In an Easter Sunday sweep through the City by car, several of us
will gather (safely in our cars or at 6′ distance with protective gear) 2
PM at Laurel and Front St. We will.distribute survival gear and
provisions to folks outside around the City and conduct
an educational tour of shame to counter the rosy fabrications of
Sentinel and city/county officialdom.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
The health and well-being of our entire community–not just those outside.
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
No provision is being made to broadly activate motel rooms for folks
outside generally and vulnerable asymptomatic folks specifically. They
are far down on the priority list issued by the County coming after the
visibly sick, the COVID-19 positive, and those
in contact with those found to have COVID-19.
Monthly Archives: April 2020
Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides netcast streams tonight 4-9-20 at 6 PM at freakradio.org: To Protest or Not To Protest? Interviews with Phil Posner, Keith McHenry, Thomas Ferraro, Wes White, and Cynthia Berger
Check out the show at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html .
New postings and interviews from the last few days at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html
ON TODAY’S SHOW
xxx To Protest Or No on Easter Sunday at 2 PM to Open Up Hotel Rooms: Posner v. Norse
xxx Poor Magazine: https://www.poormagazine.org/node/5975 Stop Hoarding Hotel Rooms- Press Statement
by Houseless & Housed Californians Against California “CoronaCamps
xxx “Katzenjammer” Keith to move the FNB meal to Laurel & Front
xxx “Backtalk” Berger on the Latest Legal Tenant Developments
xxx San Francisco Shelter Sham Falls Apart
xxx “Talkback” Thomas Ferraro Tells Tales From Shelterland
xxx “Whip the Wicked” Wes White Gets Optimistic Salinas-Way
TAKE OUR MONEY, PLEASE !
STUDIO SITE REWARD STILL AVAILABLE !
Free Radio Santa Cruz stands ready to dole out $300 for info leading to a 10′ X 10′ studio space with bathroom, internet, and electrical access–either indoors or out (we’ll build a structure). We’re also seeking a transmitter space where we can put up an antenna–a backyard, a multistory home, a high tree–help us spread the word. Help us so we can help you!
HUFF working on phone meeting to prep protest pressure for city or community action to open up motel rooms and vacant buildings. NO Noon Meeting Today at the Sub Rosa, Conference call likely later today for Easter Sunday Protest
HUFF tech-challenged activists are
working on a conference call later today to discuss the Posner/Norse
plan for an Easter Sunday Direct Action to get motel rooms open
immediately.
E-mail rnorse3@hotmail.com if you are interested in learning about or want to be a supporter of this action.
Or if you wish to be included on the HUFF conference call.
Updates:
- Food Not Bombs [FNB] is still serving
daily under the parking garage in lot #10 facing Front St. (technically
124 River St.) across from the Bookshop Santa Cruz 1 PM to 6 PM.
- Food prepster Keith
McHenry has put out an emergency call to find additional kitchens as
India Joze’s is being overburdened; he also needs volunteers and
donations (tents, clothing, books, and staff).
Bring them to the daily meal.
- City Council declined to follow up on the current shelter crisis for those outside, refusing to allow discussion of necessary shelter-in-place options NOT BEING MADE AVAILABLE in spite of available funding, vacant motel rooms, CDC guidelines, and growing illness nationwide.
- City Manager Martin Bernal announced that in spite of the closing of all City and County parks and beaches starting tonight at midnight, folks outside in those areas in encampments will not be ticketed. This, of course, doesn’t mean they won’t be swept, harassed, or driven out into the rain as has been the case during the last week.
- Conditions have thinned out slightly but not significantly at the Salvation Army’s Armory, Laurel St., and the new Vet’s Hall mini-shelters. There are rumors of some similar “thinning” at the Paul Lee Loft. No clear information on Page Smith Community House, River St. or River St. Shelter. Current conditions violate CDC shelter-in-place standards that are now being attempted in other cities like San Francisco after similar resistance from their mayor. They risk everyone’s health speeding disease transmission.
- Meals are being provided for the relatively few people in these crowded “have some COVID-19” “shelters”; police are promoting their PR by handing out a few bag lunches; bag lunches for seniors may still be available at the (otherwise closed down) Louden Nelson weekdays; get-em-at-the-door sparse bag lunches up at St. Francis Soup Kitchen on Mora St. weekdays.
