BAYVIEW COMMUNITY TAKES A STAND

MUNI Light rail has a $556 million project running along 3rd Street. Simultaneously, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Pacific Gas and Electric, SF Department of the Public Works are laying new sewer pipes bringing in raw sewage all the way from Colma, Daly City, Brisbane, and Burlingame. New water pipes to replace the aging ones laid years ago. Hydrants are being fixed and in some cases replaced. Block after block has been torn open with toxic dust and dirt flying all over the place. This has been going on for over 3 months and the Community cannot take it anymore.

I have personally stated before the San Francisco County Transportation Authority several times that MUNI Light Rail has failed the community. This is a $556 million project. However the other work connected with SFPUC and DPW is an over $1.6 billion. No one speaks about this on going project in the name of MUNI Light Rail. The Community knows next to nothing about the $1.6 billion project.

Some courageous community leaders went before the District 10 Supervisor to explain the sufferings of the community. She could not help them at all. So, a Memorandum of Understanding was drawn to be submitted to the Board of Supervisors. This action too could not be introduced at the last Board of Supervisors meeting July 22, 2003. What did come from this approach was a pledge by Supervisor Bevan Dufty and the lethargic Supervisor from District 10 asking for a Special Meeting to discuss the plight of the community as it relates to MUNI Light Rail.

In the interim some members of the community met with Mr. Michael Burns who is the MUNI Manager and he promised within 3 weeks to meet the community members and deliver some progressive news which hopefully will benefit the community. Good jobs for our community.

In no other community would streets be torn open with dust flying all over the place for so long a period. No other community or district.

People in the Bayview and Hunters Point see no point fighting City Hall. This is because daily they see before their very eyes people being shot, others dying from Asthma, other respiratory diseases, domestic violence, robberies, other crimes too hideous to mention.

Bayview Hunters Point was once a striving community. Some where along the line and especially since the District Supervisor of 10 took over, during the past 3 years we all have seen things go down hill.

MUNI Light rail and the SF PUC's $1.6 billion project should have given this downtrodden community some hope. At the front line should have been the District 10 Supervisor. This woman has no idea as to the magnitude of the projects in her district. She does know how to listen to buffoons who surround her and who ill advice her. If she does NOT deliver she may have to step down. After all she now gets paid over $135,000 to do a job which she has NOT and fails the community every single time on major issues.

The Mayor of San Francisco is on his way out. At the recent MUNI Light Rail meeting with Mr. Michael Burns he sent his especial emissary Rev. Amos Brown. Rev Brown tried to represent the Mayor as best he could and promised some hope at this eleventh hour. Some savior who does not live in the community but it shows us all how business is conducted behind the scenes in this great City and County of San Francisco under our soon to be gone corrupt Mayor.

We have some community members who want quotas to be set aside. Well this might sound just in the given circumstance, in all fairness MUNI Light Rail should have done the right thing and vouched that the community was NOT adversely impacted without setting territorial quotas. Good training and jobs should have been in place a long time ago. It is too late, contracts have been given out, the Segments have been divided.

During this Mayor's term he has in cooperation with the District 10 Supervisor favored certain people of dubious character. There has been NO Accountability and NO Transparency. I look forward when this Mayor's term runs out and look forward to the District 10 Supervisor stepping down. Her performance has been very dismissal and she has NO leadership qualities at all.

As I have mentioned several times her roots are closer to Haight Ashbury then Bayview and Hunters Point. Her mentality favors those who are middle class and she has no compassion for the poor and those who live in Public Housing.

Bayview Hunters Point has serious problems with the two aging toxic polluting Power Plants. We have an over burdened Raw Sewage Plant which stinks to high heaven. We have thousands of diesel trucks and other vehicles, which would never ever be allowed, in the Marina or any other district. Pollutants in the Bay, the Air, and on Land affect the children in the Bayview and Hunters Point. In some areas 6 out of 10 children suffer from respiratory diseases.

Heron's Head Park is built on a toxic dump. Our children are taken there next to the polluting PG&E plant. The District 10 Supervisor sees no harm by our beloved children visiting Heron's Head Park.

On a daily basis the community hear of people getting shot at and raped. Of robberies and assault. Of forceful breaking in and innocent people being mugged. Environmental advocates and others try to make sense of the fiasco and bring some sense to the confusion. It is not easy and the brave of heart are NOT giving up. It has to be stated though that we have NOT received any help from the District 10 supervisor.

One has just to take a walk along San Bruno Avenue and see the difference. Businesses are doing well on San Bruno but it is just the opposite on 3rd Street. You do not see drunks and bums on San Bruno which you see too much of on 3rd Street. 3rd Street has some banners proclaiming the 3rd Street to be beautiful - far from it is not beautiful and it is very dangerous.

Some of us advocates have had a lot of patience with what has been happening with MUNI Light Rail on 3rd Street. It took a lot of guts to fight City Hall and brings the plight of the Bayview Hunters Point to the attention of MUNI through the Board of Supervisors to the SF Transportation Authority and MUNI management.

The Bayview Hunters Point community has taken upon itself to empower itself without any help or little assistance from the current District 10 Supervisor. It is time she steps down and permits someone to do a better job of serving her constituents who are disgusted with her.




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