THE NEWS: NOT JUST STRIKING HIGH RENT BUT RENT ITSELF
PEEPING TOM LANDLORD BUSTED
RENT STRIKE
This is a rent strike proposal.
-If there was a designated date in the possible near future to organize a mass rent strike in
We all pay it. None of us want to. What other choices do we have? Dumpster dive, squat, live on the streets, these are solutions to avoid paying the land owners, but do we not all deserve a roof over our heads?
There is legislation being prepared for June 3rd 2008 to end rent control in
Rent control is a road block for land owners, but this just allows the landowners to come up with new ways to get money off of land they don’t live on. Does this sound familiar?
-2 bedroom apartment being advertised as a 4 bedroom using the living room and dining room to cram us in, charging 3,500 dollars a month.
-relaters bribing senior tenants to move out so they can jack up the rent.
-renters fixing their apartments themselves instead of calling the landlord afraid inspections will force them out.
If you want to hear the real horror stories look up www.citistop.org. Legislation is a game. The Landowners have the money to manipulate legislation to fit their wants, and what they want is more of our money. Their costs are going up and they’re pushing it on us to make sure they can continue living off our labor.
It is time we think beyond the ballot and initiate change ourselves. Even if rent control is voted to stay in
We need to think about where our rent situation puts us, and ask ourselves larger questions:
-how do we view the quality of our daily lives?
-how much work do we push thru to pay rent every month?
-do most of us have the money and time to do what we want to do?
The conservative idea of “American dream” argues that the problems you experience are individual problems that are yours alone, that no one else shares with you. We see this everyday throughout the majority of our interactions, each examining:
-who’s tougher, flashier, more wealthy, more attractive, better dressed, etc.
The only time we are encouraged by the state to step out of individual competition and claim to be a part of a community is to vote for some rich person every two to four years that cannot possibly understand our problems because they are rich!
(Example: Nancy Pelosi, wealth and assets is worth over 100 million dollars!) She can pretend to be progressive but how can she understand our need of affordable housing?
Someone with money would say
“Then why don’t you move somewhere cheaper”. Or “get a better job”. This sink or swim bullshit plays right into the Rich’s hands. Struggling to pay rent is not your individual problem, it’s all of our problem, and will not go away by moving away. That just means someone else will have to deal with it.
“Shit rolls down hill” as they say. Can you imagine what a rent strike would do? The landowners would be unable to pay their debts to the banks and so on up the hill to a world of shit on the top of the pyramid. If enough people strike what can they do? It would take all the
Show this flyer to your friends. Your neighbors and co-workers are probably reading this as well. We could organize this horizontally on a city block basis. spread the information and community building like sickness. Concentrate on your block, each block connects to the next thru 1 to 2 people? Get to know the people in your immediate area, after all, how many of us really know all our neighbors? Have meetings on the street corner? People might find it strange and become curious in seeing people gathering on a street corner not selling or buying anything.
We could discuss the following:
-our demands to the realty companies (if any)?
-how long to strike rent, and where to take it from there?
-just pay half the rent and don’t say anything?
-coordinate the strike with the rent control measure in the June 3rd elections?
This should be a completely voluntary process that can only be done in large numbers to avoid risk of eviction or arrest. The FBI with help from the police have been known in the past to spread disinformation (cointelpro era and beyond) to prevent popular movements from interfering with the status quo. Do not trust any rent strike flyer you see that is racist, authoritarian, anti immigrant, factional, or contradicts anything you read in this flyer. With the economy in the state that it’s in today a rent strike could very well scare the shit out of a lot of rich people. The last thing Pelosi wants to see is community organizing outside of the arena of showcase politics, and stepping out of our passive roles as spectators. Organizing with your neighbors this way could be beneficial in more ways than just striking rent. It’s a step in self organization that clears the way to develop a more desirable world.
Real property reform would consist of only allowing people to own property they live on. Land lords become bitter dealing with maintenance and management of their ungrateful tenants apartments, (much in the same way zoo keepers tend to ungrateful caged animals). There is no way to mend this relationship because the renter pays money to the landlord that never comes back. The renter sees no long term benefits and sees no reason to trust or have any interest in her/his own home. This situation sounds very familiar to most of our work environments as well. Addressing one problem of inequality inevitably leads to discovering more, which is why even the smallest radical reform must never be tolerated by the state.
