28 10 291 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/050cf922042f1ad2f2c9949fb66db705.pdf 7a76ac18c4ad150ed40c31a21ac706b0 PDF Text Text Artists as Activists Page 16 Page 11 Sept.15-30, 2010 • Issue 184 • One Dollar ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY The Business of Changing Lives Addressing social issues with yogurt, fish, energy and education By Lynne Ausman Staff Writer I Grameen Bank borrowers attend a weekly centre meeting to make loan repayments. Lynne Ausman. Death Comes for Unit One Lessons from a police investigation By Gregory Flannery Editor O fficial reports on traffic accidents aren’t known for their sensitivity, but humanity has a way of revealing itself in unexpected places. Consider the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s investigation of the July 27 death of Joann Burton, fatally injured by a police car while she lay in the grass of Washington Park. The 87-page report, released Sept. 2, contains pathos amid the sterile jargon that usually characterizes such documents. The report also contains conflicting statements by witnesses, each of whom had a different perspective when Cincinnati Police Officer Marty E. Polk drove over her. Some said Burton was visible under her blankets, others said, as Polk did, that she was not. Overseen by Highway Patrol Sgt. Matthew Hamilton, the investigation formed the basis for Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters’s conclusion that felony charges should not be pursued against Polk (see “3CDC is the Enemy of the poor,” page 11). Traffic-accident reports commonly refer to vehicles involved in collisions, and it’s easier to say this “unit” went this way and that “unit” went that way than to keep saying, for example, Mr. Smith’s car did this and Mrs. Jones’s car did that. Thus the bare-bones explanation of what happened July 27 is, in the words of the report, “Unit 1 was lying on the ground, concealed by blankets. Unit 2 attempted to drive around the blankets, but drove over the blankets and Unit 1.” Unit 1 is Joann Burton. She lived on Burton Avenue. Polk told investigators he drove on the grass through the park every day that he patrolled it. Some of Burton’s flesh was found on the exhaust pipe of Unit 2, which was the patrol car driven by Polk. Polk is also referred to as “Eagle Eye” in one witness’s statement – a perhaps unintentional irony, given that Polk says he didn’t see Burton, but only the blankets under which she lay. Another irony is the report’s description of the scene of the accident: “Daylight, area covered by large trees creating shade and shadows.” This will change soon enough, of course, now that 3CDC has begun the process of refurbishing Washington Park, with plans to fell 59 trees, against neighbors’ objections (see “Neighborhood Rejects Takeover,” issue of Aug. 1-14). And there is this disconcerting observation by Sgt. N. Holden, who questioned Polk after the accident: “I appreciate you giving me a statement and your cooperation, and I’m sure that, that hearing (is) going to come back to be in your favor to show that there’s nothing to hide.” Following are excerpts from the Highway patrol’s report. ‘I don’t recall’ Statement by Officer Marty E. Polk, from interview conducted by Sgt. See Death, P. 3 n Bangladesh in the 1970s, Mohammad Yunus founded Grameen Bank, an organization that seeks to end poverty by extending small loans to poor people who are often excluded from commercial banks. From Grameen Bank, Yunus developed a philosophy of social business, in which, instead of building profit, the bottom line is addressing some social problem. Social businesses are cause-driven. Similar to many businesses, investors contribute start-up money to get the business going. Once it is off the ground and turning a profit, the investors begin to regain their initial investments. Unlike conventional businesses, however, social businesses don’t pay dividends; all profits are reinvested back into the business to ensure sustainability and continued growth. Grameen Bank was the first social business. As it grew and became selfsustaining, Yunus used his philosophy to address social issues such as childhood malnutrition, inadequate medical care, lack of clean water, foot-borne diseases and access to energy. While I was in Bangladesh this summer, four social businesses and Grameen sister organizations had a particular impact on my experience. Grameen sister organizations are not social businesses per se, but work to address some social problem – often not seeking to make any revenue. The sister organizations operate more like nonprofit organizations in the United States. See Business, P. 8 �2 Editorial By The Numbers 14th The name of the street where people denounced 3CDC for displacing poor people (see page 11). 11 The percentage of U.S. drivers who wore seat belts before laws required it (see page X). 1909 The year the Anna Louise Inn opened (see page 4). 6 The number of years a mayfly lives in larval form (see page 16). 4 The average weekly pay, in U.S. dollars, earned by some child laborers in Bangladesh (see page 1). 30 The number of people injured by a bull in Spain earlier this summer (see page 7). 535,000 The number of people who stayed in emergency shelters last year (see page 6). 59 The number of trees 3CDC plans to destroy in Washington Park (see page 1). .04 The percentage of Ohio voters who cast ballots in the Socialist Party primary last spring (see page 5). 7 The number of corporations that control Cincinnati (see page 12) STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 Don’t Drink the Tea By Gregory Flannery Editor As I write this, about 10 people are waiting outside for a chance to see a doctor. The Homeless Med Van is in front of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, where patients can be seen every Friday morning. Operated by the Cincinnati Health Network Inc., the Med Van provides free health care to people who have no place to live. As I write this, millions of children in Bangladesh are suffering from malnutrition, lack of clean water and crippling foot diseases. They might never see a doctor. Lynne Ausman, art director of Streetvibes, spent five weeks there this summer, and she tells some of what she observed in her story, “The Business of Changing Lives,” on page 1. As I write this, a close family member is in acute pain. He is 28 years old. He sometimes walks only with the assistance of a cane. Strangers often ask why such a young person needs a cane. He has rheumatoid arthritis, which made him unable to work several years ago, which means he has no funds to pay for medical care. He has applied for Medicaid, but each state’s eligibility requirements vary. In Ohio, a person who has no income can receive Medicaid only if he is younger than age 18, older than age 55 or certified as permanently disabled by the Social Security Administration. My family member isn’t permanently disabled – yet. If he doesn’t get treatment soon, he might become permanently disabled. He is, for now, on a waiting list for low-cost medical care. Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo. com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress. com Streetvibes Staff Waiting doesn’t always mean help is finally gotten. My family member once waited weeks to see a doctor at a public-health clinic, then spent hours in the waiting room, only to be informed that he needs to see a specialist. He came away with no less pain, a great deal more discouragement and a $50 fee to pay. As I write this, Tea Party fanatics are railing against the health-care reform signed into law by President Barack Obama. You have heard their lies: “socialist medicine,” “governmentcontrolled health care” and “death panels” that will decide which people are unfit to be kept alive. Their most outrageous lie, of course, is that the United States cannot afford Obama’s limited health-care reform. We can afford to spend trillions to conquer and occupy unarmed nations – first Afghanistan, then Iraq – but we cannot afford to provide basic health care to all Americans. As I write this, I am aware of how fortunate I am. I recently had surgery. The surgery followed expensive medical tests – a CT scan, an MRI – and months of consultation with physicians. Nurses monitored my recovery from the operation. They gave me medicine for pain. The physician checked my progress while I was in the hospital and after I returned home. When complications followed, prescription medication helped me. The costs of this care go beyond the obvious. There is the physician’s bill, of course, and the cost of the diagnostic tests, performed by health-care professionals using expensive machinery; and the cost of hospital upkeep. But a great many people are required for surgery to take place. Someone must do the scheduling. Someone must fill out the paperwork at the admission desk. Someone must clean the operating room. Someone must prepare the patient’s food. Someone must manufacture the surgical instruments. Someone must tell visitors where to find patients. Someone must patrol the parking lot where visitors leave their cars. In case my good fortune were lost on me, my physician spelled it out. He said, “In Third World countries, many people die from this kind of tumor, because it goes undetected.” I told him, “I live in Monfort Heights.” He didn’t laugh. Access to medical care is no laughing matter. I am fortunate to work for an employer that provides health insurance, which will pay much of the cost of my care. In four years, tens of millions of Americans who have no health insurance will be able to receive health care, part of the new health-care reform. When you vote in November, remember that this small progress has been made, especially if you are one of the millions of people who are unemployed or one of the millions whose homes have been seized by bankers. If you are fortunate to have a home, to have a job, to have health insurance, to have good health, you might not understand why health-care reform is needed at all. Stop by our office some Friday morning. I will be glad to introduce you to people who have none of these things. They are in pain. They are ill. They are standing on the sidewalk, waiting to see a doctor in a van – well, some of them are standing. Some are sitting on the sidewalk, because standing too long is painful. Even so, they, too, are fortunate. They could be living in Bangladesh. They could be living in U.S.-occupied Iraq. They could be living in U.S.-occupied Afghanistan. They could suffer the ravages that the Tea party would inflict on this country. Prevention is the best treatment for that disorder. Vote. Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Vendor Coordinator Georgia Bohannon Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Corey Gibson, Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun, Jesse Call, Michael Fanning, B. Clifton Burke Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Anne Skove, Vinit Murthy, Jon Hughes, Brad Foster Proofreaders Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are proud members of: �STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 3 Local News The Way Unit 1 Came to Her Death Continued from page 1 Matthew Hamilton … Q: What path did you take after you entered Washington Park? Polk: I don’t recall. Q: Was your view obstructed by anything? Polk: No. Q: Did you leave your patrol car running after the crash? Polk: I really don’t remember. Q: Did you activate your incar camera at any time prior or during the rash: Polk: I don’t recall. ‘You ran over my legs’ From synopsis by Sgt. Matthew Hamilton … “Officer Polk advised he was on routine patrol in Washington Park and was driving slowly through the grass as he and other officers normally do. He stated he noticed some blankets and went around them to the left and then felt a ‘thump, Visitors at a makeshift memorial for JoAnn Burton. Bradley R. Foster. thump.’ Officer Polk advised he jumped out of his car and observed a woman combative, I don’t know, with them, you know, but behind his patrol car. He asked her what happened she didn’t want to go to the hospital. That’s what, and she stated, ‘You ran over my legs.’ ” … you know.” … “Officer Polk stated he saw two blankets “I didn’t recognize her. I’ve seen her down there and thought that he moved to the left of the before but, you know, I never recognized her. I blankets before he felt the ‘thumps.’ Officer Polk don’t really know her name.” … denied observing any other items near the crash “But I did hold her arm, her hand for her, you scene; however, there were several other items know. That’s what she wanted, and, you know, I surrounding the area of the blankets, including the said, ‘We’ll get the fire company and we’ll get you pink and gray backpack, which was snagged and checked and make sure everything’s OK, get you dragged by Officer Polk’s patrol car.” to the hospital to get checked, because she really didn’t want to go, but I said, ‘Lady, you go to go to ‘I go around people’ the hospital.’ ” … “I was on that access road just From statement by Officer Officer Polk denied a little bit, then I went off just Marty E. Polk to Sgt. N. Holden looking around, because there’s observing any other “I noticed the blankets. I people on the access road this items near the crash went around to the left and I’m and that and, you know, I didn’t scene; however, there sure I missed the blankets but want to, you know, so I just go were several other items the next thing I know is, I was around people.” … surrounding the area of driving along about 5 mile, real Holden reviewed Polk’s the blankets, including slow, I heard ‘thump, thump.’ As medical history with him. Polk the pink and gray soon as I heard that, I jumped said he has sleep apnea. backpack, which was out the car. I did hear somebody Q: How were you feeling? snagged and dragged by holler – I don’t know who it Polk: “Oh, I was feeling great. Officer Polk’s patrol car. was – I jumped out the car. I I said ‘hi’ to everybody ’cause I looked over. This lady, she was know people down there, you laying, she was laying but she stood up. She sat know. They know me, and I said ‘hi’ to them.” … up, you know, and I’m looking at her legs. I said, “I saw the blanket, like I said. I don’t know if her ‘What happened, ma’am?’ She says, ‘You ran over legs were out, you know. I’m saying her legs could my legs.’ I said, ‘Oh,’ then I proceeded to say, I have been out, you know. She could have just put say, you know, she said, ‘I’m in pain,’ and I called them out. I don’t know, you know, but, uh, I know for a rescue unit right away and I called the fire when I heard the ‘thump, thump,’ that’s when I department to get there right away and then I jumped out of the car, sir.” called for my supervisor – ‘Get down here right At the end of the interview, Holden says, “I now’ – you know, the situation. As I looked up to, appreciate you giving me a statement and your you know, I said, ‘Stand by one second, ma’am,’ cooperation, and I’m sure that, that hearing going you know. I held her hand and everything and to come back to be in your favor to show that looked over and I said, ‘Did anybody witness this,’ there’s nothing to hide.” and I took – the people came forth and I said, ‘Please stay here because I need – we need your ‘He should not have’ statement, so stay here, with what happened, you know.’ So they stayed there, which was nice of From statement of witness Jacqueline Williams them. Finally the fire company came and then the … rescue unit came behind that. She was talking and, Q: How could you tell there was a body under the you know, no problem, but like all of a sudden, blanket when you first saw it? I guess when they put her on the –what do they Williams: ‘The person’s head was not covered call that thing? The, um, bucket or, you know … by the blanket. It was a black female, but I couldn’t yeah, the gurney thing – she, I guess, she just got tell that till after. All I could see was the person’s hair. It was an afro. Her face was covered.” Q: Lying in a straight line or were her knees bent? Williams: “Don’t know. I only saw the top part of her head.” Q: Would it have been difficult for the officer to have seen her? Williams: “I can’t answer. In my opinion, he should have been able to see her, and he should have been able to see there was a person in the blanket, because her head was not covered.” Q: What do you think caused the incident? Williams: ‘The police car driving on the grass, knowing that people sleep in the grass.” … “He should not have ran over the blanket without knowing if it was empty or not. … He didn’t have any lights on. He wasn’t chasing anyone. He just needed to be more diligent about running over blankets.” Eagle Eye From statement of witness Deborah A. Gross … Q: Have you seen the officer here before? Gross: “Yes, several times. We call him Officer Eagle Eye. Q: Had that officer driven through the grass before? Gross; “No, not that officer. He is one of the cooler officers.” Q: Do you think the officer saw the victim? Gross: “No, I don’t think he did. A lot of people leave things behind all the time.” Q: Did the officer provide medical assistance to the victim? Gross: “Yes, immediately. He really tried to help her.” ‘Looked like a blanket’ From statement of witness David Bevis … Q: Do you think the officer saw the lady? Bevis: “No, there was no way he could have known. It just looked like a blanket crumpled up. No part of her was visible. She was completely covered up by the blanket.” Q: Do a lot of people sleep in that park and on the ground? Bevis: “Yes, quite a few.” Call 513-421-7803 x11 to learn about Streetvibes subscriptions �4 STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 Local News Anna Louise Gets a Makeover At 101 years, she deserves it By Brian O’Donnell Contributing Writer E very homeowner knows renovations are a lot of work and often costly. But how do you renovate a home that houses more than 150 women and children? The answer is simple: $12.4 million and a staff dedicated to doing it right. For the Anna Louise Inn, a safe haven of transitional housing for women and children, the renovations are long overdue. The inn, in downtown Cincinnati near the Taft Museum, is operated by Cincinnati Union Bethel, the city’s oldest socialservice agency, which once assisted riverboat men and their families. Cincinnati Union Bethel began its service in 1830, providing worship opportunities to travelers along the Ohio River. As the group grew, a Sunday school was created that within 30 years became the largest Sunday school in the world, with 3,500 pupils. The agency’s greatest achievement, however, might be with the Anna Louise Inn and the services provided by the home. The land for the inn was donated by influential Charles Taft, brother of President William Howard Taft, and the inn was named for his daughter, Anna Louise. In 1909, on the corner of Third and Lytle streets, the inn opened with the goal of supporting women as they transitioned from their rural homes to the urban environment of downtown Cincinnati. ‘Much more robust’ The red-brick building emits the beauty of century-old architecture, but also the decay of the same century’s wear and tear without renovations. Inside the home, the walls are bordered with detailed molding and even marble fixtures holding up floor-to-ceiling mirrors. Through a series of narrow hallways, rooms reminiscent of college dorms house women as they transition. Some of these women stay for less than a year, while some, such as Mary Catherine Scheely, have been there for 30 years or more. Scheely, 79, was originally from Oldenburg, Ind., but came to live at Anna Louise out of necessity. “I came to the big city ’cause I had to get a job,” she says. “I was very scared. I knew nothing about Cincinnati.” The inn benefited her so much that she still lives in its family-like environment after 33 years. “I’ve learned a lot of things and appreciate living here ’cause I had no other place to live,” Scheely says. Giving women a safe and affordable housing option is only part of the inn’s purpose. Since its creation, Cincinnati Union Bethel has expanded Anna Louise to include social services such as a free dental clinic and a legal aid society. Mary Carol Melton, project manager for Cincinnati Union Bethel, says she is proudest of the Off the Streets program that provides housing and services for women recovering from prostitution. “Miracles happen every day in this program for women,” Melton says. Thirty people worked over the course of a year to devise and implement Off the Streets, culminating in partnerships with more than 25 agencies, including the Cincinnati Police Department. “It’s been a wonderful example of how a community can come together and have a meaningful impact,” Melton says. Now having served more than 400 clients since starting in 2006, Off the Streets is about to have its first participant graduate from the University of Cincinnati, with a degree in addiction studies. “Everyone deserves credit for making this happen,” Melton says. Successes like Off the Streets don’t come easy. When Steve MacConnell first arrived at Cincinnati Union Bethel nine years ago, he described it as suffering from a lull in leadership. With a background in law spanning 26 years, MacConnell says, “I thought I had some skills to find and bring a staff of builders to create a much more robust agency.” It was his goal to begin creation of a board of directors to ease day-today operations from the dedicated but small executive staff of six. Now the agency’s chief executive officer, MacConnell describes the current administration as a body of 21 people operating through an array of committees that bring new issues to the board. ‘Community of women’ Stephen MacConnell and Mary Carol Melton of Cincinnati Union Bethel. Jon Hughes/Photopresse. rooms heavily damaged by a range of issues such as drooping ceilings and peeling plaster, it was clear to MacConnell that renovations were a necessity. “I started thinking about it as soon as I got here,” he says. MacConnell shopped the idea around to real-estate companies until he learned of the $12.4 million price tag on the project. Hope for renovations “seemed to continue to run into brick walls,” he says. “Then the miracle happened.” Relying on successes like Off the Streets that garnered local and national attention, Cincinnati Union Bethel attracted about $10 million in tax credits from the Ohio Housing and Finance Agency. Once the financial issue was solved, renovations proved to be a logistical nightmare. The board had no experience in such a large undertaking. Recruiting the Overthe-Rhine Community Housing as a partner helped immensely, according to Melton. “We were really thrilled to have their expertise,” she says. The renovations, set for completion in the fall of 2011, will lower the total capacity of the inn but will increase the quality of life and service for residents, MacConnell and Melton say. “I think the emphasis is on the enhanced amenities and completing our mission,” Melton says. With central air-conditioning to Upon his arrival, MacConnell noticed the state of neglect the Anna Louise Inn had fallen into over its century of existence. With some of its rested in Advert Inte isin gi Affordable Rates etvibes? tre nS be added, rooms will be enlarged to include private kitchens and bathrooms, a move away from the communal amenities. As renovations take place, MacConnell says, funds and plans are in place to help residents through the construction period either by relocating them off the premises or to a part of the building that is not yet under construction. At 100-years-old, there is concern about preservation of the inn’s historical architecture. “It’s just an institution in Cincinnati,” MacConnell says. The outside of the building will remain unchanged while the inside will undergo some touchups in addition to renovations of rooms that will involve the removal of walls. “The inside beauty will match the outside,” Melton says. For Scheely and the other residents, the renovation, though perhaps inconvenient when it comes to daily living, is a godsend. “It’ll be good for all the ladies,” she says. “They’re not used to all that.” The luxuries added by the renovation will enhance Cincinnati Union Bethel’s ability to stay on its mission. “Women tell us all the time: The safe community of women is very comforting,” Melton says. Many sizes (full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page) Black & White and Color available Discounts for Nonprofits Contact Lynne at 513-421-7803 ext. 11 Become a Fan of Streetvibes on Facebook or lynneausman@cincihomeless.org http://www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati for more information. �STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 Local News 5 Dems and GOP Say, ‘Stay Away’ Third-party candidates want to join debate By Jesse Call Contributing Writer A s Ohio’s major-party candidates for the U.S. Senate prepare to field questions in a debate Oct. 8, candidates for smaller parties are working to be allowed in the debate at all. Although they come from very different political perspectives, Dan La Botz, the Socialist Party candidate, and Eric Deaton, the Constitution Party candidate, have teamed together to petition for inclusion in the upcoming debates. The online petition calls upon Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to “ensure that all of the candidates in the Ohio Senate race as well as other national, state and local races have an equal opportunity to participate in debates before the public,” citing the fact that she is the official “responsible for overseeing elections” in Ohio. La Botz also has made a separate appeal Socialist Party candidate Dan La Botz wants to participate in a debate for a seat in the U.S. Senate. to the debate’s sponsor and host, the Ohio Jon Hughes/Photopresse. News Organization. Brunner, who lost the Democratic primary The Ohio News Organization, a consortium unlike the major-party candidates, he has for the same Senate seat that La Botz and to be present for his day job and is therefore of eight daily metro newspapers in Ohio, is Deaton seek, is organizing a debate for unable to attend meetings during work hours. hosting the debates. The organization said it secretary of state candidates in which many “I’m going to do everything possible to be feels it is more fair to the voters of Ohio if they third-party candidates are included. She included in the debate,” La Botz says. can have a more substantive debate among also has taken steps to make sure that Ohio La Botz says he is looking at other options, the two candidates most likely to be elected ballots include the party affiliations of thirdincluding legal action, and that he will “do his rather than asking the same questions of party candidates, instead of just calling them best to show up at the debate” and ask to be more candidates. “independent.” included. “The logic is sound: In a television debate Despite multiple requests for comment format, when time constraints limit the ‘A question of efficiency’ made to the campaigns of Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, number of questions and answers to be the Democratic candidate, and Rob Portman, heard, it is of the utmost But, although Brunner the Republican candidate, as well as to the importance that voters hear said she believes all “The logic is sound: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from the two candidates candidates should be heard, and the National Republican Senatorial who are clearly the frontIn a television debate she is not sure whether or Commitee, all of them chose not to respond runners for the office,” format, when time not she will work to include to this story. Benjamin Marrison, editor constraints limit the the third-party candidates “I’m sure many in my party wouldn’t agree of The Columbus Dispatch number of questions in the senatorial debates. with me (on including all candidates in and lead organizer of the and answers to be “Frankly, my personal debates),” Brunner says. debates, said in a statement. heard, it is of the philosophy is that everyone Deaton says he “While we have and will utmost importance that should be included,” she knows the majorcontinue to write about voters hear from the says. “The presidential third-party candidates when party candidates two candidates who are are “afraid of Only .04 percent of model excluded warranted, including them clearly the front-runners (his) candidacy” the voters in the primary in debates limits Ohioans’ candidates who for the office.” and that he “feels election voted on the ability to hear answers from we knew had great -Ben Marrison strongly that he Socialist ballot statewide, the top candidates on issues potential,” he says. would win the race and only .17 percent voted critical to the state’s future.” “The presidential on the Constitution Party ballot, according to Marrison also noted that they are following if he is included model is a terrible Brunner. That is low compared to even other in the debates.” the format used in U.S. presidential debates, model. The real issue minority parties, including the Libertarian La Botz says he which also routinely exclude third party is giving all candidates Party, which had 0.3% statewide. was not surprised candidates. an opportunity to “Some would argue that the number of that the major That example is a poor one to follow, present their views, voter voting Socialist Party ballots was so parties did not according to La Botz. and that (time) excuse small that it would be a question of efficiency respond, noting is ridiculous. The on whether or not to include Dan (La Botz),” ‘A terrible model’ that he thinks they American people Brunner says. would prefer to understand our country Brunner says she will keep checking on “The presidential model excluded have no debates is in a crisis, and they the level of support for inclusion of the candidates who we knew had great potential,” at all because want to hear opinions candidates before making a decision on he says. “The presidential model is a terrible they are afraid to – all the positions that whether or not to lobby, as secretary of state, model. The real issue is giving all candidates commit to any are out there.” for their inclusion. an opportunity to present their views, and controversial -Dan La Botz “Now, whether I am going to go out and that (time) excuse is ridiculous. The American positions. He make this a major issue remains to be seen people understand our country is in a crisis, says he wants to because it falls into an area where I really and they want to hear opinions – all the challenge the major-party candidates on how don’t have enforcement, and I would simply positions that are out there.” their parties have bankrupted the country would be using persuasion to try to make La Botz says that approval for the socialist and ignored the will of the electorate to care sure all candidates are included,” Brunner perspective is increasing throughout the for the environment and end foreign wars. country, citing polls conducted by major says. La Botz encourages those who believe he research organizations including Gallup, Pew, and other third-party candidates should be She also admits she wants to be careful about the appearance of any influence on the and Rasmussen. included in the debates to sign the petition He also says that it is more fair to include race, given that she is a former candidate. and write letters to the editors of Ohio’s major candidates like him because, in many cases, “I wouldn’t want it to appear as though I metro newspapers. was doing this for personal reasons,” Brunner he is forced to decline invitations to town hall The petition is available online at http:// meetings throughout the state because of says. “So, you know, that is where I would www.change.org/petitions/view/petition_ the cost of having to travel and the fact that, hesitate.” for_inclusive_political_debates_in_ohio. �6 Issues STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 Homeless Families on the Rise Community services increase By Jeremy Flannery Contributing Writer T he number of homeless families continues to rise in the United States, according to the 2009 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Over 170,000 American families used emergency shelters or transitional housing in 2009, compared to 131,000 families in 2007, about a 30 percent increase since 2007. The average lengths of stays of families in shelters also increased from 30 days in 2008 to 36 days in 2009. About 535,000 homeless people, as part of families, used emergency shelters or transitional housing in 2009. “Three-fifths of the people in homeless families are children, and more than half of the children are under age 6,” the report says. There might be more families at risk of becoming homeless, as the report found that families entering homeless shelters are increasingly coming from other housed situations, such as doubling up with friends or other family members. But the issue of homelessness is witnessing some improvements in the United States, according to HUD: A child picks up food from a pantry with his family. Aimie Willhoite. • The number of chronically homeless people decreased by 10 percent from 124,135 in the January 2008 point-in-time (PIT) homelessness and the success of sheltering homeless Americans, estimate to 110,917 in the January 2009 PIT estimate. About 53 percent according to the report. of the reports from local continuums of care showed a decrease in • Nearly 1.56 million people used an emergency shelter or transitional chronic homelessness. housing program from October 2008 through September 2009, • 112 more communities used the Homeless Management Information compared to 1.6 million in 2008. Two-thirds were homeless as System, the electronic system used to track services of homeless individuals and one-third were homeless as family members – at least shelters, for a total of 334 participating communities. one adult with one child under 18 years of age. • The number of beds in permanent supportive housing increased from Individuals experiencing homelessness tend to be adult males, members of 2008 to 2009 by about 23,000, for a total of over 219,000 beds. a minority group and middle aged, the report says. • Though the number of homeless people remained fairly stable, with “More than 10 percent are veterans, and more than 40 percent have a about 643, 067 homeless Americans on a single night, the number of disability,” the report states. Family members experiencing homelessness sheltered homeless is increasing, according to the report. This number tend to be children – about 60 percent – or adult women under age 31 might be due to the increased participation of communities tracking without male partners. Education is a Start, but Laws Work By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer T he Campaign for Affordable Housing is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to create a more receptive political climate for favorable government decisions on land-use matters and allocation of public resources.” The campaign argues we need more and better public information about affordable housing. By knowing public opinion, members hope to develop better public-education materials for advocates. Recently they did a meta-analysis of publicopinion research on attitudes about affordable housing that was collected from the late 1990s to 2003. Although the research was drawn from a wide array of sample groups, the findings yielded similar patterns of response. They found essentially two story lines. The first story line is one of positive attitudes toward affordable housing, that the basic American values of fairness and opportunity appear to be the underlying value in their responses. The second story line is how attitudes change when the issue is framed as a local issue or “right next door”; when it hits home, “darker issues of fear overtake fairness and opportunity for many Americans.” Here in Cincinnati we see how mainstream media often uses fear when referencing project-based properties or homeless shelters, and it dissuades public opinion against supporting affordable housing. Another example of attitudes being supportive on a general level, but not a local one, is that people report they are supportive of generalized “policies” to expand affordable housing such as alleviating tax burdens. However when it gets local or specific, such as changing one’s own neighborhood zoning or increasing the number of apartments in one’s building to be affordable but a neighboring property or business, it was units, it is not supported. not given equal volume – sort of like the “oops” That said, the researchers conclude that broadcolumns in newspapers hidden on the last page based campaigns should speak to the general that people rarely read. need for more affordable As I write this, I wonder: housing, calling on values Is this too transparent? Lesson? Public-education such as fairness and equal Are we showing our hand? opportunity. However, Certainly not. Planning campaigns are effective, but when advocating for local communications around strict enforcement trumps every housing efforts, use a what people are really time, which is why many housing more targeted messaging concerned about is not advocates prefer to focus on that address worries about underhanded or an attempt promoting required inclusionary increased crime and at being subliminal – it’s zoning and other enforceable poor maintenance. The keeping it real. policies to increase affordable researchers emphasize, Public education can be housing. Then again, elected “Advocates must be a powerful tool, but it is not officials are the ones who float ready to prove these fears the whole answer. Consider such legislation – and they are unfounded.” the seat belt. Despite elected by the people whose We must convince educational campaigns opinions can drive their agenda. Cincinnati’s prior to 1980, only 11 neighborhoods that percent of Americans used first, affordable housing will benefit not only the seat belts. By 1990, 37 states had seat-belt laws tenants, but the neighborhood as a whole; second, that were “secondary” – meaning an officer had to those who will directly benefit are children, the observe another traffic violation before issuing a elderly and working families; and third, we need seat-belt ticket. Subsequently, the national average to showcase many examples of “high quality, of seat-belt use rose to 50 percent. By 2007, in the attractive, affordable and safe housing to counter 25 states that had “primary” seat-belt laws on the the negative preconceptions about appearance books – meaning an officer can issue a citation and crime and their impacts on property values.” without observing any other offence – their usage The Campaign for Affordable Housing is a rose to 88 percent. great resource for affordable-housing advocates. Lesson? Public-education campaigns are It asserts that, if communications are crafted at a effective, but strict enforcement trumps every local level, they can “unlock the specific missing time, which is why many housing advocates prefer messages that will create national change one to focus on promoting required inclusionary community at a time”. zoning and other enforceable policies to increase Of course, their research findings are intuitive. affordable housing. Then again, elected officials I can recall many discussions at City Hall about are the ones who float such legislation – and they police and fire calls for service and other “quality are elected by the people whose opinions can of life” issues being raised in the context of drive their agenda. project-based housing. Later, when the data Chicken or the egg, chicken or the egg? revealed it was not the tenants drawing the calls �STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 7 Gallery Opening Somewhere in Northside By Steven Paul Lansky Contributing Writer Somewhere in Northside, at Chase and Hamilton, up a short flight of stairs a new art space, Chase Public, opened. Theme – the domestic – Public Conversation – Tim Parsley artwork – Red paper lantern over Robert Murphy – Mike Fleisch – cross discipline and artists and! Dan … introduces Murphy. – Non-lecturer – poet homebuilder – some beats – hip-hop outside – the border between mythic truth and the domestic dirty windows dusk – headlights green & red traffic signals a house boarded up is a myth of urban renewal; labor exploited or unremembered toil – toil pulled through without greed, within need. What are you doing in my clothes? Taoist saying! windows set back – sills and indent above – stripes above, wide stripes on vertical and horizontal surfaces – red, gray, white, brown. A skateboard heard below – crack-crack & crackcrack wheels on sidewalk. Sodium vapor lamps arch over strorefronts & traffic signals—amber glow. A child voice – a song rings a cell phone in the audience – is this interruption? Rumble Beat Bass – Murphy quotes Celan, Emerson, Lao-Tse, Gnostic gospel, marvel, not the commix, the kind child let in and let out of Murphy’s non-lecture – reading without the UHM, or like, or you know, no his economy of speech is never casual. “Laughter shall keep us unafraid.” “A pair of wings … quicksilver back of a mirror … the blue in a feather.” A bluish bus lit inside and out. beep-beep. “I had seen a heron just the other day.” motor sounds “should you be walking alone along the river.” “past the chicken coop.” “everything flown the coop that had once owned feathers.” “the red fox – having taken over the badger …” “a red blur … across the frozen pasture.” “Not even Aesop.” A loud muffler. A cackling laugh. A starter. “An eagle higher than a hawk flies. Waiting for the return of the bison …” A plastic coffee mug, a travel cup holds up the windowpane – but not much air. “dutchman’s breeches… marsh marigolds.” “for the telling of a good tale.” On Murphy’s shirt a bear with a swirling human like spirit within – a salmon just beyond paw and gaping maw. “a tin can orbiting three-hundred miles above the earth.” Tim is wearing Wallabees – shoes by … Clark(e). No, they’re slip-on – similar. Music wafts up – Goose’s foot and leg shaking. “numinosity” – Murphy – “The paintings look back at you.” A guy eating a slice of pizza as he stands on the sidewalk Then tapes a poster – the sound of tape pulling. “How light was filling the space” – Tim – “Work that’s realist like this runs the risk …” “All we’re left with are these empty …” “the figure has left the room entirely …” “theology … parallel history of painting …” Reflection of the paper red globe in windows, cut by window frames – some horizontal – some vertical. “We build these houses & people move into them.” Urban Renewal “Voyeurism – waiting for the best look we could get at this …” “… finding beauty …” – “sacrament –” “– mundane –” “something pretty profound starts to occur.” The Return of the Winged Prodigal Maybe the animals are overworked By Nicholas Hoesl Contributing Writer H e’s back! After eight days of being “free as a bird,” a hungry, hapless, Harris hawk named Tex is safely back at the Cincinnati Zoo. An alert Clifton resident called the zoo hotline with a sizzling tip in sighting the naughty bird hanging out in a nearby tree. The zoo’s head bird trainer, Gary Denzler, rushed to the scene, armed with heavy leather, a whistle in his mouth and carrying the hawk’s favorite snack – a mouse. Call it a capture enraptured. I wondered. Was it the whistle, the mouse or the love of Gary that convinced the flying star of the “Wings of Wonder Show” to surrender? Or was he just bored to death and longing for more of the limelight? Others pondered why he didn’t venture farther west to explore the greenery of Mount Airy Forest, Oxbow and Shawnee Lookout. Gatekeepers at Miami-Whitewater Forest told me he could have teamed up with two resident red-tailed The good news is that Tex has his job back, even hawks in the park. They are known for whistling though he’s forced to sit out a year. I ask you: Is this at each other. I don’t know how many zoo hawks a bad rap? I think the hawk escapade was meant to are waiting in the wings, but a “Whistling Hawk send the zoo a message: “Don’t take us for granted. Chorus” would be a crowd pleaser. Next time it will take more Recently Time magazine than a few mice and whistling featured an article, “Inside ‘Dixie’ to get us back. So your the Minds of Animals.” The Others pondered why he cheetah runs 100 meters in six current belief is that they are didn’t venture farther west seconds. We fly. Can they chat far smarter than we realized. to explore the greenery of with a chimp? Are they fluent in Parrots can match wits with Mount Airy Forest, Oxbow cheetonese? We are rock stars!” chimps. Liz Wilson, a parrotand Shawnee Lookout. behavior consultant from Here’s what the zoo should Gatekeepers at MiamiPhiladelphia, said she heard do. Let’s let bygones be bygones. Whitewater Forest told me several cases in which people Get the mayor to issue a he could have teamed up come home feeling blue proclamation: “The Prodigal Has with two resident red-tailed and their parrots asked, “Is Returned.” Then let the feast hawks in the park. begin. Forget about the fatted something wrong?” I don’t call calf. Give Tex and his entourage anyone a “bird brain” anymore. a banquet fit for this two-legged king. Serve up A colleague of Tex, named Tucson, also flew off pheasant, wild turkey, frog legs and squirrel. Top in the middle of a show two months ago, but he returned in five days. Do you sense a pattern here? it off with fermented berries. After that, it’s show Are these hawks victims of workplace stress similar time. Bring on those dancing cock-a-doodle cockatoos. to the stress that freaked out Steve Slater, the Jet Tex would be speechless. But I can hear him Blue flight attendant who became a folk hero of saying, even now, “I am no ungainly, ghastly, the skies? This news was closely followed by a bull in Tafallo, Spain, that charged over a fence into the gaunt and ominous bird of yore, and I will roam – crowd, injuring 30 people. nevermore!” �8 STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 Food “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long…” Festive Tomato & Basil Bruscetta on Italian Toast Serving Size: 8-12 bellies Olive oil cooking spray 1 loaf Italian bread, cut in ½ inch slices 4-5 Roma tomatoes, diced 1 red onion, peeled and chopped 3 cloves fresh garlic, diced 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 5 sprigs fresh basil chopped Salt and pepper (Optional for vegans) 1 cup shredded Italian cheese • • • Jeni Jenkins. By Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer • T his recipe for bruscetta came naturally, as I’ve always had a heart for Italian food and eating food with my hands. The great thing about bruscetta is that it’s practically effortless for the amount of enjoyment that follows. Plus, this hearty appetizer is great for potlucks, family gatherings and parties. Enjoy! • • • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay sliced bread face-down on baking sheet. Heat in oven 5 minutes on each side. Combine onions, garlic, tomatoes, basil and vinegar in bowl. Mix well. Remove bread from oven and scoop heaping tablespoons of mixture on each slice of bread. Sprinkle lightly with Italian cheese. Bake in oven for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Voila, feed! The Business of Changing Lives Continued from page 1 Grameen Danone Grameen Danone is a partnership between Grameen and Dannon, the French yogurt manufacturer. The mission is to bring better nutrition to poor, rural children who often suffer from nutrient deficiencies, such as vitamin A, zinc, iron and calcium. Grameen Danone yogurt, packed with these nutrients, is served in sixand eight-ounce cups. The yogurt is made from fresh milk purchased from farmers in the area, some of whom are Grameen Bank borrowers, directly benefiting the borrowers and other local farmers. Women in the village sell the yogurt door-to-door for six or eight taka (about 11 U.S. cents) per cup, depending on the size and flavor. (Mango flavor costs more). By distributing the yogurt in this manner, one woman in the village is employed. The yogurt is also sold in Dhaka, the capital city. The cost is slightly higher in the city, with the price cheap enough that poor families can purchase it but high enough that the profit helps to cover the cost of production and distribution in the rural villages. Grameen Fisheries The Bangladeshi government loaned Grameen over 1,000 fishing ponds in the northwestern part of the country. The ponds have been for fisheries for centuries. Grameen devised a plan that would also help to alleviate poverty while turning the fisheries into a profitable business. The result was a 50/50 partnership between Grameen and the poor families living along the fishing ponds. The families provide the labor of maintaining and fishing the ponds, and Grameen provides training, expertise and breed the fish to stock the ponds. The profits from selling the fish is split equally: 50 percent going to the fishermen, women and families and 50 percent going to Grameen Fisheries to cover overhead and operating costs. Grameen Shakti Grameen Shakti is a sister organization dedicated to bringing green energy, health, income and jobs to rural Bangladesh. Grameen Shakti has four main programs: solar-energy systems, improved cooking stoves, biogas and organic fertilizer. Families purchase solar panels through a soft credit scheme, making them affordable. The panels are able to power lights and fans in a village home for several hours a day. Most Bangladeshis do not have access to natural-gas lines to operate cooking stoves. As a result, people have to burn debris, wood and crop residues as fuel to cook food. This leads to deforestation and soil erosion as well as health problems – smoke and pollution inhalation – for women, who are often responsible for cooking. Engineers work one-on-one with A Bangladeshi woman prepares food on an improved cooking stove. She would not have been able to afford the cooking stove without the help of Grameen Shakti. Lynne Ausman. See Business, P. 9 �STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 International Issues 9 The Business of Changing Lives Women and a child at Grameen Fisheries help to prepare caught fish for market. Lynne Ausman. Continued from page 8 need of the money the children can earn. It takes about one week to sew all of the beads and embellishments on a wedding sari. One child makes 900 taka a week (less than $13 U.S.); another, a girl, makes about 250 taka (less than $4). We asked the children what they want to be when they grew up. It seemed too easy to wonder why we would even ask this type of question – these children are “grown up.” They work eight hours a day and have school three hours a day. Their lives seem to parallel that of a working American graduate student. But even if I were discouraged by the barriers stacked against them, the students were full of hope: they want to be teachers, doctors, pilots, businessmen. They are determined to improve their lives and leave the slums, and Grameen Shikkha is determined to help them achieve their goals. One might wonder what three hours of classroom instruction would do, but the goal of Grameen Shikkha is to provide what little families to construct biogas plants on the villagers’ education they can to children who would property and train families on maintenance and otherwise work for 12 or more hours a day. biogas technology. Families use the waste from Fighting child labor in Bangladesh is difficult: So their livestock to generate the biogas. Similar many people are struggling to make it day-toto the solar panels, the materials are purchased day. Convincing families to give up some of that through a soft-credit program, making the plans potential income is difficult. But Grameen Shikkha affordable. The improved cooking stoves helps keeps going back to the families because they families use the biogas efficiently. know the parents want to provide a better life for their children. Grameen Shikkha The instruction in primary school could lead to scholarships to go on to high school and help the Grameen Shikkha is Grameen’s effort to address children improve their lives. Grameen Shikkha has illiteracy and lack of educational opportunities for launched a new scholarship program that will help poor children. The mission of Grameen Shikkha students’ families pay for high school and perhaps is to provide slum children with a basic education earn scholarships to university. to improve their work opportunities. Students A month learning about all of the receive instruction in English, Bangla, different ways that Grameen is working simple mathematics, social sciences to address poverty in Bangladesh and the environment. They also study wasn’t nearly enough to completely Bangladeshi customs and arts. understand all of the issues that The school, a single 10’x4’ room, contribute to the level of poverty in has no desks or chairs but 20 smiling Bangladesh, but it was enough time to students and a teacher sitting on the floor learn the impact that a social business with a stack of books in front of each can have on one family’s life. student. The chalkboard at the front of Cincinnati has several social the room had a welcome message for businesses that aim to help the us visitors from the United States. The community overcome poverty. room was dimly lit, with one light bulb Streetvibes provides entrepreneurial dangling from the ceiling. The students, opportunities and an income to ages 12 to 14, were in fifth grade. homeless people. Venice on Vine is a The students rise at 6 a.m. and begin pizza restaurant and catering service work, many of them sewing beads and that teaches job skills to low-income embellishments on saris to be worn by Cincinnatians. Building Value salvages brides. They work until 9 a.m., taking reusable materials for sale while a break until 2 p.m. School is from 2 providing people who have workforce to 5 p.m. Students then return to their disadvantages an opportunity to gain homes, where they work until 10 p.m. valuable experience and transition into This doesn’t leave much time to play or A Grameen Shikkha classroom where children receive three hours construction and retail careers. study, but their families are in desperate of basic education a day. Lynne Ausman. �10 Reader Survey STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 Please take a few minutes to complete this survey. Your responses will be used to help Streetvibes evaluate the newspaper and the vendor program. This survey, a vendor survey and overall evaluation is part of Streetvibes plan to achieve long-term sustainability and growth. Thank you for your time and input. Please return the survey to 117 E. 12th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Thank you for your time and input. If you prefer, you may take the survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/streetvibes 1. How often do you purchase Streetvibes? Multiple copies of every issue Every issue Once a month Once every few months Once or twice a year Never 2. Where do you purchase Streetvibes? 3. Do you purchase from the same vendor when you buy? Yes No Sometimes 4. On a scale of 1 to 10, how familiar would you say you are with the vendor program? (1 being not familiar, 10 being very familiar) 5. Why do you purchase Streetvibes? To support the vendor To read the articles Other: 16. If Streetvibes developed relationships with local businesses that resulted in vendors selling the paper outside of the business, would you be: More likely to purchase the paper Less likely to purchase the paper About the same 17. Have you ever found a vendor to be threatening? Yes No 18. What would you say is the theme of Streetvibes? General local news Social Issues Local Events Other: 19. How much of the paper do you read? Cover to cover Maybe half Only if an article looks interesting I only buy to support the vendor, I don’t really read any of the paper None/I don’t buy Streetvibes Other: 20. If you do not purchase Streetvibes, is there a specific reason you choose not to purchase Streetvibes? 6. What do you like most about Streetvibes? 7. What do you like least about Streetvibes? 8. Are you aware that the vendors are homeless, formerly homeless or very low-income? Yes No 9. Do you look for the vendor badge when purchasing a Streetvibes? Yes No 10. What do you think the vendors do with the money they earn? Pay rent/utilities Buy food Purchase necessities (personal hygiene products, etc.) Other: 11. Do you or have you ever paid more than $1 when purchasing a Streetvibes? Yes No 12. How much are you willing to pay for a Streetvibes paper? $1 Between 1 and 2 dollars $2 More than two dollars Other: 13. Vendors purchase the paper from the publisher for 25 cents and sell the paper for one dollar, keeping the 75 cent profit as their income. If the vendor cost of purchasing the paper was increased to 35 cents, how much would you be willing to pay for a paper? $1 $1.25 Other: 21. Do you view Streetvibes as an alternative to panhandling? Yes No Sometimes Other: 22. Streetvibes provides a new perspective on social issues in Cincinnati. Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree 23. What is your age? 24. Sex/Gender Male Female 25. What is your highest level of education? High School/GED Some College College Graduate Professional Degree 26. What is your ethnicity? African American Asian Hispanic/Latin Origin White, non-Hispanic Other: 27. What is your annual household income? $ 28. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experience reading and purchasing Streetvibes? 14. If vendors wore clothing or carried bags that identified them as Streetvibes vendors would you be: More likely to purchase the paper Less likely to purchase the paper About the same 29. Do you have any comments or suggestions for improving Streetvibes? 15. If Streetvibes developed relationships with local faith congregations that resulted in vendors being able to sell the paper after services, would you be: More likely to purchase the paper Less likely to purchase the paper About the same �STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 11 Local News 3CDC is the ‘Enemy of the Poor’ Prosecutor’s ruling fuels anger By Corey Gibson Contributing Writer A Sept. 3 protest against the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) went on as planned but with an added agenda item: the decision not to pursue felony charges against a police officer who ran over a woman lying on the grass in Washington Park. Joann Burton’s death and the decision not to seek an indictment of Cincinnati Police Officer Marty Polk are part of an ongoing “attack on people who are financially poor and/ or homeless,” according to Josh Spring, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Spring and about 20 other people gathered at 14th and Race streets to demand support for the right to fair housing, to be able to keep that housing and for equal justice when someone’s life is taken. The protest came the day after Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters announced he would not pursue felony charges against Polk. “This was originally planned as an antigentrification protest,” Spring said. “It seems what happened to Joann and what happened yesterday is kind of a symptom of the greater issue – that somehow a cop felt OK in an anonymous situation to drive over somebody’s blanket and clearly disregarding people around him, similar to when you push people out of their homes. The judicial process has done nothing about it.” Much of the protest focused on 3CDC and the city displacing poor people from their homes, from Washington Park and from Washington Park Elementary School, now closed to accommodate 3CDC’s plans for the park. One teenage protester yelled that, for “taking my school away, I hate 3CDC.” The protest also served as a memorial to Burton. “I don’t think a police officer would go into Ault Park or some park in Oakley and drive through the grass,” Spring said. “I don’t think they would be as quick to disregard the humans around them” Michael Burnham, a theater professor at the University of Cincinnati, offered a unique point-ofview of the police officer. “Here is this basically good policeman, who is caught trying to make a kind of safety, cosmetic safety,” Burnham said. “It is the police officer’s job to protect what 3CDC thinks is the park, opposed to what the people think the park is. And there is this skewed sense of what safety is. And people that live around the park say, ‘I’ve lived here all my life and it is safe.’ ” Yet police officers still drive through the park each night to inspect what people there are doing. The protest, which took place in a small abandoned lot, was adjacent to Washington Park. On the other corner is a vacant house with a small 3CDC sign hanging off the balcony. Someone once lived in those apartments, sat on that balcony, but 3CDC has bought the building and left it vacant. On another corner is the location that 3CDC has decided to build a home office. As the protest went on, workers went in and out to watch the protesters and grab tools, none seeming disturbed by people who were marching against the organization they were building for. Kelly Leon, spokeswoman for 3CDC, watched the protest from across the street. Between 15 and 20 people marched, holding signs that said, “Citizen Controlled Government,” “Stop Driving through Our Parks” and “When did we vote for 3CDC? Did we miss an election?” Chants included, “Our Kids Cannot Swim in a Dog Park” – a pointed reference to 3CDC’s plan to close the public pool in Washington Park and build a dog park. “Our voices as poor people are not heard,” said Vanessa Sparks, a resident of Over-The-Rhine. “We tried to negotiate, we tried to stick out at the table, in a trusting manner, and now we have to take our demonstration to the street. We are hopeful that the powers that be in the city will begin to listen, because we would not be out here if our voices would be heard.” Steve Sunderland, a resident of Over-theRhine and Streetvibes contributor, said 3CDC is “whitewashing the community.” “I’m for people being involved in their own neighborhoods, making decisions about their own neighborhoods, not being pushed away and not being killed because they’re poor,” he said. “That’s the outrage that is here.” Vera Zlatkin, a resident of Over-The-Rhine, carried a sign that said, “3CDC is the Enemy of the Poor.” “I think that because 3CDC is buying up a lot of property and taking the park away from the people that live here and taking homes from people who have lived here most of their lives,” she said. “It just isn’t right.” Protesters denounce 3CDC. Bradley R. Foster. Cartoon by Anne Skove �12 STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 Short Story House at the End of the Road By Spencer Ledyard Contributing Writer H e had never heard anything come from the back room until the rats had finally come into the old house, with their scurry feet and nibble teeth. There never had been any pests, no squirming silverfish or fat raisin roaches or those ever propagating fluff ball mice, as if the house was more solid and sanctified than any mortar-brick church, and he had always been proud of that. A testament to his craftsmanship. A man was nothing but things he built up, though many had made a lasting reputation tearing down. But that was all over now. There were rats in the back room and he had to trap them and bring to them death so he could live comfortably. When there had been a job for every man in the army, he had wanted to go but his job was a necessity to the war effort so he couldn’t leave. He had wanted to go but his heart hadn’t, only his brain and his sense of duty, but it didn’t matter much because he couldn’t. America with all the young men gone was a buffet, and he had many friends who could find many things: a jigger of gin here, good fabric for sewing there and maybe a movie or a grilled chicken. Little gifts to the women were the acts of a saint back then and on the Sunday afternoons, with their mothers off at church functions and their fathers putting in an extra day at the factory. … It did much good for the blood, and much harm to the soul. How did the golden sun on their long legs look so much like guilt when you were done, and planning never to see them again? Worse was the shallow bid it took to comfort the recent widow, like a lustful grim reaper and he left that scene only twice, both times tasting ashes and feeling cold, before he swore it off. The best place for rat traps was down at the hardware store, so he walked there and walked back, talking a time or two to himself, and to the faintly budding trees about how they were doing, were they feeling well, did they need anything. He had begun talking to plants when his wife died and he wanted to raise up a garden. He had first talked, though he didn’t know it, to his squash, which weren’t doing so well. He had asked what they wanted, bending and preening, turning and turning and turning over the compost, till he asked if they wanted some more fertilizer and it seemed that they did. When he gave some and they thanked him The rats wouldn't answer questions. REUTERS/Krishnendu Halder. by swelling, well … that became the thing to do. He never stopped talking any “thank you” came when it stopped wobbling on its longer when out in the garden, and he got to know own. He looked out the window. The tree outside them so well, and how to happy them. had feathered leaves, growing cool green, budding Then once, when he walked inside, he didn’t blue-white; thin, sallow bark and dense twigs like stop talking. He talked to the stoop and the door, piles of straw. He had planted it when he bought the kitchen floor and tiles, the sink, the fridge, his the lot, which he would build the house on with big and made bed. It seemed that, when things his wife. She would ramble on all day and fill the broke, they told him how to fix them and, when house up with her larking, harking, lady voice and mended, they quieted and showed their gratitude fill his ears till it drove him crazy, but he had never by working well. But these rats were another been much of a talker and there were things he business altogether and you couldn’t talk to them didn’t want to say and didn’t have to ’cause she because they ran away and didn’t listen and never gave him a chance. She didn’t know about wouldn’t help you help them. So death was the all the women and how he had felt like the grim only answer if you couldn’t ask a question, and it reaper and how he had tasted ash. She asked him was soon and never got less soon. to do things and he did them. Then she died and He set the traps and shut the door and walked he had the garden and the house and the rats back through the house, mumbling to the creaking and the quiet when he wanted it. He didn’t want floorboards and the loose door handle to the other it much anymore but he had it and he had it now bathroom and sat down at the kitchen table. He at the table, looking out the window. In the back wobbled the table a bit and smiled because the room he heard a snap. Cincinnati, Are You Crazy? The crimes we allow to happen downtown. Do we need another hotel? I don’t think so. 3CDC has bought so much property in Overthe-Rhine it should be a crime, especially the way they acquire the property. They told the former By Lee McCoy landlords, “I’ll buy this if you get rid of the tenants. Streetvibes Vendor Either evict or relocate them.” Like I said 3CDC has their fingers into everything in Over-the-Rhine incinnati, how crazy can you get? and downtown and they are so greedy. Fountain Violence is in epidemic proportions. The Square, where a street vendor is not allowed to sell proposal Sheriff Simon Leis wanted to Streetvibes for a dollar donation, but they will sell build a new jail was turned down you a bottle of beer for about $4 twice. I believe no big deal for him or better. – he just went out and bought him I would like to 3CDC has started the a brand new boat to fight crime on renovation of Washington Park to see 3CDC build the Ohio River. the tune of a whole lot of millions. something that lowBut let me tell you what: Our Now I know a lot of that came income people could sheriff knew there is more crime from a government grant but you afford, instead of on the streets of Cincinnati than on know and I know it will run over. condos and lofts. the river, unless you call squatters It will cost only the taxpayers. on the river a crime. But that’s just I always thought Washington the tip of things. Let’s look at people being set Park was a historical landmark. It’s the second free from the Hamilton County jail every month oldest park in Cincinnati. I always thought it was a because of overcrowding. The county is using sacrilege to disturb a body in a burial ground. If it fewer than half of the 565 ankle bracelets used to is, somebody forgot to tell 3CDC it’s a crime. put people on home arrest. I would like to see 3CDC build something that Not only are people being released without low-income people could afford, instead of condos oversight, but each ankle bracelet costs tax payers and lofts. whether they are used or not. Cincinnati, are you Cincinnati, you’re so crazy. You had nothing else crazy? It’s like telling someone I’m trying; and better to do so you pick on the panhandlers again. it isn’t a lie, but the problem is you’re trying but Now they have to be on their feet to get money. failing. Also our sheriff knew he was going to get That the craziest law I ever heard. a new jail. No jobs – what are people going to do The Drop Inn Center has been on 12th Street for but turn to crime now? He’ll get his new jail. Just a years. Its founder, Buddy Gray, was the man. He matter of time. was a champion fighter. I remember it to be a soup There’s a lot of stupidity going around in kitchen where you could come in get something Cincinnati these days. A lot. And if you see it, then to eat and get some help. Not anymore. You have you’re not the only Lone Ranger in Cincinnati. to be a resident to enter the building. Now they Now, let’s look at a real master criminal, 3CDC. have fired the executive director, Pat Clifford, for Forcing people out of their home – the tenants no given reason. Hell, you didn’t even give him a of Metropole – so they can add another hotel reason. Pat Clifford was no Buddy Gray but I have C to pat Pat Clifford on the back for all he has done over the years he has put in. Well done, Pat. Well done. I wish you well in whatever you do next. Cincinnati, here is another crime. You have tried everything to move the Drop Inn Center. I guess you came up with the perfect crime, putting the School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) next door. All the tricks and hoops the Drop Inn Center has had to jump through, and they still have to move. Where? Your guess is better than mine. Oh yeah, did I mention 3CDC has offered to relocate the Drop Inn Center? Mighty big of you, but I think you have a trick up your sleeve. “Trick no good.” Seems like the city of Cincinnati, with all the billions of dollars that you have invested in – just to name a few – renovations of Fountain Square, Washington Park, SCPA, Paul Brown Stadium, Great American Ballpark, you would think you would have put enough up to keep the pools open for our children. I remember when the people used to be able to say what should be what and shouldn’t be, but just like the seven hills of Cincinnati, you have the seven corporations. They are Procter & Gamble, Kroger Co., Federated Department Stores, Fifth-Third Bank Corp., Western & Southern Financial, American Financial Corp. and E.W. Scripps, and they support our city government with campaign contributions. We the people can’t match the money they pour in but we vote and we remember. You used to say, “Come on down and see what’s up downtown.” I can’t afford to come downtown anymore. Parking has gone from $1 an hour to – are you crazy? – $2 an hour. That’s another crime. Raise your voice, Cincinnati, and be heard. Let’s do away with these crimes. A voice is priceless. Maybe if you speak up, your voice might be heard, might count. Only if you don’t act, don’t speak, don’t show up – then it doesn’t count. �STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 Essay Contest 13 Common Sense and Civility By Keith E. Craun Contributing Writer T here are so many problems in the United States that it is difficult to decide where to begin. The wealthiest country in the world should not have this much poverty nor this much disparity between the rich and the poor. We have too many people addicted to too many things – not just drugs, but alcohol, porn, gambling, junk food; and the list goes on. For a nation that started with the cry of “No taxation without representation,” our tax structure is unbelievably complicated and designed to favor those who pay to have it written. Our prisons are overcrowded either because we are too cheap to build more prisons or because we send too many people there for crimes that should be handled with hospitalization or halfway houses or some other way. So which problem would I choose to handle first? None of these. I think that the biggest problems in this country are lack of civil discourse and lack of common sense. I used to tell people that common sense was the least common thing in America today, followed closely by common courtesy. We have to learn to speak to each other without all of the shouting and demonizing language. We have to recognize that most people are not on the extreme right (those God-fearing, pro-life, prodeath penalty, cut taxes for the rich, tough on crime, National Rifle Association life members). Nor are most people on the extreme left (those socialist/communist, pro-choice, soft on crime, pot smoking, let the government take care of us, nonpatriots). For instance, I know a person who is patriotic enough to have Can we all agree that, when our government spends more than served honorably in the U.S. Army (101st Airborne, thank you a penny to make a penny, then it is time to stop making pennies? very much). He believes that abortion should be legal but very No business in this or any other country would continue to sell rare, and he believes that we are smart enough to be able to make something for less than it costs to make. That’s just common laws and incentives to make that happen. He believes that we sense. should be tough on crime. But he also believes that, if tobacco This is where I think we should start. We should all contact our and alcohol can be legal and heavily taxed, then marijuana elected representatives and demand that the U.S. government should also be legal and heavily taxed. He and his wife are both stop making pennies. I’m not suggesting that we get rid of college-educated. Yet it takes them about 30 hours each year pennies and round everything up to a nickel. I’m suggesting to get their tax papers organized, to send them to the guy who that we stop making them but keep using them. If the American charges them a couple hundred people really want to use pennies dollars, to get them ready to send then we can take them out from to the IRS. So he believes that we under the sofa or out of the jar need the “Fair Tax,” which would by the front door or wherever basically abolish the income tax you keep yours. Heck, the and give us a national sales tax. government could even authorize He believes that the government the banks to buy pennies back ‘Streetvibes’ essay contest should be fiscally responsible, but from us one day a month for he has not seen it in his lifetime. $1.05 per 100 pennies and it Two readers recently suggested Streetvibes hold an So, I ask, which category does would still be cheaper than what essay contest on the theme, “How to Improve Our this guy fit into? And can we the government spends to make Country.” They donated money for three prizes; $100 discuss this guy without shouting them. for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third down his positions? Pretty simple. And we can all place. So how do we solve the twin agree on this one small thing The rules called for writing about a single problem problems of lack of civil discourse without shouting at each other facing the United States and proposing a solution. and lack of common sense? We or bringing our other beliefs into The winner of the contest is Keith Craun of have to go to a level of common the discussion. Then, once we Alexandria, Ky., whose essay appears on this page. sense on which we can all agree do that, we might realize that Craun was the only person who participated in the and discuss it with civility. Then we have common ground on contest. This in no way diminishes the quality of his we can move up to harder and something else and we can solve essay. It does, however, touch on the very issue that harder problems. another small problem. Next motivated the contest in the first place: the decline Common sense is very hard to thing you know, we are caring of participation in civil society. Craun’s essay fittingly get to. Common sense, to me, says about the nation and not just our touches on that subject. that our tax structure should be own little plot. – Gregory Flannery, Editor understandable enough for our Well, we don’t all agree on even high school graduates to be able this small thing. If we ask our to fill out their own tax forms in 10 representatives to stop making hours or less. Other people want to keep all of the deductions we pennies – even for just a couple of years – the lobbyists for the presently have and all of the lobbyists we presently have, so we zinc and copper mines, who sell the metals to the mint, are going can’t start there. to try to stop this small idea. But I say we do it anyway. I simply Common sense, to me, says that, if marijuana use and sales can’t think of any smaller level that we can reach for common were legal and taxed, we would have better control of it, have less sense and civil discourse to take root in our government. crowding in our jails, increase our tax revenues and even create By the way, I am in my 50s and have never once smoked or jobs. But there are way too many people who cannot be swayed used marijuana in any way. And yet I know that, when some of on this subject, so we can’t start there. my friends read this essay, they will want to argue some of my I have an idea for the level of common sense where we can at points. least get started. I hope they are civil. How to Improve Our Country If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. �14 Poetry Page Hammock: Early September Sundress By Lea Drury some house somewhere once i lived so many figs hung-in branches low and heavy, ripe with fruit’s sweet jam and crawling long her wrist his long chin resting crushing blackberry-pulp purples, smeared, mirroring the shade of a sleepy sun. i was a murderess Between young trees. REUTERS/Ajay Verma. my pockets full as the night i’d run away to Madeline, she knowing how figs and berries reached. i’d pluck them STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 My Heart Can’t Take the Beating By Josh McConnell Streetvibes Vendor All my life I've searched, and yet I've not found. Searching for answers, longing for love. Scouring the earth to find what's not yet been found. I came close a time or two, I've had my heart broken once before and now it's broken again once more. Scared to give up, scared to continue my quest and discovering further disappointments. Scared to quit for I may die if I do. I've attended a mass and found the perfect match, maybe too perfect for me, it's too unclear to tell. I'm in a lot of pain, almost too unbearable to endure. By Anne Skove i’d drop four in my big stained pockets; yes i would tell her how, with all the fruit my hands could smash. Swaddled like a baby in a low sling, high grass tickles her back. Rockabye between young trees. The air smells of wood smoke. I've been betrayed I’ve been hurt by everyone I've ever loved. I wish to God I didn't have a conscience, because with conscience comes with feelings and I’ve had just about as much as I can take. I wish I was in Love, Branches creak, heavy with hard pears. Wasps lie in wait. I wish someone would Love me back. Laughter of Women By Elisa Hill Laughter of women is a universal language. One understood by all. It’s like that day when you shed no more tears. Or that moment you realize that the love you have for yourself is real. The laughter brings peace to the heart. It’s a motion that starts you to seeing stars. Laughter is that lover you hold in a dream. If for only one moment it is so real you believe. Laughter has side effects like euphoria, feeling like your floating or on a great natural high. Laughter gets colder when there is mal intent inside. Laughter of women is heaven sent. It says your OK and that you deserve this moment. I am grateful for laughter in those rare moments of calm. Laughter is that recipe to good health and happiness for all. So I implore you to laugh tonight in the still of the night. I want you to all laugh even though you may want to cry. God gave us that right to show we too are alive. Why does Love have to be so complicated, why does it have to hurt so much? I wish I was dead, I wish I was alive. I don't know anymore, but what I do know is that my heart can't take the beating anymore. The Men By David S. Pointer It wasn’t a box car supper social They weren’t exchanging job leads A badger-haired hooligan rammed The yard bull into a cattle horned Hat rack for ruining the fish soup The men trampled egg wire baskets And pumpkin goulash trying for a train Letter to the Editor Enjoy this Ride To the Editor: It will be a sad day if them damn Republicans can continue their lunacy that doesn't do anything to improve the state of our Nation domestically. And Republican leadership has offered nothing in the benefit of normal people. We are the ones who are suffering and unfortunately too many times so gullible to believe in the programs of those who are not. That trickle-down B.S. has never happened. They have jobs and lots of money – most times in the millions. They are lying. They don't care about you if you make less than $200,000 a year. Our President Barack Obama and this Democratic Congress will continue to do what is best for our nation by building again the middle class and small business. Open your eyes and stop looking for failure. Sit back and enjoy this ride. And once again don’t you dare let those idiots have this country back. We get to have eight years to enjoy the Age of Obama. That is my opinion. This nation must prove the media pundits and the Tea Party wrong. All Democrats and independents with any Republicans that have good sense will vote Democratic in 2010. Do so without worry. It is a secret ballot. Walter Madison Washington Jr. Over-the-Rhine Have something on your mind? Want to comment on an article? Let us know: 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvibes2@yahoo.com �15 Resources STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 381-SAFE 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 535-2719 591-2246 762-5660 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 872-9259 Treatment: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House Shelter: Men Prospect House Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) Treatment: Both 761-1480 AA Hotline CCAT Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 961-4663 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 621-6364 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women Off The Streets 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 Hamilton/Middletown 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Northern Kentucky Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 471-1100 221-3350 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4080 721-0643 241-2600 241-2563 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 458-6670 977-4489 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Treatment: Women 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-2256 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 558-8888 981-5800 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 661-4620 Shelter: Both 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 921-1613 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic Other Resources 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 241-5525 City Gospel Mission 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Crossroad Health Center 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Brighton Center 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES September 15 - 30, 2010 Instead of Pollution, Recycled Art Roscoe Wilson creates from what exists “For me, to be an artist is to be an activist. They are not separate. For the past 15 years I have made work that consistently raises concerns about over-consumption, waste, destruction of our environment, big coal and big oil. My work investigates broader issues to draw people in to take a closer look.” - Roscoe Wilson A Wisconsin residents and environmental pioneers John Muir and Aldo Leopold. From the start Wilson’s work addressed as nature, how it is being affected and destroyed by our consumerBy Saad Ghosn oriented, industrialized Contributing Writer society, but also how it can be protected and enriched, contributing oscoe Wilson, a local artist and associate to a better life. professor of art at Miami University“If we treat our world Hamilton, grew up in rural northern well, the world will treat Indiana and southern Michigan. He lived most of us well and we’ll end Roscoe Wilson. Saad Ghosn. his life in close contact with nature, surrounded up treating each other by water, trees, woods and animals. This shaped better,” he says. trees, magnificent expression of nature on earth, his environmental values as he learned to love From his first year of college and throughout but also vulnerable to human destruction and the earth, its beauty and poetry, the materials graduate school Wilson was encouraged, in victim of polluting waste. Having a Ball represents composing it, its inhabitants. addition to design, to think of content. He probed a dead tree, result of urban construction/ “Growing up in nature enabled me to develop inside himself, connecting to his childhood and destruction. Last Stand speaks to industrial insult, past experiences, and researched his themes and an awareness only a forest, lake, field, can offer,” nature bulldozed away, replaced by degraded grabbed at historical references. His art came he says. earth. Oil Field, another painting from the same from a personal place, but at the same time took a In college, even though destined to create series, shows a destitute landscape of black oil universal dimension, adding to his own symbols art, he spent significant time studying biology, drums, suffocating a decaying, barren, leafless imagery and concepts borrowed form books and discovering the secrets behind the function of the tree. On the trunk of the tree are remnants of a nature. He repeatedly referred, for instance, to the natural world. child’s tree-house, alluding to the innocence of mayfly, an insect that emerges every six years from childhood disappearing, pushed away from its Wilson started drawing at a very young age. a larval form under water to live for only 24 hours, Very early on and influenced by his father and natural source and habitat. The dead branches of thus alluding to the hidden world behind what one the tree are shown taking over the entire sky and grandfather, he also made and built things out of sees every day. wood and recycled material. These experiences horizon, replacing life with death, obstructing the Concerned by the big waste characteristic of served as his initial engagement into the arts. future. Wilson meant his image as an apocalyptic He later attended Wabash College, Indiana, our consuming culture, and having developed a landscape of the never-ending wasteful great appreciation for natural materials, his art earning a bachelor’s degree in art and biology, consumption. Started before the recent BP oil was often based on found objects, rusty nails, then Purdue University, earning a master of spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it proved prophetic in prints printed on discarded boxes, paintings on arts degree in painting/printmaking, and the its realism and message. Wilson is now preparing recovered wooden lathes. His sculptures and University of Wisconsin (UW), earning a master a tapestry installation of prints of oil drums, one large installations would also often use collected of fine arts degree focusing on printmaking, print for each day the BP spill lasted; they will be bottle caps and cardboard boxes, arranged and sculptural installation and painting. While at pinned up together in a large piece, ominously organized to initially draw the viewer by their UW, he studied the history of environmentalism invading the entire display space. vibrant colors, large scale and esoteric appeal, and drew inspiration for his artwork from former While teaching, Wilson also engages his then to trigger deeper questioning and students to think about the various issues that understanding. concern him and the world. He does it either by Instead of making new things, Wilson discussing works of established artists who have gave new life to things that had already raised consciousness through their art or by giving existed, thus not adding pollution to the students assignments based on specific topics. world and reaffirming his message of As a mentor to the students’ ecology club and in charge of their art club, he uses both venues to “reduce, reuse, minimally consume.” integrate art with environmental awareness. In addition to his “art recycling” and Wilson will continue to use his art as his voice distressed by the large amount of “trash” for the protection of the environment. He wants thrown away at parties he attended, to read more, learn more, connect with similarly Wilson started a widespread recycling concerned individuals, add to the debate and program at his college, involving other make a change. Coal, mountaintop removal in students, friends and later family. strip mining and, the origin and culture of food Waste and recycling aside, Wilson are topics he would like to explore more and became progressively interested address in his artworks. He feels that most social in broader themes, those of the and political issues relate to the environment, are environment, polluting energies, interconnected and stem from the same roots. climate changes. The deleterious effect “Art is an important expression of who I am,” he on the planet of burning coal, oil and says. “It is a continued synthesis of my experiences natural gas; the devastating result of and beliefs, and as such carries and communicates oil spills on the ecosystem; and the my messages. I love the earth and want to preserve green potential of alternative sources of it; I want my art to shake our apathy for the energy – solar, wind and geothermal – degrading environment. Our backyards, deserts, preoccupied him and found their way oceans, have become receptacles for waste to into his art. Oil Field, graphite and oil painting by Roscoe Wilson. dump, spill, and leak into our lives. It has to stop.” His Tree series consists of paintings Saad Ghosn. that address the beauty and majesty of rtists ctivists R Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � 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 2010 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 15-31, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: The Business of Changing Lives Death Comes for Unit One Pg 2: Don’t Drink the Tea Pg 3: The Way Unit 1 Came to Her Death Continued Pg 4: Anna Louise Gets a Makeover Pg 5: Dems and GOP Say, ‘Stay Away’ Pg 6: Homeless Families on the Rise Education is a Start, But Laws Work Pg 7: Somewhere in Northside Pg 8: “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long…” Pg 9: The Business of Changing Lives Pg 10: Reader Survey Pg 11: 3CDC is the ‘Enemy of the Poor’ Pg 12: House at the End of the Road Cincinnati, Are You Crazy? Pg 13: Common Sense and Civility Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Instead of Pollution, Recycled Art 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 15-31, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Georgia Bohannon Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Corey Gibson Jeni Jenkins Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Jesse Call Michael Fanning B. Clifton Burke Aimie Willhoite Anne Skove Vinit Murthy Jon Hughes Brad Foster Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF 3CDC Aimie Willhoite Anna Louise Anne Skove Art Arts & Poetry B. Clifton Burke Brad Foster Cincinnati Corey Gibson David Heitfield Democrats education Eli Braun Georgia Bohannon GOP Gregory Flannery Jeni Jenkins Jeremy Flannery Jesse Call Jon Hughes Larry Gross Lew Moores Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Michael Fanning Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Northside Paul Kopp Pollution Recycling Roscoe Wilson Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Vinit Murthy https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/f717316b1f90d7d0c6dadee81def3f48.pdf 747d65500d11930206d7f6d7c232b00c PDF Text Text S e p t e m b e r 1 9 t h - O c t o b e r 3 r d 2 0 1 9 | Vo l . 2 3 I s s u e 1 8 ( N o . 4 1 5 ) advo cating justice | building communit y Any opinions in this issue are of the authors and don't necessarily represent Streetvibes or The Homeless Coalition. ispanic H Heritage Month Special Edition This Issue is sponsored by (Retired) Judge Mark P. Painter Find previous issues of Streetvibes online at: cincistreetvibes.com Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 113 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvoice | 12 �2 COALITION N o v 219 - N v 19, 0 18 || No. N o . 416 393 Sept - oOct 3, 22019 From The Editor: Spotlighting The Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center Gabriela Godinez Editor-in-chief The Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center (CIWC) an organization located at Peaslee Neighborhood Center and has been up and running since 2005. Their goal is to, according to their website, “give low-income workers from all walks of life the opportunity to creatively challenge the power 
relationships with their employers and improve their 
working terms and conditions.” They strive to build community and give them the “tools and support they need to transform their workplaces.” With a staff on only three people, this organization is still seen as an important part of the Cincinnati community. One of their major projects at the moment and in the past years is educating workers through Safety Now For All. In the United States, workplace injuries are going down in the general population, but within the Latinx community injuries are actually going up. Many companies provide job safety courses, but rarely are there any available in Spanish. Safety Now For All works to provide those valuable resources for Spanish speaking workers. Right now, centerpiece is construction. High paying construction jobs are not accessible for Spanish speakers because of the ten-hour OSHA training that is needed. If the worker gets a translator, that training Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by individuals experiencing homelessness or on the edge of homelessness, in exchange for a $2.00 Donation. Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati. 113 East 12th St. Cincinnati OH, 45202 Ph: 513.421.7803 FAX: 513.421.7813 WEB: www.cincihomeless.org www.cincistreetvibe.com requirement goes up to 20 hours because of the assumption that it takes twice the time to get the same training done with a translator in the middle. That is obviously ridiculous and the CIWC agrees. Part of their mission is to provide a 10-hour OSHA training once a month in Spanish, the key to unlocking higher paying jobs. Workers union leaders can easily find out when that training is, and send their union to this resource. Individuals who are not a part of a union can also join in on the sessions. Another way the CIWC is involved in the Latinx community is through Unidos Ganamos. President Trump in reality is deporting fewer people than Obama, but still is creating a higher level of fear and hate within the Latinx population along with other minorities. Something that the CIWC believes is helpful in alleviating some of that fear is the ability to prepare. Similar to having a home evacuation plan in case of a fire might give you peace of mind, the CIWC wants to help those in fear of deportation regain the sense of control in their lives. Their hope is that other organizations that have community members that are vulnerable to the threat of deportation will come to the CIWC’s sessions. They want to create a culture of commitment within those organizations and communities that says, “One of our community members won’t get deported without a fight.” However, the CIWC made it clear that they will not force this sort of campaign on anyone. If a campaign is necessary to keep you with your family that is what the center will help you do, but if you don’t want to be in the center of any sort of battle the center will support you through that as well. That is a common theme that can be seen throughout all the projects the CIWC has. They want to provide resources to vulnerable and underrepresented communities, not be saviors. They don’t want people to sit and wait for superman, because he isn’t coming. The CIWC does not only provide communities with tools that they are often systemically and institutionally denied, but they also want to provide empowerment by cultivating a movement to fight your own fights in solidarity with others. One of the main ways to do so is by providing vital education, whether it be The CIWC from left to right: Magda Orlander, Brennan Grayson, Manuel Perez in English or in Spanish. treetvibes is distributed by individuals who purchase the paper for 75 cents per copy and sell it for a $2.00 donation, keeping the profit they have earned. Becoming a Distributor is a great way for individuals who are financially poor to get back on (or stay on) their feet. This program provides supplemental income for those unable to secure other employment. Money earned helps meet basic housing, food and health care needs. The program is a hand up for people who are often in a place of getting only a hand out, or even no hand at all. All Distributors wear a badge and usually a vest and can be found selling the paper in Downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northside, Northern Kentucky and at area churches. S THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED EMAIL: streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Editor-in-chief: Gabriela Godinez Feregrino Executive Director: Josh Spring Director of Development: Mona Jenkins Director of Education: Dr. Mark Mussman Volunteer Editors: Katelyn Lusher, Chris Wilkey Distributor Program Manager: Sallie Mascus Layout: Gabriela Godinez Feregrino Reception: Bonita Batton, Larry Johnson Maintenance: Pete Roper ------------------------------------------CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Writers: Gabriela Godinez, Bill Woods, Tony Inglis, Sarah Hansell, Erick Stoll, Carmen Arroyo, Dr. Mark Mussman, Robert T. Walker, Emilio Godoy, Bobby Morris, Kim Green ------------------------------------------Photography/ Artwork: Gabriela Godinez, INSP.com, ---------------------------------------------Thank You For Reading Streetvibes And Supporting Our Mission To Build Community And Advocate Justice. Streetvibes and The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition do not endorse candidates for public office. �No. 39 3 |- N ov 23, - N o v 19, 2 0 18 Sept 19 Oct 2019 | No. 416 3 HOMELESSNESS Introducing Peatón - Peru’s first street paper Tony Inglis Peatón L ast weekend (Friday 5 July) marked the first time a street paper was sold on the streets of Peru. Peatón [or “pedestrian” – that is, someone who walks on the street – which is subtitled with “deambulando y creando”, meaning “wandering and creating”] is a brand new publication which seeks to empower homeless and unemployed individuals in Peru to earn an income. Bought by vendors for 1.95 nuevos soles [around 50p] and sold to readers for 4 nuevos soles [about £1], Peatón is a bimonthly street paper, and can be found in the north-western Peruvian city of Piura, the hometown of its founder, Jorge Ledesma. Ledesma tells INSP that, even though he was initially unaware of the street paper movement, he fell in love with the idea once he came across it. “It started last year when I had to quit my job and started taking photographs, which I found therapeutic,” says Ledesma. “I was an amateur photographer, but I decided I wanted to study the art more seriously. One day, I went out with a class to walk the streets of downtown Lima [Peru’s capital]. We stumbled upon the reality of homeless people living on the streets around the city. Others in the group were taking pictures and even posting them to social media. I was very frustrated with this. It seemed like a breach of their privacy and wrong to just take photos simply for likes.” Ledesma explains that, soon after, he was scrolling through his Twitter timeline and came across the story of a young Argentinian girl who was in a desperate situation, due to a lack of housing and work, and was looking for help. “It was [Argentinian street paper] Hecho en Bs. As. that gave her a quick response to her problem,” explains Ledesma. “I was immediately interested in investigating more about the work of street papers. I had been thinking about creating a magazine for my pictures, though not necessarily a street paper. When I saw this, I fell in love with the [street paper] project – it was love at first sight.” Now, that initial spark has become a reality. Working with a friend and colleague, Mahira Vásquez, Ledesma has been talking with those living on the streets of Piura since March about becoming vendors. Sales of the street paper kicked off at the weekend with its first two vendors: Olga and Eremia. Each was initially given five free copies to sell. “Olga has been living on the streets for 20 years,” says Ledesma. “She has no parents or family, and is well known in the city. Selling Peatón was the first time that she had been able to earn money without begging.” Peatón was set up in Piura mainly out of convenience for Ledesma, who is devoting all his time and energy to creating the publication and recruiting vendors. But his vision for the magazine is wider. “We decided that those who will benefit from Peatón won’t just be those experiencing homelessness, but also those struggling to find a job. We are lucky in Piura that there isn’t as much of a problem with homelessness as in other Peruvian cities, like Lima. I hope that the project will eventually be replicated there.” Content-wise, Peatón is an incredibly visual street paper, including vivid art and photographs about the local surroundings. Ledesma pays tribute to Mexico’s Mi Valedor, which he says is the “street paper that most influences us in our style and resources”. Ledesma is working with communications students at the local university to create articles, stories, poetry and other content for future editions of the magazine. Ledesma also paid special tribute to Fernando Vidal, editor-in-chief of Uruguayan street paper Factor S, who, suddenly and unexpectedly, passed away in April. Fernando had been intimately involved in assisting Ledesma with getting Peatón started, which is testament to his kindness, and his passion for street papers and their continued existence and sustainability in Latin America. “I want to emphasise the help we had from Fernando. Across all the months leading up to the release of the magazine, he helped us a lot – more than a lot – to make this project a reality,” says Ledesma. Thanks to Fernando, Peatón was invited to a meeting of organisations in Latin America working to end homelessness, held in Santiago, Chile. The first issue of Peatón THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED This also opened Ledesma’s eyes to the issue of homelessness in Peru, and how little available information there is about it. “When we went to Santiago, we did in-depth research on homelessness in Peru. We couldn’t find any concrete numbers – it was very frustrating. “We found that there are some programmes that provide assistance to homeless people, but I think the government knows this is not enough. Corruption in Latin American countries is very big, and the street situation is not really on the agenda. I don’t want to criticise welfare support, but it’s not the solution. There are no government models in Peru that give people the chance to earn an income.” Now a member of INSP, Peatón is able to benefit from the network’s shared knowledge and resources and INSP’s array of member services which, Ledesma says, have already been vital. “It is a blessing to be a part of the network,” he says. “It’s an honour to be involved in this international movement, and without INSP’s resources, we wouldn’t have been able to make the paper.” After a tough year for Ledesma personally, he is feeling rejuvenated by Peatón, which he has thrown his whole weight behind making a success, and hopes that it will, in turn, help others too. “After a difficult time, creating the street paper has become my life project. What it does for others [by providing an income] will just be a way for me to give back. Peatón, literally, saved my life.” Courtesy of INSP.ngo �4 ADVERTISMENT THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED NSept o v 2 19 - N-oOct v 19,3, 2 2019 0 18 | |NNo. o . 393 416 �NSept o. 3919 3 | -NOct ov 2 3, - N2019 o v 19, 2 0 18 | No. 416 5 U.S NEWS Mental health is not just “a white person thing” Sarah Hansell Street Roots D ior Vargas is a Latina feminist mental health activist whose work has appeared in publications such as Forbes, Newsweek and The Guardian, and whose many awards include her being named the White House Champion of Change for Disability Advocacy Across Generations. But in 2014, before any of this, she was searching for a way to be more active in mental health advocacy, which was something that she related to deeply as a result of being the survivor of multiple suicide attempts made while she was a child and young adult. Vargas began doing online research on mental health and she found image after image of white people, especially white women, looking sad and overwhelmed. “I thought, I live with mental illness, but I’m not like that all the time, and I don’t want people to think that’s how I feel all the time,” Vargas says. “It is a reality for a lot of people, but again, there weren’t people from my community that I saw in those images and articles.” Vargas wanted to create a space that showed a different reality; one that showed that mental illnesses were not just a “white person thing”, as she had been raised to believe. And with that, the People of Color and Mental Illness Photo Project was born. The first photo featured in the project’s work is one of Vargas holding a piece of cardboard that reads: “My name is Dior Vargas and I have major depressive disorder.” From there, the photos flooded in – of people of color holding pieces of paper proclaiming their name and mental illness. Vargas visited Portland in September, where she joined 10 other women speaking at Grit and Grace Multicultural Women’s Health Conference. The Sept. 28 event, put on by ASHA International, looked at mental health issues through a genderspecific lens and sought to “inspire, educate and empower women to take charge of their mental health and cultivate resilience and well-being”, according to the organization’s website. At the event, the women shared their personal experiences, as well as discussing studies on mental health topics such as living with bipolar disorder, the impact of displacement on mental health, and the role of hormones in mental health. Street Roots: How do you think your photo project helps subvert stigma about mental health in communities of color? Dior Vargas: I think it’s helpful because it gave people an opportunity to really think about their experience with mental illness, to see other people that looked like them, and find a point of relation. For example, if someone wrote on their sign, “I have seen therapists and they weren’t understanding of my identity or my culture and it made it hard to go back, and it didn’t make my experience fulfilling,” to be able to see that and say, “Oh my God, I went through the same thing.” It made people feel like they weren’t alone, both the people who were in the project and also people who just happened to see the project, who used the link to discuss these issues online and also to discuss the issues with friends and, I think even more importantly, their family members. I think it was something that wasn’t really discussed, especially given the idea that mental illness was seen as a white person thing. So being able to show that link to their family members and say, “Hey, we may think that it’s a white person thing, but there are so many people via this link that can say otherwise.” So it’s a way for them to start the conversation, to start thinking differently about this topic and, finally, to kind of find their voice and create their own narrative when it comes to this experience. There’s some pretty alarming statistics out there in terms of mental health and communities of color, such as Latina teens having a high rate of suicide attempts in the United States. Why do you think that rate is so high? I think there are many things at play when it comes to that. I think being a Latina – where you are kind of experiencing a border culture, where you grew up in a family that might be very traditional, very set in their cultural norms, and very communityand family-oriented – and then you’re living in, let’s say, the United States, or for me, New York, it can be challenging. The United States can be very individualistic: there is this idea that you have to take care of yourself and you pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. There are all these ideas when it comes to the United States that are, I think, at odds with communities of color and their cultures. Especially for the Latino community, where everything is about family and family comes first, and there’s not much room for independence. Basically, everything you do is through the context of your family. So, to be at odds with both of those cultures and wanting to be your own person and be independent – but also feeling like being independent is at the cost of you being a good family member or being a good daughter – can be really hard. There’s also just the idea that if you’re a woman in the Latino community, there are these really strict guidelines: there are these cultural ideas and cultural norms that are placed upon you. You have to be ladylike, or you have to look a certain way, or you have to behave a certain way. There are a lot of things when it comes to appearances. If you’re not portraying yourself in the best light, it reflects on your family and your upbringing. Having all those things at play – especially when it comes to mothers and daughters – can be a very complicated relationship. It’s often the experience of women in Latina families that they may not be able to be their true selves. That really has an impact on family relationships. All of those things really impact on one’s experience and just wanting to kind of escape from that – just feeling so overwhelmed and depressed and sad and not seeing an out – I think that’s what can lead to attempted suicide. We know that lack of insurance and language issues are barriers that prevent communities of color from accessing mental health services. What other barriers do you see, or have you yourself experienced, when it comes to accessing services or support for mental health for members of communities of color? It’s one thing to not have access to insurance to get the care you need. But then there are some individuals who do have access, in that they’re able to make an appointment, but what happens during that appointment? I mentioned an example about going to a therapist and not getting adequate care in the sense that, for the whole session, you end up talking about your culture as a way to educate the therapist so they can treat you, when really that’s something a therapist should be doing on their own. I think also racism can be a huge part of it… specifically for AfricanAmericans. Because of racism, health professionals are more likely to more severely diagnose them because of their idea of, let’s say, African-American men being violent. Racial bias can really affect how professionals treat their patients. Also, there’s societal stigma, and community and family stigma. [When it comes to] the idea of seeking help, a lot of times people see it as a sign of weakness: if you can’t take care of your THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Photo by Norman Jean Roy own issue, then you need help, and people see therapy as complaining to someone. There are a lot of ideas that are behind therapy where they think if you can’t solve your own problems, you’re weak and you should keep those issues at home and not talk to a complete stranger. And then things like immigration status come into play. A lot of people are undocumented. They’re afraid if they do seek the help that they really need, they’ll be deported. There are so many things at play that prevent people from getting the help they need before they even go to the doctor’s office. There are also some pretty alarming statistics for women in general, such as women being much more likely than men to experience depression. What comes to mind as to what can be done differently to protect and support young women, especially young women of color? [I’m thinking about] domestic violence and how that has an impact on a woman’s health. I’m also thinking about societal norms and how women are supposed to behave and how they might feel trapped [in terms of the fact that] they are in this very narrow “box” of how they should be. In terms of how to address that, there needs to be better support of women. There needs to be a change in the way people think about women and mental health. A lot of times people will dismiss women and say that they’re crazy or they’re dramatic. Basically, such women just feel shut down. If they’re automatically pigeonholed into this idea that they are emotional and that their emotions take over things in a negative way, it’s hard for them to feel like their needs are being respected or taken seriously. I think there need to be multiple forms of support in order for women to be able to express those feelings. Courtesy of Street Roots / INSP.ngo �LOCAL 6 NSept o v 2 19 - N -o vOct 19,3, 20 18 | |NNo. o . 393 2019 416 A Warning To Political Activists - A Need To Pay Attention To A News Media Both Under Attack And In Decline Bill Woods Contributing Writer Citizens who are concerned about the democratic process in this country need to be worried about the ways people now receive their information about government and politics. Furthermore, they also should be concerned about President Trump's attacks on the news media and his efforts to portray as fraudulent any reporting that is critical of him or his Administration. Founding Fathers such as Thomas Jefferson wrote about the importance of a free press as an institution necessary to keep government accountable to citizens. On the contrary, Trump has labeled the news media as "public enemy number one," and he constantly calls "fake news" any article or on-air report that presents a factual case that fails to portray his Administration in a favorable light. This almost daily effort by the Administration to discredit professional journalists and the news media in general comes at a time of transition and decline for traditional sources of news. In the last fifty years, the number of daily newspapers keeping us informed has shrunk dramatically, and many that still exist have reduced their size and content. Furthermore, national news magazines such as Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, and Time have folded or ceased publishing on a weekly basis. At one point, this decline of print journalism could be blamed on television, but today, fewer and fewer people watch nightly TV-news. For a number of years, however, the news hour, 6:00 to 7:00P.M, was a major source of information about national and world events for a majority of Americans. People with different views and political persuasions shared the same news as it was translated by NBC, CBS and ABC. Americans heard and generally accepted the same set of facts even if they differed about how these facts should be addressed by governments or other institutions. This common sharing of facts and trust for the broadcasters and writers of these facts was hugely beneficial in a large nation made up of diverse people and views. This is a factor that is largely missing from U.S. society today. The trend in recent times is to treat especially television news as entertainment. A second trend is to market programs that feature government and political coverage to viewers or listeners with a particular bias rather than to the general public. Thus the emergence of Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and MSNBC. These outlets package the news to cater to liberal, conservative, and right wing audiences. Straight factual reporting makes way for packaging facts to fit a particular point of view. Part of this trend is conservative talk radio. These stations, which are proliferating across the country, use the format of a local call in program where listeners offer their views. These programs are usually emceed by a "no nonsense" white male who mocks "political correctness" while showing distaste for most domestic spending by government. These stations offer a pro-white, antiintellectual, grassroots conservatism on a daily basis. In the long run, the explosion of social media has probably done the greatest damage to the retention of a healthy news media that is trusted and used by a large general audience. From Face Book, Twitter Accounts, and a host of specialized Web sites, people pass along their opinions and biases without ever having their facts checked or confronting a well argued opposite opinion. Recent studies have documented how racism, white nationalism, and violent rhetoric have flourished on various sites. At best, social media as used by average people does not encourage fact-based renderings of what is happening in the nation or the world. This article has not painted a very healthy picture of the news media in the U.S. What positive examples still exist? National Public Radio (NPR) provides in-depth, unbiased, and diverse national and world news every day (as does Public Television). People who read The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, or U.S.A. Today on a regular basis obtain a solid groundwork to know what is going on in government and politics. In most large cities, residents have at least one daily newspaper, but these publications range widely in terms of quality. Usually these existing newspapers also have online versions. In addition, weekly and bi-weekly publications such as City Beat, The Business Courier, and StreetVibes have emerged in many cities. These new ventures provide their limited readerships with more information about certain issues that are not covered regularly or in any depth by daily papers like The Cincinnati Enquirer or local TV-news. For instance, StreetVibes, keeps readers informed about homelessness, affordable housing, and other social and political justice issues. This article seeks not to depress readers, but to offer an overview of what political reformers are up against at a time when many people are not on the same wavelength in terms of the news they receive. Every effort must be made to preserve those reliable and credible news sources that still exist. Publications, programs, and individual journalists working to provide unbiased, fact based, in-depth news must be supported and protected from attacks to discredit them. Further, creative minds need to tackle the challenge of how to create a 21st Century equivalent of news resources that will bring us together on critical issues such as climate change that can only be addressed by "we the people." Criminalization of Existence Dr. Mark Mussman Staff Writer Last night, as I was preparing dinner, I heard police sirens outside of my window. My neighbors were celebrating a birthday behind their building, away from the street — dancing, playing cards, socializing, and watching the children play. It was a joyous occasion, with Stevie Wonder’s birthday tribute to the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr playing over the speaker. The police cruiser’s lights create a sort of disco atmosphere along Republic Street, and the party turned the music down briefly. Shouts of “Fuck the police” start to fill the air, and the music goes back on. The police officer tries to reason with them, “Could you please turn the music down?” and the party continues. Moments later, a neighbor from another building goes to throw their trash away, less than three feet from the police cruiser, my muscles tense up. What if they decide to take it out on this random neighbor? The police cruiser moves a couple of times during these few tense moments, and eventually heads down Republic while the party continues. Did someone complain about the music, or did the police, who have a constant presence on Republic Street, take it upon themselves to try to break up the party? At 8pm? On a Sunday? All of the sudden, a simple party becomes criminalized and the relations between the police and the citizens become strained. Eventually, the police come back and enter private property to force them to end the party. The criminalization of existence has been a common thread in American history. Obvious examples include the institution of slavery followed by Black Codes, Jim Crow, and Mass Incarceration. Anti-sodomy laws that were unlawfully only applied to people in certain relationships, and the criminalization of the Islamic Faith that is seen at airports and traffic stops across the country, are other ways in which someone’s identity has been criminalized in this country. We also see this with homelessness — whereas people who are only trying to survive, are thrown into jail, even just briefly, to create a criminal record. And with the 13th Amendment’s loophole on slavery, we continue to enslave people in our prisons, even making your license plate for 21 cents an hour. We currently have a unique THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED criminalization occurring across our country as people of Hispanic and Latino backgrounds are being criminalized and even stripped of their citizenship. Changes in the way the government is structured, stemming from the beginning of the War on Terror, have made it easier for the government to criminalize the existence of people who contribute massively to our country, while leaving them unsure of their future status here. Just like in gentrification, where the two types, direct and indirect, destabilize a community, we have a destabilization of the Hispanic and Latino communities. People are being directly deported, having their citizen called into question, and even recently starting to revoke birth certificates of people born near the border of Mexico, before deporting them to a country �NSept o. 39 19 3 |N ov 2 -3, N2019 o v 19, 2 0 18 - Oct | No. 416 they never knew. People are also being indirectly terrorized, wondering what the future looks like, and if the future in this country is even plausible, as the social network is broken down. Indirect gentrification erodes the social connections that someone has in their community - all of the things that make it their community are gone, so why stay here? When your family and friends have been deported, when the industries are forced to go underground, and the threat of ICE looms over you every day, why would you try to stay in this place, whether you are a citizen or not? The massive loss this represents to all Americans in the States may never be quantified in monetary terms, but the loss it represents for our culture is shocking. It is said that people from Mexico did not cross the border, but the border LOCAL crossed them. When the US stole the land from Mexico, people had been living there for thousands of years. We imposed new cultures and ideals upon the people living there without their consent. It was done by force. And today, we continue to use force through ICE and the police to impose certain values, certain middle class white values, upon the many cultures that exist in the country. The problem is, no matter how hard you push your white middle class values on people in non-white communities, they will never become white. White supremacy, even as fallacious as it is, ensures a certain type of inequity that cannot be reduced in a capitalistic world where certain needed labor is undervalued, and labor that serves only the wealthy is privileged. A permanent economic underclass is ensured by a police state. Now, ICE is claiming that they don’t need warrants to enter people’s homes, and that they are authorized to violate certain civil rights. Isn’t it ironic that an organization, ICE, that was created less than 20 years ago, is able to shirk civil rights laws and act like a terrorist organization themselves. In the War on Terror, ICE has become the chief mechanism of creating terror in the United States. Anywhere that is near any border, ICE has stepped up its raids and reign of terror. Even as close as Columbus, Ohio, ICE is operating random searches. Even as close as Butler County and Burlington Kentucky, ICE has detention facilities which coordinate with local agencies, such as the Hamilton County Sheriff. There is another ICE office in Blue Ash, just minutes from Cincinnati. Now matter what you feel about 7 immigration, the very thing on which America was built, you have to question if the creation of Homeland Security and ICE (as it functions today) has been an appropriate response to the events of September 11, 2001. Have the massive deportations under the Obama administration, the family separation under the Trump administration, the stripping of citizenship for only nonwhite citizens, made you and your family safer? Even more pressing, has it decreased or increased the liklihood of terrorism, the main enemy in the so-called War on Terror? As with most criminalization, it does nothing but create barriers for people who are otherwise trying to live an honest life in a totally dishonest system. América: A Film Erick Stoll Contributing Writer F rom the raising of children, to caring for elders and people with disabilities, so called “care work”, whether paid or unpaid, isn’t just a vital, under-appreciated part of our economy—it is the backbone of society. Indeed, without people to watch and nurture children, or to care for us when we are sick, how could millions of workers go to work each day? And, beyond work and the economy, what would our quality of life be without the care we receive—and give? I had given very little thought to these questions when I began to work on América, a feature-length documentary that will show locally in October as part of the Over-TheRhine International Film Festival. The film, which I co-directed with fellow Ohioian Chase Whiteside, follows three brothers in Colima, Mexico as they unite to care for their 93 year-old grandmother América after their father was thrown in jail under accusations of neglecting her. For three years I witnessed joy and struggle as Diego, Bruno, and Rodrigo worked together to provide for América’s needs in the absence of meaningful state support. This was further exacerbated by their dad’s incarceration. In both United States and Mexico, poor families are criminalized for lacking the resources to care for their loved ones. Like many families in similar situations, questions of money, division of labor, and obligation weighed heavily on the brothers. Does caring for América count as work, or is real work only that which is paid? Are the brothers obliged to care for América, or should they have other options? Does América receive the care she deserves in the absence of professional support and an adequate pension? Nearly everyone will both give and receive care throughout their lives. But few will be celebrated in a documentary film for their efforts. Though the brothers deserve enormous credit for the energy and tenderness they brought to América, there are countless millions whose work as caregivers goes unseen and undervalued. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine work more essential to human life than caregiving, and yet this labor is commonly unpaid or underpaid. It is also work typically performed by women, especially immigrant women and women of color, who are sometimes imagined to be “natural” caregivers. We reject this sexist, racist premise! The in the form of health insurance and paid family leave or with robust public investments in education and welfare. In the 1970s, socialist feminists attacked this dynamic head on with the Wages For Housework campaign, demanding compensation for the domestic work that makes it possible for workers to go to work clothed and fed day after day. On one level they were demanding that their work be valued, but more profoundly they were attacking the very foundations of wage labor. Today, stretched by hyperexploitation in the work place and cuts to public services, families and communities face a crisis of care. The fall of real wages in recent decades has made it difficult to support a family and we stand with the movements of care workers, mothers, elderly people and people with disabilities fighting for universal and comprehensive care coverage that decommodifies care, expands options for people needing care and their families, and provides a living wage and basic protections for care workers. América is the story of three brothers who come together to care for their grandmother. Though in its domestic intimacy it may seem far removed from the politics of care, it was a yawning lack of social support which brought them together in the first place, and which also birthed the stressors that tore them apart. As viewers watch Diego and his brothers struggle to give the best care possible to América, we A still image from the film América brothers in our film demonstrate that anyone – even twenty-something circus artists – can find value and dignity in care work. Whether society reflects the importance of care work is another question. Despite relying on caregivers to raise the next generation of workers and keep current workers healthy, big business has always been reluctant to pay for their contribution, whether on a single income, forcing traditional caregivers to seek work outside the home. Family and friends who can step in sacrifice their own wellbeing to do so, and paid caregivers toil for low wages without basic workplace protections. High quality care is available only to those who can afford to pay for it, and most of us are left with few options. We believe everyone is entitled to high quality care, regardless of income, THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED hope they will be inspired to imagine a society that regards caregiving as the essential life-giving work that it is. América will show at the Contemporary Art Center on October 3rd and 6th, as part of the OTR International Film Festival, and broadcast nationwide on PBS on October 7th. For more information, visit www.americadocumentary.com �FEATURED 8 NSept o v 2 19 - N-oOct v 19, 0 18 || N o . 393 3,22019 No. 416 12 Years Behind a Stove—An Undocumented Immigrant in New York City Photo by Daniel Lozano ValdÈs on Unsplash Carmen Arroyo Inter Press Service One chilly afternoon in November 2005, Hilarino came by Pedro’s house in Oaxaca, Mexico, driving a shiny red car. “Pedro!” he shouted, “We are leaving in March. There is a route North to the U.S. that passes along the sea.” Pedro was thrilled. “I saw him with that car and I thought ‘there’s money up there. At least a lot of jobs.’” Pedro shook Hilarino’s hand, went back inside and told his wife Camila he was leaving the country. He was headed to the United States of America. Twelve years after he initially crossed the border as a mojado, a wetback, Pedro cooks at a deli in Upper Manhattan. He is one of the 775,000 undocumented immigrants estimated to be living in the state of New York in 2018. Like most migrants, he left his family behind and came to the U.S. dreaming of success. But mostly, he dreamt of happiness. And like many of them, he is still looking for it. Today, Pedro throws food on the grill like a pitcher in the final round of a baseball game—same speed, same accuracy. He also prepares sandwiches, spreads cream cheese on bagels, and sometimes cooks burgers and steaks. He always adds some spices to his cooking: chili powder, cumin, and garlic. From Monday to Saturday, he stands behind the stove for 8 hours, and talks to his colleagues about their families and their weekends. They’re almost all Mexican and crossed the border by foot. Samuel, Pedro’s closest friend at the deli, crossed in 1999, when he was 15 years old. Now he is married and has three kids. His other friends at the deli, Jose, Lupe and Juana, had a similar fate. They live with their families in the U.S. During his shift, Pedro’s dark, straight hair is covered under a white cloth that resembles a chef ’s hat. When you ask for a turkey sandwich after 10pm, Pedro peers over the counter, overcoming his 5-foot 2-inch height, curious to see who’s buying. I met them—Samuel, Juana, Jose, Lupe and Pedro—when I moved to New York in 2017. They love Spanishspeakers that go to the deli. Being from Spain, I fit right in. “How’s school?” asks Lupe when I tell her I attend Columbia University. “What do you study? Be careful!” Pedro fears Donald Trump, “he’s not good for immigrants, he’s just rich.” He loves Mexico’s presidentelect Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), “he has great ideas, he’s really going to make a difference.” Pedro supported Hillary in 2016. “She said she would help us out.” “Are you a Democrat?” I ask him. He looks at Samuel, they laugh, and reply simultaneously: “You could say so.” Up until the time Pedro was 23 years old, he had lived in Oaxaca all of his life. He worked for four years as a police officer in his hometown. His job paid enough to provide for Camila and their three-year old daughter, but not enough to own land, launch a business, or do anything aside from surviving. Pedro was tired. His job was dangerous and boring. “If I’d stayed, I doubt I’d be alive.” He never knew when the narcos [drug dealers] would bribe the officers or would kill them out of spite. “I was going crazy,” he explains over coffee. In September 2005, his childhood friend who lived in California, Hilarino, phoned him. “I’m coming back for you, Pedro.” “I was so excited, híjole. You can’t imagine,” sighs Pedro. That same night, he told his pregnant wife he was leaving. Camila shook her head. “You are lying.” Pedro remained silent, finished his frijoles, kissed his wife good night, and went to sleep. Hilarino returned to Mexico in November 2005 when Pedro’s wife had just given birth to a second girl. Hilarino showed up at Pedro’s house in a new car and agreed to take a safe passage through the Gulf of California into Arizona. Pedro told Camila he was definitely leaving. She stared at him in silence, blaming him for the lonely years to come. But she didn’t quite believe him. “You have a job here,” barked Camila. “If you want to go, go. But you have a job here. Your family is here.” Pedro couldn’t hear her. At that time, happiness lay on the other side of the border. On the 28 February, 2006, Hilarino called Pedro. There was a way into the U.S. on 3 March. Pedro hung up, quit his job, and filled a small bag with dried tortillas and canned kidney beans. On the morning of the third, he woke up and left. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Camila begged him to stay. She cried, pointed at their daughters, and let her tears wet the tablecloth. But nothing could move Pedro. He was not going to let his feelings dictate his actions. “I hardened my heart. I already knew what I wanted,” he tells me in a confident voice, while he stirs his coffee. To this day, Camila mentions every time they fight, “you never cried for me when you left.” Pedro shrugs, and the abundance of his wrinkles becomes more apparent. Hilarino left his car with his parents in Oaxaca, and he joined Pedro and another 12 hopeful Mexicans—10 men, 2 women—on a bus ride from Oaxaca to the Arizona border. Leading them was a “coyote,” a smuggler who helps Mexicans get into the U.S. Since President Trump took office, coyotes have increased their rates. They now charge eye-popping fees—ranging from 8,000 to 12,000 dollars—to those looking to cross the border. Twelve years ago, Pedro paid only 1,300 dollars. After two days on the bus, they arrived at the frontier—1,800 miles away from home. They bought 4 gallons of water, Coke and Red Bulls in preparation for the driest journey of their lives. In a matter of hours, they became mojados—undocumented and unwanted. They had been loved, but now they felt tossed aside. They left their families behind and looked toward the future, towards happiness. The journey lasted four days. They walked at night and slept in the mornings to avoid the heat. “The first night I was so scared…Wow. Una caminada recia [A tough walk],” says Pedro, to attest to the length of the journey. “We hiked from 6pm to 5am. I didn’t even know where I was. Once you are inside the desert, you can deal with anything.” That first day was a nightmare. Pedro napped next to Hilarino. You don’t hear much in the desert, so his snores filled their moments of rest. Suddenly, one of the 14 migrants came running toward them carrying his shoes in his right hand. “La Migra, la Migra!” he shouted warning his colleagues of the Border Patrol Agents. “Oh my God, I was so scared,” Pedro recalls. They all started running, but the coyote called them back and calmed them down. “They won’t come here. Let’s just walk fast.” Pedro bursts into laughter, covering his mouth with his hands. “They didn’t get me. They didn’t get me! Thank God!!” Pedro mentions God once every five sentences. After a few seconds of doubt, he admits he is Catholic, but that he doesn’t go to Mass very often, nor do his friends Samuel or Jose. All of a sudden, he realises something: “She’s �N o. 3919 3 |-NOct ov 2 3, - N o v 19, 2 0 18 Sept 2019 | No. 416 from Spain, don’t you see? Where do you think religion came from? From Spain!” Samuel nods convinced, and Pedro looks back at me with a satisfied smile. “The Argentinian Pope is a good person,” he adds. On the third day in the desert, they had run out of water. Pedro and Hilarino licked the remains of their empty water bottles, hoping for one more drop. One of the 14 fainted, so they carried him until they arrived in Phoenix, Arizona. They had walked 380 kilometres, more than 80 hours, eating only corn tortillas and kidney beans from a can. The coyote had arranged for a van to drive them out of Phoenix to Los Angeles, California. “He was a very good man. I’ve heard other stories. Kidnappings, killings. But this coyote did everything he promised he would do. He got the 14 of us to Los Angeles.” Nevertheless, insists Pedro, that was 2006. Now the story has changed. “The border is too dangerous. The narcos are everywhere. If you cross their territory, you become theirs.” The narcos are not the only problem for Hispanic immigrants in 2018. After President George W. Bush signed the Secure Fence Act in October 2006, the government built 1,120 kilometres of fencing from San Diego to New Mexico, making it harder for immigrants to cross by foot. Now, with President Trump, the number of arrests by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has surged. Immigrants detained at the border are criminally prosecuted, and funding for Border Patrol Agents has increased. Pedro considers himself lucky to have come to the U.S. in early 2006, instead of today, with these increased challenges. Once in California, Hilarino and Pedro obtained fake IDs and looked for jobs. For the next six months, Pedro harvested pears, peaches, and kiwis alongside other Hispanics. Their salaries were 420 dollars per week. Pedro sent part of his earnings to Camila. But he hated the job. “It was too hard,” he remembers, rubbing his dry hands against each other. He also missed his family. “For the first three years, I could barely speak with them over the phone. I couldn’t see them.” Now, with Facebook, Facetime, and WhatsApp, they talk frequently. “The first time I saw them I cried so much. It was incredible,” he smiles again. But then he mumbles, “It’s still so hard. So hard, so hard.” Silvino, one of his colleagues at the plantation, suggested they go to Montgomery, Alabama, where he had been working earlier in the year. The job was in construction and the pay was higher, 600 dollars per week. Pedro quickly agreed and bid Hilarino farewell. Pedro paid 200 dollars to get to Montgomery, moved in with Silvino, and phoned Camila, as he did every time he traveled. The following day Pedro was working in construction, where he stayed for the next three months. By the end of November, winter took over Alabama and construction FEATURED work stopped. “There were no jobs, nothing I could do.” Pedro wanted to move again, when his wife called him. “My kids… They were sick. They had pneumonia.” He told Camila to use the savings he had left in Mexico for the doctor. Then he looked for someone to take him to New York, where he had a friend living on 125th Street. Silvino, as Camila and Hilarino before him, didn’t want Pedro to leave. But his pleas and promises of employment didn’t make a dent in Pedro’s resolution. He chased his future to New York. This time, he paid 400 dollars for a 17-hour ride. When he arrived to the city, it was snowing. “‘What is this?’ I asked. I had never seen snow before. I didn’t know what to do!” He laughs, making his almond-shaped eyes disappear. “I was in the Big Apple.” In New York, with its millions of inhabitants rushing to a job, a date, or a doctor’s appointment, he felt more at home than he had for the last nine months. The couple he knew at 125th Street fostered him in their home while he roamed the streets looking for a job. It was so cold that he didn’t look up to the skyscrapers, he just looked down as he trudged through the ice and snow. The next day, Jose, a Mexican friend of the couple, came over. “You don’t have a job, compadre? Let me talk to el patrón, he’ll have a job for you.” Pedro hadn’t picked up much English on his two previous jobs— everyone was Hispanic in the farming and construction industries. “What can you do?” asked Jose. “Anything,” replied Pedro. Jose called his boss, and Pedro started working at the deli that very night. After his three previous months in Alabama construction, he actually was ready for anything. For a month and a half, he worked as the handyman and delivery boy of the deli. For once, he finally felt happy: he enjoyed his friends, his children were healthy, and he liked New York. But the rhythm was too fast. “Here, everyone rushes. They work, work, work, every single day of the year. They are busy all the time. Over there, you have more time for family, for tradition.” He stops for a moment and adds: “Although I love turkey day.” “Thanksgiving?” I ask. “Yes, turkey day!!” he laughs. After a couple of months, he started looking for a new job. “It didn’t pay enough.” The deli’s kitchen needed a cook, so one of the Mexicans who worked behind the stove taught Pedro how to grill. “This is easy, Pedro. Try one hour per day, before your shift, you’ll become a cook.” Working at the kitchen was much better: He could learn English, and the salary was higher. Samuel, who works at the counter, advocated for Pedro in front of his boss. “I had never cooked before. In Mexico, my wife cooked, and I worked. I came home to a warm meal every day, as is tradition.” So when he got the job, he phoned Camila. “Don’t be sad,” she said. “We are doing well. Échale ganas.” Pedro did as she said and worked hard every day, and kept sending money back to his family. Two years in, Samuel ran to the deli: “Good news for you, Pedro. El patrón will pay you more starting next week.” That week Samuel counted Pedro’s cash with him. “He is such a noble man,” smiles Pedro. “He was so happy for me.” Samuel also speaks highly of Pedro. “He is always laughing, and he talks so much,” Samuel points at him, while Pedro chats with Jose. Now, Pedro shares a room in Upper Manhattan with an Ecuadorian immigrant. He pays 300 dollars in rent, and sends almost 2,000 dollars to his family every month through Western Union. Most of it goes to Camila and his two daughters. “A couple of years ago, Camila phoned me and said, ‘We are going to buy some land.’” Pedro leans over and assures me, Photo by Jesse Echevarria on Unsplash THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED 9 “That wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t come here. They have everything now.” Still Camila wants him back home, and Pedro has the same desire. He misses his family. When he wakes up at 12pm, he calls his daughters, who are now 13 and 15 years old. The smallest one used to sing songs to him on the phone as a child. “I talked to her and she sang back. She only sang,” he tells me cheerfully. After a 30-minute chat with them, he gets changed for his 4pm shift at the deli. He also sends them presents from time to time: socks, shoes, and clothes. On Sundays, he listens to rancheras (he hates reggaeton), goes for strolls downtown, and has beers with his Mexican friends. Sometimes he joins Samuel’s family when they go for a picnic on Governor’s Island. Every couple of days he reads El Diario de Nueva York, for immigration news. He also glances over El Diario de Mexico, to feel assured that the demise of Mexico’s largest political party, the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), has actually happened, and AMLO is in control. Samuel, Jose, Lupe, Juana and the other Mexicans who work at the deli feel the same way. “Most of my friends want to go back home too. One just left. He had a girlfriend there,” laughs Pedro. When he returns to Mexico, he will start his own business, maybe a restaurant. But he knows that the moment he sets foot on that plane back to his homeland, he will never return. “I’ve been saying this for three years. Someday I will go. But not now.” Pedro smiles again, and he realigns his chef ’s hat, while he throws strips of beef onto the grill. He looks back at Samuel and repeats: “Someday.” All names have been changed to preserve the identity of those featured. Courtesy of Inter Press Service / INSP.ngo �10 GLOBAL NSept o v 2 19 - N-oOct v 19, 0 18 || N o . 393 3,22019 No. 416 In Brazil’s rainforests, the worst fires are likely still to come Robert T. Walker The Conversation T he number of fires this year in the Amazon is the highest since 2010, reaching more than 90,000 active fires. Farmers and ranchers routinely use fires to clear the forest. But this year’s number reflects a worrisome uptick in the rate of deforestation, which had started to drop around 2005 before rebounding earlier this decade. Many people blame the Brazilian government and its pro-agriculture policies for the current crisis. But as an environmental researcher who has worked in the Amazon for the past 25 years, I can say the seeds were planted before the election of President Jair Bolsonaro in 2018. And the prospects of slowing deforestation remain dim, an issue that matters to people around the world. That’s in part because the current administration has only aggravated the situation with its anti-environmental agenda. Unless the Brazilian people succeed in making Bolsonaro retreat from his stated goal of developing the Amazon, deforestation will surge again. Adding fuel to the fire is the quickening pace of the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA), a multi-nation plan to build road, dams and rail lines across the Amazon. Conflicting objectives Brazil managed to significantly reduce deforestation rates at the turn of the millennium with effective environmental policy and voluntary efforts by the private sector. Deforestation, which started in the 1970s, began climbing again in 2015 due to political turmoil and an economic recession that paved the way to policy reversals. The Amazonian deforestation rate dropped from about 10,700 square miles in 2004 to 1,765 square miles in 2012, and remained low until its resurgence a few years ago. This was because of effective environmental policy, which in Brazil is mostly based on protected areas, such as national parks, and a forestry code limiting the amount of land that can be cleared on individual properties. Over the years, the Brazilian government has developed a system of protected areas for ecological protection and indigenous reserves. In 2002 it expanded their coverage to about 43 per cent of the entire Amazon. It also created protected areas in zones of land conflict as a means to tamp down rampant fire and deforestation. Adding to this, enforcement of the forestry code was enhanced by the development of a satellite monitoring system that enabled Brazil’s environmental protection agency to identify law-breaking property owners from space. In addition to government, the private sector helped lower the rate of deforestation. Soybean farmers stopped planting new fields in the forest, and retailers demanded that the goods they sold come from lands already cleared so they could certify them as “green,” especially beef. Unfortunately, these efforts began to unravel almost as soon as they proved themselves effective. The background reason is that many people have long viewed the Amazon as a vast store of valuable resources to be used for the economic development of a poor region. The agenda of IIRSA – an extensive infrastructure building project launched in 2000 to link the region’s economies and remote areas – expresses this view, common to all nations that share the Amazon Basin. These include, in addition to Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. It should come as no surprise that their individual orientations to the region all reflect a contradiction between economic development on the one hand and conservation on the other. In Brazil, the government not only creates protected areas, it downsizes them in order to prepare for infrastructure projects. Former President Dilma Rousseff even downsized Amazon National Park in 2012, the first in the Amazon, to make An aerial view shows an area of the Amazon rainforest affected by fire near Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil, September 10, 2019. REUTERS/Bruno Kelly THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED way for the Tapajós Hydroelectric Complex, a key component of the IIRSA plan. The government does not act in a vacuum, and in Brazil a powerful congressional bloc, the rural/ mining caucus known as the Ruralistas, works tirelessly at undermining environmental policy. This has led to revisions in the forestry code, in 2012, that favour agriculture, not the environment, by exempting those who illegally deforested before 2008 from having to reforest in accordance with the law. Continuing Ruralista political action made it easier in 2017 for land grabbers to obtain title to illegally seized lands. Fears of a tipping point President Bolsonaro has inherited a set of weakened environmental policies and all indications are that he will continue to weaken them. At the same time, he has acted on his promise to open the Amazon to development by announcing plans to build a bridge across the Amazon River and to extend a paved road all the way to the border with Suriname. The IIRSA agenda appears to be accelerating, and as people flock to the region to take advantage of the jobs it creates, the fires can only get worse. Since the opening of the Amazon to development in the 1970s, fires have been deliberately set on a yearly basis to make way for fields and pastures and to fertilize soils. The Amazon maintains a moist climate, which limits their extent. Thus, super fires have never raged over hundreds of square miles as happens with wildfires in the U.S. But this could change due to the cumulative effect of the repeated use of fire. Research shows that every year when the forest burns, the destructive effect spreads beyond the flames to kill trees and desiccate the landscape. This can make the forest ever more vulnerable to fire through the buildup of flammable materials and the coalescence of fire-scarred ecosystems across broad swaths of the entire basin. If Brazil does not retreat from the course it is on, scientists warn there will come a time in the near future when Amazonian fires burn without control and push the forest to a point of no return, what some have called a “tipping point” that will permanently change the underlying ecosystem. Without a restoration of environmental policy in Brazil, the worst fires are yet to come. Robert T. Walker is a professor of Latin American studies and geography at the University of Florida Courtesy of The Conversation / INSP.ngo �N o. 3919 3 |-NOct ov 2 3, - N o v 19, 2 0 18 Sept 2019 | No. 416 GLOBAL 11 Mexican Women Use Sunlight Instead of Firewood or Gas to Cook Meals Emilio Godoy Inter Press Service Reyna Díaz cooks beans, chicken, pork and desserts in her solar cooker, which she sets up in the open courtyard of her home in a poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of this town in south western Mexico. “My family likes the way it cooks things. I use it almost every day, it has been a big help to me,” Díaz said as she mixed the ingredients for cochinita pibil, a traditional pork dish marinated with spices and achiote, a natural colouring. She then placed the pot on the aluminium sheets of the cooker, which reflect the sunlight that heats the receptacle. Before receiving the solar cooker in March, Díaz, who sells atole, a traditional hot Mexican drink based on corn or wheat dough, and is raising her son and daughter on her own, did not believe it was possible to cook with the sun’s rays. “I didn’t know it could be done, I wondered if the food would actually be cooked. It’s a wonderful thing,” said this resident of the poor neighbourhood of Vicente Guerrero, in Villa de Zaachila, a municipality of 43,000 people in the state of Oaxaca, some 475 kilometres south of Mexico City. One thing the inhabitants of Vicente Guerrero have in common is poverty. But although they live in modest houses that in some cases are tin shacks lining unpaved streets and have no sewage system, they do have electricity and drinking water. The women alternate their informal sector jobs with the care of their families. Diaz used to cook with firewood and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which she now uses less so it lasts longer. “I’ve saved a lot,” she said. Women in this neighborhood were taught how to use the solar cookers and then became promoters, organising demonstrations in their homes to exchange recipes, taste their dishes and spread the word about the benefits and positive changes that the innovative stoves have brought. The solar cookers are low-tech devices that use reflective panels to focus sunlight on a pot in the middle. Their advantages include being an alternative for rural cooking, because they make it possible to cook without electricity or solid or fossil fuels, pasteurising water to make it drinkable, reducing logging and pollution, helping people avoid breathing smoke from woodstoves, and using renewable energy. The drawbacks are that they do not work on rainy or cloudy days, it takes a long time to cook the food, compared to traditional stoves, and they have to be used outdoors. In Mexico, a country of 130 million people, some 19 million use solid fuels for cooking, which caused some 15,000 premature deaths in 2016 from the ingestion of harmful particles, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi). The main fuel consumed by 79 per cent of these households is LPG, followed by wood or charcoal (11 per cent) and natural gas (seven per cent). In Oaxaca, gas and firewood each account for 49 per cent of household consumption. Of the state’s more than four million inhabitants, 70 per cent were living in poverty in 2016 and nearly 27 per cent in extreme poverty, according to Inegi. 26 per cent lived in substandard, crowded housing and 62 per cent lacked access to basic services. Oaxaca is also one of the three Mexican states with the highest levels of energy poverty, which means households that spend more than 10 per cent of their income on energy. Solar cookers can help combat the deprivation. They first began to be distributed in Oaxaca in 2004. In 2008, activists created the initiative “Solar energy for mobile food stalls in Mexico”, sponsored by three Swiss institutions: the city of Geneva, the SolarSpar cooperative and the non-governmental organisation GloboSol. Cocina Solar Mexico, a collective dedicated to the use of solar energy for cooking, was founded in 2009. With the support of the non-governmental Solar Household Energy (SHE), based in Washington, an economical, lightweight prototype was built. In 2016, SHE launched a pilot project in indigenous communities to assess how widely it would be accepted. “I learned while working with the local women. It was hard, like breaking stones; people knew nothing about it. Now people are more open, because there is more information about the potential of solar energy. In rural areas, people understand it more,” said Lorena Harp, head of the initiative. The four-litre pot, which has a useful life of five to 10 years, costs about $25, of which SHE provides half. The group has distributed about 200 solar cookers in 10 communities. Harp said it is a gender issue, because “women are empowered, they have gained respect in their families.” Despite its potential, Oaxaca does not take advantage of its high levels of solar radiation. Last June, it was listed among the 10 Mexican states Reyna Díaz checks the marinated pork she is cooking in a solar cooker at her home in a poor neighbourhood of Vicente Guerrero, Villa de Zaachila municipality, in the southwestern Mexican state of Oaxaca. Credit: Emilio Godoy/IPS with the lowest levels of distributed (decentralised) generation, less than 500 kilowatts, connected to the national power grid, according to the government’s Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE). In the first half of the year, Oaxaca had an installed photovoltaic capacity of 6.69 megawatts with 747 interconnection contracts, in a country where distributed generation only involves solar energy. This Latin American country registered 17,767 contracts for almost 125 megawatts (MW), almost the same volume as in the same period in 2018 -when they totalled 35,661 for 233.56 MW, although there were more permits. Since 2007, CRE has registered 112,660 contracts for 817.85 MW of solar power. Luís Calderón, president of the Oaxaca Energy Cluster, says things have evolved quickly. But “there is a lack of precise, reliable information and certainty about the savings achieved with distributed generation, which is generated for selfconsumption while the surplus is fed into the grid. In addition, there is no policy in the state,” said Calderón, also a member of the National Solar Energy Association. In 2018, Mexico registered a total installed capacity of 70,000 MW, three per cent more than the previous year. Gas-fired combined cycle plants contributed 36 per cent, conventional thermal 17 per cent, hydroelectric 18 per cent, coal almost eight per cent, wind just under seven per cent, and solar only 2.6 per cent. But the government of left-wing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took office in December, is driving the exploitation of fossil fuels and standing in the way of the growth of renewable energies. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED It plans to modify the Business Ecocredit initiative, led by the government’s Electric Energy Saving Trust for micro, small and medium enterprises for the acquisition of efficient appliances. The measures include eliminating the 14 per cent subsidy and a limit of some 20,000 dollars in financing, but the government has yet to define its future. In addition, the Oaxaca government’s plan to create two cooperatives for energy for agricultural irrigation does not yet have the 1.75 million dollars needed for two 500-kilowatt solar plants in the municipality of San Pablo Huixtepec to serve 1,200 farmers in 35 irrigation units. The local women don’t plan to stop using the solar cookers, in a neighbourhood ideal for deploying solar panels and water heaters. “We’re going to keep using it, we’ve seen that it works. We’re going to promote this,” Díaz said, while checking that her stew wasn’t burning. The SHE assessment found that the solar cookers were widely accepted and have had a positive impact, as nearly half of the local women who use them have reduced by more than 50 per cent their use of stoves that cause pollution. Some use the pots up to six times a week, and they have proven to be high quality, durable and affordable. Users also report that the solar cookers have saved them time. Harp said more partners and government support were needed. “There’s still a long way to go, there are many shortfalls. Something is missing to generate truly widespread use, perhaps a comprehensive policy,” she said. Courtesy of Inter Press Service / INSP.ngo �12 STREETVOICE N o v 219 - N o v 19, 0 18 || No. N o . 416 393 Sept - Oct 3, 22019 The Border Immigrants 2019 ANNUAL DINNER From Mexico Seeking New Life There they run Thursday, December 12 5:30pm There they hide traveling days traveling nights hoping for a better life Newport Syndicate 1, E 5th Street, Newport, KY 41071 Climbing over walls to get free trying to stay out of sight The Border CHANGING THE SCORE Is the CHANGING THE SCORE gateway Tickets: $75 Non-members, $55 Members Tickets and tables, avaiable online at to be free starting a new life www.CinciHomeless.org maybe it will be or mail a check to 117 E 12th St, Cincinnati, OH The immigrants 45202 Will Become legal Sponsor a Distributor for $75 And Contact: Mona Jenkins 513-412-7,03 ext.11 free Stay Kim Green ContributingWriter Streetvibes Distributor Streetvibes Writing Circle If you would like to submit a story for publication in streetvibes, come join Katelyn Lusher, Chris Wilkey, and Alex McIntosh for a group writing session! THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �STREETVOICE No. 39 ov 23, - 2019 N o v 19, 2 0416 18 Sept 193 -| N Oct | No. Home At Last Before I started this, I wanted to know what Dreams were. I found out that Dreams are Images, Ideas, Emotions, and Sensations. Involuntary and usually during sleep. I am not speaking of sleeping dreams my interest is in the Ideas of conscious Dreams. You know those hopes one has for the future. (side note: The God of Dreams is Morpheus) Who Knew? So, my Dream for the future is, as if this wasn’t obvious, to write a book. Along with a book I want to remain Happy in my own skin. That is something I can honestly say today I am. No longer do I beat myself up for mistakes I’ve made in the past or in the present. I have things I regret and wish I could take back, but I can’t. I can only learn from those mistakes and work not to make them again. The word Hope seems relevant to my Dreams. Hope is a desire for something to happen. I have Hope that my writing gets good enough so one day I will be on the Best Sellers List. I see myself inspiring other people like myself who are looking for that one thing that they can call their own. For me I have found it through writing. I said many times that when I am writing I’m at my happiest and when I brainstorm before I write it’s exhilarating. The thoughts, the words the images I having my mind gets my heart racing. I don’t know why but I Love it. If you could see me at this moment you would see me smiling and eager to put the next word or sentence on paper. The mere idea of what I write can bring joy or any emotion to a person is inspiring. I wanted this to be a Happy Article. It is! I have Hopes, Dreams, Joy, and Happiness. I wish to express. Another Dream I have for my Future. Is a true Friendship. Having true Friends 13 is a Dream that has become a reality. Just today I have had the opportunity to speak with people who Love and Support what I am doing. True Friends! Having destroyed most of my past Friendships in one way or another, I have found that True Friends never leave your side. NO MATTER WHAT! My closet friend, my confidant, I have known for 20 years. She calls me on my BS and never wavers in her support for me. THE PRESIDENT TAKES ON THE WEATHER CHANNEL You don't have to be phenomenally bright To figure out the President has to be right. The weather brought on his latest outburst. He warned Alabama to prepare for the worst. When meteorologists declared him off base, He said these experts were just a disgrace. When weathermen continued to disagree, He got a doctored up map to show on TV. God knows I have pushed it to the limit many times. Yet she’s there to help me get through BILL WOODS Contributing Writer whatever I am going through Unconditionally. Now that’s a Friend. I have become more honest with my Friends. It leads to a better Relationship for all of us and leaves no room for Drama. I find myself thinking of how I can help them have a better Day. It’s not about me anymore. It’s about helping others and for me it’s doing the next right thing. I can no longer live and breathe selfishly. I must do my part to help the next person. I Challenge everyone to take a moment out of their busy daily life and think of another person. As you think of that person ask yourself, how can I help them? You will be surprised at how rewarding it will make you feel. For me it’s “Inspiring”. It’s what “DREAMS FOR MY FUTURE” are made of. Bobby Morris Contributing Writer THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �PUZZLES 14 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 108 Across Down 1. Stalk 1. Male red deer 5. Possessed 2. Long hollow cylinder 8. Scorch 3. Panache 12. Bulbous plant 4. Stingy hoarder 14. Female animal 5. Part of a shoe 15. Desire 6. Veneration 16. Humiliate 7. Style of glazed 17. Snakelike fish earthenware 18. Building offering lodging 8. Black bird and meals 9. Detest 19. High ranking officer 10. Report or maintain 21. Ornate manner of speaking 11. Depend 23. Relieve from 13. Danger 24. Rapid active commotion 15. Part of a song 25. Mediterranean fruit tree 20. Worship 28. Deposit of valuable ore 22. Illuminated 30. Disorderly fighting 24. Sultry 35. Part of the eye 25. Number one 37. Let for money 26. Very angry 39. Beauty shop 27. Presumption 40. Rant 29. Depression in a surface 41. Come after 31. Grains of rock or coral 43. Small semi-aquatic 32. Slumber salamander 33. Further down 44. Warhorse 34. Way in 46. Change direction 36. Outstanding tournament 47. Cervid player 48. Bid 38. Divot 50. A great distance 42. Represent as if in 52. Inquire in a meddlesome a play way 45. Ten years 53. A small compartment 49. Color 55. Crib 51. Cook by dry heat 57. Bluster in an oven 61. Steadfast 54. Venue 65. Speedy 56. Private instructor 66. Actor's prompt 57. Boast 68. Took without consent 58. Complain bitterly 69. Part of a church 59. Part of a church 70. Employ 60. Despicable 71. Sum 61. Ooze 72. Mirth 62. Short letter 73. Deplete 63. Group related by 74. Rip blood or marriage N o v 219 - N-oOct v 19, 0 18 || N o . 393 Sept 3,22019 No. 416 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 3- EASY 64. Contained 67. Country, initially PUZZLE SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD #107 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 2- EASY PUZZLES from puzzlechoice.com and puzzles.ca THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �N o. 39 3 |-NOct ov 2 3, - N o v 19, 2 0 18 Sept 19 2019 | No. 416 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Shelter: Women and Children RESOURCES Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 621-7265 1528 Race St. 45202 Churches Active in Northside Bethany House 557-2873 4230 Hamilton Ave. 45223 591-2246 FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 1841 Fairmount Ave. 45214 The Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women 2499 Reading Road 562-1980 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 112 E. Liberty Street 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave. 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 6037 Cary Ave. 45224 Salvation Army 762-5660 St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 131 E. 12th Street 45202 1125 Bank Street 45214 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Men Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Shelterhouse 721-0643 2121 Vine Street 45202 411 Gest St. 45203 Prospect House 921-1613 1437 Walnut Street 45202 Starting Over 961-2256 1805 Dalton Ave. 45214 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Women St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 682 Hawthorne Ave. 45205 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Parkway Center 661-4620 First Step Home 961-4663 Shelter: Youth 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Sheakley Center for Youth (18-24 y/o) 2522 Highland Ave. 45219 569-9500 Lighthouse Youth Crisis Center (10-17 y/o) 3330 Jefferson Ave 45220 961-4080 Shelter: Family Interfaith Hospitality Network Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Both AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 471-1100 1522 Republic Street 45202 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street 45202 Talbert House 221-HELP Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street 45202 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 VA 977-6800 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Food/Clothing First Lutheran Church 421-0065 1208 Race St. Food - Last Monday 12-1 Clothing - second Monday 12-1 Lord’s Pantry 621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert Ave. 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street 45202 St. Francis Seraph Ministries 549-0542 St. George Food Pantry 2554 Dennis St. 45219 751-8771 St. Anthony Center 1615 Republic St. Advocacy Catholic Social Action 421-3131 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 2401-2411 Reading Rd. 45202 2401 Reading Rd. 45202 241-2965 Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board 946-8000 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 221-HELP Housing: 15 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 UpSpring 363-3300 Health Cincinnati Health Network 2825 Burnet Ave. 45219 Other Resources Center Independent Living Options 241-2600 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 215 E. 14th St. 45202 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 381-0111 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. 579-8547 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 1223 Main St. 45202 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 Talbert House 751-7747 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 Hamilton County Office of Reentry 946-4304 138 E. Court Street Room # 101 First Floor Cancer Justice Network 404-3882 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels 981-4200 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center (11-17 y/o) 859-491-8303 ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-572-6202 Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky 634 Scott St. 41011 859-291-4555 Want to advertise in Streetvibes? You can support our mission and spread the word about your business. For more information contact Gabriela Godinez Feregrino, 961-0600 email streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Center for Respite Care 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave. 45229 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. 45202 Health Resource Center 357-4602 McMicken Integrated Care Clinic and Mobile Medical Van 386-7899 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 NAMI of Hamilton County 351-3500 PATH Outreach 977-4489 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �16 NSept o v 2 19 - N-oOct v 19,3,22019 0 18 | |NNo. o . 393 416 S treetvibes is distributed by individuals who purchase the paper for 75 cents per copy and sell it for a $2.00 donation, keeping the profit they have earned. Becoming a Distributor is a great way for individuals who are financially poor to get back on (or stay on) their feet. This program provides supplemental income for those unable to secure other employment. Money earned helps meet basic housing, food and health care needs. The program is a hand up for people who are often in a place of getting only a hand out, or even no hand at all. All Distributors wear a badge and usually a vest and can be found selling the paper in Downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northside, Northern Kentucky and at area churches. ALFRED WOOLFOLK SINCE 10/2003 ASRES AYENAW SINCE 2012 BERTA LAMBERT SINCE 1997 BETTIE BAILEY SINCE 10/2017 BRANDON NELSON SINCE 4/2008 BRIAN ADAMS SINCE 7/2017 CHARLES WILLIAMS SINCE 7/2017 CHRISTOPHER KAIHATSU SINCE 7/2017 CLEO WOMBLES SINCE 10/2003 CRANDALL COBB SINCE 2004 DARREL ROZIER SINCE 7/2017 DAVID MCCANE SINCE 2017 ERIC VALDEZ SINCE 2/2017 GERALD FRANKLIN SINCE 7/2017 GRADY COOK SINCE 1997 HENRY BRELAND SINCE 7/2017 JAMES BROWN SINCE 3/2009 JAMES DAVIS SINCE 8/2000 JENNY BURTON SINCE 7/2017 JIMMIE GIPSON SINCE 2001 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 JOHN HORN JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 J’TORI TYMAN SINCE 5/2014 KIM NGUYEN SINCE 7/2017 KENNY BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 MARK SHEARS SINCE 4/2012 MAURICE GOLSBY MELISSA MOSBY SINCE 9/2014 MIKE CARANO SINCE 4/2016 RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RICKY WOODS SINCE 4/2015 RICCARDO TAYLOR SINCE 1999 RONNIE PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 SAMUEL JACKSON SINCE 10/2006 STACIA HOLLANDER SINCE 2017 STEPHANIE EAKES SINCE 7/2017 SYLVESTER WALKER SINCE 7/2017 TALINA HILL SINCE 2/2011 VICTOR MUMPHRY WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 WINNIE RICE SINCE 7/2017 QUEENACELASTINE SINCE 7/2017 TIA CASS SINCE 11/2007 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED TONY THOMAS SINCE 3/2005 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 VIOLET COLLINS SINCE 2017 � 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 2019 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 19-October 3, 2019 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: Spotlighting the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center Pg 3: Introducing Peatón Pg 4: GCHC Pg 5: Mental Health is not Just “A White Person Thing” Pg 6: Criminalization of Existence Pg 7: América: A Film Pg 8: 12 Years Behind a Stove Pg 9: 12 Years Behind a Stove Continued Pg 10: In Brazil’s Rainforests, the Worst Fires are Likely Still to Come Pg 11: Mexican Women Use Sunlight Instead of Firewood or Gas to Cook Meals Pg 12: Street Voice Pg 13: Street Voice Pg 14: Puzzles Pg 15: Resources 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 19-October 3, 2019 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gabriela Godinez Bill Woods Tony Inglis Sarah Hansell Erick Stoll Carmen Arroyo Dr. Mark Mussman Robert T. Walker Emilio Godoy Bobby Morris Kim Green INSP.com Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Activists Bill Woods Bobby Morris Brazil Carmen Arroyo Cincinnati Dr. Mark Mussman Emilio Godoy Erick Stoll Gabriela Godinez Immigrants INSP.com Kim Green Media mental health Mexico New York City Peatón Political Activists Rainforests Robert T. Walker Sarah Hansell Tony Inglis https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/594d02303e6a5e295ca7e28a7d5543bc.pdf 8baa674f23e040556d6d1d79c7496310 PDF Text Text .. ·······-·.-.·.·,·... .-. .Ji·;,,~r;~g;::: September /997 Buy Frnm Badged Vendor ONL Y The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine AII Shelters Filled ·1n Cincinnati by Oonald Whilehead As new l~gislation begins to take effect, shelters are operating at ·capacity. As Streetvibes headed to the printer, we found that a serious situation has developed in Greater Cincinnati. For the last severa! weeks shelters in Greater Cincinnati have been filled. ..., have had to turn about 30 people away a day," said Fannie Joh nson, Assistant Director of Chabad House. lt is important to point out that there are still beds available for single men, the shortage is in beds for farr:iilies, and single women. The scary part about the shortage is thai women and children are the largest growing sector of the homeless population. While many legislators applaud the reduction of welfare roles, they tend to ignore the increase in shelter visits. Another closely related factor in the overcrowded shelter situation is the changes occurrihg in public housing. The new income targeting p·ractices, the one strike and your out policy, project based section 8 -loss . s a d increased evictions have all been identified by new shelter visitors .as reasons for their homelessness. The situation has become so severe that Hamilton C9unty Children's Services has begun. putting homeless children up in hotels. While many advocates háve predicted these disturbing events, none envisioned them 1 have had to turn about thirty people away a-day 11 11 o.;;.curring so soon. What has many advocates disturbed is the conditions that are forthcoming. How will this situation be handled in the upcoming winter months when conditions become even more unbearable? Shelter Worker Bobby Lyles works in vain to find shelter for a homeless family. Photo by James Heath. M,Jor Welfare Decisions Shifted to County Level Ohio's Lenders Not by Lynn Williams Doing ·Enough To Loan To Minority And Low~lncome Home .Seekers The Ohio Community Reinvestment Project (OCRP) released a report August & entitleá" Analysis of Home Mórtgage Disclosure, Act Data (HMDA) forthe twenty largest lenders in Ohio, 1993-1995." The OCRP developed a ranking of the largest 20 Ohio lenders based on their percent of loans they made to black and low to moderate income houséholds (families earning up to about $37,300, and the race and income make-up of the neighborhood. The HIGHEST ranked lenders are: Bank One Mortgage, Green Tree Financia!, Ford Consumer Finance, Society Natiónal Bank (now Key Bank) and Long Beach Mortgage. The LOWEST ranked . lenders are: Charter One, National City Mortgage, Citfed and Norwest. While sorne lenders perform better than others thé report reveals a pattern of lending statewide in which minority home purchasers are not served in proportion to the population by .ANY of the 20 largest !enders in Ohio. The types of loans included are for home purchase , hon:,e improvement, and home refinancing, however OCRP weighted home purchase loans heavier. The ranking did not account for the terms or conditions of the loans which vary considerably. Continued on page 2 The State welfare bill is passing on sorne of the policy making decisions .about welfare down to the county leve! of government. Our county commissioners and local welfare -department, along with- input from the human services planning committee, will be making welfare policy that directly affects recipients' lives. Our ray ·o f hope is that recipients (r~ferred to as consumers of social services) and advocates can serve on this human services planning committee, as stated in H.B. 408 which is now the law. The Welfare Rights Coalition in Cincinnati is working to get on this committee as a voice for recipients! Some of the policy dedsions to· be made a.t the county level are the following: .. Design of the •:Prevention, Retention, and Conti ngency Program." This program would provide emergency assistance for families with children to help with a specific problem, , such as car repairs. lt would steer families away from participating in Ohio ·works First (Ohio's TANF assistance). ·· Policy on who will be the 20% hardship cases exempted from the three year time limit _ .. Policy on what will be "good cause" reasons for receiving TANF assfstance for the rernaining two years (after being off two years) ·· Decision on which agencies, called "any -entity, public or private" that the county will contract with to provide services .. Decision on if Hamilton County will mandate direct deposit for cash ,assistance checks, and how this policy will be spelled out with financia! institutions re_ceiving the TANF and DA checks. ..· .. Decision on dropping the requirements of inspections and criminal records checks governing chUd care if the providér is a relative or friend of the child's parerÍt A signed statement by the parent and child care provider saying minimum health & safety standards are met wo~ld be permissible to_ eliminate inspections. Policy for '1ust Cause" for quitting a job and being able to receive TANF assistance child care if the provider is a friend or relative of the child's parent. A signed statement by the provider and the parent verifying mínimum health & safety standards are being met would 'be ~ufficient. .. A transportation plan for recipients to get to work in the suburbs and rural areas would be decided on the county leve!. This is only a list of sorne of the decisions to be made on the county level. These policy decisions will affect vast number of people in Hamilton County! lt goes beyond "welfare" recipients (families ,receiving cash assistance from TANF). Policy that is being decided will affect food stamps only people, DA reci~ients, r · health care, foster/adoption programs, child support _cases, and the working poor who need child care, health care, or emergency assistance. Most families are oniy one or two paychecks away from needing public assistance. Job loss or a major illness could happen to anyone. The line is relatively thin between being on welfare or being employed. The policy may affect you, too, or someone you know, so we urge you to get involved! The '(Velfare Rights ,Coalition has been discussing this policy at our meetings, and we will be focusing on this issue in the upcoming months. We urge anyone interest.e d to start. coming to our meetings held at 10:30 AM at the Contact Center every other T uesday. a �STREETVIBES STREETVIBES The Tri Stote 's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and abqut the homeless. lt is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back _o n their feet. AII vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuáis committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. lf you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421-7803. Staff Pat Clifford, Coordinator Donald Whitehead, Outreach Coordinator Frank Corrino, Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support Photographers James Heath Berta Lambert The T raveler Writers Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis Wanda Eicher lola Green Chanda Marshall Patrick Mosolf Angela Meadows Tom Mulroy Myron Bonnie Neumeier _ Gregory Payton Malaka Sanders S. Brad Saylers Gilda Storm Jean -T addie The T raveler Sandy Valadon Donald -Whitehead Lynn Williams Volunteer Editors Chanda Marsnall Craig Paulette Malaka Sanders Kimberly_ T enai Refer slories or inquiries lo: Streetvibes e/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street · Cincinnati, OH 4"521 O_ (513) 421-7803 fax (51'3) 421 ~7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch · 1 The Tri Stote s Homeless Grapevine Page 2 · Barlk Bias Continued Continued from page 1 Despite the growing economy with low unemployment and record profits for the big banks, lending to minorities and lower-income working people is lagging behind which leaves those potential home buyers out of réach of their share of the American Dream," _said Gene King, Managi_ng Attorney for.Ohio State Legal Services. What is eve:, worse is that eight of the 20 largest lenders are failing to report race of 10% or more of those who apply for loans which they are required t"o report under federal law. The Hunington National Bank failed to report the Race of those who were denied loans over 70% of the time and the Money Store failed over 90% of the time. Every lender serves a higher proportion of low and moderate income buyers than it does properties in low-income areas. This indicates that there is a continuing pattern of deinvestment in certain communities and neighborhoods. Low and moderate home buyers were more likely to be denied loans in 1995 than they were in 1993 by most of the largesi lenders in the state. _ ,_ " Clearly this report illustrates that Ohio lenders can and should do more to help low and moderate Ohio to purchase homes. Home ownership is single greatest means of ñcquiring a piece of the pie in America. AII Ohioans should have access to their fair share," said Bill Faith, Executive Director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio "By controlling home mortgage loans, banks control who has access to better schools and safer communities," said Chip Bromely, Executive Director of Metropolitan Stradegy Group in Cleveland.; "The Biggest lenders are not fuUy extending credit ·to many African-American and lower income Ohioans." This report is one of the first of its kind in the country· OCRP is a statewide coalition made up of mo~e than 90 non-profit fair housing groups, housing development and homeless service organizations, civil rights, community development corporations, legal aid programs, community based groups and governmental agencies. -OCRP's mission is to promote the investment in Ohio's low-income communitiés of color. To address the findings 'of this report, which clearly indiéate inadequacies in providing for the credit needs of low-income and minority households, OCRP has developed 20 very specific recommendations for lenders advocates and government agencies. Data for the report is based on HMDA, · which lenders report annually to their federal financia! regulatory agencies. Copies of this report are available by contactin_g COHHIO at (614) 280-1984 . Reprinted lrom COHH/0 newsletter _ HOT HOT HOT ·A Bit o/ Humor by·Ron Carter . That is the theme song in the Bahamas because it is so dam hot there. 100 degrees in the shade, if you can find sorne. 1 was there three years ago, and I mean it was HOT, baby. lt wa~ so hot that the Devil himself was begging -for ice water. lt w~s so hot that people were washing their clothes at the Laundromat and taking them outside for a free dry. lt was so hot that the Cool Centers were ali closed, so you know it had to be hot. lt was so hot that the weatherman refused io give a report. Now, is that hot enough for you? lt was so hot that your refrigerator went on strike. . lt was so hot tha~ the food shops ~~re cooking on the sidewalk. lt was so hot that ice cubes were going for a dollar a piece. lt was so hot that the ice skating rink turned into a swjmming pool. Well, 1 think 1 will close for now because this little story is going to be too hot for the press. Streetvibes Velldor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following · code to be able· to sell the paper. Streetvibes. to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. 1 agree not to deceive the public by 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 saying that I am~collecting for a not-for-profit · . charity or ·that I am collecting for the "home- · voluntary donation. 1 agree not to ask for donations more than $1. 1 also understand · · ··ress" in general. 1 will -be honest in stating that that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each all the profits from the sale ·of Streetvibes will dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes. go to the individual vendor. 7. 1 agree that f will not contest territo. will be purchased from th~ Homeless. Coalition for 20 cents. ríes with other distributors. 2. 1 agree that I will never dis_tribute 8. 1 understand that -Streetvibes strives Streetvibes while under the _influerice of drugs to be a self supportjng paper created by or alcoho~_ -.p-eople who are h.omeless ot formerly home3. 1 agree that I will not ask for donations - less. To nelp in this effort, l ·will try·to spread·. after 12 midnight. _· .: .the word and wriie :stoñes ·¡-{ possible. · · · 4. 1 agree:to_treat oth~rs_with r~-spect. 1 _ 9. lUnderstand· that the failure to· comply· "- . will not use abusiye language or force someone ·-~, with any of ~the above_·statéments ·will resi.llt in . _ _. to give a donatlon. 1 wiU not give a "har-d sell" - .... me no longer being able to distribute · or make someone fe~I threatened. Streetvibes. - .5. 1 agree that I will ·not supply copies of �STREETVIBES The Tri Stote's Home/ess. Grapevine Over-the-Rhine Developers Give Tenants NotiCe on Walnut Street by Bonnie Neumeier There's a project called THE MIDDLE EARTH CONSORTl'UM which_ recently was selected for funding through the City's Housing Round 111. The Over-the-Rhine Community Council was approached by Mr. Jay Voss from Middle Earth Properties about this project and requested our support. We could not support this project because it involved · displacing low-income teriants. lt was pórtrayed as a test case for mixing displaced and one other tenant who was evicted a short time ago. lt's a hardship on ali · of them and the news quite shocking. lt is not · easy to find an affordable unit. Those who are elderly, facing many heªlth problems are finding a much harder time. Finding a place that will accept their animal friends is tough. No one was talked to about being able to come back once renovation was complete. AII of them were encouraged to meet with Mark Brunner, The Over-the-Rhine Foundation, ··eeing Asked to Leave Your H'ome Is Never Good News .. . 11 low income rental units into market rate rental buildings. This project, involving various for profit corporations and limited partnerships, is' rehabbing 8 buildings within' one block area around 14th and Walnut Streets. The buildings will contain 53 residential units and 4 store fronts. Six of the 8 buildings will have only market rate units ( 1 bedroom/$400 a month; 2 bed,room/$500 a month; 3 bedroom/ $600 a month). The remaining two buildings will have only one low income a piece, rents set at $150 below the market rate units. So out of 53 units of housing, ONLY 2 will be somewhat affordable to persons of low income. How fair of a mix is this? We are losing more low income units than we are maintaining. (We have never been on the "gaining" side since the 1985 ÓTR, Comprehensive Plan called to protect and preserve the 5520 low income units that were occupied at that time.) The number of low income tenants currently being displaced by this project is greater than the token amount of low income . units being planned for this so called mixed development. At the very least, if this project was trying to show good faith effort in advocating a successful economic mix,, the number of occupied low income units needed to be preserved, and those ·tenants temporarily displaced due to renovation be offered and made to feel welcomed back home to a newly renovated apartment with affordable rents. One of the buildings in this project is 141 O Walnut Street. Urban Sites Management (Bill Baum and Jim Moll) took ownership in january 1997. Tenants remember being told not to worry, they would not have to move. But a letter carne to their doors in mid July stating the following: . "... we continue to discover major problems with the building that were not originally anticipated: At this time we feel that its in your best interest to vacate the property so that improvements to the building can proceed in a safe manner. BEING L ASKED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME IS NEVER GOOD NEWS,. THAT IS WHY WE WANT · YOU TO HAVE UP TO 60 DAYS TO VACATE.". In this building there are six tenants being who works with the Anti-Displacement program, offering Section 8 units, as if that eases .all the disruptions that the tenants are faced with. Anxiety is high .... the 60 days is too short a time. Because this project is using federal dollars from the City the tenants are eligible Page J for Relocation Benefits. Relocation benefits were never discussed. Certain procedures have. to be followed so that the rights of the tenants are protected. Scott Stiles from the Relocation office of the City was surprised their office had not been alerted of this situation by the Department of Neighborhood Services, nor by the developers themselves so that displacement issues can be reviewed and monitored and tenants' rights protected. . The Appalachian folk who h~ve called Walnut Street their home deserve better than this. lt's not fair to take our land, our buildings, and force our people to move. In the words of one tenant "I might not have cash, but l'm not trash". Real péople experience · real pain when they are displaced from their homes. At this point it is hard to trace the particulars of how each of these buildings became more vacant than occupied. But 1 know they did not become vacant by accident. lt's not only this project, .but alot of real estate activity has been taking place in this area, displacing the mostly Appalachian community huddled dose around the Appalachian ldentity Center. 