The first chapter meeting of the year is coming up next week on January 10th from 6:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.!
We will be voting on some business at the chapter meeting, including whether or not to charter a Palestine Solidarity Working Group. To read up on that proposal before we vote at next week’s meeting, check out this forum post.
Behind the Scenes
The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.
Questions? Feedback? Something to add?
We welcome your feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to reply to this email or send a message to the #newsletter channel on Slack.For information on how to add content, check out the Newsletter Q&A thread on the forum.
🌹Wednesday, 12/13 (6:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): December Chapter Meeting (Zoom and in person at 209 Golden Gate Avenue. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.)
🌹Friday, 12/15 (12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Office Hours (In person at 1916 McAllister)
🌹Sunday, 12/17 through Monday, 1/1: ❄️Chapter-Wide Winter Break❄️ (See you in January!)
Last Tuesday (12/5), District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston introduced a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and provision of humanitarian aid. Over 2,000 San Francisco residents turned out to make public comment, including many DSA SF members. Despite this showing of popular support, many Supervisors are still too afraid to sign on to the resolution. We urge all members to email their supervisors using this template for talking points.
Moments like these highlight the importance of having a Democratic Socialist in office. Please help DSA member Dean Preston keep his seat in 2024 by making a contribution to his re-election campaign.
Submit Your Nominations for Chapter Leadership!
Hello, comrades! We are now opening nominations for chapter leadership! Please fill out this form if you would like to nominate yourself or a comrade for a leadership position!
Leadership positions for the following chapter bodies are up for chapter-wide elections:
Labor Board (5 seats)
Electoral Board (5 seats)
Mutual Aid Priority Leadership (3 seats total, 1 vacant)
Tenant Organizing Working Group Co-Chairs (2 seats)
The following chapter bodies will be holding internal elections, which will be ratified by the chapter:
Homelessness Working Group Co-Chairs
AfroSocialists & Socialists of Color Committee Co-Chairs
Elections and ratification votes will be held tomorrow at our December chapter meeting!
Smolidarity is Coming Back for the December Chapter Meeting!
The chapter is coordinating childwatch for the upcoming chapter meeting in December! If you are a parent or caregiver and you would like to bring your kids to the meeting, take a moment to fill out this form so we can make sure we have enough volunteers and the right supplies on hand.
If you would like to help out with the chapter’s smolidarity efforts, drop a line in the #priority-mutual-aid channel on Slack!
Get Your DSA Pet Calendar
We will be selling our beautiful pet calendar at the chapter meeting this Wednesday! A perfect gift for your loved ones and a great way to commemorate great moments of socialist history.
❄️Winter Break❄️
At the last chapter meeting, members passed a Holiday Break Resolution calling for a pause in regular chapter activities from Sunday, December 17th until Monday, January 1st. This break is intended to give folks time to rest, relax, and recuperate as we enter the winter season.
What this means in practice is a pause in our organizing for the latter half of December, including canceling regularly scheduled chapter body meetings, fewer events being held, and some chapter coordination functions like CCC support, new member onboarding, and the newsletter taking a break for a couple weeks.
We hope chapter members will take this period to recuperate and recharge so we can all return energized in the New Year.
Behind the Scenes
The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.
To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.
Questions? Feedback? Something to add?
We welcome your feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to reply to this email or send a message to the #newsletter channel on Slack.
For information on how to add content, check out the Newsletter Q&A thread on the forum.
TODAY: Tell Your Supervisor You Want a Permanent Ceasefire Now!
Supervisor Dean Preston’s resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and provision of humanitarian aid will be introduced at the next Board of Supervisors Meeting on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. Tell the Board of Supervisors you support a ceasefire now!
Show up in person at the Board of Supervisors Meeting today (Tuesday, December 5th) at 2:00 p.m. at City Hall in Room 250 (the Legislative Chambers). Public comment is expected to open at 3:00 p.m., and talking points are available in this document.
Make sure your voice is heard and that the Board hears loud and clear that San Franciscans demand a permanent ceasefire!
