A little unusual this week.
Sorry, I was too busy this weekend dealing with this, and this and cleaning up at Token Creek and moving people to Portage Rd. and arguing with the fire department who was wrongfully putting out the fire for the people camping there. Apparently they don’t understand the definition of a nuisance.
Today, we are looking forward to the tickets the city is promising. I think Bruce sums it up well in his email titled: Occupy Madison Bait and Switch
Dear City Alders and Mayor Soglin;
Over the past 16 months or 27 moves, more than once an elected official or government staff member has suggested Occupy Madison find a private piece of land for their encampment. So you can imagine the excitement when Mr. Vang stepped up to allow folks to temporarily occupy his land. In good faith Occupy Madison alerted officials, law enforcement, and reached out to the neighbors near his land.You can also imagine my surprise when the City of Madison, who just under a year ago pasted a resolution thanking Occupy Madison for their service to the homeless, threaten Mr. Vang with expensive fines if he allowed folks to stay on his land.
I fully support Mr. Vang’s generosity and his constitutional right to have Occupy Madison reside on his land and use it as a formal protest against the regressive tactics the City of Madison is employing to criminalize homelessness. As a resident of Madison I think our city should thank Mr. Vang, not punish him!
Sincerely,
Bruce Wallbaum
Mr. Vang filed an appeal with the Zoning Board of Appeals on Friday, and sent this email last night.
Mr. Tucker.
Thanks for the meeting we had on Friday. As you know, the Occupy of Madison moved into my land this weekend. They told me that the police officer told them that on Monday your zoning inspector will come with the police to issue the zoning citation. Can you ask your zoning inspector to call me so that I can take the citation from him instead of in the mail. I think I am ready to file the legal action in court either Monday or Tuesday and I will need the citation.
As you know, I also filed the appeal to the Zoning Board on Friday. As we discussed in the meeting, I believed that the zoning ordinance states that the appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeal stays all legal proceedings. I interpret that to mean stop the issue of any citation also because the citation is the commencement of a legal proceeding. Therefore, issuing the citation to me after my application of appeal may be in violation of your zoning ordinance. Again please consult with your City Attorney before issuing the citation. If I should have to defend the citation while the appeal is pending, it may be a frivolous citation subject to costs and fees if I should prevail later.
Howeve, I don’t believe that the city ordinance stay all legal proceedings will control the state and federal laws, which allow me to file the legal action in the Circuit Court.
I still hope that the City would treat me the same as those other 27 locations, which you did not enforce the camping issue. I have better things to do rather than defending myself in court and also challenge the constitutionality of your selective enforcment. I feel that the City and I can better use our money and resources to help these and other homelese people than spending the money finding our politics in court, which I think will tear this community apart in some way.
After seeing the troubles these homeless people went through just to be on my property, I feel compelled as a better fortunate person and a Christian believer to defend them.
My land was never occupied by any single human being forever, as I know. Now I saw lives and laughings on the land even though it is cold. I am delightful and happy to see such wonderful moments in my life time, in the midst of poor, poverty, desperate, and uncertainty. These homeless people gave me and my family so much more hopes. I plan to set up my own tent there also. I hope other community leaders and politicians would also set up their tents there. I would be a wonderful world if we all share a moment of nature torture and inner joy with these brothers and sisters.
I thank you for your reconsideration.
May God blesses us all,
Koua Vang
So much going on, not enough time . . .
