This time, it looks like they have the votes on Monday! And they may be out by Tuesday! The mayor may finally win. (I hear he’s seeming less grumpy and excited about winning.) But I have to say, if he is worried about crime, violence and rape . . . sending people back to the bushes puts many of these folks at risk to be victims of theft, battery, and yes, rape. Imagine being a single woman hiding so you can sleep, but being afraid to sleep because of your safety. This is all so very backwards. See below for meeting details and what you can do!
Meeting Details
Here’s the agenda.
City-County Liaison Committee Dane County
Monday, August 31, 2015
Room 351 City County Building
5:45 PM
What will be voted on?
The first item will be a report
C.1.- City and County Outreach to the Homeless at CCB
Expect this to be where they get up there and say everyone has days left in shelter and people have been offered housing and services and refused. Here’s our survey results. I wonder how close our results will be?
The second item on this will be the action item, described on the agenda as this:
Motions on item E2:
1A. Amend CCB Operating Rule 6.6, to read, “Loitering is prohibited. Loitering includes being inside the building or on the building grounds after hours without any apparent official City/County business.”
1B. Direct Dane County Facilities Management to place no tresspassing notices (required by Operating Rule 2.2) so they can be seen on the outside of the building
Here’s a copy of the sign they intend to post. Which means anyone caught at the City-County Building on Weekends, Holidays or after 5pm or before 7:30am on weekdays would be considered trespassing and subject to a $400+ fine. Or maybe even a state charge of trespassing.
Unlike other committees, this is the final action. This will not go to the county board or city council. This could take affect the next day.
What is strange to me, but I guess not surprising, is that my understanding is that this would take affect October 1 . . . the motion language doesn’t seem to indicate that. I guess that means that wasn’t part of the deal. And since the shelters are magically open the very next day, granting single men and women and additional 30 days in shelter.
Of course, that makes no sense! So men are expected to stay in shelter in September, and then in October when they are out of days again, well then they are back on the streets until November 1 when the shelter opens again? And for women – its worse. Would they be expected to use their extra 30 days in September and then in December – March when its 21 degrees outside they’d be back on the streets?
And of course, shelter wasn’t extended for the 40 children estimated to be turned away from shelter every night. Including babies over 4 months old. And their parents.
Where will people go?
I don’t know. Occupy Madison exhausted every possibility we could come up with. Looks likes it back to the (unsafe) bushes, subjecting themselves to theft, battery and rape. Oh, and the possibility of hypothermia and freezing to death and no one finds you til its very much too late. There’s safety in numbers.
What can you do?
Email the committee members. Last time the vote was 4 – 4. Enis Ragland from the Mayor’s Office, Jeff Kostelic from the County Executive Joe Parisi’s office, County Board Supervisor Mary Kolar (the alleged champion of a day center) and Alderperson Sheri Carter (President of the Board of Porchlight) voted in favor of kicking people out. Alders Mark Clear, Samba Baldeh and Supervisors Al Matano and Paul Nelson voted against it. Rumors are that Mark Clear has changed his mind because of the non-existent avalanche of services alleged to be happening, (Well, staff say they are not happening, but the politicos think they are . . . I’m a little confused on this one. Nothing has changed.) Paul Nelson also may be changing his mind. Al Matano may be swayed by supporting union workers. Samba Baldeh is the only solid “no” that I am aware of.
1. Email Committee members!
Eragland@cityofmadison.com
Kostelic.Jeffrey@countyofdane.com
district14@cityofmadison.com
district19 @cityofmadison.com
district17@cityofmadison.com
Kolar.Mary@countyofdane.com
nelson.paul@countyofdane.com
matano@countyofdane.com
14 = Sheri Carter, 19 = Mark Clear, 17 = Samba Baldeh
2. Call Committee members!
Mary Kolar – Cell 886-2640
Al Matano – 608/238-3045
Paul Nelson – (608) 831-3514
Sheri Carter – 698-6027
Samba Baldeh – 501-1424
Mark Clear – 695-5709
Enis Ragland (Mayor’s Office) – 266-4611 – go ahead, fill up their voice mail this weekend!
Jeff Kostelic (County Executive Joe Parisi’s Office ) – 266-4114 – go ahead, fill up their voice mail this weekend!
3. Tell others to email and call committee members and fill up the mayor and Parisi’s voice mail this weekend.
4. Facebook! Join Facebook event and invite all your friends! Spread the word on Facebook! Get friends to email, call or attend the meeting!
5. Come to the meeting on Monday at 5:45 in Room 351 of the City-County Building to witness this happening in our city, let them feel the public pressure not to do this!
6. Register against item E.2. You usually get 3 or 5 minutes – I suspect 3.
7. Speak against item E.2.
How can they discriminate against them in the first place. What if they are handicap?
There is no discrimination. Red, white, and blue are prohibited from loitering.