SAN FRANCISCO
RENT STRIKE
This is a rent strike proposal.
-If there was a designated date in the possible near future to organize a mass rent strike in
We all pay it. None of us want to. What other choices do we have? Dumpster dive, squat, live on the streets, these are solutions to avoid paying the land owners, but do we not all deserve a roof over our heads?
There is legislation being prepared for June 3rd 2008 to end rent control in
Rent control is a road block for land owners, but this just allows the landowners to come up with new ways to get money off of land they don’t live on. Does this sound familiar?
-2 bedroom apartment being advertised as a 4 bedroom using the living room and dining room to cram us in, charging 3,500 dollars a month.
-relaters bribing senior tenants to move out so they can jack up the rent.
-renters fixing their apartments themselves instead of calling the landlord afraid inspections will force them out.
If you want to hear the real horror stories look up www.citistop.org. Legislation is a game. The Landowners have the money to manipulate legislation to fit their wants, and what they want is more of our money. Their costs are going up and they’re pushing it on us to make sure they can continue living off our labor.
It is time we think beyond the ballot and initiate change ourselves. Even if rent control is voted to stay in
We need to think about where our rent situation puts us, and ask ourselves larger questions:
-how do we view the quality of our daily lives?
-how much work do we push thru to pay rent every month?
-do most of us have the money and time to do what we want to do?
The conservative idea of “American dream” argues that the problems you experience are individual problems that are yours alone, that no one else shares with you. We see this everyday throughout the majority of our interactions, each examining:
-who’s tougher, flashier, more wealthy, more attractive, better dressed, etc.
The only time we are encouraged by the state to step out of individual competition and claim to be a part of a community is to vote for some rich person every two to four years that cannot possibly understand our problems because they are rich!
(Example: Nancy Pelosi, wealth and assets is worth over 100 million dollars!) She can pretend to be progressive but how can she understand our need of affordable housing?
Someone with money would say
“Then why don’t you move somewhere cheaper”. Or “get a better job”. This sink or swim bullshit plays right into the Rich’s hands. Struggling to pay rent is not your individual problem, it’s all of our problem, and will not go away by moving away. That just means someone else will have to deal with it.
“Shit rolls down hill” as they say. Can you imagine what a rent strike would do? The landowners would be unable to pay their debts to the banks and so on up the hill to a world of shit on the top of the pyramid. If enough people strike what can they do? It would take all the
Show this flyer to your friends. Your neighbors and co-workers are probably reading this as well. We could organize this horizontally on a city block basis. spread the information and community building like sickness. Concentrate on your block, each block connects to the next thru 1 to 2 people? Get to know the people in your immediate area, after all, how many of us really know all our neighbors? Have meetings on the street corner? People might find it strange and become curious in seeing people gathering on a street corner not selling or buying anything.
We could discuss the following:
-our demands to the realty companies (if any)?
-how long to strike rent, and where to take it from there?
-just pay half the rent and don’t say anything?
-coordinate the strike with the rent control measure in the June 3rd elections?
This should be a completely voluntary process that can only be done in large numbers to avoid risk of eviction or arrest. The FBI with help from the police have been known in the past to spread disinformation (cointelpro era and beyond) to prevent popular movements from interfering with the status quo. Do not trust any rent strike flyer you see that is racist, authoritarian, anti immigrant, factional, or contradicts anything you read in this flyer. With the economy in the state that it’s in today a rent strike could very well scare the shit out of a lot of rich people. The last thing Pelosi wants to see is community organizing outside of the arena of showcase politics, and stepping out of our passive roles as spectators. Organizing with your neighbors this way could be beneficial in more ways than just striking rent. It’s a step in self organization that clears the way to develop a more desirable world.
Real property reform would consist of only allowing people to own property they live on. Land lords become bitter dealing with maintenance and management of their ungrateful tenants apartments, (much in the same way zoo keepers tend to ungrateful caged animals). There is no way to mend this relationship because the renter pays money to the landlord that never comes back. The renter sees no long term benefits and sees no reason to trust or have any interest in her/his own home. This situation sounds very familiar to most of our work environments as well. Addressing one problem of inequality inevitably leads to discovering more, which is why even the smallest radical reform must never be tolerated by the state.
