Mission Playground is NOT for Sale – Recreation and Parks Commission
We must RALLY before the Parks and Recreation Commission’s opening public comment.
San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett
SF, CA 94102
Thursday, October 16, 2014
9:00 AM – Rally and Press Conference
9:30 AM – March to Room 416
10:00 AM – Public Comment – Parks and Recreation Commission
[VIDEO OF MISSION PLAYGROUND INCIDENT]
San Francisco has unfortunately become a text book example of gentrification, with the Mission District serving as its epicenter. Rents have become astonishingly astronomical in price and home ownership is now but a dream for anyone who is not rich. Evictions are happening as frequently as Google Buses rolling down our streets. Living wage jobs are out of reach for segments of our community because the tech companies that are receiving tax breaks from the city are not hiring Blacks and Latinos. New restaurants are not affordable to long-term residents even if they choose to serve them. The Mission has seen a 22% decrease in Latino residents since 2000 as all working class residents are pushed out to make room for the more affluent Tech Workers.
On September 25 respect and dignity became just as scarce when a band of DropBox employees tried to flex their privilege in order to intimidate our school-aged neighborhood children off the Mission Playground soccer field. They chose to ignore decades of tradition of pick-up games and reinforce the divide between long-time residents and new money residents. Playing with the children was an easy option for these Tech workers but they preferred to pay and keep things exclusive in a community space. While one of the Tech workers exclaimed that they were “part of the community”; they still did not want to play with the community as a whole or by the community’s long-standing rules. One even exclaims “Who gives a shit? Who cares about the neighborhood?”
The youth answered that question and taught us adults a valuable lesson. They stood up! And Won! They asked to check “their papers.” They asked how long “they’ve” been in the neighborhood? They were not fooled by the ruse to lead them off the field to look at a receipt. They said, “Go ahead and call the Police!” These youth stood up for our community and our respect — It is time the community stood up for them!
Please join us!
1) We demand an immediate end to the privatization of Mission Playground and for all public access be restored
2) We demand that all privatized use for adults of Mission Playground and other youth-used recreation spaces throughout the city undergo community review planned by the neighborhood
3) We demand that community customs and park traditions be followed and supported by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.
4) We demand full-time San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department staff for Mission Playground.
The youth of our city should not have to pay to use our public parks. Their health cannot afford it. Their safety cannot bare it. The relationships and community built from free play is what will help bring our City together. Join us and speak for the youth of San Francisco! Let’s keep our parks accessible to the elderly, disabled, poor and working-class.
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For those who can’t make it on Thursday! Park and Rec and every other commission you can submit public comment beforehand and it goes into the public record just the same. The Commission secretary is required by the charter to print each public comment submitted and put it in the Commissioner’s agenda packets. Just because you can’t be there doesn’t mean your voice can’t be part of the historical record.
San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission
501 Stanyan Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
Telephone: 415-831-2750
FAX: 415-221-8034
e-mail: [email protected]