... I'm not saying good bye, far from it, I'm welcoming you back to the civilian world -- Which will happen on Friday, January 8 2016 at noon -- and wishing you the best in all of your present and future endeavors. Count me in.
As a community activist, I know that we'll be meeting each other in the same circles, for, how could it be otherwise? Yes, you were what I refer to as a community activist who chose to also run for elected office to represent and serve the people from there, indeed Ross, that's my impression of you.
You were always with the people, in the good times and in the not so desirable ones, no matter the day, or the time of day, you were always there, in those moments of much need of support when we welcome the presence of humans' humane company and solidarity, especially in tragic moments, you were there.
A community's concern translated by you meant the need to do something about it, which you did so many times and sucessfully I might add. Plastic shopping bags poluting our streets, flying around in the wind tunnels that regularly are what we call 'the streets of San Francisco', chocking water fowl and fish in the bay, plugging our sewage systems? Presente! In those concerns you saw the need to do something, you did and it's been working like a charm ever since. Good job Ross.
Displacement of tenants? You were there, and are. Women's rights? You were there, and are. Gay rights? Or closer to me, Transgender issues? You were there, and are. Human and civil rights for immigrants? You were there, and are. Law enforcement and criminal prison system? You were there, and are. I could go on, and on listing all the issues whose concerned advocates can look at you and say, thank you Ross for being there for us.
And there were a few of them who called in the radio program you were on today, Jan. 4, '16. They took the opportunity to say 'thank you' on a day you went on radio, Hecho en California at La Grande, KIQI 1010AM in SF, for the last time as SF Sheriff to say good bye and thank the audience who in large part supported you, as it turns out, callers were the ones who felt they had to recognize your contributions and thank you instead. You were there for us.
Clip of his radio appearance
There is so much to do and the need to do something about it as you pointed out on the air today as you do everytime you get the chance to speak up. I know that you will continue to work in helping fix our broken justice system, even so you will no longer be an elected official, at least for the time being... (Emphasis added) but I know it will be a blessing in disguise your being out of office, sometimes people are far more effective and hence, successful working form the outside. No doubt you'll help move forward the innovative programs your predecessor, Sheriff Michael Hennessy, and you put into effect in the San Francisco City And County jail system; it is not a jail problem, but an education and training matter in preparing inmates deal once released with the vagaries that life and society present us with on a daily basis.
I'm with you that the drug problem is not a criminal matter, or an enemy that you need to declare war on it, it is a health issue and shoul be treated as such, by the same token, I'm also with you in that undocumented immigration it is not a criminal issue too, but a labor and human rights matter and the violations to immigration laws, are at best administrative violations. I'm with you in those as well because you've been there for us in these too.
So, again, welcome to the civilian world and now that you are in between jobs, join us in working from the outside for the time being!
NHMC mourns the passing of an icon, Lupe Ontiveros
Award-winning actress and trailblazer
Lupe Ontiveros and Alex Nogales, NHMC President & CEO
PASADENA, CA - Today, NHMC mourns the death of our dear friend Lupe Ontiveros, an award-winning actress, producer, trailblazer, and activist for Latino actors across the country. Ontiveros passed away at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer.
Ontiveros' prolific career began on the stage where she starred in Zoot Suit, the first ever Mexican-American production on Broadway and was a founding member of The Latino Theater Company in Los Angeles. Over the course of her career, she had memorable roles in a number of films such as El Norte, As Good As It Gets, Selena, and Real Women Have Curves. She has also appeared on television in a number of popular series such as Desperate Housewives, Greetings From Tucson, and Rob!. Ontiveros was awarded NHMC's Lifetime Achievement Impact Award in 2002.
"Lupe was a dear friend. She worked tirelessly to perfect her craft and open doors for countless Latinos along the way. Hollywood never gave her the lead role, but in our hearts she will be remembered as our leading lady. She will be deeply missed by all of us," said Alex Nogales, President & CEO of NHMC.
This email is a follow up to my approaching you to share my deep and urgent concerns on aspects of the Sheriff Mirkarimi's case, when you informed me of your inability to speak about it, but in terms of sharing my concerns to you, you also informed me that not only you'd listen to me, but urged me to do so, and that this goes for anyone else. Thank you.
As you may have noticed, a Cc of this email goes to each one of all of the other members of the Board of Supervisors and City Attorney Dennis Herrera's Office, there are many reasons for my doing so, but the most relevant are that in the event that you choose to honor my request and for it to be effective, it needs the support from the other Supervisors. It is intended to be Board's business and instead of repeating it to each one of them, I think we all will agree that it is better to do it all at once, in the open and be open about it to all. To that effect, this email will be made public.