Holiday Party and Bake Sale
Join us for our holiday bash Sunday, December 10th at 2:00 p.m. at 1916 McAllister and try the best baking DSA SF has to offer! Featuring celebrity guest judges Joanna Fuller from Devil’s Teeth Baking Company, labor organizer and comedian Nato Green and California labor historian and author of From Mission to Microchip Fred Glass!
In addition to delicious treats we will have plenty of cool gifts for you to buy for your loved ones (or yourself!) with handcrafted goods by DSA members, a silent art auction, and one-of-a-kind experiences! Sign up for the baking contest here.
Submit Your Nominations for Chapter Leadership!
Hello, comrades! We are now opening nominations for chapter leadership! Please fill out this form if you would like to nominate yourself or a comrade for a leadership position!
Leadership positions for the following chapter bodies are up for chapter-wide elections:
Labor Board (5 seats)
Electoral Board (5 seats)
Mutual Aid Priority Leadership (3 seats total, 1 vacant)
Tenant Organizing Working Group Co-Chairs (2 seats)
The following chapter bodies will be holding internal elections, which will be ratified by the chapter:
Homelessness Working Group Co-Chairs
AfroSocialists & Socialists of Color Committee Co-Chairs
Elections and ratification votes will be held at our December chapter meeting!
Smolidarity is Coming Back for the December Chapter Meeting!
The chapter is coordinating childwatch for the upcoming chapter meeting in December! If you are a parent or caregiver and you would like to bring your kids to the meeting, take a moment to fill out this form so we can make sure we have enough volunteers and the right supplies on hand.
If you would like to help out with the chapter’s smolidarity efforts, drop a line in the #priority-mutual-aid channel on Slack!
❄️Winter Break❄️
At the last chapter meeting, members passed a Holiday Break Resolution calling for a pause in regular chapter activities from Sunday, December 17th until Monday, January 1st. This break is intended to give folks time to rest, relax, and recuperate as we enter the winter season.
What this means in practice is a pause in our organizing for the latter half of December, including canceling regularly scheduled chapter body meetings, fewer events being held, and some chapter coordination functions like CCC support, new member onboarding, and the newsletter taking a break for a couple weeks.
We hope chapter members will take this period to recuperate and recharge so we can all return energized in the New Year.
Behind the Scenes
The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.
To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.
Feedback? Questions? Something to add?
We’re always looking for feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to send a message to the #newsletter channel on Slack.
For information on how to add content, check out the Newsletter Q&A thread on the forum.
🌹Tuesday, 11/28 (6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): ☎️Turnout Tuesday – Labor Edition (In person at 1916 McAllister, with hybrid option available; contact labor@dsasf.orgfor more info)
Is San Francisco set up to actually help people exit homelessness and get into housing? What resources exist, and are they accessible? And how long does this whole process take? Join DSA SF member and City Hall worker, Jenbo, as she attempts to untangle the arcane bureaucracy of different city departments, nonprofits, outreach teams, shelter and housing systems that make up the City’s response to the homelessness crisis.
Join this Homelessness Working Group-hosted event on Thursday, November 30th at 6:30 p.m. at 1916 McAllister. Dinner will be provided!
Join us for our holiday bash Sunday, December 10th at 2:00 p.m. at 1916 McAllister and try the best baking DSA SF has to offer! Featuring celebrity guest judges Joanna Fuller from Devil’s Teeth Baking Company, labor organizer and comedian Nato Green and California labor historian and author of From Mission to Microchip Fred Glass!
In addition to delicious treats we will have plenty of cool gifts for you to buy for your loved ones (or yourself!) with handcrafted goods by DSA members, a silent art auction, and one-of-a-kind experiences! Sign up for the baking contest here.
Submit Your Nominations for Chapter Leadership!
Hello, comrades! We are now opening nominations for chapter leadership! Please fill out this form if you would like to nominate yourself or a comrade for a leadership position!