1 can't walk down Walnut Street.and not notice the change. When I stand there long enough to grasp the situation, an_d look deep into the eyes of those who still are holding on, gathered in their everyday supportive circles, 1 listen ... and what I hear are their heartbeats mourning the many "used of been" stories and a quiet anger that knows something is going dowh wrong here, because what is going down is not for them.. More on this story next issue. · These buildings at .141 O Walnut Street are slated for improvements. They have been occupied for decades by Appalachian families. Photo_by Berta Lambert. Veterans Homeless Program Celebrates Anniversary by /ola Green The Cincinnati VAMC Health Care for the Homeless Veterans Program (HCHV) is celebrating its 10th. Anniversary this year. To help celebrate, we had a picnic at the Fort Thomas Domicilliary. lt was well .attended vvith Qver 150 current and former HCHV participants, their families, staff, and community organizations. Ou-r program has served over 700 veterans in the -past IO years. Our program depends on community based organizations to provide treatment and to help link veterans with the c~m~unity. We are actively involved in community outreach . programs to reach veterans and to provide information to the public as to the services we offer. We are-available for consultation in helping ·other organizations develop outreach strategies and facilitating community and homeless relationships. The Cincinnati VAMC Homeless Program is staffed by lota Green, MSSW, Program Director; Susan Ball, Nurse Practitioner and Allan Williams, Social Science -Program Specialist. For additional information please contact us at (513) 861-3100 ext. 6329 or fax us at (5 13) 475-6521. We look forward to hearing from you! �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 4 1 September Word •Games Word Search s T p u o I R I B L R G A U ,. N K D L L L E R R E T ,_ E A R H -O T A E B e w o R s M L A E I o E H s e .R T T i B Scramble by Gregory Paylon ., w I T N E u s s A T s\ E T N I M I I V E I R L p T G o y A A E p N T I R E R I B V o e E M 'I Find these words in the ·pu:zz.le: "' Streetwise Spirit Grapevine · Citylimits Voice Beat RealChange lmportant Biglssue Resist Herald Network Lost · Comb Roll Group Rule But Read l. 2. 3. 4. 5. ' 6. ONYEM LEERHST CREISOGRE · HTINGOLC POHETEELE TILECREC 7. TWEAR ) 8. 9. 10. 11. TEHA OROTBHMA HCKENIT DIORA VIOTENSEIL F 12. G by Ron Carler People Living Doubled Up Are Homeless Too by Chanda Marshall · a good hour before I can fall asleep. The next morning I am awakened by an 1 sneak in through .the front door, trying - arg.u ment in the kitchen. 1 try to ignore it and not to wake my family. lt's One AM and they go back to sl~ep_, but my sister, whose bedall have to get up early for work. 1 try to step room ,is next to mine, insists on turning her carefully through the living room so I don't radio ·up as loud as it go while she gets step on my two sleeping cousins. But, inevitaready for work. 1 pull my pillow tight' around bly, 1 do and they are awakened, as is my aunt my ears to block out a~ _much noise as poswho was resting peacefully on the couch. sible and slowly fall back asleep. 1 quickly ·apologize for the disturbance The next time I wake up, 1 am alone. 1 . and scurry to the back ·of the house to my ~op out of bed and go tQ the kitchen for sorne own private bedroom where I change clothes_ cereal. Of;course, there is a milk jug l?ut no, and lie down in my nice, warm bed. 1 close my . milk. So instead, 1 plop ll)yself, pajama-clad, eyes and say my prayers. 1 ask for Gocl to onto the couch in front of the television. This watch over all of my family and keep them safe. is the only time of th~ week-Saturday Then I start to think about how my cousins mornings-when I can watch whatever 1 are sleeping on ~he floor. 1 start to feel guilty want. _Usually, my cousins outvote my show for having my own room with a bed. Then· 1 fo,:- sorne stupid sp9rts game. 1 sit and enjoy try to remind myself that it is my mother's the peace and quiet for-a while. house, the place where / grew up and had my "Hey," Mark mumbles as he walks memories. Never-the-less, 1 toss and turn for through the door. "Hi," 1 say. , He plods back to th~ bathro.om to clean up from work, ·1:hen joins me on the couch where I am forced to hand over the remate just bec:ause l'm younger. 1 róll my ~yes and get up to go take a shower. By the time l'm finished dressing, my entire family is home. My mom, sister, aunt, two cousins, and, of couse, me, will STREETVIBES T-Shirts! Only $5 each! STREETVIBES 1he In State's Homeless Grapevine * * * as much_as s~e can. They are both struggling to raise kids, to make ends meet, and to just , plain stay alive. We live pay check to pay check and my mom often wonders if she'II be able to pay the Qills. She has express concern to me that we may not be able to keep the house. My selfishness surfaces and all that I can think about is that this is the only house l've ever known ' and 1'11 be damned if l'm going tQ leave because sorne stupid bill-collector says I have to. - * * * But, in the end, between the incomes of my mother and her sister, they were able to keep us afloat. Doubling up and joining our families allowed us to keep our house, always have food on the table, and even clothes on our backs. - AII the times of feeling crowded, and even smothered, between the semi-gloss waÍls of our little ranch house have, paid off. 1 never spent a sleepless night on the sti;-eets or had to beg for money. 1 was never alone and always felt love. We fought not because we hated each other, but because of the pain that we shared. Tripping over my cousins at night wasn't really so bad once I made it to my bed, and I would bet that our brown cárpeted floors were a welcomed friend when faced with the option of a park bench. * _lt's hard to get a moment to myself now that 1,11y aunt and her boys have moved in. 1 struggle to remember thát patience is a virtue and that sharing means making sacrifices while ·biting my tongue. Money has really been tight since my parents split up. My aunt helps my mom out Streetvi bes Radio Hour . On WAIF 88.3 lm 100% White Cotton Shirts XL or XXL Your choice o/ purple or sky-blue logos T-shirts are available at our office at 1506 Elm Street. Please stop by and ·see us. Support Your Local Vendar Tell A Friend About Streetvibes The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each mQnth at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Pat Clifford and Donald Whitehéad. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates. WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, September 13, 1997, noon to pm �STREETVIBES 1 The Tri State s Homeless .Grapevine Page 5 Legal lssues and the Poor Justice Brennan Defended Dignity and ·Free Speech by Brian Oavis As the GrapeYine licensing case seeks a reversa! from the United States Supreme Court, a close friend of the First Amendment died. Former Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan died in late July. The United States has seen a number of great men, but Brennan . was able to touch every single American as a . champion of dignity and individual rights. Few people in our history can claim to have had such an impact on so many people. He made decisions that I may not have agreed with, but I have the utmost respect for Brennan's career and for the consensus that he built on the court for civil liberties and the sanctity of the individual. From equal protection under the law, censorship, privacy, civil_ rights for minorities, school desegregation, welfare benefits, affirmative action, creationism, flag burning, the death penalty to voting rights, immigrant's access to education, and access to the courts, Brennan consistently defended the rights of the citizen to unwarranted govern.:. m~nt oversight while at the same time strengthening the courts and breathing new life into the Bill of Rights. He obviously had a dramatic impact· on the GrapeYin;, and our ability to publish. In probably his most famous opinion New York Times Y. Sul/iYan, he set into law the principie that a newspaper or news agency that published a false statement about a public figure had to be shown to have done so with "actual malice" in order to prove libel. This was a heavy standard that a piJblic official must meet. the vendors for a reversa! . . lt would seem that lt would protect the GrapeYine from printing the city would relish that kind of simple cona story about, for example, abuse of governtrol, but what they really want is homeless ment power by the mayor of a city that people out. The state has no interest in turned out to be false. lf we went to press regulating the street -newspaper, but restricting honestly believing the story; and not intending · to purposely damage the mayor's repu.tation, it is attractive to city offic_ials. · No matter how politically unpopular his we would be safe from a libel suit. decisions, Brennan remained grounded in the Brennan said, "We consider this case belief that there must be exceptional circumagainst the background of a profound national commitment to the principie that debate on . stances to deny a freedom or liberty contained public issues should be uninhibited, robust, in the Bill of Rights. lt seems that with the and wide-op~n, élnd that it may well include _ assistance of Chief Justice Earl Warren, he was able to turn around the trend in the Court to veheme~t, caustic, and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on government and public reduce judicial involvement-in society. While officials." the Court has recently retreated from .sorne of The ·Grapevine case invol.ves the right of Justice Brennan's individual rights writings, but the City of Cleveland to force our vendors to - without a fundamental Constitutional change Brennan's signature on the law will remain for obtain a city vending license in exchange for the privilege of b~ing able to distri_b ute the the duration of the Republic. The United States newspaper on tlie streets. The newspaper is a better place because we were fortunate to offers political discourse, and discussion _a bout have an activist like Brennan on the Court at an the problem of poverty. A license would important time in our history. prevent the paper from being distributed on Please 'take a second to survey the freethe streets, and thus prevent homeléss people dom that we enjoy in this .country, and rememfrom gaining access to the media. ber that Justice Brennan has had sorne hand in The case in all truth has nothing to do protecting that right. There is little doubt from with licenses, but has everything to do with the writings of Justice Brennan that he would have looked favorably on the Grapevine sweeping the problem of homelessn~ss from licensing case. We can only hope that the the downtown. Imagine the regulatory nightmare that the city would face if a vendor progressive and enlightened views of Justice Brennan will permeate the Supreme Court _ with a city license were reported to be aggressively soliciting the paper. At this time, when the Justices de':=ide the merits of the ·when we get a creditable complaint we simply Grapevine case. _ suspend the vendor, and they can appeal to The Death Penalty Discriminates Against the Poor by Malaka Sanders ."Let the one without sin cast the first stone." -Jesus Christ Christ's eloquent condemnation of the • death penalty over 2000 years ago is one that is very revelant to ·o ur discussions of state sanctioned murder today: ha~e we deluded ourselves- as a state- that we are absolutely innocent of the crimes com~itted by its individuals? lt seems that only in believing that could we, in good conscience, as Lloyd Steffen said in his book, Self Deception and the Common Life, " ... assume t~e power to make premeditated killing a useful means to political and social ends". That is, only if we can· absolve ourselves of all responsibility for the criminal mind can we justify the manslaughter · of such persons. The_trends as concern the demographics of the population on death row, versus, that of larger society, could-provide insight as to whether there is a societal bias as to who cominits these crimes and why, so I ask that you please consider the following...... · Imagine that you live in a world w.here you have very little and, for receiving the little help. that's offered (which, by its very construction seems to have been designed to inhibit real self-sufficiency) you are made to feel both greedy and lazy. You attend a school where the teachers primary focus has to be on ·discipline, but for not succeeding here _you are labeled a "low achiever" . . Finally, as you live in a seemingly ba~ished part of town where only other people in similar situations as yours, who may have also grown desperate, are thrown together (why don't we call this, oh I don't know, the "inner city" perhaps?) who finally just seek to feel empowered, quickly, even at the expense of others. · Quite und~rstandebly, as since you have found very little in yo·ur own life, who coul'd, realistically, expect you to value others? Also in this particular society, the powers that· b~ have decided to turn over many of the prisons to corporations to be ran as forprofit institutions, where your almost inevitable demise is anticipated greatly by those who will make. money from it. Of course we ali know that everyone possess a self-will, which is why ma11y born into this life don't go on to be criminals; but if _we're even in-part shaped by our environment, doesn't it make sense tha:t these cir- . . cumstances would effectively create a prison populatioñ? Is it then surprising that a disproportionate number of criminals are poor? (all death row inmates in 1996 were either low or no-income according to the February 26, 96' issue of The Nation) So if we decide to accept that poverty in this country means this, or other bleak scenarios (such as the one faced by local, poor Harold McQueen executed in Kentucky on -July I, 1997 for the murder of a convenience stóre clerk in 1980), then which of us are prepared to cast that first stone? Certainly not .our government. Just the facts..... .. • Man_y polis h.ave found that the death penalty enjoys a 70% approval rating among Americans. (as quoted by The Herald in July 97) Since 1976, 215 convicts have been executed; 84% of their vi_ctims were white. • Under 50% of all murder víctíms are white.{U.S. News and World Report July 25 Justices Thurgood Marshall, William Brennan and Harry Blackmun ali saw the death penalty as inherently arbitrary, discriminatory, · and unconstitutional; South Africa took this opinion [that poverty, race, and chance play a role in capital cases] into cosideration when it, in 1995, became the 42nd country since '76 · to outlaw capital punishment- which it did by reviewing America's experience with it.~ Nation.feb. 26 '96} • McQueen's story is particularly disturbing, because in his 17 years behind bars, he was reformed through religion. Mr. Stevens, a volunteer Catholic chaplain at Eddysville prison attests to his transformation, "He's made a big change in his life ... as he got older he got deeper into his faith."[The Engirer June 29 '97]. • -Hmmm ....kinda reminds me of this guy named Saul... ..... - �-----~----------·- ---------STREETVIBES 1 The Tri State s Home/ess. Grapevine Page 6 STREETVIBES Editorial Page Drop lnn Center: Hell on Earth? Response lo arlicle by Bob Hungerlord Being newly homeless is a traumatic experience for anyone. 1am glad to see that one person found his way through t~e system. 1 agree that being homeless is not for those who are not aware of the reality of it. The Drop lnn has been in existence/ for over 20 years. lts main objective is to provide shelter for anyone who needs it. The number of men on the street require that they provide as much spa!=e as possible. lf the men all got a real bed, ~he center could not serve as many. The women at ·the center have the same problems plus more. Sorne have children who are also homeless. The Drop lnll tries to help all. The problems range from PTSD to heroin, cocaine, and alcohol addiction, to severe mental illness and the physically challenged. S~ying at the Drop lnn does supply a needed step into the system. 1 am sorry that Mr. Hungerford had such a negative experience with the reality ?f being homeless, but he is only one in the thousands that become homeless each year and the problem is getting worse. As it stands now, a lot of folks will lose any source of income and have to come to the shelter. But when the Drop lnn loses any funding it will close and people will die on the streets. The food Mr. Hungerford saw not only provides for the Drop lnn, but is spread out · . for use by all the inner-city soup kitchens and churches that serve the homeless. A truck of food can be made to last for months of food for the truly chronic homeless. Being homeless is a learning experi- . ence. Harsh as it may be, many people "and soon to be more" live with this evéry day. Forrest Buckley for City CouncU · by Tom Mulroy During the past two years the current city council has proven itself more hostile to the concerns of the poor and the homeless than any in recent memory. With new elections coming up in November it is more important than ever that people look at the positions of city council candidates on issues impacting the poor and the communities. For this ~ssue I interviewed challenger, Forrest Buckley. Forrest Buckley servedfor 12 years as . president of the Cincinnati Fire Fighters Union.Working out of the fireh_o use at Vine and McMicken he became very familiar with the problems of the poor and of those living in low income housing in Over-the-Rhine. He believes that, due to a lack of aggressive leadership the CIJrrent, city council is losing the ability to govern the city. More and more important decisions are being made by the County Commissioners. The stadium issues, the placement of a youth corrections facility in Bond Hill against the wishes of the residents are examples of the County forcing its · wishes on the· city. On the issues of poverty and jobs, he feels that there needs to be more emphasis on job training and decent jobs. People will hever Wanda Eicher Over-The-Rhine Resident Without the Drop lnn Center Dear Mr. Whitehead., 1 read the article written by Mr. Bob Hungerford [ An Uncensored Account of Living Ori the Streets Of Cincinnati] and !' have to admit that I was somewhat amazed that Streetvibes would print such a piece in the first place. He whines about · his so-called homeless experience without any sense of gratitude for efforts of the Drop lnn Center. The Drop lnn Center provides a place to stay and a meal for the down and out of Cincinnati _e of charge and without questions. lt is a shelter for the homeless men and women, which Mr. Hungerford freely took advantage of. lt is a HOMELESS SHEL TER, a place of last resort. The people who work there are truly caring and are doing the best they-can with what they have. S~cietynas chosen to ignore the people who use the services of the Drop lnn Center. The Drop lnn Center does not have the money to provide the kind of princely service that Mr. Hungerford tbinks he rightly deserves. He sho.uld be ashamed of himself. 1 will admit that the Dro2 lnn Center is not a great place to live. But without the Drop lnn Center, 1 would be dead right now. 1 am truly sorry about Mr. Hungerfords mental illnesses, especially the one that affects his sense of gratitude. Sincerely, Anonymous be able to own their own homes working for five dollars an hour for labor pools. People need to be able to get to where the jobs are. The city pays for Metro. The city Council needs to make sure that there are bus routes that take people to where the jobs are. He would like to see the unions get more involved in jobs training. On the Over the Rhine Community Council - Buckley strongly opposed the· funding of the U.L.1. Coalition and have been engaged in discussions along with Bill Joiner and other to consider ways of fighting this funding. He feels that when the City bypasses one community council in 'favor of. a group 1 sponsored by development interests it threatens all the Community Councils. Buckley's former co-workers at the Union tell me that he has always been a fighter for basic human rights. Even his opponents say he is a straight shooter. The average peóple need somebody to fight for them on Council. Forrest Buckley might be just wha~ we néed. · Dear Homeless by Myron Dear Ho.meless, 1am trying to stop drinking, my wife says 1 drink too much! 1lost rny job because of my drinking. She says l'm an Alcoholic. 1 don't Know what to do. Anonymous Dear Anonymous, You must first decide if you are an alcoholic far yourself. The evidence you just presented might suggest that·you do have a problem (losing your job). Then pick up any Streetvibes and look in the Need Help Wañt Help Section under treatment you'II find numbers for 12 s_ t ep group hotlines and treatment facilities. Find . - those numbers and use one immediately. �STREETVIBES The Tri Stote's Homeless Grapevine Page 7 First Step Home ·offers Hope for Recovery by Oona/d Whilebead and Pal Clilford First Step Home's primary goal is to help \ chemically dependent women and their families .break the cyde of addiction and abuse so they can become self-sufficient, productive members of our community. Toward this end, they offer the only long-term residential alcohol/drug treatment program in Hamiltón County for homeless and /or low-income / women and their children aged 12 and under. Services offered at Step Home include, but are not limited ,to assessment, individual, group, and family counseling, case manag~ment, a protected and safe liying environment in a home like setting, counseling for physical and' sexual abuse, court advocacy (where appropriate), therapeutic children's programming and child care, parenting education, budgeting- and financia! planning, health education, vocational and educational opportunities and assistance, and transitional housing with continuing care. First Step Home, which is certified by the Ohio Department of Alcohol and . Drug Addiction Services, opened it doors to dient,s in January, 1993 and has provided services to nearly 700 women, children, and family members to date. Their main facility in Lower Price Hill provides housing and treatment for four families and eight single women. Priority admission is given to pregnant women and IV drug users; for other clients there is unfortunately about a six month waiting list for admission. The average stay for First Step Home clients is six months, which is longer First Step Home's main funding sources include ·the Ohio Department Of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, The Hamilton . County Alcohol and Addiction Services Board, The OhiÓ Department of Development, Medicaid, the City · of Cincinnati, and corporate and prívate contributions. Their newest program offers 16 units of transitional housing coupled with con~inued counseling and case management. During their one-to three-year residency at their two transitional houstng facilities, families maintain sobriety, establish a credit history, maintain financia! stability and · independence, gain a sense of commuliity and sober leisure activities, · and establish earning The staff of the First Step Home in Lower Price Hill power needed to move work with women and families in recovery. Photo by off of government James Heath. subsidies. First Step Home's than any other residential treatment center in treatment and housing programs strive to Hamilton County. Recent studies confirm that intervene and create an envfroriment where a longer stay in treatment results in better positive change can occur. They offer those outcomes (i.e. continued sobriety) than shortsuffering from addiction and abuse the opporterm (30-to-90-day) treatment (Hoffman and tunity to heal and re~ch their full potential. Miller, Treatment Today, fall, 1995). . The Traveler Visits Bengals ·1raining Camp ., - This month I had ~he pleasure of going to a fundraiser ,held by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. The event vtas their annual Cincinnati Bengal Scrimmage Fundraiser in Georgetown Kentucky. 1 would like to let you know it was exciting. lt was my first year going and the Bengals first year in Georgetown. We took a bus from Kenwood Mall at 10:00 a.m. The ride was about one hour long. 1 looked around and saw a lot of quality time being spent, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, and entire families enjoying time together. When we arrived the first thing we did was talk to Bruce Coslet the Bengals' head coach. He talked for awhile, answering our question about the offense , the defense, and schedule for the upcoming season. When were then -served lunch, provided by the Kroger company. Bruce left . for the field and we left for the stands. 1 was impressed that we had our own special section in the stands. We sat to enjoy the upcoming action. trip possible, The Gre~ter Cincinnati Coalition 1 ventured over to the media table_were 1 For The Homeless, The Kroger Company, met George Blake from the Enc(uirer who George Blake, and the Cincinnati Bengal. , By helped me get a press pass. Here I was a the way the Bengals lóok real good this year, in Streetvibes reporter right next to guys from fact they lqok like a playoff team!!! the Post, the Enquirer, and even national PS You better get your tickets early this media folks, man Streetvibes has come a long year. way. While on the field I wondered what kind of story to write. lts important that Streetvibes reporter be a little different from other repQrters and _ ,--------------------"'!"'9'""---, writers, because our objectives are so different. . Down on the field 1 spent time with Mike Brown the Bengals owner I was impressed with his openness and willingness to field my questions. 1 also offered my expert opinion on severa! issues such as years coa~hing change, the· offense, the defense, and the stadium issue. He thanked me for all my impute and wished me luck in all my travels. A , The Traveler was on the sidelines át the Bengals special thanks to all the Training Camp in Georgetown, KY. Photo ~y the people that made this Traveler. �STREETVIBES The Tri Stote's Homeless Grapevine by Denise Crew 1 remember a party with pizza in the days before (lactes~ intolerance) friends gathered in a sparsely furnished house showing slides on the wall . good singing and guitar playing fruit salad which was pure nectar one by one we slept and woke then left a slumber so peaceful, and fine thóse were the precious times Loving Family Care by Denise Crew You may not be my blood yet you surround me with love my secrets well guard ed and kept My humanness kept clase swallowed in s·mall steady doses Untitled 1 by &banda Marshall a telephone book thaú what he had, tucked beneath his head as a pillow where he lay on the step of an abandoned building close to the street curled up in a ball blanketed by the summer heat keepsakes ,for my sake by Denise Crew My little box of keepsakes, is too much to touch Each ítem from those who have come through my life A ribbon from a precious gift . a card purchased with food stamp change photographs of days gone past a prose written from the heart a glove that held the ashes a hard crumpled tissue fi lled with dried tears My little box of keepsakes is too much to touch .# Page B The Meek WORD ON THE STREET Poetry A Happy Birthday Memory . by Angela Meadows l'm alone in the swallow of the land , Living under bridges in the sand. l'm the homeless. l'm the helpless. 1 have nothing to offer you, Lord. Sinking by Anonymous Adrift in a sea-of hopel~ssness With no firm land in sight A woman and_her child absorbed in fear May not make it through the night Earlier the captain, and crew sped · swiftly by What they yelled out as they passed made the family cry We can't help you, leave us alone - Just fend for yourself and make it on your own They threw her a net from inside of the boat Only i~ had a hole in it and wouldn't float The net had always been arOL~nd far those that fell Now its gone forever as far as they can tell They now must use their own skills to _make it to solid ground But they've never been trained because there was no training to be found No, they must move quickly; there's a fast approaching storm lts an uncaring, unfeeling, misguided tempest called WELFARE REFORM 1 lay awake and cry for days gane by. · How could I have sunk so low? 1 do not understand. 1 can not see a plan. · Jesus please pray for me ... Let My glory stand tall upon the weak this night. Let My righteousness fall upon her like the fresh · morning dew. Let My comforter wrap around her frail, cold body and warm her soul. Let her hands become tools to do l"'.fy work. . Let her feet become vehicles to carry Me into places where My light has never shone. Let her mouth choose to honor Me. And let her spirit abey My every command. Harken her ears to see My will. Let the meek of this world not just be today's survivors, but let them be an image of My greatness in the morrow. Chorus: Glory stand tall around me. · Righteousness fall. Holy Spirit comfó rt me. Obey His commands: Repeat Chorus. Meatballs !JY·Chanda Marshall anxious, black hands dipped into the spiced meat and rolled it into perfect spheres beneath their tiny, faded palm~ �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine CLEVELAND HOMELESS GRAPEVINE , Local Control Leads. ·to Funding · Scr'amble in Cleve1a-nd Page !O The Best Location For A Bar? Why are all the Downt~wn temporary services within a .few sho".'t -steps of a place that sells alcohol? - other two groups. Theoretically, HUD is suppose to follow the community's rankings in deciding which programs are funded. So if "And now we are engaged in a great there were $1 O mi Ilion available from Wash- · uncivil war testing whether that agency or any . ington locally and there were 12 projects each agelicy so conceived and so dedicated can long · requesting $1 million, then the projects ranked endure." 1-1 O that met all the HUD guidelines would get funded. This year HUD also asked the county or by Gilda Slorm _ wilh research by city to include renewal programs in the Brian Dl!VÍS process. · So programs that were funded three years ago and up for renewal now muSt The Department of Housing and Urban . compete against new ,programs. lt was deDevelopment has altered the way in which cided to fund the renewals first to assure that McKinney funds are distributeéí for homeless there is som·e consistency in the programs, programs. The Stuart B. McKinney grants are and then rank the new projects or expansion the bulk of the funds available to homeless projects next. . ·. . services fr<:>m the Federal government HUD · At this time there is no official oversight has returned control of the funds to the local . · of the services locally, which made t~e process _ community, and has put the responsibility for contentious. There. is no agency that checks the oversight, management, and prioritization · to make sure the programs are fulfilling their in the hands of local officials. mission or serving their customers, or even In Cleveland, federal funds earmarked for doing what they are saying what they are Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, -and Lakewood doing. No government body is checking to see are under the direction of the Cuyahoga that the $1 O mi Ilion in federal money, and the County/Cleveland Office of Homeless Sermillions that come from other sources is being' vices. Ruth O'Leary, Manager of OHS, atused to reduce homelessness. In fact, the tempts to coordinate services and oversee amount of money that is going to homeless local funding of homeless services. The office services has steadily increased locally, and the has been successful in . netting the area millions homeless population has shown similar inof dollars from the ~ederal government creases. including $1 O million last year ·f or homeless ·. Ruth O'Leary claimed the programs are services. This in contrast to the national trend audited by HUD. · She said, "There is oversight, in which tiomeless service's funding has but the people who are doing the oversight do . declined. · not communicate with the community." The With the assistance of the Óffice of audit that HUD does is basically a self declaraHomeless Services, the region has done weU tion that the agency met the original goals of compared to other areas of Ohio in getting the program and they had sorne impact on the funds from the McKinney program over the community: past three years. One social worker who travels to providThe structure for deciding which ers all around town said, "I don't think all the projects receive funds includes first an identifishelters are on the same playi11g field. lt is hit . cation of 't he gaps in services from local or miss as far as referrals go. There' is no research, input from homeless people as well communication, which causes major problems as providers. The gaps are then ranked as a for the customer. There is a lack of underhigh priority, medium priority, and a low standing of the customer or their needs. 1 priority by homeless people and providers. think there needs to be better ov_ersight. Then a request for proposals is sent out locally íhere needs to b~ sorne consistency." · asking service providers for propo~als to fill Mirako, a Grapevine vendor who is the high priorities. _ . currently homeless, said that the shelters are This year there were 19 new or exnot at all responsive to the needs of the panded programs seeking funds in .the area of customers. , He said that he was banned for a permanent housing and transitional housing (2 week for sleeping duriñg the day at the new year time _limit) for homeless people, as well as weekend drop in center operated by Project support services such as case management. Heat. He said there was no grievance proceThe projects are r?,1nked in order of impordure, and he had no idea of how to appeal this tance by the local service providers as w~II as decision. · the homeless. The lack of effective oversight is a major Finally, a group of business, foundation, concern of homeless people. In fact, better and coordination groups attempt to pull oversight and monitoring was ranked ás one of together a final ~rder of importance for the the highest p-riorities for homeless people in projects using the recommendations from the r 1 thé C~eating Positive Solutions meetings. They saw abuse of the customers, abuse of donations, and a Íack of respect for the clients that providers are suppos~ to be serving as a · widespread problem. The homeless asked that action: be taken immediately to assure that oversight is stepped up and that people using the services are involved in the process. A West Side shelter director said that the community certainly does not need any more oversight. She said that she is overw~elmed with reports and paperwork that she has to do connected with all the money that she receives. Those working in the field kn'o w what agency is doing a good job and is legitimate . according to this shelter director who wished to remain anonymous. The problem is that those giving out the money do not know which agency is fulfilling its mission, and attempting to return people to society. The Grapevine has done exposes on two different organizations that were collecting $500,000 to $1 milfion each year, and were providing very little benefit -to the community. One of the organizations claimed that they operated a shelter that the G~pevine reporter never saw and could not find anyone who had seen it. They were receiving money from sorne well resp~ct~d foundations locally, and hada massive telemarketing campaign in the community. They were not receiving direct government subsidy. · . - · Because of the lack_of direct oversight there is no way to look at the amount of money thai is being spent on homelessness, and no way to track the impact. O'leary concedes that reporting has always been · quantitative and / not performance based. She agreed that "we need to look at different outcome measures." There are many factors that drive up the homeless population including the unskiUed job market, poverty, access to health care and mental and chemical addiction treatment programs, and the health of the schools. lt is unclear whether the large expenditures on homelessness h~s any impact on the size of the displaced populations in Cleveland. One thing that is known is that many people are employed in social service organizations because there are homeless people on the streets, and many people depend on tbeir agency getting federal, state and local funds. lt is estimated that there are over 75 agencies not including governmental bodies that provide direct ·service to homeless people employing anywlÍere from 2 people in the small 1 1 agencies to nearly one hundred people in the large agencies. With a fiscally conservative federal and state government, funds to assist homeless people have decreased over the last two years �-~-- STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 10 The Best Localion For A Bar? CLEVELAND HOMELESS GRAPEVINE Why are aU the Downt~wn temporary services within a few sho".'t -steps of a place that sells alcohol? · Local Control Leads. ·10 Funding · S'cramble in Clevela'nd "And now we are engaged in a great uncivil war testing whether that agency or any agency so conceived and so dedicated can long endure." · / other two groups. Theoretically, HUD is suppose to follow the community's rankings in deciding which programs are funded. So if there were $1 O mi Ilion available from Washington locally and there .were 12 projects each requesting $1 million, then the projects ranked 1-1 O that met all the HUD guidelines would get funded. _ This year HUD also asked the county or city to include renewal programs in the process. So programs that were fund_ed three years ago and up for renewal now must - compete against new -programs. lt was decided to· fund the renewals first to assure that there is sorne consistency in the programs, and then rank the new projects or expansion projecti next. . ·. · · At this time there is no official oversight of the services locally, which made the process contentious. There. is no agency that checks to make sure the programs are fulfilling their mission or serving their customers, or even doing what they are saying what they are doing. No government body is checking to see that the $1 O mi Ilion in federal money, and the millions that come from other sources is being · used to reduce homelessness. In fact, the amount of money that is going to homeless services has steadily increased locally, and the homeless popufation has shown s~milar increases. Ruth O'Leary claimed the programs are audited by HUD. She said, "There is oversight, but the people who are doing the oversight do not communicate with the community." The audit that HUD does is basically a self declaration that the agency met the original goals of the program and they had sorne impact on the community: Oné social worker who travels to providers all around town said, "I don't think all the shelters are on the same playi11g field. lt is hit or miss as far as referrals go. There is no communication, which . causes major problems for the customer. There is a lack of understanding of the customer or their needs. 1 think there needs to be better oversight. There needs to b~ sorne consistency." Mirako, a Grapevine vendor who is · currently homeless, said that the shelters are not at all responsive to the needs of the customers. , He said that he was banned for ~ week for sleeping duriñg the day at the new weekend drop in center operated by Project Heat. He said there was no grievance procedure, and he had no idea of how to appeal this decision. The lack of effective oversight is a major · concern of, homeless pe9ple. In fact, better oversight and monitoring was ranked as one of the highest priorities for homeless people in 0 by Gilda Storm wilh research by Brian Davis The Department of Housing and Urban Development has altered the way in which McKinney funds are distributed for homeless programs. The Stuart B. McKinney grants are the bulk of the funds available to homeless services fr9m the Federal government: HUD has returned CO'ntrol of the funds to the local . community, and has put the responsibility for the oversight, management, and prioriti.zation in the .hands of local officials. In Cleveland, federal funds earmarked for Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, -and Lakewood are under the direction of the Cuyahoga County/Cleveland Office of Homeless Services. Ruth O'Leary, Manager of OHS, attempts to coordinate services and oversee local funding of homeless services. The office has been successful in . netting the area millions of dollars from the Federal government including $1 O mi Ilion- last year for homeless services. This in contrast to the national trend in which homeless service's funding has declined. With the assistance of the Office of Homeless Services, the region has done well compared to other areas of Ohio in getting funds from the McKinney program over the past three years. The structure for deciding which projects receive funds includes first an identifi. cation of 't he gaps in services from local ~esearch, input from homeless people as well as pro~iclers. The gaps are .then ranked as a high priority, medium priority, and a low · priority by homeless people and providers. Then a request for proposals is sent out locally asking service providers for propo~als to fill the-high priorities. . . This year there were 19 new or expanded programs seeking funds in the area of permanent housing and transitional housing (2 year time limit) for homeless people, as well as support services such as case management. The projects are ra,nked in order of importance by the local service providers as well as the homeless. Finally, a group of business, foundation, and coordination groups attempt to pull together a final order of ·importance for the projects using the r~commendations from the 1 r the Creating Positive Solutions meetings. They saw abuse of the customers, abuse of ,donations, and a Íack of respect for the clients that p_roviders are; suppos~ to be serving a~ a . widespread problem. The homeless asked that action, be taken immediately to assure that oversight is stepped up and that people using the services are involved in the . process. A Wesf Side shelter director said that the community certainly does not need any more oversight. She said that she is overw~elmed with reports and paperwork that she has to do connected with all the money that she receives. Those working in the field know what agency is doing a good job and is legitimate . according to this shelter director who wished to remain anonymous. The problem is that those giving out the · money do not know which agency is fulfilling its mission, and attempting to return people to society. The GrapeYine has done exposes on two different .organi.zations that were collecting $500,000 to $1 million each year, and were providing very little benefit to the community. One of the organi.zations daimed that they operated a shelter that the Grapevine ·reporter never saw and could not find anyone who had seen it. They were receiving money from sorne well resp~cted foundations locally, and hada massive telemarketing campaign in the community. They were not receiving direct goverhment subsidy. · . · · Because of the lack of direct oversight there is no way to look at the amount of money that is being spent on homelessness, and no way to track the impact. O'Leary concedes that reporting has ·always been -quantitative and 1 not performance based. She agreed that "we need to look at different outcome measures." There are many factors that drive up the homeless population including the unskiUed job market, poverty, access to health care and mental and chemical addiction treatment programs, and the health of the schools. lt is unclear whether the large expenditures on homelessness has any impact on the size of the displaced populations in Cleveland. One thing that is known is that many people are employed in social service organi.zations because there are homeless people on the streets, and many people depend on their agency getting federal, state and local funds. lt is estimated that there are over 75 agencies not including governmental bodies that provide direct ·service to homeless people employing anywhere from 2 people in the small agencies to nearly one hundred people in the large agencies. With a fiscally conservative federal and state government, funds to assist homeless people have decr~sed over the last two years 1 �STREETVIBES 1 The Tri State s ~ome/ess Grapevine Page 11 To Work For Free ·1s No-1the Answer to Welfare on a national level and are expected to conti nue to decrease. This has led to often contentious competition for the funds. One local provider in reflecting on maintaining a viable organization said, "On the one hand we , all want to work together to salve this prob1,em, but on the other hand every dallar another agency gets is a dallar that we are not getting. ,lt is tough keeping things gc,ing." One outcome of this competition is that \ many agencies are doing work in areas-that have the best firiancial support or those ,,by Jean Taddie undertakin_gs that can show quantitative Labor organizations are concerned that Ohio's welfare system h~s been replaced outconíes. An example is that organizations wor:king people are at risk of losing good paying with a workfare system. Workfare means that . serving the mentally ill hof!1eless have access to jobs to WQrkfare volunteers who ·receive welfar~ clients who cannot find employment -funds from the mental health state and local below minimum wages. Since tlíe cash and will be required to volunteer their time· in network as well as the health care and homebenefits are paid by Human Services these . -return for their ben~fits. Supporters of less funding trees. An organization that is mandatory volunteers are little orno cost to workfare believe it will improve people's selfbuilding a job club for homeless men has only a the "employer." The AFL-CIO Executive sufficiency. Opponents argue that citizens may few options for funding and so this type of Council voted in February to "support and be _forced to work for less than the federal service does not exist ·in the community. encourage aggressive organizing campaigns minimum wa_ge and workfare does not offer a _lt is painfully obvious that men also do among these new workers." They state thát long-term solution to employment barriers. not get the same kind of attention as women workfare volunteers should be treated as Governor _G eorge Voinovkh's plan to when funding decisions are made. B.ecause-of workers under the law. _ "shift Ohio's welfare. system from entitlement the underlying feeling in society that women Opp_onents of workfare arg~e that-the to employment" adds thousands of low-skilled -are fragile and caretakers of children, homeless program does not' provide long-te'rm solutions workers into Ohio's labor force. Ohio Departwomen receive a great deal of sympathy from to families in poverty. Human Service officials ment of Human Services Director Arnold R. · the public. Men are viewed as defective if they develop ·contracts with organizations that need Tompkins stated in a recent press release, "lf _are homeless. They are suppose to be hunters volunteer workers. Caseworkers have the ' we are to meet the objective of the new and providers, and those who cannot lift _power to tell clients where they can and welfare system, more :than 100,000 current themselves up by their bootstraps do not cannot work. Often clients are placed into ·clients will need to join the labor force in the deserve society's sympathy, nioney or assislow-skilled, dead-end positions. In addition, near future." · tance. A good example is the welfar~ system, workfare's time requirements make it difficult The Ohio Works First welfare plan which is structured around women and for people to get an education or find a better requires parents 'Yith children _over age one to children, with no aid is available 't o men. job. engage in a qualified work activity for at least This year that competition bubbled over Julie is a single parent of one daughter and _30 hol!fs ·per weekin order to receive TANF ~· i_n a.heated .meetingjn, discussing the projec.ts · a physical therapy student at ·C1,1yahoga Comthat are seeking funds. lt seemed that now munity College. Knowing that she would soon agencies are becoming overtly critica! of other Although these stop-gap _b~ required to volunteer for her benefits, Julie providers and the expense involved with looked for volunteer work that was related to measures may t_ook good certain services. her career choice. So she contacted and set .politically, _-they do not address .One -provider, Cleveland· Health Care for up interviews with eight hospitals and chose to Jhe real poverty and - volunteer the Homeless (profiled in lssue 21 ), was at three of the hospitals. One week criticized for the services that they offer and · _unemployment ·problems. after starting her hospital-school-mom schedsought funding for 4 or 5 projects -this year ule, her caseworker told her that her hospital benefits. According to Voinovich, ·the plan is totaling over $4.5 million. CHCH wis comwork does not qualify as an approved work designed to "help ' welfare recipients become pletely cut -out of the fu.nding because of activity. She was then assigned to olunteer at · self-sufficient and take personal responsibility various problems with the administration of a community ·center instead. for their families." As TANF recipients the program. Executive Director John When ten more TANF volunteers throughout Ohio are having their benefits reMcKinne}' was on vacation and not available showed up at the community cente~ July Isi, evaluated, many parents are being told that for comment. the s_taff did not expect them since they had must find work, and if an offer is made they The lnterchurch Council had requested not been informed that there were volunteers must accept the job. People wh·o cannot , $2.5 mi Ilion for an innovative project to coming. The volunteers-·were told to sign in locate work for pay are required to volunteer provide transitional housing for women as weli" and then go home. "We didn't have anything · ata location deemed ~cceptable by their .as an attempt _to provide scattered site permafor them_to do, and we can't have them sitting caseworker. nent housing for the women with treatment around here all day," one staff member said. Opponents to workfare argue that modeled after Miracle Village (see insert). Currently, Julie is appealing her caseworker's volunteers will _not receive the protection Through the process the project received low decision and is fighting to keep her volunteer employees are ·entitled to under federal law. ratings by the homeless and by local provider~, hours at hospital~ where she can be helpful At 120 hours per month, volunteers who , and so the project was not chosen as one that and learn, instead of community center that receive $279 in TANF benefits for their family _was submitted to HUD. doesn't need her. · will effectively earn .less than $2.40 per hour Sharon Rickart of lnterchurch Council According to various welfare rights , for their volunteer time. Volun:teers make who prepared th~ grant felt that the changes oranganizers, the poverty problem cannot be much less than the $4.75 minimum wage that that H UD made were too sudden, but she solved by creating pools of free labor. Alemployees receive. These low _pay positions couched her criticism by first stating that her - though ·these stop-gap measures may look cannot support a family and they threaten comments were not negative toward the · good politically, they do not address .the real workers in good paying jobs. · Office of Homeless Services or any people poverty and unemployment problems. WelRon, a married father of three, lives in an involved in the process. "There needs to be a fare clients will only be ablé to obtain employOhio community with a depressed economy criteria for evaluation of the proposals. · We · ment that supports a family when the skills and and was unable to find a good job. His caseneed to figure out how to evaluate the capacabilities they can supply match the needs and worker sent him to do maintenance work ~t a ity. We were notable to present (oral presenclemands of employers in our i~creasingly local truck depot in return for his benefits. tations), which real!y hurt orgariizations like technical society. lnstead of offering workers Other «;mployees resented Ron since their ours." She hoped that there was en .going at below market wages, the skills and education company didn't have to pay him. They felt discussion improve the process for next yeat. of this labor force should be improved. Casetheir wages and jobs were in jeopardy _so they Ruth O'leary said, "I think the process workers should emphasize GED and postsent Ron home saying they didn't need him has develop~d sorne strong proposals. We secondary education so their clients can fill and they would sign in for him. Eventually, have met the HUD guidelines in a thoughtful good-paying private sector jobs. human services discovered that Ron was not and inclusive manner. 1 felt it was a good working and cut his family's benefits· for two process, and we are in a defensible position. _ months. 0 1 �-=¡ STREETVIBES The Tri State's Home/ess Grapevine Page 12 Balancing the Budget On Whose Shoulders? $1 O billion extra was given to the Pentagon .. In the 1997 Federal Budget, Congress and the Clinton Administration gave the Pentagon over $1 O billion mo're than it requested. At the · same time, deep cuts were made in crucial domestic programs. We cannot let this happen again in the FY98 budget.- lt is up to our communities to make sure this imbalance of priorities ends . . . The money required to fund Projects for Ass1sta~ce in Transition From Homelessne~s (PATH), Educat1on for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY). Healthcare for the Homeless (HCH), Federal Emer- · gency Management Agency (FEMA) and the HUD Ho_meless Assistance Programs federal programs, wh1ch meet the minimal needs of homeless persons, accounts for only one-seventh ( 14%) of the unrequested money given to the Pentagon in FY97. The total combined cost to meet those needs is $2.5 _billion. One B-2 Bomber costs $2.2 billion (Military Spending Working Group, httR:11 www.fas.org/mswg.) The grassroots community must senda strong message to Congress and th~ Clinton Administration: lf we cannot afford to house and feed the people of this nation, we cannot afford another B-2 Bomber. · Since· 1995, the c~ts in PATH, EHCY, HCH, FEMA, HUD Homeless Assistance Prograi:ns, Adult Education for the Homeless and Section 8 have created a "savings" of only .186~ of the national budget. The results of these cuts are the push of ~illi~ns of people further into poverty. The budget 1s ~eing balanced on the backs of poor people. The United States Military is not carrying a proportional weight in balancing the federal b_udget. In the upcoming months, Congress and _the Clinton Adminis.tration will be working on the Budget for FY98. An urgent message must be ;ent immediately. Congress must make major cuts in the military waste spending ór "pork". issues in order to maintain social programs which are crucial to our nations security. AI_ I members .of Congress can be reached at the Capital Hill Switch Board 202-2243 121 . For a list of committee members who vote on military specific proposals, please contact Rachelle _ Adams at the National Coalition for the Homeless at 202-775-1322-.or e-mail HN0055@handset.org. lmportance of Redefining National Security The ~old War is over. The United States is no long~r faced with the Cold War related military threats, yet Congress continues to appropriate to the military at a Cold War level of military expense. The United States spends $8,000 per . , second on the military (National (;atholic Reporter, Nov. 1, 1996. p.2), and $1,728,000,000 is spent everyday, year-round. Threats to our nation's security are no longer a farge scale attack from beyond our borders, but an underfunded educational system, lack of affordable housing and healthcare, and an economy that does not employ people with livable wages. Social ~rograms are the basis_of real security. Representat1ve Ron-Oellums (D-CA) has proposed a commitment to redesigning our strategy for national -security. This new strategy would include maintaining a vital economy with educated people; economic conversion, investments· in health, housing, and education. This type of strategy is essential to this nation in ordér to ensure survival. Our strongest resources are the people of the United States: educated, housed, and healthy. Homelessness/ Housing . . ~In FY94-95, the ratio of defense spending to spend~ng on housing and social service programs · targeting homeless populations was f 9◄: 1 (Homes _ not Barracks). *In FY97, there were $297 million cut from Homeless Assistance. In that same year, an unrequested $321 milli_on were added to the J $1.9 billion approved for the F-22 fighter jet, \\lhich CBO says . _should be delayed or cancelled. Housing: $1. 9 billion cut from HUD housing programs. Nati~nal Recónnaissance Óffice (the spy s~telhte ~gency which hid $4 billion from Congress) ( Balanc1ng the Budget, Washington Style", Campaign for New Priorities, 1996). . *In· FY97, $1.9 billion were cut from HUD housing program~. In that same year, $1.9 billion were approved for the F-22 fighter jet. A dubious project which the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says should be delayed o·r canceled ("Balancing the Budget, Washington Style", Campaign for New Priorities, 1996). *In FY97, $7.6 billion in subsidies went to the selling of arms worldwide. This money could . support construction of 100,000 units of low income housing per year and provide Head Start early childhood education services to 130,000 children annually and still leave $2.5 billion per year for deficit reduction (Welfare for Weapons Dealers, Bill Hartung, 199,6). *Since 1995, the cuts in PATH, ~HCY, HCH, FEMA, HUD HA, Adult Ed. for the Homeless and Section 8 ·have-created a "savings" of only .186 percent of the national budget (lt Doesn't Make Sense, 1996). · *With the $1 1.2 billion Congress gave to the Pentagon in FY97, they could have ,:ninimally funded all federal programs that address housing and homelessness and still had $8.6 billion left to · ' address the estimated 2.4 million currently on the waiting lists for public housing (lt Doesn't Make Sense, 1996). *Since 1987, the U.S. Department of Defense has provided blankets to home!ess shelters free-ofcharge under the McKinney Homeless assistance Act. A total of 4 million blankets, worth $30 million, have been distributed to more than 500 shelters nationwide since 1987. *The amount of money "saved" by Congress when they cut all of the HUD Homeless Assistance programs in FY95 ($29 million) is less than the unrequested money they added to the Pentagon's budget for army trucks in FY96 ($372 million) . (Center for the Defense lnformation, 1996). >l<"fhe money required to fund PATH, EHCY, HCH, FEMA, and the HUD Homeless Assistance programs accounts for less than one-seventh of the unrequested money given to the pentagon for FY97 (lt Doesn't Make Sense, 1996). *The $2:7 billion for a B-2 Bomber would nearly cover the $2.5 billion needed to fund all of the federal programs that address homelessness (lt Doesn't Make Sense, 1996). On April 2, 1997, 13 of the planned 21 B-2 Bombers were delivered to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri (Washington Post, 4/2/97). Nutrition *In FY97 there was a $2.6 billion cut from stamps and child nutrition programs. In the same year there was ~ $2.7 billion added for ~nrequested military research programs ("Balancmg the Budget Washington Style," Campaign for New Priorities, 1996). _ *At least 8,000 U.S. military personnel currently receive food stamps. Sorne independ~n_t sources estímate twice that number. Many are ehg1ble but do not apply. Enlisted pay is too low to adequately support a family ("DeFazio Missile Defense Amendment Fact Sheet," Council for a Livable World, 1997). *In FY95, Congress cut $30 million from the FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Grants. The next year they added $30 million in unrequested funding to the Pentagon for mines (Center for Defense lnformation, 1996). Educational/!ob Training "The General Accounting Office estimates that it will cost more than $100 billion to fix the nation's crumbling public school buildings. The President's budget devotes $5 billion to this problem ("What Crusade?", Campaign for New Priorities, 1997). *In FY95 Congress cut $5.8 million from the program that provides homeless students the resources they need for an education (EHCY). The next year they added more -than twice that amount in unrequested funds to the Pentagon for M-16·rifles (Centerfor Defense lnformation ' 1996). * lf Congress decided to provide only the minimum number of funds necessary to meet the educational needs of homeless children and youth, it would cost less than one-twentieth of the ·cost of the 2 extra LMSR Sealift Ships Congress decided to give the Pentagon in FY97 (lt Doesn't Make Sense 1 1996)~ . . *60% of all new jobs created between 1992 and 2005 will require a full college education (National Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1995). Meanwhile, federal student aid and Pell Grants continue to be cut. *The FY97 budget cut $104 million from the Direct Student Loan Program and $300 million from teacher training. In the same year, Congress added $44_9 mjllion to the Pentagon · budget for unrequested military helicopters (Campaign for New Priorities, 1997). *For every $1 the federal government spends on job training, it spends $66 on the Pentagon (National Priorities Project, 1997). *47% of adult Americans cannot adequately read or do arithmetic. The U.S. spends one-fifth of wlÍat other countries spend on federal job training (National Priorities Project ' 1997). · *I n FY96, the U.S. spent less than $25 billion on job training. In the same year, the U.S .. spent over $250 billion on the Pentagon (Nat1onal Priorities Project, 1997). *The FY97 Budget' added $10.4 billion to the Pentagon and cut $360 million f~om federal job training programs (Campaign for New Prioriti~s 1997). , �STREETVIBES The Tri Stote's Home/ess Grapevine - Page IJ 1997 ST·REETVIBES ' Reader•s Survey In order to gain a better understanding of you, the reader, and yóur expectancies of this paper, we ask that you please take ·a few minutes to complete this survey. Feel free to comment on any question. Your time and · 1. How old áre you? _ a. under 18 c. 26-35 b. 18-25 d. 36-49 e. over 49 2. What is your current work status? a. part-tim~ work e. under employed b. full time work f. self-employed c. retired g. student d. unemployed 3. What is your city of residence? a. Over-the-Rhine b. Clifton 14. How often do you see people using the paper's name to collect money or panhandle? ·, c. never a. often b. sonietimes 15. How much of the paper do you rea_d? a. all d. most b. sorne e. very little c. ¡ust look at the pictures 16. What articles do you enjoy reading? c. West Side d. Suburb of Cincinnati 4. What is your sex? a. female b. mate ~ 13..Have you ever had a bad experien·ce with a vendar? Please explain. a. yes b. no 24. Using the same scale as above, how would you rate the quality of photography in the paper? . a. edito.rials/commentaries d. poetry b. letters . e. profiles c. news 17. What areas would, you like to see · StreelYibes cover? 