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DESCRIPTION:Dear Constituent,\n \nOn Tuesday, October 27th, starting as early as 
 2:30PM, the City Council will take up two issues that effect our civil 
 liberties. Weigh in by coming to the meeting at 809 Center Street or 
 emailing citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com\n \nWelcoming Free Speech on 
 Pacific\n \nA proposal by Councilmember Don Lane, seconded by Councilmember 
 Pamela Comstock would create markings on Pacific Ave. for performers and 
 people that just wanted to use a space for free speech. The marked spaces 
 would be larger than the current ordinance calls for and would include a 
 couple of spaces large enough for a musical group and a couple of spaces 
 against the buildings which is preferred by many performers including the 
 Great Morgani. Of course the biggest change is that performers/ activists 
 would be welcomed to specific spots instead of being subject to a very 
 complicated web of laws that only describe where they are not allowed to 
 be. Is that an incremental improvement worth doing? Weigh in at city 
 council@cityofsantacruz.com\n \nStay away ordinance\n \nA second proposal 
 known as the ‘stay away ordinance’ would prohibit people from using 
 city parks including the Pogonip and the River for a year if they got 5 
 tickets. This would be an unusual law in that it would not involve the 
 accused going to court. This is a serious problem according to a strongly 
 worded letter by the local American Civil Liberties Union which claims that 
 the proposed ordinance violates the concept of innocent until proven 
 guilty. \n \nOf course the point of the ordinance is to effect people who 
 do not go into court when they receive tickets. But do the people receiving 
 these tickets really have a way to change their behavior? Not according to 
 civil rights activist Raven Davis who has done research on what the tickets 
 are being handed out for and found that 1/3 to 2/3s of the tickets are 
 being given for the victimless crime of sleeping. While one can empathize 
 with the desire to not have our parks turn into unplanned campgrounds, 
 where exactly do we expect people who cannot afford rent to go? No other 
 city is willing to host them and 70% of them list Santa Cruz as their last 
 address. And what happens when the people who have no other place to go 
 violate the stay away order? The only other stop on this journey appears to 
 be jail. Do we really want to jail people for not having homes? At $100.00 
 a day? \n \nPlease consider answering this difficult question: Is it 
 practical, moral and legal to ban people from the parks who have nowhere 
 else to go? Then send your thoughts to citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com\n 
 \nElection Effort this Weekend\n \nOf course an obvious way to effect local 
 ordinances is to elect your favorite candidate to City Council. This 
 election ends in NINE DAYS. This weekend will be a huge push by workers and 
 environmentalists to get out the progressive door hanger which supports a 
 variety of causes and candidates including Sherman, Van Allen and Chase for 
 City Council.  Meet at the SEIU Union Hall at 517B Mission Street between 
 10AM and 4PM on November 1st and 2nd to pick up door hangers to distribute 
 and/or help to label on Thursday, Oct. 29th from 10AM to 4PM. I'll see you 
 there. \n \nWresting with the hard issues,\n\nMicah Posner\n \nSanta Cruz 
 City Councilmember\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/10/27/18763362.php
SUMMARY:Santa Cruz: Civil Liberties on the Council Agenda
LOCATION:Santa Cruz City Hall
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/10/27/18763362.php
DTSTART:20141028T213000Z
DTEND:20141028T233000Z
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