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Mayor's Stacked and Packed "Public Safety Task Force" meets
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Date:
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Time:
6:00 PM
-
9:00 PM
Event Type:
Meeting
Organizer/Author:
Scott Collins (posted by Norse)
Email:
Phone:
831-420-5030
Address:
809 Center St., Santa Cruz, CA
Location Details:
Tony Hill Room of the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium at Church and Center Streets.
The Public Hysteria Citizen Task Farce (more officially known as the Public Safety Citizen Task Force) meets every other Wednesday, starting May 29.2013 through November, from 6:00 pm – 9:00 .
The draft minutes of the last meeting (and their first meeting) are at http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=32263 .
The meeting room is relatively small (the group of 15 takes up more than half of the room). It can also be hard to hear some of the speakers. The first few meetings are scheduled to be "presentations" from police, poverty pimps, etc. with a meeting or two slated for public comment, but no public comment period regularly allowed.
More on the Task Farce at http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=1924 .
The group is stacked with right-wingers (a Seaside Company boss and a retired cop are chair and vice-chair), has no homeless advocates or homeless people. And there is no regular provision for public input, at least no Oral Communications period. The group was hand-picked by Mayor Hillary Bryant and excludes strong critics of the Take Back Santa Cruz-prompted hysteria.
This part of the on-going anti-homeless laws and increasingly brutal crackdown.
Scott Collins is the staff member who is recording and facilitating this meeting, but is not responsible for this posting and the commentary here.
RECENT POLICE ABUSE
A recent report from W. notes that while crossing Union Grove parking lot, he was tackled and assaulted by Officers Warren and Ahlers, sending him to the hospital with 4 stiches in his lower lip.
He noted he'd earliler been twice ticketed for performing downtown, and denounced the officers for hounding him in colorful terms at which point they attacked him. I haven't run into Ahlers or Warren to get their side of the story. He goes to court for "interfering with an officer", of course. W. says the assault was viewed by numerous people. I don't know if it was videoed.
The draft minutes of the last meeting (and their first meeting) are at http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=32263 .
The meeting room is relatively small (the group of 15 takes up more than half of the room). It can also be hard to hear some of the speakers. The first few meetings are scheduled to be "presentations" from police, poverty pimps, etc. with a meeting or two slated for public comment, but no public comment period regularly allowed.
More on the Task Farce at http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=1924 .
The group is stacked with right-wingers (a Seaside Company boss and a retired cop are chair and vice-chair), has no homeless advocates or homeless people. And there is no regular provision for public input, at least no Oral Communications period. The group was hand-picked by Mayor Hillary Bryant and excludes strong critics of the Take Back Santa Cruz-prompted hysteria.
This part of the on-going anti-homeless laws and increasingly brutal crackdown.
Scott Collins is the staff member who is recording and facilitating this meeting, but is not responsible for this posting and the commentary here.
RECENT POLICE ABUSE
A recent report from W. notes that while crossing Union Grove parking lot, he was tackled and assaulted by Officers Warren and Ahlers, sending him to the hospital with 4 stiches in his lower lip.
He noted he'd earliler been twice ticketed for performing downtown, and denounced the officers for hounding him in colorful terms at which point they attacked him. I haven't run into Ahlers or Warren to get their side of the story. He goes to court for "interfering with an officer", of course. W. says the assault was viewed by numerous people. I don't know if it was videoed.
Added to the calendar on Tue, May 28, 2013 10:06AM
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Robert is complaining about the lack of cross representation on a volunteer task force, but he didn't bother to apply to be on that task force. Nor did the more likely "homeless advocates" such as Johnson or Adams.
Why not Robert? Easier to follow your normal course of false protest and huffing from one who'd rather complain and finger point than actually accomplish something?
Standard operating procedure: Don't apply. Ignore the fact that few if any homeless advocates did apply. Discount the existing homeless advocates who are on the committee by calling them "poverty pimps" and implying that only you have the right credentials to represent the homeless.Then start posting furiously and trying to imply a coverup and exclusion is taking place.
Such a tired game you play. Well, at least, the rest of us are tired of it. Hence your lack of impact on the ongoing conversations.
Why not Robert? Easier to follow your normal course of false protest and huffing from one who'd rather complain and finger point than actually accomplish something?
Standard operating procedure: Don't apply. Ignore the fact that few if any homeless advocates did apply. Discount the existing homeless advocates who are on the committee by calling them "poverty pimps" and implying that only you have the right credentials to represent the homeless.Then start posting furiously and trying to imply a coverup and exclusion is taking place.
