Category Archives: HOT ISSUES

Santa Cruz County Homeless Union President Launches RV Park-In Protest

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WHY A PROTEST NOW?

Recent renewal of harassment of RV dwellers along Woodrow has prompted Alicia Kuhl of the SC Homeless Union to organize a Park-In to protest the threatening vigilante behavior. This morning, homeless activist Alicia Kuhl posted the following facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/388202455136850/:

“Park In/Protest. We are hosting a 72 hour park in on the corner of Woodrow & Westcliff near the end of Pelton. Starting tonight for 72 hours. Please come and park, share food, talk, or just park. Bring signs! We have a right to park for 72 hours, harassment is illegal, everybody has a right to live etc. See you there. Fight Poverty NOT The Poor! Can you hear me?????” ❤❤


 Alicia advised me by phone that she had contacted the SCPD after recent harassment from a neighbor posting a “We Watch Our Area; This is Not a Campground” notice on her car. She had a fifteen minute phone conversation with an officer she described as condescending and dismissing. She and other vehicle dwellers decided it was time to renew a basic public demands on Chief Andy Mills’ department–originally made months ago.

DEMANDS OF THE DEMONSTRATION
The demand: that Mills direct his officers to advise vigilantes calling in with repeated (and often false) complaints that false complaints to the police are a misdemeanor and punishable by fine and imprisonment. In the past, Kuhl reports experiencing repeated contacts with police who warn her they’ve been told her RV was parked past the 72 hour limit. Alicia claims these are repeated false complaints–since she moves her RV regularly.
West Side Neighbors, local anti-homeless NIMBY’s, have been organizing apparently to map out “strategies” of harassment. See at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/05/16/18823461.php

 

Parks and Recreation Commission Meets Today at 4 PM To Keep Louden Nelson Bathrooms Shut to the Public

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Parks and Rec Set to Sabotage Glover “Open the Bathrooms” Proposal
Date 7/1/2019
Time 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Event Type Meeting
Organizer/Author Robert Norse
Email rnorse3 [at] hotmail.com
Phone 831 423-4833
Location Details
Santa Cruz Council Chambers at 809 Center St.
BATHROOM BUFFONERY ON TODAY’S AGENDA
Item #4 on the P & R Agenda today is Hours of Public Facilities (for bathrooms over seen by their department. That’s most of the public ones.

Instead of directing Tony Elliot to immediately reopen the Louden Nelson bathrooms–closed to the public since March 2018, the staff proposal supports continued closure. As a kind of “split the baby” diversion, the pro-closure staff report also suggests forwarding to City Council a second proposal to require City Council vote before any further closure of bathrooms

This might also include portapotties–the night-time bathrooms for poor and unhoused people. That proposal was part of a packet of items presented by Councilmember Glover back in January-February, but set aside by Mayor Watkins.

THE PROPOSAL
Today’s hearing on item #4 covers the two recommendations–specifically:
“That the Parks & Recreation Commission consider the request to modify Santa Cruz Municipal Code 13.04.011 to establish a new provision that park closures lasting more than 14 days must have City Council authorization; and
That the Parks & Recreation Commission consider the request to support the current administrative policy to provide restroom facilities at Louden Nelson Community Center to patrons using the facility for classes, programs, or other scheduled uses.”
The staff report makes no mention of any actual evidence requiring the locking down of the bathrooms last spring. This coincided with the closing of the San Lorenzo campground that sent homeless people streaming into the parks and neighborhoods. Meanwhile an anti-homeless fence was created around the adjacent Laurel Park & First Alarm security “guards” sent in to patrol the park. this aligns withthe homeless-hostile measures by the Terrazas, Mathews, Robinson, & Bryant Councils–a new normalized-discrimination narrative.

HISTORY OF STRUGGLE
In one of the candidate forums in the fall of 2016, 8 of the candidates, including the conservative-reactionaries agreed that Louden Nelson bathrooms should be reopened “immediately.”

Conscience and Action has held meetings with City Manager Martin Bernal and P & R Director Tony Eliot. It has also engaged in public protests in front of the P & R department, at City Hall, and at Louden Nelson last year and petitioned the Council to act to restore the traditional open status of the bathrooms.

Last year the local ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) weighed in demanding reopening of the bathrooms there and moved its meetings away from the Center in protest. See https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/06/09/18815564.php .

As an outgrowth of the Freedom Sleepers and the subsequent Survival Sleepers actions of 2015-2017, the “Give a Shit” campaign arose urging reopening of the City Hall bathrooms–closed by City Manager Martin Bernal to “discourage” protest and homeless use. (See https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/05/19/18786558.php)

THE STALL CONTINUES
Aided by a fourth vote from Vice-Mayor Justin Cummings to delay action until a “Charter” is created, City Council’s Watkins-Mathews reactionary minority has stalled any action on the issue (and none is currently scheduled). First delayed until August, the issue has been further stalled until action by the Community Advisory Homeless Committee (CaCH) which is not likely to report anything out for 3-4 months at the earliest.

TOILET TRAINING FOR THE ELDERLY, DISABLED, & UNHOUSED?

Private attempts to fill the “bathroom gap” created by City Council and P & R’s refusal to restore bathrooms were thwarted by city action removing a privately-fundeed portapotty. See “Further Developments in Poo Poo Politics” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/06/13/18815669.php?show_comments=1#18815707

The 8 portapotties (2 of them disabled accessible for the first time) and 3 wash stations finally set up at the Ross Camp before it was destroyed by police and rangers have not been replaced since their removal in early May.

Ironically, it was concerns about preventing a Hepatitis A out break initially led to the setting up of portapotties first at the San Lorenzo campground in 2017, and then at Ross Camp in 2019.

EARLIER ARTICLES
–“Liberate Locked Lavatories” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/09/30/18817923.php
–“Bathrooms, Winter Survival, and Community Caring — A Rally — Join Us!” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/09
–“Pee & Poo Protest: Reopen Essential Bathrooms for the Public and the Poor” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/07/14/18816456.php
–“Santa Cruz City Manager Refuses to Reopen Louden Nelson/San Lorenzo Park Bathrooms” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/07/08/18816393.php
–“Bathroom Baloney–Expanded Speech to City Council on its anti-homeless restrooms policies” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/06/13/18815669.php
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Standing Up at City Council and in the Community To Attacks on Homeless Residents in Vehicles

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Raising Some Issues at Oral Communications
by Robert Norse & Alicia Kuhl (rnorse3 [at] hotmail.com)
Wednesday May 29th, 2019 10:16 AM
Continued delay and inaction on providing homeless shelter and services (to say nothing of civil rights) for homeless folks was the silent part of yesterday’s Santa Cruz City Council agenda. Several of us raised issues at Oral Communications
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original image (2338×1700)
CALLING OUT CHIEF MILLS
Many months ago, Alicia Kuhl and other RV-dwellers held a press conference at the police station. She and others asked Chief Mills (who attended) to advise the public and his enforcement staff to stop harassing those whose vehicles are their homes who are legally parked. And to advise noisy and hostile NIMBY’s that making frivolous, malicious, or false complaints about folks in vehicles overstaying the 72 hour limit was itself a crime. He declined to do.

See “The Vandwellers Meet the Police Chief: Relearning Sad Facts” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/01/16/18820421.php ,

See also “Sentinel presents Sympathetic Story on Van Dweller Harassment, Ducks Police Accountability” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/01/19/18820463.php

SQUEEZING IN A CRITIQUE AT CITY COUNCIL
At the City Council last night, Alicia Kuhl, Santa Cruz Homeless Union activist, presented and distributed a speech calling out SCPD Police Chief Andy Mills comments on “John Green”‘s “Santa Cruz Looks Like Shit” page.

She believes Mills incites vigilante violence. Mills sites “Green” as a facebook friend. Mills, Alicia noted, provided a recent news flash to needle distribution opponents noting Denise Elerich’s Harm Reduction application was withdrawn. Alicia accuses Mills of not removing his post from the “SCLLS” website where some posters advocate vigilante violence against folks living in their RV’s.

She presented screen shots of the website, and also urged the community to oppose vigilante activity, quoting numerous facebook posters who seem to be urging or enabling it (see attached flyer of speech).

WATKINS REPRESSION DETERRING SPEAKERS?
Unlike last Council meeting, all speakers were able to speak for two minutes, though Watkins for the second time barred all group presentations. Also the abrupt cutoff of speakers and subsequent clearing of the chambers at the last meeting may have discouraged some from coming to speak. At least one man who stood in line behind me, said he’d given up and wouldn’t bother to speak since the Mayor would probably not allow it.

