By Rebecca Bowe
Hundreds marched from Hallidie Plaza to San Francisco City Hall yesterday afternoon to protest Mayor Gavin Newsom’s proposed city budget, which contains deep cuts to address a looming $438 million general fund deficit.
Organized by a coalition called Budget Justice, which includes Coleman Advocates, the Coalition on Homelessness, SEIU and others, the rally and march brought out a wide cross-section of people whose lives would be directly affected by cuts to the city’s health and human services programs. Homeless people, veterans, the elderly, AIDS patients, organizations that aid victims of violence and sexual abuse, people in need of mental-health therapy or programs for recovery from substance abuse, and single room occupancy residents were all represented.
Sups. John Avalos and Chris Daly delivered rousing speeches and hurled scathing criticism at Newsom’s proposed budget. They called for sharing the pain more equitably, and a number of speakers advocated for progressive revenue measures that could help stave off the worst of the bloodshed.