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