Gavin Newsom is making some big promises. Let’s make sure it’s not just words.

Gavin is lifting a lot of regulations, so more and affordable housing can be made. I’m for it. California is a place where the tech industry can do literally whatever the fuck they want with complete immunity and without regard for the public (seriously. There is even a law on the books that cities may not regulate or bar big tech from developing, even and especially over health concerns. What in the fuck kind of law is that?), while if you want to build a place to live for yourself, you are regulated into oblivion.

Because, and it’s an important realization: Gavin Newsom and the California Democrats hate the people and love money and that’s all the love they have for anything. Not every California Democrat. Just the ones who run everything.

So when, after sending letters to all of them saying that interim housing is transience, and we must eradicate homelessness permanently for them to have a chance of even being in the club, I suddenly see them saying things like, “We’re gonna set up a PERMANENT office on housing! And we’re lifting regulations so transient people will have permanent housing! And we’re putting them through a system that will help them stay off the streets and keep them clean–

Hang on, hang on, hang on. Now, I am for this as well. There are a number of prisons who try a more holistic approach with social services woven throughout the rehab process, and they work well, and that’s great. But.

I want to be as clear as can be: if the occupant doesn’t own it, it is still temporary housing. And if keeping the temporary housing is contingent on making choices the state would like you to make, then that is fascism. It’s important to note, homeless people are not criminals. They are people without homes. If your concern is getting homeless people to act right, instead of giving them a leg up, this is going to turn into oppression before it even starts.

And for the tax payer, they have to contend with this: Gavin Newsom has taxed us and held up his homeless policies every single year. And that money has always been completely wasted on keeping transient people transient. And with housing owned by the state, and a new permanent office on homelessness, and new infrastructure to keep the poor in line, that will mean that he will always be in need of more money, and the right will always be trying to shut it down, so there will always be a need for the Democrats to fundraise against the evil fascists…well, there’s a lot of potential for being evil, themselves, if they want to be.

But they’re all evil fascists, it seems. We recognize this or we sleepwalk into fascism AGAIN. Again.

To my fellow Democrats who say, “God, can’t you ever be happy about anything?” Let me put it like this:

Let’s say that we were talking about bodily autonomy. What if maybe women can technically get abortions, but let’s say they have to prove they’re a good person first. Let’s say a pregnant woman will be attended by social workers to ensure she’s the kind of person who makes good choices before she’s allowed to get an abortion. And let’s say if she makes it, she gets her abortion, but to stay child free, the social worker is gonna stick around and monitor her choices to see if she deserves to stay that way. And if she doesn’t –let’s say the social worker observes her getting a little intoxicated at a party –well, then, the social worker decides she’s not worth the investment, so they drop her off at the old sausage factory to get raped. And then if she gets pregnant, she can start the whole process over again, but it has been noted on her file that she failed to be a good person the last time she was given a chance.

Does that seem cruel and unusual and wrong and oppressive and infantilizing? We do it to the poor as a matter of course. We do it in the government, societally, and person to person. We tell them it’s adorable when the upper classes cut loose, but that when poor people cut loose, they deserve to die in a gutter.

So you’ll forgive my paranoia. But there is one thing that can eradicate it: Just give us homes including the land the homes sit on so it can be passed on.  I promise you, if someone starts a meth lab in it, you can still arrest them. You don’t need to constantly monitor them to see if they are worthy. They are human beings. They are worthy. And even if they own the home, someone can still pop by to see if they need more help.

Because this is about giving people a chance, right? Not about oppression?

I want the government and all people to stop trying to control the populace, and instead just give us our country–the land–back.

But somehow, I doubt anyone in this government is going to do that. Color me cynical.

So, we will need to take care of it ourselves.

As someone who just got land (whee! Thank you to all of my wonderful Bone-holders!) and as someone who is child-free, I can check two life goals off: 1. Land of my own. 2. Land to give to another artist when I die, so there will be at least one space devoted to artist housing in perpetuity, with a tradition of always passing it on to other artists.

So that’s me and one other future artist (and possibly more) given permanence so they can pursue what is ephemeral and unprofitable, but necessary and nourishing, without fear of becoming a ward of the state.

But, with the future so uncertain, it’s not enough. We need homes for people today so they can live peaceful lives that are manageable. When you become dependent on the state, they watch you carefully because everything, and I mean everything, is designed to lead the impoverished into a life of crime. And they want the poor to be criminals.

But luckily: art kills crime.

SmutMag.Art has a social mission by nature: it’s that artists need to be alive, have a home, and show the truth of a situation.

This past year I’ve been experimenting hard and often so I can make SmutMag a machine that works, is relatively simple, and can collaborate with the world not just humanely, but in a way that actively helps democracy flourish. It has looked like pure chaos. But I’m very nearly to the point where I can stop experimenting and start implementing. (Blech. It’s the least fun part. But the only part that matters. Damn, necessary, drudgery).

SmutMag is currently under construction, but we will be launching as a super serious arts thing, hopefully, by the end of the day. Stay tuned!

Process: A Digital Cabaret about facing real life, is now playing.