San Francisco: Chinese for Affirmative Action opposes San Francisco Proposition F, which mandates screening and treatment for drugs for individuals receiving public assistance. While we recognize the importance of addressing the city’s addiction crisis and substance abuse issues in our community, we believe that Proposition F is not the appropriate solution and could cause lasting harm to those receiving public benefits.
If passed, Prop F would cost as much as $1.4 million annually to run the enhanced screenings. It hopes to pay for the additional screening through the reallocation of funds from the disenrollment of clients who need this help to stay off the streets. Kicking people off of benefits will only contribute to the addiction crisis for the poorest of San Franciscans. It will worsen the drug crisis by taking away the basic services that keep those in need off the streets. It will waste the city’s resources better spent on other programs or services for San Francisco residents.
Proposition F unfairly targets public assistance recipients and takes a punitive approach that overlooks the complex social, economic, and psychological factors contributing to drug addiction.
Anisha Hingorani, Chinese for Affirmative Action
CAA’s Policy Manager, Anisha Hingorani, believes that “Proposition F fails to address the root causes of substance abuse and addiction and creates additional barriers for low-income communities to access public assistance. Instead of investing in comprehensive programs that provide access to rehabilitation and support services, Proposition F unfairly targets public assistance recipients and takes a punitive approach that overlooks the complex social, economic, and psychological factors contributing to drug addiction.”
Prop F would create more homelessness and would make it less likely that our neighbors will seek help from County run programs when they need it the most.
Vinny Eng, Safer Together
Vinny Eng 黃永利, Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Programs at Safer Together says, “Prop F is a cynical measure that blames the most poor single adults in our community for the suffering that we all are demanding better solutions for. Instead of pointing fingers, we need to invest in solutions that help get community members connected to treatment by licensed health professionals. If passed, Prop F would create more homelessness and would make it less likely that our neighbors will seek help from County run programs when they need it the most.”
In order to receive public assistance, a person is already required to undergo an employability screening, answer questions on drug use, and be assessed for eligibility for Social Security and other programs. Those who work 12 hours a month receive benefits. Those who do not work risk losing their benefits. Here, public assistance means cash assistance along with housing stipends. Prop F will add another condition on top of the mandated 12 hours of employment per month before a person receives public benefits.
Under Prop F, a government agency staff would be trained to determine if there is “reasonable suspicion” to believe an individual is dependent on drugs. The public assistance recipient would be sent to a secondary screening and be required to undergo a mandatory treatment plan. This creates additional hurdles to receiving benefits which perpetuate the cycle of poverty by further marginalizing those who are struggling and need help.
CAA urges voters to reject Proposition F and support initiatives that promote compassion and holistic support for individuals grappling with addiction and poverty.
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Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States. Today, CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial and social injustice. You can learn more about us at caasf.org.
Chinese Translation
提案F无法解决三藩市的毒瘾危机
三藩市：华人权益促进会反对三藩市提案F，该提案强制要求接受公共援助的个人接受药物筛查和治疗。虽然华促会认可解决本市吸毒危机和社区药物滥用问题的重要性，但我们认为提案F不是适当的解决方案，并可能会对那些接受公共福利的群体造成持久伤害。
如果提案F获得通过，每年进行强化筛查的费用将高达140万美元。该提案希望通过将需要援助以远离街头的客户退出计划的资金进行重新分配，来支付额外的筛查费用。剥夺人们的福利只会助长三藩市最贫困人群的毒瘾危机。提案F将剥夺那些需要帮助的人远离街头的基本服务，从而加剧毒品危机。提案F将浪费城市资源，这些资源原本能更好地用于其他项目或为三藩市居民提供服务。
华促会政策经理Anisha Hingorani认为：“提案F未能从根本上解决药物滥用和成因问题，并为低收入社区获得公共援助设置了更多障碍。提案F没有为提供康复和支持服务的综合计划进行投资，而是不公平地针对公共援助受益人，忽视了导致吸毒成瘾背后负责的社会、经济和心理因素去采取一种惩罚性的方法。”
“一起更安全”(Safer Together)组织的政策、宣传和项目主任黄永利(Vinny Eng)认为：“提案F是一项愤恨偏激的举措，我们大家渴望更好的解决方案，该提案却将这种迫切和痛苦归咎于我们社区中最贫困的人群。我们需要的不是责难，而是投资于解决方案，帮助社区成员获得来自有执照的医护人员的救治。如果提案F得以通过，将会造成更多的无家可归者，也会降低我们的邻居在最需要帮助的时候向郡县运营项目求助的可能性。”
现行政策下，一个人若想要获得公共援助，就必须接受就业能力筛查、回答有关药物使用的问题，并接受社会保障和其他计划的资格评估。每月工作12小时的人可以领取补助金，不工作的则有可能失去援助。在这里，公共援助是指现金援助和住房津贴。提案F在现有规定的“每月工作12小时候才能领取公共援助”的基础上增加了新的条件。
根据提案F，政府机构工作人员将接受培训，以确定是否有“合理怀疑”认为某人对毒品有依赖的。公共援助受助人将被送去二次筛查，并被要求接受强制治疗计划。这就为领取福利设置了额外的障碍，通过进一步边缘化那些正在挣扎并需要帮助的人群，使贫困的恶性循环永久化。
华促会敦促选民否决提案F，转而支持致力于促进同情、并全面支持与毒瘾及贫困作斗争的个人的倡议。
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華人權益促進會(CAA)成立於1969年，旨在保護美國華裔的公民和政治權利，推動美國的多種族民主。今天，華促會在更廣泛的亞裔美國人和太平洋島民社區中代表進步的聲音。我們倡導系統性的變革，保護移民權利，促進語言多樣性，並糾正種族和社會不公正。你可以在caasf.org了解更多關於我們的資訊。
