of history. i have a feeling that when you see this, you will do the right thing and you will support the movement. i recommend you watched this video. it shows the secretary of state clinton and obama talking about
5:01 pm
the response of government to the middle east to the movement of peaceful demonstrations there, contrast that with the response of state power in this country. i watched it right after the video of the recording of police moving in on sunday. i could not help but think that we are watching the response, and it is time to support this. >> i want to thank supervisor can the -- supervisor kim, supervisor mar, and one of my personal heroes, supervisor mirkarimi. i am in support of the occupy
5:02 pm
sf movement. i am a graduate of san francisco state, so i have had the unique experience of starting a business and dealing with some of the struggles that a lot of these other folks have. what i am here to talk about today is i want to remind you guys about some of the leadership that folks in this office have given this city at this nation, the civil rights movements, equal rights, health care reform, as well as a plastic bag initiative submitted last year. one thing i would like to say personally, this movement is about -- you guys control the
5:03 pm
budget of our money, you guys spend our money. what a bank is our money in? are you holding our money in bank of america? we would like to see you guys move it out and put it in the credit unions and loan it to people that work here and support more jobs. it is revenue neutral. o it is is a shifting of accounts. it is not something that you guys would have to pass anything else on. you can take that momentum and to be an example for other cities around this country to take money that is rightfully ours and put it back in the community. [chime] president chiu: thank you. [applause] next speaker.
5:04 pm
>> throughout this meeting, i've heard a few things about low city funds for services of projects. a lot of ways that can be dealt with is cutting down behind the scenes siphoning for whatever reasons that might have been going on. corporate taxes, things like that, community credit effort services, restoring the vacant buildings or salvaging whatever materials we can get. those are ideas that might want to help out. i also want to inquire as to why why after showing that we can demonstrate time and again on several different accounts of keeping pathways' clear, following an ordinance, regulations, rules, that the cops have rated us four times now. i hear the most of present time, the dtw wasn't part of this one.
5:05 pm
the cops through all the stuff in a dump truck. i was wondering about that. and also why there have been several meetings with various city officials and they all have been behind closed doors. why no one can take responsibility for who actually finalizes the decision for the cops to move then on tearing down our campus and pretty much raping us in so many words. everyone claims that our public health and safety is our concern. we are not able to have tents and medical supplies because they keep getting stolen and rated by the police. this does not make sense. [applause] president chiu: i just want to reiterate and ask for your respect for the board rules.
5:06 pm
i appreciate the comments that we have had. we have rules in this chamber for reason, so we can facilitate democracy. we want to be able to do this efficiently. higher appreciate your respect. thank you. >> i am a public servant, my name is robert benton. in 1999, when class stiegel went out, the economic forecast was so rosy that they thought we would pay off national that in 10 years. 9/11 came along that happens to be my birthday, and five years later, i began investigating for myself what had happened. all honest investigations come up with the fact that you consider building 7, this was an inside job between israel and the neocons.
5:07 pm
building seven was to get rid of the evidence of the savings-and- loan debacle. our economy has completely plummeted. these are egregious matters that need investigation and prosecution. our government woefully is in dereliction of its duty to do just that same thing. we are here to protest corruption between government and corporations. our cause is just. everyone knows it. the 99% is a misnomer. it is 99.99 repeating. that is who we are. the assault on our first amendment right is egregious. the city needs to stand down, let us speak, let us organize, you have been harassing us, and
5:08 pm
this has been a course of conduct to suppressed our first amendment right. you need to stop. >> i am with occupy sf. many people would like the movements to maintain a laser beam focus on a wall street and on the over 3500 million mayors of san francisco, but there is an urgent and dire need to deal with what has been happening for the past 22 days. on sunday night, we nearly became the first place where a city killed in occupier. it may sound melodramatic, but i would like to take a quick poll. who was genuinely afraid that they would be run over by a truck on sunday night?
5:09 pm
who is genuinely afraid when they had a grenade launcher with multiple barrels pointed at them? we did not know what was then that multiple barrel grenade launcher. we hope that with teargas. there was a bizarre tactic at charging through a crowd, knocking people over when they were not able to run fast enough while trucks raced behind them at very high speed. a friend of mine was severely bruised when he was knocked over and rolled just out of the way of one of those trucks that gunned its engine passed him. people were nearly killed. people after the fact were shocked that no one was killed or put an end, by what happened. over 22 days now, every single night, the police are harassing people. at this point, it is not possible to consider the police as bargaining in good faith or genuinely being concerned about
5:10 pm
the health and welfare. you have to proceed accordingly. >> i work with out -- and i discovered the movement a couple days ago. i am not an activist. i have a long history of working with non-profits and by a volunteer. i have always voted but i have never been called into action like this. we all know what caused it. my curiosity is why there is some much pressure for this not to exist. the kind of behavior that we are getting is meant to russell and our morale and our results. that is what is concerning. i was there the first grade and i could not believe this was normal behavior for our city.