Leadership positions for the following chapter bodies are up for chapter-wide elections:
Labor Board (5 seats)
Electoral Board (5 seats)
Mutual Aid Priority Leadership (3 seats total, 1 vacant)
Tenant Organizing Working Group Co-Chairs (2 seats)
The following chapter bodies will be holding internal elections, which will be ratified by the chapter:
Homelessness Working Group Co-Chairs
AfroSocialists & Socialists of Color Committee Co-Chairs
Elections and ratification votes will be held at our December chapter meeting!
Smolidarity is Coming Back for the December Chapter Meeting!
The chapter is coordinating childwatch for the upcoming chapter meeting in December! If you are a parent or caregiver and you would like to bring your kids to the meeting, take a moment to fill out this form so we can make sure we have enough volunteers and the right supplies on hand.
If you would like to help out with the chapter’s smolidarity efforts, drop a line in the #priority-mutual-aid channel on Slack!
❄️Winter Break❄️
At the last chapter meeting, members passed a Holiday Break Resolution calling for a pause in regular chapter activities from Sunday, December 17th until Monday, January 1st. This break is intended to give folks time to rest, relax, and recuperate as we enter the winter season.
What this means in practice is a pause in our organizing for the latter half of December, including canceling regularly scheduled chapter body meetings, fewer events being held, and some chapter coordination functions like CCC support, new member onboarding, and the newsletter taking a break for a couple weeks.
We hope chapter members will take this period to recuperate and recharge so we can all return energized in the New Year.
Behind the Scenes
The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations here.
To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.
Feedback? Questions? Something to add?
We’re always looking for feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to send a message to the #newsletter channel on Slack.
For information on how to add content, check out the Newsletter Q&A thread on the forum.
Labor and Tenant Organizing Discussion Tonight: Spadework – On Political Organizing
Hey comrades! 🌹
Labor and Tenant Organizing comrades will be hosting a discussion of the article “Spadework: On Political Organzing” by Allyssa Battistoni this evening (November 21st) at 7:00 p.m. at 1916 McAllister. ⛏️
🍕Eat pizza, sip beverages, and talk about doing and sustaining “spadework:” the critical and meaningful, often difficult, generally unsexy, sometimes frustrating, day-to-day work of organizing! ☎️
Is San Francisco set up to actually help people exit homelessness and get into housing? What resources exist, and are they accessible? And how long does this whole process take? Join DSA SF member and City Hall worker, Jenbo, as she attempts to untangle the arcane bureaucracy of different city departments, nonprofits, outreach teams, shelter and housing systems that make up the City’s response to the homelessness crisis.
Join this Homelessness Working Group-hosted event on Thursday, November 30th at 6:30 p.m. at 1916 McAllister. Dinner will be provided!
Hello, comrades! We are now opening nominations for chapter leadership! Please fill out this form if you would like to nominate yourself or a comrade for a leadership position!
Leadership positions for the following chapter bodies are up for chapter-wide elections:
Labor Board (5 seats)
Electoral Board (5 seats)
Mutual Aid Priority Leadership (3 seats total, 1 vacant)
Tenant Organizing Working Group Co-Chairs (2 seats)
The following chapter bodies will be holding internal elections, which will be ratified by the chapter:
Homelessness Working Group Co-Chairs
AfroSocialists & Socialists of Color Committee Co-Chairs
Elections and ratification votes will be held at our December chapter meeting!
Reports
From Team Dean
It’s been a minute, but here is the latest:
We helped shut down shady “COVID-testing” sites around town. These testing sites preyed on vulnerable people, with operators not wearing gloves or masks and often not sending people their test results. We want our constituents and all people to get testing from a safe and trustworthy source and we are pleased that this scam is being shut down.
Supervisor Ahsha Safai’s Charter Amendment, which would have put the Mayor on the hook directly for increasing transit fares and parking meter rates/hours, has been withdrawn. Our office has been in dialogue with various comrades on this measure, and we wanted to make sure people were aware that this item will not appear on the March 2024 ballot.