SAN FRANCISCO
RENT STRIKE
This is a rent strike proposal.
-If there was a designated date in the possible near future to organize a mass rent strike in
We all pay it. None of us want to. What other choices do we have? Dumpster dive, squat, live on the streets, these are solutions to avoid paying the land owners, but do we not all deserve a roof over our heads?
There is legislation being prepared for June 3rd 2008 to end rent control in
Rent control is a road block for land owners, but this just allows the landowners to come up with new ways to get money off of land they don’t live on. Does this sound familiar?
-2 bedroom apartment being advertised as a 4 bedroom using the living room and dining room to cram us in, charging 3,500 dollars a month.
-relaters bribing senior tenants to move out so they can jack up the rent.
-renters fixing their apartments themselves instead of calling the landlord afraid inspections will force them out.
If you want to hear the real horror stories look up www.citistop.org. Legislation is a game. The Landowners have the money to manipulate legislation to fit their wants, and what they want is more of our money. Their costs are going up and they’re pushing it on us to make sure they can continue living off our labor.
It is time we think beyond the ballot and initiate change ourselves. Even if rent control is voted to stay in
We need to think about where our rent situation puts us, and ask ourselves larger questions:
-how do we view the quality of our daily lives?
-how much work do we push thru to pay rent every month?
-do most of us have the money and time to do what we want to do?
The conservative idea of “American dream” argues that the problems you experience are individual problems that are yours alone, that no one else shares with you. We see this everyday throughout the majority of our interactions, each examining:
-who’s tougher, flashier, more wealthy, more attractive, better dressed, etc.
The only time we are encouraged by the state to step out of individual competition and claim to be a part of a community is to vote for some rich person every two to four years that cannot possibly understand our problems because they are rich!
(Example: Nancy Pelosi, wealth and assets is worth over 100 million dollars!) She can pretend to be progressive but how can she understand our need of affordable housing?
Someone with money would say
“Then why don’t you move somewhere cheaper”. Or “get a better job”. This sink or swim bullshit plays right into the Rich’s hands. Struggling to pay rent is not your individual problem, it’s all of our problem, and will not go away by moving away. That just means someone else will have to deal with it.
“Shit rolls down hill” as they say. Can you imagine what a rent strike would do? The landowners would be unable to pay their debts to the banks and so on up the hill to a world of shit on the top of the pyramid. If enough people strike what can they do? It would take all the
Show this flyer to your friends. Your neighbors and co-workers are probably reading this as well. We could organize this horizontally on a city block basis. spread the information and community building like sickness. Concentrate on your block, each block connects to the next thru 1 to 2 people? Get to know the people in your immediate area, after all, how many of us really know all our neighbors? Have meetings on the street corner? People might find it strange and become curious in seeing people gathering on a street corner not selling or buying anything.
We could discuss the following:
-our demands to the realty companies (if any)?
-how long to strike rent, and where to take it from there?
-just pay half the rent and don’t say anything?
-coordinate the strike with the rent control measure in the June 3rd elections?
This should be a completely voluntary process that can only be done in large numbers to avoid risk of eviction or arrest. The FBI with help from the police have been known in the past to spread disinformation (cointelpro era and beyond) to prevent popular movements from interfering with the status quo. Do not trust any rent strike flyer you see that is racist, authoritarian, anti immigrant, factional, or contradicts anything you read in this flyer. With the economy in the state that it’s in today a rent strike could very well scare the shit out of a lot of rich people. The last thing Pelosi wants to see is community organizing outside of the arena of showcase politics, and stepping out of our passive roles as spectators. Organizing with your neighbors this way could be beneficial in more ways than just striking rent. It’s a step in self organization that clears the way to develop a more desirable world.
Real property reform would consist of only allowing people to own property they live on. Land lords become bitter dealing with maintenance and management of their ungrateful tenants apartments, (much in the same way zoo keepers tend to ungrateful caged animals). There is no way to mend this relationship because the renter pays money to the landlord that never comes back. The renter sees no long term benefits and sees no reason to trust or have any interest in her/his own home. This situation sounds very familiar to most of our work environments as well. Addressing one problem of inequality inevitably leads to discovering more, which is why even the smallest radical reform must never be tolerated by the state.