Such a tired game you play. Well, at least, the rest of us are tired of it. Hence your lack of impact on the ongoing conversations.
None of the progressive applicants for the 'Public Safety Task Force' were appointed, and it does look like those who applied and are active with homelessness issues were intentionally excluded.
None of the members of the public safety task force are homeless advocates
a. Jeff Cole, Fire Captain, City of Mountain View
b. Carolyn Coleman, Executive Director, Santa Cruz Community
Counseling Center
c. Renee Golder, Teacher, Santa Cruz City Schools
d. Jim Howes, Asst. Director Regional Occupational Program, Santa Cruz
County Office of Education, (retired Santa Cruz Police Officer)
e. Rod Libbey, Executive Director, Janus of Santa Cruz
f. Danielle Long, Social Worker, Santa Cruz County
g. Kristin Long, Family Attorney (retired Asst. District Attorney)
h. Kris Reyes, Director of General Services & External Relations, Santa
Cruz Seaside Company
i. Reyna Ruiz, Commission member, Commission for the Prevention of
Violence Against Women
j. Steve Schlicht, Marketing Director, Ezonthei
k. Dennis Smith, Commission member, Santa Cruz Port District
Commission, (retired Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Lieutenant)
l. Kim Stoner, Real Estate Appraiser and Consultant
m. Bernie Tershy, Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz
n. Deborah Tracy-Proulx, School Board Trustee, Santa Cruz City Schools
o. Patty Zoccoli, Business Co-Owner, Zoccoli’s Deli
a. Jeff Cole, Fire Captain, City of Mountain View
b. Carolyn Coleman, Executive Director, Santa Cruz Community
Counseling Center
c. Renee Golder, Teacher, Santa Cruz City Schools
d. Jim Howes, Asst. Director Regional Occupational Program, Santa Cruz
County Office of Education, (retired Santa Cruz Police Officer)
e. Rod Libbey, Executive Director, Janus of Santa Cruz
f. Danielle Long, Social Worker, Santa Cruz County
g. Kristin Long, Family Attorney (retired Asst. District Attorney)
h. Kris Reyes, Director of General Services & External Relations, Santa
Cruz Seaside Company
i. Reyna Ruiz, Commission member, Commission for the Prevention of
Violence Against Women
j. Steve Schlicht, Marketing Director, Ezonthei
k. Dennis Smith, Commission member, Santa Cruz Port District
Commission, (retired Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Lieutenant)
l. Kim Stoner, Real Estate Appraiser and Consultant
m. Bernie Tershy, Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz
n. Deborah Tracy-Proulx, School Board Trustee, Santa Cruz City Schools
o. Patty Zoccoli, Business Co-Owner, Zoccoli’s Deli
Wednesday's meeting is at SCPD, 6 PM. CTV will film; I don't know when it will air.
A report compiled by staff in response to members concerns and questions is online
http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=1924
I noted that though alcohol is the leading cause of the multiple arrest cohort (146 people), it is substance (and gangs) that are recommended for attention.
A report compiled by staff in response to members concerns and questions is online
http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=1924
I noted that though alcohol is the leading cause of the multiple arrest cohort (146 people), it is substance (and gangs) that are recommended for attention.
"homeless advocates" at least in your mind. They also don't appear to be members of TBSC et al. Looks like the City wanted knowledgeable people but people not invested in one side or the other.
I was replying to the first poster when I used the term "homeless advocates" and my response was to counter that statement of their's.
The city did not appoint the members of the task force, the mayor alone did.
I'm concerned that there is a lack of knowledge relating to homeless issues that is apparent from the people on that list.
There is a former cop, so why isn't there someone who is familiar about homeless issues and methods of solving problems without calling law enforcement?
Public safety in the area has been compromised by the criminalization of homelessness. Police spend way too much time on homeless people here, and that is what they want because it is a lot easier to hand a homeless person a ticket than to track down a rapist or meth dealer.
The police also play to the fears of the business owners and often serve as their private security guards, especially downtown, where bigoted shop owners will do anything to "clean up" their store fronts in an eternally impossible attempt to turn Santa Cruz into Carmel.
Cops always want the police state expanded, and not having a person on the task force who is sensitive to this is foolish.
The city did not appoint the members of the task force, the mayor alone did.
I'm concerned that there is a lack of knowledge relating to homeless issues that is apparent from the people on that list.
There is a former cop, so why isn't there someone who is familiar about homeless issues and methods of solving problems without calling law enforcement?
