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Indybay Feature

Take Back Scotts Valley Launched

by Ricardo Flores Magon
Inspired by the recent success of proto-vigilante group Take Back Santa Cruz, a new community organization concerned about deteriorating property value and lack of Chilis restaurants called Take Back Scotts Valley is being launched.
Inspired by the recent success of proto-vigilante group Take Back Santa Cruz, a new community organization concerned about deteriorating property value and lack of Chilis restaurants called Take Back Scotts Valley is being launched. Citing the recent upsurge in idle teenagers with skateboards, dirty limericks on bathroom walls, and potholes at the entrances of shopping malls, TBSV is vowing to "make Scotts Valley safer and more obedient," to all who reside there or happen to pass through.

"We're tired of the liberal media being so quiet about criminal behavior in our community," TBSV founder Mary Crackaton said while watching closed circuit television from the multiple surveillance cameras she's installed around her house. "The Santa Cruz Sentinel for instance only prints crime stories on the front page five days a week - I really think it should be seven."

Crackaton went on to explain the philosophy behind TBSV, "We're all about making the hard streets and cul de sacs of Scotts Valley safe and free from non-pharmaceutically prescribed, non-alcoholic drugs, gangs/socialists and disrespectful teens." When asked what differentiates TBSV from TBSC, Crackaton had this to say, "We're definitely on the same page about showing up at courtrooms to intimidate judges, hanging out on sidewalks that we'd usually just drive right past, and supporting the police whether they're right or wrong but we also plan to host barbecues."

Scotts Valley resident and TBSV member Rick Shunary agreed, "If the liberal judges don't start getting tough with the criminal elements of our society, then we're gonna start getting tough on the judges." When asked what were the larger issues at play regarding criminality and what to do about the United States' overflowing prison population, Shunary scoffed, "That's liberal elitist book-learning talk - you must be a socialist. You askin' me if we need more jails? You askin' me if we need more police officers? Well, lemme ask you this Mr. Smarty Social-Justice-pants: does a bear shit in the woods?"

There remain however a few folks not so thrilled about another proto-vigilante group posing as a community-safety organization. Take Back Santa Cruz member Bryan Hoonerty had this to say, "If folks wanna start their own vigilante-in-training group, that's cool, but if they're gonna use the phrase, 'Take Back' then I think they oughta pay us a trademark fee or something. I mean, this is a capitalist country, ain't nothing free cept' tax breaks for the rich, so pay us bee-yatch."

Nonetheless, Take Back Scotts Valley is confident their message of safety through intimidation will resonate with residents regardless of name.

"TBSC needs to think outside the box," Crackaton said. "TBSV might someday be able to install Medieval wooden stocks outside Starbucks for teen vandals and pickpockets. So what's in a name? A public flogging of thieves would be just as sweet under any name."
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by Sv raised
Yep, it's too bad svpd hasn't allowed scotts valley to become a shithole like every other community in the county. And seriously, fuck tbsc, how dare citizens and community members band together with the aim of making their quality of life better by making life harder for drug dealers, gang members, and other social parasites. I am outraged that anyone would be so prejudiced as to complain about homeless people going to the bathroom in public.

Keep santa cruz weird, maybe we can get 20 murders in 2012!!! Oh, and robert norse for president!
by Apropos of Nothing
Is this supposed to be satire? It a very pedestrian attempt, if so. Meh.
by A
I knew this was satire immediately. It's certainly ironic and funny. Good job. Fuck the haters.
by Luther
We should have a Chili's Baby Back Take Back "your town name here" nationwide sponsoring of these narrow minded, non questioning organizations. It fits right in to the great greedy capitalist society we live in. Wait! Not to say we live in a SOCIETY, cuz that looks like socialism! Fuck! But sadly we do not have a Chili's in Santa Cruz. BRING CHILI"S TO SANTA CRUZ CAMPAIGN! I want my baby back baby back baby back.....
Seriously. Just a comment about people who do not question authority, those who are doomed to repeat the worst of our history, those who believe we need more jails, those who think all laws are just. So if the city council eliminates the sleeping ban, will you, TBSC, leave the sleepers alone since it's no longer illegal? Do you think the government can tell me that I cannot have people sleep in my own yard, or under the awning of my own business? Let's say you see a person smoking what you think is a joint whilst walking down the street. Do you call the cops because it's "ILLEGAL" or at least YOU think it's illegal? What if it's someone suffering from Cancer and they have the LEGAL right to smoke pot? But hey, better safe than sorry! Right?
Your website says to "report" abusive behavior. What is abusive behavior?
I KNOW!!! TBSC's blind acceptance of all of our societal laws and also it's disgustingly non compassionate behavior towards the poor is what's abusive!

