Slumber Party at Tim Burgess’ House
September 29th, 2009 • 3 Comments| September 29, 2009 8:00 pm | to | September 30, 2009 6:00 pm |
Last night Mayor Nickels had the privilege of sharing the sidewalk in front of his house with 50 homeless men and women who could not get onto the bus to take them to their shelter.
SHARE and WHEEL asked for an additional $50,000 from the city in order to fund bus tickets that provide transportation for over 500 homeless to and from their shelters. Although the request was marked down as an allocation by the City Council the request was some how lost in the Mayors office.
SHARE/WHEEL pleas need to be heard because without this additional funding many people will not be able get to a shelter and be forced to sleep outside. That is why SHARE/WHEEL have decided to set up camp in front of politicians’ homes every night until their demand is heard.
Tonight, Councilmember Tim Burgess will have is turn. If you would like to join in the protest they are meeting in front of his home at 2110 Bigelow Ave N at 8PM.
Read more about the protest last night on the RC Blog.
SHARE should be ashamed of themselves. It’s one thing to decry a politician in a public forum, but quite another to publish his address and “invite” people to harass him at his home. These tactics cross an ethical line, and are foolish and self-defeating. If you want change, you have to create the political will to change it. Inviting a vocal few to embarrass a local politician and try to keep him up all night accomplishes nothing; in fact it debases your cause.
You can get what you want by making sound, rational, ethical arguments. Stomping your feet like a two-year-old often only hardens the targets resolve.
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way. Think about what you want to accomplish; how you can convince the politicians to want it; and work your plan.
Kemp Hiatt, Jr said this on September 30th, 2009 at 8:50 am
SHARE/WHEEL has brought their cry for funding to City Council meetings, to individual Councilmembers, and to the public to support their cause through letters and calls to our elected officials. This has not reaped them the terms and funds they need to operate successfully.
The demonstrations that are taking place in front of these politicians homes are not meant to harass or even to keep them up at night. The are peaceful demonstrations that are simply meant to add a face to the people who would be sleeping on the street otherwise. Without bus vouchers they couldn’t make it from their job or program to the shelter in time for check-in. They cannot be expected to walk miles everyday just to get to the shelters which are spread out across the city.
Thousands of people sleep outside every night. For many of these folks, and for advocates, making sound rational arguments has not effectively reached our politicians. Times are getting worse and people are choosing to take action on issues that affect them – issues of life and death. While this series of sleep outs may not ultimately get them the 50K, it has brought this issue into the public lime-light. More people now know of the plight of our homeless neighbors, and hopefully more people will stand with them.
Natalie said this on September 30th, 2009 at 9:20 am
This sounds out ragious and with hypothermia coming around the corner, if you want them off the streets. Give them the meens to do so!.
belinda springer. said this on October 2nd, 2009 at 7:45 am