HOUSING IS RIGHT
Reflections Without Borders, June edition
(Poster's note: Reflections Without Borders is a monthly broadsheet published by
a collective, comprised of former members of M-19, FSLN, FMLN, MIR, IRSM, and
others, whose aim is to learn from the mistakes of the Left and to restore
leadership of the revolutionary movement to the working class itself. It's
members all have decades of experience within their respective, former
organizations and are commited to building class consciousness among working
people--citizens and immigrants, regardless of document status--in the United
States. Comrades of the International Republican Socialist Network are proud to
be members of this collective.)
HOUSING IS RIGHT
Ellis Act evictions were up 49% in 2007, including the eviction of 750 seniors
and disabled people. This year will be much higher, as landlords can violate
both rent control laws and anti-condo laws now, because in the courts of
America, all other rights must be sacrificed if necessary to protect the right
to private property.
Renters are the majority of San Francisco's residents, as in any large city,
so why are no politicians taking action to protect us? Have they all been
bought with contributions from developers and landlords? If a democracy is rule
by a vote of the majority, what do you call rule by the highest bidders? You
call that America today!
Foreclosures in the Bay Area and across California were up 300% in the first
quarter of 2008, with tens of thousands losing their homes. Defaults on
mortgages even began affecting Wall Street. With so many working people being
made homeless, what did the government do for them? Nothing! What did it do for
Wall Street? It gave JP Morgan/Chase over a $1 billion to take over and save
Bear Stearns and billions more to laundry list of large corporations.
We demand that federal, state, and local governments acquire or build new
buildings and make them available to working people with no interest loans and
affordable monthly payments not of rent, but to purchase them for ourselves.
We demand the trade unions quit donating to politicians who do nothing for
working people and organize efforts to build affordable housing for their
members and other working people. We demand that non-profit agencies stop
playing landlord and assist working people to own homes.
Housing is a right, not a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder!
We don't want excuses; we want decent, affordable housing in our own
communities!
The landlords and the city government had better remember if we're driven
out of our homes, we lose our reason for not wanting to see them burned down!
by Brenda LaGuerre
Comrade, International Republican Socialist Movement
(Poster's note: Reflections Without Borders is a monthly broadsheet published by
a collective, comprised of former members of M-19, FSLN, FMLN, MIR, IRSM, and
others, whose aim is to learn from the mistakes of the Left and to restore
leadership of the revolutionary movement to the working class itself. It's
members all have decades of experience within their respective, former
organizations and are commited to building class consciousness among working
people--citizens and immigrants, regardless of document status--in the United
States. Comrades of the International Republican Socialist Network are proud to
be members of this collective.)
HOUSING IS RIGHT
Ellis Act evictions were up 49% in 2007, including the eviction of 750 seniors
and disabled people. This year will be much higher, as landlords can violate
both rent control laws and anti-condo laws now, because in the courts of
America, all other rights must be sacrificed if necessary to protect the right
to private property.
Renters are the majority of San Francisco's residents, as in any large city,
so why are no politicians taking action to protect us? Have they all been
bought with contributions from developers and landlords? If a democracy is rule
by a vote of the majority, what do you call rule by the highest bidders? You
call that America today!
Foreclosures in the Bay Area and across California were up 300% in the first
quarter of 2008, with tens of thousands losing their homes. Defaults on
mortgages even began affecting Wall Street. With so many working people being
made homeless, what did the government do for them? Nothing! What did it do for
Wall Street? It gave JP Morgan/Chase over a $1 billion to take over and save
Bear Stearns and billions more to laundry list of large corporations.
We demand that federal, state, and local governments acquire or build new
buildings and make them available to working people with no interest loans and
affordable monthly payments not of rent, but to purchase them for ourselves.
We demand the trade unions quit donating to politicians who do nothing for
working people and organize efforts to build affordable housing for their
members and other working people. We demand that non-profit agencies stop
playing landlord and assist working people to own homes.
Housing is a right, not a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder!
We don't want excuses; we want decent, affordable housing in our own
communities!
The landlords and the city government had better remember if we're driven
out of our homes, we lose our reason for not wanting to see them burned down!
by Brenda LaGuerre
Comrade, International Republican Socialist Movement