Looks like your organizations is fading fast. You only feed on fear, and until there is another horrible act against another human being, you will not matter. Sad.


Peace out!
by Math
TBSC - 4,600 volunteer members.

HUFF - 10ish?

DIY Parade - 200; many of them also TBSC members.


Yer protestations are those of a dying tribe of separatists. Buh-bye!
by Bob Lamonica
Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy in "On The Waterfront": "I'm just going to go down there...and get my rights."

Do It Yourself New Year's Eve 2011 on Pacific Avenue was by its existence a petition for redress of grievances, a political action. At its peak, by about Cathcart Avenue, over 200 fellow citizens were participating. That's after repeated threats of reprisal from the SCPD, elected and administrative City government.

What does Germany look back on more proudly, the mass rallies of the Nazi many, or the courage of the few to stand up? And why was no one cited for participating in DIY 2011? That's easy, even TBSC authoritarian front minions can figure it out.
by great idear
I love this! How do we start a Take Back Capitola group? And what about Aptos? I saw a hitch-hiker there one time...
by EndTheRightWingTakeover
It's time to take back santa cruz from the take-back-santa-cruz nuts... using whatever means are necessary to get the job done.

If nothing else, we should remember that all these right-wing vigilante groups are popping up out of desperation - their empire is crumbling, the money's all going overseas, and soon, many of them will be out of jobs and homeless and criminalized by the very laws they pushed through.

Guess what, TBSC: we WILL take it back. We'll fight back - and by fight, I *mean* fight.
by EndTheRightWingTakeover
Let's start gathering a list of all TBSC members and post it on a website... gather as much detail as possible - names, addresses, phone numbers, business associations - anything and everything. Let's dig up any dirt we can find on the TBSC gang and get it out in public. Use anything and everything to ruin them. ANY kind of illegal activity, dirty business deals, etc... Put the fuckers under 24x7x365 surveillance. Like most right-wingers, I'll bet they have a LOT of skeletons "in the closet" (or airport bathroom).

"They hate our freedom" so let's use the few freedoms we have left to TAKE BACK our freedom - by force.
by Jeff Anderson
You guys don't even have the balls to post your real names: "let's fight". Love to see it happen. Fact is, only thing protecting black blocers from getting a beatdown at TBSC events is THE COPS. If they weren't there, you'd cross the line and get your asses handed to you in a sack. Pretty ironic, huh, "anti-authoritarians".
by a
I suggest the poster calling to post TBSC names and use force is a poser, an instigator, even an TBSC member. That's not how we do things.
by Inviting a police state
Dude, TBSC isn't about politics it's about public safety. Talk like that is inviting a police state.

Don't go there or you will see less freedoms.
by Bob Lamonica
Beware of pseudonyms that deceive, and lie. For treachery, not dialog. "EndTheRightWingTakeover" is likely such a one.

It's a high probability some anonymous posters, like the above referenced, are "plants." Not all, but obviously some, just like it's obvious TBSC authoritarian front minions and local Law Enforcement surveillance teams follow Santa Cruz Indymedia religiously.

Beware of devious tactics, and that there's no bottom of the barrel when it comes to scoundrels out to discredit anyone who does not acquiesce to their perceived beyond reproach importance. Scoundrels count on those they go after being intimidated and making missteps. And you better believe they feel justified to employ dirty tricks.
by b
"Force" can be defined many ways - the "force" of the people protesting for restoration of their rights, for example. Whatever the case, progressives are sitting idle while TBSC & company are forcing their fascist rich right-wing utopia on Santa Cruz (and nationwide). TBSC is basically the Santa Cruz tea party, from what I can see. Many of the TBSC types would stop at nothing to use violence against progressives. They call out police-thugs to attack people for sleeping, smoking (weed or otherwise), sitting down, playing music, singing songs, etc... This is an act of violence. They are seeking to deprive others of their rights and freedoms and they don't hesitate to use the SCPD as their own private goon squad.

So what do we do to fight back? Sit here on indybay and bitch about it? Or take it to the streets and organize a demonstration? A media campaign? What?

And yes, the jackboots definitely are watching everything posted to this site.
by medicine
Jeff Anderson wrote:
You guys don't even have the balls to post your real names: "let's fight". Love to see it happen. Fact is, only thing protecting black blocers from getting a beatdown at TBSC events is THE COPS. If they weren't there, you'd cross the line and get your asses handed to you in a sack. Pretty ironic, huh, "anti-authoritarians".

Is this you, Jeff? http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Anderson/660368001 Or is it not your real name? Sounds to me like you're threatening to use physical violence against people who take offense to your attacks on freedom. Inciting violence is a matter for the authorities.