SAN FRANCISCO
RENT STRIKE
This is a rent strike proposal.
-If there was a designated date in the possible near future to organize a mass rent strike in
We all pay it. None of us want to. What other choices do we have? Dumpster dive, squat, live on the streets, these are solutions to avoid paying the land owners, but do we not all deserve a roof over our heads?
There is legislation being prepared for June 3rd 2008 to end rent control in
Rent control is a road block for land owners, but this just allows the landowners to come up with new ways to get money off of land they don’t live on. Does this sound familiar?
-2 bedroom apartment being advertised as a 4 bedroom using the living room and dining room to cram us in, charging 3,500 dollars a month.
-relaters bribing senior tenants to move out so they can jack up the rent.
-renters fixing their apartments themselves instead of calling the landlord afraid inspections will force them out.
If you want to hear the real horror stories look up www.citistop.org. Legislation is a game. The Landowners have the money to manipulate legislation to fit their wants, and what they want is more of our money. Their costs are going up and they’re pushing it on us to make sure they can continue living off our labor.
It is time we think beyond the ballot and initiate change ourselves. Even if rent control is voted to stay in
We need to think about where our rent situation puts us, and ask ourselves larger questions:
-how do we view the quality of our daily lives?
-how much work do we push thru to pay rent every month?
-do most of us have the money and time to do what we want to do?
The conservative idea of “American dream” argues that the problems you experience are individual problems that are yours alone, that no one else shares with you. We see this everyday throughout the majority of our interactions, each examining:
-who’s tougher, flashier, more wealthy, more attractive, better dressed, etc.
The only time we are encouraged by the state to step out of individual competition and claim to be a part of a community is to vote for some rich person every two to four years that cannot possibly understand our problems because they are rich!
(Example: Nancy Pelosi, wealth and assets is worth over 100 million dollars!) She can pretend to be progressive but how can she understand our need of affordable housing?
Someone with money would say
“Then why don’t you move somewhere cheaper”. Or “get a better job”. This sink or swim bullshit plays right into the Rich’s hands. Struggling to pay rent is not your individual problem, it’s all of our problem, and will not go away by moving away. That just means someone else will have to deal with it.
“Shit rolls down hill” as they say. Can you imagine what a rent strike would do? The landowners would be unable to pay their debts to the banks and so on up the hill to a world of shit on the top of the pyramid. If enough people strike what can they do? It would take all the
Show this flyer to your friends. Your neighbors and co-workers are probably reading this as well. We could organize this horizontally on a city block basis. spread the information and community building like sickness. Concentrate on your block, each block connects to the next thru 1 to 2 people? Get to know the people in your immediate area, after all, how many of us really know all our neighbors? Have meetings on the street corner? People might find it strange and become curious in seeing people gathering on a street corner not selling or buying anything.
We could discuss the following:
-our demands to the realty companies (if any)?
-how long to strike rent, and where to take it from there?
-just pay half the rent and don’t say anything?
-coordinate the strike with the rent control measure in the June 3rd elections?
This should be a completely voluntary process that can only be done in large numbers to avoid risk of eviction or arrest. The FBI with help from the police have been known in the past to spread disinformation (cointelpro era and beyond) to prevent popular movements from interfering with the status quo. Do not trust any rent strike flyer you see that is racist, authoritarian, anti immigrant, factional, or contradicts anything you read in this flyer. With the economy in the state that it’s in today a rent strike could very well scare the shit out of a lot of rich people. The last thing Pelosi wants to see is community organizing outside of the arena of showcase politics, and stepping out of our passive roles as spectators. Organizing with your neighbors this way could be beneficial in more ways than just striking rent. It’s a step in self organization that clears the way to develop a more desirable world.
Real property reform would consist of only allowing people to own property they live on. Land lords become bitter dealing with maintenance and management of their ungrateful tenants apartments, (much in the same way zoo keepers tend to ungrateful caged animals). There is no way to mend this relationship because the renter pays money to the landlord that never comes back. The renter sees no long term benefits and sees no reason to trust or have any interest in her/his own home. This situation sounds very familiar to most of our work environments as well. Addressing one problem of inequality inevitably leads to discovering more, which is why even the smallest radical reform must never be tolerated by the state.