Immediately below, please find two propositions that I expose for you review. Hoping that if you find some merit on what I propose, you'll seek a legal opinion from City Attorney for you and the SFBOS to proceed accordingly:
I do propose that the items of the Sheriff Mirkarimi's salary and his back pay, are irrelevant to the case heard in the San Francisco Ethics Commission's hearings in that matter, due to that these items were not before them and thus, are outside the scope of their considerations for their recommendation to the Board, ergo, do not fall under the Supervisors' restrictions on the Sheriff Mirkarimi's case and accordingly, any Supervisor is free to initiate, discuss and pass legislation regarding these two items, and consequently right a wrong, and it is under these grounds that I do hereby respectfully and formally ask of my Supervisor, David Campos, that to at his earliest, introduce and pass, a motion or a resolution to the effect of overriding and reversing Mayor Ed Lee standing directive to withhold salary from Sheriff Mirkarimi, and to instruct that he be awarded back pay hence,
I do further propose, that in view of the fact that it is longstanding practice and tradition to reassign any city officer to administrative duties with full pay while under investigation of official wrong doing and, in view of the fact that the we in the City and County of San Francisco do not treat our employees the way Sheriff Mirkarimi - in an exceptional departure from past and present norms - has been treated and, in view of the fact that the breaking of this longstanding practice and tradition has irrefutably - but hopefully not irreparably - caused great harm and pain to the family of an elected official whose marriage was going through difficult times and, in view of the fact that the couple's wishes and intentions were, and are, to seek marriage counseling to work out their problems and start their healing as a family and, in view of the fact that the lack of family income or other financial resources have curtailed essentially to zero the number of options they could afford to adopt and start their healing and, in view of the fact that neither city agencies, nor the anti-domestic violence organizations involved in the case, even offered material support much less provide it to the - in their understanding - victim, Eliana Lopez and, in view of the fact that as result, Eliana Lopez became a de facto single mother without any financial support whatsoever and thus, had to leave the country to her native Venezuela where there was family support circles and the possibilities of gainful employment to support herself and her 3 year old son and in her opinion, conditions for positive results were better in Venezuela than in San Francisco and, when viewing all of the just enunciated facts, it obscenely offends every sensibility that I have as a human being and as an immigrant to San Francisco, because this city of immigrants that I so much love and cherish, does not treat its immigrants the shameful way in which Eliana Lopez was treated and, in view of the fact that Family Court on July 20, 2012 lifted the stay away order on Sheriff Mirkarimi and thus, the family is in a better position to reunite and have a chance to heal; just as any other family.
I believe we will be in agreement that a precarious state of affairs in domestic finances, is one of the stressors that factors very high in marriages falling apart, this is the current state of affairs for the Mirkarimi family, while at the same time separated by thousands of miles and still working to continue their healing. And since love between the couple is not an issue and neither is lack of desire to heal as a family; an infusion of monetary resources would go a long way in helping them achieve their goals. Funds which should have been available to them from the very beginning by virtue of the City and County of San Francisco's long standing practices which are applied without exceptions, except this time where they have been withheld; should be made immediately available to them. I can not identify any valid reason on why these funds should not be awarded, there is nothing to gain in withholding them, unless, the objective is to impose stress, pain, suffering and curtail the couples' options for healing, all for reasons that I can't even begin to imagine other than to harm the marriage and family; I totally reject that notion.
As I informed you, I'll be present at the July 24, 2012 Board Meetingto lend support. Though last minute, I'll be asking my friends if anyone can and would also like to attend as support, or to make requests to their own Supervisor for passage of a motion or a resolution, either at the July 24, 2012 Board Meeting, or the week after that, or the one after. At their discretion.
Dear Supervisor Campos, it is not only a good thing to do, but the correct thing to do. The mirkarimi family can surely put to good use a helping hand.
Thank you for your attention and consideration to this matter.
BREAKING NEWS ON THE ROSS MIRKARIMI CASE --
ALERT: Ross & Eliana are together again, they are on their way to Hecho en California with Marcos Gutierrez, they are on the way to the station, you can listen to them (Spa&Eng) with Marcos at 1010AM in about 10 minutes.
If you are too far away to listen on radio, you can stream it by phone by calling at 832.551.5087 or you can stream it by going to http:hladc-sf.blogspot.com (Left column)
