Newsom Budget Protests Continue

A candlelight vigil was held yesterday outside City Hall
to protest Mayor Gavin Newsom’s budget which includes over $125 million
in cuts to health and human services.
Photos by Luke Thomas

By Luke Thomas

June 30, 2009

Protests against Mayor Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal continued Monday with a candlelight vigil and die-in outside City Hall.

As many as two hundred protestors, mostly from SEIU Local 1021, gathered around 5 pm to draw attention to a budget that includes over $125 million in cuts to health and human services.

“City Departments that serve the most vulnerable San Franciscans have been asked to shoulder the lion’s share of the budget deficit,” said Coalition on Homelessness Executive Director Jennifer Friedenbach. “At the same time, progressive revenue options have not been sought and the budget ax seemed to have missed police, fire, high paid executives and public relations staff inside the Mayor’s office.”

Event organizers provided free hot dogs, soft drinks and potato chips to rally participants who were also entertained by a theatrical skit, music and dancing.

A die in was performed to demonstrate that “Newsom’s cuts kill Queers.”

Yesterday’s rally followed a die-in protest Sunday during the annual Pride celebration that brought the parade to a temporary halt and forced Mr. Newsom to exit his vehicle and abandon his float.

Newsom supporters grapple with protestors during Pride 2009.

Meanwhile, budget negotiations yesterday between the Office of Controller, Budget Chair John Avalos and Board of Supervisors President David Chiu identified $20.1 million in potential restorative add backs. Discussions also focused on placing $50 million in revenue measures on the November ballot to help close the City’s $576 million budget shortfall.

“We have to push for more revenue,” Avalos told Fog City Journal.

Luke Thomas

Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

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