RENT STRIKE
This is a rent strike proposal.
-If there was a designated date in the possible near future to organize a mass rent strike in
We all pay it. None of us want to. What other choices do we have? Dumpster dive, squat, live on the streets, these are solutions to avoid paying the land owners, but do we not all deserve a roof over our heads?
There is legislation being prepared for June 3rd 2008 to end rent control in
Rent control is a road block for land owners, but this just allows the landowners to come up with new ways to get money off of land they don’t live on. Does this sound familiar?
-2 bedroom apartment being advertised as a 4 bedroom using the living room and dining room to cram us in, charging 3,500 dollars a month.
-relaters bribing senior tenants to move out so they can jack up the rent.
-renters fixing their apartments themselves instead of calling the landlord afraid inspections will force them out.
If you want to hear the real horror stories look up www.citistop.org. Legislation is a game. The Landowners have the money to manipulate legislation to fit their wants, and what they want is more of our money. Their costs are going up and they’re pushing it on us to make sure they can continue living off our labor.
It is time we think beyond the ballot and initiate change ourselves. Even if rent control is voted to stay in
We need to think about where our rent situation puts us, and ask ourselves larger questions:
-how do we view the quality of our daily lives?
-how much work do we push thru to pay rent every month?
-do most of us have the money and time to do what we want to do?
The conservative idea of “American dream” argues that the problems you experience are individual problems that are yours alone, that no one else shares with you. We see this everyday throughout the majority of our interactions, each examining:
-who’s tougher, flashier, more wealthy, more attractive, better dressed, etc.
The only time we are encouraged by the state to step out of individual competition and claim to be a part of a community is to vote for some rich person every two to four years that cannot possibly understand our problems because they are rich!
(Example: Nancy Pelosi, wealth and assets is worth over 100 million dollars!) She can pretend to be progressive but how can she understand our need of affordable housing?
Someone with money would say
“Then why don’t you move somewhere cheaper”. Or “get a better job”. This sink or swim bullshit plays right into the Rich’s hands. Struggling to pay rent is not your individual problem, it’s all of our problem, and will not go away by moving away. That just means someone else will have to deal with it.
“Shit rolls down hill” as they say. Can you imagine what a rent strike would do? The landowners would be unable to pay their debts to the banks and so on up the hill to a world of shit on the top of the pyramid. If enough people strike what can they do? It would take all the
Show this flyer to your friends. Your neighbors and co-workers are probably reading this as well. We could organize this horizontally on a city block basis. spread the information and community building like sickness. Concentrate on your block, each block connects to the next thru 1 to 2 people? Get to know the people in your immediate area, after all, how many of us really know all our neighbors? Have meetings on the street corner? People might find it strange and become curious in seeing people gathering on a street corner not selling or buying anything.
We could discuss the following:
-our demands to the realty companies (if any)?
-how long to strike rent, and where to take it from there?
-just pay half the rent and don’t say anything?
-coordinate the strike with the rent control measure in the June 3rd elections?
This should be a completely voluntary process that can only be done in large numbers to avoid risk of eviction or arrest. The FBI with help from the police have been known in the past to spread disinformation (cointelpro era and beyond) to prevent popular movements from interfering with the status quo. Do not trust any rent strike flyer you see that is racist, authoritarian, anti immigrant, factional, or contradicts anything you read in this flyer. With the economy in the state that it’s in today a rent strike could very well scare the shit out of a lot of rich people. The last thing Pelosi wants to see is community organizing outside of the arena of showcase politics, and stepping out of our passive roles as spectators. Organizing with your neighbors this way could be beneficial in more ways than just striking rent. It’s a step in self organization that clears the way to develop a more desirable world.
Real property reform would consist of only allowing people to own property they live on. Land lords become bitter dealing with maintenance and management of their ungrateful tenants apartments, (much in the same way zoo keepers tend to ungrateful caged animals). There is no way to mend this relationship because the renter pays money to the landlord that never comes back. The renter sees no long term benefits and sees no reason to trust or have any interest in her/his own home. This situation sounds very familiar to most of our work environments as well. Addressing one problem of inequality inevitably leads to discovering more, which is why even the smallest radical reform must never be tolerated by the state.