On November 29th, the Board of Supervisors will be voting on the Police Staffing Charter Amendment. Initially introduced by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, it is now sponsored by Supervisor Ahsha Safai. The measure will create a fund to be used to give new police officers $75k sign-on bonuses, amended such that it requires a new tax or source of funding to be implemented. However, as worded, if we create a new progressive, radical tax on the wealthiest people in our city, money raised could be required to go to this police bonus fund instead of things like affordable housing, rent subsidies, education, or other crucial things our city needs. We encourage comrades to reach out to the Board of Supervisors via email (board.of.supervisors@sfgov.org) or phone and let them know how you feel about this proposal.
Finally: this week, our office will be off from Wednesday through Friday, which means we will need to cancel in person office hours. However, please reach out to Melissa H. or Will S. on Slack (or email mghernandez117@gmail.com and electoral@dsasf.org) if you want to check in on City Hall matters this week and we will try to schedule an appointment!
Behind the Scenes
The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.
To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.
Feedback? Questions? Something to add?
We’re always looking for feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to send a message to the #newsletter channel on Slack.
For information on how to add content, check out the Newsletter Q&A thread on the forum.
The Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) brings together CEOs and heads of state yearly to build trade structures and agreements. This year, APEC is meeting in San Francisco November 11th through 18th, and a large coalition of progressive organizations (including DSA SF and EBDSA) have given them a robust reception.
Tomorrow (Wednesday, November 15th), we will be gathering at 7:00 a.m. at Powell Street BART Plaza for a mass non-violent direct action. Join us and take a stand for climate justice, worker power, and against a status quo of corporate greed and imperial violence!
Labor Event: SBWU Red Cup Rebellion
Starbucks partners across the country will be going on strike on Red Cup Day—Starbucks’ biggest sales day of the year—to protest unfair labor practices, and are asking allies to stand alongside them in action.
DSA SF will be joining SBWU workers on Thursday, November 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 4094 18th Street. Come along and show your support for unionizing workers!
Film Screening: The Fall of the I-Hotel
Join the Tenant Organizing Working Group on Saturday, 11/18 at 5:00 p.m. at 1916 McAllister for a screening of The Fall of the I-Hotel.
“After a decade of spirited resistance to the razing of San Francisco’s Manilatown, America’s most dramatic affordable housing battleground ends in the August 4, 1977 brutal eviction of the elderly tenants of the International Hotel.”
Come join us for the film, then discuss this seminal piece of San Francisco communities’ fight against displacement, and what lessons we can draw from it today.
Labor and Tenant Organizing Discussion: Spadework – On Political Organizing
Hey comrades! 🌹
Labor and Tenant Organizing comrades will be hosting a discussion of the article “Spadework: On Political Organzing” by Allyssa Battistoni on Tuesday,November 21st at 7:00 p.m. at 1916 McAllister. ⛏
🍕Eat pizza, sip beverages, and talk about doing and sustaining “spadework:” the critical and meaningful, often difficult, generally unsexy, sometimes frustrating, day-to-day work of organizing! ☎️
Is San Francisco set up to actually help people exit homelessness and get into housing? What resources exist, and are they accessible? And how long does this whole process take? Join DSA SF member and City Hall worker, Jenbo, as she attempts to untangle the arcane bureaucracy of different city departments, nonprofits, outreach teams, shelter and housing systems that make up the City’s response to the homelessness crisis.
Join this Homelessness Working Group-hosted event on Thursday, November 30th at 6:30 p.m. at 1916 McAllister. Dinner will be provided!
Hello, comrades! We are now opening nominations for chapter leadership! Please fill out this form if you would like to nominate yourself or a comrade for a leadership position!
Leadership positions for the following chapter bodies are up for chapter-wide elections:
Labor Board (5 seats)
Electoral Board (5 seats)
Mutual Aid Priority Leadership (3 seats total, 1 vacant)
Tenant Organizing Working Group Co-Chairs (2 seats)
The following chapter bodies will be holding internal elections, which will be ratified by the chapter:
Homelessness Working Group Co-Chairs
AfroSocialists & Socialists of Color Committee Co-Chairs
Elections and ratification votes will be held at our December chapter meeting!
