San Francisco's narrowing middle-class

I found this article from this past summer from Newsalert, San Francisco have some much more serious problems and it involves the proliferation of excrement on public sidewalks. Regardless it shouldn't be a huge surprise that it's expensive to live in San Fran.

San Francisco’s narrowing middle class, already squeezed by the high cost of living could take another hit if a new business tax is approved in the November election, according to the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

The measure, approved for November’s ballot last month, would levy an average of about 0.5 percent gross receipts tax on companies that make $50 million or more in revenue. In return, it would roughly double the city’s funding for housing and homeless services, such as 1,000 extra shelter beds and services for the mentally ill.

Homelessness activists, nonprofits and community groups strongly support the measure, saying it’s time for the city’s businesses to do more to alleviate San Francisco’s homeless population.

But, according to a memo sent to the mayor’s office by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development last week and obtained by The Chronicle, the extra tax would disproportionately impact employees in mid-level jobs, such as administrative staff in retail companies and grocery store workers.

“There is a limit on how high taxes can go before you decide to go to Oakland, where the taxes are much, much lower,” Jim Lazarus, senior vice president of public policy for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, said of businesses located in the city. “There are companies in San Francisco that pay more San Francisco tax than they pay in other states.”

One of the main points of this blog is to talk about urban middle-class issues and as I share this my hope is that Chicago doesn't begin to have those issues. Our city should be for everyone low-income, middle-class, or wealthy.

I'm sorry that I didn't share a timely article as it was published in the San Francisco chronicle in August almost a month before Mayor Emanuel's surprise announcement to forgo running for a third term. One of the issues hopefully mayoral candidates could address in 2019 is whether or not there is a plan to make Chicago affordable for any middle-class families or people.

Black love festival...

Unfortunately this festival is to be held on the west coast in San Francisco.

The Black Love Festival, organized by China Pharr, Leigh Davenport, and Etecia Brown; provides an example of love being used as an organizing tool to build bridges, share resources, and create healing spaces for and by black people. It takes place on Saturday July 18th from 12-6pm in Heron’s Head Park in Bayview Hunters Pointand will be MC’d by v-logger Gazi Kodzo, with performances by DJ Underdog, Rexxliferaj, Aziza Cree, and live painting by Markus Prime, headliners and more artists will be announced soon. The festival will provide a space for music, food, health education, environmental justice, healing, and arts and is fiscally sponsored by Farms to Grow, an urban farming organization based in Oakland. When asked about the importance of this festival China Pharr states, “Love is resistance and it’s important that we work on healing before continuing this struggle. We’re taking a different approach to how people view resistance. Resistance isn’t just protesting.” Leigh Davenport adds, “Social activism is very taxing . The point is to show love to the black community and to use it as a form of liberation.”

It's importance to the Black community of the Bay Area:

Pharr gave a compelling argument about why all Bay Area folks should come out to support the Bayview during this event. She mentioned that although the Oakland black community is facing similar issues related to gentrification pushout, there’s a wealth of activities and events that are provided for black people in Oakland which simply isn’t the case in the Bayview. “The black community in San Francisco is hanging by a thread. It has the fastest out-migration of black people since post-Katrina New Orleans,” says Pharr. “We are facing similar issues and it’s important for us to see and learn about the Bayview and connect with black folks across the bridge. Rallying people to make the trip  will be an important first step towards unity.”

The next question and the reason why I share this is to ask if this is something that could be done here in Chicago? All we need to do is pick a community where this would take place.