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tv   [untitled]    March 19, 2013 2:30pm-3:00pm PDT

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been sufficient to protect the women, especially here. demonstrators continue to not only harass and intimidate, but they try to find loopholes in the existing laws. and what we have right now is a last resort attempt to provide some protection to the patients who want to access this clinic and to the men and women who work there. the ordinance that we have -- we are introducing creates a buffer zone, that it provides protection of 25 radius within the entrance of the clinic. it amends the bubble ordinance that was passed by this board in 1993. that bubble ordinance was a good start, but this is needed. let me say that what we are doing is something that we don't do lightly. we recognize the right of people to express free expression, to express their speech. we protect the first amendment in san francisco. but the buffer zone ordinance
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that we are introducing is one that recognizes that we need strike a balance between the right to free speech and the right of women, especially to access health care. no right is absolute. and the courts have found that buffer zones like the one that san francisco -- that we are introducing today, in fact are narrowly tailored and survive legal scrutiny. the narrow scope of this ordinance ensures that the facilities we're talking about, and we are talking about freestanding health clinics which are the most vulnerable when it comes to being targets of this kind of activity, that those facilities are indeed protected. i want to talk a little bit about what the law in this area is. the right to free speech is not absolute. the effort to regulate this kind of speech is something that has to be done carefully. it has to be done in a way that is narrowly tailored to achieve an important government interest. we believe that we are doing
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that precisely here. the analysis of what is narrowly tailored does not require that we actually follow the least restrictive tool, though, in fact, i think we are doing precisely that here. there is a [speaker not understood] of circumstances that are examined by the courts, and courts throughout this country have actually looked at the kind of law that we are proposing and have held that it is constitutional. recently, in 2013, actually just a few years ago, the first district -- the first circuit actually upheld in boston, massachusetts a buffer zone ordinance that was very similar to us -- to ours. and, in fact, that ordinance created a 35-foot buffer zone. ours is actually more modest. it's actually smaller, it's only 25 feet. and the key and the analysis for the court at the time is that these kinds of regulations are appropriate so long as the
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speaker has an opportunity to reach their intended audience in other ways. and a buffer zone context there is no prohibition in terms of the speaker expressing their views outside of the buffer zone. it may not be exactly what they would like, but the constitution does not require that. i also note that the court made it clear that the united states supreme court has recognized that there is an interest in protecting the rights of people, in this case many women, who are trying to access health care facilities. the supreme court has ruled that there is an interest -- that clinic patients have, in both avoiding unwanted communication and passing without obstruction. the united states supreme court has recognized that right and that interest, and we are making sure that women have that right and that interest protecting.
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more recently, in 2011, the 9th circuit court of appeal upheld a similar ordinance in oakland. and in that case, that ordinance, like our ordinance, provided an exception for general hospitals, noting that it was completely appropriate for the city to provide added protection to freestanding clinics because the offices and facilities that we're talking about, these freestanding clinics, have patient stays that are of shorter duration and may as a result be more vulnerable on account of the layout and design of the facilities. the last thing that i would say is that i look forward to engaging in a discussion about this very important subject matter, but i want to take this opportunity to especially thank the workers of planned parenthood and the many women,
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especially, and families that have been impacted by this harassment. they have been waiting for quite sometime for more than a year to finally have in place the tools needed to have their rights protected. they are, many of them, risking their lives on a daily basis. government has a responsibility to protect them and i want to thank them for their willingness to do what they do and for their patience in dealing with this level of harassment. the fact is that if the right to choose and the right to access health care cannot be protected in san francisco, where could it be protected? we have always led the way in protecting civil rights, and this is an opportunity to continue to do so. thank you. the rest i mitt. -- submit. >> thank you, supervisor campos. supervisor kim. >> thank you. today i'm introducing a resolution to rename an alley way here in district 6 just a block away from city hall, the
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[speaker not understood] alley. and i am introducing this resolution with supervisor campos, wiener, and avalos. many of you may have been following in the press some of the recent comments that our former [speaker not understood] leader has made regarding lgbt members of his parliament. due to some of his strong comments and his unwillingness to apologize for it, we have been [speaker not understood] request in our office to consider the renaming of this alley way. it is just a one-block alley way in between van ness and polk street. and after looking at it and determining some of the cost and the scope of the work, we decided that it was worthwhile to move forward with this idea. as we consider what the renaming process would look like, the street's name was originally ivy street. we noted there is only one physical facility on the street which contributed to the low cost of this action. and that is the [speaker not
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understood] health clinic. so, we are proposing today to rename this alley way the tom odell place. now, the renaming in no way takes away from [speaker not understood]'s achievements. we recognize he is an important figure globally and that he has done much as a laboringer and a political leader. however, his recent comments has not represented the city that i'm part of. the city is a refuge for many members of our lgbt community and we didn't feel it was appropriate to continue to have his name on one of our streets. but a little bit on tom odell. dr. tom odell was adopted by his neighbors, jean and hazel after moving in with them at the age of 15 following his parents' separation. growing up in new jersey he was encouraged by his adoptive parents to pursue gymnastics and discovered that he exceled in athletics.
