22 10 291 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/99f89eceef61623eabc5d3f62fdc6f82.pdf d3aefd6099d81366082e96fdd611df69 PDF Text Text January, 2005 STREETVIBES Homeless Memorial Day honors homeless individuals who have passed away in 2004 The Annual Homeless Memorial Day was held at dusk in Washington Park on December 21, 2004 with a barrel fire and the reading of names. The gathering was sponsored locally by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Homeless Memorial Day is a national day of mourning for the homeless men, women and children who have passed away in a given year. The event featured the lighting of candles as the names of the deceased were read. Local church and youth groups were on hand to pass out soup and warm clothing. Coalitions in Cleveland, Dayton, Columbus and others all across the nation participated in the event with a candlelight vigil and the reading of names of persons who have died. Held on the longest night of the year, the winter solstice, Homeless Memorial Day is a chance for friends and loved ones to gather to mourn those, both known and unknown, who are no longer with us. Over 100 people attended the event in Washington Park near the Drop Inn Center in Cincinnati. Homeless Memorial Day is also a chance to mourn the national tragedy of homelessness and bring awareness to the suffering of the 25,000 men, women and children who experience homelessness each year in Cincinnati. “It is great to see the community pull together to help provide relief for the people experiencing homelessness in Cincinnati,” stated Georgine Getty, Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, “it’s just unfortunate that we have to meet on such somber terms. It’s a tragedy that people continue to die homeless.” Record turn out helps Coalition celebrate 20 years of service at annual dinner by John Zeh photos by Jimmy Heath The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless celebrated its 20th anniversary with a record turn out, a look back at GCCH’s success, and a powerful vision of what’s necessary in the future. “Homes, Dignity, and Hope” included a silent auction, an award’s ceremony, and an address by a veteran advocate for the poor on December 9 at Xavier University’s Cintas Center. The event’s master of ceremonies, dental hygienist Clifford Jones, introduced “two dynamic souls,” GCCH director Georgine Nearly 300 people attended the GCCH Anual Dinner Getty and social worker/psychologist Dr. Ronald Arundell. encamped along the Ohio River in The Coalition published the Getty praised the coalition’s Covington, KY, transporting citizens 100th issue of Streetvibes last year, leaders for their great “sense of to the polls November 2nd, served “a real milestone leading to the humor and sense of humanity. You Mother’s Day luncheons to 150 monthly papers’ 10 year anniversary are the backbone of preserving women, helped operate a successful as an alternative to the mainstream GCCH’s mission and future,” she 2004 Stand Down for 500 folks, press in 2005,” said editor Jimmy said. “What an amazing gift you have worked as advocate for affordable Heath. given Cincinnati.” housing, and introduced He cited Streetvibes’ biggest She listed accomplishments homelessness into the curriculum of challenges as a “political struggle” such as: ‘hosting 11 general body public schools with “amazing results,” with City Hall, saying mayor Charlie meetings last year of member groups’ creating a whole new outlook that will Luken would like to shut down representatives, participation in the help children and teenagers become Streetvibes, because, in Luken’s Greater Cincinnati AIDS Coalition, advocates for the homeless,’ Getty words, GCCH is “arming defending homeless people said. panhandlers with papers to sell.” Streetvibes is part of a network of about 50 other street papers with a new online newswire “bringing a voice to people who often go unheard.” Heath is a photographer and community activist living and working in Over­ the-Rhine, where he arrived nine years ago as a homeless person, eventually finding his way to the Drop Inn Center homeless shelter. Dr. Arundell is associate professor of social work at Mt. St. Joseph College on the west side holding a masters from Fordham University and a doctorate in counseling from the University of Cincinnati. He worked in the 1970’s to make General (now University) Hospital here more accountable to patients. He has also worked as an ironworker and millwright. He said he uses Streetvibes in his classrooms to give students insights to people who are poor and See DINNER, Page 8 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �Streetvibes Streetvibes, the Tri­ State’s alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. Vendors are private contractors who DO NOT work for, or represent, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homleess. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Allison Leeuw - Administrative Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Rachel Lawson - Civil Rights VISTA Kate McManus - Civil Rights VISTA Janice Faulkner - Receptionist Mary Gaffney - Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath, Editor Photographers Ben Boswell, Jimmy Heath, Berta Lambert, Curtis Proffett Cover by Jimmy Heath ­ Homeless Memorial, Washington Park, December 21, 2004 from responsibility and the smelly visage of poverty? I don’t think we are a society anymore. We are groups of people living together, nothing more, and we take solace in our isolation from the uglier aspects of human suffering. We pull down the shades and turn up the sound so that we aren’t exposed to the pain and suffering of our brothers and sisters. For those of us fortunate enough to have choices, the promise of poverty is not a risk. We take for granted each and every gift we receive. How many of us have thought about what would happen if the clean water stopped flowing from our faucets and showerheads? A child dies every 15 seconds from diseases largely caused by poor sanitation and contaminated water; that is more than 2 million preventable child deaths a year. Young girls in Tanzania miss school because they need to help their mothers fetch water from several kilometers away. Thousands more will die in Asia of water born illness as a result of last month’s earthquake and tsunami. How many of us stop to think about what would happen if oil stopped flowing? It looks like planet Earth has enough oil for about for about 27 years. That’s it, assuming that consumption does not increase. What will we do? We might have to walk a block or two. Ask the Iraqi’s what it is like to not have electricity for months. It is easy to take it for granted when you have it. The holidays celebrate the gluttony of the American masses. We are so caught up in the ritual meals and spending sprees, we forget who we are and who suffers. As many Americans hoist their lard pile into post-holiday winter doldrums we need to seriously consider what we have devolved into as a society. Yeah, I love this time of year. It helps me get my spirit straight. Some City Social Service Budget Cuts Restored Streetvibes Luken’s budget had cut the $4.8 million Human Services Policy program completely; City Council put back $2.5 million from city and federal funds. Luken questioned using new ticket revenue to balance the budget, saying he believed the $2 million figure to be “optimistic.” In 2005 Lukens’s mayorship will be over and he does not plan to run for reelection. es Cincinnati’s poorest citizens, including programs for children, senior citizens and community councils. The City is mostly relying on $2 million the city hopes to get in 2005 from a new program to catch speeders and red-light runners using radar-equipped digital cameras. Holdouts were Republican Pat DeWine and Democrats Laketa Cole and Alicia Reece, whose main objection seemed to be to the redlight cameras. The Human Services Policy, which has traditionally used 1.5 percent of the city’s general fund also provides money for battered women’s shelters, food pantries and drug abuse programs. tvib Cincinnati City Council finally reached a compromise last month on a $2 billion, two-year budget that will restore only partial funding for social services, neighborhood grants and City Council members’ own budgets. After public outcry and efforts by some councilmember’s, the budget restored $3.2 million in politically popular programs. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and representatives of City service providers all rallied together to oppose the cuts during City Council meetings and Finance Committee meetings. Mayor Charlie Luken’s budget proposal severely cut many programs that give care to ee Page 2 relief programs. If you want to make a pitch for programs for the poor, you by Jimmy Heath better be able to explain it in dollars. I enjoy the period of time For example, homeless shelters between Halloween and the Super Bowl. It’s one holiday after another. speak to the dollars saved providing I don’t much like the cold weather or shelter as an alternative to locking the short days of winter. But there is people up in an expensive jail. It is the promise of spring on the horizon. the only thing that government understands. The passing years close as if Like winter, rich or poor, the chapters in a book. The events of a cold wind of the heartless cuts given year are forever bound in a through all of us. Those of us who do block of time marked by the passing nothing are guilty too. We all bare of the seasons. Events continue to the shared responsibility of the recycle over and over again, until suddenly it is the end of another year. tragedy of poverty. These are my concerns as we I wish we could learn from the past, but we always forget. Or, we choose step into this New Year. As the economy faces new challenges, the not to remember. The good things; babies being poor suffer even more. Poverty is a complex phenomenon. It born, children has been established that becoming adults, poverty is not only about friendly greetings from low income and a neighbor, love and consumption, it is also celebrations mark low achievement in most of our existence. education, health, And this is what being nutrition, and other areas human is all about – of human development. the celebration of life. Jimmy Heath The poor lack material When we look into the eyes of the poor, do we opportunities like jobs, credit and safe neighborhoods. see this promise? Some of society Suddenly, government begins does not. There is a cynicism that to recognize what it deems as transcends the potential of the less “essential services” because there is a fortunate citizen, relegating them to realignment of priorities in a tight stereotypes and a life of failure. It is economy. Social services are the first considered by many, especially thing to be cut in a budget. government, that the poor are When the middle-class and unredeemable and the best we can do is keep them from straining social the rich feel the pinch, it is passed on to those who are most in need. systems. As long as the poor stay quiet, stay out of trouble and perform Everyone stops writing checks or passing out spare change. The the menial tasks required by society, babies cry. The elderly poor become then we don’t need to do more. This is an unfortunate tragedy, invisible. Government is nothing more because we will lose our future by than people, like most of us, yet we letting these children and adults languish in substandard housing, pain look on it as a lumbering monster without identity. Corporate buildings and hunger, and the lack of an are about the people inside, not some adequate social net. indiscriminate logo tinplate. Do Government calculates the value of a poor person by projecting people find safety and isolation within these structures? Is there shelter in what it will cost in dollars to keep these institutions that allow those these graduates of destitution out of people, people like us, a reprieve expensive, tax-payer funded social Str Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, delivered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://cincihomeless.org Worthy of Promise, Doomed by Gluttony Support Your Vendor �Homeless News Digest compiled by Jimmy Heath Seven activists who were arrested after occupying a former DC homeless shelter are out of jail. The Washington Post reported the seven were released on their own recognizance by a judge. They were told to stay away from the former Randall Shelter in Southwest while their cases are pending. The protesters oppose city plans to sell the shelter building to the Corcoran Museum of Art. They got into the building last month, served Thanksgiving meals to homeless people via a window, and stayed there until being removed by DC Protective Services. Each was charged with unlawful entry. City officials say a new shelter in Southeast was opened when the Randall Shelter was closed. The Office of Community Services in Miami Beach, which coordinates the city’s homeless services, has moved out of City Hall to larger offices. Maria Ruiz, the city’s homeless outreach coordinator, said homeless services and the entire Office of Community Services was relocated to the adjacent City Hall building because they needed a larger space to accommodate staff, the homeless and others served by the office. Ruiz said her six staff members were sharing two desks in the old space. “It was hard,” she said. “We were literally on top of each other. We had no waiting area and we constantly had people waiting around in the hallways. Employees now have their own work station in the new space.” Police dragged screaming protesters from an abandoned building near Halifax, Nova Scotia on Saturday as nine people demonstrating against homelessness were arrested. About 40 demonstrators boarded a bus in downtown Halifax and rode to an abandoned library in nearby Dartmouth, N.S. The demonstration had been advertised for weeks and police vehicles followed the bus along its route to what had been, until Saturday, an undisclosed location. Protesters said they wanted the building to be used for affordable housing to keep people off the streets. Some of the demonstrators filed into the building, which is owned by the Halifax Regional Municipality, and barricaded themselves on the third floor. About 30 police officers arrived on the heels of the demonstrators. Officers rounded up some protesters from inside the building, taking others off the roof. The protesters were then loaded into a police van, even as some yelled at the force police were using to arrest them. Beginning next month, some south suburban homeless shelters will begin giving people breath tests to see if they are intoxicated, according to published reports. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that if the test registers a blood-alcohol level greater than that state’s legal limit of .08 percent for driving, the person will be denied entry into the overnight shelter. The move met with opposition from some shelter volunteers from Public Action to Deliver Shelter, according to the paper, who felt the policy would force them to turn away clients. PADS runs 26 shelter sites. Rich Otto, a South Suburban PADS board member, told the paper that the board approved the testing policy, but later decided to make compliance voluntary. In Seattle, Washington a civic and nationwide effort to end chronic homelessness received a recent boost with the announcement of a new charitable partnership aimed at providing more supportive housing nationwide. Local housing advocates received more good news with the release of a national report showing that in Seattle and eight other cities, supportive housing has proven more successful and cost-effective in dealing with the chronically homeless than relying on jails, prisons, treatment centers, emergency shelters and emergency rooms. “Supportive housing” is housing where an array of services ­ such as mental health and employment counseling, and drug and alcohol treatment - is provided to help end the persistent homelessness seen in about 20 percent of the overall homeless population locally and nationally. Without such supports, many chronically homeless people repeatedly move from streets to shelters, emergency rooms, prisons or mental hospitals — and then right back to the streets, advocates say. It analyzed the costs of supportive housing, jails, prisons, emergency shelters, mental hospitals and hospital and emergency rooms in nine cities — Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix and Columbus, Ohio. In Seattle, the cost of supportive housing was estimated at $26 per person per day, in contrast with $87.67 for a day in jail, $555 for mental hospitals and $2,184 for hospitals. otherwise occupying themselves. Homeless people who have night jobs will also be welcome. They usually end up in the street because most sleeping shelters fill up early. . The City Council has approved $30,000 in hotel vouchers for families, which sadly make up the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population. Early next year, the city will work with the state to open one of the unused buildings at the Fort Logan Mental Health Center for homeless women and their children. In San Francisco firefighters dousing burning brush along Interstate 80 last month While Denver Mayor John found the burned body of a 54­ Hickenlooper’s Commission to year-old homeless man under an End Homelessness is hammering overpass, police said. out a 10-year plan to deal with the Investigators were trying to city’s homeless population, the figure out whether the man died from commission headed by Roxane the fire. White is taking a host of shortThey have found evidence of term measures that will provide camping in the area, but no evidence shelter for nearly 1,000 people of foul play, Richmond police Sgt. this winter. Enos Johnson said. For the last two winters, The victim was identified Denver has opened the lobbies of through fingerprints by the Contra various city buildings to house an Costa County coroner’s office. overflow of homeless people. This winter, those who don’t fit into the Don’t be Squirrelly! city’s other shelters will bed down at the former district attorney building at 303 West Colfax. It is an innovative solution for the short-term, but this is expected to be the last winter that overflow homeless end up in a building lobby. Starting next spring, nearly 100 beds will be made available at the downtown Rescue Mission by shifting working homeless to a renovated motel. At the St. Frances Center, which does not have overnight sleeping facilities, hours will change to allow homeless people unable to tolerate sleeping in shelters to spend the night there reading and Buy Streetvibes! The Coalition for Peace With Iraq (CPWI) We will meet in January on the 2nd and on the 16th from 4 to 6 PM at the Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church, located at 103 William Howard Taft Road As of December 7th, 1,276 American Troops have been killed in Iraq. The official death toll of Iraqi civilians is 16,804, just since March 20, 2003. Come out and learn what you - what we together can do to end this madness. For information call Hal at (513) 325-8620 or email steve,carltonford@uc.edu Streetvibes Page 3 �Who Let the Dogs Out? by Gray Dog Years ago, we had the dogs of Birmingham, snarling and leaping at Civil Rights demonstrators, barely restrained by their handlers. This spring, we had the dogs of Abu Graib, straining at the leash to threaten and humiliate naked men. And now, the dogs of Passaic. I hear, this week on National Public Radio, of a prison in Passaic, New Jersey where aliens convicted of crimes are waiting to be deported. These men are unarmed, unable to threaten their keepers, nonetheless the dogs are there to control them, intimidate them, keep them in line. Even lawyers coming to assist them are threatened with the dogs. This story has been better hidden than the others. We have no photos of the dogs and their masters and victims. And it took several months of investigative reporting by an NPR reporter before it came to light at all. (See www.npr.org/ templates/story/ story.php?storyId=4184282) From what I can tell, all these dogs are German Shepherds. Police dogs, we sometimes call them. We think of them as hero dogs. When I was a child, one of my favorite programs was Rin Tin Tin, the on-going story of a German Shepherd attached to a troop of cavalry; every week, he saved a life, gave warning just in time, carried someone to safety. Shepherds carried messages in battle in the two World Wars. They sniff out drugs, guide the blind; I suppose they even herd sheep. Good dogs to have. They make good guardians for your property; they’re gentle with children; they’re big, sturdy, loyal dogs. If you want a good family dog, choose a German Shepherd. But the dogs of Birmingham, of Abu Graib, of Passaic have turned to something else. These are dogs willing to rip into a man’s flesh on command, to instill fear and terror. They do not merely guard and protect, they dominate, pacify, and humiliate. The world watches in horror what these dogs have done. But the dogs are not the problem. The problem is with the one who is in command of the dog. We know what it takes to turn a dog from a pet into an instrument of terror - training. Wild dogs will bite, intimidate, and kill. That is their job, that is how they make their living. And I suppose that if you’re the prey, a wild dog can be a pretty terrifying creature. Even my little terrier will torment a mole to death. But wild dogs will pretty much limit themselves to biting and killing what they need to survive. To become an instrument of humiliation, a dog needs human intervention. A prison dog needs to be taught to become what we have seen in Birmingham and Abu Graib and what we hear of in Passaic. This is true even for breeds of dog known for their viciousness. A few years ago, when the American Kennel Club published an annual report on different breeds of dog, owners of Pit Bulls raised a storm of protest over wording that suggested that Pit Bulls were a potential threat to children and other pets. Not so, the Pit owners said. It’s all in the training. (My personal friend, Dixie, is thick in the shoulder and has a fearsome bark, but lives in house full of children and wants nothing of me when I visit but my full and undivided attention.) A properly trained Pit can be as gentle as any other dog, or as vicious. It all depends on their trainer. So what of the trainers? Who trained these trainers to teach a dog to attack a helpless other? What does it take to turn a regular American kid (assuming there is such a being) into a handler of attack dogs, into a brutalizer, a dehumanizer of others? We know how easily it can be done with a dog. A dog has a relatively simple brain that operates in fairly predictable ways. Pavlov taught us this trick in the lab. A New Year easy to look down or otherwise have In working together towards by Riccardo M. Taylor a problem with someone who does set goals that benefit the entire As we greet the year, I not fit our perception as a worthy community many of the obstacles, believe there is a lot of reflection we member of our community. I, for which cause so much disparity can be should have, in accordance with the one, believe that, like in the words of overcome, paving the way for a year in passing. Ms. Mary Gaffney “the only time you greater sense of belonging for all the For one thing there is a great should look down on communities’ members. need for people to unite. Life has so someone else is to Although it seems quite much to offer for all of us, but the be giving them a simple, I am the first to reality is that no one is an island, hand to stand up.” admit that the therefore, not enough emphasis can Such an easy formula community of be put on the idea that we must stand should be easy to Cincinnati has a long united on many issues. follow. way to go. For years Then world in its bigger However, we have as a scope is mostly beyond our reach, we have been community practiced and although peace does not prevail instilled with so many division on so many Riccardo Taylor throughout the world, we can and prejudices that it is fronts that we need a must do our part to foster peace here hard to see or act degree of education on at home. I do not believe that we can beyond our meager ideas of what or receptiveness towards those groups police the world, or solve the how things should be. Learning to be of community members whom we problems that abound abroad. Yet, I more open minded about another’s have not had close encounters with. am convinced that a united front at disposition in life is key to bridging It takes more than a passing word, or home can solve most of the problems the gaps, which keeps us at odds a nod from a distance. It has to be we face, which effects so many of an in your face type of encounter to with others of our community. We ours lives. The understanding of understand and ‘feel’ another’s must stand up against injustices community is relationship too those committed against others, and perceived position. Once the blocks who share common goals, facilities, of ice which sever the lines of become instrumental in setting up and ideas with each other. In saying, entities, which help to close the gaps communication are melted away, we greater emphasis needs to be placed that cause us so much variance in are sure to find much more on the common interest, which effects scope. No one person can go out commonness, then we may believe those who are apart of the particular and save the world, or in this instance existed between the different groups. community. Minor differences of the community, however, a united Of course I do not contend to have status such as race, economics, and front can and will set the stage for the master plan of sorts to heal the creed must be sidelined in order for a hurdling the many differences we deep wounds our community suffers, true community to be realized. It is so suffer as a community. yet I’m convinced that if we are to Page 4 Streetvibes Farmers, hunters, and shepherds knew the basics centuries before that. But what sort of training does it take to turn a human American boy or girl into a person who will turn an animal into a tool of abuse? The human brain is much more complex than that of a dog. Moreover, it is frequently encumbered by natural affinities, conscience, moral teaching, and ethical principles that get in the way. So how do we get from “We Are the World” to “We’re Number One?” I’m not sure I even want to know. But I know it continues to happen, for I see that we as a people are becoming steadily more callous and arrogant, easily dismissive of losers, wrongdoers, or the “evil.” However the process works, I am sure it is reinforced by talk shows, video games, reality shows, and a national leadership that disguises its contempt for the weak under a thin, opportunistic veneer of “Christian” compassion. There is a good chance more tales of the abusive misuse of dogs will come out in the months ahead. But it would be wrong to suggest that we, as a nation, are going to the dogs. Really, it’s the handlers we need to fear. survive and grow as a community we must act. They say Rome was not built in a day, but today is a good starting point for our community to revitalize itself. 20 YEARS SERVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 �Farm Worker Victory in to speak to the crowd. North Carolina asked The church went silent as the by Dick Wiesenhahn I first got the word in September from Beatriz Maya, National Boycott Director in Toledo that the 5 1/2 year boycott of the Mt. Olive Pickle Company was over! The Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) AFL-CIO had just won the largest union contract in the history of the state of North Carolina, covering over 8,000 guest workers form Mexico. FLOC organizers Santiago Rafael, Maria Garcia, Beatriz Maya and I began the long trip south to attend the official signing ceremony in Raleigh, North Carolina. More than 150 people were squeezed into the small Church of Christ in anticipation of the great event. The church was decorated with red FLOC banners and flags everywhere. Directly behind the speakers table hung a banner which stated “Farm Workers Feed The World.” It was all very exciting. The official gathering included Farm Worker Union president Baldemar Velasquez and executives from the Mt. Olive Pickle Company and the North Carolina Growers Association. Also present was the Roman Catholic Bishop of RaleighDurham and the directors of both the National Council of Churches and the National Farm Worker Ministry. After the contracts were signed and the principals had had their say, an actual farm worker was new immigrant worker said in broken English that this was the best day of his life! At first contact with FLOC he was not sure he could trust the union organizers. But, after learning about union representation and the benefits of a contract he could see how his wages and working conditions would improve. Therefore, he and other workers became enthusiastic supporters. We all had a great lunch in Raleigh and then drove the 60 Farm Worker Union president Baldemar Velasquez and executives from the miles south to visit FLOC’s modest headquarters in Dudley, Mt. Olive Pickle Company and the North Carolina Growers Association at official signing North Carolina. The small office located in the back of the Mexican store owned by Angelita is support to enable FLOC to hire Velasquez, Democratic donated to FLOC rent free. The additional field organizers and to Congresswoman Marcy Kaptar, walls were filled with all types of open a FLOC office in Mexico. Toledo Mayor Jack Ford and long information such as farm locations, Please come and hear time national farm worker ministry farmer’s names and strategies for representative Olgha Sandmann. The Baldemar Velasquez tell the story field organizers. It was a very of the Farm Labor Organizing press conference and panel impressive example of grass roots Committee and sing the many discussions were followed by a power. songs of the farm workers Mexican pot-luck dinner and fiesta The first Midwest celebration and finally a very inspirational speech movement. Help us to raise the and press conference for this great needed funds to do the hard work by Baldemar. union victory took place at FLOC of organizing 8,500 farm workers Now, the FLOC victory headquarters in Toledo, Ohio in celebration is coming to Cincinnati on on 1,000 farms ion North October. Three Greater Cincinnati Carolina. Tickets are priced at Saturday, January 15, 2005. The FLOC support committee members $10 for adult, $5 for children and Greater Cincinnati FLOC Support Lon Coleman, Sara Hayes, and I free for 10 years and under. For Committee is sponsoring a benefit made the 350 mile round trip to more information please contact concert to celebrate the historic Toledo to be in solidarity with the Dick Wiesenhahn, Greater agreement and to thank everyone FLOC staff and supporters from all Cincinnati FLOC support who supported the boycott of Mt over the country. The celebration committee, (513) 984-1963 Olive Pickles. Also, we need to included FLOC president Baldemar provide very important financial Frost Elementary holds benefit about homelessness, it is not often for GCCH that we have the pleasure of by Andy Erickson Sixth-graders from Frost Elementary helped raise $900 to benefit the Coalition for the Homeless in November. The benefit was part of “Soup Bowls for the Homeless,” an event created by art teacher Tracy Ferguson and her students. Guests at the event received handmade soup bowls in exchange for donations. Students served soup to the guests and spoke about homelessness in Cincinnati. The Coalition for the Homeless would like to thank Tracy Ferguson, her students and Frost Elementary Principal Mark Walden for putting this event together. While we are committed to working with schools to educate students working with elementary schools. The donations were very generous, the students were fantastic, and the soup bowls looked great! National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project (NHCROP) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (513) 421-7803 Berta’s Art Corner Andy Erickson Streetvibes Page 5 �Listen to Elders by Ms. Mary Gaffney To my fellow readers of Streetvibes, and my homeless friends, Happy New Year, the first month of 2005. As I sit here in the office reflecting on 2004, I think of the happiness as well as the sadness. Happiness for being a witness to the 113 year anniversary of my home church, St. John A. M. E. Zion. The sadness is for one of our oldest members, Rachel Hanley, who closed her eyes forever for the sweet rest. She was 101 years of age. In October, another of the oldest members, Loretta Jefferies died. The reason I mention these two ladies is because as a child, I remember how they treated me, with advice for a young child, and even later as I grew up, I remember the talks they had with me. Even though they are not here, I still remember them and thank them for their talks with me. Happiness to Sister Jeffries and Sister Hanley. I am still at St. John, attending with my great-grandchild. There is another lady who is still active and demonstrating her leadership in the church. And another member, who has shared Raynelle Mount What a Year! by Linda Corey Thanks to God and the fellowship of Narcotics Annonymous, I had a year clean on December 23. Boy, what a year! I have met a lot of special people. I completed the Woman’s Full Circle program at the Drop Inn Center July 21st. My counselor, Miss Annie is a very special and smart lady. I have learned a lot about myaddiction to alcohol. I live life on life’s terms and I have learned spiritual principles before personalities. I have also learned one-day-at-a-time. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Page 6 An Agenda of Plunder Miss Mary Gaffney her kindness with all the members, has been in the gospel choir for 66 years. Thank you Sister Raynelle Mount, and may the Glory of God be with you. It doesn’t take much time to stop and listen when the elders take the time to speak or give advice on things that you are bound to encounter in your life. It helps when an issue in your life comes before you. Yes, there may be stress but you will survive. To my homeless friends, some have found a place to call home, and some have found employment. I am happy for this. To the ones who have not met their goals, don’t give up. Keep striving and keep the faith. And to my readers, also remember, God loves us we are his children. Until next month... Loretta Jefferies A Rattlesnake, if cornered will become so angry it will bite itself. That is exactly what the harboring of hate and resentment against others is ­ a biting of oneself. We think we are harming others in holding these spites and hates, but the deeper harm is to ourselves. ~E. Stanley Jones Hate must make a man productive. Otherwise one might as well love. ~Karl Kraus All men kill the thing they hate, too, unless, of course, it kills them first. ~James Thurber by Timothy Harris Francis Fox Piven is professor of political science and sociology at the graduate school of the City University of New York. She is co-author with Richard Cloward of a number of awardwinning books, including Regulating the Poor, The Poor People’s Movement, The Breaking of the American Social Compact, and Why Americans Still Don’t Vote. Her latest book, published in 2004, is The War at Home. Seattle’s Real Change street newspaper caught up with Professor Piven when she was in town last month to speak at the annual conference of the Statewide Poverty Action Network. Real Change: So your new book makes the point that the war and the events of 9/11 have provided political cover for a huge transfer of wealth and other sorts of shifts in national priorities. What are some examples of that? Piven: I guess the more apparent examples are the tax cuts which are geared to reducing taxes on the wealthiest people in the United States and corporations, much more than ordinary working people. Those taxes were justified in Congress as being necessary in time of war. It’s a pretty obvious use of war to redistribute domestic wealth. You usually think of war as a strategy in which one nation plunders another nation’s resources. In this case our leaders were trying to do that for sure - they invaded a nation with a lot of oil resources ­ but they also were using the fog of war to impose their own agenda, which is an agenda of plunder in the United States. I think another dimension of that is the environmental changes that are occurring. Now those don’t have the acute pinch that cutting your wages does because it takes a much longer time to feel the environmental affects of increased pollution. But this administration is committed to the use of public lands for private business: more logging, more drilling. That’s a heritage, a public heritage, and it’s being given away. Another example, not so related to the war: the President and his party were able to increase subsidies to pharmaceutical companies. As if they needed subsidies! They are among the most comfortable industries in the United States. Bush is promoting the Medicare Prescription Drug Act as evidence that he really is a compassionate conservative! That act give big subsidies to the pharmaceutical companies and it also protects them from competition from drugs imported from Canada. It also protects them from any effort by the government to use its Streetvibes buying power to force down drug prices. This is an agenda of plunder. One of the features of this that I’m not sure I entirely understand is the reckless quality of it. Ordinarily, when you look through history and across the globe, elites try to ensure that they will remain elites over time. They look for stability. This regime is so risk-taking, so reckless, that it’s as though they don’t have a time horizon. Their roots are not sunk in society. They want to take it and run. I find that very, very strange, and also very alarming. Because they’re taking it from us, and they may run, but we will inherit the damage that they do. RC: What should we be most concerned about in terms of the Bush administration agenda on poverty over his second terms? Piven: We should be concerned about everything, but we should be concerned about the further erosion of income supports, which includes unemployment insurance. They did not extend federal unemployment insurance since 2003. TANF becomes more restrictive, more punitive, more derogatory of its clients. They want to privatize the Medicaid program because it’s a big program. And union rights are very, very important, and worker rights generally. The attack, for example, on overtime pay standards is very important if it succeeds, if it is in fact implemented. We should work on a minimum wage increase. Five dollars and 15 cents is the minimum wage. That’s the lowest minimum wage in history, in real terms. RC: Why are they so fixated on Social Security? Piven: Because there’s money to be made there. Money to be made by bankers, investment firms, brokers, and financial advisors, and maybe also because the Social Security reserve fund, which is built up through the Social Security tax, is paid entirely by working people. Social security tax is rigged so that there’s no tax on incomes over a certain amount. But that fund has built up, and as it builds up, it creates at least the legal possibility that the public sector can become a player in the economy. RC: Kerry talked a lot about jobs, he talked a lot about tax priorities, but he didn’t say that much about poverty. Piven: The entire tendency of the Democratic Party in the last 30 years, under the influence of the Democratic Leadership Council, which is pernicious, has been to move away from the issues of the 1960s; the issues through which the Democratic Party becomes the See PLUNDER, page 9 �almost ten years. After all this, he is still requesting a relationship and custody of our son. out of college again this past fall The Safe and Stable (for the third time) to focus my Families legislation would directly attention on helping my son benefit my family. My time clock is Matthew. running out on public assistance Matthew’s abuse started benefits. Yet I have had to drop when he was only 19 months old. out of college several times in order His father sexually abused him. The to be there for my son. He is very courts ended up allowing the father angry about the sexual abuse he has supervised visits with his son after I suffered by his own dad. I have got custody, but when Matthew had to spend much time in and out turned four years old, they allowed of court hearings, and even was his dad unsupervised visits. After temporarily jailed when I refused to two or three visits with his dad, my force my son to visit his dad. So I son came home and told me of was in contempt of court and I have more abuse. Again, I fought for no regrets for being in contempt. supervised visitation; this lasted until I need more time to pull my son was 6 1/2 years old when myself and my family’s stability his father regained unsupervised together. The Safe and Stable visits again. When he became 7, Families Campaign aims to give me his father abused him again and the that time.” visitation became supervised. The Safe and Stable In the meantime I learned Families Campaign welcomes the that Matthew’s father was abusing new year firm in our resolve to his new wife. He has now been battle united with Angela, Matthew, charged five to six times for and the thousands of other women domestic violence assaults, and children across Ohio who bear convicted two times, and has scars from living in violent homes. incredulously been allowed For more information on how you supervised visitations with my son can join the battle call the Ohio throughout much of that time for Empowerment Coalition at 513/ 381-4242 or 877-862-5179. Safe and Stable Families Campaign 2005 by Lynn Williams, Ohio Empowerment Coalition organizer In January 2005 the Safe and Stable Families Campaign will be leading the way to get statewide guidelines adopted to assist lowincome domestic violence victims & their children in Ohio. The Campaign is working to ensure that public assistance recipients in Ohio are screened for domestic violence by trained caseworkers; ensure that victims receive referrals for care and support services; and allow caseworkers to grant waivers exempting recipients on a case by case basis from program requirements if the requirements would place a victim’s family in danger. The waivers will allow battered victims time to access the supports needed to successfully pull their families’ lives back together without jeopardizing their safety. Domestic violence occurs at every income level, and across all races and ethnic cultures. Women living in wealthy suburbs are battered as are women living in the poorest areas of the inner cities. In some cases, men are battered, although statistically over 98% of battered victims are women. Research also shows that over 60% of public assistance recipients have been battered….and these are just the reported cases, the tip of the iceberg. The Safe and Stable Families legislation would help Angela of Greene County who shared her very painful story with members of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition. “My children and I have been through domestic violence and sexual abuse and my family is still reeling from the repercussions of a father abusing his own son, our son, Matthew. Resolving this and making sure justice is done, getting counseling for my children and myself, and dealing with an often indifferent court system has zapped a lot of my emotional strength. Even though I have ambitions of getting my degree from Wright State University and finally finding a “family” supporting job, I dropped The Impossible Will Take a Little While Bush’s Iraq war, yet has remained that hope is a way of looking at the light-hearted and free of bitterness. world-in fact a way of life. How do we learn to keep Because Tutu embodies a defiant, Nowhere is this more apparent than on in this difficult political time, and resilient, persistent hope, where we in the stories of those who, like keep on with courage and vision? act no matter A few years ago, I heard what the seeming Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak at odds, both to be a Los Angeles benefit for a South true to our African project. He’d been fighting deepest moral prostate cancer, was tired that values, and to evening, and had taken a nap open up new before his talk. But when Tutu possibilities. As addressed the audience he became Jim Wallis, editor animated, expressing amazement of the that his long-oppressed country had evangelical social provided the world with an justice magazine unforgettable lesson in Sojourners, reconciliation and hope. Afterward, writes, “Hope is a few other people spoke, and then believing in spite a band from East L.A. took the of the evidence, stage and launched into an then watching the irresistibly rhythmic tune. People evidence change.” started dancing. Suddenly I We need Paul Rogat Loeb noticed Tutu, boogying away in the to be strategic, of middle of the crowd. I’d never course-to learn seen a Nobel Peace Prize winner, new ways of framing our vision and Tutu and Nelson Mandela, persist still less one with a potentially fatal reaching out to those who under the most dangerous illness, move with such joy and supported George Bush because conditions, when simply to imagine abandonment. Tutu, I realized, they saw no other alternative. We aloud the possibility of change is knows how to have a good time. need to muster enough power to deemed a crime or viewed as a Indeed, it dawned on me that his convince mainline Democrats that type of madness. We can also ability to recognize and embrace capitulation was at the core of the draw strength from the example of life’s pleasures helps him face its most recent defeats, and that former Czech president Václav cruelties and disappointments, changing America’s politics requires Havel, whose country’s experience, be they personal or political. drawing the line. But none of this he argues, proves that a series of Few of us will match Tutu’s will happen unless we persist and small, seemingly futile moral actions achievements, but in a political time find ways to keep engaged those can bring down an empire. When that’s hard and likely to get harder, several million Americans who’ve the Czech rock band Plastic People we’d do well to learn from just come in to peace and justice of the Universe was first outlawed someone who’s spent years movements in the past couple and arrested because the authorities challenging abuses of human dignity years. said their Zappa-influenced music from apartheid’s brutal system to We do this by recognizing was “morbid” and had a “negative photo by Jimmy Heath by Paul Rogat Loeb Streetvibes social impact,” Havel organized a defense committee. That in turn evolved into the Charter 77 organization, which set the stage for Czechoslovakia’s broader democracy movement. As Havel wrote, three years before the Communist dictatorship fell, “Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart.” Even in a seemingly losing cause, one person may unknowingly inspire another, and that person yet a third, who could go on to change the world, or at least a small corner of it. Rosa Park’s husband Raymond convinced her to attend her first NAACP meeting, the initial step on a 12-year path that brought her to that fateful day on the bus in Montgomery. But who got Raymond Parks involved? And why did that person take the trouble to do so? What experiences shaped their outlook, forged their convictions? The links in any chain of influence are too numerous, too complex to trace. But it helps to know that such chains exist, that we can choose to join them, and that lasting change doesn’t occur in their absence. A primary way to sustain hope, especially when our actions seem too insignificant to amount to anything, is to see ourselves as links on such a chain. see HOPE, page 9 Page 7 �DINNER, cont. from Page 1 live with “tremendous resilience to poverty and addiction.” The coalition has two key aspects that inspire Dr. Arundel, “a spirit of resistance” and service to others. “You fight for the rights of the homeless to be treated fairly and with dignity,” he said. “Your shelter and food are used tirelessly to help others, seeing the impact of social policies on old people. You resist and advocate against policies not in the interests of the people.” With city funding of social services, Dr. Aundel cautioned that there is a direct connection between cutting aid and increased incarceration and the number of people who disagree with unfair policies. He said he was alarmed at the federal government for going after people in the anti-war, environmental, and anti-globalization movements. “There is a climate of intimidation and silenced public dissent,” he warned. The soundtrack is “Bad Moon A’rising” by Credence Clear Water Revival, he said, “but there’s also a time now for opportunities to build a strong movement of resistance based on the real issues of people to actually stop (President) Bush’s agenda.” The best ways to make change happen? Build a broadbased movement, a network of people who act cooperatively, help people feel solidarity and a common identity, set goals that require major change and a challenge to the status quo. “Acting collectively to sustain a great goal must unite all progressive forces to set the terms of the debate,” he said. There also needs to be “an all-out assault on corporate criminals who are looting our future. And we need to build a movement from the bottom up and stop apologizing for asking for services that are as essential as police and fire prevention.” Activists will face resistance but can create change, he assured the Andy Erickson (left) presents Vendor of the Year Award to William Johnson Page 8 audience. “They say cut back. We say fight back,” he concluded. “The people united will never be defeated!” At the elegant dinner, awards were made to winners in five categories: Volunteer of the Year to Susan Smith, Service Provider to Eve Beasley, Streetvibes Vendor of the Year to William Johnson, the Jimmy Render Award to Marcia Battle, and the buddy gray Award to Kevin Lab. buddy gray was a grassroots activist who saved old housing in Over-the-Rhine and helped the coalition grow stronger before he was killed by a client with questionable motives that led some to feel gray was assassinated by people working to gentrify Over-theRhine. Dr. Ron Arundel challenges the crowd to unite progressive forces “This coalition is one of a kind,” said Lab. “Never doubt it. The evidence that you are just overpowering is what we accomplished last week (saving most of the social service funding cut by mayor Lukin). “We are indeed alive!” Sponsors of the dinner were 3C Ministry Foundation, Real Estate Investors Association, Sisters of Charity, Xavier University, Bethany House, Center for Respite Care, Cincinnati Health Network, Drop Inn Center, First Step Home, Goodwill, Health Resource Center, Homeless Medical Van, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Joseph House, Lighthouse Youth Services, and People Working Cooperatively. GCCH’s mission is to serve Executive Director Georgine Getty Addresses the dinner as a unified, social action agency, fully committed to its ultimate goal: the eradication of homelessness with respect for the dignity and diversity of its membership, the homeless and the community. The Coalition works towards this goal by coordinating services, educating the public, and engaging in grassroots organizing and advocacy. It was formed in May of 1984 for one purpose: the eradication of homelessness in Cincinnati. What began as a coalition of 15 volunteers meeting weekly in an unheated church basement has grown into a coalition of over 45 agencies and hundreds of volunteers. Left to right, Kevin Lab, Bonnie Neumeier, Alice Skirtz Homeless and formerly homeless individuals are incorporated into all programs and initiatives at the Coalition. Contact GCCH at 117 E. 12th Street (one block north of Central Parkway), Cincinnati, OH, 45202, (513) 421-7803, or infor@cincihomeless.org. Visit http://www.cincihomeless.org Veteran journalist John Zeh is a native Cincinnatian who lives in western downtown and edits Rainbow NewsAMP Alert. Georgine Getty presents Volunteer of the Year Award to Susan Smith Streetvibes �the descent of some, like the Weathermen, into violence. Yet privately, as we now know from Nixon’s memoirs, he decided the movement had, in his words, so “polarized” American opinion that he couldn’t carry out his threat. Moratorium participants had no idea that their efforts may have been helping to stop a nuclear attack. Although we may never know, I’d argue that America’s recent movement against the war on Iraq similarly helped make further wars against countries like Iran and Syria less likely, and paved the way for more widespread questioning, even if not quite enough to turn the election. The protests of early 2003, the largest in decades, brought many into their first public stand, or their first in years. It wasn’t easy to voice opposition when being called allies of terrorism. Yet people did, in every community in the country, joined by the largest global peace demonstrations in history. Many then continued through electoral involvement, raising further issues and building further alliances. These movements may have inspired the next Rosa Parks, Benjamin Spock, or Susan B. Anthony. They certainly marked the first steps for innumerable individuals who if they continue on will become a powerful force for justice, joining the ranks of the other unsung heroes who ultimately create all change. Even if the struggle outlives us, conviction matters. Actions of conscience confirm the link between our fate and that of everyone and everything else on the planet, respecting and reinforcing the fundamental connections without which life itself is impossible. Whether we flourish or perish depends on how well we can honor the interdependence that Martin Luther King evoked: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” Nor should we forget that courage is contagious, that it overcomes the silence and fear that estrange people from one another. In Poland, during the early 1980s, leaders of the workers’ support movement KOR made a point of printing their names and phone numbers on the back of mimeographed sheets describing incidents of police harassment against then-unknown activists such as Lech Walesa. It was as if, in the words of reporter Lawrence Weschler, they were “calling out to everyone else, ‘Come on out! Be open. What can they do to us if we all start taking responsibility for our true dreams?’” As the Polish activists discovered, we gain something profound when we stand up for our beliefs, just as part of us dies when we know that something is wrong, yet do nothing. We could call this radical dignity. We don’t have to tackle every issue, but if we remain silent in the face of cruelty, injustice, and oppression, we sacrifice part of our soul. In this sense, we keep on acting because by doing so we affirm our humanity-the core of who we are, and what we hold in common with others. We need to do this more than ever in the current time. Paul Rogat Loeb is the editor of The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear (Basic Books, 2004, $15.95), named the #3 political book of fall 2004 by the History Channel and the American Book Association. He’s also the author of Soul of a Citizen. This article is adapted from The Impossible, and part was excerpted earlier in The Nation. www.theimpossible.org agenda but it’s a different values agenda. It’s a values agenda that a party of the down-and-outs, the lot of the people who are talking marginals, immigrants, people of values talk would respond to. color, and women. So the RC: Do progressives simply argument has been that they have to need to out-organize get with mainstream America. fundamentalists, or is there room I actually think that the for dialogue? American people are not so selfish Piven: Grover Norquist, and so evil that they would not who runs a populist right coalition in respond to appeals to improve the Washington but now has links with conditions of the poor. All the such coalitions in the states, boasts survey data shows that they would. that his coalition has moved If you call it welfare, they shrink evangelical Christians from being from it because welfare has been quasi-socialists to being free assaulted since the early 1970s. marketers. He’s talking about the The program has been said to be sense in which many evangelical the cause of every social problem in Christians were big supporters of the world, without any evidence, to the New Deal. Why were they big be sure, but the propaganda works. supporters of the New Deal? But if you ask people whether they Because they recognized that the think the poor should get a hand up, New Deal gave them work relief. everybody agrees. It gave them early food subsidies. RC: There’s been a lot of It gave them the Works Progress talk lately among progressives Administration. These were things about recapturing the language of that made a lot of sense to them values. How do you rate that as a even though they were also strategy for overcoming single-issue evangelical Christians. And if isolation? Christ was an evangelical Christian, Piven: Well, I don’t know Christ also would have been in about that. I mean, what do they favor of relief, WPA, food mean by it? If they mean that we subsidies, and so on. should talk about sex too, I think RC: In Poor People’s it’s crazy. If they mean we should Movements, you write about how advance our own ideals with moral social movements gain power in conviction our ideals about equality, proportion to their ability to democracy, the elimination of threaten and even stop business as poverty, more inclusive society — usual. One of the things that was yes. Those are moral ideals. apparent to me in Seattle during Those are values and we should be WTO — and I’ve seen it growing clear that they are values. It’s not around the country — is the an economic agenda, it’s a values militarization of policing. Do you think the political space still exists for noisy disruptive movements to occur? Piven: Yeah, I certainly do. It’s not fascism. The political space still exists. If you wanted to be entirely safe without any cost, well, it never really is. There are risks associated with truly disruptive action. Sometimes high risks, but that has always been the case. And yet, people have undertaken such actions, they have gone to jail, and they’ve sometimes won. RC: So, what else would you say to those who are wondering “What now?” Piven: Well, it’s gonna be a tough few years but I think only a few years. We cannot continue following these policies without creating domestic political crisis in the United States. And we should be ready for that crisis. We should be politically prepared, politically mobilized, straighten out our heads about what we believe in and what we want to correct in our own society and we should understand that this is not only important for us, it’s important for the entire world, because the United States has become a very dangerous power. People all over the world now agree that the greatest danger to world peace is the United States government. Reprinted from the November 24 issue of Real Change, Seattle HOPE, cont from page 7 The unforeseen benefits of our actions mean that any effort may prove more consequential than it seems at first. In 1969, Henry Kissinger told the North Vietnamese that Richard Nixon would escalate the Vietnam War, and even use nuclear strikes, unless they capitulated and forced the National Liberation Front in the South to surrender as well. Nixon had military advisers prepare detailed plans, including mission folders with photographs of potential nuclear targets. But two weeks before the president’s November 1 deadline, there was a nationwide day of protest, the Moratorium, when millions of Americans joined local demonstrations, vigils, church services, petition drives, and other forms of opposition. The next month, more than half-a-million people marched in Washington, DC. An administration spokesperson announced that Nixon had watched the Washington Redskins football game and that the demonstrations wouldn’t affect his policies in the slightest. That fed the frustration of far too many in the peace movement and accelerated PLUNDER cont. from page 6 Many Thanks to Aiken Leadership Team Students who donated a mountain of gifts for homeless children! Streetvibes Page 9 �cars with smiles all around. Little children, dressed for long waits in the cold, were on the lines along with babies in carriages, very old and disabled people waited, and those in wheelchairs or on crutches kept their places in the ever moving line. No one was turned away and many decided to juggle the boxes and bags without help, turning down the eager offers from high school and college youth. Monday, I was thoroughly soaked by the rain but my spirits were lifted by the both the work of the teams, the support of the Free Store staff, and by the good spirits of the people accepting the food. Tuesday, was more of this same generous spirit. Today, a warmer rain steadily fell but people continued to come and to receive the generosity of important. Waiting on lines was an opportunity for several to see old friends and embrace in the warmth of the room. Others seemed lost in their thoughts, moving toward a young person who lifted boxes of vegetables It has been raining off and on and a bag with a turkey into their since Monday but nothing can stop hands, gesturing with a finger that our efforts to bring and deliver food, they needed help getting to the curb toiletries, and friendship to the Free or to their cars. Very brief greetings Store/Food Bank. With members of were exchanged by those carrying the the Peace Village participating in key boxes with those leading the way to roles in logging in people, organizing some form of transportation. Yet, it to bring food to the sites, volunteering was clear that food and peace were to give the food away, and planning connected even though there was for next steps, the work of the past little discussion about how rare good few months has blossomed into three food and generosity was in anyone’s days of unforgettable experiences. life. Thousands of families and individuals What was remarkable about started to line up for the food at 3am, the great giveaway, the unlimited Sunday evening. The stream of generosity, also raised important people, standing for questions about why our city and long times in a cold country refused to establish a policy drizzle and hard rain to end hunger for most people once was frustrating for and for all. Why do we see very old those of us who and sick people in the rain, on a long wanted to move the line, seeking food? Why were line along as quickly as families, hugging little beautiful possible. After a while, children, soaked to the skin, waiting we got the hang of it on line for even a few minutes for and the room where food? Why were vets, some wearing food was distributed by old military clothing, forced to march family size was jammed in this kind of food line? Why is our and people began city government planning to cut all moving toward doors, subsidies to this agency and all to cars and buses. A pantries involved in collecting and wonderful group of distributing food? And, why does it Dr. Steve Sunderland volunteers from area take a major national holiday to high schools and colleges, plus some a city and the Peace Village that had spring open the coffers and hearts of churches, assisted all who would let donated and continued to donate people for something as basic as us with carrying their boxes of food, thousands of pounds of food. food? bags of turkeys, hams, and chickens. The Free Store/Food Bank Peace seems like an orphan This morning, only a little line had become transformed into a site of in all of this effort to reduce hunger, of hungry people were on hand at peace. Everywhere you could look, taking a place on a line behind a blind 7:30AM as the rain pounded down peace meant being respected, and and angry person, ashamed and but they were whisked into the food being given some food to celebrate in stubborn that this place is necessary room and then out to their waiting one’s own way just what was for such meager food. Peace cries The Peace Village out for a different kind of relationship to the poor and the rich. What is clearly being demanded is a peace with respect for predictable food, a peace with relationships that are open to knowing and believing in a society of sharing, a peace, finally, of radical insistence that no one ever face the humiliation of hunger. Questions swirled around us but we were too busy lifting, walking, and moving the food along, to face these realities. From time to time, I would see the face of a teenage volunteer; eyes wide open in disbelief, shoulders tense with fear, looking into souls of this army of need. What were they wondering about the world that we have left them and not told them about? We learned that all over our region, organizations are at work preparing food for strangers through pantries in churches giving food, through relationships with welfare agencies that have identified needy individuals and families, and through a traditional Thanksgiving dinner provided to thousands in the Dayton, OH convention center. The student’s reports spoke of an old value in people to share a little, to make a small difference of a meal, to feed strangers a fine meal and send the accompanying message of hope and friendship. This is an important event in the lives of many organizations for reasons that are very varied and largely unknown and certainly unheralded. Thanksgiving stops normal action, calls for a peace gesture that involves something more than the donation in the basket. At this time, we see and hear about people in their eighties coordinating services including food for strangers as if this was as natural as sunshine. Youth are enlisted in sorting foods, making boxes, helping deliver food to the sick and working right next to their neighbors and family, perhaps for the first and only time in their lives. Brilliant poems, imaginative press releases, and sentimental pictures flood into view, many created by young people who have found the right words and pictures to reveal the reality of a holiday that is bittersweet for too many. Dr. Steve Sunderland, professor of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati, is the Director of The Peace Village, a group of individuals from the national and interna­ tional community committed to examining all issues of Peace in the world. Dr. Sunderland also heads up Posters-for-Peace which en­ gages people in expressing their visions of Peace, in their own words, through the cre­ ation of posters. Page 10 Streetvibes �The Next Day attacked, mentally terrorized (orange alert, red alert, etc.), we lost jobs, couldn’t get more, went into a by Maria Guerriero horrible recession, made foreign Maybe people felt lonely at work that day. People needed to talk enemies. Take this as my cry for help and convince me not to go to but were stuck behind a desk or at Canada.” home taking care of the kids or And thus began a continental standing in front of a room of five dialogue. The writing, off the cuff, year olds. Email was their only probably typed with droopy eyes exhaust. At 11:34 am on November 3, over morning’s second cup of coffee, Amberly, an administrative assistant in took on the air of well-crafted journalism. In it all was the real news Cambridge, sent out an email that and commentary of the day, written read: “The bloodshot eyes here are many. People wear black and wince by people like your next door neighbor. in the cold gusts outside . . . and Chuk, a visual artist living in inside I suppose. One gust. Long New York: “I won’t be voting again, and draining. Feeling like it’s ever. That’s it. I’m done with it. I’m stripping me of my freedoms. But I was mostly stripped of them gradually not playing by anyone else’s rules anymore. I’m not playing the ‘pick over the last four years, not your representative and live with it’ necessarily realizing. The sudden game anymore. It’s a waste of change in climate makes me everyone’s time and effort. Never understand how close I am to again. Never.” Marc, an activist and freezing.” The subject of the email poet living in Belmont, read “Comfort.” The thread of discontent after Massachusetts, wrote in a poem: “We close the curtain on the voting the presidential election sparked booth, our pencils cry out.” Chris, a dialogue, email being the means of producer from Boston: “I’m going to bonding that day. Most wanted to stay under the covers, hoping to take channel any anger into push ups, crunches, and dumbbell curls while some sort of post-election holiday. thinking of the ‘map.’” Pamela, a Julie, a mother and student from Levittown, New York, sent around a communications expert from Danvers, Massachusetts: “I am a message that read: “I feel a hollow ‘60s kid and my generation is about place in my stomach and a great to see its gates fall. Everything we black cloud all around me. In the fought for, everything we rallied for, immortal words of Janet Jackson I everything we had ‘sit ins’ for, all want to ask Bush, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ cuz as far as my those marches, all this may be reversed.” A quote from Abraham eyes can tell we were physically Lincoln got around electronically thanks to Michael, a student at UMass Boston: “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” In response to Julie’s email, Owen from East Meadow, New York sent a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Owen, inspired by history, added, “We are reaping what we have sown. It is time to plant new seeds. Whatever you see in this world that doesn’t make sense to you, resist it. I am human and I do not always practice what I preach, but I will try to change. I love you guys. The election is bull@#$%. Every day we can do something.” There were some resounding themes, including anger, loss of hope, and the urgent need to find the nearest Canadian passport office, but this shocked love and resilience emerged most often, and lasted a bit longer. Mary, a retired professor from Ohio, worked at the polls in Oberlin that day. The next morning, she emailed her kids. “My very dear children,” she began. “Please remember that this is our country, and we need to participate in it as fully as possible. We must remain actively involved in the electoral process at all levels—all those ‘unimportant, unglamorous, unexciting’ elections to things like school boards, city councils, state legislatures. . . . By the time of the presidential election, so much else has already been decided. Don’t let others make these choices for you. So stay the course you’ve set for yourselves, and eventually the two halves of this sadly divided country will find a way back to each other.” It was comfort that people needed, shelter from the idea of four more years. And it was found, as with all comfort after something tragic and confusing, by reaching out to each other. James chose a new path. “The answer has never been in politics or broad social movements,” he wrote. “That is not where human beings live. We live in homes and neighborhoods with each other. What is important to us is who we pass on the street on our way to work and in the grocery store, and who we come home to and who we go out with. “There is no hope in Canada either, except for the hope that is here — and that is the hope in how we treat each other every day, and nowhere else. Even if Kerry had won, 15 million children would have died this next year due to poverty and preventable disease. The only thing that matters is what you decide to do for other people with the gift of your life. “That’s what I think anyway.” Maria Guerriero feels that spontaneous overflows of emotion are key to any revolution. Reprinted from Whats Up, Boston, MA, USA, in its December 2004 issue. Queen City Barrel - photo by Curtis Proffitt Streetvibes Page 11 �Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati All Vendors Sign and Agree to a Code of Conduct Coalition for the Homeless and Report Any Violations to GCCH - 421-7803 Streetvibes.... 1. Streetvibes will be distributed go to the individual vendor. This program has helped for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 30 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers can not be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. Vendors must also never sell Streetvibes door-to-door. 8. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be honest in stating that all profits Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 9. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 10. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 11. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. The mission of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) is to support a street newspaper movement that creates and upholds journalistic and ethical standards while promoting self-help and empowerment among people living in poverty. NASNA papers support homeless and very low-income people in more than 35 cities across the United States and Canada. Streetvibes Vendor: 70 cents Printing and Production: 30 cents The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) was formed in May of 1984 for one purpose: the eradication of homelessness in Cincinnati. What started out as a coalition of 15 volunteers meeting weekly in an unheated church basement has since grown into a Coalition of over 45 agencies and hundreds of volunteers dedicated to improving services for homeless individuals, educating the public about homelessness and empowering homeless individuals to advocate for their civil rights and housing needs. Streetvibes is a tool of GCCH used to help us achieve our goal of ending homelessness. On the one hand it is a self-sufficiency program geared towards the homeless and marginally housed individuals who are our vendors. Streetvibes vendors buy the paper for 30 cents per copy and sell it for a suggested one-dollar donation, keeping the profit that they have earned. hundreds of people find and maintain housing. The vendors also sign a code of conduct stating that they will behave responsibly and professionally and they proudly display their official Streetvibes badge while selling the paper. Our vendors put a face on “the homeless” of Cincinnati and form lasting friendships with their customers. On the other hand, Streetvibes is an award-winning alternative newspaper and part of the international street newspaper movement. Focusing on homelessness and social justice issues, Streetvibes reports the often-invisible story of poverty in our community. Streetvibes is also proud to include creative writing, poetry, articles, photography and interviews written by homeless and formerly homeless individuals. Streetvibes enjoys a loyal reader base that respects the honest portrayal of the joys, sorrows, and challenges facing the people of Cincinnati. Streetvibes is a member of the: The International Network of Street Papers (INSP) unites street papers sold by homeless and people living in poverty from all over the world. INSP is an umbrella organisation, which provides a consultancy service for its partner papers and advises on the setting up of new street papers and support initiatives for marginalised people. Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. There have been periods of history in which episodes of terrible violence occurred but for which the word violence was never used...Violence is shrouded in justifying myths that lend it moral legitimacy, and these myths for the most part kept people from recognizing the violence for what it was. The people who burned witches at the stake never for one moment thought of their act as violence; rather they though of it as an act of divinely mandated righteousness. The same can be said of most of the violence we humans have ever committed. Gil Bailie line War would end if the dead could return. Stanley Baldwin line Page 12 Streetvibes �Community Shares honored four local activists at the presentation of the McCrackin Peace & Justice Awards on Sunday, December 12. Named for the late Rev. Maurice McCrackin, the awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated long-term commitment to the creation of a peaceful and just community. The ceremony took place at the Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church. The 2004 Honnorees: Rev. Dr. Paula Jackson The Reverend Dr. Paula Jackson (Mother Paula) has been Rector of the Church of Our Savior Episcopal Church in Mt. Auburn since 1986. Under her leadership the congregation has become well known for its commitment to social justice issues. The church advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons in the church and in the community at large and offers literacy education, outreach to Hispanic persons, a Black Women’s support group, and an HIV/AIDS support group. Jim Lowenburg Jim Lowenburg is a powerful and effective leader who has had a major impact on a variety of efforts for social justice in Greater Cincinnati. For many years, he was a driving force of Cincinnati’s Central American Task Force — raising funds for community-based efforts in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala and keeping Cincinnatians informed of events there. He was one of the founders of Peace Works, which connected international issues to those at home. And, it was Jim who brought local nonprofit leaders together to form a federation called Community Shares. Rev. Rodney Sutton Rev. Sutton is active in the affairs of the United Church of Christ and is a strong voice for racial reconciliation and peace. He is a minister and youth leader working with lowincome African American youth from several neighborhoods throughout Cincinnati in his capacity as Director of the Racial Justice Youth Ministry of Inwood Park - photo by Ben D. Boswell photo by Jimmy Heath Four Activists Honored with 2004 McCrackin Peace & Justice Award Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Once homeless himself, Rev. Sutton works with the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and is a tireless advocate for the rights and dignity of the homeless. Ruth (Cookie) Vogelpohl Cookie Vogelpohl’s work in feeding people in Rev. Maurice McCrackin Over-The-Rhine and the West End is legendary by her founding of Our Daily Bread nearly 20 years ago. Our Daily Bread is a ministry of hospitality dedicated to serving the needs of neighborhood residents – providing shelter for the homeless, food for the hungry and socialization “Too many governments are for those who are alone. Cookie making informed, deliberate choices respects and supports the human that actually hurt childhood,” rights of all individuals, especially UNICEF Executive Director Carol those most in need. Bellamy said in a statement released ahead of the launch of a report at the London School of Economics. “Poverty doesn’t come from nowhere; war doesn’t come emerge from nothing; AIDS doesn’t spread by choice of its own. These are our choices.” In ideal circumstances, childhood is the relatively short window within which society can provide a certain quality of life to build hope for a successful future. But as the report argues, with over half the world’s children crippled by the toxic cocktail of HIV/AIDS, poverty and war, the world is failing to deliver on the promise of a happy childhood. The report entitled “Childhood Under Threat” is a call to action for the world to harness whatever means necessary to do better for the future of our children. Perhaps the most devastating attack on children and childhood is coming from the scourge of HIV/ AIDS and the huge spike in the number of children orphaned by AIDS. In just two years, 2001­ 2003, the number of children who had lost one or both parents due to AIDS rose from 11.5 million to 15 million, according to the report. Eight out of ten of the children who have been orphaned due to AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa. Working to stem the tide of infections and in helping to take care of the children that have been left behind is filled with tremendous challenges. Streetvibes Children under attack from AIDS, war, poverty Page 13 �Deer Skull I WANTED TO WRITE Abbey of Gethsemani, December 2004 by Michael Henson I hike the trail to the second pond and find, in the snow, the skull of a deer, a doe, a young doe. The bud of a molar still hides in her jaw. A few black flakes of leaf cling to the butter-colored bone; some stamens of pine, some bits of earth lie within her vacant orifices and in the narrow flutes of her nostrils. A treasure, I think. So I start to walk her down the road that passes through the field of red winter grasses. And I am startled, for I hear a chirruping, thin whistle, a sigh, an extended bleat. A hawk? I think, a young hawk? But the piping stops when I stop and starts again when I start. And starts and stops again. So I know: the wind I make by walking plays through those slender, piccolo nostrils. And so she whistles me bleakly back to the house where I am staying. There, I place her on the desk and study her closely. I ponder the strange arabic interstices that knit together three plates of bone and the deep, sullen cavernous sockets that once held her eyes. And it seems she watches me as I write and it seems she tells me, Your turn, some day. And what she says is true. For who am I? And what do I have for all my tinkering and complaint? My worry and work? All this heaving of animal breath in and out of my damp nostrils? Nothing at all. Only this breath that I catch from moment to moment. Only this moment of body, this articulated stack of whistling bone. I wanted to write but The pencil I was given had a broken point. I wanted to write of my fear That the hatred of Palestinian children Will increase and more 13 year old girls In school uniforms will be Killed. I wanted to write of my hope To see this vote as an affirmation Of the path of peace for our broken country. Others by Robert Manassa Lord, let me live form day to day, In such a forgetful way, That even when I kneel to pray, My prayer shall be for others. Help me in all the work I do, Ever to be sincere and true, And know that all I do for thee, Must need be for others. Let self be crucified and slain, And buried deep nor rise again, And may efforts be in vain, Unless they be for others. And my work on earth is done, And my new work in heaven begun, May I for get the crown I’ve won, While thinking still of others. Yes, of others Lord, yes others, Let this my motto be, Help me to live for others, That I may live with Thee. I wanted to write with a pen Of love for My enemies. I wanted to write of the shabby Trees that will need to be sold For Christmas. I wanted to write of the blind That are leading one path to Healing. I wanted to write of my admiration For the parents of soldiers caught In the web of service to a spoiled ideal. I wanted to write of the hungry Who could not come for the free Meal of humiliation. I wanted to write of those lost In the world of their own chaos Including my sense of humor. I wanted to write to Jos, Nigeria And remind my brothers and sisters That the world watches and waits for peace. I wanted to write to those children Outside the walls waiting to get in And share the joy of Binny, Amos and Katy In India. I wanted to write to the families of Buenos Aires Who have eaten regularly only from nightly Trips to garbage cans and ask: “Where is Humberto?” I wanted to write the Indonesian peace movement And remind them of my continuing love for their struggle To bring non-violence to the new democracy. A Personal Darkness I wanted to write Mary Ann of her beauty and Inner passion for love that bubbles forth from a body Without only legs. by jh The rising voice speaks of a dreadful past, an anger that hides. Lurking invisible, revealed by the press of a challenge. The grown man, unborn, reeling from a personal darkness. What is this presenting creature, who brings a hidden madness? Ignored? Abused? Dominated? The grown man, unborn, reeling from a personal darkness. The tattered garments, the eyes, the anger. A broken human, wanting to be heard, nothing more. The grown man, unborn, reeling from a personal darkness. The scars of a history in the hands, the broken nails. The broken voice that swells but does not speak. The grown man, unborn, reeling from a personal darkness. Page 14 I wanted to write that my faith In people continues despite the swagger Of tyrants in my own heart. Streetvibes I wanted to write Duraid and Mama of my admiration For keeping the flag of peace waving Inside their beautiful hearts, our hearts as exiles. I wanted to write Hans of my love For our German brothers and sisters Who continue to light the lamp of justice. �Unwritten Beatitudes 1. Blessed are the ignorant for they shall be taught. 2. Blessed are the humble for they shall be made proud 3. Blessed are the blind for they shall see 4. Blessed are the falsely accused for they shall exonerate 5. Blessed are the losers for they shall be triumphant 6. Blessed are those in tribulation for they shall experience bliss 7. Blessed are those in debt for they shall be forgiven 8. Blessed are those in prison for their minds shall be set free 9. Blessed are the addicted for they shall be made whole 10. Blessed are the impaired for they shall renewed 11. Blessed are the pacifists for they shall honored 12. Blessed are the powerless for they shall overcome 13. Blessed are the scared for they shall no longer doubt 14. Blessed are those who serve for they shall be served 15. Blessed are the undesirables for they shall find acceptance By Club Quaker, Youth Group of Eastern Hills Friends Meeting: Jeremy Coppock, Nathan Coppock, Daniel Coppock, Daniel Montgomery, Grace Montgomery, Matt Whispe, and Jamie Pogue. by Robert Manassa Heavenly Father up above Please protect the ones I love. Guide them and keep them and let them know that I’ll always love them so. I’m sending up this prayer, down on my knees Father God – all of my sins, forgive them please I’m not to proud to beg I’m standing on my last leg. Precious Lord – please continue to hold my hand I need your help and grace to help me stand I need you not only for a day If these words are wrong in any way Then Father God – teach me how to pray CHILD OF THE UNIVERSE I firmly believe that mother universe will provide all that I am in need of to sustain this life of mine. Each of us can harness the talents and energies to accomplish everything we set for ourselves as a goal. We are each in the space and place we belong in. Where we are and where we are headed is already pre-destined. It has been determined by the seeds we have sewn in this life and by those of the past. Its success depends on how well we attend to the crop we have planted within us. when in doubt we must speak truthfully.......in all matters love every one with a open hand......even when it is painful to do so ......look into tomorrow and do what is for the good of all.......including you. Great care should be taken of what you manifest. Do not speak or act anything negative into existence...Knowingly refrain from these activities. A Servants Prayer Shutter Speed by Jimmy Heath Writers! Submit your Poetry to STREETVIBES ­ Streetvibes@juno.com Christmas Tree in Fulda Apartment Building Courtyard, Over-the-Rhine Streetvibes Page 15 �357-4602 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services, Inc 751-9797 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 Need Help or Want to Help? MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 January 2005 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Remembering Those Who have Died On The Streets Homeless Memorial BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY STREETVIBES $1 Donation � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2005 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource January 2005 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Homeless Memorial Day Honors Homeless Individuals Who Have Passed Away in 2004 Record Turn Out Helps Coalition Celebrate 20 Years of Service at Annual Dinner Pg 2: Worthy of Promise, Doomed by Gluttony Some City Social Service Budget Cuts Restored Pg 3: Homeless News Digest Pg 4: Who Let the Dogs Out? A News Year Pg 5: Farm Worker Victory in North Carolina Frost Elementary Holds Benefit for GCCH Pg 6: Listen to Elders An Agenda of Plunder Pg 7: Safe and Stable Families Campaign 2005 The Impossible Will Take a Little While Pg 8: Dinner Continued Pg 9: Hope Continued Plunder Continued Pg 10: The Peace Village Pg 11: The Next Day Pg 12: Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Streetvibes Pg 13: Four Activists Honored with 2004 McCrackin Peace & Justice Award Children Under Attack from AIDS, War, Poverty Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 2005 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Rachel Lawson Kate McManus Janice Faulkner Mary Gaffney Jimmy Heath Ben Boswell Berta Lambert Curtis Proffett Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Annual Dinner Ben Boswell Berta Lambert buddy gray Budget campaign Cincinnati Curtis Proffett education Farmers Frost Elementary GCCH Georgine Getty Homeless News Digest Janice Faulkner Jimmy Heath Kate McManus Mary Gaffney Memorial Day North Carolina Peace Village politics Rachel Lawson Social Services https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/06c68beeaca11fe7a6356f5fa0068a3c.pdf be246243b785a9dbcf8d4c4b52889649 PDF Text Text �Cincinnati 3rd Meanest City Toward Homeless Drop Inn Center Kicks oft Hollday, Fundraislng Drive Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �The Stigma of Section 8 Housing • lli11\*ll l1i 11Wl1¥n!l1l014'1 >cl V111lt Iha CoafiUon' New Website �91 "'' 01 llhl 'I I '™ !'II I '' •><oil' ti llUti I! December 21, 2004 Washington Park, Ower-the-Rhine �Dancing in Poverty ill .A Journey to Streetvibes Words from Ms. Mary �Streetvl Letter PWI) t-lvllh111111w l'UtWlf!t tt11v1t bHn 11h1111~1m91r9cr ftli1Frn t;iil!lluld llilllff nl'lppeFl~ct il!11~lthrc~r cnn �. i PntJna Your Vote••• Your Voice 1dwtatdle.-lleroflad:lv....... ,.~. 294 Jntild tlM Ga:JI •llllihlftd. �The Right Thing For the R~ht Reason: A Journey from Addiction to UnderMandlng Over--the·Ahlne: The Struggle for Place �Imagine Peace and Unity In Over-the-Rhine �"Homeres&ness: A Teacher's Gulde'' Available Next Month City Budget Cuts Affect Soclal Services �TheP Villag �The Safe and Sleble Famlles Laglalatkm Wiii End Gaps In the System I I �SltmfvllM• Vendor Codcf of Canduat About the Grealer Cincinnati AN «Cm1MI Coalition for Homeless and Streelvibes.... Where Vendor: 70 cents Ycur Dollar Gees .... Buy Streetvibesf • Suppn Your Local Vendor �Break My Fall 20 Y•am SERVING THE °'11N·thrl-Rhlne NEIGHBORHOOD 1 ��Momtnv: � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2004 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource December 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cincinnati 3rd Meanest City Toward Homeless Drop Inn Center Kicks of Holiday Fundraising Drive Pg 2: The Stigma of Section 8 Housing Pg 3: Homeless News Digest Pg 4: Dancing in Poverty A Journey to Streetvibes Pg 5: Streetvibes Letters Pg 6: Unexpected Prajna Your Vote… Your Voice Pg 7: The Right Thing for the Right Reason: A Journey from Addiction to Understanding Over-the-Rhine: The Struggle for Place Pg 8: Imagine Peace and Unity in Over-the-Rhine Pg 9: “Homelessness: A teacher’s Guide” Available Next Month City Budget Cuts Affect Social Service Pg 10: The Peace Village Pg 11: The Safe and Stable Families Legislation Will End Gaps in the System Pg 12: Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Streetvibes… Pg 13: History-Making in Motion Break My Fall Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource December 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Rachel Lawson Kate McManus Janice Faulkner Mary Gaffney Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF addiction Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Budget Cuts Cincinnati Drop Inn Center Food Research FRAC Fundraising Drive Georgine Getty Holiday Homeless News Digest Janice Faulkner Jimmy Heath Kate McManus Mary Gaffney Over-the-Rhine Peace Village Rachel Lawson Section 8 Housing Social Services Teachers Vote https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/31d00666ffcd447485088f85bd6e8c75.pdf f5c5f610c7280fc00340d01ce1eae2d5 PDF Text Text October, 2004 STREETVIBES Miami University Design Program Held in Over-the-Rhine Photos by Jimmy Heath Last month in Cincinnati, Miami University’s Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine and Architecture for Humanity (AFH) hosted a design charrette to link design advocacy with social movements addressing homelessness, poverty, and civil rights. The charrette was held at the MU Center for Community Engagement at Buddy’s Place, 1300 Vine Street. The program was an opportunity to galvanize creative processes in a city that is a flash point for rethinking a reinvigorated civil rights movement. Over-the-Rhine and Cincinnati constitute important sites for learning. Participating in the charrette offered the occasion to link art and architecture to social change: to place aesthetic Elizabeth Linville work within movements for social justice and civil rights. Leaders of national and international Writers! importance - Kweisi Mfume, Harry Belafonte, Submit your Poetry to Rev. Al Sharpton, Dennis STREETVIBES Kucinich, Manning Marable, Robin D. G. Streetvibes@juno.com Kelley, Barbara Ehrenreich, Martin Luther Bonnie Neumeier addresses architects and students during intro session at Buddy’s Place in Over-the-Rhine King III, Ron Daniels, Walter Fauntroy, Cynthia the-Rhine People’s Movement, have all traveled to the area to McKinney, Damu Smith, Eric examine the political and social and other groups. The Mann and Lian Hurst Mann ­ Charrette concluded with situation in Over-the-Rhine. The Cincinnati Freedom Summer charrette promised to provide a creative synergy around charrettes, artistic installations, and design/build opportunities among Architecture for Humanity, artists, activists, neighborhood institutions, and Miami University and the University of Cincinnati. Participants had the opportunity to gain knowledge of the history of civil rights in the area and the issues facing Cincinnati today through talks and workshops with the Cincinnati Black United Front, Cincinnati Progressive Action, the Over- Event organizer Tom Dutton speaks to assembled crowd completed works of design to be shared with the public. Charrette teams consisted of local citizens with memories of the local movement, local artists, students from Miami University and University of Cincinnati, local architects, visiting artists, and visiting members of Architecture for Humanity from around the country. Each team was co-led by one local citizen and a visiting artist-designer. Participants received a packet of information about Over-the­ Rhine, the ongoing movement, Design... cont. on page 9 Drop Inn Center Report Washington Park is the public space which is at the heart of the southwest corner of our neighborhood, Over-theRhine. In August, the Cincinnati Park Board, which owns and maintains Washington Park received news that they were receiving a cut for the current year (2004) of $216,000. As a result, they had to eliminate 40 positions of workers who cleaned City Parks. The impact on Washington Park is devastating. Before, we had two positions just focused on the park. Now, the Park Board is only able to pick up trash twice a week. Through the month of August, Washington Park was slowly becoming more piled with trash. The gazebo in the center of the park was piling up with benches and furniture. This week we got to the point where we couldn’t take it any longer. Together with the Park Board, about a dozen Drop Inn Center residents and workers volunteered to clean the park yesterday morning, September 14th. Pictures of the event are on our groups’ website: http:// photos.groups.yahoo.com/ group/dropinncenterupdate/lst . How can city leaders afford to fly people in from Manhattan to study the park, but fail to provide the workers to pick up trash there? Quality of life begins with the basics. photo by Jimmy Heath City Budget Cutback Causes Washington Park Trash to Mount Washington Park, Over-the-Rhine’s largest public greenspace Please call Cincinnati council/pages/-4126-/ . The City Council and urge them to time to act is now. The restore funding for our park forecasted cut to the Park workers. Here is their website: Board for 2005 is another http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/ $700,000. Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �Streetvibes A Tragic Milestone by Jimmy Heath Streetvibes, the Tri­ State’s alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Allison Leeuw - Administrative Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Rachel Lawson - Civil Rights VISTA Kate McManus - Civil Rights VISTA Janice Faulkner - Receptionist Mary Gaffney - Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath - Editor, photographer Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, delivered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://homeless.cinci.com Page 2 rid ourselves of perceived enemies. Many would say that “Every gun that is made, in a violent world, we have no every warship launched, every choice but to strike with anger rocket fired, signifies in the and violence. The world is a final sense a theft from those dangerous place; certainly it is who hunger and are not fed, with humans in charge. those who are cold and are not The youth of our culture clothed.” President Dwight D. are the ones being placed in Eisenhower, April 16, 1953 harms way. They are strong and easily trained. Military The tragedy of the Iraq television commercials tell our war can be felt here at home in youth, with fancy editing and the numbers of American cool music, that the armed soldiers killed since the forces are an adventure, a way beginning of the conflict. We to grow up, and a way to get an see the destruction of Iraq and education. It is offered as a way the loss of young lives everyday “out.” Killing is what these on the evening news. youth really get. That is the Most of the deaths of “job” these kids are signing up American soldiers have come for. We treat our youth like after the official cannon fodder, and end of hostilities; the dead or injured over 1,000 soldier’s family is American soldiers left with the have been killed so grieving. far with more than This so-called war 800 killed during on terrorism has the insurgency that devastating flared after the consequences for Americans brought the needy here at down the Saddam home too. Nearly Hussein 200 billion dollars government. There Jimmy Heath has been spent on were 66 deaths in the war and the efforts against the month of August alone. terrorism. We need to protect The vast majority of U.S. ourselves, (mostly from hatred deaths - all but 138 - came after promulgated by our own President Bush’s May, 2003 imperialism) but there are other declaration of an end to major ways to measure security. combat operations. “Mission The cutting of social Accomplished,” read a banner programs, while military and on an aircraft carrier where Patriot Act concerns receive Bush made the announcement in monetary priority, undermines front of the ships crew and a the future of this country. national audience. Crumbling under-funded public In addition to the schools, low birth survival-rates American casualties, almost among the poor; hunger, 7,000 Iraqi citizens have been homelessness and crime wounded and an estimated permeate our collapsing inner14,000 have been killed since cities. There are other children the beginning of the war. left behind struggling to survive The Bush administration as others go to war. has long linked the Iraq conflict Our youth here at home to the war on terrorism. The are faced with a war of their September 11 Commission, own. An insidious and deadly however, concluded that Iraq struggle faces our lost youth on and al-Qaida did not have a “collaborative relationship” before the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, and some have questioned to what extent foreign terror groups are involved in the anti-U.S. insurgency in Iraq. War and killing is the human solution to conflicts, and has been for thousands of years. War’s origins are complex: they are found in the imprecise and emotional systems of thoughts generated in cultures over time. With all the advancement in human technology and knowledge, we still use death as a means of resolving differences, to gain control or Casualties of the war Streetvibes the streets and the children in our public schools. Some young men on the streets turn to dope dealing because they have no other discernable skills, their future denied. There are over 2 million people locked up in our nation’s prisons. There are over 35 million people living in poverty in this country. An Urban Institute study states that about 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year in this country. The best way to build security in this nation and with friends around the world is to provide health, education, safety and opportunity to each and every American citizen. A happy and healthy nation of American citizens is the best security. The money spent on teaching our youth how to kill with detachment and technical sophistication could be used to train them here at home for jobs and opportunity, hope and peace. Out of the 200 billion dollars spent on the war and its ancillary conflicts, over 120 million dollars could have been used by Cincinnati alone. (Based on the contribution of each state’s residents to the total tax collection, according to the IRS. www.nationalpriorities.org/ issues/military/iraq/ CostOfWar.html) Recently, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, “We lack metrics to know if we are winning or losing the global war on terror.” I know we are losing the battle here at home to save our youth. We need a major shift in our priorities, to ensure that more young people don’t die here and abroad. We need to build security for our nation by building our youth. Write to Jimmy at jimmy@jimmyheath.org �Save the Date You are cordially invited to attend the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless’ Annual Dinner HOMES, DIGNITY AND HOPE ­ A 20 YEAR CELEBRATION December 9th, 2004 6:00 pm @ Xavier University, Cintas Center Including Dinner, a Silent Auction, Raffle Prizes, Awards, and Entertainment For tickets, please send $25 to GCCH at 117 E 12th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Makes checks payable to GCCH and write ‘ticket’ in the memo.... (If you are a service provider, please send $20 for your ticket. The discount is our way of saying Thank You!) FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 421-7803, EXT. 16 Reserve a table for your church or company for $200 (10 seats) Sponsor dinner for a homeless individual for $25 Donate an item for our silent auction Streetvibes Page 3 �Homeless News Digest by Jimmy Heath Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg began to flesh out his promise to reduce the number of homeless people on the streets and in New York’s shelters, committing the city last month to a series of precise deadlines for his administration’s goals. In February 2005, the city will introduce automatic housing applications to homeless shelters citywide, administration officials said. In June 2005, the city will begin a pilot project aimed at reducing the number of men who are released from jails and sent straight into the shelters. By 2007, the number of homeless families with children in city shelters is to be cut in half. In Buffalo, NY an effort to end long-term homelessness began last month over plastic trays of chicken casserole and steamed greens, with volunteers surveying soup kitchen visitors about services they receive and others that they need. Later, volunteers would fan out across parks, shelters and under bridges as part of a 24-hour effort to give a voice to the people who will be most affected by a county homelessness plan to be developed next year. “We’re grounding our effort in the voices of the folks that we want to serve,” said Katie McHugh-Connolly, director of the project dubbed PRISM; Prevention, Resources, Independence through Housing, Services and Maintenance. The three-page surveys administered by 160 volunteers began with questions about age, race, education level, marital status and physical or emotional conditions that limit the ability to work. The goal is to pinpoint the reasons behind chronic homelessness and to tailor service plans to combat it. Current social safety nets aren’t working for this segment of the homeless, McHugh-Connolly said, “They keep returning.” In Grand Junction, CO local agencies and community groups came together last month to provide food, Page 4 clothing, and many other services to help the homeless veterans and their families in the Grand Valley. There were free haircuts, medical care and employment information available. The event, entitled “Stand Down,” also gave items to the general homeless population. The senior sock hop held during the Sttand Down at Mesa View Retirement residence also benefited the event. Cincinnati held its Standdown on October 1st in Over-the-Rhine’s Washington Park providing similar services to area homeless. Los Angeles County would sharply refashion homeless services over the next decade, adding 7,000 emergency shelter beds and 40,000 units of affordable housing under a plan to be debated by area civic leaders. The 10-year strategic plan to end homelessness is the result of a yearlong effort by a task force called Bring LA Home, whose members include Mayor Jim Hahn, Sheriff Lee Baca, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony and other government, religious, philanthropic and business leaders, the Los Angeles Times reported last month. Members of the task force will decide whether to adopt the guidelines and pursue funding for the proposals, which include setting up a region-wide housing trust fund. The preliminary plan would institute a comprehensive approach to preventing homelessness, as well as addressing the immediate needs of the estimated 80,000 men, women and children who are homeless on any given night in Los Angeles County, The Times reported. Booming property prices have contributed towards a huge leap in the number of people who are registered as homeless in Calderdale, Novia Scotia. Those most in need of accommodation went up last year by 37 per cent and in a bid to keep pace with demand, the council is now having to rent privately-owned houses and flats in Leeds. A similar system could be set up in Calderdale because of the shortage of emergency living space. A total of 1,460 people turned to the council last year claiming to be without a permanent roof over their heads, compared to 1,183 the previous year. Lowell, MA State Sen. Steven Panagiotakos looked at a massive pile of bricks that had been dislodged from an old building on Middlesex Street. “One man’s pile of bricks,” he said, can be turned “into another man’s castle, sanctuary and home.” The bricks will go back into a $2.8 million project to convert an old boardinghouse into a new homeless shelter, right next to the current Lowell Transitional Living Center, which is drab and crowded. Some 90 officials and social service workers and a few homeless clients gathered to break ground yesterday. Ninety is also the number of beds the shelter now has and the number of beds the new facility will provide when it opens next year. Officials praised state and city agencies for working to help society’s most disadvantaged people at a time when Lowell wants to focus on economic development. The Lowell Transitional Living Center will expand into this building next door to the current shelter on Middlesex Street. Mark Cote, the shelter’s executive director, said the new arena and baseball park were vital for keeping the city vibrant. But by building a “state-of-the-art” shelter featuring an elevator, handicapped access and central air Lowell shows compassion and character. In the days just before Fair St. Louis, city jail workers fretted over where to fit the disorderlies whom police typically round up whenever St. Louis hosts a large outdoor event where lots of beer is served. All the system lacked were some offenders. In a federal lawsuit heard in recent days in St. Louis, a group of civil rights lawyers, including the American Civil Liberties Union, argued that St. Louis police found those offenders that weekend by sweeping the homeless from downtown. The lawyers told U.S. Streetvibes District Court Judge E. Richard Webber that police had arrested dozens of homeless people without any other cause than the beautification of downtown and the comfort of fairgoers. The lawyers told Webber that they were particularly galled by the charge issued to many of the homeless defendants: drinking in public. How many thousands of fair visitors drank downtown with impunity, they asked. In a Detroit Michigan neighborhood, a pair of homeless men were found living among bags of evidence and other police materials inside a vacated Highland Park public safety building. A Highland Park public safety officer, who asked to remain anonymous, took a local TV news team on a tour of one of two former police buildings that have reportedly become a place for squatters. The front door on the building on Gerald Street was locked, but people have gained access through a back entrance and through windows, the station reported. Bags of evidence, a firefighter’s uniform and an old police log with names and addresses were among the items discovered. “The city needs to contain this building or get everything out of it,” said the public safety officer. The officer added that some have reported finding drugs that were previously confiscated, guns and other police equipment in the buildings. “Anything that a police department could use - ID cards, service revolvers. You can play police if you come here,” the officer said. Electricity still flows through the Gerald Street building. The homeless men were found watching TV. Don’t be Squirrelly! Buy Streetvibes! �know how I feel from my articles each month about the people who visit our office. early years when he was Although you are not attending Woodward High with us, your family or friends, School and the Youth Church Oscar Garner Jr., people speak and the lectures of St John A. about how you gave to our M. E. Zion Church. He was a friends. I know one person, a member for over fifty years. former member of the church, On October 24th I brought to who benefited from the office a copy of your advice and got his funeral a job, and finally announcement and moved away. It was to my surprise some not too late for him, of my homeless and his life is new in friends in the office a lot of ways. knew him. They As I close this confided in me month, as always I some of the advice say, it doesn’t take he had tried to give much to give a smile them; they did not to someone. heed it. Oscar Garner Jr. Regardless of When I sit creed or color, we with those that visit our office are all God’s children who have here in Over-the-Rhine it is best a place in the garden of life. to listen, and not ask questions. Have a good and safe month. There was a lot of gratitude and (smile) concern for this man. Although Oscar Garner had a busy life, A man receiving charity serving in his church and always hates his working at the Post Office. But benefactor - it is a fixed to hear from my homeless friends at the Greater Cincinnati characteristic of human Coalition for the Homeless, he nature. George Orwell always had time for them. You Never Too Busy To Care by Mary Gaffney Here it is October and soon autumn will be greeting us. Thank you to my friends who purchase the Streetvibes paper each month to help the less fortunate survive. We are blessed that the hurricanes did not reach Cincinnati. But please take time to say a prayer for the one’s that were caught up in it. We can never say that it can’t happen here. This month’s article I’d like to dedicate to the memory of the late Oscar Garner Jr. whom I had known from his Miss Mary Gaffney 20 YEARS SERVING THE Over-the-Rhine NEIGHBORHOOD Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 Homeless Coalition Welcomes New Staff ST which focused on the study of a Hello Streetvibes! My name is Rachel Renee Lawson and variety of cultures from around the world. Culture Anthropology also I am 21 years old. became my passion and I decided At the age of 2, my family to combine these two interests. relocated to Cincinnati from I would like to eventually Missouri. I graduated from Sycamore High School in 2000 and receive a PhD in Anthropology with a focus on African Studies. I attended the University of Dayton with the hopes of gaining a B.A. in would like to use this degree to teach at the pre-med. However, collegiate level after 3 months of as well as to science and math perform a study classes that I found on the different boring and an ways African excruciating pain, I American decided that I culture stems needed to find a from West different direction Africa. that suited me, Although my rather than what I Rachel Lawson deep passion is assumed people to study expected of me. In different cultures from around the turn, I declared English my major, world and how they interact, I am since I have always had a passion also deeply interested in civil rights for writing and reading any and issues. everything. At the University of Dayton My sophomore year I took I was the membership chairperson a class on cultural anthropology, for the N.A.A.C.P and co-editor of the monthly newsletter, The Black Perspective. Both of these organizations focused on introducing diversity and respect on a variety of levels, in particular political. I love talking and meeting Support new people and I look forward to Your my year as a Vista at the Coalition Vendor for the Homeless (I will be working primarily with civil rights issues). RE ET VIB ES If you’ve stopped by the me what I really wanted to be Coalition office recently, you studying. I continued working might have wondered, “Who is on that degree and ended up that girl with bright red hair?” taking many social justice and Well, that new person is me, social work classes as a result. Kate McManus. I am one of These classes solidified the two new AmeriCorps my feelings about the VISTA’s taking over for importance of advocacy and Elizabeth Linville for the next working for social justice. year. These classes The main and the project I’m activities I working on is the was a part of National Civil during Rights Organizing college, Project, but I’ll particularly also be involved in volunteering several of the more at The Other local projects, Place in including work Dayton, with the Affordable Kate McManus helped me to Housing Advocates realize my and the Homeless Outreach passion for social justice and Group. I look forward to my desire to work on advocacy meeting and working with you and civil rights in the future, over the next year. possibly as an attorney. I come to Cincinnati I was graduated this past from northeast Ohio, from a May from UD with a degree in suburb a little south of Sociology with a focus on Cleveland. I grew up there and social justice and a minor in lived in the same house for French. Uncertainty about virtually my entire life, but I what I wanted to do next and ended up in southwest Ohio my passion for social justice led when I decided to go to the me to AmeriCorps and the University of Dayton for Coalition. college. I look forward to the I went to school year ahead and I’m excited to undecided about which degree I meet everyone and to work on would pursue, but a sociology all kinds of projects in Over­ class my freshman year showed the-Rhine. Streetvibes Page 5 �Fire Cat Review This is the “salute to autumn” version of the Fire Cat Review. The Fire Cats are a group of furry, incognito social justice activists, living in a town near you. . . Caramel Apple Pie (Perkins): Fire Cat Blue: Sooooo good. So very good. Fire Cat Clear: Perkins does two things well – muffins and pies. The caramel apple pie is top-notch. Fire Cat Orange: Clear! When did you get here? I luv pie, especially caramel apple. I really enjoyed the creamy filling. It wasn’t tarty, which I dislike. Yummy in my tummy. Fire Cat Red: Why don’t we have cherry pie? (stamps furry paw in anger) Fire Cat Magenta: Caramel apple pie rocks my world. The best part was that there was no peanut butter in it. Red Delicious Apples: Fire Cat Blue: So I’ve read that they’re breeding out all apples besides Red Delicious because they’re the prettiest and easier to market. Fire Cat Red: I like Granny Smith. The green ones. They’re crunchier. Fire Cat Clear: They’re way better than Red Delicious. Fire Cat Red: Yeah. Fire Cat Magenta: Red Delicious apples are the worst. I hate them. There is nothing good about them. Fire Cat Orange: I personally like apples. All of them. Just hate the skin. Sometimes I gag on it. Fire Cat Clear: Red Delicious apples suck. They shouldn’t even count as apples. They’re squishy on the inside and taste like crap. Garden State (movie) Fire Cat Magenta: This movie is amazing. There is nothing bad about it. It has everything: awesome music, acting and cinematography. I’ve seen it three times; you should too. Fire Cat Orange: Is this the movie with Denzel Washington? Fire Cat Clear: Uh, no. Natalie Portman and that one guy from “Scrubs.” They were both really good. Fire Cat Blue: Yeah, I like that guy from “Scrubs.” I don’t know about Natalie Portman though. . . did you see that Wal-Mart movie she was in? Terrible. I didn’t see Garden State though. The commercials are good. Fire Cat Magenta: Don’t forget about Bilbo Baggins. Fire Cat Clear: The movie is better than the commercials though. I’d recommend seeing the whole thing. It’s good. Fire Cat Orange: I want to see the movie with Denzel Washington. He’s very attractive. Conclusion: The two Fire Cats who saw the move Garden State, loved it. The two who did not are troubled by Natalie Portman and intrigued by Denzel Washington, respectively. Things that have piqued the Fire Cat’s interest: 1. Naughty, naughty Mike Allen. 