Public Comment

Human-Made Disasters Are Preventable: Repeal the GA Time Limits

By boona cheema
Monday June 21, 2010 - 04:28:00 PM

Alameda County has implemented a 3-month time limit to General Assistance (GA) that will increase homelessness, hunger, crime and suffering. Without GA, people without any other income—who have not been able to find work in the worst economy since the great depression—will have ZERO income for 9 months out of the year. 

While municipalities are engaged in a shell game of rearranging funds in the new economic reality, the old, new, and permanent reality is that people cannot survive on zero income: Time limits will throw thousands of residents into homelessness, hospitals, jails, and crises that will cost more in emergency response systems. Human needs must be the first priority for public funds! 

We’re especially horrified and in shock about the way the Deputy Sheriff is coming to GA recipients’ houses and acting like cops. Especially when they are dealing with people with mental illness, it’s a traumatic experience. We want the County to call them off. 

Today, June 22nd, 2010, at 1221 Oak Street in Oakland, there will be a Press Conference & Rally at 12:00 PM, before the Board of Supervisors' meeting at 1:00 PM 

To join the Stop the GA Cuts Coalition and get more information, call: 

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS): Janny Castillo, (510) 649-1930 x 221; East Bay Community Law Center: John Engstrom, (510) 548-4040 x 356; or Homeless Action Center: Patricia Wall, (510) 540-0878 x 313 

Stop the GA Cuts Coalition Members: 

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency, East Bay Community Law Center, Homeless Action Center,Berkeley Food & Housing Project ~ Berkeley Community Coalition, La Familia Counseling ServicePublic Interest Law Project, St. Mary’s Center and many others… 

boona cheema is Executive Director of Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS).