Monthly Archives: May 2020

Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides netcast streams tonight 5-7-20 at 6 PM at freakradio.org: Indoors and Outdoors–Tales from Beneath

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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 Santa Cruz’s Threadbare Update on Homeless COVID-19 Services
xxx Andy “Canary in the Coalmine” Carcello on Deadly Disabled Days
xxx  Tattered Tales from the Yellow Press:    https://nypost.com/2020/05/05/over-one-thousand-nypd-cops-set-to-remove-subway-homeless/?   https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/05/05/soquel-adventist-camp-eyed-for-state-emergency-homeless-trailers/    &  more
xxx  Streetspeak Podcast from SF Coalition on Homelessness: What Is An Encampment Sweep?


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 Call for Phone Connections: A HUFFster or two may be lingering at the Food Not Bombs meal today (5-6-20) at 1 PM at Laurel and Front St. to gather reports, distribute some supplies.

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HUFF Contact for Reports:  I’ll be occupied with legal and medical appointments today, but hoping a rep can be present to gather any street reports and check-in’s today at 1 PM at the Food Not Bombs meal at Laurel and Front Sts.  No coffee (sigh).  No paper Street Spirits yet nor financial assistance for vendors. If you have reports, questions, or complaints, please contact me by phone at 831-423-4833.  I will continue netcast reports on Thursday and Sunday as long as information comes in.  Keep it coming!

ONGOING ISSUES

  • Linking Up with “Motels Not Hospital Beds” Movement of the Bay Area & Other Local Groups 
  • Report on Local Motel Room Accessibility.
  • Possible Lobby & Direct Action to Expose City Manager Dithering on Motel Room Access: Caravaning to Politician Lairs
  • Prep for Any 5-12 Council Meeting “Action” 
  • Support for Possible City Action Against Food Not Bombs
  • Reports from Other Homeless Activists Elsewhere (Salinas, Berkeley, Marysville, Monterey)    
  • Tracking Those in Power:  Who are our Key Powerbrokers to Petition and Protest for Opening Motel Rooms under Project Roomkey?  
  • Progress Reports on the 99%: on Encampments outside including San Lorenzo Park, Coral St., the Pogonip: What they need, how they’re faring, new contacts 
  • Rumors of Legal Action to Fight Sweeps, Motel Room Denial, Police Abuse, and Fund Mismanagement
  • Coronavirus Copwatch: Reports on Police, Ranger, Security Thug, and Business Behavior Towards Those Outside  
  • Activists in Other Cities Under Fire:  Supporting Them in Berkeley, Oakland, Marysville, Salinas, and Elsewhere 
  • Still Relevant and Telling: SF Coalition on Homelessness panel of medical experts demands testing now, and immediate movement of crowded shelter residents into individual motel rooms. Still relevant is the press conference & discussion at https://www.facebook.com/CoalitionOnHomelessness/videos/2954977444559143/?  

  • SC Homeless Union Looking:  …for blankets, tents, and other survival gear.  Leave them at the Food Not Bombs meal (see below) or call Alicia at 431-7766.   …for medical professionals working in respiratory therapy, nursing, other life-saving professions willing to write, e-mail, or call city, county, and state officials to open up the motel rooms.  
  • Food Not Bombs [FNB] meal and clothes distribution is still  daily 1-6 PM at the parking lot next to the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union at Laurel & Front.  Weekends the meal will be 4-6 PM.   Food preppers wanted at Vet’s Hall weekends noon.
  • Still unanswered questions:
  • How many of those crammed into unhealthy shelters have been offered the option of motel rooms rather than the dangerous conditions in the Vet’s Hall, the Armory, the Laurel St. shelter, Page Smith Community House, and the Paul Lee Loft?  
  • Why are no City Council members demanding these figures from the City Managers Bernal & O’Hara?
  • Of those in the unhealthy shelters, how many have been tested for COVID-19?  How many are sick?   How many have recovered? 
  • Where’s the FEMA and Governor’s funding specifically for those motel rooms?  How much is left?  How was it spent?
  • Why isn’t Santa Cruz doing what San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other Counties are doing: Immediately Housing Vulnerable Folks Now!
  • What are the priorities–are the most vulnerable but not yet ill or COVID-19 infected–to be last while waiting for the sickness to hit?
  • Metro Bathrooms Still Closed?:  Even during the day?    While conditions are improving, some portapotties and washing stations are reportedly insufficiently cleaned and lack water, toilet paper, and paper towels  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.. We checked a few during the Tour of Shame last Sunday, but need to do so more thoroughly and regularly.
  • Rent strike reports?: FNB reports folks reporting illegal evictions continue.  And vacant buildings remain vacant as the virus spreads.   Contact Tenant Sanctuary with reports of illegal evictions at (831)200-0740 .
  • HUFF MAY BE ORGANIZING BY PHONE to support the demand for Motel rooms before the only option  is quarantine areas.  CONTACT US AT 831-423-4833 OR RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL IF YOU’D LIKE TO HELP OR WANT TO PROVIDE REPORTS.
  • Frequent local updates can still be found on Facebook under Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs, Santa Cruz County Homeless Advocates, Homeless Outside in Santa Cruz, SCCCP (Santa Cruz and Central Coast Politics), Monterey County Homeless Advocates, The Santa Cruz Community, (SF) Coalition on Homelessness.  More distant updates:  homelesstimes.com, http://homelessperspective.com, https://wraphome.org/,

