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(DISCUSSION) Public Comment on any matter within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Juvenile
Probation Commission.
Bill Kelly, former juvenile hall counselor and policeman, opposed closing LCR, and had serious questions about privatization. He said that neither of them serves the public safety interest, the interests of the post-adjudicated youth, and it is not fiscally responsible. He gave a series of stats, which showed SF is a place of high crimes. It is also a place where services are more and more contracted out to private providers. LCR is a place where youth can learn limits. He said that the youth need to have interaction with staff who are committed and not just here on their way to somewhere else. He said he has seen the shortsightedness of the Dept over the years, citing that no case in the last 10 yrs of a dismissed JPD employee has been upheld in arbitration. He said in the past 2 yrs, there were three cases where reinstated employees were awarded, collectively, $400K in back pay, for the time they were off work. He said that such cases have been going on for over a decade, and he believes there needs to be a closer look at the fiscal responsibility of the Dept. The same question of fiscal responsibility applies to the plan to cut the Ranch.
Frank Murphy, SEIU 790, said that the Committee was not obligated to accept either proposal from the Dept (closing LCR, or cutting CBOs). He said it would be a simple matter to reject these proposals and come up with one that met the budget objectives, but was supportive of the youth, workers, and CBOs. He referred to the previous speaker’s examples of unfair firings, and said that the Dept was receiving bad legal advice, much as is happening regarding this budget, and he encouraged the Committee to just reject that bad advice. He further asked the Committee to look into the fiscal responsibility of the Dept, which is using so many funds in the pursuit of practices that clearly violate labor laws.
Gonzalo Fierro, counselor at LCR. Spoke in opposition to closing or privatizing LCR.
Enola Maxwell, Potrero Hill Neighborhood Center, and the Case Manager of the IHBS program, both spoke in opposition to closing LCR. They also said they were willing to cut out their administrative costs in order to maintain their service staff.
Ray Balberan, RAP, spoke in support of both LCR and CBOs. He spoke against CYA commitments. Without LCR and CBOs, the costs of CYA and juvenile hall detainment would be astronomical.
Tracy Brown, Mission Neighborhood Centers, said that the Board of Supervisors would support keeping kids out of jail. She said that they could bring out support when the Commission has to go before the Bd of Supes to advocate.
Jack Jacqua, said the issue is not about pleasing politicians. It is about fighting for “our” kids.
He referred to the JPD bulletin, March 4, which said there are options other than LCR. He disagreed. He said he asked at the last meeting, but was never answered (an answer was promised), where the placement options were for those youth in the future. He said that if the Dept was pushing a good program at LCR, then there should be 70 youth there. He said that those working directly with the children shouldn’t be cut if position cuts are needed. They should be the people with “fat salaries” who do not come directly in contact with the youth. He challenged the Committee to find the creative means to continue “saving” the children.
Vicky Riga, teacher at LCR, says the City should see LCR as an asset and not a liability. There are many strategies to keep it open. If they could bring in business people, they could probably make a plan to keep it (even renting out 30 beds would bring in about $1.5 million).
Tracy Haynes, LCR counselor, recounted what the youth told Comm. Hale last Friday. They all wanted to come to the meeting and speak for themselves in support of LCR. They said that if they hadn’t had LCR, they would all have gone to CYA.
Joe Tanner, JH counselor, said he has seen how youth run from group homes but not the Ranch. He admitted that there have been problems in the past at the Ranch. But not now. He says there is a change in the young men who go to the Ranch. He opposed its closing.
James Bryant, SEIU 790, asked the Committee not approve the proposed cuts. He said that before cuts are made, be sure that there are no outside contracts for services which could be done by Dept employees, and that there is no administrative staff that are not needed.
Kent Eagleson, Dir. SF Boys and Girls Home, referred to p. 10, #13 of the draft cut plan, and said that asking for cuts from their administrative costs is not possible, since many of them apply the funds directly to services. He said the result of cuts to CBOs would be greater detention in JH.
Rick ____, LCR counselor, spoke in opposition to closing LCR.
A representative from Instituto Familiar de la Raza, spoke against the CBO cuts as well as LCR closing.
Henry Medina, a case manager for Instituto, gave a short history of his past, and also spoke in opposition to CBO cuts and LCR closing.
_________ Ibana, said that the cuts to LCR and CBOs should not be pitted against each other.
Joanne Hernandez, who said she was a product of community programs, and now is home detention supervisor, said that CBO programs are essential to helping young people turn their lives around. She opposed the cuts to CBO contracts.
Gary Thompson, counselor at LCR, was opposed to closing LCR and CBO programs.
Cortez Espinoza, case manager at Morrisania West, recounted his own past and how CBOs have helped him turn around. He spoke against closing LCR.
Kim Salani, home supervision case manager, Morrisania West, accused Comm. Bonilla of lying about Morrisania West’s documentation. Comm. Bonilla responded that no one has accused anyone of falsification of anything.
Gerald Dong, case manager at CYC, also recounted his past as an example of what CBOs do. He said it was ridiculous to be talking about cutting contracts that are already so small. Those contract increases (eg. IHBS) have been insignificant over time.
Nina, a mental health counselor from SPY at LCR, said that disadvantaged youth do not have the options that middle class/upper middle class youth have to go to private schools or academies to change themselves. LCR represents their only option.
Jim Fithian, asst. Principal at LCR, said that if lease/sale of property at LCR is being considered, that it be the land that is adjacent to other people’s property (along the fringes of LCR) rather than in the middle of it. He said that small houses in La Honda, with no land, are going for half a million.
Mary Rogers, a coordinator for an after school program, said that closing LCR is a bad idea. She said that if money is necessary there are empty public parks, and statues (or painting the city hall dome gold) that money is used for.
James McElroy, Program Director, youth services, BVHP Foundation, said that cutting LCR and CBO programs just leads to total failure since they have a relationship. He said there is a great difference between kids that come out of CYA and LCR, and he wants those coming out of LCR, not CYA, walking in his neighborhood.
Office of Samoan Affairs, said that this community continues to be underserved. She encouraged them to re think the impact of closing LCR.
Executive Dir. of Vision Youthz, opposed closing LCR.
Rich Perino, President, POA, stated that there are 168 FT budgeted POs, but only 148 of them are filled, leaving 20 vacancies ($approx. 1.75 million). He said that this was an example of how everybody is contributing to helping the budget situation.
Roger Gainey, PO, said that even during the period when the City was “flush” with money, the Dept ran with a skeleton crew. And now, in leaner times, an already lean Dept is asked to cut further. Losing 7 more POs is not something we can afford to do.
He said that the claims of consolidating divisions now, are not something new. They have been working without secretaries or stenographers for a long while, doing their own reports. He said it’s gotten so bad, he had to paint his own office. He said that there are other areas in the Dept’s budget, which could be cut without putting it all on the backs of line staff.
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