Behind the Scenes
The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.
To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out theCCC help form.
Feedback? Questions? Something to add?
We’re always looking for feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to send a message to the #newsletter channel on Slack.
For information on how to add content, check out the Newsletter Q&A thread on the forum.
DSA SF remains resolute in our solidarity with Palestinians and our support for Palestinian liberation. We condemn Israel’s escalating genocidal tactics and the billions of dollars in US funding supporting them, and we mourn the substantial loss of life occurring every day.
Israel’s abhorrent siege on Gaza is a new chapter of an awful human tragedy that began with the Nakba in 1948 and continues to this day under the Zionist apartheid regime. These conditions endanger everyone in the region, including Palestinians and Israelis.
As socialists, we stand with Palestinians in their right to self-determination, their right to all forms of resistance – peaceful or otherwise, the right to return, and the right to autonomy. We reject the Zionist occupation of Palestinian land and the imperial investments of the US that fortify it. We reject collective punishment.
We reject all forms of antisemitic and islamophobic bigotry. Our common humanity demands the liberation of all people from imperialism, colonialism, hatred, and military-industrial capitalism. We stand with Palestinian, Arab, and Jewish-led orgs who are demanding an immediate ceasefire and an end to all US military funding to Israel. We continue to march and rally alongside these groups, joined by millions worldwide to stop the genocide and end the occupation. We also recognize the connection between the Palestinian fight for liberation with Native peoples’ fight in the US for liberation from capitalism and colonialism.
A better world is possible, and we call upon those who share this vision to join us in the fight for a free Palestine, from the river to the sea. Here are some ways to get involved:
Our Palestine Solidarity Working Group is organizing march contingents, art making parties, decompression circles to navigate our collective grief, education events, and more. Our Labor Board is working to organize labor in support of a ceasefire and Palestinian liberation. Join us at dev.dsasf.org/join!
Homelessness Working Group Book Club: Mean Streets – Homelessness, Public Space, and the Limits of Capital
Homelessness Working Group is doing its first ever book club! We’ll be reading Don Mitchell’s Mean Streets: HOMELESSNESS, PUBLIC SPACE, AND THE LIMITS OF CAPITAL. The book discusses homelessness as a site of class struggle, and offers a general history of homelessness that includes some details about events in San Francisco through the era of Ed Lee.
Our first meetup will be Wednesday, November 1st, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at the DSA SF office at 1916 McAllister Street. We’ll discuss the preface and the first chapter. We’ll meet more or less bi-weekly thereafter. Register he and learn more about the book and where you can find it at dev.dsasf.org/hwgmean.
Mutual Aid Priority Potluck on November 3rd
Join the Mutual Aid Priority for our second potluck! Come learn about our upcoming aid projects and education courses, eat (and bring!) some homemade food, and get to know your fellow comrades this Friday, November 3rd at 5 p.m. at 1916 McAllister.
International Day of Solidarity for Palestine on November 4th
Join fellow workers all around the world as we rally in solidarity with the occupied Palestinian people to demand the US to stop aid to Israel and demand the Zionists’ siege on Gaza end for a free Palestine on Saturday, November 4th!
This day of action is being coordinated across the entire country, with thousands planning to march in cities and towns all over the United States. In San Francisco, we’ll be meeting at Civic Center at 1 p.m. If you’d like to join the DSA SF contingent at the march or find a buddy to attend with, join the #palestine-solidarity Slack channel.
Help Us Build Smolidarity!
The Mutual Aid Priority is working to build solidarity with the parents, caregivers, and kids in the chapter! If you are interested in helping with childwatch at monthly chapter meetings, or are a caregiver who would like to offer input on our smolidarity work, check out the #priority-mutual-aid channel on Slack!
Behind the Scenes
The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.
To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.
Feedback? Questions? Something to add?