- If anyone has reports on the Association of Faith Communities mini-mini-shelter-together-while-we-cough-at-one-another
program, please call 423-4833 with reports. Ditto with their
vehicular “safe parking”
program. Santa Cruz Homeless Union activists report continued marking
of tires by cops and auxiliaries in possible violation of persuasive
court rulings in other jurisdictions (https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/chalking-unconstitutional/
).
- Government “health authorities” with the collusion of governments have shut down all city/county parks and beaches as of midnight tonight; not sure what the status is of the Farmer’s Market downtown today.
- McHenry said yesterday parking structure bathrooms have been shut down with portapotties overflowing or poorly maintained.
HUFF is still seeking volunteers to do a daily check and report on various portapotties and washing stations city-wide.
- There are no vulnerable unsheltered people in motel rooms as of a day or two ago, according to McHenry.
- Anyone have reports on the national Rent Strike and any local actions that were announced to begin April 1st? Renter-unsheltered coalition is vital in these times.
- Stipends for out-of-work Street Spirit distributors are still “being worked on”, according to Berkeley’s J.C. Orton.
- Frequent
local updates are still appearing on Facebook under SC Food Not bombs,
SC County Homeless Advocates, Homeless Outside in Santa Cruz, at huffsantacruz.org and at indybay.org/santacruz .
-
ACTIONS, RESOURCES, & CONSIDERATIONS from a HUFFster’s perspective
- Check at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html to hear a series of phoned-in reports from different activists and workers–which should be posted shortly and will be updated daily if possible.
- City
Manager Martin Bernal provided a handful of portapotties City-wide and
cold water washstands after refusing to do so for months, but maintained
nighttime closure of bathrooms in parks in spite of the emergency
situation and repeated calls and e-mails. Nor has the County acted to
provide basic sanitary facilities for the poorest outside, though it has
financial and organization resources to do so.
- City agencies are still refusing safe concrete space for
Food Not Bombs
to provide food and other services. their attempts to establish such
vital resources. With the
massive (and arguably illegal) fencing off of the Post Office, Town
Clock, Scope Park, and other sidewalk areas, reaching the FNB meal has
become more difficult.
- Continued shutdowns at the Library, Louden Nelson, the Metro, the publicly sponsored
Bookshop Santa Cruz,
closed restaurants, coffee shops
and businesses make this situation ever more dangerous both for folks
outside and the broader community.
No alternate provision has been made for laundry, storage, phone-charging for the great majority of unsheltered
people.
- Very very few motel
or hotel rooms are yet available for the 1000-2000 homeless outside who
want and may need them to shelter more safely and securely
in spite of government directives and financial grants. With City and County authorities refusing to act, the Community must make sure these spaces are
opened up by any means necessary.
- The inadequate “normal” charitable activities of those working with churches, social services, etc. have been cut back or closed–many of the staff of these organizations are over 60 and particularly vulnerable to the corona virus.
- Normal donations to those directly seeking survival money through “panhandling” have been discouraged or criminalized under the new emergency regs, enacted without public discussion or vote. The 6′ distancing rule makes exchanges more difficult and less likely even though more necessary than ever.
- Public transportation options have been restricted or shut down, making access to what limited resources there are even more problematic.
- Mayor
Cummings has issued no calls for an emergency Council meeting to pass
elementary measures already done in other cities like a moratorium
on rents. A weak Santa Cruz moratorium eviction law provides little
protection as workers are encouraged to work under unsafe conditions to
pay rent.
- City Manager Martin Bernal & the City Council majority continue a long history of resisting the expansion of basic services for the less privileged in town.
- Supervisor Coonerty and the Board of Supervisors have declined to provide county-wide resources
in an equitable and sensible fashion.
- The health of the community depends on our community action through a direct and united response by Direct Action.
- Up to now we have seen how “concerned” and “effective” local authorities have been in meeting the needs of renters and those outside.
- Meekly following the dictates of authority in this crisis has not in the past, nor likely in the future, to be a wise, health-providing, and productive course.
- We must confront directly, clearly, persistently, loudly and immediately to secure the basic survival needs of the community in the current crisis. Join with others to take peaceful Direct Action independently and this Sunday.