Some more of Jeff's threats can be found here: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/02/18/18672408.php?show_comments=1
by Keep It Real
I find it equally nauseating, childish, and insulting to read "b"s post and warnings of eminent threat from TBSC. He/she appears to be pumped up on self-indignant wrath and preaching to an audience of the converted.

...but without any prior crimes. No evidence. No justification to complain other than personal agenda and personal perception of affront.

Let's keep it real. "B" says: "Many of the TBSC types would stop at nothing to use violence against progressives. They call out police-thugs to attack people for sleeping, smoking (weed or otherwise), sitting down, playing music, singing songs, etc... This is an act of violence. They are seeking to deprive others of their rights and freedoms and they don't hesitate to use the SCPD as their own private goon squad.

But the fact is: Not once has a volunteer for TBSC been seen using violnece, inciting police thugs to attack people for sleeping, or smoking weed or singing songs.

IMO, "B" is the real shill; spewing fear and threat and intimidation with no evidence. Akin to the an anti-MCarthyist.

To date, TBSC has cleaned up heroin shooting dens, and protested at intersections where drug sales, gang shootings, or prostitution have been well documented

I call "B" out on his/her lies. I challenge him/her to document specific examples where TBSC has used violence, or incited police to attack sleeping people, or make busts for weed smoking or song singing.

B? I'm calling you out . At present? You're the mirror image of McCarthyism: All false claims and fear mongering, with no evidence to back up our lies.

Put up, or shut it.
by b
Look back at Jeff Anderson's quote for an example of inciting violence.

Why don't you open up your facebook page for public review for those who do not have facebook accounts? Something to hide?

http://www.scruzwiki.org/Take_Back_Santa_Cruz -
"TBSC has made the surveillance of community members (and public places) part of their function."

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/02/13/18671897.php -
"As far as I know, the Cubes and their followers still been discreetly silent on their directives to the 'cleanup squads'. Homeless guitarist Ricardo Lopez reported both police and TBSC (apparently sometimes in conjunction) have torn down homeless camps, and confiscated or destroyed homeless survival gear while driving them away from the river levee."

How very interesting - your very own "Dexter" Cube is a criminal: http://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/33-8201.htm and http://www.finra.org/Industry/Regulation/Notices/1996/P004863 But I guess it's ok - he's a rich one.

And so on and so forth. Just search back through the comments here on this very site related to such matters as the farmers' market drum circle, homeless advocacy, etc... I'm not going to waste my time compiling a list, do your own legwork.


Not to defend Dexter Cube. He's now on the Downtown Commission, I understand. Heather Babcock, a high-profile supporters (see http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_15438409) is on the Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and may have engineered the TBSC/CCPVAW team-up (see "Real Safety for Homeless Women" at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/02/18/18672408.php).

I believe the question I raised in earlier threads about TBSC apparently not taking the care that Save Our Shores does in its clean-up's in respecting homeless survival gear has not been answered by them or their supporters.

Still the latest account I heard from Ricardo Lopez (several weeks ago) blames police and city-funded clean-up crews rather than TBSC for seizure and destruction of homeless property. He regards TBSC as misguided. I wish to be accurate in my criticism of TBSC--which has plenty to answer for, without exaggerating what it actually does.

TBSC's apparent failure to mentor its volunteers on respecting homeless encampments combined with its inflammatory rhetoric about "illegal camps" is a dangerous mix. It's seems pretty likely--given the long silence of TBSC on this policy--that it finds using "respect" and "homeless camp" in the same sentence is a matter of some difficulty.

The rhetoric of the videos that TBSC posts supporting and publicizing its "clean-up's" and "Loiter in's" has a distinctly anti-homeless element, in its emphasis on "illegal camps" and generic "drug dealing".

I appreciate the concern of prior posters concerned with the TBSC mentality, which, I believes, masks bigotry and xenophobia behind public safety labels.

Anybody organizing demonstrations should contact HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) at 423-4833 and let us know so we can help. Of course, the police and city officialdom are the more powerful and well-funded bullies here.

If anyone has seen specific behaviors by police, vigilantes, or others using the anti-homeless laws to go after people in public spaces, please post accounts with all the details.
by Bob Lamonica
The Santa Cruz Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union Board of Directors has scheduled an open to the public meeting Tuesday March 22 at 7 PM in the Louden Nelson Center, Room 1.

The last indicated meeting of the ACLU of Santa Cruz County, CA appears to have been April 19, 2010. Their website has been down for months, but it still says "Defending the Bill of Rights in Santa Cruz County" on the homepage: http://www.aclusantacruz.org.
by Jeff Anderson
Classic Becky Johnson-style move: find the wrong guy and blame him! No, that's not me, thanks. And very typical of Indybay and the points being made in this thread: if you don't like someone, go find them and hassle them.

