CUT AND PASTE VERSION OF THE LATEST FLYER:<\/p>\n
SAVE VIBRANT <\/span><\/strong>STREET <\/span><\/strong>LIFE <\/span><\/strong>DOWNTOWN<\/span><\/strong> !<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \n PROTEST, CHOW-DOWN, AND SPEAKOUT !<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22nd 1:30 PM<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n on Pacific Avenue in front of Forever Twenty-One<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \n SING BACK AT CITY COUNCIL <\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 24th <\/span><\/span><\/strong>3 PM <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Council Chambers <\/span><\/strong>809 Center St.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n In a disguised attack on the entire non-commercial street scene, City Council <\/span>will vote <\/span>to<\/span> restrict still further the very limited public space currently allowed the community downtown. Under the guise of health concerns, reducing congestion, and preventing a “trip-and-fall” hazard (none of which is documented), the reactionary new laws <\/span>crowd <\/strong><\/span>street performers, vendors, homeless people,<\/strong><\/span>tablers, <\/span>local residents, <\/span>&<\/span> tourists <\/span>together. <\/span>This will<\/span>classify<\/span>95% of the sidewalk as <\/strong><\/span>sterile<\/strong><\/span> \u201cforbidden zones\u201d <\/strong><\/span>with no<\/span> resting, vending, or performing. This <\/span>attack on street counter-culture <\/strong><\/span>has nothing to do with <\/span>\u201cbad behavior.\u201d <\/strong><\/span>It’s <\/span>about <\/span>\u201cbigot aesthetics\u201d-<\/strong><\/span>& homeless cleansing <\/strong><\/span>clearing <\/span>away <\/span>visible poverty, traditional Santa Cruz diversity, and political activis<\/span>m<\/span>. <\/span>Council staff <\/span>took<\/span>no input from th<\/strong><\/span>ose targeted. <\/strong><\/span>They provided no info on the<\/span> costs of current selective enforcement,<\/strong><\/span> nor stats of real problems.<\/span>This merchant monopolization of sidewalk space is part of a broader \u201cdrive the homeless away\u201d agenda.<\/span> +++ <\/span>Reduc<\/strong><\/span>es<\/strong><\/span>total <\/strong><\/span>availab<\/strong><\/span>l<\/strong><\/span>e space 4\/5 <\/strong><\/span>to <\/strong><\/span>exclude<\/strong><\/span> 95% of the sidewalk <\/strong><\/span>by expanding the \u201cforbidden zones\u201d to 14′ from<\/span> buildings, street corners, intersections, kiosks, drinking fountains, public telephones, public benches, public trash co<\/span>ntainers<\/span>, information\/directory signs, sculptures or artwork, ATM-style machines, outside street cafes, vending carts, and fences. <\/span>This bans sitting on any sidewalk that is narrower than 14′ (no <\/strong>sidewalk <\/strong>use <\/strong>in other business districts <\/strong>at all if <\/strong>buildings adjoin<\/strong>).<\/p>\n +++<\/span> In conjunction with Santa Cruz’s unique \u201cMove Along Every Hour\u201d law<\/strong><\/span>, police can then ban individuals from any one spot for 24 hours & require them to move 100′–further reducing \u201clegal\u201d spots.<\/span> <\/span>DOWNTOWN FOR ALL ! <\/strong><\/em><\/span>NOT JUST THE RICH, CONSERVATIVE, & FEARFUL <\/strong><\/span> +++ <\/span>E-mail City Council a<\/strong><\/span>t citycouncil [at] cityofsantacruz.com<\/a> .and demand these ordinances be <\/span>reviewed for cost, effectiveness, impact, and unintended consequences. <\/span>Send them back to <\/span>citizen<\/span> committee<\/span>s <\/span>for<\/span> public input.<\/span>
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\nTHE NEW LAW<\/span>S AS AMENDED<\/span>
\n<\/span>+++ <\/span>Extend<\/strong><\/span>s<\/strong><\/span> the Smoking Ban to the side streets <\/strong><\/span>one block in either direction from Pacific Avenue, including all alleys & side streets <\/span>&<\/span> to<\/span> to all surface parking lots between Laurel Street <\/span>&<\/span> Water St. <\/span>perhaps private parking lots as well. <\/span>Ignores that<\/span> current law already bans smoking 25′ from a door or window <\/strong><\/span>in the side streets.<\/strong><\/span>
\n+++<\/span>B<\/strong><\/span>ans<\/strong><\/span> tarps <\/strong><\/span>&<\/strong><\/span> blankets<\/strong><\/span> now used to display jewelry, artwork, political fliers, <\/span>etc. and requires all devices on the sidewalk to be \u201cfree-standing\u201d. This okays guitar cases and cups, but arguably makes backpacks and anything placed perpendicular to the sidewalk \u201cdisplay devices\u201d requiring a 12′ distance from the next \u201cdevice\u201d.<\/span>
\n+++ <\/span>Reduc<\/strong><\/span>es<\/strong><\/span>total <\/strong><\/span>allowed <\/strong><\/span>space to <\/strong><\/span>4′ X 4′ <\/strong><\/span>area <\/strong><\/span>which <\/span>now include<\/span>s<\/span>table, musical instruments, chair,<\/span>people & <\/span>personal possessions<\/span>\u2014making playing without a special permit difficult if not impossible. <\/span>
\n+++ <\/span>Requir<\/strong><\/span>es<\/strong><\/span> 12′ distance<\/strong><\/span> between display devices, <\/span>isolating <\/span>performers and forcing away other vendors.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nWhen added to the frequent merchant expansion of their displays onto the sidewalk in front of their shops this exclusion of non-commercial activity will be nearly all-embracing. This, of course, suits those whose <\/span>real <\/span>objective is to drive away the once-vibrant street scene in Santa Cruz <\/span>and ‘Capitola-ize\u201d the Avenue<\/span>.
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\nThe result<\/span>ing congestion will have people <\/span>competing for the public spaces<\/strong><\/span> (when there is actually room for all).<\/span>It will<\/span> severely crowd not just those using display devices, but others <\/span>trying to sit down in the few remaining spots available <\/strong><\/span>whether these be elderly residents, homeless locals, visiting travelers, UCSC students, or naive tourists (who will, of course be selectively ignored or courteously directed to pay-cafes). And either drive such people away or <\/span>produce a hostile response <\/strong><\/span>and more conflict downtown<\/strong><\/span>. <\/span>Police will be given greater power to drive away a significant number of people currently using the sidewalk.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>+++ <\/span>Use your video phone<\/strong><\/span> to <\/span>capture evidence of<\/span> authorities harassing the public on the streets downtown. Post on You-Tube and www.indybay.org\/santacruz<\/a> . Send them to HUFF (rnorse3@hotmail.com<\/a> ); <\/span>pass on links. <\/span><\/p>\n
\n+++ <\/span>S<\/strong><\/span>pread opposition<\/strong><\/span>; <\/span>W<\/span>rite<\/span> local papers; <\/span>