SAN FRANCISCO
or buying anything.
We could discuss the following:
-our demands to the realty companies (if any)?
-how long to strike rent, and where to take it from there?
-just pay half the rent and don’t say anything?
-coordinate the strike with the rent control measure in the June 3rd elections?
This should be a completely voluntary process that can only be done in large numbers to avoid risk of eviction or arrest. The FBI with help from the police have been known in the past to spread disinformation (cointelpro era and beyond) to prevent popular movements from interfering with the status quo. Do not trust any rent strike flyer you see that is racist, authoritarian, anti immigrant, factional, or contradicts anything you read in this flyer. With the economy in the state that it’s in today a rent strike could very well scare the shit out of a lot of rich people. The last thing Pelosi wants to see is community organizing outside of the arena of showcase politics, and stepping out of our passive roles as spectators. Organizing with your neighbors this way could be beneficial in more ways than just striking rent. It’s a step in self organization that clears the way to develop a more desirable world.
Real property reform would consist of only allowing people to own property they live on. Land lords become bitter dealing with maintenance and management of their ungrateful tenants apartments. (Much in the same way zSAN FRANCISCO RENT STRIKE This is a rent strike proposal. -If there was a designated date in the possible near future to organize a mass rent strike in We all pay it. None of us want to. What other choices do we have? Dumpster dive, squat, live on the streets, these are solutions to avoid paying the land owners, but do we not all deserve a roof over our heads? There is legislation being prepared for June 3rd 2008 to end rent control in Rent control is a road block for land owners, but this just allows the landowners to come up with new ways to get money off of land they don’t live on. Does this sound familiar? -2 bedroom apartment being advertised as a 4 bedroom using the living room and dining room to cram us in, charging 3,500 dollars a month. -relaters bribing senior tenants to move out so they can jack up the rent. -renters fixing their apartments themselves instead of calling the landlord afraid inspections will force them out. If you want to hear the real horror stories look up www.citistop.org. Legislation is a game. The Landowners have the money to manipulate legislation to fit their wants, and what they want is more of our money. Their costs are going up and they’re pushing it on us to make sure they can continue living off our labor. It is time we think beyond the ballot and initiate change ourselves. Even if rent control is voted to stay in We need to think about where our rent situation puts us, and ask ourselves larger questions: -how do we view the quality of our daily lives? -how much work do we push thru to pay rent every month? -do most of us have the money and time to do what we want to do? The conservative idea of “American dream” argues that the problems you experience are individual problems that are yours alone, that no one else shares with you. We see this everyday throughout the majority of our interactions, each examining: -who’s tougher, flashier, more wealthy, more attractive, better dressed, etc. The only time we are encouraged by the state to step out of individual competition and claim to be a part of a community is to vote for some rich person every two to four years that cannot possibly understand our problems because they are rich! (Example: Nancy Pelosi, wealth and assets is worth over 100 million dollars!) She can pretend to be progressive but how can she understand our need affordable housing? Someone with money would say “Then why don’t you move somewhere cheaper”. Or “get a better job”. This sink or swim bullshit plays right into the Rich’s hands. Struggling to pay rent is not your individual problem, it’s all of our problem, and will not go away by moving away. That just means someone else will have to deal with it. “Shit rolls down hill” as they say. Can you imagine what a rent strike would do? The landowners would be unable to pay their debts to the banks and so on up the hill to a world of shit on the top of the pyramid. If enough people strike what can they do? It would take all the Show this flyer to your friends. Your neighbors and co-workers are probably reading this as well. We could organize this horizontally on a city block basis, spread the information and community building like sickness. Concentrate on your neighbors, each block connects to the next thru 1 to 2 people? Get to know the people in your immediate area, after all, how many of us really know all our neighbors? Have meetings on the street corner? People might find it strange and become curious in seeing people gathering on a street corner not selling oo keepers tend to ungrateful caged animals). There is no way to mend this relationship because the renter pays money to the landlord that never comes back. The renter sees no long term benefits and sees no reason to trust or have any interest in her/his own home. This situation sounds very familiar to most of our work environments as well. Addressing one problem of inequality inevitably leads to discovering more, which is why even the smallest radical reform must never be tolerated by the state. The purpose of government is to protect wealth and property, not people, so our only choice is to protect eachother.
