I think its completely legitimate to demand that people give you a free place to sleep along with the free food and social services they're already giving. Denying the one while giving the other just smacks of selfishness.

Please specify the shelter services provided vis a vis the number of homeless people every night.

Clarify how it's good policy to harass people at night with $97 fines under the Sleeping Ban for doing what the rest of us do every night as a necessity.

Point out how the new law establishing fines of up to $1000 and a year in jail for any Sleeping citation once three infraction citations have gone to collection--which means a jury trial, a public defender, and a public cost of $10,000+ is a good use of public funds.

And tell us all about those wonderful social services as the depression deepens.

Get in touch with PeaceCamp2010 for more accurate info and/or contact the Community Action Board.

I'm happy to address your questions Robert, but I don't suspect we'll find common ground. In reply though:

"Please specify the shelter services provided vis a vis the number of homeless people every night."

ANSWER: I don't feel any responsibility to provide shelter for all who ask, because I firmly believe that we've created an attractive magnet effect in this community for homeless. Yes, I know that stats show that 60% of our homeless are homegrown. But that doesn't address the other 40%, and I believe that the majority of the ones hanging on the mall and wanting to sleep there too fall in this 40%

"Clarify how it's good policy to harass people at night with $97 fines under the Sleeping Ban for doing what the rest of us do every night as a necessity."

Answer: I don't think cherry picking to prove a point, so I find your question unfairly micromanaged. "What the rest of us do every night as a necessity" also includes providing for ourselves, not letting drugs and alcohol rule our lives, contributing to our community rather than just taking, respecting our open spaces, etc, etc. Does the average mall denizen do these necessities? I think not.

"Point out how the new law establishing fines of up to $1000 and a year in jail for any Sleeping citation once three infraction citations have gone to collection--which means a jury trial, a public defender, and a public cost of $10,000+ is a good use of public funds."

Answer: It's not. But then again, neither is providing daily ambulance, police, and fire personnel response to deal wit the mall cohort who absorb an inordanant percentage of these services. Would you propose we discontinue these services as well, in the interest of parity and good use of public funds? On that same note? If you'd quit creating confrontations that you then upgrade into frivolous lawsuits, we would save a LOT of public funds and much appreciate your concern.

"And tell us all about those wonderful social services as the depression deepens."

Answer: The stats Becky and you post are frequently inaccurate. (Example: you regularly post county homeless estimates of 2,000 as city estimates.). Similarly, I've seen huff post lots of stats about how drunks, drug users, etc, can't stay in the shelters. Frankly, I have not a lot of sympathy. And from what I see and read? It was a recession, not depression. And its leveled at worst, improving a bit at best; your claim of a deepening depression is representative to the constant exaggeration I refeerenced.

"Get in touch with PeaceCamp2010 for more accurate info and/or contact the Community Action Board."


Answer: Your crew is the last I'd come to for "accurate info." Becky has built a well deserved reputation as one of the biggest liars on Topix/SCSentinel, and she's your peacecamp mouthpiece. I'm going to look to her for "accurate information"? Laughable! This is the woman who claimed the police destroyed Camp Paradise. Who continues to maintain that teachers earn $800 a day. I could go on for quite a while, but I think the point is made.

So there it stands. We have diametrically differing viewpoints. And as I write this, your peacecamp deteriorates, as was inevitable. Litter spreading. Fights beginning. Drug use occurring. Sleep now only an addendum to hanging out all day partying and, lets just say it, bumming.

Institutionalize and expand upon this scale model experiment? No thank you. In fact, I don't think you could have provided a more visible or compelling example to sink your own chances of shifting public opinion on the matter.