Occupy Update – Transportation?

By
Brenda Konkel
-

After a week a Token Creek Park Campground – still no transportation, water, laundry, showers, etc. But hey, there’s this!

5 PORTA-POTTIES

TRANSPORTATION OFFER NOT “EXPIRED”
I thought I read in the paper that the offer of transportation had “expired”.

I sent this email on Monday

from: Brenda Konkel
to: parisi@countyofdane.com,
“Green, Lynn”
cc: Andy Hedit ,
county_board_recipients@co.dane.wi.us
date: Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 8:34 AM
subject: Token Creek Request for Transportation

Good Monday Morning!

This weekend I was in communication with Andy Heidt about transportation for the now stranded Occupy camp. He told me to make an official request, so here it is. The request is for the following transportation:

1. Daily shuttles at 8am, noon and 4:30 that pick up at Token Creek, drop off at the Job Center, the Warming Center and Veteran’s Plaza at the top of State Street.
2. Transportation to Bubbles Laundry program on Tuesday’s and Friday’s 9 – 1.
3. Transportation to showers – MWF Madison Multicultural Center 9 – 3, TR First United Methodist Church 9 – noon.
4. Transportation to the River Food Pantry Tuesday (5 – 6:30) and Friday (6 – 7) when they serve hot meals.

This would begin to meet the needs of the various people at Token Creek and the community would continue to fill in the gaps as they will have for the first week of the camp being there.

I’m not sure if I can expect a response given the general lack of communication, but it would be great if you could respond at least acknowledging that you received this and letting me know when I might expect a response.

The response, but there’s still no transportation arrangements I’m aware of:

from: Green, Lynn Green@countyofdane.com
to: Brenda Konkel
“Parisi, Joseph”
cc: “Heidt, Andrew” ,
#County Board Recipients
date: Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 11:25 AM
subject: RE: Token Creek Request for Transportation
In regard to transportation, in a memo to the campers dated 11-17-12 it indicated:
” We continue to strongly encourage you to utilize the established overnight shelters and day centers that are available to you, especially given the upcoming winter climate. However, it you choose to establish a campsite at Token Creek County Park under the conditions outlined in the November 16, 2012 memo, Dane County is willing to discuss transportation to and from Token Creek County Park at the beginning and end of each County business weekday.”

Based on your e-mail, I assume that you wish to have the transportation arranged that was offered. I am working to arrange van service at the beginning and end of each County business weekday, and hope to have it in place in the next few days. I will get you details of the arrangements as soon as I have them. I hope this will help facilitate the campers being able to be in the City during the day for appointments, day center utilization, laundry, showers, and other services.

Lynn

Hey, no rush, just let us know when you get around to it.

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7 COMMENTS

  1. UPDATE:

    Our goal is
    to have this van service operating tomorrow; it will be Friday at the
    latest and this afternoon at the earliest. I will share times when I
    have them. Tentatively
    we will be doing a morning run from Token Creek to the day center on E.
    Washington Avenue around 9:30 am and a return run around 4:30 pm, but I
    will get you the definite arrangements as soon as I have them.
    Reminder: The van rides will be available on the
    days that the County is open, so there will not be any on week-ends and
    days the County is closed such as Christmas Eve and Christmas and New
    Year’s Eve and New Year’s day.

    Lynn

  2. Still wondering how it’s fair to demand a shuttle service that would be essentially dedicated all day, every day JUST FOR YOUR GROUP (based on the wide variety of trips you are demanding for showers, food, etc.) when homeless folks in the city proper who cooperate and use the shelters don’t get a free shuttle to take them anywhere, anytime. Is this really about access to service or a continuing effort to grab what you can, the rest be damned?

  4. Actually, if your folks cooperated with the existing system, instead of opening up a ‘protest camp’ and trash-talking the city, county, and every homeless organization in town, this wouldn’t be an issue.

    Don’t the neighbors in close proximity to Lake Farm Park have a say? My impression is the local neighbors don’t want squatters there, and it’s both legal and appropriate for the county to exercise its property rights by evicting squatters who refuse to abide by county policies. Period.

  5. No, the county took the belongings of the squatters to the Token Creek location for the campers to retrieve. They did not “dump” anyone there against their will. Every individual who is there is staying there of their own free will and can leave anytime. The demand for transportation multiple times a day to multiple locations around Madison for services (that according to you don’t exist / can’t be accessed) is absolutely outlandish! What’s next on the list of “must haves”?

  6. The larger picture is that the County’s transportation policy ONLY deals with automobiles. It should be multimodal–including but not limited to automobiles. This is only one example of how shortsighted that view is.

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