Organizers and attendees of a rally against cuts to Tenderloin programs and services figure out their next move inside City Hall. Photo by Noah Arroyo.
According to Anya Worley-Ziegmann, a budget wonk and coordinator with the People’s Budget Coalition, it’s going to take never-before-seen turnout and pressure to win back funding for essential services that are on the chopping block.
"It's going to have to be unprecedented,” Worley-Ziegmann said at a town-hall-style meeting on June 5.
Mayor Daniel Lurie released his full proposed budget for the city on June 1. Now, the Board of Supervisors, specifically members of its Budget and Finance Committee, are tasked with finding compromises that restore the funding most important to their constituents, while still closing the city’s deficit. The supervisors’ counterproposal must be handed back to the mayor by the end of June.
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Organizations from across the city have planned a series of actions at City Hall to push legislators to protect services and programs they consider critical to San Francisco residents. Here are the scheduled events beginning June 15:
Wizard of Oz action: Members of the Dignity Fund Coalition will perform a budget-themed version of “Over the Rainbow” in front of the Mayor’s office to call for the restoration of some $8.9 million in proposed cuts to senior and disability programs. 10:30 a.m. in front of Room 200.
Opening Ceremony: The SF Latino Parity and Equity Coalition and other partners will hold a land acknowledgment and a performance by the Domestic Workers Choir. 12 p.m., on the steps of City Hall.
Tuesday, June 16: HIV, LGBTQ+, and Health Equity Advocacy Day Full-day RSVP form
HIV Advocacy Supervisor Visits: The HIV Advocacy Network and San Francisco Aids Foundation will gather supporters at City Hall and then visit individual supervisors’ offices to share stories and protect funding for LGBTQ & HIV programs. Group meets at 11:30 a.m., with lunch and supervisor visits to follow.
HIV Service Cuts Hearing: These organizations are also gathering allies to give public comment at a Department of Public Health hearing about proposed cuts to HIV and community health programs. 3 p.m., Room 250. (Same RSVP link as previous item.)
Wednesday, June 17: Families, Tenants, Unhoused People, Immigrants & Workers Day Full-day RSVP form
Board game action: The Coalition on Homelessness is organizing an interactive board game that explores how difficult it is to afford living in San Francisco. 11:00 a.m. in Room 278.
Silent protest: The SF Latino Equity and Parity Coalition will stage a silent protest centering immigrant communities, language access, equity and the services that help Latine families remain in San Francisco. 11 a.m., steps of City Hall.
Labor Unity Rally: SEIU 1021, OPEIU 29, the San Francisco Labor Council, AFT 2121, and others representing frontline workers, nonprofit workers, and Free City College will rally to restore funds to programs and services for workers, students, immigrants, tenants, and unhoused people. 1:30 p.m., steps of City Hall.
Caroling to the Supervisors: Chorus groups will sing their resistance to proposed budget cuts. Groups will meet on the steps of City Hall at 9 a.m. and in Civic Center Plaza at 11 a.m. Full details about the various components of the singing action here.
Renegade Resource Fair, Community Art Build, and Picnic: The People’s Budget Coalition will host cultural performances, sign- and poster-making, popular education, and a picnic to help neighbors connect, learn more about essential services and workers, and contribute to a growing movement demanding City Hall find the money to fund programs. 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the steps of City Hall and in Civic Center Plaza.
FIGHT 4 OUR SAN FRANCISCO Press Conference: Organizers will highlight the cuts to life-saving services and the community organizations at risk of closure in the current budget proposal, with a particular focus on how they would affect the LGBTQ+ community. Attendees gather at 12:30 p.m.; press conference begins at 12:45 p.m.
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We’ve been out in this community, helping mobilize and inform people regarding the budget cuts — and we’re still looking for ways to help the Tenderloin advocate for its needs. We can’t do this work without your support.
Organizers are encouraging residents to write to their supervisors and to the mayor to express their budget priorities. The People’s Budget Coalition has put together a letter campaign with suggested language here.
Budget negotiations and advocacy will continue through the week of June 22. On June 24, residents from around the city will address the Board of Supervisors at an event called Public Comment Day. Details about that action are forthcoming.
Worley-Ziegmann said the People’s Budget Coalition and other organizations see this process not just as an effort to win back specific chunks of money. They see it as movement-building, gathering and engaging stakeholders and allies to become a force to be reckoned with that will push powerful leaders toward more equitable funding distribution in the long run, not just this fiscal year.
I'm a journalist who has covered San Francisco and the Bay Area in writing, audio and video for about a decade; started and hosted a few podcasts; and co-founded News Relay Network, publisher of the Tenderloin Voice. Reach me at laura@tlvoice.org.
The message at the rally was clear. “Mayor Lurie: ‘Let’s go, San Francisco,’ but please don’t leave us behind!” said one speaker, from an organization facing cuts.