2. Open Water (a.k.a. the shark movie or 2 hours of floating and screaming) 3. Fire Crackers and the singed fur that results if you’re hit by one. 4. Squishy apples. Squishy politicians. 5. The reality show “The Next Great Champ.” Actually, this has only piqued Fire Cat Blue’s interest, who loves it enough for the whole furry bunch. Did we mention that “Eye of the Tiger” is the theme song??? 6. The Shins - not just a trend, they’re actually awesome. 7. Halloween and the great Fire Cat costume contest. 8. The Republican National Convention, Zell Miller and the protests: what kind of Armageddon is this? 9. Gorilla costumes: for ultrasecret identities. Spiritual Inspiration: an interview with Linda Corey by Rachel Lawson I recently interviewed Linda Corey to talk about what inspires her to continue in her daily struggles, as she is “carrying the message to the still suffering addict” “I was under the bridge and I didn’t want to do rules and I had a drinking problem and everyone told me.” A victim of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse Linda Corey has come very far, literally. A few years ago Ms. Linda was homeless and living in the woods in Daytona Beach, Florida. After that she hitchhiked with an acquaintance to Jacksonville, Florida where she lived in a shelter and worked for different temporary positions. Eventually she found herself deserted in Ohio and a long way away from home. On the first day here she became acquainted with the Drop Inn Center. At one point she was living underneath a bridge by the ballpark arena and the US Bank. Her breaking point came when she was under the bridge one day with two full beers, but her foot was almost completely frozen. Reasoning that “drinking didn’t change my life” and it caused her more pain and trouble, she asked for some type of spiritual intervention. Always a Christian, something told her to go to the St. Xavier church and the first lady she saw gave her a cup of coffee. No longer Page 6 Slowly but surely desiring to drink she contacted things have been getting better Brent and the Center for Chemical Addictions Treatment for Ms. Linda. One of the moments that made her proud on Ezzard Charles and was when she was panhandling discovered they had a bed and her minister and his wife available. walked by and at first she was On January 26th she hesitant but he told her he was entered the Drop Inn Center proud. Continuing to treatment program, where she met Ms. “ I w a s u n d e r strive, Ms. Linda recently graduated Annie, who she the bridge and I from the Drop Inn lovingly refers to as “Mom”. Although didn’t want to Center Treatment program for women. it’s been hard along do rules and I In the end, Ms. Linda the way, Ms. Linda has definitely had had a drinking feels that she helps others because she some guardian angels pro b l e m a n d demonstrates that if to help her along. She remembers that everyone told you try anyone can succeed, especially at her first group me.” with a little spiritual session she said, “it intervention. Ms. feels like a jail”, but Linda’s advice is to “hold on Ms. Annie assured her that it and wait for the miracle to would be all right. As a matter happen” and “don’t pick up no of fact whenever Ms. Linda matter what”. needed her, Ms. Annie has Ms. Linda would like to always been there. thank everyone who has helped Ms. Linda began her along the way but in attending the Salvation Army, particular: “The whole staff at where one of the ministers is the Drop Inn Center are angels, also a recovering addict. This kind, helpful, and have good was also a source of inspiration sound advice” Ms. Annie-Drop that she could also handle Inn Center counselor –“always things. One of her favorite motto’s has become “Let go and has a kind word, helpful, and full of solid sound advice that let God”, “change is difficult will help you in your but not to change is fatal” and “learn to listen, listen to learn”. recovery”… “The sunflower is Ironically, Ms. Linda looks back the seed that still continues to at her past and says the tide has grow” (in dedication of Ms. turned because at one point she Annie). Brent - Block by Block “gets people from being was going to church to collect homeless to being in treatment cans and now she’s going there or housing by working long to pray. Streetvibes hours. If you’re tired of your addiction he can help you.” Ms. Deborah - “a very kind, good-hearted and helpful lady,” The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, Mrs. Georgine; “She is a beautiful woman when it comes to public officials. Kind, considerate, caring, always there when you need her…Superwoman,” Andy; “Kind, considerate, caring, always there when you need him.” Jimmy; Elizabeth, Allison, Rachel - “Kind, considerate, caring, always there when you need them.” Mrs. Mary; “Kind, considerate, caring, always there, intelligent, good sound advice when you need her.” Pastor Fudge and Mrs. Fudge (Salvation Army), St. Joseph - on Ezzard Charles, her support Group, St. Xavier Church, Benita; bible study teacher, Ms. Kim Kemp; CD educator of the Women’s Treatment Program, Ms Ruby Lucas; CD educator of the Women’s Treatment Program, Mr. Brown; DIC Men’s Treatment Program. Mr. Amos; DIC Men’s Treatment Program, Center for Chemical Addictions Treatment-“where recovery is within reach.” Stephanie Dunlap; writer for City Beat “for giving us hope, inspiration, encouragement, and teaching us how to write, an overall kind sweet loving lady” ...all my love and friendship, Linda... �Homeless man works to get back life he lost by Mark Hansel, Cincinnati Post staff reporter For the last 10 years, Grady Cook has alternated between being homeless and living in rundown apartments and hotels in downtown Cincinnati. In July, he took what he hopes will be the final step in his permanent return to mainstream society. Cook registered to vote for the first time in his 42 years during a homeless voter registration drive sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. “I want to be an example for people that are in that situation (homeless),” said Cook. “I want to let them know that you can get off the streets if you want to bad enough.” Cook does not fit the image of a typical homeless person. He does not wear shabby clothes or sit on a street corner with a tin cup and a cardboard sign seeking money. He is a well-groomed, articulate man who has strong ties to his family and community and high hopes for the future. He recently found an apartment in North Avondale, he is clean and sober, and he said his days of living on the streets are behind him for good. His life has been a rollercoaster ride since his teen years, and he said he is finally ready to add some stability to it. As a young man growing up in Bond Hill, Cook fell victim to the same temptations that trap many inner-city youths. He dropped out of school in the ninth grade and fathered his first child at the age of 15. Over the next several years he became a Deathly Silence by Rachel Lawson When you think of the month of October many things may come to mind, from Halloween to the beginning of the harsh cold weather that surrounds the city. However, the month of October is also dedicated to a sometimesoverlooked subject, “Domestic Violence Awareness”. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) website (http:// www.ndvh.org/) “Nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives”. (Commonwealth Fund survey, 1998) Although that statistic is horrific enough, I cannot help but to think about those who remain silent and feel that they are alone. This silence not only impacts their emotional and physical well being, but it also can cost them their family stability and their life. “Even when he was at the father three more times and started doing drugs and drinking. Despite absolute bottom, he never took it out on anybody else,” she said. “You his family obligations, meager education and substance problems, just felt like he needed something to get him over the hump.” he managed to achieve some success. For Cook, who has stayed in contact with his children, that He worked steadily as a trucking company dispatcher and something came two years ago when he found out his oldest daughter was was making “good money” before his drug and alcohol problems drove him out of work and onto the streets 10 years ago. “I was so disappointed when I quit that job because the people I worked for treated me like family,” he said. “I left because I wanted to do drugs and drink more than I wanted to work.” Cook hit rock bottom and stayed there for a long time. He began his relationship with the Coalition for the Grady Cook Homeless because of his frequent visits to shelters and other suffering from kidney failure and needed a transplant. agencies the organization sponsors. Occasionally, through the Cook was eager to help, but doctors told him that he would have help of one organization or another, he would find a place to stay for a to get clean before they would even consider him as a donor. While it while. Inevitably, however, his penchant for drugs and alcohol hasn’t been easy, Cook said he gave up booze and drugs cold turkey and would land him right back on the street. has never gone back. “It’s hard,” he said. “That’s the way it is with a lot of homeless people,” said “Sometimes I dream about the drugs. But I know if I backslide just a little, Georgine Getty of the Coalition. “They’re basically good people who, I’ll be right back where I was, and I won’t be able to help my child.” because of one problem or another, cannot make that permanent move Since getting clean, Cook has managed to find work through the off of the streets.” Getty has known Cook since coalition. He sells the coalition magazine Streetvibes and contributes she came to the Coalition two years ago. as a writer and photographer. He also works at a retail store in Corryville. He is a member of the coalition’s speakers bureau and travels throughout the city drawing attention to the plight of the homeless. In November, he will be tested to see if he is a compatible donor for his daughter. Cook said he would like to follow in the footsteps of Donald Whitehead, director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, who spent several years as an addict on the streets of Cincinnati before a visit to the Drop Inn Center started him on the road to recovery. He became the first African-American and the first homeless person elected to the post of director. He has been instrumental in bringing the problems facing the homeless to the national spotlight. “I saw him last year and told him I was going to have his job some day,” said Cook. For now, Cook’s goals are more modest. He just wants to be able to help his daughter and work to improve the situation of the homeless in Cincinnati. “If you had asked me five years ago where I thought I’d be today, I would have said I’d be dead,” he said. “I thought these streets were going to kill me.” Now that he is a registered voter with a job and a place to call home; he feels like he has a future. “When you’re homeless, you feel like you’re on the outside looking in,” he said. “Now I feel like I belong, and I’m ready to make a big impact on this city.” This story originally ran in the September 13th, 2004 edition of the Cincinnati Post would be considered felonies if committed by strangers are filed as misdemeanors (a lesser crime)”. (News from U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, September 2, 1993) In turn, it appears that not only are the victims of domestic violence remaining silent but so are the law-makers, prosecutors, and judges. It has become apparent that not only will a deathly chill surround the city of Cincinnati, but so will tolerance for ignorance through acceptance of abuse. According to the NDVH website “Family violence costs the nation from $5 to $10 billion annually in medical expenses, police and court costs, shelters and foster care, sick leave, absenteeism, and non-productivity ”(Medical News, American Medical Association, January, 1992). Unfortunately that means sometimes more money is spent on post Domestic Violence, rather than preventing and eliminating it. Even though the first women’s shelter, Women’s Advocates, was opened 20 years ago in Minnesota, the laws that are applied to domestic violence offenders are still extremely lenient. “90% of all family violence defendants are never prosecuted, and one-third of the cases that DJ and Adam, Two of God’s Miracles. Both were born with cerebral palsy. Their mother explained the differences. Children with low-weight birth’s sometimes have cerebral palsy and sometimes don’t. DJ has attended college showing that even if you have a handicap it doesn’t mean you can’t achieve. Just look at Adam and DJ. Submitted by Julie, Streetvibes Vendor. Streetvibes Page 7 �How Important Is Your Voice? by Rachel Lawson I recently walked along 12th Street in Over-the-Rhine and asked lower income and homeless individuals three specific questions: how they felt about voting, how is the housing in Cincinnati, and if they could say one thing to President Bush what would it be. I had a lot of eye-opening responses; however, I think the most important realization was that a lot of people do not realize how important their voice and their vote are in this upcoming election. How do you feel about voting? First of all, voting in my opinion is basically fixed. The reason for that belief is that the last presidential election wasn’t fair. Bush took it! - Mr. R It won’t get us nowhere - Someone who cares They’re going to do what they want and I don’t even know who the best candidate is - Cody Brown They (politicians) are going to put in there who they want to be in there. The votes don’t mean nothing. It’s the housing electoral votes that carry weight. All politicians are liars. - Tony Smith How do you feel about the housing situation and how it affects you: Rich help rich. Poor stay poor. Don’t get anything. Even if you have a job, try to get ahead you are struggling. - Mr. R Look around you. There are By The Numbers - who votes... Every four years, voters head to the polls to select our nation’s president. The process begins with a series of primaries and caucuses in the winter and spring and culminates with the general election in November. To mark the start of the 2004 presidential election season, the Census Bureau has culled from previously released statistical reports the following facts: State Turnout Trends In both Iowa, home of the firstin-the-nation political party caucus, and New Hampshire, home of the first-in-the-nation party primary, 67 percent of citizens voted in the 2000 presidential election. percent registered in 1996. In 2000, the highest voting rates were found in the District of Columbia, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Maine and Minnesota, each at or about 70 percent. 72% - Percentage of citizens ages 65 to 74 who voted in the 2000 presidential election. This age group has the highest voting participation of any age group. National Turnout Trends 60% - Percentage of eligible voters who cast their ballots in the November 2000 presidential election, slightly higher than the 58 percent who voted in 1996. 21% - Among people who said they were registered to vote in 2000 but did not actually vote, the percentage who gave as a reason that they were too busy or had conflicting work or school schedules. This was the most common reason given for not voting. 70% - Percentage of citizens who were registered to vote in 2000, compared with the 71 “Teach a child to read and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.” George Bush ­ February 21, 2001 Page 8 111 million - The number of people who voted in the 2000 presidential election, short of the record high of 114 million set in 1992. 86% - Among citizens registered to vote in the 2000 presidential election, the percentage who reported they cast ballots, up from 82 percent in 1996. 61% - Percentage of eligible women voters who voted in the 2000 presidential election. That is higher than the 58 percent of men who voted. building lofts for successful people. That’s why you see more homeless people. - Someone who cares I myself have been to prison and I have trouble getting subsidized housing due to the fact that I have a felony. I have been turned down four times. I think once you paid your debt it should be done. Everyone needs a house. - Tony Smith If you could say one thing to the President what would it be: Your time is come to go. No more screw-ups. - Mr. R Pray more. Pray for forgiveness. - Someone who cares He’s a liar. - Tony Smith Ask a man which way he is going to vote, and he will probably tell you. Ask him, however, why, and vagueness is all. ­ Andrew Lack All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or backgammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and wrong. ­ Henry David Thoreau Half of the American people never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half. ­ Gore Vidal Poor, Homeless – But We Have a Voice, We Have a Vote by Pamela Wynn of New Brighton, MN pamwsynn@yahoo.com Low-income means living on the edge. My apartment rent creeps steadily upward while my name has stagnated on the waiting list for Section 8 housing over the last three years. A crisis and I could end up on the streets again. I’ve been there. It was traumatic and frightening. Daily countless others find themselves in similar devastating circumstances as the gap grows between those who have their basic human needs met and those who do not. In the 2004 elections, we have an opportunity to turn the tide with our votes. In God’s eyes we are all created equal, and yet, federal and state legislative bodies ignore this fact as they continue to cut vital programs for housing, health care, child welfare and education. The poor are being cast aside. Over time, the vote has been denied to the poor and people of color in this country by the enactment of laws requiring land ownership, literacy, and most recently, a permanent address. Many continue to be silenced. According to our own Declaration of Independence, governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” As citizens of this country, the government’s powers are derived from you and me. When we exercise our right to vote, we refuse to consent to a government that supports unequal treatment of its citizens. In the Gettysburg Address in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared that, “this Streetvibes nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” You and I are the people to which this government must answer. It is our duty to hold our government and ourselves accountable to acting in the manner of a compassionate, caring nation that does not perish from the earth. We can do this in part with our vote. For many years, I didn’t vote. I can’t say that my one vote would have made a difference in any particular political race. The fact remains, however, that I didn’t take advantage of the one tool most readily available to me in making my voice heard by my government. For the last twenty years, I continue to live on the edge, but I vote, even when the odds are against the candidate of my choice, even when it feels pointless. Because I am poor, I sometimes feels as if nothing I have to say or can do is of any consequence in this society. For that reason alone, it is imperative that I vote, for when I vote, I choose hope over despair. When I vote, I am active instead of passive. We need to participate in the political process. Politics in and of itself is not a bad thing. It is the way we order ourselves as a society. We must elect politicians willing to work towards and equitable distribution of resources. Vote – neither you nor I can change the system alone. Together we can! �Design... cont. from page 1 relevant articles, and local information to prepare them for the weekend. The weekend was designed as a learning experience to benefit multiple groups. The charrette provided a space for local citizens to use the skills of artists and design professionals to give voice to their concerns. Local design professionals could gain a deeper understanding of the Over-the-Rhine community. As a workshop for Architecture for Humanity, the Charrette allowed AFH members to come together in one location for the first time. Architecture students from Miami University and the University of Cincinnati will saw an alternative design process in action. People and institutions participating in the program were: Jimmy Heath, Literacy Through Photography Program, Peaslee Neighborhood Center; Kurt Gohde and Bruce Burris, Con/Temp Galleries, Lexington, Kentucky; 3D Shadow Creative Studio, Oxford, Ohio; ReSTOC, Over-the-Rhine; Drop Inn Center, Over-the-Rhine; Over­ the-Rhine Housing Network, Over-the-Rhine; Rev. Damon Lynch III and Juleana Frierson, City of Hope; Miami University Office of Service Learning & Civic Leadership The weekend program coincided with the “Voices of Freedom Summer Reunion Conference” held at Miami University. Miami University which now incorporates the Western College Campus was where the Freedom Summer participants trained before traveling to the Deep South to pressure the U. S. government to stop the brutality of the KKK and the local police. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Freedom Summer. An example of many of the projects undertaken that weekend was an examination of the Cincinnati Center City Cameron Sinclair, excutive director of Architecture for Humanity Help STREETVIBES Celebrate 100 Issues! How has STREETVIBES touched your life? Streetvibes will soon be celebrating its 100th issue and nearly 10 years of publishing in Greater Cincinnati. Do you have a Vendor story or thoughts on this milestone that we could share with our readers? Do you have a favorite story from a previous issue? Please contact us at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 or send us an email. www.Streetvibes@juno.com We would love to hear from you! Rev. Damon Lynch III, of New Prospect Baptist Church Development Corporation (3­ CDC), Drop Inn Center, and Washington Park. Hardly any version of community development today is theorized outside the ideology of corporatism. And perhaps no better example exists than the machinations currently underway with the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3-CDC) founded in July 2003. 3-CDC is a private corporate-based development group “created to accelerate development activities in Center City Cincinnati as recommended by the Cincinnati Economic Development Task Force.” The specific goal for Over-theRhine? To “revitalize Over-theRhine as a vibrant, economically and racially diverse mixed use neighborhood.” As the summer comes to an end, it will be interesting to see if this corporate-driven process can live up to its own words. Current rumblings suggest otherwise. 3-CDC’s first foray into Over-the-Rhine targets Washington Park, home of Cincinnati’s Music Hall (symphony, the ballet, and opera) as well as the Drop Inn Center (the second largest homeless shelter in the state). Is there room for a homeless shelter in an “economically and racially diverse mixed use neighborhood”? 3-CDC recently announced its plan for the Washington Park area, a plan that abruptly transforms the results of three significant planning processes, affecting the location of three public schools as well as recommendations of the Over­ the-Rhine Comprehensive Plan (June 2002). Worse, the danger is quite real that the Drop Inn Center may soon be in a war over its land. Ever since the publication of the ULI Report in the fall of 1996 we have known that “social service agencies in the Washington Park should be moved.” This is code for the Drop Inn Center. The weekend concluded with a public sharing of the designs and plans of the various working groups. Berta’s Art Corner ­ Pumpkin face in air conditioning window cage, Over-the-Rhine Streetvibes Page 9 �The Peace Village I have been wondering about the meaning of the Peace Village during the last few days of “awe.” The vigil at our local mosque and church and the peace walk on the following day were days that, like the Jewish Holy Days, opened my heart and mind to the simple experience of wonder. I wonder why we have not understood the gentle and humble meanings of peace in the Koran and the Bible and the ways, beautiful and simple ways, it can be expressed with people of faith in peace. I wonder how to make our hearts stop fearing each other or that some of us pray without shoes and with a head covering. So silently we slipped out of our shoes and into the mosque’s quiet colors of beauty. Some of us felt comfortable, almost as it this was itself a lesson in humility and worthy of meaning. Others felt frightened without coverings for our feet, as if we were stepping on some kind of sacred ground that would pierce our feet-hearts with danger. People came into the mosque and sat where their spirits told them. Quite amazing, really. A large circle formed, not a perfect roundness but perfect in other ways, as we stretched out a form of inclusion. No head to the form, only persons strewn in a friendly structure, formed into a group for peaceful discussion. The light seemed low and comfortable to some of us, warm grays and black. To others it seemed as too structureless, too stark and without any clear sign of where and how to sit. Almost without urging we began readings, talking sacred words, translating, rising sounds, falling utterances, and slow statements of how and why peace and remembrance were so deeply tied on a night before and during the awful Dr. Steve Sunderland moments of September 11. Sounds of Arabic were heard, Hebrew, too. The elders added to our wonder, telling stories that recalled early hopes for peace, deeply held prayers that if had been answered just a little may have prevented the tragedy. Ministers spoke of old peace friends who had tried to warn of the failure to treat the disease of evil. Rabbi Joseph reminded us of the long reach of human kind and the still preliminary success in moral education. A Catholic teacher kept us connected to where we were when the first planes crashed into the towers and reminded us that towers fell in every city where eyes blindly watched. We wondered how our spirit of solemnity could have been so weak at that time. The church waited for us, but, quite amazingly, a wedding rehearsal had taken longer than was planned. The sanctuary was housing a party going through the final steps, preparing for a merry event. We gathered at the door of the church in good spirits, forming a circle in the darkness, hearing beautiful guitar and banjo music provided by two of our guests. Spirits were lifted as we made ourselves comfortable and continued with talks and sharing about memories of September 11 and prayers for today and tomorrow. The inability to gain access to the innards of the church raised good questions about our own impatience with plans, with our own reluctance to see that this whole experience was a part of the wedding, of the partnership with the passion of hope. Where was our bride and groom?, we wondered and then, quite simply, discovered that each one of us carried the seeds of this union with and for a peace that would be lasting. Sister Alice became our ring bearer, carrying the special ring of faith that even we could make a peace that would have influence in our Cincinnati family. She spoke with her traditional lightness and humor on this warm night of rehearsing for peacetime, for what others might have called “Jubilee.” Her eyes reflected that special light of awe, of finding just the right words to bless this event. She spoke for many in shadows, long dark places that were filled with strange and difficult memories, perhaps the look of Ground Zero the first nights after the buildings fell. But Sister Alice is a cheerleader for justice and peace, and called up her special words of joyous hope. By midnight we had reached a time for pausing. The wedding party we had become had space and time for a few poems of Mike Murphy, given in his youthful and splendid voice. But we had run out of energy but not out of hope. Our vigil had been transformed into a night of devotion, an expression of the awe of love realized. Dr. Steve Sunderland, professor of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati, is the Director of The Peace Village, a group of individuals from the national and international community committed to examining all issues of Peace in the world. Dr. Sunderland also heads up Posters-forPeace which engages people in expressing their visions of Peace, in their own words, through the creation of posters. There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they grow up in peace. Kofi A. Annan, SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations Peace is the work of justice indirectly, in so far as justice removes the obstacles to peace; but it is the work of charity (love) directly, since charity, according to its very notion, causes peace. Thomas Aquinas Page 10 Streetvibes �Grace Notes by Colleen Johncox Grace Place, as ever, is a diverse community of varying ages, sexes, ideologies, and socioeconomic circumstances. The roof is covering everyone from the unborn to grown-ups, and the Workers and Guests continue to evolve individually just as the house gracefully changes as a unit. Although we may not realize it every moment of our time here, it is necessary to sit back and meditate on the fact that we are really engaged in a miraculous rendering. Grace Place is somehow in a divine plan for all the residents, Guests and Workers alike. And by extension, our community is situated in a divine plan for you, the Benefactors, Volunteers, and just plain Friends of this community. Not connected by blood or familial ties, we are all called to encounter each other, not only when it is convenient or when it is practical, but also when it is simply necessary. Love is not always practical, and, though try as we might, either are we sometimes. Thank you for the continuation of your labor, compassion, and prayers for this, our Grace Place Catholic Worker Community. As you will see in the following, we have been busy. You may recall that in our summer issue of Grace Notes we reported on a new Cuban family coming to the house as our Guests. Since then, two new Workers and seven new Guests have come on board. Sadly, we also had to say goodbye (for now) in August to our beloved Worker Kim, as she has moved on to work for the causes of orphans. Thankfully, Mary Ellen has decided to stay on at Grace Place longer than originally planned and is thus working diligently as house educational advocate and expert translator of Spanish. Additionally, we have a new Worker, Matt, a Kentuckian who will be living next door and attempting to temper his insatiable appetite for projects, as well as reconciling himself to living in the state of Ohio. I got here from Washington, DC in July to join the community as a Worker. Studying towards a master’s degree at Xavier University, I am enjoying getting to know the Cincinnati area and its quirks (aka goetta). Rosa and Jose Luis, our newest couple from Cuba, have a gift for artfully designed foods. Both of them, are taking English classes during the day. Energetic and good-spirited, they Grace Place Catholic Worker Community celebrated their first wedding anniversary with us in their first weeks here. Charlotte is our resident mother extraordinaire. We appreciate her presence here, as well as her undeniable faith. She is a master at pureeing tomatoes. Sydney and her family just arrived. The three girls are undeniably cute and inquisitive and it will be an adventure getting to know each of them better. Erwincito and Eli started school and now have plenty of homework for practicing their emerging English skills. Erwin has been doing construction work during the day, and Maribel has been taking classes in the mornings, as well as cooking amazing Cuban food. Last but not least, Joyce has been keeping herself busy since getting back from her adventures Down Under with both the daily and not-so­ daily goings-ons of the house, and doing it all with a touch of grace. GRATEFUL THANKS...Grace Place could not function without our house assistants, meal angels, bread volunteers, and donors of clothing, food, skills, household furnishings, advice and financial support. May God bless you abundantly. Grace Place Catholic Worker Community 6037 Cary Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45224-2461• Phone: 513/ 681-2365 • Fax: 513/542-5778 • E-mail: graceplacecw@fuse.net We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community... Dorothy Day Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct and agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Vendor Program. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the rules, she/he may be removed from the Program. To report a Vendor, call 421-7803. ext. 16 Know Your Rights Brochure Available! The Know Your Rights Brochure is now available at the Coalition’s office. The brochure is a legal guide for Cincinnati’s homeless and covers a person’s basic rights when interacting with the police, as well as some local laws that might be of interest to the homeless population. If you are a homeless person or if you work with homeless people and would like to obtain free copies of the brochure for yourself or your agency, please call 421­ 7803, or stop by the Coalition office and pick one up. Streetvibes Page 11 �Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati All Vendors Sign and Agree to a Code of Conduct Coalition for the Homeless and Report Any Violations to GCCH - 421-7803 Streetvibes.... This program has helped 1. Streetvibes will be distributed honest in stating that all profits go for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 30 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers cannot be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. 8. Vendors must never sell doorto-door or on private property, unless given permission from the owner of that property. 9. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be to the individual vendor. Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 10. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 11. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 12. Failure to comply with these Rules and Regulations may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. The mission of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) is to support a street newspaper movement that creates and upholds journalistic and ethical standards while promoting self-help and empowerment among people living in poverty. NASNA papers support homeless and very low-income people in more than 35 cities across the United States and Canada. Streetvibes Vendor: 70 cents Printing and Production: 30 cents Page 12 The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) was formed in May of 1984 for one purpose: the eradication of homelessness in Cincinnati. What started out as a coalition of 15 volunteers meeting weekly in an unheated church basement has since grown into a Coalition of over 45 agencies and hundreds of volunteers dedicated to improving services for homeless individuals, educating the public about homelessness and empowering homeless individuals to advocate for their civil rights and housing needs. Streetvibes is a tool of GCCH used to help us achieve our goal of ending homelessness. On the one hand it is a self-sufficiency program geared towards the homeless and marginally housed individuals who are our vendors. Streetvibes vendors buy the paper for 30 cents per copy and sell it for a suggested one-dollar donation, keeping the profit that they have earned. hundreds of people find and maintain housing. The vendors also sign a code of conduct stating that they will behave responsibly and professionally and they proudly display their official Streetvibes badge while selling the paper. Our vendors put a face on “the homeless” of Cincinnati and form lasting friendships with their customers. On the other hand, Streetvibes is an award-winning alternative newspaper and part of the international street newspaper movement. Focusing on homelessness and social justice issues, Streetvibes reports the often-invisible story of poverty in our community. Streetvibes is also proud to include creative writing, poetry, articles, photography and interviews written by homeless and formerly homeless individuals. Streetvibes enjoys a loyal reader base that respects the honest portrayal of the joys, sorrows, and challenges facing the people of Cincinnati. Streetvibes is a member of the: The International Network of Street Papers (INSP) unites street papers sold by homeless and people living in poverty from all over the world. INSP is an umbrella organization, which provides a consultancy service for its partner papers and advises on the setting up of new street papers and support initiatives for marginalised people. Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. Streetvibes Help STREETVIBES Celebrate 100 Issues! How has STREETVIBES touched your life? Streetvibes will soon be celebrating its 100th issue and nearly 10 years of publishing in Greater Cincinnati. Do you have a Vendor story or thoughts on this milestone that we could share with our readers? Do you have a favorite story from a previous issue? Please contact us at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 - or send us an email. We would love to hear from you! �if the election is decided Put Away Your Hankies... says on “9/11” (the fear of by Michael Moore Enough of the handwringing! Enough of the doomsaying! Do I have to come there and personally calm you down? Stop with all the defeatism, OK? Bush IS a goner - IF we all just quit our whining and bellyaching and stop shaking like a bunch of nervous ninnies. Geez, this is embarrassing! The Republicans are laughing at us. Do you ever see them cry, “Oh, it’s all over! We are finished! Bush can’t win! Waaaaaa!” Hell no. It’s never over for them until the last ballot is shredded. They are never finished - they just keeping moving forward like sharks that never sleep, always pushing, pulling, kicking, blocking, lying. They are relentless and that is why we secretly admire them - they just simply never, ever give up. Only 30% of the country calls itself “Republican,” yet the Republicans own it all - the White House, both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court and the majority of the governorships. How do you think they’ve been able to pull that off considering they are a minority? It’s because they eat you and me and every other liberal for breakfast and then spend the rest of the day wreaking havoc on the planet. Look at us - what a bunch of crybabies. Bush gets a bounce after his convention and you would have thought the Germans had run through Poland again. The Bushies are coming, the Bushies are coming! Yes, they caught Kerry asleep on the Swift Boat thing. Yes, they found the frequency in Dan Rather and ran with it. Suddenly it’s like, “THE END IS NEAR! THE SKY IS FALLING!” No, it is not. If I hear one more person tell me how lousy a candidate Kerry is and how he can’t win... Dammit, of COURSE he’s a lousy candidate - he’s a Democrat, for heavens sake! That party is so pathetic, they even lose the elections they win! What were you expecting, Bruce Springsteen heading up the ticket? Bruce would make a helluva president, but guys like him don’t run ­ and neither do you or I. People like Kerry run. Yes, OF COURSE any of us would have run a better, smarter, kick-ass campaign. Of course we would have smacked each and every one of those phony swifty boaty bastards down. But WE are not running for president - Kerry is. So quit complaining and work with what we have. Oprah just gave 300 women a... Pontiac! Did you see any of them frowning and moaning and screaming, “Oh God, NOT a friggin’ Pontiac!” Of course not, they were happy. The Pontiacs all had four wheels, an engine and a gas pedal. You want more than that, well, I can’t help you. I had a Pontiac once and it lasted a good year. And it was a VERY good year. My friends, it is time for a reality check. 1. The polls are wrong. They are all over the map like diarrhea. On Friday, one poll had Bush 13 points ahead - and another poll had them both tied. There are three reasons why the polls are b.s.: One, they are polling “likely voters.” “Likely” means those who have consistently voted in the past few elections. So that cuts out young people who are voting for the first time and a ton of non-voters who are definitely going to vote in THIS election. Second, they are not polling people who use their cell phone as their primary phone. Again, that means they are not talking to young people. Finally, most of the polls are weighted with too many Republicans, as pollster John Zogby revealed last week. You are being snookered if you believe any of these polls. 2. Kerry has brought in the Clinton A-team. Instead of shunning Clinton (as Gore did), Kerry has decided to not make that mistake. 3. Traveling around the country, as I’ve been doing, I gotta tell ya, there is a hell of a lot of unrest out there. Much of it is not being captured by the mainstream press. But it is simmering and it is real. Do not let those well-produced Bush rallies of angry white people scare you. Turn off the TV! (Except Jon Stewart and Bill Moyers - everything else is just a sugar-coated lie). 4. Conventional wisdom terrorism), Bush wins. But if it is decided on the job we are doing in Iraq, then Bush loses. And folks, that “job,” you might have noticed, has descended into the third level of a hell we used to call Vietnam. There is no way out. It is a full-blown mess of a quagmire and the body bags will sadly only mount higher. Regardless of what Kerry meant by his original war vote, he ain’t the one who sent those kids to their deaths - and Mr. and Mrs. Middle America knows it. Had Bush bothered to show up when he was in the “service” he might have somewhat of a clue as to how to recognize an immoral war that cannot be “won.” All he has delivered to Iraq was that plasticized turkey last Thanksgiving. It is this failure of monumental proportions that is going to cook his goose come this November. So, do not despair. All is not over. Far from it. The Bush people need you to believe that it is over. They need you to slump back into your easy chair and feel that sick pain in your gut as you contemplate another four years Streetvibes of George W. Bush. They need you to wish we had a candidate who didn’t windsurf and who was just as smart as we were when WE knew Bush was lying about WMD and Saddam planning 9/11. It’s like Karl Rove is hypnotizing you ­ “Kerry voted for the war...Kerry voted for the war...Kerrrrrryyy vooootted fooooor theeee warrrrrrrrrr...” Yes...Yes...Yesssss....He did! HE DID! No sense in fighting now...what I need is sleep...sleeep...sleeeeeeppppp... WAKE UP! The majority are with us! More than half of all Americans are pro-choice, want stronger environmental laws, are appalled that assault weapons are back on the street - and 54% now believe the war is wrong. YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO CONVINCE THEM OF ANY OF THIS - YOU JUST HAVE TO GIVE THEM A RAY OF HOPE AND A RIDE TO THE POLLS. CAN YOU DO THAT? WILL YOU DO THAT? Just for me, please? Buck up. The country is almost back in our hands. Not another negative word until Nov. 3rd! Then you can bitch all you want about how you wish Kerry was still that long-haired kid who once had the courage to stand up for something. Personally, I think that kid is still inside him. Instead of the wailing and gnashing of your teeth, why not hold out a hand to him and help the inner soldier/protester come out and defeat the forces of evil we now so desperately face. Do we have any other choice? Page 13 �The Day Is Coming by Mike Henson The day is coming. Put on your hat. The blastula earth swells; It crackles with nerve. A light flickers through the east. Strange molecules rattle in the air like gravel. The goat sniffs once and trots to the edge of the meadow. Something new is birthing. The day is coming. What are you doing? Put on your nativity. Luv the hardway by Anthony Watkins Gril don’t u know my sprit is lehale and my pen a raw fuss. So babe don’t cross me and I won’t cross u. Gril stressin too clean up my name before I defame our legancy so chew on the depth of my soul. Luv the hardway Take notice of the veiw the camera in your eyes.me and u. So I beg too be your flick too kiss those honsty lips. Everyday I’am bless by your life godess water esscene. Are children the growth of laughter wrap in priceless peals of stone. I’M Sick of confussion lyrics in conbat with fists and tugs. Luv the hardway I moun for peace too exsit I got too pay more attention when u express your veiws why question pain when we both live by sin soak and wet between the sheets with every horry we meet. The day is coming. Put on your jacket. A child walks into the desert with his death in his arms. Smoke drifts across the valley floor. A woman flings dust by the handful into the barren air. The raven watches from his post. He calls, three times, five times, seven. Some new thing suffers. God Is On Vacation The day is coming. by Linda Corey What are you dreaming? The angels are watching over us Put on your poverty. while God is gone and protecting us. We have the The day is coming. bible to read and we can go to Put on your shoes. church and worship together in We walk toward the distant mountains. God’s house. We hope and Monks chant away the dark hours. pray that he is not gone too A woman builds a song, stone by stone. long, and keep Him in our Even the mole has found a voice. hearts until he gets back. (Put your ear to the mouth of his tunnel; Practice the spiritual principles; you will hear him grumble.) Hope, Surrender, Faith, Some new story tells itself. Tolerance, Patience, Humility, The day is coming. Unconditional Love, Sharing, What are you speaking? Caring, Willingness, Honesty, Put on your wisdom. Open-mindedness, Acceptance. And accept the fact we are The day is coming. powerless and hope he gets Put on your red shirt. back real soon. God has The spears of night rattle in the alley. unconditional Love for us. Listen, a sound of grinding steel. Listen, a sound of dying leaves. A man takes his place against a wall. A woman takes her place in a field of refugees. Some new cross takes its nails. The day is coming. What are you dying? Put on your resurrection. Shutter Speed Love by Linda Corey Love is patient, Love is kind, Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves, Love never fails, Faith, Hope and Love, But the greatest of these is love. Street performers, Havana Cuba Page 14 Streetvibes The Ocean by Linda Corey I am sitting on a lawn chair on the beach and I can see the waves. The waves are choppy and the tide is coming in. You can smell the salty air. I can see the seagulls flying around, speaking to each other. I can hear the waves crash as they come in on the shore. I’m sitting on my lawn chair without my shoes. The sand feels so good on my bare feet. As I walk down the beach I can see the shrimp boats out getting their best catch of the day. They then come in and clean the shrimp and get them ready to deliver them to all the nearby restaurants. by Jimmy Heath �FRAC News (FOOD ACTION AND RESEARCH CENTER) Food Stamp Participation Tops 24 Million Persons in June (“Food Stamp Participation Increases in June 2004; Tops 24 Million Persons,” Food Research and Action Center, September, 2004) Participation in the Food Stamp Program in June 2004 (the latest data available) increased by 187,901 persons from the previous month, to 24,163,504 persons. The June 2004 level of Food Stamp Program participation represented a rise of nearly 2.4 million persons compared to the June 2003 level and more than 7 million persons since July 2000 (when program participation nationally reached its lowest point in the last decade). Food Stamp Program Exanding, But Many Not Reached (“Explaining Changes in Food Stamp Program Participation Rates,” U.S. Department of Agriculture, September 2004) The Food Stamp Program served about 54 percent of those eligible to receive benefits in FY 2002, reflecting a combination of increased participation, expanded eligibility standards designed to help working poor families, and improved techniques that yield more accurate estimates, according to a new report from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service Office of Analysis, Nutrition and Evaluation. New rules replacing outdated limits on the value of vehicles food stamp households could own added about 2.7 million low-income individuals to the eligibility pool in 2002. Technical improvements in estimating the number of people eligible, including that meet the program’s asset test, added another 2.3 million to the number of eligibles. Looking ahead, USDA expects the Food Stamp Program to serve an average of about 23.7 million people in 2004. Voters Want Better-Paying Jobs (“Labor Day Outlook: Low-Wage Workers Want Better Jobs Not More Jobs,” Corporate Voices for Working Families, September 3, 2004) There is widespread concern over the worsening problem of low-wage work, according to a new research report entitled “Struggling to Make Ends Need Help or Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-4913335 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Meet: Low-Wage Work in America” by Corporate Voices for Working Families. There is an overall belief that the best antidote for a low-wage job is a good job. Seventy-one percent feels that improving conditions for low-wage workers and their families will also benefit the rest of society. The Labor Department expects the economy to create more than 7.5 million new jobs between 2002 and 2012. However, almost 6 million of those new jobs will be low-wage jobs (those jobs that require limited education and provide minimal training). School Lunch Costlier This Year (“School lunch prices increase,” Newark Star Ledger, September 7, 2004) The rising cost of milk, fuel, fruit and labor has forced a nationwide spike in school lunch costs, with one school district in SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) 357-4602 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services, Inc 751-9797 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 California raising cafeteria prices a full dollar. The average cost of a high school lunch in America is $1.66. Middle school lunches average $1.61 and elementary school lunches are $1.43. Higher costs mean schools have a harder time meeting mandates to curb obesity because healthier foods, such as low-fat cheese for pizza, cost more. Being Poor Makes Healthy Eating Hard (“Can you eat well on food stamps?,” San Antonio Current, September 9, 2004) Being poor often means eating poorly, not only because healthy food is expensive, but also because unhealthy food is cheap. “When you have only $300 in food stamps for the month, and you’re confronted with spending 79 cents for a loaf of white bread or $1.09 for a loaf of whole wheat, you’re inclined to buy mushy paste,” Streetvibes Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 363-1060 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 writes Lisa Sorg, the author. The article includes a comparison of two shopping lists. “Regardless of income, people deserve to eat healthily, which doesn’t mean extravagantly. A diet low in preservatives, salt, sugar, and pesticides shouldn’t be reserved solely for the middle-class and the wealthy,” concludes Sorg. To subscribe to the weekly FRAC News Digest go to: http://capwiz.com/frac/mlm/ For questions, comments, and news tips, please contact: Helen Yuen Food Research and Action Center 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 540 Washington, DC 20009 (202) 986-2200 x3019 Email: hyuen@frac.org Page 15 �(Paid Advertisement) $1 Donation October, 2004 STREETVIBES BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY VOTE November 2 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Serial Number � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2004 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource October 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Miami University Design Program Held in Over-the-Rhine City Budget Cutback Causes Washington Park Trash to Mount Pg 2: A Tragic Milestone Pg 3: Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless’ Annual Dinner Pg 4: Homeless News Digest Pg 5: Never too Busy to Care Pg 6: Spiritual Inspiration: An Interview with Linda Corey Pg 7: Homeless Man Works to Get Back Life He Lost Death Silence Pg 8: By the Numbers- Who Votes… Poor, Homeless- But We Have a Voice, We Have a Vote Pg 9: Design Continued Pg 10: The Peace Village Pg 11: Grace Notes Pg 12: Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Streetvibes… Pg 13: Put Away Your Hankies… Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: FRAC News Pg 16: Vote Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Rachel Lawson Kate McManus Janice Faulkner Mary Gaffney Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Annual Dinner Budget Cuts Design Elections Food Research FRAC Georgine Getty Homeless News Digest Janice Faulkner Jimmy Heath Kate McManus Linda Corey Mary Gaffney Miami University Over-the-Rhine Peace Village Rachel Lawson Spirituality Vote Washington Park https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/791b81eb2f1cda0cbb7e698f90378388.pdf e94505bc105eb90ebe9f6f46a96b6b17 PDF Text Text September, 2004 STREETVIBES Four Cincinnati Schools Pilot New Homelessness Education Packet by Andy Erickson, GCCH Education Coordinator The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless’ education program is growing. This fall, Mother of Mercy High School, Aiken University High School, Seton High School, and Summit Country Day School will each pilot the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Education Packet in their classrooms. The Education Packet incorporates all of the Coalition’s educational materials into one comprehensive unit, many of which were developed collaboratively between educators, advocates, and the homeless themselves. The materials include Voices Unheard, a 2001 documentary of homelessness in Cincinnati; a school-year subscription to Streetvibes; Through Our Eyes, a 2003 book written by Mother of Mercy High School students about homeless individuals they met at the Coalition; Homeless in Cincinnati, a 2001 study of Cincinnati’s homeless population by AIR, Inc.; a visit from the GCCH Speaker’s Bureau; and a recently created teacher’s guide, which provides lecture information, worksheets, activities, and suggestions for using the materials mentioned above. “I think what makes this teaching unit on homelessness special is that it is put together, in part, by the experts in homelessness, namely the homeless themselves,” said Pat Klus of Seton High School. “This teaching tool is not just up-to­ date statistics; it has a real face. The homeless and their experience combined with the efforts of those in the fields of social services and academics make this a really unique educational collaboration.” The idea for the Education Packet grew out of the Through Our Eyes project with Mother of Mercy High School students and other schools in Cincinnati who wanted to teach about homelessness. “The Through Our Eyes project was so enjoyable and was such a success because we worked closely with teachers and students to develop it,” said Georgine Getty, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless. “When the project was completed, we realized we could do the same thing on a larger scale.” Much like Through Our Eyes, The Teacher’s Guide was developed with the input of educators from each of the four pilot schools. During the pilot phase in the fall, GCCH staff will observe classrooms and continue to solicit input from educators and students. In this way, GCCH will refine the materials, ensuring that they are effective and appealing to both teachers and students. The creation of the Teacher’s Guide would not have been possible if not for the funding provided by SC Ministry Foundation, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, and Public Welfare. With a portion of these funds, GCCH was able to hire an education consultant, Karen Regina, to help with the development of the unit. Regina worked closely with the Coalition and is credited with the writing of the Teacher’s Guide. She had previously worked with local PBS station WCET on “Safe Passage,” a multimedia curriculum on the Underground Railroad. “Many regard homelessness as one of the most pressing societal problems facing the United States,” noted Regina in her introduction to the guide, “yet it remains a subject mired in myth and stereotype, with the homeless themselves invisible to or ignored by the majority.” The GCCH Education Packet is part of the Coalition’s effort to end homelessness through education. “An educated public is a compassionate public,” reads an introductory section in the Teacher’s Guide, “and compassion is what it will take to curb the growing numbers of people who become homeless every day in our community.” A final version of the GCCH Education Packet will be available for purchase in early 2005. With the exception of the Teacher’s Guide, all of the Education Packet materials are currently available for individual purchase. A price listing for items appears below. Voices Unheard: $25.00 on VHS or DVD Through Our Eyes: $12.00 ($10.00 if no shipping is required) A visit from the Speaker’s Bureau: $50.00 for a one-hour presentation. Homeless in Cincinnati: $10.00 or available free as a PDF from our website, www.cincihomeless.org Streetvibes: Available for $1.00 from any badged vendor. A year’s subscription is also available when you become an individual member of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless for $50.00 The National Underground Corporate Center to Railroad Freedom by Rev. Damon Lynch III, New Prospect Baptist Church & Thomas A. Dutton, Director, Miami University Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine ‘Free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last.’ Nope, not Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This time it’s a frumpy, white man, depicted by editorial cartoonist Jim Borgman in the July 22 Cincinnati Enquirer, facing Cincinnati’s new $110 million National Underground Railroad Freedom Center with arms raised, unshackled from his ball and chain of ‘Racist City stigma.’ One wonders if Cincinnati gets it. Cincinnati’s National Underground Railroad Freedom Center officially opened August 23rd with a rousing array of ceremonies, including first lady Laura Bush and air-time on ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS’s Early Show. Actually the ceremonies began the evening before with a $1,000 per plate fundraising dinner and 1300 paying-guests. The ceremonies did not go by without comment, however. As guests dined on gold-rimmed china and linen from Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s canceled wedding, just a few blocks away on Cincinnati’s main square about 200 gathered to view The People’s Freedom Center: A Living Wall of the Missing Pages of History and Contemporary Struggle. Conceived as an educational event that included speakers and dancers, the agit-prop displayed photographs, paintings, posters, banners and leaflets that showed clearly how the freedom struggles of Cincinnati’s poor, blacks, and other disenfranchised groups have not been won and that the fight Protest.... cont. on page 10 Marching to the Freedom Center, Vine Street photos by Jimmy Heath Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �Streetvibes Streetvibes, the Tri­ State’s alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Allison Leeuw - Administrative Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Rachel Lawson - Civil Rights VISTA Kate McManus - Civil Rights VISTA Janice Faulkner - Receptionist Mary Gaffney - Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath - Editor Photographer Jimmy Heath Cover Materials from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Homelessness Education Packet Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, delivered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://homeless.cinci.com Page 2 Gated Community For Who? by Jimmy Heath All over the country, the cycle of gentrification is displacing lower-income residents. White-collar workers eager for convenience and a trendy neighborhood are flocking back to the urban city. The poor have very little political or economic defense against developers who want to buy up crumbling buildings and rehab them into luxury condos and lofts, and city and state governments are only too pleased to ease the way for this transition - they do all they can to tear down public housing and subsidize upper-income Barricades on 13th Street In Over-the-Rhine developers. Blocking a street is not a downtown neighborhood street One of the effects of this solution to the drug problem, but have complained to Cincinnati re-urbanism in Cincinnati is the City Council and police about the it temporarily greases the city’s recent closing of 13th problem of drug dealing, violence, squeaky wheel – it sends a Street to automobile traffic from message to the uneasy upperspeeding cars and other dangers Reading Road as a strategy for class that something is being on the narrow one-way avenue. curbing drive-through drug But now that the Over-the- done to appease new, formerly trafficking in the Pendleton area suburban residents. It Rhine Chamber of Commerce, of Over-the-Rhine. Suburban and which represents up-scale superficially addresses the out-of-state dope concerns of neighborhood development, and the socustomers entering from developers. Sadly, drug dealers called Pendleton simply move on to another nearby Interstate 71 and Community Council have 471 find an easy and corner and the problem becomes stepped up their direct route to the dealers complaints, the City finally someone else’s. It won’t be long lining up on 13th street. before middle-class residents responds with a street Customers are drawn to realize they have been had by this closing as a solution. The Jimmy Heath the area, the police say, weak “solution.” barriers and the extra by the quick and easy As long as the customers protection did not come at access. keep coming there will be the behest of low-income 13th To control the problem, someone standing on the corner, street residents who have been the City installed traffic barriers whatever corner. For every drug asking for help all along. It’s a to block the street. This “test” deal that goes down, there is an response to the complaining closing of 13th street is scheduled middle-class condo developers equal amount of buyers. A to be in place for at least six message needs to be sent to the and other rich folk who are months. The street is not buyers that this is not the place moving into the area. No one completely blocked and is still cared to do anything until the rich to buy drugs. Coming at the accessible from the west. drug problem backwards will not people started complaining. “The blockade is useless – solve the problem. It is not “The rich-guy developer all you have to do is go down to enough to create a slight that lived next door to me started Pendleton and 12th,” says Sonny inconvenience by blocking street this whole thing – he started by Williams who recently moved corner access. blocking access to his property,” from 13th street. “It’s ridiculous says Williams. “They change Most important is evenly because all they have to do is go distributed access to safety for things without a public hearing, down an extra block. They [drug without real input from ordinary everyone, including low-income dealers] are sitting right there on people who have lived and citizens.” the corner.” worked and raised their kids on Of course, everyone This year alone there have benefits from a safer street and these neighborhood streets. It been 3 murders in the Pendleton should never be a matter of neighborhood. Something being area of Over-the-Rhine on or near done about the drug trafficking on economics from the standpoint 13th street. (Half of the city’s of who’s “worthy” and who isn’t. this or any street is welcomed by homicides this year have occurred all. But this is a classic study of It is a sad commentary on our in District 1, which includes the society that money rules the day; power; who has it and who Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, that appearance, color and doesn’t. Residents of OTR have and the police claim that the culture judges how precious you been begging for years for help majority of these murders are are, or aren’t. with the problem of drug dealing drug related.) Soon, it will be necessary and associated crime, not just on 13th street is lined with 13th street, but at dozens of Over­ to block every street in the community, creating a gated turn-of-the-century tenement the-Rhine neighborhood hoturban neighborhood. We need a buildings mostly inhabited by spots. Some have taken matters community that celebrates each low-income people of color. into their own hands, forming citizen equally – and not apply There is litter and graffiti and block clubs and making a drug dealers everywhere. Many commitment to reporting activity, weak fixes only when the rich people come in and start crying. of the citizens and their families all at great personal danger. For Says Williams, “We don’t feel like they have been low-income Over-the-Rhine abandoned by the police and the residents too, drug dealing and the want our neighborhood locked down like we are in jail or city. mayhem that comes with it is the something.” For years, residents of this number one safety concern. Streetvibes �Streetvibes Page 3 �photo by Jimmy Heath Homeless News Digest compiled by Patty Lane Boredom was the reason given by three teens who beat a homeless man to death in California. Joseph Brown was attacked while he slept near an abandoned building in West Oakland. Brown was the 44th of 48 people killed in Oakland so far this year. His badly beaten body and the age of his alleged killers is shocking to Chief Richard Word. “This was such a brutal and senseless crime,” he says. “I cannot understand how three young boys could be so cold and callous.” The three teens remain in custody at juvenile hall. It’s expected they will be charged with murder. None had prior criminal records. Advocates are worried that the homeless population in Los Angeles could be hit hard by the West Nile virus. They are issuing a call for extra safety measures for those who sleep in parks and alongside rivers where mosquitoes carrying the disease thrive. While many know the warning signs and notice an increase in dead birds possibly infected with the virus, they are reluctant to leave the parks. “A lot of them are staying by the rivers and the water because that’s where people won’t complain about them,” Jenny Arevalo, a response team member tells the Mercury News. “But they’re putting themselves at higher risk,” she says. A city council member has asked a team from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to pass out information about the disease and talk with people camping near water and in parks. Advocates are advising people sleeping outdoors to cover up at night and visit an emergency room if they experience any symptoms, like a fever and stiff neck. They’re also trying to obtain insect repellant. A study done in Houston found that 10 percent of West Nile encephalitis cases in 2002 were homeless men and women. But homeless people living in the parks say they’ll stay. “I won’t leave,” says Kevin Snow. “I am concerned about it, but worry? It doesn’t do any good to worry. There’s no known cure anyway.” Page 4 Free bus service in Houston, Texas, is getting homeless men and women to clinics, shelters and social service agencies. Project Access is one of few like it in the country. The Associated Press reports it was developed by Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston, which is a consortium of 28 agencies and organizations. It was launched a year ago after an annual survey found the biggest barrier for homeless people to get health care was transportation. A $120,000 city grant allowed the group to charter a bus company and run a route each weekday. A school district in California is gathering school supplies to help homeless children have equal access to education. The Hollister School District is starting a school supply drive called the “Backpack Project.” The district’s goal is to gather school supplies and backpacks for homeless and needy children in the community. “All of these children have to deal with special circumstances like hunger and fatigue, along with trying to stay in school,” Diane Ortiz of the HSD tells the Hollister Freelance News. There are more than 80 homeless children in the district. We really want to try and make sure they have equal access to education,” she says. With many homeless families moving from shelter to shelter, roughly 23 percent of homeless children drop out of school nationwide. “When you have 80 children living in a shelter in a small community, there is obviously a problem,” she said. “Our goal is to reduce the barriers for these students and their families and let them know the schools support them. This is not something we can cross our fingers and try to ignore.” The district hopes to have 50 backpack stuffed with pencils, crayons, notebooks and other school supplies ready to go by the beginning of the school year. Since there is no state or federal grand funding, they are counting on the community to help out. The HSD hopes to continue supporting students in need by providing help with free lunches and afterschool programs. Cincinnati, Ohio or Bhopal, India? Queen City Barrel goes up in flames by Brian Garry Ed. note - In August, a storage facility for Queen City Barrel in Lower Price Hill went up in flames. A major fivealarm fire destroyed the nearly 100 year-old building. It continued to smolder for days, keeping investigators out of what was left of the structure. 40,000 to 50,000 barrels were being stored in the warehouse at the time of the fire. During the blaze, people living within a five-mile radius were instructed to “stay in place,” requiring citizens to turn off air conditioners, stay indoors and close all windows until the noxious fumes dissipated . For years citizens and activists have tried to rid our city of this rogue polluter, Queen City Barrel. When I was the live-in manager at the Catholic Worker House, many of our homeless men worked at Queen City Barrel, unprotected and exposed to deadly chemicals. Some would come home with stories of the chronic environmental carelessness and abuse that went on there. Studies have shown lower IQ’s of children living near the facility directly related to Queen City Barrel toxic chemical releases. Many times, these types of polluters are located in low income areas. BASF chemical company on Dana Serving Behind the Line by Anonymous At 6:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m., we go down and serve food to the folks who stay in this place, ( the Drop Inn Center) including myself. Everyday I see still-using addicts and alcoholics come through the line to eat. From me being on that side, I look in their eyes and I can see the hurt, pain, helpless and hopeless state of mind. I can feel their pain without them Streetvibes Avenue in Evanston, had similar complaints and a similar fate; an explosion, spewing deadly chemicals into the air. Maybe it’s not a good idea to have dangerous, toxic, carcinogenic chemicals in our residential neighborhoods. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to have created them at all. Where I grew up in Bond Hill, there were five chemical companies within a mile of my home. As innocent children, my brothers and I simply thought that the air smelled bad at night. Little did we know, that the rich, uncaring chemical companies were poisoning us. Maybe the former Cincinnati Health Commissioner Arnie Less was right, when he said that Cincinnati’s number one cancer rate was due to the large concentration of chemical companies in the area. Is this what they meant when they said, “better living through chemistry’? Maybe citizens and law makers could learn a lesson from the Queen City Barrel tragedy. Toxic, dangerous, carcinogenic chemicals and our neighborhoods don’t mix. It’s not too late to ban chemical companies from doing business in our communities. Let’s keep ourselves, our environment and our children safe from dangerous chemicals. showing it because I’m just about four months away from those same feelings. I can smell the aroma in the air as some pass by, waiting to be served, hoping to get more than they are supposed to get. I can smell most of the unwashed bodies along with the food that everyday I’m grateful for, because it can get worse. I look into those eyes everyday and look up to God, and say by the grace of God there goes I. I taste being thankful to God for where I am and what I do today and everyday when I’m serving behind the line. �Thank You! by Miss Mary Gaffney Hi there. As we enter into the month of September I want to thank you, the readers of Streetvibes, for your support of the paper and the program that helps the homeless here in Cincinnati. You should know by now my feeling towards our “homeless friends. ” I see them every day and I hear and share with them their problems. Georgine Getty, executive director, Andy Erickson and Jimmy Heath of the Streetvibes newspaper, bakery goods each week. She Elizabeth Linville and Allison also brings coffee, sugar, and Leeuw of the Homeless paper goods, including one day Coalition and myself where she brought a want to express home cooked meal heartfelt thanks to a to be served to beautiful and visitors in the dedicated lady for office. her concern and Mrs. Jean interest for the Taylor, president of homeless. St. John’s A. M. E. For months, Zion Baptist church Susan Smith has and St. James A. M. visited this office and Miss Mary E. Zion Church, has seen firsthand the both in the plight of the homeless and their Avondale community, want to lives and has furnished donated thank this courageous lady for Farewell Streetvibes Community by Elizabeth Linville learned, probably in my first month on the job, is that I could This will be my last find common ground with all of article for Streetvibes as part of these people. I would like to GCCH’s staff. I am starting thank all of you for teaching me graduate school at Ohio State something about homelessness to study city planning and will and life in an urban area. sadly be leaving the Homeless So I wonder, did I gain a Coalition to move to Columbus. greater understanding of This past year of working at homelessness, Cincinnati, and GCCH has been a wonderful politics this past year? I am not experience. When I sure if I started work, I was understand eager to gain a anything about greater Cincinnati politics understanding of after a year of Cincinnati, politics, working in Overand homelessness. I the-Rhine but the have lived in the following is a list Greater Cincinnati of interesting area for most of my things I have Elizabeth Linville life, but my learned: understanding of the 1. People in Over the issues facing the people living Rhine are friendly. I always get in Over-the-Rhine was limited a hello and smile from someone to what I read in the newspaper on my way into work. When I or saw when I was driving am having a difficult time through the downtown area. wedging my car into a parking During this year, I have space, I can usually count on met many fascinating people; someone walking by telling me the list includes my co-workers, how much more space I have social service providers who left. work with the Coalition, area 2. City council meetings advocates, our Streetvibes vendors, and many individuals who are struggling with the problems of poverty and homelessness. Something I are either very entertaining or very boring. My favorite involved Pat DeWine passing around a picture of his teenage self with Ronald Reagan (shortly after Reagan died). A not so favorite one was an hour long discussion of office furniture. 3. You can’t hide the homeless. I often feel like the powers that be in the city want to simply hide the fact that we have homeless individuals, poverty, and panhandlers. These people have always existed in society. With the poor economy this country, particularly Ohio, has seen for the past few years, it is natural that there is a large amount of homeless individuals populating our city. I believe in trying to help all of these people find housing and jobs; I don’t believe in passing laws that move them out of the public eye. 4. Cincinnati is a fascinating city. With racial unrest, the impaction ordinance, a large population of homeless, and gentrification in the her thoughtfulness and concern for the less fortunate of our family. It is heartfelt, when you see my friends eyes light up as she walks into the building with food. They are grateful to enjoy this food and even take some with them. The Homeless Coalition and our churches and members thank you, Susan, for your love and concern for our fellow man. May God forever keep you and your family in his care – Mary A. Gaffney and her friends at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. downtown and Over-the-Rhine areas, it is easy to focus on all the things I think need to be fixed. I will always be amazed by the old buildings in Over­ the-Rhine and the unique people I have met in this town. I like Columbus, but I will miss the crazy hilly streets, weird traditions, and dramatic political scene Cincinnati has to offer. I realize that my next few years as a student will be quite different from my experiences working with the Coalition. In my studies and whatever jobs I take in the future, I hope to always remember the things I have learned at this job. I will miss coming down to Over-the-Rhine everyday, spending my days angrily discussing this city’s attitude towards homelessness, and trying to do what I can to help. I hope to hear someday that we have ended homelessness in Cincinnati and the Homeless Coalition had to close; in the meantime, keep up the good work everyone. Good-bye! “I try to go for longer runs, but it’s tough around here at the White House on the outdoor track. It’s sad that I can’t run longer. It’s one of the saddest things about the presidency.” George W Bush, 8/21/02 Streetvibes Page 5 �Fire Cats Review To Whom It May Concern The Fire Cats Review is provided by the Fire Cats, a fearless group of advocates living right here in Cincinnati. We join this month’s review already in progress.... The Village (movie) Fire Cat Pink: So I saw The Village. Fire Cat Blue: Me too! Fire Cat Clear: I didn’t, but I heard about it. Fire Cat Blue: Oh, hi Clear! Fire Cat Pink: I didn’t see you there. Fire Cat Blue: Did you like The Village? Fire Cat Pink: I did. I thought it was very interesting. People in the theatre were mad at the ending though. Some girl was apologizing profusely to her boyfriend for making him see it. Fire Cat Clear: Yeah, I heard it was pretty bad. CityBeat gave it a “D.” Fire Cat Red (coming in late): Oh – The Village, was it good? (then guessing the ending) Fire Cat Blue: I really liked it! I think Shyamalan makes really pretty movies. And the cast rocked. Fire Cat Clear: That last movie he did – Signs- that wasn’t very good either. Mel Gibson sucks. Fire Cat Red: Yeah, that movie sucked. Fire Cat Black (coming in really late): The Village? I was disappointed at the theatre, but in retrospect it was a cool idea. Conclusion: The three Fire Cats who saw The Village liked it to varying degrees. The two who did not, hated Signs. by Linda Corey I am in the Full Circle Program here at the Drop Inn Center. The writing class is very important to me. I can write down how I am feeling and I love this writing class very much. The writing class gives me hope, faith, and Stephanie is a special, talented writer, and Jocardo is a talented, funny writer. These people are special to me and they take time out of their hectic work schedule to spend time with us. They are two talented writers. They are sharing and caring and very helpful to me. Please keep this writing class going. I have been here since January and I have learned a lot about my alcoholism and my chemical dependency and this Drop Inn Center is truly a ray of hope. Being Trapped I was in jail in Florida for a simple battery. I was put Cuts in Housing Programs July 22, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2005 VA-HUD funding bill. While the bill Wrigley’s Eclipse Gum: Cherry Flavor: Fire Cat Red: What do they call it, brown? It has a real bite to it provides $1.5 billion more for the Section 8 program than and may cure my sore throat. Terrible. President Bush’s request and Fire Cat Blue: It tastes like Robotussin. It gets bad and then rejects the Administration’s okay, and then bad again. “flexible voucher” proposal, it Fire Cat Clear: It never got okay for me. Only bad. pays for this by cutting most Fire Cat Pink: It’s horrifying (throws up in corner) other critical housing programs, Fire Cat Black: Oh, yeah (in clear despair). Cough drop. Instantaneous cough drop. It does get slightly better for a second. rather than identify and provide new sources of funding. Conclusion: The Fire Cats were united in their disgust over this Cuts Include (Below FY 2004 fascinating gum. Levels): * Public Housing Operating Things that have piqued the Fire Cat’s Interest: 1. The new Metallica Movie: looks like it will rock and totally Fund, cut by $154 million * HOME Program, cut by $86 give a balanced view of addiction. million 2. The Cure, Huey Lewis and the News, Sonic Youth, the * Homeless Assistance Grants, Pixies and other geriatric rock tours. cut by $54 million 3. The Ponys: Indie rock concentrate. * Housing for the elderly cut by 4. Baked goods: like cookies. And pie. over $32 million 5. The election, especially Barack Obama. 6. Mayoral Race 2005. A year to go and already of interest to * Housing for persons with AIDS cut by $13 million the Fire Cats. * Housing for persons with disabilities cut by $11 million These cuts are unacceptable. More than 14 million people pay over 50% of their income on housing, 5 million renter households live in “worst case” housing situations, 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year, and the poorest renters face a lack of over 2 million affordable units. The American housing crisis takes place against the backdrop of recent U.S. Census data, which revealed that 34.6 million Americans are living in Wrigley’s Eclipse Gum: Cherry Flavor: ugh! Page 6 on probation. I violated probation then I went to jail, then again I got a disorderly conduct charge. I took probation again and I went to jail again. The jail was horrible. No smoking and the metal doors would echo when they closed. We used to call the food “road kill.” Every morning at 5 a.m. we went to breakfast. We had to wear orange jumpsuits. The beds were metal and had a concrete mattress and I don’t like heights so I would most always get the top bunk. Oh, I was unhappy. It gave me a chance to think over what I had done. We used to count the days until our release. I did 33 days for the simple battery. The drunk and disorderly I sat there about 33. Oh, I was counting the days. We used to say, “5 more days and a wake up.” The guards used to tell us, “remember what you did to get in here.” Streetvibes poverty. The Senate will consider the bill in September when Congress returns from the summer recess. Your calls and letters are needed to tell Senators and Representatives to fully fund Section 8 and all housing programs, and reject any attempts to reduce HUD funding. 20 YEARS SERVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 �by Larry Gross It was a fall, October morning. There was a chill in the air. The businessman got out of his silver Saab and quickly locked its doors. He walked through the parking lot and made his way to the sidewalk – walking briskly to the office building which was only a block away. He knew he would be the first one there so he dug into his pocket on the right side of his pants and found his keychain. The key with the blue plastic cap on it would open the front door. As he crossed the street and approached the office building, he looked at the bench located in front of it. It was a bench he provided for his employees who smoke. Beside the bench was an ashtray. Both the bench and ashtray was bolted to the sidewalk. On the bench was a man sleeping. An old dirty blanket, brown in color, covered the man’s face and body. The man’s feet and his shoes were left exposed. The shoes were full of holes. The man wasn’t wearing any socks. The businessman jingled his keys and made a lot of noise when unlocking the front door of the office building. He thought it would wake the homeless person sleeping on the bench. He wanted it to be a signal for the bum to leave. The businessman walked into the elevator and pressed the button for floor five. He shook his head thinking to himself that at least the vagrant was asleep and he didn’t have to contend with the guy asking for money. He checked his e-mail and voice messages and then decided to head over to the deli around the corner for a cup of coffee. He was surprised to find the homeless person still sleeping on the bench. Without wanting to, he could now see some of the old man’s face. His beard was long and mostly white. His unkempt hair was almost down to his shoulders and mostly grey. His closed eyes looked sunken into his head. He smelled of urine. Feeling angry, the businessman locked the door to his office building again and made his way to the deli. He complained to the waitress who gave him his coffee about the tramp outside the building and vented his frustrations about A glimpse of sympathy photo by Jimmy Heath Living Out Loud: The Businessman - how city council does nothing be arriving here soon.” to keep these tramps off the Without answering him, streets and away from decent the taller, older cop went up to people. the bench and gently shook the When he returned with old man. his coffee, the old man was still “Sir? Sir? It’s time to asleep on the bench. wake up. You need to leave this The businessman called property.” District One. The old “There’s Feeling angry, the man started to a bum asleep stir a little but businessman locked the still wasn’t on the bench outside my awake. door to his office building.” The “Is he younger cop building again and made causing any said to the harm?” businessman his way to the deli. He “No, not “Charlie’s being yet, but the guy complained to the too nice. I’ll stinks and will get the old waitress who gave him be intimidating man’s to my attention.” his coffee about the employees and He customers.” approached the tramp outside the “Have bench and the you tired to building and vented his older cop stood wake him?” aside. The “No! younger cop frustrations about how It’s not my job removed the to get involved city council does dirty blanket with waking covering the nothing to keep these him up. He old man and needs to be lifted him to a tramps off the streets removed from sit-up position my property. while slapping and away from decent It’s your job to his face. protect us from people.... “Wake up!” these kinds of he said almost people.” shouting, “it’s time to move He waited in the lobby on.” area of the building until the The homeless man cops arrived. Occasionally he opened his eyes and the would peek out the front door businessman looked at him. of the building to see if the The bum looked familiar. tramp was still there. The young cop continued When the squad car to slap the homeless person’s pulled up and parked in front of face and the old man became the building, the businessman startled. walked outside and waited for “What? Please! I haven’t the policemen to approach him. done anything.” “This is the man I need The young cop lifted the removed from my property,” he old man to his feet and threw said, pointing to the homeless him against the building. The person on the bench. “My cop started searching his employees and customers will pockets. Streetvibes “Hey! What’s this? You got a little joint rolled up here in your back pocket? That ain’t good, sir.” The young cop put the homeless person’s hands behind his back and handcuffed him. When the old man turned around, the businessman looked at him. He looked like a co­ worker from years back. He wanted to say something to the bum, but didn’t know what. The younger cop led the homeless person to the squad car and put him in the back seat. The older cop approached the businessman and asked for his name and phone number. After getting the information, both policemen got in their squad car and quickly drove away. “Was that Grant?” the businessman said out loud, remembering an older co­ worker he worked with at a consulting firm years ago. He looked at the now vacant bench. The dirty brown blanket was lying on the sidewalk. He returned to his office and stared at the paper cup holding his now almost cold coffee. He drank it quickly and started to feel irritated that his day was getting off to a late start. “Was that him?” the businessman thinks to himself again. “What in the hell went wrong?” He opened his planner and started to look at some papers that were in his basket. “This is going to be a long, busy day,” he murmured as he tried to remember Grant’s last name. This story first appeared in CityBeat’s Living Out Loud column, July 21 issue. Page 7 �The Peace Village hunger. Our schools and colleges may not include in their curricula the impact on all of society from growing numbers of hungry people. And, our governmental agencies may feel that this population is not a valuable constituency. Peace also means caring to change unjust food choices by acts of involvement in food collection, food distribution, and food choices for those who are hungry. Caring requires education about the causes of hard and impossible choices about food and the basics. Caring leads to peace when education, action, and reflection combine to make a difference in the ability of hungry people to get food for themselves and their families. Peace means PEACE AND HUNGER PROJECT OVERVIEW This Fall, we begin a project to connect the work of peace to the work of reducing hunger in the Peace Village. Primary and secondary schools will join with colleges and universities in the Cincinnati area to learn about and change the conditions for more peace and less hunger through a wide variety of programs. We will be working with the Free Store/Food Bank, pantries throughout the city of Cincinnati, and with the leadership of Ms. Laketa Cole, Cincinnati Councilperson, and Steve Gibbs, CEO of the Free Store. Through leadership activities in each school aimed at collecting food and money for food, through a wide variety of service learning actions that spotlight the depth of the connections between hunger and peace, we will raise Dr. Steve Sunderland to awareness the importance of taking the strengthening of those in need combined action to make a of food in concrete ways, one peaceful difference. WHAT IS THE CONNECTION person at a time, one family at a time, one pantry at a time, and, BETWEEN PEACE AND one community at a time. HUNGER? Peace can increase as Peace is related to food hunger diminishes as citizens security for people who are faced with hard and impossible choices move from hard and impossible food choices to good and healthy between choosing adequate food ones. Predictable food for their families or prescription drugs, health care, rent increases, availability from pantries may be the key factor in helping utilities, and other basics of life. individuals and families in Peace can be defined as being able to choose a life where surviving and coping with emergency food needs. Education food is a regular and predictable about food as a peace program part and where the choice for may spark broad interest and food does not throw the action in supplementing food individual and their family into programs with discussions of unjust and life-threatening better health, housing, and consequences. employment opportunities. Peace involves the basic Stronger families due to better right to live in food safety, food food may make for brighter and health, and food citizenship. healthier schools and children There can be no peace if people are forced to live with little or no capable of a just education. Peace is the absence of good food, or, under such deep issues of hunger. Peace is the fear of jeopardizing the physical presence of a community spirit of and mental health of the family just food choices. Peace is the due to inadequate finances, or, citizen’s action to reduce hunger without a respect for the dignity and strengthen everyone. Peace is and value of each person as the presence of a continuing reflected in adequate food education and action about choices. Hungry people are caught preventing the reappearance of hunger. Peace is hope founded on in a war zone: they become victims of an economic and social a just response to those in greatest need. system that has poor people as THE PEACE VILLAGE casualties. The war is often EFFORT TO REDUCE invisible. Our newspapers may not report the deaths and sickness HUNGER AND INCREASE PEACE of these people as they suffer Page 8 The Peace Village is planning on working with following Cincinnati schools and colleges: SCPA, Clark Montessori, Hughes, Aiken, Ross, Wyoming, Shroder, Rothenberg Elementary,Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, Nativity Elementary, Mt. Notre Dame, McAuley, Roger Bacon, Moeller, Ursuline Academy, University of Cincinnati: Student Peace Village Chapter, Raymond Walters College, UC, The Just Community, UC, Hebrew Union College, Wright State University, Peace Village Student Chapter, and Xavier University. Different religious institutions have also expressed an interest in linking youth with this project: Wise Temple, Clifton United Methodist Church, St. Johns Unitarian Universalist Church, and Knox Presbyterian. OPTIONS FOR INVOLVEMENT The range of possible ways of connecting with our project are great. Schools, colleges and religious institutions can work together and/or separately on one or more of the following programs: leadership development for school based organizing for hunger and peace programs; food collection; dollars 4 food events; service education with pantries/Free Store events; hunger peace dinners; school wide assemblies on hunger and peace; classroom presentations based on lesson plans on hunger and peace; essay contests on hunger and peace; art projects using posters, tiles, murals on hunger and peace; adopting pantries; holiday special collections and other programs. WHEN DO WE START? I will be contacting each school about some possible dates for a Saturday morning September training session for teams from all the schools. Teams should be about 5 people, including a teacher. During the morning we will meet with Steve Gibbs, Laketa Cole, and the teams of all the schools. We will look at some models for small and large projects, ways of connecting our work with both the Free Store and the pantries, and some of the fun ways we can celebrate our learning about and taking action to change hunger in the Peace Village. And, a newsletter will be started to share stories of what each school and college is doing in their programs. I am hoping that we will have the meeting at the University of Cincinnati and I am waiting for conformation from The Just Community. ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION Streetvibes I am preparing a directory of faculty, staff and students for our Directory. Please send me via email the following information: Name, phone, email address, school address, your position at the school. Please also send a sentence about your experience and/or your school’s experience with hunger issues; please note if you already have a relationship with the Free Store or a pantry, Kids Cafe; please note if you have had a HUNGER DINNER; please note if your school has done a FAST, or an assembly on hunger in the recent past; please indicate if you have experience or are open to lesson plans that connect peace and hunger issues; please identify any problems you foresee with this program; please note if you prefer a small or large initial program; and, please indicate the best time to call you for a meeting. An excellent article by 5th grade teacher, Terry Moore, “Beyond the Bake Sale,” has appeared in the Summer, Rethinking Schools magazine and is available if you would like to see it. NEXT STEPS After August 9th, I would like to call for a meeting with teachers. I have already met with Barb Coyle of Roger Bacon and touched base with Craig Rush of Shroder and Joy Fowler, SCPA. Our meeting would be to answer questions about the project, think about levels of involvement, and prepare for the leadership training event. I hope to hear from The Just Community of UC about co-sponsorship and the site of a possible leadership conference. I have been working with Dr. Marvin Berlowitz, UC School of Education, about offering graduate credit to teachers for their involvement. This now looks possible. A lot is beginning to happen that makes me smile at the creativity of so many excellent teachers and creative students. Together, we can make a big difference in bringing peace to our city through education, action and reflection about reducing hunger. I look forward to our next steps, your comments, and a successful year of peace. Dr. Steve Sunderland, professor of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati, is the Director of The Peace Village, a group of individuals from the national and international community committed to examining all issues of Peace in the world. Dr. Sunderland also heads up Posters-forPeace which engages people in expressing their visions of Peace, in their own words, through the creation of posters. �The Fourth Annual Public Forum on Homelessness THE IMPOSSIBLE WILL TAKE A LITTLE WHILE: Living and Acting with HOPE in Difficult Times Wednesday, October 13, 2003 8:30am to 5pm Franklin County Veteran’s Memorial Wayne Brehm Room 300 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio Presented by The Columbus Coalition for the Homeless In Partnership with The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, Otterbein College, The Columbus Metropolitan Area Church Council, The Interprofessional Commission of Ohio Featuring PAUL LOEB as keynote speaker This forum will focus on advocacy, through the work of volunteers and professionals, for the needs of marginalized people - particularly those who are very poor and often homeless. The attendees will hear presentations by one of the country’s leading proponents of citizens living, acting and working for a more justice and equitable society for all people. “Paul Loeb brings hope for a better world in a time when we so urgently need it.” ­ Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity For more information about Paul, see www.paulloeb.org The Narcotics Anonymous Program - How it Works such as I had to surrender; you For Me by Roger G. Hi. My name is Roger and I am an addict. At first, I felt hopeless before I came to the Narcotics Anonymous program. I let new ideas flow into me. I ask questions. I share what I have learned about living without drugs, even though the principles of The Twelve Steps were strange to me a first. The most important thing about it is that it works. Now the program is a way of life for me. I learn the value of spiritual principles, see I am an addict seeking recovery. I used drugs to cover my feelings and did whatever it took to get more. Now I read my N.A. literature and go to meetings. I’ve now found my life steadily improving. I maintain abstinence from mind altering drugs. Living the N.A. program gives me a relationship with a higher power greater than me and leads me to forgiving myself and others. So now I enjoy where I am and where I am going, on my way to recovery. FEELINGS! SUFFERING! By Ron I will tell you about suffering. Suffering is anger. When I picked up [drugs], after being clean for almost two months, I was so angry with myself I could cry. As a matter of fact, I did cry at first because I was angry and then because I was depressed. The depression set in because I was beating myself up for using. I found it hard to accept that I could put myself through that kind of pain and misery again. I was also feeling a sense of loneliness. Mainly because I felt so alone, I did it to myself, so I felt by myself. After all of these feelings, that’s when confusion set in. I was so mixed up I didn’t know which way to turn. If it wasn’t for God’s grace and my friends in this program, I would hate to guess where I would be today. So I would like to thank God for another chance at life. With his help, and the help of this program, I would like to stay clean and sober for the remainder of my days! I hope this story will be of some help to someone. Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct and agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Vendor Program. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the rules, she/he may be removed from the Program. To report a Vendor, call 421-7803. ext. 16 Know Your Rights Brochure Available! The Know Your Rights Brochure is now available at the Coalition’s office. The brochure is a legal guide for Cincinnati’s homeless and covers a person’s basic rights when interacting with the police, as well as some local laws that might be of interest to the homeless population. If you are a homeless person or if you work with homeless people and would like to obtain free copies of the brochure for yourself or your agency, please call 421­ 7803, or stop by the Coalition office and pick one up. Streetvibes Page 9 �Protest.... cont. from page 1 photos by Jimmy Heath for freedom is a daily battle. The Living Wall rebuked the government/corporate orthodoxy that the Freedom Center signals ­ like Borgman’s cartoon - all is well in Cincinnati. Of course, all is not well. Cincinnati remains the country’s eighth most segregated large city (Scientific American, March 2004), up from 18th over a decade ago. Of the 25 largest metropolitan areas, the Greater Cincinnati region has the 2nd largest socioeconomic divide in the nation based on local governments’ per capita tax revenues. Greater Cincinnati’s ratio between the wealthiest top five percent and poorest bottom five percent is 32-1, with the national average at 11-1 (Cincinnati Metropatterns Report, 2001). Of the 75 largest cities in the country, Cincinnati has the 12th highest poverty rate (24.3%) and the 9th lowest median household income ($21,006) (Nomination for Federal Empowerment Zone Report, 1998). Nine blocks from the Freedom Center lie communities of extreme poverty. One community, Over-the-Rhine, once home in 1950 to approximately 30,000 residents, mostly white, now consists of about 7,500 people, mostly black, with a median income of less than $10,000. Over-the-Rhine gained national notoriety in April 2001 with the urban uprising precipitated by the shooting death of unarmed, black teenager Timothy Thomas by a policeman. Police brutality, harassment, and abuse are still daily realities. Nine blocks from the Freedom Center homeless men, women, and children fight for survival against city policies and neglect. In May 2003 Cincinnati City Council passed its second legislation on panhandling, this time requiring panhandlers to register and to actually carry a card. In summer 2003 the National Coalition for the Homeless ranked Cincinnati as the ‘sixth meanest city in America.’ Nine blocks from the Freedom Center begins the city’s Empowerment Zone, composed of nine neighborhoods primarily of color, with a black infant mortality rate between ’24-30 per thousand births, compared with a People gather to look at art display on Fountain Square rate of 10 for Hamilton County’ (Nomination for Federal Empowerment Zone Report, 1998). Ironically, Children’s Hospital, recently ranked 8th in the nation, lies in the center of the Zone. Because of the persistence of conditions like these, a class-action racial profiling lawsuit was filed against the city (2000) and a boycott of downtown travel and tourism was initiated (2001) which continues to this day. Many world-famous Protestors meet police and are turned back performers such as Bill Cosby, Whoopi wanted to take on. To his credit, city/corporate nexus goes to Goldberg, Smokey Robinson, Dr. Crew wants the Center to be great lengths to ignore boycotters Wynton Marsalis, and Barbara provocative in the community, to and the freedom struggles already Ehrenreich have honored the get people to think about today’s on the ground in Cincinnati. City Cincinnati boycott. Conventions issues and to take positions. But and corporate figures will deny have moved elsewhere, affecting when asked in a recent lecture this, saying that they work hard the city’s economy. The boycott how the Freedom Center would to bring about change. But they has support of national and accomplish this, his answer was have refused to sit down with international organizations and that it would provide a space for boycotters to discuss their leaders. reflection and dialogue. demands. Welcome to ‘Plantation The answer is weak. No one disputes a museum Cincinnati,’ the context of Worse, given Cincinnati’s recounting a particular sordid Borgman’s cartoon. It may seem troubling racial climate, it appears chapter in history and what we unfair to saddle the Freedom evasive and more in line with the can learn from it, but for Center with Cincinnati’s context, city’s and corporate sector’s Cincinnati now to build a $110 but for Dr. Spencer Crew, CEO stance regarding the boycott and million Center and then call for and Executive Director of the racial concerns more generally ­ conversation smacks of Freedom Center, Cincinnati posed to wait it out. This waiting game speciousness that is brazen and a challenge that he explicitly is not benign, of course, as the continued next page Rev. Damon Lynch III speaks to crowd on Founain Square Protestors march past new Freedom Center on riverfront Page 10 Streetvibes �Protest.... insulting. Corporations are throwing big money at the Freedom Center; a tactic that grants them good media play and allows them to portray themselves as supporters of freedom. Just as corporations with dubious environmental records underwrite Earth Day to greenwash themselves and to improve their market share, so too are corporations underwriting the Freedom Center to freedomwash their hands of actual grassroots, freedom struggles and to improve their reputational value. The Freedom Center exemplifies an alignment of the government with corporate capital that soothes freedomdubious corporations to paint themselves black while continuing to pursue business as usual. The same forces willing to spend $110 million to commemorate a struggle of the past show little interest in addressing the inequities of the present and are guilty of causing and exacerbating those conditions. Corporations in Cincinnati and elsewhere are willing to fund a whitewashed symbol of freedom while denying freedom in actuality. Evidence? Consider the judgment of the Mulitnational Monitor, the journal that tracks the activity of corporations, especially as they impact the Third World. Every December the Monitor publishes its ‘Ten Worst Corporations of the Year.’ The matchup between the Monitor’s appraisal and those corporations on the Freedom Center’s ‘Freedom Seekers Society’ list (contribution of $1,000,000) is rather striking. Over the period 1991-2003, six corporations made Monitor’s list: Boeing, US Bank, Coca-Cola, GE, Timewarner, and Procter and Gamble. Coca-Cola and Procter and Gamble share the honor of making the list twice. GE goes one better, and is listed three times (1991, 92, and 94—and four times if one goes back to 1988). This irony is not lost on activists and boycotters. More ironies abound. The Freedom Center glosses over serious mention of the events of April 2001 and the continuing aftermath. In the very last space of the Freedom Center— designated the ‘dialogue zone’— visitors are able to ‘write’ their thoughts and reflections of their experience, but in magnetic words that are already provided. Even more revealing is the Freedom Center’s recent naming of its ‘100 Everyday Freedom Heroes,’ a list that includes people one would expect such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Fanny Lou Hamer. But the absences are striking: Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey, John Brown, Ella Baker, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and anyone from the Black Panthers. Even W.E.B. Dubois is not listed under his name alphabetically, but comes up in the caption to the ‘Niagara Movement,’ which he founded. Who makes the list? Cincinnati’s own corporate mogul—CEO of the American Financial Corporation, chief owner of the Cincinnati Reds, former owner of the Cincinnati Enquirer, and former CEO of Chiquita—Carl Lindner. One last irony, and this one revolves around the Center’s architecture. Everywhere one looks the materials, colors, details, and the displays are competently handled, but they are also muted, antiseptic, banal, without risk - in a word, corporate. The whole atmosphere plays it safe. Nothing offends. Nothing challenges. This is far from the gripping architecture of the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC that forcefully reinforces the horror of the displays and experience. Banality hardly seems the most appropriate imagery for the holocaust of slavery and the struggle against it. You have to wonder about the Center’s ideology, when the docents explain proudly that the imported-marble facades will bleach white over time. One wonders if Cincinnati will get it. NOW Conference Held in Las Vegas by Rhonda McKinney On July 17th and 18th, Feminists from all across the country gathered in Las Vegas for the National Organization for Women (NOW) annual conference. Among featured guests was Carol Mosley Braun who received the NOW Women of Courage Award for running for president in the 2004 election. Mosley Braun thanked NOW members for “continuously standing up for all women: poor, black, brown, white, LGBT.” She stated that NOW is the voice of all women who may be too old, too young or too abused to speak for themselves. Mosley Braun added that activists are the ultimate patriots because they stand up for and believe in the vision of America that has been promised to us. She ended by stating the importance of getting Bush out of office and getting more women elected to high positions in America, stating that it was “ironic and weird” that the new Iraqi constitution demands 25% of elected officials be women, but only 15% of the United States Congress members are women. A second featured speaker was Michelle Odle, the woman who started the largest class action lawsuit in history against Wal-Mart for their discriminatory practices. Wal- Mart is the largest employer in the United States and employs 1.1 million Americans, 2/3 of whom are women. Wal-Mart made a $9 billion net profit in 2003 and it is estimated that they are building one store per day worldwide. Because of their gigantic stature, WalMart is setting standards for employers and suppliers worldwide. Wal-Mart has also been NOW’s official “Merchant of Shame” since 2002. Odle’s story began when she discovered that she was being paid $12,000 less per year than a man in the same position with less experience because “he had a family to support.” She was then fired from her job at Sam’s Club (owned and operated by Wal-Mart) because a man from out of town wanted to relocate to her city and “needed” her job. Odle found attorneys willing to do a class action suit against Wal-Mart. Since she got the ball rolling, 1.6 million women have joined in the suit. Also speaking about Wal-Mart were Jackie and Larry Allen, a husband and wife who worked at Wal-Mart. Jackie Allen was paid $2 less per hour than her male co-workers who were performing the same tasks. She was also sexually assaulted and harassed and management refused to take action. Her husband Larry Allen was unable to afford the health insurance offered by Wal-Mart. He accrued $33,000 debt when he had a health crisis. Both Allens currently work at unionized Meijers and are very happy in their new jobs. Jackie stated, “women suffer at WalMart. Their families suffer at Streetvibes Wal-Mart.” When the speakers were finished, over 200 NOW advocates loaded into buses and drove to the Las Vegas WalMart to protest with local unions who provided everyone with free “Wal-Mart hurts women – Always” umbrellas. The Las Vegas unions are upset with the local Wal-Mart which has put 19 union operated stores out of business since it moved in. The protest was led by NOW president, Kim Gandy and Michelle Odle. Page 11 �Hot, Dry, Dangerous by Will Parry Last summer’s heat wave in Europe left between 14,000 and 15,000 people dead in France alone. Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom also experienced record death tolls from the searing temperatures. In Rome, the mean average temperature during June, July, and August of last year was 95 degrees Fahrenheit, a full 7 degrees above the mean average for the same summer months between 1995 and 2002. Deaths shot up in Rome along with the temperatures. An estimated 1,094 more people died than might have been predicted from the mortality data of the previous years. The highest increase in deaths occurred among people over 75, living in the most impoverished areas of the city. In France, hospitals and morgues were overwhelmed. Most of the victims were elderly. Most lived in isolation from family and community. Most were poor. Rich folk don’t die of heat waves. Fred Brock wrote a deeply affecting commentary on this mass tragedy in the New York Times. Brock quoted Dr. Eric Klinenberg, a New York University sociology professor who has studied heat-related deaths. Dr. Klinenberg says the toll in France exposes a major social change: the emergence of an older, vulnerable population that lives and dies in isolation. The ranks of this population are growing in the U.S. as well as in Europe. Children and grandchildren move away, leaving their aging elders to cope as best they can. Communities have become atomized. Neighbors are less likely to look after one another services, health care than in earlier times. And heat professionals, and volunteers. waves cruelly reveal this fraying A 24-hour telephone assistance social fabric. line is prepared to link callers “Heat waves are silent to available resources. and invisible killers of silent and But here in the U.S., invisible people,” says Dr. says Dr. Klinenberg, heatKlinenberg. related deaths are seen as “an He act of God” reminds us International Herald Tribune or as “the that the failure of severe heat Columnist William Pfaff individuals to wave of 1995 care for found last year’s heat waves in our own themselves.” Midwest left In 1995, a blessing. The victims, 700 people Chicago’s dead in wrote Pfaff, “were not, most commissioner Chicago of human alone. This services of them, killed by the heat. tragedy has blamed the faded from The time had come for them 700 victims. the national “We’re to die, and the heat eased memory, “a talking about non-event in people who their way… we should be American die because history,” he they neglect grateful to pneumonia, says. “If 700 themselves,” people had broken hips, and heat waves he said. been killed by International a tornado, Herald that can take us gracefully we’d still be Tribune hearing about to where we all most go.” Columnist it.” William Pfaff In fact, says Dr. found last year’s heat waves a Klinenberg, heat waves kill blessing. The victims, wrote many more Americans each year Pfaff, “were not, most of them, than tornadoes, hurricanes, and killed by the heat. The time had earthquakes combined. come for them to die, and the In 1995, Chicago heat eased their way… we officials suppressed the terrible should be grateful to toll, but the scale of last year’s pneumonia, broken hips, and calamity in France was simply heat waves that can take us too vast for cover-ups. The gracefully to where we all most French even considered the go.” cancellation of one national Indeed, the infirmities of holiday to provide funds for the old age are real, and indeed we elderly. all must go. But a society that This summer, Italy is values human life will not implementing a massive permit the elderly to perish in a intervention program. In heat wave. Rome, for example, city As Fred Brock notes, officials have established a plan, there is nothing graceful “about focused on the elderly, dying a slow, agonizing death involving health and social alone; of being discovered only services, emergency medical when neighbors or passersby Iraq Evicts Reporters from Najaf s Streetvibes Author unknown, quoted in You Said a Mouthful edited by Ronald D. Fuchs ibe Najaf, saying there was rumor of a potential car bombing targeting journalists. When most reporters stayed, the police returned with the order to leave. Concerns about the interim government’s commitment to freedom of the press were sparked Aug. 7 when officials order the Baghdad office of the pan-Arab television station Al-Jazeera closed. A constitution endorsed by the members of Iraq’s now disbanded Governing Council in March includes protections for freedom of speech. etv Page 12 cellular phones they saw would be confiscated. In response to the threat, many journalists left the city. The order would mean that the only news coverage of the ongoing violence in Najaf, one of the most revered cities to Shiite Muslims, would be provided by reporters embedded with the U.S. military. The U.S. military had no immediate comment. The order also said that all cars coming into the city would be searched and all protesters must leave the city. Earlier, police had advised reporters to leave It’ll be a great day when education gets all the money it wants and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy bombers. e Str Iraqi police ordered all journalists to leave the holy city of Najaf last month, just as a new U.S. offensive against militants hiding out in a revered shrine there began. Four police cars surrounded a hotel in the city where journalists were staying and presented the order signed by Najaf ’s police chief, Brig. Ghalib al-Jazaari. Though the order did not spell out a punishment for those who did not comply, the police who delivered it said any reporters remaining would be arrested, according to journalists at the hotel. The police said any cameras and report a strong odor; or of being buried in a cheap wooden casket in a common grave….” Society, says Dr. Klinenberg, must come to terms with the broader issue of old people living in isolation. “When massive numbers of people die alone, it’s a social embarrassment,” he says. “It’s the sign of a sweeping social breakdown. Everyone is implicated.” Those charged with environmental protection under George W. Bush should confront the implications of last summer’s thousands of deaths across Europe. The sweltering temperatures there corresponded to the forecasts of climate scientists. British meteorologists predicted that as a result of climate change, 2003 would b the warmest year on record. In the Guardian of Great Britain, George Monbiot writes that “the consensus among climatologists is that temperatures will rise in the 21st century by between 1.4 and 5.8 degrees Centigrade [34 to 42 degrees Fahrenheit]; by up to 10 times, in other words, the increase we have suffered so far…” “We are not,” writes Monbiot, “contemplating the end of holidays in Seville. We are contemplating the end of circumstances which permit most beings to remain on earth.” The more than 14,000 French elderly are, in some sense, the canaries in the mine shaft. The air is foul. The canaries are dying. Will Parry is director of the Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans. Reprinted from the August 5, 2004 issue of Real Change, Seattle, WA. Support Your Vendor �Voter Power - to the Polls by Joanne Zuhl Sean, a registered voter when he was housed, wonders how he will get his ballot now that he’s not. “Good question,” he says. “I’ll have to make arrangements.” Arrangements include getting his voting address changed and trying to pull together information about the candidates without a television, radio, newspaper subscription or mail-outs. It’s hard to keep up on the issues, he says, but they are among the most important issues in his life right now. “I think that it’s important that people on the low end of the financial spectrum develop an awareness that many of the services that they receive are dependent on voting and public input,” Sean says. “Many don’t realize that. They’re just looking for handouts.” That’s not good enough, say voter registration activist now scouring the city for unregistered, disenfranchised voters. Dozens of organizations across the country including Cincinnati and here in Portland are targeting low-income families, people experiencing homelessness, and ex-felons for voter registration. “This is the first year that we’ve had a real emphasis on voter registration, education and mobilization, and that sort of came after the 2000 election,” said Katie Fisher with the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “Just the sheer numbers in the census showed us that low income people are voting at a much lower percentage than middle income and higher income citizens, which explains why many times we feel like the low-income population is on the defensive in trying to get services and programs that they want.” The National Low Income Housing Coalition is among several clipboard-laden groups these days. From the National Homeless Coalition’s “You Don’t Need a Home to Vote” campaign, to the Faithful Citizenship Project, getting low-income, homeless and otherwise disenfranchised voters to the polls is the popular past-time of summer political activists. The national Community Voting Project is raising $2 million to help community-based organizations register poor and homeless people. Oregon Action is taking a four-pronged approach to reach young voters, homeless and low-income populations, and ex-felons. The Oregon Bus Project’s Voters Wanted program is registering patrons to Sisters of the Road Café and other homeless and low-income people on the streets. The soccer moms of 2000 have been replaced by the impoverished, homeless, and disenfranchised of 2004. Many people on the streets simply don’t know that they can vote. In Oregon, [as well as Ohio] it is not necessary for a person to have a mailing address to register, even though one is asked for on the registration form. Many social service agencies and organizations allow their address to be used as a mailing address. For place of residence, people on the street can simply note the corner or general neighborhood. Low-income and homeless people are also more likely to lack a car, taking them out of the loop of the Department of Motor Vehicles where many people register to vote. Fisher said low-income families also tend to move and change addresses more because they are renters. On top of that, and perhaps because of it, there’s apathy. “There seems to be a lot of disparagement and hopelessness among the homeless that what they do won’t make any difference anyway, so why bother,” Sean said. “It’s actually the exact opposite, but it’s a real common feeling.” For Tara Watson, the meaning behind voter registration hit home during a frustrating turn at making countless registration form copies at Kinkos. “You kind of look at them as some kind of arbitrary piece of paper, but it’s so much more. For somebody, this is their segue to government.” Watson makes the copies as an intern with the Oregon Bus Project’s Voters Wanted program, whose goal is to register 6,000 new voters with specific attention on the homeless, for the November elections. After learning that there were an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people homeless in Portland, Watson became even more driven. “That’s a sizable number of people that are essentially disenfranchised, for a lot of reasons,” she said. “But they’re the people who are most affected by budget cuts and program reductions and such.” Watson is quick to run down all the barriers, real or perceived, derailing potential voters, specifically the lack of knowledge about the process. “We need outreach,” she says. “We need to tell people that you don’t need to have a house, you don’t need to have anything but a concern for your community to register to vote.” To date, the Voters Wanted program in Portland has registered nearly 1,500 people who hadn’t been voting. Taylour Johnson’s faith — religious and social — led her to commit the summer to register people experiencing homelessness. She’s an intern with the Faithful Citizen Project, a collaborative effort of the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, The National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice and the National Council of Churches. “I was a senior in high school, and the presidential election occurred in 2000. I wasn’t 18 yet and it was a horrible feeling for me,” said Johnson. “Voting has become one of my favorite rights as a citizen of the United States. Voting is such an amazing thing for me, and it makes me feel just a little bit depressed that young people nowadays don’t look forward to it and that some people nowadays just don’t feel engaged with it. It’s bittersweet. I feel so proud to vote, and it saddens me to see so many people who don’t feel empowered, when they should. It really is a powerful thing.” Taylour is a student at the University of Oregon, but she became keenly aware of the concerns and issues surrounding poverty and homelessness while in high school. “I realized how politics affect these people’s ability to live and survive,” Johnson said. “You look at the statistics and they show that Streetvibes people who don’t vote are lowincome people, single mothers, homeless people - and the elected officials don’t have to be accountable to them because they aren’t registered voters and they don’t vote. “In the past three or four years, you can see how elected officials haven’t held themselves accountable to lower-income families and people.” As an example, Johnson is quick to cite the recent Measure 28, which failed and resulted in cuts to social services that cater to the lower incomes. That includes public education, which particularly hurts lower-income families because they can’t buy a private alternative. “They don’t cut the services that benefit the people who vote, they cut the services to the people who don’t vote, because they don’t vote.” Talking with people on the street in the registration process, Johnson said she hears a lot of the “my vote doesn’t count,” or “people in my community don’t vote so what’s my vote going to do.” “There’s just a lot of hate for the system, hate for the government, and viewing voting as giving in,” Johnson said. “They don’t feel very comfortable with it. It’s just like with any community that’s not represented as well by their political officers, like young people. They don’t hear about issues they want to hear about. They don’t always see public policy helping them.” It wasn’t until the 2000 election that the general public became keenly aware of the disenfranchised population, and it’s no secret that the removal of names from the voting rolls in Florida is a motivating factor behind the move to reach citizens not being targeted by the campaigns. Reprinted from Street Roots, Portland, Oregon, July 2004. Don’t be Squirrelly! Buy Streetvibes! Page 13 �July, Southern Ohio My Love Just to Justify by Mike Henson by Ron by Fran Yeager The rains of spring are over. The flooded pools of White Oak Pond Run, Five Mile, and a thousand other streams now recede, shrink, and clarify. The banks harden into the shape they will hold for the rest of the season. The stolen topsoil of the farms to the north settles to the bottom. The living screen of willows goes brittle. The paper leaves rattle at the touch of a breeze. Sunlight spears the bluegill among the rocks and grasses. Smallmouth lurk beneath ledges and in the shadow of the boulders. They fatten on the dark minnows. When I wake up, my mind goes to my first love. I’ve been crazy about them since I was a little boy. To awake with that aroma in the air, I just knew the rest of my day would be fair. The smell, the smell was everywhere. It even became my air. The sound the butter made when it hit the hot skillet made my mouth water. I could barely wait for them to be on my plate. My God, I hope I wasn’t late. I know by now, you know who my first love is. I would go to the end of the world for a stack. My first love is called flap­ jacks. I hope you don’t love ’em like I do, because I don’t want to fall out with you! On the campus The place we call U.C. They were in need In need of a reason To spend money Clearly now you must see The structure was spose to be About moving free So, they decided to take it up racially When the truth be known It really wasn’t about black or white It was people being people Moving fast and tryin’ to be on time But, money is money And it’s all a big play So, they got to have a reason For the bills that must be paid While you and me are the puppets Left with the pain The tension from the speed And wanting everything yesterday For as much as we gain Is as much as we can lose For they’ll starve us all To take it all away Just to justify Spending money today It’s love and war And we all got to hold our own pain And keep on working together No matter what any man say They’re fighting it all On needful things! You are Love, You are Loved by J. D. Lyles You are in fear because you are alone, But you are Loved. You have a lot of hate to hide your fear, But you are Love. You are going to form a thought that will materialize into an action. Will this action be of hurt or Love? You are Loved. You have questions about life on earth; life after death. You are Love. You have dreams. You have goals. You don’t succeed. You are loved. You have bills to pay, children to feed, You have lost your job. You are Love. Most important is to never underestimate the power of Love. Mother by Rob Harris When I was a baby you held me close and made sure that I was safe. As a child you taught me right from wrong and introduced me to the Christian faith. As I grew you were my provider, the one who mapped my steps. In addition, you were the one I admired for all that you went through, sacrificing the rent do I could attend a Catholic school. You never cease to amaze me with all the wonderful things you do, no matter what the situation, I know I that can always count on you. Ma, you are my everything, and did I mention I have your eyes. I talk, sit and act like you, because it is from you that I was devised. I can’t thank you enough for all the nice and Christ-like things you do, but today I simply want to say Happy Mothers Day and I love you. Page 14 Pit Bull by JH Tiny, warm pet on a rope, dragging on the ground, cringing, sighing, begging, bright, innocent eyes. Gettin’ ready for the big fight, small puppy. Teach you how to kill. Cinder block as play toy. Chewin’ on broken glass. Momma’ was a killa’, don’t know who daddy is. Chicken bones and bread for dinner, drinkin’ from the street oil- pond. Wantin’ to run away, but can’t ‘cause the rope is too tight, and the grip is too strong, and there ain’t nothin’ on the other side anyway... Freedom by Linda Corey In the Constitution, freedom of religion and speech. Freedom is being free. I am now free from my addiction of alcohol. I feel excellent: no more hangovers, guilt, shame, fear and isolation. I cannot change the past. My future is looking a lot better than it ever did. It’s difficult to change. Not to change is fatal. I have some character defects to work on, applying the spiritual principles. Help STREETVIBES Celebrate 100 Issues! How has STREETVIBES touched your life? Streetvibes will soon be celebrating its 100th issue and nearly 10 years of publishing in Greater Cincinnati. Do you have a Vendor story or thoughts on this milestone that we could share with our readers? Do you have a favorite story from a previous issue? Please contact us at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 ­ or send us an email. www.Streetvibes@juno.com We would love to hear from you! Streetvibes �Where’s Jocardo? Epiphany by Linda Corey by Robert Blanchard Where can he be? Maybe he’s not feeling well or something unexpected came up and he just couldn’t make it today. He will definitely be here next week. He will apologize for not showing up. He will tell us why and he will have an excellent sense of humor. He always makes us laugh so I forgive him for missing this week and I will look forward to seeing him next week. I miss him. Dawn pinked but briefly in the eastern skies, ‘til it surrendered to the blue. Sleepy street lights dimmed and closed their eyes, it was the time to make it through. Staccato accents bleated to traffic’s roar and smoke, silencing the soft shuffle of feet. Broken men in broken shoes listened and in turn spoke, of their epiphany in the street. “I found a loaf of wheat bread,” pointing to a door, “I got us some sardines to share.” Here were loaves and fishes reverently eaten by these poor, in a communion of brotherly care. The day was slowly passing in its concession to the night, the world wound down still to rest. A single star was shining brightly as flowing light, surely, tomorrow, again would be blessed. Sweet Mothers Love by Marcel N. Lee A mother’s love is truly priceless; worth More than diamonds, silver or gold. We recognize her sacrifices As through the years, our live unfold. She taught us all about God’s word. With unending faith, her voice was heard. Her patient heart came form above, For us to cherish, “Sweet Mothers Love.” Side Effects of Medicine by Linda Corey Migraines Upset stomach Boy, they cure one thing, then you have side effects to deal with. Oh well, as Marcus Welby says, I’m not a doctor, I just play one on TV. PhD. Alright, I’m guessing, well, you have this, so let’s give you some side effects. Is there really an answer or a cure? DECEMBER 7th by Cornelius Douglas Pearl of beauty, pearl of life Within your channel deep. Rest the men and tools of war For you and God to keep. From northern skies Fell death and strife As history wrote by early light, A tearful memory tale. What valor is there to be found In tragic human loss? Man must begin to live as one no matter what the cost. For all who died that Sunday morn We bow our heads and pray. For them, Please grant them Peace. For us….a better way!! Mothers don’t judge you, even if you are wrong. Their love is steadfast, loyal, and strong. She sows good seed, from up above, Then cultivates them with her love. Mothers are the sun that lights, For life our inner shy, So that we may know that we are loved, And need not question why. A mother’s love is rare indeed, She takes care of our every need. Even when her hair turns gray, Sweet mothers love is here to stay. Shutter Speed by Jimmy Heath Money by Linda Corey Money Cash Dead presidents Over in China it’s called Yen I had money I have lost money Money is the root of all evil Money can’t buy love Money to some people is everything Money you need to pay bills I have been happier without money The rich people: the more they have the more they want It’s easier to get a camel through an eye of the needle than it is to get a rich man into heaven Josiah and his 17 cicadas in a jar, Over-the-Rhine Streetvibes Page 15 �A Different Truth by Kody Akhavi issues, encourage free debate, dismiss taboos, and to “shake “Any war has a human cost. up rigid societies.” So why is We care for the Iraqi people. Al-Jazeera regarded as We are Arabs like them. We are dangerous if their values are so Muslims like them.” - Samir decidedly western? Khader, Al-Jazeera producer It might have something The swiftness with which to do with their disregard for coalition forces captured Iraq the U.S. military’s evasive and and deposed Saddam Hussein scripted responses to reporters’ has been chronicled by the questions, particularly during major news networks. Anybody the occupation of Iraq. Alwith a television set can get an Jazeera correspondents try to abridged version of the war. In corroborate the information Control Room, Jehane Noujaim, they receive through secondary director of Startup.com and a sources, and question the former MTV producer, reluctance of the western media challenges this view through a to do the same. The look at the influential Arab presumption that the Iraq war is network Al-Jazeera, providing a a staged event, initiated by the rare but lucid account of the U.S. occupation and bought international perception of the into by the media, is not Iraq war. concealed. Within the first five Strongly condemned for minutes of the film, Samir frequently airing footage of Khadar, the engaging producer civilian casualties as well as of Al-Jazeera says, “Any American POWs, the fledgling military commander who wants Al-Jazeera network continues to win a war should have to show the world everything propaganda at the top of his about the Iraq war that the agenda.” Bush Administration does not By revealing that Alwant it to see. Jazeera correspondents are Noujaim’s film opens articulate and discerning with a montage of Iraqi life; reporters, Noujaim repudiates men getting haircuts, children the claim of the Bush laughing and playing, Administration that the Arab automobile traffic. The scene is network is the mouthpiece of interrupted by the sudden Osama Bin Laden. At CentCom appearance of President Bush (U.S. central command which on television as he declares his doubles as the media briefing intent to invade Iraq. room), one BBC reporter jokes, Al-Jazeera, with upon recognizing Hassan headquarters in Doha, Qatar, Ibrahim as a former colleague, will broadcast the war to over that all BBC reporters 40 million Arabs. The goals of eventually end up working for the network are to educate the Al-Jazeera. Arab world on democratic Control Room’s characters are ripe with contradiction. We are introduced to Lt. Josh Rushing, the doe-eyed Marine spokesperson, as he grapples with Ibrahim over the reasons for the impending U.S. invasion. Ibrahim criticizes the western media’s lethargy and ignorance while simultaneously defending the American democracy and its constitution. Rushing adamantly defends his military’s position but recognizes the polarizing effect of spinning a story. If somebody strongly attacks the U.S. military policy, Rushing subconsciously frames his response in an even more slanted angle, in an attempt to create balance. This, he admits, ultimately distorts the objectivity of information. Even Khadar, the most ardent critic of America’s scripted war admits he would send his children to America to study if and when he could afford it. “If I am offered a job at FOX I would take it,” he concedes as he smokes a cigarette, “to exchange the Arab nightmare for the American dream.” The American media presents itself as ignorant. When a video feed at CentCom displays a riotous group of Iraqis ripping apart paper bills and flinging them into the air, a FOX reporter asks, “What are they ripping up? It looks like they’re ripping up their own money.” He appears amused. By contrast, the AlJazeera correspondents, who are covering the war in their “backyard,” appear far more informed than their counterparts. Ibrahim clarifies, “Those are Kurds from the north of Iraq who aided the Coalition Forces. They use a different currency, and in a show of defiance, they are ripping up the old money.” Al-Jazeera correspondents even deconstruct a “news clip” in which a statue of Saddam Hussein is torn down to a chorus of cheers. Their knowledge of how Iraqis look, speak, and comport themselves suggests that the U.S. military fabricated a victory celebration in order to prematurely signal the end of the war. Control Room’s purpose is not to refute the claims made by the western media but to challenge the notion that there is only one story for every event. Marshall McLuhan’s motto “medium is the message” resonates through each minute of the film. The actual combat on the ground pales in importance to the scripted story of victory, which Khadar concedes, “will be neatly tucked into the history books.” Although the multibillion dollar American media factory will continue to bombard the masses with its illusions of actual world events, this film challenges the viewer to be contemplative. The result is a cathartic and informative film that goes so far as to question itself. Truth is always the first casualty of war, and in its absence, objectivity becomes a mirage. Reprinted from the July issue ofWhat’s Up, Boston. Debate: Welfare to work or the end of poverty? by Jason Sizemore By all rights, we can agree that welfare is perceived as an integral thread in the “safety net” keeping the nation’s poorest from slipping through the proverbial cracks. In contrast to similar political hot potatoes like Social Security, Medicare/ Medicaid, workmen’s compensation, and unemployment insurance, the budget for welfare accounts for one percent of federal spending. The aforementioned programs comprise the majority of the federal budget, yet none receive the same examination. I highlight that fact simply to provide fiscal and social perspective, not to marginalize the importance of these programs. What we can do is ask a question that resides in the core of the welfare debate: Is the Page 16 program part of our societal “safety net” designed to provide temporary assistance in times of personal financial distress, or is it the mechanism by which the working poor are elevated to a better life? In a contemporary light, is the Welfare-to-Work program (a.k.a. Workfare) enacted by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) a step in the right direction? I. Give a man a fish. Originally implemented in the 1930s to spare single mothers the burden of balancing work and raising their children, focusing on cash and rent supplements for those who qualified, the system saw increasing growth in the rolls through the late 1960s. First in the Nixon and then Carter administrations, attempts to increase benefit amounts and include two-parent households in the programs failed in Congress. Most critics cited an increasing lack of personal responsibility and the moral implications of creating a dependent class segment in American society. The focus began to shift toward better educational opportunities, skills assessment/training, and job placement. There have been three historical shifts. II. Teach a man to fish. By the early 1980s, the idea of migrating welfare recipients back to the work force through education and placement in better paying jobs was gaining ground in social and political discourse. Ronald Reagan’s depiction of welfare mothers in “Cadillacs” struck a nerve for many, but also jolted serious political debate on the future of the system and what direction to pursue. The end result was the most sweeping reform in the Streetvibes history of welfare entitlement, 1988’s Family Support Act (FSA). Through programs like JOBS (Job Opportunity and Basic Skills Training Program), opportunities for educational advancement increased, benefit amounts rose slightly, and eligibility extended to two-parent households. The effect of JOBS was indeed increased employment, better paying jobs, and sustainable independence. Incentivizing work seemed to be the right idea. However, these improvements were significantly overshadowed by an increase in program enrollment of 30 percent (10.9 million to 14.2 million persons from 1989-1994). The spike was attributed to economic recession and an increase in Cont. next page... �about war; that we always try to rationalize it though it’s inherently irrational. It’s hard for normal people to be in war. It’s full of things we are normally told not to do, that our moral compasses are tuned to avoid, such as murder. People deal with this in different ways - some develop a healthy psychological separation between what they’re doing and the selves that they are used to while others - and this is arguably the majority - embrace it fully. The rush of war feels good, and those who are in charge of wars want their soldiers to keep feeling good. If you view any of the people you’re hurting as people then you won’t be able to do your job. So they become animals, and in our treatment of them as animals, we slowly lose that which makes us human. In one of the winning selections of this year’s annual World Press photo contest, an African soldier walks down a dirt road with his fists raised triumphantly, holding up two handfuls of human bones. There is a glory in war, and those who respond well to this story gain a superhuman quality. The divine purpose they’re told they have mixes with the immense power in their hands, with disturbing results. The enemy isn’t worthy of life. Their dead bodies aren’t the sacred remembrances we dutifully bury during peacetime, but souvenirs to laugh at and display and wear. Their living bodies are yours to enjoy, either sexually or violently or both. It happens the same way in every war throughout human history. The only problem is when we see pictures of it. We have been hearing about physical and psychological torture in our terrorist prisons in Brooklyn and Cuba for a while now. We have seen accounts of beatings and forced injections that cause paralysis. We non-combatants know this, but are able to ignore the words and choose instead the words we like - that we are great because of our war, that we are noble and forthright in how we engage in it, that the world will love us because of it, that we are answering a higher power. We hold onto this for dear life. Photos, however, are hard to ignore. Television cameras were the reason we lost the Vietnam War, because we saw that we are no holier in war than anyone else. The military has prohibited, then heavily restricted camera use in war zones ever since. So what do we do in response to the undeniable? Find a new way to deny. Everyone, right and left, is calling for high-level resignations, so that this scandal can be mopped up the way all scandals are; the scapegoat faces the consequences, and we maintain the illusion that what we saw was an accident. Seymour Hersh’s excellent reporting and Al Gore’s brave repeating are valuable contributions to the discourse. They highlight what we should know: that those photos were the end result of a long, complex line of policy shifting and administrative swagger. But regardless of who is at fault for this incident, war - all war - is still what we see in those pictures and we hate it and we do it anyway. The rush of control, the ability to take or spare life, is given to us by war. Many people in wartime see themselves as heroes, reveling in the results of their work. Others realize that the life is not for them, and experience a different kind of anguish. Either way, it serves those who prosecute wars well to encourage that rush, to stoke the bloodlust, to instill contempt and spite for the enemy, just as well as it serves them to encourage the compassion and humanity of the folks back home. It’s a careful balance to strike, made near impossible by the presence of photos, cameras, information. When my uncle saw the pilot’s go signal, he suffered through one of the most agonizing moments of his life. Then his friend said to him, “I’m not a real religious guy. But I know that this is the kind of thing you go to Hell for.” They left the safety in and walked back to their quarters. After a tense and lifethreatening moment with their commanding officer, a reassignment, and an injury, he was discharged. The U.S. military denied his ever being in the Air Force for the next 20 years. Regardless of how we react to it, and how much the government allows us to see of it, the rule of war is atrocity. While we’ve been given a real opportunity to know this, we’re only a handful of jail sentences away from forgetting it all over again. Despite working for an American media outlet, Jesse encourages readers to look to the foreign press for news in these troubling times. Reprinted from the July edition of Whats Up Magazine in Boston. infamous Contract with America. The Personal Responsibility Act, introduced by Senator Robert Dole (RKansas), eventually passed after two vetoes, emerging as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996. Signed into law by President Clinton with special attention paid to health coverage for children of departing recipients and tougher enforcement on child support arrears, the main tenet of the bill was to reduce the number of beneficiaries on the rolls by mandating work and a 50 percent reduction by 2002. Unlike the FSA of 1988, this bill had teeth, a five-year eligibility, and serious penalties to non-compliant states. Older programs such as AFDC (Aid for Families with Dependent Children) and JOBS were combined into the new TANF (Temporary Aid for Needy Families) system. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass) stated we were “turning our backs” on needy families and children. Still, the plan moved forward, with some states beating the curve to reduce the number of cases. Viewed along the compliance timeline and PRWORA metrics, Welfare to Work is a success. Rolls are down over 50 percent across the board. But will Workfare cure the blight of poverty in America? Can PRWORA be seen as a turnkey success story for either party? The answer to both questions is a definite no. Taking a lesson from Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush straddled the party fence in 2003 to push Medicaid reform, taking a historically Democrat stronghold as his own. Undeniably, core social ailments will continue to blur the line of policy and politics. I find it unlikely, impossible even, that government (big or small) will ever introduce meaningful anti-poverty measures or fix all of the holes in the “safety net.” I suppose the shortcoming of policy is dictation by politicians. Take note of the three shifts in welfare policy as proof that government is poorly versed in devising a feasible, lasting solution to poverty. Jason Sizemore has a B.A. in international studies from WSU. The Universal Rule of War by Jesse Post “Many of us, restless and unfulfilled, see no supreme worth in our lives. We want more out of life. And war, at least, gives a sense that we can rise above our smallness.” ­ Chris Hedges, author of War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning During the Vietnam War my uncle served in the Air Force. His job was pretty simple: whenever the siren sounded on his base, he’d run out onto the tarmac, load whatever missiles were there onto the awaiting fighter jets, and then wait for the pilot’s signal. Thumbs down meant, “Keep the safety in and put the weapon back — this is just a drill.” Thumbs up meant, “Remove the safety - this is for real.” One day the siren blew and he dropped his playing cards or his ukelele or whatever it was, just like usual, only when they got outside they realized that nothing was usual at all. The missiles were armed with chemical warheads; some kind of nerve gas. He and his buddy sweated a bit while arming the jet, wondering why this thing even existed, never mind why it was being used as part of a drill. Then they looked at the cockpit and the pilot was holding his thumb up. I was surprised at how quickly the denial happened. The photos of abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq were published and we immediately went for the blame: either this small handful of rogue criminals acted independently or this was the result of a systemic military-wide policy. In the instant need for explanation, we quickly glossed over the truth Welfare... unwed mothers. III. Give a man a boat; cast him into the tide… Workfare at last. In his 1992 presidential campaign, Bill Clinton vowed to “end welfare as we know it.” It was a bold statement, given welfare reform had been a largely Republican issue. It was a calculated move to shore up his strength among moderate swing voters in a rather muddy election year (remember Ross Perot?). The Clinton Welfare Reform Plan of 1994 introduced a 50 percent back-to-work standard, but provided no enforcement on participation. Again in 1994, under a refreshed Republican Congress, the issue resurfaced in the Streetvibes Page 17 �FRAC News Schools Adjust for Higher Lunch Costs (“Schools adjust for higher lunch costs,” CNN, August 10, 2004) Schools nationwide are raising the price of lunch, in some cases for the first time in more than a decade and by as much as $1. The price hikes are responses to rising food, labor, and transportation costs. While typical annual food inflation is about 3 percent, dairy prices in June were 27 percent higher than a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meat and cheese were up 11 percent and poultry 9 percent. Many Hurricane Charley Victims Receive Food Stamp Benefits (U.S. Department of Agriculture, August 15, 2004) In the wake of Hurricane Charley, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved replacing the full August allotments of food stamp benefits for current recipients in several hard hit areas: the entire counties of Lee, Desoto, Charlotte, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, Sarasota, Collier, Highlands, and Volusia, and for certain ZIP code areas in the counties of Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole. A USDA press release issued on August 16th reports on the initial efforts undertaken to provide commodities as well as food stamps to Florida’s hurricane victims. Wealthiest 20% See Income Share Grow to 50% (“Wealthiest 20% See Income Share Grow to 50%,” Baltimore Sun Times, July 29, 2004) The income gap has steadily grown over the past 20 years between the wealthiest Americans and those at the middle and bottom end of the pay scale. In 1973, the top 20 percent accounted for 44 percent of total U.S. income, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Their share rose to 50 percent in 2002, while everyone else’s fell. Tax cuts have shifted the overall tax burden from the richest Americans to the middle class. A soft job market has sent wages down, and lost jobs are being replaced by lower-paying ones with fewer benefits. Economists say wages should rise as companies boost hiring, but the growing gap between the haves and have-nots will remain. Page 18 Calorie Intake Among U.S. Adults Up in Last 30 Years (Annual Review of Nutrition, 2004) Energy intake among adults has increased in the last 30 years, according to a study published in the latest Annual Review of Nutrition. Factors contributing to the increase include a rise in the percentage of the population eating away from home (particularly at fastfood restaurants), larger portion sizes of foods and beverages, increased consumption of sweetened beverages, changes in snacking habits, and improved dietary intake methodology. Children age 1-19 showed little change in energy intake, except for an increase among adolescent females. Obesity Often Linked to Income (National Public Radio, July 2004) Americans spend a good deal of money eating out, a habit tied to the nation’s obesity epidemic. Researchers say the less people can pay for food, the more calories they consume. NPR’s Patricia Neighmond reports in the first of a two-part series. California: Good Nutrition a Luxury for Low-income Seniors (“Hungry Seniors Can’t Afford to Eat More Nutritiously, the Alameda County Community Food Bank Discovers After Conducting Focus Groups,” PR Web, August 10, 2004) Low-income seniors may not know where their next meal will come from and therefore are unable to concentrate on good nutrition, according to a focus group summary report released by the Alameda County Community Food Bank of California (ACCFB). While policy makers prescribe nutrition education as the solution to the explosion of diet-related diseases among low-income populations, the Food Bank’s newly released qualitative data suggests that education alone will not address this problem until issues of hunger and food insecurity are first resolved. New York: Agency Mails Nearly 100,000 Food Stamp Benefit Cards to Reach More People (“Stamp of Approval,” CityLimits.org, August 9, 2004) Nearly 100,000 New Yorkers who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and live alone will receive a food stamp benefit card in the mail. None of them will have filled out an application, talked to a caseworker or visited an office to receive the benefit. “We’re just going to give it to them,” said a government spokesperson. The state welfare agency’s new policy is one of USDA’s approved Combined Application Projects (CAPs) aimed at serving more people who are eligible for food stamps. While food stamp participants are expected to top one million this summer, an estimated 700,000 New Yorkers who are eligible for food stamps do not receive them, according to the Community Food Resource Center (CFRC). CFRC’s Jodi Harawitz says identifying people likely to qualify is key to bolstering the program’s participation. Wisconsin: Survey Finding Food Insecurity In Comfortable Community Comes as “Shock” (“School survey reveals nutrition gap,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Streetvibes August 17, 2004) A survey finding nearly one in five elementary school children in the Burlington Area School District come from families that eat inadequately, worry about not having enough food or skip meals because they can’t afford food came as “a shock” to university and school officials. The finding suggests food insecurity is more serious in the Burlington area, a seemingly comfortable community, than statewide. The majority of households with food insecurity had a working family member. Food insecurity is “actually happening here, not someplace else, which is what we normally think,” said one educator. The survey, the first of its kind in Racine County, has prompted one principal to suggest the school district do more to promote the lunch program. Alice Thomson, administrator of the UW Extension Nutritional Education Program for Racine and Kenosha counties, would like the district to offer free and cheap breakfasts. Research suggests that a lack of adequate food is linked to lower test scores, poor school achievement, increased absences, hyperactivity and anxiety. To subscribe to the weekly FRAC News Digest go to: http:/ /capwiz.com/frac/mlm/ For questions, comments, and news tips, please contact: Helen Yuen Food Research and Action Center 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 540 Washington, DC 20009 (202) 986-2200 x3019 Email: hyuen@frac.org �Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati All Vendors Sign and Agree to a Code of Conduct Coalition for the Homeless and Report Any Violations to GCCH - 421-7803 1. Streetvibes will be distributed honest in stating that all profits go Streetvibes.... This program has helped for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 30 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers cannot be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. 8. Vendors must never sell doorto-door or on private property, unless given permission from the owner of that property. 9. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be to the individual vendor. Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 10. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 11. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 12. Failure to comply with these Rules and Regulations may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. The mission of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) is to support a street newspaper movement that creates and upholds journalistic and ethical standards while promoting self-help and empowerment among people living in poverty. NASNA papers support homeless and very low-income people in more than 35 cities across the United States and Canada. Streetvibes Vendor: 70 cents Printing and Production: 30 cents The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) was formed in May of 1984 for one purpose: the eradication of homelessness in Cincinnati. What started out as a coalition of 15 volunteers meeting weekly in an unheated church basement has since grown into a Coalition of over 45 agencies and hundreds of volunteers dedicated to improving services for homeless individuals, educating the public about homelessness and empowering homeless individuals to advocate for their civil rights and housing needs. Streetvibes is a tool of GCCH used to help us achieve our goal of ending homelessness. On the one hand it is a self-sufficiency program geared towards the homeless and marginally housed individuals who are our vendors. Streetvibes vendors buy the paper for 30 cents per copy and sell it for a suggested one-dollar donation, keeping the profit that they have earned. hundreds of people find and maintain housing. The vendors also sign a code of conduct stating that they will behave responsibly and professionally and they proudly display their official Streetvibes badge while selling the paper. Our vendors put a face on “the homeless” of Cincinnati and form lasting friendships with their customers. On the other hand, Streetvibes is an award-winning alternative newspaper and part of the international street newspaper movement. Focusing on homelessness and social justice issues, Streetvibes reports the often-invisible story of poverty in our community. Streetvibes is also proud to include creative writing, poetry, articles, photography and interviews written by homeless and formerly homeless individuals. Streetvibes enjoys a loyal reader base that respects the honest portrayal of the joys, sorrows, and challenges facing the people of Cincinnati. Streetvibes is a member of the: The International Network of Street Papers (INSP) unites street papers sold by homeless and people living in poverty from all over the world. INSP is an umbrella organisation, which provides a consultancy service for its partner papers and advises on the setting up of new street papers and support initiatives for marginalised people. Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. Streetvibes Help STREETVIBES Celebrate 100 Issues! How has STREETVIBES touched your life? Streetvibes will soon be celebrating its 100th issue and nearly 10 years of publishing in Greater Cincinnati. Do you have a Vendor story or thoughts on this milestone that we could share with our readers? Do you have a favorite story from a previous issue? Please contact us at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 117East12th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 - or send us an email. We would love to hear from you! Page 19 �TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services, Inc 751-9797 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 Need Help or Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 357-4602 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 381-4242 241-2563 Contact Center Emanuel Center Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 $1 Donation September, 2004 STREETVIBES BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY Cover Story Cincinnati Schools Pilot New Homeless Education Project Serial Number Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2004 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Four Cincinnati Schools Pilot New Homelessness Education Packet The National Underground Corporate Center to Railroad Freedom Pg 2: Gated Community for Who? Pg 3: October 1, 2004 Standdown Pg 4: Homeless News Digest Pg 5: Thank you! Farewell Streetvibes Community Pg 6: To Whom it May Concern Pg 7: Living Out Loud: The Businessman Pg 8: The Peace Village Pg 9: The Narcotics Anonymous Program Pg 10: Protest Continued Pg 11: NOW Conference Held in Las Vegas Pg 12: Hot, Dry, Dangerous Iraq Evicts Reporters from Najaf Pg 13: Noter Power-to the Polls Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: A Different Truth Debate: Welfare to Work or the End to Poverty? Pg 17: The Universal Rule of War Pg 18: FRAC News Pg 19: Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Streetvibes… Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Rachel Lawson Kate McManus Janice Faulkner Mary Gaffney Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Cincinnati education Elections Food Research FRAC Georgine Getty Iraq Janice Faulkner Jimmy Heath Journalists Kate McManus Las Vegas Mary Gaffney Najaf Narcotics Anonymous Program National Underground Corporate Center NOW Conference Peace Village Polls poverty Protests Queen City Barrel Rachel Lawson Schools Voting War welfare welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/2807aa64cf08c68cdc5c1640a0686402.pdf eae6f63f35372906b8224580daa03f4e PDF Text Text July, 2004 STREETVIBES photo by Jimmy Heath Developers Fast Track Their Plan for Over-the-Rhine The Drop Inn Center at Elm and 12th Street, Over-the-Rhine, is a target for removal from the community by developers Streetvibes Investigation Last month, the private development group 3CDC (Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation) undertook a lightning-fast public relations campaign to get approval for their development plans around Washington Park. 3CDC Executive Director, Steven Leeper, and assistant Kathy Schwab attended meetings of the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati Public School Board committees and other business and stakeholder groups presenting a Powerpoint presentation of a redesigned Over-the-Rhine. After the Cincinnati Planning Department was eliminated in December of 2002, the decision was made by city leaders to privatize city planning. For that reason, Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) created in July of 2003. Much about the organization is available on their website, www.3cdc.org. Joe Pichler, former Chairman of Kroger, was placed in charge of the Over-the-Rhine Working Group, tasked with revitalizing the area, especially around Washington Park. They spent some time looking for a full time director. On January 30th of this year, Steven Leeper was hired. Leeper has the Drop Inn Center.... Cont. on page 10 McCrackin celebration builds on his legacy, calls citizens to action by John Zeh photo by Berta Lambert Some seven years after he died, the Rev. Maurice McCrackin’s fervor for social justice was commemorated as activists marched from Washington Park in Over-theRhine to a Unity Day festival at the west end’s Laurel Park June 12. The day’s theme was “No to war in Iraq — No to the war on the poor in Cincinnati,” naming greed and concentrated wealth as enemies of the poor, said organizer and former Cincinnati City Council candidate Brian Garry. “Mac Day was a wonderful event. The organizations, food and entertainment were diverse like McCracken’s struggles,” Garry told Streetvibes. “The march was one of the best I’ve been to. Residents and activists and church people came together to stand up for the rights of lowincome people, it was truly a beautiful sight. We need to join the white and black activist communities to present a comprehensive vision of Cincinnati that is not just a response to city council,” he said. “We need to take the lead.” Collaboration among various groups is important, according to Vera Zlatkin, several housing projects and the White House, McCrackin another McCrackin Day one planner’s proposed closure threatened to starve to death if organizer. “There are many the city tore down the Milner of the Drop-Inn Center as groups who are working to do evidence that the city is waging Hotel downtown. Garry notes something, but they don’t have a war against the less-affluent. that city officials went to the power because they’re so Despite organizational and McCrackin’s bedside and small,” she said. “If we can institutional hurdles, Zlatkin is bring them together, we all will promised to find homes for the optimistic about preserving the homeless and mentally ill have a louder voice.” historic Park, but concedes that The cheerful atmosphere displaced by the demolition. activists may be fighting a The activist started eating was an appropriate losing battle against increased again, but the city reneged on commemoration for a minister gentrification. who became the “conscience of its pledge, Garry charged. “We have to be able to “Hopefully, the Rev. Mr. the city,” Garry told reporters. reverse it,” she said. In 1979, McCrackin was McCrackin can be a inspiration for activists today to be willing “Sometimes I feel like all us imprisoned 111 days for to put themselves on the line little groups are standing with refusing to testify against two hammers and a chisels for what they believe in,” said escaped felons who had hammering away against a huge Sister Helen Cullen, another kidnapped him. He had been wall. And there are bulldozers McCrackin Day organizer. arrested numerous times for Growing gentrification in coming at us. We are trying to anti-war protests and actions Over-the-Rhine is driving out fight a battle with hammers and against poverty and racism. In chisels and they are coming the homeless and poor, Zlatkin 1990, at the age of 85, he said, noting the closing of after us with bulldozers!” scaled the White House fence protesting the first U.S. war against Iraq. Every time police encountered McCrackin, the minister went limp. As an ardent pacifist, he fought the system any way he could. McCrackin founded Camp Joy, a camp for poor innercity youth, and helped desegregate Coney Island. A few years after the protest at People’s March on Central Parkway, Downtown Cincinnati Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �Streetvibes Streetvibes, the Tri­ State’s alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Allison Leeuw - Administrative Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Elizabeth Linville - Civil Rights Coordinator Janice Faulkner - Receptionist Mary Gaffney - Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath, Editor, Layout and Design Photographers Jimmy Heath, Berta Lambert Cover Veterans Section at Spring Grove Cemetery Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, delivered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://homeless.cinci.com Page 2 Greed Transcends Compassion politics of poverty keeps the by Jimmy Heath middle-class fixated on each It’s been said that a society can be judged by how it other while burying the silent treats its less fortunate citizens. majority behind a curtain of Market forces and development shame, bureaucracy, and suspicion. The politics of drive our avaricious city poverty squashes dissent with government, and anyone who injustice and denial and lack of gets in the way of this access. Those who vocalize “progress” is pushed aside. their discontent, especially The truth again reveals itself in the continuing battle to people of color, are dismissed and disrespected and always get rid of the Drop Inn Center homeless shelter in downtown’s ignored. Parading low-income Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. citizens in front of the public Developers and City leaders who care little about the clients and claiming them as participants in the process using the Drop Inn Center are merely pinpoints and focused on their “vision” marginalizes those of how the neighborhood people. Community should look. These participation in plans perpetuate the discussions is used to stereotypes, and belittle legitimize the process those who are struggling that ultimately destroys to get back on their feet. Jimmy Heath them while lending Meanwhile, little effort credibility to a flawed is made by the City to address the root causes of homelessness. and one-sided process. The persistent growth of All they know is they don’t like our urban poor suggest that how it looks. poverty is neither an economic When you think of the aberration nor a reflection of people who use these services in Cincinnati - those who are on the morals of 34 million poor adults and children in this the bottom of the economic country - or the millions who ladder - you can’t help but wonder what is wrong with this border on poverty. When you read between city. Cincinnati’s homeless are the lines you will find that it’s least able to defend themselves; really all about getting rid of least likely to be able to the Drop Inn Center and places exercise even basic political power. It’s maddening, horribly like it; a strategy hidden under a plan for revitalization and cruel and sad at the same time. development of the Over-theThe exclusion of poor Rhine neighborhood. people from official policy Plans are being made for discussions continues to be an important factor in the failure of the land occupied by the Drop Inn Center by people who don’t the City to alleviate poverty. even own the property. The The politics of poverty in this power of capitalism reigns City has followed a fairly straight trajectory - provide and above everything else, sometimes even above decency concentrate power into the and compassion. hands of the privileged few. It’s not just about the The politics of poverty value of the land that the Drop uses covert, subtle means to Inn Center has occupied for project a façade of almost three decades. It’s about accountability while making deals behind closed doors. The the ugliness of homelessness. It’s about fear and racism. It’s about being greedy. It’s about perception and ignorance and power. Personally, I can’t think of a better use of land than for helping people get back their lives. The Drop Inn Center revitalizes human beings. Right in the heart of what we proudly refer to as the richest nation on earth, poverty and powerlessness are flourishing. The signs are unmistakable: the United States of America is in a state of decay hidden beneath layers of fresh paint and drywall and upscale urban development. During the 1960’s there was a great deal of optimism about the prospect of eliminating poverty forever. In the last three decades much money has been spent on social programs, but the poor have not disappeared. We attempt to clamp the lid down on seething inner-city discontent by keeping fragments of hope alive, while requiring the ruling elite to cede none of its power. The public has begun to believe that there is no solution to poverty; that places like the Drop Inn Center breed poverty. It’s all a big lie, of course. We’ve been brainwashed into thinking there are no answers because the real long-term solution to poverty lies in empowerment of the poor, which threatens the power monopoly of the privileged class. If you get in the way, watch out! The Drop Inn Center is again faced with one of its greatest battles. This drains resources, time and energy from people whose work would be better spent helping folks get their lives back. Meanwhile, City leaders look for ways to make the problem invisible, by trying to push it out of sight. GCCH Welcomes New Staff Member I’m from Indianapolis Dear Streetvibes Community, which isn’t too far away, I have been and I recently finished here in Cincinnati for school studying Nonabout a month now, profit Management. I do and I guess its time I have work experience at introduce myself. My various social service name is Allison Leeuw, nonprofit organizations, and I will be the new ranging from large Administrative Allison Leeuw organizations such as the Coordinator at the Zoo, to smaller domestic Greater Cincinnati violence shelters and agencies Coalition for the Homeless. I am educating “at-risk” youth. I hope not from around here… but I am these fundraising and social service getting settled here in Cincinnati, experiences will help me to and at the Coalition. I am thankful accomplish my work here. for the friendly welcome I have I suppose I will be spending thus far received from my co­ workers, and community members a lot of time here at the Coalition office behind the computer, or on of Over-the-Rhine. Streetvibes the phone trying to raise money for our cause. I will be writing grants, increasing awareness, and I hope to attract new donors to the Coalition. The problems that cause homelessness in our community run deep, and we need a deep coalition of support to eradicate this poverty. I am sure I will come across challenges from a variety of sources during my time here. Yet I have already seen dedication and passion for social justice here in this community; and I am inspired. I do hope to be out and about as well and I welcome any visits or suggestions from the Streetvibes Community. Stop by the Coalition, or drop me a line at allisonleeuw@yahoo.com. �36% of Cincinnati’s homeless once served our nation Who are the Homeless? Why are so many of our honored veterans on the streets? What can YOU do to help? I WILL DONATE: $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 $150 There are 25,000 people in Cincinnati that experience homelessness each year. Who are these individuals? 36% of the homeless on the streets of our community are veterans, yet only 13% of Ohio’s population are veterans. Why are so many of our past veterans living with no home? Here at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless we are working to end homelessness for ALL individuals through education, advocacy and coordination of services. We are looking to find systemic solutions and real change that goes farther than the generous services our kitchens and shelters provide. This summer we are honoring past heroes, celebrating our freedom, and hoping for an end to the struggle over seas; let us not forget those who struggle here in our community this very day. Please consider a tax deductible contribution today and help create positive change in your city. Send your donations to Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Streetvibes Page 3 �One year ago homeless stopped city from sweeping camps by Andy Erickson Education Coordinator arrived, displaying a temporary restraining order against the police, and a lawsuit against the city filed on Henry’s behalf. The reporters swarmed her. She and Don Henry spoke in a circle of cameras. The lawsuit filed against the city charged that the city had a pattern and practice of violating homeless people’s civil rights. Reporters scribbled in their notebooks. The people living in the camp cheered. Nearly a year ago, a group of homeless men and women stood up to the city’s threats and prevailed. Led by Don Henry, homeless folks living at the foot of the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge in Cincinnati protested the city’s orders to Don leave or be Henry’s camp arrested for wasn’t the only trespassing. The one that had been city gave a 72­ given an eviction hour deadline – notice. Four 1:00 on Friday, other camps were July 18, 2003. also told they had They gave no to move out by Andy Erickson indication of that Friday. where Henry and These camps were his bridgemates should go. clustered together on the other The residents of the side of downtown. The earliest camp chose to protest the city’s eviction would take place at actions. They started their 9:00. protest at 1:00 on Thursday, 24 That morning, before I hours before they were told to went to Don Henry’s protest, I get out. They marched along drove to these other camps to the intersection of Third Street see if anything was happening. and the Clay Wade Bailey The first person I saw was a Bridge. They carried protest cameraman. He wasn’t with the signs that read, “Don’t hide the press. I asked him who he was, homeless. Help them.” but I don’t remember his A lot of press came out response – a film student, I for the event. It was a good think, from one of the local story. Microphones were universities. He was filming interviewing and cameras were Robert, the one person who had filming all day. What would not yet moved from his camp. happen when the deadline The cameraman left soon after I arrived? Would the police spoke with him. really come? How many people I knew Robert. I had would they arrest for met him before, and he trespassing? News outlets remembered me. He was polled audiences: should people worried and said he needed my be allowed to live under help. He had to be out by downtown bridges? Audiences 10:00. He knew the deadline were split. Lots of people were was looming and he feared watching. being arrested. He had found a As the deadline grew new camp on the riverbank, but closer, the atmosphere grew couldn’t move all of his things increasingly more intense and by himself before the deadline. more exciting. The numbers of He showed me where he homeless people picketing stayed – under a small bridge grew. Social workers arrived, with barely even enough room helping many people get into to sit upright. I’ve never really services they needed. People gotten used to seeing the camps who had heard about the that some homeless people live protest on the news drove to in. To see one is to see the the camp to donate food, home of someone who’s all but drinks, and support. There given up. They’ve taken the must have been 100 people few things they have left from there, all waiting for the life and moved them underneath deadline and wondering what a bridge. It makes you wonder would happen when it struck. what had to happen to lead After a long, 24-hour them here, and why there’s so protest, the deadline came – many of them. Everyday people and went. No one came to drive over these streets arrest the so-called trespassers complaining about the cost of on Friday, July 18. Instead, gasoline while their fellow attorney Jennifer Kinsley citizens try to make homes Page 4 photo by Jimmy Heath Help GCCH find footage of protest The camp and protest sign under the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge beneath their exhaust fumes… Robert was convinced that if we stuffed my car full of his things, we could do it in one load. He was almost right. We had fill up his shopping cart, too. Robert tried to give me directions to his new camp. I didn’t understand. Finally he just told me to follow him. He grabbed his shopping cart and started pushing. I drove slowly behind him. He pushed past the US Bank Arena, past the Great American Ballpark, past construction sites and parking lots. One person told him to get the #$@* out of the road. Most people just stared. I helped Robert move his stuff into his new camp along the river. An officer drove by. I thought he might stop, but he just kept on going. Robert thanked me and I drove to Don Henry’s camp. When I got to Don’s camp, I noticed that some of the people who had been evicted from the camps near Robert’s were marching now with Don Henry. That cameraman was there, too – the one who I’d seen with Robert earlier that morning. He filmed Don’s protest the entire day after leaving Robert’s – from the early-morning pickets to Jennifer Kinsley’s arrival and the announcement of the lawsuit. I sometimes wonder who that cameraman was – and if he ever did anything with the footage from that day. If anyone knows him, please tell Streetvibes him I’d like to see it. I bet it would make a pretty good film. After Jennifer made her announcements and Don signed some legal documents; after the press vans were packed and driving back to their stations; after the social workers left feeling good about a victory; a few of us stayed behind and helped Don clean up his camp. He’d fought a good fight that day and won. Now he could rest in his own bed, in his own camp, and no one – not the police or the politicians – was going to make him move. We shook hands, congratulated Don and the other campers, and prepared to leave. We were heading to our cars when we noticed two men in the parking lot across from the camp. One had a camera in hand. Georgine Getty, the director of the Coalition for the Homeless, walked over to them and asked them who they were. They were from the Black United Front. They explained that they were just there to keep an eye out for Don. They were concerned about his safety; worried something might happen to him now that all the press cameras were gone. “We just want to make sure no one tries to bother Mr. Henry tonight,” they told Georgine. She cites that as one of the more touching experiences she’s had working here. They were there as neighbors, watching out for the people in their community. Protest.... cont. next page �Hate Crimes still a major issue for the homeless by Elizabeth Linville dangerous state in the country On June 15th, the for people experiencing National Coalition for the homelessness. Although there Homeless released its annual was no ranking this year, Ohio hate crimes report still figures Hate, Violence and prominently in this Death on Main report. In 2003, Street USA: A there were 7 Report on Hate separate incidents Crimes and in the state Violence Against resulting in 7 nonPeople lethal acts. Experiencing Nationally, there Homelessness. The were 9 deaths by Elizabeth Linville report is a hate crimes and 61 compilation of data collected non- lethal acts. from news reports and homeless The report also focuses shelters on the number of on hate speech against homeless homeless victimizations that individuals. In Cincinnati, this have occurred in the past five was seen with the “Derelict years (1999-2003). Round-Up” done by 700 WLW In 2002, the report DJ Bill “Willy” Cunningham. ranked Ohio the 4th most His radio show broadcasted Protest.... Don eventually got his own apartment. Social workers were able to work with him because they knew where he was living and they had gotten to know him personally. It takes time to get someone into housing after they’ve been living on the streets. Trust has to be built, services need to be available, and the individual needs to be ready. When cities perform sweeps, camps get moved out of sight, campers learn to hide, and social workers have more difficulty finding people who need help. In order to end homelessness, we need to work on its causes. In order to help individuals, we need to meet them where they’re at. Moving a homeless man from a bridge to the riverbank won’t solve his problems. I like the way Don put it: “Don’t hide the homeless. Help them.” A year ago this month, a lot of people heard that message – and I think a lot of people understood. Don’t be Squirrelly! Buy Streetvibes! from a bus that was used to take homeless people from the downtown area to be dropped off in the suburbs. When the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless called to protest, Cunninghan’s response was to scream “go to hell” and hang up the phone. Nationally, a new genre of “Bum Videos” has gained popularity. In the past four years, five different videos have been produced; each shows homeless people who have been coerced to perform dangerous stunts for money, alcohol, or food. These videos exploit the individuals used in the taping and encourage viewers to behave in an outrageous manner towards homeless individuals. In Cleveland, for example, four teenagers attacked five sleeping homeless men with a stun gun. They also kicked them and urinated on them, all while videotaping the attack. In this case, the offenders were arrested and charged with assault. In many other hate crimes cases, the attacker is never found or the crime is never reported. In a hope to obtain more information on this disturbing trend of violence against individuals who are homeless, the National Coalition has requested a General Accounting Office Investigation of the issue. Hopefully, a study such as this and the recently released report will bring more awareness to the problem and help determine ways to stop the violence. The Cicadas and the Homeless was good. With this she then by Mary G. Gaffney turned her attention to a When June arrived we question about the homeless. were greeted with the famous Sometimes she comes to the and exciting visitors who come Homeless Coalition with me to our section of the United States every 17 years. The visit and she has met some of the homeless who brings hysteria to come to the the young and old. office. It is all the talk She during the few watches weeks they are television and here, and then they hears the will be forgotten news about until 2021. Cincinnati It makes building and you wonder how remodeling they fly, this blind everywhere. friend, with pretty Her questions wings of black and Miss Mary Gaffney are, “What gold, some with about the homeless, where are different colored eyes. they going to live?” Some of I watched as they the plans they have for these crawled out of their shell, after struggling and making their way projects include removing the out of the ground, with the help homeless. “You tell me, grandma, of the rain. and they tell me in Sunday This whole affair makes school and church that we me stop and think how these should love one another and creatures will return to the care for our fellow man. God ground as fertilizer when they loves us.” die! First of all, my When my greatgranddaughter is 11 years-old. granddaughter asks a question; when she looks me in the eye, I We can never say that our little ones aren’t paying attention to never know what might be us, or television. You’d be coming. Sometimes she asks surprised at what they see and me about the bible. Her recent hear, especially when they are questions were about the talking about news on the Cicadas. television. For example, the When Noah was told by God to build an Ark and gather Washington Park issue, and how the area might be developed. up two of every animal, male She has also seen the and female of each species, with Drop Inn Center and she knows the impending destruction of that this is where some of our the world by flood, her questions was, “Did this include homeless friends stay. With development plans being talked the Cicadas?” about for that area, she worries I could not specifically answer that question but I know about where the people are going to stay. The foxes have that everything that God made Streetvibes holes, the birds have nests. But some men have no place to lay their head. Some of the people have jobs, but they also may be dealing with physical or mental problems. When you sit down at your dinner table, or when you go into your living room to watch television or you go to your bedroom for a nice, peaceful rest think of our friends who are not that fortunate. Until next month, remember God loves us all, regardless of who we are, our background, or our circumstance. 20 YEARS SERVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 Page 5 �Homeless News Digest compiled by Patty Lane s Streetvibes ibe Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct and agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Ven­ dor Program. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the rules, she/he may be removed from the Program. To report a Vendor, call 421-7803. ext. 16 etv Page 6 Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! get bogged down.” Cullen says the financial requirement is a violation of the Charter of Rights. He hopes to raise the money, but is also considering a legal challenge to have the election law declared unconstitutional. Polling stations will be set up in Calgary, Canada to allow the city’s homeless to cast their votes. “For most of our people, walking half a mile or a mile to get to a polling station becomes an impossibility,” Debbie Newman tells the CBC. The director of program services says they need to take services to their clients. Four years ago, Elections Canada changed its rules, allowing the homeless to use shelters as their permanent address. But while homeless voters could register during the last election, they still had to find the polling station in their area. Shelter resident Peter Savage says he’ll vote. “There area people who are here for a short time, like myself,” he says. “And they care. We care.” About 850 people stay at the drop-in center every night. An Arizona woman is working to make sure Father’s Day is not so hard on some area homeless men. Laura Borgeson is director and events coordinator of the Shoebox Ministry in Scottsdale. She’s heading a drive to fill 600 lunch box tins for homeless men for Father’s Day. With the help of a network of donors, she collected close to 2,000 items to fill purses for homeless women on Mother’s Day. But, she tells the Arizona Republic, men are harder to please. She’s come up with a list that includes baseball caps, aftershave, small tools, cologne, deodorant, work gloves, watches, and sunglasses. Borgeson’s mother started the ministry in 1988, and while she says there is food, shelter, and medical assistance, there are no personal products. The group started out delivering 30 shoebox toiletry kits; now they are up to 7,500 to 61 agencies. e Str An annual count of homeless people in and around Denver, Colorado finds there are fewer people homeless but 43 percent of them are children. According to the survey children represent a growing percentage of homeless people living in motels, emergency shelters or other temporary housing in metro Denver. The count also found 60 percent of all homeless people lived just outside of Denver. While the number of homeless in the county is down this year, the survey revealed 8,668 people are homeless, 43 percent of whom are under the age of 21. “Some of the homeless children live in cars at night. Some are in shelters. Some of them are in schools, but don’t know if they’re going to be at the same school the next day,” Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative president Tom Luehrs tells the Denver Post. The survey also counted 2,442 people in transitional housing, where they may remain for six months to two years. Luehrs says housing costs and unemployment remain the leading cause of homelessness. Homeless advocates say while the overall count of homeless people may be lower, their requests for help from homeless women and families are not. A recent community march in Raleigh, North Carolina focused on ending homelessness. The rally came a day after city leaders announced their own 10-year plan to end homelessness. Supporters of the plan tell WRAL-TV of Raleigh-DurhamFayetteville that the city’s 10­ year plan is a progressive commitment, but critics say 10 years is way too long. The plan consists of two points: focusing on sources of hardship like domestic violence and drug abuse, and allocating more money to shelters. “The situation is much harder today because a lot of jobs are going overseas, and mass immigration has taken a lot of entry-level jobs,” homeless Vietnam veteran Ritchie Hammond tells WRAL. Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker remains optimistic the city can actually end homelessness. “It’s an attempt to try and solve the problems of the homeless person,” Meeker said of the plan. Aboriginal housing advocates from across Canada met in Winnipeg recently to search for solutions to homelessness. Native leaders say the number of aboriginal people in Winnipeg has increased over the past decade and it hasn’t helped that 10 years ago the government stopped investing in programs that built low-rent homes for urban aboriginals. “Because of the lack of housing in Canada, the lack of social housing, the lack of affordable housing, it’s very frustrating for them,” says Larry Wercherer, who runs an emergency shelter. He tells CBC that waiting lists for existing properties have long caused an increase in the number of native people living in motels, shelters and on the streets. A random sample of around 350 homeless people found that over 75 percent of those in shelters, requiring intervention or on the streets were aboriginal people. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Canada, the city of Ottawa will receive $17 million toward ending homelessness as part of the National Homelessness Initiative started in 1999. The money will be granted over two years. “Canadians coast to coast have identified homelessness as a major concern,” Defense Minister David Pratt told the CBC. Funding to continue the program was allocated in last month’s federal budget, but it requires a locally designed plan. The city of Ottawa did approve a plan that includes $11 million for capital development projects, $4 million for services preventing homelessness and aiding the homeless, and $2 million for research and working with other local service providers. Residents in Louisville, Kentucky are mourning the death of a homeless man who was savagely attacked in April. WAVE 3-News reports Clifton Agnew died from his injuries last week. Police say two men beat, stabbed, and sodomized Agnew as he lay sleeping in an alley. The suspects are in custody. The attack left Agnew in a coma for several weeks. When local homeless advocate Kaye Thomas learned what happened to the man, she visited him in the hospital and encouraged others to send him get-well cards. Thousands came in and Thomas spent hours reading them to him. One read, “The word homeless is not your identity, that may be how you live but that’s not who you are.” Services were held at the church where Agnew ate lunch almost everyday. From the pulpit at his funeral, Thomas spoke one more time to the man who touched so many lives. “The Kentucky School for the blind sent you a card, written so sweetly in Braille,” she read. The 53-year-old man was buried at Resthaven Cemetery. A homeless man who says he is the voice of the poor is running into an election roadblock in Canada. Daniel Cullen of Kelowna, British Columbia, wants to run as an independent candidate but doesn’t have the $1,000 dollars required by Elections Canada. The homeless man is broke and is panhandling to raise the money. “The people I do know don’t have the money. The people who have the money don’t know me,” Cullen tells the CBC. “There has to be a barrier,” says Liberal Party candidate Vern Nielsen. He says Cullen has a valid point, but adds that the deposit is not unreasonable. “We could potentially have 100 people all running as independents, and then the whole process would Support Your Vendor �A King Without a Throne ­ Interview With Washington Park Tent Man, King DaviyD Former Washington Park resident, DaviyD Interview by Georgine Getty Where have you been staying the last month? Washington Park. I’ve been there since the 6th of May. I was in jail for two weeks for a ticket from 2003 (driving without a license) and I got out on the 6th of May. I didn’t go to Washington Park with the plan of building a hut. I’m a man of God, and when I was locked up for 14 days, I didn’t get any visits and God took care of me the whole time. So you built a hut? Right. When I got out, I was walking and meditating on the Most High throughout the city and God showed me pieces. I just started picking up pieces and taking them back to my spot in Washington Park. When I got them all together I realized ‘oh my God!’ I can build a roof over my head. I moved here in 1994 and I know I’ve helped many people in this city. I’m not from this city or state. I have no relatives here. Do you still have your hut? No. By the grace of God that hut stood for 25 days in Washington Park. On the first of June, the police came and took my house away. It wasn’t a hut to me, it was my house. I slept in my house while it stormed and the wind blew. I was dry and my house never blew down. I’m an individual who built his own house. There are people who sleep here in this park, well, I’m going to build a roof over my head. Where are you staying now? I’ve been sleeping on benches (in Washington Park) ever since they took my house away. What are your plans? Well. I’ve had some time to think since they’ve taken my house away and I have some questions. What was their intent of taking my house away? If you are people who fight for justice, righteousness, you are strength for the meek . . . what were you thinking when you took my house away? Because photo by Jimmy Heath now I sleep completely outside since you took my house away. I’m still sleeping there. Many people are sleeping there on blankets. What do you think about Washington Park being redeveloped? Why are you developing it? Are you doing it to help these people who obviously need help? If this is our city and this is supposed to be one of the top 10 places to raise a family, then why are we not as a family of Cincinnati helping the less fortunate of the city? No matter where we are, we are a family. If there is a part of the family that is not getting along with another, then we have a problem. If there is a part of the family that is trying to hide another part that maybe doesn’t look so shiny, and they’re just trying to hide and cover it up, then that’s a problem. What would you like the readers of Streetvibes to know about you? I need the readers of SV to spread the word about what’s going on to the rest of Cincinnati. I am a pure man of God. I am not here to stereotype the truth. I am not here to categorize the truth with religion. I live upon every letter, every dotted “i” and crossed “t” of the word of God. For my life, it is His will, and not mine. What does the Word of God mean to you? Liberty, wherever I go. It allows me to not have to prove myself to no one. I can be me. I can be the image and likeness of God without being influenced by the ways of the world. I started my life as an orphan. I lived in many foster homes. I didn’t grow up in church, but church was in me. I got adopted when I was 7 years old. I’ve been from coast to coast, north, south, east and west. I’ve lived in Europe and Korea. I’ve adjusted. I got in the flow instead of forcing something. Did you go to Europe and Korea in the army? Yes. How long were you in the army? Approximately 6 years. I had secret clearance. I was an avionics electronic aircraft repair man. I left with an honorable discharge. From there I trained in marketing and managed many restaurants. I’ve been a teacher everywhere I’ve been. I had a year of college. I’m very “above average” when it comes to society’s vision. I know I can go get a smashing job somewhere. I have come to choose God, so I don’t live on my own accord. God says “a righteous man’s footsteps are ordered by the Lord.” And the footsteps that I have taken in the past few years have not been through my own consciousness but because God ordered them and I chose to do His way. Can you tell me what you saw in prison? When I was locked up, I saw my future. I saw myself perishing when I saw all them young boys around me. For whatever reason, they’re choosing to do what they’re choosing. No one if offering them any type of positive future. We lock the youth up and that’s it. Some of those young boys in there are not criminals. Maybe they did a crime or were around the wrong people because they wanted to be a part of something but so. many of them I talked to you could tell the criminal thing was not in them, it wasn’t in their hearts. They’re just doing what’s all around them. We need to find out who’s redeemable and who can be saved. Programs need to be implemented to re-direct lives. Bond should be contingent on it. Help them see positive options and directions. That would be a wonderful program. This is not just for the younger crowd, but the elders also. I ran into some older people and kids too who couldn’t read. Nobody’s taking care of them. When you’re 5, 6 or 7, you want to learn. When you’re 9, 10, 11 and no one’s told you anything yet, you’re going to move with whatever seems to be moving. They don’t have no choice. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Any final comments? I beseech the people not only in this city but around the world that if you have any righteousness in you concerning God, the only way wickedness can triumph is for righteousness to absolutely do nothing and I’m begging those of the righteous status to please stand up and become one and let’s begin to change what God sent us to change. What was in the beginning so shall it be in the end. Hello, my name is... For over three weeks DaviyD was living in a home of his own construction in Washington Park in the neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine. Following the police protocol established after the bridge sweeps of summer, 2003, DaviyD’s home was removed. DaviyD is an established sight at Findlay Market, where he plays the Jymbay, an African Drum, for his many fans. He is a veteran who was released from service after six years with an honorable discharge. He is also the father of two, a daughter, age 8 and a son, age 6. DaviyD started his career as a supervisor in marketing. After his release from the justice center on May 6, he found himself with no place to go and built a make-shift home in Washington Park. Recently the victim of violence (in late March, he was shot on 14th and Vine and he was assaulted one month ago on Elm Street) and medical problems (he suffered three strokes in 2001). DaviyD is currently working with a local outreach worker to achieve housing and self sufficiency. Streetvibes Page 7 �The Peace Village annual summer session course on, “Social Work and Peace.” The course looks at how issues of peace can be emphasized in the practice of social work professionals. The Peace Village Project: “Ending Hunger in the Peace Village,” is being organized with 11 area high school teachers and students plus support from the UC Peace Village student organization. The Wright State University Peace Village, Dayton, Ohio is being formed with students and faculty from the school of social work and other areas of the university. One organizing meeting has been held and there are plans to see ways of moving to projects. by Dr. Steve Sunderland For the past months, a group of undergraduate and graduate students, led by graduate student, Guneet Aulakh, from India, have been meeting about improving peace at the University of Cincinnati. An official university student group has been formed, officers elected and several projects launched. “A Tunnel of Oppression,” an exhibit with other students about areas of oppression in the world was featured for a week during the University’s WorldFest programs. Out of these efforts, and weekly planning sessions at the Wesleyan Student Foundation, thanks to the generosity and leadership of Wesleyan staffer, Jeanne Smith, a set of activities for the coming year are in stages of planning including: a student to student support program that will link Dr. Steve Sunderland an international I have been encouraged student with another university by Dr. Carl Brun, chair, student; a monthly or bi­ department of social work, monthly international music evening to share different forms WSU, and his wonderful class to take the step into creating a of music; a monthly or bi­ peace group. The students monthly international peace movie showing, accompanied by know that Carl has opened a door of opportunity to them and discussion groups; and, they enter, wary and delighted, participation in a universitya chance to join a serious peace wide hunger program to raise movement. food and money for our The Peace Village Cincinnati food store for the Newsletter continues to be sent poor and homeless, the Free out each week plus a monthly Store. column in Streetvibes, the Raymond Walters newspaper of the Cincinnati College, University of Homeless Coalition continues Cincinnati, has a group of to be published. Content of the faculty and students that have participated in a second annual, both publications involves activities in the Peace Village “Peace Conference.” Faculty from the vantage point of many have also opened their classes authors. to poster sessions on peace in I continue to marvel at the academic areas of English, the editor of Streetvibes, Jimmy sociology, history, and Heath, and his quiet dedication communications. and commitment to his readers The leaders of this gang and to all homeless people. His of faculty, Helen Kegler and last issue had his article on Grace Auyang, have now been honoring a deceased homeless joined by another group of person. Jimmy reminds us of faculty eager for the next step. the radical changes needed to One faculty member, Maria Damos, and I are plotting to use welcome our “strangers” into our homes and hearts. poetry for peace; Grace is There is nothing more already into peace work with expansive of hope than working her sociology students, and with teachers and their students others are pioneering curricula of peace. Gently, simply, and innovations, too. with a grace, the posters begin University of to color in a different world, a Cincinnati’s school of social work will be offering the second powerful world shaped by Page 8 respect and compassion, and these very young people, in a very short time, find their voices. You must meet these “teachers,” these gems of civility and humor, and see them “shining’ in their classrooms. One teacher, Craig Rush, keeps asking his students to keep making the UN laws relevant to the students’ world. Another, Steve Elliot, muses with his students about the reduction of all problems to “simple black and white, the good guys and the bad guys.” Indonesian Peace Project is continuing with follow-up program plans based on two meetings with peace makers from Indonesia who have visited the Peace Village in Cincinnati. The visits were under the supervision of Ohio University’s South East Asian Program. Religious tensions between Christians and Muslims may be one focus as well as other concerns about promoting peace. Northside’s Second Annual Peace Makers Dinner is being planned for the fall. Last year over 100 neighborhood peace makers were honored with a dinner and music. This year our community has been faced with another set of challenges to our peace and the community has ably responded, albeit with the causalities of horror that continue to plague communities serious about living in peace. Plans are being made for the third annual vigil and Interfaith Walk on September 10th and September 11, 2004 in memory of those who died and those who worked for peace in the rescue effort. Last year’s event taught us a great deal about what we needed to hear and say about justice and peace and the old team, led by Mira Rodwin, is reuniting to make another expression of respect. Peaslee Community Center Freedom Murals have developed in 8 inner city agencies in Cincinnati in cooperation with the Peace Village and tile artist, Suzanne Fisher. Working initially with posters depicting the relationship of the concept of freedom and their agency, staff and clients create puzzle pieces out of posters until there is agreement about what the major theme is and how it can be converted to a large tile mural to adorn the outside of the building. The final murals are “signs” of “safe houses,” places in Over-the-Rhine that community residents can receive care and a new perspective on community Streetvibes development. These are many of the projects underway. I have not included the wonderful work of Hans Klee, Munich and Harare, founder of Global Friends, to make the links with the Peace Village strong and creative. Amos Hopkins joins Binny Singh in India in a great chance to build a foundation in three of Binny’s schools. I hope to hear more from them and others in Israel, Argentina, and Nigeria about what is happening in their Peace Village efforts. I have also omitted from this letter the beginning planning for interfaith discussions with Jewish and Christian youth, thanks to the help of Barbara Dragul, Ed Irvin, Steve Elliot, Daniel Septimus, and Sam Joseph. In sum, the work of peace, in peace, for peace is obviously the work of many hands and hearts, some new and some old. We touch each other, heal with one another, find a laugh and a tear along our paths, and stand in awe of how beautiful our friendships have become as the way of peace. We are not blind to what is happening in our little world as new stories of bloodshed and worse appear. Yet, my old friend and Vet for Peace, Paul Davis repeatedly reminds me that we are a force for and with peace, carrying a message to young and old, here and there, that is no more than our own steps, our own heartbeats, and our own connections to each other and the world. The larks parked for the moment in the nest outside our door are long gone, flying now on their own power. Tuesday Henson is walking the walk of a one year old who feels at peace, trusts the ground she totters on, smiling all the time. The Peace Village is as much her and her future as anything and it is our combined work that will make it a future of some peace. I thank everyone mentioned, hinted at, unmentioned, and tottering toward our golden image of peace. Dr. Steve Sunderland, professor of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati, is the Director of The Peace Village, a group of individuals from the national and international community committed to examining all issues of Peace in the world. Dr. Sunderland also heads up Posters-forPeace which engages people in expressing their visions of Peace, in their own words, through the creation of posters. �The Fourth Annual Public Forum on Homelessness THE IMPOSSIBLE WILL TAKE A LITTLE WHILE: Living and Acting with HOPE in Difficult Times Wednesday, October 13, 2003 8:30am to 5pm Franklin County Veteran’s Memorial Wayne Brehm Room300 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio Presented by The Columbus Coalition for the Homeless In Partnership with The Greater Cincinnati Coalition or the Homeless, Otterbein College, The Columbus Metropolitan Area Church Council & The Interprofessional Commission of Ohio Featuring PAUL LOEB as keynote speaker This forum will focus on advocacy, through the work of volunteers and professionals, for the needs of marginalized people - particularly those who are very poor and often homeless. The attendees will hear presentations by one of the country’s leading proponents of citizens living, acting and working for a more justice and equitable society for all people. “Paul Loeb brings hope for a better world in a time when we so urgently need it.” ­ Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity Goodbye, Cicadas! For more information about Paul, see www.paulloeb.org “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” — Mohandas K. Gandhi “Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind...War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today.” — John F. Kennedy “More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginning of all wars — yes, an end to this brutal, inhuman and thoroughly impractical method of settling the differences between governments.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt “There must be, not a balance of power, but a community of power; not organized rivalries, but an organized peace. — Woodrow Wilson Streetvibes Page 9 �photos by Jimmy Heath Drop Inn Center.... Cont. from page 1 reputation for being a power broker and deal maker. His previous job was in Pittsburgh where he worked to develop stadiums and housing. There are mixed evaluations of his success, according to editorials from Pittsburgh. Leeper started his work in Cincinnati on April 1. One of the first things he did was to commission a study of Over­ the-Rhine by Manhattan based designers Beyer, Blinder and Belle. Their study looked at the Washington Park Area, including placement of schools in the area. Unfortunately, not many people knew of their efforts and the firm only received input from a small group of area developers and business leaders. Nevertheless, the plan was completed and, on May 26, a high level meeting including School Superintendent Alton Fraily, top area CEO’s, representatives of the new Arts School and 3CDC meet to officially unveil the new proposal. It included changing the placement of two area schools, an expansion of the park and a new housing development. A 90-day time frame is given for approval by School and City bodies. After approval by this body, on June 2, the plan was released to the media, coordinated by 3CDC. Within a two week period from June 7 to June 18, presentations are given to many decision making bodies including the Cincinnati School Board, Cincinnati City Council, Washington Park School Parents and the Cincinnati Planning Commission. The public was given no notice of 3CDC’s attendance to any of these meetings. As a result, public comment was very limited. In the midst of this process, some participants in the 3CDC process expressed willingness to talk about concerns of homeless agencies. It is said that board members have expressed willingness to have discussions about the issues of safety and homelessness. However, others, including Leeper in his comments to City Council, were unsure why community groups were so concerned. One of the parties who has concerns is the Drop Inn Center, especially it’s Page 10 The Nannie Hinkston House and Drop Inn Center Transitional Housing; corner of 12th and Elm Streets, Over-the-Rhine Transitional Housing Program. The 18 units that house sober graduates of their treatment program are shown as being taken for a new school in 3CDC’s plan. Members of the Transitional Housing group attended a school committee meeting on June 10 th, but the plan was not up for discussion at the time. Transitional Housing residents in attendance were concerned about their buildings being taken without adequate replacement. They also regretted not having any input into the planning process. Drop Inn Center representatives passed out information about their project including the fact that it is a sober residents with drug testing and a counselor on site and that it is a historic mixed-use building, with community serving businesses on the first floor. They hope to be included as the plan moves forward. On one hand, leaders like Cincinnati Councilmember Jim Tarbell expressed hope that the developments proposed by 3CDC will stimulate a major change in Over-the-Rhine and boost homeownership and property values. However, the Homeless Coalition, community residents and others continue to be very concerned about the impact these developments may have on shelters and housing, as well as the future of neighborhood schools. Pat Clifford, Director of the Drop Inn Center, said “Our vision is to have a successful, truly mixed income, multi cultural area in Over-the-Rhine where people are accepted and encouraged to grow. The first thing we need to do is develop trust. I fear that this quick timetable for approval with limited public input and sketchy details will only serve to erode people’s trust and put the neighborhood in further jeopardy.” From left; Elizabeth Linville, Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homelsss; Debra Brundidge, DIC Counseling Coordinator & Pat Clifford, General Coordinator of the Drop Inn Center at Cincinnati Public School Board meeting. Streetvibes �Planning For A Place Where We Belong by Mary Burke I feel so used and discarded after reading the “Washington Park plan unveiled” in the June 1 edition of the Enquirer. And then to read on June 10th that the 3CDC plan for the schools had been approved by the Board of Education. I just feel sick. I along with over one hundred people participated in a threeyear long process to develop a plan for OTR. The city provided consultants, staff overtime and other resources to this plan that admittedly was hurried to an uncertain finish. We had hope that the implementation phase would allow us to work out the difficult issues that were missing from the plan. Important issues like how public dollars will be invested to support the plan and how we can invest simultaneously in our dying affordable housing stock and the thriving market housing. We knew that the market housing demand for subsidy would drown out the affordable housing need for sustainability. Our sense that the “market” would consume huge amounts of public dollars was proven out by the $2 million dollar public subsidy to the private condo development at the Kroger Garage and the $6 million dollar subsidy to the parking garage itself. In addition, along with about 50 other people I engaged with the Cincinnati Public School process where consultants and architects were hired to facilitate a planning process for neighborhood schools. We spent our time and energy and more importantly invested hope for something better in OTR. We earnestly engaged in a process. We believed we could help shape the future. Then 3CDC arrives on the scene and with the click of a mouse a PowerPoint slide eliminates our work and their new plan is unveiled. Not only were our plans disappeared, so were our local institutions and housing. My hope in our system of governance and civic life was further diminished. I feel like dropping out. I find cynical people funny but I don’t want to be cynical. I don’t want to sit on the sidelines and complain. I want to participate in the civic life. Maybe that’s what makes me feel sick. Groups like 3CDC stomp on people’s fire. We do burn with the hope of inclusion and real democracy and there is truly a visceral response when we are negated. Hopelessness moves in quickly. Then there are the shootings and the killing. We feel we have no power to effect systemic change that could address the reason young men kill each other. We feel excluded. We are excluded. Fortunately there are people like Bonnie Neumeier, Damon Lynch, and Eileen Cooper Reed, and writers like Alice Walker. They pick-up people like me and re-ignite our fires. With them we can come to believe that there can be another way and together we can create it. So I hope to stay tuned for the rest of the story. Ultimately the anger and despair will be transformed to hope and action. We will find a way to include all people in our future. We will find a way to peace. We will find a way to transform our government and civic life so that people rule and corporate interests do not. And, we shall not be moved. Or to be more precise, The Drop Inn Center shall not be moved. Shelter Programs Critical to Support of Homeless Veterans Who are homeless veterans? The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says homeless veterans are mostly males (2 % are females). The vast majority are single, most come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45% suffer from mental illness, and half have substance abuse problems. America’s homeless veterans have served in World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, or the military’s antidrug cultivation efforts in South America. Forty-seven percent of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. More than 67% served our country for at least three years and 33% were stationed in a war zone. How many homeless veterans are there? Although accurate numbers are impossible to come by... the VA estimates that more than 299,321 veterans are homeless on any given night. And, more than half a million experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every four homeless males who is sleeping in a doorway, alley, or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served our country ... now they need America to remember them. Why are veterans homeless? In addition to the complex set of factors affecting all homelessness … extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income, and access to health care … a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance abuse, compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. A top priority is secure, safe, clean housing that offers a supportive environment. Doesn’t the Department of Veterans Affairs take care of homeless veterans? To a certain degree, yes. According to the VA’s 1997 report, in the years since it “began responding to the special needs of homeless veterans, its homeless treatment and assistance network has developed into the nation’s largest provider of homeless services. Serving more than 100,000 veterans annually.” With an estimated 500,000 veterans homeless at some time during the year, the VA reaches less than 20% of those in need. What services do veterans need? Veterans need a coordinated effort that provides secure housing and nutritional meals; essential physical health care, substance abuse aftercare and mental health counseling; and personal development and empowerment. Veterans also need job assessment, training and placement assistance. What seems to work best? The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, “veterans helping veterans” groups. Programs that seem to work best feature transitional housing with the camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free environments with fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering themselves. Because government money for homeless veterans is currently limited and serves only one in 10 of those in need, it is critical that community groups reach out to help provide the support, resources and opportunities most Americans take for granted: housing, employment and health care. There are Streetvibes about 200 community-based veteran organizations across the country that have demonstrated impressive success reaching homeless veterans. These groups are most successful when they work in collaboration with Federal, State, and local government agencies, other homeless providers, and veteran service organizations. Veterans who participate in these programs have a higher chance of becoming tax-paying, productive citizens again. For More Information log on to http://www.nchv.org Page 11 �Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati All Vendors Sign and Agree to a Code of Conduct Coalition for the Homeless and Report Any Violations to GCCH - 421-7803 Streetvibes.... 1. Streetvibes will be distributed go to the individual vendor. This program has helped for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 30 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers can not be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. Vendors must also never sell Streetvibes door-to-door. 8. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be honest in stating that all profits Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 9. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 10. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 11. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. The mission of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) is to support a street newspaper movement that creates and upholds journalistic and ethical standards while promoting self-help and empowerment among people living in poverty. NASNA papers support homeless and very low-income people in more than 35 cities across the United States and Canada. Streetvibes Vendor: 70 cents Printing and Production: 30 cents Page 12 The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) was formed in May of 1984 for one purpose: the eradication of homelessness in Cincinnati. What started out as a coalition of 15 volunteers meeting weekly in an unheated church basement has since grown into a Coalition of over 45 agencies and hundreds of volunteers dedicated to improving services for homeless individuals, educating the public about homelessness and empowering homeless individuals to advocate for their civil rights and housing needs. Streetvibes is a tool of GCCH used to help us achieve our goal of ending homelessness. On the one hand it is a self-sufficiency program geared towards the homeless and marginally housed individuals who are our vendors. Streetvibes vendors buy the paper for 30 cents per copy and sell it for a suggested one-dollar donation, keeping the profit that they have earned. hundreds of people find and maintain housing. The vendors also sign a code of conduct stating that they will behave responsibly and professionally and they proudly display their official Streetvibes badge while selling the paper. Our vendors put a face on “the homeless” of Cincinnati and form lasting friendships with their customers. On the other hand, Streetvibes is an award-winning alternative newspaper and part of the international street newspaper movement. Focusing on homelessness and social justice issues, Streetvibes reports the often-invisible story of poverty in our community. Streetvibes is also proud to include creative writing, poetry, articles, photography and interviews written by homeless and formerly homeless individuals. Streetvibes enjoys a loyal reader base that respects the honest portrayal of the joys, sorrows, and challenges facing the people of Cincinnati. Streetvibes is a member of the: The International Network of Street Papers (INSP) unites street papers sold by homeless and people living in poverty from all over the world. INSP is an umbrella organisation, which provides a consultancy service for its partner papers and advises on the setting up of new street papers and support initiatives for marginalised people. Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. Streetvibes Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half. ­ Gore Vidal Editor: a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to see that the chaff is printed. - Elbert Hubbard Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock. - Ben Hecht People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news. - A. J. Liebling �Why are NA Meetings Important To Me? by Antonio Reed Why are N.A. meetings important to me? I struggled for the longest time with drug addiction. It took so many things from me over the years: my family’s trust, I lost many friends and women who were involved with me. It took me a long time to see the destruction that drugs caused in my life and in the life of others: 3 of my children - Antwan LaMarr Robinson, Elijah Ishmeal Reed, Dontonio Devontae Reed are permanently committed to Children Services and my only daughter, Antoinieshia Trynce Reed, I’m fighting to get custody now so I can be a part of her life. My oldest son, Antonio LaMote Reed, Jr. stays with his mom. I can see him, but drugs took me from being a father to my children. N.A. Meeting is just like Chemo treatment is to a person who suffers with cancer. It don’t cure the disease that I suffer from, but it does arrest it. Knowing from my past, if I don’t stick with N.A. Meetings, I run the risk of returning to active drug use again. N.A. meetings are like insulin is to a diabetic. If they don’t take their shot, they run the risk of going into a shock. N.A. meetings is like a kidney to the person who needs it to continue living. N.A. meetings are like a breath machine to someone who can’t take a breath of life without it. N.A. meetings are like the umbilical cord attached to the fetus whose life depends on it for its nourishment while in the mother’s womb. When I came to the place I’m at I had nothing at all left in me, not even the will to go on living. I lost my self-respect, self-worth, morals, a woman who I really loved - but it turned out I loved drugs more, to the point where I no longer knew how to treat her and she left. I had self-hatred, guilt and shame running wild inside of me. I felt abandoned, not loved by myself or others. But N.A. Meetings changed me a lot. Where else could I go and be dealing with something inside my head and question God about it? Inside my heart I felt hopeless about the situation and the answer came to me from God through someone at the meeting who had been through what I’m now dealing with. And by doing the right thing for the right reasons, things got better for them. By me hearing that, it gives me hope that the same thing can happen to me. There is a spirit in N.A. meetings that I personally can say is God. It doesn’t matter about age, race, sexual identity creed religion or lack of religion. There is only one requirement for membership ­ that is having the desire to stop using. That’s it. I listen. I learn from others who are just like me. While I have not regained a lot of things I have gotten myself back - and the belief that things will be OK for me. The three most important things in life right now are: first, God, second, staying clean no matter what happens third, the program of N.A., because without it, I would return to using and I wouldn’t be accountable for nothing. N.A. saved my life. “Urban Plunge” Students Experience Life on the Streets by Lindsay Dalmolin St. Edward’s University sophomore Kacy McCoig had what every college student dreams of for spring break; a free plane ticket to Cancun, paid in full by her own mother. McCoig declined. She and four other St. Edward’s students had already made their own Spring Break plans. They wanted to be homeless for five days on the streets in Austin. McCoig joined Shyda Hogue, Robby Haddad, Paul Hagey, and Stephanie Daniel on the streets through Urban Plunge, a program St. Edward’s Campus Ministry offers students as an alternative spring break. Anna Aldave, the programs founder and director, also accompanied the students for their five days on the streets. From 5am till late evening, they learned how to cope as a homeless man or woman would. The group ate at soup kitchens and churches, tried panhandling, attended “church under the bridge” (a worship service beneath I-35), built friendships with others living on the streets, and slept at Central Presbyterian Church downtown at night. “Slowly you start to realize the rhythm of the homeless life,” Hagey said. “The food, being out all day and not having a place to really sit down and relax, it wears you out. You get caught in the rhythm, and it’s hard to get out because you’re tired and you’re hungry.” The experience was made more trying by citizens of Austin and some of the homeless themselves. On the streets, they received dirty looks and rude comments from people in passing. When panhandling, they felt worthless and ignored. Some of the homeless felt that the urban plungers were usurping resources devoted to them. But not all of homeless felt that way about the two year-old program. Most of the men and women living on the streets they met were extremely friendly and helpful and understood why the group was out on the streets. McCoig was overwhelmed by the advice from the homeless. “They would tell us which churches and soup kitchens offered the best meals.” The non-housed even shared personal stories from their lives. When walking downtown back to the Presbyterian Church, a fiftysomething year old homeless man named Mark ran up to the group. He’d seen them on the news earlier that morning and wanted to share his story with them. He was homeless because his medical bills had escalated out of control. As a veteran, he was unable to pay for housing on top of his treatments for cancer, as he had just recently been diagnosed. He was college-educated, a Christian, and trying to get off the streets. “These guys (the homeless) are the best spiritual teachers I have ever seen,” commented Aldave. “I feel so very loved and accepted by these people. That’s the thing that my mind cannot even comprehend, and that’s the thing that will have me doing this as a spiritual discipline probably for the rest of my life.” Aldave started the Urban Plunge program a year ago at St. Edward’s. The idea stemmed from a 1-day street retreat she attended that was hosted by a group called the Faithful Fools from San Francisco. Aldave, a campus minister, was so blown away by the experience that she brought a similar program to the Austin area. The goal of the program is to build a bridge between the housed and non-housed and to show compassion for those without homes. Recruiting students to apply for the Urban Plunge program is not easy. Most of the students who apply are the ones who really have a desire to do it. McCoig wanted to do it to get away from the mundane day-to-day life, and she knew that Urban Plunge was her opportunity. She might not have had the sunny white beach and beautiful ocean, but her time on the streets have given her more perspective than a pretty little island ever could. “I thought it would be a life-changing experience, and that’s what it has been,” said McCoig. Reprinted from Austin Homeless Advocate, April 2004 News From The OHIO EMPOWERMENT COALITION The Family Violence Option Campaign (renamed the “Safe and Stable Families” Campaign) has persuaded Rep. Jean Schmidt of Loveland, Ohio to introduce the FVO policy as a bill: H.B. 481 HB 481 has been assigned to the Ohio House Health Committee. Since the Ohio Assembly adjourned for the summer on May 27 , we don’t expect any action on it until September when the Ohio Assembly returns to Columbus. However, over the summer, the Safe and Stable Families Campaign will definitely be active! Summer will be a golden opportunity to meet with state representatives to educate them th on the bill and its importance. The plan will be to get the bill heard in September with public hearings, but we must work hard over the summer to make sure the committee chair & committee members believe this is a very important bill that must be prioritized. Many other issues are clamoring for their attention. Streetvibes The Safe and Stable Families Campaign also needs financial support to get HB 481 passed by the Ohio Assembly. Campaign contributions can be sent to Contact Center, 1227 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. For more information or to endorse the Campaign, call the Contact Center at 513/381­ 4242. Page 13 �No-name Poem A Servants Prayer by Steve Kors III by Robert Manassa Coke is white and grass is green. But I liked to drink Because it made me mean. Heavenly Father up above Please protect the ones I love. Guide them and keep them and let them know that I’ll always love them so. I drank from the left And drank from the right. I drank all day. And drank all night, I drank in the sun, I drank in the rain. I would get burned Or soaked with no pain. I have a shot of Beam In that stinky bar. Feels like a wet dream, Then I have to find my car. I’m sending up this prayer, down on my knees Father God – all of my sins, forgive them please I’m not to proud to beg I’m standing on my last leg. Precious Lord – please continue to hold my hand I need your help and grace to help me stand I need you not only for a day If these words are wrong in any way Then Father God – teach me how to pray When I was drinking I got real numb! The Dayton police Knew I was dumb. I was real dirty. I had lost my pride... Sometimes I would wake up, And wish I’d died. I was like a fish. I thought I drank well. But it all turns out I was a cracked bell. The devil had owned me To where I was beat. I lost all my family. And lived on the street. I have a new family who helps me stay dry And when I’m with them I sometimes cry. Now that I’m sober And all is well I found Jesus Christ who keeps me from Hell. Across the Park by Michael Henson Confusion, fear and lies; What good can come when people die? Red Blood spilt On barren land To complete an alchemical plan, Red Blood to Black Gold, Deviously poisoning, polluting, choking our Heart. Men tortured, defiled, dishonored by their Brethren, Captured on film, a permanent bruise Not to be overlooked. Truth and honor wither away; They know they do not belong. Boundaries grow hazy Accompanied by roles: Who the victim? Who the villain? Both? Neither? For what purpose and to what end? Why fight a war Paid with lives Only to gain confusion, fear and lies? Zach Chotzen-Freund of Santa Barbara, CA, examined in this excerpt the esprit that leads 17-year-olds to sign up for war. Fittingly, he’s 17. Across the park I see a woman and she is dancing down the sidewalk. There is too much of her and everything movable is moving but she is graceful and her step is slow and smooth. A set of headphones nestles in her braids and I do not know what she hears among the evening traffic of West Eighth Street. She steps and stops rocks forward at the neck pecks at the air with her hand She steps and stops rocks forward at the neck pecks at the air with her hand steps stops rocks pecks to the music that is wrapped around her head until she sees that I am staring and she stops. I am in awe of her but she does not know that so she stops her dance and slowly walks her sidewalk until she thinks I may not hear. And then she sings. Off now, children! Off to war! Kill in your country’s name! For murder on behalf of kin is what allows our boys to win And rest someday in cherished lore. So off now, off to war! Off now, children! Off to war! Make your fathers swell with pride! For though you’re young, they love to hear that you’re a splendid bombardier And dodge death like a matador. So off now, off to war! Off now, children! Off to war! Bring smiles to your mothers’ eyes! They hate to lose you, sure that’s true, but if flags of red, white and blue Are at your funeral, souls will soar. So off now, off to war! Page 14 Streetvibes Writers! Submit your Poetry to STREETVIBES ­ Streetvibes@juno.com �Unwritten Beatitudes The Cold Within by James Patrick Henry Six humans trapped by happenstance In black and bitter cold Each one possessed a stick of wood Or so the story’s told. Their dying fire in need of logs The first woman held her back. For of the faces around the fire She noticed one was black. The next man looking cross the way Saw one not of his church, And couldn’t bring himself to give The fire his stick of birch. The third one sat in tattered clothes He gave his coat a hitch. Why should his log be put to use To warm the idle rich. The rich man just sat back and thought Of the wealth he had in store. And how to keep what he had earned From the lazy shiftless poor. The black man’s face bespoke revenge As the fire passes from his sight. For all he saw in his stick of wood Was a chance to spite the white. And the last man of this forlorn group Did naught except for gain, Giving only to those who gave Was how he played the game. Their logs held tight in death’s still hands Was proof of human sin. They didn’t die from the cold without, They died from the cold within. 