RENT STRIKE
This is a rent strike proposal.
-If there was a designated date in the possible near future to organize a mass rent strike in
We all pay it. None of us want to. What other choices do we have? Dumpster dive, squat, live on the streets, these are solutions to avoid paying the land owners, but do we not all deserve a roof over our heads?
There is legislation being prepared for June 3rd 2008 to end rent control in
Rent control is a road block for land owners, but this just allows the landowners to come up with new ways to get money off of land they don’t live on. Does this sound familiar?
-2 bedroom apartment being advertised as a 4 bedroom using the living room and dining room to cram us in, charging 3,500 dollars a month.
-relaters bribing senior tenants to move out so they can jack up the rent.
-renters fixing their apartments themselves instead of calling the landlord afraid inspections will force them out.
If you want to hear the real horror stories look up www.citistop.org. Legislation is a game. The Landowners have the money to manipulate legislation to fit their wants, and what they want is more of our money. Their costs are going up and they’re pushing it on us to make sure they can continue living off our labor.
It is time we think beyond the ballot and initiate change ourselves. Even if rent control is voted to stay in
We need to think about where our rent situation puts us, and ask ourselves larger questions:
-how do we view the quality of our daily lives?
-how much work do we push thru to pay rent every month?
-do most of us have the money and time to do what we want to do?
The conservative idea of “American dream” argues that the problems you experience are individual problems that are yours alone, that no one else shares with you. We see this everyday throughout the majority of our interactions, each examining:
-who’s tougher, flashier, more wealthy, more attractive, better dressed, etc.
The only time we are encouraged by the state to step out of individual competition and claim to be a part of a community is to vote for some rich person every two to four years that cannot possibly understand our problems because they are rich!
(Example: Nancy Pelosi, wealth and assets is worth over 100 million dollars!) She can pretend to be progressive but how can she understand our need affordable housing?
Someone with money would say
“Then why don’t you move somewhere cheaper”. Or “get a better job”. This sink or swim bullshit plays right into the Rich’s hands. Struggling to pay rent is not your individual problem, it’s all of our problem, and will not go away by moving away. That just means someone else will have to deal with it.
“Shit rolls down hill” as they say. Can you imagine what a rent strike would do? The landowners would be unable to pay their debts to the banks and so on up the hill to a world of shit on the top of the pyramid. If enough people strike what can they do? It would take all the
Show this flyer to your friends. Your neighbors and co-workers are probably reading this as well. We could organize this horizontally on a city block basis, spread the information and community building like sickness. Concentrate on your neighbors, each block connects to the next thru 1 to 2 people? Get to know the people in your immediate area, after all, how many of us really know all our neighbors? Have meetings on the street corner? People might find it strange and become curious in seeing people gathering on a street corner not selling or buying anything.
We could discuss the following:
-our demands to the realty companies (if any)?
-how long to strike rent, and where to take it from there?
-just pay half the rent and don’t say anything?
-coordinate the strike with the rent control measure in the June 3rd elections?
This should be a completely voluntary process that can only be done in large numbers to avoid risk of eviction or arrest. The FBI with help from the police have been known in the past to spread disinformation (cointelpro era and beyond) to prevent popular movements from interfering with the status quo. Do not trust any rent strike flyer you see that is racist, authoritarian, anti immigrant, factional, or contradicts anything you read in this flyer. With the economy in the state that it’s in today a rent strike could very well scare the shit out of a lot of rich people. The last thing Pelosi wants to see is community organizing outside of the arena of showcase politics, and stepping out of our passive roles as spectators. Organizing with your neighbors this way could be beneficial in more ways than just striking rent. It’s a step in self organization that clears the way to develop a more desirable world.
