Hundreds gather to protest San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's proposed budget cuts
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- There was anger and frustration outside San Francisco City Hall Wednesday.
Organizers say 1,500 people came out to protest against the service and job cuts proposed in Mayor Daniel Lurie's new budget, ahead of a planned meeting of the city's budget committee.
Judy Sorro was one of those in attendance. Sorro said she was told her job could be eliminated if the budget goes through.
"It makes me really angry, and it makes me upset. But I'm just trying to keep the anger directed," she said.
The mayor has promised not to cut funding for public safety or for things like homelessness services.
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But he says with the city running a deficit in the hundreds of millions of dollars, he had to make tough choices. Choices that are unacceptable for people like Jennifer Esteen, who believes the city should make corporations and the wealthy pay more in taxes.
"Ultimately, that's the big deal. Let the billionaires pay, which means the mayor himself. He's going to have to get real with his peers," Esteen said.
Protesters are determined to do more than just rally outside city hall though.
Many of them also showed up for public comment at the city's budget committee meeting Wednesday afternoon to voice their displeasure.
Before that meeting started, ABC7 News caught up with Supervisor Matt Dorsey.
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Dorsey said, while he thinks there will be some amendments to Lurie's budget proposal, most of it will likely pass as is.
"This isn't the kind of year where we're going to be saying we're making good choices and bad choices. The reality is we're going to be making a lot of bad choices, and we're going to have to look people in the eye who are doing a great job for us -- and who we'd love to fund -- and say we've got no money for them," he said.
That won't discourage people like Sorro though, who says she's determined to stand up for herself and others potentially impacted by the cuts.
"I'll be in the streets protesting. I mean, I've always done that. I've never tried to rise myself up. I'm still in a pretty low position. It's in my heart. It's just who I am."
The Board of Supervisors have until July 31 to pass a budget.