And, no, not threatening violence in anyway. However, after being at a TBSC event, where anarchists were trying to do everything to get in people's faces, I suspect that if the cops weren't there, they would cross the line. That was my point.
by Jeff Anderson
Also, Bob Lamonica, I hope the response to my posts illustrates why some people don't use their real names on this board. If you do, and say something someone doesn't like, they immediately start hunting down their Facebook information and whatever else can be found. And of course, I've noticed you don't get on anyone who posts under a fake name if they AGREE with you.

Double standard much?
by Bob Lamonica
I wouldn't say so, Jeff, but I'm not perfect. I believe I responded to a post of yours on another thread. I don't reply directly to anonymous posters, but am inclined to respond to thread news, be it from anonymous sources or otherwise, as a general post, when I feel I have something to offer to the dialog. I hope that's OK with you. If not, I'm OK with that.
by Lower Ocean Heights
Ahhh yes, now it appears that the usual posters have shown themselves in this thread, including Mr.Norse. Robert, you STILL have yet to satisfactorily answer the questions as follow... Do you advise the un housed to ' tread lightly'? Also I've been asking what answers do you have for my community (lower ocean) in regards to street level drug dealing & prostitution? I've asked in multiple threads here on indybay, and even asked on your radio show. My community awaits your answers, Robert.
by Sane Person
In response to Robert, TBSC has responded to you question. TAKE BACK SANTA CRUZ POSTS SIGNS 24 HOURS BEFORE SCHEDULED CLEANUPS this question has been answered. That is what they do.
Also in regard to your accusation of TBSC using rhetoric including words such as "illegal campers", SHOW ME. I have not seen or heard that ANYWHERE.

In response to EndTheRightWingTakeOver, The police have been contacted.
by endtherightwingtakeover
Please allow me to use my tiny bit of remaining dignity to clear the air about my previous comments (which were admittedly posted in reactionary anger and frustration, plus I was extremely tired and not quite thinking about what I was saying so things did not quite come out as intended). I can understand why you interpreted things as you did.

By "force", I don't mean physical force or violence. My comment was never intended to imply anything other than peaceful political action making use of the democratic process. I am an advocate of peaceful political "force", not violent "force". I freely admit that my comment was childish and reactionary and I hereby retract it. I shall refrain from any further posts on this site provided the moderator of this forum would graciously allow this comment to remain.

However misguided I feel TBSC is, I will at least give them credit for standing up for what they believe in. They have every right to do so.

And to anyone out there who considers themselves "anarchists", etc... please think twice about what you're doing - often, you're just making the situation worse. Stop. Vigilante "justice" won't work no matter which side of the debate you're on.

Anyway, moderators of this forum - please allow this comment to remain in case someone out there misinterprets previous comments that I made and decides to do something stupid. I would prefer to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

I'm not saying this because you threatened with police (they watch the site anyway and I've seen some far worse comments on this site in the past), I'm saying it because I've cooled off and in retrospect, I realize my comment was inappropriate and could easily be misinterpreted considering the way it was worded. Unfortunately, there is no "edit" option here.

Apologies for adding to the chaos here instead of offering a cool-headed intelligent debate (and for taking things totally off-topic earlier in the posts that have been removed).

Final post, signing off from the other side. As Jerry Garcia said, "everybody just be nice to each other!"
by A
I think its good you posted your new found feelings about your previous post. I understood the difference between force and violence, it was the putting up names and addresses that was overboard for me. It takes a allot for someone to come out and say when they posted something they realize later is a mistake. So, good job for taking the high road. Few people here ever do this. I am not a TBSC fan either. I think we give them more power than they have. It's a group ripe for possible abuse, but they have the same rights we do. Best thing to do is keep an eye on them as they do us.

On a side note. The original post was successful in its satire or there wouldn't be 25 comments.
by To Many Rumors and Misinformation
Many things have been said about TBSC that are untrue and have resulted in extreme backlash and more rumors here on Indybay. The links provided by B or A (I can't remember who posted) are not based in FACT. I am very involved in the group. I am not a racist or right wing and neither are most of the members. I can't speak for everyone as I'm sure that you can't speak for all radicals that have been involved in distructive behavior in our community. Many of which post/brag here on Indybay. It seems that what is going on in this country (tea party, laws in Arizona etc.) is being lumped together as being what TBSC is. IT IS NOT. Robert Norse helps to perpetuate more rumors and lies and has been called out on many. If you are interested in what TBSC really stands for here is a good place to start.

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_15438409
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