Now I know why the notice for the meeting went out a suspicious 2 days before the meeting . . .
The person in the video complaining about the people in the building is the one who sends out the agenda for the meeting. She wasn’t the one who sent out the offensive letter, tho.
I was just informed of a meeting you are holding on Thursday regarding safety concerns in the CCB. I as an employee have a lot of concerns—too many to express in this email. I cannot make the meeting, but I do want to voice my concerns. First of all, we as employees have been dealing with the homeless people for a couple of years now. The problems I see and have to deal with in this building are only getting worse. The filth, the stench, the constant fighting between these people inside and outside of the building, ambulance calls, police calls, drinking alcohol inside the CCB and immediately outside of the MLK entrance, the rude comments to people coming in and out of the building, foul language, laying in front of the doors to the CCB, storing their garbage bags filled with who knows what everywhere, urinating in elevators, defecating in stairwells, it’s just too much!!
I, along with my coworkers, have made numerous complaints about these people and what we have to deal with just to get to our office everyday, all to no avail. The employees in this building used to sit and take their breaks on the first floor of the CCB or even on the terrace outside when it’s nice out but now they can no longer do that because of the filth from these people, the comments, the vomit and blood stains on the terrace—and now, yes, the lice!! I have all the sympathy in the world for the homeless people who are trying to help themselves but are having a rough time of it and go to the shelters for help. I have NO problem helping those people. That IS NOT the people we have here in the CCB!! I work for the court and just about every single person down there in the MLK first floor lobby is a problem drunk or mentally ill, has warrants and has thousands of dollars worth of law violations with our office and I’m sure with the county. These are not people who are down on their luck and trying to better themselves. These are the people even the shelters won’t let in because they will not stop drinking and are problems! I have had family members come to Madison to do business in the CCB as well, and they cannot believe the state of this building and how these people are just allowed to lay everywhere and bring in garbage bags of crap to leave laying around.
Since when is it more important to not “offend” these problem people than to provide a safe working environment for your employees? Why are THEY valued more than the people that work hard every day & just want to get to work safely and enjoy their workplace? I would greatly appreciate something being done about this. This is enough—it’s ridiculous!! There should definitely be a trespassing/loitering ordinance. You should not be lingering around this building if you do not have business here PERIOD!!
Other people who work in the building testified otherwise at the meeting and send supportive emails:
It is troubling enough that we lock unsheltered persons out of our public buildings at night, which have heat, running water, restrooms, and showers they need– let’s not kick them out during the day too.
People have serious health and sanitation needs. The solution is bathrooms, showers, and a roof over their heads, not further humiliation and punishment.
They are at the CCB because it is a relatively safe place to be when you are living on the street. Most of the police calls do not even relate to their presence. I go in and out of the CCB almost every weekday and I have never had a problem. I smile, sometimes stop to chat, and go about my business.
Please recognize the humanity of the unhoused persons we walk by everyday and reject the stigma that is swirling. If there are behavioral problems, they can be addressed by enforcement of ordinances regulating behavior. But don’t make our most vulnerable community members trespassers on public property, especially when they have nowhere else to go.
Thank you,
Heidi M. Wegleitner
County Supervisor, District 2
To me it is simple. Giving people tickets they can’t pay, when some already owe $2,000 – 20,0000 for tickets that housed people wouldn’t get, is insane. No behavior will change, no concerns will be addressed. Nothing will change but people will, I guess, feel better that something has been done.
If they don’t like the smell . . . open the showers in the CCB and let people take showers. Or help pay for laundry facilities. And hey, it will help them get rid of the lice.
If they don’t like the “crap” of their stuff laying around. Install some lockers in the area.
If they don’t like people defacating and peeing where they shouldn’t . . . unlock the restrooms, install a portapotty.
If they don’t like people drinking in public. Build affordable housing and they can drink inside like the rest of us do.
If they don’t like people hanging out during the day. FIND A FREAKING DAY CENTER!!!!! They put the money in the budget a year ago for it . . . but still no day center. And an inadequate plan for the winter.
Luckily, there are other employees that get it . . . thank you South Central Federation of Labor!!!
Greetings,
I am writing you in support of the Wegleitner amendments to fund operations for the permanent day resource center and the important ‘bridge services’ to fill gaps in the system.
The South Central Federation of Labor (SCFL) has in the past endorsed local resolutions recognizing housing as a human right (Dane County Resolution 292, 11-12 and Resolutions 84, 12-13 and 87, 12-13).
It is imperative the immediate needs of the homeless community are addressed before another harsh winter is upon us. In addition, essential services for basic human needs is critical in terms of providing an effective structural support. For example, access to laundry, showers and storage will help struggling individuals obtain and retain jobs. Many of our homeless neighbors are working people trying to make ends meet, veterans who now need us to fight for them and the recently unemployed who have lost their homes.
The South Central Federation of Labor stands with our homeless community members and supports these two amendments.
Thank you and respectfully,
Kevin Gundlach
Kevin@SCFL.orgKevin Gundlach, President
South Central Federation of Labor
1602 S Park St #228
Madison WI 53715 • (608) 256-5111
http://www.SCFL.org
And the alders on Board of Estimates put in $50,000 to run the day center and are working on something to address the issue of the need for bathrooms. The Health and Human Needs Committee will be considering amendments at their meeting next Wednesday for the permanent day center operating funds and storage, lockers, laundry, showers, bus tickets etc for the homeless.
5 years after I brought up the issue of restrooms for the homeless, they might actually happen. This is the third winter that there is not an adequate, permanent, comprehensive day center. We might finally get one next summer. I really don’t understand why these simple solutions are so difficult. While we dink around, people are sleeping outside because they are out of days in the shelter. Why are we spending $120 on a jail that we just built 20 years ago? What if we spend $120M on affordable housing – we might be able to solve a large part of two problems at once. If they can’t figure out what to do for the homeless, instead of spending $8M for planning to build a jail, why don’t we spend $8M to figure this all out . . . or just do the right thing . . . and treat human beings better than dogs.
Yeah, nothing new, same old same old. We bring up issues, nothing happens, people sleep outside and it annoys people. Think about how “annoying” it would have been if you slept outside on the cold cement last night. I bet some are wishing there was an Occupy Camp again this winter . . . just not in their neighborhood.