Public safety in the area has been compromised by the criminalization of homelessness. Police spend way too much time on homeless people here, and that is what they want because it is a lot easier to hand a homeless person a ticket than to track down a rapist or meth dealer.
The police also play to the fears of the business owners and often serve as their private security guards, especially downtown, where bigoted shop owners will do anything to "clean up" their store fronts in an eternally impossible attempt to turn Santa Cruz into Carmel.
Cops always want the police state expanded, and not having a person on the task force who is sensitive to this is foolish.
There is a downtown Santa Cruz deli owner, and a cop, and if there was balance on the public safety task force there would be a homeless person (or two) on it also.
isnt this supposed to be a citizens task force? there is a district attorney, a cop, and a slew of other government employees on it. dont we have enough of them making bad biased decisions for us on the dole already?
"bigoted shop owners will do anything to "clean up" their store fronts in an eternally impossible attempt to turn Santa Cruz into Carmel."
I had mentioned Santa Cruz being half way between Berzerkly and Caramel so it ended up half of each to the owner of the Red Room a few years ago in a streetcorner conversation and she retorted "Los Gatos..." She didn't imply it was good, but...
Anyone who saw Los Gatos go from a countercultural outpost for escapees from the valley below (as in the plains of silicon valley hell), outlaw bikers and lost weekenders, to what it is today, should be aghast.
Except as usual, the commercial property interests.
Have I mentioned that's what this is ALL about?
Have I mentioned commercial property interest could care less if every store downtown was vacant because there's always some other project somewhere else they can write the losses off against?
Now I have.
They simply don't give a 'bottom-line fuck' about the well-being of the community or it's citizens, as can easily be seen in the lack of jobs and housing for people who actually live here, and in Santa Cruz, their representatives SIT ON the city council. Not all of them, but enough to turn the vote on any issue that fits their agenda.
I had mentioned Santa Cruz being half way between Berzerkly and Caramel so it ended up half of each to the owner of the Red Room a few years ago in a streetcorner conversation and she retorted "Los Gatos..." She didn't imply it was good, but...
Anyone who saw Los Gatos go from a countercultural outpost for escapees from the valley below (as in the plains of silicon valley hell), outlaw bikers and lost weekenders, to what it is today, should be aghast.
Except as usual, the commercial property interests.
Have I mentioned that's what this is ALL about?
Have I mentioned commercial property interest could care less if every store downtown was vacant because there's always some other project somewhere else they can write the losses off against?
Now I have.
They simply don't give a 'bottom-line fuck' about the well-being of the community or it's citizens, as can easily be seen in the lack of jobs and housing for people who actually live here, and in Santa Cruz, their representatives SIT ON the city council. Not all of them, but enough to turn the vote on any issue that fits their agenda.
If I am the Johnson mentioned above, you should know that I couldn't be on the task force because I am no longer in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, nor California, because years more imprisonment forced me to flee. For now.
In other words, the REAL intent of the hate criminals ruling Santa Cruz has a real impact. For now.
In other words, the REAL intent of the hate criminals ruling Santa Cruz has a real impact. For now.
For more information:
http://PeaceCamp2010insider.blogspot.com/
j. Steve Schlicht, Marketing Director, Ezonthei
There was great celebration on TBSC FB group when he was announced. High fives all around.
Steve designed the Clean Team, Take Back Santa Cruz and Clean Up Santa Cruz's Webpages and has sponsored numerous petitions aimed at the homeless and bicycle theft.
Dan, are you in TBSC?
There was great celebration on TBSC FB group when he was announced. High fives all around.
Steve designed the Clean Team, Take Back Santa Cruz and Clean Up Santa Cruz's Webpages and has sponsored numerous petitions aimed at the homeless and bicycle theft.
Dan, are you in TBSC?
No I'm not. I do agree with the poster above who tagged several members of the task force as potential homeless advocates. However, do you actually need an advocate on the task force? Likely not. The task force can however seek out information from agencies and groups that do work with the homeless. I see many parallels between the task force and the typical civil grand jury. The grand jury is a cross section of the community-just like the task force. When a civil grand jury investigates an issue, knowledgeable people are brought in to testify or answer questions. One presumes this will be the task force's methodology. At the end of the inquiry findings and recommendations are made, but it's up to, in this case, the City Council to decide what is done.
Well Dan, how about a 1960's Civil Rights commission with no black folk?
Or a commission on Gay rights, composed of all straight people.
How about a commission against Prevention of Violence against Women made up entirely of men?
