by ELENI BALAKRISHNAN MARCH 14, 2023 (MissionLocal.org)
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hear a draft reparations plan for the city of San Francisco. The plan, sponsored by Supervisor Shamann Walton and developed by an advisory committee with the Human Rights Commission, proposes repayment and support for eligible Black residents in response to the city’s systemically discriminatory public policies.
Today’s hearing was delayed last month, due to Walton’s delayed flight returning from vacation, an unforeseen mishap that brought out backlash to the plan, including personal attacks on Walton. We will be following along with the discussion below:
Last Updated: 2 days ago
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Safaí, Ronen and Melgar ask to be added as co-sponsors. The resolution to accept the reparations plan passes unanimously.
Updated: 2 days ago
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Someone asks about moving up Item 19, to approve the resolution now. The Board is advised that because of public comment requirements, the item can’t be taken out of order.
Now, another hearing about the SFPD’s progress on years-old reform recommendations from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Updated: an hour ago
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Today, Walton says, a resolution should be approved to accept the reparations plan. The final report will be ready in June.
He moves to continue this hearing until Sept. 19 (after the final report in June, budget meetings in July, and recess in August).
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“Let’s not lose focus,” Walton says, “because when we receive the final report we have to actually resource the path forward.”
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Walton praises the Dream Keeper Initiative, as did many commenters: “their investment has proven outcomes that do demonstrate success.”
He asks for an end to attacks on Black community organizations.
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Public comment is closed! Just over three hours of commenters.
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Later in today’s agenda, a resolution accepting the draft reparations plan is up for adoption. It is co-sponsored by Walton, Preston, and Mandelman.
Despite the overwhelming support for reparations in public comment, several messages sent to the Board of Supervisors ahead of today’s meeting strongly oppose the plan, calling it racist and unfair.
Updated: an hour ago
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“In the capitalist economy, one needs capital to participate,” says a caller supportive of reparations. He encourages adoption of the plan, which is in line with past initiatives reallocating funding from law enforcement to community.
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In-person public comment has ended after two hours. Now the Board is taking comments by phone.
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Phelicia Jones demands that Dream Keeper Initiative is part of the 2023-24 budget.
A speaker from Code Tenderloin, a workforce development nonprofit, also supports funding for DKI; it helped participants of the program get substantial payments of $5,000 apiece.
A woman who was once struggling with homelessness says DKI helped her send her daughter to the University of California, Los Angeles.
Updated: an hour ago
ELENI BALAKRISHNAN
REPORTER. Eleni is our reporter focused on policing in San Francisco. She first moved to the city on a whim nearly 10 years ago, and the Mission has become her home. Follow her on Twitter @miss_elenius.
