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Crosscurrents

Daily news roundup for Tuesday, May 17, 2016

"Ghost Bike, East Village," by Flickr user Salim Virji/ Used under CC license/Resized and cropped
http://bit.ly/1Yz6u5H

Here's what's happening in the Bay Area, as curated by KALW News:
 

 
 

Tesla factory's expansion helped by cheap foreign labor // Mercury News

 

“When Gregor Lesnik left his pregnant girlfriend in Slovenia for a job in America, his visa application described specialized skills and said he was a supervisor headed to a South Carolina auto plant."

"Turns out, that wasn’t true.”

 

“The unemployed electrician had no qualifications to oversee American workers and spoke only a sentence or two of English. He never set foot in South Carolina. The companies that arranged his questionable visa instead sent Lesnik to a menial job in Silicon Valley. He earned the equivalent of $5 an hour to expand the plant for one of the world’s most sophisticated companies, Tesla Motors.”

 

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S.F. supervisor looks to shield HIV survivors from rent spikes // SF Gate

 

“For more than 25 years, Richard Johnson has called a one-bedroom apartment in Hayes Valley home — even as the neighborhood changed and rents increased, pushing out old friends. He never imagined he would be among them.”

 

“Johnson, 59, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, is disabled and receives a monthly rental assistance voucher from the Housing Opportunities for Persons with HIV/AIDS, known as HOPWA. But while other federal housing programs protect tenants from rent increases, this one does not. On Johnson’s birthday in December, he got a letter in the mail: His rent was going to go up by 175 percent.”

 

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SF schools ‘on the right track’ with transgender inclusivity// SF Examiner

 

“When it comes to safeguarding transgender students, San Francisco public schools have been ahead of the curve for more than a decade."

 

"So when the Obama administration announced Friday that public schools must permit transgender students to use bathrooms and lockers consistent with their chosen gender identity, public school leaders in The City took it as a nod of encouragement that schools nationally will continue to mirror in the direction of California’s public schools.”

 

“In 2013, California became the first state in the United States to guarantee certain rights for transgender K-12 students in state law — nearly 10 years after San Francisco’s public schools adopted their own policy.”

 

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Teachers Struggle With High Rent, Low Pay in San Francisco // NBC Bay Area

 

“Lita Blanc, the president of the United Educators of San Francisco said the combination of low pay and high rent is reaching a crisis level for teachers struggling to live in the city.”

“Teachers are now leaving in droves and taking their teaching credentials to places where they can afford to live, according to Blanc.”

 

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Event Spotlight: 'Ride Of Silence' To Honor Cyclists Killed On South Of Market's Streets // Hoodline

 

“Minor bicycle collisions are common occurrences on San Francisco streets, but every so often, one ends tragically. This Wednesday evening, a group of cyclists will take to the streets for a solemn ride, in honor of those who've lost their lives while biking south of Market.”

 

“Ride of Silence is an international awareness day, held on the third Wednesday of May for the past 12 years. It's intended to raise consciousness about cyclist injuries and deaths on public roads, and highlight cyclists' right to share the roadway with motorists.”

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Oakland's MLK Cafe's new parklet honors trolley heritage // Mercury News

 

“A ribbon cutting marking the completion of a long awaited parklet project in North Oakland's Longfellow neighborhood was held this past Thursday, on Bike to Work day. What is a parklet you may ask? It's a temporary public space that replaces one or two parking spots in front of a business with outdoor seating and bicycle parking.”

 

“The city of Oakland started a pilot program for creating parklets back in 2011, and several have been completed since then. Parklets are designed to be publicly accessible for the enjoyment of all, and are privately constructed and maintained. The idea is to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment through the use of a platform extending into the street, built to match the grade of the sidewalk, with seating provided by benches or chairs. Tables and landscaping complete the installation. Each parklet is unique to its particular location.”

Crosscurrents