5:11 pm
the gear was phenomenal. my job is to facilitate things, and we have tried to do that. i understand that we are not a leader led organization, but we have people that can facilitate and we work with a general consensus, so it would not be a timely process, but the government doesn't work that way either. i ask for your patience, your focus, and i would like to work with your momentum to resolve problems in a very cost- effective way. we're taking pressure off of the public sector. we would like you to take part in the process instead of allowing the powers that be to put this kind of pressure on us. >> my name is howard williams, i
5:12 pm
am a native of cleveland ohio, a longtime resident of san francisco. an american citizen. and in my lifetime, i have seen the power of multinational corporations grow so large and at the expense of our public good, to the degree where we can only rationally come to the conclusion that the multinational corporations are a direct threat to the american independence as real as george the third, the king of england was. in consideration of this fact, we have to do everything we can to support the occupied movement, which is the only movement that i see that has stood up against a multinational corporation. accordingly, next month, when i
5:13 pm
go in to vote as i always do, i will second the previous comments. many of you who do not support this movement, i will have to consider to be aiding and abetting the multinational corporations and that you are a threat to the independence of my nation. i will take it out on you regardless of everything else you have done. this will be a make or break a vote for you. >> i am a defacto psychiatric social worker since 1997. i have seen, first hand, the
5:14 pm
hollowing out of the working and middle class of this city. my own caseload has increased by 50% since 1997. anyway, i just want to say that the mayor said that he supported occupy sf in spirit. i wasn't expecting it to, but this movement grabbed my imagination and i am not used to being very political. a lot of other people will be soon, too. i want to challenge the board of supervisors to support it in fact, and not just in spirits. thank you. >> i would like to thank those supervisors that mentioned passing a resolution support. i have the text of the city
5:15 pm
council resolution that might be useful to you. ok. i would like to remind you of your public servants. you are here to serve the public. it is your obligation to protect the right first free speech and assembly. the police department has forced the arm, they have harassed the movement, confiscating belongings. this must stop. the elected officials must decide, are you public service, or are you corporate servants. if you don't provide a safe and stable place to exercise free speech and peaceable assembly, you're telling us that you have signed with the corporation that have caused massive unemployment and throwing people out of their homes. therefore, i call on the people
5:16 pm
of sentences go to vote out of office any elected official that doesn't support occupy sf and pass a resolution supporting occupy sf. thank you. president chiu: thank you. [applause] next speaker. >> hi, i'm barbara cummins, and i'm and full o support ofccupy -- in full support of occupy sf. we need an open discussion about how we make money in this country. it is really unfair that some people are investing and making money, and people leaving college are taking years to burn off their debt. there are people investing with
5:17 pm
all the drugs that are being researched, and there are people that can't afford to buy these drugs. i applaud your efforts for opening up this discussion for the public. it needs to go on as long as it is needed. and to the board of supervisors, asked you to pass an amendment or resolution as soon as possible, and full support of this movement. these people are here to make our lives better. thank you very much. president chiu: if you turn around, the microphone was not get picked up for television. please be cognizant of that. the visual aid will appear momentarily. >> that is a pixilated view of
5:18 pm
october 15, a crowd of thousands in front of city hall. there are thousands of people there, take my word for it. i am a retired teamster and a longtime resident of san francisco. i helped organize a rally that helped address some of the same issues. stopping war, funding human needs, saving the environment, and it is a privilege and honor to be here in front of this public space and have your attention on this significant issue. i have heard so many great thoughts, as elegant as we can possibly be. this movement has to be reckoned with. in hearing about the tactics of the san francisco police department, you weren't in the room when the day described
5:19 pm
police using equipment to run people down, sunday night? it is important to take note of that that might need to be referred to the district attorney for prosecution. it reminds me of the civil rights movement. the sentence is going to be remembered for that legacy? really want to be remembered for that kind of city that we feel that we are. the compassionate city that tolerate public pension and not only tolerated, but encourages it, on earth it? and to be the kind of the valley and be proud of. thank you. >> good afternoon, supervisors. this is my best one.
