Robert Jones, 56, who serves as a cook at the encampment, said Occupy Madison ensured he had a place to go.Odd that the "We are the 99%"-type political protest of the national "Occupy" movement transmogrified here into a makeshift homelessness effort. But as a way to house the homeless, it was bizarre. As the representative of the district around the encampment, Alderman Bridget Maniaci said "Really? This is the best we can do? Tents, a 15-amp electrical service and a parking lot? That’s going to solve it?"
Jones recalled a time when he was trying to sleep in Brittingham Park and a police officer approached him, warning it was illegal to sleep in the park. Jones told the officer he knew he was breaking the law but he used all his time at the emergency shelters. The officer, Jones said, told him to go sleep behind a tree where he would be out of sight. "I’m not a shark. I need a place to sleep. ... I’m a human being," Jones said.
Donna Asif, executive director for the Madison Homelessness Initiative, urged the city to support grass-roots movements. "This way of living, it turned into something that felt like a home. I think something like it is part of the array of solutions...."
April 11, 2012
The Madison City Council votes to thank Occupy Madison.
And also to deny a permit to extend the encampment any longer. The counsel first listened to about 15 witnesses "telling personal stories":
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15 comments:
Hello, I must be going.
Love Madison politics!
Trey
The Streets of San Francisco has come to Madison. I guess Lake Monona can be the Bay, and Meadehouse can be Haight-Ashbury.
All Madison needs is shipping crates.
"As the representative of the district around the encampment, Alderman Bridget Maniaci said "Really? This is the best we can do? Tents, a 15-amp electrical service and a parking lot? That’s going to solve it?"
As most of the chronically homeless are mentally ill, substance abusers, or both, the Alderman's focus on tents is off.
I'm not sure there is a solution, especially since the courts have ruled out institutionalization.
I wonder how many of those so-called homeless were released from incarceration and/or mental wards with free drugs to control their impulses and a warning to not drink alcohol when taking the drugs? That representative is clueless. Alderman MANIACi is well named in the homeless effort she foists on the good citizens.
The homeless need dogs.
Yea because the last 30 years of giving free stuff to bums and catering to their dysfunctions has worked out so well... for the Social Services industry that lives off of taxpayer money and the politicians who pander to that by trading tax money for votes from the goo-goos who always seem to feel better when cash is thrown at human failings with no discernable results.
May I assume you meant to refer to the Madison City COUNCIL? I once ran for the Council from the Mifflin Street ward, but lost (thank goodness).
I think Ms. Maniaci, homeless advocate and ,ironically, member of both the Housing and Parking Committees, in whose district this parking lot, housing-less encampment resides, meant "Won't someone please rid me of this monument to my well-intentioned ineffectiveness?!?"
Have a nice day, and don't let the door hit ya...
Yeah, these morons wore out what little welcome they had, even among the Lefties, long ago.
"I’m not a shark... I’m a human being,"
So was John Murrell.
The basic flaw in Occupy tactics is, they're not entertaining and they're not clever.
They're just an inconvenient, in-your-face bore. No wonder even Madison's had enough of 'em.
@Patrick, LOL.
I missed that.
You needed to add: You, a Law Professor because the typo (eggcorn?) is particularly lawyerly.
that's weird.
remember when occupy NYC wouldn't feed the homeless, even though technically the homeless were part of the 99%
At least they care.
One of those occupiers could probably sell his Macbook and iPhone and get this homeless dude cheap rent for 6 months. Think it'll happen?
At least they care.
Who?
Let me give you a clue, Alex: It costs them nothing to proclaim they "care." It costs them nothing to "care" with other people's money.
You know about groups like Food Not Bombs, or churches, or people donating free services? Those people actually care, not the douchebags carrying signs or politicians sighing into microphones.
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