25. On a scale of I to I O, how would you rate the readability of Streetyjbes? · ( 1=difficult to read I0=easy to read) l..1 5. What other local publications do you re~? - _.J. a. Cincinnati Enquirerl Post c. The Downtowner b. City Bead EYerybody's News e. Other o; 18. On a scale of I to I how would you rate the trustworthiness of StreelYibes articles and why? ( 1=no trust 27. Do you have any additional comments about the content or layout? c. sometimes 7. Do you read the_StreelYibes that you buy or p~ck up? a. yes b. no 8. Do you buy more than one of the same issue just to support the concept of t he paper? a. yes b. no would you rate the layout of the paper? I 0=highest trust) 6. How often do you buy a Streetyjbes? a. never b. always 26. Using the same scale as above, how - 19. Considering the content of this paper, please indicate your feelings about this statement: "Your paper panders to the liberal ideology in our society, and gives no other point of view." 28. What is you impressioo of StreelYibes as a business for low income or homeless people? 29. Do you think this newspaper serves its mission as a voice for low income and homeless people? 9. Do you have a hard time finding a _StreelYibes? a. yes b. no 20. How could we improve the content of this paper? 1O. Where do you usually buy StreetYibes? a. Downtown · d. Avondale b. Clifton _ e. other c. Norwood 30. What is your overall impression of StreetYibes? 1 11. How much do you normally pay for a StreetYibes? a. under $:50 b. $.50-$.99 c. $1.00 · about any issuel a. yes b. no d. over $ 1.00 e. subscription f. free 12. Would you- hire a vendor of the paper if you hada job availablel a. yes ' b. no 21. Has Streetyjbes changed your opinion , 22. Do you discuss or think about the. articles or issues presented in this newspaper? a. yes b. no 23. On a scale of I to IO, how would you rate the quality of content of the articles in - Streetvibesl ( 1=poorest quality I0=highest quality) Thank ,you for your time. .Please tear off this page of the paper, fold as directed on back of this page, place a stamp on it and drop off or mail your completed survey to: 1f97 Streetvibes Survey The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 4521 O �STREETVIBES 1 The Tri Stote s Homeless Grapevine lnner 'City Voices by Palrick Moso/1 In this article I will attempt to identify sorne of the most importarit issues in the inner city. This will be done so that the reader can . think critically about the situation and reaé:h working conclusions of his/her own. In writing, 1 will not be arguing for one point of view, but will attempt to describe impartially the major viewpoints involved. Because of the depth needed to explore these issues, the article will be divided into two parts. The first part, in this issue, will consider the first six issues. The second part, in next month's issue, will consider the last five issues. Here are the topics in th~ order they will appear. 1) . 2) 3) 4) 5) · 6) Class and Poverty Gentrification/Development Race .and Ethn.icity Media Coverage . Government's Role Drugs and Drug P.olicy 7) Social Services 8) Housing Supply and Homelessness 9) Policing 10) _Crime 11) History Without further discussion, please proceed, and think carefully about these critica! issues. Class alid Poverty - Class, at its most basic level, is represented by the amount of income which an individual or family has at their disposal. At the same time, it also refers to one's place in the social structure. For example, · upper class residents of lndian Hill may play a large role in the workings of the city's dévelopment, whereas a lower class resident of Over-The-Rhine may have only her vote and the option to demonstrat~ against unfair changes. On a third level, there may be sorne correlation between class and cultural and behavioral cliaracteristics. Sorne cultural and behavioral variations which might be affected by class are familia! structure and relations, common pastimes, diet, form of \ transportation, educátion, and language. "There are many different levels of poverty," says Donald Whitehead, Outreach Director of th·e Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. At the same time, all of the levels share-one thing: they are near the lowest part of the class spectrum. To Leslie Hoerner, an employee of Race Street T enants' Organization Cooperative (ReSTOC), "Poverty means . not being able to meet your basic needs." A vast number of people in Over-The-Rhine spend -more than 50% of their income on housing, a key sign of poverty. The condition of poverty has many consequences in the quality of life. of the poor, including increased Page /4 My Summer of lnterviews and Analysis in Cincinnali •s lnner City stress, more_trouble for children, exposure to crime, and decreased political power. · Both poverty and class are significant factors in Over-The-Rhine and the inner city in general. Gentrification/Development - A series of events is occurring now in Over-The-Rhine which can be called gentrific~tion or development. In the simplest terms, new or rehabilitated homes are being constructed and reuted at márket-rate prices (higher than the poor can afford). New, more expensive businesses than cúrrently exist are opening, taking up mo·re space in Over-The-Rhine. Whether one calls it development or gentrification depends on the results one sees from this process. Sorne see that low-income people are dispersed and left with no place to go. They see higher-class establ~shments moving in, benefiting the wider community through employment or other benefits, not to previous Over-TheRhine residents. A second group looks at Over-The-Rhine and sees abject poverty, crim_e, and "filth." To them, development is positive because it means cleaning up a previously dirty area. lncreased profits and higher spending are good to busin~ssmen and the city in the form of higher tax revenues. Leslie Horner definitely thinks t hat Continued on page 15 Fold Here Firsl 1 1 l Fold Here Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1S06 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45 21 O Place Postage Here 1997 Reader's Survey Greater Cincinnali Coa/ilion lor /he Homeless 1506 Etm Slreel Cincinnati, OH 45210 Slaple al B0/10111 . �STREETVIBES The Tri Stote 's Homeless Grapevine The largest newspapers an~ telévision stations ·a re serious businesses. As such, it would not be surprising if they wei-e to represent and sympathize with the · business owners in Cincinnati. Further, smaller forms of mediá, like City Beat, are supported ·1argely by adver- · tisements from businesses. 1n these cases one would not be surprised ifthe media supported the viewpoint of ·businesses. Residents of Over-the-Rhine enjoyed the gospel Smaller, independent , sounds of Gail Holley and family at the forms of media, sud, as community festival August 2. Photo by · James Heath. ' · Streetvibes and Public Access lV, are more likely Continued from páge 14 to present the Over-The-Rhine Community Council's vi.ewpoint. what is occurring is gentrffication, not developBoth Ms. Hoerner dnd Mr. Whitehead ment. She is not .opposed tó developmént . agreed that there are some problems with which increases the quality of life_of its resimedia coverage of events in Over-The-Rhin-e. dents. "!t's gentrification because lower· "As a business, the media has to sensationalize . income people are being pushed out. . lt's or distort stories because they wouldn't sell dífficult to document, but people in the naturally,11 said Mr. Whitehead. According to neighborhood see it." Donald Whitehead Ms. Hoe,:-ner, the media sometimes focuses on agrees. "The problem is that when the 'quality feelgood articles, to the exclusion of serious of life ' is improved, the residents are elimiissues. "Someone called Channel 12 when nated." , there was a Welfare Rights meeting. lnstead of The issue of gentrification/dev~lop-covering the meetin'g, they coyered sorne ment is perhaps the focal point of conflict in volunteers from Xavier:" Over-Tbe-Rhine today. lt is the backdrop f~r Media coverage may ne~d to improve if ct~truggles, such as the Urban Land Cincinnatians are to understand what is really lnstitute's recommendations for the commu- happening in Over-The-Rhine. nity, or questions about the amount of lowincome housing. ~ Race and Ethnicity - ~~ Race is a large factor'"'in Over-The-Rhine, because it houses Cincinnati's greatest concentration of African- Americans (70%). At the same time, many whites also live in the Over-The-Rhine community as well (29%). Part of the white residents' group is the ethnic enclave of Appalachian migrants. There are a few AsianAmericans, and more Hispanics mo~e into Over-The-Rhine each day. "Over-The-Rhine is one of the most diverse communities in Cincinnati," says Mr. Whitehead. Race and ethnicity affect many of the other issues exploréd in this article. People· coming from predominantly white suburbs to the bars on Main Street may have little experience with African-Americans. The presenée of .blacks and fear of cultural differences may contribute to the white suburbanite's identification of Ov.e r-The-Rhine as a "ghetto." Racism may cause misunderstanding of the needs of residents in the inner city, clearing .the way for development/gentrification. Differences in the race and ethnicity of police officers and ·residents of Over-The-Rhine níay compound antagonism whicb already exists. In addition, racisin may lead to higher arrest rate,s for crime in the inner city. , Afina,1 consideration in the area of race and ethnicity is the possibility of a multicultural community in Over-The-Rhine. Over-TheRhine appears to have a head. start on many other communities in diversity. · lf the comm,u-nity ·views this to be a positive end, perhaps , sorne action could be taken . . Media Coverage - One of the most significant aspects of the struggle in Over-TheRhine is the way that the media reports about events bere. Is the media biased? And if so, in whose favor? ~ --- ' Governnient's Role - The primary ·question in this area is, what should the government, a,s a representative of wider society, do about places like Over-The-Rhine? Should the government take a laissez-fai~e approach, or should it be deeply involved in affecting the Over-The-Rhine community? The government's role has been closely scrutinized recently, as welfare has been changed to slowly eliminate public assistance for the poor. Many applaud this ás long overdue, while others strongly criticize it, saying it will exacerbate social problems. This entire debate exists in the context of the question, ''.What is the government's responsibility to its less fortunate dtizens?" . The role of our city government has also become significant in the gentrification/ d~velopment 'situation. Should the city government .support · gentrification/development or .maintaiñ Over-The-Rhine as a low-income neighborhood? How might the city intervene to mitigate the negative effects of · gentrification? Currently, the city appears to -support development, through its grant of $189,000 to the bver-The-Rhine Coalition (an organization formed to represent outside business interests). } Donald Whitehead believes there is a serious problem at the federal and city levels of government. "AII policies are shaped by special interests; you're only heard .if yóu buy it." For this reason, he feels the government's role n~ecis to b~ changed to: ~e more. respón". sive .t o less powerful groups. One possible way to accomplish this is through Canipaign ':. . · · Finan ce Reform.' Residents should carefully consider :the , role ·ot ~he government so that justice is ·· served in American society: . ~r.ugs and Drug Policy - lt is largely Page 15 believed that the inner city is a place where there is a high concentration of illicit drug usé. This is probably an exaggeration - suburban drug use is quite common, but may be ·much more covert. However, there is no dóubt that the use and sale of drugs in Over-The-Rhine exacerbates the existing problems of .poverty, crime, and violence. Substance abuse is a drain on in come; incapacitating one for work and · possibly leading to hé>melessness. "Drug use may be one cause of the breakdown of families,. when someone gets killed, goes into treatment, or when thei~ kids are taken away," says Ms. Hoerner. There is also an additional strain on the community as outsiders come into the neighborhood to purchase drugs. There are three identifiable positions on drug policy. One group feels that drug use should ·be diminished by increasing policing, number of arrests and by establishing harsher penalties for drug-related offenses. They feel that deterrence and the_removal of offenders from ,society through imprisonment is the best solution to this social problem. The second group favors lighter legal consequences for drug use, and more concentration on treatment and therapy. In their .opinion, the best way to eliminate the problem of substance abuse is to help consumers of drugs break their addiction. Mr. Whitehead says he favors a mixture of both of these· options. "l'd like to. seé tougher penalties for the sellers of drugs, but more treatment for users. We'II see a decrease in demand for drugs if we get users off the street." A third group favors the legalization of drugs. They feel that the war on drugs fills prisons for a crime that has no victim but the user. They feel that the illegality of drugs may even hurt inner-city neighborhoods like OverThe-Rhine. The illegality of drugs means that many of its residents are imprisoned, breaking up families and the community. , . Whatever stance one takes, it i·s important to carefully consider what actions might be taken toward the drug problem in inner-city' .communities. The best way to learn about these issues is by getting involved in an inner-city community. With experience and critica! thinking, citizens can improve the quality of life in communities like Over-The-Rhine. Please stay active and read next month's second half to this article: "lmportant lssues i~ the lnner City." Sorne of the crowd at the'-Over.:.theRhine Festival. Photo by James Heath. �STREETVIBES The Tri Stote's Homeless Grapevine Page /6 Vendor .Update: 1 Ch ose Honest IV Streetvi bes TV by Gregory Paylon Schedul-e course you the custorner, 1 am very excited to share with you thát I have reached an irnportant goal in rny life. That being I now have my very own apartrnent. . 1 had to have a way, and STREElVIBIES was it. 1 had to have s·o rne surpport and you, the cu_storner was it. 1 had to have strength hope and guidence and 1 · recieved this from the Main Man (GOD)/ Never losing faith, and listening to sorne of yQu, my goal becarne a reality. With STREElVIBES, My Custorners and the Main Man (GOD) 1 WAS able to BELIEVE, ACHIEVE , SUCCEED. 1 have been tryil!g to bring you, the reader, our customers up to date with what is happening in my lite. In our last issue I tryed to share with you the joy I felt from sorne acheievrnents you made possible.. This rnonth with hard work and determination, and of Subscribe to Streetvi bes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below ~ddress and the paper will be mailed to you each issue. Your subscription helps keep our paper alive. bllp:1/cinci. com/gcch Str.eetvibes. -Online Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH · 4521 O Please rnake checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Horneless--Streetvibes. lf you have any que·stions, call the office at 421-7803. We have just added a searchable interface for our Str~etvibes articles. Websurfers can index our stories by date or subject. Please visit our site. Check us out, We're on TV! Streetvibes is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Cornmunity Video. , Slreetvibes TV August Please tune into· our televised City Council Candidates Forurn on Hornelessness. Ten .candi_d ates who are running attended and field'ed questions by homeless people and advocates on live lV. Channel 10 M·onday, September 1, 6:30 pm Thursday, September 4, 9 am Sunday, September 14, 4 pm Slreelvibes TV Seplember This show will fqcus on Mental Health issues and hornelessness. Channel 7 (58 Basic in most of Harnilton County) Monday, September 15, 7 pm live éhannel 10 Sunday, September 21, 4 pm Thursday, September 25, 9 am Still Needed Your Do llar Goes · Volunteers for two or three hours to help paint parts of the office. Any time! Utility Shelves! ! Picture or Poster Frames TV and VCR to Show Streetvibes Episodes to Groups Blank VHS Cassettes Vol~mteer Copy Editors and Stories Need Help or Want .to Help? lighthouse Youth Center . St. John's Temporary Housinj? lf for sorne reason you find yourself horneless, · contact a Coalition Mernber Agency for Shelter, Treatrnent, Housing or Services. lf you have any questions, feel free to call the Horneless Coalition, at 421-7803. HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental 111) T om Geiger House SHELTERS: Women and Children 241-2757 Alice Paul House (abuse) 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431-8717 Welcome House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Franéis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Cara cole (Al OS) Chabad House Drop lnn Center (singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) lnterfaith Hospitality Network 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 ·863-8866 244-7226 TREATMENT: O.D.A.A.T FirstStep Home - - ~ o· - 721-4580 241-9683 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 Wome·n 241-7343 921-7324 TREATMENT: Men Ch_arlie's 3/4 Heuse · Prospect House Starting Over TREATMENT: N.A. Hopeline A.A Hetline· C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, lnc. 961-4080 651-6446 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 Both ¡ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ ,¡,,.,_,,_ _ ___ 820-2947 861-9966 · 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 · VA Domiciliary 559-5011 OTHER SERVICES . 421-2437 AIDS Velunteers of Cincinnati 621-5991 Appalachian ldentity Center 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381-42••-:.2 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Community Center 24 i -l 064 Freestore/Foodbank 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 62!-7149 Hamilton Ce.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Ce. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 · Homeless Mobile Health Van 221-3679 House of Refuge Mission 241 .. 9400 Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 721-4811 Mary Magdalen House 621-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Cent~:711-7660 . Travelers Aid . 7'21-7900 UnitedWay 559-6656 VA Homeless ,Program 491-3335 Women's Crisis Center- � 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 1997 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 Language A language of the resource English 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. Text Any textual data included in the document - 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 1997 Vol. 1, issue 8 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness 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 1997 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>. Relation A related resource - Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource - Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context - Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant - Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Description An account of the resource Issue covering: homeless shelters welfare reform home lending bias community council housing policy homeless veterans death penalty free speech Drop Inn Center addiction federal budget Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis Wanda Eicher Iola Green Chanda Marshall Patrick Mosolf Angela Meadows Tom Mulroy Myron Bonnie Neumeier Gregory Payton Malaka Sanders S. Brad Saylers Gilda Storm Jean Taddie The Traveler Sandy Valadon Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Angela Meadows Bonnie Neumeier Brian Davis Chanda Marshall Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Gilda Storm Gregory Payton homeless housing Iola Green Jean Taddie Lynn Williams Malaka Sanders Myron Pat Clifford Patrick Mosolf policy reform Ron Carter S. Brad Saylers Sandy Valadon shelter The Traveler Tom Mulroy veterans Wanda Eicher welfare https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/f65acb53e066df7709cdc958210c314d.pdf 64735cf4423334b8e8ab35d054fca3a4 PDF Text Text RESIDENTS RALLY FOR SAFE ONE-WAY VINE Sto17 and Photo /Jy Jimmy Ht1ath On August 20th, Over-The-Rhine community leaders, activists and neighborhood residents gathered on Vine Street to rally and march for support of Vine Street remaining one-way. The march of solidarity began at Vine and Central Parkway and ended at Five Points Corner (Vine, McMicken and Clifton Avenue) in OTR. The issue of Vine Street direction became important in 1974 when community leaders worked to change two-way Vine Street to one-way in order to address serious traffic and pedes.trian concerns, especially at the Five Points Corner. Residents ·and Community leaders were successful in lobbying for the change to a one-way Vine Street for reasons of safety. The question was revisited again about 20 years later (in 1995) when the Urban land Institute (ULI) recommended, as part of an overall urban renewal scheme, that one-way Vine Street be converted back to two-way. On this recommenda­ tion a study (at taxpayers' expense) was undertaken by the City of Cincinnati in cooperation with the consulting firm of Pflum, Klausmeier, & Gehrum (PKG). The final PKG report to the City of Cincin­ nati recommended against the two-way conversion of Vine Street. This recommendation was not accepted by City Council. City Council directed the City Traffic Engineering Department to find a way to convert Vine Street to a two-way operation despite the PKG report. In 1997, the City Traffic Engineer created the Vine Street Task Force comprised of neighborhood residents, representatives of the police. fire, and Metro Bus Service, and neighbor­ hood business representatives. The Task Force, including myself, met ten times over many months to discuss and debate this issue. It seemed clear, even from the first meeting, that this was a battle of business interests over resident rights. Business forces were not looking at alternatives or compro­ mise. The business interests involved in the Task Force meetings painted a lovely picture of life on a two-way Vine Street, while neighborhood residents on the Task Force· expressed serious concern about pedestrian and traffic safety. Business interests on Vine Street who support this project are somehow convincl'.d that two-way traffic will be good for their business. Ironically, there is no evidence that business owners would in any way benefit from a t:No-way Vine Street. If anything, it seems logical that this conversion might impact business in a negative way. Low-income folk on the Task Force began to wonder if this was another way of getting rid of poor persons in o ur neighborhood! Lets face it, the conversion of Vine Street is one part of a lo ng range plan to displace poor folk from what is perceived by many as valuable downtown land. The real value of this land is in the richness and diversity of our neighborhood, its history and its residents. And that is why we fight so hard to protect the residents and our homes. Development as an investment equals highe r rents and highe.r property values much to the delight of land/business owners which in turn results in the reduction of housing stock for low-income people. Main Street in Over-The-Rhine is a good example of the results of this type of "urban re- Continued on page 9 Nannie Hinkston {left), President of The Over-The-Rhine Community Council and Bonnie Neumeier, Vice-President, address demonstrators at One-Way Vine Street rally. LINCOLN COURTS TO BE DEMOLISHED by Stree!Ylbes Staff last month, our cover story told you about the proposed demolition of Lincoln Courts, the City's largest public housing project. Andrew Cuomo Secretary of HUD made the announce­ ment via teleconference call from Washington. The total project cost of the "HOPE VI" project will be $6 1 million dollars. HUD commitment was announced at $35 million. The City of Cincinnati has made a commitment of $6 million. Additional funding for the project will come through tax credits and bonds. The proposed project calls for"the demoli­ tion of all 856 units in the Lincoln Courts Housing complex. Those units will be replaced with 250 units of public housing and 250 units for moderate to upper-income renters. The project has the support of the Lincoln Court Resident Council. "I Know that the Hope VI program is a bright future for our children," said Marquita Jones, who doubles as Lincoln Co urt resident and CMHA (Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority} employee. The Ceremony was also attended by many who are adamantly o pposed to the Hope VI Project. George Lee, also a Lincoln Court resident. and others were not allowed into the ceremony. Many leaders in the West End believe that the proposal is._part otan ongoing plan to systematically remove all minority and low-income residents from the West End. The recent history of Hope VI projects makes these fears ever more real. Earlier Hope VI projects have seen predomi­ nately low-income African-American neighbor­ hoods totally transformed into mixed communities. The mix seems totally slanted towards upper­ income residents. Statistics show that Hope VI Projects in other communities such as Chicago and St. Louis have gone from 90% or higher low­ income residents to 27% low-income residents, further increasing the lack of affordable housing in those communities. The Hope VI grant was a real disappointment to homeless advocate s, especially Homeless Coalition Director Donald Whitehead, who recently met with Secretary Cuomo on this issue. "I am deeply disap­ pointed. I personally handed residents signatures opposing this project to Secretary Cuomo," said Mr. Whitehead. "This project alone is devastating to the stock of affordable housing in Cincinnati. Coupled with other attacks in the war on' the poor, it's like a dagger in the heart of every homeless person in Cincinnati." Contents The Traveler Returns Cleveland News Tactics Welfare News Visible Homeless Arts & Poetry Nationwide News Prisoners News Amer/corps Letters & Editorials Crossword & Games Madwomyn NASNA Conference Classifieds Vendor Profile. Page2 Page3 Page3 Page4 Page5 Page6 Pagel Pages Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 'Page 13 Page 15 Page 16 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, theTri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by d1e Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. 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 organiz­ ing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421-7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Brett Zwolinski, Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support James Hobbs, Vendor Support Photo~rapher Jimmy Heath Writers Maryann Bravo Ron Carter Denise Crew Jame s Curry Brian Davis Ellen Robert Freking Jimmy Heath Vicki Lynn Michael Nelson James W. Pryor Aaron Pitchford Malaka Sanders Michael Strawder Euguene Sung Rodney Sutton Angela Whithead Donald Whitehead Gloria Wiggins Lynn Williams Bruce Wilmer Brett Zwolinski Editor/al Pollcj: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, com­ ments or editorials. We will print every­ thing we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: STREETVIBES 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (5 13) 421 -7803 fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Quote ofthe Month (by Deanna Henry of Cincinnati Works, regarding the poor): "They need to get betterjobs, and they need to move up the food chain... " Page 2 THE TRAVELER RETURNS by Donald Whlt11h11ad With the sincerest of apologies to Gregory Payton, who's column entitled "The Traveler" ran in earlier editions of STREETYIBES, we have decided to use the name for a series of articles based on the recent travels of the staff of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Please fasten your seat belt, move all tray tables to the upright position. and put your mind on cruise control. Remember your imagination can be used as a flotation device. 8:30 AM August I, 1998 It's 8:30 AM and my travels begin. I am off to Kenwood accompanied by members of the Drop-Inn­ Center rehabilitation program and my wife who have volunteered to assist me on this year's Bengals' Fund raising bus trip. From Kenwood we travel to Georgetown Kentucky where we are greeted by Cincinnati Bengals' Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau, a very friendly and animated man, who thoroughly delights those who made the trip with quick wit and honesty. We witness a very exciting scrimmage that is highlighted by touchdown drives by all three contestants in the 1998 version of"Who will be the Bengals Quarterback." I am very happy at the end of the day because the scrimmage ends in plenty of time for me to make the next leg of my travels. There's something written somewhere about the best laid plans, there's also that Murphy's Law thing that pops up from time to time. Since it was 4 o'clock and an hour and one half travel time from Georgetown "to Kenwood, I was feeling proud about my exceJlent time management skills ... at least that was the case for awhile. When I talked about the Bengals' scrimmage I didn't talk much about defense, that's because there didn't seem to be much hittin' going on. Perhaps dle best hit of the day came complements of our bus driver, who hit a car that already occupied the lane he decided to change into . Aner waiting over an hour for the police and the report that followed, those time management skills that I talked about earlier took a serious blow. I sat on dle edge of my seat until we arrived at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Parking lot at 6 PM. 6:30 PM I frantically arrive at dle Drop-Inn-Center to drop off left over lunches and my wonderful volun­ teers. My only chance to make my 6:59 flight is to find someone to drop me off... long term parking is not an option. I already have my ticket. my only pr.o blem is getting to the terminal going through dle metal detector, and receiving a boarding in 19 minutes. By doing a full sprint through the airport and becoming one of those people I usually find amusing (dlose that are habitually late), I become one of those annoying people who are the very last person to board the plane, beating passengers with my luggage as I make my way to my seat. 8:30 PM I arrive in Washington D.C. where I find my way to the hotel, where I join a high level discussion by the Executive Committee of the National Coalition for the Homeless. I also discover the culinary skills of Mary Ann Gleason,The National Coalition's Executive Director. This is my first official meeting as a member of the Executive Committee of the National Coalition for the Homeless and it takes awhile for me to get involved in the dialogue. The minds around dle table are so knowledgeable and the hearts so passionate that I am awed... I even question my presence. I am awakened from my daze by a request for my opinion. As I articulate my answer, I realize that, just maybe while I have much to learn, I do belong at the table. The discussion continues far into the evening as we strategize on Monday's meeting with HUD (Housing and Urban Development) Secretary.Andrew Cuomo, and upcoming advocacy strategies. Donald Whitehead Photo: Jimmy Heath I :30 PM August 2, 1998 Aner continuing our strategy session in the morning, we have made our way to the South side of Washington or "The District" as most residents call it. We are the guest of the restaurants owner, Marsha Martin, who doubles as the assistant to Donna Shalalah, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Along with our lunch, we engage in discussion about a proposed National Coalition Conference in 1999. Business over lunch...I feel strangely like a politician. The rest of the day is spent on various upcoming issues affecting the Coalition and America's homeless population. I 0:00 AM August 3, 1998 This morning we (The National Coalition Executive Committee) meet with Secretary Cuomo. ·am a little taken by the meetings climate. My experi­ ence with other high level politicians has been tense, formal, and somewhat uncomfortable. This meeting is laid back, cordial, and extremely productive. The Secretary agreed with most of-our proposals and even offered insight on their implementation. Mr. Cuomo even listened to local issues like the Lincoln Courts HopeVI proposal that I shared with him. He prom­ ised to look into the proposal and referred me to the Deputy Secretary in charge of HopeVI applications. As I presented my concerns about the project and dle demolition of public housing, I couldn't help feeling that for once the peoples' voice was being heard. While I have no guarantees of the outcome, at least I know that the voices were heard by the decision makers. I :00 PM August 3, 1998 After spending much of the morning with dle staff at the National Coalition office, I decided to step out for lunch. It is my custom to interact w ith dle homeless population in any city I visit. Normal!y I will visit a shelter, transitional housing facility, or some other homeless provider. As I leave the Coalition office, I pass Bill Faith, National C.oalition Board President and my roommate on this trip. Bill is involved in a conversation with a woman who appears to be a street person. I pass Bill, wave, and Traveler continued on page 14 ... �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Hom eless Grapevin e Page 3 INews From Cleveland's GraPevinel.TACTICS by Robert Freklng REFORM by Brian Davis Let me first clear up a few misconceptions about welfare. First, welfare reform has nothing to do with men since cash assistance ended for men years ago. It has nothing to do with able bodied adults without children. It certainly does not solve the problem of people who cheat the system. It has nothing to do with free loaders. and it is not about self-reliance. Then what exactly is the purpose of welfare reform? I contend that welfare reform was a quick method to reign in the federal and state budgets, and I can prove it. If welfare reform was about making people work for their benefit checks, then there should be a job that pays a livable wage available to those coming o ff the system. This significant increase in the number of people entering the work force would drive up wages, drive down profits and the stock market, and there would be general chaos in our financial systems. This would be absolutely unacceptable to the welfare reform crusaders. So what we got was a budget cut that will actually drives down wages. It is an opportunity to have some future assurance that the Federal budget does not spiral out o f control. There is no longer an entitlement to cash assistance and therefore each state has the opportunity to control the welfare caseload. When there is a downturn in the economy, the states will not have the opportunity to seek unlimited funds from the federal government to satisfy the need. This is the type of budgetary control that Republican administrations have dreamed of for fifty years. Only a Democrat, who grew up without a father, who paints himself as a man of compassion, but who would do anything to remain in power could have passed welfare reform. We cry about the changes in the welfare system, and protest the unnecessary harm that it has imposed on o ur friends' children. But what do we want? What would real welfare reform look like? There are many obstacles that we have to overcome as a society that handicap any effort to reform welfare. The most critical is that a full time job does not pay a livable wage. How many families have dissolved because a man without any skills cannot find a job that pays enough to support one person let alone three people? We, as a society, have forgotten the concept that quality.universal health care is a right that needs to be extended to every person no matter their ability to pay. Finally, we have a pathetic system of educating our children both in the classroom and at home. We now have an education system that is both separate and unequal with poor kids offered baby-sitting and r ich kids receiving opportunit.ies. Because welfare reform was going to happen no matter what the cost to our society, our task was to come up with a system that was based on the current reality, but did not harm the children. After all, the reason Aid to Dependent Children was established was to prevent hunger and homelessness among our youngest citizens. There was one national debate that needed to take place before we entered in the welfare reform waters, and that was, " Is our society going to punish or nurture families that only had one parent?" While we may not like it, single parent households exist. It would have been a lot easier to just come right out and say, "Women without a spouse have no business being parents. They are doing harm to their children, and should be punished for life for the one night of indiscretion or the mistake that led to a child." It would be a lot more honest to just o utright condemn and criminalize this anti-family life-style. Instead we set up a covert attack on single mothers. Just think how refreshing it would be to hear the overt hatred from the authors of welfare reform saying things like. "Any baby conceived out of wedlock will become the ward of the state." We could remove children from the household to prevent child abuse, poor upbringing or the possibility of creating future welfare recipients. Then stick these kids in camps to be educated by the state to be the future cheap labor, making fat free chili dogs. Hell, we could then force women who conceive a child without a spouse to walk around with a big red letter " A ." So we set up this huge bureaucracy that basically has the same outcome, but it just takes a lot longer. A slow painful three to five year bloodletting is a lot more civilized than a one day cut off from the system, and it does not attract the media attention. We must set up a system that nurtures children and protects them from homelessness and hunger. We should have nurses, social workers, teachers and others in the community visiting at-risk households to make sure that the children are progressing properly. Public sector jobs that pay a livable wage should be established for those who do want to enter the work force. Cash assistance should be increased to provide a higher level of support to mothers that choose to stay home. W hile a family makes a low wage they should be allowed to maintain benefits including child care, cash assistance, and Medicaid for as long it takes to make their family self sufficient. There also needs to be a reevaluation of how much money it takes to raise a family. Finally. we need to assure that all families with children are engaged in the system, and no families have to live on the streets. The welfare system must be in the neighborhoods to protect families from hunger and homelessness. The welfare caseworker should be assigned to a neighborhood and get to know every family in that area. At the end of the day, will our children be better prepared for self reliance? Will our children of the welfare reform generation be better citizens with more education and more independence? Will our kids be able to maintain our democracy or will we let more of our rights slip away? We never had these discussions when welfare reform was passed. We rushed forward with this plan to force people to work for their benefits, and we will lament the lack of forethought with regard to reforming the welfare system. (Editors note: Brian Davis is the Director of the Northeast Coalition for the Homeless and is editor of Cleveland's Homeless Grapevine) In 1978, I received a phone call from Jim Rogers at Northern Kentucky Legal Aid. "Say, Robert, me and Deb Rothstein are going to Lexington to hear Shel Trapp from Chicago. He is going to talk about banks and redlining.'' Well I was interested in redlining, but I was equally interested in Deb who, besides being an excellent attorney. was a cross between Julia Robe rts and Anna Nicole Smith. How could I refuse? I walked in the meeting room. It was me and this guy with a totally bald head. This was 1978, it wasn't the fashion then. I was scared. He had a white T-shirt, muscular arms, and he was smoking. I thought I was with a serial killer. The only other time I have felt that way was when I met Andy Hutzel. I was mesmerized for five hours. listening to the bald man tell his tales and advise us. Shel Trapp was not only a great organizer, but his physical appear­ ance projected, "Don't mess with me." The year is 1980. My girlfriend Suzette and I go to Chicago for her sisters wedding. I am sitting in a chair, being ignored as usual, when I look up and Shel Trapp is at the wedding reception. I ran over to Suzette. "Suzette, Suzette, do you know who that is?" Before I could say he was one of the greatest organiz­ ers in America, she said, "Yea, big deal, it's Shelly Trap." Shelly? Say what? The next minute she was shouting, "Shelly. Shelly." My mind was blown. Shelly came over. Don't expect to ever hear me call him Shelly. But anyway, I was introduced as her fiancee. (that was the first time I heard that word vis a vis me and her). Shelly then told me what a wonderful baby-sitter Suzette was, how well she did with his kids. I couldn't believe 1t, I was dating Shel Trap's baby-sitter. My hero. Did I die and go to heaven? I sat all night a the reception watching Shel dance with his wife, hold her tight, laugh with her, kiss her. I watched him play with his children. Socialize with the guests. He even waved to me once. So, that cold hearted, ruthless organizer had a soft tender side. Once again, he blew me away. The year is 1982. I again went to Chicago to attend an Organizer Training Session for a week at The National Training and Information Center. By then me and Shel were tight. He asked, "W eren't you the guy that was engaged to Suzette?" I told him we were married and had a son with another child on the way. Shel said, "What was your name again?" I replied, "Robert." When we went around the table for introductions, he made the point to tell everyone that I married his baby-sitter. I was the top dog, at least till I got home. I was having lunch with Shel the last day of the week long seminar. Boldly. I asked, "Would you mind telling your favorite organizing story?" He replied, "No Bob, I wouldn't. We had this slumlord. We had tried for months to get him to fix up his properties. He had a few thousand units. Bob, we used very trick in our bag of tricks: picketing, flyers, phone harassment, picketing his country club. You name it, we tried it...City Hall, housing inspectors. We couldn't touch this guy. I couldn't sleep. Nei­ ther could anyone else. We had become obsessed by this slumlord. Everyone came to work in a bad mood. The obsession got so bad that we were fighting with each other. Bob, that 's when we made the decision. We split the staff up on shifts and we TACTICS continued on .page 13 ... �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News YEAR TWO OF DISMANTLING AMERICA'S SAFm NET: WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? by Lynn Wiii/ams August 22, 1998 marks the second anniversary of President Clinton signing the Federal Welfare Law, The Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act (PRA) of 1996. This is the Federal Welfare Law 1:hat demolished America's safety net for poor families by ending the federal guarantee to welfare and allowing states to write the rules on w ho gets help. The PRA also ended the federal guarantee to child care for welfare recipients and for recipients transitioning off of assistance, while at the same time requiring parents to go to work outside the home. The PRA requires all parents to work regardless of the age of their children, yet does not require states to provide child care. The only exception is that single mo thers with children under the age o(one may or may not be exempted from working by states. Ohio has left this decision for counties to decide. The PRA brought other harsh welfare rules, too many to be mentioned in this short article, but a few of them include: five year time limits with states having the option to make shorter limits, requiring states to sanction recipients if they don't fu lfill self-sufficiency contracts, placing strict limits on single adults without children being able to get food stamps. strict tightening I. t\lWCl~ \nca.r·, -\hiS 1 St orF a .Dou+ \-·,_o, nc.__,\ L.€55 p eop\e...1but l. ne\Je.r 5 e~ Qf\~:- of SSI rules for children. strictly limiting food stamps, Medicaid, welfare and SSI for legal immi­ grants and allowing private companies to contract with the government to profit off of Work.fare participants' free labor. The PRA also sets limits on the welfare dollars available per state. Once the money is used, the federal government will not increase the funds, regardless of whether or not the country hits a recession. The PRA strictly limits the time that a recipient can attend college, job-training or get a GED even though education is the best route to getting permanently off of welfare and into a livable wage job. Wisconsin State Senator Gwen Moore stated the reality at a recent welfare organizing conference in Milwaukee: "If you want to look taller, cut someone else's legs off. The challenge is educating our work force. Instead. we have fallen into promoting class warfare." She went on to add, "Part-time, no benefits jobs. · These are the jobs the government is preparing for welfare recipients. This way they won't need an education." Because of the harshness of these laws against welfare recipients, The Ohio Empower­ ment Coalition (OEC) has joined up with like­ minded groups across the country to bring public awareness to the harshness of the law and fight for a positive safety net to replace it. Contrary to what mainstream newspapers are reporting. and contrary to President Clinton's statement that welfare reform is excelling wonderfully because of caseload reduction numbers, we know this is not a true picture of the effects of the PRA. When Governor Voinovich makes public statements that ''there is something spiritual" about welfare reform, we wonder what brand of spirituality he practic~s. Peter Edelman, who resigned from a high­ paying job w hen President Clinton signed the PRA, recently spoke at a conference that OEC members attended. He said, "We've sunk really low in America. We have a war on poor children, a war on disabled children. a war o n immigrants, a war on the poor . C linton has called welfare reform a great success. In reality, five million people ~ave been pushed off the roles so far. Pushing people off of welfare is what is happening. Welfare reform destroyed the safety net. We need to get Congress to restore the safety net." At this statement, he received a standing ovation from 1,000 conference attendees. 38% of caseload reduction in American is due to sanctions according to The Institute of G lobal Communications. In Ohio, a study in Page 4 Cuyahoga County found that of 18,570 adults who left (or were cut off) welfare, half of these people did not have jobs. Of the 50% who found employment in the study. 42% of those employed found jobs that paid poverty level wages or below poverty. Montgomery County officials brag (similar to other Ohio counties) that their welfare roll~ have dropped 70% since 1992. When questioned about what happened to these people, the welfare officials do not know. Social service agencies in Montgomery County, including SCOPE (Supporting Council of Preventive Effort) , interviewed 737 recipients about the effects of welfare reform. Of these families, 32% say life is worse now for them than six months ago. Three out of every ten families reported they had gone a day without food for the last 30 days. Of these families who were sanctioned, 76% say they were sanctioned for reasons that had nothing to do with their work requirements. Instead, they were sanctioned for missing an appointment or not having documentation turned in on time. The idea that they refused to "go out and get a job" was a myth. When legislators demand that recipients get jobs, they should realize that few jops out there are going to provide livable incomes or even help families rise I% above the poverty level. A study by The Preamble Center for Public Policy of Washing­ ton, DC has concluded that in the Midwestern sates of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. the ratio is 97 to I that a welfare recipient will land a livable wage job. The study states that in Ohio between 1997 and 1998, 59,000 welfare recipients are looking for jobs, but only 25,000 jobs are available. The National Priorities Pro ject reached a conclusion that between 1994 and 2005, 47% of the job openings in America will pay less than $16,800 annually. At this income level, a family of four will still be at poverty level. Current federal poverty levels do not take into consideration that famil ies must also pay child care and health care expenses. During the Week of Action, August 16-22, groups who are part of The People's Network for Safety net, including member groups of The O hio Empowerment Coalition, are holding rallies, press conferences and town meting to bring public awareness to these realities. We want the Week of Action to be just a beginning in bringing more people into the movement to build a positive safety net in America. For more information on how you can get involved, call the Ohio Empowerment Coalition contact in your area. In Cincin­ nati, call the Welfare Rights Coalition at (513) 381-4242 . �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page s WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? by James Curry - A homeless man sleeps on the sidewalk, ignored by people walking by... THE HOMELESS MAN by Mlcha11/ Strawd11r Saw a man walking down the street in torn clothing. He appeared homeless to me. He paused before he walked further. To the left to the right, then he shrugged his shoulders and proceeded straight ahead. It seemed like the direct way to the hell he was facing today. Then he saw me. You see I was observing him. Perhaps I must pay a cost for my curiosity. For this was no circus performer. This was a human being you see, just like me. The conversation was brisk. He needed money. For his fix or his breakfast; I don't know which? I allotted two dollars even before he came to me. You see, I was feeling special. I had money in my pocket and love in my heart. Charity dose begin with ones self. He thanked me for my offering. I observed he was quite polite. Must have been raised. Might have been someone once. As I stated the conversation was brisk. You see I was dressed nice and he was in torn clothing. Again he paused to the left and to the right and then walked straight ahead. 1· proceeded but paused momentarily. To the left, to the right, before proceeding straight ahead for home. Along the way I gave thanks. That man I saw could have been me. How fortunate I was to have a few friends. To have a home to go to. Then proceeded to curse the day. You see I want everything to go my way. Charity does begin with you. MAKING CHANGES by Jam11s Curty I came to the Domicilary to continue my recovery and work on personal issues that affect my recovery. From my perspective, something has caused me to medicate, to abandon my d~urch and church associates and to be in a state of constant procrastination. I also came to the domicilary to resolve medical, homelessness, education and employment issues and to attempt to save money to reenter the community and start living again. I have worked to resolve many of the grief and abandon­ ment issues thro ugh my groups and counselors. Both have helped by listening and giving me sugges­ tions. I have taken their suggestions to heart and talked about how I feel. It has helped me through the groups and individual discussions co understand my feelings, the cause of those feelings, and my reactions to them. Most importantly, I learned I could change the way I feel and relate to the many different situations that I encounter. Change is what I had in mind when I asked to come to the domiciliary. I know that I have made mafli' important changes. I need to work harder in some areas. but I know that I am willing to go to any lengths co make those changes a reality. I know I have to follow the instructions given me by staff. I have set goals that are reasonable and have achieved many of them. The goals I wish to complete are employment, financial savings, and enrollment in school. I have continually stayed active in the domicilary community while participating in many events. I sometimes get involved in more than I should, spreading myself too thin and falling back to the "old James." But, I do not see this as being negative because I recognize it and ask myself if it is in my long-term best interest. I now realize that I cannot sacrifice myself for short-term success and gratifications. I have to continually be willing to constantly want to make changes, in order to grow and stay in recovery. Recovery for me has been the change that I truly needed. SPIRITUALITY I typically enter a program having been driven more by emotion than by intellect. I leave being driven more by intellect than emotion. In between, I struggle with setting boundaries and changing old habits. This invariably leads to an identity crisis and leaves the questions: Who am I? What do I do? My knowledge of life has been eminent from basic sources: parents, teachers, the church, and my peers. There have been situations, aside from the inevitable "life situations:" grieving, loss of morals and values, and most importantly social relation­ ships. Experiencing grief and loss leaves me feeling like an empty shell. In building or rebuilding these relationships, trust and acceptance play an integral role in recovering from a loss of this nature. By not learning, this contributes to a series of other problems (low self-esteem and self-worth as well as self-pity). Spirituality plays a major role in my life, contributing to my thought process and then an action. Reconnecting with my spiriwality after having not come first for awhile, will be an important part of my recovery. I can learn to achieve a balance that has been missing concerning my thought process which leads to an action. The bottom line is that I am allowed to search for the ways in which I can change my views, attitudes, and feelings in order to have a healthy recovery. We Americans have always valued our independence. In recent decades. however, personal independence threatens another beloved American value with changes in our economic and social environment: family life. Family members have found reason co live increasingly separate lives. Today, both Mom and Dad are busy with their careers, and the kids are absorbed in school activities, sports, and MlV. How and why have we changed and what seeps can we take to reclaim our sense of family? There are three parts of our lives that have changed. (I) The way we work. (2) The way we eat. (3) And the way we entertain ourselves. A genera­ tion ago, most households could get by on one paycheck (DAD'S), while Mom stayed home, at least until the children started school. Today, half the mothers with young children go to work. A greater percentage of the mothers of older children are in the work force. A number of single-parent homes have mushroo!lled in the last thirty years. These changes in work have affected children as well as parents. I remember when Dad went to work, we came home from school to Mom, and the fresh smells of something good in the oven. Today, you find the children at an after school program, a neighbor's house, or they may come home too who? No one at all! In several communities, children are caring for themselves until their parents return from work. I ask, aren't these children missing out on an impor­ tant part of childhood? Are they developing a healthy sense of self-reliance? More than not, Moms and Dads come and are gone longer then ever from the home. Not too long ago men worked close to home. Most offices or factories were just in the downtown areas. They walked or hitched a ride with a neigh­ bor. Today's working men and women are commut­ ers of forty-five minutes to an hour. Most com­ monly, they ride buses, subways, and crowded highways. Many leave their homes at dawn and don't return until dark, no longer running home for lunch. Lunch, that's the second change in the American family life when both parents are not home for long hours. Who's whipping up those delicious meals in the kitchens? Today few people have time to shop for and prepare home-style cooked meals. People can't spend hours in the kitchen if they get home after five thirty in the evening. What are we eating? We choose meals that are easy to prepare or are already prepared; fast-foods/takeouts, or heat-n-serve make up so much of the American diet. And more and more people rely on microwaves to thaw frozen foods in minutes. The problem with these quick prepared meals is that families spend less time ·eating together. Today, the 90's family no longer shares the evening, breakfast, or lunch meals and as a result, it no longer shares the day's news or feelings of togetherness. Then what about after dinned We don't even have to look outside the home to see the changes. Modern Americans entertain themselves in ways their grandparents would never dream of. Thirty years ago families gathered around a radio each evening. Then television took over and families had PICTURE continued on page 11 ... �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine WORD ON THE CALAMITY STREET Arts & Poetry THE BOTTOM LINE by Michael Nelson Sin on our streets, Death in our city, The bottom line is, Life shows us no pity, Women cheat o n husbands, Men cheating on wives, The bottom line is, More pain in their lives. Kids killing kids, Cops shot every day, The bottom line is, We all need to pray. People watch violence, See ladies qu!te nude, The bottom line is, Our morals are crude. Our leaders are weaklings, Our court systems fail, T he bottom line is, Does truth ever prevail? The bottom line is, The end may be near. The bottom line is, Mankind shall know fear! I WONDER WHY? by Denise Crew Things are understated Trembling people seek shelter Hungry children are sanctioned Work Fair is unfair The employment rights bill of '44 Oh Where! Oh Where are the Goals of the wise and old? Things are truly understated Page 6 BE YOURSELF by James Curry by Bruce B. Wiimer I once sat upon a shelf, all dusty and alone. No one cared to call my name, no place could I call home. I once sat lonely and neglected, sitting there all alone. No one stopped, no one looked, no one my pretty hair would comb. My hair once pretty, my clothes once Oh so delicate, so fine. Had become all dusty, and dirty now, and hard to believe were mine. My face once porcelain white, and rosey pretty plus. Now became all dirty, and my nose a cake of dust. But then one day, someone stopped and looked. They noticed me high upon that shelf. Then had me taken down from there, to see for myself. "Some little girl once loved me close, a little girl once held me dear." If I could cry, I'd shed a tear, for bent am I and forgotten. If I could smile, I'd smile for her, for even through my tears I'd gotten. And so these tears I can afford, for sharing so much with me. Her life and my departure, were a disaster, as anyone can see. So that is why I'm called .... YOU SEE, they call me: "CALAMITY....... " The world would like to change you; There are pressures all around. You must decide just who you are. Then firmly hold your ground. BE REAL I'd like some day to end it all, But I don't want to die alone. When I was hurt, I got no help. And when I tried, they kicked me out. by Angela Denise Whitehead "There's a time to laugh There's a time to cry, There's a time for joy And there's time for little pain No matter what it is just keep it real." "There's time for love There's time for honesty, 'It is the best policy.' There's time for willingness There's a time to be open minded Whatever and however you do it 'Just keep it real."' "Just for today Keep in mind That everything happens for a reason No matter what it is, it's not your Doing, it's your higher power showing You the good things and the bad ones, But when ever it happens do yourself A favor Just keep it real!" MY LOVE by Sonny WI/I/ams Lynn Marie, Who, when I met Was a mystery. I loved her then, And love her still. A sister in struggle, My rose of life. · You have an image of yourself. An ideal sense of you. Ahd to this vision you must always Struggle to be true. You · know what you are good at, And YO!J know where your talents lie; But if you are ruled by others, Your uniqueness could pass by. Remember, there is much to learn; But all new things aren't good. Wisdom lies in what you've learned, And what you have withstood. So, be yourself and don't allow The world to take control. Preserving your identity Is life's most precious goal. UNTITLED by Earl (Charlie) Mattingly I'm alone, does no one care, I have so much love to share. I have no home, but these big streets. No food, no hope, no place to sleep. That's not the way that things should be, But where's the love and harmony. I found some others just like myself, And now we help each other out. The world for me has really changed, I have some hope, I'm not ashamed. I have some work, and we all share, In love and deeds we show we care. EASY by Gloria Wfllfns What is easy? Is it up or down? Is it straight or crooked? ls it loving or hating? I've never known the meaning of easy. Everything has always been hard. What is hard? Well, hard is the ground I'm down on. Hard is loneliness, non-satisfaction. Hard is the hearts of many men and women Who have broken my heart. Hard is holding back my tears. Hard is the cement wall I find myself leaning on when I need support. Hard is not being able to trust. Especially when that is all you'd like to do. Hard is living. You take chances just being alive. Now I know w hat is easy. Easy is it to cry. Easy is it to die, even lie. �STREETVIBES The Tri St.ate's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Nationwide encourage them to fund the $50,000 vouchers targeted to families moving from welfare to work. Since these vouchers represent the only commitment to permanent housing for those with the lowest incomes, please work to convince your Congres­ sional Representatives of how important these · vouchers are. There have been no new housing vouchers for four years, and the cost of housing without subsidies has become prohibitive for those with the lowest incomes. Currently, the Senate is recom­ mending 7,000 vouchers targeted to only seven communities; the House is recommending only 17,000 for families moving from welfare to work. PUBLIC AND ASSISTED HOUSING BILL ACTION REQUESTED: Pl.EASE CIRCULATE WIDELY Submitted by National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) HEALTH ISSUES: Contact Bob RtJtJI, Medical Polley DlrtJt:lor FY 1999 HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS APPROPRIATIONS The Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) program ensures homeless people's access to pr imary health care, including mental health and substance abuse services through integrated systems of care. HCH pro jects also co nduct intensive outreach, case management, and housing. income, and transportation linking activities. HCH is meeting the health care and supportive service needs of the homeless at a higher level than any other health care system. It is critical to increase funding for the HCH program which is included in the national appropria­ tion for the consolidated health centers program. Please contact membe r s of your Congres· sional delegation a nd ask them to communi­ cate their support for a $926 million appro· priation in FY 99 for h ealth centers to leaders and membe rs of the Appropriation committees. HUD MCKINNEY APPROPRIATIONS While they are at home during the current recess, encourage your Senators ahd Representatives to fund HUD McKinney at lest at the President's recommended level of $1.15 billion, which includes the 34,000 vouchers targeted to homeless persons who have the most difficulty finding housing. Also by Brett Zwolinski An Unrhymed Japanese v e rse form of three lines con t aining u s ually 5,7.