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he continued his gymnastics career while attending springfield college in massachusetts, and changed his mainly before switching to premed. after graduating he attended medical school in the new jersey college of medicine where he put his degree to use as a preventive medicine officer and paratrooper and he was drafted into the army in 1966. when he found out he would be shipped to vietnam, he protested and was sent to train as a [speaker not understood] for the 1968 olympics. after the mexico city olympics and serving his residency, he earned his medical degree from stanford. he established his practice on 18th street in the castro neighborhood and also participated in the olympics for a second time, this time as a saudi arabian olympic team physician for the 1976 montreal olympics. after returning to san francisco in 1972, he joined a gay bowling league. this league inspired him to consider organizing a gay sporting event modeled on the olympics. following through with his idea, first the gay olympics
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was to take place in san francisco in 1982, but because of legal trouble he renamed the competition into the gay games and these events were a great success. and this is where tom also met lesbian athlete sara low enstein with whom they shared a child. their daughter, jessica, was laterborn in 1983. between returning to san francisco and the olympics, tom and his partner charles became the first gay couple to appear on the 1976 cover of people magazine and was also featured in the main article of that month's edition. in 1985 he was diagnosed of aids. he was able to participate in gay game, too, in 1986. even winning a gold in the javelin event. he lived until age 49, passing away on july 11, 1987. the city clinic in civic center was renamed to tom odell to honor his work in previous years serving as an employee there. and to speak a little about the
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clinic and why it resonated with us, the tom odell clinic is an important resource both for our city and for the tenderloin neighborhood in particular. it serves our most vulnerable and low-income residents, and also hosts a transgender clinic on that block. even some of the our constituents that are most critical of city government and the work that we may often pursue loved him and considered a place where they felt accepted and they were served with respect and dignity. and i do want to in particular thank department of public health for supporting this amazing institution. barbara garcia on good start, her days as a nurse at tom odell clinic, i know certainly have had a great number of physicians and nurses that have come through that clinic as well. and we look forward to its expansion in the newly renovated wide building on goad engate, new tnbc affordable housing housing site which will
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have a ribbon cutting in two weeks. and the rest i submit. >> thank you, supervisor kim. mr. president, that concludes roll call for introductions. >> thank you. at this time why don't we go to general public comment. >> now is the opportunity for the public to comment generally for up to two minutes on items within the subject matter jurisdiction of the board, including item on the adoption without reference to committee calendar. public comment will not be allowed on those items which have already been subject to public comment by a board committee. speakers using translation assistance will be allowed twice the amount of time to testify. and if you would like a document to be displayed on the overhead projector, please clearly state such to sfgtv and remove the document when the screen should return to live coverage of the meeting. >> let's hear from the first speaker. good afternoon, supervisor, [speaker not understood] for public library. don't give money to the friends of the library. don't accept money from the friends of the library. the underlying reality of what
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privatization does to our citizens in order to protect those who gain status from selling the public's assets and reduce the beneficiaries of society to a handful of the richest and most powerful. i have already explained that the friends of the library have expended 51.3 million in assets during the 12 years of the branch library improvement program. i have also explained that during the same period the friends of the library's executive level employees earned 6.6 million, which is 35% more than the benefit to the library. either directly or indirectly, that was only 4.9 million during that same period. the friends of the library are ripping off san francisco and its citizens for millions of dollars per year based on broken promises. let me tell you, the friends of the library don't waste their time showing any respect for the principles of democracy, freedom of speech, and fair play. when david chiu has me arrested at a board of supervisors
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meeting, that is not the tip of the proverbial iceberg. it is a little peak of the huge mountain of abuse and [speaker not understood] that they use to suppress the truth. this is the way it always works. david chiu is just a part of the corporate forces that say we don't belong in a public institution. we are not a stakeholder because we have not given money. and driving the public out of public institutions is called leadership. money is so powerful that it buys influence even to break the law and to remain unaccountable. it is the law that costs more than money, and having me arrested does not solve society's problems. and it's always the same. the lies cost more than the money. thank you. >> thank you. next speaker. >> mr. president, if i could to the speaker, mr. chafee, we have a board rule in this