- With
washed hands and care to keep physical distance, bring food and
yourselves to the 1 PM -6 PM FNB meal to sustain the survival effort and
take
the necessary future steps. Support the SC Homeless Union legal action
(if it ever comes) and the Footbridge Services (Brent Adams Day/Night
Storage).
- Contact Food Not Bombs (575-770-3377), HUFF (831-423-4833), or the Santa Cruz Homeless Union (831-431-7766) if unable to come for health or other reasons. (454-2200) and you wish to help.
In Search of Action to Open Up Safe CDC Compliant Shelter-in-Place Facilities for Those Outside NOW
An Immodest and Long Overdue Proposal
by Robert Norse (rnorse3 [at] hotmail.com)
Tuesday Apr 7th, 2020 8:45 AM
Please post your reactions to this proposed protest, which mirrors
actions undertaken by nurses, unions, and homeless advocates in other
cities. An earlier version of these suggestions was originally posted on
facebook.
RESTATING THE OBVIOUS
The virus spreads as City Council and the Stupes continue to ignore CDC
guidelines and hoard funding. Waiting until actual symptoms and/or
positive test results finally appear to open up those rooms to the
vulnerable outside is obviously too late. We all know
this, so do they. Time to stop knowing and bleating and start
organizing. If Food not Bombs waited for authority approval or action,
there’d be substantially more hunger, illness, and hopelessness in our
community. Past time for US to act.
CITY COUNCIL TO FIDDLE TODAY AS THE CITY SICKENS
City Council agenda is at
http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/…/city…/council-meetings
for the 6 PM meeting tonight. They have graciously provided their usual
token public comment before the rubberstamping period. Phone numbers
are · . 1-669-900-9128 1-346-248-7799 1-301-715-8592
1-312-626-6799 1-646-558-8656 1-253-215-8782
If one is busy, try the next one (sez the printed agenda on line).
· Enter the meeting ID number: 379-565-623
When prompted for a Participant ID, press #.
Press *9 on your phone to “raise your hand” when the Mayor calls for public comment.
” It will be your turn to speak when the Mayor unmutes you. You will
hear an announcement that you have been unmuted. The timer will then be
set to 2 minutes” Of course, you’ll be “allowed” to speak on two items:
the Election results (i.e. Real Estatesters
recall of Krohn and Glover) (item 1) and more power to police agencies
to shut down dissent (item 3). The comments of the vultures who are
replacing Glover and Krohn (Beiers and Golder) will stand unchallenged.
And there will be “off topic” Oral Communications.
The point is not that this charade has any more meaning than City
Council meetings in the past (less, with the amputation of Glover and
Krohn). But rather that this is an opportunity for us to organize and
focus around this basic issue: immediate provision–or
seizure–of Motel rooms for shelter-in-place for the good not just of
the homeless, but for everyone.
SPEAK OUT TO ORGANIZE SAFE PROTEST
In other words, speak up under items 1 and 3 to demand immediate action
and announce protest actions–not because the Council will do anything
other than rubberstamp the staff’s proposals, but rather to get the word
out and encourage others who feel isolated
to band together in solidarity.
USING CARS TO PROTEST SAFELY
I propose a safe-and-peaceful but loud-and-prominent protest in vehicles
focusing on the City officials with power (Bernal, Mills, Cummings,
O’Hara) and County officials (Elissa Benson, Jessica Scheiner, and
Tatiana Brennan ) as suggested at
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/06/18832134.php
“Lobby for your Life: Suggestions from Laura”. Give the babbling
bureaucrats and the hotel hoarders an immediate demand to act within 48
hours or face strong direct peaceful (and hopefully constitutionally
protected) protests.
THE CITY’S CURRENT “DIE SOONER, SAVE MONEY LATER”
SHELTER HUDDLED TOGETHER TOKEN ACTIONS
While we wait and worry, vulnerable asymptomatic homeless people are
squeezed into the Vets Hall, the Armory, and Laurel St.—all large
contained rooms that violate CDC guidelines. Meanwhile motel rooms and
real estate properties sit empty as Santa Cruz Homeless
Union activists like Alicia Kuhl, Food Not Bombs workers like Keith
McHenry, and alternative social service providers like Brent Adams
expose the toxic absurdity of preserving privilege as the community ship
sinks.