~ (or 7 , 5 ,7) syl l ab}es respe ct i vely. Please submi t your suggestions for monthly Haiku to Brett Zwolinski at STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 this month's OTHER SIGNIFICANT Haiku: kindled memorie s stoked with endearing warm friendly spirits laughter payroll and human resource management TRANSCON EMPLOYMENT COMPANY Angie E. Strunk, CEO 1·888-841·7900 P.O. Box 12545 (513) 841-5550 Cincinnati, Ohio 45212 Fax: (513) 841·5545 angie_strunk@msn.com ;\::--:<>TI I ER ('Ll1. SS l >J~< >D l : CT I<>:--; Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 (513) 230-6353 WILLIAM R. WALLACE, D.O.S. 5258 MONTGOMERY RO. NORWOOD. OH 45212 LEGISLATION: (Editor's note: The following legislation has been rendered victorious (or homeless. and low­ income individuals as a result of efficacious lobbying.) SENATOR WEllSTONE'S AMENDMENT Telephone (513) 531 -2338 EDUCATION Senator Wellstone's amendment to allow T ANF recipients to receive post-secondary educa­ tion or vocational training for up to 24 months (currently 12) and have it count as work passed, along with the bill - S 1882 - in which it was placed: Amendments to the Higher Education Act. The House has a similar bill, but without the amendment, so please encourage your Repres-entatives to support this important addition. EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN & YOUTH Good news finally! $30 million has been proposed, which represents a $1.2 million increase in funding for this program. Authorization for this program will occur next year. Greater detail on the above proposed legisla­ tion is available on NCH's web site at www:nch.ari.net or by calling Pat C/eman at 2021 137-6414. Subscribe to Streetvlbes HAIKU Now, There has been some conversation among legislators, although it has lessened recently, about attaching the public and assisted housing bill to the appropriations bill. Doing so represents both a bad way to provide legislative authority and a bill that will further lessen access by the lowest income households to subsidized housing. The compro- · mise proposal reached by The House and Senate requires only 35% of public hosing units and 55% of Section 8 tenant based vouchers to be targeted to households whose incomes are 30% or less of area median income (on average $13,590). Cur­ rently. the average income of public housing residents is, on average, less than $6500, and is $8,000, on average, for those households with Section 8 vouchers. And 84% of residents of public housing have incomes less than $13,590. Page 7 Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each issue. Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. Friends and Neighbors of Over-the-Rhine An Organization Seeking Justice for People in Cincinnati's Most Endangered Community Subscribe to STREETVIBESI For only $12 peryear you can have STREETVIBES delivered to your home every month. National and local Stories on Issues regarding homelessness and the poor. News, Information, Personal Stories and more, written every month by homeless and formerly homeless persons•.. Send Check or Money Order for $12 to: Streetvibes C/O Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Prison News EDUCATION AS CRIME PREVENTION: PROVIDING EDUCATION TO PRISONERS by James Pryor Ohio has an estimated 50,000 individuals incarcerated as compared to 1.6 million individuals nationwide. Of those 50,000 individuals, the majority are functionally illiterate and from low­ income families. Ohio's objective is not to rehabili­ tate these individuals to become productive mem­ bers of society upon release, but.to eliminate educational programs and build more prisons to warehouse more individuals. This objective is not only non-productive, but places a heavy and unnecessary burden upon soci~ty. Being locked away in prison, and deliberately denied access to educational opportunities, only increases the -recidivism rate ten-fold. The nation has unfortunately been swept by law and order legislation to treat prisoners more harshly. It's disguised in such campaign issues as "get tough on crime," which is just a legitimate means to capitalize off of the individuals they incarcerate. Ohio's legislative move was to enact Am. Sub. S.B.2, which called for mandatory flat time with no opportunities for early release and further sanctions upon release, in which they can return you to prison for a minor infraction. This accomplishes the legislative objective of overflowing the prisons in Ohio and legitimizing the need to build more prison warehouses. Could the prison industry be Ohio's number one economic resource, while other social institutions and schools suffer? "We must accept the reality that to confine offenders behind walls without trying to change them is an expensive folly with short-term benefits-winning battles while losing the war," said former US Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger. Punishment has replaced rehabilitation as the sole goal of imprisonment. Academic, vocational, and therapeutic programs that have consistently proven effective in transforming prisoners have been cut and/or eliminated. People who violate our laws should be punished, however, it is in our interest that they be reformed. All of these men and women will eventually be released. While people are incarcerated they need to be given the opportunity to change through program incentives. Prisoners need to believe that there is hope for a better tomorrow which will motivate tliem to change. If we merely continue to punish and do not provide the opportunity for change, then we will release .un­ treated offenders into society. Research shows that quality education is one of the most effective forms of crime prevention. Educational skills can help deter young people from committing criminal acts and can greatly decrease the likelihood that people will return to crime after release from prison (recidivism). Despite this evidence, educational programs in correctional facilities, where they have proven to be extraordinar­ ily effective, have in many cases been completely e liminated. Again, over 1.6 million individuals are housed in adult correctional facilities in the United States, and at least 99,682 juveniles are in custody. The majority of these individuals will be released into the community unskilled, undereducated, and highly likely to become reinvolved in criminal activity (recidivism). With the re-arrest rates averaging around 60%, it is clear that incarceration alone is not working. In fact, the drive to incarcerat-e, punish, and limit the activities of prisoners has often resulted in the elimination of strategies and programs that seek to prevent or reduce crime. We need to .promote policies and procedures that are successful. Education. particularly at college level. can afford individuals with the opportunities to achieve and maintain productive and crimefree lives, and help to create safer communities for all. .[Quotes from: Sources: Cent on Crime, Communities & Culture ( 199 7 September). Education as Crime Prevention New York, NY, Open Society Institute.) ' Page 8 DEAR STREETVIBES... (Editor's note: The following letter was submitted to STREETVIBES and has been edited to uphold confidentiality for the sake of the prisoner's salubrity) (I am writing a} ...letter to you about what's going on here at The Ohio Penitentiary. Still as of this date 6-20-98 there's no ~ot water in the cells. We haven't recieved any T-shirts or socks. The medical department supervisor's name is Miss Sanduer. I don't know her address. She's having her staff all charge inmates $3 over and over for anything that a nurse might do for us. She denied me getting my orthopedic shoes as I have copy's of the podiatrist doctor's order and hospital supervisor from Mansfield Prison Order. There's also a copy in my file. The mail office is denying all newspapers and magazines and religious publications from coming in here...also Cure Publications. I've written a lady at Prisoner Support Group in W ellston, Ohio about all the issues I am telHng you about. The situation and attitude from the second shift officiers is real bad. They want to jump on some prisoners real bad, as their stopping all publications they read in the AR's 5 120-9-19-(B). That we're allowed publications such as newspapers, magazines, and religious books...we don't have any outside help, that's why things are this way. I've talked to the department warden, Odal Woods, on 5/20/98 about all this and still we don't have no hot water, T-shirts, or socks. Me and some others have filed informal complaints and grievances. The institutional inspector's reply was, "The water was fixed wrong." Still at this time there is no hot water in the ce lls. I've been in the joint for over 20 years now and I never seen things get so bad. You have spoken with my sister a few times about the Death Row situation. Now they have fifteen of us here from Death Row and our status is what they call here, (General Population) Level I. So if this is the case, how can they stop newspapers, magazines, and religious materials as in AC , LC, and SC status we .still get the publications... You know as well as I know that because of all the write ups in the newspapers about that the bad of the bad will only be coming to this supermax, then that's why they have this sadist attitude ...most of all the second shift officiers. There's about a 125 guys here ·now in B-Block. The other blocks I'm told are not even finished ...in the Rec rooms there's no pull up bar or dip bar. Nothing. T he floor hasn't even been sealed in the cells also. Well, I'm hoping you get this...! Take care ...and God bless you. WHERE IS HOME by James Pryor To find home, do we click our heels together three times and say, "I wish I were home, I wish I were home, I wish I were home?'' This only works in Hollywood, not in today's society for those who face homelessness. Dorothy wanted to get back to Kansas, but our homeless just seek an opportunity, a chance to be. There are a lot of contributing factors to homelessness. Things such as alcoholism, drug abuse, psychological illnesses and much more. However, these social problems cannot be blamed on the individuals· themselves, but on our ever corrupt and changing system. Our governmental system hides realities behind such ~ames as the war on drugs, get tough on crime and much more wh.ile America's social ills grow ever more prevalent. Meaning. they proclaim a need to wage a war on crime, but in reality drug abuse and our crime rate is instituted by the government. While they spend billions of dollars on a nonexistent war, our social institutions suffer and those such as the homeless suffer due to lack of funding for local agencies. However, this is just our capitalist system well at work, making the rich even richer and widening the gap between the classes. By waging a war on drugs and crime, it allows our government to make legitimate their spending of billions on cleaning up society. Had they not allowed the small countries to import the drug or narcotic into the United States in the first place, then there would be no need for the false wars. There would be no high-rate of drug abuse or crime. However, those small countries need the economy of drugs to survive. To convince yourself, just look at the United States relations with such poverty stricken countries as Colombia and Mexico. If these relationships did not exist and drugs were not allowed into the United States, how bad would it affect our economical system? It would drastically change all of our social/governmental institutions because of a no need status. My point is, where is home. Is it here in America living the false American dream? Or is it all a figment of our imagination created by a powerful entity such as .the government? We all are in some way a product of that system. If our own economi­ cal status were to shift due to unemployment, trauma, bad investments, illness, or whatever may change us, we would become as vulnerable as the homeless to being homeless ourselves. So please do not blame them for their social status because you could be there tomorrow without a home. Realize that they are a product of a very strong government that is set on capi~listic gain at the detriment of the lower-class. We should help them by lending a hand because that is where home is. It's not in ignoring the pains, misfortunes and sufferings of your fellow man, but acceptance Qf their status in that we don't blame them, but help them to their feet! Always. with Love and Respect, Big John Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $ 12 per year. Please se nd a check to the be low address and the paper will be mailed to you e ach issue. Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati , OH 45210 Please m ake checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Stre etvibes. If you have any questio ns, call 421 -7803 . �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine One-Way · Vine continued from front page... newal" strategy: Main Street landlords could not wait to get rid of low-income renters so that they could cash in on the Main Street gold rush. The question remains as to whether or not Main Street in OTR is a success story even after millions of dollars of private and city investments. By the way, Main Street is currently one-way and there are no plans for a two-way conversion. And why does this conversion not include Vine Street to the south of Central Parkway? The few businesses and owners on Vine Street who support the two-way conversion pl~n are greedily eyeing this strategy even though it flies in the face of reason. There is no evidence that a two­ way Vine Street will be good for business. Unless, of course, you equate congestion. increased traffic accidents, and inaccessibility with good business practice. In its final conclusion, the PKG report states that "...the consultants are unaware of any specific evidence that, given the overall traffic conditions in the area, the one-way operation on Vine Street has been a major cause of a decline in business activity." The City of Cincinnati has already wasted taxpayer money on a study by feasibility professionals (PKG), yet the City continues to contest the report by dismissing its findings . The PKG report states that, "A significant increase in reported accidents, both vehicle only and vehicle/ pedestrian types, must be expected if Vine Street is made two-way." The issue of safety is of serious concern to OTR residents and the OTR Community Council given the proximity of schools (St. Francis Seraph and Washington Park schools) and the many senior citizens and disabled persons who live in our neighborhood. Many business owners are not supportive of the two-way Vine conversion despite what the "business" representatives on the Vine Street Task Force led other members to believe. In fact, nearly 40 businesses on or in the vicinity of Vine Street are for keeping Vine Street as it is: One­ Way. Someone may also want to ask the many thousands of commuters who use Vine Street as their way home from downtown to northern locations on Vine Street during afternoon rush hour. Double parked trucks, accidents, and the resulting congestion will certainly be the cause of rush hour delays and dangerous conditions for Vine Street pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Many city depart­ ments, in private conversations, support keeping Vine Street one-way but are afraid to openly state their position because of possible political repercus­ sions. This is strictly a battle of money and power over the voice of poor people. Safety and the well­ being of the poor folk and the businesses that serve them in Over-The-Rhine are in a battle for their lives. The beginnings of a project to widen and straighten River Road to the west of Downtown Cincil'}nati is currently being undertaken by the City of Cincinnati under the direction of City Council. Millions of dollars are going to be spent on this major capitol improvement project. The major reason for this project is to increase SAFETY on River Road! However, when the voice of Over-The­ Rhine residents resonates through the Halls of our city government, our cries for SAFETY falls on deaf ears! Makes you kind of wonder doesn't it? Cincinnati City Council will conduct a public h·earing tentatively scheduled for sometime in late September to discuss the final Task Force report and determine public opinion on this issue. Alternative measures for making improvements to Vine Street in OTR other than a two way conversion ore included in the report from the Task Force. These recom­ mendations include street improvements to the excisting one-way Vine Street that will increase safety for the residents and improve aesthetics. Brett Zwolinski AM ERi CORPS National Service in the 21st Century: What do·you think? by Brett Zwolinski I was motivated to Americorps service as a result of my struggle to come to terms with the inherent contradictions within our educational systems (traditional public schools and media). Americorps offered me a reality check not afforded by the confines of our educational systems. And it is because of this struggle that I am enticed and am serving America through the grassroots organization, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, in a realistic and experienced based setting. Now, addressing the inherent contradictions within our educational systems which to some extent binds all of us, limiting our knowledge, understand­ ing, and growth respectively: Knowledge is the substance of our experi­ ences. The "knowledge" we acquire from our educational systems is only recycled information, reciprocally regurgitated from source to learner/ from learner to newly acquired source. This is a travesty! Essentially, we are being cheated and deprived of unde r standing, made to think that "knowledge" is our goal. The "knowledge" we are receiving is an impostor. This is the inherent contradiction within our educational systems: that knowledge is something we can vie for, rather than merely being the substance of our experiences. This is not education at all, it is capitalism under the guise of educat.ion where our aim is the false pretense of "knowledge." Education has everything to do with understanding through our experiences (kn o wl· e dge) and nothing to do with competition. We come to an understanding of things by means of the knowledge we gain from our experiences. We have not truly gained understanding unless we have objectively encountered a happening (free of other people's bias), coincidentally making it our own subjective experience. With this authentic knowledge and self understanding we set ourselves up to grow, in turn enabling others to learn by the same token of growth. Growth. My experiences have taught me the "education" I receive from our educational systems is a hollow shell of "knowledge." Authentic educ~­ tion comes from our experiences which in turn leads to understanding... the breeding grounds for Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About STREETVIBESI Page 9 g rowth. Thus, our educational systems leave the "learner" with an empty feeling, a void of "knowl­ edge," with no basis for unde rstanding and growth. Ultimately this leads us to a lack of self­ worth, which I believe is the reason for a lack of involvement with National Service. Thus, we ask ourselves: What inspires young people to become invo lve d in National Service? S e lf-Worth. An incision to the heartS of America's youth will not come about directly by any solicited means or request from the folks behind or involved with National Service. It will indeed take nothing less than a fulfilling of the heart. For it is after one has learned to care for themselves and be satiated with themselves that a change of heart, from the inward to the outward, will take place. Our goal in National Service is to fill the lives of our low­ income and homeless fellows with this satiated feeling of self-worth. If we have not experienced a sense of self-worth ourselves, how can we expect to share this with others efficaciously? Referring to the above mentioned deficiency in our educational system, I would like to present the following rem­ edy... After one has learned how to empower themselves by making experiences their own, they will gain a sense of self-worth. Concomitantly, they will be enabled to care for others, allowing them to be empowered (gr owth) through their unique experience based learning (instilling knowle dge and unde r standing). Meaning a nd Purpose. In conclusion, there exists a lack of meaning and purpose within · America's youth today. If we can provide meaning and purpose, ineluctably self-respect and self­ worth will follow. Only then will our youth be aroused to National Service. Desperately, there needs to be a change in how are youth are being educated at home, in the classroom, and generally in the framework of our media sacurated culture. We are losing our identity as individuals. If we are to be a nation that cares for each other, we must be a nation of individuals with self-worth. Finally, if we are to incite the hearts of America's youth to service, the deconstruction of our educational systems in the minds of our youth is of quintessential importance. JIMMY HEATH EXHIBIT: THE BROKEN CITY by BrettZwolinski Jimmy Heath has been a photographer for STREETVIBES since its inception and has played a central role in the development and stabalization of the paper. Jimmy has endured the trying times and circumstances that ineluctably surround a non-profit organization backed street newspaper. Accolades and approbations for Jimmy Heath. Don't miss the Jimmy H eath Ex hibit, The Broken City, at Xavier University's annual Shantytown Event where his photographic artwork will be on display. The exhibit will take place in the University Center on Xavier's main campus from September 20th through the 26th. This will be his opportunity to share with you, through his photo's, what he has been doing to bring about awareness of homelessness and poverty in the Greater Cincinnati Area and beyond. Jimmy's work has been featured in numerous local mainstream publications as well as many national and worldwide publications. He endeavors to create awareness of homelessness and engages in activism by means of his unaffected photography which has a voice of its own. DON'T MISSTHE JIMMY HEATH EXHIBIT: THE BROKEN CITY!!! �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES WORDS FROM Editorials & THE · EVANGELIST Letters STATE AVENUE SALVAGE- CITY GOVERNMENT WATCHDOGS A Way Of Life Ministr ies (AWOL) is merging with Helping Hand Ministries, which was founded by Pastor Leonard Williams, Sr. of Whole Life Church of Jesus Christ. I shall be working from the Helping Hands Ministries office in South Cummingsville, but , can s.till be reached at 210-4181 for contributions, donations. volunteer information, and referral services. . God has brought together Pastor Williams and myself, and look to future articles about God's blessings upon this ministry. In his service, Rodne y Sutton, S r ., Evangelist Page 10 STREET NEWSPAPERS Hello again. Come here to the STREETVJBES. Get close to the STREETVIBES. Make a deal with the STREETVIBES. And on and on. This is your friendly STREETVIBES vendor known as A aron Pitchford. Now I'd like to share something with you. Do you know people that it's 40 streeet newspapers in the United States! As follows: The Cleveland Homeless Grapevine, STREETVIBES of Cincinnati, The Streetwise of Chicago, The Streetvoice of Baltimore, The Street News of New York, The Street Sheet of San Francisco, The Street Spirit of San Francisco and Berkeley. Real Change of Seattle, Streetviews of Wyoming and many, many more. Then there's one in Montreal ljournal L'ltineraire) and The Big Issue in London and Los Angeles. This message will self-destruct right about now. See, one to grow on. Bye! (Dear STREETVIBES...) Here is a check for STREETVIBES. I have started a group called "City Government W atch­ dogs." The City Government needs to be monitored all of the time. Too many closed door deals are being made between City Government Officials. causing hundreds of low-income families, both black and white, to lose their homes, land, and apartments. Investors are making deals and buying up "key" properties, vital to their projects and doing major damage to Appalachian and Afro-Americans, in order to make millions of dollars for themselves. In Sedamsville, the widening of River Rd. has resulted in seven homes being blighted. Then, it turned into 27 homes and the count is now 37 properties. A crippled old lady named Sylvia and her husband will soon have no place to call home. This madness must be stopped now; secret deals between Carthage Mills owner and the City of Cincinnati, the moving of Queen City Barrel maybe to Carthage Mills. "Yes,"_our City Government needs to be observed and reports of their activity needs to be reported to Cincinnati citizens .. Ea r l (Cha rl ie) Mattingly. City Government Watchdog Team ~~~~~------ (Editors Note: A check was NOT recieved at this office. This story was sent to STREETVIBES by fax. It is STREETVIBES' policy to publish all material as space permits ..) · ENCOURAGING OTHERS by James Curry First, many of us simply don't realize how our words affect others. We may not intend to hurt others, but that's still the effect. Fortunately, anyone can learn to be emotion­ ally supportive. Just as physical exercise benefits the body, certain mental exercises improve our attitude towards others. Last weekend, I developed the habit of being supportive. First, I had to look for posit.ive qualities in others. I've always had many chances to offer sincere compliments everyday, but I had to get in the habit of telling co-workers when they do good work or tell a neighbor, "Your beautiful garden is a highlight of my morning walk." I had to stop giving out emotional support that has "strings attached". Finally, I took time to notice when someone needed support. So, ~work on encouraging ­ others, I also help improve my own self-image. I've started a cycle of going that will strengthen my own self-esteem as well... GUNS ARE NOT TOYS MISSING CHILDREN by Maryann Braro by Maryann Braro Today all we hear on TV or read in the paper is someone was shot or killed by someone who just don't care. You just can't go around and shoot people for fun. That's not right. When someone does this, they need help, the kind of help we can't give them. Most of the shootings are in public places where there are a lot of people around. Why would anybody go to a public place and start shooting? That person is crazy! The shooting in our capitol claimed two lives, the lives of two officers and injured three others. What was this man thinking of? We don't know, but the higher power knows. It's lucky he didn't injure or kill anyone else. The officers he killed both had families . Just think of the children who have to grow up without their fathers because this man didn't care who he shot. Whom­ ever was in his way was going to be shot. He was out to have fun. As a result, now two families are without their loved ones. When you lose someone you love, it hurts. I know those children will never be the same because of a crazy person who decided to take their father's lives. I pray that the higher power will help those people. Today in this world there are thousands of children missing. You would never know that they were missing if you didn't read in the paper or see it on TV. Children are not safe anywhere, not even sitting on the steps of their homes. Children are our future. We should be able to parent them, but the higher power knows we can't protect all of them. The last victim was named Mary. I didn't know her or her family, but my prayers are with them. I wish the best for her family. Mary's life was cut short by someone who had nothing else better to do. This person just didn't care. When I turn on the TV and se e pictures of her, I see a sweet little girl who a lot of people will miss and loved. I know a lot of people with children are taking extra precautions for their children. People who do ugly things just don't believe in the Lord, but maybe they just do in their own way? Why do people do ugly things? That is one question we will never know, but our higher power knows when someone takes a child, that person just don't know what or how hurt the child's family is.. My prayers are with all of you. HAVE I STOPPED TRYING TO RUN MY OWN LIFE? by James Curry Lord, we thank thee for the great gift of peace, that peace which passeth all understanding, that peace which the world can neither give nor take away. that is the peace that only God can give in the mist of a__restless world and surrounded by trouble and difficulty. To know that peace is to have received the stamp of the kingdom of God. When you have earned that peace, you are fit to judge between tru.e and false values, between the values of the kingdom of God and the values of all the world has to offer. I pray that today I may have inner peace. I pray that today I will be at peace with myself. PUBLIC NOTICE Dear Friends: If you have tried to get medical services at University Hospital and have not gotten the medical help you needed, we want to talk to you about the problem. Call the Hotline today at 797-4344. You should know each year University Hospital receives 30 million in tax dollars from Hamilton County to provide medical services for people if they are Hamilton County residents. Love and Peace, Peter E. Rit chy, Volunteer CEO Homeless Hotline of Greater Cincinnati Over-·rhe-Rhlne Steel Drum Band t 0th Annlrsl'Saty Concerts••• Help the Stssl Dmm Band Csls/Jrats to ysal'S of Music Makinil Ssptsillbsr 26 and 2T at The School for tbs Psdormlnl Arts For tlt:ksts and mors Information pleass call 621-5514 �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Crossword 5 6 7 8 9 10 Page 11 scram bI e 11 13 14 37 40 Answers on page I 5. 26 27 30 32 43 Carter T ry to unscramble these related words: ELTL OYRU lNDSEFR OTUBA ETSTER EVSBI ROU ODNERVS EDNE RUOY PLHE KAHTN OYU 17 by Ron 44 46 April 1 ,1995 Across 1. Listen carefully 5. Fell heavily 12. Toward shelter 13. Divulged 15. Ascent 16. Re birds 17. Music syllable 18. Ebenezer Scrooge, for example 20. Score at Le Mans 21 . Fowl 22. Liturgy 23. Sharp flavor 24. Minute 25. Lauren Hutton or Twiggy 26. Word of honor 29. Shade of red 30. Coral isle 31. _au Prince, Haiti's capital 32. Detachable button 33. Canine tooth 34. Lose tautness 37. Egyptian king, for short 38. All generations to come 40. Forward 41 . blanche 42. Upon 43. Feels happy and delighted 45. Without: French 46. Earliest 47. Weigh heavily (on) 5. Pecan candy 6. Frivolity 7. Sheeplike 8. Bog fuel 9. Hermes' son 10. Cid 11. Determines the boundary of 14. Hang loosely 19. Extra thing added for show 20. African gully 23. Legal injury 24. Recounted 25. Unite; combine 26. Leader of the flock 27. Puts into harmony 28. Put to disorderly flight 29. Dispute 31 . Flour-water mixtures 33. Coerce 34. Ravi Shankar's instrument 35. In accord: 2 words 36. Romany 38. Annoyance: slang 39. Speak hoarsely 41 . Cote sound 44. Alcott heroine Down 1. Grating 2. What twins are 3. Varnish ingredient 4. Acute Answers to Crossword on Page 13 Subscribe to Streetvl bes Subscr iptions to Streetvibes can be purchased · for $ 12 per year. Please send a check to the below add ress and t he pa pe r will be m a iled to you e ach issue . · Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make che cks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. •• Ii RI Ii ~ ~ .. Community Celebration. ••• PICTURE continued from page 5 one set which they watched together. Today there exists televisions, computers, VCR's, and cable programs which all make the viewers part of the action and also provide excitement. With all the above choices it makes sense to own·more than one television set. then each family member can enjoy himself or herself in peace. What's wrong with this picture of today's family? We spend evenings in front of our separate TV screens and then we go to bed. The next morning, we run off to our separate jobs (work or school). come home at separate times, and eat separately. Finally, we return to our separate TV screens for another evening's entertainment. During all of these times, when do we talk to each other or see each other? When do we come together as a family? " Some certain realities of today's living cannot change. But one thing is truly needed in most families; both parents to bring home a paycheck. Another is the distance many of us must travel to work or to school. But must everything change? And should we lose our family structure in the process? I'm not suggesting that we go back to the I 9SO's. We don't have to live in a fantasy, but we could borrow some important lessons from our grandparents way of living during the SO's. It is that family life is just as important as work or play,. If we agree, you'll find ways of spending more time­ together, you'll find things to share, and then there will be something right with this picture ........ COMEDY CORN ER by Ron Carter live Music! Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge Nast-Trinity United Methodist Church 1320 Race St. Cincinnati 721-7339 T HE BIG SPENDER Alter winning the lottery a man walked into a bar. He said, "Gathe~ around. Drinks for every­ body." So everyone gathered around the bar. He . then said: "When I order, everybody order. When I pick up my glass, everybody pick up their glass. When I take a drink, ever:ybody take a drink. When I put my glass down, everyone put their glass down. When I pay, I want everybody to pay." ­ �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 MY LEGACY RAVINGS OF A MAD WOMYN: by Ellen It has been a long time since someone asked me to write about myself. At first, I was skeptical of revealing myself to another individual let alone to the whole world. My .name is Ellen. I'm a middle aged woman of forty-three years with an abundance of An Occasional Attempt to Chip Away at the Rule of the Establishment c0 u·LD YO u sEE knowledge and insight. The legacy I have to offer is I'm a recovering addict with war stories that would make a person blush with envy. My life hasn't been by Ma/aka Sanders ME? THE POLITICS OF A JOINT a total waste. I allowed people to come into my life and consequently destroy my world, with my help of • This piece about the illegal substance mari­ course. Being a minister's daughter isn't exactly a juana does not address the more p.opular concerns life that most people would tend to shy away from. by Eugene Sung, Street Sheet-San Francisco surrounding it. Not the "legal or not" question in In a way it has also been a very helpful and enjoythe mainstream or the speculations on a U.S. "hemp I know and understand that the rus h of your industry" (with products like blue jean~ made from able life. Meeting people from all walks of life helps me to beli"!ve that I'm not such a bad person after forty hour week doesn't allow you to stop and t~e cannabis plant on the political left). Even an admire the scenery. But does the toll of the rat race update on the ongoing debate around the health all. I just wanted to be in the wild life and continue to dwell in it un til my addiction brought me to my remove your humanity as well? concerns associated with marijuana usage are left for knees. · Crack was my disease which totally deI understand that in this world we have to be other writers to explore because, of course, these stroyed myself, !TlY family, and friends. It's the most primarily concerned with number one'. But have you have all been duly noted. devastating drug to hit any home and bring families a ever stopped to consider that if others are lucky, But the "politics" of marijuana, that is. the. sense of insercurity, mistrust, and a loss of selftonight's banquet will be coming from a trash can? laws concerning this plant and their affects on those worth. My family consisted of my parents and two I appreciate that fact that your roots are firmly so criminalized, are rarely discussed, even in sons. Children who didn't deserve to be brought up planted in a world that has given you an all access "progressive" circles. That's in part because many in someone esle's home. The many nights I cried membership. But does that mean just because we're people would like to stay away from what they myself to sleep only to wake up to this drug which not in the same club we can't have a quiet conversaconsider to be conversations about "weed." I bring tion? it up here because- it really ain't about the weed. can kill. Because it doesn't "love" me. The torture and pain I had put countles.s supporters through I know that at the end of the day you will have The "War on Drugs" in general, and "reefer only to let them down. Most of all, my faith in our a place to hang your hat and rest your head. But madness" in particular, are simply battlegrounds in Heavenly Father who has been with me and others can you appreciate your blessings without looki,ng the never-ending (but recently escalated) war on the through this terrible ordeal. One can only imagine with contempt on those who have to roll their beds poor- which means that this article really ain't about the terror which lays in their eyes only to find grief up in the morning? a joint after al_I, but about one type of the many and pain. Tears of husbands, wives, and children I understand that you carry a background that policies that economically exclude low-income still hearing their pleas, "Please stop, I can't take it is as wide and diverse as the next person. But does individuals; and I'd hope that this would be of anymore." That's what I heard when I was alone in it make sense that I too come from a place that holds interest to anyone concerned about economic my thoughts. After all of this, my Heavenly Father just as many treasures as yours? exclusion. Some particularly glaring examples of still loves and has forgiven me. Maturity which I see I realize that you are half way down the block exclusionary policies include anti-panhandling and in myself has allowed me to grow and become by the time I finish this thought. But when you anti-loitering laws, which target homeless people. responsible once again. This second chance of living passed by just a moment ago, could you see me? · and "welfare reform" laws which target low-income and having to be loved and trusted with open honest mothers. However. the near pyramid shape of our feelings. Before I became aware of what myf~e~e~li~ ng:;s;..mi_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, class structure is evidence that were about, I had to get help. I checked into a rehabilitation program. I looked like the children from Ethiopia: tired, lifel m, hungry, ,.d, •nd pi<fful. Even -- l ' 1, when I looked in the m irro'r, I looked like the walking dead. In fact, my own -son didn't re<;ggnize.-EFem-tha"tpoint forward, my life took a hundred and eighty degree turn. I had met unsavory people during my addiction with an unsavory past. I then realized I was one of them. Unable to find solace in crack, I only found turmoil. There was nothing I could do right in filth and darkness with despair and becoming increasingly more despondent. Promises I made only to go back on them to my family and friends. That's when I sought the help I needed and got back on track of my life. The feelings are w_hat I haven't felt in such a long time. Being numb and lethargic was my forte in the past. Now when being given a challenge or trying to complete a goal, I would stop myself from acheiving it because I was scared of what others might think of me. " No more," I cried. "Please God help me. I can't fight against you anymore. Please help me." Early on a rainy morning (Wednesday), I walked into a treatment program for veterans and haven't looked back since coming back into recovery. I truly have myself and my family who I found, realizing I am not alone in this constant struggle. Most of all, my love for the Heavenly Father. I love you. This is one of my legacies I leave you with. Maybe somewhere in I your life you too may have a egacy to expound upon and leave it for others to read and continue to grow from. May Our Heavenly Father keep and bless you. Love your friend , Ellen. capitalism is inherently exclusionary. That is, one particular group of people, a very tiny segment of the ~ ~E:r-,, .~ _a· - popul•tion, h" <on<col of mo" of the '<.:~ ~ J: cJ'l s-1< TAND DOWN* l * 9 *9*8 A HAND up NoT a HAND ouT _ ',./_ :..- #t,e .;./omde,u dl-r~ to dle/p </~ OCTOBER 15-16. 1998 DROP INN CENTER ll7 W. llTH STREET CINCINNAJI• OHIO (}C10~t\\ Wl: . 'l\'oeriai\a'o\e. ~\so. admission 1ser11tesV11 ·ii'oeisSued. Social a11d \tqa . distil'o\l\ion 'lj\ ut'l.e1Sl"llla1euals nr~nor.n ui.. 1uoLn \\):. . 114 ~'o\ot'oa""..,. \\el1es\\111t11\S a ~atetia\\disuill:~~:~\ en\e\\ai\111\tll\~ resources while most of us are somehow " left out"- which is the definition of exclusion. This fact is not generally spoke of as evidence of exclusion because most continue to believe, however unconsciously, that poor people are poor because we want to be. I contend that people are raised in poor fam ilies because of past exclusion (of their parents, ancestors, etc.) and are then kept poor through an entire system of exclusionary circumstances (crumbling public schools, "ghettos", etc.) and tactics. including the criminalization of our class through a number of ridiculous, irrelevant laws. So what are the affects of these laws? Well, non-violent drugoffenders are now the fastest growing population in our already o.ver­ crowded prison system. Also, it's been·predicted that most Black men (2/3rd} will be b~hind bars by the year 20 I0, mostly because of these laws. Most drug statistics refer to all drug offenses and are not limited to marijuana; I cite these because the societal affect of these laws, again, the further exclusion of low-income people, is still the same. Then the private sector comes I in. It's been my observation that on Y low-wage workers seem to have to worry about being d rug teste d- t h'is despite the fact that studies show that marijuana usage seems to know no �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page . /3 class boundaries, and that cocaine usage is higher among the upper classes. Another interesting class dynamic here: while the work that low-income people do is being more and more delegitimized by politicians (like ·poor moms raising kids having their assistance taken away because they're not "work­ ing"), the disgusting "work" of the upper-class, in this case "examining" urine, is never questioned. Finally, putting us behind bars or keeping us out of work still isn't enough- drug offenses are cited in particular as a reason to withhold public assis­ tance from someone. And of course, who applies for public assistance? Not Kurt Cobain, that's for sure. So, regardless as to your feelings about drug usage in this country, ·the affects of drug laws are clear: Poor people are disproportionately targeted for the harassment, criminalization and economic exclusion entailed in their enforcement. And, keeping in mind that these laws do little to curb drug addiction, it's easy to see that this is just another thinly veiled form of repression at the hands of the police-state. And I t~ink that we owe it to our brothers and sisters to participate in this madness as little as possible. NASNA Conference attendees discuss street newspaper strategies. ...TACTICS continued from page 3 followed the slumlord 24 hours a day. This went on for a couple of weeks. One day I got a phone call, 'Shel, I think we got him.' My heart soared like and eagle. 'Shel I been watching Mr. Slumlord. Every Tuesday at I Iam he goes to an apartment, rings the security bell, and goes up. He's out exactly at noon and he looks real happy." We got him. Bob, on the next Tuesday we had one of our people dressed in a delivery uniform. He rang. The door opened. The doors to our five vans opened and 60 people from our organization stormed the stairs. We banged on the door, asked for Mr. Slumlord. I don't know who he was with, but it was obviously forbidden fruit. Mr. Slum lord looked at the 60 people, broke down and cried as he said, 'you pe0ple will stop at nothing.' We said sign this agreement to fix all your properties to code. Mr. Slumlord signed the agreement. All the properties were up to code in 19 months." And the next time you hear Shel Trap's name mentioned, remember my x-wife baby-sat his kids. Subscribe to Streetvlbes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coali­ tion for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. . If you have a.ny questions, call 421-7803. CONFERENCE ·BUILDS. UNITY AMONG STREET NEWSPAPERS Stoty and photo by Jimmy Heath sometimes the only forum where their views can be heard. The success of the street newspaper move­ ment was evident in the enthusiasm displayed by the conference attendees. During the working groups sessions, the editors and other representatives at the conference discussed ways to continue to improve our papers so the vendors, homeless, and poor can continue to benefit from these projects. Many of the representatives at the conference, including STREETVIBES' staffers, were formerly homeless and are now staunch advocates for the people that we serve through our programs. Many vendors are homeless advocates themselves because they are familiar with the issues in the papers they are selling. Time and again, during the conference emphasis was placed on how to create improved street newspapers so that our concerns are heard as legitimate voices. Everyone agreed that quality newspapers were the key to the prosperity of our projects. We don't want folks on the street buying papers from the vendors out of pity; we want the papers to be of good quality. The 1998 North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) Conference was held this year in Montreal, Canada from August 6th-9th, and was hosted by Journal L'ltineraire, Montreal's street newspaper. Over 40 North American street newspapers were represented at the conference, including Cincinnati's own ST REETVIBES newspaper. Also attending the conference were representatives from Halifax. Nova Scotia and London, England. Cincinnati's STREETVIBES newspaper began The conference was held at the University of nearly two years ago as a supplement to Cleveland's Quebec at Montreal, which is located right in the GRAPEVINE. STREETVIBES is prod~ced monthly heart of the downtown business district. The out of the office of the Greater Cincinnati <;oalition conference attracted a lot of media coverage (or the Homeless. Many volunteers and vendors are involved in the layout, design and writing of the especially from Canada's national press. In addition to conference working groups and a series of paper every month. Vendors purchase the paper workshops, NASNA members had the opportunity from the Coalition (or 20 cents each to help cover to vote in the Executive Committee election. production costs. They sell the paper on the street Donald Whitehead of STREETVIBES was elected to a (or a one dollar donation. one year term as NASNA's Vice-president and Tim Harris of Seattle's REAL CHANGE newspaper was reelected President of the organization. Several new start-up papers were also voted in as new NASNA members. "I hope to see the vision of NASNA become a reality and I'm really optimistic about that happening. Things like a street newspaper in every city, a homeless news service. 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 3 5 2 and technical assistance for new newspa­ p p E D p L 0 H A R pers with the ultimate goal of eliminating 14 13 12 homelessness," said Donald Whitehead, E R E v E A L E D A L 17 16 Director of the Greater Cincinnati 15 F A s A v R Coalition for the Homeless and NASNA's 18 new Vice-President. N L S K This was the third annual meeting A N G of NASNA member newspapers whose goals are to solidify and unify the street D E L newspaper movement in North America, 26 27 28 creating for homeless vendors a means p A R o· s E R toward self-sufficiency and a voice on 3-0 0 A T 0 issues of homelessness. Thousands of 32 homeless and forme rly homeless persons A N S T in North America have found success 37 with the newspaper vendor program. By 0 s T T U selling the street newspaper, they gain 40 E 0 N A R T financial freedom as well as renewed self­ 43 44 esteem. For some vendors who see their c E s R E J 0 ~ 4~ 6 _..~-i-~.+-~l----+~-1--writings in print for the first time, it is the first step in gett ing back their lives. For s 0 0 N E s T issues concerning the poor and die homeless, the stre et newspaper ls Answers to Streetvlbes Crossword from Page 11... ( I �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine ...Traveler continued from page 2 1 I I I l Amer ican Street Newspaper Asso ciation (NASNA) C onference. O ur arrival in Montreal is a preview to the rest o f our stay there. We are greeted at the airport by several other conference attendees and volunteers w ho will trans port us to the offices of Journal L'ltineraire, o ur host for the 1998 NASNA Confere nce. The office of Journal L'ltineraire is a little larger than our own office and much better equipped. We spend the first few hours touring the office followed by a recepti~n. Before leaving fo r our housing for the conference at the University of Q uebec (Montreal) we hold an executive co mmittee meeting. After checking into our housing we are faced with the always tough decision of deciding what to eat. We soon discover the area around the Univer­ sity of Montreal contains a variety of different ethnic food selections further complicating our decision. W e finally settle on a quiet outdoor cafe with an Italian menu. After our meal, we continue tb tour the neighborhood w hich has a variety of interesting happenings. we· notice a large gathering of what seems to be runaway kids in an area directly across from the University. Th·e kids are armed and make no effort to hide the weapon of choice: the dreaded squeegees. Squeegees are used to wash windows, something that is common in some cities in the U.S. It is so common here that the people using t hem are called "squeegees." It's fu nny how people become bag ladies. bums, or squeegees, instead of just Regina, Mike, Torn. or whatever their given name is. The area also has many other more positive attractions. We are very near Old Montreal and its wonderful architectural masterpieces. We are actually given a tour of the entire city like no other tour I've ever been on before. We spend our interaction time at a needle exchange that also dis penses condoms. We are given quite a bit of information from our rour guide w ho is extremely pleased with the harm red uctio n his establishment offers. We also visit a gym that offers midnight basketball for the runaway youth population. continue dow n the st reet. As I make my way down the street, I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder. and it's the same women- who I'll call Regina. Regina asks me for spare change. As a trained panhandling investi­ gator, I immediately give her my sincerity test. "Instead of Change why don't you join me for lunch," I state with the utmost sincerity. "I don't mind if I do," says Regina in an animated voice. Regina's story was like many stories. She was in an abusive relationship in New York and she moved to "The District" to get away. She worked service jobs until she just couldn't make ends meet. Regina tried welfare for awhile, talked about getting start ed again, finding an apartment, and feeling like a member of society. Regina told me she wasn't comfortable on assistance...she just couldn't make ends meet. "I actually was ashamed. Nobo dy else ...my mother, my grandmother, or my great grandmother was on welfare," she said. Then came welfare reform!!! Regina's demeanor took a downward turn when she began talking about welfare refo rm. "I lost my benefits, I lost my apartment, I lost my way, and it got worse after that ," she sadly declared. Regina talked about losing her ID. a terrible blow for a homeless person. "Is that why you are living on the Streets instead of a shelter." I asked. "It's a little bit more complicated than that," said Regina. "I got in a Jot of trouble after I got to C CNV (The Center for Creative Non-Violence). I am banned from most of the shelte rs in the city." Curious, I asked her to explain. "I spent a year in Jail for attempted murder," she says. I intuitively know that the re's a lot more to her story. Many people would probably move on at t his point. My years as a homeless advocate and as a August 7, 1998 homeless person have taught me that what's on the Our second day in Montreal is the beginning of surface is just the beginning of the story, so I our conference. Our first conference meal is rather continue to probe. Before,I go on though, I must tell memorable. We enjoy the local tradition of pork-n­ you, I am beginning to notice the many stares we are beans, crepes, and fried bologna for breakfast. For receiving, Many people seem to be uncom~ortable the next two days we didn't rush to breakfast. While with our presence. I guess it is an unusual sight...a we enjoyed the hospitality and the tradition we just woman in somewhat tattered clothing and a man in didn't rush. The conference itself was by far the best his one and only business suit. Oblivj ous to the NASl\JA 'Co nference yet. The spirit of camaraderie ...--­ stares that-have no<!Oubt become all too common, exceeded the expectations of even the most optimis­ as they are for most homeless people, she continues tic members of the NASNA Movement. Perhaps the her story. "I was awakened one night by a woman trying to sexually assault me. At that moment, all the rage, all the disappointments, and all the pain had finally found an outlet. It took three people to pull me off of her, but what would you do," she said. "I don't know," I said. What would I do? Regina asked me to buy her some pants. I gave her ten dollars, wished her the best, and left her to slowly finish her meal. I returned to the National Coalition Office where I spend some time with some ofAmerica's real heroes. They fight the day to day battles here in America to end homelessness. I spend most of the rest of the day with Michael Stoops, the General Affordable rent that Schwartzkopf of the homeless fight. Michael has been one of the pion eers of homeless advocacy. We never exceeds 30°/o discuss at length the upcoming North American of your income Street Newspaper Conference. At about 4 o'clock.I head for National Airport for my flight home. ... Many buildings Page 14 highlight of the conference was the panel ent itled "Vision o f the St reet Newspaper Movement." Somehow, each previous co nfe rence had a similar panel. However, this year's "visions" seemed so much more realistic. The highlight of the entire trip was the previously mentioned tou r. What made this to ur so unique was its fo cus on homeless services, providers, and more importantly, homeless people. What was extremely impressive about this country was the quality of services available. W~ile there was poverty, it d id not seem to.be nearly as harsh as the poverty I've experienced in most of my travels within · the United States. The homeless population seemed a lot younger than that of th e United States. I'm sure there are parts of Mont real I didn't see that I probably wouldn't want to see, but not on this trip. have to say, this trip was just what the doctor ordered; that is, the social justice doctor. Every so often I need a trip that heightens the spirit...that re­ lights the candle of the heart...that reinvigorates the soul. This was that trip. I do have one complaint however. Leaving Canada proved to be quite a task. One of our party, Jimmy Heath, was stopped by customs...I guess he fit the profile. To add insult to injury, we were all surprised by the "Airport Im­ provement Tax:" a thirty dollar charge when you leave Canada. Most people o n the plane could not stop talking about the "Airport Improvement Tax." I was more concerned with the paint that somehow mysteriously ap peared on my pants I guess. Wet paint signs weren't part of t he improvements we paid for. Oh well. a good traveler always expects the unexpected. Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to ·call home? ·Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority l ­ 7:30 PM August 3, 1998 I finally land in Cincinnati. My first stop is the office to catch up on anything I might have missed because my next trip is just two days away. A t raveler's work is never done. Tbs Tr11vslsr Goss lntsrn11t/on11/ 4:00 PM August 6, 1998 On this trip I have company: James Heath and Dallas Cash are my companions. As we ride the elevator to the ticketing information, we pause to reflect on the collective gratitude we share. Our destination is Montreal, Canada for the North equipp~d with security systems :.. Units located on buslines and near stores, schools, hospitals, banks Rental units are available in these family and senior communities: Avondale Hopple Street/Fairmount West End Winton Place For more information, call 421-8190 today. ' �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page IS I STREETVIBES Announcements FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS by Sonny Williams There are several political prisoners in Ohio's prisons. If you are interested to write to them, like James Pryor or Dan Cahill, please contact: Ohio Prisoner's Rights Union P.O. Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio· 45201-1746 · ANNOUNCING A new Group at AVOC... For Heterosexuals living With Aids Are you looking for a broader knowledge of the challenge of living with HIV/AIDS? Would you like to meet people who share similar experiences and hear their coping strategies? Are you looking for peers with whom 'OU can discuss and plan for the future? COME MEET WITH US•.. Where: AVOC "Gray Room " When: 1st and 3rd Thursdays 6:30 PM to 8:PM More Information: Susan or Judy 421-243.7 1 Phone: (513) 241-8014 STREETVIBES Classified Ads Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apart­ ments for Rent and other non-personal items. The rate is only $I per line, approximately four words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of the month. People below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six months to advertise-their skills ­ or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be received before the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us after the first printing. You will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813 Band (ookin& for Work Streetvibes (the band). We like to party. R&S, Oldies, Slues/ jazz, Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421-7803. for sale Nat ive American cookies: orders being accepted: R. C. Janus. (Fax) 891-8663. position wanted Office worker seeks 20· 30 hour sit down job on bus line, within 2 miles of the river in either Kentucky or Ohio; non-medical terminology, non-filing cabinet office work; social services, sales, public information, crafts, and other background, some computer experience: contact Sox 2. Streetvibes, 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati. '45210. Laborer Looking for a laborer? Has worked at Riverfront. Is willing to do any kind of work. Call Sonia Craig at the Drop Inn Center, 721­ 0643. Elderlx or Children Looking for a community o riented job dealing with elderly or children. 3 year ourteach worker/ counselor aide at YMCA 13 years typing. Computer and cashier experience including Windows. Lotus, Any Word Processor. Call Anjail Madyun at the Drop Inn Center, 721-0643. Degreed, s uccessful grants administrator/writer seeks commissioned, free lance position as same: ten percent commission per award. Contact J. Janus, Jr. (Fax) 891 -8663. Native American-Hispanic female see!<s sit down. slow· paced industrial FACTORY position: physically challenged. (Fax) 891-8663. Scramble Answers from page 11••• TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT STREET VIBES OUR VENDORS NEED YOUR HELP THANK YOU STREETVIBES .provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may .place ads for only $I .per line. Call 421-7803 for info. Streetvlbes Vendor Code· of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. · I. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $1. I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the "homeless" in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. In Memory of "Mac" Who Bel.ieved In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch ... Because 'Everyone' in­ cludes Prisoners and Former Prisoners. Sales Represe n tatjye Looking for position as sales representative or management. Has good bookkeeping. typing and supervisory skills. Has experience in retail management, customer service and sales. . Is available to work immediately. Call Dea Harris at 552-935 I . Restaurant Work Responsible older man able to work any shift. Would prefer work as a busser at a restaurant as well as work as a dishwasher or cook. Is very dependable and available immediately. Please contact W iley Powell at 83 ~-840'4. Baby Sitter Need a babysitter? Former child-care worker with day· care experience. Call Mary Ann at 665-4375 or pager at 610-8527 Continiency fee ~ Not afraid of Catholic Church or PUCO. Send office hours and name of law school on letterhead paper to I I I I Elm Street. No. 432, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Streetvlbes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 Im The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stol"ies in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, Sept. 12th, 1998, noon to I pm Advertise In StreetvlbesI Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 3 112" $I 0 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 I /2" $20 per month A check or money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad o r have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: . Streetvibes I506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 _.f­ �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine VENDOR PROFILE: Streetvibes TV September Schedule Clarence is 39 years-old. He came out of the US Army in 1979 and became homeless in the 80's. Fortunately, the opportunity to change his position came through local support, good people, services, and hard work. Acquiring housing, job skills, and employment assistance, he plans to go to college in the future. Clarence believes STREETVIBES is a good program and enjoys· being a vendor. He has encountered some wonderful people since becoming invqlved and would like to thank Mr. Carter and Mr. Whitehead. Clarence says, "Sometimes people you meet understand the plight of the poor and home­ less. The only way to put an end to homelessness and poverty is people helping people and willingness to work." Clarence encourages Cincinnati to get involved with STREETIYIBES by writing, donating, or volunteering for its good cause. J6 STREETVIBE·s TV The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilit ies of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right channel or time during the next couple months as Warner Cable changes programming and channels. Clarence Montgomery Page This month's LIVE SHOW will invlove a discussion about the Homeless STANDDOWN which will take place in October at The Drop Inn Center. Guests will include key players in the event Cha nne l 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. Mo nday. Sept ember 21 st at 7PM. Rebroad cast Dates for Sho w o n Cha n­ nel 10: Saturday, September 5, 1998, 4 PM Friday, September 11, 1998, I I AM Friday, September 18, 1998, I I AM Saturday, September 26, 1998, 4 PM Monday, September 28, 1998, I0 PM Br_oadcast schedules are subject t o change - consult your local .T V d irect ory. If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 42,1-7803. We always. enjoy hearing from our veiwing audience Ideas should address subjects related to homeless­ ness and poverty in our city. We are always inter­ ested in viewer ideas, so please give us a call... STREETVIBES WISH LIST STREEVIBES is published monthly on a shoe­ string budget. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list please give us a call... >Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning costs > Adobe Pagemaker Software for STREETVIBES layout >35 MM Film for STREETYIBES photo's --· ~ >Laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper Vendor: 80 cents Printing and Production: 20 cents Where Your Dollar >Com puter for STREETVIBES layout and writing Goes 7803 If you can help! >Office Supplies >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups, donuts, etc.) Call the STREETVIBES o ffice at 421· Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so ·that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Thanks for your support. 1 I I: ,' I ----­ ••• ii it ii .,.. -· i f i i: - - - Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. SHELT ERS: Women and Children Alice Paul House (abuse) 241-2757 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 281-5770 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 431-8717 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Caracol~ (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (singles) Friars Club Hav.en House (Hamilton) 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTQC Tender Mercies (Mental Ill) Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: W o m e n O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREAT MENT: Me n Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary OTHER SERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 244-7226 961-4080 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 241-7343 92 1-7324 784- 1853 921 - 16 13 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 421-2437 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 591-2246 Churches Act ive in Northside Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1 840 Contact Center 381-4242 24 1-2563 Emanuel Community Center Freestore/Foodbank 24 1-1064 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 62 1-71 49 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-71 86 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Yan 352-2902 22 1-3679 House of Refuge Mission 24 1-9400 Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271 -550 I 721-4811 Mary Magdalen House 621-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 , Peaslee Neighborhood Center Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless Program 559-6656 Women's Crisis Center 491-3335 � 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 1998 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 1998 Vol. 2, issue 20 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Residents Rally for Safe One-Way Vine Lincoln Courts to Be Demolished Pg 2: The Traveler Returns Pg 3: Cleveland News Tactics Pg 4: Welfare News Pg 5: Visible Homeless Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide News Pg 8: Prisoners News Pg 9: Americorps Pg 10: Letters & Editorials Pg 12: Mad Womyn Pg 13: NASNA Conference Pg 15: Classifieds Pg 16: Vendor Profile Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) 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 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Maryann Bravo Ron Carter Denise Crew James Curry Brian Davis Ellen Robert Freking Jimmy Heath Vicki Lynn Michael Nelson James W. Pryor Aaron Pitchford Malaka Sanders Michael Strawder Euguene Sung Rodney Sutton Angela Whithead Donald Whitehead Gloria Wiggins Lynn Williams Bruce Wilmer Brett Zwolinski Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <span>This work is licensed under a</span><span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a><span>.</span> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aaron Pitchford Americorps Angela Whitehead Brett Zwolinski Brian Davis Bruce Wilmer Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Ellen Eugene Sung Gloria Wiggins James Curry James W. Pryor Jimmy Heath Lynn Williams Mad Womyn Malaka Sanders Maryann Bravo Michael Nelson Michael Strawder NASNA Robert Freking Rodney Sutton Ron Carter The Traveler vendor profile Vicki Lynn visible homeless welfare welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/92b15b691f164fe3c3e1330f38715137.pdf 2b725c7f39bd284cbd720f21782cb7c0 PDF Text Text - - .,__._ - -- · --- ~~ --- Buy From Badged Vendor ONLY! The Tri-State•s Homeless Grapevine · Laurel Homes to be ·Demolished HUD has just announced that Cincin­ nati will receive the controversial $35 Million Hope VI grant, which will demolish the Laurel Homes housing project in the West End. down the residents' throats". In addition, Lee stated that the resident council president and vice president, who signed off on the plan, are employed by CMHA. "There was no vote taken of all the residents", he said". Even after a petition signed by 500 residents, there has been no sincere effort to actively engage residents in the process. Those current residents of Laurel Homes who have the opportunity to get in on the new HUD project which will take its place have another piece of government bureaucracy to contend with. HUD's new Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) requirements mandate that all households ­ except the elderly and those with special needs - participate in a community and social service program that helps with employment training finding work, building their assets, and eventu­ ally moving out of public housing. Upon moving into a new unit, residents sign a contract outlin­ ing their educational and employment goals and are told that failure to make demonstrable progress toward these goals will result in evic­ tion. Therefore, many residents of housing scheduled for demolition opt instead for Section 8 vouchers, or find spaces in other public housing units. But there are presently an insufficient number of subsidized apartments And that available to those with vouchers. amount is decreasing rapidly because, due to a Nothing is left of Lincoln Court apartments but level ground waiting for new Hope VI construction to begin. But because Laurel Homes is on the National Historic Register, residents were hopeful that this would not be their fate. Federal money is not supposed to be used for demolition of buildings which have this status, but I guess rules can be changed. The HOPE VI project is an attempt by HUD to change the legacy of vacant, crumbling public housing in crime-ridden poverty-stricken neighborhoods. How? 1) by changing its physical design and 2) by integrating section 8 units with market-rate housing in order to broaden the character of urban neighborhoods. Sounds like a good idea, huh! Unfortunately, the result is a net loss of 23,000 public housing units over the country, at a time when more and more people are unable to afford market rate housing. (Federal Housing laws used to require one­ for-one replacement of units, but not any more) Included in the HOPE VI project were plans to encourage resident participation in the demolition/new constrUction projects. Unfor­ tunately, the reality doesn't live up to the theory. In Cincinnati, according to Lincoln Court resident George Lee, "The CMHA (Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority) forced the plan 'LAUREL HOMES' continued on page 4 member would give him a ride. He liked doing his own thing, at his own pace. He had friends; he had his way. But as I see it today, Nikki did not have us as an extended family - We had him. Now the shelter is a little quieter, a little s~ff lounge, where he made himself welcome to the community coffee pot. He could just jiggle the knob just so to gain entry. While staff members fumbled with keys trying to get the door open afld in to the restroom, (doing the "I got to go" dance), We figured Nikki could just open the door and enter because that was the way it was. It was also his practice to leave money on the coffee table to pay for what he consumed. We feel his less than we have ever been. absence, we miss his presence, we mourn his loss. ......................... .Denise Crew He just made life simple. I REMEMBER NIKKI (Nicholis . Barbas) Nick had a special place in the heart of all who knew him. He had been a permanent ftxture here at the Drop Inn Center. He had a way about him. It was clear to the workers here that he was a man·who came from a good family, and his day to day presence among us has been a blessing to all. He was a coffee drinker, and he loved his coffee: it was his 1/2 cup at a sitting that was his enjoyment. Because his coffee would be cold before he had consumed a full cup. He frequented the ~. - . .- At one point we had a guest at the Center who was without the gift of sight. Meaning no harm, he would always kick the mat Nikki had, as he turned the comer (Mat #1 ). One evening Nikki moved out of the dormitory. We saw him carrying his mat across the dining room. He placed it under the table, settled down for the night. It was about a week before we knew what was going on. But that was alright. Nikki never had a lot of anything but he had people who loved and cared for him. His sister and brother-in-law came regularly and he wanted for nothing. When we think about the things we need to survive, it is actually very little to be fulfilled as a human being- food, clothing, shelter, health care, another living person to show and share love with and to you. Nikki went into town every day. When weather was bad, a staff ~::--;~-~ ---.;· .... -~· .--'~1·-::.~ :··- .• ~·~·~ .. '. ~ · · ; >~-. ~~~ - . . . .....'·· - ~°''.1.·!'\"-<-···,.-- - '· ~!~~~ '1" #_~_: _._~ ~---- ~ - l;Ct..... .- ~ ~ r ... ...... . I·,;- ,- -7-',' -· P,..,_._ ,·-~- - "·,.-,; ~ j -- - ., __ ---~ �STRffTVIBfS The Tri-State's Horneless Grapevine The Traveler by Donald Whitehead Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper writte n by, for, and about the homeless, social justice and poverty related issues. It is published once a month, 12 issues a year, by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents (to cover printing cOsts) and then sell the paper for a dollar donation. The vendor keeps the profits. 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 a n orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes vendor badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating seMces, educating the public and grassroots organizing. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Susan Knight, Administrative Coordi­ nator Tom Billman, Streetvibes editor Ron Carter, Vendor Support Gina Miller, Rapid Exit Program Warren Perkins, Tenant Organizing Photographs by Jimmy Heath, Donald W hitehead, Beverly Brooks, Sonny Williams, and more..... Writers Tyrone Smith Eunice Temoney Ravenna Tom Billman Ron Carter Sheila Crowley Lettie Davis Denise Crew Amy Krings Sondra Blue Wendell Williams John Perotti Vannette Lacy Te'tro Amaru Donald W hitehead Lynn Williams Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, photos.... We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are home­ less or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (513) 421-7803 fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com or homecoal@primax.net web page: http:l/cinci.com/gcch Development Boom Ignores Inner-City Residents Amidst the frenzied development activities on the riverfront and the central buisness district, one is left wondering why the development fever has not reached our inner-city. A drive through Avondale, Over -The-Rhine, Walnut Hills and the West End and other low-income neighborhoods shows a complete inattention in these areas. The Jack of vision by city government leaves us on the verge of entering a new millenium with neighborhoods that are trapped in the unattended blight left from this last century. It is glaringly obvious that the current re­ .\ development efforts in Over-The-Rhine on Main Street and the Betts Longworth area in the West End are designed to gentrify neighborhoods that have the maj ority ofthe steadily shrinking stock of truly affordable housing. City officials have endorsed demolition of hundreds of public housing units including units that have recently been renovated. The same officials continue to ignore a pending loss of subsidy for tens of thousands of Project-Based Section 8 housing. Slum landlords that have continously plundered the system are regarded as outstanding citizens, much to the dismay ofthe tenants of their vermin infested crime ridden properties. ~~ -· ~ Unlike the buildin~ that have remained abandoned and forgotten for up to twenty years in some cases, the residents ofthese communities have a chance to do something about these conditions. With several Councilmembers not eligible to be re-elected the opportunity to elect a city council that is trully representative ofthe community as a whole is upon us. Over the last ten years the City of Cincinnati has been under the control ofthe CBC, DCL, and other individual multi-national corporations. As stadiums are going up school buildin~, public housing and nieghborhoods are coming down. While we develop Lazarus and Ttffimy's we move to close Washington Park and Rothenburg. It is time to take back America; it will be a long process. We can start by taking back Cincinnati. The upcoming elections will provide us with an opportunity to make a significant change in the direction city council is heading. As l travel around the country the before mentioned conditions (decaying inner-city neighborhoods, downtown development, crumbling schools, and new jails) can be found everywhere. The other consistent condition is the lack of participation among those citizens most affected by current policy trends. When most politicians talk about low voter turnout they do it with in an effort to justify unfair policy decisions adversly affecting theg already underserved, impoverished and unappreciated. When advocates, like myself: talk about low voter turnout it is with compassion and optimism. As a child in the sixties (a very young child), I was Page 2 spoiled by an era were citizen participation was at an all time high and the victories were numerous. As a young adult in the 90's r am faced with the realities ofan era were citizen participation is at an all time low and the numerous victory ofthe sixties have been replaced by thunderous defeat in the 90's. As we stand poised to enter a new rnillenium. prospects for the poor, the elderly, and the children have somehow become more uncertain than George Bush Jr. 's past drug history or Bill Clinton's fidelity. Many advocates have abandoned the strategies ofthe 60's for a more passive resistance in the 90's. A belief that civil disobedience is obsolete has been a main ingredient in the deterioration of many ofthe gains ofthe 60's. Today's civil disobedience can come in the form ofa short walk to the polling place and a well placed vote for a canidate who has not been compromised by campaign promises from wealthy decision makers. We cannot afford to continue to leave our futures in the hands ofthose that vaJue consumption, profits and wealth above compassion and responsibility. As the gap between the rich and poor increases, our chances of finding uncomprornised canidates grows slimmer. ln Cincinnati, however, we are lucky to have severaJ very good candidates. Next month The League of Woman Voters will print voters guides that will help provide infonnation on each canidate. I suggest that those reading this article take an opportunity to use this resource in order to get an idea of who those good canidates are. On September 16 the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless will hold its annual Canidates Forum, please join; then go out and vote. Your very life depends on it. --- -- - -- - , Contents -- Fate of Laurel Homes I Remember Nikki Anti-Nuclear Protest Bengals Scrimmage Arts & Poetry Comedy Comer National News Prison News Back in Time Welfare News Vendor Spotlight Letters Veterans Healthcare A Voice .... Death Becomes Us Candidates Forum Streetvibes Radio Classified TV Schedule ____ _ ..-:: Page 1 Page 1 Page3 Page3 Page 5-6 Pages Page6 Page 7-9 Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 13 Page 14 Page 14 Page 15 Page 15 Page 16 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Horneless Grapevine Cincinnati Activist Arrested in OakRidge, Tennessee Gordon Mayham, long time human rights activist, was arrested Friday, August 6 , Hiroshima/Nagasaki Day, along with 7 or 8 other protestors from a coalition known as the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA}, demonstrating in Memory of Hiroshima and as a reminder of all the radioactive waste left behind, which still contaminates ground and water in the Oak Ridge area. Gordon says he believes they are still producing weapons there. The Oak Ridge Weapons plant was respon­ sible for creating the nuclear bombs which dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in ( 1945). Gordon Mayham was an engineer working in the Oak Ridge Plant when the U.S . dropped those bombs. Due to the secrecy surrounding the Manhattan Project, he was unaware that he was helping to develop weapons of mass destruction. When the bombs were dropped and he finally found out, he immediately quit his job and lost his draft deferrrnent status. The result: he spent nearly three years in prison in Ashland, Kentucky. Gordon , now 82 .years old, has spent the last forty years working for justice. Sonny Williams, Cincinnati Prison Rights and Anti-Nuclear activist, recalls his first meeting with Gordon. The year was 1987. Sonny had just gotten out of Prison. They met by chance at the Greyhound station waiting for the bus home, after Gordon had been arrested for protesting at the CIA headquarters in Virginia. They participated in protests together at Page 3 flower on the grounds of the Oak Ridge weapons facility. O.r.... • • • • (photo by Sonny Williams) the Fernald Uranium processing plant in Crosby township, on the Miami River. Two years later it closed. Over the years Gordon and Sonny were active together at many other anti-war and anti Nuclear protesets. They protested together at the Federal Building in downtown Cincinnati. They protested against the death penalty in from of the Couiity Courthouse. "Gordon Mayham has been an inspiration for me to keep fighting for justice in Cincinnati!" According to Sonny, Gordon characterizes himself as a "peaceful planet person" His act of resistance during this last arrest was to plant a The trial of the eight nuclear weapons protesters took placeon August 16, Many times before, dedicated mef'l'.lbers of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance have had State charges filed against them and has had to spend up to 90 days in But this time the . jail. State refused to pros­ ecute. So they were cited for criminal tres­ passing by the city of Oak Ridge, and ended , up only having to pay ' court costs. After paying his $57, Gordon shaved his • beard and, unrecognized, went undercover as an ordinary citizen, on a public tour of the Oak Ridge Nuclear Weapons facility.... strolling calmly through all the formerly classified areas of the plant, where just four days before he was not allowed to take even one step. Gordon wishes that the money spent on the weapons of war be spent, instead, on the weapons of peace - compassion and under­ standing - especially on greatly improving conditions for the rcw 830,000 mentally ill persons now in jails or on probation, the shell­ shocked veterans of society's war on humanity. •...•... Tom Billman....... For additional information on OREPA, call (423) ~83-8202 o r e-mail orep@earth14tlc.net Bengals And Wilmington College Roll Out The Red Carpet For Homeless Coalition Bus Trip On Saturday August 7 the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless held its annual bus trip to the Cincinnati Bengals intersquad scrimmage. The bus trip - started with the help of Sam Wyche, former Bengals Headcoach, and George Blake, former Vice­ president of the Cincinnati Enquirer - is in it's 11th year. This year was the third event held at Georgetown College in Georgetown Kentucky. The event made the patrons feel like celebrates. The bus's provided by Alpha transportation were parked almost at the front door of Georgetown's Stadium. The lunches, provided by Kroger, were just the right size for the comfortable ride down 1-75. The group was greeted by Beng~ls ushers, who escorted the group to the baseball dugout were they were entertained by Bengals Assistant Headcoach Dick Labuea. Coach Labuea, who crafts the Bengals Defense, answered questions, informed, and entertained the group with a blend of humor and professionalism rarely seen in the world, and almost never seen in the world of professional sports. Patrons were then given a special section in the stadium to view the activities down on the field. The scrimmage, dominated by coach Labuea's defense, was very entertaining and offered fans optimism for the upcoming season. Bengals personnel saved the best for last. Attendees were given almost unlimited access to players. Access at this level is generally only given to sports writers and endorsers. A group of kids who made the trip, thanks to the sponsorship of the Coalition Staff: particularly enjoyed the access, getting players to sign everything from programs to tee-shirts to body parts (bands arms and legs). The people attending this fund raiser left with smiles on their faces because, thanks to the Bengals, Kroger, Cellular One, The Enquirer and Cintas, they .got to feel like superstars al).d help a good cause at the same time. Thanks to Mike Brown and the rest of the Bengals for rolling out the red carpet. Streetvibes Staff. Photos .••.•.. by Donald Whitehead - " A . ...L i ~ " ·. . ._L., ~ _\w �STRffTUIBfS The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 'LAUREL HOMES' cont. from front page..... decrease in federal subsidy amounts, private building owners are opting out of HUD pro­ grams. The end result: Many families are left homeless. UPDATE ON LAUREL HOMES: (from the Feb 99 article), ... by Tyrone Smith. Laurel Homes Council met at the arts Consortium, 1515 Linn St (Instead of at Laurel Homes itself) At that meeting of only 18 people, a motion was made to go for Hope-6 Funds - This was made by Ms. R.osemary Johnson and seconded by Essoline Washington. On March 30th, Laurel Homes Resident Council (LHRC) and Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) had come up with a Memo­ randum of Understanding that would put (alto­ gether) almost 2000 families out of the West End. On March 31 , 1999, however, a motion was made by Council member Todd Portune based on infonnation I had brought to City Council, reminding people that Laurel Homes has been on the Federal Housing Register since 1987, and therefore could not be demolished with Federal funds. The transcript of the discussion about Section 8 vouchers and demolition of public housing was the basis of the motion. This motion had the support of 6 city council members. On April 14, 1999, Todd Portune made another motion to address complaints and make it clear what the motion on the 31st of March was all about. On April 12, LHRC president Shirley Ann Colbert sent a Union Mailgram to President Bill Clinton asking "Why are our Historic Homes being tom down by the federal government?" I· have only to say that the master slickster is on his job. If the people in our city and our community don't get on their job, we will lose a hell of a lot of housing for the poor and low income people in our city and it will hurt all of us. This is why we have devel­ oped a Seniors and Citizens Ballot {ticket) for the upcoming Council election. Our nomi­ nees are: Todd Portune, Ken Anderson, Minette Cooper, Diane Goldsmith, Alicia Reece, Pat Dewine, Paul Booth. On the bubble: Charles Winburn, Jeanette Cissell, Kaye Britton, Forest Buckley. One A~ust 16, at the Drop Inn Center, from 3:00 - 5:00 pm, you can hear these city council candidates debate the issues of home­ lessness and poverty. · tion and the involvement of ordinary people in determining what will take place in their community. The purpose of this letter is to advise all that THE WEST END COMMUNITY has declared that there is now "a state of hostile invasion" by those who feel that they have found a waste land that can only be saved by them and their philosophies. We are requesting your help to stop the role of the city in destroying our community. Many of our problems come from the city, through city staff, better known to us as the career bureaucrats, or the non-elected city council members. These staff people see their jobs as telling us what we need and should do. • Please consider the following: A) We (The West End) are served by well over a hundred agencies in some form or fashion, who seek and receive funding based on the status and conditions in our community. Yet. year after year, the condition of the community does not improve. We know why are we are ready to expose these non-effective agencies that survive on our backs. Ninety • percent (90%) of the board and staff of these agencies live in the suburbs or even out of the city or even the state. They educate their children in private schools and colleges and retire to their comfortable homes and wonder why, and how, the people of the inner-city live like they do. It is because the self-sufficiency and independence that comes with gainful employment is never the focus or goal of these "human service practitioners". Most of the jobs they hold and perform can and should be held by the residents in the community; however these agencies actively avoid hiring the people they are supposed to serve. We can solve most of our problems by employing the resi­ dents in these non-effective human service agencies. B) There has been an influx of Federal Dollars to this city, again based on the plight of our poorest communities. The room has filled with every non-functioning, irrelevant agency and organization you can imagine. It is amaz­ ing that All now have the solutions for the problems. In the past there were such great stigma toward the inner-city and the people who used Federal dollars, i.e. Model Cities and other such programs. Now the people have been pushed completely out of the room and now the "legitimate people" are demanding the former disgraceful dollars. This has been perpetrated by city staff. This will not continue to be the case in the West End. C) Our major concern rests with the beginning of the demise of our physical com­ munity. We are the first to admit that neY1 construction, renovation and rehab activity is sorely needed. Economic development is the lynch-pin of any development for our survival, in our community. The problem here is that the demise' of our physical community is being forced on us, by outsiders, who not only have no commitments, no connections, no concerns, Jan. 26, 1999 no historic value or realization of what this Councilman Charles Winburn, Chair­ community had been and can be for the people man. that live here.............an example is The. Neighborhood and Small Business Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Development and Environment Committee {CMHA) and it's Hope VI fiasco that will destroy Cincinnati City Council WEST END. There has been the develop­ the City Hall - 901 Plum St ment of the most underhanded and divisive Cincinnati, OH 45202 behavior in this community, that has ever been witnessed in our close-knit community. Life­ long friends have been pitted against friends, community groups against groups, agencies against agencies and residents against resi­ dents. No one trusts.the next person and it all Historically, The West End community began with The Cincinnati Metropolitan Hous­ Council was incorporated in 1957 to serve the ing Authority. We can and will lay the destruc­ West End Area of this City. For the past thirty plus years, we have been on the wall, in fact tion of the West End directly at the feet of the Metropolitan Housing Authority {CMHA) and its the leaders of the vanguard for citizen participa­ The following letter from the former President of the West End Community Council · expresses the feelings of m~ny in Laurel Homes: Page 4 leadership. As we warned, Lincoln Court was just the beginning. The next move has now been perpetrated. CMHA has moved across Ezzard Charles Drive to tear down the Historic Laurel Homes. This is the next Target Where will it stop? Our lawmakers can not fail us this time. We need everyone's support for the community to survive. Be aware - The West End Community will not be the only community destroyed, just the First! Be aware - the destruction of the community will not come from afar, but from agencies and organizations that have sold their souls, for a few dollars, to such forces of de­ struction as the Metropolitan Housing Author­ ity; also agencies such as the Community Action Agency and the Aftrlcan-American Chamber of Commerce are not welcome and we will not sit by and let them bring their wares that we do not need or want to this community, as they have been planned to meet their own needs {the Agencies) and not the needs of this community. We have not sanctioned any of these moves and we plan to work to destroy those working with CMHA to destroy our com­ munity. CMHA is working to build monuments to its ·Executive Director, Donald Troendle. We do not find him qualified or worthy. There has been nothing but devastation and despair for our community since his arrival . He seemed almost gleeful that most of the West End was not in the Empowerment Zone. What was eliminated were the properties of Metropolitan Housing. He is arrogant and his contempt for this community can be seen in everything and every move he makes.......... . Let this be a notice to all who venture to take over this community. When suburban communities rally to protect their communities, they are praised as civic-minded and involved citizens, but when poor and black communities rise up to protect their communities, they are labeled loud-mouths and trouble makers. Well, so be it. We will not go quietly into the night. We will use all means available and any means necessary to preserve and protect our community. We are willing to work with those who sincerely want to work withy us and by working with us we mean, planning and implementing according to our needs and not according to grand plans or mission statements that are abstract and mean nothing to the reality of our community. We are asking all you who have walked in our shoes or are in danger of walking in our shoes to support us. We are requesting support from our elected officials, our sister councils and organizations. If you have any ideas, com­ ments and/or suggestions, please contact us immediately. Thank you. Done by the order of the Executive Committee. ~ We say to such organizations as the Black Chamber of Commerce, as well as The Seven Hills Neighborhood Services: We are d~ing the line! We will not be sold out in the name of Blackness. Respectfully submitted, Gloria Hemmingway, (former) President West End Community Council Dear Councilman Winburn, ( �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 5 Colored Sestina ......by Te'tro Amaro WORD ON THE STREET Last night I challenged the cruel winds. Warm and humid temperatures arises to descend God's beloved sun. Nestled tranquility confined, earthly possessions scattered in time. Yet we inhale to propel through hell. Arts & Poetry Must we concede to heaven or hell. A world of death and despair fear the gu sty winds foretold to unleash the fires of time. After He who has been away arises to save or have our souls hell-confined. Will I rise or feel he ll's heat deep unde rneath the sun. To submit your poetry, writings or artwork to Streetvibes, Contact the office of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati 45210 Phone - 513-421-7803, EMail (text): streetvibes@juno.com, E-mail (attached files, graphics): homecoal@primax.net Place us above the clouds to bask in the sun. Persecuted and oppressed, earth's our hell. Taught to think backwards, our minds are confined as history redefines the storms for pleasant winds. Forget not the unjust ignorance under God's sun and remember to forgive all in due time. Love is Everywhere! by Vannette Lacy Love is everywhere Love is the beauty of the sunrise. when you wake up i n the mor ning. Love is in a child's innocent face that says I trust you. Love is in the beautiful flowers, whose color and variety is all around u s, even the wild flowers on the side of the road. Love is the b eauty o f the elderly whose courage and strength shows on their face . Love is the animals who all have a special purpose. Love is the friendships that we establish along the way. Love is the sunsets of many colors for us to enjoy at the end of our day. Love is everywhere. Take the time.to enjoy love. because LOVE IS EVERYWHERE Is the past corning to the future with time. Has the circle began, the move ment heated by the sun. The death and ste nch of flesh arises. Seasons unexplained with babies living in hell doesn't make t he heart swell. Stronger than winds of life, I release all my peoples confined. Our mind, body, and soul, the devil has confined.· Where's a leader, the resurrector of our time. Shall we wait and pray to remain after bloody winds pass over, Our heads hung low on bended knee beneath the sun. Times of 'overcoming' have passed. We must come over hell. The select will deliver the masses, as knowledge of freedom arises. (. No bribes or compromises, eternal pain arises to all who assisted in keeping us confined. Eradicate the lives through Allah's hell. It began only to end by us for all time. We've died, begged, and sweated under the sun for the day to come to taste the sweet winds. As the wind's gust arises beneath Allah's sun the confined minds find freedom within the times of hell. Babylon AMERICA Woe to the whore that sitteth upon many waters. How the great city is fallen, and strong towers fallen in the dust. And thy wise man is bought to confusion. And the delicate woman 's skirts is revealed to become filthy of whoredoms. No water can put out this fire. O Leaders of Babylon, your time is near to come. com€ D Y CORD€R ........ by Ron Carter A young man walked into a room to find an older man with his ear against the wall. So the younger man said, "Excuse me, Sir. What are you doing?" The older man rnplied, "Just put your ear against this wall and listen." So the younger man put his ear against the wall. After a while, the young man said, "Sir, I don't hear anything." The old man replied, "I Know. lrs been this way all day." You have destroyed our land and slain our people And set up a system to take us total out of order You have set up false gods and fals.e idols Pagans on holidays, and brainwash education: You build temples to serve gods our forefathers wou ld have never have bowed down to . You destroy our neighborhoods with polluted measu res of crack, cheap wi ne, watered down liquors, poison beer, cut cocaine, cut heroine, sprayed weed and ragged guns so we can kill each other on a daily basis You send the lowest of your women to defile ourselves with, and to put our women to shame in competition. You give us welfare, and free food, and the food stamp card which is the mark of the beast. My people can't take no more, but they want some more, So Babylon, your time is Near. .... ..... .by Shimon Israel �s·rHEETViBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine HOMES NOT JAILS (San Fancisco, California, USA) HOUSING PEOPLE THROUGH DIRECT ACTION Housing is a basic human right which far outweighs any " right" a landlord has to profit off of housing. In San Francisco, people who can not afford housing are dying on the streets. Yet there is enough vacant and abandoned housing in San Francisco to house every person who is homeless. The city, state and local govern­ ments, though, have decided that landlords should be able to warehouse and speculate on vacant property, even as people die on the sidewalks outside. Homes Not Jails is housing people who are homeless through direct action -by taking over vacant and abandoned buildings. Homes Not Jails believes that human rights (specifi­ cally the right to housing) far outweigh property rights. No building should be left abandoned or vacant for real estate profiteering when people need housing. Support The Right To Housing Homes Not Jails Meetings Every Tues­ day Senator Hotel - 519 Ellis 7:30 PM You can help build this movement in several ways: Covert Squatting - Every week we identify and open up vacant buildings. We make them habitable and we help people move in. We then support these squats. Help house people through direct action. Civil Disobedience - We want to educate people about the number of vacant buildings in San Francisco and how these buildings can house people who _are homeless. We want to help people understand that there is a connection between homelessness, high rents, real estate speculation, and evictions. Help plan and participate in non-violent civil disobedience as we publicly.take over vacant buildings. Legislative Action - We do not just protest and complain; we have solutions to offer Page 6 and we work legislatively to put forth these solutions. Help us research and draft legisla­ tion. Sweat Equity Projects - We are working with non-profit housing developers to implement a model sweat-equity project. This will stiow how a dilapidated building can be rehabilitated into permanent, affordable hous­ ing by people who are homeless. We need the help of carpenters, roofers, electricians, plumbers and others who can help with volun­ teer labor or help supervise and train sweat­ equity workers. Full Human Rights Before Even Partial Property Rights! HOMES NOT JAILS 558 Capp Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 (415)282-5525 ..from the HOMELESS PEOPLE'S NETWORK http://aspin.asu.edu/hpn 5,000+ POSTS by or via homeless & ex­ homeless people Nothing About Us Without Us - Democratize Public Policy DOWNTOWN (original lyrics by Tony Hatch I new lyrics by Steve Schumacher & Ginny Frazier) When you're alone and been kicked out ofyour home Well you can always go, Downtown When you've got children, all the dishes and clothing hard to move, I Know...Downtown Linger on the sidewalks where the Realtor signs are many ListeR to the jabber 'bout the progress in the city How did you lose? The rents are much higher now, You can forget all your neighbors, Forget all your friends, and go Downtown, where the elite is at Downtown, waiting to push you out Downtown, they'll be a fight alright, now Don't hang around as All-rite parking surrounds you We have rights, you know......Downtown I Maybe you know some people's places to go to where they never close.........Drop-lnn Listen to rappin' of the people organizing You'll be joining with us..... before the night is over Hopeful Again! Your plight is much clearer now, You can forget all the nonsense, forget all the lies, and go Downtown, Some people don't understand Downtown, that we have our own Dream Plan Downtown, The Drop-Inn stay were it stands now. (Instrumental) Hopeful Again.....Your Plight is much clearer now you can forget all the nonsense, forget all the lies and go Downtown, it's time we all take a stand, Downtown, We need to work hand in hand, Downtown, ART for ALL PEOPLE, right now E-MAIL STREETVIBES: STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM I �~ 'l kt.t:. i Vltst.\) I he l"n-State's Hon1eless Grapevine STREETUIBES become more severe and detrimental to their physical welfare. These issues can be mainly attributed to poor management, which is the case at CC I. Poor management is historically one of the chief deficiencies of prison medical systems. For example, the simple failure to spell out precise lines of responsibility and standards of practice is commonly the basis of litigation. Health care and administrative personnel must each under­ stand the legal and practical limitations of the other's position, and therefore, work together to offer a concise chain of responsibility. Yet, each usually defines the responsibilities of the other only by bitter experience, and usually after conflict. Due to this, the prisoner suffers greatly, in death or terminal illnesses that could have been avoided. The lack of poor communication be­ tween prison administration, prisoners, and policy-makers isn't just the cause for medical ..........James Pryor abuses, but the majority of other existing · problems within the prison confines. The Prisoners at Orient Correctional Institution existing rapes, physical assaults, abuses by staff are·forced to suffer cruel and unusual punish­ and the deplorable living conditions at CCI can ment daily, which is uninterrupted by legal be attributed to the same. Being a former authorities. In the following essay, I will demon­ prisoner at CCI has allowed me to be witness to strate to you through the actions of the prison these abuses. They are ignored by administra­ administration how prisoners at Orient Correc-­ tion and permitted through the laxity of security. tional Institution (hereinafter CCI) are denied Management, like politics, is the art of their rights under the Eighth Amendment to the the possible. There are very few, if any, United States Constitution. absolutes. Consequently, in devising ways to The Eighth Amendment protects manage prison medical systems, designers are prisoners against cruel and unusual treatment immediately faced with arange of legitimate during punishment. Formally, imposed punish­ options, none of which is ultimately the best, but ment is cruel and unusual if it involves "the some of which are certainly better than others. unnecessary and wanton infliction of painn. The No management system is inherently better environment in which the prisoners at CCI are than another; each is better or worse suited to forced to live and the harsh treatment they the practicalities and peculiarities of the setting receive from their captors, is violates the in which it must operate. In short, responsibility societal standards of decency. for medical care of prisoners can be distributed The first area in which I would like to in several different ways. However, no com­ discuss is the denial of adequate medical care. mon form of practice is applied at CCI, even "Offenders do not gnm up their rights of bodily though it's designed as a hospital setting. integrity whether from human or natural causes CCI houses a very large number of because they were convicted of a crime...... handicapped, mentally and physically ill prison­ ....medical care is, of course, a basic human ers. Theses same prisoners are denied proper necessity.· However, the prisoners at CCI are diets, necessary exercise, rehabilitation pro­ daily raped of that integrity which is proteCted grams and other required treatment Instead, under the Eight Amendment Prisoners at CCI they are housed in dormitories with roaches, are denied the most basic of medical needs. broken plumbing, backed up sewage, inad­ Their illnesses or conditions are then left to equate emergency systems and impure water. Prisoner's News A Sickness Within To whom it may concern: I've just read your Street Vibes Pg. 8 (July Issue). It is very unfair to us being kept under the old Law, doing twice the time that I'm doing; a • two to ten years· for a 3rd degree felony burglary with domestic VIOience", I was told to MAX OUT ON THIS CHARGE. It is very sad to say that the Adult Parole Board is unfair and has so much power. I'm doing two to ten for two different cases added together: 1) Domestic VIOience from Feb. 1996; this was a "Hung Jury". 2) Trespassing in June 1996; this was turned into a Burglary. I was sentenced August 23, 1996 for two different cases! But roN we have guys coming in here for KILLING people, and doing the same amount to time as I am, and going home before me? The Parole Board is saying they are letting people go; this is a extremely good cover-up, letting people go that have three times over the amount of time I have. This makes no sense to me; this looks like the Parole Board is looking out for their own jobs, that's all. This is way too much power, and being kept on the same set? Seeing the Adult Parole Authority is like going to a Jury Trial again and again. The Judge said to me, "Mr. Seagraves, l"m giving you 2 to 10 yearsn. Not one time did Judge Lorig say, "I want you to do ten years: .....then being judged by.. the Parole Board. Being able to use two laws on us is a double standard, this is not Lawful. I'm under the "Old Law"; but using New Law guide lines on me, how and why can this be done? I feel the Law needs to be all "New Laws", or all "Old Laws". The Parole Boa~d needs not to have so much power. My family members are all tax payers and their money is being used to keep me locked down. Why not put all this money towards our children's schooling and stop taking from the schools and all the programs, put an end to all of this madness. Here is something that is not under­ stood: The Parole Board says "no matter if you had a case and it was taken to Jury Trial, and you were found NOT GUILTY, it will be still be used against you no matter what,• because all of the netN laws let them do this! I do ~ you will use this letter. Page 7 On days that are below freezing, these same prisoners are forced to sit in their wheelchairs in the elements of the weather in inadequate clothing for up to thirty or more minutes waiting to eat. Diabetics do not receive proper nutrition and end up amputees or deceased. Prisoners are given the wrong medications and then denied treatment for the adverse reactions. A lso, everyday there are mis-diagnoses such as a heart attack being gastritis, or a broken limb being a sprain. These have led to deaths and serious injuries of numerous prisoners. Individuals with amputations are denied proper access to housing units, ramps are unmarked and there are no railings or braille classes for the visually impaired. There exists no adequate housing for the disabled, and most are forced into overcrowded dormitories. The weak as in all prison settings are victimized by the stronger able prisoner. Yet, this is ignored by prison administration. The administration is liable for the conditions existing at O .C.I, and therefore, is liable for injuries. The traditional operation of health care facilities - as CCI is classified by departments of correction - has been under heavy attack in recent years. As a result of surveys in state, county and municipal systems, many reports, particularty in optimistic days of the 1970's, advised separating the responsibility of medical care from the others of the department of correc-­ tion. To date, the problems raised by such divisions of responsibilities have been too great for most correctional systems. Yet, this does not legitimize the extreme violations of human rights. It is obvious to us that separating a division of health care from the rest of the department of correction is absolutely essential, as is providing it with its own identifiable budget and a full-time director. The division can then contract out part or all of the health services while retaining ultimate control. CCI asserts that it follows this system in contracting with doctors, but there still exists a regular regiment of Eight Amendment violations. The real problem lies within poor prison management and lack of human understanding. In Struggle, James W. Pryor 8£TIZ.AY£0 .....Aug. 9, 1999 Our friend, Dan Cahill was betrayed by the director of JusUce Watch. (Justice Watch, originally a grass-roots organization, has a halfway house in the West End.) When Dan made parole, he still had to sit in prison. He had no where to go. Many of us talked to the director of Justice Watch concerning Dan. He assured us he was going to let Dan come there. Time went on and nothing hap­ pened. We found out why. The director purposely organized to keep Dan from going to JusUce Watch, because he is an activist. We also found out that someone overheard the director saying he doesn't want any activist at his place. To those who are up for release soon, especially if you are an activist, beware of the director at Justice Watch. He will betray you, too. PAN- Ohio 513-241-8014 (Prisoner's Advocacy Network) Thank you for your time. I thought I would share my own comments as to what is being said. Sincerely, Robert Joe Seagraves, #336-266 ' Prisoner's News continued on next page ~ .. �STRffTUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Justice for W.J.M. Campaign 287 Wilson Avenue, Cincinnati Ohio 45251, (513) 825-0903, 281-2256 We the famlly and friends of William Jonathan Mayo encourage you to lend an ear and perhaps even your hearts to this tragic yet true account of an attempt to destroy this young, aspiring black man's life. William Jonathan Mayo is a native Cinci~ nati. He attended Roger Bacon High School, graduating in 1984. Very determined to make his life better, he decided to further his educa­ tion. He first attended Central .State University and then transferred to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He majored in f'.>sychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. William was very proud to have had the opportunity to attend such a prestigious college. he worked to put himself through college as a plain-clothes store detective and as a model for magazines. in Detroit and chicago. While at Morehouse, William had several dreams . The most important to him was being part of the Mentoring Program. This was a program designed by college students to help less fortunate children and teens get to college and improve their lives. guilty of five counts: One Burglary Charge, Two armed Robbery Charges and Two aggra­ vated Assault Charges. Earlier in the trial the two young men pied guilty for a lesser sentence and implicated William as the mastermind behind the crime. William J. Mayo was sentenced to two (2) life sentences for armed robbery. two twenty(20 year sentences for the aggravated assault charges, and twenty (20) years probation for the burglary charge: all to run concurrently with each other. William maintained his innocence During William's trial then and does so today. letters were submitted from college administra­ tors, employers and ministers attesting to his good character. There were no injuries or deaths and William had no previous police record or contact with authorities. The type of sentence William received is clearly outrageous and a clear sign of racism aimed at a young, educated, black male. This type of sentence was meant to destroy William's life! new counsel was hired and appeals were filed. In September 1993, in a hearing for an extraordinary motion for a new trial, the two young men came forward of their own accord and admitted that Wiiliam had nothing to do with the crime. nor was he aware of what 1-t! yo\.\ "'bolis\.. Page B suffered and they are presently working very hard to overturn his conviction. William's· family and friends have orga­ nized The Justice for W.J.M . Campaign. Most of the supporters are in Cincinnati, Chicago, and Detroit. We are seeking supporters wherever they may be found. If you believe that justice should be property ~rved in William's case, YOU · are the person we need. William's supporting brief for his appeal was submitted to the federal court on February 26, 1999. We are currently awaiting a·decision from the Federal magistrate We are very optimistic of the pending outcome. He needs your prayers and support. Support can come in many ways. Money is always needed, but krcNing someone cares is important too. William wants his tragedy to be heard all over the United States so that no one else has to suffer the injustice he has. You may write letters of encouragement to: Mr. William J. Mayo -E.F. #296129 Phillips State Prison 2989 W. Rockquarry Road Buford, GA 30519 If you have questions about this case or would like to help or offer suggestions please contact; ···f"'"e"ts will 1-."'ve to wo"~ Ms. Kimberly Todd - 825-0903 Campaign Chairperson, or lo~e" \..o\.\YS. Mrs. Elaine Patterson ­ 281-2256 · William's Mother In 1990, while living in Chicago, William met two under-privileged teenage young men. It was William's belief that he could help- make a difference in their lives by becoming their mentor. ------------Attention! / In November of 1991, William drove the two young men from Chicago .to Atlanta for the Morehouse College Homecoming weekend. it was William's hope that the visit would demonstrate to the young men just what college life was like and to encourage them to seek a better life than what they were living in Chicago. They arrived in Atlanta on November 3, 1991, making several stops on campus and around the city. That evening, around 7:15 - 7:30, William made a stop that would forever change his life. P.A.N. ()IDO (Prisoners Advocacy Network) is holding it's first meeting at the First Old Presbyterian Chuirch, 1101 Bryden Road, Colom bus, Ohio on Sunday, Sepem her 26, 1999 (Corder of Bryden Road and Ohio Avenue) -­ -----------------------....1 William stopped to retrieve some clothing and personal items from a friend who had stored them for him until he could pick them up. The two young men accompanying William decided to remain in the" car while William picked up his belongings. during the time William was at his friend's house, these young men decided to commit a despicable crime. They burglarized and robbed a home that was two doors away from the house where William was. They terrorized a middle-aged bi-racial couple for what had to seem like house to them, but in actuality was about 10 - 20 minutes. They stole small items from the couple and tied them up with a telephone cord. They were able to get back to car just as William was returning with his belongings. William drove away without any knowledge that anything had taken place The car was pulled over upon entry onto the inter­ state by policemen with their guns drawn. William and the two young men were arrested, taken into custody and charged with burglary. robbery and assault. William was the only one granted bond which enabled him to return home to Cincinnati to await his trial date. On April 3, 1992, after a week long trial, at which he was represented by a state appointed attorney, William Jonathan mayo was found they had done until their arrest: William Mayo Is innocent"! Much to everyone's ·surprise in the courtroom, the same judge in Cobb County, Georgia who had previously sentenced William, Denied his motion for· a new trial. If William had been granted a new trial baseQ on the testimony of the two (2) young men who had committed the crime, he would have been relieved of the charges, his conviC­ tion would have been overturned, and today William would be a free man. In December 199r, a hearing was co~ ducted and several witnesses testified again. The two young men testified again under oath In court for a second time. They swore that they lied about Wiiiiam's Involvement In the crime that they committed. They made a public apology to Wiiiiam and his family for the pain and suffering they had caused. In spite of all the evidence clearing Wiiiiam. the Judge In south Georgia refused to release Wiiiiam or even grant him a new trial. William is rcN thirty-three {33) years old and has been incarcerated in maximum security prisons in Georgia for over {7) years. He has been in seven {7) different prisons and is currently in Phillips State Prison in Buford, Georgia. He has waited patiently for JUSTICE to prevail; however, the Georgia courts have tried to hide the facts in this case. It was revealed that William's prior four (4) attorneys rendered ineffective representation. William, his family and supporters have finally obtained counsel who realizes the i~ustices William has The meeting will start at 12:00 noon. We are excited and hope you will be too. We are the first prioner/ex-offender . initiated group fighting for the rights of prisoners and ex-offenders. We will be nominating and electing officers, discussing and addressing current issues affecting prisoners and planning strategies. Ifyou are interested in prisoners'rights and prison reform We hope you will attend this meeting and join P.A.N. - Ohio Prisoners and Advocates United for Human Rights P.O. Box 1746, Cincinnati, OH 45201-1746 Phone: (513) 241-8014 �STRffTVIBES The Tri-State's What Happened to Unity and Mutual Respect? ...John William Perotti (#167712) As a prisoner who had been convicted of numerous assaults on "goon squad" guards, as a successful jailhouse lawyer and longtime vocal prisoners rights act5ivist, I knew that just as soon as Ohio prisoncrats felt they had things "settled in" at the new Ohio State Penitentiary (OSP) "Super Max" prison, it was only inevi­ table that I would be sent here. Sure enough, a year into operations aft3e the 6th circuit court of Appeals heard oral arguments and upheld a jury verdict against Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF) supervisors and guards for setting me up with (Dreys} and issuing death threats, I was suddenly transferred to (OSP} without advance warning. When legislators first spoke of building a "Super Max", my self and brother Danny Cahill launched a counter-attack, writing articles and distributing petitions trying to stop this creation. As a result, Cahill was (infractioned?) for gang "Gang activity", based on a flyer setting out statistics of other "Super Maxes" that resulted in Federal Court interven­ tion. This was how prisoncrats attempted to silence protected first amendment activities, and resulted in a successful lawsuit by Cahill that changed the gang activity rule. I knew that I would be targeted for abuse coming in the door, having litigated a suit against 1/2 the guards and administrators who worked here. Sure enough, I had a reception committee of these guards when I came in, cutting me with the shackles and cuffs, verbally degenerating me, and other acts they are so good at doing to dehumanize a man. However. I've been through it all in the past eighteen years. so it didn't affect me like it would a newer prisoner. What did affect me was and is the totaf lack of unity amongst my fellow prisoners, who, in essence, are playing the role of our captors and promoting the "Divide and Conquer" tactic used throughout history. Ifs no secret that OSP is designed strictly to punish, subject us to involuntary behavior modification, and attempt to break our spirit. The director, Reginald Wilkinson, on down to Wanda Johnson}, publicly went on record to the media stating this. So, I ex­ pected verbal and phy~I assaults from staff, as well as any tactic possible to harass us. And I've seen a lot of this, even to the callous disregard or two successful suicides by hanging within a five month period, and Homeless Grapevine several unsuccessful attempts. Ifs obvious complete isolation will make the strongest men break. What I wasn't prepared for was the ~ slaught of character assassination, arguments, and what is called "Cell Warriors", prisoners who, knowing they can't get to another prisoner physically, and vice versa, sit behind this 1,000# steel door for hours on and disrespecting their fellow prisoners - usually waiting until guards enter the cell block, so as to entertain them, or curry favor from guards who dislike certain prisoners who organize against them. The ;odd thing about this is that these "cell warriors" receive no favorable treatment from these officials, other than to be known by name by normally sadistic guards who tell each other "That one's "all right." These are some of the same guards who throw prisoners legal papers all over a prisoner's cell when they search it, urinate on prisoners property, and things so foul the public wouldn't believe it. a As prisoner who's been down over a decade, I have seen firsthand the change of caliber of prisoners coming in the system. There seem to be no morals and pr.inciples, and siding with the guards now seems, to them, as acceptable behavior. I attribute this to the breakdown of the nuclear family unit, violence on TV carried over to our youth on the streets, drugs and lack of education, but mostly lack of "family values" I personally have done an almost 360­ degree tum due to this "new breed". Old school actMsts, advocates and lawyer ones tell me I shouldn't give up, to "organize". How can you organize prisoners who are doing the guard's work? Guards rarely even come in the pods here at OSP; they don't have to; they listen in on the microphones and hear the arguing, pitting prisoner against prisoner. Behavior modification voluntarily being performed on each other with a little encouragement by some guards. This is one of the saddest articles I've written in my life. I don't know the answer to the problem. But if there's someone who does, please let myself - and those at OSP who have a political and social consciousness - know the solution. Until that time, the prisoncrats are winning. Page 9 the following is a Response to article by Steve Long and Dan Cahill, in July Streetvibes: PRISON TENSION ARISES OVER SENATE BILL 149, ...•..