If Mayor Bryant could find herself selecting someone who is an avowed TBSC member, I don't see how it would hurt the commission to at least give the appearance of balance by having someone who actually is a homeless advocate.
I do think that even with a homeless advocate, the commission is just a dog and pony show that will rubber stamp what's coming down from the real estate interests in town.
Or a commission on Gay rights, composed of all straight people.
How about a commission against Prevention of Violence against Women made up entirely of men?
If Mayor Bryant could find herself selecting someone who is an avowed TBSC member, I don't see how it would hurt the commission to at least give the appearance of balance by having someone who actually is a homeless advocate.
I do think that even with a homeless advocate, the commission is just a dog and pony show that will rubber stamp what's coming down from the real estate interests in town.
Document attached: Santa Cruz Homeless Action Partnership Ten-Year Plan To End Homelessness (2003-2013)
On the back of the album cover "We're only in it for the money" (apropos for the property development interests around here) Frank Zappa asked "Is this phase two of lumpy gravy?"
So, Is this "Phase Two" of the Santa Cruz 10-Year Plan To End Homelessness?
Because they never really DID act on their "Phase One".
See for yourselves.
Plan Themes:
There is no easy fix to homelessness. While the strategies in this Plan to respond effectively in Santa Cruz County are numerous and diverse, there are some recurring ideas, which the HAP members identify as the foundations to their Continuum of Care:
Providing Housing:
Homelessness will exist until there is sufficient housing affordable to those with the lowest incomes. Accordingly, the number one priority in this community must be to take all action to Santa Cruz County Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness: 2003-2013 7 ensure the preservation of existing and creation of new stable, affordable housing...
(Linda Lemaster honorable mention for trying...)
On the back of the album cover "We're only in it for the money" (apropos for the property development interests around here) Frank Zappa asked "Is this phase two of lumpy gravy?"
So, Is this "Phase Two" of the Santa Cruz 10-Year Plan To End Homelessness?
Because they never really DID act on their "Phase One".
See for yourselves.
Plan Themes:
There is no easy fix to homelessness. While the strategies in this Plan to respond effectively in Santa Cruz County are numerous and diverse, there are some recurring ideas, which the HAP members identify as the foundations to their Continuum of Care:
Providing Housing:
Homelessness will exist until there is sufficient housing affordable to those with the lowest incomes. Accordingly, the number one priority in this community must be to take all action to Santa Cruz County Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness: 2003-2013 7 ensure the preservation of existing and creation of new stable, affordable housing...
(Linda Lemaster honorable mention for trying...)
are a joke. In order to get the federal rehousing money, these plans had to be developed and submitted to HUD. They're a paper work requirement. Some cities around the country are getting ready to write and submit their second 10 Year Plan, which translates to ending homelessness in 20 years.
Right... "A Joke".
Sort of like the "Public Safety Commission".
Honestly. I recommend all self respecting displaced (ie. 'homeless) person in Santa Cruz ignore any asswipe ticket-mill infractions issued under any Santa Cruz municipal ordinance regarding public assembly or resting places (ie. sleeping and 'camping')
IF they're really worried about credit ruination or regaining they're CDL, they can always clean up their credit by various means when they hit the lotto jackpot.
Personally, I think Santa Cruz would be a much more socioeconomically sane place to live if the city was stripped of it's state charter, requiring it to use the state H&S codes, which cover just about anything the city has an ordinance about.
HOWEVER, it would cost A LOT more to prosecute people under state code, meaning the officer would have to think MUCH LONGER AND HARDER about whether writing that 'blocking the sidewalk' ticket, etc, was worth the price.
I suspect 90% of the tickets written now wouldn't be in those circumstances.
A "smoking" aside.. The European and Asian tourists are already savvy to the fact that Downtown has a nazi-like attitude about smoking and avoid the area.
Also, in regard to stupid 'rules', someone I know recently recounted a couple of European tourists standing by a "No" sign at the outskirts of a city park with one taking a picture of the other looking quizzically horrified and pointing at the rather extensive list of "Don'ts" including, laughably, no "bicycle riding". (San Lorenzo Park).
It's hard to explain how a city with a bicycle proponent on the council could be that hostile to bike riders.
Maybe that's what "Keep Santa Cruz Weird" means.
The governance is weird.
Sort of like the "Public Safety Commission".
Honestly. I recommend all self respecting displaced (ie. 'homeless) person in Santa Cruz ignore any asswipe ticket-mill infractions issued under any Santa Cruz municipal ordinance regarding public assembly or resting places (ie. sleeping and 'camping')
IF they're really worried about credit ruination or regaining they're CDL, they can always clean up their credit by various means when they hit the lotto jackpot.