The dangerous psuedo-shelter plan is happening as police, deputies, and
security thugs run homeless people out into the rain and harass
encampments–again, violating the CDC guidelines and threatening
community health.
Waiting for this to spread as facilities are kept empty is cruel, crazy,
and costly—to the entire Community. WE must act now to stop this by
whatever means are necessary.
TO COMMENT GO TO: “An Immodest and Long Overdue Proposal” at
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/07/18832146.php
Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides streams today (4-5-20) at freakradio.org Flashback Free 5 1/2 Hours of Interviews, Updates, and Recent Reportage Around the City/County’s Refusal to Safely Shelter and Support the Homeless in Place
RUMORS OF FREE RADIO GOING BACK ON THE AIR SOON AT LOWER TRANSMISSION ! WHO KNOWS?!!
BUT WE’RE STILL OFFERING A REWARD IF ANYONE FINDS US A STUDIO SITE! EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY AND YOURSELF BY
HELPING US OUT !
IT’S A FLAT FAT $300 IF YOU FIND US A STUDIO SPACE WE CAN RENT FOR A YEAR
AND WE’D STILL APPRECIATE TIPS TOWARDS A TRANSMITTER SITE LOCATION !
PHONE IN UPDATES AT 831-423-4833 OR MAIL THEM TO RNORSE3@HOTMAIL.COM
Free Radio Santa Cruz stands ready to dole out
$300 for info leading to a 10′ X 10′ studio space with bathroom, internet, and
electrical
access–either indoors or out (we’ll build a structure). We’re also seeking a transmitter space where we can put up an
antenna–a backyard, a multistory home, a high tree–help us spread the word. Help us so we can help you!
Today’s show streams at freakradio.org and archives at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html
ON TODAY’S SHOW:
***
Watching the
Witless Spin Their Wheels: 6 PM Shitty Council Meeting Coming up April
7th to Replace Councilmembers Glover and Krohn with Real Estate Lobby
Replacements Golder and Beiers.
***
“Bank on
the Bureaucrats” Brent Adams Says Harsh Criticism of the City’s “Safe
Shelter Only When You Get Sick” is Reserved for Activists Only
*** “Katzenjammer” Keith McHenry Reports City Claims It Will Stop Harassment of
Food Not Bombs But the Vets Hall/Laurel St./Armory Provide No Real Protection for the Homeless or the City
*** March 25th Reports from the Town Clock’s
FNB/SC Homeless Union/HUFF COVID-19 Survival Center Before It was Fenced Away
*** Trekking Around the Town with the Survival Center as SCPD Chief Andy Mills Runs the Food Service All Over Town.
*** March 26th: “Casehardened Cooper” D’Angelo Phones in a Report on their Callous Kidnapping and Property Theft by the SCPD
*** “Frontline” Phil Posner Reports on his Bikes ‘n Bagels Operation Even as Everyone Else Flees Indoors
*** March 30th: “Visionsong” Valerie Reports on the Shape of the Shutdown Downtown
*** April 2nd: “Whip ’em Into Shape” Wes White Mixes Gloom and Optimism in his
Salinas “Still No Safe Shelter Rooms to Stop the Spread” Report
*** “Nutcracker” Nick Whitehead Wonders at City Council’s “Shut Out the Community” 3-24 Meeting
Most Recent Archived Overflow Interviews at
http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html :
Early April Interviews with Keith
Late March Interviews with Keith
4-2-20 Peter Marin Interview
Recent Past Shows are Described at
http://huffsantacruz.org/wordpress/Many Earlier Shows are Described at
http://www.huffsantacruz.org/brb-descriptions.html
Earliest Shows are Described at
http://huffsantacruz.org/archivemain.html
Act Locally or Regret Later
-
Join the
Food Not Bombs, Santa Cruz Homeless Union, HUFF, Community Center
at the Benchlands–struggling for volunteers–the only daily food
service for those outside 1 PM and 4 PM daily .
- Call Alicia Kuhl, President of the Union of the Homeless to see if the Union’s weekly Sunday meeting is on or off at 831-431-7766.