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chamber which requires that public comment be addressed to the members as a whole, not to individual supervisors. >> thank you, madam clerk. next speaker, please. good afternoon, supervisors. my name is keith dylan. i say god bless you and god bless the city and county of san francisco. today, mayors, i want to talk about a phone line for people with disabilities and the sick and shut in. i just learned that this is actually on your books for phone line to be offered for people who can't make it in to -- who want to address -- address the board of supervisors. many a time when i lived in
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laguna honda hospital, i wanted to participate and say something to the board of supervisors, and i couldn't. all i could do was watch you guys on tv. but you have this on your books and, so, i'm asking you for the sick and shut in, the sick and the disabled who cannot make it, if it rains, me and my wheelchair won't be outside. and this is the city of san francisco. so, we know we get a lot of rain. so, thank you for addressing this matter. >> thank you. next speaker. the greatest miscarriage of justice was when jesus was killed. the greatest miscarriage of justice was when jesus was killed. now, we see this typically
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portrayed as david when the two assassins appealed to the king and said, we have good news for you. you know who said this is? he said -- king [speaker not understood] said. you are now king of all the tribe of israel. how do you feel about that? david said, not too good. i'm pro choice and so i'm going to give you the choice of whether you want me to cut your hands and feet off before i kill you or after you're dead. and they both chose to be killed first and then have their hands and feet cut off and then he hung them up [speaker not understood] now. that was a prophecy. he didn't really realize what he was doing, but it was a prophecy because, you see, jesus died on a cross. he what hung up and executed for a crime that was being homosexual or rapist or murderer. by the way, [speaker not understood] you're promoting homosexual status and going to punish you for that, you're going to burn in hell.
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you laugh at that, david. you're going to burn in hell. >> if i could ask you to keep your comments directed to the entire board, we would appreciate that. thank you. jesus said in matthew 18, wherefore if your hand or foot offend you cut them off and cast them from you. it is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. now, see, that's why he cut their hands and feet off, see. and hung them up. so, jesus, when he died on that cross, he bore the wrath of god. not only the love of god that was manifest, but the wrath of god, the justice of god because it wasn't only the really bad wicked people like homosexuals and rapers and child molesters like michael akino that were executed. >> thank you very much. very, very welcome. see you next week, lord willing. >> next speaker.
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good afternoon, president chiu and supervisors. i have graphics. ♪ winter, spring, summer or fall and it's city hall i will be there you've got a city friend and also good luck good luck to you, too and [speaker not understood] all these ipods stolen. if an ipod could sing, it would go... ♪ abra ka dab ra, i want to reach out and grab ya abra, abra ka dab ra i want to reach out and grab ya i go down the road [speaker not understood]
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and it really scared me now i can't call the green, green grass of can't call home shall ~ that really lit up the bridge great, don't you think? after all, there's --♪ ♪ london bridge [speaker not understood] but the only bridge, then there's brooklyn bridge and the [speaker not understood] bridge that crosses the one across the bay san francisco you're gonna march yourself down on the new bridge here you come >> thank you. next speaker.
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members of the chamber, once again i am before you to advocate on the behalf of seniors and seniors with disability who cannot be here to advocate for themselves. i think the time is more than ripe when something should be done positively for seniors who have worked hard and received [speaker not understood] to help promote the stability, et cetera, et cetera, of this country. very often if you pass through
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market street and other corridors, you will see seniors making up what we could call their bed for the night to sleep out in the cold and the wind, et cetera, et cetera. this is not right. the supervisor of district 6 cannot do it alone. she needs the help of all of you. and if you [speaker not understood], you will see that [speaker not understood]. so, the time is more than ripe. stop all the talking. stop all the bickering among yourselves and get up and do some work for seniors who have [speaker not understood] in this chambers. >> thank you.