We’re always looking for feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to send a message to the #newsletter channel on Slack.
For information on how to add content, check out the Newsletter Q&A thread on the forum.
🌹Friday, 10/27 (12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Office Hours (In person at the DSA SF office at 1916 McAllister)
🌹Friday, 10/27 (7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.): DSA SF Soccer League – Team Orcas (In person at 601 Mission Bay Boulevard North)
🌹Friday, 10/27 (7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.): Homelessness Working Group and Tenant Organizing Working Group Mixer (In person at Zeitgeist at 199 Valencia Street)
🌹Saturday, 10/28 (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.): Homelessness Working Group Office Hours (In person at 1916 McAllister)
🌹Saturday, 10/28 (1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.): Homelessness Working Group Sock Distro (Meet in person at 1916 McAllister)
🌹Sunday, 10/29 (6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.): DSA SF Halloween Party (In person at the Make-Out Room at 3225 22nd Street)
Join SF City College workers and students who are rallying outside the Board of Trustees meeting to demand the district provide living wages and commit to reasonable classes sizes. At a time when the district’s own finance team shows a $9 million surplus, it is egregious to require workers and students to shoulder the rising costs of living and a decreased quality of their education.
The rally will take place on Thursday, October 26th at 5:00 p.m. at 55 Frida Kahlo Way, in front of the East entrance of the Multi-Use Building at CCSF’s Ocean Campus. You can find more information about the rally and RSVP at dev.dsasf.org/city-college-rally.
Homelessness WG and Tenant Organizing WG Mixer at Zeitgeist!
Want to figure out how to get involved in housing justice? Join the Homelessness and Tenant Organizing Working Groups on Friday, 10/27 at 7:30 p.m. for drinks at Zeitgeist (199 Valencia, on the patio). We’re holding a joint working group mixer, open to all comrades, to get to know each other, talk tenant organizing in SROs and beyond, street solidarity, mutual aid, and so much more!
DSA SF Halloween Party 🎃
Join DSA SF for the Halloween bash of the season from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 29th at the Make-Out Room (3225 22nd Street)! Featuring:
A retrowave concert starring Dialectixx
Prize for best costume
Raffle with swag from local stores
Silent auction with art from local artists
Live auction with unique experiences
and sing-your-heart-out karaoke from 8:30 until closing!
Homelessness Working Group Book Club: Mean Streets – Homelessness, Public Space, and the Limits of Capital
Homelessness Working Group is doing its first ever book club! We’ll be reading Don Mitchell’s Mean Streets: HOMELESSNESS, PUBLIC SPACE, AND THE LIMITS OF CAPITAL. The book discusses homelessness as a site of class struggle, and offers a general history of homelessness that includes some details about events in San Francisco through the era of Ed Lee.
Our first meetup will be Wednesday, November 1st, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at the DSA SF office at 1916 McAllister Street. We’ll discuss the preface and the first chapter. We’ll meet more or less bi-weekly thereafter. Register he and learn more about the book and where you can find it at dev.dsasf.org/hwgmean.
Help Us Build Smolidarity!
The Mutual Aid Priority is working to build solidarity with the parents, caregivers, and kids in the chapter! If you are interested in helping with childwatch at monthly chapter meetings, or are a caregiver who would like to offer input on our smolidarity work, reach out to Serena M. or check out the #priority-mutual-aid channel on Slack!
Behind the Scenes
The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.
To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.
Feedback? Questions? Something to add?
We’re always looking for feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to send a message to the #newsletter channel on Slack.
For information on how to add content, check out the Newsletter Q&A thread on the forum.
The October Chapter meeting is tomorrow, October 11th, from 6:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.! You can attend remotely on Zoom or in person at 518 Valencia.