- Call City Hall (420-5020) and the Board of Supervisors (454-2200) or Rattle the Windows of these Toxic Pretenders where They Live to demand Immediate Motel Vouchers (indoor shelter) for the entire homeless population during the crisis so they can shelter-in-place as recommended by the CDC.
-
Insist that City Manager Bernal and Chief Mills stop the sweeps of homeless encampments–violating the CDC directive.
- Prepare for peaceful Direct Action to enact this health measure if City Manager Bernal, Mayor Cummings, and Chief Mills continue to Stall.
-
Contact Bathrobespierre Robert for final word on what form if any the weekly Wednesday HUFF meeting will take (normally 4-8).
- Demand “Bad News” Bernal Order His Cops to Stand off and Allow Homeless Activists to Reopen Camp Phoenix, remain where they are without molestation (stop the sweeps!), and/or allow for self-run triage zones now that Governor Newsom has declared that area surplus space to be designated for homeless use.
- Denounce the latest cosmetic “See, We Have Shelter” lie with the pathetic and all-in-the-same-room response of the Vet’s Hall, the Armory, and Laurel St instead of the needed and promised motel rooms. These need to be provided BEFORE symptoms develop, BEFORE testing, TARGETING the most vulnerable but providing for all during the crisis.
- Demand immediate transfer of money to shelter the many rather than provide an illusion by unsafely sheltering a few, while really providing protective cover to the City Council and Board of Supervisors for essentially doing nothing for the great majority and allowing Mills’ police-and-rangers to threaten campsites with seizure and arrest at will as police are the only large gang allowed to publicly assemble.
- Contact Chief Mills at amills@cityofsantacruz.com to demand fundamental changes such as that seized survival gear be available for reclaiming during regular business hours, not just 6 hours as week. See https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2019/12/18/police_protest_flyer_12-18-19.pdf
- Hold accountable City Hall NIMBY enablers at all public meetings: Former Mayor Martine Watkins, New Mayor Justin Cummings, City Manager-for-Life Martin Bernal, His Wrecking Crew of Abuse Enablers Susie O’Hara and Megan Bunch, Police Chief Andy Mills, & City Attorney Tony Condotti for Inciting the Ross Camp Destruction, Subsequent Deaths, & the Friday Nov 15th Demolition of Camp Phoenix (the renewed Deseire Memorial Survival Encampment in back of Ross) with a campaign of lies to the community regarding “adequate shelter options”.
-
Support the (hopefully) forthcoming lawsuit by the
Union of the Homeless demanding real and not token shelter
protection for the 1000+ outside–demanding action now lest hospital
facilities be overwhelmed as the virus spreads.
-
Remember
Deseire Quintero–Killed by City Indifference, Negligence, and Malice
in Closing the First Ross Camp Without Any Adequate Shelter! Support
Survival Campgrounds, Empty Building Takeovers This Plague Season
Wherever They Happen. Provide them with supplies.
- Take peaceful action to open up buildings for Emergency Shelter as well as an end to harassment citation of folks surviving outside under “trespass on public property”, “closed area”, “public nuisance” and “blocking the sidewalk” pretexts;
- Witness, oppose, and document police and ranger harassment using “closed areas”, “blocking the sidewalk”, “public nuisance”, “public trespass”, and “illegal lodging” to get around the Boise v. Martin “No shelter? No tickets!” decision.
-
Demand
City Manager “Mangler” Martin Bernal and SCPD Police Chief
“Ambushmaster” Andy Mills account for their destruction of Camp Phoenix
ignoring
City Council’s required Standard Operating Procedures for closing
encampments and violating their own admission that “trespass” could not
be properly applied to the survival sleepers. Remember the bad history
so it’s not repeated!
·
Contact Kuhl of the Homeless Union to find more direct and
effective ways to support the next shelter-in-place encampments
throughout the City starved of food and survival gear at 831-431-7766.
DONATE SURVIVAL GEAR & VOLUNTEER DURING THE CRISIS
EVERY DAY AT FOOD NOT BOMBS BENCHLANDS MEAL.
· Document Homeless Discrimination & Sign Up for Direct Action to “Open the Bathrooms Now!” Action by contacting the SC Union, HUFF, Conscience & Action, or the Give-A-Shit Campaign
·
Provide
Direct Support to Survival Camps & Squats as City Council Ignores
the Emergency; Skip the Poverty Pimp Entrepreneurs to
give directly to Food Not Bombs, the Felker St. Footbridge Services, the SC Homeless Union and other
real providers.