I commented during my speech (also attached) that the City Council “Progressives” don’t seem interested in extending Oral Communications to allow all there to speak–even for the limited 2 minutes (several years ago it was 3 minutes).

Last time Councilmembers Sandy Brown and Justin Cummings joined the repressive Watkins/Mathews minority to vote down a proposed extension of Oral Communications time–resulting in a tumultuous delay as people protested.

MORE VIGILANTE THREATS
Kuhl also posted on the facebook page of Santa Cruz County Homeless Advocates a video of a “Santa Cruz Looks Like Shit” poster under the name Jeremy Hoekstra harassing and threatening a man sitting on the sidewalk outside the Bike Church. (See https://www.facebook.com/groups/SantaCruzCountyHomelessAdvocates/ for May 27th).

SPEAKERS AT CITY COUNCIL
Numerous speakers at City Council called out the City Council majority (now enabled by Vice-Mayor Justin Cummings) for enabling a corrupt agenda process excluding key issues like rent control, survival encampments, and restored public process at City Council.

Frances Pain recalls stumbling and falling on the sidewalk with groceries tumbling everywhere–ignored by everyone except a homeless man across the street. Tyler suggested that as more and more fall into debt and homelessness, it will be the homeless themselves that will provide real help and guidance.

Curtis Reliford spoke passionately about racial discrimination in Santa Cruz and the tickets he’d been given for his musical vehicular fundraising.

ACTION OPTIONS
I don’t remember any Janus workers speaking but previously several of them talked about wretched working conditions there. So I added to my flyer their announcement of a picket happening 2-4 PM Thursday May 30th at 200 7th Ave.

I’m also posting usual advisory for vandwellers to unite for self-defense and report all threatening behavior by presumptuous NIMBY neighbors.

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/05/29/18823656.php?

Save the Ross Camp:Actions Upcoming!

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Emergency Protest to Defend Those Without Housing

Santa Cruz City Council to vote to violate Martin v. Boise ruling against Cruel and Unusual Treatment.

https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/04/18/18822820.php

 

 

RESIST ROSS CAMP CLOSURE!

HANG TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY!

STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE ROSS CAMP COUNCIL! (flyer)

https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2019/04/21/ross_camo_flyer_4-21_corrected.pdf

Protest and Press Conference to stop the Demolition of the Ross Camp: Protest Tuesday 3:45 PM City Hall [1 Attachment]

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Protest and Press Conference

Tuesday, March 19th 3:45 PM City Hall

Ross Camp Residents & Council Speak Out !

Back the Lawsuit ! No Homeless Bulldozing on April 17th !

Speak Out    Munchables Provided   Bring Friends 

Sunday March 17 4-6 PM Food Not Bombs Main Post Office: Pick up Tally Sheets to Document Shelter Insufficiency at FNB Table  7 PM St.Patrick’s Day Gathering at the Ross Camp

Monday March 18 3 PM Camp Pathway near the Bridge: Ross Council meets with Drew Glover

+++ On 3-12, the entire City Council dumped its February 26th promise to postpone any closure of the Ross Camp until there was adequate shelter or safe sleeping space for the entire population there.

+++ The Council’s “solution”:  Set up shelter for 100 people at the boneyard & another spot.

+++ The “solution” won’t shelter 100-200 Ross residents. It ignores the rest of the homeless population.

+++ The overcrowded Ross camp needs overflow shelter and services now not an April 17th deadline.

+++ Ross camp residents are preparing an Injunction with the assistance of attorney Anthony Prince of the California Homeless Union to force the City to respect the Martin v. Boise decision.  Support the lawsuit!

Flier byHUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) 831-423-4833   www.huffsantacruz.org     3-16-19


FOR THE GRAPHIC VERSION OF THIS FLYER, DOWNLOAD THE PDF !

 

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Attachment(s) from Robert Norse | View attachments on the web

1 of 1 File(s)

2 up flyer_huff_3_16_19.pdf

Fight Back Against Homeless Camp Demolition: Legal Weapons Available Wednesday 2 PM El Rio Mobile Home Park Rec Hall

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Take ‘Em To Court !  Legal Tools for Homeless Resistance

Don’t Wait for Cops to Trash Your Tent & Steal Your Stuff

       1st meeting of the Organizing Legal Committee for the Santa Cruz Homeless Union Wednesday, March 6 at 2:00El Rio Mobile Home Park Rec Hall, 2120 N. Pacific.

