- Discussion and possible action re: Authorization of Absences for Commissioner Mattimore (March 17th and April 7th Meetings), and Commissioners Ramos and Virgen (April 7th Meeting). Commissioner Mattimore (March 17 and April 7) Not excused; Commissioner Ramos: excused; Commissioner Virgen: Not excused
- Discussion and possible action re: Presentation by Belle Taylor-McGhee, Executive Director of the Department on the Status of Women, on the 2003-2004 Budget for the Department on the Status of Women and the recent Report on the Status of Girls. Belle Taylor-McGhee presented the Department on the Status of Women’s 2003-2004 budget, and answered questions from the Commissioners. She also presented Highlights from the report on the status of girls.
- Discussion and possible action re: Presentation by the Juvenile Probation Department on their 2003-2004 Budget. Mark Louie presented the Juvenile Probation Departments 2003-2004 budget, and answered questions from the Commissioners.
- Discussion and possible action re: Follow-up Presentation by SFCAL Regarding the Youth Alcohol Prevention and Recovery Act, AB216, Which Will Institute a Fee on Alcohol Producers and Distributors Who Target Children and Youth. There was no one available to present this item from SFCAL. This item was tabled until the next meeting.
- Discussion and possible action re: Referral from the Board of Supervisors, File 030512: Resolution Authorizing the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families to Accept and Expend a Grant in the Amount of $300,000 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) That Targets American Newcomer Girls Between the Ages of 0 to 18 in the Tenderloin and Mission Neighborhoods. There was a motion to support this item. Motion Approved.
- Discussion and possible action re: Referral from the Board of Supervisors, File 030513: Resolution authorizing the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families to Accept and Expend a Grant in the Amount of Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($350,000) From the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Violence Against Women Office for Safe Havens: Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange Programs. There was a motion to support this item. Motion Approved.
- Discussion and possible action re: Referral from the Board of Supervisors, File 030504: Resolution Authorizing the Department of the District Attorney of the City and County of San Francisco to Retroactively Accept and Expend a Grant in the Amount of $400,000 through the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, For a Project Entitled "Project Sentry", and Waiving Indirect Costs Due to Funding Constraints. There was a motion to oppose this referral. Motion Approved. There was a motion to send the following statement:
Realizing that juvenile crime has been on the decline for the last several years, and that gun-violence in schools is not a common problem is San Francisco, the Youth Commission does not support Project Sentry.
Project Sentry offers a band-aid solution for a problem that goes much deeper than a lack of prosecutors. By accepting this grant, we may be lessening the workload of the District Attorney, but this will only come at the cost of making it easier to incarcerate more youth during this period of decline in juvenile crimes. It will also come at the cost of making it easier to charge young people AS ADULTS who don’t even have the right to vote as if they were adults.
In Project Cease-fire, it is stated that violence prevention is an intricate part of Project Sentry, but the members of Project Ceasefire traditionally have not followed violence prevention models.
The Youth Commission is wary of the fact that this grant’s least detailed clause has to do with its "tailored conditions of probation" and what will happen once these youth are convicted. We do not support a program that’s main goals is to put more youth in an overcrowded juvenile justice system that produces career criminals.
We agree that adults who furnish weapons to minors should be looked at specifically. We also support the further protection of witnesses, although we would require more information on how such protection would be gained.
Recognizing that youth are the best experts on themselves, we find it offensive that youth have been intentionally shut out of the process of creating and participating in Project Sentry. In Project Ceasefire, not a single member is a youth or even a youth advocate. It seems that the only way that a young person can participate in Project Sentry is as a defendant.
Motion Approved.
- Discussion and possible action re: Referral from the Board of Supervisors: Resolution Urging the District Attorney to Prosecute to the Fullest Extent Allowed Under the Law Those Arrested on March 20, 2003 and Subsequent Days Who Flagrantly and/or Repeatedly Violated the Law for Blocking Traffic and Failing to Follow Police Orders. There was a motion to oppose this resolution and send the following statement:
Although we show concern for those who have lost wages due to the protest, the San Francisco Youth Commission opposes this resolution urging the District Attorney to prosecute those arrested for protesting on March 20, 2003 through March 22, 2003. From the anti-war movement of the 1960’s to the anti-Prop 21 movement of the late 90’s, civil disobedience has been an essential instrument for flexing the First Amendments muscle. If this resolution is passed, San Francisco will be following the dangerous precedent set by President Bush of trampling our Constitutional rights.
Many of the detained protestors were youth. They are individuals who weren’t able to vote during the last presidential election and for whom non-violent civic participation is the only means of expression afforded to them. Punishing these people is no way to welcome them to civic participation. Some of these youth are students who witnessed their schools being gutted in favor of a larger federal defense budget. Harsh prosecution could be deeply detrimental to those who will have to apply for college and scholarship monies with police records.
Although the protest cost the city millions in police overtime, a war costs the country billions. The costs that prolonged military action in the Middle East and around the world will have on San Francisco is far more substantial than any amount of money that the protestors could cost the city.