Real property reform would consist of only allowing people to own property they live on. Land lords become bitter dealing with maintenance and management of their ungrateful tenants apartments. (Much in the same way zoo keepers tend to ungrateful caged animals). There is no way to mend this relationship because the renter pays money to the landlord that never comes back. The renter sees no long term benefits and sees no reason to trust or have any interest in her/his own home. This situation sounds very familiar to most of our work environments as well. Addressing one problem of inequality inevitably leads to discovering more, which is why even the smallest radical reform must never be tolerated by the state. The purpose of government is to protect wealth and property, not people, so our only choice is to protect eachother.
This statement is the "slip" inside the flyer passed out on doorsteps
AN ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN MEETING
This statement is a suggested meeting format that could be used to organize a
rent strike (or any meeting). The title
“anti-authoritarian” means that there is no one in any official position of
authority. Many people feel that part of organizing communities
to better our situation means structuring our meetings and interactions in the same
way we would like to see our society move toward. Interacting with each other as equals is an
invaluable practice.
When everyone
is in the same room these could be helpful tips:
1. Find
out what people want. This rent strike is just a proposal. If you find people want to approach the block
organizing format for an issue that everyone feels is more important than
striking rent than by all means go for it.
The important thing is that we begin talking to each other to achieve
common goals.
2. Come up
with an agenda list. On the rent strike statement topics for planning were
suggested (our demands to the landlords, how long to strike) but of course
everyone has different concerns when organizing a strike. If you come up with lots of topics to cover
and not a lot of time everyone could agree to a time limit on each topic.
3. Choose
a facilitator. This
person keeps track of the agenda, and makes sure people stay on it (which comes
in handy when you have limited time).
People should grant this person leeway to keep the meeting on task, but
should not grant this person decision making powers. In order to keep egos from
developing and to keep everyone interested, this position is often rotated
every 1 to 2 meetings.
4. Everyone’s
voice counts. Beware of those who love to hear themselves talk, and
those who have an individual agenda. It
is important to allow everyone who wants to speak to have room to do so, and
not allow anyone to steer the meeting away from the agreed agenda. If people are constantly interrupting others
the facilitator can ask people to raise hands and keep track of the order of
hands raised. Having people state where they live will help everyone trust that there
is no one present at the meeting that shouldn’t be. If you are having meetings with people on your block only, then drivers licenses are a good way to prove an address.
5. Keep
the ego’s out of the meeting. You may not be able to agree on
everything. It’s always the tiny
meaningless details that splinter groups apart. The important idea is to start
a community conversation about how to improve our lives, not to encourage
personality clashes.
6. The
spokespeople chosen are not calling any shots. As
organizing begins choosing a couple people as spokespeople to connect the
surrounding blocks can help hundreds of people from mixing up messages. As information is passed throughout the
community by the spokespeople it is up to everyone to make sure those people
are not making decisions without everyone’s permission. They are just relaying information. The spokespersons position (like the facilitator) could also be rotated to ensure that position is not being abused.
This statement is the "tips" slip inside the flyer passed out on doorsteps
In
the event of a rent strike landlords will probably take the following steps to
harass the tenants.
1. Look up
eviction procedures at www.sftu.org for the standard process.
2. PG&E could be called to turn off the
electricity to your
apartment.
What we can do
If thousands
of people strike rent at the same time landlords may be helpless to take any of
these measures. Making connections with the workers (not management) of these
companies will leave even less options for the landlords to resort to.
Establish a phone tree. Have
a person on your block gather everyone’s phone numbers and email
addresses. This person makes two copies
of every number, and randomly gives everyone on your block two phone
numbers. This means in the event of an
eviction or emergency, one person makes two calls, and those people make two
calls and so on. This way everyone on
your block is called twice, and the spokespeople could expand this tree to the next
block. In the event of a tenant getting
evicted, everyone on your block should defend that tenant any way they can (a
tenant cannot be physically evicted if hundreds of people are blocking the
doorway).
Undocumented immigrants may be targeted
first. Solidarity between U.S citizens and immigrants is extremely important. Immigrants are struggling to pay rent just as
much if not harder than everyone else.
“Breaking the law” (as the police would call it) will have serious
consequences for immigrants of any status and they will not consider striking
rent if everyone does not stand with them unconditionally.
This rent
strike could affect our lives profoundly.
If it works we could make history beyond most people’s imagination. Meetings could last hours. When you become frustrated remember to ask
yourself “Is there anything more important than taking control of our own
lives?”