This meeting will include:
reports from various committees and working groups, including updates from the Chapter Coordination Committee, the Homelessness and Fundraising Working Groups, and the Electoral Board
a vote on a bylaws amendment to our corporate donations policy
discussion of a future vote on reducing the size of the Steering Committee
Chapter meetings are an excellent way to find out what’s happening within the chapter and for members to make their voices heard, whether you’re brand new to DSA SF or a longstanding member.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Reports
Palestinian Solidarity Protest on 10/8
In response to the situation in Palestine, DSA SF and East Bay DSA members organized a contingent for a protest hosted by the Palestinian Youth Movement. Protestors marched down Market Street in support of Palestine as a show of support and solidarity.
Thank you to the folks who got everyone together so quickly, and those who showed up to the protest.
Team Dean Update!
DSA SF member Dean Preston (elected District 5 Supervisor) has been busy this past month. Some highlights:
Moving legislation through the Public Safety & Neighborhood Services Committee which prohibits security guards from drawing their weapons to protect only property. This legislation was a response to the murder of Banko Brown by a Walgreens security guard.
Holding a hearing on the city’s response to car break-ins, in which departments reported in the Park Smart campaign and SFPD reported that they close less than 2% of reported break-ins each year. The office will be following up on suggestions made in Dean’s memo to departments and those brought forth by residents. Stay tuned!
Putting the Board of Supervisors on record in expressing concern for Rec & Park’s unceremonious moving of the Heart of the City Farmer’s Market over the market’s objections. The office has scheduled a follow-up hearing on October 19th and is ready to use the Board’s subpoena power if needed.
Living rent-free in the mind of Elon Musk, who twice called for Dean’s jailing. It’s no surprise that the world’s richest man has a problem with a socialist who has used his power effectively to tax some of the richest people and companies in San Francisco, and we are proud to have partnered with DSA SF to do it!
Last but not least: Being grateful and excited to once again win DSA SF’s endorsement for District 5 Supervisor in the November 2024 race. We’ve accomplished a lot but we are just getting started!
Excited about our work? You can reach out to Will Sw., the rest of the Electoral Board at electoral@dsasf.org, or Melissa H. on Slack if you have any concerns or questions about anything related to Dean’s office, City Hall, or campaign work!
Queer Mixer Reportback
On September 27th, DSA’s Fundraising Provisional Working Group, the Electoral Board, and DSA SF member Jackie Fielder organized a queer mixer at El Rio along with East Bay DSA. The event was attended by a mix of DSA SF and East Bay DSA members along with Harvey Milk Democratic Club members, Jackie supporters, other progressives in the city, and some other folks who saw the flyer on El Rio’s Instagram.
Attendees played “queer bingo” as a way to meet and mingle with each other. There were also speakers from DSA SF and East Bay DSA and a raffle for various DSA SF merch prizes, which raised over $800 that was shared between DSA SF and East Bay DSA. Many new members also signed up to join DSA SF!
Q&A with Jackie Fielder, D9 Candidate
Jackie Fielder met with the DSA SF chapter on October 3rd to discuss her run for District 9, her political experience and values, and answer audience questions. Here are some highlights of that discussion:
Jackie has a strong understanding of the demographics of D9, and aims to offer support and literature in multiple languages, particularly Spanish and Mandarin, in order to better connect with D9 residents. She also has a sense of the key issues D9 residents are most concerned about, from more city-wide concerns like public safety, housing, and homelessness to district-specific issues like illegal dumping in Portola, small business closures and building vacancies, and the vendors at the 24th St. BART station.
A big focus of the campaign is bringing an indigenous understanding of the world to the SF Board of Supervisors, specifically the idea that everyone has a right to a dignified quality of life. This understanding informs Jackie’s stances on environmental justice and against the corporatization of San Francisco.
Overall, the event was informative and gave attendees a chance to learn more about Jackie and her campaign. More detailed notes on the event can be found on the #electoral-discussion channel on Slack.
Behind the Scenes
The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.
To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.
Feedback? Questions? Something to add?
We’re always looking for feedback. If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to send a message to the #newsletter channel on Slack.
For information on how to add content, check out the Newsletter Q&A thread on the forum.
Tuesday, 11/21 (7:00 p.m.): 
(In person at 1916 McAllister)