As famed abolitionist Frederick Douglas said, " Those who profess to favor freedom, yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightening. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." At a time when almost all popular media is owned by a select few, getting information and perspectives to the public that do not parallel the interests of those in power is an enormous struggle. By passing this resolution, the City of San Francisco will be cutting of an essential means of communication and taking sides with those who would like the Federal Government to have a free hand in all decisions. When our city and country are divided in opinion about something as important as war, it is our responsibility to make sure that all voices have an equal opportunity to be heard.
In Favor: Commissioners Allison, Berger, Cottrell, Gin, Koeppel, Lantz, Mattimore, Powell, Ramos, Virgen, Villaluna Opposed: Commissioners Chan and Fichelson. Motion Approved.
- Discussion and possible action re: Referral from the Board of Supervisors: Resolution Urging the Police Department to Itemize Their Expenses Associated With The March 20, 21, and 22, 2003 Protests and Forward That Information on to the City Attorney; and, Urging the City Attorney to Pursue All Legal Remedies Against Those Responsible for Organizing These Crippling Demonstrations in Order to Recover the Costs Incurred by the City and County of San Francisco That Resulted. . There was a motion to oppose this resolution. In Favor: Commissioner Allison, Berger, Cottrell, Gin, Koeppel, Lantz, Mattimore, Virgen, Villaluna Opposed: Commissioner Chan, Fichelson and Powell. Motion Approved. there was a motion to send the following statement:
Although we show concern for those who lost wages due to the protest, the San Francisco Youth Commission opposes this resolution urging the City Attorney to pursue all legal remedies against those responsible for organizing the protests on March 20, 2003 through March 22, 2003. From the anti-war movement of the 1960’s to the anti-Prop 21 movement of the late 90’s, civil disobedience has been an essential instrument for flexing the First Amendments muscle. If this resolution is passed, San Francisco will be following the dangerous precedent set by President Bush of trampling our Constitutional rights.
Many of the detained protestors were youth. They are individuals who weren’t able to vote during the last presidential election and for whom non-violent civic participation is the only means of expression afforded to them. Punishing these people is no way to welcome them to civic participation. Some of these youth are students who witnessed their schools being gutted in favor of a larger federal defense budget. Harsh prosecution could be deeply detrimental to those who will have to apply for college and scholarship monies with police records.
Although the protest cost the city millions in police overtime, a war costs the country billions. The costs that prolonged military action in the Middle East and around the world will have on San Francisco is far more substantial than any amount of money that the protestors could cost the city. In addition, the Police Department had an excessive amount of officers whose presence was not required, and the Police Department should be held accountable for additional funding losses.
As famed abolitionist Frederick Douglas said, " Those who profess to favor freedom, yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightening. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." At a time when almost all popular media is owned by a select few, getting information and perspectives to the public that do not parallel the interests of those in power is an enormous struggle. By passing this resolution, the City of San Francisco will be cutting of an essential means of communication and taking sides with those who would like the Federal Government to have a free hand in all decisions. When our city and country are divided in opinion about something as important as war, it is our responsibility to make sure that all voices have an equal opportunity to be heard.
There was a motion to approve this statement In Favor: Commissioner Allison, Berger, Cottrell, Gin, Koeppel, Lantz, Powell, Virgen, Villaluna Opposed: Commissioner Chan, Fichelson and Mourning. Motion Approved.
- Discussion and possible action re: Resolution Urging the Board of Supervisors and the San Francisco Police Commission to Hold Hearings and Adopt Police Accountability Reform Changes to Create an Effective Process Whereby Office of Citizen Complaints, the Management Control Division, and the Police Department will Investigate Complaints, Take Disciplinary Actions Against Offending Officers, and Ensure the Public of a Reliable Means to Carry Out the Above in a Timely and Cooperative Manner. [Commissioner Gin]. There was a motion to approve this item. Motion Approved.
- Discussion and possible action re: Resolution Urging the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to Urge the California State Legislature and to Adopt and Governor Davis to Sign AB1608, the Bill Which Would Extend the Right to Vote in Primary and Special Elections to Seventeen-Year-Olds who will be 18 at the time of the general election [Commissioner Allison]. There was a motion to approve this item.
- Discussion and possible action re: Resolution urging the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to maintain funding for transitional housing and to implement a new effective and accurate system for assessing the number of homeless youth [Housing Committee]. This item was tabled until the next meeting.
- Discussion and possible action re: Resolution Commending The Statewide Rally In Sacramento On May 8, 2003 to Protest the Governor's Choice of Cutting Education Spending While Increasing Prison Spending. There was a motion to approve this item. Motion Approved.
- Discussion and possible action re: Proposed Muni Fare Increases [Commissioner Chang]. This item was tabled until the next meeting.
- Discussion and possible action re: Voter Registration at Community Colleges and City College of San Francisco [Commissioner Villaluna]. This item was tabled until the next meeting.