San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced $75 million in budget cuts targeting city programs, including the proposed Office of Reparations. Consequently, the future of African-American reparations in San Francisco is uncertain.
According to reports, Mayor Breed announced the spending reductions in a letter to city department heads on Friday, December 8, 2023. Breed’s announcement came months after the San Francisco African American Reparations Advisory Committee (AARAC) released its final plan.
According to the 398-page report, the committee plans to address the city’s legacy of enslavement, structural discrimination, and forced displacement. In addition, the statement includes several reparatory policy proposals related to economic empowerment.
It also relates to education, health, and public policy, including $5 million in direct cash payments to eligible Black residents. According to reports, the potential Office of Reparations was to implement the AARAC’s recommendations directly. However, the State won’t fund the proposed office due to Mayor Breed’s budget cut.
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Breed reportedly appropriated $4 million for the office over the summer. However, amidst financial challenges, Breed eliminated the $4 million allocated for launching a reparations office.
Before the budget cuts, Breed doubted fulfilling the AARAC’s proposals, particularly cash payments. According to reports, she repeatedly stated that reparations are the federal government’s responsibility rather than local government.
However, reparations advocates counter that all levels of government were complicit in the atrocities committed against Black people in America. Consequently, the advocates argue they share responsibility for righting the wrongs. They add that creating state and local task forces can amplify the movement for a national commission.
However, Breed said her signature Dream Keeper Initiative is already working to reinvest in Black communities. She added that the budget cuts will reduce the city’s expenses. However, it will pursue her top priorities, including hiring more police officers.
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She said, “The reductions leave intact basic City priorities so we can continue making progress on hiring police officers.” She continued, “.. expanding shelter beds, advancing behavioral health initiatives, and cleaning up our streets.”
Similarly, city officials justified this decision. They stated that establishing a separate reparations office might not be an efficient use of funds. Hence, they cited ongoing efforts within department structures like the Dreamkeeper Initiative.
The budget cut has sparked concerns and led to discussions at the recent repairs advisory committee meeting at City Hall. Supervisor Shamann Walton, while acknowledging the city’s fiscal challenges, expressed hope for creating the Office of Reparations. He said the state should establish the office once it has addressed the deficit issue.
“My hope is that they eliminate the city’s deficit quickly so we can fund the Office of Reparations,” Walton said. “And fulfill the commitment made to address the historical injustices that have persisted for generations for Black San Franciscans.”
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The reparations plan submitted to Breed and the Board of Supervisors in July took roughly three years of work. The proposal to pay eligible recipients $5 million each got the most attention.
However, the 398-page report includes more than 150 recommendations. Among them are financing debt forgiveness and the opportunity to buy homes within city limits for $1. As San Francisco grapples with the budget cuts, advocates argue the need for a reparations office.
However, others say it is a waste of funds. Breed’s spokesperson, Parisa Safarzadehn, said, “Opening a separate office is not an efficient use of funds.” He added, “We should be focusing our efforts on programs that impact the community.
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