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UID:Indybay-18743666
SEQUENCE:18850525
CREATED:20130923T161700Z
DESCRIPTION:SUCCESSFUL PROTEST ON SUNDAY\nAfter a rousing demonstration downtown on 
 Sunday (see 
 https://www.facebook.com/events/483912138373592/?context=create) Downtown 
 for All activists will gather to oppose the Bryant-Robinson City Council's 
 steamroller seizure of the sidewalk beginning at 3 PM.\n\nNeither the Santa 
 Cruz Sentinel (though a reporter was there) nor indybay.org/santacruz chose 
 to cover the protest.\n\nCouncilmember Micah Posner put in appearance as 
 the protest was dispersing.  I'll hope to post my own impressions later 
 today.\n\nTUESDAY PROTEST WILL PROVIDE FOOD\nMeet earlier and share some 
 hot tasty soup, a strong dose of common sense and citizen outrage, and 
 organizing for future action outside Council chambers.\n\nA special tip of 
 the hat to India Joze's Jumbogumbo Joe Schultz for providing tasty vegan 
 soup at both the Sunday and Tuesday protests.\n\nTHE LAWS\nThe new 
 Shrink-Sidewalk-Space law changes are described at 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/09/09/18742960.php?show_comments=1#18743583 
  though the latest clarifications are included in the attached 
 flyer.\n\nThe text of the proposed ordinances is at 
 http://sire.cityofsantacruz.com/sirepub/cache/2/mgx3p145ppgk5z45tcxxok45/379504109232013080657617.PDF 
 (the extended Smoking Ban)  
 and;\n\nhttp://sire.cityofsantacruz.com/sirepub/cache/2/mgx3p145ppgk5z45tcxxok45/379504209232013080741906.PDF 
 (the Ban on Street Performing, Street Art, Street Vending, Political 
 Tabling, & Peaceful Sparechanging on 95% of the Pacific Avenue sidealks and 
 entirely in other business districts where sidewalks are adjacent to 
 buildings).\n\nCOUNCIL'S RUSH JOB\nNeither of the ordinances were vetted 
 before the public in a Council Committee or Commission--as is customary 
 with such changes.  Nor were stakeholders in the major groups impacted 
 consulted.   \n\nThey were proposed with only 72-hour notice 2 weeks ago 
 and passed by City Council 5-2 without only 2 minutes public input allowed 
 per person (instead of the 3 minutes customary in a Public Hearing on a law 
 change).  There was no estimate of the amount of city money and police time 
 already being spent enforcing these "don't sit next to a building"-style 
 ordinances \n\nTHE USUAL SUSPECTS\nThey are being pushed by some merchants 
 in the DTA to sanitize the sidewalks and lure more shoppers in the belief 
 that less vibrant street life is a bigger draw.  The pretexts are 
 "congestion", "trip and fall hazard", and "upgrading the tacky 
 look".\n\nThe ordinances also seem to be part of a continuing campaign to 
 make Santa Cruz an "unwelcome" area for homeless people, hippies, and poor 
 people generally.    \n\nSince it seems unlikely that the Council will 
 disobey its Downtown Association, Santa Cruz Neighbors, and Take Back Santa 
 Cruz masters, this meeting will also be an organizing opportunity to plan 
 the next phase of the resistance.\n\nMore protests like Sunday's street 
 demonstration and the spontaneous Saturday Chalk-In (see 
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/97198640@N08/ 
 http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/eve/4078506873.html ) are a likely outcome 
 of this kind of special interest repressive legislation.  To challenge the 
 surrender of traditional Santa Cruz street vitality to the prim Victorian 
 standards of the New Puritans.\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/09/23/18743666.php
SUMMARY:Last Change to Stop the Sidewalk Snatchers
LOCATION:809 Center Council Chambers at City Hall across from the main library and 
 the Civic Auditorium
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/09/23/18743666.php
DTSTART:20130924T214500Z
DTEND:20130924T224500Z
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