Sigh . . .the neighbors think so . . . I had some different questions.
I attended the parks commission meeting yesterday to ask a series of questions, but the neighbors asked a more interesting one.
They, of course, are worried about the folks who are homeless that are camping in the park. I don’t believe they have any reason to worry – I am not aware of any sex offenders that are currently camping there.
However, should I be afraid? Who is driving those large RVs/Buses with the large screen TVs and laying down that astro-turf? Are they pedophiles? Sex offenders? Am I safe?
I know the neighbors don’t make me feel very safe.
Can we have background checks on the neighbors, please? Are they sex offenders? Do they have violent histories?
Also, can you imagine requiring the names of every single person camping in the campground and then running a national background check on all of them? That doesn’t sound very realistic or feasible. And it sounds expensive with the staff time, etc. Should people submit to background checks to come there and walk their dog? To fish? To use the Lussier Heritage Center?
Here’s the questions I asked, which they agreed to answer in writing. Well, the chair told the staff to answer in writing.
TO: Dane County Parks Commission
CC: Attorney Jeff Scott Olson
FROM: Brenda Konkel, Occupy Madison, Inc., Campers at Lake Farm Park
RE: New Rules
DATE: 4/23/2013Looks like we have gotten off to a rocky start for the 2013 camping season – and we really want to correct that before it gets worse. We can’t always read your minds and are willing to sit down and talk about any issues that arise. At the moment, please see the following questions we have:
PAYMENTS
1. Payments were initially returned for April 20, April 21 and April 22. We attempted payment three times. When we paid for the site on April 23rd, we also submitted additional payment for the previous days. Are we currently in good standing with our payments, or do we owe you for an additional night?ONE CAMPING UNIT PER SITE
The currently posted rules, revised 4/2013 include a new rules that was not there before that says: “One camping unit is allowed per campsite unless additional units are approved by park staff.“2. Where did this rule come from? Was it passed by the parks commission?
3. If you knew it would be newly enforced this year, why didn’t you tell us prior to the camping season beginning?
4. How do we obtain permission to have more than one camping unit per site? In writing? To whom? By when?
5. Have we been denied permission to have more than one camping unit per site? If so, is this a year long denial? Does it apply to all sites in the campground (parks staff said it depends upon the site)?
6. Why were others allowed to camp with two camping units on a site (and more than 6 people) right next to us on the nights of April 20th and april 21st?
7. What is the penalty for breaking this rule?
8. Is there an ordinance that says this rule exists, like the other items on the list?
9. Will this rule be enforced against everyone who stays in the parks in the future? What will their consequences be?
GROUP SITE
10. We keep getting told that we are a group and that we MUST use the group campsite. Can you tell us what constitutes a group?11. Are all groups required to use a group campsite?
12. If one shows up to the park to register and they are informed they are a group, how do the register for the group camp site when the gate is locked and the Main Parks Office is closed?
CONCERN FOR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
13. Why is one large tent sitting in the same place for two weeks better than 4 small tents?14. We don’t want to damage parks property, but it is challenging in wet weather and in other circumstances, is there something we can do to work with you to make it better for the campsites?
OTHER ISSUES
Police and 911 Services
15. People feel like if the call for police or medical services that will somehow count against the group, is that true?16. Often, there are others that gravitate towards us, that are unwelcome. We’ve already had an incident with a neighbor that was threatening and ripped Ms. Konkel’s camera out of her hand. Do these calls count against us in some way?
Untruths
No question here, but a need to set the record straight. At no point were the campers told to be incompliance by Wednesday morning. They were told to write a letter requesting an exception to the rule and that Mr. Marsch would be there in the morning to talk with them. That did not happen. And, Mr. Marsh did not return the email message to Ms. Konkel as he said he would, and did not answer the questions about how we go about requesting an exception.Can we help?
17. We know that we can be a challenge and we do not mean to be. Is there anything we can do to help on a daily basis around the parks? Clean up? etc.We honestly don’t want to cause troubles, but would would appreciate being treated the same as any other paying customer of the park system. There is currently no legal place for people to go, except the campgrounds and we do not want to jeopardize this last legal remaining place to sleep at night.
I also asked a question about them banning people from the park. When and how do they ban people for 48 hours or the year? What does it mean to be “evicted” from the park? Or expelled?
Can’t wait to see the answers.
