California IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Protection Sought for Youth Services

Launching a crusade for children, an advocacy group submitted 67,000 signatures for a ballot proposal that would guarantee young San Francisco residents a bigger slice of the city budget. “For a long time in San Francisco the needs of children and youth have fallen between the cracks,” said school board member Tom Ammiano. About 50 children helped deliver the signatures to the registrar of voters office, pulling red wagons filled with the documents. The proposed “Children’s Amendment,” believed to be the first of its kind, would change the City Charter to prevent cuts in funding for services such as child care and job training. If voters approve the amendment in November, San Francisco would be the first city in the nation to guarantee funding for its children, said Margaret Brodkin, director of Coleman Advocates for Children.