       Attorney Anthony Prince will give information on how to make legal filings, fight tickets and provide safe strategies for interacting with the police. He will also facilitate a discussion on organizing self-represented legal resistance to any “Move-Along!” orders for homeless camps for survival campers without shelter options (i..e. nearly everyone).

        A group will be gathering at 1:30 PM Wednesday at the Ross Hero’s Camp and walking to the meeting together as well.

        The Rec Hall is the first building on the right as you enter the park which is at the very end of North Pacific Avenue past Lenz Arts.

        There will be home-baked cake, bread, cheese and refreshments.

        We hope to see you there!  Bring a friend—housed or not!

“The panel held that, as long as there is no option of sleeping indoors, the government cannot criminalize indigent, homeless people for sleeping outdoors, on public property, on the false premise they had a choice in the matter.”             Martin v. City of Boise (9th Cir. 2018) No. 15-35845

California Homeless Union, Conscience in Action, Food Not Bombs, Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom

Flier by Norse & Tucker HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) 423-4833 www.huffsantacruz.org  3-4-19

For more information, to comment and view comments, go to https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/03/05/18821676.php .

Meetings Today–Sub Rosa at 703 Pacific: Conscience & Action 11 AM; HUFF at noon; Attorney Anthony Prince 1 PM; Legal Workshop at the Ross Camp at 2PM

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2-27 MEETINGS AT SUB ROSA

CONSCIENCE AND ACTION IDEAS

  • Prep for the 2 PM Legal Forum Out at Camp Ross
  • Update on Last Night’s City Council Meeting’s Actions and Inaction
  • Round 2 With “Closed Bathrooms” Tony Elliot?
  • Council Procedure Changes Proposed?  Action at the Next Council from the Audience
  • Wresting the $10 million from poverty pimps:  Report on the HEAP, HAP, or COC HQ.
  • Latest RV Harassment Update: Coastal Commission Pressure, Buddy Solidarity, Council Action
  • Continuing Documentation of the Shelter Deficit to Protect the Broader Homeless Community
  • Emergency laundry and shower access for the broader homeless community and Ross.
  • Action targeting a real estate profiteer in conjunction with tenant organizations
  • Meeting with Attorney and Activist Anthony Prince at 1 PM
  • For HUFFsters
  • Conscience and Action  items unfinished of interest to HUFFsters
  • RV Harassment Report from Cynthia and Alicia
  • RV living elsewhere; Reports from Elsewhere (San Diego’s Law)
  • Prepping for the Concentration Camp Solution; Homeless Dumping Out of Town
  • Organizing Ross Camp Support and Satellite Camp Expansion
  • Possible Update on Berkeley activists defending People’s Park against new attacks.
  • FRSC Meeting with Mayor Martine Watkins Friday
  • Tenants in Trouble—demanding real data from the Task Farce, organizing with students, renters, elderly, disabled groups to establish mutual power and solidarity.
  • Homeless (Lack of) Service Center Update–Changes or More of the Same: an Examination of the latest answers from workers inside.
  • Library Situation: Monitoring the Mischief
  • SCPD: demanding revelation of surveillance devices throughout the City, police records on use of force, selective enforcement, tasering, DHS/ICE collusion, racial profiling.  Protests to open the property room during regular SCPD hours daily.
  • MHCAN:  A New Regime with a new Executive Director?  What changes now?
  • Right to Rest Law on State Model as a City Ordinance

Indybay Story with Flyer On Upcoming “Save the Ross Campground” Events

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Save the Ross Campground
by Robert Norse & Keith McHenry (rnorse3 [at] hotmail.com)
Monday Feb 18th, 2019 5:23 PM

The Heroes encampment behind the Gateway-Ross area is under threat of “abatement” according to resolution passed at the 2-12-19 S.C. City Council. The flyer here describes some actions discussed by HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom).
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Download PDF (329.1KB)
Recently Chief Andy Mills of the SCPD visited Ross Camp and gave stern warnings to campers that they would all have to leave by March 15. Some would have to leave town and not return. No future encampments of this sort would be permitted.

Official-looking notices have already been posted (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156853392903820&set=a.489759988819&type=3&theater).

There are no clear records of any Ross campers being housed elsewhere as was supposedly offered by city bureaucrats Susie O’Hara and Tina Shull at Council on February 12th.