·
Post Your Documentation of Police and Ranger “Move Along” Mischief or Pass it on to BadAss Mama at 831-431-7766
· Donate to Existing Homeless Encampments, NOT Poverty-Pimp Posturers– Survival Demands Blankets, Water, Tarps, Portapotties & Trash Pick-Up’s–and Deter Police Harassment by being On Call to Document It.
· Additional Needs for Community Samaritans!–More Needs: Potable Water for Drinking, Laundry Access so Clothes Don’t Mildew, and More Space in Additional Spots, Monitor and Expose Cop Crackdowns
· Support Food Not Bombs, the Warming Center’s Day/Night Storage Program, HUFF, Conscience and Action,Santa Cruz Union of the Homeless by documenting, providing resources, & publicizing the situation.
- Check out The Santa Cruz Community, Santa Cruz Homeless Advocates & Homeless Outside in Santa Cruz, Monterey County Homeless Advocates, SNAIL, HEART Disabled Homeless People, Power Surge Tenants Rights, Bay Area Landless People’s Alliance, and more on Facebook..then go out and do something!
- Read Updates and Post Them on Santa Cruz Indymedia at https://www.indybay.org/santa-cruz/
- Exchange information with other supporters there to generate more communication and better solutions in the future.
- Listen in to Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides at freakradio.org Thursdays 6-8 PM, Sundays 9:30 AM- 3 PM
- Hear archived shows at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html . Call in with street reports and commentary: 831-335-4844
- If you must, expropriate items from corporate & chain stores. Don’t steal from vulnerable fellow homeless or local businesses!
A Santa Barbara Activist Responds to the Deathly Silence and Social Service Evasions in Santa Barbara
NORSE’S NOTES: Writer and activist Peter Marin (https://msu.edu/~jdowell/135/PMarin.html) has
this angry and familiar interchange with Kimberlee Albers, “Homeless Assistance” Program Manager in Santa Barbara
(https://www.noozhawk.com/article/hand_washing_stations_arrive_in_santa_barbara_county_20200319
). The arguments and toxic
duck-the-issue deficiencies are mirrored here in Santa Cruz’s
reassure-a-lot do-nothing wait-until-folks-are-already-infected-before-providing-shelter “solutions”.
The National Homeless Union on Thursday presented two hours of organizational peptalk and numerous local reports at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgBEB3lv4lc
with local activists Keith McHenry presenting the grim Santa
Cruz picture. If and exactly how local activists can coalesce and
push back–or create their own solutions by using ties with renters,
elders, disabled folks, immigrants, and the expendable in other cities,
is really the big question.
Few activist groups are braving police
threats and the very real danger of infection by providing service and
taking action to address issues the City and County are stalling on
(motel shelter, food services, decent sanitary measures,
providing survival necessities like tents, tarps, blankets, etc.). But
if folks are willing to go out to address their own necessities, it’s
not merely compassion but common sense to demand and provide life-saving
provisions and demand policies. What kills
those outside will kill those inside.
Irregular reports, interviews, and updates are available archived at
http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html
Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides netcast streams tonight 4-2-20 at 6 PM at freakradio.org: Interviews and Updates from The Town Clock Survival Center Before and After at its New Benchland Location Plus Interviews with Kevin, Keith, Rafa, and Mike True
Check out the show at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html
.
New postings and interviews from the last few days at
http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html
See Plague Files 1,2, and 3. And Future Plague Files yet to be posted.
ON TODAY’S SHOWxxx
“Catch Up” Kevin on Coffeetime at the Town Clock 3-22 before it was fenced off.
xxx More reports from the Clock by “Katzenjammer” Keith 3-22
xxx Speakin’ and Sippin’ on Sunday 3-22 at the Clock: George, Picasso Jeff, Weary Foodserver, & Julioxxx Food Not Bombs proposed Memorandum of Understanding for the City on safe foodserving.xxx “Melodymonger” Mike True’s New Orleans Report
xxx
https://crimethinc.com/2020/03/18/surviving-the-virus-an-anarchist-guide-capitalism-in-crisis-rising-totalitarianism-strategies-of-resistance
xxx Roughtalking with “Ride Along” Rafa on the City and County’s “Efforts”
TAKE OUR MONEY, PLEASE !