What does the angry neighbor clip have to do with sex offenders? I think he explained to you he felt threatened by you due to the fact you kept shoving your camera in his face. Did the anger neighbor get charged or ticketed for his assault? Did this neighbor question about sex offenders or another neighbor? Do you keep posting this chip to try to anger your homeless gypsy clan and intimidate the neighbors? Did this neighbor give you permission to post this clip to your blog, Facebook and you tube?
Nope none of the neighbors are sex offenders. If your concerned do a sex offender look up for yourself. Since we have addresses you can search us so go ahead. We can’t search your group. If you have nothing to worry about give us the names of your group and prove us wrong. Show us what kind of law abiding up standing citizens your group is.
I never put the camera in the guy’s face. I was standing back video recording him because he was complaining that channel 27 wouldn’t put his side of the story on the air and he started yelling at people, so I decided since he wanted to be on camera, I’d put him on camera. It’s what he asked for. I told the cops I didn’t want him ticketed, that may have been a mistake, but once he cooled down, he was ok. But he, and his lovely wiife/partner, were at the meeting yesterday and calling people all kinds of names and being real jack asses. They were the ones asking for everyone to be background checked for sex offenses. That is why I put the video up – same guy.
Do you want every campers who uses the park, everyone who walks their dog there, everyone who goes to be the Lussier Heritage Center to be checked? Or just certain people . . . and how would you decide who should be checked and who shouldn’t?
hahahaha, you are a funny dude ! Crack me up ! There are solutions to this, your tone is all knowing it comes out. What constitutes a “law abiding up standing citizens” ? Someone who survived the fall out from George W. Bush and his credit card charged war that destroyed our economy.? Well if that is the answer that you think George and Dick Cheney who were 2 documented draft dodgers who sent low income kids to fight their wars (well don’t you think it was about making sure the unemployment lines didn’t get too long and well Haliburton and all) if those are your criteria just be honest about it because these people that she has befriended and invested in as human beings have a right to privacy. I wish I could entitle mine as concerned citizen incognito too ! Then there would be two of us, a pair, except you and I would have a different criteria of what a law abiding and stand up citizen would be.
Here’s what I hope? I hope she takes the films she has, I hope she gets more footage and I hope she enters it into a documentary for she will win and then we can make these refugees of the economy into a national issue.
But cheers to you and may Dick and George move in soon and you all can paint by numbers. Incest, domestic abuse, alcoholism, child neglect happens on every socio economic level and those above the bottom hide it better out of a sense of shame.
You are not concered you are biased.
There is a solution here, you simply ask a neutral party to check out each person to see if they are safe for a neighborhood. and then the person’s name does not have to be stigmatized for being a refugee of the economy.
It’s that simple It’s understandable to be worried about people moving in but who was that thug who went after Brenda Konkel?
I’d be concerned about him.
So are you the angry neighbor calmed down ??? hahahahah wow, I would think you need anger management issues. Not to be appauled by that man’s reaction to her recording truth in the way in which he did it appauls me. It tells me there is selective acceptance. His behavior was out of control and then he saw that he was on tape though there were cameras every where and he went after a pint size woman. He’s a bully. Who he is? I want his name? I want protect my family and friends from him. Does he do that to his wife? OR did she leave him long ago? Tell him he will probably be on a national documentary hey do truth a favor keep up the good work of exposing what you are really like.
Won’t it be great when her documentary gets to use the phrase “Homeless gypsy clan” when in fact they are the economy’s refugees.
Tell you and your friends to keep giving us more info, delightful how you expose yourself when in fact there are ways to bring this to a resoution:
1. state your fears without demeaning a people who have gone to war for you (most homeless are made up of vets)
2. Each side accept each others fears and find a way to get answers.
I never saw the clip until today and I put it on my blog to make sure more see it.
I predict Konkle will win at Sundance on the Independent Documentary with people like you showing how these refugees of the economy these so called unaborted babies of the womb that we do not serve with a consistent life ethic and aim to deprive them because by god we did it on our own, right ? You are frauds.
State your fears and aim to work out, otherwise do keep giving her more info for her documentary that she ‘s a fool not to make !
Hahahahah takes one to know one, I mean you see a dude go after a petite woman like Konkel you have to think, what is he seeing in others that he sees in himself?
Come on Konkel. Do a documentary enter it into Sundance Independents or somewhere. Contrast it to the documentary REDEMPTION which is about Canners in Manhatten where there is no Brenda Konkel advocating for their basic human rights and they are ignored. Good job you are getting reaction ! These refugees of the economy are not ghosts becasue of your work. Keep it up. Please let that big beefy man have the intro to the documentary ! Divine !
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/1/31/redemption_oscar_nominated_doc_follows_the