Honestly, I have no clue. I can tell you what I do know, people won’t be sleeping in front of the City-County Building tonight.
4:30 Press Conference
Faith Community Responds to criminalization of poor
Press Release:
PRESS CONFERENCE: Thursday, October 1, 2015 (4:30 p.m.)
For immediate release
A press conference will be held tomorrow afternoon, Thursday, October 1, at 4:30 on the steps of the City County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Madison 53703. This is a faith community response to ticketing homeless people for trespassing. We gather to challenge our elected officials to step back from their increasingly punitive responses to our brothers and sisters living on the margins, vulnerable, and suffering.
Speakers will include: Rabbi Jonathan Biatch of Temple Beth El; Rev. Amanda Stein of Bashford UMC; Rev. Eldonna Hazen of First Congregational UCC; Rev. David Hart, Rev. Michael Schuler of First Unitarian Society; Rev. Stephen Marsh of Lake Edge Lutheran; County Supervisor Carousel Bayrd; County Supervisor Al Matano; Karen Andro on behalf of First UMC; and Linda Ketcham, Director of Madison-area Urban Ministry.
Ours is city that has become hostile to poor and hurting people. Instead of solutions like increased development for affordable housing, we get increased government giveaways to corporate interests a la Judge Doyle Square. Instead of more housing stock that poor people can afford, we get tickets for trespassing.
We know the solution to homelessness is housing, yet our city and county continue to criminalize poverty and blame those who cannot find a home within their means, nor a landlord who will rent to them.
This is not our call. As people of faith, our call is to welcome the stranger, to offer shelter. We will gather to lift our voices and bear witness to the criminalization of the poor in our community.
For more information: Contact Linda Ketcham, Director at linda@emum.org
Madison-area Urban Ministry, 2300 South Park St., #2022 Madison, WI 53713
MUM office is located at the Villager mall on Madison’s south side
Phone 608-256-0906 Fax 608-256-4387 Web www.emum.org
5:00 Police (Soft Touch)
Here’s the description of what is supposed to happen. Seems very tense up there today, seems like some city and county staff are nearly harassing people.
4:30 – 5:30 people gathering and deciding what to do somewhere in the vicinity.
My prediction:
Some men go to shelter because today is the day that if they go to shelter they will be able to be in shelter for 30 days (there was an 30-day extension granted Sept. 1) until November 1 when their days re-set and they get 60 days in shelter and can stay in shelter for 60 days plus and day when it is 20 degrees or below or other weather exceptions they might randomly make.
Some women might spend a night or two because they got the same 30-day extension, but since their days don’t re-set, each person has different amounts of days they are dealing with and they try to manage their days so they can sleep inside when it is coldest.
Families – will continue to get turned away but hopefully First United Methodist Church and Salvation Army will be sorting out the details of an overflow shelter until Nov 1st when men’s overflow shelter is use TUMC and then 12 Wings will open as an overflow (I hope).
Some people will scatter to illegal place on private property, in the parks and other places they will get tickets. (mostly couples or women)
Some people will go to the outer ring of the square and sleep on the benches or in the areas by the benches in the right of way. However, people don’t want to do that as they kick beer thrown on them and kicked by people walking by at bar time.
My porch will get full again. And I will be threatened with tickets again.
Lots of people will get upset because nearly 100 people will be scattering to different locations.
