San Francisco businesses made tremendous profits during the high-tech boom. At its height, one-seventh of the world's venture capital was invested in the Bay Area. However, the benefits to the working poor were limited during the economic boom. Living wage jobs were replaced by low-paying service sector jobs, rents skyrocketed and safety net programs were reduced or eliminated.

Today, our financial picture looks markedly different. The city is facing unprecedented budgetary shortfalls that threaten the health, welfare, and even lives of poor people. Downtown corporations continue to amass tremendous wealth, while suing the city to avoid business taxes, and participating in real estate assessment appeals to avoid paying fair property taxes. This is a time of intense economic and political crisis for San Francisco's poor and working population, as policy makers at the federal, state, and local level consider devastating cuts to poor people's programs as a way to solve the budget crisis.

The severity of the crisis calls out for the government, neighbors, community and religious based organizations, business, and the labor community take responsibility for protecting the health and well-being of children, seniors, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations.

As the 2004 People's Budget document illustrates, there are ways to solve this fiscal crisis without jeopardizing our humanity.

Introduction

These are the principles by which People's Budget made its decisions.

These are measures the City can take to raise revenue so that all sections of our community contribute towards city services.

These are strategies the City can implement to save money that would not result in a reduction of vital services to San Francisco's residents.

These are cuts the City of San Francisco is proposing that we oppose because they target poor, working, and vulnerable city residents who need these services and have no other way of obtaining them.

These are important services that have been consistently advocated for by the community but never provided for by the City, despite efforts by People's Budget and other advocacy organizations. The need for these services becomes greater as other city services are taken away and as more people fall into poverty.