27 Nov. 94 e.v.
Kook City, CA


Dear Fellow Worker Mark,

So good to hear from you at last! Glad to hear you're doing well. Other 
than being utterly overwhelmed beyond all belief, I am doing well too. 
But more on that in a minute. It's a sad kinda funny-- right as you left, 
*everything* heated up, and now there's even more fronts than average, 
no, *really*.  (all these *'s are cuz I can't underline things on this 
computer. ANYway.) Glad as I am that you're well, I miss you. In many 
ways. We could use all the hands we can get here, as is true, I'm sure, 
everywhere...

Well... the rest of amerikkka may have gone republikaaner, but good ol' 
Kook City stayed as leftish as it could. Conroy, the mayor's repub. 
goddaughter, gopt shitcanned, and a coupla proglodytes got on the bored, 
er, board. As you said, this ain't no great salvation. I mean, Carole 
Migden is all about the Hair Vote, and whoring herself to the 
conglomerates downtown ASAP. Very anti-labor. Ammiano's on too, and he 
even endorsed our line at the End-up (more on that in a minute). The 
sitting ban failed, by less than 1/2 of 1% of the vote. We were gearing 
up for some direct action on that, but still are anyway. The compulsory 
rent payment outta GA funds passed tho, as did 187 and 184 (racist 
anti-immigrant shit and 3 strikes you're some judge's lunch), and wilson, 
and fineswine, and and and.... yeah, it was bad. Oh, single-payer health 
care got slaughtered too. Has the local bidness unionists even clamoring 
for a (be)labor(ed) party, like you know: 1 step --> and 3 <--. sigh. 
Direct action at both the point of production as well as oppression, is 
coming back too...

Jail wasn't so bad-- we was outta there in 9 or 10 hours. There were 
several of us. One of us got beaten, but he was gonna sue anyway. Now 
he'll get millions, and it's the *least* they owe him. No, REALLY!!! In 
jail on Halloween is when we discovered that Amnesty Int'l. is on our 
side (see statement enclosed). I wore my plastic jail bracelet for a long 
time afterwards, and never fail to stir folx up about the fact that it's 
a felony to carry a bucket of soup on the street in this town. You know 
how I get.

Meanwhile, Philly went fabulous. Prospects keep lookin good, both in 
terms of computer shit and new members. Looks like the local branch will 
get another office when GHQ moves, and me and Demian are moving to new, 
more fabulous digs this week too. Um... lots of other stuff going on too. 
I'm involved in both a local coalition to decriminalize poverty in SF and 
a Bay Area Staley Workers Support Committee too, in both as an official 
IWW-SF rep. Um... gee. I'm almost too busy to think anymore. Oh yeah-- 
BACORR. I've no idea what they're up to. Don't see 'em much. I'm about 
due for another clinic def. shift, but other than that, quien sabe? lots 
of info on fundies online, but I don't see a lot of direct action. I do 
see Tom sometimes, and we talk, and that is good. But I doubt they ever 
found that new direction they're needing so bad. Nor has anyone ever 
responded to that whole thing I had going online after that most 
notorious last meeting I went to. Maybe I'll give 'em a grant from the 
Queer Labor Victory Fund and see what that does... (ve have vays of 
garnering the attentions of ze petit bourgeoisie...)

Oh yeah, that's another thing. At long sweet last, the endup has Settled 
Out Of Court. Press release soon to follow, as well as a lot of fundage. 
I'm calling my chunk of it the Queer Labor Victory Fund, and putting it 
back in to the revolutions-- "This One's On The Boss!!!" I will accept 
congratulations   *:)   *:)  <-- (that's smiley faces, on-line!)

Lessee... to get yer delegate's credentials, bother GST Rush, and give 
him no rest. Write him. Call him. I'll do the same. We got a month before 
office-transition chaos. Explain the situation to him, and your good 
standing for +6 months, and that I recommend you-- again, I'll do the 
same. Slow growth is fine. You need creds. Lancaster needs you to have 
creds. The GST has a responsibility to fulfill after all, even if he's a 
duck what limps...

The newspaper strike was "settled," i.e. it's still a mess. I  still 
haven't met whomever Maile signed up, but she's getting back this week, 
so I'll ask her about it. 

Hey, do you have a phone number? Cuz (after all) I do have an income, and 
am more than willing to call you, too. Writing takes more time,a nd is 
all a monologue. We should still talk too. SEND ME YOUR PHONE NUMBER...

Meanwhile, there's so much more, but I'm gonna wrap this up anyway. I 
hope this note gives you an idea of whassup, and that we talk soon 
anyway. Stay FABulous, and send me that soon as I remain, in solidarity,

Yours for the Revolution,
yer comrade Deke, X3417697
I.U. 560, S.F. GMB, IWW

Oh P.S. YES! There's a boy in my life now, too. More about that on the 
phone...