1. Blessed are the ignorant for they shall be taught. 2. Blessed are the humble for they shall be made proud 3. Blessed are the blind for they shall see 4. Blessed are the falsely accused for they shall exonerate 5. Blessed are the losers for they shall be triumphant 6. Blessed are those in tribulation for they shall experience bliss 7. Blessed are those in debt for they shall be forgiven 8. Blessed are those in prison for their minds shall be set free 9. Blessed are the addicted for they shall be made whole 10. Blessed are the impaired for they shall renewed 11. Blessed are the pacifists for they shall honored 12. Blessed are the powerless for they shall overcome 13. Blessed are the scared for they shall no longer doubt 14. Blessed are those who serve for they shall be served 15. Blessed are the undesirables for they shall find acceptance By Club Quaker, Youth Group of Eastern Hills Friends Meeting: Jeremy Coppock, Nathan Coppock, Daniel Coppock, Daniel Montgomery, Grace Montgomery, Matt Whispe, and Jamie Pogue. Knock the dust off your boots, my boy, It’s time to ride again. The frontier has gone restless now And we must crush this rebellion. . . . These people understand only violence, So let’s give it to ‘em now. We’ll ride ‘em down like Cherokee; We’ll trample ‘em like Pueblo. These savages are ruthless; They understand no law. So we’ll pick up our Peacemakers, And shoot ‘em like Choctaw. . . . Rally round the flag, my boy, And grab your rifle, too. The Red Man’s turned Brown, my boy, And there’s a lot of peacemaking to do. Megan Foley, a 16-year-old from Long Island, focused like many on the ambiguities of a war that was supposed to enhance moral clarity. Reprinted from Street News Shutter Speed by Jimmy Heath Street Musician, Main Street, Over-the-Rhine Streetvibes Page 15 �An Icon, and Then He’s Gone by John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times Beijing - For many foreigners, he is Tiananmen Square’s most recognizable figure, outshining even Chairman Mao Tse-tung - whose body still lies in state at a far end of the vast public space. Just after noon on June 5, 1989, the day after Chinese troops stormed the square to brutally crush a student political uprising here, a solitary protester engaged in a modernday David versus Goliath showdown: Clutching nothing but two shopping bags, he stood his ground before a column of oncoming tanks on the adjacent Avenue of Eternal Peace. Captured by newspaper photographs and cable news footage, the tense standoff lasted several minutes, a seeming eternity to onlookers waiting for the tanks to overrun the man, before he was hustled from the scene by onlookers. On the 15th anniversary of the government crackdown in which hundreds, perhaps thousands, were killed, this lone dissenter’s story remains the most enduring mystery of the violent confrontation. No one knows whether he’s dead or alive. Chinese activists and government officials say they aren’t even sure of his name. “For me, he represents the unknown soldier of the Chinese democratic revolution,” said John Kamm, executive director of the Dui Hua Foundation, a San Franciscobased human rights group. “What’s so strange is that his act of bravery was conducted in plain view of the world. But other than seeing his act, we know so very little about him.” The British tabloid Sunday Express shortly after the incident identified the man as a 19-year-old named Wang Weilin, the son of Beijing factory workers. But activists question the accuracy of a reporter they say did not visit China and relied on telephone calls to supposed friends of the man. In 1999, on the 10th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown, Chinese leader Jiang Zemin was asked what had happened to the mystery man. He responded in English, “I think never killed.” Jiang said government officials conducted their own search for the protester, checking morgues, prisons and computer registers, but could not find him. But they could get no Page 16 China has never acknowledged that civilians died in the bloodshed. help from Chinese citizens As for the lone protester, themselves: No one in the activists hope he has survived, country has ever seen the but fear the worst. images. In fact, no ordinary “Either he’s been killed Chinese beyond the protesters already or he’s still in some and soldiers involved even black hole in a Chinese prison,” knows of the standoff. Even said Sharon Hom, executive today, Chinese can’t see the famous photograph, even on the director of the U.S.-based group Internet. Attempts to download Human Rights in China. “If he is alive and free, a man willing the picture are blocked by the to stand in front of a tank would government. have come forward by now and On the eve of the not stay silent. This is not anniversary this week, Tiananmen Square was crowded someone who is just going to disappear.” with thousands of tourists and Human rights activist locals milling under floodlights Xiao Qiang calls his inability to - presumably watched by locate the protester one of his plainclothes policemen. most frustrating Brigades of failures. Xiao bicyclists was studying passed on Just after noon on June 5, abroad at the the crowded 1989, the day after Chinese University of boulevards troops stormed the square to Notre Dame that when the surround the brutally crush a student Tiananmen square, and political uprising here, a crackdown a group of solitary protester engaged in occurred. old women a modern-day David versus He watched drew a curious Goliath showdown: Clutching coverage of the chaos on crowd as nothing but two shopping television, they including the exercised to bags, he stood his ground footage of the the beat of a before a column of oncoming drum. tanks on the adjacent Avenue protester’s standoff. Two Yet of Eternal Peace. days later, he several returned to people China and spent three months nearby said they had never there to be with his countrymen heard of the tank man or his at a difficult time. moment of fame. “This incident changed “I’ve never seen him,” my life,” said Xiao, who later one man said. “Was he worked as executive director of Chinese?” For the rest of the world, Human Rights in China. During 12 years in that job, he twice the image remains an icon of thought he had found the freedom. The protester has Tiananmen protester. shown up in a Wim Wenders Once, in 1993, an movie, and his image has been Australian lawyer called to say reproduced on posters and Tshirts. In 1998, Time magazine that a man claiming to be Wang proclaimed him one of the 20th Weilin was seeking political century’s top 20 revolutionaries, asylum there. Xiao telephoned the man and determined that he whose “moment of selfwas an impostor. transcendence [was seen] by Four years later, a group more people than ever laid eyes in Texas called to say that it had on Winston Churchill, Albert found the protester, who was Einstein and James Joyce seeking asylum in the United combined.” States. Again, Xiao talked to Some believe the man the immigrant, who became endured months, or years, of elusive about details of that day. political reeducation. Others Then he disappeared. say he was hunted down and The man-tank showdown executed. came after months of Human rights activists demonstrations in Tiananmen say that 50 to 100 people were Square by students decrying executed in the wake of the such issues as government Tiananmen Square crackdown ­ corruption, lack of free speech some for crimes as simple as and high unemployment. burning a police motorcycle or, As tens of thousands of in one case, taking a photograph troops from the People’s of the tanks in the square. In Liberation Army converged on addition, 15,000 to 20,000 the square and surrounding people were detained. areas for cleanup after the first The activists say 99 still day of attacks, a slender man remain in prison for their seemed to appear out of actions during the protest. Streetvibes nowhere. As cameras rolled, he positioned himself in front of a column of 18 tanks. Not far from the spot where in 1949 Mao proclaimed China “a people’s republic,” the man gamely stood his ground. The lead vehicle stopped, spewing exhaust, then moved to the right and left to avoid the defenseless demonstrator. Each time, he stepped up to remain in its path. At some point, he shifted both shopping bags to one hand. Then he jumped onto the tank and appeared to say something to its driver. “I remember him screaming down the tank hatch at the driver,” said Jeff Widener, at the time an Associated Press photographer, who shot several images of the standoff from a sixth-floor balcony of the nearby Beijing Hotel. “I think the guy was majorly angry and wasn’t thinking straight. I was just waiting for him to get blown away.” Mickey Spiegel, China specialist at Human Rights Watch, who still hangs a poster of the face-off in her New York office, said, “Nobody even knows that much.” But Human Rights in China’s Hom believes that another symbol of defiance has been overlooked: the tank driver. “Both the man in front of the tank and the soldier inside are worthy of our attention,” she said. “Inside, you had a soldier who was obviously not following orders for not running the man down, someone who was probably later harshly disciplined. He obviously saw it as wrong to run over an unarmed man. Although the man who defied China’s military might be missing, his legacy remains. “The whole [Tiananmen Square] incident was a public relations disaster for Beijing, the effects of which continue to this day,” said Richard Baum, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at UCLA. “It has cost the Chinese government enormously, not just in terms of sanctions and abuse accusations abroad, along with U.S. congressional votes against renewing China’s mostfavored-nation status, but in the government’s reputation as being the Butchers of Beijing.” Activists say the world can thank a man on whose identity it can only speculate. “He was just an average guy who decided that he’s had enough,” said Widener, now a photographer for the Honolulu Advertiser. �Cold Turkey by Kurt Vonnegut Many years ago, I was so innocent I still considered it possible that we could become the humane and reasonable America so many members of my generation used to dream of. We dreamed of such an America during the Great Depression, when there were no jobs. And then we fought and often died for that dream during the Second World War, when there was no peace. But I know now that there is not a chance in hell of America’s becoming humane and reasonable. Because power corrupts us, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Human beings are chimpanzees who get crazy drunk on power. By saying that our leaders are power-drunk chimpanzees, am I in danger of wrecking the morale of our soldiers fighting and dying in the Middle East? Their morale, like so many bodies, is already shot to pieces. They are being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for Christmas. When you get to my age, if you get to my age, which is 81, and if you have reproduced, you will find yourself asking your own children, who are themselves middle-aged, what life is all about. I have seven kids, four of them adopted. Many of you reading this are probably the same age as my grandchildren. They, like you, are being royally shafted and lied to by our Baby Boomer corporations and government. I put my big question about life to my biological son Mark. Mark is a pediatrician, and author of a memoir, The Eden Express. It is about his crackup, straightjacket and padded cell stuff, from which he recovered sufficiently to graduate from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Vonnegut said this to his doddering old dad: “Father, we are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.” So I pass that on to you. Write it down, and put it in your computer, so you can forget it. I have to say that’s a pretty good sound bite, almost as good as, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” A lot of people think Jesus said that, because it is so much the sort of thing Jesus liked to say. But it was actually said by Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, 500 years before there was that greatest and most humane of human beings, named Jesus Christ. The Chinese also gave “Blessed are the peacemakers” us, via Marco Polo, pasta and in the Pentagon? Give me a the formula for gunpowder. break! The Chinese were so dumb they There is a tragic flaw in only used gunpowder for our precious Constitution, and I fireworks. And everybody was don’t know what can be done to so dumb back then that nobody fix it. This is it: Only nut cases in either hemisphere even knew want to be president. that there was another one. But, when you stop to But back to people, like think about it, only a nut case Confucius and Jesus and my son would want to be a human the doctor, Mark, who’ve said being, if he or she had a choice. how we could behave more Such treacherous, humanely, and maybe make the untrustworthy, lying and greedy world a less painful place. One animals we are! of my favorites is Eugene Debs, I was born a human being in 1922 from Terre A.D. What Haute in my Human beings are does “A.D.” native state of Indiana. Get a chimpanzees who get crazy signify? That commemorates load of this: drunk on power. By an inmate of Eugene Debs, who died saying that our leaders are this lunatic asylum we call back in 1926, power-drunk chimpanzees, Earth who was when I was nailed to a only 4, ran 5 am I in danger of wrecking wooden cross times as the by a bunch of Socialist Party the morale of our soldiers other inmates. candidate for fighting and dying in the With him still president, conscious, they winning Middle East? Their hammered 900,000 votes, morale, like so many spikes through 6 percent of his wrists and the popular bodies, is already shot to insteps, and vote, in 1912, pieces. They are being into the wood. if you can Then they set imagine such a treated, as I never was, the cross ballot. He had like toys a rich kid got for upright, so he this to say dangled up while Christmas. there where campaigning: even the As long as there is a lower class, I am in shortest person in the crowd could see him writhing this way it. As long as there is a criminal element, I am of it. As and that. Can you imagine people long as there is a soul in prison, doing such a thing to a person? I am not free.” No problem. That’s Doesn’t anything entertainment. Ask the devout socialistic make you want to Roman Catholic Mel Gibson, throw up? Like great public who, as an act of piety, has just schools or health insurance for made a fortune with a movie all? about how Jesus was tortured. How about Jesus’ Never mind what Jesus said. Sermon on the Mount, the During the reign of King Beatitudes? Blessed are the Henry the Eighth, founder of meek, for they shall inherit the Earth. Blessed are the merciful, the Church of England, he had a counterfeiter boiled alive in for they shall obtain mercy. public. Show biz again. Blessed are the peacemakers, Mel Gibson’s next movie for they shall be called the should be The Counterfeiter. children of God. And so on. Box office records will again be Not exactly planks in a broken. Republican platform. Not One of the few good exactly Donald Rumsfeld or things about modern times: If Dick Cheney stuff. you die horribly on television, For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us you will not have died in vain. You will have entertained us. never mention the Beatitudes. And what did the great But, often with tears in their British historian Edward eyes, they demand that the Ten Gibbon, 1737-1794 A.D., have Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course to say about the human record so far? He said, “History is that’s Moses, not Jesus. I indeed little more than the haven’t heard one of them register of the crimes, follies demand that the Sermon on the and misfortunes of mankind.” Mount, the Beatitudes, be The same can be said posted anywhere. about this morning’s edition of “Blessed are the the New York Times. merciful” in a courtroom? Streetvibes The French-Algerian writer Albert Camus, who won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957, wrote, “There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.” So there’s another barrel of laughs from literature. Camus died in an automobile accident. His dates? 1913­ 1960 A.D. Listen. All great literature is about what a bummer it is to be a human being: Moby Dick, Huckleberry Finn, The Red Badge of Courage, the Iliad and the Odyssey, Crime and Punishment, the Bible and The Charge of the Light Brigade. But I have to say this in defense of humankind: No matter in what era in history, including the Garden of Eden, everybody just got there. And, except for the Garden of Eden, there were already all these crazy games going on, which could make you act crazy, even if you weren’t crazy to begin with. Some of the games that were already going on when you got here were love and hate, liberalism and conservatism, automobiles and credit cards, golf and girls’ basketball. Even crazier than golf, though, is modern American politics, where, thanks to TV and for the convenience of TV, you can only be one of two kinds of human beings, either a liberal or a conservative. Actually, this same sort of thing happened to the people of England generations ago, and Sir William Gilbert, of the radical team of Gilbert and Sullivan, wrote these words for a song about it back then: I often think it’s comical how nature always does contrive that every boy and every gal that’s born into the world alive is either a little liberal or else a little Conservative. Which one are you in this country? It’s practically a law of life that you have to be one or the other? If you aren’t one or the other, you might as well be a doughnut. If some of you still haven’t decided, I’ll make it easy for you. If you want to take my guns away from me, and you’re all for murdering fetuses, and love it when homosexuals marry each other, and want to give them kitchen appliances at their showers, and you’re for the poor, you’re a liberal. If you are against those perversions and for the rich, you’re a conservative. What could be simpler? Page 17 �FRAC News director of Army Emergency Relief, says families qualify for Blueprint to End Hunger benefits as soon as they enter Unveiled on National Hunger service. Spiegel says states Awareness Day (National Anti- nationwide have been asking Hunger Organizations, June, 3, the Department of Defense to 2004) Thirteen organizations explain how military families that comprise the National Anti- can access such programs as Hunger Organizations (NAHO) food stamps and the Women, unveiled a new “Blueprint to Infants and Children nutrition End Hunger in America.” The programs. “I think the stories of NAHO Blueprint recommends families being in need are pretty programmatic investments and striking,” said Ellen Vollinger improvements in the national of FRAC. “Now more than nutrition safety net to halve ever, we must make sure as a hunger and food insecurity in community that the families of the US by 2010 and to end both these troops are taken care of by 2015. It outlines strategies here on the home front,” said to improve benefit adequacy Mayor of San Jose, Ron and access in the Food Stamp, Gonzales. child nutrition, WIC and emergency feeding programs. One in Four Workers Live at “Our nation has the tools and Federal Poverty Level resources to end hunger. Our (“Working...and Poor,” Blueprint offers a realistic plan Business Week Online, May 31, for achieving that goal,” said 2004) Twenty-eight million NAHO Chairperson H. Eric working Americans, or one in Schockman. four workers between the ages of 18 to 64, make less than Hungry Children More Likely $9.04 an hour, putting them to be Sick and Hospitalized below the federal poverty level (“Kids who go hungry likely to for a family of four. The loss of land in poor health,” Boston white-collar jobs offshore has Herald, June 1, 2004) Infants produced headlines; less and toddlers who do not get publicized are the problems of enough to eat are more likely to the working poor, such as get sick and be hospitalized, unpaid sick days and jobs with according to a recent study no benefits. For those on the published in this month’s edge of poverty, one event such Journal of Nutrition. Children as a stalled car, can lead to up to age 3 with limited or being fired or financial ruin. A uncertain access to nutritious 2003 study by the Federal food are 90 percent more likely Reserve Bank of Boston found to be in only fair or poor health that in the 1990s, the chance a and 30 percent more likely to poor person would remain poor be hospitalized. John Cook, increased compared to the lead author of the study, said 1970s. “If current trends poor nutrition harms children persist, a greater and greater by weakening their immune share of wealth will keep going systems and ability to learn. into the hands of the few,” said Co-investigator for the study James Sinegal, CEO of Costco Carol Berkowitz said that the Wholesale Corp., who worries nation’s health care costs may that lack of mobility will be higher because so many destroy initiative among the eligible children do not actually working class. Families who go receive food stamps and then just beyond a poverty-level are more likely to become sick wage by earning $7 to $10 an enough to require hour, can become ineligible for hospitalization. vital assistance such as food http://news.bostonherald.com/ stamps, child care assistance, national/ and the earned-income tax view.bg?articleid=30098... credit. Says Ron Haskins of the Study available at: http:// Brookings Institution, “For www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/ them, Horatio Alger does not abstract/134/6/1432 apply.” Food Stamp Demand Surges Among Military Families (“Hungry U.S. families can’t be defended,” Oregonian, June 2, 2004) Demand for food stamps among the families of national guardsmen and reservists skyrocketed several hundred percent from 2002 to 2003. Col. Dennis Spiegel, deputy Page 18 Revised Food Pyramid Will Recommend More Fish, Fiber, & Exercise (“Rebuilding the pyramid,” Cape Cod Times, May 28, 2004) The food pyramid, the federal government’s guide to healthy eating, is undergoing revision. Federal advisors will recommend Americans eat more fish, fiber, and fewer refined grains such as white bread. The U.S. Department of Agriculture asked its Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee to change the pyramid’s focus from maintaining a healthy diet to losing weight. In addition to dietary changes, the committee recommended 30 to 60 minutes of vigorous exercise for adults most days. California: Bill Approves $7.75 Minimum Wage, Governor Likely to Veto (“$1 increase in state minimum wage gets Assembly OK Governor, against more regulatory burdens on California businesses, likely to veto bill,” San Francisco Chronicle, May 28, 2004) A bill in California’s Legislature would raise the state’s minimum wage by $1, from $6.75 to $7.75 in 2006. However, Governor Schwarzenegger would likely veto the bill if it came before him. California’s minimum wage is currently the lowest on the West Coast. In order to match the purchasing power of the state’s minimum wage in 1968, it would have to be $8.92 an hour today, according to labor officials. “In my [district] nobody can live on anything less than $15 an hour. That’s why many wage earners have two jobs,” said Assemblyman Manny Diaz (DSan Jose). New York: Food Stamp Use on the Rise (“Food stamp use on the rise,” The Journal News.com, May 27, 2004) In April, 17,322 residents of Rockland County received food stamps, an increase of 18.6 percent since December 1999. A county official said the last time demand was so high was in 1992. Recipients such as Yajaira Rodriguez calls the benefit “a blessing.” Carmen Loras, of the Community Action Partnership in Haverstraw, notes that two years ago three people a week visited CAP for food stamp information. Now 15 people a week come in. A majority are Spanish-speaking. Food stamps, however, only provide poor families with some support. They also rely on food pantries and soup kitchens, particularly at the end of the month, when food stamp benefits have been exhausted. Arizona: Number of Hungry Arizonans Growing (“Number of hungry Arizonans growing,” Arizona Republic, May 30, Streetvibes 2004) Doris Campbell is among an estimated 630,000 Arizonans struggling to put food on their tables — “food insecure” under federal definitions. Campbell has been relying on the senior lunch program for 10 years to get a consistent, nutritious meal. Arizona’s rate of food insecurity in 2000 was 12.5 percent, compared to 10.8 percent nationally. Food insecure households include working poor families, senior adults, people with physical and mental disabilities, the unemployed, the homeless, and immigrants. Ginny Hildebrand, executive director of the Association of Arizona Food Banks, encounters people who have part-time jobs, seasonal work, or service-related work, all paying salaries too low to meet a family’s basic needs. New York: Rewards of a 90­ Hour Week: Poverty and Dirty Laundry (“Rewards of a 90-Hour Week: Poverty and Dirty Laundry,” New York Times, May 31, 2004) Laundromats in New York City employ thousands of “wash and fold” workers to do customers’ laundry. The majority of these workers are paid less, often much less, than the minimum wage of $5.15 an hour and speak of abusive, sweltering work conditions. Inriqueta G. works 70 hours a week and earns $350 in cash, $400 less a month than what she would earn if she were paid the minimum wage plus overtime. Many of the workers are immigrants. “Life is a lot more difficult here than I thought,” says Piedad G. “Sometimes I think I was crazy to come here. This is a country with a lot of opportunities, but in order to take advantage of those opportunities you have to suffer a lot.” To subscribe to the weekly FRAC News Digest go to: http://capwiz.com/frac/ mlm/ For questions, comments, and news tips, please contact: Helen Yuen Food Research and Action Center 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 540 Washington, DC 20009 (202) 986-2200 x3019 Email: hyuen@frac.org �Bush Campaign Seeks Help From Thousands of Congregations by David D. Kirkpatrick, The New York Times The Bush campaign is seeking to enlist thousands of religious congregations around the country in distributing campaign information and registering voters, according to an e-mail message sent to many members of the clergy and others in Pennsylvania. Liberal groups charged that the effort invited violations of the separation of church and state and jeopardized the taxexempt status of churches that cooperated. Some socially conservative church leaders also said they would advise pastors against participating in such a partisan effort. But Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for the Bush administration, said “people of faith have as much right to participate in the political process as any other community” and that the e-mail message was about “building the most sophisticated grassroots presidential campaign in the country’s history.” In the message, Luke Bernstein, coalitions coordinator for the Bush campaign in Pennsylvania, wrote: “The Bush-Cheney ’04 national headquarters in Virginia has asked us to identify 1,600 `Friendly Congregations’ in Pennsylvania where voters friendly to President Bush might gather on a regular basis.” In each targeted “place of worship,” Mr. Bernstein continued, without mentioning a specific religion or denomination, “we’d like to identify a volunteer who can help distribute general information to other supporters.” He explained: “We plan to undertake activities such as distributing general information/updates or voter registration materials in a place accessible to the congregation.” The e-mail message was provided to The New York Times by a group critical of President Bush. The campaign’s effort is the latest indication of its heavy bet on churchgoers in its bid for re-election. Mr. Bush’s top political adviser, Karl Rove, and officials of Mr. Bush’s campaign have often said that people who attended church regularly voted for him disproportionately in the last election, and the campaign has made turning out that group a top priority this year. But congregation is disseminating advisers to Mr. Bush also the information, however, the acknowledge privately that issue is more complicated. If appearing to court socially the congregation had a table conservative Christian voters where anyone could make too aggressively risks turning available any information off more moderate voters. whatsoever without any What was striking about institutional responsibility or the Pennsylvania e-mail oversight, then a member might message was its directness. be able to distribute campaign Both political parties rely on literature without violating tax church leaders - Africanlaws. But very few churches American pastors for the have such open forums, Mr. Democrats, for example, and Potter said. “The I.R.S. would white evangelical Protestants ask, did the church encourage for the Republicans - to urge this? Did the congregants church permit to go the polls. And in The campaign’s effort is this but not other the 1990’s, the latest indication of literature? the Christian Did the Coalition its heavy bet on church in any developed a way support reputation as churchgoers in its bid this?” a political for re-election. Mr. Mr. powerhouse Bernstein, the by Bush’s top political e-mail distributing message’s voters guides adviser, Karl Rove, and author, in churches officials of Mr. Bush’s declined to that alerted comment. conservative campaign have often Mr. Schmidt, believers to said that people who the campaign candidates’ spokesman, position on attended church said the esocial issues mail message like abortion regularly voted for him only sought and school disproportionately in the individual prayer. But volunteers the Christian last election, and the from among Coalition was the “friendly organized as campaign has made congregations,” a nonpartisan, turning out that group a not the endorsements issuetop priority this year of the any oriented religious lobbying and organizations or groups. voter-education organization, “The e-mail is targeted and in 1999 it ran afoul of to individuals, asking federal tax laws for too much individuals to become involved Republican partisanship. in the campaign and to share The Bush campaign, in information about the campaign contrast, appeared to be with other people in their faith reaching out directly to community,” Mr. Schmidt said. churches and church members, “Yesterday, a liberal judge from seeking to distribute campaign San Francisco overturned a information as well as ostensibly nonpartisan material, partial-birth abortion ban which banned that abhorrent like issue guides and procedure. That is an example registration forms. of an issue that people of faith Trevor Potter, a from across the United States Washington lawyer and former care about.” chairman of the Federal He said that the Election Commission, said the Pennsylvania e-mail message campaign’s solicitation raised was part of a larger national delicate legal issues for effort. The number of congregations. “If the church is doing it, congregations mentioned ­ 1,600 in just one state ­ it is a legal problem the suggests an operation on a vast church,” Mr. Potter said. “In scale. the past, the I.R.S. has sought But even some officials to revoke and has succeeded in of some conservative religious revoking the tax-exempt status groups said they were troubled of churches for political by the notion that a parishioner activity.” might distribute campaign If a member of the Streetvibes information within a church or at a church service. “If I were a pastor, I would not be comfortable doing that,” said Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. “I would say to my church members, we are going to talk about the issues and we are going to take information from the platforms of the two parties about where they stand on the issues. I would tell them to vote and to vote their conscience, and the Lord alone is the Lord of the conscience.” The Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of the liberal Americans United for Separation of Church and State, argued that any form of distributing campaign literature through a church would compromise its tax-exempt status. He called the effort “an absolutely breathtakingly large undertaking,” saying, “I never thought anyone could so attempt to meld a political party with a network of religious organizations.” In a statement, Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, a liberal group, called the effort “an astonishing abuse of religion” and “the rawest form of manipulation of religion for partisan gain.” He urged the president to repudiate the effort. In a statement, Mara Vanderslice, director of religious outreach for the Kerry campaign, said the effort “shows nothing but disrespect for the religious community.” Ms. Vanderslice continued: “Although the Kerry campaign actively welcomes the participation of religious voices in our campaign, we will never court religious voters in a way that would jeopardize the sanctity of their very houses of worship.” How many congregations or worshippers will choose to cooperate remains to be seen. In an interview, the Rev. Ronald Fowlkes, pastor of the Victoria Baptist Church in Springfield, Pa., said he had not seen the email message but did not think much of the idea. “We encourage people to get out and vote,” Mr. Fowlkes said, but as far as distributing information through church, “If it were focused on one party or person, that would be too Page 19 �357-4602 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services, Inc 751-9797 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 Need Help or Want to Help? MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 July, 2004 Drop Inn Center Fights for its Home Cover Story Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Homess Vets Continue to Pay - Page 11 The Price of Freedom BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY STREETVIBES $1 Donation � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2004 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource July 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Developers Fast Track Their Plan for Over-the-Rhine McCrackin Celebration Builds on his Legacy, Calls Citizens to Action Pg 2: Greed Transcends Compassion Pg 3: Donate Pg 4: One Year Ago Homeless Stopped City from Sweeping Camps Pg 5: Hate Crimes Still a Major Issue for the Homeless Pg 6: Homeless News Digest Pg 7: A King Without a Throne- Interview with Washington Park Tent Man, King DaviyD Pg 8: The Peace Village Pg 9: Public Forum on Homelessness Pg 10: Drop Inn Center Continued Pg 11: Planning for a Place Where We Belong Shelter Programs Critical to Support of Homeless Veterans Pg 12: Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Streetvibes… Pg 13: Why are NA Meetings Important to Me? “Urban Plunge” Students Experience Life on the Streets News from the Ohio Empowerment Coalition Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: An Icon, and Then He’s Gone Pg 17: Cold Turkey Pg 18: FRAC News Pg 19: Bush Campaign Seeks Help from Thousands of Congregation Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Elizabeth Linville Janice Faulkner Mary Gaffney Jimmy Heath Berta Lambert Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Berta Lambert Bush Drop Inn Center Elizabeth Linville Food Research FRAC GCCH Georgine Getty Hate Crimes Janice Faulkner Jimmy Heath King Daviyd Mary Gaffney McCrackin Ohio Over-the-Rhine Peace Village Students veterans https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/5e5dc7dfa42c1354bdb0114753506b6f.pdf 4753718904d001b73b9d6a184d302712 PDF Text Text May, 2004 STREETVIBES Fort Washington Hotel To Be Replaced By Upscale Condos alternatives for the clients. demolition of the Milner Hotel in Story and photos by Jimmy Heath jobs, transportation, affordable housing and services. Many of Supposedly, other places will take 1994, which resulted in the loss of the residents work during the up the slack. But none of that has 115 affordable housing units in Red’s baseball games or other been formalized – there were no downtown Cincinnati. The downtown events in menial lowdiscussions on the issue, no study Milner Hotel, once a low-income paying jobs. Many others work in or concern for the impact this will rooming house, was torn down nearby restaurants, others get by have on poor people. And there is for the construction of Greenwich on fixed incomes. a lot of money in this deal,” says Village, a market rate complex for “Most of the people will Clifford. higher-income people. be able to find other housing Many Earlier this At the present time the Fort downtown,” says Roger, the desk agree that the decade, Main clerk at the Fort Washington Hotel Hotel needs Street in Over­ Washington Hotel offers who has lived in the building off work beyond the-Rhine low-cost affordable housing and on for nearly ten years. just cosmetic experienced “They will be able to go to the changes. The significant to the working poor and Dennison Hotel or the Metropole Hotel is in need renovations people on fixed incomes around the corner. A lot of these of major that gentrified a folks are on fixed incomes, so electrical and wellwho want the flexibility of they will be able to get help.” plumbing work established weekly rental rates. The Hotel serves as an as it stands community. In Advocates for affordable alternative to many people who today. just a fivecould otherwise wind up on the Businesses on block span housing are worried that street. The residents are mostly Main Street are from l2th Street turning the historic building the working poor; folks who can’t anxious to see to Liberty, over afford market-rate apartments and the property 200 units of Another option for lowinto market rate housing can’t commit to long-term leases developed – the low-income income housing may soon be lost will further erode the stock or pass stringent tenant screenings aging building housing were in downtown Cincinnati. The but who still need an affordable is surrounded lost. The Fort Washington Hotel on Main of low income housing in roof over their head. by new adjacent West Street has about 100 rooms and the city of Cincinnati.... “An affordable rooming development End community nearly as many residents but it house is preferable to a homeless including the has soon may be closing due to a shelter, a park bench or an alley,” new Contemporary Arts Center experienced the demolition of two development project that will says Pat Clifford, general and the Aronoff complex. There housing projects; Laurel Homes transform the turn-of-the-century coordinator of the Drop Inn are at least 200 new units of and Lincoln Court, as part of the structure into 10 upscale Center shelter. “We are losing a upper-income market rate housing HUD Hope VI program which condominiums. scheduled to open in the grants cities federal money to turn The rehab project is slated lot of places where residents can go when they manage to save a downtown area within the next aging “projects” into mixedto begin in about 2 – 6 months. few dollars or are on their way to two years. income units. Financing of the project will getting back on their feet. There Many advocates for lowWith a need for lowdepend mostly on the presale of seems to be less and less income housing remember the income housing that already the new condominium units. The outstrips the supply, public project will begin as early as this redevelopment projects and spring and will develop 10 units private development continually at 1,600 square feet of living contribute to the leading cause of space with starting prices of homelessness - lack of affordable around $250,000 each. There are housing. plans for balconies and indoor Georgine Getty, Executive parking. The building originally Director of the Greater Cincinnati opened in 1888 as an office Coalition for the Homeless stated, building but later was converted “lack of affordable housing is the to a hotel. number one reason that women At the present time the become homeless in Cincinnati, Fort Washington Hotel offers lowwhich means it is also the number cost affordable housing to the one reason that children become working poor and people on fixed homeless in Cincinnati. We are incomes who want the flexibility talking about 8,000 children each of weekly rental rates. Advocates year who experience the horror of for affordable housing are worried homelessness simply because that turning the historic building developers and businesses didn’t into market rate housing will take them into account in the further erode the stock of low attempts at ‘progress.’” income housing in the city of She concluded, “It really is Cincinnati. a shame, because Cincinnati is big For several decades the enough for us all if we would only Fort Washington Hotel has served make the effort to include the working poor of Cincinnati, There are plans to restore the turn-of-the-century facade everyone.” providing access to downtown Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �Streetvibes Streetvibes, the Tri­ State’s alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Allison Leeuw - Administrative Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Elizabeth Linville - Civil Rights Coordinator Janice Faulkner - Receptionist Mary Gaffney - Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath, Editor Photographers Jimmy Heath, Berta Lambert, Sonny Williams Cover Fort Washinton Hotel, downtown Cincinnati - photo by Jimmy Heath ET VIB ES Page 2 the north can be hazardous to your health. But there are many other dangers too, especially for women. According to the National Gentria Lynn Thomas’s Coalition for the Homeless in body was found in a pile of Washington, DC about 10% of clothing on a Cincinnati street last victims of hate crimes month. Someone called committed against the 911 to report an homeless are women. unconscious person lying (Log on to on the street near www.nationalhomeless.org/ Broadway and Third in the hatecrimes/fullreport.pdf downtown business for a full copy of the district. When police Jimmy Heath report; Hate, Violence and arrived they found Thomas Death on Main Street dead, possibly murdered. USA). Investigators think she may have “I did what I had to do to been killed elsewhere and then left make it out there,” a woman on the street. The Hamilton resident of the Drop Inn Center County coroner was to perform an told me. “I would do anything on autopsy but as of this writing the the street. A woman on the street is cause of her death remains unknown. According to the police, like a commodity. It is a different way to survive than the men. But the death has been ruled as a now I’m here so I can get my kids homicide and there is a suspect in back. I need to do this more than her murder. that. It’s crazy out there” Gentria Thomas was a Getting people off the street homeless person who frequented is the first step, and this alone is the Drop Inn Center and spent not always easy. There is fear and afternoons with friends in Washington Park. The struggle she mistrust and sometimes mental had with her life was punctuated at illness and addiction. Many people who the end by an are homeless cycle anonymous and in and out of the possibly violent justice system, at death, a blurb in the taxpayer expense, news. for minor infractions This is the like drinking in ultimate indignity “There is a choice that has to be public or for homeless people made in this country to end panhandling. The - to die in public, homelessness, and it’s exactly the justice system does alone and on the same as the choice an artist has to Gentria Lynn Thomas nothing for the street. make to create something homeless except Although the beautiful: it is a choice between provide a brief respite from a night murder of Gentria Thomas may be respect and contempt. Studying an isolated incident, I am reminded on the street. Mostly, it just creates Aesthetic Realism made for a new a criminal record and that makes it of the cycle of life and death, integrity in my life. I learned that increasingly difficult to find especially the loneliness of dying beauty and ethics are inseparable— housing or employment. Many homeless. The disconnection that the way to take care of myself police bring people to the Drop Inn was by trying to be fair to other between society and the homeless Center instead of taking them to person - a life of isolation and people, that in order to express jail, and that is a sympathetic poverty - makes the loss of life something original, I had to be profoundly tragic. Without friends, beginning. impressed by the world in a deep Every year in December we way. We have to oppose contempt resources, or a family connection, mourn the passing of our homeless in the way this country is run, and only a stranger’s generosity brothers and sisters on the longest prevents an anonymous burial in a we have to oppose it in ourselves.” night of the year. [see Streetvibes, pauper’s grave. Anthony C. Romeo, AIA, January 2004]. Homeless workers, Principal, Urbane Architects, We are constantly asking why? What can be done to prevent family and friends gather in P.C. Washington Park for a memorial the death of a homeless person service to remember the people from going unnoticed? Will the who have died during the year crime go unsolved? For advocates while living on the streets of of the poor and the homeless the Cincinnati. It is a solemn occasion, question also arises; how many marked by a barrel fire in the park more preventable deaths will go Support and the cold-winter wind of a late unchecked? Your December evening. The service is Those that simply die of old Vendor age or because they have an undetected illness should not die alone on the street like so many do. Gentria Thomas’s death adds a new twist because of the possibility of homicide. But her death also Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct reminds us of the nasty side of life and agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Ven­ on the street and the element of dor Program. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the danger - real danger, that can get rules, she/he may be removed from the Program. To report you killed. Without shelter, life a Vendor, call 421-7803. ext. 16 outside during the winter months in by Jimmy Heath, Streetvibes Editor RE Subscriptions to Streetvibes, delivered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://homeless.cinci.com repeated throughout countless cities in the US each year, remembering the homeless and others who have lived and died outside. But after the holidays, the remembrance wears thin The Homeless Memorial is a remembrance and a challenge to all who listen to not let the lives or deaths of people on the street go unnoticed. The occasion is especially poignant for me - I know some of the folks who have died in recent years. I could be one of those people on the list of the dead too ­ dying outdoors, anonymous and nameless, drifting out of life unnoticed. In the end, this is the plight of many of the homeless – they eventually die and strangers grieve their passing. I didn’t know Gentria Thomas. But I know of the life. I’m all too familiar with the death of those on the streets. All of these words are simply put to paper to remember someone who died outside of society – not a fitting memorial to a human being, but it is all I can do. I grieve for the many that die unnoticed and forgotten. I hope to see everyone home someday, safe from the hazards of life on the streets - safe from a silent, unnoticed death. ST Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Death On The Street Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Streetvibes �ON A SCALE OF ONE TO A HUNDRED, HOW MUCH DO YOU DISAGREE WITH THE CITY’S TREATMENT OF CINCINNATI’S HOMELESS? I WILL DONATE: $1 $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 He’s only 18 months old and already he’s trapped in the cycle of homelessness in Cincinnati. His mother needs an affordable place to live and a job with a living wage as she escapes a life of domestic violence. The current treatment of homeless individuals in our city means that he may never be able to live in a home of his own. There are 25,000 people in Cincinnati that experience homelessness each year. More than one-third of those are women and children. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless believes that by addressing the root causes of the problem through education, advocacy and coordination of services, we can end homelessness in our city. The more support we have from the community, the further our efforts reach. Please cut the coupon and pick a box. It could mean that one less child will have to live in one. Send your donations to Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Streetvibes Page 3 �Police Use of New Taser’s Raises Questions Amanda E. Mayes, Co-chair, Coalition for a Just Cincinnati In December of last year a divided City Council voted in favor of equipping every police officer with a taser despite feelings many residents had that the tasers could be misused. (As you well know, at the time of the taser debate, African-American residents appeared at Council’s meeting to oppose the Taser purchase, stating that Police were already too prone to use force on black subjects and adding that they feared the weapons would be deployed too readily in black neighborhoods). Notwithstanding the charged racial climate in Cincinnati - and in particular strained race relations between African American citizens and the CPD - Cincinnati police deemed it necessary to zap at least four people not long after receiving these tasers. Countless other times, the police have threatened citizens with the use of these tasers. For instance, last month while at City Hall, Cincinnati Police Lt. Doug Ventre threatened to tase activist Nathaniel Livingston, Jr. while escorting him out of City Council chambers. In light of these facts, some serious questions must be they be shot into a crowd? Can asked. What precisely is the tasers be used on individuals who policy on police use of tasers? are clearly disabled or who don’t For example: have the health of an average 1.) Under what circumstances is it individual (for example: a person acceptable for an officer to tase a confined to a wheel chair or a citizen? So far it seems police pregnant woman)? discretion has been arbitrarily 4.) How many times can an applied. For example, suspects officer tase an individual during a who have posed no physical threat single arrest? Can an officer to police repeatedly officers have tase any been tased (as suspect? was the case It goes with a 33 year without old Price Hill saying that man who the answers police tased to these because he questions was “acting should have Taser issued to the Cincinnati strangely” been clearly Police and whom established they never BEFORE brought up on criminal charges). Council voted in favor of issuing 2.) How many officers can tase a these tasers. It may even be the single citizen at any one time? case that the above mentioned Thinking back on the Nathaniel questions (and many more) have, Jones case, had all six officers indeed, been answered and been armed with tasers, could all policies put in place. If that is the of them have tased Mr. Jones if case, I appreciate the prudence they all claim to have perceived a involved and would like to know threat? if that information was made 3.) Are there age, weight, or other available to the public. considerations that would prohibit However, if these the use of tasers no matter the decisions were not made before circumstance? For instance, can Council voted to issue these tasers tasers be used on children? Can - as I suspect is the case - the Taser Used on Man Threatening cigarette, Suicide Cincinnati police said Cincinnati. one of the officers they saved a man’s life last month by using a taser on him to keep him from committing suicide. This was one of the most recent tasing’s, taking place around 3 a.m. in the middle of the suspension bridge. The man threatened to take his own life in the early morning hours by jumping off the bridge in downtown James Robinson of Westwood was threatening to jump into the river because he was distraught over being robbed on Vine Street. Officers talked with him for several minutes and got him to move away from the railing by offering him a cigarette. When the man stepped away from the railing to get a used his taser to subdue him. Police said the man did not suffer any serious injuries from the tasers. He was placed under medical care. Cincinnati police have had tasers for over three months and have used them about 100 times. According to police, just pointing the taser or threatening appropriate policies must be put into place post haste, and it is the responsibility of Council to see that that is done. African American citizens in Cincinnati live with a police force that has no compunction about calling us Niggers. We are profiled by the police and constantly harassed. We, therefore, don’t trust the police and equally distrust an establishment that protects them. If we are really to come to any kind of racial reconciliation, we must be honest and hardworking on these issues. Lip service is a waste of our time. It is easily detected and only serves to foster distrust and resentment. I urge you to respond with righteous indignation against a police force that has served to help divide our city along racial lines, hasn’t reduced crime a bit, and continues to eat up more and more of the city budget. I urge you to consider what would have been the attitude of the African American community had Mr. Livingston been tased on Citicable for holding a sign in City Council Chambers? For many, many reasons you are urged to be aggressive about preserving the civil rights of your constituents. I shudder to think of what will be the consequences if you choose to do otherwise. its use causes compliance. Nearly 450 police officers have been voluntarily shot by a taser since its introduction, so that officers learn firsthand the effects of the high voltage discharge device. The first time a taser was used was against a suspect in Price Hill on January 9th. Cincinnati spent $1 million to buy tasers for most of the police officers. New Council Rules To Be Challenged In Court Nathaniel Livingston Jr. Last month I filed a federal lawsuit against The City of Cincinnati, Mayor Charlie Luken and FOP Vice President Keith Fangman to stop the City from violating my civil rights. Along with the Complaint, I filed a motion requesting an immediate temporary restraining order to stop Mayor Luken and City Council from enforcing the unconstitutional Rules of Council which have been used to throw citizens like me out of City Hall, and to stop the police from giving tickets to citizens like me who say unpopular things on Fountain Square. During the last year I have been arrested or ticketed at least six times for saying “F@#& The Police” or “Nigganati” on Fountain Square and at City Hall. The same Mayor and police officers who don’t want to hear me say these offensive things have defended the KKK’s right to call Black people “niggers” on Fountain Square, and Lt. Jeff Butler’s use of the word “nigger” on videotape. Some people argue that I should give up my rights to say whatever I want to at City Hall or on Fountain Square. These people, including those of you in the media, never suggest the Klan, or the Chabad, or the Know Theatre Tribe give up their rights. This lawsuit is about defending my Constitutional right to attend City Council meetings and speak if everyone else is allowed to do so. The suit is also about defending my right to engage in offensive speech on Fountain Square as long as other people are allowed to do so. If City Council objects to the comments of speakers at City Hall then they have the option of discontinuing the Citizens’ Forum. Until then, however, the law is clear. If one person is allowed to speak, then everyone is allowed to speak. That’s America. Love it or leave it. I am somewhat concerned about Judge Dlott being assigned this case because she has worked with Keith Fangman and the FOP in the past during the Collaborative Agreement which I think was a sweetheart deal for the cops. Nevertheless, I trust that Judge Dlott will be fair in this case. Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home Page 4 Streetvibes �Street Vendors Sell Knowledge by Saleha Ghani, University of Cincinnati News Record Staff Columnist What does a dollar mean to you? For some people, it means something from the 99-cent menu at Wendy’s or a 20-minute phone call. I used to think that a dollar wasn’t worth much, but a few days ago I discovered how much an extra buck can do. I was walking into the Blockbuster on Corry Street near the University of Cincinnati campus trying to think of a good “date movie” when that nice black guy who is often seen selling copies of Streetvibes, a newspaper published by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, asked me if I would by a copy from him. It would only cost me a dollar, he said. Usually I shrug off street vendors with a smile and continue on my way, but I was in a good mood that day and happened to have a dollar in my pocket. At the time, I thought he was the lucky one since I usually don’t buy things from street vendors. In retrospect, I see that I am the lucky one. While waiting in line at Blockbuster I began perusing the newspaper. This is what I learned by giving a Streetvibes vendor my dollar: Streetvibes vendor’s keep 70 cents of each dollar collected while selling the newspaper. They are usually homeless or lowincome adults who are working hard to get themselves out of poverty. Unlike the homeless guy who sits on a bucket when you turn onto Hopple Street from I-75 who is always holding a sign saying he is hungry and homeless (one of the letters is written backwards to encourage sympathy), Streetvibes vendors work hard to earn money. They even have to taken an oath promising not to sell the newspaper while under the influence. This just makes me angrier at the old white guy who bumbles around McMillan Avenue smelling like he’s been swimming in alcohol, who goes around asking people for their change. I once saw him laying on the couch at KFC and offered to buy him food, but he said he didn’t like chicken and just wanted money. Now I don’t know any of these people or their life stories, but I do know that I’d rather give money to someone who is making a genuine effort to get back on their feet, than to someone who is just sitting around waiting for someone to hand them a few bucks. Not only does the publication provide employment for those who may have difficulty getting jobs elsewhere but have the motivation to get off or stay off the streets, it also gives them an opportunity to express their creativity. The publishers give vendors and the homeless preference when deciding what to print. But enough about the homeless. What about the rest of us? Sure, college kids usually don’t have much money, but would it kill us to give a few bucks here and there to someone who really needs it and is willing to work for it? By buying a copy of Streetvibes, you’ll also learn about the poverty situation in Cincinnati. The most recent issue of Streetvibes has an article about Cincinnati City Council’s effort to remove the homeless who have found shelter under bridges and highway passes to make the city look better. Instead of trying to help the homeless by providing real shelters, the city is sweeping its problems under a rug. I learned all of this just by giving a dollar to a vendor on my way into Blockbuster. He inspired me to buy a pack of Peanut M&M’s for a dollar from the guy who stands on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and MLK. Hand him a dollar, and you’ll get M&M’s and a little flyer about the importance of being drug-free. Who knew that a dollar could help so many people? Florida Street Paper Sues Over Vendor Crackdown For the second time in just over three years, the city of Hallandale Beach Florida faces a lawsuit from The Homeless Voice newspaper, which says the Atlantic coast town is unfairly cracking down on its street vendors. The organization that publishes The Homeless Voice newspaper sued Hallandale Beach in federal court last month, seeking to block city efforts to keep street vendors off medians and sidewalks, a lawyer for the organization said. The suit - the paper’s second against the city in about three years - asks the court to rule that the city is interfering with the newspaper’s constitutionally protected right to distribute its product, said John David, who represents the Cosac Foundation. ‘’It’s always important that people protect their rights to free press and free speech, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,’’ he said. “The efforts of my clients are important to meet the needs of the homeless.’’ Unlike Streetvibes, where vendors keep all of the sales profits, proceeds from the sale of Hallandale’s street paper go to The Homeless Voice/Helping People in America shelter in Hollywood FL, said Lois Cross, a shelter volunteer. The city is simply enforcing a state statute that prohibits newspaper vendors - and everyone else - from standing in the street to solicit business, said Hallandale Beach Vice Mayor William Julian. Vendors are allowed to use sidewalks and medians - a contention disputed by The Homeless Voice - but are not permitted to step down into the paved portion of the road reserved for traffic, he said. ‘’This is not a homeless issue for me or the city of Hallandale - this is a safety issue,’’ he said, adding that several vendors had been killed or injured in recent years. Since 2000, officials in Weston, Aventura, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Davie and other National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project (NHCROP) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (513) 421-7803 Florida cities have considered or enacted measures to restrict street vendors. In 2001, Homeless Voice founder Sean Cononie sued Hallandale Beach for banning his vendors while allowing those of The Herald and Sun-Sentinel daily newspapers to do business in the streets. The suit was settled and the vendors were allowed to return. About a year ago, Hollywood issued tickets to three Sun-Sentinel vendors and one Herald vendor hawking newspapers in the street. The newspapers sued in federal court, arguing that their constitutional right to freedom of the press had been violated. They asked Judge Patricia A. Seitz to order Hollywood to stop its enforcement efforts, but Seitz rejected the newspapers’ request. While other street papers around the US, Canada and Europe enjoy support and praise from government officials, many street papers continue to be attacked by city lawmakers intent on removing or restricting the freedoms of homeless persons in public. Cincinnati’s Streetvibes newspaper has faced many serious challenges from the City in recent years, including attempts to Streetvibes outright ban the sales of the paper, restrictions on where the paper can be sold and statements from City Hall citing Streetvibes as “contributing to the demise of downtown Cincinnati.” “Some see this as ‘meaness’ directed at people who are least able to defend themselves,” said Jimmy Heath, editor of Cincinnati’s Streetvibes newspaper. “But most people know what is really going on and they support the people selling the paper on street. And the courts have always been just in these matters.” An Alcoholic? by Linda Corey An alcoholic is a real character; drinks to forget hurt and failure. Plays the victim. Role: anger, fear, shame, guilt. The behavior is selfish. The alcoholic character staggers around constantly wanting another drink, and then wakes in the morning with a hangover. The first word in the morning is the guilt. Oh, what have I done now? Then there is a crisis or a problem. The alcoholic says, “Well, how am I going to get another drink? The insanity starts all over again. An alcoholic is spiritually dead. Alcohol is their higher power, their God. Page 5 �Homeless News Digest compiled by Patty Lane A man who police say beat a homeless man in an attack linked to a White supremacist group has accepted a plea agreement. According to the Seattle Times, David Nikos Platos of Tacoma plead guilty to firstdegree murder in the death of 42­ year-old Randall Townsend. His girlfriend also plead guilty to second-degree murder. As part of their pleas, both will testify against two others charged with aggravated murder. Police say the defendants planned last month’s attack so that one of them could earn red shoelaces in the White supremacist movement. The victim, however, was White. Instead of spending Spring Break hitting the beach and partying, some Minnesota college students decided to use their time to help those in need. Seven women and four men spent their time volunteering at a homeless shelter in Florida, doing everything from painting and casework to sorting clothes and fixing church pews. According to the Sun Sentinel, they also hit the streets. “They did some street outreach ride-alongs and went under bridges and to local parks,” says Diane Bates, executive director of the shelter. For some it was their second Spring Break spent at the shelter. “It was too short a time,” says senior Mariana Mayers. “I wish I had more time to help out, but Spring Break is only one week.” A daytime shelter has different needs than a regular homeless shelter such as providing breakfast, lunch, showers and hygiene items and a clothing closet. The shelter also provides a food bank and bus tokens for such things as job interviews and medical appointments. Bates praises their work: “They not only bring the work that they do in terms of physical labor, but they also bring up our morale. They’re really inspiring. It’s a privilege for us to have them,” she says. From 2000 to 2002, the number of homeless people at Calgary’s homeless shelters rose by 30 percent. But that won’t stop the Alberta capital’s largest shelter from closing its doors this spring. The Calgary Drop-In Centre faces a cash crisis that could shut it down as soon as May 1. In 2002, the Drop-In Centre and the Page 6 city’s four other facilities sheltered 14,181 separate individuals. “That is really unacceptable in Canada and particularly in Alberta,” Floyd Perras of the Mustard Seed Street Ministry told the Calgary Sun. “You feel a hopelessness for these individuals.” A Vancouver politician is calling on citizens to organize patrols of schoolyards in the West End neighborhood of the city, where, says Liberal Party representative Lorne Mayencourt, the homeless and the addicted are increasingly loitering. Mayencourt blames the hangouts on a police crackdown forcing addicts out of the Downtown Eastside, the city’s historic slum neighborhood. But Vancouver School Board trustee Andrea Reimer says cleaning up needles and crack pipes from playgrounds is only a half-measure. The people creating the problem, she told CBC News, “don’t go away. They just leave that neighborhood. And they’re going to go to other neighborhoods.” Reimer says a longer-term solution would include more money for drug treatment and housing. A new bicycle lending and ownership program for the homeless is underway in Kentucky. WAVE 3 Television reports the project, started by Wayside Christian Mission, will give homeless people a transportation option through a bicycle lending facility. The 12­ bike program is expected to go city-wide by the end of the year. Reverend Maurice McCrackin UNITY DAY Honoring the life and Work of the Reverend Maurice (Mac) McCrackin June 11 – 13, 2004 St. Joseph Catholic Church 745 Ezzard Charles Drive at Linn Street “Come whenever you can and stay as long as you can...” - Rev. Maurice McCrackin • Free Breakfast - Lunch – Dinner • Fun Stuff • Vision, Strategy, Action • Art Show / Videos • Small Groups • Music • Information on community organizations • Children’s Activities Amos 5:24 - “But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” As Mac said: “It is up to us to work out the irrigation system.” Come help spearhead the movement for change in Cincinnati. We are the ones in control of Cincinnati’s future. What kind of city do you want to live in? Any contributions will be gratefully received. Please make checks payable to St. Joseph Catholic Church c/o Mac Day. Write “Mac Day” in the memo line. Donations are tax-deductible. For more information contact St. Joseph Catholic Church; 513-381-4526 or Brian Garry; 513-236-4180 or e-mail: briangarry@briangarry.com Streetvibes �Labor of Love by Mary Gaffney Happy Easter to each and everyone. When this issue of Streetvibes reaches you, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus’ death will be over. To my homeless friends, it is on behalf of you that I speak on the problems that you are facing each day, for each of you are still struggling to have employment and a place to live, where there will be no fear of being locked out, abused; some of the things that can happen to my homeless friends. I still try to find time to talk to them, encourage them to not give up. Sometimes they are not in the best of moods while they are trying to secure a job. Sometimes their past, which includes time in Well, some of my friends have worked, served this country, jail, makes these things difficult. They have served their and some have served time for their time, and when they are let out, misdeeds. Yes, they have paid the price and served they are expected to find work. the time for what they were Some receive training – all of involved in. this and they still When a can’t get a job. person gets They are also released from prison, they are victims of people giving them an told to find employment. But attitude, is doesn’t always reminding them work out. They that others work have trouble for a living. Miss Mary Gaffney Remember, they finding a job because they have are watching you as you behave this way. For us a record and no home. This certainly makes them bitter, and more fortunate, we have homes, they feel no one cares. Some jobs, etc. people resort to drinking, etc, and a don’t care attitude. But I talk to them and continue to tell them that there are people who care, and don’t give up on you. Go to an official who is higher if you have to, and ask to see the person who is in charge of the homeless programs. It doesn’t take much to speak with kindness and a little smile. You never know what the future holds for each of us. With the conditions in the world today it is time for everyone to stop and think and remember we are all brothers and sisters in the sight of God, regardless of race or nationality. In the Father’s words, we are all his children. Remember to please be kind because you never know when the kindness you share will be returned to you. The Taxing Truth by David Bisson Lurking behind the recent string of federal tax cuts are the blueprints for a far-right-wing revolution. In a column last year in the Washington Post, Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform and the radical right’s anti-tax ringleader, laid out a program to transform our current tax system into a single flat tax on wages. Unlike Steve Forbes and others who have tried to radically alter the tax code in a single swoop, the contemporary conservative movement favors a more gradual assault. “The new Republican policy is an annual tax cut,” proclaimed Norquist, and “each of the Bush tax cuts, past and proposed, moves us toward fundamental tax reform.” When they say “fundamental tax reform,” rightwingers are talking about dismantling the progressive tax system that has facilitated social progress in the U.S for the past 70 years. They are trying to smother the widely held belief that people should be taxed at different rates based on their ability to pay. And they are proposing a change in the tax system that would hurt most Americans by shifting the tax burden off capital and investments and onto the wages of low- and middle-income taxpayers. To market what should be a wildly unpopular agenda, the conservative movement has devised an arsenal of disinformation. For three years in a row, President Bush has exploited workers’ insecurities in a stagnating economy to pass major tax breaks for his wealthy campaign donors under the guise of economic stimulus. Last summer’s 2003 tax cut provided a potent example: although it was sold as a “jobs and growth” package, the bill is a targeted giveaway to high-income policy. The choices made by citizens and legislators in the near earners and investors who are future will lead the nation down likely to save their windfalls. one of two diverging paths. Working taxpayers, by contrast, Politicians and pundits on the right would spend tax cuts now in ways have offered assurances that the that would stimulate job creation deficits are “manageable’ while and economic growth. The only advocating ever more tax cuts thing Bush’s tax cut stimulates is aimed at the wealthy. Accepting growth in economic inequality. this conservative revolution is An honest look at the likely to produce a fiscal train numbers reveals the tax cut’s wreck that the right will use to staggering inequities. Over the justify elimination or privatization next 10 years, the bill will deliver of social programs that most the same amount, $90 billion, in Americans want and need—namely total tax cuts to the top one-tenth Social Security, Medicare, and of one percent of all U.S households — the tiny number with Medicaid. The main beneficiaries of yearly incomes over $1 million — that train wreck would be large as it will to the entire bottom 88 corporations that would profit from percent. privatization of core government Already, the Republicans’ annual tax cut strategy has had dire services, and wealthy individuals who do not depend on the current consequences for America’s fiscal safety nets and who would keep health. In July of last year, the Bush Administration announced an more of their incomes under a flat tax. The remaining majority would estimated $455 billion federal have less job security, healthcare, budget deficit for fiscal year 2003. A long-term analysis by the Center for Budget Priorities (CBPP) concludes that “under realistic projections, budget deficits will remain at or above $325 billion for each of the next ten years and total $4.1 trillion over that period.” While the Bush administration and its The Know Your Rights supporters have been quick to Brochure is now available at the blame the deficits on unanticipated spending demands, Coalition’s office. The brochure is a legal guide for Cincinnati’s the CBPP report demonstrates homeless and covers a person’s that federal tax breaks enacted basic rights when interacting with since 2001 will, over 2003 and 2004, cost nearly three times the the police, as well as some local laws that might be of interest to combined costs of combat and the homeless population. If you occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan, reconstruction and are a homeless person or if you work with homeless people and relief after the 9/11 attacks, would like to obtain free copies increased expenditures on of the brochure for yourself or homeland security, and the cost of fighting terrorism worldwide. your agency, please call 421­ 7803, or stop by the Coalition America is at a office and pick one up. crossroads of tax and budget and retirement security. If the right succeeds in shifting responsibility for funding social programs to state and local governments whose tax systems disproportionately burden people with lower incomes, most people would pay more taxes for fewer services. Or we can choose the other path: honoring our commitments to aging generations while investing in a future of shared opportunity and prosperity. David Bisson is an intern at United for a Fair Economy and an Economics major at the University of Massachusetts— Amherst Through Gandhi and my own life experience, I have learned about nonviolence. I believe that human life is a very special gift from God, and that no one has a right to take that away in any cause, however just. I am convinced that nonviolence is more powerful than violence - Cesar Chavez Know Your Rights Brochure Available! Streetvibes Page 7 �The Peace Village by Dr. Steve Sunderland museum of the Old John Street Church, we drew posters of what stood out most from our four intensive days of seminars and touring. One of the first year students had drawn a beautiful picture of the cross fashioned from the beams that were destroyed at the World Trade Center that stands at the side of the site. She spoke eloquently about how the cross moved her and how inappropriate it was since no other religious symbol was in evidence. Very quickly, the other members of the trip joined her in agreeing that we had learned so much about diversity and had seen no sign of it at the World Trade Center. A wonderful discussion ensued as one member, TAKING A PEACE TRIP: One of my dreams came true: taking a peace trip with group of people dedicated to learning as much as we could about the different meanings of “peace.” Nine of us, squeezed into a big blue van, headed out from Columbus, Ohio to learn about peace in New York City. Peace Village member, Rev. Paul S. Stark, Wesley Foundation University of Cincinnati Student Center, plus Peace Villager, Ryan Chewning, first year student, UC, joined with six Ohio State University students and the Rev. Donald Wallich, Wesley Foundation, Ohio State University, for four days of visiting and studying the ways of peace in Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, and Jewish service organizations plus meeting with representatives of interfaith peace Dr. Steve Sunderland organizations and having the joy of being a Methodist, thanked another at the UN. We visited the World Trade Center site the home church person, a Catholic, for coming on the trip and for “putting up with of the oldest Methodist congregation in America, the Old her stereotypes of Catholics.” A smile of peace was her answer as John Street Church, and St. John we began to reflect on the deeper the Divine, Harlem, Chinatown, lessons we had gained about the Little Italy and mid-town ability to open our minds to the Manhattan. meanings of peace, friendship and We stayed in a most solidarity with those working for unusual church that was peace. Our conversation returned undergoing massive renovation: St. Johns/St. Andrew in the 80s on to the importance that one person can make in the working for the West Side. This Methodist peace. We felt very lucky to have Church also housed an Orthodox met so many people who were Jewish Congregation, a Sufi working for peace under many dance group, the set for the religious flags. television program, “Law and Yet, our discussion after Order,” and many support groups. being at the World Trade Center We slept on the floor of the “Board Room” until a mouse and had opened our eyes to the questions about how religious the cold chased us to pews and organizations participate in peace couches in other rooms. (After a day, the Holiday Inn “called” me. activities. Was the major I went.) The church was also the motivation a chance to promote a faith based program, aiming at center of a food distribution program that was massive and we enlisting disciples, while also working for social justice? Could joined a team of the church in taking a morning to empty a large sectarian organizations, even ones moving van of foodstuffs and then that had no desire to convert recipients of their peace efforts, packed shelves with these accomplish this goal while also treasures. representing a religious frame of The most important reference? The Rev. Bud consequence was being with Heckman, executive director of college students and ministers as the US Conference of Religions we underwent the change that For Peace, startled us with his only deep immersion in peace opening statement: “We assume work can bring. Toward the end of the trip, sitting in the basement/ that religions are forces for evil Page 8 until we see how their actions promote peace and justice.” Bud led us in a thoughtful workshop that helped us explore just how serious we were about wanting and working for peace. Bud challenged us to begin to choose to see if what we really wanted was to promote charity or, and here he stared straight at us or, “do you really want to change your mind set and become Moses, leading to major changes?” “Seeing the real structure of peace and what we are up against,” Bud went on, “means changing our minds about who and what is important in what we do.” His talk began to offer a powerful tool for looking at the Methodist, Presbyterian, Jewish, and Catholic programs as well as helping us understand the forces arrayed against the UN efforts for peace. Peace work, in sum, seemed like a minor backwater for the world, flowing as a thin stream to and from the major religious organizations. Or, most sadly, a minor river in an ocean of war making organizations and countries that have tremendous resources, but look at the UN as an artificial harbor for peace. The decisions that made up this structure of aggression seemed to be well known by each organizational religious representative we spoke to. Yet, the willingness to make do with pennies when billions of dollars were desperately needed for hunger, housing, health, and other basic community peace programs were a part of their heroism and inspiring commitment. Walking the halls of the UN we saw the consequences of the policies of neglect in the pictures and exhibits of wars, the charts about hunger, and the too long list of those who have died, under UN sponsorship, from trying to protect or bring peace. A fabulous Sengelese guide tried to keep our spirits high, inspiring us with stories of how peace had been achieved and lost and then regained. There was a sense of time running out for peace work. Ruth Messenger, Peace Villager, and president of the American Jewish World Service, a peace corp kind of organization for Jewish college students wanting to work for justice in non-Jewish places, spoke of the costs of inaction in the fight to reduce AIDS in Africa. “Your children will ask you,” Ruth pointedly said, “just what you did to reduce this genocide.” We all nodded at her statements and were able to connect them to our UN guide: “I believe the UN is working and can work better,” Streetvibes she said with assurance. “Yet, the problems facing us are immense,” she mused, as we looked at the room where the Security Council meets. We finished our tour looking at a charred sculpture of a religious figure severely burned by the bomb at Hiroshima. “More have died from hand guns in the world last year than from the bomb she said.” The pictures were echoes of the pictures in the lobby of the UN of children, of the same age, starving to death from hunger and malnutrition. “Would there be time for these children to regain childhood, adolescence, and a safe adulthood?” we had to wonder as the story of world war and the small role of the UN became increasingly visible. Just as the cold wind of the World Trade Center, added to the devastating pictures of what the buildings looked like after the bomb, and it was starting to touch our marrows, we made it over to the 12 o’clock service at the Old John Street Church, a little 18th century structure looking way out of place in the midst of the skyscrapers of Wall Street. As we walked into the church and up the stairs we were warmly greeted by the sounds of hundreds of voices singing, “This Little Light of Mine,” as an African-American Baptist congregation had come down from the Bronx to lead the service. Their joyous voices, the warm greetings, and the general spirit of love and joy, so filled us as to make us forget, for the moment, what lay outside this door.45 minutes of intense Baptist group therapy made our smiles return, our hopes stop limping, and our hearts full of the spirit of joining a community of song and hope. The sun shone in this little church, as our voices joined in the chorus of some of the oldest and best peace songs. Dr. Steve Sunderland, professor of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati, is the Director of The Peace Village, a group of individuals from the national and international community committed to examining all issues of Peace in the world. Dr. Sunderland also heads up Posters-for-Peace which engages people in expressing their visions of Peace, in their own words, through the creation of posters. �The GCCH would like to thank Starbucks for their generous donation of coffee and pastries. Streetvibes is a member of the North American Street Newspaper Association and the International Network of Street Papers e Str etv ibe s Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Support Your Vendor Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct All Vendors Sign and Agree to a Code of Conduct Report Any Violations to GCCH - 421-7803 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 30 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers can not be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. Vendors must also never sell Streetvibes door-to-door. 8. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be honest in stating that all profits go to the individual vendor. Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 9. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 10. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 11. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. 20 YEARS SERVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living ­ General Omar Bradley Streetvibes Support your local Streetvibes Vendor! Your vendor keeps 70 cents of every dollar..... I sing the song of hope, wishing for peace and happiness. Of spiritual feeling and happiness. For God’s wisdom and Salvation, kindness and freedom of prayer. And in the minds and hearts of men, they dream of brothers and fathers and of son’s respect. Honoring humanity is to be the keeper of Love, and to redeem yourself of temptation of sin. To renew the soul of damnation, so they be right, and of Heaven. by Ronald English, Streetvibes Vendor Page 9 �Cincinnati’s Big League Opening Day Photo’s by John Zeh, Streetvibes Vendor In most big-league cities, Opening Day is just the first of 162 regular season games. In Cincinnati Ohio, Opening Day resembles a holiday. Tickets for the 128th Reds Opening Day game against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park sold out in a record 16 minutes. Thousands of fans lined downtown streets on April 5th for the 85th Findlay Market Opening Day Parade and Vice President Dick Cheney was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Stadium. This year’s Opening Day festivities took on a somber tone with the passing of Reds minority owner Marge Schott, who died on March 2 at the age of 75, and Reds outfielder Dernell Stenson, who was killed in Arizona on November 15. Both Schott and Stenson were honored with video tributes and a moment of silence prior to the Opening Day game. Schott was represented at the Findlay Market Parade by her sisters and a 21-St. Bernard salute in honor of Schott’s love for dogs. The Grand Marshall for the Findlay Market Parade was former big-league outfielder Dave Parker. Parker, a Cincinnati native, played 19 years in the Major Leagues including four seasons with the Reds from 1984 to ’87. This year’s parade featured 182 parade units and 20 marching bands. Sam, one of two nationally-trained bald eagles, flew into Great American Ball Park from center field at 1:30 to begin the pregame ceremonies at the Red’s stadium. Platinum-selling country music star Sara Evans sang “God Bless America” and Cincinnati native and Universal recording artist Nick Lachey sang the National Anthem, followed by a flyover by U.S. Marine F-18 fighter jets. Vice President Cheney, escorted by Reds majority owner Carl H. Lindner, then strolled to the mound and delivered a strike to Reds catcher Jason LaRue. Underground Railroad Freedom Center Opening Day Parade marchers Parade marchers in vintage Cincinnati Red Stockings uniforms Berta’s Art Corner Sara with mother goat - photo by Sonny Williams, Streetvibes Vendor In every child who is born, no matter what circumstances, and of no matter what parents, the potentiality of the human race is born again: and in him, too, once more, and of each of us, our terrific responsibility toward human life; toward the utmost idea of goodness, of the horror of terror, and of God - James Agee Inside the Window, 40 W. Liberty Street, NE corner of Liberty and Race Streets, Over­ the-Rhine Page 10 There have been periods of history in which episodes of terrible violence occurred but for which the word violence was never used...Violence is shrouded in justifying myths that lend it moral legitimacy, and these myths for the most part kept people from recognizing the violence for what it was. The people who burned witches at the stake never for one moment thought of their act as violence; rather they though of it as an act of divinely mandated righteousness. The same can be said of most of the violence we humans have ever committed - Gil Bailie Streetvibes �Photo’s of Fallen Soldiers Stirs Controversy Flag-draped coffins are secured inside a cargo plane on April 7 at Kuwait International Airport. Military and civilian crews take great care with the remains of U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq. Soldiers form an honor guard and say a prayer as, almost nightly, coffins are loaded for the trip home. The aluminum boxes, in ordered rows, are bound by clean white straps on freshly scrubbed pallets. American flags are draped evenly over the coffins. Uniformed honor guards form on either side of the pallets as they move from the tarmac to the entryways of the cargo planes. There are prayers, salutes and hands on hearts. Then the caskets are carefully placed in cargo holds for a flight to Germany. In recent weeks, military and civilian contract crews have loaded scores of these caskets onto planes departing the U.S. military area of Kuwait International Airport, south of Kuwait City. And the rituals are repeated over and over again. More time also is devoted to the dead. The fallen come into Kuwait on flights from Baghdad. Before they are loaded onto the outbound aircraft, soldiers in full uniform form parallel lines along the tarmac. There is a prayer. Then loaders lift up the coffins, which are joined on board by soldiers who share the final journey. After going first to Germany, according to the military, they fly to Dover Air Base in Delaware. Since the end of the Vietnam War, presidents have worried that their military actions would lose support once the public glimpsed the remains of U.S. soldiers arriving at air bases in flag-draped caskets. To this problem, the Bush administration has found a simple solution: It has ended the public dissemination of such images by banning news coverage and photography of dead soldiers’ homecomings on all military bases. In March, on the eve of the Iraq war, a directive arrived from the Pentagon at U.S. military bases. “There will be no arrival ceremonies for, or media coverage of, deceased military personnel returning to or departing from Ramstein, Germany airbase or Dover, Deleware base, to include interim stops,” the Defense Department said, referring to the major ports for the returning remains. Though Dover Air Force Base, which has the military’s largest mortuary, has had restrictions for 12 years, others “may not have been familiar with the policy,” the spokeswoman said. This year, “we’ve really tried to enforce it.” “The way everyone salutes with such emotion and intensity and respect. The families would be proud to see their sons and daughters saluted like that,” says Tami Silicio, a contract employee from the Seattle area who works the night shift at the cargo terminal. For U.S. troops, April has been the worst month of this war, with over 100 service members killed by hostile fire. “So far this month, almost every night we send them home,” Silicio said. “... It’s tough. Very tough.” Silicio says those who lost loved ones in Iraq should understand the care and devotion that civilians and military crews dedicate to the task of returning the soldiers home. Silicio says she shares her motto, “Purpose and Cause,” with colleagues who appear worn down from the job: “We serve a purpose and we have a cause — that’s what living life is all about.” Ms Silicio, 50, worked for Maytag Aircraft Corporation, which has a contract to handle cargo for the US Government at Kuwait’s international airport. In the course of her job, she would often see soldiers’ coffins in the back of aircraft, on their way from Iraq to burial in the US. Earlier this month ­ one of the deadliest for coalition soldiers - Ms Silicio decided to photograph the coffins. She then asked a friend, Amy Katz, to forward the image to her local newspaper, The Seattle Times. “Tami wanted to share the image with the American people,” said Ms Katz. The editor of The Seattle Times, Mike Fancher, said he decided to publish the photograph on the front page because it was “undeniably newsworthy”. Ms Katz said that after the picture was published Ms Silicio was “called into her supervisor’s office and severely reprimanded. She explained why she did it, but they fired her and her husband (David Landry) too.” She said Ms Silicio “really wanted mothers of the soldiers to know how the coffins were handled”. After being fired, Ms Silicio was quoted as saying: “I feel like I was hit in the chest with a steel bar... I have to admit I liked my job and liked what I did.” Portions of this story were researched from the Seattle Times and the Washington Post. Some of the photos released through the Freedom of Information Act and now in the public domain. More photos can be viewed at http://www. thememoryhole.org Streetvibes Page 11 �InkTank Writing Project Engages Drop Inn Center Residents InkTank was created in November 2003 to act as a lightening rod for local writers, where writing could flourish outside programs housed in universities and academic institutions. We are striving to nurture non-traditional voices and the creativity inherent in all of us through writing-based initiatives. At the present time, the Tank is up and rolling in a broad range of venues. We work on creative writing skills with children ages 8-12 at Emanuel Community. At the Drop Inn Center, volunteers meet with two writing groups on a weekly basis - partipants in their residential substance abuse recovery programs. Creative writing classes for seniors are offered at the Corryville Recreation Center, as well as a class by Kathy Y. Wilson. A group for young women at 7 Hills Neighborhood Center puts special emphasis on African American culture. “Women of Success in Over the Rhine,” a cooperative effort with Emanuel Center, Jobs Plus, Peaslee Neighborhood Center, the Sarah Center, and OTR Chamber of Commerce was presented at Final Friday in March in honor of Women’s History Month. Our latest addition to the InkTank stable of cultural partners, Playhouse in the Park, will sponsor our alternative speakers’ series in the fall. And we are in discussion with the University of Cincinnati to add a service component to writing courses for college credit. At the root of all our endeavors is the belief that good writing can and does happen in less than conventional or ideal circumstances. Writing is power and everyone with a pen and a piece of paper has the potential to write. But not everyone who has something of value to say has the resources to find a vehicle for their voice in traditional ways. By bringing together community centers, area writers and teachers, volunteers, and arts supporters, InkTank can encourage new voices, improve cross-cultural understanding , and perhaps, unite a city the same way its been done since the invention of language, by telling each other our stories. Some of the InkTank writing from the Drop Inn Center Recovery Program Being a Father by Antonio Reed I picked this topic because I am a father in name only. I have five children and for three of them I was a part of their lives just a little. My oldest son is about to be 16 and my only daughter is about to be 9 months. I can’t say I know how to be a father because I feel that drugs have always stood in my way. If drugs wasn’t with me, they were with one of my baby’s mothers. One of them is the woman I have three children with. Her past is being held against her. I know all the wrong things my father has done in my eye sight, how I wanted him to be there for me, to support me. But it never happened. He has three children, me, a brother of mine and a sister. They had the support. I didn’t. They are doing good. I’m not now. I’m trying to figure out how not to follow those same footsteps, the mistakes that my father made. And I hated him so much for that. One day when the drugs no longer clouded my mind and I could see clearly that I was walking in my dad’s footprints, doing the exact same thing. And it really hurts me. At times, more than I sow it. That was one of my reasons for using drugs, to cover those hurtful feelings. I tell myself each and every day that I can be a good father. The only thing I have to do is give myself that chance. Three of my children are in the custody of Children Services. I can’t see them until they get to be eighteen years old. One is fifteen. One is seven. One is three. And my daughter I’m in court with now. There are a few things I want very bad in life. Here they are: To learn how to stop using drugs for good. To be a part of all my children’s life so that I can one day tell them the truth of why I couldn’t be there. I’ve hurt from not having a father for so long. I know I got what it takes to be one. Fatherhood by Drew A father should be strong and at the same time have the compassion of a mother. A father should lead with a firm hand and also have motherly tenderness. A father needs to discipline, but also reward. A father must teach to honor and respect, to hold one’s own and be responsible for yourself as well as for any loved one or fellow human being. A father must know when to scold as well as when to embrace, to protect and love when times are so cloudy. Fathers must create sunny days when skies are gray. And above all else, a father should absorb the pain that leaks out from our children, absorb it like a sponge. To know when to be hard as a rock, yet soft as cotton, planting seeds of growth in our little ones so that they will have an unlimited future. This is what a father should do. Father – Hood! My father. by Ron O’Neal When I was young, I thought I would like to be like my father. But the older I got, the less like him I wanted to be. Maybe it’s because I never realized how hard it was to be one until I became one. Compared to me my father was great. It’s like saying you can do something someone else is doing, because it looks so easy. I never realized what my father was up against at the time. Now I would like to take my hat off to him for doing a great job. I only wish I could do even half the job he did! Now I know how much he cared for me. Being a Father by Victor Shearer When I think about being a father, I wish I could be a better father in the life that I now live. The father that I knew was always drinking, fussing. But he made us do what we had to do. The house was clean. The beds were made. My mother was somewhat happy – at least until there was the discovery of a new woman. He was having an affair while with my mother. Well, I guess my view of a father was to make sure the house was clean and the kids did their chores. At least that was what I thought with my first little girl. I raised her with the help of my mother, God bless her heart. I love my mother so much. She did everything she could to make us happy. She made me the father I am today. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would do it with love, understanding, and comfort. Don’t be Squirrelly! Buy Streetvibes! Page 12 Streetvibes �Comic Store Pulls Bumfights Video in Response to Boycott by Paula Mathieu Once in a while, David really does beat Goliath. Sometimes a handful of ordinary people make a difference, even if it’s a small one. That some time is today. Due to a boycott initiated by the Homeless Empowerment Project (HEP), publisher of Spare Change News, Newbury Comics has removed the Bumfights and Bumhunter videos from its shelves. These videos, which Newbury Comics had been selling, capture homeless people performing violent acts on themselves and others in exchange for small amounts of money and food. “It feels good, what can I say. We’re told our whole lives that little individuals can make a difference, and we did,” said Nate Marsella, who handed out flyers and stood in the cold during each boycott. “It was a good thing, a good lesson.” According to Alex Tsouvalas, HEP volunteer and organizer of the boycott, the decision to take on Newbury Comics was not taken lightly. Tsouvalas had tried unsuccessfully to work quietly with Newbury Comics beginning in August 2003, urging them to stop selling the videos. “Newbury Comics didn’t really get it. They always tried to frame the issue as their right to sell offensive material. They never seemed to care about the people who were abused or exploited,” said Tsouvalas. The decision to remove the videos came abruptly on February 3, as a news crew from New England Cable News (NECN), interviewed HEP staff and volunteers regarding the boycott. Newbury Comics, rather than meeting with NECN reporter Mont Fennell, issued a statement saying, “Due to the media circus, we’re pulling the videos.” “I was a little pissed to hear that they took the videos off the shelf because of the media circus. I still have a bad taste about Newbury Comics in my mouth,” said Marsella. On the positive side, Tsouvalas noted that it was good to see HEP become active on an issue of local advocacy. “There’s the important advocacy that we normally do on a daily basis, giving people income and a public voice, and then there’s getting out in the street about an injustice we see, like this video. It’s the first time we’ve done anything like this. As an organization we’ve learned a lot, how to build relations with other media outlets and use the media of Spare Change News to affect local issues.” HEP staff and volunteers are celebrating this small victory, but are putting it into perspective. The problem of exploiting homeless people persists. “When people are poor and desperate and someone can make money off of them, exploitation can happen,” said Tsouvalas. He described that during the first protest three men on the streets asked an HEP volunteer how much they might be paid to appear in such a video. “That’s a level of desperation that’s hard for us to understand,” said Tsouvalas. While Bumfights and Bumhunters are no longer for sale at Newbury Comics, the culture of violence against homeless people portrayed in the videos remains widespread. Spare Change News distribution manager Ken Campbell relayed during the television interview with NECN that when he was homeless, some teenagers set fire to the blanket under which he was sleeping in a park. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), in 2002 there were 37 documented incidents of similar crimes against homeless people, resulting in 16 deaths. NCH is encouraging people to support legislation that would classify deliberate acts of violence against homeless people as a hate crime. National Student Organization Works to End Hunger participate in the Hunger and campuses across the country organize Hunger and Homelessness Homelessness Awareness Week, fill and Homelessness out the online registration form or by Wendy Guild Swearingen The National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness (NSCAHH) works with a coalition of students and community members across the country to end hunger and homelessness through education, service, and action. “Students organize a variety of projects ranging from food drives, to weekly service projects, to tutoring programs, to studentrun soup kitchens,” said Jennifer Hecker, the organizing director of NSCAHH’s National Organizing Office in Amherst, Massachusetts. Describing NSCAHH’s inception and goals Hecker said, “The National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness was established on the belief that students are a critical force in the fight against hunger and homelessness. Today, the Student Campaign is the largest national coalition of students and community members working to address the problems of hunger and homelessness through community service, education, and advocacy. “We know that hunger and homelessness don’t have to exist in the richest country in the world. But as a society we haven’t prioritized addressing hunger and homelessness in any systematic way and therefore these problems continue to grow. Our goal is to increase civic involvement and create a community that demands the end of hunger and homelessness. Since our inception, we have mobilized countless volunteers and raised more than $1.5 million for hunger and homelessness relief efforts.” Started two decades ago by the PIRGs [Public Interest Research Groups] and USA for Africa, NSCAHH is now the largest student network fighting hunger and homelessness in the country, with more than 600 participating campuses in 45 states. Among its many accomplishments in the past sixteen years, NSCAHH has helped school Awareness Weeks; held conferences to educate students and administrators about hunger and homelessness issues and projects; established food salvage programs that provide surplus cafeteria and restaurant food to food banks and shelters; developed Project Partnership to build community and campus coalitions; organized political efforts; and, through the Annual Hunger Cleanup, involved some 110,000 volunteers in service projects to raise more than $1 million for domestic and international relief. NSCAHH makes getting involved easy. If you would like to Streetvibes Vendor: 70 cents Printing and Production: 30 cents Streetvibes call (800) 664-8647. Students should check with other campus organizations to find out which groups are active on the issues or want to be. The site also provides links to letter templates that students can customize and send to their local senators, representatives, and newspaper editors. The letters ask support for the Section 8 Housing Voucher program, the National Housing Trust Fund Act, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Reprinted from Spare Change News Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. Page 13 �Prison by Reenie M. Kidd Ware 18 months n Florida State Prison, stated the Judge, I was shocked, appalled, I needed a hug. My addiction, this time, had taken me too far, No longer could I keep my feelings locked in a jar. I thought my life was over, my life, as I knew it, Once again, I messed up; yeah I guess I blew it. I did not know what was ahead, I just felt I‘d rather be dead. My family I hurt, they no longer claimed me, Disturbed and torn, I called on God, please help me. Once realizing that God was still there for me, He never left me; it was I who left He. So I started to pray more and more each day, Realizing that God was in my life to stay. As time went on the pain subsided, Because of God’s love for me, I’m a survivor. I may be in prison, but that’s just technically, Because I have peace of mind, so really, I’m free. So just when you think that life is too tough, Pray and pray some more, you can never pray enough. Turning Grey In Summer I.B. Iskov I know what men want obsessed with beauty thin enough to pass through a needle I dress each day pretending to be size 8 squeeze into clothes ten years too tight Crack of Dawn by jh The assemblage of slouching young men, frowning, angry arms and hair and music. Gathered in their own garbage - bottles, bones, wind-blown trash circling the shattered hearts. someone else stares at me through the glass a pathetic woman turns grey like the sky in mist and fog Hideous, deadly, desperate eyes repeat the scanning ritual - Melt, Weed, Knife, Rob. Death by time, their youth buried, beneath the smoldering asphalt, that marks their pitiful scent. I imagine but and yellow catch sunlight drown in the grey of a cloud The future was then, marked by the innocence of a young child, scarred by the slashing of the relentless hate of men, and mom, and broken glass. earlier in summer men watched me shine the colour of a snapdragon after the rain Like stained and broken bedding, they wait by the curb, for the end of their minds. Reprinted from NYStreetnewsbiz We must always remember how precious we are, I’d rather be here, at peace, because I’ve come so far. Prison to me is a blessing in disguise, No more living sinful, because today I’m more wise. For me whatever problems I have, I give to God, He takes away hurt and pain, without sparing the rod. Prison time has given me the chance to look at my life, I want to serve God, be a good sister, mother, daughter and/or a good wife. So life is what you make it, don’t ever give up, Turn your life over to God, for He you can trust. So...18 months, so stated the judge, if I could see him, for he saved my life, I’d give him a hug. Book of Change by Sonny Williams how to say you’ve changed to two dead girls after ravishing them in the jungle; because they were VC. tossing them on the trail with holes in their middle to bleed in the mud by the village where their ancestors lived for centuries both face up turning nightly with screams of pain, pleas for mercy in your dreams? Page 14 I’m Not Alone by Robert Manassa The Bullet Iraqi poet I tried to domesticate the bullet, To take her with me to school, To teach her the alphabet And have her speak But she is made of black clay and stuffed with canned blood I tried to domesticate the bullet, To take her to the water-spring, To the fields of dew. But she has consumptive lips That love to kiss the lips of death To rummage or wreck And blow ashes in our eyes. I tried to domesticate the bullet, To lead her to the truth, To wash her copper with perfumes And replace her gunpowder with sweets. But she refused to be unlocked; and remained dripping pus, With poison in her breath. I woke up this morning, singing a new song. I even took the time out to thank the Lord. I’ve been reborn There’s not a day or nite that passes me by That I don’t send up praises to the Lord on high. I know that I have all my sins forgiven me. I have my Heavenly Father above, Watching over me continuously. I never, ever worry; I don’t have to fret, I have someone walking and talking with me. He’s never left me, nor has he failed me yet, I’m not alone. Writers! Submit your Poetry to STREETVIBES ­ Streetvibes@juno.com Streetvibes �Friends Departed To my friends that have passed, That fell victim to the streets, just another nameless face, forgotten by most. With the dawning of a new day, To you I make this vow; That people will once again know your name And you shall not be forgotten. City Cancer Love by Joani Lacy by Geraldine Devine Urban blight is multi-faceted. Ii comes in the form of decaying buildings, once grand and cared for until the caring died. It comes in the shape of rotting ideals whose reality is never near the dream. Urban blight is a city cancer, curable, but difficult to treat while it spreads through the streets. It feeds off of reckless youth with their pumped up energy until there is nothing to be done, except to excise the diseased areas. Love is a word that used to sound and mean so much When it was spoken from someone’s mouth, then that person you should trust. Urban blight is a symbol of our times. God and the devil facing off under a street lamp. I wish to thank you, my friends, For the lives you touched, Including mine. Our friendship, the times and memories we shared, I shall cherish. To you, my friend, I will not say goodbye, only Until we meet. For in my heart, You’re still very much alive. Dawn of Time by Dwight A. Turner Love was never a word to be and action, that was just thrown around. t had real meaning, real feeling; and with a persons heart it covered so much ground. Love used to be and action, or in English known as a verb, But now we are living in a time where not much of a purpose does it serve. Let’s take this word, give and show it as our Father does from above. Let’s take, put, power, spread, and recharge this important word called Love. In the universe there’s a cluster of stars. Cam I touch one without touching two? I may even touch the sun without it burning me. I blessed your country to be brave and free, But you keep locking yourself up, throwing away the key. Is it that I can see? Or is it the light within, which makes you afraid of me? I gave you light, from the sun, the moon, the stars, That you see. So why in this world is it so hard for you to see me? Shutter Speed by Jimmy Heath Liberty Street, Over-the-Rhine Streetvibes Page 15 �At the Crossroads of Gender and Homelessness by Soula Pefkaros It Was a Wonderful Life dir. Michéle Ohayon (Ridgebury Films) You wouldn’t realize it but the woman standing next to you is homeless. She looks clean and kept. She has a job. She has an honorary doctorate and comes from an upper-middle class family. She was a famous singer who traveled around the world on tour. She lived in a beautiful home on the beach and spent free time horseback riding with her children. But she fell. She broke her hip and had to stop teaching, lost all her money in medical bills and lives out of her car with her dogs. She got sick, lost the apartment she shared with her husband and lives out of a U-Haul when she can afford it. Her husband left her pregnant with a sixth child and does not pay his child support. She has permanently damaged her back from endless nights of sleeping in the reclined driver’s seat of her car. She was a business consultant, successful, until recession caused her to lose all her clients; she lives in a motel with her three children with no support from her exhusband. It Was A Wonderful Life, directed by Michéle Ohayon and narrated by Jodie Foster, is a docudrama about the lives of seven of the thousands of “Hidden Homeless” women in the United States. Newly out on DVD, the film exposes the stark realities that homeless women face in order to Their stories are unique, survive day to day. Through this with some similarities. Josephine, a exposé, Ohayon poses critical painter from an upper-middle class questions about the experience of homeless women and the crossroad family, said, “It seems to me that in a society where people don’t care of gender and homelessness. about the homeless, anyone could We talk about become homeless,” a feeling that homelessness; this is what we do. resonates with each of the women. We seek to be a “voice for the Reena, who was a successful singer voiceless.” It is through this in her youth and led a comfortable understanding that we struggle to life until suffering the economic put an end to the myths of devastation of a bad divorce, says, homelessness, get at its roots, and “Why can’t the help come before find some way out. There is a you’re homeless?” plethora of films, articles, and According to the film, after books that address homelessness. What we don’t realize is that in our a divorce, a mother and children discussion of homelessness, we are remiss in recognizing the genderWe have clearly fallen into a specific struggles that hole so deep that services sometimes separate a woman’s experience from a meant to aid those in need man’s. often result in worsening the Homelessness means high risk as situation. Our system is individuals find themselves such that, in a moment, any susceptible to the elements of a world without shelter. person can find himself or For many women, staying herself homeless and yet at a shelter is not an option climbing out of this poverty because of the risk of rape or assault or having their can take a lifetime.... few possessions stolen from them. Homeless women will experience a 73 percent drop stay out of the public eye. in standard of living; a husband will Keeping clean requires involved exertion for any homeless experience a 42 percent increase. Fifty percent of divorced fathers do person and can be the weight that not pay child support. Two thirds tips the scale in finding work. Cleanliness carries with it an added of divorced fathers pay more in monthly car payments than child urgency for homeless women as seeming unclean and “homeless” is support. The inefficiencies of social a risk factor. As Lou, one of the women spotlighted in the film says, services for homeless or at-risk women are made gravely clear. In just keeping clean takes the whole the case of Reena, it is a court day. system that does not enforce the child-support payments a divorced father is supposed to be making. In the case of Jeanette, it is a Section 8 program (a federally funded housing assistance program) that isn’t paying its half of the rent. It is social work case-managers that are overwhelmed with a staggering 4,000 cases each. We have clearly fallen into a hole so deep that services meant to aid those in need often result in worsening the situation. Our system is such that, in a moment, any person can find himself or herself homeless and yet climbing out of this poverty can take a lifetime. The harsh truth is that things have not changed much in the 11 years since the film’s initial release. The country continues to face chaotic economic turmoil and consistent cutting of funds. The title of the film is resonant with the poverty and homelessness many women (and others) are forced to deal with during these years of massive military spending and reduced social services. And the film goes beyond awareness; it stirs something deeply personal as you witness the resolute strength mustered by these women. At that point, the challenge is there—it is your turn to act. Soula is an activist, freelance writer, and member of the live-in community at Haley House in Boston Reprinted from What’s Up Newspaper Beltway Humor: Media React to Bush’s Weapons Jokes FAIR - Fairness & Accuracy corps, which seemed to write it off Hemmer mentioned that “there was show a sense of humor, and I think, a slideshow shown a little later. as harmlessly “self-deprecating” In Reporting - 112 W. 27th for the most part, it was taken that Maybe we’ll get to that later in our way.” As the morning wore on, humor. Many of the press accounts Street, New York, NY 10001 When presidents appear at the annual Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner, it’s traditional for them to tell a few jokes. But when George W. Bush appeared last month (3/24/04), he made a series of “jokes” about the failure to find the weapons of mass destruction that had been the central justification of his invasion of Iraq. Part of Bush’s routine included slides showing administration officials looking around the White House for something. “Those weapons of mass destruction must be somewhere,” Bush explained while showing one of the images, which elicited laughter from the audience of politicians and media figures. Interestingly, Bush’s comments were hardly controversial to the Beltway press Page 16 the next day did not raise questions about Bush’s humorous reference to his administration’s bogus rationale for a war that has cost thousands of lives— American and Iraqi. For the media, such humor was expected. “Well, every night we hear people on TV telling jokes about President Bush, but last night it was the president’s turn to tell jokes about the president,” CBS anchor Julie Chen explained (3/25/ 04), adding that “at least someone’s making jokes about it other than the late-night talk show hosts.” CNN’s American Morning show on March 25 provided a glimpse at the gulf between the media reaction and the public response to Bush’s sense of humor. After playing some clips from Bush’s speech, CNN anchor Bill broadcast. There were some good funny lines in that, too.” But once CNN aired Bush’s weapons jokes, its audience saw what the anchors and correspondents missed. CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien announced that the program was getting a surprisingly negative stream of emails from viewers, and asked Hemmer what the reaction at the dinner had been. He explained: “I think the reception was pretty receptive, for lack of a better phrase. I can understand what you’re hearing. There was a little rumbling about whether or not it was sensitive enough to the reality that we all know two and a half years later, also with the situation in Iraq as well. But overall, I think it was a speech that was given a way where the president tried to Streetvibes CNN co-anchor Jack Cafferty read numerous messages from outraged viewers, and characterized the reaction as “overwhelmingly” negative. NBC’s Washington bureau chief Tim Russert defended Bush’s comments, explaining on the Today show (3/26/04) that while Democrats and military families might be critical, “rather than be judgmental, let me just step back. Ironically, for me the exact same joke was told to me two weeks ago by a very rabid anti-war Democrat. In the context of that evening, after the president made those jokes, he had very emotional comments about the military in Iraq…. So if Weapon’s Jokes... Continued on page 18 �Finding the Invisible Class by Lindsay Thomas You probably already know that Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Nearly 370 years old. Maybe you also know that Harvard is the wealthiest nonprofit institution in the world aside from the Roman Catholic Church. But did you know that until 2002 Harvard paid its lowest level workers as little as $6.75 an hour? Between the years 1994 and 2001, Harvard’s endowment fund nearly tripled to $20 billion, while the university cut wages and benefits of the lowest-paid employees, keeping well over 1,000 of them below the federal poverty line. Harvard had a habit of outsourcing positions such as janitors, guards, and dining hall workers to avoid classifying them as full-time employees, and therefore avoiding giving them vacation time, sick days, and other benefits. Even directly hired “regular” employees’ wages hovered around only $10 an hour. In the fall of 1998, a group of Harvard students took action and planned the Harvard Living Wage Campaign. In 1999, during his senior year, one of the campaign volunteers, Greg Halpern, decided to take some action of his own. Halpern didn’t know any of the above statistics when he entered his freshman year at Harvard in 1995. But by graduation he would begin the four-year project of chronicling these workers’ untold stories and capturing their forgotten faces in his book, Harvard Works Because We Do. It all started around 4:00 a.m. with a woman named Carol- Ann Malatesta, who cleaned the Phoenix, an all-male social club where Halpern was a member. “Carol-Ann came into work and started to clean up the party we had just had,” he said. “There was an unusually good dynamic between her and everyone because she went out of her way to talk to everyone. But she started to wipe the table where one guy had his legs up. He was so fixated on the TV, I guess, that he just lifted his legs up, not really noticing CarolAnn, so she could finish wiping the table.” After the incident at the Phoenix, Halpern decided to document the personal stories of some of Harvard’s grossly underpaid employees, individuals with two jobs and 70-hour workweeks, who still could not make ends meet. With a camera and a tape recorder, he set out to meet another side of Harvard. In the preface to the book, Halpern recalls one of many humbling moments during the project: “When I asked Gary Newmark - the first person I interviewed for this book - if I could talk to him about his job, his response was, ‘You want to know about regular working stiffs? You want to know what I do? I unloaded from a truck probably every book you ever read at Harvard. That’s what I do.’ It was my first honest conversation with a campus service worker.” Harvard’s Progressive Student Labor Movement began the Living Wage Campaign with a handful of students, including Halpern and his friend Aaron Bartley, one of the initial founders of the campaign. The goal was simple - to convince the university, Cambridge’s largest employer, to adopt the living wage ordinance that the city was already reviewing to bring the minimum wage up to an inflation adjustable $10 an hour. For three years, the campaign struggled against the unwillingness of the Harvard administration and then-university president Neil Rudenstein to acknowledge unjust labor and wage practices. Halpern’s photographs and interviews, which were passed around to students and faculty, were indisputable evidence of the real - but often unnoticed ­ individuals suffering the hardships of unfair wages. “What I wanted was for the reader to have to make eye contact with these people - a kind of confrontation between the reader and the workers,” he said. “It was my way of making the reader look them in the eye and meet the kind of people they may never have noticed before.” One of the most striking series of photographs, all of which are in black and white, is of Wilson Saint Claire, who we learn is from Haiti. Standing outside one of Harvard’s characteristic red brick halls in a tweed vest and blazer and looking confidently into the camera, he might pass for a professor on his way to class. On the following page we see the same Wilson Saint Claire hunched over in workpants and work shirt to clean under a piece of furniture, and his story: “I was 20 when I finished college. Yes, I finished college. And the thing that is difficult for us when we come here is that no matter your class in Haiti, when you come here, you have to work as a cleaner just to survive. . . . My old supervisor, he was from Haiti, and he was high class there, too. And so when I started, when I picked up a mop, he told me, ‘Don’t think about it, Wilson, just do it.’” After a three-week sit-in, the Living Wage Campaign convinced the Harvard administration to implement a one­ time wage boost, scoring a victory for living wage campaigns nationwide. The win was indeed something to celebrate, yet the campaign’s primary request - an actual living wage - was adamantly refused. Poignantly absent from Halpern’s collection of photographs are any images that might instill a sense of resolution. Much work remains to be done. Harvard still outsources a portion of its lower wage employees. With inflation, in a couple of years the one-time wage increase will become insignificant. Even more, the Living Wage Campaign itself is struggling to maintain a cohesive center, according to Halpern. “After the sit-in, most of the students who helped graduated and then none of the incoming students took over,” he said. “In ten years, is anyone going to remember?” Harvard Works Because We Do is an arresting reminder of the people behind a movement that, even if only briefly, reached across the great divide that exists between the server and the served. “To respect another person, I came to feel, was to acknowledge his or her own complexity,” said Halpern in his preface. “I accepted that I might never understand all of what was said to me, and I came to appreciate how complicated the relationship was between workers and the beneficiaries of their labor.” For updates on the current efforts of the Harvard labor movement, visit hcs.harvard.edu/ ~pslm/livingwage/portal.html Lindsay can be reached at spraguelt@yahoo.com Reprinted from What’s Up Newspaper Street Life PROLOGUE.... As a child then, my days, just as they do now, contained a large portion of this cotton wool, this non-being. Week after week passed at St. Ives and nothing made any dint upon me. Then, for no reason that I know about, there was a sudden violent shock; something so violently that I remembered it all my life. I will give a few instances. The first: I was fighting with Thoby on the lawn. We were pummeling each other with our fists. Just as I raised my fist to hit him, I felt: why hurt another person? I dropped my hand instantly, and stood there, and let him beat me. I remember the feeling. It was a feeling of hopeless sadness. It was as if I became aware of something terrible; and of my own powerlessness. Virginia Woolf - A Sketch of the Past We were on Second Avenue, Sarah and I, within sight and sound and salt of the ocean, a gentle breeze carrying away exhaust fumes and giving us back the sea. The clouds had parted, the rain festival had lapsed, the sun shone everything green and new. It was the sort of evening when one plays ultimate Frisbee until ten at night, when skaters and bikers and walkers stroll beneath the grassy slopes and beside the blue-green waters of Greenlake; past sunbathers, sail boarders, volley ball players, and those who come simply to nap under a rare and glorious Seattle sun. We knew these streets well, before their renewal, our nightly walks touched by the kids that lived–or survived–there, on drugs and prostitution with AIDS and crime. We knew things that we didn’t really want to know–that more than half of the prostitution in downtown Seattle was performed by young boys, that most of the “johns” went to church on Sunday, and that business would be slow until after Monday Night Football. We knew that a girl could demand a higher price if she looked “fresh” and that if a man said to you, with something of a drawl, “you’re healthy woman, you’re healthy,” it meant that he thought you were fat but wanted to sleep with you anyway. We were based on the first floor of a dilapidated warehouse– there was plenty of space if you didn’t mind the rats. It wasn’t bad in the summer, but in the winter the roof leaked and the heat didn’t. Streetvibes Periodically one or more rats would die in the walls–either by poison or natural causes–and decay there for several weeks. At the end of that time, the stench would dissipate and hundreds of flies, grown large on uninterrupted feeding, would release into the center in search of fresh meat. They carried the stench of their diet. But their size did have an advantage–they were slow and easy Street Life.... Continued next Page Page 17 �Street Life.... Continued from previous page.... to kill. The warehouse served as a drop-in center for street youth. Church groups would bring meals, there were games and places to sit out of the cold, it was place where kids could get mail, clothing, talk, rest, learn life skills, and get connected to social services. It was the best of what a Christian outreach service could be– ministering to the needs of others with minimal pressure toward conversion. I had been there for maybe three months; Sarah was my mentor. We had dropped by the center to pick up some forgotten item. But the sun and the air had worked their magic; we were out to have fun, happy to be alive. Our plan, only half spoken, was to walk through Pike Place Market–a bustling open air market where fish hustlers played the crowd and hurled whole salmon across crowded aisles to be iced and wrapped. The market was on a bluff overlooking the water, perched atop a park winding down to the waterfront. In anticipation, we were already there. Second avenue, where our bodies remained, was a Mecca of deep store fronts. The buildings were from another time: doors set ten feet in from the sidewalks, some with slanted display cases to draw in the casual shopper, others with slanted and tiled walls. There had been a time when these entryways rang as invitations to life, giving character and energy to those who passed by and through their doors. But now they spoke of decay, empty sockets gazing out upon the street. They spoke no longer of life, but of concealment, of being jerked off the street, of crimes hidden from all but the most direct passerby. Such a crime was in progress that day. A young man held a girl up against the wall, her plea jerking us back to Second Weapon’s Jokes.... Continued from Page 16 you look at the evening in the totality, the people who were there I don’t think came away with some of the same conclusions as people who just heard snippets on the radio or television.” David Corn of The Nation magazine was one of the few journalists openly critical of Bush, writing on The Nation’s website: “This was a callous and arrogant display. For Bush, the misinformation— or disinformation— he peddled before the war was no more than material for yucks. As the audience laughed along, he smiled. The false Page 18 Avenue: ‘Please don’t hit me again, please don’t hit me.’ Training lost, I spoke instinctually, calling out to him to leave her alone, to ‘cool it’ in there. Testosterone played a role – men do not hit women, and besides, there was a woman by my side. It mattered not that we were just friends, nor that my impulse actually increased her danger. Somehow, to fail to defend one woman was to fail to defend all women. Time slowed as the assailant turned toward me. Reason kicked in–I should have called the police–but now there was no time. I told Sarah to stay a bit back and to the side, to be ready to run for a phone, but most of my attention was fixed on my assailant. He turned toward me in fury, how dare I interrupt him! And as I tried to talk to him, I realized that he was just a boy, with short black hair and brown eyes, maybe 15 years old, tears streaming down his face as he repeated again and again, “nobody knows how much it hurts, nobody cares.” I suddenly found that I could not strike him. I wanted to take him into my arms and hold him tight, to calm his struggles, to tell him that not everyone would abandon him and leave him without compassion and structure. I felt something in him begging for boundaries, begging for love. As he cried, he swung at me, but other than blocking his blows and trying to talk him down, I was powerless to strike back. I lost my glasses, I almost lost my manhood, I would limp for weeks. But his tears arrested me as even the day had not. It would not be fair to say that in that moment I cared more for a stranger than I did for myself. In that moment I forgot myself. I was not successful in talking him down, but there were pauses between his blows. My training told me not to try and hold him–I still question that decision, as did some of my companions–and I realized that he would keep striking until we called the police. This saddened me, but Sarah made the call. For him, forcing us to call was a last measure of control, showing that he was in charge, that my interruption didn’t matter. He departed, girlfriend in tow, and I felt helpless to stop her. Or rather, he finally allowed her to drag him away, as she had been trying to do all along. Then began a period of profound introspection and waiting. Though in pain, we sat on the curbside waiting for the police. They never showed–no doubt, the prospect of a couple of assumed drunks fighting on Second Avenue was not worth their time. Eventually we made our way to the police station. And, through contacts on the street, learned the names and something of the history of both the boy and the girl. I don’t know whether this event ever made a difference in the boy’s life. The police report was but a minor addition to his record. But the event did have a profound effect upon me and his girlfriend. Some time later, when she was in prison, I heard that she would tell her cell mates of this strange person who had tried to help her but would not strike her boyfriend– even in self-defense. My actions interrupted her belief in the violence of the streets–the only life she knew–and may have opened other possibilities in how she saw her world. At least, I hope so. The last I heard she had given up drugs and prostitution, but was still in denial about alcohol. She had also left her boyfriend–perhaps he had left her–and was very close to a woman at our center. But I should not flatter myself. While our ordeal may have interrupted her world, only sustained relationships could support lasting changes. Fortunately, there was a women at our center with whom she had that sort of relationship. Last I heard, the boy was in Alaska, running from various criminal charges in Washington. Sarah stayed with me for several hours after the assault, talking me down, praying with me, and hopefully finding support for her own ordeal. But I am sad to say that the last is uncertain, as I was so shaken by the event and by my own reactions that I was just as self-absorbed in the aftermath of the confrontation as I was selfforgetful in passing through it. At least, I was haunted by the young boy’s face, his tears, and by my own reactions. Never before had I so lost myself, never before had I been so arrested by another’s suffering that I was unable to feel the physical pain of repeated blows until much later. It was not courage, for had the threat been greater, I would have acted differently. I did not feel that I was a victim in the normal sense of the word. My sense of powerlessness came not from being physically dominated, but from the recognition of a young boy’s pain. In a primal moment, I lost the filters which shielded me from feeling the claim of another’s suffering. In that moment, and in the reflections which followed, I recognized something I would not be able to articulate for years to come. Life, at its deepest, is a wounding–or at least, a vulnerability to be wounded. Without that vulnerability, one cannot be arrested by the beauty of a day, a chance smile, a sick friend, a widow, a stranger, or sudden tragedy. Without that selfforgetfulness, we cannot find ourselves. We live most fully, most intensely, in openness to such wounding–better a clean wound that heals than the hidden wound that festers. And while I may never be able to return the gift, I still tremble in the debt I owe that young boy. At least one time in my life, I have seen the face of god, and lived. statements (or lies) that had launched a war had become merely another punchline in the nation’s capital.” MSNBC’s Chris Matthews also seemed appalled by the media’s reaction (3/25/04): “Well, there’s four or five cases where the president told a yuck about the fact he couldn’t find weapons of mass destruction, and the press being supportive in their laughter. Maybe sycophantic, but they laughed.” Perhaps it’s no surprise that the conservative Fox News Channel would defend Bush’s comments, but Fox’s line of defense at times became arguably more offensive than the remarks themselves. Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace, after admitting that “I must say, I still think it’s funny,” introduced the subject (3/ 28/04) by saying that “the day after, some Democrats and the families of some American soldiers in Iraq, some who died in Iraq, said they were offended by this kidding about the missing weapons of mass destruction.” But you didn’t have to work for Fox News to go to bat for Bush. The Los Angeles Times penned an editorial in his defense (3/27/04) headlined “Commander in Comedy.” The paper noted that “presidents have always used selfdeprecation to deflect criticism,” then lamented the fact that “Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe and other Democrats are acting like laughs should be banned from serious politics.” The paper also made this odd comparison: “Democrats saying that Bush can’t joke about it without insulting soldiers is like the GOP claiming that Democrats can’t oppose the war and be patriotic.” The problem is not that someone told a joke about WMD. It’s that as the chief purveyor of the WMD falsehood, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Americans and thousands of Iraqis, it is beyond bad taste for George W. Bush to joke about WMD. It’s the difference between a comedian making a joke about O.J. Simpson looking for Nicole Brown Simpson’s “real killer,” and O.J. Simpson making the same joke. Streetvibes �Food Research and Action Center News (FRAC) on why it has refused to run the ad. HOUSE PASSES CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM BILL WITH STRONG BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FRAC (Press Release, March 24, 2004) The House of Representatives approved, by an overwhelming bipartisan majority (419-5), its child nutrition reauthorization bill, The Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act (HR 3873). This bill will expand the availability of nutritious meals to more children in school, in outside school hours programs, and in child care. The bill makes key improvements in the nutrition programs, such as expanding successful paperwork reduction pilots in the Summer Food Program that have already resulted in more low-income children receiving nutritious meals during the summer months; extending eligibility for snacks and meals to children in homeless and domestic violence shelters up to the age of 18; making it possible for more low-income children from military families to receive free and reduced price school meals; allowing for-profit child care centers that serve significant numbers of low-income children to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program; providing migrant children with automatic eligibility for free school meals; creating new ways to improve the nutrition environment in schools; and making the application process for school meals easier for many low-income families. http:// www.frac.org/html/ federal_food_programs/cnreauthor/ 032403reauth.htm Institution, March 24, 2004) The Brookings Institution, in cooperation with the Foundation for Child Development and Duke University, released a new index of child well-being, which assesses trends in seven quality-of-life areas for children from 1975 to 2002. Although children are safer than they were 30 years ago and teenage birth rates have substantially declined, more children are obese, living in poverty, and attempting suicide than in 1975. See the full report and PowerPoint presentation at: http:// www.brookings.org/comm/events/ 20040324.htm Read an event summary at: http:// www.brookings.org/comm/op-ed/ 20040324wellbeing.htm SHARE OUR STRENGTH ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR GREAT AMERICAN BAKE SALE FUNDS (Share Our Strength, April 2004) Share Our Strength will be accepting grant applications for this year’s Great American Bake Sale grant-making campaign beginning April 4th. Applicants must be either current sponsors of the USDA’s summer feeding or afterschool meal service programs for children, or advocacy organizations that provide technical assistance to these programs. Applications will be accepted from registered nonprofits and schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The priority deadline to submit an online application is May 31st. The final deadline is July 25th. http:// www.greatamericanbakesale.org REPORT: CHILD WELL­ BEING INDEX FINDS MORE STATES CAN CONSIDER CHILDREN ARE OBESE, LIVE PRIVATE CONTRACTORS TO IN POVERTY (Brookings SIGN UP FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS, USDA SAYS (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle, WA, March 24, 2004) Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Eric Bost said at a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture hearing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture would consider letting states use private contractors to sign eligible people up for the Food Stamp Program, even though federal law says government workers should do the job. Undersecretary Bost noted that if a state had a better way to provide services and save money, then it should be considered. In Florida, a pilot program will allow non-government workers to handle applications for food stamps, as well as Medicaid and TANF benefits. http:// seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/ apwashington_story.asp?category=1 152&slug=Food%20Stamps COLUMN: PHILADELPHIA METRO NEWSPAPER REFUSES TO RUN FOOD STAMP ADVERTISEMENT (Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA, March 24, 2004) Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Tom Ferrick Jr. wonders why the Philadelphia Metro Newspaper publisher is refusing to run an ad from the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger. The coalition hoped to include several quarter page ads in the Metro encouraging low-income Philadelphia citizens to apply for food stamps, part of a greater Food Stamp Program outreach effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, Coalition staff received a phone call from the paper’s ad representative saying that the publisher would not run the ad. The publisher refuses to comment http://www.ers.usda.gov/ publications/efan03013/ NEW YORK CITY JEWISH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION HIRES FULL-TIME FOOD STAMP COORDINATOR (TimesLedger, Queens, NY, March 25, 2004) The Jackson HeightsElmhurst Kehillah, a coalition of 13 Jewish community organizations in Queens, has hired a full-time food stamp coordinator with a grant from the Nutrition Consortium of New York. Many of the clients are Hispanic persons and immigrants who are not aware that they can participate in the program. The Kehillah applied for the grant after it attempted to start a food pantry at its Jackson Heights office. So many people needed food assistance that the landlord forced it to shut down. http:// www.timesledger.com/site/ news.cfm?newsid=11169351&BRD=1079 &PAG=461&dept_id=170338&rfi=6 SAN FRANCISCO FOOD PANTRY DEMAND “JUMPED AT AN ALARMING RATE” OVER THE PAST THREE MONTHS (San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco, CA, March 25, 2004) Since the beginning of 2004, the number of people seeking emergency assistance at San Francisco’s food pantries has jumped at an alarming rate. The San Francisco Food Bank is on pace to distribute 20 million pounds of food this year, equivalent to 44,000 meals a day, an increase of 11 percent over 2003. The food bank says it probably cannot provide much more food than it is already giving out. Mayor Newsom’s special advisor on homeless issues, Angela Alioto, recently called for an investigation. “There is no question the crisis on San Francisco streets is bordering on third-world atmosphere,” Alioto said. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my 15 years working on this issue.” http:// www.sfexaminer.com/templates/ story.cfm? displaystory=1&storyname =032504n_food To subscribe to the weekly FRAC News Digest on the Web go to: http://capwiz.com/ frac/mlm/ Food Research and Action Center 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 540 Washington, DC 20009 (202) 986-2200 x3019 phone (202) 986-2525 fax Email: bwinter@frac.org Streetvibes Page 19 �TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) 357-4602 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 Need Help or Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 $1 Donation May, 2004 STREETVIBES BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY Fort Washington Hotel Affordable housing succumbs to upscale “development” Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Serial Number � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2004 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource May 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: For Washington Hotel to be Replaced by Upscale Condos Pg 2: Death on the Street Pg 3: Donate Pg 4: Police Use of New Taser’s Raised Questions Taser Used on Man Threatening Suicide New Council Rules to be Challenged in Court Pg 5: Street Vendors Sell Knowledge Florida Street Paper Sues Over Vendor Crackdown Pg 6: Homeless News Digest Pg 7: Labor of Love The Taxing Truth Pg 8: The Peace Village Pg 9: Vendors Pg 10: Cincinnati’s Big-League Opening Day Pg 11: Photos of Fallen Soldiers Stirs Controversy Pg 12: InkTank Writing Project Engages Drop Inn Center Residents Pg 13: Comic Store Pulls Bumfights Video in Response to Boycott National Student Organization Works to End Hunger and Homelessness Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: At the Crossroads of Gender and Homelessness Beltway Humor: Media React to Bush’s Weapons Jokes Pg 17: Finding the invisible Class Street Life Pg 18: Street Life Continued Weapon’s Jokes… Pg 19: FRAC Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Elizabeth Linville Janice Faulkner Mary Gaffney Jimmy Heath Berta Lambert Sonny Williams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Berta Lambert Boycott Bush Cincinnati city council Drop Inn Center Elizabeth Linville Florida Florida Street Paper Food Research FRAC Gender Quality Georgine Getty Hunger Janice Faulkner Jimmy Heath Mary Gaffney Media National Student Organization Opening Day Peace Village Photography Police Soldiers Sonny Williams Street Life Suicide Vendors https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/bf7a26f633262f050c13593529a23908.pdf 093dcd7d75849e538c12eb3a5b2eece8 PDF Text Text April 2004 ~----------~~~~~~ . VI Protesting the Iraq War - Around the Globe, Millions Gather on One-Year Anniversary Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide rallied March 20 against the war in Iraq. Hundreds gathered in downtown Cincinnati on the one-year anniversary of the American-led invasion. There were over 300 events in the U.S and protests in more than 60 countries, In more than 600 cities and towns around the world, people took to the streets to say yes to peace andno to pre­ emptive war and occupation, calling for an end to the occupation oflraq and President Bush's foreign policies. Hundreds of thousands of activists al.so raised their voices at rallies in London, Cairo, Tokyo and other cities in Europe,Asia and e lsewhere. in the United States, Chicago police in full riot gear lined downtown streets as thous ands of war opponents marched about two miles to the city's Federal Plaza. The Rev. Jesse Jackson told Chicago demonstrators to express their opposition to the war by voting against President Bush In Europe, one of the biggest protests was in Rome, where up to 300,000 marchers jammed the streets. Protesters demanded that Italy withdraw its 2,600 troops from Iraq. And in London, two protesters climbed the Big Ben clock tower. Early Saturday morning, the two anti-war demonstrators weari}\g climbing notable protests included a 100,000 person march and rally in New York City. The event was peacefu~ unlike a demonstration one year earlier that drew 100,000 people and produced several clashes between demonstrators and police. An event in held in San Francisco was attended by more than 50,000 people. In Crawford, Texas, where President George Bush owns a ranch and often vacations, 1000 protesters converged to repudiate his militaristic policies and call for a diversion of the billions of dollars that are being spent on war to domestic programs like schools, health clinics, housing and homelessness. Military families and veterans led a protest that drew 1500 to Fayetteville, North Carolina, outside the Fort Bragg military base. gear scaled the Big Ben clock tower at the Houses of Parliament and held up a small bannerthat read "Time for Truth" before coming down several hours later. (The Big Ben stunt sparked concerns about ,,.,.-7,. security around the cap ital's landmarks, which is supposed to be at a high level to guard against a possib le terrorist attack) London's Metropolitan Police estimated that some 25,000 people took part in the rally between Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square in the center of the British capital. In Cincimati, hundreds ofprotestors story andphotos by Jimmy Heath met downtown at Cincinnati's Fountain Square to join the March and Rally Against 'VVar and Occupation. The message cb.lring the event in downtown Cincinnat i was that even though rally organizers support US troops, they do not support US policies that sentAmerican troops into Iraq. The war in Iraq has claimed the lives of two tri­ state residents - over 500 American soldiers have died since the invasion, and I 0,000 Iraqis have been killed in the conflict. Banners listing the names of individual soldiers who have died in Iraq were disp layed on Fountain Square. The rally program included a series of speakers, a memorial to those who have died in Iraq, and a short march followed by another gathering on FoW1tain Square. Rally participants marched around the block to the Federal Building and then back to Fountain ,,, i- . ' :::.. Square while pounding on drums and chanting anti-war slogans. Although police estimated the crowds ize at 250, organizers say the numbers were much closer to 800. Over three do:z.en groups were represented at the rally. The collaborative effort was intended to give strength to individual organizations participating in the event. " Each person at the rally represents someone else who could not be here," says Sister Alice Gerdeman CDP, of the Intercommunity Peace andJustice Center and coordinator of the event. "I was pleased with the spirit of the participants, and with the energy generated by this event. The real measure of success will be when people take this energy and are able to change policy," said Gerdeman. (For more information call the Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center at (513) 579-8547 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for home­ less and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvihes Vendor badge. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCHStaff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Brendan Goodwin - Administra­ tive Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Elizabeth Linville - Civil Rights Coordinator Janice Faulkner - Receptionist Mar y Gaffney- Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath, Editor Photoi:raphers Mary Burke, Anthony Dent, Jimmy Heath, Be1ta Lambert Cover Iraq War protesters march in Cincinnati, March 20, 2004 - photo by Jimmy Heath Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or ven­ dors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, de­ 1ivered to your home each month ' can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://bomeless.cinci.com STREETVIBES Reader Mail My daughter and I go to Findlay Market almost every Saturday. We have met two very nice vendors there that we talk to every week. One is Julie and she tells us about her new grandchild and we give each other a hug. She always has a smile for everyone. The other vendor is Robert Manassa. He is always very nfoe and tells us when he has a new poem in the Streetvibes. We have quite a collection on our refrigerator. He always has an uplifting message. When we don't see them we look for them. We feel like they are our friends. Inge & Sandy Seybold Greetings, Over the last 25 years of my adult life, I have been homeless about 10 years. Sometimes it was by choice, but quite often by necessity, so I have a pretty good feel about the issues involved. Whether it be poverty, drug abuse, alcoholism, fear of the authorities, or any other reason, homelessness has become a cancer in our society. As a spiritual man, my life revolves around helping others better themselves, and any contribution to your newspaper may help achieve that for some people. Please add my name to your mailing list, and if possible, I would like to submit some articles for your consideration. Unfortunately, I am not able at this time to send either money or stamps to help defray your costs. Hopefully, my future submissions will help counter that problem. Gary Hallford California State Prison Vacaville, California Mr. Hallford will be placed on our mailing list. Unfortunately, we don 't have the resources to fill all subscriptwn requests from Prisoners. Ifyou would like to sponsor a prisoner for Streetvibes, subscriptwns are $25 per year. If you like, you can designate a prisoner or we willpick one for you - editor. Dear Streetvibes Community: After more than 1 Y2 years paper and continue to educate as the Administrative Coordinator others about the pressing problem at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition of homelessness in Cincinnati. To for the Homeless, r have decided to the vendors- you are the heart of move on. I' ve decided I wanted to this program and I have enjoyed getting to know each of you. You try life in a new city and was offered a great job in Boston always liven up the office and provide great insight into the coordinating a fair trade program for an organization that works in El development of this program. Best Salvador. So as I begin to wrap up of luck to all of you and thanks for your dedication to my business here and pack up my the Homeless apartment, I keep Coalition. finding myself To the reflecting on my time donors, funders, here at the Homeless members, Coalition. As the supporters and all Administrative the homeless Coordinator, I was advocates of always the guy in the Cincinnati: Yours back of the office is not an easy job in sitti ng in front of the this city. I am so computer all day - I proud of the Brendan Goodwin would tell people diversity in our membership and that I had the boiing job at the Coalition, but I really supporters-it truly represents a have loved every minute of it. I am strong grassroots effort of endinae continuously amazed at what this homelessness and is unique to this small organization has been able to city and this country. Thank you, accomplish throughout its history, thank you, thank you for your but especially in the past year. donations, volunteer work and There are so many people to say support of the work of the goodbye to and to thank that I Homeless Coaljtion. In a city that think I have to break it into groups. continues to crimjnalize and shun To the Streetvibes those experiencing homelessness, Community: Thank you for your your efforts and your voice are support of this newspaper- I hope what is making real, systemic that you take the time to learn more change in our community. about the program so that you To Over-the-Rhine: This neighborhood has been my place of understand exactly how you are affecting people's lives through work as welJ as my home for three your support. Additionally, I hope years now. Thank you for welcoming me into your you take what you read in this April, 2004 Streetvibes Vendor Comment Cards She [Streetvibes vendor] was very well groomed and spoke up so everyone could hear her. Keep up the good work. God has people out here who will hear our cry l I always buy Streetvibes 'cause it wouldn't take much to be homeless. AH it takes is to miss the rent. I always give money to street persons. Streetvibes is a great tool for those who need money for food, etc. All the vendors I have met were polite and never pushy. ~ Write Us! We 'd like to hear from you.... Send letters or ·} f, comments to: \ ~, Streetvibes@Juno.coni, ,,. or write the Coalition office attn: Streetvibes Letters 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 ' , commLtnity full of history, struggle and activism. I am proud to have been a resident of th is neighborhood that never gets the respect it has earned. You, my neighbors, have taught me so much about life-its struggles and its rewards and I will continue to look for neighborhoods as diverse and rich to call my home. To the staff of GCCH: Thank you for the support, the laughs, the crazy made-up games that we played to relieve stress and for your un-ending dedication and compassion. I will miss coming into the office on a Sunday afternoon to finish up some work and finding half of the staff is there as well. I have never worked with a more talented, fun (and funny) staff before. Thank you for your friendship and I look forward to continuing to support your work here at the Homeless Coalition. l just realized that the only other time I have contributed to Streetvibes in the form of an article, was my introduction Jetter when 1 first started. You have seen me behind all of those fundraisinae ads each month asking for you to attend an event, or buy our book, or donate money, so this is a little different. BUT .. . in the true spirit of my job at the Homeless Coalition, I have to do it one more time .. . please go to page l1 of your Streetvibes and show your suppo1t through a financial donation. Thank you again, everyone. I will miss you all and l wish you the best in your work in the future. Sincerely, Brendan Goodwin Page 2 �Lesson on Vine Street ordinary as to slip easily from memory, others so extraordinary as a bright, bittercold day to stay in mind for a Jong, Jong in C incinnat~ some winters ago. I time. And I have carried the image saw a woman and four children of this woman and these children. almost photographically. for over gather to cross at Fourteenth and Vine. Around them were the traffic two years now. They stay with me. in motion on Vine. the traffic at rest in part, I suppose. because of a on Fourteenth. the vigilant and little riff of drama between the reposed dope boys leaning against woman, who was tipsy. and the oldest of the children, a girl with a the boarded windows of the pool hall the walkers with their canes or proud. wary eye. The woman was white. the their strollers or their bags of children were black, and it seemed groceries. Around them all was a maze of brick and neon, the woman was an interloper in this scene. She looked like someone's signboards, walk lights. glass. vinyl p lywood. chrome. paper. grandmother. but she did not look like theirs . And the oldest girl asphalt, plastic. and. in the path of who may have been twelve. was a passing truck, a p Jume of diesel smoke descending. clearly in charge. She had the smaller children linked. hand to The comer of Fourteenth and Vine in Cincinnati is a busy hand. lined up at the curb like marchers. They were packed. corner. one of the busiest. at the heart of the ghetto that erupted in identically. in bright insulate d coats. Apri l 2001 in response to the hooded. bundled. and immob ilized like fine china packed for shipping. police killing of Timothy Thomas. Thomas, an unarmed Black man They were bright -colored beauties, admirably protected and prepared wante d fo r traffic offenses. die d for the bitte r cold air of Vine just a few short blocks away in an alley off Republic Street. a darker. Street. quieter place where you will see But the woman was bare­ fewer people. But at 'Fourteenth handed. dressed shabby, out of and Vine. at any hour of the day or season and out of fashion in a night, it is not at all uncommon to camel-colored cloth coat with a see women and children and all kerchief knotted at her chin. Twenty years ago. she would not manner of people crossing or waiting to cross. many of them so have looked out of place. for she by Gray Dog On would have looked like many Vme. Some of them are the major. get-in-the-news terrible, but most women among the thousands of are the small usual. almost Appalachian migrants who shared this neighborhood with growing manageable, easily unnoticed sort numbers of African-Americans. of terrible. Two blocks down She reminded me of women I have seen in coal camps. or in country Fourteenth is Washington Park stores, or outside storefront School; two blocks up Vine Street is Saint FrancisSeraph. Qiildren churches on Wednesday nights are on these streets much of the after services. These are knotty. ti me. And it seems to me a terrible strong-minded. sharp-tongued women, hard-scrabble matr iarchs, thing that a childshould witness. the moral and emotional centers of day after day, such physical and struggling displaced families. They moral damage. such a daily are woman of great density. The corner ofFourteenth and Vine in made solid by Cincinnati is <t busy corner, one ofthe grief and wisdom. busiest, at the heart ofthe ghetto th<tt But this erupted in April, 2001 in response to the woman had lost police killing of Timothy Thom<tS.. . that soIidity; she had not that focus. disillusionment in which She was the center. it seemed. of nothing. She teetered unsteadily to matriarchal figures are made either the right, then back to the left, tlien pitiab le or fearsome by addiction, men drift hollowly toward the next again to the right as she leaned fi x. young men waste arrogantly on toward the youngest child. the wide .eyed one, and extended a the comers, the young women shaky hand to take him by the become young mothers become mitten. For a moment. the old prostitutes . woman wobbled. and it seemed she This of course is not the might mislead this wide .eyed one whole story of Vine Street. I have fr iends up the street who are a into the teeth of the traffic . hard-working, church-going family The girl. from her end of the line, watched with a dubious eye. Gray Dog,,,, Many terrible things happen cont on page 7 at the corner of Fourteenth and Because over 8,000 childen in Cincinnati are without a home every year. Homeless Awareness Week May 10 -14, 2004 Schedule of Events Gtealer ] Cincinnati Codition For 1heHomeless Monday, May 10 - Join us for a screening of Dark Days, an award-w inning docume ntary depicting the lives ofh omeless me n and women liv ing in abandoned train twme ls in New York City. A d iscussion by forme rly h omeless Cinc innatians will follow. 7 -9pm at Ka ldi's Co ffee House (12 04 M ain Street, Over-the-Rhine). Tuesday, M ay 11- H omeless Civil Rights D ay. The rights of homeless individuals are being disregarded in m any c ities across .the U.S. Cincinnati h as been ranked the 6th Me anest City for its treatme nt of h ome less in div idu als. Help us spread aware ness t o combat the criminalization o f h omelessness. M eet us at the G CCH o ffices on Tuesday at 11 :30 am (117 East 12th Street). Wednesday, May 12- Book Club. P ick up a copy of The St reet Lawyer by John Grisham and join us for our b ook c lub . We ' ll d iscuss the book and how it re lates t o re al homeless issues right h ere in Cincinnati. 6 :30 - 8:3 ~m. Meeting Room 3A at the Cinc innati Pub lic Library (800 Vme Street). Thursday, M ay 13 - A rmchair Advocate Day. Fight to end homelessne ss without leav ing y our own h om e. Educate yourse lf and others by s urfing the internet and letter writing. Visit ww w.nationa lhom ele.ss.org, www.hom eless.cinc y.com and othe r we bsites to fm d out h ow y ou can become involve d. Write le tters t o the e ditor, coWlCihnembers and state re presentatives stressing the need for a fford able hous ing to e nd homelessness. Friday, Ma y 14 - The Homeless Aware ness Music Extravaganza! Enj oy the S oul Mission Chorale, W inton Woods High Sch ool Choir, Stepp' n Out and Nu-Vue, Jake Speed and other gre at performers. 7 - 9pm at Christ Emmanuel Christian Fellowship (2324 M ay Street in Walnut Hills). All events are free and open to t he public. For m or e information, call the Homeless Coalition - 421-7803 STREETVIBES April, 2004 Page 3 �April, 2001 Did Cincinnati's Civil Unrest Change City Politics? story and photos by Jimmy Heath 19year-old Timothy Thomas was wanted o n misdemeanor arrest warrants and running from police in Over-the-Rhine on S aturday, April 7th, 2001 when he was shot by a C incinnati policeman. Police O fficer Stephen Roach, who had never fired his weapon on duty, shot a nd killed Thomas in a dead-end alley off Republic Street. Thomas appeared to be reachi ng for h is waistband during a confrontation with the policema n in the alley, accordi ng to ea rly police Man on 12th Street with picture ofMal,colm X and Maron Luther King III. reports. Timothy Thomas was the fourth black man killed by Cincinnati said Rev. Damon Lynch IIL pastor of Over-the-Rhi ne's New Prospect police si nce November of 2000, and the fifteenth such victim since Baptist Church, referri ng to the latest shooting death. Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen, who denounced 1995. Tho mas was the father of a three-month-old son. participants as "law-b reaking thugs who should be prosecuted This month is the third anniversaiy of the shooting of Thomas. His death fueled nearly a week of civil unrest and rioting in uiban vigorously," an nounced he was indicting 63 people arrested o n felony C incinnati. charges, ranging from aggravated rioting, breaking and entering, Violence erupted on Monday, April 9th. 2001 following a police weapons possession, inducing panic and other misdemeanor offenses, news conference about the Thomas shooting. Angry residents crowded such as resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. Cincinnati City Hall targeting their rage All of these events led the evening news programs - the against the Mayor, C ity Council men:bers, and violence. the fear, the images of rampaging "thugs" and buming police representatives. The protesters filled the dumpsters. The media continued to descend on the scene to reco rd the counci l chambers, some standing on tables and mayhem throughout the week - eventually the whole world knew what was going on in Cinci nnati. chairs screaming at city leaders, almost preventing them from leaving during the th ree­ Local and nationally recognized civil rights activists came to hour confrontation. Over-the-Rhine calling for peaceful discussions and an end to violence Thomas's mother, Angela Leisure, took on the streets. It made for good TV and painful politics. The death of Thomas was the shot heard around the w orld, with Cincinnati suddenly the podium at one point and demanded an explanation for the shooting of her son. "You thrown into the international spotlight. His death was a rallying point 'Timothy Thomas took h im from his family and his so n and we for national discussio ns o n police violence, poverty and racism. want to know why. And don't get me w rong, even when you tell me why, it's not going to make it better." The lack of answers fueled additional anger and frust ration in the assembled crowd and the waiting comm.mity. That evening, (Monday night) after a makesh ift march from City Hall hundreds of angry protesters assembled outside police headquarters in downtown C incinnati. Police in riot gear and on horseback sprayed the crowd with a chemical irritant and fired at the protesters with beanbag shotguns. A brick was thrown, breaking the glass front door of police headquarters. Ten arrests were reported. The rioti ng became more serious Tuesday afternoo n and evening as crowds took to the streets agai n. Clothing shops, restau rants and convenience stores were bro ken into and looted. The fire department stayed busy putting out building and garbage can fires. Most of the unrest was focused on the downtown, West E nd and Over-the-Rhine neighbomoods - some of the poorest communities in the city. C incinnati NAACP President Norma Holt Davis said the fatal shooting of Thomas by a Cincinnati police officer lead her to only one co nclusio n. "It appears the police force has declared war on African-Americans," she said. " Fifteen black males have died at the hands of C incinnati police in the past six years. Before the Protestor confronts Cincinnati policeman on Central, Parkway, Over-the-Rhine. healing p rocess can ever finish, the w ound reopens," STREETVIBES April, 2004 Civil Unrest Page 4 �When protesters first took to the streets, the events in Cincinnati were put in the context of a "race riot." However, when the discussions turned to racism, the frustration of the oppressed and the poor, the g leam of the story started to wear thin. A lot of people on the streets saw themselves as fighting the oppressor white society which is not quite the same as fighting against white people. Is it possible that Timothy Thomas would have never been shot in the first p lace if he had been white? Nearly 800 people were eventually arrested for violating the four-day curfew imposed by Mayor Charlie Luken when he declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, April 12. Over 1,000 people attended the funeral on Saturday, April 14 for Timothy Thomas at New Prospect Baptist Church in Over-the­ Rhine. More than a funeral, it was a media and political show-and-tell event. The Mayor was there and so was the Governor of Ohio, along with other political bigwigs and throng,s of reporters. Following the service, mourners joined with hundreds outside the church and marched peacefully through the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood where Thomas was shot. Some 1,000 people of all races participated in the march. Conspicuous ly absent from the march were the politicians. Politically, nothing much has changed. The poor neighborhoods, predominately African-American communities, still feel the frustration of being black in a white dominated City Hall and police force. Some inner-city residents are just as frightened of the police as they are of the drug thugs and street-comer-gangsters Many of the thugs and looters, who were "vigorous ly" prosecuted three years ago have long-since been released from j ail after serving out their sentences, only to return to the street filled with prison-anger and resentment. Many businesses in Over-the-Rhine, even after three years, continue to struggle with the stigma of the event with many fearful Ms. Fa1111y SWvall, from her apartment at 15th md Republi.c St.reel, money-spending white suburbanites staying away from the downtown Over-tlie-Rlut1e. Her raisedftsl, she later I.old me, wru- 11ot a11 act of area in droves. def11111ce, bllt ofresolve a11d delerminaikm. People frequently ask me if things in Over-the-Rhine have returned to normal. Sadly, things have slowly returned to the same as how tenuous the relations are between the police and the African­ American community. And it reveals dissatisfaction in the areas of before- if "normal" is a war zone, a crime zone, and a drug-filled education, jobs and economic opportunity, housing and community zone. The most obvious thing is the slow and agonizing lack of leadership. Wtlh this crisis has come the opportunity for improvement. progress in community and police re lations. Although the police have Cincinnati must make rea l changes in each of U1ese areas if the city is adopted less lethal methods for subduing suspects (they are now armed to grow beyond the turmoil of that fateful week three years ago. with the recently approved Taser stun guns), the sense of isolation and Many Americans, particularly white Americans, are quick to lack of communication dominates the relationship betwe.en the police deny race as the primary motive in almost any negative act against a and the community, even to this day. person of color (unless the person committing the act is wearing a The police division's leadership has been criticized as white sheet). Police brutality cases are just a symptom of the illness. Cincinnati city government continues to struggle with the ' distasteful' unresponsive and uncaring. It is simplistic to dismiss the deaths of black people at the hands of police as unfortunate and unavoidable symptoms of poverty and racism, confronting the issue.with window dressing, sound bites and half-hearted attempts at reconciliation. In aspects of police work. The police must come to understand the frustrations and fears that these incidents engender in the communities Cincinnati government, denial may be the most serious affliction. • it patrols. Even more significant from the perspective of black Cincinnatians is that no city police officer has ever been convicted of a killing. (There has been only one reprimand.) Sadly, all that makes the.news is the drama of life on the streets in the inner-city. We don't often hear the stories of the families and the senior citizens and the majority of residents in Over-the-Rhine and other poor Cincinnati neighborhoods that are law-abiding and working hard to support their families - trying to build something for themselves and their neighbors. V./e only hear the horror stories of shootings, robbery and drug dealing. The drama that feeds the evening news is taken as truth by middle-class Cincinnati. Even in the face of overwhelming historical precedent, American denial about the role that race or racism plays in these, and similar events, remains strong. Despite repealed warnings from civll rights leaders and black police officers in Cincinnati, the police department's official response was that the shootings must be considered individually rather than as a pattern. Tragic as the death of Mr. Thomas was, the rioting that swept the city was about more than the loss of one young man. It was about the deep rifts that Oiildren <»1 Vine Street, last s11111.rner. separate citizens and city government. It shows just .. - STREETVIBES April, 2004 Civil Unrest Page 5 �A similar path of ignorance invo lves Jewish by Dr. Steve Sunderl<uzd education about the uniqueness of being a Jew and the similarities, Teaching and Leaming in a roots, a nd connections to Minefield Christian history. Jewish The reactions to the education of Christianity and movie, 'The Pass ion of the Christian education of Jewish Christ," have been and cont inue religious complexities is almCIS't to be remarkable, a nd not only in non-existent. How many the press and our letters. Many educators are realizing that a large Christians u nderstand why so me Jews cont inue to have faith in and impa-tant part of Western education has bee n poorly done, if religious values? Being a Jew is a complex hu man act ivity that can done at all. Just recently, many te defined a nd d iscussed if there educators acknow ledged that we is an interest and if there can be a knew almost noth ing about Islam form of respect and welcoming. and that it was time to begi n to How many Christia ns have place ourselves into curricula into Jewish synagogues ventured studies and experiences in to learn about the roots of their mosques, along w ith talking to !mans a nd others interested in teaching about this great religion and its many interpretations around the US and the world. This educational e ffort has teen thr illing for many of us w ho have teen conscious of the impact of ignorance king transformed into e ducation about religions in the daily life of learners and Dr. Steve Sunderland wors hipers in our faith in Judaism and/or just to midst. ience the critical and exper What many of us have not realized, unti l this movie revealed defining holidays of Jew ish people? How many Jews have it so sharply and painfu lly, is that feel "invited" in observing in a there are also e xplosive reactions non-religious way the Easter to being a Jew and teing a experience? The absence of Christian based o n ignorance. As educators, many of us have taught comfort in e xploring these major faiths adds to the fr iction in our about intolerance a nd avo ided religious communit ies, lays the certain negat ive themes in groundwork for perpetual Christian history and docu ments misundersta ndi ngs, a nd conti nues and their p owe r in the formation to explain why simplistic of Western attitudes toward generalizations, often offensive people who believe and don't and v iolent, persist amongst many telieve in Christianity. It has Jews a nd Christians about each teen an u nwritten law that other and each other's religious Christian brutality and Chr istian teliefs. examples of heroism and Where there is ignorance tolerance be slighted and even of basic human a ctions, we can ignored, especially in p ublic expect the creation of stereotypes education. that keep people "content" in their What has also been lost rxejudice. Where bias is a cted and avoided has been an upon in the form of friendships understanding of the values of denied, e mploy ment lost, or Christianity, the reasons that many negat ive acts going u nchallenged, people have teen draw n to this the reality of peace is last and we faith and the meaning of te ing a are all wa lking on a "minefield." Christian in the be.>t ofsen.res. Our "=vivaI," many of us Educators do not know how to telieve, is determined by holding teach about faith and spirituality onto our prejudice a nd keeping without fearing that the close "to our own ki nd," hopi ng "teachin~" will be interpreted as that our group can protect us. proselytizing. As a result, the Know ing that courage to venture basics of Christia n life, the ways the holidays define and illu minate too far away may w ind up in pain faith, and the ultimate concerns of and wounding, or worse, keeps many people from any form o f a Christ ian believer are j ust movement. Many leaders outside the general education of reinforce this situation, retelli ng most people. The Peace Village STREETVIBES Apri/J 2004 know either what is reing sa id and/or what to say in return. This is the rea lity that many of us are in because this is often the first peaceful discussion with others who may d iffer from our bel iefs. Asking questions that commun icate our interest, our confusio n, and our feeli ngs of being in some danger can be asked in w ays that promote peace and friendship if we ask ourselves, if we can, "Just how am I aski ng this question?" O ften many of us change a question into a statement, and may slip into this form and need to be self-caught, if we can. Questions to and w ith each other are steps in the minefield. When we see ourselves e xploding and others Listening 'Kith tlze Ears of exploding. we need to stop a nd <l Peace Friend - Discussions of pause, repair, address the wounds, this movie in general and and prooeed w ith caution. Christian and Jewish religion in I love reading letters from specific has worked best when the my old students remind ing me of liste ning assumes an attitude of what ki nd o f teacher I was. I peaceful frie ndliness. I try and wince when I read them, knowing what I left out, or chose to avoid start by alerting us to the tecause of my fear, or, what I was minefield of not hearing what is ofte n said, teneath the words and j ust ignora nt about that would in the words, and not heard have made a differenoe. Most of because our e ars are stuffed with. us as teachers are learners, riding our tongues read ied to respond. the waves of the u ncertain and The listening that I am reaching e njoying the ride toward glimpses for may not involve a n immediate of. u nderstandi ng in the eyes of our stude nts, friends, and co­ response; sometimes going around a circle and just teachers. We return to teach ing introducing one's self from a faith and learning tecause we have position is e nough to unclog our faith in the co nnection between ears. Somet imes we test listen education and peace, just as we when some one who has teen or is search the Scriptures tecause we frighte ned has a chance to spea k have faith in the connection to with support of the group, w ith peace that arires in the beauty of a phrase. Now, we stand o n a the stated realization that the group supports their right to say different ground, perhaps a what has hurt or frightened them . minefield, and we are called to Listeni ng to these words, in make the connections again. peaceful attitudes, often allows Shalom, Salaam, Pa z. others to join in and s hare what Dr. Steve Sunderland, they might have been hidi ng in professor ofSocial Work at fear. Whenever this form of the University of Cincinnat~ disclosure happens, it is often is th e Director of The Peace useful for the people who didn' t know that such feelin~ of fear Village, a group of individuals could exist, to make stateme nts of from the national and not know ing. Peaoe Friends do international community not wa nt to cover up their feel in~ committed to examining all or their areas of not knowing issues ofPeace in the world. people and there can be fruitful Dr. Sunderland also heads up ti me used to listen to just the Posters-for-Peace which themes o f fear and support. stories of the.re who have been "blown up" by trying to as k about the best path toward safety and freedom . Many people choose to be a 'by-stander" in the minefield, choosing to wait for others to lead or protest the conditions. Some people refuse to accept the conditions of immobility and seek to find new grou nd for j ourneyi ng to safety. Ste p by step, we can = these .people moving toward knowledge, risking that each step can be followed by the.re behind with safety. I wa nt to write about an e ducational process that helps us move together, with safety, with guidance, and with the faith that through e ducation an important new experience of peace can be ach ieved. Quali.J:y QriestWns are Acts- of Peace <uzd Not War ­ engages people in expressing their visions of Peace, in their own words, through the creation ofposters. S ometimes it is shocking that people feel so deeply and so differently about their rel igions and the religious Only $25 per month ... beliefs of Call Streetvibes @ 421-7803 others. Some people have (Business Card Size, ad ready copy) never heard Reach 18,000 customers per month! such remarks and do n' t Rent This Space! Peace Village Page 6 �Proposed federal funding will devastate voucher program by Elb;abdh Linvilk The Federal Budget for 2005, released by the Bush Administration in Febru3!}'. calls for huge cuts in the funding for housing vouchers. The voucher program. which is commonly referred to as Section 8, allows families to move into rent al housing and pay 30 percent oftheir inccme for rent, while the government subsidizes the rest. The city ofCincinnati has nearly25,000 individuals experiencing homelessness each -year. Currently, there are only around 7,000 vouchers available through CMHA. This new budget will hurt the program in a variety of ways: it will reduce the number of households that will be assisted by a voucher, it could increase the amount of rent tenants are required to pay, and it may force housing authorities to shift their assistance to higher income families. This budget will result in the loss ofapproximately250,000 vouchers nationwide. In Ohio, we will lose 12 % of our vouchers. This means a cut of I0,340 frcm the 85,300 vouchers in use today. It currently takes some households over a -year to receive a voucher. With the new cuts. the time on a waiting list could drag on even further. In addition. the budget proposal calls for policy changes in the administration of the vouchers that cou ld damage the program even further. Public Housing Elizabeili LUtvllk Authorites will be given flexibility in determining how to administer the voucher program. In order to administer the program. the budget proposal will allow them to eliminate the requirement that tenants pay no more than 30% of their income for rent. Increased rent could force families to live in overcrowded, substandard housing or to tum to the shelter system for housing. Another change the HousingAuthorities may have to m3ke because of the budget cuts is to focus the voucher assistance on higher income families. These families would require less fmancial assistance than lower income households. 'What dces this mean for Cincinnati? The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities recently released this information. As of July of2003 , Cincinnati had 7 ,375 vouchers. The proposed cut will decrease voucher funding by .$5,062,417. Ifthecuts are made by eliminating available vouchers, 894 would be lost. If they are made by increasing the rent burden to voucher holders, the annual rent would increase an average of $672 foreach household. There is a growing housing crisis in this country. Over 2 million households utilize housing vouchers across the country. 40% ofthe individuals utilizing vouchers are elderly or disabled; the majority of the rest are low-income families with children. According to a recent survey of Ohio shelters, there has been a 30% increase in the need for shelter. This number will likely increase even further with these budget cuts. The current administration may think that they cannot afford to continue to fund this program, but can the elderly, the disabled and children afford to lose this housing assistance? If you are interested in helping raise awareness on this is.sue, go to www.cohhio.org to send an alert to your representatives in congress. National Homeless Advocate Censored by Assistant Secretary of HUD Donald Whitehead, the first formerly homeless African. American Executive Director for the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH). was barred from a HUD meeting, on Tuesday March 16th, in which he had been invited to spe3k on the Continuum of Care consolidation plan. Senior members of the Department's national office elected to censor Mr. Whirehead, asking him to leave the meeting. NCH provides a wealth and diversity of knowledge that represents a perspective shared by many in the advocacy world, but not by HUD. NCH has been highly critical ofHUD's controversial Chronic Hcmeles.snes.s Initiative as well as their proposed FY2005 budget that seeks to eliminate 250,000 section 8 vouchers, due to the detrimentaleffect these programs and cuts will have on the growing numbers o fh orne less children and familie.s. NCH joined in a letter signed by other prcminentnational, state and loca l advocacy groups including. NAACP, National Organization of Women, Volunteers ofAmerica, and Child Welfare League of America raising concerns regarding HUD's present position on the provision ofhorneless assistance funds. The fact that Donald Gray Dog... . and loud music, and in a thousand other turnings frcm her path. So she had aver<; adult duty and she would have to answer to someone if anything went wrong. She was wise to be W3!}' of such a wcman. It seemed at that moment, delerence, fear, anger, suspicion, and deftroice all warred within her as she studied what that unstable woman might do next. And that is all I can tell you. 'What more do I know of them? Nothing at all. I had a task tefore me at the time. I jaywalked past them to the hardware for a pound of nails and I did not look back. I stood in line to pay my money and didnot think, as I think now, that I had witnessed a mcment of afflicted grace. What do I mean by calling such an ordin3!}', fragment of living by such a title? Only this We make a misl3ke ifwe look for sanctity and respectability only in the Mother Teresa mode. We make another mistake ifwe see in the failures of a place like this comer only failures. There is tote foundherescmething ofsanctity and something of failure in almost evetyone. This toddling. someone's­ grandmother-looking wcman has. I think, a sad, unknowable story. It would seem her grandmother brain h3s been unmoored by cheap wine or maybe OxyContii). Her addled angels have failed to protect her ro1d she has been marked and shamed in ways I cannot know. Perhaps, in the way of the intoxicated, she hoped, in that bright and penitential day, to bring herself a moment of resurrected wholeness. Perhaps she was trying awkwardly to do right, a saintly inebriate, blind guide, unprotected protector, a broken Bodhisattva, a being holy and deluded in a place where even blessedness is lhctured. We here, after all, to do such kindness as we can. We are here to guide each other through perilous crossings. But the corner of Fourteenth and Vine is a place of conflicted blessings. \'k are wise to be wary ofeach other. The corner of Fourteenth and Vme is a sad place, full of wounded people. But there is brightness, even sanctity, a grace in affliction, even here. cont. from page 3 with no pull toward any of this. In the streets around, there are a numter ofhalfway houses, treatment centers, and transitional housing units where the work of recovery hums along. There are innocence and strength in these streets. but they are in the background, and quiet. Little of this is out on the street; none of it is as vivid and compelling as what is out on the corner where damaged and corrupted life staggers, weaves, toddles, struts, pimp walks, and cruises by at every hour. This girl, with her defiant, almost adolescent eye, had a task: to weave these children from one place to another through the color and danger of the street. And was that damaged woman one of their dangers? Thegirlseemed to think so, and she knows her world much betterthan I. She knows her world much tetterthan a child should know it. There are dro1gers in the dope boys, in the traffic, in the sexual predators cruising day and night, in the distractions of neon STREETV/BES April, 2004 Whitehead, one of the nation's most well respected homeless advocates, was denied the opportunity to address advocates who are designing a plan to address hcmeles.sness in the DC Metropolitan area is surprising. Whireheadsaid, "If we are to move focward, and achieve notable progress in our goals for strengthening the social fabric of America, this type of censorship must end." 20 YEARS SERVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD Empowering our neighborhood c hildren through peace. art and education Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 Page 7 �by Adam Holdorf, Patty L<me Three 11-year-olds got caught up in a lie that sent a homeless man to jail fo1· eight months. According to the Contra Costa Times, the girls didn't want to get in trouble for being late to school, so they covered it up by saying they were attacked by a homeless man in a park in Garden Grove, California. Eric Nordmark, a 36-year-oldself­ described nomad, was jailed for eight months on assault and child molestation charges be fore one of the girls finally ca me forward to say she and her friends made up the story. Nordmark maintained his innocence while in j ail and recalls his incarceration as " very terrifying." While Nordmark says he doesn't hold a grudge against the girls, he has not decided on whether he will sue them or the city. The girls are be ing referred to Juvenile Court. A federal class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of homeless children and their parents says that welfare programs in Suffolk County, NY, move homeless children from school to school, and schools resist enrolling and busing them. The suit claims local schools are failing to provide homeless children with suitable clothing shoes, b ooks, food, and transportation to enable them to attend school and is "depriving homeless children of a chance for a better future," according to the New York Times. The state receives millions of dollars in federal aid to educate the home less, according to advocates. The suit also addresses a prerequisite for school requiring proof of a permanent address for school enrollment, which "results in children be ing turned away at the school house door," say the plaintiffs. The suit seeks compliance, not monetary damages. Eight homeless veterans received full military honors at a special fwieral service held outside San Diego. According to theSan Diego Union Tribune, local Vietnam veterans,members of the 82ndAirbome, and e'•en Pearl Harbor survivors came to show respect for their military ''family" •some serving as honor guard, others as pallbearers. 1!1e number of home less veterans dyrng in the re gion has increased, although no one knows why. The Homeless Veterans Burial Program gave more than 80 homeless veterans dignifie d services and funerals over the last several years. Other cities have similar programs. '1 think we all fear dying alone," says Al Pavich, president of the Vietnam Veterans ofSan Diego. He attends many of these memorials and tells the lJnion­ Tribune that his organization offers treatment, job training. and counseling to homeless veterans. An estimated 270,000 ve terans are homeless. The health ofsome homeless workers in Florida may have been put at risk when the owner of a downtown St. Petersburg building hired them for a demolition job. The Tampa Bay Tribune reports that county officials may levy more than $15,000 in penalties against the owner, who is accused of hiring a number of homeless to remove crumbling asbesto.s pipe insulation without proper safety precautions. Asbestos can cause life-threatening problems, including cancer or scarring in lung tissue. Regulations require that workers wear protective clothing and treat asbestos before stripping it off pipes. 0 fficials discovered the violations last year while inspecting the apartments. Dignity Village, the 60­ person tent city placed on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon, was designated a legal campsite by a four·to·one vote of the Portland City Council on Thursday, February 26. According to KOIN-TV (koin.com). the new legal status gives the camp the right to stay at its current site next to the Portland Airport. In public testimony before the council's vote , homeless residents of the tent camp .spoke out in its favor; before the camp, " when I became homeless, I went into the woods," said village treasurer Tim McCarthy. '1 was a ll alone - this was the first chance I had to be around other people in the same s ituation." Campers have requested a 10-year lease on the city-owned land they currently inhabit, which is also used as a leaf­ recycling yard; the council will respond in a few months. The delay in the lease negotiation "made it possible .. , for the council to skirt the [issue of the] inadequacy of the site," charged the Oregonian in an editorial, "and its own ethical responsibility to clean it up ifthe city intends to become > the camps sponsor.» Story, Editorial and Art Submis­ sion Deadline/or the May. 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Fridav. April 9th v . Support your local Streewibes Vendor! Yourvendorkeeps70 cents ofevery dollar..... WLO;]L&' l sing the song ofhope, wishing for peace and Ju1pp iness. Of spiritual feeling and IU1pp iness. For God's wisdom and Salvation, kindness and freedom ofprayer. And in the minds and hearts ofmen, they dre<1m ofbrothers <1nd fathers and ofson :S­ respect. Honoring hum<1nity is to be tile keeper of Lbve, and to redeem yourself of temptation ofsin. To renew the soul of d<1mn<1tion, so they be right, and of Heaven. l:tj Ronald English, Streetvibes Vendor Nonviolence is not a garment to be put on and offat will. Its seat is in the heart, and it must be UJl inseparahle part ofour being. Mahatma Gandhi You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. Indira Gandhi �Keep The Faith and Never Give Up through his biography, but his teaching. I sit at my desk as usual, His story is not only about his biographical talking to my friends, the homeless, who I am around r-----:::~=:::---i life, but about life through faith every day - it seems today that some are in God and His heavy laden, down unchanging with personal hand. Suffering problems. Thinking through cancer that they may have and radiation found a job or a therapy over the place to stay, they im!I0"-....;;;;....1 years has not sometimes feel Ms. Mary Gtiffney stopped him from defeated when things don't come through. accomplishing his goals. He earned his Doctorate of Education I talk to my friends about this person who I am now going to from theUniversity of Cincinnati, speak about. This gentleman I along with his wife, Monia Posey, have known since a young child. who also received her doctorate. He was reared in church - St John They hope to start a charter school A. M. E. Zion Church. He is for urban children. known all over the city and in every For it is said, "I can do all neighborhood. He is Reverend Dr. things through Christ, who Michael Posey. strengthens me." He has been the pastor now As I close this for this for many years at the church. 'vVith month -to my friends, the readers hope and faith In God he has and especially the homeless accomplished many things, not only children; never say '1 can't do." !if by 1l4ary Gtiff1iey you say that, have you really kept the faith? It is said that before His word falls, heaven and eaith will pass away. As we enter the Lenten season and celebrate the sacrifice of his death and raising, like the blooming of the flowers and trees, we celebrate new life for the coming new year. The ultimate measure ofa person is not where one stands in moments ofcom­ fort and convenience, but where one stands in times ofchallenge and contro­ versy. Martin Luther King, Jr Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct and agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Ven­ dor Program. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the rules, she/he may be removed from the Program. To report a Vendor, call 421-7803. ext. 16 The GCCH would like to thank Starbucks for their generous donation of coffee and pastries. Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct All Vendors Sign andAgree to a Code of Conduct Report Any Violations to GCCH- 421-7803 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when sellingStreetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) cosls 30 cenls. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers can not be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCE;l. Never buy papers from, orsell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time lhey are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the infiuence. 7. Vendors must not give a "hard sell" or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. Vendors must also never sell Streetvibes door-to-door. 8. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be honest in stating that all profits STREETVIBES go to the individual vendor. Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for "the homeless" in general. 9. Vendors must not sell papers wllhout their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 10. Streeh1bes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at lpm. The month's paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 11. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property ofGCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. April, 2004 ''Judge Palntc.r's book is already a classic in its field." 40 Rules fr>r the Art of Legal Writing Pl' rfixl 801m(f - l 34 J.unJycc &. f.imJ~·u; ri""" C>iv1<ln11 o1 r~A t'1m..d 1ing lr1<:. 24-19 l',1u•vit•w A\'Cnue Cinnnn.1ti, (lh1(l-l!'ill 'I JOM!ph P 1Cmi.1m, D1:an Co lh.-gc u1 L,rn university ot dn~matt pngt·~ l - 9 wplto!i l .5-1 1"~ -t 1 41• !>.~1 1 ilo21 .9~ -t ~ $21).\1~ ,..., JO t1t 111 0 ~ 'Sl'I ~. 1.40 ... ~ t ltl(I ~ti . $2)93"" ~·1.d rnr <»pt"" n1 TH'E I FGAI WRffEJ( Ch.."C'\. lor _ _ _ _ _ cn.:l1>e!4!J Nnmr U t1 Page 9 �Out With The Old, In With The New.... story and photos by Mary Burke In February, a three story brick building at 302 Mulberry Street in Over-the-Rhine was demolished. Earlier in the week several bricks had fallen off the building onto the street and sidewalk below, which might have prompted the owner or the Cincinnati Building Department to take action. According to the Hamilton County Auditor, the building was constructed in 1875. Douglas M. Spitz is the owner. County records show he purchased the then 122-year-old Before.... building on February 27, 1997 for $12,000. Simultaneous to this demolition, five new townhouses are being constructed at 126 through 134 Mulberry, just a block west of 302 Mulberry Street. The townhouses are listed for sale at a price range of $209,900 - $259,500. Each townhouse boasts a view of the city and brick & stone facades. The brick walls at 302 Mulberry were 3 bricks thick and the building, now demolished, provided a view of the city. After.... 5. Single Family Homes . City Vlews Open Floor Plans Two Car Garages Will Customize Several Floor Plans Two and One Holl Baths lox Abated Q11,i/i1_1 /311i/t llJ 1·111cJ111!/ /l•,11/1 I C¢1 f 01 )\)IC ij • MICHAELSWEENEY· ~e , . .c,.,01111.t 241 3400 00 Vine)1ard* lf(>l1E.I. le•. For Free Pre-Approvol Contact: Joanie Rees TravisArd 563-2021 521-1653 New condo up the street National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project (NHCROP) We'd like to hear from you.... Send letters or comments to: Streetvibes@Juno.com~ or write attn: Streetvibes 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 STREETVIBES · •;, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (513) 421-7803 April, 2004 Sensitivity to the immense needs ofhumanity brings with it a spontaneous rejection of the arms race, which is incom­ patible with the all out struggle against hunger, sickness, un­ der-development and illiteracy. Pope John Paul II Page 10 �Mother's Day is May 9. Whetl'er she is a mother, a grandmother, an aunt, a wire, or a.s;ster, Motl'er's Day is our chan:e to show the special women in our lives how much they really mean to us. Mother's Day is also a chance to honor tl'e spirit of motherin~ Mothers are there to make sure we are clotl'ed, clean,fed,safa, and warm. They are tl'ere to tuck us in and kiss away tears. They are there to read to us, to listen, and to steer us down the right path Nationally, 3.5 million people experience horrelessress over tl'e course of a year. Homeless families make up over 40% of that population. lhisyear in Cincimati alore, over 5,000 families and over 8,000 children will experien:e homelessness. The above drawing was created by Asherah, age nine. She was one of many participants in our Mother's Day card contest for homeless youth. Children across Ohio participated in tl'e comest. Asherah was a resident ofthe SalvationArrey Family Shelter in Cincimati at the time she drew this picture. Her family is one of 5,000 in Cin:innati that will experience You can honor your mother by helping the families who need it tl'e most. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Horreless has been working for 20 years to eradicate horrelessness in Cincinnati. "vVe firmly believe that by coming together as a community, we can reach this goal. Please help us as we work to erase homelessness from the childhoodrremories of 8,000 kids in Cincinnati this year. r--------------------------------------------------, I By sending this corqileted form along with your donation, Asherah's Mother's Day card will be sent to the person you de.s;g­ lnate below. The card will inform the recipient that a donation has been made in his or her name to tl'e Coalition for tl'e Home­ lass. Donor's narre, address, and phore number N arne and address of the person to whom we should address tl'e card Who should the donation be placed in honor ofAn memory of! Who should we say the card is from? If you would lika the card sent to an additional person, please indicate on another sheet of paper 1he same information as above. Send this form along with your donation to: 'The Greater Cincinn:ali Coalition for tile Homeless, 117 East 1 ZSlred, Cincinn:ali, Ohio 4520Z ~--------------------------------------------------4 STREETVJBES April, 2004 Page 11 �Family Violence Option Campaign Builds Momentum by Lynn Williams well over halfofthe women receiving welfare have experienced OEC Organizer physical abuse by an intimate partner at some point during their From Rep. Jean Schmidt; adult lives, with as many as 30 "!wish the Family Violence Option would have been percent ofthese women reporting in place when !was going through abuse in a current relationship. a domestic violence crisis. It Many ofthese women want would have helped me get my life to escape the cycle ofabuse, to begin anew, and yet they find back together much sooner, " stated Catrina Weber, a member of difficulty in doing so because of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition requirements on our state welfare Steering Committee who spoke at system. ln the coming months I the OEC's Press Conference held at the Statehouse on February 17'» plan to introduce legislation that The Press Conference was held to will allow Ohio to adopt the draw public attention to the need Family Violence Option. This for the Family Violence Option in permits the waiver ofrequirements Ohio. Rep. Jean Schmidt, who has for a victim ofdomestic violence agreed to introduce the FVO when complying with those legislation, was unable to be requirements would make it more present due to campaigning in her difficult for the victim to escape domestic violence or would Distric~ but she released a public unfairly penalize the individual. statement for the Press Conference. Her aide, Ben Additionally, the bill will Larocco, was present to read Rep. address the need for a state system Schmidt's statement as fol/,ows: that will screen victims of domestic "The effects ofphysical, violence and refer them to mental and emotional abuse affect appropriate counseling and supportive services. Al/,owing hundreds ofthousands offamilies these individuals to escape the each and every year, sadly many in Ohio are included in that count­ environment ofabuse is essential and those are the ones we know in their return to healthy, fully about-likely hundreds more productive citi<Pts. silently endure this trauma, hoping I look forward to working with all involved on this one day for a glimmer ofhope. It is my intent to try to help legislation and I am honored to be these victims- victims ofabuse and involved in the effort to break the neglect, ofphysical battering and chain offamily violence in Ohio." emotional conflicts - victims The Press Conference through no fault oftheir own have followed a day long Presidents Day become part ofa destructive cycle Training to build media skills of that tears away at the very heart leaders from the OEC. The leaders offamilies today. then participated in the Press Conference the next day. Groups I am told that currently included Appalachian People's Action Coalition (APAC) of Athens; Stop Targeting Ohio's Poor (STOP), Cleveland; Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland; Community Organizing Center, Columbus; Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition; Miami Valley Full Employment Council, Dayton; Bethany House Family Shelter, Cincinnati; Drop-Inn Center Full Circle Program, Cincinnati; and endorser group Action - Ohio Coalition for Battered Women, Columbus . The FVO is a state option that the Federal welfare law, otherwise known as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or TANF, permits states to implement to protect domestic violence victims who apply for public assistance. Forty states, including Ohio's neighbors Kentucky and Indiana, have ah'eady adopted the Family Violence Option. Many studies have shown that domestic violence is prevalent in a majority of families who apply for public assistance. (Source: Welfare Information Network) As many as 60% ofwomen receiving pub lie assistance have been domestic violence victims as opposed to 22% in the general population. (Source: "A Review of Research on Welfare and Domes'tic Violence," Journal ofSocial Issues, 2000) The Family Violence Option will: o Ensure that public assistance recipients are screened for domestic violence by tJ:ained caseworkers Possible House Hearings on Exempt Status for 501(c) Groups Know Your Rights Brochure Available! In a March 2 speech to the Federation ofAmerican Hospitals, House 'vVays and l\i.Teans Committee Chair Bill Thomas (R-CA) said he wants the committee to investigate the benefits tax exempt groups give taxpayers, and consider whether more specific requirements shoold be imposed in exchange for exempt status. A committee spokesman said nothing has been scheduled. Thomas' speech raised the issue ofsimilar activities by nonprofit and for-pro.fit entities, such as credit unions and banks, saying, "Frankly there's been a lot of activity over the last decade in the tax-preferred area - the 501(c)(3)s, (c)(4)s, (c)(6)s - that requires a broader examination of just what is it the taxpayers are getting for their money." He said the issue was raised recently in a dispute between the American Hospital Association and the Department ofHealth and Human Services over hospital charges to uninsured patients. A committee spokesman said the scope of any inquiry would be broad, and not confined to credit unions and hospitals. Rent This Space/ (Business Card Size, adready copy) Reach 18, l.XX2 customers IDer month Only $25 per month. __ Call Streetvibes @ 421-7803 STREETVIBES April, 2004 o Make support services available to recipients o Allow recipients affected by domestic violence to be eligible for exemptions .from welfare time limits and work requirements by participating in alternative programs to help put their lives and the lives of their children together. "Right now there is no requirement that domestic violence victims who apply for welfare in Ohio will receive suppot'tive services to assist in overcoming this barrier." "Some counties provide a lot of help, but unfortunately, other counties do little or nothing. The FVO would improve this situation by requiring counties to assist domestic violence victims," said Katy Heins, Director of the Contact Center. The Ohio Empowerment Coalition is urging the Ohio Assembly and Governor to protect domestic violence victims in Ohio by adopting the Family Violence Option. A statewide Mobilization Conference/Lobby Day will be held on :tvlay 6 at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 125 E. Broad Street, in Coltunbus tocontinue mobilizing on the FVO Campaign. For more information about the Conference and/or the Family Violence Option Campaign call the Ohio Empowerment Coalition at 1-877­ 862-5179. Rep. Jean Schmidt may be contacted at 614466-8134 or ·write her at 77 South High Street, Columbus, 43215. The Know Your Rights Brochure is now available at the Coalition's office. The brochure is a legal guide for Cincinnati's h omeless and covers a person's basic rights when interacting with the police, as well as some local laws that might be of interest to the homeless population. If you are a homeless person or if you work with homeless people and would 1ike to obtain free copies of the brochm·e for yourself or your agency, pleasecall 421-7803, or stop by the Coalition office and pick one up. Politics Page 12 �Manifest Destiny by Adam Holdorf, Real Change newspaper UC Berkeley International Studies professor Chalmers Johnson has been a Cold Warrior for much of his career. When the Soviet Union crumbled, he expected the United States ­ declaring itself the winner of the US-Soviet face-off - to pack up its Cold War military outposts, consummate its nuclear disarmament treaties, and devote itself to peacetime pursuits. Appalled by U.S. foreign policy in the 1990s, he began to wonder: had America's arms race against the Soviets masked some more fundamental purpose? The result of those musings was his 2000 book, Blowback: the Costs and Consequences of American Empire, which ignited a brush fire among foreign-policy wonks over to what degree U.S. citizens are endangered by their country's foreign policy in places such as the Middle East. Then came September 11, 2001. People asking "Why do they hate us?" had, in Blowback, an answer. The network of American military bases on every continent except Antarctica; the secret and not-so­ secret wars which have taken civilian lives from Panama to the Philippines - the price of American hegemony, he had warned, is terrorism against its citizens. Now, writes Johnson in The Sorrows of Empire, "it no longer seems necessary to issue warnings; instead a diagnosis, even an autopsy, may be more appropriate." The American Empire - the military's untempered and untethered operations, the Bush doctrines of "preventive war" and unilateralism - is all about us. And no regime change in the White House will make it go away. "A revolution would be required," he writes. But Johnson finds hope, too - in the millions of marchers who opposed the Iraq War; in the anti­ globalization movement that debuted in Seattle in 1999; in the vehement disagreement of 30 percent of the American public to our nation's policies. RC: You have said that you began thinking of the United States' foreign policy as one of empire when you visited Okinawa. Johnson: I was invited by the governor of Okinawa, the poorest, most southerly island of Japan, after the incident of September 4, 1995, in which two Marines and a sailor had abducted, beaten, and STREETVIBES raped a 12-year-old girl. The When George Bush says we nuclear weapons [with regard to Iraq]. are the greatest force of good in Pentagon would have you believe Third, a tradition of deceit the 1995 rape was a single, unusual history, or when he says "You're incident. The truth of the matter is either with us or against us," which by the government in speaking to is a line Lenin liked too, but it the public. I would cite above all that the rate of sexually violent February 5, 2003, when Secretary crimes in Okinawa leading to court actually comes from the Bible ­ we're talking about a passionate martial is about two per month. of State Colin Powell sat in the One of the things I remember most ideological error that is leading us United Nations Security Council into, my opinion, very very vividly is the locals' deep and and issued a long statement that, as we now know, was an utter tissue dangerous straits. abiding belief that they were being Security of Defense victimized by both the Japanese of lies. Our Secretary of State has Rumsfield in October said that "we simply no credibility left on earth. government and by the Pentagon. Fourth, bankruptcy. The island was essentially a military don't have a metric" - his phrase, meaning a measure - we don't have Everyone knows what is happening colony between 1945 and 1972. The Japanese government, which to the American federal deficit; it is a metric for whether we are wishes to have the alliance with the succeeding against terrorism. But I catastrophic. As Herbert Steinman, who was once Chairman of the United States but does not want to think we do have a metric: in the have American troops located very eight years between 1993 and Council of Economic Advisers once close to its own citizens, essentially 2001, including the attacks of 9111, said, "Things that can't go on forever don't." Whatever you dumps them all in the equivalent of Al Qaeda carried out five major think of the Constitution, I Puerto Rico. bombing incidents around the guarantee you an economic crisis is My first in reaction was that world. Since that time, in just two something that everyone will have Okinawa must be exceptional. As a years, down to including the to come to grips with when it suicide attacks in Istanbul against result of studying American bases around the world, I concluded that the British consulate and the HSBC occurs, and it could happen at any Bank, Al Qaeda has carried out 17 time. the real tragedy of Okinawa was not that it was unusual or atypical ­ major bombings. The situation of RC: You're saying that the fault it was far too typical of the sexually terrorism is clearly worse now lies deeper than with the current violent crimes, environmental since 9/11, and reveals the administration. Do you see hope pollution, noise, bar brawls, drunk inappropriateness of an overly for change in your lifetime? driving accidents that are militarized response to terrorist Johnson: I think it's perfectly associated with our overseas bases. incidents. possible to imagine the removal of President Bush and his RC: Are there lessons for our RC: You say it would take "a administration. He seems well on occupation of Iraq in this? revolution" to return to some of Johnson: It's really interesting how the principles that were his way toward discrediting himself. But no matter who much the American press has tried expressed in the Declaration of replaces him, we'll have enormous to suggest that our bringing Independence - a declassified difficulties standing up to the democracy to Japan under General CIA budget, for example. Is it vested interests of the Pentagon, MacArthur after World War II is a too late for the democratic the intelligence agencies, and the model for our activities in Iraq. principles that founded our military-industrial complex. If you I've wanted to always say that if republic? you believe that, then you've got to The Pentagon would have you believe the 1995 rape was a leave Okinawa single, unusual incident. The truth of the matter is that the entirely out of the rate of sexually violent crimes in Okinawa leading to court discussion, because the last martial is about two per month. One of the things I remember thing we ever did most vividly is the locals' deep and abiding belief that they was bring were being victimized by both the Japanese government and by democracy to the Pentagon ... Okinawa. It's certainly a place Johnson: That's what we're going where no one thanks the United ask me right now whether I think that's going to happen, I'm sorry to to find out, in a very short period States for its presence. say I really don't. I think the polls RC: Your very first quote in The of time. My last chapter called "The Sorrows of Empire" has a strongly suggest that 70 percent of Sorrows of Empire is President Bush saying "Our nation is the the public endorses the Bush discussion of four main sorrows. Administration and the war policy; One is perpetual war: Bush and greatest force for good in Cheney have mentioned between history." You trace that 30 percent is adamantly opposed. 50 and 60 nations on earth that And 30 percent in a country as big sentiment back to Woodrow Wilson and his League of as the United States is not a small they would like to bring about number. Nations, and show it's led many a regime change through preventive One of the things that war. leader astray. Where did we go Second, the end of the appalls me about the current wrong this time? Republic, in the sense of the political situation is how none of Johnson: The United States has hollowing out of the Constititution: the Democrat [presidential made potentially a fatal mistake James Madison, easily the most candidates] seem to be offering an after the demise of the Soviet important author of the alternative to what American Union in 1991 in starting to Constitution, declared that the behavior in the world should be. convince itself that it is a new None of them have any real single most important article in it Rome. That we are a colossus afoot in the world, no one can was that the right to go to war had criticism of the size of the Defense possibly resist our military power, budget, the amount of money to be in the hands of those elected by the people, never in the hands of spent. Some of them - that is, we are beyond good and evil, we a single man. In October 2002, our most of them - voted for war do not need friends. We begin to sound like the Roman Empire, Congress voted to give that power powers to be transferred to the to a single man when he felt like it, President [in the case of Iraq]. which of course was a military on his impulse, including the use of dictatorship. April, 2004 GCCH News Page 13 �Spring Within These Walls .... by Michael Henson First hints: A red haze among the maples. A great clutter of branches thrown down by a storm. A row of daffodils that raise their baffled heads out of the cold beds of the garden. The light, stretched back by the black fingers of the trees at the horizon, stretched back by the rooftops at the head of the alley, ekes out the lingering days. The winter rains become the spring rains, cold and persistent. The rivers rise to their banks; they darken with silt. They boil coldly in their drive to the Gulf bearing downstream anything loose in their path. Then, a day that ignites green fires at the tips of the sycamores. A day when the earth shimmers with a dim mammalian pulse. After the million deaths of winter, partisan births, clandestine cadres, in tens and twelves, here, and here, and in the hedges. Everything swells. Everything grows more numerous. New hungers arise, some small as the belly of a vole, some neatly small as thought. Others large as a field of wheat. Still others larger than we dare name. Everywhere the hungers assert themselves. They stretch among the root hairs in the compost. They call from the nests tucked in the branches of the cedars. They quiver on the dark floor of every pond. They weep themselves known in the houses of the poor. by Reenie Ware Gadsden Correctional Facility, Quincy, Florida I've developed a relationship with God; I've put all my trust in Him, It is God, and only God who can help me conquer sin, We're all God's children and we all fall short, Only God can judge us for He truly knows our heart. I've met different people from all walks of life, We're all fighting sin, to stop doing wrong and instead do right. I've learned to care, love and respect myself, I've learned that I am more important than anyone else. I've had a chance to realize just how valuable my life is, A chance to realize it's not better to receive than give. Give to one another because it is the right thing to do, To give to those who are less fortunate than you. I've lived, I've learned and I've changed for the better, I've learned that change brings on new challenges. Within these walls is not where I want to be, However, within these walls is where I've regained my sanity. Tell Me Who? by Robert Manassa Who woke me up this morning? Who stops my heart from yearning? To do the things I know is wrong Who keeps me safe from all harm? Tell Me Who? Who puts shoes on my feet? Who gave me food to eat? Who stops me from living a life of crime? Who keeps me in check, walking a straight line? Tell Me Who? Some may say it's Emanuel, The man who met the woman at the well, I need to find an answer soon, Before I'm met with doom Tell Me Who? CHILD OF THE UNIVERSE We See You by Merry Ferrell Hey you, standing over there. On every corner, everywhere. Dealing drugs to your family and friends, Give your brother a hit, he'll never quit. Can't you see, they are losing their mind? Her looks are gone, his teeth are missing. They've lost their hope and dreams and their Homes. You think you're Kool. I know you are a Fool. I tried it once, I tried it twice. I don't like it. You say you are looking for the ultimate high. You'll never find it, you will slowly die. The Crack drug slowly eats you from the inside out. The dealer eats your money and leaves you alone. No love. No joy. He's gone. God held my hand and He held on tight. He showed me what was wrong and what was right. I'm never alone. He shares my Home, my Dream my Joy, my Life. I firmly believe that mother universe will provide all that I am in need of to sustain this life of mine. Each of us can harness the talents and energies to accomplish everything we set for ourselves as a goal. We are each in the space and place we belong in. Where we are and where we are headed is already pre-destined. It has been determined by the seeds we have sewn in this life and by those of the past. Its success depends on how well we attend to the crop we have planted within us. when in doubt we must speak truthfully...... .in all matters love every one with a open hand ...... even when it is painful to do so ..... .look into tomon-ow and do what is for the good of all ...... .including you Great care should be taken of what you manifest. Do not speak or act anything negative into existence ... Knowingly refrain from these activities. STREETVIBES April, 2004 Art & Poetry Page 14 �Always with you, Always with me Brick by Brett Zwoli11ski byjh mountains we climb and seas we traverse time we buy and life passes by in my mind there is but only one thought .. madden ing horror. pent up fear illusions, inebriating crimes told again and again, the story of mine whose life are we seeing? how and when did it all begin? lt is the famous bricks, pinning our hopes to cold concrete. broken glass. and scattered dreams. Because. it is real, it.becomes a triumph, breaking the calm with deliglltfulsounds and hope from a child's vo ice. ti mes immemorial, deathunveiled e mpty and bleeding, caroused and cheating Please understand my fear I' m the only one standing here When I woke up. I didn't know what to do f do remember I prayed to you This time and place is new to me There's no instruction for me to see Please God can I hold your hand At least I won't be lonely as I stand My feelings and goals are hard to do But God. deep in my heart, there really for you Their paths you make and choices you give Are.those that I chooe to live You are my master, I am your servant I seek you. l submit to you Even without you in my view With your grace and mercy everyday l can face fear and doubt in every way As everyday goes past My faith in you. I know will last Thank you God in every way Thank you God just for today to let go ... Now we hold on even tighter grasp for breath of fres h air; ahhh... the spirit released... earth inhaled to our nostrils becoming one with yourself in passionate fit rage and rancor, tearing at flesh killing me softly, taking my breath love is liberty, love is freedom love is mercy, love is justice Sendyour poetry to Streetvibes 117East12th Street, Cin, 0 45202 lt is, because there is a dream. cloaking the desperation with denial and a foolish dance, tapping the broken concrete, like a broken hammer. lt comes to us, because it never dries your eyes, but breaks your heart There is enough pain to consume your spirit. And then it dies because the ancient mantra fortifies the dreadful discourse, allowinghumans to pass in the street, asleep. Gregory Payton _____ ,,_ ' r:..f_ _:__ by Jimmy Heath ..........=.......,...