Nor do Ross campers feel they want to leave for the proposed waiting lists, night-time only shelter, and other inadequate alternatives being spoken about (though not actually offered).

One camp resident gave her chilling account of Mills’s threats at https://www.facebook.com/alicia.lusterkuhl/videos/2407437002622069/ with an additional short piece at https://www.facebook.com/alicia.lusterkuhl/videos/2407443555954747/.

The federal Miller v. Boise decision, whose precedent is applicable here, bars cities from enforcing laws that criminalize sleeping, camping, resting, or lying where they have no shelter comprehensive alternatives.

Conscience and Action and HUFF will be meeting Wednesday at the Sub Rosa Cafe at 703 Pacific next to the Bike Church 11 AM to 1 PM. Join us.

Broken Promises, Buses to Nowhere: the City Council’s Homeless Solution–the Nationwide “Homeless Bound” Scam

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NOTES BY NORSE:   “Liberal” SCPD Chief Andy Mills showed up at the Ross Encampment last week around the time “Abatement” notices were being posted, to give warnings.
            If you live in distant towns, you will be given (one-way) tickets; if you live in outside Santa Cruz City Limits, you will be forced to leave; if you live in here, you will be evicted by March 15th.  You will never be allowed to form another Ross Camp style survival encampment again.   These were his words as remembered by Mama Shannon, a long-time homeless activist and resident of Ross Camp and as reported to me last night
            Thanks to the key vote that killed a proposal to restore last year’s rent freeze and just eviction protection law, hundreds of Ross camp residents are facing loss of their lodging, belongings, privacy, and safety.  New Councilmember Justin Cummings voted with the Mathews-Watkins majority  to back a slippery City-County plan to offers phantom floor spaces and uncertain prospects of future shelter.  Why?  A cosmetic cover for the joint City-County “eliminate the eyesore” Ross Camp which prompts anxiety from nearby housed residents and tourist-seeking businesses at the Gateway Plaza.
              Cummings made an apparent promise on February 12th that the announced “abatement” might be altered at the February 26th or March 12th Council meetings if it became (even more) obvious that there was insufficient shelter to meet the needs of the Ross residents.  However he also voted for the provision that allowed for closure notices to be posted immediately and has not responded to repeated requests tostop the forced eviction until real guarantees can be provided.
              Santa Cruz also uses the deceptively-termed “Homeward Bound” as part of its one-way-trip-to-nowhere plan to lawlessly deport homeless folks, often in collusion with law enforcement authorities, social service “providers”, business interests, and courts.  This provides the charade with both humanitarian and legal cover.  Last year’s Boise v. Martin decision makes laws that enable arresting homeless folks for sleeping, resting, sitting or lying likely unconstitutional here.
              The makeshift Ross Camp Community was created largely by the unhoused themselves. This was prompted in part by the shameless reduction in even token winter shelter space.  In part by city staff betraying promises to keep open the small and cramped River St. Camp until next April (while actually closing it in October=–thank you  City Manager Martin Bernal, Susie O-Hara and Tina Shull).  And partly by the inevitable explosion of the local homeless population as rents escalate, jobs disappear, and services shrink.
               Police and rangers may have had a plan to use the camp as a concentrating device.  Numerous survival sleepers report being (illegally) driven to the camp under (false) threat of arrest and property seizure.  However, once there, saner and more compassionate heads in the community began to provide food and shelter support.  The City and County were forced by the numbers to provide minimal portapotty, trash, and needle disposal services.
                Keith McHenry of Food Not Bombs announced a nonviolent direct action campaign to establish temporary survival campgrounds in downtown parking garages  (See “This is a Homeless Emergency” at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/02/15/18821195.php )
                 Tomorrow (Tuesday February 19th) is a Special City Council meeting behind held at the Harvey West Clubhouse  326 Evergreen St. at 9 AM where there will be a brief public comment period (http://scsire.cityofsantacruz.com/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=1230&doctype=AGENDA).
                   Wednesday Conscience and Action meets at 11 AM at the Sub Rosa Cafe followed by HUFF at noon to firm up strategies.  Councilmember Glover is reportedly going to be going to an open meeting that night at the Felton Community Hall  6191 Highway 9 in  Felton (6:30 – 8 PM)
                  The Guardian article below documents how widespread the homeless-dumping practice is throughout the U.S.  For more details, video, and commentary, go to https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2017/dec/20/bussed-out-america-moves-homeless-people-country-study .