Report on SF-Gray Panthers Activities:  March - June, 2006

Membership:

· Poetry Evening/Pot Luck, members brought own work, small but enthusiastic.  Considering more attention to cultural events/activities.

· Monthly newsletter attracting attention of other groups for its content.

· Monthly newsletter is now on-line.

· Presently reviving phone-tree, which had been successful for turnout to meetings and events.

· Recruitment brochure being redesigned.

· Recruitment still slow, we need to pay more individual attention to people who express interest.

Civil Liberties:

· Continuing promotion of Human Rights Amendment of California Constitution, SF Board of Supervisors to consider.

· GP membership meeting with West Coast Amnesty International Field Rep, who is very interested in CL Committee and Human Rights Amendment.

Immigration:

· SF-GP position statement has attracted some attention as thorough and far-reaching.

· Active and very visible presence in all Immigrant Right marches in San Francisco.

· Regular participant in planning meetings in Immigrant Rights actions.

· GP membership meeting later this month on immigration.

· Recognized SF supporter of AB 2536, overtime pay for personal attendants, often immigrants, and being promoted by immigrant groups and their supporters.

Environmental Racism, Police Brutality, and other Racism Issues:

· Regular participant in coalition actions to shut down 70 yr old PG&E plant polluting neighborhood, which were finally successful. 

· Regular participant in coalition actions to oppose Redevelopment and Gentrification of largely-black Bayview-Hunters Point area of City.

· Frequent participant in press conferences etc on gang violence and police brutality.

· Worked with SF Living Wage Coalition to extend City minimum wage to workers on welfare.

· Continuing Newsletters on Katrina and New Orleans.

· Appearance on local radio station on environmental racism, police brutality, gentrification.

Health Care/Medicare:

· March 20 Demonstration at American Pharmacists Association convention, small turnout (heavy rain), heavy leafletting to pharmacists on preceeding days made significant stir.

· May 15 D-Day for Mediscare Part D demo at Federal Bldg with CARA, SAN, and Seniors Organizing Seniors.  Turnout good, media coverage great.

· Forming close relationship with Seniors Organizing Seniors, together we are planning meetings on the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) in Bayview Hunters Point area.

· Working within CARA and other groups to enlarge Medicare issue beyond Part D to issues of privatization and caps on federal funding for Medicare healthcare delivery.

· Continuing e-mail publication of news articles on MMA.

· Members working in Health Care for All-SF for single payer.

War-Peace-Militarism:

· War-Peace Committee has less public activity beyond March 18 big anti-war march.

· SF-GP presence at Bay Area Students/Educators Against the War, made some contacts.

· Committee members reading interesting material on international finance, competition for control of oil, decreasing supply of oil, and how these factors push industrialized nations toward war.