HISTORICAL REMINDERS 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 may be updated more frequently.
  • Recent shutdowns at the Library, Louden Nelson, the Metro, the publicly sponsored Bookshop Santa Cruz, closed restaurants and businesses make this situation ever more dangerous both for folks outside and the broader community.
  • 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.  Funding exists, promises are made, promises are broken.
  • 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.  Support those panhandling on the medians and elsewhere.
  • Public transportation options have been restricted or shut down, making access to what limited resources there are even more problematic.
  • Mayor Cummings has still not issued no calls for an emergency Council meeting to pass elementary measures already done in other cities like a moratorium on rents. 
  • City Manager Martin Bernal & the City Council majority continue their 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.
  • The current Corona Virus crisis has prompted City and County to grudgingly and partially expand the unhealthy indoor shelter services (in violation of CDC guidelines) and to provide some long overdue portapotties and wash stations, but not in key locations like the Levy and Felker St.
  • Overcrowding is being encouraged in San Lorenzo Park by the police pressure.
  • 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.
  • With washed hands and care to keep physical distance, bring food and yourselves to the noon food serving to sustain the survival effort and take the necessary future steps.
  • 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.

Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides streams today (5-3-20) at freakradio.org Ridiculous Rhetoric from the Council Clan; May Day Protest; Flashback to October 2, 1997

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Today’s show streams at freakradio.org and archives at http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html  

ON TODAY’S SHOW:   

***  The Rosy Rhetoric of Assistant City Mangler Susie O’Hara and her New Sidekick Brooke Newman at the 4-28 City Council Chatterthon 

***  Seaside Report from Anton Van Hunter of Robert’s Lake Camp

***  Another View of the Payoff for the Oakland Police Pawlawk Murder https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/04/27/oakland-settles-for-1-4-million-with-family-of-homeless-man-killed-by-police-in-2018/

***  Wary Wanderer Wes White and Bathrobespierre Robert Review the April 24 “Hotels Not Hospitals” Protest

***  Culling the Prison Population–https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/California-prisons-report-194-COVID-19-cases-15235154.php

***  Waiting for the Cola4All Protest at the FNB Survival Center with Keith McHenry, Mario, & Greg

***  Why bother with Safe Hotels when you can Pack ’em in the Park?–San Francisco Ducks Guidelines: https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Plan-could-put-tents-for-homeless-in-parks-15235823.php

***  Mike Rhodes’ May Day statement from Fresno

***  FNB/Protest Interviews cont.: Greg, Peter of UCSC, Brenda and Noah, Stan

***  Long-Delayed Court Machinery Creaks Into Action:  https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/04/29/coding-and-cannabis-santa-clara-county-to-expunge-thousands-of-marijuana-convictions/ 

***  Loud voices at Whole Foods Demand Worker Protection,

***  Contentious Outreach Reaches Agreement–a Passionate Debate Has a Productive Outcome 

***  UCSC’s Homeless Snail Movement Speaks in Support 

***  Backhanding “Bye Bye” Bernie on the Jimmy Dore Show

FLASHBACK TO 10-2-1997

  • Beggarbacker Becky Johnson–Video Documenter, Lone Voice on the Citizens Committee for the Homeless on the Sleeping Ban Initiative and   Youth Curfews
  •  Johnson vs. KSCO Conservative Railer D.A. Gault (“Dag”)
  •  Tenants Rights Union’s Donna Deiss Facing Retaliatory Eviction, the Union’s Proposals to Protect Tenants
  •  9-29 Bruce Reports on Officer Over’s False Citation of a Street Artist
  •  Everett Jones Jackson Accuses Officer LaFavor of “Confiscating” $300+ with No Receipt with 5 Witnesses
  •  Bench Removal from Pacific Avenue
  •  Confronting Officer LaFavor on the Theft Accusation
  •  Lighthouse Linda Lemaster of Housing Now in Santa Cruz and Carlotta Wilcott of Western Service Worker’s Association on Welfare Decapitation

Most Recent Archived Overflow Interviews at

http://www.huffsantacruz.org/Lostshows.html  

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 [FNB], Santa Cruz Homeless Union, HUFF, Community Center at the Laurel & Pacific struggling for volunteers
  • 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 urgent Direct Action to enact these health measures 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 4-20).
  • 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:  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 Laurel & Front St. 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!

REMINDER:   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!

Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides netcast streams tonight 4-30-20 at 6 PM at freakradio.org: Bit and Snatches But No Progress Towards Providing Hotel Rooms for the Vulnerable Outside

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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 Background on the Bad Days from Brent Adams


xxx Crumbs from the City Council: Happy Talk from City Mangler Martin Bernal and Happy Helpers O’Hara and Newman


xxx  Warmer Winds from Wes White in Monterey County


xxx  Steppin’ Out and Shouting Loud in Sacramento:  Report from Cat Williams

xxx  Abbi Samuels Updates Jessica York (https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/04/24/santa-cruz-towing-rules-fuzzy-for-people-living-in-vehicles-during-shelter-in-place-orders/?)


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!