Personally, I think Santa Cruz would be a much more socioeconomically sane place to live if the city was stripped of it's state charter, requiring it to use the state H&S codes, which cover just about anything the city has an ordinance about.
HOWEVER, it would cost A LOT more to prosecute people under state code, meaning the officer would have to think MUCH LONGER AND HARDER about whether writing that 'blocking the sidewalk' ticket, etc, was worth the price.
I suspect 90% of the tickets written now wouldn't be in those circumstances.
A "smoking" aside.. The European and Asian tourists are already savvy to the fact that Downtown has a nazi-like attitude about smoking and avoid the area.
Also, in regard to stupid 'rules', someone I know recently recounted a couple of European tourists standing by a "No" sign at the outskirts of a city park with one taking a picture of the other looking quizzically horrified and pointing at the rather extensive list of "Don'ts" including, laughably, no "bicycle riding". (San Lorenzo Park).
It's hard to explain how a city with a bicycle proponent on the council could be that hostile to bike riders.
Maybe that's what "Keep Santa Cruz Weird" means.
The governance is weird.
homeless people were not contacted in any real way to apply for positions on this task force, and that a homeless person is clearly not listed as being a member, is the true source of the bigotry where the homeless are not deemed worthy or deserving of their public safety because people think because they are homeless they deserve whatever hardship they get, safety for homeless people may mean safety from the wealthy who want to shoe them away, safety from drug users (which is also wealthy drug users who have a vested interest in maintaining and perpetuating dangerous areas so that they can have a consistent place to score drugs), safety of women who are homeless and face sexual abuse, the safety of homeless children, safety of the homeless from the police and security guards themselves who can be violent or unfair, and safety in the courts after many are given often many citations, this means decent representation for them who they now are trying to jail, not those overworked, system entrenched public defenders, yes this is the real overt unmentioned bigotry of the public safety task force, vote out mayor hilary bryant for this, wake up democrats, liberals, and progressives, and anyone who values liberty, our community is much larger and caring than this
...it might be healthy for the community if folks showed up with picket signs. We could pass out literature demanding real issues of Public Safety be addressed. Protesters could argue that this politically-motivated bigot smorgasboard not be used as window dressing for hardening anti-homeless laws and scapegoating sick drug addicts. Nor as a defense and further funding mechanism for the SCPD and other city agencies,
We know they have failed to expand needle exchange, put in public bathrooms, engage in good cleanups, establish safe campgrounds, and, of course, address real issues of jobs and housing as their first priority.
And they won't until they forced to.
Exposing the hoax would be a helpful education for the community, brainwashed and bludgeoned as it is with endless Sentinel crime scares.
We know they have failed to expand needle exchange, put in public bathrooms, engage in good cleanups, establish safe campgrounds, and, of course, address real issues of jobs and housing as their first priority.
And they won't until they forced to.
Exposing the hoax would be a helpful education for the community, brainwashed and bludgeoned as it is with endless Sentinel crime scares.
Though the cover page for the Task Farce (http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/index.aspx?page=1924) suggests they'd be meeting at the Civic Auditorium, going a page further (http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=32473) reveals their actual meeting place was the Community Room of the SCPD (an appropriate enough place considering their underlying agenda).
Sorry for any confusion.
I stopped in briefly about 7 p.m. The audience capacity of 44 was about 2/3 full. Chief Vogel, Deputy-Chief Clark, City Manager Martin Bernal, and Councilmember Robinson were there as the Parks Super gave his "illegal activities in the park" update.
I noted two cameras videoing the event one for Community TV. Hopefully the video, or at least the audio, will be reachable on line. Contact Scott Collins at 420-5030 for more info.
Sorry for any confusion.
I stopped in briefly about 7 p.m. The audience capacity of 44 was about 2/3 full. Chief Vogel, Deputy-Chief Clark, City Manager Martin Bernal, and Councilmember Robinson were there as the Parks Super gave his "illegal activities in the park" update.
I noted two cameras videoing the event one for Community TV. Hopefully the video, or at least the audio, will be reachable on line. Contact Scott Collins at 420-5030 for more info.
Steve Schlict's thoughts and opinions along these lines are very public and no secret. So you tell me what kind of person would say "He's perfect!", and intentionally choose him for the committee? It tells you a lot about the intentions of the person and committee. Along with the fact that it is unbalanced like it is, it's amazing just how blatant this is and leaves one to wonder how the heck you can get away with this.
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