---· • Window Jesus, Over-the-Rhine STREETVIBES April, 2004 Art & Poetry Page 15 �Spinning the Past, Threatening the Future fusl within themselves. Pl:llilical aphorisms don' t Perhaps such steeliness has been almost ooilerplae in gal any more c oganl: "Who oonlrols the post cont ras the history; excuses for ~gressive future; who cont ras the present w ar have never been hard to come oonlrols the past." by. Jn this c ase, no amount of Georga Orwell's famous gaopdilical analysis - from media pundits, acaiemics and observation lJ"'S a long way toward e xplaining why- a full other commentators - CC1Uld year after the invasion of Iraq ­ really do more lo shed light than the m edia battles oorer prewar lies the l ight bulb comprehension that lhese people in c harge h:rl from are so ferccioos i n the United lhe o utset macre the determination Slates. Top oimini.stralion officials are going all out to that war ii would be. airbrush yeslen:lay's creceplions on So, e very attemp t al civic l:ehalf of lcdays. And tomorrow's. engagamenl and demonstrations The future they want most against the war £ enario was, in effect, trying to impede '1eaiers" to conlid starts on Election Day. And with scarcely seven months who h :rl already gone aroond the bend .A very big berrl. One of the to g<> in the presid2nlial American m ass media taboos was campaign, the past that Bush officials are most eaga to obscure lo serious!y suggest the possibility that the Joi of them - Bush, is their own record. Jn late 2IXl2 and e arly last year, wheneorer the Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and, yes, drive to war hit a bump , they I'bwall - were, in lheir purs uit of w ar on Iraq, significantly maneuvered carefully to keep the w~ car<Nan moving ste.adil y deranged. Wetting b a:;k from their forw ard. There was no doobt; they conclusion of war's necessity, lop were a hard.driving bunch. The Bush aiministraliono fficials ­ mo.st powerful .oi.u :rl of the Bush with assistance from many foreign-policy team rano n the reporters and pundits - were fuel o f certitucre at such a reading t he c alendar backwazds, prodigious rate that e""' their hell-bent en gaiting lhe i nvasion uncrerway well before the e>.treme momentum had momentum ­ mayte, in p art, because their heal of summer. lives' trajectories seemed to T here was ilio pdilical cremand it. War h:rl been declared weather lo be naoigated. Though by Nomum,Sclomon, powerful than munitions." L ater, m uch mare susceplibbo lo any and all words were to be m anipulation than the four vasll y outma1ched by the big guns se..ons , the electoral storms trained on lrtq. would be starling for the 2004 One afternoon, 14 mcnlhs prasidenlial contest, and a secured ago, inside a little shop in v ictory o<rer Iraq well in aiv ance Baghdad's crowded souk, a young seemed aivisable. boy sat behind an old de.sk, l:row n The pea:;e-saeking e yes wicre, quielly wat hing his pretense w as dripping with father unfurl carpets far polenlial charaie in the moolhs before t he c us\\:l:ners, and I woncrered: «Will invasion. Journalists kepi wriling my country's missiles kill you?" and talking about the chances of Key questions of the past war as though Presid2nt Bush are also crucial far the future. For instance, c an the United Stales h ain't alreaiy m aie up his mind lo o rd2r ii. Yet w hat Bush said in c redibly wage a " war on public w as e xa:;lly opposite to terrorism.. by engaging in warfare reality- a «one.eighly."When that terrorizes civilians? he t alked about preferring lo find Clo... lo 10,000 lrtqi an <eceptabbo alternaliva lowar, c ivilians haoe died because of the he was det>rmined lo bypa.<s and war during the past year. destroy every allernati"8 to w... Does the mix of mendacity R alional arguments would and deadly violence from the Oval not Work lo forest all the Office really strike against terrorism . or does ii fuel terrorist presidential order to unlea.sh the Pantagon. Despite the obstacles, cycles? which included vital a:;livism arrl Arrl, i n the realm of news p rotests for pe.,e , the c hief media, how many journalists are execuli"8 easily gpt to have his willing and able to go beyond war - the best kind, to be fought reliance on official sources and endUied on! y by others . e nough lo bring us truth about lies that result in creath? Eighteen months agp, looking out at Baghdad frcm an Nonnt0t Solhrrt.on wrU s a: upper story of a hot>!, I thought of sy»dicatetl colllmn o n mdiaa>>i poleics. He is co-avthor (weh something Albert Camus once w rote. « And henceforth, the only Reese Et!ich) of' Targa Iraq: What the N ews M edia Didn't Tell honorable course will be lo sl ake everything on a formidable Yoa," pablishetl in 2003 by g amble: that wards are more Co >Uxt Books. story, Editorial "A1aybe we could get a betrer pricejor 1he car ij'we hired a real estate agent." and Art Submis­ sion Deadline/or the iWav. 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, April 9th Streetvibes exists as a f orum for the expression of the •·iews a11d opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions exp ressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes sta or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeles-s. STREETVIBES April, 20-04 Editorial Page 16 �have allocated an entire ly Buy Me Love manufactured romantic symbo lism of"reality" te levision, but the cyberspace? Why are we so profits are undeniable. Te levision accepting o f this marketplace of networks don' t have to pay to these objects. human product? According to one by Hannah Kane Stranger still isthe fact that study, conducted by Andrea Baker enormous sa Jaries to reality The Beatles proclaimed in 1964 that money can't buy me te levision "stars;•and .advertisers we buy into the diamond industry's of Ohio University, Lancaster, the love. J-Lo echoed that S€lltiment in messages about the relationships are anxious to get the attention of average commitment time for 2001 when she argued that love between men and women and couples who meet online is theyoung demographic that has latched onto the genre. In fact, the accelerated- they tend to fall in don't cost a thing. In 40 years, pop money. The diamond industry's advertising is unabashedly sexist, love and marry within a year to a popu larity ofthese shows have music has maintained its belief in year and a half. As is the case with c aused executives to rethink the the sacredness oflove. Love is heterosexist, and materialistic. sO!llethingthatshouldn' tbe Feminist, GLBT, and anti­ many other new technologies, we way television is made. Reruns are purchased. It should remain consumerism movements, however, can' t get enough of those gadgets, out, new "casts" are in. And this have failed to prevent diamonds , a inventions, and inn ovations that means there will be no shortage of untainted despite our culture of frivolous luxury, from somehow capitalism and commodification. help us to maximize our time. Why "reaf' television love stories for us But love has fallen victim to glittering their way into mainstream should it be any differentregarding to gossip about, or to participate in our quest for love? the same consumer culture that consciousness. Perhaps the true for those who are inclined. turned religion into glow-in-the­ irony of the diamond industry is the So, if anyone is looking to An even more recent prove the Beatles wrong, there is a fact that, despite c'laims that "a addition to the love industry dark Jesus keychains and major diamond is forever," diamonds can arrived with the reality television deP3ftment store sales that wealth ofevidence to point to that commemorate formerly religious boom of the past several television supports the theory that love is in fact be shattered, chipped, holidays. discolored, or destroyed. seasons. Picking up where "Love indeed for sale. Nowadays, one can There's more to peddling Love is the final frontier in Connection" and "'The Dating buy love via romance novels, love love than just diamonds. Game" left off, hit shows like "The Before song c ompilation albums, dating the war between what we hold you even consider giving or sacred and what we are willing to Bachelor:· "The Bachelorette," services, personal ads, lingerie, manufacture, brand, and bargain wearing a ring, you have to find the "Joe Millionaire," "Average Joe," romantic comedy films, sex toys, for. And the truth is, it's a losing right person.And the masterminds "B!ind Date," "Elirnidate," "Who magazines, and more. And that behind internet dat ing want to help "Wants to Marry a Multi­ doesn' t include the abundance ofe­ battle. Millionaire?," "Who Vtants to solicitations that appear in our In a world of internet dating you. For a fee, services like and television marriages, love is match.com and love.com will allow Marry My Dad?," (are you inboxesevery day, inviting us to becoming decidedly less romantic. you to enter your specifications and exhausted yet'!) are changing the grow, augment, join, and other less-than-pure verbs , all of which But we first took the he art out of find the perfect mate. If you're the way America dates. Dating is no love long ago. In 1948, De Beers longer a private affair between two will make us more attractive to type ofperson who already knows what you' re looking for (no taller people, as millions of viewers tune others. For those of us looking for told us that a diamond is forever and we , blinded by the 14 sparkly than 6' 2" , no shorter than5'10"; a more conventional form of love , in each week and discuss around carats of a history-making PR perhaps 'Ille can find comfort in J­ the water cooler the next day. brown eyes, please; smokers need campaign, agreed. not apply; wanting to adopt Dating is no longer a personal Lo's heartfelt lyrics-provided, of In 1888, De Beers children), then you might as.weII matter as some shows give the c ourse, we can get past the glint viewing audience the power to speed up the Darwinian process from her $3 million 6.1 carat Harry Consolidated Mines, Ltd. was created to capitalize on the and get on with the virtual determine the romantic fates of the Wmstonpink diamond engagement lovelorn. Dating is no longer ring. enormous diamond mines that had matchmaking. recently been discovered in South romantic as cameras zoom in on HatZJtah is a senior at This is more than a niche Africa. Before 187 0, diamonds first kisses and microphones market - some people are getting Emerson Co!kge, and doesn't rich off of other people's desire for arnplifythesweetnothing,s. No, were truly a rare commodity; the watch as much TVas one might only known sources were in the romance. Singles looking for love dating is not what it used to be. assume. Reprinted from the riverbeds in India and the jungles of spent over .$300 million on online Reality television has made it Febmary 2004 issue of Vl'hat's personal ads in 2002. weird, perverted, voyeuristic, Brazil. After the South African Up, Baston. mines were discovered, De Beers Why are people so willing cynical,clicM, and profitable. to put themselves on sale in People question the reality quickly monopolized the g loba I industry and organized a massive advertising campaign in an effort to maintain the now mythical perception that diamonds are precious and scarce, and thus maintain a high market value. Much has been written about "conflict diamonds" or "blood diamonds;' detailing the horrific labor and human rights abuses that characterize the diamond industry. Despite the controversy, 85 percent of American women own a piece of diamond jewelry. The industry's advertising campaigns consistently and effectively portray the diamond as themostmeaningfulexpress ion oflove and devotion. Considering the fact that diamonds serve an entire ly utilitarian purpose (industrial precision-cutting) and have little intrinsic monetary value, and that the diamond industry has managed to maintain its extraordinarily high prices all these A wire wall Sculpture, 1821 Race Street, Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine years, it's a.Jmost bizarre that we Berta's Art Corner STREETVIBES April, 2004 Editorial Page 17 �Handling of Huntington Meadows a Crime by Brian Garry "high level." It's the black church against the black people. It's the black church against poor people. Where were those churches during the whole scandalous, criminal, and planned closing of Huntington Meadows? This community of people surrounded their churches. The churches should have stood up for the residents. Search the newspapers and see if there are any quotes from these pastors (Ed. Note; The former Huntington Meadows housing complex was closed last year and low-income tenants were moved out. New condominiums are planned with neighborhood churches taking the lead in development of the site.) In Huntington Meadows we have black on black crime on a "standing up for" their defenseless neighbors in need. Now the churches are pawns in the hands of politicians and "developers" that are part of a racist and classist plot to rid the city of poor and black people. Our city council said that they "had no money" for the former residents, yet they have 13.5 million to wreck it down and build expensive single family houses? The closing of Huntington Meadows was criminal, as will come out the in lawsuit filed in federal court. The deal with the churches developing the area is hypocritical at least. These churches did not stand up to fight the immoral closing of Huntington Meadows and they are now reaping the benefits ofthis hideous mass eviction. Show me a quote from that time period from one of those pastors advocating that the people not be kicked out of their homes. The church should protect the rights of the poor, not stand on their backs to climb up the economic ladder. A Broken Promise: the limits of work in the new economy by Timothy Harris A recession, the old joke goes, is when your neighbor is out of work, but when you lose your own job, that's a depression. So what happens when one in four full time workers often has to choose between rent, food, and utilities, and at least that many more are excluded from the economy altogether? That's when the joke really stops being funny. Two recent books offer an fresh look at the demise of the American Dream. Beth Shulman's The Betrayal ofWork examines the trend toward low wage work and how all of us, in the long run, pay the hidden costs. Keeping Up with the Dow Joneses, which describes the growing equality gap, the burgeoning prison state, and the system of workfare, is more ambitious but ultimately over-reaches. Its critique of neo-liberalism offers less of a unifying theme than a long list of things we' re against. It is this tone of "we leftists" against the world that undermines this book's appeal. The Betrayal ofWork, on the other hand, begins with the common sense notion that a fair day's work should draw a fair day's pay. While this hasn't been the case for at least two decades, the problems of low wage work, says Shulman, go far beyond the minimum wage. Benefits in the low wage service sector are mostly non­ existent. The work is often demeaning and dangerous with management by intimidation being the norm. There is little to no flexibility to deal with sickness, childcare, or family problems. Little training or chance for advancement is available. Shulman brings what could be a dry policy discussion to life with by allowing three workers to speak for themselves. Single mom Linda Stevens once dreamed of being a business lawyer, but now stmggles to raise a daughter while working full­ time in a food court and part-time as a clerk. "I work hard," she says. "I take care of my customers. But I feel like I'm being stabbed in the back. The owner keeps telling me that we are family. But this is no way to treat family." Janitor Flor Segunda supports a disabled husband who is only able to work occasional day labor and three children on $6.00 an hour. She has worked for the same employer for six years. Bob Butler sharpens knives at a poultry processing plant. At $8.20 an hour, he is one of the factory's most highly compensated workers. "They care about the chickens more than us," he says. The Betrayal ofWork makes three arguments for a more just economy: Low wage work is not just somebody else's problem. We all pay because society subsidizes low wage industries by picking up the social costs of widespread poverty. Similarly, we all benefit by low wage work in ways that are deeply unfair. A moral society does not maintain cheap prices in the midst of affluence at the expense of the most desperately poor. Finally, bad jobs do not have to remain bad jobs. The manufacturing sector was filled with lousy jobs as well before organized labor created the 40-hour week, benefits, and the family wage. There is no reason, she argues, that the service industty cannot be unionized as well. In fact, this is the only strategy likely to yield results. The service sector needs to organize, and the more privileged middle-class needs to move beyond single-issue fragmentation to support the stmggles of the working poor. The alternative is a never-ending race to the bottom in which we all lose. Keeping Up With The Dow Joneses documents a divided society as well, where the growing gap between rich and poor is buttressed by a system geared to profit for the few at the expense of the many. Author Vijay Prashad unites the attack on organized labor, the expanding prison-industrial complex, and the rollback of welfare that was completed under the Clinton administration under the rubric of neo-liberalism. The book veers from the overly general to the weirdly specific. For example, Prashad takes the militant Kensington Welfare Rights Vendor: 70 cents Printing and Production: 30 cents Union to task for not having a "program for the transformation of the state." This sort of sectarian squabbling, however well meant, is probably interesting to a couple dozen people, and no one - outside of those few who have actually used the phrase "this historic juncture" in the course of casual conversation - cares what they think. Real social transformation requires a broad­ based movement that has appeal beyond the left ghetto. If practical program is what you're looking for, Shulman offers specifics. Where Prashad merely instmcts us to "build socialism," the final chapter of Betrayal of Work offers a "Compact With Working Americans." This includes policy recommendations as broad as strengthening the right of workers to organize and as specific as expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit. While much of the platform goes well beyond what mainstream Democrats would now support, it's amazing what can happen when enough people shove hard in the same direction. Reprinted from Real Change Where Your Dollar Goes .. . The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. STREETVIBES April, 2004 Editorial Page 18 �FRAC-Food Research and Action Center News One of the most disturbing and extraordinary aspects of life in this very wealthy country is the persistence of hunger. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports, based on a national U.S. Census Bureau survey of households representative of the U.S. population, that in 2002 , 11.1 percent of all U.S. households were "food insecure" because of lack of resources. Of the 12.1 million households that were food insecure, 3.8 million suffered from food insecurity that was so severe that USDA's very conservative measure classified them as "hungry." Since 1999, food insecurity has increased by 3.9 million individuals: 2.8 million adults and more than one million children. In 2002, 34.9 million people lived in households experiencing food insecurity, compared to 33.6 million in 2001 and 31 million in 1999. See FRAC's analysis of and a link to the full report: Household Food Security in the United States, 2002 Definitions: What Do Hunger and Food Insecurity Mean in the United States? Very simply, hunger is defined as the uneasy or painful sensation caused by lack of food. When "hunger in America" is discussed, people are referring to the recun-ent and involuntary lack of access to sufficient food due to poverty or constrained resources, which can lead to malnutrition over time. In some developing nations where famine is widespread, hunger manifests itself as severe and very visible clinical malnutrition. In the United States hunger manifests itself, generally, in a less severe form. This is in part because established programs help to provide a safety net for many low­ income families. While starvation seldom occurs in this country, children and adults do go hungry and chronic mild undemutrition does occur when financial resources are low. The mental and physical changes that accompany inadequate food intakes can have harmful effects on learning, development, productivity, physical and psychological health, and family life. STREETVIBES New phrases have emerged over the last two decades to describe the widespread but less severe hunger problems we typically face in the United States. Food security is a term used to describe what our nation should be seeking for all its people ­ assured access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life, with no need for recourse to emergency food sources or other extraordinary coping behaviors to meet basic food needs. In a nation as affluent as ours this is a readily achievable goal. EDITORIAL: EFFECTS OF FOOD INSECURITY ON PATIENTS (American Academy of Family Physicians, March 1, 2004) In this editorial David H. Holben of Ohio University College of Health and Human Services and Wayne Myles of Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, discuss the role physicians can play with patients who may suffer from food insecurity or hunger. The editorial suggests ways in which physicians can determine if a patient experiences food insecurity or hunger, the effects food insecurity and hunger have on health and development, and which federal food assistance programs physicians can refer patients to if a patient is thought to be experiencing food insecurity or hunger. http://www.aafp.org/ afp/20040301 I editorials .html#3 TEXAS AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT REVAMPS RULES ON WHAT FOODS SCHOOLS CAN SERVE TO STUDENTS (US A Today, March 4, 2004) The Texas Depaitment of Agriculture released new regulations for school food service to reduce the fat and sugar content of foods eaten by students at school. The regulations include limiting the number of times foods such as French fries ai·e served, limiting portion sizes (e.g., 12 oz limit on soft drinks), and the sugar/syrup content of foods such as flavored milks and canned fruit. In August 2003, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs banned "foods of minimal nutritional value" from Texas elementary schools and during lunch time at middle schools. The new rules will affect some 4.2 million school children. These regulations will go into effect in August 2004 at schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and After School Snacks. http:// www.usatoday.com/news/health/ April, 2004 2004-03-04-school­ nutrition_x.htm The link to the regulations is: http:// www.agr.state.tx.us/foodnutrition/ policy/food_nutrition_policy.pdf BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS GROW, PREPARE OWN MEALS (New York Times Magazine, March 7, 2004) On the campus of Mm.tin Luther King Jr. Middle School, in Berkeley, California, students grow and prepare their own school lunches, getting a "seed to table experience" that reinforces the connection between the earth and the food we eat. The program is part of the "Edible Schoolyard" program inspired and led by Alice Waters, organic chef and owner of Berkeley's Chez Panisse restaurant. Waters hopes that these predominantly low- to middle-income students will learn about the food they eat and consume more fruits and vegetables. http:// www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07 I magazine/07WATERS .html (free registration required) REPORT FINDS THAT PUBLIC ASSISTANCE DOES NOT COVER BASIC EXPENSES FOR MICHIGAN FAMILIES (Grand Rapids Press, Grand Rapids, MI, March 8, 2004) A study by the Michigan County Social Services Association, designed to measure the buying power of people receiving public assistance, found that families enrolled in TANF and food stamps ended up about $900 short each month when trying to cover basic expenses. These expenses include rent, utilities, food and transportation. The 2004 Market Basket Survey found that a family of three needed to pay $1,733 in basic expenses each month, more than twice what the average family receives in benefits. http://www.mlive.com/news/ statewide/index.ssf?/base/news-3/ 1078440003205080.xml NORTHWEST INDIANA FOOD PANTRY OFFERS ETHNIC FOOD CHOICES, SERVICES TO SPANISH­ SPEAKING CLIENTS (Times, Munster, IN, March 11, 2004) The Village Food Pantry in Valparaiso, Indiana staited a weekly Spanish Food Pantry on Fridays in order to assist Spanish­ speaking clients by serving them staple foods from their native countries (e.g., pinto beans, rice, com flour and jalapenos). The Spanish Food Pantry also assists FRAC News families in obtaining benefits like food stamps, health care and other services. The food pantry is also working to translate its client paperwork into Spanish. The first Spanish Food Pantry night was attended by 21 percent of the pantry's regular clientele. http:// nwitimes.com/aiticles/2004/03/ 11/news/porter_county/ fa546ff4355c93318625€Je540006re04.txt NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE LABOR COMMISSIONER URGES LEGISLATORS TO RAISE MINIMUM WAGE (Portland Press Herald, Portland, ME, March 9, 2004) Labor Commissioner James Casey tried to salvage a bill that would increase New Hampshire's minimum wage to $6 an hour, pointing out that, at $5 .15 per hour, the state's minimum wage is at least $1.10 below all other states in New England. Casey said that an increase would be "the right thing to do, the compassionate thing to do." He also noted that no other New England state "has reported higher unemployment as a result" of a minimum wage increase. An estimated 31,000 workers in New Hampshire earn minimum wage. http://news.mainetoday.com/ apwire/D8 16E9GG2-67 .shtml WISCONSIN FOOD PANTRY SEES INCREASE IN NEEDY PEOPLE (Wisconsin State Journal, Madison, WI, March 8, 2004) The St. Vincent de Paul Society food pantry in Madison has seen a significant increase in the number of needy people. The number of clients at the pantry has increased 35 percent in one month and more than 20 percent over the previous quarter. According to society director Ralph Middlecamp, the reasons for the jump in need are because many people who were working two jobs to get by have lost one in the slow economy, and an increasing number of Chicago residents ai·e moving to Madison. "Chicago is undergoing some hard times economically, and the city is also tearing down some of its housing projects," Middlecamp theorized. http:// www.madison.com/archives/ read.php ?ref=wsj : 2004:03 :08:345387:FRONT To subscribe to the weekly FRAC News Digest go on the web: http://capwiz.com/fraclmlml. Ben Winter Food Research and Action Center (202) 986-2200 x3019 phone (202) 986-2525 fax Email: bwinter @frac.org Page 19 �$1 Donation Need Help or Want to Help? Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 Ifyou need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. SHELTER: Both Anthony House 357-4602 (Youth) Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 861-1111 St. John's Housing 651-6446 ~~fulle~RS: Women and YWCA Battered Women's Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-566 O Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women's Crisis Center 859-491-3335 HOUSING: CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Net. ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St .Joseph House 381-4941 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 Formed in f984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (518) 421-7808, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 ~ Greater ,Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless a 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-1171 721-8666 961-4555 TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Both NA. Hope line 820-294 7 AA Hotline 351-0422 C.CAT. 381-6672 Tai bert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Co mm unity Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless. 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 rvlcMi cken Dental Clinic 352-6863 Our Daily Bread 621-6864 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless. Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4857 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless. Families/Singles) 423-4673 treetvi BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY I Who Would Jesus t Bomb? Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2004 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource April 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Protesting the Iraq War- Around the Globe, Millions Gather on One-Year Anniversary Pg 2: Reader Mail Pg 3: Lesson on Vine Street Pg 4: April 2001 Did Cincinnati’s Civil Unrest Change City Politics? Pg 5: April 2001 Continued Pg 6: The Peace Village Pg 7: Proposed Federal Funding Will Devastate Voucher Program National Homeless Advocate Censored by Assistant Secretary of HUD Gray Dog Continued Pg 8: Homeless News Digest Pg 9: Keep the Faith and Never Give Up Pg 10: Out with the Old, In with the New… Pg 11: Mother’s Day Pg 12: Family Violence Option Campaign Builds Momentum Pg 13: Manifest Destiny Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: Editorial Pg 17: Buy Me Love Pg 18: Handling of Huntington Meadows a Crime A Broken Promise: The Limits of Wok in the News Economy Pg 19: FRAC Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Andy Erickson Brendan Goodwin Mary Gaffney Elizabeth Linville Janice Faulkner Jimmy Heath Berta Lambert Mark Burke Anthony Dent Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Andy Erickson Anthony Dent Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Brendan Goodwin Cincinnati Editorials Elizabeth Linville Federal Funding Food Research FRAC Georgine Getty Huntington Meadows Iraq Janice Faulkner Jimmy Heath Mark Burke Mary Gaffney Peace Village Protesting Reader Mail Vine Street https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/8288922e819012085549e1e0581e845b.pdf d2292af8daea96e1600ae9e9d6051d94 PDF Text Text Streetvibes March 2004 Radio Marathon Brings the Voices of Homelessness to with my family when I was the Airwaves car younger – I’ve never forgotten this,” by Jimmy Heath On one of the coldest days of the year, Cleveland homeless advocates spent the night outside in a makeshift booth to campaign for homelessness awareness. The Seventh Annual Homelessness Marathon aired from Cleveland, Ohio on Thursday, February 12th and ran until 9AM on Friday. The homeless and advocates brought their concerns to the public in the overnight marathon radio show heard across much of North America. The 14 hour radio broadcast originates from the streets of a different city each year. The radio broadcast - the longest regularly scheduled public affairs program in America is “the most significant media event focusing on homelessness and poverty” according to Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “Homelessness continues to be a silent issue, and we will do whatever it takes to give homeless people a voice,” founder and radio host Jeremy Weir Alderson said. “We give them the chance to tell their stories and talk about the obstacles they face. And from what I’ve seen, America does care.” As in past years, the broadcast booth was set up outside to dramatize the plight of people with nowhere to go in the cold. The St. Malachi Center on Cleveland’s west side was host to the event, providing an indoors respite from the cold, along with hot food and drinks, some of which were donated by the Cleveland Restaurant Association and other local agencies. Calls were taken from around the country; the program focused on homeless issues nationwide. The program’s goal was to generate a national dialogue about homelessness and poverty in America and to create positive momentum for solving these problems. Presidential candidate Dennis J. Kucinich called in on-air during the Marathon to express his gratitude to the work of the homeless advocates in Cleveland. “Society has an obligation to provide housing to everyone,” he said. “Affordable housing, jobs – these are things that I’m concerned with,” said Kucinich . “First thing we need is affordable housing and living wage jobs. Then we need universal health care, tuition-free college. But first we need to address immediate needs. There is a fundamental moral obligation to help people. I lived in a said Kucinich. His message to those still on the streets? “Never resign yourself to being homeless.” Kucinich sponsored a Homelessness Summit in 2003 in his home district of Cleveland. The Summit assembled advocates, elected officials, and homeless people to examine the causes of homelessness in the district and identify the gaps in services and ways to close them. Kucinich convened the Summit in response to the increasing frequency with which his constituents were contacting his office about homeless related Brian Davis, executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the services. More than 26,000 people are Homeless (left) is interveiwed bt Marathon host Jeremy Weir Alderson homeless in Cuyahoga County Homelessness Marathon. This years’ every year since its inception in (Cleveland) according to Brian Davis 1998. The first broadcast was heard Marathon was heard on nearly 80 of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for stations nationwide, and on 25 to 30 only on WEOS in Geneva, New the Homeless (NEOCH). stations carrying the Canadian York. The sixth broadcast, in 2003, There were no on-air Homeless Marathon. Visit the was heard on more than 70 stations solicitations for money as Maraththon’s Web site - http:// coast-to-coast, with another 18 “consciousness raising, not fund www.homelessnessmarathon.org. stations airing a parallel Canadian raising,” was the Marathon’s policy. “The most important thing we do is put homeless people on the air,” says Marathon producer Karen D’Andrea. “So we make a great deal of effort to get their participation, by working with shelters to set up special listening rooms, contacting advocacy groups, and making a kind of homeless people’s block party right at the broadcast site.” Many homeless people and advocates took advantage of the free call-in and the onsite microphone. The broadcast was made available free to stations via the NPR and Pacifica satellites and a Webcast. The Marathon continues to grow Fred listens to the Marathon on the radio Streetvibes Vendor: 70 cents Printing and Production: 30 cents Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for home­ less and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Brendan Goodwin - Administra­ tive Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Elizabeth Linville - Civil Rights Coordinator Mary Gaffney - Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath, Editor Photographers Jimmy Heath, Berta Lambert, Curtis Proffitt Cover Homelessness Marathon outdoor radio broadcast booth, Cleveland - photo by Jimmy Heath Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or ven­ dors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, de­ livered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://homeless.cinci.com Ohio Cities Face Common Challenges by Jimmy Heath There are an estimated 26,000 people in the Cleveland, Ohio metro-area who experience homelessness each year. Over 2,000 are homeless each night. In appearance and circumstances, the faces of homelessness in Cleveland are the same as in Cincinnati. Men and woman, families and children, all struggle to afford decent, affordable housing while maintaining a sustainable living. Women and children continue to be the fastest growing segment of the homeless population in both of these Ohio cities. Cleveland is now the home of the largest shelter in the state. 2100 Lakeside Place has a capacity of 400 persons, but more than 500 people are routinely housed there each night when the weather is bad and because they never turn people away who need help. Lack of affordable housing Ohio’s largest shelter, 2100 Lakeside Place is the major contributor to the Streetvibes newspaper nearly eight dealing with the issue of homeless population in both homelessness is education, and Cleveland and Cincinnati, and is the years ago. reversal of commonly held The Homeless Grapevine, number one cause of homelessness stereotypes. With public support, nationwide. published by NEOCH for over ten we can move the problem of years, has had a history of Spousal abuse, drug homelessness into the past. A struggles with identity and addiction and mental health issues moral and ethical change in public amongst the homeless are some of controversy with Cleveland city attitudes about the less fortunate government. the concerns shared by homeless will allow the homeless to find the advocates in both of these Ohio “Mayor White hated the dignity and the strength within paper,” says Davis. cities. themselves to realize their own Both cities “But the cops were struggle with NIMBYmuch more sympathetic potential and grace. With government support, we can begin ism, (Not-In-My-Back­ early on, especially Yard), as shelters are since the vendors police to help people find their own way pushed to the more themselves. The police out of homelessness with affordable housing, a living wage industrial and know that if there is a warehouse areas of the problem with a vendor, and educational opportunities. The visit with advocates in city - away from jobs, we will take care of it.” Cleveland last month taught me transportation and Cincinnati’s mayor Jimmy Heath that even though we share the opportunity, and people and city council detest same struggles, we also share the Streetvibes too. In the past the who do not want to come face-to­ same hopes. The common mayor has publicly derided the face with the problem of community, Americans in general, homelessness in their own paper and the vendors, but neighborhood. Cincinnatians in general continue to don’t want to see the problems of homelessness persist. The Northeast Ohio support the concept of a street Cincinnatians are paper sold by homeless vendors. Coalition for the Homeless supportive of the work that is In my travels I visit many (NEOCH), headed up by executive director Brian Davis, struggles to cities and shelters, and I am always going on to alleviate homelessness keep the shelters and advocates on struck by the similarities. Denial of in our city too, and will continue to be if they to listen to their hearts a unified course of action. the problem by government instead of the status quo. “We sometimes are kept at officials is universal. Animosity arms-length politically, but we help and hate bridge many gaps, including legal crimes against the homeless issues and grievances. All of the shelters need this collaboration,” are common says Davis. “We have one shelter occurrences. that won’t even let us in because All of these issues know we have handled some client grievances against them. This no borders. particular shelter used the cloak of The common privacy to protect themselves from struggle of the scrutiny. But we try where we can homeless to provide links in the system.” remains the Cleveland advocates also same in every boast a street newspaper, The city. Homeless Grapevine, which The helped launch Cincinnati’s own first step in NEOCH’s Brian Davis S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 From the Editor Page 2 �ON A SCALE OF ONE TO A HUNDRED, HOW MUCH DO YOU DISAGREE WITH THE CITY’S TREATMENT OF CINCINNATI’S HOMELESS? I WILL DONATE: $1 $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 He’s only 18 months old and already he’s trapped in the cycle of homelessness in Cincinnati. His mother needs an affordable place to live and a job with a living wage as she escapes a life of domestic violence. The current treatment of homeless individuals in our city means that he may never be able to live in a home of his own. There are 25,000 people in Cincinnati that experience homelessness each year. More than one-third of those are women and children. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless believes that by addressing the root causes of the problem through education, advocacy and coordination of services, we can end homelessness in our city. The more support we have from the community, the further our efforts reach. Please cut the coupon and pick a box. It could mean that one less child will have to live in one. Send your donations to Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 Page 3 Page 3 �Homeless News Digest Compiled by R.V. Murphy A group of homeless people is seeking to get Denver mayor John Hickenlooper to create a tent city for the city’s homeless. With the help of a college professor, the group studied tent cities in Portland, Seattle, and Los Angeles and presented a 39page proposal for their own to the city’s Commission on Homelessness, according to the Denver Post. A tent city is a small plot of land where people with no available shelter could sleep without fear of police harassment, bulldozers, or predators. Advocates for the tent city estimate that setting one up would cost $100,000. There is no precise census of homeless people in the Mile High City. A survey by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, an advocacy group, puts the population at about 9,700. The number of shelter beds has remained at about 1,000 since the early 1990s. Families and children are the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population. The Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News have both come out against the tent city idea. But surprisingly, the idea is drawing criticism from the most unlikely critics. The Colorado Coalition of the Homeless says, “the plan fails to address health, safety and sanitary issues and it doesn’t address causes of homelessness such as mental illness, substance abuse, job loss and the lack of affordable housing.” San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom recently held the first of many promised meetings of his new “Homelessness Cabinet,” made up of representatives from roughly 10 city agencies wrestling with the problem. He told the San Francisco Examiner that the planned weekly, or at least monthly, meetings would “connect the dots” and provide accountability so that needed services are delivered efficiently and homelessness can be ended in the coming decade. Newsom also said he plans to save some $400,000 a year by eliminating the Mayor’s Office on Homelessness. “It’s disbanded,” he said, adding, “I’d rather put those dollars in direct services.” The mayor said he wants to create much closer communication and cooperation among the various city agencies that together spend more than $100 million a year dealing with aspects of chronic homelessness. Last week, Dallas mayor Laura Miller held a town hall meeting for the homeless, according to the Dallas Morning News. Miller wanted to hear opinions on city plans for a homeless assistance center. The city has narrowed down possible sites to three. Some homeless people and advocates are concerned that one of the sites is eight miles from downtown. “It’s like throwing a party and no one will come,” Linda Cahanin said. “They want us out of downtown. Out of sight, out of mind.” James Waghorne, president of the Dallas Homeless Neighborhood Association, said the group collected signatures asking which site homeless people preferred. The city plans to open a facility for 24 hours, seven days a week that offers restrooms, showers, laundry, drug and alcohol counseling, mental health services, child care, computer access, lockers and other services. Voters approved $3 million for the facility in a May bond election, but officials say that does not cover the cost and that they must also raise private money for the facility. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the facility Feb. 25. Hundreds of migrant workers in Merced County in California could be left homeless this summer, the county’s housing authorities have said. The Modesto Bee reports that state funding to build new migrant worker housing is in danger, and Planada’s dilapidated Felix Torres Migrant Center was in such poor condition it was forced to shut down last October and designated for demolition. Back then, the state had enough cash to build more housing. Now funding is in jeopardy, and about 400 migrants, their spouses and children could be left without a place to stay. The department had set aside about $4.1 million to build the new facility, with another $3 million promised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There has been no official announcement to withdraw the funding, but Nicholas Benjamin, executive director of Merced County’s Housing Authority, said he believes the project won’t be funded, and that once the state funding goes, the federal money will go as well. Many migrant workers sleep in their cars. S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 On a 28-degree night in February, advocates count those living outdoors. by Andy Erickson due to the cold weather. Education Coordinator The drop in the numbers On February 3, a night that from May to February is probably reached a low of 28 degrees, the also due in large part to the cold Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the weather. On a night like this one, Homeless, the PATH team, and a many people who would have handful of volunteers counted 24 otherwise slept in camps outside people sleeping outside in might have sought warmer cover in Cincinnati. The count was shelters, abandoned buildings, or conducted by the Homeless friends or family’s dwellings. Outreach Group, a coalition of Another reason for the social service agencies change in numbers that provide outreach to could be attributed those living on the to the increase in street. outreach to this The Homeless population since the Outreach Group formed summer months. last summer when Brent Chasteen, an people living under outreach worker for downtown bridges Downtown clashed with city Cincinnati, Inc. has officials who wanted helped over 40 Andy Erickson them removed. The people get some struggle resulted in form of housing just since many changes in the way the September. The PATH team and police, social service agencies, and other members of the Homeless the homeless population interact. Outreach group have also had many During the height of this issue, successes. social service providers recognized At this point, however, the the need for increased, coordinated reasons for the change in numbers outreach to those who sleep are only educated guesses. It will outside and out of sight from many take a few more quarterly surveys agencies that help homeless before patterns in the outdoor individuals. homeless population can really be The survey on February 3 is understood. One thing that the first of what will become a everyone in the Homeless Outreach quarterly effort to count those Group agrees on, however, is that living outdoors. The Homeless whether the number is 193 or 24 Outreach Group hopes that these homeless people sleeping outside, counts will help social service that number is far too many. providers better understand who is living outside, where they are 20 YEARS staying, and how the numbers tend to fluctuate. By better SERVING THE understanding the changes in this NEIGHBORHOOD population, outreach workers will be able to better serve this population. A similar but separate survey was conducted nearly nine months ago on May 21. That survey found 193 people living outside, along with 1018 people living in shelters. The recent February count did not survey shelters, but it could be assumed that the numbers would have been slightly higher than the May count, Story, Editorial and Art Submission Deadline for the April, 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, March 12th Homeless News Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 Page 4 �Your Negro Tour Guide: Truths In Black And White by Kathy Y. Wilson Emmis Books Hardcover, 284 pages ISBN: 1578601436 Price: $19.99 Review by Jimmy Heath I look forward each week to picking up Cincinnati’s City Beat magazine and reading the prose of award-winning columnist Kathy Y. Wilson. Her column, Your Negro Tour Guide, is the first thing I look for when I pick up the city’s free weekly art and politics newspaper. When Kathy came to City Beat from her former job as a reporter at the Hamilton-Journal News, City Beat editor John Fox gave her a job and free reign to write about anything she wanted. And write she has! Kathy’s cutting commentaries dissect the AfricanAmerican experience from her own perspective and personal experiences, and challenges white Cincinnati with potent and biting observations of the city and its disowning of racism, classism and poverty. Each of her columns reaches into the realm of denial, rips it up, and takes to task those who are responsible. There is a softer, compassionate side to Kathy Wilson too. And there are echoes of her own life and history here; her mother and family and friends, and how they all played a part in her becoming who she is today. It is good stuff, and only Kathy Y. Wilson could pull it off. For hard-core fans like me, her best columns have now been published into a book, Your Negro Tour Guide, Truths in Black and White. Published in a limited run by Emmis Books here in Cincinnati, the book is a collection of Wilson’s City Beat articles from the last three years. In her introduction Wilson writes, “herein lies the truth. During three years I’ve gotten better at telling it – mine and ours.” Her new book is a fresh and deliciously irreverent Kathy Y. Wilson discusses her newly released book with the crowd at Joseph-Beth declaration of everyday life and politics in Cincinnati, lucidly described by a woman who knows how to get to the root of culture and relationships. Wilson is an insightful philosopher, who weaves her keen insight into words, assembling and dissecting human social behavior in Cincinnati. If you don’t know Kathy Wilson, and want to find out what all the fuss is about, pick this book up as a primer to your life, and a guide to Cincinnati in black and white. I think people who are considering the move to Cincinnati need to read this book. White suburbia needs to read this book. It is a way to learn about this troubled city from a sharp and witty, hopeful and honest perspective. There are three truths: my truth, your truth and the truth. Chinese Proverb Know Your Rights Brochure Available! The Know Your Rights Brochure is now available at the Coalition’s office. The brochure is a legal guide for Cincinnati’s homeless and covers a person’s basic rights when interacting with the police, as well as some local laws that might be of interest to the homeless population. If you are a homeless person or if you work with homeless people and would like to obtain free copies of the brochure for yourself or your agency, please call 421-7803, or stop by the Coalition office and pick one up. S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project (NHCROP) Jimmy Heath photo Kathy Wilson’s Book Brings Clarity To Cincinnati Politics 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (513) 421-7803 Help build a powerful, resident led organization! The Republic Street & Vine Street Block Clubs are fighting for the rights of lowincome residents in Over-the-Rhine and they are going strong. Block clubs are forming in other parts of the neighborhood, too. Call the Contact Center at 381-4242 or stop by 1227 Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine to learn more about how you can get involved with these resident led organizations. Page 5 Page 5 �The Peace Village by Dr. Steve Sunderland grief train that I have been riding since the 1980s. At that time, thanks to grief organizations, Parents of Murdered Children, Compassionate Friends, a grief specialist, Ken Czillinger, and grieving parents, Rachel and Paul Burrell, we started drawing and meeting with children who had experienced a death in their lives. We didn’t know then that the pictures and music, the hugging and discussions, were working little miracles in the hearts of children, but we hoped that we were making a statement to children who were in the abyss without much guidance from parents, schools, and religious The mail brought the very good news that I will receive the Friedl Dicker-Brandeis award at the first annual teacher recognition luncheon of the Social Studies Department of the Cincinnati Public Schools. The letter informs me that Friedl Dicker-Brandeis “...was a teacher and art therapist who used drawing lessons to bring both solace and catharsis to the traumatized children in the Czechoslovakian ghetto called Terezin.” I believe that this award is for everyone in the Peace Village working with children at this time of war and violence. I share it with the whole village, youth and child, adult and senior that are making a major difference by being with children at this time in a way that heals what can be repaired, reconciles what has been shattered, and works for more peace with Dr. Steve Sunderland justice. Sitting in Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, last institutions. We called our work, “Fernside,” partly for the street that week, listening to Ambassador the Burrells picked up their artistic Kuslijugic, representative from son, David, when he was alive. Bosnia to the United Nations, I But also because we wanted to find immediately thought back to his opening statement: “We must learn a “side” we could draw and live on that connected the dead and the to remember without hating and with justice.” How are the children living. We wanted the children to and adults of the war zones to do grow up without hating their this AND HOW DO WE HELP deceased family and friends. And, THEM? I remember the faces of most importantly, we wanted the the children of the Winton Place children to not grow hating Youth Center the day of the riots themselves. Very quickly we and the day after when we did learned that our efforts needed to some posters. We pushed stretch to that place in the child’s ourselves to draw the killings that had preceded the riots and to face, heart where all of the blame and responsibility for the death had as only 7 and 8 year olds can face been lodged. Art was one great the violence that has become a major part of Cincinnati life. Many way to reach and touch. I remember a very little one, 5 or 6, posters had guns, bullets finding drawing with me about her little their marks, and blood dripping, brother’s death and coming up with splotching, and all over. The war a drawing of a “broken heart.” zone was this neighborhood and “Let’s draw a healing heart,” I not just downtown. And we drew requested and she obliged and right and talked, over and over again next to her “first” heart she drew a until one little child asked, “What picture of a heart with a band-aid are you going to do with our pictures, Puppetman?” I told him I stretched across. We both looked at the hearts and then at each other, would protect them; take them to smiled, hugged and kept on some churches that wanted to see drawing. them and to also make their own. I sense that something a little “Take good care of them,” he like this was going on with Friedl warned me, “they are us.” I have been caring for these Dicker-Brandeis in her concentration camp. I had not posters and the additional 10,000 that have been made since that time heard of her before last week and I had seen the children’s art from this and the unknown number made by camp in lots of books, a beautiful children who were part of a long S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 book by E. Markarova and R. Miller (2001) Friedl DickerBrandeis: Vienna 1898Auschwitz 1944: The artist who inspired the children’s drawing of Terezin. It exists as a very valuable look at her life and work. In a remarkable essay on what she was doing with art and children in the camps, she makes this beautiful point: “The teacher, the educator, should attempt to influence the child as little as possible. A teacher ought to be restrained to the utmost when it comes to influencing the pupils...The ideas of children cannot be directed. Not only would one rob oneself of the chance to gain access into the world of the child’s ideas, but one would lose an overview of the current degree of the child’s openness and ability and his psychological state.” The authors of the above book make the point that DickerBrandeis never mentions that war, the physical plight of the children, or any political idea in her essay. She directs her ideas to those who may be working with her and following after her in this “work.” I bow to this strength of not increasing the burden on the children of the context of their lives and wonder how she did it without losing her own spirit of hope. For this “work” is aimed at the part of our imagination in which hope and very strong emotions, including peace and justice, reside. Her insights about how to bring the “art” of the inner beauty of the child to the surface really defies words but is a beacon for those who continue the “work.” How many children (and adults) in the war zone put their heads down without the hope of peace? Drawing opens the heart a little and sometimes that is just enough to make it from one part of a day to another, as every artist knows. Another sentence continued to ring in my ears from last week’s conversations with Bob Herring, principal of Nativity Elementary. Somehow our discussion moved to the current exhibit at one of our art museums called, “the Treasures of the Vatican.” “I am not going to see it,” Mr. Herring said with the only sound of defiance I had heard from him in our discussion. He continued: “The Catholic Church is stuck in keeping up buildings, paintings, and sculpture and confusing them with the real treasures of the church, the children.” Right in the war zone of Nativity, he continues to think about the need for a “new” church that has invested in children as the “works of art” and celebrates these human creations. I heard him Peace Village speaking for many religions, many school systems, and many cities that have abandoned the children in the war zones to another sports stadium, another shopping mall, and another cut in taxes for schooling. Keeping away from Vatican art seemed a most unusual form of protest; yet, I smiled as this clear thinking educator continued to try and “draw” another picture that made sense to him and his notion of a truly caring religion. So an award will be given to our work in the Peace Village, to everyone holding a child’s hand and heart with the beauty of teaching, service, art, and the memory of this remarkable woman, alone with children’s spirits, lighting one more great candle. Dr. Steve Sunderland, professor of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati, is the Director of The Peace Village, a group of individuals from the national and international community committed to examining all issues of Peace in the world. Dr. Sunderland also heads up Posters-for-Peace which engages people in expressing their visions of Peace, in their own words, through the creation of posters. Wish List... Can You Help? Streetvibes newspaper is published monthly on a shoe-string budget from the offices of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Can you help us with some of the following items? * Digital Camera & Accessories * VCR for making copies of Streetvibes TV show and for educational packets * Blank VHS tapes * Desktop paper folder * Supplies (paper towels, toilet paper ) * Cleaning Supplies * Office Supplies - postage stamps, floppies, copier paper and other supplies If you can help, contact us at: Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: Streetvibes@juno.com Page 6 �Cleveland Shelter for Women Re-opens; Provides Safety same room, a former has bathrooms on each floor with Suellen Saunders, the program and Support the gymnasium, on bunk beds or mats working doors. There are plans in manager, seem committed to on the floor. In 2003, Catholic by Elizabeth Linville Charities announced they were During the month of February, staff members of GCCH stepping down as the agency in charge of the shelter. Nearly a visited the newly opened year was spent attempting to find a Community Women’s Shelter in new provider to run the shelter and Cleveland, Ohio. The emergency a better location to house people. shelter had opened less than a week before the visit, and residents The chosen provider was Mental Health Services (MHS), a nonand staff were living and working profit that serves mentally disabled, in an atmosphere of slight chaos. homeless adults. Other The staff of the new programs provided by shelter, though, were the organization include enthusiastic about a mobile crisis team and providing a safe child trauma services. environment and According to MHS’s assisting women out executive director, of homelessness. Steven M. Friedman, The Elizabeth Linville the organization is Community Women’s “expanding our mission once again Shelter is a replacement for what to include all in our community was Cleveland’s only emergency who are homeless, regardless of women’s shelter, the Bishop whether or not she has a disability.” Cosgrove Center. Repeated In its first week of service, complaints had been made about the new shelter appears to be conditions in the center, which was providing a much better run by Catholic Charities. There atmosphere for the women it were allegations of drug and sex serves. Both Nickie Antonio, the abuse on shelter premises. All the new director of operations, and women and their children slept in maintaining a safe shelter and continuing to make improvements based on the needs and desires of the residents. Clients live in rooms of varying size (from 4 beds a room to larger, dormitory style accommodations). The staff is trying to place women in rooms based mainly on compatibility. This allows some women more privacy (such as those with children or mental issues), while others can take advantage of the support network and closer proximity to staff the dormitories provide. Women who had lived at the old shelter reported that they were able to sleep much better in these new environments. There is full time security placed at the shelter to help guard against the sex and drug abuse problems at the old site. At previous incarnations of the shelter, women were not permitted to shower with the door closed. Antonio reported that one woman told her that, before moving to the new facility, she had not showered in four months. The new shelter Poor to Put ‘Bushville’ Tent City at NY Convention A group fighting poverty announced plans last month to erect a tent city called “Bushville” during the Republican Party convention in August, one of several demonstrations expected in a summer of political protest in New York. The Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign will put up the tents for five days before the Aug. 30 September 2 meeting, which will nominate President Bush to run for a second four-year term in the November 2 election. The group said it will also demonstrate at the Democratic Party’s national convention in Boston at the end of July, but had no plans to set up a symbolic shantytown there. “We will be marching because both Democrats and Republicans alike have failed to address our real life and death issues,” said spokeswoman Cheri Honkala. She said the political establishment neglected poor and homeless people and issues such as health care, housing and farm workers’ rights. Honkala, a formerly homeless mother in Minneapolis, Minnesota, said the group will provide “reality bus tours” in rundown areas of New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey from the tent city. She declined to disclose its precise location. The group plans a march on August 30 from U.N. headquarters to the Madison Square Garden convention venue, she said. As a prelude to the summer protests, the US led war in Iraq The Lone Ranger of Righteousness by Paul Rogat Loeb It’s my right to run. This is Ralph Nader’s core case in announcing his 2004 presidential candidacy. Yes, Nader has a legal right to do this. He also has a legal right to donate $100,000 to the Republican Party and become a Bush Pioneer. That doesn’t make it a good idea. So much of Nader’s career has been built on reminding us of our common ties. It’s not ok, he’s argued, for companies to make unsafe cars, pollute our air, or pillage shared resources. Actions have consequences, he’s pointed out with persistence and eloquence. Now, he’s taking the opposite tack, fixating on his own absolute right to do whatever he chooses, while branding those who’ve argued against his running as contemptuous censors, who “want to block the American people from having more choices and voices.” This argument would seem familiar coming from an Exxon executive. Coming from Ralph Nader, it marks a fundamental shift from an ethic of responsibility to one of damn the consequences, no matter S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 will be the focus of anti-war rallies on March 20 in New York and around the country. The date was chosen by the United For Peace and Justice organizers because it is the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. One protest will feature military families in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with the “September Eleventh Families For Peaceful Tomorrow’s” group, whose members lost loved ones in the 2001 hijacked plane attacks on America. New York activists organized one of the largest antiwar rallies on February 15, 2003, when hundreds of thousands took to the streets to oppose the war over Iraq’s purported weapons of mass destruction. Weapons stockpiles have not been found and how much populist precedent he tries to dress it up with. The reasons to defeat Bush escalate daily. This regime enacts massively regressive tax cuts, wages pre-emptive wars and lies about their justification, smashes civil liberties and appoints hard-right judges to shut down any challenges, and does their best to totally destroy the union movement. They attack root structures of democracy by disenfranchising tens of thousands of Florida voters, redistricting dozens of Texas, Pennsylvania and Michigan Congressional seats in raw power grabs, and jamming Democratic the works for further improvements, such as kitchens on each floor and better meeting rooms for case management and substance abuse programs There are various approaches to assisting an individual out of homelessness. Some see providing and helping pay for an affordable apartment as the best way. Others see basic shelter that provides a safe place with access to structured programs and permanent housing as the best option. As we left the shelter that night, a woman stopped a member of our group to complain about conditions inside. She did admit, though, that it was a huge improvement over the previous women’s shelter. Shelter life is difficult and there will always be complaints. Cleveland’s Community Women’s Shelter and its staff are at least working to improve conditions. We can hope that, for some women, this facility might be the answer. more than 500 Americans and thousands of Iraqis have been killed. “The intensity of interest is different than it was before the war began,” said Bill Dobbs of United For Peace and Justice. “For months, there has been a quiet vindication of our position, but we still need to send a clear message against Bush policies.” A spokesman for another activist organization, Campaign to Demilitarize the Police, said it planned monthly demonstrations through the convention to highlight police conduct at rallies. Last month, 52 anti-war protesters sued the New York Police Department and said officers unlawfully arrested peaceful protesters and detained them for up to 12 hours after an April 7, 2003 rally, only to dismiss all the charges. phone banks in New Hampshire. They brand all who oppose them as allies of terrorism. That doesn’t even count global warming, which (as sources from Fortune Magazine to the New York Times and a Pentagon study have recently warned) now brings the potential for melting polar ice caps to shut down the Gulf Stream and plunge Europe and Northeastern North America into a man-made ice age. This election may decide the very habitability of our planet. How Ranger... cont. on page 12 Page 7 Page 7 �by Jamie Poque Ohio Congressman and Presidential Candidate Dennis J. Kucinich visited Buddy¹s Place in the inner-city neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine as part of a campaign stop in Cincinnati last month. He talked briefly about how impressed and inspired he was by the work of Buddy Gray and RESTOC and by what they have done for the Over-the-Rhine community. He said that the work done by Buddy Gray shows “the capacity for one individual to unite a neighborhood and make a difference.” Congressman Kucinich then fielded questions on issues ranging from his “Department of Peace” proposal, to a question about a possible U.S. conspiracy to blow up the World Trade Center, to economic issues like healthcare and jobs from the crowd of about fifty gathered together in the Miami Center for Community Engagement meeting space of Buddy’s Place. Kucinich also spoke about the need to “create change at the voting booth. War is not inevitable. We have come to think of it as inevitable and it is not,” said Kucinich, in reference to the war in Iraq, citing the loss of lives of both Americans in service, and Iraqi citizens. The Cleveland-area congressman talked at length about the issue of affordable housing, something especially relevant to the crowd of people in attendance, most of whom live or work in poverty-stricken Over-the-Rhine, one of the neighborhoods where many of the city¹s homeless and low-income people reside. He said that, “the government has an obligation to see that every person has a roof I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody. Benjamin Franklin Community Resource Cards Rockdale Temple has announced the release of the latest in its series of Community Resource Cards. The new one, printed in Spanish, is customized for the needs of Cincinnati’s rapidly growing Hispanic/Latino population. The tri-fold, plastic cards are funded by the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati as a project of Rockdale Temple, in consultation with Bienstar, Su Casa and The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. In addition to the Hispanic Resource Card, the Resource Card Project has also produced cards for senior citizens, the homeless, and public school and Catholic school students covering the Tri-state area. Cards can be ordered from: CC 5300 Hamilton Avenue, #210 Cincinnati, Ohio 45224 - or send a fax request to: (513) 541-0099 S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 Jimmy Heath photos Presidential Hopeful Dennis Kucinich Visits Over-the-Rhine over their head.” Congressman Kucinich has faced pressure to drop out of the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination in order to allow the front runner to focus on the general election, but addressing these concerns, he said unequivocally “I’m not leaving.” Presidential candidate Howard Dean has dropped out of the race leaving Kucinch and Al Sharpton trailing far behind in third place. Congressman Kucinich also made appearances at a fundraising dinner in Clifton and at the University of Cincinnati, where he outlined his plans for affordable housing, employment and fair trade. Buddy’s Place, a project of ReSTOC, provides the Center for Community Engagement storefront to Miami University. The building also provides 20 units of housing to persons who were previously homeless. Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct All Vendors Sign and Agree to a Code of Conduct Report Any Violations to GCCH - 421-7803 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 30 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers can not be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. Vendors must also never sell Streetvibes door-to-door. 8. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be honest in stating that all profits go to the individual vendor. Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 9. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 10. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 11. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. Page 8 �The Sun Will Come Out and women who had a by Ms Mary Gaffney, determination and a faith. Some Greater Cincinnati Coalition for of their work was not easy, with the Homeless climbing and To the walking up on readers and the road of life. purchasers of I know at times Streetvibes paper, that the people welcome to the had a rough spot third month in the in their road, but year 2004! were able to go While around it, and sitting here by my now have living room Ms. Mary Gaffney caught the window, one glimpse of reaching for the stars minute it is snowing, the next minute it is raining. And before I by gaining some position in life. As I first stated, there was got up from my chair, I looked up first darkness and dreariness. and could see that the clouds Before you know it, the sun seemed to be parting, and there comes out. We all have dark was a little ray of sunshine. And before I could turn around, lo and days, but we must keep traveling. Know as you travel with faith that behold, the clouds were gone. before you know it, there is the The sun was out, bright as ever, sun shining bright. I know the with strong rays of warmth. I sun doesn’t shine bright all the began to think that this was like time. If it did, could we accept it? life, especially like my homeless friends. Oh, you might say “there Could the earth accept it? If you could take a she goes again!” Yes, because I moment and think of the life of enjoy being around them. my friends who need help. How For six years, off and on, I’ve been with them, helping them they have to accept life, good or bad. There is sometimes no work and getting to know them. And I or other things, but they try to really know them, when they are remain happy. down or don’t care or even when I always say, it doesn’t they are a little bit happy. I can still talk with them and give them cost much to give a smile, and if they approach you, take the time a smile. Some even call me and opportunity to speak to them. “mom”, “granny” or “miss”. I answer them and tell them to keep You never know what is in the future. the determination, for there’s a We are all the children brighter day ahead, if you just placed in this garden of life who keep the faith. must brave hard weather, wind, On a Thursday of last month, I was the guest at a Xavier rain and storms. Remember, for every dark cloud there is a silver University luncheon called lining. Until next time remember, “Reaching for the Stars, 2004”. God loves you and me – all races, The event honored emerging creeds and colors. Cincinnati leaders, young men Progress he came forth out of slavery like a man just woke up from sleep. by Ms. Mary Gaffney Since that length of time, The following is a speech just think how the colored race has by Mrs. Nazarine Procter, given at progressed, built churches, New Hope A. M. E. Church in Ft. colleges and organized societies. Gaines, Georgia, in 1945. We have in the State of Georgia, Man comes into this world Bishops, Presiding Elders, without his consent, and preachers, teachers, leaves it again without doctors, undertakers, his will. During his stay and many other on earth his time is positions the colored spent in one continuous man can hold not only round. in Georgia, but Let us take a throughout the United view of the path we States of America. have trodden since This view represents freedom. It had been 82 the Negro at the years since Abraham Nazarine Procter present time. Lincoln gave to the For a world his immortal proclamation, thousand years in Thy sight is but and for a time we have enjoyed yesterday. Now in conclusion, freedom, however imperfect it may members of the Church of God have been. Have we shown and society, build your hope upon ourselves worthy of it? Thanks be Jesus Christ, the Solid Rock, that to God, we are not our own when the storms of life is raging, judges. The world has set in and the foaming billows are judgment against us. We have risen dashing, we can confidentially say, since the last 82 years of our life in on Christ the Solid Rock I stand, acts, but what of the future? What all other ground is sinking sand. has time brought us to? The work of our race is Out of clutter, find twofold; subjective and objective. simplicity. From discord, Let us look at the Negro at the find harmony. In the close of the war; look at him middle of difficulty, lies walking out from under bondage with not anything in his head, his opportunity. hand, his heart, or his pocket. And Albert Einstein on the first day of January, 1963, Streetvibes: A proud member of the North American Street Newspaper Association.... Representing over 50 street newspapers throughout the United States and Canada VISIT - www.nasna.org Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct and agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Vendor Program. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the rules, she/he may be removed from the Program. To report a Vendor, call 421-7803. ext. 16 S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 Page 9 Page 9 �Cincinnati Inner-city Children Share Their Lives Through Photography Exhibit A photography exhibit showing the lives of inner-city children in Cincinnati was held last month at the Kid’s Café at Our Daily Bread soup kitchen in Over-the-Rhine. Parents and teachers came to the exhibit to see the display of writing and photography created by the children. The exhibit was the culmination of a week’s long project that engaged the Kid’s Café children in photography and writing. The photos and the combined writing showed the lives of inner-city children from their own perspective. Kids were encouraged to take photos that reflected their life and surroundings, including family, friends, pets and environment. Volunteers from Ursuline Academy in Blue Ash, headed up by student Molly Berendt, organized the photography project for the children at Kid’s Café, with lessons and discussions that took place throughout the month of January. The program was designed to promote an increased awareness of life in Over-the-Rhine and also give inner-city children the opportunity to develop photography and writing skills under the teaching of Over-theRhine photojournalist, Jimmy Heath. Each child was given a one-time use camera along with a list of possible subjects to photograph. After taking all the photographs, the children were led through exercises that enabled them to express the meaning and significance of their photographs through writing. The photographs were developed and each child created a piece of art around their favorite photos to show at the exhibit. The photomontages were put into frames and displayed alongside the children’s writing exercises. “This was such a wonderful experience for these children,” says Molly Berendt, a junior at Ursuline Academy and Beth Cadle, Senior at Ursuline Academy, with Alexandria volunteer at Kid’s Café. “They had so much fun and will appreciate their artwork forever. The exhibit will be a chance for each child to display his or her photographs and it gives the public a chance to have a glimpse of a child’s life in Overthe-Rhine.” The photos, along with the children’s writings, are also scheduled to be displayed at Peaslee Neighborhood Center in Over-theMolly Berendt, of Ursuline Academy works with Nicholas, age 4 on his photography Rhine and at Ursuline Academy in project Blue Ash. Homeless Awareness Week Join the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless during the week of May 10 – 14 during our Homeless Awareness Week. All week long, fun and informative events will be held for the public. Look for more details in the April issue of Streetvibes.... Monday, May 10 – Movie Night. Join us for a showing of Dark Days, a film about homeless men and women living in abandoned train tunnels in New York City. A discussion by formerly homeless Cincinnatians will follow. Tuesday, May 11 – Homeless Civil Rights Day. S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 May 10 – 14, 2004 The rights of homeless individuals are being disregarded in many cities across the US. You can help by attending this informative event and taking part in our simple, yet effective actions. Wednesday, May 12 – Book Club. Pick up a copy of The Street Lawyer by John Grisham and join us for our book club. We’ll discuss the book and how it relates to real homeless issues right here in Cincinnati. Thursday, May 13 – Armchair Advocate Day. Fight to end homelessness without leaving your own home (instructions in next month’s Streetvibes)! Friday, May 14 – Homeless Awareness Concert. Local performers will make this a wonderful closing event. Soul Mission Chorale, Winton Woods High School Choir, Stepp’n Out, and NuVue gospel singing group are just some of the performers scheduled. Bits & Pieces Page 10 �by Jimmy Heath In spite of a federal lawsuit filed against the City of Cincinnati on behalf of former tenants of Huntington Meadows and investors, the project to tear down and replace the now-abandoned housing units with new up-scale condos won City Council support. Over one-thousand units of affordable housing will be lost when the project is completed. Last month, Cincinnati City Council voted 7-1 in favor of the plan, a day after former tenants filed a federal lawsuit claiming the city conspired to evict residents to free up the site for upscale housing. The goal of the lawsuit was to stop the vote and compensate those forced out. The suit also accused Vice Mayor Alicia Reece of using her power for the financial benefit of herself, her family, and her friends. The suit said the plans to develop the Huntington Meadows site were calculated and designed to improve the value of nearby property owned by Alicia Reece’s father, Steve Reece, while harming African American females living at the housing complex. wrote, “I categorically deny these false allegations. This is nothing more than a pattern of malicious, slanderous, and false allegations filled with ‘personal attacks’ by certain attorneys designed to defame my name in the community. I will continue to fight for neighborhood development throughout our city.” “We want progress in this city,” said Jennifer Kinsley, the residents’ attorney. “What we are trying to stop is development on the backs of the residents evicted from this property.” With plans by two local churches to turn the property into several hundred houses and condos, attorneys who filed the lawsuit said a number of people stand to benefit from the deal, including the churches which planned to invest less than $500,000 of their own cash in the project. About $14 million of taxpayers’ money will be used to build the new single family houses in the Bond Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati. Jimmy Heath photos City Council Approves Plan For Huntington Meadows In a statement to Development local news, Alicia Reece But Mayor Charlie Luken vowed the lawsuit would not halt progress on the project or interfere with council’s vote. “We will not be discouraged by frivolous lawsuits,” Luken said. City Council voted to give the two local churches control of the nearly $14 million to develop the nowabandoned apartments. Until it shut down about 18 months ago, Huntington Meadows was the largest privately owned apartment complex in Cincinnati with over 1000 rental units. The tenants were evicted after the management company said residents faced the dangers of mold, sewage, asbestos and other health problems. The city plans to buy the land and demolish the Huntington Meadows apartments. The land will be turned over to the two community churches. The lots will be sold to potential homeowners and builders. Many previous city redevelopment efforts have failed. Mayor Charlie Luken said the city manager has safeguards in place to make sure the city watches how its money is spent. “I think we’ve all learned a little bit about having some confidence in the people who are making the decisions. I think for too long we just put people at desks. They just filed papers. They didn’t look carefully at things. I think with Valerie Lemmie, she’s changed all that,” Mayor Luken said. Council member John Cranley cast the only vote against the plan. Council member Pat DeWine was unable to cast a vote because of a conflict of interest. The proposal had ample support from members of the two churches involved in the redevelopment plan. Mayor Charlie Luken issued a statement that “the city intends to move forward with the housing development, and we will not be deterred by those who have no interest in helping the city and its neighborhoods.” Reverend Jordan from the Allen Temple, one of the developers, called the allegations outlined in the lawsuit “ridiculous.” DEAR READERS! Send us your Vendor Stories Do you have a favorite Streetvibes Vendor that you would like to tell us about? Send your stories or comments to: Streetvibes@juno.com or Streetvibes 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati. Ohio 45202 Aaron Raines Memorial Garden, Lower Price Hill - Photo by Curtis Proffitt S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 GCCH News Page 11 Page 11 �Haiti’s Collapse supporting and perhaps leading the current chaos. But in hundreds, perhaps thousands, of instances, it is Aristide’s own toughs who have turned against him. Someone has convinced them that he no longer represents Haiti’s future; no doubt someone with money. In a country as poor as Haiti, the man with more money to spend will win in the end (as in the favelas of Brazil and the slums of Colombia), because it is so very hard to maintain the high moral ground when no one’s paying you to do it and the kids are starving back in the village or your one-room shack. And the miserable street – with its thugs and its slumdwellers, with its students and bricklayers and flat-tire fixers and car-wash boys, with its orphans and preachers and market ladies and tap-tap drivers, with its cart-pullers and trough-cleaners, its seamstresses and tailors, its cockfighters and garbage-pickers, numbers-runners, whores and money-changers – is Haiti’s political steamroller. The gods must help the Haitian politician the street has finally turned against – nothing else will. It will be interesting to see who will reward the “resistance” for its courage, and how. If Aristide must fall, let us hope still for real, meaningful elections in Haiti, soon. But let us not expect them. Amy Wilentz, an associate professor of journalism at Columbia University, is the author of ‘The Rainy Season: Haiti Since Duvalier’ (Simon & Schuster, 1989). by Amy Wilentz The Aristide administration, which has been overthrown once already, has been egalitarian in the lives destroyed during its time: Among its dead can be counted the president’s former friends and his foes, democrats and supporters of dictatorship. Among the victims have been policemen and prisoners and politicians; rich men and poor, journalists and slum-dwellers, human-rights workers and doctors and businessmen. Almost no sector has been untouched. No one can argue that JeanBertrand Aristide’s presidency has been in any way successful other than this: It exists. He was elected in 1990 with enormous hope by an overwhelming majority in a legitimate election – and quickly overthrown by the Haitian Army and its friends. In 1994 he was returned to power through the good will of the Clinton Administration, in the optimistic expectation that he would be able to turn Haiti around. He was not able to do so for a combination of reasons, some political, some personal and most having to do with his inability to conduct a happy relationship either with the Bush Administration or with his own business and intellectual elite. Washington also cut off huge portions of aid, which cannot have helped Aristide’s standing. Still, a fatal combination of arrogance and naïveté on his part made Aristide’s difficult position much more intractable. Meanwhile, the Haitian opposition has been coddled and pushed toward the depths of intransigence by Aristide’s detractors in the US government, in both Haiti and in Washington. By now, with the country well on its way to chaos, many argue that Aristide has exhausted the electorate’s patience and must be replaced. Yet now – as he finally begins to recognize how powerful the opposition has become despite all his political jockeying and playacting – should be the time for all friends of Haiti, especially in the US government, to support Aristide’s continuation at the helm: not because he is good but because he is president. Aristide is a transitional figure and not the best of these. He is no Mandela, and he does not have the political maturity to control the violent forces that swirl through Haitian politics – no easy job. Yet the future of Haiti hinges on support for institutions and for a state based on law. As part of the unrest, a gang element managed to take over Gonaïves, one of Haiti’s largest cities – a ramshackle affair of shantytowns and gingerbread houses atop salt flats and roads made undrivable by potholes, with few enough institutions as it is. This gang, which styles itself the Cannibal Army or, in its latest incarnation, the Artibonite Resistance Front (perhaps more palatable to the international community), has burned down the courthouse and the prison in Gonaïves, released the prison population and forced the mayor to flee. Though there may be elaborate and in some cases good excuses for these actions, taken as a trend they do not bode well for the rule of law. In the wake of the Gonaïves takeover, ten lesser cities have fallen to such forces, each in differing circumstances but all motivated by encouragement from sectors of the opposition and by the sense that Aristide is about to fall. That will not be helped by State Department spokesman Richard Boucher’s hints on February 9 that a solution to the situation might not necessarily include President Aristide. Three of the towns have been retaken by the government. The numbers of Aristide’s detractors, their unwillingness to stop their protests even in the face of police brutality and killings and their takeover of Gonaïves and other towns have brought a new humility to Aristide, which sits rather uncomfortably on his proud shoulders. Still, the situation has been volatile enough to force him to make necessary concessions, under pressure from the Organization of American States and Caribbean Community, to the opposition. Because the opposition is swollen with self-importance in the wake of so many bloody victories in the countryside, it may not respond to Aristide’s eleventhhour overtures. It was not moved by a huge outpouring of support for him in the streets of Port-auPrince on the recent anniversary of the fall of Duvalier. When Aristide returned to power, he bravely disbanded the Haitian Army and then promptly permitted a kind of mass civilian militarization without insuring his continuing control over it. A remnant of the old army is Ranger... Bush’s regime with Nazis, but splintered votes can produce Terrible consequences.) Nader seems to have forgotten his own historical contribution to a different, more hopeful path, where he encouraged thousands of citizens to join in challenging illegitimate actions of power. He once recognized that progressive politics gathers its strength from the breadth of citizen movements. Now he acts, with an almost messianic fervor, a Lone Ranger intent on holding on to his own moral purity whatever the pleas of his compatriots and whatever the cost to the planet. By denying the real choices we face, he betrays the best of his legacy. Will Nader’s candidacy ultimately matter? Many of his supporters have bolted. He may not get on the ballot in every state. But if the election is close enough, his candidacy could still have a tragic impact. We all know the Florida numbers. We forget that the Nader vote made the difference in New Hampshire as well, and that him blindly. his support in states like Oregon, As we work to challenge’s Washington, Wisconsin, New Bush’s lies and to reach out to our Mexico, and even California forced fellow citizens, we can build Al Gore to divert time, money and autonomous community. We can resources away from other close connect with coworkers and races he might well have otherwise neighbors, work to unite historically won. separated progressive movements, As a leader in the keep raising core issues no matter conservative group Concerned who’s elected in November. We Women for America recently told the don’t have to be true believers. But Washington Times, the Bush ticket we’re faced with as critical a choice may be in trouble, and they need a and challenge as we’ve experienced Nader alternative “to draw in our lifetime. It’s too bad that by Democratic votes away from the prizing his own righteousness over Democratic candidate.” the risks of his actions, Ralph Nader Because the more strongly has just made that challenge a little Nader campaigns, the more time, bit harder. money, and energy we’ll all have to divert away from the prime task of defeating Bush. (Business Card Size, ad ready copy) Assuming the Reach 18,000 customers per month admittedly flawed John Kerry becomes the Call Streetvibes @ 421-7803 Democratic nominee, we don’t have to support cont. from page 7 can Nader know this and still run? He says he’ll raise the otherwise buried hard issues. He says he’ll bring disenchanted citizens back into politics. He offers Byzantine explanations of how he’ll actually help defeat George Bush by raising fresh subjects and approaches, opening up “a second front of voters against the regime,” and offering an alternative for moderate Republicans. But he can raise the issues on his own, as he has throughout his life. He can do it without his every critique of the “two-party duopoly” driving people away from voting for the Democratic nominee. He can do it without offering the illusion that a purely symbolic vote will do anything to get Bush out of office. (I keep thinking about the endless political infighting that helped Hitler rise to power, culminating in the German Communist Party’s ghastly slogan, “After Hitler, us.” I’m not equating S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 Rent This Space! Only $25 per month... Politics Page 12 �Ohio Empowerment Coalition Joins in “Presidential Dialogue With America’s Families” by Lynn Williams, OEC Organizer, with background information from Center for Community Change On January 29 the Ohio Empowerment Coalition traveled 512 miles to Columbia, South Carolina, to join over a hundred other community and neighborhood organizations, in addressing the Democratic presidential candidates. This event, the “Dialogue with America’s Families” was co-produced by the People’s Agenda for Economic Justice and the Center for Community Change (www.communitychange.org) in association with radio host Tom Joyner. The Dialogue was carried live from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 pm on the largest NBC affiliate in the state, WIS-TV, as well as C-SPAN and MSNBC. Members of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition from Cincinnati, Athens, Cleveland, Dayton and Adams County, as well as participants from Columbus, Blanchester and Greenfield, boarded the bus that left from the Contact Center in Cincinnati. Most bus riders were from the Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition. “We want the Presidential candidates to take seriously the needs of poor families in this country. We want changes made in welfare laws that will help families get out of poverty, not throw them deeper in debt. We want answers!” stated th Catrina Weber, co-chair of the Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition, before boarding the bus. The Center for Community Change’s “Presidential Dialogue with America’s Families” was the grassroots kickoff for the Center’s Community Voting Project to elevate the voices and issues of low-income families through voter registration and mobilization in 2004 and beyond. Over 3000 leaders from South Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Montana descended on Columbia in solidarity that poverty issues be vigorously brought to the consciousness of Presidential candidates and the public eye. All Democratic Presidential candidates except Sen. Lieberman attended the Dialogue and fielded questions. President Bush was also invited but did not attend. The Dialogue consisted of individuals directly affected by government policies on Medicaid, TANF, public education, NAFTA, immigrant policies, and the military’s occupation of Iraq. The Dialogue gave low-income people the rare opportunity to pose questions directly to the candidates. It gave unparalleled public attention to low-income issues within the context of a presidential election. After the Dialogue, participants boarded buses to rev up support for voter registration and voting in the primary Letting Rumsfeld Set the Rules by Jim Naureckas The Washington Post (11/0/ 03) described an unusual arrangement between the Pentagon and 18 local TV stations across the country: In exchange for being allowed to interview Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the stations agreed to also air interviews with three or four other Pentagon officials, like Paul Wolfowitz and Paul Bremer. One should always question when government officials dictate to news outlets how they will be covered. And particularly for local TV news, which rarely covers national politics, interviews with four or five different people giving the same point of view is a large price to pay for getting access to a public official. But Rumsfeld is not just any official; he’s an official with a clear track record of obfuscation and denying reality. To cite just one example: In a September 25 interview, a reporter from Sinclair Broadcasting said to Rumsfeld, “Before the war in Iraq... you said they would welcome us with open arms.” Rumsfeld responded with a denial: “Never said that.... Never did. You may remember it well, but you’re thinking of somebody else. You can’t find anywhere me saying anything like [that].... I never said anything like that because I never knew what would happen and I knew I didn’t know.” But on February 20, Rumsfeld was asked by PBS’s Jim Lehrer: “Do you expect the invasion, if it comes, to be welcomed by the majority of the civilian population of Iraq?” And Rumsfeld responded: “There is no S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 throughout Columbia. In South Carolina the primary was the following Tuesday. On the way back to Cincinnati participants on the bus spoke with enthusiasm of the event. “This was really worth while to go to. I feel that people from across the country were unified in expressing the needs and concerns of low-income people. I wish I could have taken my children because this would have shown them first hand the democratic process and what it means to be a citizen in our country. We each matter too!” stated one participant. For more information contact the Ohio Empowerment Coalition at 1877-862-5179. question but that they would be welcomed. Go back to Afghanistan—the people were in the streets playing music, cheering, flying kites, and doing all the things that the Taliban and the Al Qaeda would not let them do.” Eric Rosenberg of Hearst Newspapers (11/9/03), who pointed out this contradiction, also noted that Rumsfeld has denied statements he made concerning Iraq’s supposed “large clandestine stockpiles” of chemical and biological weapons (House Armed Services Committee, 9/18/02); later, when asked whether he had been wrong to claim that Iraq had “extensive stocks” of such weapons (Pentagon briefing, 10/30/ 03), Rumsfeld retorted: “You go back and give me something that talks about extensive stocks.... I’d be surprised if you found the word ‘extensive.’” If you can’t trust a person to acknowledge his own words, can you really trust him to accurately convey the complex reality of what’s going on in Iraq? Instead of following Rumsfeld with three or four of his subordinates, TV news should put on some independent experts who can set the record straight. (212) 633-6700 http://www.fair.org/ E-mail: fair@fair.org GCCH News To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting. e.e.cummings Write Us! Send letters to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition - Streetvibes 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Page 13 Page 13 �I’m Not Alone THAT’S JUST A LITTLE RUDE by Robert Manassa They seem so dreary, the problems of today They’re taking all the poor people rights away They’ve ended welfare, they’ve cut SSI, low-income housing programs are in disarray. There are no treatment centers, shelters are shuttin’ down. We can’t even sleep on park benches, even there they push us around In Atlanta, it’s really getting dark, you might just go to prison for sleeping in the park. As poor people struggle from town to town, they see new stadiums opening, and schools and churches closing down. While they use a poor man’s tax dollars to bailout S&L’S Their not building him houses, they only building jails. While the poor can help pay for battleships or other weapons of war, their told money to help themselves isn’t available anymore. While the working poor help pay farmers not to grow any food They’re the one’s who are starving and that’s just a little rude!!! I wake up this morning, singing a new song. I even took the time out to thank the Lord. I’ve been reborn There’s not a day or nite that passes me by That I don’t send up praises to the Lord on high. I know that I have all my sins forgiven me. I have my Heavenly Father above, Watching over me continuously. I never, ever worry; I don’t have to fret, I have someone walking and talking with me. He’s never left me, nor has he failed me yet, I’m not alone. Bring Our Children Home On The Brink by Vera Zlatkin by Anthony Wayne Stone to all those who cannot or will not understand me These Bones will Rise Again - until we all have homes again (inspired by traditional “them bones will rise again”) by Melissa Tuckey Over the Rhine is under attack by the rich who neglected her and now want her back. and everywhere i look i see the signs of war, led by bankers and bulldozers and greed to consume more. buddy gray was a friend of mine he was under attack for feeding the hungry and teaching them to fight back for loving the children of Over-theRhine for standing in the way while others just stood by You can kill buddy gray but not Over-the-Rhine the spirit that lives here continues to rise these bones will rise again these bones will rise again these homes will rise again these homes will rise again the sun will shine again in over the rhine again you can kill buddy gray but not Over-the-Rhine the spirit that lives here has been around a long time these bones will rise again these bones will rise again until we all have homes again until we all have homes again. In loving memory of buddy gray, may his spirit live on, always as i drink the drink that brings eternal life, i realize th ethings i’ve done to my self since i first took the drink of the dark and dead, that drove me to the brink of insanity, so that i must drink to regain my santiy, even though now, the wish for life eternal is now lost, barely holding onto sanity as i drain the life force of the immortal criminal who sought my life and wallet, and who now hears the sound of his last minutes on earth, this is the brink, and as you stare at me, i can see that insanity is even closer, for if i am to survive, one must die, you or me. In This Deadend submitted by Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan They smell your breath. You better not have said, “I love you.” They smell your heart. These are strange times, darling... And they flog love at the roadblock. We had better hide love in the closet... In this crooked dead end and twisting chill, they feed the fire with the kindling of song and poetry. Do not risk a thought. These are strange times, darling... He who knocks on the door at midnight has come to kill the light. We had better hide light in the closet... Those there are butchers stationed at the crossroads With bloody clubs and cleavers. These are strange times, darling... and they excise smiles from lips and songs from mouths. We had better hide joy in the closet... Canaries barbecued on a fire of lilies and jasmine, these are strange times, darling... Satan drunk with victory sits at our funeral feast. We had better hide God in the closet. S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 Someone’s heart is broken, Another daughter dies. Somebody’s father won’t come home; Somewhere a family cries. Five hundred now and counting. Today – eleven more. How many people have to die Before we end this war? Strangers in a distant land, Our children kill and die Learning hoe to hate and fear, Never knowing why. Six hundred soon will be the toll; The wounded- many more. And the number of Iraqi’s killed Is someone keeping score? A soldier draws his final breath, With comrades standing by. Along a road a bomb explodes And seven people die. One expert says, “at least three years”; Another, “nearly ten”. How long? My God, How Long! Before We bring them home again? Darkness by D-Von Sanders There is darkness on the surface of the deep But is the darkness really bad Because with light comes life then death and emotions Of pain and suffering, for the things you’ve never had So is the darkness really bad? We was born in darkness of the womb Of our Mother Earth, and we will return to Darkness Until the dawn of our new birth So is the darkness really bad? No I don’t think so Because in the Darkness there is peace From Heaven above and Hell below Art & Poetry Page 14 �Crows Awaken For information on submitting your poetry or art to STREETVIBES email Streetvibes@juno.com by Michael Henson Two crows awaken in the snow at dawn. All night, they have roosted on an iron truss of the television tower. All night, the red light at the peak of the tower pulsed in their dream like a bolus of radiant blood. Now, they shake the snow from their shoulders and stretch their wings and legs. They are cold at the claw, cold in the joints. Snow stretches all around them, caked in the branches of the trees, along the power lines, and in the untracked street. They call, they call to warm themselves, then lift from the iron roost to feel the cold air under their wings. The city roars with traffic. The cables hum with messages. Even the trusses of the tower thrum with an electric mumble. But other birds hear the call of the birds and they answer. Soon the hillside rattles with the gravel of their voices. Up in the crow-patterned air they greet and they are greeted. They call again and call again joyous, wild. Death by Detachment by JH What is this other world on the Corner? Of violent and menacing gestures, and growling peril. And bloated pockets, filled with danger. The bulky shells, and anger gone wild, fills the street with deadly void, inside and outside the soul, with and without spirit. Ways of My Heart by Anthony Wayne Stone when you look at my heart, please know that its shape is sharp, with the edges of a razor, quick to cut. when you look at my heart, please know that its color is still red, though it is darker than most, and yet, i’ve known darker. people are afraid to be around me, afraid of things they cannot yet see, afraid to love me, because a dark love is all i can give, and yet they refuse me, when i ask them to teach me this love that they preach to me, this love that is light to the heart, this bright love that they speak so fondly of. Clashing on the gray, the staggering limbs askew, twirling, menacing, frightened, of the blue and white shadow. Tomorrow is a hazard, out of reach, on a dusty shelf. Beyond the dream of home, and mom, and warming family. To get there is a nonsense dream, in TV land and liars, peddling another place, a vision beyond reach. so before you judge me, look at your own heart, and see how it grows, and tell me what it is that you find. Shutter Speed by Jimmy Heath Street Musicians, 7th and Vine Street, Downtown Cincinnati S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 Art & Poetry Page 15 Page 15 �Hard-core homeless prefer the outdoors by Rachel D’Oro Ron Feldhouse draws the line at 45 degrees below zero. Then it’s time to sleep indoors. Otherwise, the 47-year-old man sets up camp in the woods outside Fairbanks, where winter temperatures can hover around minus-20 or colder for weeks at a stretch. Dealing with extreme elements is the norm for Feldhouse and other hard-core homeless Alaskans who live outdoors in weather so cold it can be easily fatal for the unprepared. “It’s a learned art,” Feldhouse said. “After a while, you just start getting used to it.” Many of Alaska’s indigent a population that’s difficult to measure - cope by drifting from couch to couch or sleeping in motels, cars, boats and homeless shelters in the state’s larger cities. But a small number say they prefer dealing with the bitter cold to following rules at shelters, which offer limited stays, forbid the use of alcohol and drugs and impose strict curfews. Ed Heeckt arrived in Alaska a year ago from Arlington, Washington, settling in Juneau where he got a short-lived job processing fish for $8.50 an hour. He stayed at the Glory Hole, a local shelter, for a week, but hated the cramped quarters. Unable to afford even the cheapest rent, he set up a hand-medown tent among spruce and alder trees at an abandoned mining site just outside downtown Juneau. In the summer, he has a perfect view of the cruise ships that frequent the Southeast Alaska town. “I can’t handle the snoring and the smelly feet of a shelter,” said Heeckt, 36. “But I’m very independent and I can survive anywhere.” Practiced campers say it’s not that hard to stay warm - it just takes a little ingenuity. They dig caves out of snow mounds, pack snow high around outer tent walls for insulation, and line inner edges with clothing. Some burrow in trash bins or curl up in doorways. On cold nights, Heeckt burns a can of gel fuel inside his tent for 10 minutes to get it “nice and warm.” He puts on layers of shirts, pants, a couple pairs of socks and a hat before diving into his mummy-style sleeping bag, which is sandwiched between a plastic foam pad and a pile of blankets. Feldhouse, who’s been without a permanent home in Alaska and North Dakota for 25 years, is a regular at several Fairbanks coffee shops. When temperatures plummet, he can be found inside long past midnight, nursing a cup of coffee before heading to his camp on his bicycle. “People ask me, ‘Don’t you get cold?’ No, not really, only when I get out of my sleeping bag,” he said. “I just don’t like being tied down. Living like this lightens the load. I don’t have to answer to anybody, don’t have bills to pay.” In Anchorage, a city of 274,000, agencies that work with the homeless estimate between 8,000 and 10,000 people find themselves without a permanent roof at least temporarily over any given year. Only a fraction end up at one of the 35 makeshift camps currently well-hidden around the city and its suburbs. The number of camps fluctuates as authorities make periodic sweeps. Many campers are Alaska Natives, said Norma Carter, social services director of Bean’s Cafe, a day shelter and soup kitchen. She knows a 92-year-old man who grudgingly moved into a subsidized assisted-living home three months ago. The elderly man, who grew up in a Western Alaska village, told Carter he misses his old life. “I think it’s a cultural thing in some cases, where people are accustomed to taking a boat up the river and sleeping on the bank, under the stars,” she said. “For others, it’s just not having money, not wanting to be found. There are different reasons why people camp.” It’s a choice for Ellamae Clark, who has camped in Anchorage for nine years. She shares a site with her boyfriend and six other men. They sleep four to a tent, which goes a long way to staying warm. Clark said they all drink heavily, so watching each other is crucial to avoid freezing to death. Clark, 43, said she rarely feels the cold, having grown up in the village of Selawik above the Arctic Circle. “I even sleep in shorts,” she said. “For me, it’s an easy life. Having a camp is harder in the summer because you have to watch out for teenagers who want to vandalize it. In the summer, it gets too hot.” Chronic homelessness is almost unheard of in rural villages, where few people are strangers. That applies even to the southwestern hub of Bethel - a largely Yupik Eskimo town of 5,900 people that serves as the regional center for 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta. “Yupik society is pretty generous,” said Bob Herron, Bethel’s city manager. “If your second cousin is in need, society out here will take care of them. You can pretty much get help.” Most of Alaska’s homeless wind up in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and other urban areas, where shelters, public transportation, job opportunities and lowincome medical care are available. Leaving the state, however, is not an option for those who can’t scrape together the price of a oneway airplane ticket to a warmer place. But many wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, said Jetta Whittaker, director of the Juneau shelter. “It’s certainly easier to be homeless somewhere else where it’s not as cold, where you can sleep under a bridge and it’s not life-threatening,” Whittaker said. “But this is their home, their community.” Streetvibes 3rd Best in North America by the North American Street Newspaper Association Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 Editorial Page 16 �Towards a Justice That Lasts by Kathe McKenna The most common ingredient in justice systems is punishment. The thought is that if the person who committed the crime is punished appropriately, the victim will be satisfied. Justice, on the other hand, implies a vision where the needs of the victim as well as the perpetrator are considered. Why? Because crimes affect all of us, not just the individuals involved. The grossest example of this is the higher real estate values where the crime statistics are lowest. The principles of restorative justice speak to this breach that crime creates within the community. A commonly cited example of this manner of dealing with crime is the story of a teenager who robbed a local tire store. As a second offender, the young man was at risk of time in jail where, everyone agreed; his chances of becoming a more serious criminal were greater. A mediation between the thief and the older couple who owned the store was arranged. Step one was for the young man to learn about the impact of his crime. The immigrant couple described the effect on their tentative financial survival, but also the fear that hampered their continuing work. The sentence agreed to by both victim and perpetrator (as well as the courts) was for the young thief to volunteer in the shop. This enabled him to repay the victims financially. It also taught him the workings of a business; knowledge he shared with his peers. What began as restitution grew into a mentoring relationship and then a part-time job for the youthful offender and a new engagement with local teen-agers by the owners of the store. This may seem an easy situation, but there are incidents of rape victims and their rapists who have successfully (and voluntarily) completed the process. It is important for victims to confront their attackers and to articulate the harm they have suffered. And how liberating it is when true remorse is the result. If the victim remains merely a witness or, worse, an observer of the court system dispersing punishment, there is little movement away from being just a victim. Even in capital cases, victims’ relatives will often describe the empty sense of relief or closure when the murderer is executed. In the soup kitchen where I work, guests are often ex-offenders. An infraction of the common rules of courtesy that we have all agreed upon results in a person being barred. This expulsion is first and foremost done to cut through the explosion. It gives the one acting badly and those affected by his behavior an opportunity to breathe deeply. The offending party is invited to a meeting of those who experienced the incident, not for the purpose of receiving his punishment, but to explain what happened from his perspective and to hear the impact of his actions on both staff and other guests. Sometimes there is someone to whom an apology is owed and this must be done. If there appears to be genuine comprehension of the problems inherent in one’s disruptive behavior and a willingness to do better in the future, the guest is welcomed to return. This is so much more fruitful than just imposing a certain number of days out depending on the severity of the outburst. When only punishment is inflicted, there is no opportunity for reflection on alternatives, never mind remorse. Sometimes a guest who has committed a violent act refuses to meet with us. This is always an indication that he is not yet able to address his own behavior. Often men request a time-measured bar rather than engage in such selfexploration. The invitation to begin to develop even this small step in selfawareness is a gift we offer to our guests. For many, it is the first time they have been given such an opportunity. It requires much more from the staff than meting out a sentence. But the effort, time, and healing brings attention to one’s unconscious habits—the first step in changing behavior. Such changes then affect the larger community, and justice is truly served. Reprinted from the January 2004 issue of Whats Up, Boston. S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 Berta’s Art Corner “Genius of Water” - a 9 foot bronze statue stands above other statues illustrating the uses and need for water. The 43 foot tall “Tyler Davidson Memorial Fountain” was bought in Munich, Germany by Henry Probasco as a memorial to his brother-inlaw, was erected in 1871. Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them. Ralph Waldo Emerson Editorial Page 17 Page 17 �Nathanial Jones: The Question Remains by Brian Garry Would cops have administered mouth to mouth resuscitation if it was their wife or mother or child, lying on the ground, not breathing? If you will, remove from your mind, the badges and police uniforms - forgetting the color of the people involved. Imagine six men, bludgeoning one man to death with metal poles. The man on the ground lies dying, moaning, begging for his mama...his last word…. mama…... What do you see? Is it just? Is it fair? Is it a destiny that you would wish upon any one? Rich white man from Indian Hill on the ground and six low income black men brutally beating him. What would the police response to that situation be? Would it have been different than how they have treated the beating of Nathanial Jones? Medical attention was never received The Republican controlled coroner’s office allegation that Jones was on PCP is questionable at best. Information came out that he was “on PCP” before the coroners report came out. Then on Tuesday the coroners report coincidentally matches the previous unsubstantiated allegation. Fishy. “What’s the problem here?” That’s a damn good question. That is the question that the second officer asked upon arrival to the White Castle the evening Nathanial Jones was murdered by the Cincinnati Police. I’ll tell you the problem. The problem is with the police attitude. They don’t value black people’s lives. They value animals over black people’s lives. They can chase around a 1,200 pound, wild, rambunctious cow for two weeks but they can’t chase a black man a round a parking lot for 20 minutes without killing him. They even built the cow a stable, had 24 hour watch, and brought him bales of hay to eat. They also had tranquilizer guns ready to shoot the cow. Guilty of being happy and then encountering the Cincinnati Police: What happened between the last picture of him on the surveillance tape in the front of White Castle to when the second cop arrived and he was on the other side of White Castle? Which cop hit the remote and turned the camera back on? Why is this not revealed in the video tape? The tape does not show an officer that was not involved in the struggle? Who could have possibly used the alleged remote? I interviewed two male mental health nurses concerning the treatment of Nathanial Jones. When asked if Nathaniel should have died, both said “no.” When asked if they had restrained someone of Nathaniel’s size before, both said “yes.” When asked if they would have been able to apprehend Nathaniel both, said “yes.” When asked if they could restrain someone of Nathanial’s size without killing him one said, with jest, “it’s very rare we have to kill our patients” and the other said, satirically, “well I would hope we wouldn’t kill someone.” I then asked the nurses to comment on the behavior of the police. One nurse stated “It takes us 10-15 minutes to calm them down but the police don’t seem to have the patience to do this.” The other cited special training provided by the Ohio Mental Health Department called Crisis Intervention Services. “We have special holds and maneuvers that they teach us, to make sure the patient is safe…You think that when a patient begins to get quiet, that he is calming down, but often it is because he can not breathe. We always make sure the patient is safe.” What if the police had waited for the force’s mental health specialist to arrive? Those cops that killed Nathaniel were not trained to deal with Nathanial Jones and therefore should never have engaged him. What if the cops had just walked away? So what, a guy is enjoying himself at White Castle? Since Nathanial was not committing a crime, the cops should have just left and Nathanial would be alive. There was no evidence that he was a danger to himself or anyone else. So, it was really a matter of ego that Nathanial Jones was killed. If Nathaniel had lunged at me, I would have backed up and moved to where he couldn’t hit me. How would those officers have treated him if he were white? Anyone would try to get up if they were being beaten with metal poles. We must step up the fight. Our tactics up to this point have been ineffective. Citizens of Cincinnati, our brothers and sisters, are still being murdered, whether by bullets or choke holds or being whacked to death. Remember, police, you are a Public Servant. Which one of us is the public and which one of us is the servant. If what we’ve seen on that tape is “official police policy,” then the “official police policy” is wrong. If it is “police policy” to savagely, and in a Neanderthal like manner, bludgeon one of our citizens to death, then that policy must go. If it is part of “police policy” for six men with clubs to take out their repressed anger and frustration on a defenseless, unarmed, sick person who was in need of medical attention, then our “police policy” needs serious revision. Clubbing him, like a group of cave men would club down a buffalo. Getting back at them with every swing, every punch, every beat down. It seems that their clubs, their phallic symbols, are making up for their inadequacies. Something just seems backwards. An occupying force of renegade cops is ruling our city, while our government officials sit back and wring their hands. Not one of our city government officials has even had the balls to acknowledge to us that what happened that night “was wrong”. If they need a pair, then I’ve got an extra set they can borrow. our city council doesn’t run the city; the cops and rich people do. We elect City Council members who don’t represent us. We call protests and fifty people show up. We have become numb to the police murdering our people because it has become so common place. The time has come for “We the People” to stand up and take the bull by the horns. This is our city, we’re gonna take it back. Crying is not enuf. Talking is not enuf. We will win this battle. We will bow to no one. We are not afraid of Lukkken. We are not afraid of Strike-her or Fangman. We don’t fear death. We are not afraid to die. We will charge, we will nonviolently storm city hall and take over. We will win. They will turn and run. Our principles of equality and peace will live and their principles of oppression and greed will die. They will not hurt any of us ever any again. Fight back. Walk Tall. Join the resistance. We are courageous, powerful resisters. We, the poor people and black people are uniting under one banner and saying No! to cops who brutalize and those who allow cops to brutalize. Ain’t no power like the power of the people cuz the power of the people don’t stop! The question remains: “What’s the problem here”? Streetvibes Vendor Sonny Williams and his daughter Sara Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 Editorial Page 18 �FRAC - Food Research and Action Center News FRAC RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT BUSH’S FY 2005 BUDGET PROPOSAL, AND RELATED BUDGET STORIES (FRAC News Alert, February 5, 2004) The President’s Budget Proposal fails to provide new investments to increase access to the federal Child Nutrition Programs. This omission is particularly glaring given the US Department of Agriculture’s stated goals in the Budget of reducing hunger, combating obesity, and improving nutritional status. A spate of recent studies have shown that the best way to accomplish those goals is to reach more children and families with the benefits of the federal nutrition programs. http://www.frac.org/ html/news/2005budget.htm BUSH ADMINISTRATION DEFENDS LONG-TERM BUDGET CUTS IN PLAN TO CUT THE DEFICIT IN FIVE YEARS (Washington Post, February 6, 2004) A computergenerated Office of Management and Budget (OMB) estimate highlights the continued spending clampdown and budget cuts to domestic programs in the “out years” that would have to be achieved in order to meet the Bush Administration’s goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009. Such sustained spending cuts to domestic programs (e.g., lowincome education, child care, job training) would represent an unprecedented shift in federal priorities and would be the first sustained rollback in federal spending since the 1930s. The document’s tables are normally part of the Budget but this year, according to Richard Kogan of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, OMB “took extra pains to hide them.” The administration cautioned that no budget decisions have been made beyond 2005 and also took issue with the interpretation of the long-term budget that shows declines in spending on domestic programs for low-income people: “This administration has done a lot for low-income people,” said OMB spokesperson J.T. Young, citing increases in food stamp participation and the recent Medicare prescription drug plan. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp-dyn/articles/A173152004Feb5.html The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says that the President’s budget would make the nation’s fiscal problems worse; and that the deficit-reducing proposals are disproportionately tilted against lower- and middle-income families, while affluent and powerful constituents are essentially given a free ride. http://www.cbpp.org/22-04bud.htm he Children’s Defense Fund says the Bush Administration’s budget proposal presents a reckless plan to expand tax cuts for the rich at the expense of the most vulnerable Americans including 12.1 million children who live below the poverty line. http:// www.childrensdefense.org/ release040202.php the end of June. Only 1,000 jobs were created by the economy in December and 2.8 million manufacturing jobs have been lost in the past 41 months. Congress voted in 2002 to give unemployed workers an additional 13 weeks of benefits and extended the program twice. But it expired just before Christmas. Congressional Republicans said another extension wasn’t necessary because job growth was near at hand. http:// www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ articles/A617152004Jan29.html?nav=hptoc_b Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis: http:// www.cbpp.org/1-29-04ui.htm REPORT FINDS HIGHCALORIE, LESS NUTRITIOUS FOODS ARE MORE AFFORDABLE FOR LOW-INCOME PEOPLE (Los Angeles Times, February 1, 2004) Low-income people tend to choose more high-calorie, low-nutritious foods because they provide more energy for the dollar, researchers have concluded. “Energy-dense foods composed of refined grains, added sugars or fats may represent the lowest-cost option,” said Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington. For low-income people, choosing these kinds of products “may represent a deliberate attempt to save money,” he said. The report also found that women from food insecure households were less likely to get enough fruits and vegetables and, on average, weighed about 10 pounds more than women from food secure households. “People know what food costs. Parents know they are buying enough to make their kids and themselves not hungry, but they know they are not getting a totally balanced diet,” said Jim Weill, FRAC’s president. http:// www.latimes.com/news/ nationworld/politics/wire/sns-apfood-for-the-poor,1,3891154.story (free registration required) IN-DEPTH EXAMINATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF RURAL AND SMALL-TOWN POVERTY (Amber Waves, U.S. Department of Agriculture, February 2004) This article discusses how rural counties with high poverty rates differ across racial and demographic lines. Comparisons are made among and between high-poverty counties populated by African Americans, Hispanics, Whites, and Native Americans. Of the 444 non-metro counties classified as high-poverty counties in 2000 (based on 1999 income), three-fourths reflect the low income of racial and ethnic minorities and are classified as Black, Native American, or Hispanic high-poverty counties. Some high-poverty areas have low labor force participation rates and could benefit from job training and job development. Others have a high share of female-headed families with children, and programs that provide child care and secure child support would help defray child care costs and open up employment opportunities. http://www.ers.usda.gov/ Amberwaves/February04/Features/ Anatomy.htm RECORD-HIGH 375,000 JOBLESS WORKERS LOSE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IN JANUARY; 2 MILLION WILL LOSE THEM BY JUNE (Washington Post, January 30, 2004) An analysis of Labor Department statistics by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows that 375,000 jobless workers, the highest number for January in the three decades the statistics have been tracked, will have exhausted their unemployment benefits in January. About 2 million additional jobless workers will exhaust benefits by S T R E E T V I B E S March, 2004 REPORT: NEARLY 1.2 MILLION OHIOANS EXPERIENCE FOOD INSECURITY (Plain Dealer, Cleveland, OH, January 31, 2004) A report by the Children’s Hunger Alliance entitled “Hunger in Ohio: The State of the State 2004,” shows that nearly three-quarters of a million Ohio residents experience food insecurity during an average month. “These families live on the verge of hunger and are often unsure how they will be able to afford their next meal,” said William Dolan, CEO of the Alliance. Some 129,000 additional children and 180,000 adults experience the worse condition of hunger. The Alliance recommends that Ohio change its food stamp FRAC News requirements and allow recipients to show eligibility once a year instead of every six months. Last year, more than $100 million in federal food stamp funds were left unused by potentially eligible people in the state. The Ohio Department of Education is also working to expand School Breakfast Program participation through initiatives like “breakfast in the classroom.” http://www.cleveland.com/news/ plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/ 1075545104213372.xml. For the full Children’s Hunger Alliance report: http:// www.childrenshungeralliance.org/ Hunger%20Report%20files/ Ohio2004.pdf EDITORIAL: OHIO CHILDREN MUST RECEIVE FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEAL BENEFITS THEY ARE ELIGIBLE (News Journal, Mansfield, OH, February 4, 2004) This editorial urges the Ohio community to do more to find a way to get free and reduced-price meals to school children who are eligible for them. Calling the situation where low-income students miss meals while at school “needless hunger,” the editorial points out that students who are hungry have trouble focusing on their classes. Free and reducedprice school meals must be available to eligible students in a discreet manner to alleviate stigma, outreach must be performed to alert parents to the resources available, and summer meals must be made available at sites that encourage participation and provide food as well as activities. http:// www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/ news/stories/20040204/opinion/ 347678.html ACTIVISTS URGE WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATORS TO PASS ANTI-HUNGER BILL (Associated Press, January 30, 2004) Anti-hunger activists urged Washington State legislators to support proposed legislation that would simplify the Food Stamp Program and require schools to offer free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs. House Bill 2769 would make free and reduced-price school meal programs mandatory, expand summer food programs, extend food stamp benefits for five months to people leaving the TANF program, and simplify the food stamp process so that recipients would only have to report changes in income that make them ineligible. http://www.kgw.com/ sharedcontent/APStories/stories/ D80CRGEO0.html Page 19 Page 19 �TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) 357-4602 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 861-1111 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 Need Help or Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 $1 Donation March 2004 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless “Homelessness Marathon” hits Ohio Airwaves BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY Streetvibes Serial Number � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2004 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Radio Marathon Brings the Voices of Homelessness to the Airwaves Pg 2: Ohio Cities Face Common Challenged Pg 3: Donate Pg 4: Homeless News Digest On a 28-Degree Night in February, Advocates Count Those Living Outdoors Pg 5: Kathy Wilson’s Book Brings Clarity to Cincinnati Politics Pg 6: The Peace Village Pg 7: Cleveland Shelter for Women Re-Opens; Provides Safety and Support Poor to Put ‘Bushville’ Tent City at NY Convention Pg 8: Presidential Hopeful Dennis Kucinich Visits Over-the-Rhine Pg 9: The Sun Will Come Out Progress Pg 10: Cincinnati Inner-City Children Shar Their Lives Through Photography Exhibit Pg 11: City Council Approves Plan for Huntington Meadows Development Pg 12: Haiti’s Collapse Pg 13: Ohio Empowerment Coalition Joins in “Presidential Dialogue with America’s Families” Letting Rumsfeld Set the Rules Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: Editorial Pg 17: Towards a Justice that Lasts Pg 18: Nathaniel Jones: The Question Remains Pg 19: FRAC Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Andy Erickson Brendan Goodwin Mary Gaffney Elizabeth Linville Jimmy Heath Berta Lambert Curtis Proffitt Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Brendan Goodwin Cincinnati city council Cleveland Curtis Proffitt Dennis Kucinich Editorials Elizabeth Linville Food Research FRAC GCCH Georgine Getty Haiti Huntington Meadows Jimmy Heath Justice Kathy Wilson Mary Gaffney memorial Nathaniel Jones New York Ohio Over-the-Rhine Peace Village Photography Presidential Election Radio Washington Post https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/a9d05912c7680d0676cf4af6e9870e57.pdf 4377fc17dfcf610befcc475ce36bb66f PDF Text Text Streetvibes February 2004 Homeless Men receive Settlement from City Of Covington by Jimmy Heath Three men met last month near the Covington riverfront levy, close to the Ohio River bank campsite they once called home. Present were their attorneys, Robert Newman and Covington lawyer Linda A. Smith. The men were among eight who sued in U.S. District Court in Covington after city workers removed their riverfront camps in April of 2002. A lawsuit was filed in federal court in May 2002 alleging the city of Covington violated the due process rights of the individuals who lost their personal property. Homeless advocates said most of the 30 men living on the riverbank were away at work when the Covington city workers removed their belongings from city property without notice. During a “sweep” of homeless camps, Covington city workers removed and destroyed property of individuals who at the time considered the Ohio River bank their home. Items such as sleeping bags, medication, tents and clothing were taken. One of the men lost a litter of kittens and family photographs. No notice was given to the homeless residents and their property was not held but thrown away. City officials, including Covington Mayor Butch Callery, described the riverfront camps as a “health hazard and an eyesore.” City crews were ordered to remove any objects that looked like housing or bedding. In June of 2002, hundreds of people, including advocates from the National Coalition for the Homeless, and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless assembled for a Homeless Rally and March to Covington City Hall to support the claimants and to draw attention to the plight of the homeless. The march was organized by the individuals who lived on the riverbanks, the National Civil Rights Organizing Project and Northern Kentucky service providers and advocates. In late December of 2003, the City of Covington decided to settle with the claimants and on January 23rd, at the site of the injustice, the homeless campers received their settlement checks. Philip Folk, attorney Robert Newman, Delbert Thompson, Charles Singleton and attorney Linda Smith gather at riverfront campsite for press conference. Claimants Folk, Thompson and Singleton each received a check for $1,000. Each of the men received $1,000 checks, handed out by attorney Robert Newman, against the backdrop of the Ohio River where the campers once made their home. They will receive another $1,000 each later from attorneys’ fees. “There’s now a nationwide precedent that cities cannot take the property of homeless people without notice and destroy it,” said Cincinnati civil-rights attorney Bob Newman, during a press conference at the riverfront site. “It’s a fair warning I think, to Covington and any other city that homeless people are human beings just like everybody else and they have the same constitutional rights as a homeowner, so we’re very happy about that.” Annabelle and Carrie Johnson organizations and projects in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, including serving as Board President for Peaslee Neighborhood Center, and serving on the Over-the-Rhine Community Council. Carrie and Annabelle have found a personal way to stay involved through the long haul, not letting hard times deter their vision and dream for a just world. It is their willingness to listen to each other and hear the challenges that brings out their collective wisdom. They are a team of freedom seekers. Other 2004 Keep the Dream Alive Honorees included, Bennett J. Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Community Health Board, Cincinnati City Council Member David Crowley, Kameron Franklin, student and volunteer, Darlene Hicks of Unity House, Nanci J. Mays, student and volunteer, Joseph and Susan J. Pichler, volunteers and advisors, Rev. Dr. Michael and Monica J. Posey, pastor and educators, and Rev. James Shappelle, pastor of Mother of Christ Church. Keeping the Dream Alive In They have both been very Cincinnati active in the neighborhood and they continue to be advocates for basic human rights for all citizens. They have lived in the community for a long time and are well respected. While Carrie goes out in public, attending meetings and speaking for various neighborhood issues, her sister Annabelle is behind the scenes making it all possible. Carrie Johnson is a tireless volunteer for various Jimmy Heath photos St. Mark Catholic Church held the third annual “Martin Luther King-Keep the Dream Alive Celebration.” on Monday, January 19th, to honor several Cincinnatians who work for peace through example and the spirit of their daily lives. This year’s honorees included Carrie and Annabelle Johnson, two sisters who live and work in Over-theRhine. Father Paul Marshall, SM, of the University of Dayton, speaks about the spirit and life of Martin Luther King Jr. Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for home­ less and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Brendan Goodwin - Administra­ tive Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Elizabeth Linville - Civil Rights Coordinator Mary Gaffney - Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath - Editor ­ Design & Layout Photographers Jimmy Heath, Berta Lambert Cover Attorney Robert Newman hands out settlement check to riverfront campers... photo by Jimmy Heath Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or ven­ dors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, de­ livered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://homeless.cinci.com A New Year’s Challenge to a City by Jimmy Heath, Streetvibes Editor the mess that is caused by all of this Cincinnati continues to be a insanity. City Council produces scary place for African-Americans dog-and-pony shows for the press. and the poor. Outraged citizens and terrified Last month, Martin Luther community residents continue to King Jr. would have been 75 years cry out for something to be done. old. I wonder what he would have Some community leaders to say about current affairs in hope that finding jobs and more Cincinnati, or how things would be constructive alternatives for some different if he were still alive. The of these young men will help solve words of Dr. Martin Luther King the problems. But the lure of the continue to be prophetic. Sadly, drug trade is powerful. It pulls not much has changed for the better. While King busily toured the country trying to spread his message of hope to poor communities, the most danger he faced was not in the Deep South, but in northern cities. In later conversations King admitted that he felt real Speaking out for justice can be a lonely thing danger in Chicago during one of his visits; there was these young men out of high more anger and hatred in the north school, and out of mainstream than he had ever faced in the Deep society and into jail or death. South. There are no imaginative outlets Cincinnati’s first homicide for these young men on the street of 2004 happened in the middle of corners. We need social forces in Liberty Street in Over-the-Rhine in place, and education as part of the broad daylight, in front of dozens civil rights movement. of witnesses. Somebody finally A study of the effectiveness stepped-up and identified the of Ohio public schools ranked Ohio shooter and an arrest was made. 33rd of 37 states and Washington The unacceptable state of our DC in the percentage of Africancommunity and other poor Americans who graduate. Only neighborhoods in Cincinnati says half of Ohio’s African-American something about the general public high school students condition of our society. There is graduate, while 82 percent of white something horrible going on when students graduate. Is there a murders become routine in certain relation to the drug-dealing culture neighborhoods. and these high drop out rates? The police say that over In 2003, 10 of the city’s 75 90% of the city’s homicides are homicides occurred in Over-thedrug related. Yet we continue to Rhine. In 2003, Cincinnati see the dope boys occupy our recorded its most deadly year since street corners with impunity. There 1977. 2003 was the fifth straight are dozens of so-called drug year that the city’s homicide total dealing hot-spots in OTR and other increased. The 75 murders in 2003 places in the city; everyone knows marked a 12 percent increase over where they are but the police say 2002’s 66 killings. The 75 deaths they are powerless in doing much nearly spoiled the decade’s long about it. As a resident, I feel record for homicides in Cincinnati. powerless too. In reaction to 2004’s first White people continue to homicide, some members of drive down my street in Over-theCincinnati City Council proposed Rhine, buying dope from the open more money be funneled to an antiair drug market on the corner. gang task force and a gun violence There is a perception among white education program at Children’s suburbanite drug users that Over­ Hospital in an effort to try to curb the-Rhine is the place to buy drugs. black-on-black crime and create Black men continue to kill more community policing. City each other over drug thefts and Council was divided by racial lines territorial disputes. The police over the ensuing debate. Africanarrive with note pads, body bags American members of council and crime scene tape to clean up made the proposal, which was S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 From the Editor eventually shelved. In Cincinnati, low-income neighborhood residents are among the least likely to vote. Most feel frustrated by the process, and the choices. Most Cincinnatians in general, just don’t care. A recent survey of 300 registered city voters revealed that citizens aren’t sure how to fix things. And 63 percent of voters said the city is “on the wrong track.” What do all of these statistics mean? Martin Luther King addressed the fundamentals of human devotion as a path to social, economic and relational success. As a society, we place value on certain people, those that produce, or are of the right color, or act a certain way. As a civilized society, you would think that we could do things better. We are great toolmakers, surrounding our lives with technology, yet we still haven’t figured out the simple act of getting along. We don’t always recognize the value of life in our neighbors. We don’t respect strangers. We don’t have much regard for poor children attending public schools. 40% of black children live at the poverty level; almost the same as 50 years ago. Our ability to have a conscience, a memory and the capacity to love is routinely disregarded in our modern culture over the value of stuff and our own domains. The root of criminal behavior, the low-priority given to low-income children, and the disregarding of whole neighborhoods, is our failure to focus on humanity in all our endeavors. These problems will not be solved without a human transformation - a human revolution. Education is our best hope. “Everything which is distinctly human is learned.” Genuine human community transcends all borders. It is an allembracing citizenship of people capable of creating value on a huge scale. Do we as a city have the wisdom to perceive the interconnectedness of all life and living things; courage not to fear but to respect differences and strive to learn from people of different cultures? What does it really mean when we say we want to clean up a neighborhood? What would Martin Luther King say? Page 2 �Homeless News Digest by R.V. Murphy Chicago panhandlers can receive as much as $400 thanks to a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of 5,000 panhandlers who claimed their civil rights had been violated when they were arrested or ticketed while politely asking for money, according to the Chicago Tribune. The case, filed in federal court in 2001 and decided five days before Christmas, focused on a local disorderly conduct law that let police arrest people on public streets for drunkenness, lewdness, and panhandling. If arrested the person could be fined up to $500. “Having a blanket prohibition like that isn’t legal,” says Mark Weinberg, one of the attorneys representing the panhandlers. “You can ask for help across the street, you can ask for the time, but if you asked me for a dollar the city could throw you in jail.” Federal magistrate Jan Nolan approved a settlement that calls for Chicago to pay $99,000 in damages. The city, which admits no wrongdoing, will also pay $375,000 to cover attorney fees and the cost of distributing the money. Not all panhandlers qualify; people who were cited or arrested only for panhandling — and not other violations — are eligible. In addition, Chicago officials revoked the panhandling ordinance last year; a spokesman was quoted as saying that “the lawsuit helped us realize that [the ordinance] was too broad and wasn’t going to be accepted legally.” There are more than 146,000 people on waiting lists for public housing in New York City and one of the largest homeless populations in the country. Therefore housing advocates are outraged at a new report from Assemblyman Scott Stringer (D-Manhattan), which shows there are more than 5,000 publicly owned apartments in New York standing vacant. According to the New York City Housing Authority, many of the vacant apartments are in buildings slated for repair. The city’s Housing Authority says it’s easier to renovate apartments when the buildings are vacant. A News 12 Report (http://tinyurl.com/2gzfd) says the average wait for public housing in the city is eight years. In the Bronx alone, there are over 1,000 publicly owned units vacant. Six police officers in Apopka, Florida, face charges for firing pepper balls into a homeless camp, according to Local6.com. An internal investigation completed last week showed the officers had violated a number of department regulations in the September incident at the camp. Former Apopka Officer Brian Davis, who is now an Orange County deputy sheriff, reportedly revealed the incident while applying for his current job. No transients in the camp were injured. Punishment for the officers has not been announced. A makeshift homeless encampment with tents made of blankets has been targeted by the city of Pittsburgh, according to PittsburghChannel.com (http://thepittsburghchannel.com/ news). City crews are posting warnings this week telling the six people living under the Roberto Clemente Bridge that they have a week to remove their belongings before the city does it for them, says Public Works Director Guy Costa. The encampment was removed in November but the occupants moved back. Under terms of a settlement in a lawsuit brought on behalf of the homeless people, the city must give seven days’ notice before clearing away an encampment, to give occupants time to move, and must store any personal belongings rather than discarding them. The bridge is a main thoroughfare to the new baseball stadium and is named for Roberto Clemente, Hall of Fame outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente died on Jan. 1, 1973, in the crash of a cargo plane carrying relief supplies to those left homeless by an earthquake in Managua, Nicaragua. Some Irreverent Thoughts On Religion by Gray Dog I hear on the radio that, in Alabama, which is fiftieth of fifty states in spending on health care for prisoners, lets prisoners die of treatable cancers and other diseases because the private health care corporation in charge of prison health care wants to keep costs down. The story interviewed a man who was sentenced to two years, developed a cancer that was never diagnosed until too late, then was released. He’s now getting treatment, but he has only a thirty percent chance to live. He would have had pretty good odds if the prison doctors had diagnosed it and if they had allowed the treatments. But now he has a one in three chance to live. Pull a B&E in Alabama, you could get a death sentence. This is the same state, Alabama, where half the population is bothered by the very expensive removal of a very expensive set of stone Ten Commandments from the lobby of the state courthouse. The Ten commandments, for those of you who are heathens, is God’s list of things one should (or shalt) do or not do. These include the ever popular Thou Shalt Not Kill. Am I missing something here? philosopher. His answer, “Jesus Christ.” Makes sense. Jesus was famous for his preventive strike doctrine and for favoring tax breaks for the rich. His friends were the wealthy and powerful and he taught that “the spin shall make you free.” What would Jesus do? What would Jesus wear? How would Jesus vote? What would Jesus drive? (Okay, I think we know.) Who would Jesus kill? All the bad guys, or just the really bad ones? How would Jesus handle an aggressive panhandler? Where would Jesus hang out? Where would Jesus send his kids to school? Would he send them to a Christian academy? Another American who seemed to have taken Jesus as his favorite political philosopher was Martin Luther King, Jr., who spoke of how his commitment to the ministry of Jesus Christ “led him to take a stand, not just on civil rights, but on poverty, and on war. True compassion,” he said in 1967, “is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard. And superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.” During his election campaign, someone asked George Bush for his favorite political Jesus was the First Republican? Jesus was the First Radical? Take your pick. S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Thank You! by Robert Manassa I’m writing to say thanks to all of the many patrons who purchase Streetvibes from me. I can’t really find enough words to express my gratitude to you all. Each time I see the smiling faces coming toward me I can’t help but try to hold onto my emotions. I’m filled with lots of elation. Some of you may not take the time to talk to me, the reason for your hesitation I can’t figure. That’s not an issue with me. Each month I try, with all that’s inside of me, to compose the poems of my heart and soul. You may or may not feel me, but believe me, it’s something I know is true. The things I write about are from experiences I had in life. I hope I am an inspiration to you. I hope to reach some of you. I know I won’t reach all, though I want to. Keep on being the faithful patrons that you are. Again, I say thank you! The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. Dante It is penance to work, to give oneself to others, to endure the pinpricks of community living. Dorothy Day Streetvibes 3rd Best in North America by the North American Street Newspaper Association Story, Editorial and Art Submis­ sion Deadline for the March 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, February 12th Page 3 Page 3 �Myths breed neglect, violence against Cincinnati’s homeless should be allowed to live under by Andy Erickson get themselves out of an bridges. Respondents were asked unexpected situation. Education Coordinator Sue was in her sixties and to leave comments. These same myths also Many of the comments was a nurse for many years. A discount the many homeless few months ago she unexpectedly said things like, “They are bums children in our city. No one likes lost her job and became homeless who chose not to get an education to think of a child going and got involved with drugs, as a result. She fought hard and homeless. Therefore, many of us alcohol or crime eventually obtained housing. instead. Society The proportion of women and children in the When I spoke to her recently, owes them however, she was once again in homeless population today is larger than it has danger of becoming homeless due nothing,” and been since the Civil War era. A recent article “They are not to a job loss. She was crying in USA Today reported that families now make ‘down on their when she said, “I just want to up 41% of the homeless population in the US. luck.’ That have a place where my kids can In Cincinnati, children make up one third of would imply come visit me.” our homeless population. Despite facts like that these People often have an these, many of our housed Cincinnatians people worked image of the homeless as “bag firmly believe the myths they hear about the hard in life and ladies” or “drunken bums.” But homeless... that fate dealt the majority of our homeless them tragedy… citizens are like Sue, living in the homeless got exactly what shelters or on the streets because don’t. To admit that children are they deserved.” of rising housing costs, job loss, homeless and hungry is to admit There are many comments that we have homeless people and other economic problems. The proportion of women like this, and you can view them who need help and care from the all at http:// and children in the rest of us. The sad fact is that homeless population www.wcpo.com/ there are 8,000 children in today is larger than it news/2003/local/ Cincinnati who will experience has been since the Civil 07/17/ homelessness at some point War era. A recent homeless.html during the year. Not one of the article in USA Today Myths like angry comments on Channel 9’s reported that families the ones quoted poll even mentioned them. now make up 41% of above serve a While many people use the homeless function. If we stereotypes to justify neglect of population in the US. believe that the homeless people, others go even In Cincinnati, children homeless don’t further, using them as justification Andy Erickson make up one third of deserve help (or for hate speech or physical our homeless that they are violence. A disturbing number of population. Despite facts like beyond help), it makes it easy for comments on the Channel 9 these, many of our housed us to ignore the men, women, and website suggested that the Cincinnatians firmly believe the children who are experiencing homeless be “locked up” or myths they hear about the homelessness in our city. We can “forced to leave town.” One homeless. write them off as undeserving and person said we should “make it An online poll conducted forget about them. Of course, in illegal for them to vote.” Another by Channel 9 in August 2003 order to do this, we have to even casually stated, “Toss the bums in the river for all I care, as asked people to state whether or discount the many people like not they thought homeless people Sue, who work hard every day to long as it will improve the city visually.” At the height of the issue over the bridge encampments, when this poll was conducted, homeless people in Cincinnati frequently became victims of hate crimes and physical violence. Some were pelted with rocks, bottles, or eggs while they slept. Others’ belongings were stolen or destroyed. Some people’s camps were even set on fire. Nationally, hate crimes like these have been growing in numbers. Over the past four years, there have been 212 documented hate crimes against homeless people, 123 of which resulted in death. We need to abandon the harmful myths that we spread when we talk about homeless people. We at least owe that to the homeless children in our community, to the victims of hate crimes, and to people like Sue who have worked so hard to get out of their situation. We need to recognize that homelessness affects thousands of people every year in this city, and that harmful speech can only make matters worse. Write Us! We’d like to hear from you.... Send letters or comments to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition office attn: Streetvibes Letters, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Page 4 �Can You Force The Homeless Into Shelters? by Judy Newkirk The weather is bitter cold today and most people are warm inside shelter. Not Mike. He’s been sleeping in a sleeping bag on Calhoun Street in Clifton for two years now under the protection of a slight overhang in front of the Indian Krishna Restaurant. They give him a free meal every day, I’m told. I’m not sure. It’s hearsay from a couple of welldressed men down the street about a block away who told me also, “Not to worry. He’s happy there so leave him alone.” So I leave him alone, give him a dollar, tell him not to freeze to death because I care about him, and go on my way. Oh, I did get him to promise me that he would go with social workers should he feel really sick. They’ve been there before to talk to him, Psychiatric Mobile Crisis Unit, CRI’s PATH people and I got the report back from them that there’s no way to force Mike into shelter – something about Ohio’s Revised Code and that City Council vacillates on the issue. Do you suppose that maybe Mike ought to sue over the issue of neglect? Does anybody really talk to him much? One day about a month ago I did just that. Out of curiosity I asked Mike where he came from. Aliens, he said. He comes from Russia, his commanding officer is coming back, he works for the Feds, he Maybe that’s why I leave him works for the Butler County alone. Relatively speaking, he Sheriff’s department as an seems pretty cool with himself undercover cop. He once had a house in Oakley, worked on a job when he crawls out from under his tent and hobbles toward where he had to be alone a lot, Arby’s for coffee. grew up in foster care and has Well, I told you how I been in Rollman’s when it was a talked to Mike, listened to his psychiatric hospital where the talks, and that day, a few weeks doctors told him it was a DNA ago, thought he was willing to go problem. I got all this while into shelter. I waited for two sitting with him at Arby’s on hours for the CRI, PATH people Calhoun where he drank enough coffee with enough sugar packets to show up. They never did even though the two policemen who and smoked enough cigarettes to cause brain damage. “Stop aggravating me, lady! I like However the snow,” he replied....I left to go Mike is not home, where my concern caused a stupid. He wanted to be big argument with a friend who had warm. He lived in his own van after his asked me if I business failed. new of a place where they would leave him alone enough to came into Arby’s called them for me on their cell phone. It was enjoy nature. He loves the snow. He doesn’t like cults. He doesn’t voice mail. The only thing I got accomplished, according to want missionaries after him. Well, I don’t either. I’m a Mike’s next report, was to get him humanist. Mike shouldn’t have to shooed off a busy traffic area. Police had told him to leave listen to a sermon to get a free Krishna. I happened to drive by meal, to get clean clothes and a and view him in a doorway shower, possibly a shave and a haircut, to get the dirt cleaned out around the corner across the street from under his findernails, to live from Inn the Wood restaurant. It was the holiday season and no in an atmosphere where al least one was working on a phone line. there’s more mental stimulation It was raining and cold. than all day dead in a sleeping “Get in the car, Mike,” I bag. He shouldn’t be coerced to said, “I’m taking you down to the take drugs that might turn him Drop Inn Center.” into a zombie existence or even “Stop aggravating me, cause further brain damage. Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction. Albert Einstein Know Your Rights Brochure Available! The Know Your Rights Brochure is now available at the Coalition’s office. The brochure is a legal guide for Cincinnati’s homeless and covers a person’s basic rights when interacting with the police, as well as some local laws that might be of interest to the homeless population. If you are a homeless person or if you work with homeless people and would like to obtain free copies of the brochure for yourself or your agency, please call 421-7803, or stop by the Coalition office and pick one up. S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 lady. I like the snow,” he replied. I left to go home, where my concern caused a big argument with a friend who had lived in his own van after his business failed. He was there for a long time, even in the dead of Ohio’s winter. My friend did have a heater that would at least allow him to get to sleep until about two in the morning when he would wake up and shiver his body for enough warmth to get back to sleep. Mike has a sense of humor and is not threat to outsider. One time after the holidays when I gave him change, he asked if the red mark on my right cheek had been caused by someone hitting me with a snowball after they refused to get into my car. Yesterday, when I walked past Krishna, Mike was up and talking about Elliott Ness, the Untouchables, and I just walked away like everybody else does. But I wonder. Did socalled parents sit him down in front of the television set for long hours without speaking to him about what he’s viewing? I’ve seen it in a child when I volunteered for a very short time at LaBlonde Boys and Girls Club – the ability to get into a fantasy world and the ability to live totally in another dimension that is not the norm in our society. I think Mike needs psychoanalysis but he’ll never get it. It’s for the rich to make them even more powerful. National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project (NHCROP) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (513) 421-7803 Help build a powerful, resident led organization! The Republic Street & Vine Street Block Clubs are fighting for the rights of lowincome residents in Over-the-Rhine and they are going strong. Block clubs are forming in other parts of the neighborhood, too. Call the Contact Center at 381-4242 or stop by 1227 Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine to learn more about how you can get involved with these resident led organizations. Page 5 Page 5 �The Peace Village by Dr. Steve Sunderland flower we only barely imagined. I The Peace Village joined sit on a hill, under very bright the ceremonies in Cincinnati Winter sun, the temperature honoring Rev. Martin Luther King, hovering around 17 degrees, Jr. Monday, January 19. We warmed by the knowledge that started at Fountain Square and peace is at work, both under and walked with the community to hear over the ground, reaching deeply the MLK Choir, led by Peace for sustenance, raising its arms to a Villager, Kathy Roma, and some friendly sun and moon, and wonderful talks. I used to sing in awaiting the snow and rain of the chorus and had to decide everyday. I can see my breath with whether to walk in the march or each exhale. I can feel the pulse of sing. peace as life even though I am I chose to walk and enjoy bundled up. We continue, hand to the singing from the audience at hand, season to season, signal to Music Hall. Everything was free signal, walking with and for peace. and we welcomed everyone to “What more do we need to walk with us and our beloved community. Peace Villager, Roy Jones, an extraordinary young Cincinnati artist, has shared with me his painting of the Rev. King in the jail cell in Birmingham. When I look at this fresh look at the young King, I can see both his anxiety about being in a Southern jail and his dreams for Dr. Steve Sunderland a different day. We work for this day for our troubled know about war?” This question city and world. jumped out at me as I visited and I was reminded of all I tried to see all of the “D-Day didn’t know about King’s impact Museum” in New Orleans. on the South when I visited the Obviously the work of proud Ogden Art Museum in New museum planners, the story spills Orleans. out in many directions as we easily The museum is dedicated to can see how little the US was giving a space to Southern artists prepared for the German and and it is has the best collection of Japanese war plans. Very quickly, African American art I have seen following Pearl Harbor, the change outside of Hampton University’s in the American policy and action wonderful museum. It also has a occurs as a giant war machine is great collection of non-African fueled and unleashed to American artists as well. King is a counterattack the Nazis and “Japs.” topic in many paintings and Very early in the museum we get to pictures. meet soldiers from Germany and There is a photo of Rev. the U.S. through pictures, films, Ralph Abernathy and Rev. King on and audio tapes of what it was like the first desegregated bus that must to encounter war. If this is not be seen. Their look is surprise and enough, there are veterans of the anxiety: “Were they really on the WW 2 walking and sitting bus?” throughout the floors, eager to What does our fledgling answer any question and clarify the work mean? We are a band of allreality. I asked one vet, probably in season peace planters, caring for his 80s, about the survival of those our gardens as best we can. This is thousands of paratroopers that was good work. At this time. With sent behind the lines at the very each other. We plant hoping for a start of the D Day landing. No harvest; we reap, hoping that our exhibit seemed to answer what fruit is tasty; we look into the happened to them. The vet said ground and wonder at the miracle with a gruff voice: “We lost almost of seeds and roots. “What has every damn one!” End of grown peace, right here and in this conversation. season?” we wonder. What has Each floor was filled with turned over the right amount of soil exhibits about technical prowess so that the seed took just the right and the consequences in death to root, received the nourishment these very young men. Voices of from us and the ground, and survivors were heard coming from transformed into the plant and certain exhibits, accompanied by S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 the pictures, the sad and horrible through the wounding and pictures of very young men who crippling battles. The price of were heading into what surely was stopping Nazis and Japanese a kind of hell that even the pictures policies meant nothing short of the and words and sounds of arms loss of more people than could be could not portray accurately. I was counted and, so many, that it numbed by the films of the beach seemed like a ridiculous idea that landings, with wave after wave of war would continue. The passion Allied soldiers stepping out of the of the soldiers was clear and their landing crafts (invented by and commitment to each other was New Orleans native) into a curtain made evident. Yet, it was clear that of bullets, mines, bombs and every this “great” war was fought with conceivable obstacle. And, they the very young, inexperienced, and died, in waves, in layers, in the gullible class of “warriors,” water, on the land, in foxholes, in whether they are American, sandy holes, and in the arms of English, Canadian, German, medics, other soldiers, shocked and Japanese or Italian. So many wounded or just lucky to have young people dead. found an angle that kept them safe We were in New Orleans at from the storm of killing arms. the same time that preparation was Vets of the war were taking place for the Sugar Bowl proudly everywhere, welcoming football game. Thousands of visitors, selling books and stuff in college youth, parents, alums, and the gift shop, and taking bags as we friends were walking the streets, entered. Large planes are in the day and night, celebrating in the front lobby of a very large entrance rituals of end of the season football area. A kind man takes us to the games. Here were thousands of side as we go in and says that there young people enjoying themselves, are two ways to see the exhibits, mostly men but lots of women depending upon time. He is a wearing their school colors. A kindly grandfather type, genuinely good mood was evident interested in our seeing as much as everywhere as long as you steered possible. We proceed into the first away from those “warriors” who exhibits and very quickly we see had a little too much to drink. that there is no “short” tour; rather, How many of these young men any length of time will be a test of were going off to Iraq, or our emotions and our capacity to somewhere else equally dangerous? imagine the carnage that will be Would they understand why they described. I was reminded of were going? Would I understand walking the grounds of Gettysburg, why their lives were being gambled the entrance of the Holocaust in this old and bloody game? We Museum in Washington, D.C., and are at war. Close to 500 American the Austrian Concentration camp at soldiers have been killed; close to Mauthausen: no one entering 3,000 soldiers wounded, and we would ever be the same when you were on “Orange Alert.” How left. much more do we need to know Three hours of looking and about war, the death of young men feeling were enough for my wife, and woman, and the madness of Stefanie, and I. I finished the battle? museum by going to the book store to find some publications on peace. Dr. Steve Sunderland, There was not one book on peace professor of Social Work at or the psychological consequences the University of Cincinnati, of the battles on the soldiers, the is the Director of The Peace people of the countries, and/or the Village, a group of connection of what we were seeing individuals from the to the continuation of war. In an national and international obvious way, the whole museum community committed to could have been a poster for peace. examining all issues of The death of all of these people, Peace in the world. Dr. mostly young soldiers, under Sunderland also heads up indescribable conditions, shouted Posters-for-Peace which out that this was a barbaric way of engages people in solving problems of aggression and expressing their visions of violence. What would the world Peace, in their own words, have been like if there had been no through the creation of Hitler, no military adventure by posters. Japan and no response by the Allied forces? was a question that was (Business Card Size, ad ready copy) impossible to ignore. Millions of Reach 18,000 customers per month human lives were lost. Millions of lives were broken Call Streetvibes @ 421-7803 Rent This Space! Only $25 per month... Peace Village Page 6 �How Do We Treat Our Fellow Man? by Mary Gaffney conflict in the world; low employment in the city, etc. You Happy New Year to each and every one of our readers. name it we got it! It all makes me think. Maybe you are not a bible When you see this issue of Streetvibes, it will be the second reader, but in the Book of month of 2004. Revelation it says these things will It is my prayer to our Most come to be; wars, fires, and Heavenly Father that, with His floods. It talks about flying chariots love and mercy, (airplanes). It also this year will be speaks of more peaceful and destruction by prosperous in working to help fires (terrorists). These things make our fellow man, you wonder. How especially, as you is our fellow man know, my treating each homeless friends. other, regardless I care very deeply Ms. Mary Gaffney of race, creed, or for our homeless friends. We are all his children in color? On the unemployment scene; the city, the country, it His eyesight. As I watched the flakes of makes you wonder when all of this will end. snow begin to come down today But my real issue, as you and I looked at my friends coming in from the cold for a cup of coffee know, is homelessness which I deal with every day. The question or a warm smile, I want to make these days a little brighter. I can’t answer is why there isn’t more concern for these people. I As we enter the New Year get calls from people who are it seems like there is so much We must be prepared to make heroic sacrifices for the cause of treat poor and disenfranchised peace that we make ungrudgingly individuals as second-hand citizens. for the cause of war. There is no Martin Luther King task that is more important or challenged us to question these closer to my heart. philosophical dilemmas in our Albert Einstein everyday lives, no matter what our life circumstance. More than 30 years after his death Martin Luther King Jr. is seen as the voice for all poor people – people left behind in the wake of economic affluence, who are stuck in low paying jobs and homelessness and poverty. After 30 years, his voice still rings true. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day Memorial March was held in downtown Cincinnati to rekindle the spirit of his work and to provide a voice to the unheard, to provide inspiration to those who have been cast aside by society’s indignities. Spirit of MLK Celebrated The tri-state’s observance of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday included many events on Monday, January 19th, the official federal holiday. A highlight of the yearly remebrance is the march from Fountain Square to Music Hall, which this year featured a performance of a requiem written by the Rev. Charles Walker, minister of the 19th Street Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Many people know first hand that the work that eventually took King’s life still goes on today. The challenges that human rights workers face now are bigger than ever. Segregation and racism still have a stronghold on African American communities. Police and City government continue to concerned about people sleeping in tents. Also, why are policemen hassling our Streetvibes Vendors and the homeless in general? It seems at this time there is no real answer. I am asked why the city leader can’t do anything. I can’t find an answer. As I sit here today with my friends, some are hurt, cold and really disgusted, with no jobs, and with families. Some have had a police record and it is still held against them, making it difficult to get services. It isn’t only men but women and families too. Not all of these men and women are addicts which is a stereotype of the homeless. I know because I am with them everyday. And believe it or not, there are many things that you can learn from these folks that will open your eyes to what is really happening. As the New Year begins let it begin with more love for our fellowman, and may there be more peace in the world. Until the next Streetvibes, be good and always remember that God loves you. Wish List... Can You Help? Streetvibes newspaper is published monthly on a shoe-string budget from the offices of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Can you help us with some of the following items? * Digital Camera & Accessories * VCR for making copies of Streetvibes TV show and for educational packets * Blank VHS tapes * Desktop paper folder * Supplies (paper towels, toilet paper ) * Cleaning Supplies * Office Supplies - postage stamps, floppies, copier paper and other supplies If you can help, contact us at: Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: Streetvibes@juno.com MLK Rally on Fountain Square S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Page 7 Page 7 �Berta’s Art Corner A Winter’s Painting, Washington Park, Overthe-Rhine, looking east at 12th and Elm Street Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct and agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Vendor Program. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the rules, she/he may be removed from the Program. To report a Vendor, call 421-7803. ext. 16 Authorized Vendors always wear a Badge! Streetvibes: A proud member of the North American Street Newspaper Association.... Representing over 50 street newspapers throughout the United States and Canada VISIT - www.nasna.org Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) Front Streetvibes vendors are paticipants in a program at the Coalition for the Homeless that allows them to distribute the Streetvibes newspaper for a $1.00 donation. The money used to purchase the paper goes to the individual vendor. Vendors are not employees of the Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors are not fundraising for the Coalition for the Homeless. Back of Badge While we make every effort to provide a forum for those without a voice, STREETVIBES and the staff of THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, is not responsible for statements, and do not necessarily endorse the opinions of the people whose writings are represented here. Each vendor must sign and agree to abide by the following code of conduct.... 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 30 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers can not be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. Vendors must also never sell Streetvibes door-to-door. 8. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be honest in stating that all profits go to the individual vendor. S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 9. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 10. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 11. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. Nelson Mandela... Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the World. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Page 8 �Making shelters safe for all Is it Worth Your Penny? by Judi Clark Ohio stands to lose apselection (beds genders How much are you willing proximately $750 million in general closer to staff may by Elizabeth Linville be better). In The National some situations, Coalition for the Homeless there are enough (NCH) and the National Gay transgender and Lesbian Task Force residents to create released an important new a wing solely for Elizabeth Linville report in December of 2003 them. entitled Transitioning Our Harassment: Shelter staff Shelters: A Guide to Making should work to address and stop Homeless Shelters Safe for harassment of transgender people. Transgender People. This guide is This should be included in written to help shelters provide safe policy. housing for transgender persons. Dress Codes: Dress code “We believe that every should not be based on gender. A person has the right to shelter and more constructive policy would that right should not be denied focus on covering of certain body because of ignorance, injustice or areas, not on wearing gender insensitivity,” said Donald appropriate clothes. Whitehead, Executive Director of Concerns of Other the National Coalition for the Residents: Some residents may be Homeless. uncomfortable and unwilling to live The following is a summary with a transgender resident. of some of the important steps the Trainings with the shelter residents guide recommends shelters enact to may be one way to deal with this protect the civil rights of problem. transgender people. Referrals: A resident’s The Intake Conversation: transgender status is confidential in Staff should talk with all potential referrals, unless they give residents about their privacy, safety permission to staff ahead of time. and any policies affecting Many transgender people transgender residents during this face discrimination in the conversation. It is important to workplace and in housing; this inform the resident about a shelter’s intolerance can increase their confidentiality policy and that chances of becoming homeless. It transgender status is a part of this. is important that shelters and other It is also recommended that intake social service agencies work to forms allow clients to describe their create a safe environment for own gender, rather than giving people of all genders. them the typical options of male, If you are interested in female, and other. reading this report in its entirety, Restrooms: Transgender you can download a copy at the people should be allowed to use Task Force’s website (http:// whichever bathrooms match their www.TheTaskForce.org). self-identified gender. Shelters should provide whatever privacy and safety alterations necessary to facilitate this. Showers: This, too, is an area where privacy is a necessity. Transgender people should use the showers that correspond to their self-identified gender. Sleeping Arrangements: This should be based on a transgender person’s self-identified gender. Safety precautions should be taken in determining the best bed to pay to keep schools open, help low-income working parents stay employed with child care services, food for the hungry, services to elderly Ohioans? Is it worth your penny? Ken Blackwell doesn’t think so. In a move that is both irresponsible and a possible conflict of interest, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is leading an effort to repeal the penny sales tax added in the last budget. The sales tax, while not the most desired way to raise revenues for Ohio, allowed us to retain many of the services and programs that were slated to be cut. Hundreds of OEC members and supporters sent postcards and made phone calls in support of increasing the sales tax if it meant keeping services. We testified in budget hearings and rallied in Columbus. We met with our legislators to let them know how important child and health care were to Ohioans. Now all of these gains are in jeopardy. revenue funds if the sales tax is repealed. All gains we made in the last budget debate will be lost. Ohio will not be able to afford to continue spending on social service programs and education without the money the penny generates. Local government funds will also be cut. That means you may not have a firefighter when you need one or the library where your child does school work will be closed. Ohioans cannot afford to sit back and let this happen. We must work hard to educate our friends and neighbors, let them know what Ken Blackwell and the anti-tax lobbies are not telling them. We have a tough fight ahead of us. Mr. Blackwell and his group of supporters have the money to pay professional lobbyists. We have only our collective voices. We used those voices effectively last spring. We need to use them once more to defeat this proposal and SAVE OUR PROGRAMS. The GCCH would like to thank Starbucks for their generous donation of coffee and pastries. Story, Editorial and Art Submission Deadline for the March 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, February 12th S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Page 9 Page 9 �People Tell George Bush “Move-On”! by Mary Burke & Dianna Schweitzer On Monday evening, January 12, 2003 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, MoveOn.org named the winner in their “Bush in 30 Seconds” campaign. A 30-second TV ad that focuses on George W. Bush’s trillion-dollar debt. America’s children was the winner in the nationwide search for the best spot to tell the truth about the Bush Administration’s policy failures. The ad also got the highest rating from members of the public, who gave it the “People’s Choice” award as well. “Child’s Pay,” by Charlie Fisher, 38, of Denver features young children working in difficult service and manufacturing jobs – washing dishes, hauling trash, repairing tires, cleaning offices, assembly-line processing and grocery checking – followed by the line: “Guess who’s going to pay off President Bush’s $1 trillion deficit?” Sean Mullaney (l) and Dianna Schweitzer thank Al Franken for his amusing participation. government and our role in the world and to create opportunities for education. The energy has a high celebratory element too, making it feel so right to sing, dance, and beat the drum for the principles of peace, democracy, and the power of people working collectively. A panel of celebrities and political experts helped choose the winners after more than 110,000 people came to the Web site www.bushin30seconds.org in December to rate the more than 1,000 ads posted. Over 2.9 million viewer ad ratings were submitted. The contest was created by MoveOn.org Voter Fund to try to make the political process more accessible to ordinary Americans unlikely to be hired to create advertising in traditional political campaigns. “This has been an amazing experience in grassroots engagement, and all of us have been thrilled to work with such creative people,” said Eli Pariser, campaigns director for the MoveOn.org Voter Fund. “These ads give voice to the deep concerns our millions of members have with the direction our country is headed.” The MoveOn.org Voter Fund is a political committee created to comply with the new federal campaign finance laws. It runs ads and engages in other efforts to expose the policy failures of the Bush Administration. More information can be found at www.moveonvoterfund.org and at www.bushin30seconds.org. As of January 22 MoveOn.org reports that CBS has refused to run the winning ad claiming it is too controversial. What is CBS’s interest in keeping this ad off the air? Perhaps more importantly, what else has CBS kept from us and who controls the mainstream media? it an un-American act, thanks in to convey both his fear of the United States as well as his love of part to the Patriot Act. The biggest inspiration and our strength and beauty. Liberty entertainment of the evening, and Cabbage was the name given to the reason for the event, were the sauerkraut during World War I, 30-second videos and their similar to our Freedom Fries and creators. The content of the ads Freedom Toast of today.) Janeane Garofalo served as the host and she was gut-wrenching, ironic, playful, edgy, sad, angry and just downright kept everyone clever. The number of entries was laughing with incredible; over 1,500 videos were her smart insight into our entered in the contest from all over the US. The entries ranged from culture, obviously homegrown and folksy especially the media. Several to very polished and professional, other celebrities with ads running the gamut making it to the top 15. including As evidenced by the videos, Michael Moore, people are angry about the actions Moby, Al of the Bush Administration Franken, John Sayles, and Julia regarding the invasion of Iraq, the tremendous deficit, elimination of Stiles environmental protections, the participated in blurring of the separation of church the event. and state, etc. However, the event It was was not so much about anger as it especially was about taking action. Taking exciting to action produces a contagious attend such an Michael Moore congratulates winner Charlie Fisher event at this energy, inspiring each of us to do what we can to educate ourselves time in our and others regarding our country, when people are attacked The evening awards gala for speaking out with voices was kicked off with the crowd of dissent. The entertainers standing for the National Anthem, and video participants were the Jimi Hendrix rendition of Star taking a chance on receiving Spangled Banner. Comedienne heat from the Republican Margaret Cho then took the stage and humorously explained why it is National Committee (or Repugnant National important to give people “too Committee as Cho called much information”, as the slogan them). Actress Julia Stiles goes. She says that it’s important acknowledged she was to speak out on issues that make fearful of participating people uncomfortable, because that’s how change is going to come knowing that she would likely be labeled as unabout. The audience was inspired by Chuck D. of Public Enemy. His American. She went on to say it is that fear that keeps music and his message brought people quiet and it is for everyone to their feet as the precisely that reason that she audience danced and engaged in a call and response. Rufus Wainright realized she must speak out. While free speech is brought a smile and recognition guaranteed in our with a sweet rendition of his song Dianna Schweitzer (left) and Mary Burke (right) congratulate finalist Ty “Liberty Cabbage”. (The song was Constitution, the political Pierce (center) of Columbus, Ohio, winner of best animation for his video environment today has made “What I been up to...” written by Wainright, a Canadian, S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Bits & Pieces Page 10 �8,00 0 HO M E LESS CH I L DRE N H AT E CRIME S IN V IS IB L NT E ME DOM VIO EST L Y LO P EM UN L TA S EN E M LN IL N IO T IC V E TY Y RT PO VE R R E G N U H ADDICTION Y ED AG TR HOM ELE SS CIN I N CIN N AT I U N N M E E ET D S SS E EL C I VO wear your heart on your sleeve I WILL DONATE: $25 $50 $75 $100 $200 $500 They aren’t your normal candy hearts. Instead of “hug me” or “be mine,” they are the many frightening messages that Cincinnati’s homeless hold in their own hearts. This year in Cincinnati, more than 25,000 individuals will find themselves homeless at some point. They are laid off their jobs, fleeing abusive relationships, battling mental illness or addicted to drugs and alcohol. They are men, women, children, families, veterans and disabled people. They are all ages, races and from many backgrounds. They are staying in our shelters, on the streets, in abandoned buildings or doubled-up with their friends and relatives. Their hearts may be broken. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless believes that by addressing the root causes of the problem through education, advocacy and the coordination of services, we can end homelessness in our city. But we can not do it alone. We depend on the community to open their hearts. This February, please help us achieve our fundraising goal, so that we can continue our important work. Cut the coupon and pick a heart. Rest assured, it will warm the hearts of others. Send your donation to: Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 all donations are tax-deductible S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 GCCH News Page 11 Page 11 �Now at Public Library; THROUGH OUR EYES Book by Catholic high school students and Homeless Coalition by John Zeh The colorful 79-page book, “Through Our Eyes: Reflections on Homelessness,” an unprecedented exploration of issues prepared by high school students and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), is now available at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. “This is a big step for the Coalition, to help educate more people so they can see the true lives of homeless people,” said GCCH director Georgine Getty. At a reception, she applauded the book’s creators for their “vision to shed light on homelessness and social justice outside their own comfort zones.” Homelessness issues are problems shared by “all of us,” she said. “They touch many whose lives are just like our own.” The book is available at the Main Library’s Education and Religion department downtown at 800 Vine Street and can be sent to any of its 41 branches via www.CincinnatiLibrary.org or (513) 369-6900. The book’s call number is 362.509771 T531 2003. In the collaborative, experiential learning project researching the book, students journeyed into the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood northwest of downtown to visit a homeless shelter and GCCH office. They conducted interviews to learn about the issues through the eyes of people without homes or ones who recently lacked a home of their own. The O-T-R “hood” and GCCH became their classroom, with real-world lessons. The book is to be the cornerstone of GCCH’s new, multi- media outreach effort for area educators. It is full of color photographs, personal reflections, poetry, artwork, and nine interviews conducted by some 71 Mother of Mercy students. The digest will be packaged with a videotape and supportive print material to educate students about causes and results of America’s growing homeless crisis. Kevin Pease and Serendipity Design directed design, layout, and artwork requiring “long hours to ensure that all participants had their voice represented and their vision accurately captured in book form,” said Getty. “Kevin is not your every-day graphic designer,” she added, but one on a “holistic journey, with an incredible work ethic and infinite patience.” Mother of Mercy educators Susan Straub and Kathryn Schnier were also recognized. Kara Koch, Abby Powell, and Katie Freshley were credited for their photography used in the full-color cover collage showing a child’s face, the GCCH office sign, and a member of Artists for the Drop Inn Center, one of the formerlyhomeless people profiled in the book. The cover was enlarged to make a large poster for GCCH’s Elm Street office near Music Hall. The project was funded with a $5000 grant from the Greater Cincinnati Youth Grantmaking Council, which has national support from the Corporation for national and Community Service and locally by Xavier University and the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation. GCCH describes itself as “a unified social action group, fully committed to our ultimate goal: eradication of homelessness with respect for the dignity and diversity of our membership, the homelessness, and the community.” Its work includes coordination of services, educating the public, grassroots organizing, and advocacy. It is a member of Greater Cincinnati Community Shares, often called a grassroots, people’s United Way. GCCH was formed on May 30, 1984 as a political action organization to advocate for the needs of homeless people citizens of Greater Cincinnati who had no voice in the halls of power. It began with just an answering machine and a coalition of 15 organizations and advocates. Since then, it has grown to include over 70 agencies: advocates for the poor and homeless, homeless individuals, shelters, transitional houses, emergency food programs, social service agencies, churches, low-income housing groups, and co-ops. Membership crosses all political, social and religious lines. It directs its energy toward both meeting the immediate need for emergency shelter and transitional housing and toward providing permanent housing, jobs and health care for all. It meets monthly to share information and discuss public policy issues affecting the city’s homeless population. Journalist John Zeh experienced homelessness himself when an apartment manager evicted him before her conviction of laundering money orders that Zeh and others used for rent. He lives in O-T-R, and can be reached at johnzeh146@yahoo.com. Story, Editorial and Art Submission Deadline for the March 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, February 12th Write Us! Send letters to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition - Streetvibes 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 GCCH News Page 12 �Words from the Evangelist… Do Justice… Walk Humbly With God Micah 6:6-8 and Matthew 25:31-46 were written in different centuries and in times that were very different from our own, yet they address relationships in a way that is contemporary and real for us today. Micah 6:6-8 tells us that God is more concerned with how we treat one another, ourselves, and God than in our rituals and celebrations. The prophet Micah lived in the eighth century B.C.E. It was a time filled with personal and political excess and corruption. Micah proclaimed that individual actions and relationships could make or break the entire realm. He also pointed out that the people would eventually make loving and life-giving choices, and their world would again be filled with joy. Eight centuries after Micah lived, Jesus words in Matthew 25:31-46 echo the words of the prophet. Jesus tells us that the way we treat friends, family, and strangers is, in effect, the way we treat God. I believe the city of Cincinnati in this year 2004 can gain a lot by taking head to both the words of the prophet and Jesus. Having received the ranking of the 6 meanest city to homeless individuals it behooves us to evaluate our relationship to those individuals who are homeless. The scripture clearly tells us that what God requires of us is to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. MARCC, the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati, has made housing (and therefore homelessness) one of its two priorities for the 2004 year. They are the people of faith who th helped bring us the Collaborative Agreement and have been advocates of social justice since the riots of the 60’s. I am proud to be a part of this ecumenical effort for justice and a humble walk with God. There are many other agencies and individuals out there working in their own way to eradicate this social problem from our community. Now is the time for us to come together and stand against the personal and political corruption of our time. It is time for people of faith to come together in prayer and definitive action that promotes justice and demonstrates our humble walk with God. All are not called to be activists, but all can pray. All are not homeless, but all need affordable and safe housing. All are not unemployed, but all need a livable wage. All are not addicts and Sheltered White Girl’s Eyes Opened by Shelter by Kate Mock, Ursuline Academy Student In my world that’s enough to make headlines. Until this semester, I never stepped outside of my perfect picket fenced world. Everyone I know shares my background: decent parents, comfortable home, maybe some siblings—nothing too dramatic. It was always in the back of my mind, the fact that not everyone lives as I do, but I was too busy to prove it to myself. Ursuline Academy’s Community Service class forced me to get out there and see what I’ve been sheltered from. After learning of the different service opportunities in Cincinnati, I decided that I would work best at the Drop Inn Center because its mission most closely correlated with my own—to help those less fortunate overcome the trials of poverty and homelessness. I am passionate about providing for the less fortunate because in many cases it is not their fault that they ended up in their position. If one has excess, why shouldn’t it be given to those who have nothing? Makes good sense to me. Beginning work at the Center, I was filled with romantic notions of righting all wrongs and seeing every person immediately put into low-income housing. I imagined myself forming close friendships with every resident in the Center and touching lives irreversibly. I quickly learned that social reformation takes a bit longer than that. I didn’t have any particular view of the neighborhood or the population with which I would be working—I simply saw them as people dealt a cruddy hand in the game of life. I did get nervous when I parked my car; everyone walking by was potentially armed and ready to attack me, rape me, and run off with my car and my wallet. After the first few visits, however, I was able to ignore those ridiculous ideas and continue with business. The Drop Inn Center wasn’t like any place I’d ever been in before. The crystal-clean world of the upper middle class is shattered the second you walk through the doors. People are milling around, outside and inside; people sleep on the benches in the main room; women sit at tables all day and stare into space. These people have nowhere else to go. When I first began visiting the Center, it wasn’t so bad: a few people occupied benches, no big deal. By the middle of November, however, the main room was filled with people, and the smell was suffocating. It’s not easy to access a shower when you don’t even have a home, and the people have to wear practically everything they own, so you end up with lots of people crowded into one room, each person dressed in multiple layers of clothing, and not a single person has showered in several days. I avoided wearing anything nice to the Center, like my leather coat—not because I thought I’d be mugged, but because I felt horrible exhibiting my own affluence around people so obviously down on their luck. The atmosphere is humbling, to say the least. I regret that my job didn’t have much social interaction. I was usually stuffing envelopes in Christina’s office, or making posters in a vacant upstairs room. I suppose it’s for the best, because I usually clam up when interacting with strangers. I helped with resident surveys one day, and while I had a wonderful conversation with one resident, Lamaar, no one else warmed up to me. Obviously, they know I’m “just a volunteer” and they know that I know that they’re homeless, so it’s not like they want to S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 discuss the stock market with me. I respect that. But with that in mind, I never really knew what else to say to them, so I didn’t say much. Christina and her officemate, Lisa, were wonderful, and I enjoyed sharing office time with them. It didn’t hurt that we liked the same music while working. Tom Lee was another staff member I looked forward to seeing. I haven’t the slightest idea if he knows me, but he worked the front desk when I would arrive, and he had a wonderful charisma about him, always whistling or singing to himself. Volunteering at the Drop Inn Center taught me that service isn’t always as simple as handing a person your coat. It has to be run as efficiently as a business, and it requires many employees. Sure, you just hand out food and blankets, but that only brings temporary relief. If you want to end homelessness, you have to find jobs and housing. I was never directly involved in the advocacy program, but it was all around me. The Drop Inn Center isn’t simply about getting people warm and fed; it’s about getting to know the residents and helping them as best you can. When Tom Lee would come down with a money deposit from one of the residents, Christina always knew who the person was, and why he or she wanted money, and frequently expressed satisfaction knowing that the person finally had some. The staff doesn’t know everyone’s history or even everyone’s name, but they care. You can tell they care because they come back to work every day. It’s sad knowing that there is a limit to how much they can do. It was awful, stuffing envelopes in the office, and hearing people discuss how temperamental the grants can be, and how hard they have to work GCCH News mentally ill, but all need healthcare. When we include all in the development and growth of our city, all will benefit. As a formerly homeless individual I serve as one of the CoChairs of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and I firmly believe that people of faith can bring about major changes in this fight to eradicate homelessness from our community. However, we must first care enough to act lovingly and justly toward the men, women, and children who experience homelessness in our community. I challenge you, the reader, (a person of faith) to do justice and walk humble with your God in this year of 2004. Call the Coalition at 4217803 and learn what you can do to help. His Humble Servant, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. The Evangelist to ensure that the money comes through. Even worse was doing resident surveys and hearing some people complain about everything the staff wasn’t doing, completely disregarding everything that had already been done. Though the work was frequently tedious, volunteering at the Drop Inn Center only strengthened my resolve to work for social harmony. I intend to continue volunteering, and possibly exploring other locations in need of assistance, such as ReSTOC and Peaslee. Seeing the little things that can be done for these organizations is inspiring, and I feel that it is my human responsibility to do as much as I can while I’m young and have the time and resources. I wish everyone could see what I’ve seen, because I don’t think homelessness is a reality to many of the middle-class. But it is a reality, and in a society where so many people live in obscene excess, it only makes sense that these people give a little back. I hope people step outside of their sheltered worlds to help this noble cause, but I hope they don’t expect to see immediate results; it’s an ongoing battle, and every miniscule step is a victory, whether or not one can see the effects. For this reason I intend to continue doing volunteer work throughout my life—it is a cause I feel strongly about, and a few months of my life is not enough. I hope to find plenty of volunteer opportunities in college, and I plan to teach music in underprivileged schools after graduating. My Personal Mission Statement; When one finds oneself with excess time, and in the position to maintain excess possessions, it becomes one’s moral obligation to share the wealth with those less fortunate in any possible way, whether large or small. Page 13 Page 13 �The Work of the Dead by Michael Henson In every life cut short, so many things are left undone. The dishes stacked and crusting in the sink. The dogs unfed. Three new strings on the guitar, the others still in their wrappers. The bedroom half-painted, one side fresh and glossy, the other a map of patching plaster islands. And the oil that really ought to be changed. And the letter unsent: it only needs a stamp and someone to walk it to the mailbox. And all the work of love: words and gestures still bundled in their little proud houses and the keys lay right on the table where we left them. And even the nation, this sprawling, addled nation: Such a tangle of dropped threads, interrupted projects, failed promises. Who will beat down the hammers of greed? Who will untangle the knots of deceit? Those whose lives have been cut short are crowded into their darkened theater where they watch us bawling and arguing like actors in an ancient drama. They watch us closely, for they want to know who will take on the unfinished work of the dead. Enjoy your life and be happy. Being happy is of the utmost importance. Success in anything is through happiness. More support of nature comes from being happy. Under all circumstances be happy, Even if you have to force it a bit, To change some long standing habits. Just think of any negativity that comes at you As a raindrop falling into the ocean of your bliss. You may not always have an ocean of bliss, But think that way anyway and it will help it to come. “Doubting is not blissful and does not create happiness. Be happy, healthy, and let all that love flow through your heart.” This sentiment is not original with me. The Maharishi said it back in 1987. It was good advice then and, at the beginning of 2004, it is still good advice. May the Blessings of God be yours today and everyday. peace J. Manigan Inseparable Hearts Morning: Frost still lines the grasses, still paints the gravel of the path. My shoes scuff loudly against the frozen gravel and a thicket gives up its startled finches as I pass. Further on, the sudden, harsh, cry of a hawk. Six times, she cries Seven times Eight times Nine times, Ten! The sun strikes gold beneath her wings. by D-Von Sanders by Mike Henson Oh how I miss you on lonely days like this, What I wouldn’t do for the comfort of your hug and kiss. What I wouldn’t give for the precious gifts your heart brings, Your love is more valuable than any material things. If I was an Angel, I would give up my wings just to have you by my side. If finding happiness requires directions then you must be my guide. they can have my pride, take away my silver plates and shiny gold; all I need is you to fill the empty space that’s been placed within my soul. Oh my Inseparable Heart, I will go far beyond places, I am told no man has gone before. As long as you are there my Inseparable Heart, to hold once I open the door! S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 The Corpse of the Crow by Michael Henson This bird must have borne his body lightly, for he weighs no more in my hands than a cupful of ash, no more than a husk, no more than my mother when she died, no more than a snatch of breath. I have no fear of him now, beak or claw; he does not growl at me, nor glare with his bright black eye, nor stump in a wounded circle, single-winged, more fearful of me than of the trucks of Eastern Avenue. Yet I hold him gingerly, so light in my hands, I feel he might float off, and with respect, as if he were a chalice (though I know this is from guilt for I could not save him. Clumsy, fearful, I know I made his dying harder). Now, I admire him closely in his undiluted blackness. For there is, I think, nothing blacker than the blackness of this tar-drop eye that glints with bright liquid light. And there is nothing blacker than the blackness of these feathers. Each barbule is alive with stark, black light: the mail of the breast, the broad black oars of the wings, the curtains of the throat, the tufted crest at the peak of the skull, the quilted layers that blanket the legs, and the small, intricate feathers that guard the eye, matted by what seems to be a single black tear. And I admire the perfect machinery of the beak, milled and crafted with the clean lines of a chisel. And the black-greaved, leathered legs, jointed like a crustacean and fitted with mechanical claws. I fold him, carefully, into bullet shape and place him, for burial, in the crotch of a tree. Broken ark Bird of warning Temple of cinders Casket of the lost voice. For information on submitting your poetry or art to STREETVIBES email Streetvibes@juno.com Art & Poetry Page 14 �Walk A Little Plainer Daddy Walk a little plainer daddy, Said a little boy so frail I’m following in your footsteps And I don’t want to fail. Sometimes your steps are very plain. Sometimes they are hard to see; So walk a little plainer daddy For you are leading me. I know that you once walked this way Many years ago. And what you did along the day I really like to know. For sometimes when I am tempted, I don’t know what to do. To walk a little plainer daddy For I must follow you. Someday when I’m grown up You are like I want to be. Then I will have a little boy Who will want to follow me. And I would want to lead him right And help him to be true. So walk a little plainer daddy For we must follow you. Soldiers Song by Gary Lehmann A soldier’s eyes slam open interrupting the dead of night like a bayonet in the belly. Ancient fears, forgotten features. His lady brings him water. “It’ll be all right now, honey.” SNAKE LORD WHY? Let me tell you about this girl named Sweet and Petite From heavens above you would think She is a precious gift. But in reality, she makes me sick. See, in her mind, she says she’s a witch. But down on earth we know her as a trick. Like fire and thunder, she often makes em wonder. You know, like Stevie Wonder Calling herself Queen Bee But in reality she lied to me. She’s the devil’s child, running wild makes herself an angel to light You know, smooth, like Dolomite. But it’s out of date, she’s always late Or, her name might be Gail, she’ll put You in living hell. Post with no bail. She’s too fat, she might break her back. Thinks she goes lovey-dovey, she’ a tell-o-tubby She’ll cut you up with her eyes. You got a date with cake and can’t be late. No, in reality, she’s just a snake. Thinking that her heart is made of steel. That girl needs to chill before somebody breaks her grill. She’s bad for your health. Get that poison off your chest and leave her to rest. Lord, why did you put me here to die, to burn, to learn? Lord, why did you put me here to die, in a world full with pain? What is there to gain in this wicked game? What is there to gain when your back is against the wall, and you constantly fall, when everytime you try to get by you fall on your face? What’s left to save the human race? What is there to gain when hope is gone and you are standing all alone? To burn in hell or die in a jail cell? When pain and sorrow, and it seems like no tomorrow, thinking back to the goodness we once had. It seems to me that the worlds is so sad when everybody professes to keep it so real when it comes down face to face. They hold their head down in disgrace in this wicked place. When everybody’s puffing on so much chronic smoke, it seems that life is one big joke. When kids play with guns thinking that this is a game of fun, and money rules the world, and its war and tears, and its man that they fear. Don’t they know the Savior is near? And the heavens open up and I heard a voice say “My son, what I said will be, so always keep your faith in me.” Then I said to the Lord, “Will I drown in the sea or weaken like a willow tree?” Then in reply, the Lord said to me, “Stay strong even if you stand alone.” So my brothers and sisters, we must have hearts like steel to keep it real, looking up to God’s beautiful grace in surrounding this wicked place. Shutter Speed by Jimmy Heath Ron English, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial March, Elm Street S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Art & Poetry Page 15 Page 15 �On the Homeless Front by Israel Bayer Twenty-six years after his turbulent experience in the jungles of Cambodia and Vietnam, Timothy Buchanan became homeless. It’s been nearly 32 years of hardship and anguish for a man who left the United States and traveled 10,000 miles to fight for his country in one of the longest conflicts our nation has ever known. Buchanan was exposed to the chemical Agent Orange on more than one occasion and has post traumatic stress disorder. He talks softly when he says, “I got peppered with that stuff (Agent Orange) over and over again. “I’ve been pretty unstable, due to stress and the streets, for a long time. I’ve dealt with flashbacks and nightmares since I left that place. I just started to talk about my experiences in the mid’90s, but now that I’m ready to let it all out, rarely do people want to listen.” The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that nearly 300,000 veterans are homeless on any given night in the United States. In addition, more than a half-million veterans experience homelessness in a given year, more than a dozen veterans are homeless or have experienced homelessness at street roots newspaper. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, there is a complex set of factors contributing to homelessness for U.S. veterans. A large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with the lingering effects of posttraumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. With an estimated halfmillion who experience homelessness in a given year, the VA estimates that it reaches only 20 percent of those in need, leaving more than 400,000 veterans without services. The average time between soldiers coming home from Vietnam and then becoming homeless was about 12 years, according to Linda Boone, executive director of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. But “my gut instinct tells me that, because of the economy and the lack of affordable housing, there will be a significant difference in the time veterans start becoming homeless, compared to Vietnam War veterans,” said Boone. “Veterans are coming home much more abruptly than they did in Vietnam, it may be a lot harder to support your family with the economy the way it is,” she said. “We think there’s an opportunity to prevent homelessness with veterans.” Prevention starts at the Department of Defense, according to Boone, but she said it’s just not happening. Many homeless veterans and advocates in the field say veterans coming out of the military should be given the proper counseling and services needed to enter back into society. “If they would have admitted the damage Agent Orange would have done to me, and given me the proper therapy for being ‘on vacation’, if you Streetvibes Vendor: 70 cents Printing and Production: 30 cents know what I mean, then maybe I could have done better in this life. “I went as crazy as a bed bug after seeing what I saw. I was awful sick when I got back to the states, but I was no longer under any impression that we were saving the world from communism. I thought by going to war I could prove myself to be a man. I was raised on that John Wayne bull#$%@, and that’s exactly what it is — bull#$%@. “I think being homeless has a lot to do with my experience in Vietnam,” Buchanan said. “When I got back, the VA didn’t care about me. For years, I would go in to receive help and they would just call me a dope addict. I selfmedicated because of the constant pain I was in.” “I was hit four times by an AK in the first burst, and was hit once with friendly fire by the 2nd platoon as they came in from the rear. I got gangrene and then they cut my leg off a week later. “The thing that has always bothered me about all of this is that I couldn’t help feeling like the Red Coats, ya’ know,” Buchanan said. “We weren’t protecting anybody from anything. We were the invaders and we didn’t have a cause. The only cause was survival for soldiers and that’s a dangerous circumstance to be in.” According to the Indiana School of Medicine, during the Vietnam War, psychological breakdowns on the battlefield were as low as 12 per 1,000. But in 1973, when direct American troop involvement in Vietnam ended, the number of veterans with psychiatric disorders began to increase Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. tremendously. They began to show symptoms such as intense anxiety, battle dreams, depression, and problems with interpersonal relationships long after their combatant role in the Vietnam War had ceased. Some advocates believe that a more progressive system could be put into place to deal with substance abusers, especially for vets who may have come home with an addiction, like many did from Vietnam. “You shouldn’t have a system that punishes vets on the streets for using,” said one advocate who declined to be named. “It’s a system that punishes people who have seen horrific things or who may be in extreme pain for using a drug to selfmedicate. It’s crooked and wrong. Who are we to say, ‘We’re very proud you went and risked your life for your country, but because you’re a user the punishments will be prison and homelessness.” “We are seeing more Gulf War veterans on the streets in Portland,” says Don Hanson, a Vietnam vet and the career services coordinator with Central City Concern. “In some cases, Gulf War Syndrome is playing a part. Some were probably exposed to chemicals, and the VA is recognizing that more and more. There are a lot of diseases attached to Vietnam and the Gulf War.” Of the 697,000 U.S. troops who served during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, more than 100,000 have registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense, saying they have health concerns. While most of these veterans have been diagnosed with a variety of conditions, more than 154,000, or about 20 percent of those examined, have undiagnosed symptoms, which commonly include fatigue, muscle and joint pains, headaches, memory loss, skin rash, diarrhea and sleep disturbances. There’s no record of how many people are on the streets from the Persian Gulf War or any other conflict the United States has been involved in. “There’s more and more people who are on the streets since the Vietnam era, and that’s probably since some of us are dying out,” says Hanson. Reprinted from street roots, Portland, Oregon, November 2003. Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Editorial Page 16 �More on Homeless Veterans by Israel Bayer News & Editorial gallon drums in which it was stored. Other herbicides, including Agent White and Agent Blue, were also used in Vietnam to a much lesser extent. Between 1961 and 1971, the U.S. military in South Vietnam used more than 19 million gallons of herbicides for defoliation and crop destruction. Several types and combinations of chemicals were used but Agent Orange was the most commonly applied, specifically between January 1965 and April 1970. Herbicides other than Agent Orange were used in Vietnam prior to 1965, but to a very limited extent. Some of the herbicides applying. Source: The Department of Veterans Affairs If the trial of Agent Orange is any measure, it could be decades before the United States and the VA acknowledge what veterans and their families say is a very real disability: “Gulf War Syndrome.” Gulf War Syndrome The VA calls Gulf War Syndrome a non-scientific label used to describe the unexplained illnesses characterized by fatigue, joint pain, skin rash, memory loss and/or diarrhea. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, panels of experts have agreed that the group of veterans suffering affected by disasters such as earthquakes and airplane crashes, The Evolution of Postand are now referred to as postTraumatic Stress Disorder traumatic stress syndrome. Post-Traumatic Stress Source: Indiana School of Syndrome is a very new term. It Medicine was only in World War I that Agent Orange psychiatric syndromes first came Thirty years after its use, to be associated with military the United States finally combat. Until then, it was acknowledged the application and assumed that such causalities potentially devastating affects of were due to cowardice or lack of the defoliant known as Agent discipline. World War I found Orange. This recognition may that the explosion of shells caused open the door to services for not just physiological damage but many veterans suffering the also symptoms called ‘shell effects of toxic exposure. shock,’ and that there was a Viewed as disability, the connection between psychological chronic and debilitating affects of stress and combat. toxic exposure to Agent Orange During World War II, can be an obstacle to psychiatric causalities increased veterans trying to Statistics on homeless veterans: by 300 percent over World War I. return to civilian life. — 23 percent of the homeless population are veterans At one point in the war, the It is also another number of men being evacuated disability that for psychiatric reasons exceeded aggravates a stable life — 33 percent of the male homeless population are veterans the total number of new recruits. and can lead to During the Korean War, a homelessness. — 47 percent are from the Vietnam era new method of dealing with In September psychiatric breakdown was 2000, VA recognized devised. Instead of evacuating that Agent Orange was — 17 percent are from post-Vietnam era affected individuals, they were used in Korea in the given immediate onsite treatment late 1960’s and — 15 percent are pre-Vietnam era so that they could return to duty as approved Agent soon as possible. Evacuations Orange examinations — 67 percent served three or more years due to psychiatric reasons for U.S. veterans who Source: National Coalition for Homeless Veterans dropped from 23 percent in World served in Korea in War II, to 6 percent in the Korean 1968 or 1969. In from the purported syndrome is used in the early years contained War. March 2001, it was ordered that probably not suffering from a greater concentrations of dioxin, During the Vietnam War, those examinations be made battlefield breakdown was as low available to all other veterans who according to the Department of single, common ailment, but rather from a variety of illnesses as 12 per thousand. But in 1973, may have been exposed to dioxin Veterans Affairs. Spraying with overlapping symptoms. occurred in all four military zones when direct American troop or other toxic substances in a involvement in Vietnam ended, Gulf War Syndrome has of Vietnam. Heavily sprayed herbicide or defoliant during the areas included inland forests near been attributed to a number of the number of veterans with conduct of or as the result of sources, including exposure to the demarcation zone; inland psychiatric disorders began to testing, transporting, or spraying increase tremendously. They radiation from depleted uranium forests at the junction of the of herbicides for military used in artillery, side-effects of borders of Cambodia, Laos, and began to show symptoms such as purposes. anti-biological immunizations, South Vietnam; inland forests intense anxiety, battle dreams, Agent Orange was a depression, and problems with and biological weapons. north and northwest of Saigon; herbicide used in Vietnam to kill The VA says that a number mangrove forests on the interpersonal relationships long unwanted plants and to remove of potential causes have been southernmost peninsula of after their combatant role in the leaves from trees that otherwise and mangrove forests Vietnam War had ceased. investigated, but no single theory Vietnam; provided cover for the enemy. appears likely to explain all of the These symptoms were The name, “Agent Orange,” came along major shipping channels southeast of Saigon. undiagnosed conditions. linked to those shown by people from the orange stripe on the 55Some Vietnam veterans In tens of thousands of get disability compensation for protocol medical examinations of Agent Orange-related illnesses. Persian Gulf veterans to date, the VA pays disability compensation VA and the Department of to Vietnam veterans with injuries Defense medical authorities say Advertise in Streetvibes! or illnesses incurred in or they have found no evidence of aggravated by their military infectious diseases beyond the Reach thousands of service. Veterans do not have to range of illnesses common in the downtown workers prove that Agent Orange caused population at large. Research each month! their medical problems to be studies now in progress will eligible for compensation. provide more scientific answers to Rather, VA must determine that this question, but no rigorous, Call 421-7803 for more the disability is “servicereproducible research to date has information about how connected.” A Veterans Services established that Gulf War Representative, at a VA medical veterans’ illnesses are caused by advertising in center or regional office, can an infectious agent. Streetvibes will work explain the compensation Source: Department of Veterans program in greater detail and Affairs for your business.... assist veterans who need help in Extra! Extra! S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Veteran News Page 17 Page 17 �The Iraqis Who Hated Saddam Hate the Americans More by Paul McGeough In Khaldiyah, it’s a war of nerves. A three-meter-deep crater marks the explosion point of a careering car bomb that the local police knew was inevitable. Just across and down a highway that cuts through this small town west of Baghdad is the home of a man the US suspects could help bring an end to these relentless attacks tribal sheik Fanar Al-Kharbit. As black smoke cleared over Khaldiyah and its dusty main street was swept of body parts, shattered glass and clothing now reduced to singed rags, locals went through the grim ritual of tallying the dead - more than a dozen policemen, at least one student from a nearby school, a fruit vendor, a few other streetstallholders and a man who worked in a nearby sewage control office. Acutely aware that he is 120 times more likely to die than his counterpart on the beat in New York, police officer Khalid Hammed said: “The best thing the US can do for us is pull out.” Like other guerilla conflicts, Iraq has become a war of attrition. Super self-protection by the Americans makes them a difficult target. So the insurgents turn more on Iraqis who are seen to be helping the US - police and security workers, the judiciary and local political leaders. The number of attacks against the US is down, but this doesn’t mean that the security situation is any less fraught. While the American forces are poised defensively, like a coiled spring, and while fear grips that portion of the Iraqi people that doesn’t necessarily support the resistance, it is impossible for the US to pull Iraq out of the social and economic chaos that makes many Iraqis hunger for what they remember as the day-to-day orderliness of Saddam’s Iraq. There is little doubt that as a sheik in the Sunni hotbed between Ramadi and Faluja, Fanar Al-Kharbit knows more than he lets on. And there’s the rub: the US has him pegged as a potential source of what it likes to call “actionable intelligence”, but it doesn’t have enough to pull him in. American tanks have rumbled into his walled compound on the banks of the Euphrates River no fewer than seven times in the past few weeks, soldiers tumbling out to rummage through his home while, he says, telling him all the time to “shut up”. The sheik is still full of hard talk, but those who know him say he is a shadow of his former self. Reputed to be one of the richest men in Iraq, he used to strut in crisp traditional dress and hobnob with the most senior elements of the regime. Saddam was a frequent guest at his table until a falling out over business in the early ’90s. Now he is ill-kempt and gaunt. “In the first few months relations with the US were friendly, but now they are trying to provoke me,” he said, pointing to the charred remains of reed beds by the Euphrates, which he said he had been ordered to burn so that his activities might be observed more closely from US observation posts. “This is not liberation, it is an occupation. People are very tired after Saddam’s three wars. I’m worried if the Americans keep attacking me, that my tribe will react - but for now I have told my people not to cause trouble.” The difficulty for Fanar AlKharbit is that in running Saddam into ground, the Americans have displayed a new understanding of Iraqi tribalism and how it dovetails with the resistance. The latest resistance attacks and US arrests - including nine who were described by the officer in charge of Saddam’s detention, Major-General Ray Odierno, as “mid-level operatives: financiers, organisers, arms suppliers” underscore the fluid structure and make-up of the opposition that confronts the US in Iraq. US officials insist that the strategic direction comes from Izzat Ibrahim Al-Duri, a longserving Saddam lieutenant whose family properties overlook the farm on which Saddam was dragged from his burrow and who this week became the most senior official of the former regime still on the run. But hampered by poor communications, the evidence suggests great local autonomy and a degree of friction between several competing resistance groups with varying agendas, but all of which are bent on causing trouble for the US. There are Baath Party loyalists, some of whose ardour might be diluted by the finality of Saddam’s capture. But there are also dozens of locally run cells that claim to be vehemently antiSaddam and to be driven by nationalism and a need to protect their huge natural resources especially oil - from what they see as an American grab. Then there are the foreign fighters claimed by the US to be in the service of al-Qaeda and one of its offshoots, Ansar al-Islam. These so-called jihadists come from across the Arab world and are thought most likely to be the parties behind the wave of suicide bombings that started in the summer with the attack on the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad. Responsibility is never claimed for the bombings. The US variously lays the blame at the feet of the foreign terror groups or the Baath Party loyalists. Co-ordination between the resistance groups is little understood, but it is thought to be erratic. Now, some Iraqi villages are being encircled with barbed wire. Only those Iraqis with USissued identity cards may come and go; the relatives of suspected insurgents are being detained and, in some cases, their homes are being demolished. And the Americans are being urged to mirror the Israelis’ extensive West Bank and Gaza informants’ network, which has underpinned the Israeli campaign of summary execution for terror suspects - but which has failed to end the violence or advance the peace. After the Americans’ widely criticised decision to disband, rather than attempt to harness the better elements of the Iraqi military and intelligence services, the US now is calling for help from veterans of Saddam’s feared mukhabarat - the secret police. Also, it is trying to enlist former Iraqi servicemen into the new Iraqi army. But it has suffered a major embarrassment with the revelation that more than one-third of the first Iraqi battalion in training had gone AWOL - only days before it was to begin active service. The US now boasts that it has deployed or is training a greater number of Iraqi security forces than there are US forces in the country - almost 160,000. But they have a way to go. Apart from the campaign of fear by bombing, the police are subjected to near-ritualistic humiliation in the total refusal of city motorists and others to acknowledge their authority; they are widely accused of threatening bogus charges against motorists who refuse to offer bribes and those who are posted at service stations to control angry petrol queues often sell pole position on the queue to the highest bidder. Anger simmers at the prospect of a long wait for adequate supplies of electricity, petrol and cooking gas. If the US stays the course with its timetable for a fully elected new Iraqi government, it could be years before it can be demonstrated that Iraqis are in control of Iraq. Delays on both fronts create a perfect environment for guerilla war. Whatever he is up to, and however dispirited Fanar AlKharbit appears, it seems that the sheik wants to keep punching. Returning to his place against the wall in the pale afternoon sun, he said: “I’ve told the Americans to get out of my neighbourhood. They wouldn’t be here if I was a leader of the mujahideen. And if they keep going like this, a lot more US soldiers will die.” Prisoners Advocacy Committee — Ohio PO Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-1746, or submit a prisoner’s name and jail number at cleves1947@yahoo.com Finding pen-pals for people incarcerated in jails throughout Ohio. Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Editorial Page 18 �FRAC - Food Research and Action Center News FOOD STAMP PARTICIPATION INCREASES IN OCTOBER 2003 TO MORE THAN 23.3 MILLION PERSONS; IS MORE THAN 6.4 MILLION PERSONS HIGHER THAN IN JULY 2000 (January 7, 2003) Participation in the Food Stamp Program in October 2003 (the latest data available) increased by 608,748 persons from the previous month, to 23,315,024 persons. Some of this increase was due to continuing high rates of joblessness, states improving access, and the effects of the food stamp reauthorization implementation. But a majority of the growth in October over September was in recipients of Hurricane Isabel disaster relief. Excluding states that received disaster relief and Alaska, the overall one month increase becomes 1.2 percent instead of 2.7 percent. The October 2003 level of Food Stamp Program participation represented a rise of almost 3.2 million persons compared to the October 2002 level and more than 6.4 million persons since July, 2000 (when program participation nationally reached its lowest point in the last decade). http://www.frac.org/html/ news/fsp/03oct.html FOOD STAMP PROGRAM CONTINUES TO EXPAND DUE TO USDA EFFORTS (GovExec.com, January 5, 2004) Only 62 percent of those who are eligible for food stamps currently participate in the program. When the TANF law was passed in 1996 there were almost 26 million people enrolled in the Food Stamp Program. By 2000 that number had dropped to about 17 million. Many of the people who left TANF and got jobs were still relying on emergency food assistance providers for food. Advocates, program administrators and politicians alike saw the dramatic drop in the program as a cause for concern. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been working to simplify the program, improve access and fund outreach efforts. States have also been encouraged to loosen their asset requirements and ease the application process. However, some states have put cost-cutting to rein in budget deficits ahead of program improvements. “It still takes a bit of [state] money to bring in a lot of [federal] money,” said James Weill, president of FRAC. The efforts have begun to make a difference: from September 2001 to September 2003 participation jumped 27 percent to 22.7 million persons. http://www.govexec.com/ dailyfed/0104/010504nj1.htm percent). Many states have had to cut spending to reconcile their budgets. Defeat of a tax increase in Oregon will result in the “end [of] the Oregon Health Plan as we know it,” said Peter Bragdon, the governor’s chief of staff. Thirtyfour states have cut spending on Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program over the past two years. http:// www.nytimes.com/2004/01/05/ national/05STAT.html (free registration required) COLUMN: WITH CHILD POVERTY RATES HIGHER THAN MOST INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS, U.S. GOVERNMENT MUST SUPPORT NEEDY (Washington Post, December 21, 2003) In this column, Timothy M. Smeeding, director of the Luxembourg Income Study of OBESITY EPIDEMIC MAKES relative poverty rates in developed HEADLINES IN 2003, countries, points out that we still EXPERTS SAY HEALTHY have a child poverty rate that is EATING AT SCHOOLS IS significantly higher than in wealthy IMPORTANT (Post-Gazette, European nations, Canada and Pittsburgh, PA, January 1, 2004) Australia. “We in America have America’s obesity epidemic high child poverty rates because we grabbed headlines around the choose to, not because we cannot nation in 2003. The Centers for do anything Disease about it.” Control and Not only are more American Not only are Prevention children poor, many live in extreme more estimate poverty, despite that fact that lowAmerican that 60 income single mothers in the U.S. children percent of work more hours than do single poor, many Americans mothers in any other wealthy nation, are either live in putting them at risk for hunger and extreme overweight poverty, making it harder for them to ever or obese, despite the and 15 escape from poverty. “Poor children fact that percent of in France, Germany and the Nordic low-income 6- to 19countries are six times more likely to single year-olds escape poverty than their American mothers in are counterparts.” the U.S. overweight, work more which is hours than do single mothers in any almost three times the number from other wealthy nation, putting them 1980. Dr. J. Michael McGinnis of at risk for hunger and making it the Robert Wood Johnson harder for them to ever escape Foundation points out that the from poverty. “Poor children in current epidemic foreshadows a France, Germany and the Nordic future health crisis. “We may be countries are six times more likely raising the first generation of to escape poverty than their children that is sicker and dies American counterparts.” http:// younger then their parents. The www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp- sheer availability of food has led dyn?pagename=article&node people to graze throughout the day =&contentId=A16659-2003Dec19 on foods that are largely nutrientpoor and calorie-rich.” http:// AFTER THREE YEARS AND www.post-gazette.com/localnews/ $200 BILLION IN 20040101closeup0101p4.asp CUMULATIVE BUDGET SHORTFALLS, WORST MAY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY BE OVER FOR STATES, BUT OF PEDIATRICS STRESS WILL CONTINUE RECOMMENDS THAT (New York Times, January 5, SCHOOLS CONSIDER 2003) Tax revenues in most states RESTRICTING SOFT DRINK rose slightly in the second half of SALES (American Academy of 2003 for the first time since midPediatrics, Press Release, January 2001, ending three straight years of 5, 2004) In a policy statement, the budget shortfalls totaling $200 American Academy of Pediatrics billion. Slow job growth and rising recommends that school districts health costs will continue to stress consider restricting the sale of soft state budgets. The past three years drinks to prevent health problems represented a dramatic change in that result from over consumption. budget realities for many states. The Academy points to the Compared to the last recession in relationship between increased risk 1991, when states raised taxes by of overweight and obesity and 5.4 percent over the previous increased sugared soft drink year’s tax collections, taxes were consumption. They note that, as raised much less in 2003 (by 1.5 soft drink consumption increases, S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 FRAC News milk consumption decreases. They recommend that schools stock nutritious alternatives such as water, real fruit juices and low-fat milks to preserve funds from vending machines. In addition, the Academy recommends that soft drinks not be sold in competition with the National School Lunch Program. http://www.aap.org/ advocacy/releases/ jansoftdrinks.htm For the entire policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics:http:// www.aap.org/policy/s010119.html PRESIDENT OF CONSUMERS UNION URGES PARENTS TO CHALLENGE VENDING CONTRACTS WITH SCHOOLS, EMPHASIZE NUTRITIOUS CHOICES (Consumer Reports, January 2004) In this editorial, Jim Guest, president of Consumers Union, which publishes “Consumer Reports,” urges parents to challenge soft drink vending contracts between schools and beverage manufacturers in order to emphasize nutritious choices for school children. Noting that few states have laws regulating such contracts, Guest points out that it is up to parents and individual school districts to monitor what is being sold to students while at school. http://www.consumer reports.org/main/detailv4.jsp? CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id%20= 3719159F3EB50-4AD9-4D1AB029-1C55C5888754 MODEL WORKFARE SERVICES PROGRAM IN UTAH MAKES EFFORT TO INCREASE ACCESS TO FOOD STAMPS (Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, January 5, 2004) Utah’s Department of Workfare Services has been highlighted as a model for the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which requires all local workforce areas to develop a system to deliver federally funded employment and some public assistance programs at one location. In a report by the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Utah office was found to be a model program but still needed improvement in raising awareness of clients to public benefits available at the site. The low level of food stamp participation by clients (who are leaving the TANF program) was also shown as a concern. Since the report was released over a year ago, Utah has made efforts to increase access to food stamps. http:// www.sltrib.com/2004/jan/ 01052004/business/126235.asp FRAC’s web site is http://www.frac.org Page 19 Page 19 �TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) 357-4602 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 861-1111 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 Need Help or Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 $1 Donation February 2004 Streetvibes BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY Cover Story Riverfront Campers Receive Settlement From Covington Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2004 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Homeless Men Receive Settlement from City of Covington Keeping the Dream Alive in Cincinnati Pg 2: A New Year’s Challenge to a City Pg 3: Homeless News Digest Some Irreverent Thoughts on Religion Pg 4: Myths Breed Neglect, Violence Against Cincinnati’s Homeless Pg 5: Can You Force the Homeless into Shelters? Pg 6: The Peace Village Pg 7: How Do We Treat Our Fellow Man? Spirit of MLK Celebrated Pg 8: Vendors Pg 9: Making Shelters Safe for All Genders Pg 10: People Tell George Bush “Move-On”! Pg 11: Donate Pg 12: Now at Public Library; Through Our Eyes Pg 13: Words from the Evangelist Sheltered White Girl’s Eyes Opened by Shelter Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: Editorial Pg 17: More on Homeless Veterans Pg 18: The Iraqis Who Hated Saddam Hate the Americans More Pg 19: FRAC Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Andy Erickson Brendan Goodwin Mary Gaffney Elizabeth Linville Jimmy Heath Berta Lambert Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Brendan Goodwin Bush Cincinnati Covington Editorials Elizabeth Linville Evangelist Food Research FRAC GCCH Gender Equality George Bush Georgine Getty Iraq Jimmy Heath Martin Luther King Jr. Mary Gaffney memorial MLK New Years Peace Village Public Library Religion Saddam veterans Violence https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/72ca3f8258b73488cb0bfff92aa0c349.pdf 6acf4ac5a4e25537f156bb4449b934cf PDF Text Text Streetvibes January 2004 Homeless Memorial Remembers Those Who Have Died in 2003 As the sun went down on December 22nd, the shortest day of the year, people gathered in Over­ the-Rhine’s Washington Park to remember the homeless who have died during 2003. Since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) has sponsored National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day on or near the first day of winter to bring attention to the tragedy of homelessness, and to remember our friends who have paid the ultimate price for our nation’s failure to adequately address the complex issue of homelessness. In an effort to maximize the impact of the day, the National Coalition for the Homeless encouraged state and local groups to join in the national event. Each year since its inception, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless has been joined by state and local groups across the nation in holding special events to honor those who have died, and to recommit ourselves to the task of ending homelessness. This year over 100 cities sponsored events which included candlelight marches and vigils, graveside services, plays and other performances, and special religious services to remember the citizens in their city who have died without a home. A short, non­ denominational service was held in Cincinnati, followed by a gathering and refreshments at nearby Nast Trinity Church. The day was gray and unseasonably warm when the small, but dedicated group of clergy, homeless, formerly homeless and members of the housed community in Cincinnati gathered around the barrel fire in downtown’s Washington Park to remember those that died homeless in 2003. Huddled around the barrel fire for warmth and as a symbolic gesture, nearly 75 people and media took pause to listen to a litany of names of those that society has forgotten. The candlelight vigil featured a reading of each of the names of the 19 homeless people known to have died this year in Cincinnati. A candle was lit in memory of each name read. Oftentimes, homeless individuals pass away with no one to remember or mourn their passing. Homeless Person’s Memorial Day seeks to remedy that by gathering family members, shelter workers, government officials and concerned citizens in a ceremony to quietly remember. In an attempt to put a human face on the problems of homelessness the Homeless Memorial serves as a reminder of the countless who die needlessly every year in this country. Advocates place emphasis on the need for affordable housing, a true living wage, and substance abuse treatment for the homeless. Women and children continue to be the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Homeless citizens, supporters go ‘Home for the Holidays’ at annual Coalition dinner can make a difference. One’s and fought his arrest” with media by John Zeh Cincinnati attorney Jennifer Kinsley had just finished her first year of law school and completed an internship at Volunteers for the Arts in New York City on a small stipend when she took the subway to the airport with her last $2.50 to fly home for a visit. Upon arriving at LaGuardia Airport with empty pockets, she got bad news: all flights to Michigan were cancelled. “I was stuck,” she told some 240 people gathered for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Annual Dinner on December 9. “Something of a drama queen, I sat down and balled and screamed with bloodshot eyes. It was very embarrassing.” Fate and personal outreach by another traveler intervened, helping her learn lessons that have since served her well and have helped local homeless people. The first, she smiled, call ahead and confirm the flight! problem can be solved by interviews under the Clay Wade someone reaching out to help.” Bailey Bridge. “He told the Kinsley put the lessons courtroom about his friend’s death she learned to work when under a bridge and there was not a Cincinnati police threatened to dry eye in court, including the arrest people living under judge’s,” said Kinsley. bridges last summer. That “The response was “was repugnant to me,” said dramatic. A little girl stopped by Kinsley, a former public under the bridge with a pillow. defender. “Jails should not be Coalition Dinner... replacements for homes or cont. on page 11 apartments. It offended my basic notion of human dignity, human rights.” Georgine Getty, Executive Director, A member of the addresses GCCH dinner crowd progressive law firm Sirkin, Pinales, Mezibov But a greater gift was help and Schwartz downtown, from another traveler at the airport. A woman, ironically also Kinsley obtained a restraining order from Judge a lawyer from Michigan, “was Susan Dlott that forced the willing to share my misery and City to give people living give me $40. I got to go home.” outdoors 72 hours notice Her experience illustrated before they are moved, both sides of an individual’s arrested, or have their heartfelt problem and how her personal belongings trashed needs were quickly met, exactly (as they were to make way the mission of agencies making for baseball parking). up the Greater Cincinnati Kinsley credits citizen Attorney Jennifer Kinsley gives keynote Coalition for the Homeless. address Don Henry, who “stood up “Sometimes the smallest things Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �ON A SCALE OF ONE TO A HUNDRED, HOW MUCH DO YOU DISAGREE WITH THE CITY’S TREATMENT OF CINCINNATI’S HOMELESS? I WILL DONATE: $1 $20 $40 $60 $80 $100 He’s only 18 months old and already he’s trapped in the cycle of homelessness in Cincinnati. His mother needs an affordable place to live and a job with a living wage as she escapes a life of domestic violence. The current treatment of homeless individuals in our city means that he may never be able to live in a home of his own. There are 25,000 people in Cincinnati that experience homelessness each year. More than one-third of those are women and children. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless believes that by addressing the root causes of the problem through education, advocacy and coordination of services, we can end homelessness in our city. The more support we have from the community, the further our efforts reach. Please cut the coupon and pick a box. It could mean that one less child will have to live in one. Send your donations to Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Page 2 �Editorial Homeless News Digest STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for home­ less and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Brendan Goodwin - Administra­ tive Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Elizabeth Linville - Civil Rights Coordinator Mary Gaffney - Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath - Editor-in-Chief, Design & Layout Photographers Jimmy Heath, Berta Lambert, J.Michael Skaggs Cover Homeless memorial in OTR’s Washington Park, photo by Jimmy Heath Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or ven­ dors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, de­ livered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://homeless.cinci.com North American Newsbriefs by Molly Rhodes and R.V. Murphy Homeless newspapers in Germany became prime property in late October when J.K. Rowling offered them exclusive publishing rights to the opening chapter of the latest Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, before it hits the stores in its German translation. The first chapter was printed in more than 20 street magazines in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, according to the German news corporation Deutsche Welle (www.dw­ world.de). Rowling agreed to the early taste of the book as an effort to provide a much needed boost to the homeless services and jobtraining programs the street papers support. Rowling was herself an unemployed single mother living on welfare benefits before gaining success with the Harry Potter franchise. “It was the greatest gift to us to be able to publish the chapter,” Birgit Müller, editor of Hinz & Kunzt, Germany’s biggestselling street magazine, told Deutsche Welle. The offices of Hinz & Kunzt started fielding dozens of phone calls a day from impatient Potter fans as soon as the announcement was made. “The vendors are over the moon. It will give us a massive boost.” One of the four Ohio teenagers accused of kicking, urinating on, and shocking homeless people with a stun gun in downtown Cleveland this past August was sentenced to spend the rest of the year in jail, followed by 150 hours of volunteer work with homeless service organizations. “If I could order it, I’d order no Thanksgiving dinner, no Christmas dinner while you are there,” Cleveland Municipal Judge C. Ellen Connally told Joshua Langenheim, 19, at the sentencing hearing, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (www.cleveland.com). “You don’t deserve it.” Langenheim and his three accomplices were all caught when a video tape they had made of their attacks – which also showed them laughing at the people they were assaulting – was found in their car. The other three defendants are all minors and are currently undergoing trials in S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Juvenile Court. In his tearful read of his apology in court, Langenheim said, “I don’t know if this was the downfall… or the turning point in my life. All I know is that I look at things differently.” Poet David Fewster doesn’t paint glossy pictures of his life in his latest publication, Diary of a Homeless Alcoholic Suicidal Maniac and Other Picture Postcards. The autographical collection of poems details his life, from watching other homeless people, including one who muttered “loudly about a conspiracy theory involving George W. Bush, Saddam Hussein, Mariah Carey and a large buttered artichoke named Leon,” to picking up chicks at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, according to the Tacoma News Tribune (www.tribnet.com). Fewster published the book with the help of a $3,000 grant from the Tacoma Arts Commission, and doesn’t know what his next plan is for his life. “To be honest, I expected to be dead like 2 1/2 years ago,” he told the News Tribune. “I’ve obviously got a lot of problems to continue to sort out as I bop along.” For a copy of Fewster’s book, email him at davidfewster@netscape.net. Homeless people in Roch­ ester, New York are organizing. The city’s refusal to let the home­ less use vacant buildings has led to the formation of Poor People United, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Demo­ crat andCronicle.com). Last month, five members were arrested on trespassing charges for breaking into a down­ town building in an effort to publi­ cize the issue. “The county has refused to help,” said Charles Kellum, a member of the group. “That’s a human rights violation.” The group recently held a press conference in front of City Hall to draw attention to their plight. “We’re asking the commu­ nity to see this emergency,” said David Cox of Rochester, another member of Poor People United. “The poor are the ones suffering. I’m sick and tired of abstract activism for people thousands of miles away. When are we going to be concerned about our fellow Americans?” During the rally, partici­ pants held candles and read from the Universal Declaration of Hu­ man Rights, which the United Nations adopted in 1948. Some in the crowd said making those pleas was the least they could do. For the homeless, said activist Jessica Chapman, there was little else they could do. “We have only one thing left — our voices,” said Chapman, who works at a homeless shelter. A homeless man jailed for trespass made a donation in the “four figures” range to a children’s museum, according to the Ogden Standard Examiner. “Don’t let it be said that this isn’t the season to be giving,” said Ogden police lieutenant Dave Tarran. Lynn Goodwin, director of the Treehouse Children’s Museum, said she was surprised to find “a substantial amount” of money in a locked mailbox at Christmas Village near a playhouse the organization is auctioning. “We didn’t anticipate that anyone would actually put dona­ tions in the box,” Goodwin said. But last week, Goodwin found a stash of money orders that weren’t made out to anyone, so she called police. Neither she nor police disclosed the exact amount. “We thought the money may have belonged to someone else,” Goodwin said. “We thought it may have been stolen, and we thought it best to report it.” Tarran said that at the same time police received Goodwin’s call, they were investigating the source of some money orders in the same series that they found in the belongings of a homeless man who was in the Weber County Jail. The man had been arrested the night before for sleeping in a vacant inner-city home. The man said he received the money orders as payment of an insurance settlement. Police were suspicious, but an investigation of the man’s story, including interviewing the business that issued the money orders, proved he was telling the truth. Goodwin said she was told that the man wanted to rectify things in his past and wanted to make the donation to help children. “It was a very generous gift, and we appreciate it.” Goodwin said she only had one regret regarding the gift: “We do wish we knew who the anonymous gentleman was, so we could thank him.” The man told police he wished to remain anony­ mous. Page 3 Page 3 �History of Church Spans in his 3 year of service. I am Decades proud to say that in all these rd by Mary Gaffney, Member of St. years, 10 of the pastors were previously youth in the church John A. M. E. for the year 2004 and are now ministers with I bring greetings to each churches of their own. and every one of you in this first But there was a gracious month of the new year, 2004. May this year bring more love and lady minister, Rev. Sister Nina Robinson, who I can remember as happiness into your life. And to you my homeless friends, may this a young person, very close to my family, and the Rev. John Wesley year be more successful and Logan. Her work for God and peaceful in your needs and help. man was not easy, but she still My thankfulness in this maintained her faith. Now she New Year is that my God, your has gone to the Great Beyond. God, lets me see a New Year and Her church is still going strong will be able to be here to see that and there are my church, St. still beautiful John A. M. E., and gracious reached this ladies there. I 112nd year can hold anniversary. With dearly and this New Year remember the there is a long late Irene history. This Simpson, church was Maude Gray, founded in 1891 Hazel Jenkins by Rev. John H. and Phoebe Moreland on Mathew. George Street. Miss Mary Gaffney I have The name of the been a member of the Saint John church then was St. John Tabernacle A. M. E. Zion Church, Gospel choir for 57 years. Many dear ones have passed on to the until 1916. Under the leadership Great Beyond. And to the of Rev. James Foate, the name gracious ones who are still at was changed to St. John A. M. E. Saint John’s who have weathered Zion, and it moved to Barr and Mound Street, where it was under the storms, they were an inspiration to me. I say thanks to his pasturage from 1916 to 1925. Rachel Haynes, who celebrated The church began to grow. In 1935, under the leadership of Rev. her 100th birthday in October. J. L. Black it ran until 1938. St. Sister Loretta Jefferson and Sister Raynelle Mount have been loyal John Zion continued its growth and faithful members in the St. from there. Since then we have had 9 ministers. Rev. Charles H. John’s Gospel Choir for 65 years. There are faithful men too. Wilson is the current pastor, now Brother Alvin A. Walker served for 58 years in St John’s, working in Administrative Services, and was a member of the choir and a Scout Master with Troop 372 and along with Edward Jordan, was working in the Christian Education Department. These faithful ones have also gone to the Great Beyond. But with their teaching and love for the Alvin A. Walker youth, they are still there. Brother James Anderson started as a child and is still there, and has served in many capacities in the church. As I speak, I am not the only one in St. John’s to be thankful and proud of 112 years. There are generations of families still involved in St. John’s. To this we say “Blessed be the Glory!” We are looking forward to this year, reaching out to our fellow man, and growing stronger in the service of Our Lord. We Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 Letter.... Volunteer Carpenter Needed! The Homeless Coalition is seeking a volunteer to build shelves and doors for closet space in our new office. We will supply materials! Please call Brendan at the Coali­ tion, 421-7803, extension 13 Story, Editorial and Art Submis­ sion Deadline for Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education The GCCH would like to thank Starbucks for their generous donation of coffee and pastries. the February 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, January 9th S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 say “Praise God from whom Blessings Flow!” St. James A. M. E. Zion Church, on the hilltop (3485 Wilson Avenue) was built with prayer by the late Reverend Nina Robinson. When the trees were cut down and the ground leveled off, Reverend Robinson and the congregation were there praying and asking God to bless the hallow ground. Everything that went into the original building of this Church was offered up to God first. Reverend Robinson is now deceased, but her vision and faith live on. She said, “I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined unto me and heard me cry.” To date, St. James A. M. E. Zion Church is pastured by Reverend Eleanor B. Wilson. God has been faithful to this congregation. A special program, “On the Right Track” meets every Saturday from 11:30AM to 1PM. This is a support group for recovering addicts (drugs or alcohol). The meetings are conducted by recovering addicts. Together, they reach for Heaven, knowing that al things are possible with God, if you just believe. Dear Editor, I have noticed since Alicia Beck retired from the Coalition for the Homeless that the obituary page has been missing. I say the page should be resurrected for the homeless friends of GCCH, and the low-income resident’s and supporters in the city. Sonny Williams, Over-the-Rhine resident Write Us! We’d like to hear from you.... Send letters or comments to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition office attn: Streetvibes Letters, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Page 4 �An update on the issue of panhandling by Andy Erickson, Education Coordinator outreach worker, has interacted with at least 103 mouth and you’re too close to a crosswalk (or people on the street, 35 of whom now have ATM, bank, or bus stop, among other things), some form of housing. you’re at risk of being arrested. From the Cincinnati Enquirer, October Back in March, Cappel’s costume and When panhandlers get arrested, most of 12th 2003: Cincinnati police arrested 55gift shop co-owner Rich Cappel said to the them go to jail because they can’t afford the year-old [name removed] Friday on Cincinnati Post, “Panhandling is probably the fine. Then they’re off the streets for a couple charges of improper biggest single deterrent to bringing people to days (30 at the maximum), and solicitation after a man asked when they get out they have just town to shop at our store.” More recently in a plainclothes officer for 10 November, Cappel talked to City Beat about the as little money as when they cents. According to police outreach program. “There’s no doubt about it,” went in. So they probably go reports, [the man] asked the back to panhandling – except this he said. “Things are going in a great direction, officer for the dime after dark which is refreshing. It’s a huge improvement time they know a little better and 20 feet from a crosswalk. from two years ago.” what they have to do to keep He is being held at the Rich Cappel sits on DCI’s panhandling from getting arrested. Also, Hamilton County Justice task force along with Police Captain Whalen, while in jail they are losing time Center on $500 bond. City Councilmembers Pat DeWine and David that could be spent looking for Under the city’s existing Andy Erickson jobs or services to help them get Crowley, homeless advocates, social workers, panhandling ordinance it is illegal and downtown business owners. Cappel isn’t out of their current situation. for anyone to verbally ask anyone else for The panhandling ordinance hasn’t solved the only one who thinks the outreach position “money, goods or any other form of gratuity” has caused a huge improvement. At a recent anything. It’s not ending panhandling, and it’s after dark or within 20 feet of a crosswalk. The meeting, Captain Whalen stated that the police not getting people off the streets. It’s just newest revision to that ordinance, passed in were “ecstatic” about the new outreach program getting people arrested and costing taxpayers 2003, bans panhandling everywhere else, too – and how much it has helped. even more money. unless you’ve got a license. About 100 One of the reasons why the outreach Not surprisingly, the ACLU recently panhandlers have been arrested since June. worker program has gotten rave reviews, while announced that it would sue the City of The panhandling ordinance is worded so the panhandling ordinance has gotten the city Cincinnati for violating panhandlers’ First vaguely that a businessman who asks to borrow sued again, is that Amendment right change from a friend for the parking meter is in the outreach to free speech. violation of the law. Of course, he would never The panhandling ordinance is worded so worker program Last year, be arrested because this isn’t the intention of the vaguely that a businessman who asks to treats panhandlers when City Council panhandling ordinance. The intention is to borrow change from a friend for the parklike humans. was drafting the make it as easy as possible to arrest the scruffyCouncilmember Pat ing meter is in violation of the law. Of registration looking people who ask you for money DeWine’s response portion of the course, he would never be arrested because downtown. to panhandlers has panhandling this isn’t the intention of the panhandling Councilmember Pat DeWine, the main been to equate ordinance, the ordinance. The intention is to make it as sponsor of the panhandling ordinance, would them with litter, Coalition for the have liked to ban panhandling altogether. But easy as possible to arrest the scruffy-looking graffiti, and broken Homeless was he knew that a ban on panhandling would people who ask you for money downtown. windows – trying to convince violate the First Amendment right to free “quality-of-life them that a more speech. “If you can’t ban it, the next best thing issues” that he repeatedly says the city needs to compassionate and proactive approach would is to regulate it out of existence,” said DeWine clean up. But you can’t throw panhandlers in help solve the issue better than the city’s during a City Council meeting on the jail like you can throw litter in the dump. The punitive ordinance. We stressed that the only panhandling ordinance. ACLU effectively said the same thing when they way to stop panhandling would be to eliminate The law does not apply to “the act of announced their lawsuit against the city. the need for panhandling. We asked them to passively standing or sitting with a sign” as long The city needs to understand that create a $50,000 position for an outreach as there is no “vocal request other than a homeless people and panhandlers are citizens, worker who could work one-on-one with response to an inquiry by another person.” If too, and they need to treat them as such. If for panhandlers to find out why they need to you’re quiet, you’re okay. If you open your the comfort of downtown visitors, city officials panhandle. The will attempt to “legislate out of existence” a outreach worker panhandler’s right to ask for a dime, what is the could then help find city saying to panhandlers? That they don’t care services that the about them or their problems. panhandler might People shouldn’t have to beg on the need to get out of street, and downtown visitors shouldn’t have to their situation. City feel distress because of the panhandlers they Council said no. encounter. These are two different groups who But another have two different needs. But the City’s organization was response to this issue has so far been one-sided: The Know Your Rights listening. Brochure is now available at the they kick the rights of the poor and homeless to Downtown Coalition’s office. The brochure is the side so that the comfortably housed can feel Cincinnati, Inc. a legal guide for Cincinnati’s (DCI), a coalition of more comfortable. homeless and covers a person’s If we’re going to solve some of the downtown basic rights when interacting with issues surrounding poverty and homelessness, businesses, thought the police, as well as some local we need to do it in a way in which all people get they’d give the laws that might be of interest to the treated with respect. We need more people to outreach worker a homeless population. If you are a jump on board with services like DCI’s outreach try. They put up homeless person or if you work $25,000 of their own program, a program that works with other with homeless people and would organizations to help people out of poverty and money to hire like to obtain free copies of the someone who could homelessness once and for all. We need to brochure for yourself or your move away from thinking that jail time is a engage panhandlers agency, please call 421-7803, or solution to panhandling. Forcing people to sit in downtown. Since stop by the Coalition office and pick jail for need of a dime isn’t going to help the city September, Brent one up. Chasteen, DCI’s new or the panhandler move ahead. Know Your Rights Brochure Available! S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Education Page 5 Page 5 �The Peace Village by Dr. Steve Sunderland Another killing of an police “have to” do it this unarmed African American male by way, is the mantra. our police: Doesn’t that sentence The racial drive the blood to boiling? Last implications are weekend a neighbor was killed frightening: No white while eating and going in and out person has been killed by of a local White Castle. I had the police in the past few never met him nor ever seen him. years and the black citizens of Cincinnati have He was like most of my neighbors in that he went to work, had his seen the research that own family and friends, and was documents more black being pulled over by white largely invisible. I don’t know what he did to provoke 6 police police officers. Black officers to beat him senseless until leaders, largely clergy, have tried to maintain a he died. All the videos of the killing do not include what low key line toward the happened just before he tried to brutality and the pattern of violence directed punch a police officer. Our city has practiced its toward black males by our Image from police cruiser video camera. At this point Jones is subdued, on the reaction to these events and we police. Just recently, at a ground in front of car, and his breathing has stopped. large black church, I shall continue to play out the call and response of blacks and whites attended an interfaith meeting of and children who are out too late, Waiting out the monitor, to the unanswered questions. What several thousand, that called for discouraging the media from being just must not be tolerated. Last meager improvements in city is not being talked about, what month there was a funeral for Mr. a watchdog on the absence of does not seem worthy of discussion services relating to employment of Nathaniel Jones. And the city progress, placing the blame on is that the police chief and his minorities and alternative services ticks... misguided liberals, or radical for women instead of jail. The division has not taken the steps in (The name of the deceased blacks, doing nothing unless the prior months to work with our issue of police incompetence was person is the same name of one of pushed to the point of agreement for controlling police slipped under the rug. At another embarrassment, and then doing just Cincinnati and the country’s most meeting, called by a liberal force in good faith. Several distinguished jurists, Judge the barest level, are all tactics in reviews by a federal court women’s organization, to discuss Nathaniel Jones. Judge Jones was evidence in Cincinnati at this time. appointed “monitor” the lawyer for the NAACP after And so we are back at a have sharply Marshall left and responsible for flash point. Our city’s successful criticized the police pushing many of the most critical mounting of a riverboat holiday to division and the civil rights cases. He served very end the summer, coupled with the police chief for well on the federal bench, 6th upswing in fortunes of our slowly complying Circuit Court, for many years, he professional football team, added with the center of was a key part of the effort to end to by the selection of a female the agreement: new apartheid in South Africa and just president for the University of and serious training recently retired from the bench to Cincinnati, and the completion of of police officers be a private lawyer. I remember the funding campaign for our who are facing the lonely picket that I was on national museum on “the mentally ill people; outside the Federal Building in underground railroad,” have all new and better ways Cincinnati as several of us made it disguised what is rotting in of working with Cincinnati’s bowels. Well meaning clear that the police-community African-American collaborative needed to be signed, and intelligent people are so Dr. Steve Sunderland males who are and Judge Jones, coming out of the frustrated as to be incoherent. accosted by the Whatever remained of the coalition building, and giving me a smile and police; and, participating in our police-community agreement, a thumbs up. The identical name between the black ministers, the community problem solving the tone was low key, shrugging calls out to many of us who are so liberals, and agents of the local our shoulders about police meetings on a regular basis to thankful that Judge Jones has had a government, is further broken. understand the community. slowdowns, and committing to full life of justice seeking. Sadly, Racial lines have been quickly The police seem to have keep some kind of pressure on the the other Nathaniel Jones will drawn. Symbols of might over police to follow the agreement. No right are back is full sway. The heard that they were deficient in never have the opportunity for any “communicating” their reasons for police were present at this meeting. basic institutions of amelioration kind of life.) violence and so they offered a Rather than building teams have yet to enter in with anything Dr. Steve Sunderland, media blitz on what had happened, of people to successfully that supports the kind of changes professor of Social Work at even though some of the key facts demonstrate inter-cultural necessary for peace. We need an the University of Cincinnati, continue to be unclear. cooperation between the police and urban will that will work to educate is the Director of The Peace Communication with community as the community, the method of our police force in non-violent Village, a group of an ongoing way of building police and governmental methods when appropriate, limited individuals from the relationships with groups is not participation has been to violent means when necessary, and national and international part of their understanding. Police demonstrate competence in cooperative methods all the time community committed to are saying that they cannot be “running in place.” The police with citizens who want to be allies examining all issues of supervised or held accountable for chief, the mayor and the city for justice and order in our city. Peace in the world. Dr. violent responses to people who manager have all shown that if they We need citizens to stand up to Sunderland also heads up are threatening them. They are only do nothing, the problem may police terrorism and say it will not Posters-for-Peace which “trained” to act and that is be minimized and go away. Doing be permitted again. We need engages people in sufficient for their actions. Sadly, the agreement with the police and leaders in city government that are expressing their visions of our city manager, mayor and city the community may suggest that active in building bridges of racial Peace, in their own words, council are going along with this the problem, whatever that is, may harmony. Killing mentally ill through the creation of attitude on the part of the police be festering, lingering, ticking, and/ people, beating to death drug over posters. chief and the police union. The or worthy of consideration. dosing people, or, mouthy teens, S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Peace Village Page 6 �U.S. Conference of Mayors - Hunger and Homelessness indicated that requests for assistance were not Denver Mayor John Survey 2003 surveyed emergency assistance facilities Hickenlooper, Detroit Mayor met. 25-City Survey Finds Unemployment, Lack of Affordable Housing Account for Increased Needs have had to decrease the number Cedar Rapids Mayor Paul of bags of food provided and/or Pate and co-chair of the the number of times people can Conference’s Task Force on receive food. Of these cities, 48 Hunger and Homelessness, said percent have had to significantly “These survey results indicate, as limit food provided. they have in past years, that there Hunger and homelessness The survey finds that 59 is still a great deal to be done to continued to rise in major American cities over the last year, percent of those requesting emergency “These are not simply statistics,” according to the new U.S. food assistance were Conference of Mayors-Sodexho said Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell, members of families Hunger and Homelessness who co-chairs the Conference’s Survey, released last month at the with children and their parents, and that Task Force on Hunger and Conference of Mayors 39 percent of the Headquarters. As the overall Homelessness. “These are real economy remained weak, requests adults requesting such people who are hungry and homeassistance were for emergency food assistance less in our cities.” employed. increased by an average of 17 “These are not percent over the past year, and simply statistics,” said Nashville address the serious issue of requests for emergency shelter homelessness in America.” assistance increased by an average Mayor Bill Purcell, who cochairs the Conference’s Task People remained homeless of 13 percent in the 25 cities Force on Hunger and for an average of five months in surveyed. Homelessness. “These are real the survey cities. Sixty percent of “This survey underscores people who are hungry and the cities said that the length of the impact the economy has had homeless in our cities.” time people are homeless on everyday Americans,” said Twenty-three participating increased during the last year. Conference of Mayors President cities reported that lack of Single men comprised 41 percent and Hempstead (NY) Mayor affordable housing was the of the homeless population, James A. Garner. “The face of leading cause of homelessness. families with children 40 percent, homelessness has changed and Other causes most likely single women 14 percent, and now reflects who we least attributed to homelessness unaccompanied youth five suspect. During this holiday include mental illness or lack of percent. season, I urge all Americans to needed services (18 cities), lowIt is estimated that recognize their obligation to help paying jobs (17 cities), and substance abusers account for 30 their neighbors in need.” substance abuse and the lack of percent of the homeless Twenty participating cities needed services (17 cities). population in the survey cities and reported that unemployment and Participating cities were persons considered mentally ill various employment-related account for 23 percent. problems were the leading causes most likely to attribute homelessness to a lack of Seventeen percent of the of hunger. Other causes most affordable housing (21 cities), homeless in survey cities are likely contributing to hunger mental illness and the lack of employed and 10 percent are include low-paying jobs (13 veterans. cities), and high housing costs (11 needed services (20 cities), substance abuse and the lack of Eighty-seven percent of cities). needed services (19 cities), and the cities surveyed expect that As need increased, 56 low-paying jobs (17 cities). requests for both emergency food percent of the cities surveyed Eighty-four percent of the assistance will increase again over reported that people in need were cities reported that emergency the next year. Ninety-one percent turned away due to lack of expect that requests for resources. Over 14 percent of the shelters have turned away homeless families due to lack of emergency food assistance by requests for emergency food resources. Over 14 percent of families with children will assistance are estimated to have the requests for emergency food increase next year. Eighty-eight gone unmet during the last year. assistance are estimated to have percent expect that requests for For families, 15 percent of the gone unmet during the last year. emergency shelter will increase requests for assistance have gone For families, 15 percent of the next year, and 80% expect unmet. Just over half the cities requests for shelter by homeless families will increase in 2004. Even with an improving economy, city officials believe that economic conditions will continue to have a negative impact on the problem of hunger and homelessness. The mayors of the 25 cities included in the survey are members of the Conference of Mayors Task Force on Hunger Streetvibes@juno.com and Homelessness. They are or Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Burlington Mayor Peter Clavelle, Streetvibes Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley, 117 East 12th Street Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Cincinnati. Ohio 45202 Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell, DEAR READERS! Send us your Vendor Stories Do you have a favorite Streetvibes Vendor that you would like to tell us about? Send your stories or comments to: S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Hunger Survey Kwame Kilpatrick, Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes, Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson, Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, Philadelphia Mayor John Street, Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza, Portland Mayor Vera Katz, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer, and Washington Mayor Anthony Williams. The complete survey can be downloaded at usmayors.org. Wish List... Can You Help? Streetvibes newspaper is published monthly on a shoestring budget from the offices of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Can you help us with some of the following items? * Digital Camera & Accessories * VCR for making copies of Streetvibes TV show and for educational packets * Blank VHS tapes * Desktop paper folder * Supplies (paper towels, toilet paper ) * Cleaning Supplies * Office Supplies - postage stamps, floppies, copier paper and other supplies If you can help, contact us at: Streetvibes, c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: Streetvibes@juno.com Write Us.... We’d like to hear from you! Send letters or comments to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition office attn: Streetvibes Letters 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Page 7 Page 7 �Through Our Eyes: Reflections on Homelessness Each vendor must sign and agree to abide by the following code of conduct.... takes you on a experiential journey of learning by high school students as they leave their suburban comfort zones to explore the homeless of Cincinnati. A collaboration of Cincinnati’s Mother of Mercy High School and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, Through Our Eyes attempts to educate high school students and the larger community about homelessness. The books are available from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless for $10 each, plus $2 shipping and handling. Make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati Ohio 45202. For more information call (513) 421-7803 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 20 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers can not be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. Vendors must also never sell Streetvibes door-to-door. 8. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be honest in stating that all profits go to the individual vendor. Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 9. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 10. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 11. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct and agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Vendor Program. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the rules, she/he may be removed from the Program. To report a Vendor, call 421-7803. ext. 16 Authorized Vendors always wear a Badge! Front Streetvibes vendors are paticipants in a program at the Coalition for the Homeless that allows them to distribute the Streetvibes newspaper for a $1.00 donation. The money used to purchase the paper goes to the individual vendor. Vendors are not employees of the Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors are not fundraising for the Coalition for the Homeless. Back of Badge While we make every effort to provide a forum for those without a voice, STREETVIBES and the staff of THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, is not responsible for statements, and do not necessarily endorse the opinions of the people whose writings are represented here. S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Page 8 �French Lawyer; World Leaders Should Take Stand in Saddam Trial Controversial French lawyer Jacques Verges says he is willing to defend Saddam Hussein in court and, if he can, bring world leaders to the witness stand, in what could be a huge embarrassment for the United States, France and other countries. Verges spoke to last month at the end of a visit to Amman to visit the family of former Iraqi deputy prime minister Tareq Aziz to prepare for his defense following his surrender to US troops after the fall of Baghdad. Asked if he was also ready to defend the former Iraqi leader, who was captured last Saturday night by US troops in northern Iraq, Verges said: “If other people seek my counsel I would have no reason to refuse”. But he insisted that “all Western heads of state”, from the time of the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war to the latest Iraq conflict, should take the stand when the imprisoned former Iraqi officials go on trial. “At the Nuremberg trial, the four allies accused the Nazi leaders of certain war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Verges said, in reference to the trials of leading Nazi party officials after the defeat of Germany in World War II. “Right now the former Iraqi regime is being blamed for certain events that took place at a time when its members were treated as allies or friends by countries that had embassies in Baghdad and ambassadors not all of whom were blind (to Iraqi crimes),” he said. “Today, this indignation appears to me contrived,” he added. “When we reprove the use of certain weapons (we need to know) who sold these weapons,” he said about Iraq’s past purchase of arms from France, Britain, the United States and Russia. “When we disapprove of the war against Iran (we need to know) who encouraged it,” Verges added. The United States maintained ties with the Saddam regime in the 1980s and tacitly approved the war on its nemesis, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran. Verges also slammed the UN embargo that was slapped on Iraq after it invaded Kuwait in 1990 and criticized the US administration’s backing of the sanctions, which he said caused the death of an estimated half-a-million people. “Mrs. (Madeleine) Albright once said that this is the price to pay for democracy,” he said of the secretary of state under former US president Bill Clinton. “If that is the case then it should be said as well and only then will a trial be fair. Otherwise it will be an execution of hostages,” he said of the former Iraqi leaders now held at secret locations by the US-led coalition. A quintessential devil’s advocate who has made a career of arguing what most choose not to hear, Verges, 79, has half a century of experience defending unpopular causes. His clients included the likes of Gestapo chief S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Klaus Barbie and convicted terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, alias Carlos. More recently he became vice president of the International Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic and represented the former Yugoslav leader in a suit before the European Court of Human Rights. Tareq Aziz’s family, which has found sanctuary in Jordan, has sought his help to defend the former Iraqi official, who suffers of heart trouble and diabetes. “The first course of action I will take is to find out about his health because he is sick and has heart troubles,” Verges told AFP, adding that he has a “lot of respect” for the veteran Iraqi diplomat. Verges is also demanding that the coalition in Iraq release a “written and precise document” listing the charges they have against Aziz and all the other prisoners. “My course of action ... must benefit all the prisoners because when we solve the status of Mr. Aziz we solve the status of the others,” Verges said. Write Us! We’d like to hear from you.... Send letters or comments to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition office attn: Streetvibes Letters 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Streetvibes: A proud member of the North American Street Newspaper Association.... Representing over 50 street newspapers throughout the United States and Canada www.nasna.org World News Page 9 Page 9 �photo by Jimmy Heath Blessed is he that considereth the poor by Vera Zlatkin There are Angels among us that we never see, For they are hid by the grime of the street, By hair that is tangled and matted, And by newspapers wrapped ‘round their feet. There are Angels among us that we never hear, For the noise and the din of the street. Their cries go unheeded, their voices unheard, “please help, we have nothing to eat.” But we go on our way unaware that we Have passed by Creatures of the Light; Without having been touched or moved to respond, We lost our blessing that night. I wrote this poem for Clara and KY, a homeless couple who died in a fire in Clifton Heights. Their bodies were found in an abandoned house where they had taken shelter from the rain and the cold. I am dedicating this poem to the people who were forced to move out from under the bridge and to seek shelter elsewhere, after the mayor declared them to be an “eye-sore.” I am dedicating it to all of you along with this prayer, Entrance to abandoned house in Clifton where KY and Clara died. Their handwritten sign welcomed everyone. “May you always be safe, and may you find the shelter you seek.” I met KY and Clara at a rally opposing the war in Iraq. We talked for a few minutes while I waited for my bus. Clara noticed that it was getting dark and she asked me if I had far to go after I got off the bus. I assured her that I would be fine. KY pointed at an alley on the other side of Calhoun photos by Jimmy Heath In Memory of Lee Scalf.... Lee passed away in December of 2003. Early in his life, Lee was a coal miner, wood and coal hauler, and at one point operated his own mining business. His skills as a carpenter, and extremely creative and competent fix-it person served him well in his work for ReSTOC, the Drop Inn Center and self-employed as a maintenance and general construction specialist. He was an avid fisherman and hunter and loved to be in the woods, mountains, country and nature. He was a big John Wayne fan and loved to read western and frontier stories. A self-declared “down home” person, Lee’s fondest memories were of fishing trips with friends and streamside meals of fresh pan-fried fish served with good conversation. Lee was a compassionate and generous person, frequently sharing his skills and financial resources with those in need. He spent much of his personal time from work tending to elderly ReSTOC tenants in Over-the-Rhine and helping them with special maintenance projects. He also S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Street. “That’s our home,” he said. I liked them immediately. I was impressed by their openness, by their obvious devotion to each other and their sense of social justice, but most of all I was impressed by the fact that even with their own struggles to simply survive, they were kind enough to express concern for the well-being of a stranger. Clara and KY (a Vietnam veteran) were good hearted people who blessed us with their presence here on earth. Please don’t let them be forgotten. I know they must have touched many lives. If you knew them, if they touched your life, tell about it, or write about it. Keep their memory alive. Send your reflections to Streevibes. Lee’s ‘famous’ ruler suspenders the Drop Inn Center recounted a spent many weekends at the Drop road trip to Mexico that he made Inn Center doing unpaid repair with Lee and some of his friends. work, and visiting with and It was a hilarious adventure encouraging residents along the fraught with arguments and path of recovery from substance mishaps. Bonnie Neumeier abuse. Lee was 12 years in brought her guitar to the service recovery from alcoholism. During for Lee and his years at ReSTOC, he A self-declared “down home” person, sang songs with the passed many Lee’s fondest memories were of audience. of his fishing trips with friends and Others came construction streamside meals of fresh pan-fried forward and skills and fish served with good conversation... shared their techniques on stories of Lee to others. and their good times together. Lee There was standing room Scalf’s family, also present at the only at Lee’s memorial service at memorial, was surprised by the Nast Trinity Church in Over-theRhine. Lee’s friends came forward many friends that Lee had made in his life and work. Lee will be and spoke about his life and their missed by everyone. relationship with him. Tom Lee of Page 10 �Coalition Dinner... a political action organization to advocate for the needs of Greater Cincinnati homeless citizens who Johnny on the Spot put up a had no voice in the halls of portable toilet.” With the court order, “people no longer have to power. It began with a coalition of 15 groups and advocates fear that they will be arrested for sleeping under a bridge,” she said. gathering to address homeless “Police must help the homeless peoples’ plight. It has grown to over 70 member agencies: person contact the Coalition, advocates for the poor and which helps solve problems with its communal approach.” homeless, homeless individuals, shelters, transitional houses, Coalition director Georgine Getty hailed Kinsley as emergency food programs, social “one of her personal heroes,” service agencies, churches, and low-income housing groups/conoting “what an incredible year this has been for (GCCH).” Getty ops. Its membership crosses all thanked Streetvibes vendors for political, social and religious lines. helping circulate 60,000 copies last year and writers/editors for Streetvibes, the region’s getting the paper rated the third homeless newspaper, covers social justice and poverty-related best in North America by the North American Street Newspaper issues once a month. Becoming a Association. vendor is one key way for Fanny Johnson (left) presents Service Provider of the Award to Annie homeless and other low-income Dinner participants Coleman applauded the ten or so vendors people to get back on their feet. who enjoyed the tasty pasta dinner It’s a hand UP for people who are at Xavier University’s plush Schiff often in a place of Family Center. “Every day you getting only a hand out, are the face of the homeless or even no hand at all, coalition,” Getty told the vendors. says GCCH’s Getty. “You piss off some public official This year’s every day.” Mayor Charlie Luken dinner was has called the monthly tabloid his underwritten by Rudler biggest pet peeve. & Associates, Sisters of Getty is proud that GCCH Charity, Xavier U’s Office of Mission and convinced the business-led Downtown Cincinnati Inc. to hire Ministry, First Step an outreach worker to point Home, First Unitarian panhandlers toward area agencies Church, Goodwill, SC where they can find help; “...part Ministry Foundation, of a philosophical shift in looking Sodexho, Lighthouse for ways to end poverty instead of Youth services, Drop mere homelessness.” Inn Center, Winton Savings & Loan, and GCCH was featured a lot Xavier University. in local and national news, “reaching 5 million, 600 thousand GCCH’s agenda for 2004 and her own people,” said Getty. recent experience show And over 30 Mother of Mercy High School students that much work Rodney Sutton (left) receives the Jimmy Render Award for Homeless Activism remains to be done, helped GCCH publish a book from GCCH Board Member Kevin Finn Kinsley said. The City with an “amazing” array of interviews, profiles, photos, is making panhandlers register or face fines artwork, and personal reflections that will help GCCH fulfill a New and even jail. “It’s an Year’s resolution, Getty said. unfair, unconstitutional (approach) to The “Through Our Eyes” paperback will be embedded in an solicitation of educational packet with handouts donations. Needs must be met. We must and a videotape to help teachers educate friends, explore systematic causes of homelessness in area schools’ families, others.” One thing is 2004 curriculum. certain, Kinsley One aim of the school outreach project is to “reduce the concluded, “As we move forward, we will perpetual violence” against homeless people, Getty said. “We do it by giving and must keep shining the spotlight on receiving together.” homeless people. There must be Cincinnati no rest until every man, woman, native John Zeh lives and child has a safe home to go in Over-the-Rhine and to.” helped write The Greater Cincinnati “Ecotactics, The Sierra Coalition for the Homeless, now Club Handbook for Bonnie Neumeier (right) presents the Buddy Gray Lifetime Achievement Award to at 117 East 12th Street in OverEnvironment Activists” Sister Mary Graff the-Rhine, was formed in 1984 as for Earth Day 1970. cont. from page 1 S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 GCCH News Page 11 Page 11 �News & Editorial Faces of Homelessness in Santa Cruz by Becky Johnson and Robert Norse WHY CAN’T THESE KIDS COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS? Santa Cruz, Ca. — When Stacie and Orley Jones arrived in their RV from Kentucky, they thought they were planning a better life for their four kids. They didn’t know how hard it would be to get housing, and wound up living in their RV much longer than they had anticipated. One day in April, social workers from Child Protective Services showed up and took all their kids. “They’d gotten an anonymous complaint that we were having sex in front of our kids and that I was smoking marijuana in front of my kids,” said Orley. “It wasn’t true, of course,” said Stacie. No such charge was ever filed against the couple and no witness ever came forward to testify against them. But their children were not returned. “CPS is trying desperately to find something to pin on this couple to justify the seizure,” reports Roxanne Acquistapace who founded “Independent Advocacy” to help people like Stacie and Orley who are caught up in a system which divides and sometimes destroys families under the guise of protecting them. During court ordered counseling, Stacie was asked to report intimate details of her sexual life with her husband, and chastised when she failed to be forthcoming. The counselor also intimated that she should leave her husband. Acquistapace was outraged. “They have no business pressuring people to make those kinds of decisions with their lives, but then they are homeless and living in an RV. They feel they have some kind of right to pass judgment on them.” Despite no charges having been filed, Stacie and Orley are being told they must wait until January to get their kids back. Judge Robert Yonts, perhaps under pressure from nervous CPS officials, issued a gag order on the couple and the attorneys, banning them from talking about the case. (The Jones had been appearing on a local radio show.) They are not allowed to bring friends and supporters into the courtroom. 4-DAY JURY TRIAL FOR A DOG ON THE BEACH When Jhon Golder took his dog onto its beach, he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong. “There were two other people with dogs on the beach too.” Yet when Officer Eric Seilly ordered him off the beach, only Golder was cited. “They ran my license and a warrant for my arrest came back that I knew shouldn’t have been there,” said Golder between one of the hearings for his jury trial. “They charged me with resisting arrest and with assault on a police officer, both misdemeanors, so I qualified for both a public defender and a jury trial.” The jury found Golder innocent on the assault charge but guilty on the resisting arrest charge. The jury also was told that the original arrest warrant had been reported in error just as Golder claimed. Golder was sentenced to 60 days in County Jail, 54 days suspended, 120 community service hours, $120 restitution and two years probation. The original “dog on the beach...” charge was never prosecuted. CITY SELLS OUT SENIORS Homelessness in Santa Cruz is a direct result of the lack of affordable housing in the City. The DeAnza Senior Mobile Home Park on the cliffs overlooking Natural Bridges State Beach was one of the few such places that provide at least 198 senior households with affordable housing and rent control. But when MHC, the owner of the park sued the City for denying them a reasonable return from their asset (they bought the park in 1994 for $8.4 million knowing full well that all residents were protected by a rent control ordinance) they claimed the park was really worth as much as $80 million. The City spent about $500,000 in legal bills fighting the suits, but in August suddenly settled and on August 23rd, they voted 6 - 1 to gut the rent control ordinance. The one concession they had wrangled from MHC were 34 year leases for the current DeAnza residents only, the automatic effect was the loss of equity in their homes for most of the seniors. Critics argued that the City could win the suit if they continued. But Mayor Emily Reilly claimed she couldn’t “bankrupt” the City by defending the senior’s assets. Council member Rotkin warned the City could lose up to $16 million if it were to continue and to lose the suit. “That is highly unlikely,” argued Attorney Michael Constantine who wrote the San Mateo mobile home rent control ordinance. “At best they could get the differences in the back rent — a sum of about $1.5 million, if they S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 could win at all.” The City cited Belcher. Homeless activists are budget woes was the sole reason hopeful this victory will rein in the for the settlement. Two months police department. City Council, later (Nov.25, ’03) City Council which abolished the Citizens Police voted to spend $300,000 on golf Review Board last January, is course improvements. prone to rubberstamp every police MOVE-ALONG ORDINANCE request for increased funding and TO BE TESTED AT TRIAL authority. Steve Argue and Matt MORE HOMELESS DEATHS: Hartough both refused to move a DOMINICAN HOSPITAL political table after one hour’s time NEGLECT, DISCRIMINATION from a location in front of the CHARGED Pacific Trading Company that both Patches died late this men were boycotting. City Council summer when she sought treatment passed a Move-Along Every Hour for an infected arm four times at law along with other anti-homeless Dominican Hospital. Night after night she was turned away. On her laws last January to please merchants against the fourth trip to the emergency ward recommendations of its own she was admitted and scheduled for an amputation of her infected arm. advisory committee. Pacific Trading Company Two days later, the day before owners Carolyn and Clark Heinrich surgery, she died. Her husband Chico, claimed they kept turning not only supported these laws but played an active role in lobbying her away because they were the City to spend $7000+ to move homeless and had no insurance. On November 14th, Linda a planter railing out 8" eliminating 20+ seating spaces to Patches died late this summer when she discourage street sought treatment for an infected arm four musicians, youth, times at Dominican Hospital. Night after and homeless. night she was turned away. On her fourth Both Argue and trip to the emergency ward she was admitted Hartough were and scheduled for an amputation of her arrested and jailed infected arm. Two days later, the day before for failing to surgery, she died. Her husband Chico, comply with the claimed they kept turning her away because new law, enacted they were homeless and had no insurance. in January of 2003. BLUE LAGOON WINS Sipos was taken to the emergency room, suffering two seizures in the POLICE HARASSMENT TRIAL ambulance. The ER personnel In federal court, the owners were able to treat a third seizure she had in the ER ward. Yet Linda of the Gay-friendly “Blue Lagoon” won a lawsuit against the Santa was released in a wheelchair in the Cruz Police Department for rain later that evening when a blood test showed a trace of harassment when they sent uniformed officers into the bar with alcohol in her system. C.J., her a German Shepard police dog to common-law husband, begged the staff to admit her. sniff the customers and hang out for hours at a time. And of a police “They told her to get a bus officer in full uniform standing out in the rain in a wheelchair,” C.J. cried, sobs catching in his throat. at the front entrance with a police dog. Why did then Lt. Patricia “I woke up the next morning ( in Sapone of the SCPD do it?” their campsite) and she lay dead beside me.” C.J. is a well-known “She did it to further her career,” said Reno civil rights street musician in Santa Cruz who attorney Terri Keyser-Cooper. helped start the recent street “And she did it because she could.” performers union SAFE (Society Wells said “The City has for Artistic Freedom and denied any wrong-doing but the Expression). “For the past 5 1/2 jury has already awarded $116,000 years I woke up every morning in damages and court costs and with Linda and told her I loved her. legal fees. The combined legal I don’t know how I am going to go costs for both the plaintive and the on without her.” defense will run over a million FIRST OFFICIAL DEATH BY dollars.” On November 25th, The EXPOSURE REPORTED City Council met in closed session “Crazy Jimmy” who many to consider whether to appeal the knew on Pacific Ave. died on verdict. Patty Sapone was widely November 23, 2003 in the considered to be next in line for Pogonip. Coroners are labeling the Chief of Police in Santa Cruz, a death of James Cline Jr., age 57, as position only recently vacated by at least partially due to exposure. the retirement of Chief Steven West Coast News Page 12 �Absolute Poverty The Dominican Republic and an outsider’s point of view by Mahri Leonard-Fleckmann If I had an English dictionary with me, I would be tempted to look up the word “poverty.” From where I am right now, sitting on my porch watching the sun set through the palm trees, eating fresh cow cheese, it is hard to believe I live a poor life. When I imagine that word, I see a different world, one of hunger and thirst and dirty, exhaust-filled streets; when I imagine that word, I see a world where there is no roof over your head, nor people to care for your well-being, nor water available to drink. Yet from an outsider’s point of view, poverty does not reach an extremity far beyond this one. Families often are lucky to make 1,000 pesos a month (roughly $30). Children go without shoes, babies without diapers, adults without shirts, and in a September school panic, mothers wonder how to scrape together enough money to purchase 40 peso notebooks for their children (a little over $1). People cook over outdoor fires, houses are made of cheap wood or heavy leaves, and about half have dirt floors. Electricity is nonfunctioning, and the people feel blessed that the recent construction of a potable water system with taps limits trips to the river. Yes, it is a poor community. However, here in my small rural village in the Dominican Republic, I have quickly learned that poverty is not always so easily defined. Undeniably, the people of my community of Gurabo have very few things. They have never gone to a restaurant nor have they seen a movie. They lack the most basic health education; many do not know how to read. Their diet consists of rice and beans, and the sign of Christmas wealth is a family’s ability to roast their own pig. On the other hand, food is never lacking. Neighbors feed each other from bottomless vats of rice. In this rich land, there is an over-abundance of avocado and mango, the most expensive fruits in U.S. grocery stores. The air is perfectly clean, and children run along the dirt road with no concept of the dangers of cars or strangers. When one woman falls ill, the entire village takes care of her and her children. And you would never catch a person sleeping on the ground unless so desired. Of course, it is not all so romantic as I portray. First, remember that I live in a beautiful village and so escape the dangerous, stifling city barrio. Second, work is impossible to find outside of factories and the sporadic selling of crops, and because of this, some of the men spend their days in a drunken haze. Girls get pregnant between the ages of 12 and 14, and men beat their wives or girlfriends without second thought. Most importantly, the Dominican Republic lacks the state security nets that help those in poverty in the U.S., and the poor must rely on neighbors for food since soup kitchens and welfare do not exist. However, many of these things are universal as well. As in the U.S., people lack good healthcare and education and are often overlooked by the government. And as in all societies, poverty forms a cycle that is difficult to overcome, and families often find themselves rewriting history through the generations. Sometimes though, I wonder. Here in my village, people do not pine for American wealth. The pain of materialism does not touch their unknowing minds, and they seem to benefit from a much purer happiness found in the company of friends and the time to sit in the late-afternoon sun and visit with neighbors. Since arriving in this country one year ago, I have gone through several paradigm shifts. The first, obviously, was the severe lifestyle change between middleclass American and poor Dominican culture. The second came when I visited the poorer side pined for my simple life in Gurabo, where surprisingly, I had never of the island, the hell called Northern Haiti. While entering the been so content. So what is poverty? Dominican Republic had placed a Perhaps it is the streets of St. Louis new rung on the stepladder of my on a cold winter night, with no perspective of poverty, Haiti made chance of seeing a friendly face or my village seem like heaven. The being offered a plate of food. roads there were potholed and Perhaps it is the Dominican dusty, impassible but for the rare, Republic or Haiti, with their severe dilapidated bus system known as economic failure and non-existent the “tap-taps.” The land was hard social programs. Perhaps real and dry, and for that reason there poverty is found within the arms of were virtually no crops or food. the rich, who search for meaning There was very little water and within the material wealth of their people flocked to the almost nonexistent, drained wells. Huts were lives. Or perhaps it is none of the above or all of them combined. slapped together with cow dung, I have come to believe one and people squatted on the streets thing in the past year, which you to defecate. For every case of malnutrition found in the However, many of these things are universal as Dominican well. As in the U.S., people lack good healthcare Republic and education and are often overlooked by the there were hundreds in government. And as in all societies, poverty forms a cycle that is difficult to overcome, and families Haiti, and often find themselves rewriting history through the the little generations. Sometimes though, I wonder. Here in children held out my village, people do not pine for American wealth. their hands to you with may find naïve and romantic (you desperate hunger in their large, could easily be right): poverty is a yellowed eyes. flowing term, incapable of a After Haiti, I returned to the U.S. for a visit, and what I saw concrete definition. To me, poverty has nothing to do with there reminded me of Haiti’s monetary wealth or the access to hunger in reverse. There was no air-conditioning or heating systems. lack of food — in fact, there was Poverty is a lack of something an over-abundance. People appeared as the living dead in their much deeper, an emptiness of spirit that can be found in any culture, in manicured outfits, walking hurriedly without bothering to even any social bracket, in any economic condition. So I urge you to take a glance at the people around them. moment to redefine your own It seemed to me they were racing the clock, hungrily searching for an wealth and consider carefully where your poverty lies. unnamed happiness, buying Mahri Leonard-Fleckmann lives anything and everything. They among the poorest of the poor in were missing the beauty of the sky the Dominican Republic with the and devaluing the importance of family and friends. I felt stifled and Peace Corps. Berta’s Art Corner.... Dancing in Steel Concrete and Sky. Entrance to Ruth Lyons Lane on East 6th Street, Downtown Cincinnati. Photo by Berta Lambert S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Page 13 Page 13 �The Snag in the Sweater is Repaired Always with you, Always with me by Dr. Steve Sunderland by Brett Zwolinski I caught my sweater on a nail And it ripped. The company promised to repair it. And they did. mountains we climb and seas we traverse time we buy and life passes by in my mind there is but only one thought... maddening horror, pent up fear illusions, inebriating crimes told again and again, the story of mine whose life are we seeing? how and when did it all begin? A snag repaired. Some worker opened the Cardboard box, Took out the damaged garment, Laid it out And decided where the nail Had ripped the threads. times immemorial, death unveiled empty and bleeding, caroused and cheating Needles were on a table and One was selected. Wool was found, Matched, And then the weaving Of the rip began. to let go... Now we hold on even tighter grasp for breath of fresh air; ahhh... the spirit released... earth inhaled to our nostrils becoming one with yourself in passionate fit rage and rancor, tearing at flesh killing me softly, taking my breath The weaver may have paused. Checking for the placing of The new with the old. To see the blend. After more weaving, More checking, And more weaving Until finished. A friend may have been Invited to look At the finished sweater. New hands held the repair, And a nodding occurred. Agreement was reached That the hole, once so Clear, had disappeared into the whole, taking On a completeness, A finality, and A healing. The sweater was placed in a new box, Addressed and sent Knowing that a gift Was being offered. love is liberty, love is freedom love is mercy, love is justice Yes, I too... NOW, WHO WILL LEAD THE WAY? by Gina Miller Yes, I too have been homeless. Yes, I too have been hungry. Yes, I too have been without money. Yes, I too have been unemployed. Yes, I too have been ridiculed. Yes, I too have felt alone. Yes, I too have felt afraid. Yes, I too have thought of suicide. Yes, I too have struggled. Yes, I too have become courageous. Yes, I too have reached out for help. Yes, I too have become employed. Yes, I too have returned to school. Yes, I too have a permanent place to live TODAY. Yes, I too am willing to help other people. Yes, I too am grateful! buddy, you led the way to help the downtrodden people, who could not help themselves; Homeless, Low-Income Housing you, with “in-your-faceconfrontational-attitude” Now, who will lead the way? Earnest, you led the way with the Civil Rights Movement, bussing and discrimination, you, with your quiet & yet, steadfast attitude; Now, who will lead the way? I opened the box and Removed the sweater. One hole invisible And the sweater glowed. The Peace Village is warmer For our repairing the rips And snags of violence. No tear is too small. No thread so different it can’t be used. No holding in hands of weavers Too crippled, too new, too Frightened to seek to Make whole. At times of war, violence and fear, Weavers weave. At times of death from bullets and bombs, Weavers weave. At times when injustice had tripped the heart, Weavers weave. Strangers left the new Peace in their hands. As the light shines On our work, We place our work in The hands of those Who are weavers And we are grateful. S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 My Simple Prayer by Robert Manassa Each nite before I go to sleep I pray a prayer of my soul to keep Please protect the ones that I love Guide them and keep them And let them know that I’lll always love them so Father God – full of grace Please give me the strength to run this race At times it is almost too hard to bear But I don’t forget that you are always there You’ve been with me through thick and thin By my side you’ve always been Mac, you led the way empowered people for a peaceful planet; fought for arms disarmament, you, with your quiet voice, put up a hard & strong fight; Now, who will lead the way? All of you, were branded Radicals, Troublemakers, Renegades; All had the strength of giants; NOW, WHO WILL LEAD THE WAY? Judi Mendriski Help me to learn to love my neighbor as myself And when you’ve done all that you can do Give me a house in your Kingdom Where I can praise and serve you forever more Art & Poetry Page 14 �Winter by Michael Henson Season of silence. Snow drops through the empty halls of air. Silence builds sedimentary seam upon seam. By day, by night, the white screen falls. Tomorrow, the slush of labor. Tomorrow, the rasp of blades. Tomorrow, the clatter of silicon. For now, the loud, the hard are smothered in the fall of snow. The white mouth swallows sound. A shotgun, a man chopping wood the vigilant cough of a buck fall and die in the bonecold air. The truck that rattles the bridge floor The hish of cars on the highway A shout in argument fall and die, fall and die. All sounds rise to fall and die. A Single Woman’s Prayer Undying Love Dear God, I’ve faced another day, Praying true love would come my way. I give my cares, and woes to you. Knowing you will see me through. Praying you will send a brother, Who wants more than a convenient lover. Someone who is kind, and gentle Softly sweet, sane not mental. Someone who can see in me All the reatness that’s in me. Who will be a guiding light, When I can’t sleep late at night. Who will give me space to work things out, Whenever there is even far doubt. He who’ll be my perfect mate, I’d prefer that he be straight. Accept my strength and never fear Or cause my eye to black and tear. But most of all, before I end, Make this man my dearest friend. She speaks to me in hushed tones. I look to the heavens to seek her face. But I cannot find her. Now listen: sibilant lisp of the universe For information on submitting your poetry or art to STREETVIBES email Streetvibes@juno.com by Larry Ushby She speaks once again. I look once more to seek her... But still I cannot find her. I close my eyes and she speaks I hear her. The small, still voice says she loves me. My heart beats wildly when I hear those words That is when she gives to me her Undying Love I Hear You On the phone...all alone You had the nerve to say “I miss you in a special way” Explained all that you did today The unpacking was going well Talked about the drive from hell I thought, he is crazy He must be. “Though I’m glad he arrived safely” So you say there are plans for us. I bought a ticket for the bus Packed a bag and off I go Because I miss you- and you me so. You had so much to say About us two when times were gay, There is only one thing left to say I hear you! by Jimmy Heath Shutter Speed Street Scene, Havana, Cuba S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Art & Poetry Page 15 Page 15 �The Taxing Truth by David Bisson Lurking behind the recent string of federal tax cuts are the blueprints for a far-right-wing revolution. In a June column in the Washington Post, Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform and the radical right’s antitax ringleader, laid out a program to transform our current tax system into a single flat tax on wages. Unlike Steve Forbes and others who have tried to radically alter the tax code in a single swoop, the contemporary conservative movement favors a more gradual assault. “The new Republican policy is an annual tax cut,” proclaimed Norquist, and “each of the Bush tax cuts, past and proposed, moves us toward fundamental tax reform.” When they say “fundamental tax reform,” rightwingers are talking about dismantling the progressive tax system that has facilitated social progress in the U.S for the past 70 years. They are trying to smother the widely held belief that people should be taxed at different rates based on their ability to pay. And they are proposing a change in the tax system that would hurt most Americans by shifting the tax burden off capital and investments and onto the wages of low- and middle-income taxpayers. To market what should be a wildly unpopular agenda, the conservative movement has devised an arsenal of disinformation. For three years in a row, President Bush has exploited workers’ insecurities in a stagnating economy to pass major tax breaks for his wealthy campaign donors under the guise of economic stimulus. This summer’s 2003 tax cut provides a potent example: although it was sold as a “jobs and growth” package, the bill is a targeted giveaway to high-income earners and investors who are likely to save their windfalls. Working taxpayers, by contrast, would spend tax cuts now in ways that would stimulate job creation and economic growth. The only thing Bush’s tax cut stimulates is growth in economic inequality. An honest look at the numbers reveals the tax cut’s staggering inequities. Over the next 10 years, the bill will deliver the same amount, $90 billion, in total tax cuts to the top one-tenth of one percent of all U.S households — the tiny number with yearly incomes over $1 million — as it will to the entire bottom 88 percent. Already, the Republicans’ annual tax cut strategy has had dire consequences for America’s fiscal health. In July, the Bush Administration announced an estimated $455 billion federal budget deficit for fiscal year 2003. A long-term analysis by the Center for Budget Priorities (CBPP) concludes that “under realistic projections, budget deficits will remain at or above $325 billion for each of the next ten years and total $4.1 trillion over that period.” While the Bush administration and its supporters have been quick to blame the deficits on unanticipated spending demands, the CBPP report demonstrates that federal tax breaks enacted since 2001 will, over 2003 and 2004, cost nearly three times the combined costs of combat and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan, reconstruction and relief after the 9/11 attacks, increased expenditures on homeland security, and the cost of fighting terrorism worldwide. America is at a crossroads of tax and budget policy. The choices made by citizens and legislators in the near future will lead the nation down one of two diverging paths. Politicians and pundits on the right have offered assurances that the deficits are “manageable’ while advocating ever more tax cuts aimed at the Break My Fall Inn when we saw previews for the movie, “Homeless to Harvard: the Liz Murray Story”. The staff agreed to let us watch the first half, due to our bedtime. As Liz’s story unfolded, it was clear that many of the women in the room were deeply moved. Liz was just 15 when she became homeless. She had grown up with loving, but drug-addicted parents in NYC. When Liz’s mother was diagnosed with AIDS, the family broke up. Eventually, social services came and took her away from her father because she never attended school. She went to live with her mom and grandfather but ran away. The last scene we got to watch that night was when Liz’s mother died of AIDS. I thought that if I could see the rest of the movie I might be able to get out of my own downward spiral, and wrote about it on my on-line journal. Liz Murray stumbled across the post and invited me to her apartment in New York City so I could watch the second half of the movie… with her! I jumped at the opportunity and a week later I was on the bus. Liz and I hit it off immediately. We were the same age and although our childhood and homeless experiences were very different, we had a lot in common. We went out to eat, and then watched the rest of the movie. I sat next to her as I watched the story of how she rose above homelessness to get herself into Harvard University. Although she never really attended school for any continuous time, she decided to go to high school at age 17 and graduate in two years at the top of her class—while homeless. She ended up getting a New York Times Scholarship to Harvard. She is currently attending Columbia University, giving speeches about her life, and writing a book that will be out in the spring. Liz was amazed by my story. She kept telling me that I had a lot of potential. She was so positive about my situation. She kept reminding me that I wasn’t going to be homeless forever, that like her; I would have an apartment someday. I left Liz’s house determined to do something with myself, but I wasn’t quite sure by Crystal Evans It was February when I ended up homeless. But I realized long before that my life was in a downward spiral. Every time I hit what I thought was rock bottom, something else would happen and I’d fall a little deeper. I had run away from spiritual and emotional abuse at home at age 19. A few months later I ended up with a traumatic brain injury and a broken neck in a car accident. Because of the brain injury, I lost nine jobs in 16 months. I became homeless, got on my feet, and found myself homeless again seven months later. I was afraid I was never going to stand again, and that I would always be a nobody. Before ending up homeless I had goals for myself, but after living in a shelter surrounded by drug addicts, alcoholics, those with mental illness, and people dying of AIDS, I saw no hope. Most of these people had been homeless for years, and many were my age when it first happened. I was staying at Pine Street wealthy. Accepting this conservative revolution is likely to produce a fiscal train wreck that the right will use to justify elimination or privatization of social programs that most Americans want and need— namely Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The main beneficiaries of that train wreck would be large corporations that would profit from privatization of core government services, and wealthy individuals who do not depend on the current safety nets and who would keep more of their incomes under a flat tax. The remaining majority would have less job security, healthcare, and retirement security. If the right succeeds in shifting responsibility for funding social programs to state and local governments whose tax systems disproportionately burden people with lower incomes, most people would pay more taxes for fewer services. Or we can choose the other path: honoring our commitments to aging generations while investing in a future of shared opportunity and prosperity. David Bisson is an intern at United for a Fair Economy and an Economics major at the University of Massachusetts— Amherst. what. On my list of goals before I ended up homeless was to finish school. What was I waiting for? What was stopping me? I couldn’t think of anything. I already knew I could get help paying for school from MassRehab because I was disabled. I decided to apply to Harvard Extension School and go for the writing program. I’m still homeless but I am also a student. I’m in rehab at Spaulding Rehab Hospital for my brain injury. I volunteer at Ronald McDonald House and the Children’s Hospital. I keep an online journal on homelessness. I have been speaking at colleges in the New England area, and I’m applying to Harvard University for fall of ‘04. Liz Murray and I are still in contact, and she will continue to be my inspiration. I want other people to know they can rise above homelessness and get somewhere in life. Being homeless doesn’t mean your life is over. It’s simply another challenge a person must overcome, one that makes one stronger in the long run. Reprinted from Whats Up Boston, December 2003 Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Editorial Page 16 �New Budget Eliminates Mandatory NewsDomestic & Editorial Violence for our state. Services web site and search each that nearly half of the women Training Then why hasn’t Ohio adopted the of the counties for the exemptions receiving public assistance are Option More Important Than Ever by Judi Clark As all of us were working hard to save social services and education, a little known act known as the Preferred Arrest Bill was quietly abolished. This act, HB 335 signed by former Gov. Voinovich in the 1993-1994 session, made domestic violence training for caseworkers mandatory, recognizing the number of domestic violence victims seeking assistance. Enacted prior to the 1996 welfare reform bill – TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), and Ohio’s subsequent devolution of OWF (Ohio Works First) to each of the 88 counties, HB 335 was rarely enforced, as far as we can tell, once TANF went into affect. It is more important than ever for Ohio to adopt the Family Violence Option. Studies show victims of domestic violence. Abuse is a major obstacle to becoming self-sufficient. The Family Violence Option (FVO) will allow Ohio to “waive program requirements for a victim of domestic violence when complying with the requirements would make it more difficult for the victim to escape domestic violence or would unfairly penalize the individual.” What this will mean to individual counties in Ohio is an increase in the number of hardship and good cause exemptions they are allowed to give. Fewer families would be sanctioned and lose their assistance. The Family Violence Option was part of the 1996 welfare reform bill (TANF). Currently forty states have adopted the FVO. Ohio has 88 counties with 88 different sets of criteria for hardship and good cause exemptions. Go to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family (www.state.oh.us/scripts/odjfs/ hardship). It’s amazing how different each county is. We have to wonder if anyone in Columbus is keeping track of how each county is doing things. No wonder families are falling through the cracks! Many counties don’t even have specific rules for domestic violence victims. Caseworkers seem to be making it up as they go. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a protocol in place for states to use which includes training for caseworkers in screening public assistance applicants and recipients, and identifying victims of domestic violence. Caseworkers can then offer support services to families to help victims. A statewide training program in Ohio would make it easier for many counties to get training for caseworkers. Ohio could simply adopt the recommendations of HHS and not spend time developing a new plan Economic Recovery Leaves Ohio Behind November marked the national observance of Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Week (November 1622), and Ohio¹s homeless organizations are focusing on the huge unmet demand for shelter in our state. “We want people to know that Ohio experienced an average increase of approximately 30% in demand for shelter from 2002 to 2003,” said Rick Taylor, Managing Director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. This data was compiled from a survey of three fourths of the shelter programs that receive funding from the State of Ohio. To respond to this growing demand, shelters and services throughout Ohio are calling on community leaders to put in place resources and policies to address the growing flood of families and individuals who are finding themselves homeless. While the economic picture for the country points to some economic recovery, Ohio is not one of the states seeing improvement. Ohio continues to see unprecedented increases in families and individuals in need of shelter. Ohio rated second to last among states in job growth from the end of 1997 through last year. Ohio Policy Matters reported Ohio lost 118,500 or one out of seven Streetvibes Vendor: 80 cents Printing and Production: 20 S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 manufacturing jobs from March 2001 to March 2003. The impact of these losses continues in September 2003 with 6,500 Ohioans running out of unemployment benefits. With loss of manufacturing jobs for 38 consecutive months, Ohio has seen huge increases in foreclosures and evictions followed by double digit increases in request for shelter “Given that Ohio lags behind all other states except Michigan in job growth and the inability for many to find jobs, it is no wonder we are seeing many Ohioans losing their homes,” said Taylor of COHHIO. Local and state advocates are asking for Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. Ohio News FVO? It’s a little tricky, but it can be done. If Ohio administered the Ohio Works First (OWF) program at the state level instead of devolving control to each county, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) could simply tell the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that Ohio will adopt the FVO. Because of the devolution of control of OWF policies to each county, it will take an act of the Ohio Legislature to adopt the FVO. This is actually quite simple, but our state legislators are trying to act like it’s complicated. Ohio Empowerment Coalition will work hard in the months to come to convince our legislators that this is not only fiscally responsible for Ohio but the humane thing to do. We urge each of you to contact your legislators and talk to them about the Family Violence Option. community discussions involving those experiencing homelessness to construct both statewide and local plans to address homelessness. Advocates are seeking help from the community, media, religious organizations and the collective talent that exists in Ohio to finally address the problem of our citizens living for years in shelters, on the streets and in abandoned housing. What is the revolution that we need? We need to dissolve the lie that some people have a right to think of other people as their property. And we need at last to form a circle that includes us all, in which all of us are seen as equal... We do not belong to the other, but our lives are linked; we belong in a circle of others. Barbara Deming The first thing to be disrupted by our committment to nonviolence will be not the system but our own lives. James Douglass Story, Editorial and Art Submission Deadline for the February 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, January 9th Page 17 Page 17 �Visit to Chrysalis by Ellen Sinis In LA, there are maps available for just about everything. A map of the stars on Hollywood Boulevard. A map of celebrities’ homes in Beverly Hills. A map of the studios where Clark Gable and Greta Garbo became legends. But one place you won’t find a special map for is the twenty block section of downtown known as skid row. In fact, not even the police seem to know who or what is there. A week-and-a-half ago, my journey through skid row began in a parking garage in which my rental car was protected from the community outside by wrought iron bars that stood two stories tall. On the sidewalks beyond the garage, I walked with my fellow visitors past dozens of people that called this street home. We saw addicts shooting up, gamblers tossing dice, and dealers making sales. But most disturbingly, we saw people who were together on the street, yet were totally alone in the world. In fact, homelessness is just as much about being alone as it is about being without shelter. It is as much about being disconnected from society, self, and hope as it is about living just to survive. After crossing the street, we arrived at our destination, the Chrysalis Center, a Taste of the Nation grant recipient. Chrysalis provides training and resources to help homeless men and women find jobs. For the hardest to employ, it provides jobs as well, through two businesses that together take in over $3 million each year. Just inside the door, we found ourselves in a serene environment. Chrysalis was closed for lunch, but as we spoke with its leaders, we could see the line of clients forming outside the door. The lunch hour concluded, and it took not 30 seconds for the room to come to life once the door was opened. In half a minute, about 25 people entered into the room with a clear sense of purpose. They went immediately to work...using the phones to make follow-up calls on applications, using the computers to look for jobs, signing up to see a case manager, and filing into classrooms. The bustle of activity stood in stark contrast to the streets outside - the positive atmosphere was almost palpable. It was clear that Chrysalis provided much more than a path to work; it provided a supportive environment in which clients where sharing positive experiences in community with one another. Chrysalis offered not just the skills and tools to be successful at work; it also offered the relationships and support network to feel successful in life. For the homeless, it is unlikely that the former will exist for long without the latter. Chrysalis uses the tagline “Changing lives through jobs.” A job is the goal for each individual, but a successful job search is the inspiration for the whole Chrysalis community. Their shared ritual provides some insight into the strength of that community. Every time a Chrysalis client gets a job, he or she is invited to ring the success bell. Standing in the middle of Chrysalis’s main room, the client rings the bell, often with tears dripping from her face. Everything in the building stops, and the cheers begin. This ritual is a simple celebration of one person’s success, and a whole community’s shared purpose. It serves as a reminder that success is possible, and helps clients know they are no longer alone. Today in LA, the police department will release its newly freed prisoners in skid row. The foster care system will drop off the children who have just aged out of its program by turning 18. These new residents of skid row will join the thousands of people living on the streets, or, if they are lucky, the thousands living in shelters. They may be offered food to satiate their hunger. But until they find hope and purpose, their hunger for wholeness will continue. I am grateful that Share Our Strength is also helping to satiate that most important hunger, replacing disconnectedness with community, and despair with success. by Kevin Smith, Aiken High School Prisoners Advocacy Committee — Ohio PO Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-1746, or submit a prisoner’s name and jail number at cleves1947@yahoo.com Finding pen-pals for people incarcerated in jails throughout Ohio. Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 Editorial Page 18 �FRAC News From the Food Research and Action Center FOOD STAMP PARTICIPATION INCREASES IN SEPTEMBER 2003 TO MORE THAN 22.7 MILLION PERSONS; IS ABOUT 5.8 MILLION PERSONS HIGHER THAN IN JULY 2000. (December 4, 2003) Participation in the Food Stamp Program in September 2003 (the latest data available) increased by 353,413 persons from the previous month, to 22,705,267 persons, as high rates of joblessness continued, more states improved access, and the effects of the food stamp reauthorization improvements continued to be felt. According to FRAC’s analysis of preliminary monthly data from USDA, in the last six months the caseload grew by an average of more than 281,000 persons per month. In the 12 months before that, the average was 150,000 per month. The September 2003 level of Food Stamp Program participation represented a rise of more than 2.9 million persons compared to the September 2002 level, nearly 4.9 million persons compared to September 2001, and about 5.8 million persons since July, 2000. http://www.frac.org/html/news/fsp/ 03sept.html BUSH ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS ADOPTION OF ERADICATING CHILDHOOD HUNGER AS A MAJOR GOAL FOR 2004. (Washington Post, December 5, 2003) The Bush Administration is looking for big ideas to put on the top of its agenda for the year leading up to the presidential election. One major idea being considered is announcing that the United States will return a person to the moon. Among other ideas being considered for announcement during January’s State of the Union address: ending childhood hunger. A senior administration official said policy experts have been “going to considerable effort to see how much it would cost to attack child hunger.” http:// www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ articles/A36960-2003Dec4.html REPORT LINKS INADEQUATE CHILDHOOD NUTRITION AND UNREALIZED INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL. (Chicago Tribune, December 2, 2003) A study that appeared in the November issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, found that good nutrition and schooling can lead to substantial intellectual gains in adulthood. The study examined Guatemalan women who had been given nutritional supplements in the first two years of life and schooling through the primary grades. Women who were given nutritional supplements improved their academic achievement scores significantly over women who received schooling alone. “You’re going to get quite a return on your investment if you foster education. But if you also improve nutrition in early childhood, your return will be magnified,” said Reynaldo Martorell of Emory University, author of the study. Another study of identical twins conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia showed that growing up in poverty can erase a number of points from a child’s IQ score. The Virginia study found that deleterious mental factors account for 80 percent of the decline in IQ scores of very impoverished twins. These studies contribute to a growing conviction among scientists that gene function is highly dependent on environmental conditions. http:// www.chicagotribune.com/news/ local/chi0312020135dec02,1,680344.story (free registration required) COLUMN: THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HUNGER. (Seattle PostIntelligencer, Seattle, WA, December 5, 2003) In this piece, columnist Helen Thomas of Hearst Newspapers highlights that it will take more than charitable donations at Christmas to deal with the problem of hunger in the United States. The Census Bureau says 34.8 million Americans live below the poverty level. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, estimates it would cost the federal government $6 billion annually, or six cents per person per day, to expand government programs such as school lunch and food stamps to cut the hunger rate in half. Thomas points out that while many want to help the poor, others believe in survival of the fittest, such as President Reagan’s counselor Edwin Meese, who told reporters “that poverty was merely anecdotal and that people went to soup lines ‘because they don’t want to pay for their lunch.’” Writes Thomas: “Much as private and religious groups may try to provide for the poor, it is still the responsibility of this government to make sure no one is left behind in the bread line. We are our brother’s keeper.” http:// seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/ 151106_thomas05.html S T R E E T V I B E S January, 2004 WORKING PEOPLE CANNOT SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES IN AMERICA. (Newsweek, December 1, 2003) In this column, Anna Quindlen describes a new kind of poverty in America: Officials at urban food pantries note that more and more low-wage workers are coming to them for emergency food assistance. “America is a country that now sits atop the precarious latticework of myth...that work provides rewards, that working people can support their families.” “You never used to see kids at soup kitchens,” says Julia Erickson of City Harvest in New York. During the economic boom in the 1990’s, a quarter of American workers made less than poverty level wages ($8.70 an hour for a family of four) and many did not have health insurance, sick pay or retirement provisions. According to Beth Shulman, author of “The Betrayal of Work,” the bottom 10 percent of American workers earn just 37 percent of the median wage, while their counterparts in other industrialized nations earn upwards of 60 percent of the median wage. In addition, those countries provide health and child care. http://www.msnbc.com/ news/997103.asp?cp1=1 COLUMN: RECORD FEDERAL DEFICIT WILL HAMPER FUTURE OPPORTUNITY FOR TODAY’S CHILDREN. (Los Angeles Times, December 1, 2003) In this column, Ronald Brownstein makes a direct connection between the Bush Administration’s current fiscal policy, record deficits, and the costs to the next generation of taxpayers. He points out that much of the funding for President Bush’s policy initiatives, paid for by increasing the national debt, simply transfers the bill to the next generation. The administration’s tax cuts would reduce federal revenue by $400 billion per year by 2012. Meanwhile, the annual bill for many of government’s functions will increase over the next decade: Medicare will cost more than $500 billion per year, defense spending will reach $600 billion annually, and interest payments on the federal debt will climb to $350 billion. “To call this behavior a breakdown of fiscal responsibility misses its true nature. This is a stunning abandonment of generational responsibility. Washington is behaving like a father who steals his kid’s credit card and goes on a bender.” http:// www.latimes.com/news/ nationworld/nation/la-naoutlook1dec01,1,2243514.story (free registration required) FRAC News OP-ED: PROPOSED FEDERAL TANF RULES WOULD FURTHER STRAIN STATE BUDGETS, HURT RECIPIENTS. (Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia, PA, November 24, 2003) In this op-ed piece, Jonathan M. Stein criticizes the proposed TANF legislation now making its way through Congress, saying it would further strain state budgets by imposing stricter work requirements without providing federal funds for child care and job training. Such mandates would leave Pennsylvania and New Jersey “Govs. Rendell and McGreevey with little choice but to slash crucial services.” The proposed TANF legislation would also hurt TANF recipients who would be forced to work 40 hours a week in an economy where the average American works fewer than 40 hours per week and 2.5 million jobs have been lost since early 2001. http://www.philly.com/ mld/dailynews/news/opinion/ 7338708.htm REPORT: RECORD NUMBER OF NEW YORK CITY EMERGENCY FOOD PROVIDERS CLOSE OR RATION FOOD BECAUSE OF DEMAND. (New York City Coalition Against Hunger, November 25, 2003) Demand at New York City’s more than 1,000 emergency food providers increased faster than their ability to meet that demand, forcing 36 agencies to close entirely and nearly half of the remaining agencies to ration their food by turning away hungry people, reducing portion size, and/or cutting hours of operation. Providers that stayed open were forced to turn away almost 150,000 New Yorkers, of whom 41,796 were children —a 330 percent increase among children compared to three years ago. The New York City Coalition Against Hunger’s annual survey of New York City hunger also found that 83 percent of food pantry and soup kitchen officials said that the demand for food will increase over the next six months. “It is clear that struggling charities can no longer be the city’s first line of defense against hunger and poverty,” said Joel Berg, Executive Director of the Coalition. Press release: http://www.nyccah.org/ media/overall%20pressrelease.doc (Word Document) Full report: http://www.nyccah.org/media/ fullreport.doc (Word Document) The FRAC website is http://www.frac.org To subscribe to the weekly FRAC News Digest go to: http://capwiz.com/frac/mlm/ Page 19 Page 19 �TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) 357-4602 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 861-1111 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 Need Help or Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 $1 Donation January 2004 Streetvibes BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY Remembering those who died on the streets... Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2004 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource January 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Homeless Memorial Remembers Those Who Have Died in 2003 Homeless Citizens, Supporters go ‘Home for the Holidays’ at Annual Coalition Dinner Pg 2: Donate Pg 3: Homeless News Digest Pg 4: History of Church Spans Decades Pg 5: An Update on the Issue of Panhandling Pg 6: The Peace Village Pg 7: U.S. Conference of Mayors-Hunger and Homelessness Survey 2003 Pg 8: U.S. Conference of Mayors-Hunger and Homelessness Survey 2003 Continues Pg 9: French Lawyer; World Leaders Should Take Stand in Saddam Trial Pg 10: Blessed is He That Considereth the Poor Pg 11: Coalition Dinner Continued Pg 12: Faces of Homelessness in Santa Cruz Pg 13: Absolute Poverty Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: Editorial Pg 17: New Budget Eliminates Mandatory Domestic Violence Training Economic Recovery Leaves Ohio Behind Pg 18: Visit to Chrysalis Pg 19: FRAC News Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Andy Erickson Brendan Goodwin Mary Gaffney Jimmy Heath Elain Coffy Elizabeth Linville Berta Lambert J. Michael Skaggs Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Brendan Goodwin Church domestic violence Economic Recovery Editorials Elain Coffy Elizabeth Linville Food Research FRAC GCCH GCCH Dinner Georgine Getty Holidays Hunger J. Michael Skaggs Jimmy Heath Mary Gaffney memorial Ohio panhandling Peace Village Saddam Trial Santa Cruz Survey U.S. Conference of Mayors