STUDIO SITE REWARD STILL AVAILABLE !
Free Radio Santa Cruz
stands ready to dole out $300 for info leading to a 10′ X 10′ studio
space with bathroom, internet, and electrical access–either indoors or
out (we’ll build a structure). We’re also seeking a transmitter space
where we can put up an antenna–a backyard,
a multistory home, a high tree–help us spread the word. Help us so
we can help you!
HUFF calls for food prep/server volunteers for joint activist effort spreadheaded by Food Not Bombs as City “leaders” promise in-place shelter but provide none. NO Noon Meeting Today at the Sub Rosa
Food Not Bombs [FNB] field worker
Keith McHenry reported this morning (April 1st) that the City/County
under the misleadership of City Manager Martin Bernal’s PR fluffer Susie
O’Hara has still not forwarded the Permit that
SCPD Chief Mills is repeatedly threatening closure of FNB over.
McHenry predicts the meal will move from its current swampy isolated
spot in back of the Court building at 701 Ocean St. and/or in San
Lorenzo Benchlands to a more centrally located accessible
area downtown by noon today.
McHenry calls for food preppers and servers to help at the Vet’s Hall at noon today and in the days to come.
No Motel vouchers have reportedly been
given out by the City and County which, according to CACH activist Rafa
Sonnenfeld are pondering, postulating, and preparing a Thursday
response, which Sonnenfeld speculates is tied up
in “financial considerations” of cost. As the virus spreads.
Meanwhile fenced off psuedo-triage
centers around town (such as Lot 17 near the sports stadium), the
parking lot next to the Calvary Episcopal (Red) Church, the area
adjacent to Depot Park, the parking lot next to University
Copy on Front St., and other such “holding pen” areas remain closed.
Portapotties and washing stations are
reportedly insufficiently cleaned and often lacking soap, toilet paper,
and paper towels. The only disability portapotty in the City is behind
a locked fence at 1220 River St. next to
a line of unused and inaccessible portapotties there. The last time a
disabled portapotty was publicly available was at Camp Phoenix last
November, when it was paid for by FNB and the Santa Cruz Homeless Union
before being hauled away by the police under
a hastily fabricated “trespass” complaint. HUFF IS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS
TO DO A DAILY CHECK AND REPORT IN ON THE VARIOUS PORTAPOTTIES AND
PRIMITIVE GARAGE BATHROOMS (often lacking privacy) throughout the City.
Organizations across the country are
calling for a Rent Strike to begin today. McHenry reports folks are
reporting illegal evictions are already occurring locally.
HUFF WILL BE ORGANIZING BY PHONE TO
PREPARE POSSIBLE PROTESTS DEMANDING IMMEDIATE FACILITY ACCESS (i.e.
Motel rooms) before the only option is quarantine areas. CONTACT US AT
831-423-4833 IF YOU’D LIKE TO HELP OR WANT TO
PROVIDE REPORTS.
WE ARE ALSO CONSIDERING WAYS TO
DIRECTLY SUPPORT SAFE PROTESTS BY RENTERS, EMERGENCY WORKERS DEMANDING
DECENT WORKING CONDITIONS, &, OF COURSE, FOLKS OUTSIDE DEMANDING
BASIC HEALTH/HOUSING OPTIONS. SUCH AS BY CAR PROTESTS
AS IS BEING DONE IN OTHER CITIES.
Street Spirit
newspaper distribution
operations are currently suspended, but the Berkeley vendor center is
still reportedly looking for ways to provide some interim support for
vendors whose sales lifeline has
been cut off. When HUFF hears, we’ll let the few vendors we have down
here know.
Frequent
local updates can be found on Facebook under Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs,
Santa Cruz County Homeless Advocates, Homeless Outside in Santa Cruz,
The
Union of the Homeless is slating a National Conference Call for tomorrow if anyone has issues they want me to bring
up.
The
wandering HUFF coffee canister used to supply morning coffee to those
outside which “walked away” last week has been recovered cowering in the
Vet’s Building.