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“Looks like the whole city coming to save the hotel.”

“I hope so.”

The chanting never stops. It’s coming out of loudspeakers everywhere. The whole place is wired for sound.

THE PEOPLE UNITED CAN NEVER BE DEFEATED.
THE PEOPLE UNITED CAN NEVER BE DEFEATED.
STOP THE EVICTION! WE WON’T MO…

Finally I say, “Joe might be thinking like this. Eminent domain, buy-back, realistically, it can never happen. Something gets proposed, goes to court, court agrees, knocks it down, you get an appeal, goes back to the city, win, lose, buying time—not buy back, just buying time.”

“You mean, we’re …

Macario and I take public transportation back to the hotel. I think out loud to Macario. “Bus is like the hotel. For the people.”

Macario nods. “Sorry about the car, Felix.”

I shrug. “Forget it.” I continue my thinking. “You know this eminent domain? Got sides to it.”

“Yeah,” Macario agree…

How many years Joe’s running the I-Hotel? Maybe not forever, and nobody knows how he starts. Gets the manager’s room with his private bath and all the keys, decides if there’s room for you at the inn, collects your money. For some, there’s always a room. For others, don’t bother. For Joe, it’s abou…

Maybe it’s a couple of weeks. Abra’s got a job with Mrs. D., waking up at four a.m., leaving at five, starting work at six, making it over to the Mission, some sweatshop with all Filipino ladies making jewelry stands out of felt and Styrofoam. Making dollar and fifty an hour. Probably talking union…