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