Pubdate: 24 Dec 1998 Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ Forum: http://www.sfgate.com/conferences/ Copyright: 1998 San Francisco Chronicle Author: Paul Ash, Executive Director, San Francisco Food Bank THE SAFETY NET Editor -- Earl Rynerson's Open Forum piece, "We Kill Them With Kindness," (December 15) uses the city's collective support of programs for the poor to build his case for denying General Assistance to homeless drug addicts and alcoholics. He also implies that the vast majority of General Assistance recipients spend their benefits on drugs or alcohol. He does not allow that these services and benefits are a lifeline for thousands of poor families and seniors, people living with AIDS, and homeless people who are clean and sober. He also does not acknowledge how difficult it is to kick an addiction, and that many homeless and drug addicts and alcoholics suffer from mental illness. He outlines a neatly defined problem and offers a neatly packaged solution - - - to deny public assistance to these men and women until they get clean. This plan pushes us down a slippery slope toward a place where other behaviors may be suspect and we are suspect if we are compassionate. The San Francisco Food Bank distributes food to more than 400 after-school programs, AIDS service providers, battered women's shelters, neighborhood food pantries, drug treatment programs, shelters and soup kitchens. Should we cease to provide food to these agencies if they refuse to test their clients? San Francisco's social safety net is diminished and fragile, but it is helping to meet the basic needs of our poorest residents. Among these people are homeless drug addicts and alcoholics. We are not supporting their habits; we are enabling them to live. PAUL ASH Executive Director San Francisco Food Bank - --- MAP posted-by: Mike Gogulski