5:20 pm
♪ come on, come on touch me, city. i will help you till the heavens start the rain ♪ ♪ and we see a better change you know that i would be untrue you know that i would be a liar if i was to say to you city, a city couldn't get much higher come on city, light my fire ♪ ♪ gonna set the night on fire the time to hesitate is through and get some of these items in style we can only lose, and cet a
5:21 pm
funeral fire ♪ ♪ gonna set the city night on fire fire ♪ ♪ don't you love the city madly don't you give your heart gladly tell me what you say don't you like the way you're back in the chamber through the floors like youd id 10 -- you did 10,00 times before ♪ you're glad to be back ♪ [chime] [applause] president chiu: thank you. next speaker or singer, please.
5:22 pm
[laughter] >> i'm not going to sing. president chiu: you don't have to. >> my name is tom rivas, i'm a native san franciscans. . i grew up across the street from the chief of police in the richmond district. i think the straw that broke my back and my frustration at what i saw happen around may was i found myself, in june, fortunately, i am now housed. but i saw the video feed. i hope everyone here has seen the video feed of the police repression on monday morning, and i am just appalled and a
5:23 pm
very saddened by it. and i don't understand why that had to happen in the city of brotherly love. thank you, very much. >> i was there on the night of the things that the law enforcement came man, and i feel like if is a broad example of how military and corporate organizations control and command every aspect of the the human life. i don't think that family and industrialization goes together. it can be the redevelopment agency, we spend $500 a second on the war on drugs. you will not stop individuals from using what has already been
5:24 pm
exposed. we are encouraging and a legal lifestyle, and illegal treatment anytime individualistic think outside of the box, because children are getting written prescriptions before they graduate from high school. veterans are coming back and snapping on their families. for those that fall in between become inmates and we are dealing with a cocktail situation that we are not treating like responsible parents or responsible citizens like we are supposed to do. 99% represents different aspects of different individuals dealing with basically the same kind of command and control issues that you can't raise humanity on. i cannot keep an abuse of lifestyle going, it has to stop at some point in time.
5:25 pm
somebody has to deal with 52 weeks or whatever type of punishment is in order. i believe the city is in violation of the geneva code and conventions. we're turning our communities, and our children are absolute examples of that with the video games, killing, music. i believe that occupy sf -- [chime] president chiu: thank you very much. next speaker. >> my name is -- i'm part of the 99 that has occupied san francisco and throughout the world. i will be straightforward and candid, you know. i hear people say that i grew up with this and i remember this. middle-class america is losing what they thought was part of the american dream.
5:26 pm
the people -- we will learn how to get over it and we will learn how to be strong. supposedly, representatives of each district. i have seen nothing from you, and i will give no thanks to any of you. it is not to be disrespectful. he made me feel good in camp last night, but you should of been there a long time ago. this was important long before today and before the citizens have had to come here with this many people, some people taking off their jobs that they may be at risk of losing the tell you what you should already know. being elected by the people, you sit on your butt and you don't do nothing for the people. you worry about what the lobbyists is going to say, who is going to vote for you because of transparency? you will cease to become humane
5:27 pm
and you should not be in a position that you are and if human value and the strength and the production of that citizen with society, but valuable human beings for this planet, for this family of humans. you have failed in rural society, and it is time. it is time for the people to change, overthrow, and remove the government. i think you should be part of that higher echelon. like someone said before, set the stage for what politics should be. you know? [chime] [applause] president chiu: next speaker. >> hello, board. how are you? i'm an active member of the
5:28 pm
community as well as the san francisco occupation. i want to say that my heart is broken. i am not much of a political figure, more of an indigenous spiritual factor. i see everyone here, you are human beings like me. i just wanted to say for everyone that is watching this, you are all humans and you all have hearts. and you all have moral conduct, hopefully. to look in the mirror every morning, we have to eat and sleep. we are all the same. i love everyone of you equally, non biased to what life has presented us with our with the system has put in front of us. i want you to know that for everything that you do, it comes back to you.
5:29 pm
and you have a heart, and i want you to please, for the goodness of all of us that are not as fortunate as maybe you are, to help us out and to get some tents, maybe just be comfortable in this movement so we don't have to face what will happen on sunday were a person like me was getting the stock, plunged, and kicked while i was trying to save people. it happened about 56 times. i'm still standing here to say that i love you had to help us out in the movement. that is all i can do for myself and you right now. if god bless you. >> mic check. i'm bill peterson, i have been living and working as a carpenter in sra
188 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
SFGTV: San Francisco Government TelevisionUploaded by TV Archive on
![](http://athena.archive.org/0.gif?kind=track_js&track_js_case=control&cache_bust=996006560)