Raiding BushVilles is NOT avocating Public Safety

In the "Blame the Poor" culture fostered by the worst of any plutocratic oligarchies, the unfortunates in society are subjected to harassment and random violence. Recently, police and firemen in St. Petersburg, Florida, under the direction of mayor Rick Baker, destroyed the shelters of homeless people who were clustered together for safety after the brutal murders of two of their own.

We don't like seeing failed policy that is producing these BushVille tent-cities. We don't like seeing evidence that this American Dream is falling apart due to the selling out of our republic by a bunch of rich crooks. It's bad enough that our corrupt representatives were complicit over the past generation in degrading our proud economy into this incipient squalor.

Once, there was a homeless peace-activist in the Middle East. His name was Jesus. He said,

"Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me." (Matt 25:40 for you professed followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ)

I would urge those who are entrusted by the public to effectively mitigate the problems in our society, to act in the spirit of that homeless peace-activist of ancient times, and channel some of that "faith-based" money we give you in the form of taxes, to build and equip adequate public shelters for those who find themselves on the street without a home, in our communities.

To those in public office who would sell their influence to would-be corporate feudal-lords at the expense of the rest of us, Knock it Off.

Some of our homeless are from out of town. We should get some federal aid in building our new shelters.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2007/01/city_raids_two_.html

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January 19, 2007
City raids two homeless camps
ST. PETERSBURG — City officials raided two homeless camps Friday afternoon, seizing more than 20 tents and further rattling a community still shaken from the murders of two of its own.
Those who refused to get out of their tents or remove their belongings watched as two dozen police and fire officials sliced the tops of the tents away from their base, tossed them into a truck and drove off. Some said they didn’t have enough time to get out before the officials, using scissors, box cutters and other blades, began to cut.
“I was in the tent when they started cutting,” said Ken Argo, 54, who said he was asleep when the police arrived. “It was very reckless of them.”
The whole operation took less than 10 minutes.
The raid was the city’s latest attempt to deal with the highly visible tent camps that have sprung up in recent weeks and a homeless population that is becoming increasingly organized and close knit.
Last week the city shut down a tent city on Fourth Avenue N after it said it helped about 100 of its residents get social services, including rent vouchers and bus tickets to cities where relatives or friends could help.
Those who didn’t get or refused services soon set up their tents at one of two locations, Fifth Avenue N at 15th Street or Fifth Avenue N at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street.
But fire department officials soon observed a host of fire code violations at the two satellite tent cities, said Lt. Rick Feinberg, a spokesman for the city fire and rescue department. People were smoking and cooking in their tents, he said. The tents were too close together, too close to public thoroughfares, and they didn’t have fire extinguishers, he said.
Feinberg said the homeless also failed to get the required permits for their tents, which were set up on the public right of way.
“They were all in violation of codes,” Feinberg said. “No one submitted plans for preparations for these two tent cities.”
It’s not clear if all the fire codes the city cited indeed apply to the situation. The code requiring a permit specifies tents greater than 120 square feet, which is larger than the tents used by most of the homeless. And a state fire statute initially cited by the city doesn’t deal with tents, said a spokeswoman for the state Fire Marshal.
Still, city officials said their job is to protect and that there were significant safety concerns at the two locations, including danger from heavy traffic. City officials also said the homeless were given the chance to remove their belongings from the tents and were offered a mat at a nearby shelter.
Rather than arrest or get in a physical altercation with those who refused, the officers cut the tents, said Deputy Mayor Dave Metz.
“The tents were retained for evidence,” Metz said.
The city’s action outraged the homeless community, which said the police officers should have been searching for the people who killed two homeless men early Wednesday morning instead of taking away tents.
“And now they’re putting all these people in jeopardy again,” said Rev. Bruce Wright of Refuge Ministries. The reason the homeless cluster in tents is for safety, Wright said.
Metz acknowledged the criticism but said the city did what it had to do. “I think you always have those implications, but our primary concern was safety.”
Wright said that advocates for the homeless, who met Friday with the city to discuss things like getting fire extinguishers, plan to sue the city over the destruction of the tents and will seek an injunction to prevent another raid.
“We’re getting more tents,” Wright said.
“We’re bringing down the big guns now. We’re gonna sue 'em.”
-- Abhi Raghunathan and Alisa Ulferts, Times staff writers

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http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2007/01/city_raids_two_.html