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next speaker. good afternoon, supervisors. i appreciate the opportunity to address you this afternoon. my name is dr. connor [speaker not understood]. i'm here to speak about the ordinance that supervisor campos has introduced today regarding planned parenthood. i've been present on the sidewalk in front of planned parenthood for the last 39 days, from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., and i'm very shocked to hear all of the harsh words that supervisor campos has given you today. the sidewalk in front of planned parenthood is very peaceful. we've been praying there and we help the women.
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and i'm afraid that this ordinance will have some unintended consequences which may be very dire and you should be aware of. i have here a statement of peace, i'd like to put it on the projector. every one of our people that come there to pray are asked to fill out one of these and sign it and take a pledge to be peaceful. and they're successful in being peaceful. the sidewalk -- you know, the words harassment are used. this is false. there's no harassment. there's no intimidation. we're there to help the women that are coming in there and planned parenthood is dispensing this ru-4 86 which is a poison that the women take which will kill the baby inside of them and they're not aware of what it's likely to do to them. many women have died from this.
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i have a pamphlet that i try to get to these women so that they can be properly informed about the danger. if we are required to stay 25 feet away from the entrance, it will make the women much more susceptible to death. >> thanks. next speaker. president chiu, supervisors, good afternoon. my name is jane kennedy. i live at 1 109 greenwich, and i come today because of [speaker not understood] this article. >> please speak directly into the microphone, ma'am. $25 billion spending plan for san francisco for the the next years. i see no mention whatsoever about a project dear to my heart, which is undergrounding utilities. and i know you represent
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different districts. does your district have completely undergrounded utilities? if so, that's wonderful. if not, the whole city should complete the plan for that. and that's really all i have to say. i'm just here to ask you to put this on a line item in your budget, and i'll be back periodically to reiterate this. i've lived in the city for 40 years and i'm still waiting. thank you very much. >> thanks. next speaker. honorable supervisors, my name is josephine coffee and i live in the excelsior district. i'm here to represent jewish women and black [speaker not understood] to end the occupation in palestine. i'm here to support the resolution standing with muslim and arab communities in the face of anti-arab and
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anti-muslim bus advertisements, item 35 on injure agenda. we thank the supervisors on this resolution and urge the full board to pass it. and you may be able to do more. as you know, the sfmta accepted the first ad, the savage ad last august after the u.s. district court ruled that the new york mta which had refused the same ad did not have a legal right to do so. however, in that opinion the judge said, today's ruling does not disable city authorities from adopting rules that hold ads on buses to a standard of civility. today's ruling instead leaves and is intended to leave mta, the latitude to investigate and experiment in alternative mechanisms by using ad space on city buses, productively, profitably, and constitutionally. perhaps reflecting this part of the judge's ruling in their press release on the savage ad, the san francisco mta said, going forward we will review
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our policy with regard to ads on the muni system. but the mta has agreed to put these new discriminatory ads on san francisco buses which suggests that it has not yet taken the judge's advice to revise its policies. so, in addition to passing this resolution, we strongly urge you to direct the mta to review and revise its muni policies so that we can avoid these harmful racist ads and help keep san francisco the welcoming and peaceful city that we all love. thank you. my name is tony fair. before i get started with my request, i want to correct statements by other speakers. the guy about his spav on the cross and so on is a joke. the new testament was made up by today's charlatan's. [speaker not understood]. and now the city of san
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francisco wastes money on garbage. there is a detroit man talks about the agencies are pimping government. at the self-help center on turk and leavenworth, they throw money which is needed for the dentist away on garbage like that arts program which is [speaker not understood] by nobody. and this mental health and harm reduction is something made off of nothing. people are accountable for their acts or they're not accountable for their acts. this is what they talk about at mental health is a [speaker not understood] construe of good man and bad man. so, it's time that society not just san francisco face reality. there are people who need teeth and can't afford the costs that go with it. and we should redirect funding out of retarded programs like that and into intelligent progressive initiatives such as dentistry.
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i fully support [speaker not understood] [speaker not understood]. >> excuse me, sir. yes? >> if you could speak into the microphone. i'd like to commend the man speaking up for the seniors sleeping out in the streets. that's a priority as well. but the dentist is [speaker not understood]. it's nothing like a toothache or dying from one. let's get on top of the important issues right quick starting with the teeth. thanks very much. >> thank you. next speaker. supervisors, my name is douglas yip and i've lived in san francisco [speaker not understood] years. i'd like to thank the san francisco examiner for the whistle blower [speaker not understood]. we all know what the whistleblower program is [speaker not understood]. secondly, i would like to thank the entire board,