•Dale Staten Sr. 249-972 P.O. Box 511 Columbus, OH 43216 To whom it may concern: My name is Dale A Staten Sr. - 249-972. I am writing this letter in regard to the piece in the Streetvibes that talks about Senate Bill 149 and the Parole Board and the way they're doing people like myself and my son. We are on th& same case - a Agg Felonious Assault. My sentence is 3 to 15 years as of date. I have 92 months in on this case and I have a good Institution Record and I also have a lot of programs in my records; So you can see what I am talking about. I've not been in prison before. I came to prison on Nov. 13, 1991, on 3-15 years. My first time up to the parole Board was 7/93. At that ·time, no (PSI) went back 10/93. I was given 2 more years. At that time I go back up 10/95; they ask for a D2 and I was given 90 days for that. I went back up 1/96. This time I was told I would have a full Board Hearing. At this time, when I got my answer back, I was given 5 years, 11 months. At that hearing, the Prosecutor in my case sent a letter to the Parole Board saying that they feel I've done enough time and should be given a Parole, but no parole. I was told I would have a Half-time hearing, so in Dec. 98, I was reviewed and I went up to see the Parole Board. I was told my Guidelines call for me to do 48 to 60 months. At that time I had 83 months in and was told I had to do 120 months; and when I wrote to Miss McGee, I did not get a response. Even letters from the Prosecutor did not help. So I feel that we need to do ~ay with the Parole Board, or make them stay in their Guide­ lines. Thank you, Dale Staten, Sr. Stay strong, John William Perotti OSP #A167712 878 Coitsville Hubbard Rd. Youngstown, Oh 44505 STll1"1811MU•IS l•n contains the writings of persons incarcerated in our nation's jails and prisons. Subscribers within the walls receive Streetvibes free. If you want to support us in this effort, please sponsor someone on the inside by sending us $12 for a year's subscription Send your comments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com mail : STREETVIBES 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Fax: (513) 421-7813 r �. ~ - ,- Rc.i:·1viBtS The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News Protests Mark the Grand Re-opening of the Unemployment Office On Wednesday, August 18, the newly remodeled Ohio Employment Services Bureau had their grand reopening at 1916 Central Par1<way. Ohio governor's wife, Hope Taft, was present for the occasion, and so were some 25 tireless Welfare rights advocates from the Contact Center and the University of Cincin­ nati, chanting STOP THE CLOCK!, as time ls running out for recipients o(Welfare (12 months left) if they have been receiving assis­ tance since October 1, 1997. The Welfare Rights Coalition is urging Governor Taft and state legislators to re-evalu­ ate this harsh policy and make policy changes in the upcoming Legislative year. We want Ohioans to have at least the full five consecu­ tive years allowable under federal welfare policy to receive cash assistance. "Now is the time to act because the 12­ month countdown is beginning. Two thirds of recipients are children. In Hamilton County over half of the children on public assistance are 5 years old or younger. Ohio's harsh policy of time limits w ill hurt the youngest and most vulnerable mem bers of our Society. "Ohio Works First (state welfare) policy allows recipients only three years on cash assistance. After the three years are over, recipients can no longer receive cash assistance for two years. After being off two years, they may be allowed back on for the remaining two years of cash assistance if they can show good cause for needing cash assistance. This is a lifetime limit Once these years are used, a recipient will be ineligible for the rest of her life regardless of how difficult her situation is. State have the option of using state money to extend time limits or eliminate time limits altogether. They simply cannot use TANF(federal welfare) dollars to do this. Some other states are not taking as harsh a plan Ohio is. For example, Vermont does not throw families off the rolls without a means of ~ Instead, they are using state money to fund a jobs program that will provide a5 Page 1U families w ith j obs to keep getting assistance. Connecticut extends the amount of time families can get cash assistance if families are making a "good faith effort" to find employment and comply with w ork requirements. Even those families denied "extensions" are finan­ cially eligible to receive "safety net services" of eviction prevention, food , clothing and employ­ ment services. These families denied exten­ sions can receive 12 months of rental assis­ tance. Texas exempts recipients from the state time limit six months at a time due to "unique personal circumstances" if they are actively applying for work. Other positive state policies include: Indian, Arizona, Rhode Island and Texas time limit only the "adult" portion of the cash assis­ tance; children in these states can continue to receive cash assistance. Maryland time limits the "adult portion", but children are still eligible for voucher payments. New York provides a voucher for the entire family after they reach the time limit. We urge Ohio legislators to extend the three years to five consecutive years. We also urge legislators to adopt similar exemptions and extensions as the states listed above. For more information call the Welfare Rights Coalition at (513)3814242 Closing the Steps, Building the Walls .. excerpts from a story by Eunice Timoney Rave~na the closure of Baymiller Street- Freeman Avenue - Kress Alley Steps- the opinion of a McMicken Street resident T he closure of the hillside steps and the building of a to:!oot f; nce to separate o ne gentrified neighborhood street from .anoth~r . poor street was nothing but a form of classism. Attem~tmg to hm~t ac~ess from a low-income street (primarily African-Amen~an) to a mid/ high income street (primarily white) is a form of segreganon. ···· . In 1998, with obviously quesri~nable mo_tivC:S• the Klotter Street Homeowners Association swayed C ity Council with the strategy of .fear/ safety. But if truth be told, the issue of safety for Klotter Street restdents was about fiscal safety, not physical safety. In Their proposal they state what is at stake for the City of Cincinnati is an investment of more than 314 million dollars of taxpayer money spent to improve the infrastruc­ ture of Conroy Alley which by my map has merely ten houses on it. In bold print the proposal states •crime prevention is far and away the most important issue needing resolution, ato allow continued prosperity of the Klotter/ Conroy heighborhood.• For me, prosperity is more than dollar signs. For me a flou~shing walled community meets none of my criterion of a prosperous ne1ghbor­ hood -­ but rather isolates gentrified areas creating more economic segregation ......... .. . (from the San Francisco Examiner· Sat., Aug. 21, 1999) WASHINGTON - On the third anniversary of the Welfare Reform Act, the Children's Defense Fund plans to release a report Sunday blaming the controversial mea:­ sure for what fund analysts say was a steep nse in the number of children living in families at the bottom of the income ladder. The study, drawn from U.S. Census Bureau data, shows the number children living in extreme poverty jLITlped 27 percent one year after the reform measure was signed into law. The government pegged poverty in 1997 at a yearfy income of $16,400 for a family of four, and $12,802 for a family of three. It defines extreme poverty as annual income at half those levels. According to the Children's Defense Fund analysis, 2.7 million children fell into this cat­ egory in 1997 - 426,000 more than in 1996, the year Congress passed the reform m~re . requiring work after two years on public assis­ tance rolls and limiting a recipient's lifetime benefit to five years. "The message is that more than 400,000 children are being left behind, so we have a lot more work to do,• said Deborah Weinstein, director of the fund's family income division. "Yes more families are working, and thafs great We want to encourage work, but families ought to be able to work and lift their children out of poverty. So far, that's not happening.• The Children's Defense Fund is a Wash­ ington-based nonprofit organization that seeks to educate Americans about children's problems and encourage policies and actions to help prevent and solve them. The analysis is based on census numbers from 1997, the last year for which data is available. The study is a marked contrast to upbeat assessments by President Clinton and congres­ sional Republicans about how welfare caseloads have declined since the law took effect. "The welfare rolls have been cut in half,· Clinton said earlier this month after the govern­ ment reported 7.3 million people on welfare as of March, a 40 percent reduction since the 1996 law, and a 48 percent reduction since Clinton took office in January 1993. "They're at their lowest level in 32 years," he said. When Clinton signed the welfare reform law, many Democrats and liberal social advo­ cates warned it would usher in a new era of extreme poverty for poor families and children. Weinstein said her group was less interested in turning back the clock to the pre-­ reform era than in making sure that former recipients now working got extra help from government She noted that of the 426,000 more children cast into extreme poverty after welfare reform became law, 87 percent came from families headed by single mothers. The states, which have saved $54 billion in welfare payments since the law's enactment, have not spent an estimated $4 billion in federal block grants intended to help ex­ recipients ease into the work force. While some states have used the funds to help these new workers, others are saving it for emergencies. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Michael Kharfen said the government had encouraged the states to use the money to help new workers with child care, transportation, programs to fight the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, and other needs. Kharfen said the Children's Defense Fund study failed to account for the overall reduction in children living below the poverty line since 1994, from 22..7 percent of all U.S. children that year to 19.9 percent in 1997. "None of us can be content when such a large number of children remain in poverty," Kharfen said. "Nevertheless, when you look at full picture, a number of (administrat~~n) ~licies have been successful in helping fam1hes raise themselves out of poverty." Kharfen cited the expansion of the earned income tax credit, a rise in the minimum wage and Clinton's call last month for easing eligibility rules for food stamps. Weinstein said the increase in extreme poverty among children was attributable to their families' losing benefits that typically went along with welfare, particularly food stamps. Government figures show a dramatic decline in the number of recipients of food stamps, the U.S. Agriculture Department program to provide food subsidies to the impov­ erished. Five months ago, 18.1 million people were receiving food stamps, a drop of 35 percent from 1994. Analysts disagree over what has caused the drop, with some arguing it was a result of the robust economy. But Weinstein and others attribute the decline to former welfare recipients who were unaware that they might still qualify for this benefit. "It's very troubling when we see that part of the safety net, which wasn't supposed to change, has become far less available to families w ith children," Weinstein said. Last month, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced an effort to work with states to inform former welfare recipients about continued eligibility for food stamps. from the HOMELESS PEOPLE'S NETWORK http://aspin.asu.edu/hpn �s ·rKtt'fVllStS The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Vendor Spotlight For the past 7 months, I've been a Streetvibes vendor. and tor frve of those months, I have been holding down the fort on Vine Street between 6th and 7th. I consider it an honor to be entrusted with this task. The seventh and vine street location is very impor­ tant to the life of the newspaper, I feel. It is almost as if a stand is the billboard that the Coalition can't afford to buy to advertise its paper . Each day the Streetvibes banner flies high for all to see, attracting new readers as well as having people stop to ask what it is. As a vendor, I've had the chance to personally talk to so many people, one on one, about the paper. And explain to them the goals, dreams and ambitions of this movement. It was only after going to Cleveland for the National conference in July that I was able to understand how large this movement is. And it truly is a movement with the great potential to uplift and employ homeless and low-income people. For example, a single mothers with children, vending the newspaper, has the potential , with 10-15 hours/week, of easily bringing in an extra hundred dollars to her family...... .. . Thaf s just one example. I have had the opportunity to share with a wide spectrum of people at the stand. My location allows me to talk to everyone on a daily basis -- executives, students, policemen, blue collar workers, young hip-hoppers, dope dealers, other homeless pepple. I don't know how many successfullooking people I have met who come up, buy a paper and tell me the reason they do it is that they were homeless at one time in their life. But I am always fighting a battle inside myself about whether I am doing any good out there each day. Some days I want to walk away from the stand and quit. Some days I feel like no body really cares about those less fortunate than they are. People in their de­ signer clothes, expensive shoes and Cartier watches, tell me things like... "I'll buy a paper on the way back, I promise." Some say, "I'm in a hurry; I would, but I can't stop". Or the people who say "Not today" every day. Sometimes I wonder why they just can't say no. Is it be­ cause they don't want to feel like they don't care, and making an empty promise makes them feel better. But before I pack it in, there always comes a person who stops, talks to me, shares with me their concern for the homeless and underprivileged, and even a lot times, asks how they can help. This really recharges me. It makes me stand taller and talk more confidently about the paper. And people let me know how important they think the work I'm doing is. Just one person stopping and saying they care, on a "bad" day, makes me feel like I just got shot out of a cannon. A lot of these people I now consider my downtown friends. over the last five months, they probably number over 50, maybe 100. Most of their names I don't re­ member; but I remember their faces. We speak to each other each day; and if time permits, we talk, whether they're buying a paper or not Now, we may not have dinner together or visit each other's houses, but we care and Some of my friends stop support one another. and ask how it's going each day. And I know they're sincere. And they prove it, because on numerous occasions, when I would say, "Ifs not going well today for the paper", what they do is reach in their pocket or purse and bliy another ­ paper/papers from me. I call that the begin­ ning of a beautiful friendship. But its hasn't been all good. There was the time that a businessman stopped and very angrily said, "Why should I support those bums. I paid $60,000 last year in taxes. And these people just sit around and beg and get welfare" Well, this is just the person I was put there to talk to. After listening to him rant and rave for about 20 minutes, I realized I couldn't stop him or be able to sell any papers, so I just let him go until he ran out of gas. You see, he was just "hit" by an aggressive panhandler, and he was angry. So I took my time, and I talked to him about the real face of homelessness and poverty, and what we were trying to do about it. And quoted some little known f~ about where his tax dollar really goes. I talked to him about our newspaper movement and the jobs it creates, and he left with a paper, and is now one of my regulars, even giving me 20 bucks ("keep the change") on occasion. And there was the time I was harassed by the police. It was during my first week at the stand, which is located just outside a large downtown bank building. Now, the building manager was not real happy to see me there, to say the least.... I said; "You'll have to leave right now" "Miss: .. I have the right to be here... I have a license from the City assigning the paper to this location, 638 Vine Street, for one year, a valid vendors license." Boy, was she pissed. And said, "Well, we'll see about this." Moments later she reappeared with bouncers and 'large maintenance men'. Again, I told her about my right to be there, and she insisted I hand her my license and ID. I told her the license was displayed in plain view and that my ID was clipped to my shirt. And that was all that was necessary. And for her to a ·~ve a nice day." She said, "We'. 11 see!" The bouncers began talking through their walkie-talkies. 20 minutes later, two patrol cars appeared - one on Vine Street, one on 7th Street. The offk:ers went into the building and came out through opposite doors, almost as if to prevent me from getting away, as if I had a reason to escape. The officers told me they were called to check to see if I was legally vending at that location. After showing them my license and ID, etc., they announced that I had a right to be there. "By the way, can we see some other ID and have your social security number" I felt they had no right to further ques­ tion me. But I understood what was taking place. Most cops will stop a homeless person, (which I'm not now) and there's a 50150 chance they'll be able to lock them up on an outstanding warrant. So I knew what was up. Finally, they promised they would .take me downtown and lock me up and print me and find out who I was. At that point, I gave them my social security number, and felt violated. When they came back over the radio that I had no criminal record, the officers looked real let down. I am a formerly homeless person, but that does not make me a criminal. And thafs what they counted on to. shut down the stand. In parting, I asked the officers, Oh, by the way, did you run the ID of the Bank manager who called you Page 11 to check her criminal record? And they said, smiling, "yeah, we ran hers, too." Neither you nor I believe that. This past month has been the worst sales month for me and the paper. I've felt burnt out ; I felt like quitting. I guess the reason I feel burnt out that I feel so excited about the paper that I expect other people to be excited and enthusiastic also. Then I remem­ ber all the people who never quit on me.. all the people who encouraged me to get up again and again. So when you see me at the stand, and you wonder how I can do this day after day, thafs why. One day it will be someone else's tum to come downtown and benefit from working at the stand. Until then, I'll be there flying the Streetvibes banner, manning the only billboard we can afford. ....... Wendell Williams Three Square Music Foundation Presents The Fourth Annual International Cultural Youth Gala Youth from diverse cultures will assemble at the Syrian Temple (217 William Howard Taft) for the International Cultural Youth Gala cosponsored by Biggs, Wize Guys Music and More. According to Three Square's executive director, Kim Southerland, "This gala will give youth an opportunity to experience cultural diversity in an educational, yet social environment. Youth representing Austria, Africa, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Columbia, Sweden, Finland, Japan, and Estonia will be present at the International Cultural Youth Gala." We all live in this world together, but fail to know one another," continued Southerland. "When the youth come together for this event, we hope they will learn to better appreciate the uniqueness in all of us, but acknowledge that we all share a common bond as human beings." The Three Square Music Foundation is a community organization that strives to give local 12-18 year-old youth a positive outlook on life by involving them in positive activities such as our Drug Education and Life Skills Training Program, Youth Council, Drill Teams, Teen Summits, School Assemblies, Millvale Afterschool Program, the Black History Youth Extravaganza, Youth Speakout, Tools for Schools, Youth Rally, and the Back to School Celebration. Anyone interested in helping with the International Cultural Youth Gala can call 731-3227. Tickets go on sale October 1st and are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and can be purchased at Wize Guyz Music and More. For more information, call 731-3227 �STREETUIBfS The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 t=lugust i, 1999 Book Club c/o/ Feaslee Neighborhood Center c/5 East 11th5t Cincinnatt; OH 15cl0 February 20, 1999 Mr. Erich Kunzel: t1r. Erich Kunzel lc1/Elm5t Cincinnatt; OH 15cl0 Dear t1r. Erich Kunzel, Letters are still coming in concerning the Greater Cincinnati Art's and Education Center board plan to relocate the Drop Inn Center, Cincinnati's largest homeless shelter, in order to make way for an expanded arts campus. STREETVIBES encourages all concerned citizens to write to Erich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Conductor and the driving force behind the plan and voice your concerns about the impact that this will have on Cincinnati's defenseless homeless community and the Drop Inn Center. Please write in support of the Drop Inn Centers' right to not be moved from its present location. Write to: Erich Kunzel 1241 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Send Coples of your letter to: Drop Inn Center Attn: Pat Clifford 217 West 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Streetvlbes 1606 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 We are the Feaslee Neighborhood Center Book Club. We disagree with your plan or tdea to move the Drop Inn Center. We have been reading a book called, Moolsey ls.I.and, by F'aula Fox. It is about a young boy named Clay Garrit y. His mom left h im and he had nowhere to go. He was wandering the streets and met up with Buddy and Calvin, two hmelc:ss men. They took care of Clay and became friends. In the: book, many o f the people: wanted the: homeless people: out of their way. It was sad to sec: how they w er:e treated, but it reminded us of how you arc: trying to more: the: Drop Inn Center out of your way. We don't think it is fair to the: people: who depend on the Drop Inn Center. It is not safe to people to sleep on the streets. We need to keep the drop Inn Center where it is right now. We believe everyone has the right to have: access to food, water, shelter and space:. Don't take those rights from the: people who depend on the Drop Inn Center. Sincerely, Shana Darden Maya Eubanks Ta'Myra Barnes Esther Eubanks Shaneka Kelow Julie Wilke F'.5. We are sending you a co~ of tloas.~H Jsl.a.od. After you read it we hope you will think twice about moving the Drop Inn Center. I understand that you lead a group ofarts and business supportyers advocating the removal and relocation ofThe Drop In Center to make way for a·$99 million arts complex connected to Music Hall. I am grateful for the tremendous array of music, art, science and cultural activity available to all ofus in Cincinnati. At the same time those ofus fortunate enough to be able to enjoy this also have a responsibility to help people in neeed The Drop In Center serves those in need in the area you wish to take over. it has taken 21 years in the same place, dealing with the same neighborhood, to bring success and life saving to so many people. Relocation ofthis chelter simply means the homeless shall become homeless again. Who will want this in their back yard? I will always·be the same... "Not in my heighborhood!" Maybe the solution is to move the proposed arts complex...pienty of people will want that in their back yard! Please let The Drop In Shelter stay where it is.... where it has been doing wonderful work for 21 of its 26 years. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. Sincerely, S.J. Johnson 5 Albion Lane Glendale, OH 45246 Contact Us, Write Us! We welcome Input from our readers. Send your letters and editorial comments to: STREETVIBES: 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 CEo <SEANCES FAX: Attention Streetvibes (513) 421-7813 EMAIL: streetvibes@juno.com Please include your name, address and daytime phone number with all correspondence. I E-MAIL STREETVIBES: "Bring back the days when Americans worked for a dollar a day and loved it." stree_ t vibes@juno.com I �STREETVIBES The Tri -State's Hon1eless Grapevine Page 13 STREETVIBES Etcetera ... Health Care for Homeless Veterans The Department of Veterans Affairs rv:NI has a full time outreach team in place to assist the homeless, as well as those who need to be enrolled into the VA Medical System. The team consists of Iola Green (Pprogram director), Susan Ball (nurse practioner}, Bruce Hill (outreach social worker), and Allan Williams . (program specialist). This team reaches out into the community to help thoses veterans who may have a substance abuse problem or mental health problem. They have at their disposal many alternatives to assist the veteran in his or her attempt to get help with their abuse or mental health problems. The Department of Pictured left to right ­ Allan Williams, Iola Green, Susan Ball, and Bruce Veterans Affairs has made this a priority prcr gram. Not only are they trying to help these veterans; they also are helping those who have not used the VA system in quite some time.I They also assist in getting the veteran enrolled into the system who may never have used it in the past You no doubt will see a lot of this team out and about in your area. If you krv:NI A Student Finds it Rewarding to Work With the Homeless Population ...... Sondra Blue of a fellow veteran who might fit this criteria, please do him or her a favor and tell them to get in touch with one of the team members If we all reach out and help this cause, maybe then we can help alleviate some of the homeless­ ness. ....... The number to call is ext. 6226 861~3100, A VOICE THAT WANTS TO BE HEARD ................Alford Cephas..... . Hi, I'm Sondra Blue, a fifty-one year old widow, from a small community in Louisiana. I'm a first year student in the School of Social Work at University of Cincinnati. My placement site with the Health Care for Homeless Veterans is definitely a reward. Ever since I was a young girl (many days ago), I've always had a great deal of respect for the U.S. Veterans. I was proud of each veteran for leaving their families and friends, going to serve their country. Many were in war and many were not, however all were war heroes to me. After researching the homeless population, I became aware that the number of homeless people was on the rise, estimated in numbers ranged from 250,000 to 300,0QO. Approximately 30% of America's homeless population are veterans. In re~nse to this national problem the VA ;Medical Center created the Health Care Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program. When I realized I might be able to work with the homeless veterans, I was really thrilled and anxious. I expected to help every homeless veteran in Cincinnati, and I was anxious to visit the Drop Inn Center in the Over the Rhine Area. The first day Mrs. I. Green (HCHV Coordinator) and I walked in the Center, I was shocked. I had not seen that many homeless persons under one roof, before. I shadowed Mrs. Gree~~ like starch on rice. My fears arouse while seeing all of the homeless persons getting in line for lunch, so many unfamiliar faces and different races and hearing the loud tone of mumbling voices traveling across the room. We toured the center and talked with staff about the goals and objectives of 1he center. We con­ verse about the climate of the center and then I was introduced to several of the homeless persons. After conversing and listeriing to why they were homeless, what they were doing rv:NI, and wanted to do in the future, helped ease my fears. I realized then, they are j ust like you and I, with problems that cause other problems. I can personally identify with many of their problems which in reality, are everyday chal­ lenges faced by most of us; however, these problems usual!y are clouded and camouflaged from the untrained observer. My expectations are, rv:NI - I might not help every homeless veteran in Cincinnati, but if I could only help one, that would make a differ­ ence. This exposure with homeless veterans has been rewarding and enlightening and I am now very comfortable working with them. Working with the homeless veterans requires a special touch to reach beyond their presenting problems. Many of them are e)(J>eriencing homelessness without family support and several health ailments, which they are helpless to control. I'm assisting them by offering alternatives to resoMng their issues, which is very challenging. The Coordinator, Mrs. I. Green, placed me under her wing, and allowed me the privi­ lege of working with her. She does outreach in communities; for example, Drop Inn Center located in Over-the Rhine and Mt. Airy Shelter. She also provides social work and therapeutic services to the veterans and their families, meetings at all the transitional housings and the recovery homes, and staying abreast by attend­ ing all the continuing education classes offered by the VA Medical Center. The HCHV goal is to provide healthcare services to homeless veterans that will help them become productive, self-supporting and happy members of our community. Mrs. I. Green and her staff are driven toward accom­ plishing their goals. They utilize all of the following services to fulfill their goals and objectives: Transitional housing for eligible veterans, Medical and/or Psychiatric treatment services while in transitional housing, Training Programs with Job Placement potential and Assistance in applying for VA and Social Secu­ rity benefits. I sincerely believe I have the interest and commitment required that made a differ­ ence in the quality of the homeless veteran's life that is available to them, whom I have served within these three quarters. Although my placement is coming to an end with the :iome­ less population aspect from the VA Medical Center, I am planning to continue volunteering at the Drop Inn Center with the homeless population, especially the veterans. * * * A grain of sand on a Beach. One speck in the whole universe. Essential, llke light is to day and dark is to night. Important like the Sun's rays are to the earth's soil. You need me, I need you, we need it, it needs us and the cycle goes on and on. We look somewhat the same but so, so different. See, hear, breathe, bleed, consume, live, die. As different as snowflakes that fall out of the sky. So how can I be expected to do things the same way, how scan I talk exactly the same, sneeze the same, walk the same, die the same? Why do we think there is a proper way of doing things? The element that creates forces Individuality and makes everything improper but yet harmonious. So if I look, speak, walk different from you, does that make me less valuable? If that is the case, why wasn't I born - why didn't God create me - to be exactly like someone else? No, I can't be like you, I can't even be like my parents. I can only be like me. Strong~ self-confident, compassionate, loving, and me. So like me or not, like me, you're in ' . . the same boat, 1ust another speck m the universe, part of it as it makes its cycle. Can you hear me? • • • �STRffTVIBfS The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine PAJ{f 2 The alarming rise of African American suicide .......by Te'tro Amaru Over 32,000 people in the United States kill themselves every year. Which accounts for 1.5% of all deaths, suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S .. There once was a time when we (African Americans) could rest comfortably in the fact that the notion of suicide was a "White thing•. Comedian turned political activist Dick Gregory often joked that while Whites kill themselves from jumping from a tall building, Blacks kill themselves by jumping from a low basement. Despite the long, brutal. history of slavery, segregation, institutional racism, racially-motivated violence, and poverty, Blacks didn't kill themselves. But not anymore. The suicide rate among White youths was 157% greater than the rate among Black youths in 1980; however, in 1997 the rate among White youths was only 42% greater than the rate among Black youths. Today suicide is the third leading cause among African-American men and the rates are rising. Since 1980, over 3,100 Blacks aged 1(}.19 years committed suicide in the United States. The explanations for the dramatic increasing suicide rate among all youths include the breakdown of the family, easier access to alcohol, illicit drugs, and easier access to lethal suicide methods. However, the possible expla­ na­ tions for the increasing suicide rate among Black youths include the growth of the Black middle-class {Black teens may mimic the "coping behavior" of the larger society), and the differential recording of suicide as a cause of death among Black youths. Various other theories have risen to account for the sharp rise of suicide within African Americans such as high unemployment, lack of educational opportuni­ ties, low self-esteem, poverty, urban dislocation, the high incidence of HIV/AIDS, (not to mention the ostracism of Black gay men), and the proliferation of guns within Black communities are the prime reasons cited as to why young Black men are taking their lives. But there's a deeper theory. The self-destruction from within and political sabotage from outside of Black . organizations in the 1960's, the collapse of the Black Power and civil rights movements, the murders of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X , and the White backlash during the Nixon and Reagan years left the Black movement politi­ cally adrift and organizationally fragmented. However, the sharp rise in the suicide rates of young Black males may be closely connected with the stress of achieving middle­ class success. To!li Durant of the Centers for "We'll keep your resume in ourfiles.. . just in case Affirmative Action becomes fashionable again." Candidates Forum on Homelessness Thursday September 16 3:00 - 5:00 pm Drop Inn Center 217 West 12th Street • • • • • Topics to be discussed include: Impact of the Welfare Bill on the poor and homeless Impact of pending Public Housing Demolition Preservation of Project Based Section-8 Housing Strategies to deal with the effects of projected budget cuts to HUD programs A Livable Wage in Cincinn~ti Page 14 Disease Control and Prevention stated that Blacks face more stress as they move socially upward and may be exposed to societal mes­ sages that present suicid~ as a way out. In support of Durant's reasoning, mental health expert Carl Bell voiced that young middle-class Blacks can feel alienated - you don't belong in any world, either the white middle-class nor the black-lower class. Many of us have known of someone or had such feelings ourselves of being completely alone, although you may have been surrounded by many. Throughout college I witnessed the first-hand effects of being alien­ ated. Through my writings within the Xavier Newswire about and of controversial topics which affected African Americans worldwide and within the student body, the White students whom I was associated with through classes, theatrical plays, and various other extracurricu­ lar activities would suddenly give me the silent treatment whenever I wrote an article that touched a nerve (which was very seldom). On the other hand, Blacks would frequently disasso­ ciated themselves from me for merely corre­ sponding with our counterparts within studentbody. Yet, instead of reverting to suicide as a way out, I evolved within the comforts of Ttaehe ('my center') and found that all that I needed was here within me. Now is the time to be strong and once again reveal the strength that has sustained our race and culture. As the suicide rate among African Americans are on the rise, we must disregard the old myth that Blacks do not commit suicide and develop solutions for the crisis at hand. We must toss away the common misconceptions about suicide such as; People who talk about suicide won't really do it, anyone who tries to kill him/herself must be crazy, if a person is determined to kill themselves than nothing is going to stop them, people who commit suicide are people who were unwilling to seek help, and that talking about suicide may give some­ one the idea. If we are truly to become the nation and feared plaAet-of..B pie that the various Klansmen and Aryan Nation heads and members speak of, than we must quickly and effectively develop intervention strategies that encompass more programs to provide educational scholarships, career counseling, and job and skills training for our young Black males. Increased resources at junior and senior high schools for psycho­ logical couns'eling, testing, and early identifi­ cation of at-risk youth is a definite. Tougher support of gun control measures to reduce the numbers of guns within Black communi­ ties and broader support for male mentoring, peer counseling, rites of pas­ sage, and conflict resolution programs will ultimately pave the way for instilling the foundations of success within our young Black youths. And lastly, the sponsorship of mental health clinics to detect emotional prob­ lems and provide resources for treatment will decrease the rate of suicide within African Americans, since more than 90% of all suicides are related to an emotional or psychiatric illness. Do we need another million-man and million-woman march for us to recognize that it's time to embrace one another again? Have we forgotten so shortly of the vows and promises we made at those marches? Black males are six times more likely to kill themselves than are Black females. Ifs time to put a stop to this before our mothers and sisters become the next millennium's endangered species. •••••••• �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine for STREETVIBES TV SHOW ?>':} Cincinnati Community Video, 2114 Reading Road, from 7 :00 to 8 PM. iP 0 <()~ Streetvibes Live Radio Hour wANTED LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE Page 15 c:,o~'l Tune in to WAIF 88.3 fm! i\"\)( on the sec..ond Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The A\\' Homeless Coalition's live.radio program. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. NEXT SHOW DATES: Saturday, September 12th Sa(urdayj, October 9th Streetvibes TV covers news on poverty, homelessness and related issues Contact us at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless if yol) would like to be a part of the audience for more Information, call 421-7803 The new day for Streetvibes Live TV is the 4th Thursday of the month, September 23. ADVERTISE IN STREETVIBES Band Looking for Work Streetvibes (the band). We like to party. R&B, Oldies, Blues/Jazz, Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421-7803. Streetvibes accepts Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apartments for Rent and other non-personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approximately ten words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of the month. People below the poverty level will be given five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or pr~ucts to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be received before the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us after the first print­ ing. You will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Atv1b_QICOQP !:J WAl:'t~: 3 iull-tia11e AmeriCorps ·members/ workers for positions in Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati, ( 40 throughout Kentucky ) One at the Brighton Center in Northern Kentucky One at the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky One at People Working Cooperatively - ( Weatheriza­ tion Technician - on the job training provided) AmeriCorps Members receive a living allowance of $8,730, health care insurance, and, if eligible, child care benefits. Upon successful completion of 1700 service hours and program requirements, members receive an educational award of $4 ,725. Qualifying student loans may be placed in forbear­ ance during AmeriCorps service. Applicants must have a dedication to/willingness to learn about homelessness and poverty issues, tolerance for diversity, be 18 years old with high school/equivalent education. Contact: Melissa Darnell, Homeless and Housing Coaltion of Kentucky, 229 W. Main St., Ste. 105, Frankfort Ky 40601 Phone: (502) 223-1834, Fax: (502) 226-4968; E­ mail: hhck@dcr.net Live-In Nanny Needed For 3 children, ages are 7 years, 29 months, and 28 months. Call Mamie L. Brown at 481­ 1183 for more infomation. • Help a good cause while promoting yourself to over 5,000 concerned people each month. 'C, Business Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" ~ ~Two $10 per month Wanted: Position working with homeless or Business Card Size individuals with mental illness and their families. 4" x 31/2" Have MSW, will travel....Kevin Kelso - (513)542­ $20 per month 3776 Apartments: 4 one-bedroom section-8-eligible apartments available in Newport/Belleview/ Dayton Kentucky........ca// Joe at 474-0102 Larger Adds also available If you need assistance in designing your ad or have any other questions, call us at 421-7803. STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line. Ca/1421-7803 for info. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Please send your add by the 20th of preceeding· month, accompanied by your check I money order, to Straetvibes, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 We reseNe the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote aloohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. Rapid Exi·t assists families and individuals in moving from homelessness to permanent housing rapidly for more information contact The Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless : 421-7803 and ask for Gina Miller �-- - - -~----------------~--·-------· -. -~ STRffTUIBfS The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetv ibes Vendor code Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $1 . I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibeswill be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or fOl'ce someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the "homeless" in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvib es will go to the individual Yelldor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self­ supportlng paper created by people who are homeless OI' formerly hOl'neless. To help in this effOft , I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that failure to comply with any of the abOve statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. SuPPort Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About ) Streetvibes! ,STRffTUIBES TU ·schedule ' • The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video, 21 14 Reading Road, Cincinnati Ohio. If you would like to be a part of our live studio audience please call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 for more SEPTEMBER Schedule September's Live TV show will begin at 7PM, Thursday, September 23th, and will be broadcast from the Reading Road Studio. The new show format includes a studio audience along w ith a guest panel discussion. Rebroadcast Dates for. Show on Chan­ nel 4: . (Please check your schedule) Saturday, September 4 , 1999, 4 PM Friday, September 10, 1999, 11 A M Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consuH your local TV directory. Need Help or Want to Help? SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. ~ry Center Volunteers of America SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 761-1480 821-5100 72H>643 381-5432 863-8866 _ _ __ '::°='::::- Page 16 Streetvibes TU If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shaws please contact fhe Greater Cincinnati Coalitron for the Homeless office at 421-7803. Ideas should address subjects related to homelessness and poverty in our city. We are always interested in viewer ideas, so please give us a call... Streetvibes Wish List Streetvibes newspaper is published monthly on a shoe-string budget from the offices of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list please give us a call... Q Friday, September 17, 1999, 11 A M Monday, September 27, 1999, 10 PM Saturday, September 25, 1999, 4 PM Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collect­ ing for a private charity, please call our office at 42 1-7803: Thanks for your support. If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment. Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. _ ' Where Your Dollar Goes SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Womens Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) !-888-872-9259 YWCA Transitional living Prog. 281-5770 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762~5660 Welcome House 431-8717 ,.,-. :;.,-.._,,___ __ Interfaith Hospitality Network 244-7226 lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John's Temporary Housing 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR !-lousing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women 0 .D.AAT First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over TREATMENT: Both N A Hopeline AA Hotline C.C.A T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 639--7056 961-4555 241-7343 921-7324 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559--5011 35 MM Film Jor Streetvib(!s photos, one-time cameras, digital camera a Advertisers t o help support t he paper a Computers/components (monitors, hard drives, etc. for Streetvibes writing and editing, homeless com­ puter lab CJ Subscribers if you can helpl, contact us at: Streetvibe:;, c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 ph: {513) 421 -7803 ,f~ - e-mail: streetvibes@iuno.com or homecoal@primax.net OTHER SERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options Churches Active in Northside Cincinnati Health Network Community Action Agency Contact Center Emanuel Community Center Freestore/Foodbank Goodwill Industries Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. Hamilton Co. TB Control Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van House of Refuge Mission Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. Mary Magdalen House Oral Health Council Our Daily Bread Peaslee Neighborhood Center Travelers Aid United Way VA Homeless Program Women's Crisis Center 241.-2600 591-2246 961-0600 $9-1840 381-4242 241-2563 241-1064 771-4800 621-7149 632-7186 357-4602 352-2902 221-3679 241-9400 271-5501 721-4811 62 1-0248 621-6364 621-5514 721-7660 721-7900 559-6656 491-3335 - -,,.- ----6--­ � 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 1999 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 1999 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Laurel Homes to be Demolished Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 3: Cincinnati Activist Arrested in Oakridge, Tennessee Bengal and Wilmington College Roll Out the Red Carpet for Homeless Coalition Bus Trip Pg 4: Update on Laurel Homes Pg 5: Arts & Poetry Pg 6: Nationwide News Pg 7: Prisoner’s News Pg 8: Prisoner’s News Continued: William J. Mayo Pg 9: Prisoner’s News Continued Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: Vendor Spotlight Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Pg 13: Etcetera Pg 14: Death Becomes Us Part 2: The Alarming Rise of African American Suicide 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 Great Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Donald Whitehead Jimmy Heath Ron Carter Gina Miller Malik Amilcar Tom Billman Sheila Crowley Lettie Davis Beverly Keller Amy Krings Sheperd Andrew Martin John Perotti Kay Stinnett Ray Sullivan Lynn Williams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Activists Amy Krings Arts & Poetry Bengals Beverly Brooks Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Eunice Temoney Ravenna Gina Miller health care jail Jimmy Heath John Perotti Lettie Davis Lynn Williams nationwide news Ron Carter Sheila Crowley Sondra Blue Sonny Williams Suicide Susan Knight Te'tro Amaru Tennessee the broken city The Traveler Tom Billman Tyrone Smith unemployment Vannette Lacy vendor profile vendor spotlight veterans Warren Perkins welfare news Wendell Williams William College https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/f9908ee8788c23de43d0d22037ebf63a.pdf e6f8f77634971d539b900f33e7783876 PDF Text Text New Section ST R EE Tin V IB E S “Agencies S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 Action” PG 9 SEPTEMBER 2N Neighborhood visits the Anna Louise Inn PG 3 D - 1 5 T H 2 0 11 Meetup with Renaissance Man Mike Henson PG 14 ISSUE 207 1 ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY Cincinnati Teacher Fights Being Shut Out of the Political Debate Dan La Botz, a Cincinnati elementary school teacher, who tried but was unable to enter last year's televised debates hosted by Ohio's big eight for-profit newspapers (the Ohio News Organization), has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Federal Elections Commission. MARK GRAUHUIS Contributing Writer a Botz, who ran as the Socialist Party candidate for US Senate in 2010, alleges that Ohio Newspaper Organization (ONO) and its corporate members had scheduled a series of televised debates between Portman and Fisher in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act. Acting on advice of its General Counsel, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) subsequently dismissed La Botz's administrative complaint on May 19, 2011. However, as La Botz's law team of Mark Brown of Capital Law School and Oliver B Hall of the Center for Competitive Democracy in Washington, D.C., argue: "The Commission’s dismissal of the Plaintiff’s administrative complaint is contrary to law, an abuse of discretion, and arbitrary and capricious". La Botz is now suing the FEC to force it to enforce the law. When there are no objective standards, the debate sponsors may well be in violation of federal election law, which bans corporate contributions to candidates for federal office. After the debates were over, ONO said it had applied its own criteria, inviting the two major party nominees based on their party affiliation and the fact that they were the “obvious frontrunners,” and without communicating what the standards were with the other ballotqualified candidates. Citing legal precedents such as Buchanan v. Federal Election Commission, La Botz said that Ohio has unconstitutionally excluded minor-party candidates for sixty-plus years from its ballots. “Republicans and Demo- L crats made an agreement with the largest broadcasters to provide free coverage, and this amounts to an illegal financial contribution.” If ever this country needed a third party candidate to break the stranglehold of the two-party system, now is the time. As disclosed in the Los Angeles Times just a few years ago, the majority of Americans support the rise Dan La Botz and other political third party candidates struggle to seize their democratic right to be heard in of a third party (Green, Labor, a system that has been hijacked by two parties and a lot of money. Photo: Courtesy of Dan La Botz etc.). But if a ballot-qualified candidate existed who stood status. Parties that have been on the seems childishly naïve for millions of with the American people, rather than ballot since the 2008 election will have Americans, real-deal populists and soselling them out for campaign contrito start over to gain ballot access that cialist once believed it was not naïve. butions, how would we hear them? they already held under a federal court In 1911, nine years before the NineThe landmark decision in the ruling. teenth Amendment to the Constitution Citizens United v. Federal Election The new restrictions set a petition guaranteed women the right to vote, Commission now allows a funding deadline of early February, instead Helen Keller, a supporter of the Socialsource other than ONO to pay for of November in the year before the ist Party of Eugene Debs, wrote: “Ours debates, and to invite ONO members election. This same deadline was held democracy is but a name. We vote? and majority party candidates to it. It unconstitutional in 1968 in Williams v What does that mean? It means that should not be the role of the Federal Rhodes by the U.S. Supreme Court. In we choose between Tweedledee and Election Commission to exclude other addition, third party candidates will be Tweedledum.” candidates from debates without good required to receive at least 5% of the It is a great shame that, at a time reason, or to categorically limit the de- vote during gubernatorial and presiwhen trust in the political class is at an bates to two major-party candidates. dential elections, an unrealistic –as all-time low, we have had the moIn a shocking but logical extension well as unconstitutional- threshold for mentous Wisconsin uprising, inspiring of the recent package of antidemosmaller parties without the ability to and giving hope to people across the cratic measures (e.g SB 138, HB 194, raise money, choose candidates, hold world, yet there was no major TV netHB 159), the GOP recently decreed primaries, or establish membership. work willing to cover its main debates, that, as of September 30, minor parAnita Rios, Green Party member and and there is no party for all those ties would lose any ballot access in Toledo City Council candidate, said, people who helped create a wave of Ohio, effectively banning any alterna“Whether the State chooses to outlaw direct democracy. In 1968 the length tive to the two ruling parties. Ohio us or not, we will continue to fight for of TV news sound bites during AmeriSecretary of State John Husted has what’s right. Our fights to end nuclear can presidential election campaigns made it clear that his interpretation power, protect workers' rights, and ran to an average of 42.3 seconds; by of the draconian Ohio House Bill 194 help minorities and women are too 1988, they had been slashed to only (the same law that restricts the right to important to let the Republicans and 9.8 seconds; by 1992, they were even vote for many Ohio voters, including Democrats stop us, just because they smaller, at 7.3 seconds, and they have the elderly, students, urban and poor are afraid of a little competition.” people) means that all minor parties While a government that is truly See La Botz, page 3 will lose their official statewide party of the people and by the people now Veterans for Peace Fighting to Save Lives PG 4 facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati Saucy, Cheesy, Yummy! PG 8 twitter.com/streetvibesnews Hidden Gems of the Queen City PG 12 streetvibes.wordpress.com �2 Editorials From the Director Love is a Hard Choice (and not flimsy) ove. What is love? Often we speak of love as if it were entirely a feeling- something that people are regularly falling in and out of. We say it cannot be explained, but you just know when you feel it. Often we apply the word love to romantic relationships, some family relationship, pets, activities and sometimes very close friends. We quickly say “I love you” when we say goodbye to the romantic partner or close family member. We say “I love my dog” or “I would love to go to the game tonight.” But what is love, really? Sometimes when we feel particularly inspired we say things like “We are to love everyone.” Yet, rarely does the rest of our language, as mentioned, actually match the inspired concept of loving everyone. This is because loving everyone involves loving people that effectively are your enemy or do wrong to others. This is certainly not the same as “love” we talk about that is based on romance, or close blood relations or cute ears on a puppy-dog. This is also not a “love” that is based entirely on feelings-something we just fall in and out of. In fact I would assert that no true love is actually based on any of these things. True love is a choice. Not only is it a choice, but it is a constant choice. And true love does not rely on the actions of the other person. True love may waiver, but not based solely on feeling. True love waivers because as humans our strength waivers. True love is applied to people who truly love us, people who think they love us and people who do wrong to us and those around us. Love is not easy. Love is not some mushy, sweet thing. Love certainly does not always feel good. Love involves work. We have to choose to give of L ST R EET VIBES S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 ourselves in order to love. Even in close relationships, love requires weeding out selfishness. In struggle with enemies we find that love is not the same as “like.” “Like” involves being okay with how someone is or what someone is doing. Love involves respecting one’s humanity no matter what she or he is doing. Love involves wanting something better for that person. If the person in question is an oppressor of others, love involves wanting them to change because it would also benefit them through a more whole life of choosing to love instead of oppress. Loving an oppressor does not call one or many to be weak toward them or to not press forward against them, but to continue to point out their wrongdoings- because if an oppressor stops oppressing others, not only will this be better for the people that are now free, but it will also be holistically better for the former oppressor. Sometimes in an effort to be loving we tend to not challenge, hammer back and overcome those stealing power from others. Loving one’s humanity does not mean liking that person, love means being willing to struggle for better lives for all involved- including the oppressor. While these words are easy to string together, putting them into practice is not easy. Balancing love with just anger, such that love does not turn into something it is not- flimsy weakness and just anger does not turn into something it is not- hate- is no easy task, but it is one we are all called to. Love is a choice, it is hard, often tiring and sometimes painful- but in the end love- True Love Will Overcome. Josh Spring LSW, Executive Director Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: Streetvibes.wordpress.com Email: Streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Staff Editor, Design & Layout Jason Dean Executive Director Josh Spring Director of Development & Operations Catie Dargue Letter to the editor August 29, 2011 Dear Streetvibes: You had us worried last winter. We were afraid you were suffering too many changes and might almost expire, but when spring had sprung and the trees flowered again, you did, too. It’s a historical fact at Streetvibes that when new people are needed, suddenly they appear! You have fine new designers and researchers and writers -- and a new editor -- and the paper is in very good health again. We see good work explaining the Kasich bills that would keep people from voting and would drive more and more citizens into poverty; sharp writing from Josh Spring; smart editorials; interviews of people in Over-the-Rhine that are more clearly and artfully constructed than anything in the big papers. -- and much more. I’m a writer myself, and I love good writing, and writing that tells the truth; and that’s why we depend so much on a good bold paper to tell us what’s really happening in this town. We need stirring headlines, and your header for August 19th, “Cincinnati Prays to Save Historical Homeless Shelter,” was a good note to sound -- though we do have to remember that the Anna Louise Inn is not primarily a “shelter” but a residence for working women. It was great that both August issues highlighted the attack on the Inn by Western Southern in a variety of good articles and documents. Your coverage of the campaign to save the Inn was, again, better than anything that could be read elsewhere. I read each and every one of those pieces, and thanks to your publicity, made it to the August 25th Ice Cream Social at Lytle Park for friends of the Inn. That was a marvelous event, and it was gratifying to see that in this cause the progressive churches of Cincinnati have raised their voices for justice. The teachings of Christ are on the side of sisterhood and brotherhood, after all, loving your neighbors as yourself and all of that, and why should Christians not gather in his name to protect those caught in the quagmire of big-money greed we see around us every day? The Unitarians were out in good numbers, we saw Episcopalians, and Mt. Auburn Presby- terian brought fifteen of its members to this event. I met a lot of friends and good people, made a donation to the campaign, and, like a good many others, was guided about the Inn to see how things work there. The rooms are small but often made comfortable by the residents with pretty plants and neat shelves of books and so on. When the new refurbishing is finished -- if it is allowed to be -- single working women of low income will be able to live in modest kitchenette apartments rather than in the narrow spaces assigned to them at present. Today the residents often gather at night in a large basement kitchen, carrying their foodstuffs and their tools and pots down the stairs to cook their meals. The time has come to provide a little more gentle routine, and residents will be able to prepare their dinners in their own kitchens if they wish. I spoke to a woman who grew up in Georgia but who has been living at the Inn for thirteen years. She worked in an office downtown, but is seventy-four now, no longer working, and says she still values her life at the Anna Louise Inn, and would not know where else to go. Lytle Park is beautiful with its canna lilies and handsome lawns. The figure of the old Taft-Sinton home, now the Taft Museum, can be seen facing the far east end of this flowery park; but no one can see the park from the porch of the Inn. The view of it is blocked by an office building raised right in front of the Inn’s front door. It’s a building owned by Western Southern, but has usually been unoccupied, residents say. Let’s ask Western & Southern not only to cease and desist its attempt to remove the Inn from its home of over a hundred years, but also to donate this structure to the Inn itself, so that more and more working women who find themselves alone and in need of help could be served. How would that be for neighborliness? Martha Stephens is a longtime reader of Streetvibes and sometime contributor. She’s the author of novels on working-class life and of The Treatment: the Story of Those Who Died in the Cincinnati Radiation Tests. Director of Education & Outreach, Layout Assistance, Streetvibes Distributor Program Manager Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer Susan Lakes Civil Rights Outreach Coordinator Riccardo Taylor Reception & Office Administration Georgia Bohannon, Karen Chatman, Stephen Gentry, Rubye Goode, Della Woolens. Summer Interns Journalism, Media & PR Mark Grauhuis Research Alisa Balestra Education & Outreach Harrison Lott Development Corey Luthringer Contributing Writers This Issue: Laura Osborn-Coffey, Jesse Call, Jason A. Haap, Susan Lakes, Jeni Jenkins, Catie Dargue, Willa Denise Jones, E.Hayden, Jim Luken, Lee McCoy, Jessica Hopsicker, Josh Spring, A. Mann, Make Cincinnati Weird, Steve Sunderland, Riccardo Taylor, Corey Luthringer, Joe Nolan. Photography/Artwork This Issue: Susan Lakes, Jeni Jenkins, Catie Dargue, Josh Spring,Girish Balsavar, A.Mann, Kevin LeMaster, Dorothy Dark. �Local & National- ST R EE T V IB E S 3 S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 Friends of Anna Louise Inn Hosts Ice Cream Social at Lytle Park Friends of Anna Louise Inn Urge Citizens To Stand Firm ALICE SKIRTZ & JENNY O’DONNELL Coalition Members & Friends of Anna Louise Inn he 350+ people who attended the old fashioned Ice Cream Social at Lytle Park on August 25 showed steadfast support for Cincinnati Union Bethel in the mighty struggle to preserve the Anna Louise Inn for permanent affordable housing for single women. An “everyone is welcome” invitation brought attendees from downtown and uptown, business leaders and residents from the community to enjoy a sunny afternoon with the delights of DoJo Gelato ice cream and the sweet sounds of Chris Miller’s band. Residents of the Inn gave tours of their home soon to undergo renovations to preserve the historic character of the majestic 102 year old building while transforming it into modern, affordable efficiency apartments for women residents. As of the printing of this paper, Judge Norbert Nadel has not ruled on Cincinnati Union Bethel and the city of Cincinnati’s filings for the dismissal of Western and Southern’s lawsuit against them. Western and Southern, who initially expressed a desire to buy the property where the historical inn is located, announced they were filing the lawsuit to be able to have their say about the renovations of the building. On August 10th, in a court hearing, Judge Nadel promised to rule swiftly in the filings for dismissal. However, the nearly three week delay is unfortunate, as it plays into the hands of those trying to stall renovation of Anna Louise Inn. The delay could prevent CUB from completing their renovations in time to comply with the federal investment dollars that were awarded to CUB for the renovations, potentially causing them to lose the federal tax credit investment awarded specifically for upgrading affordable housing. Western and Southern leaders have said they did not get a fair hearing about Photo: Courtesy of Friends of Anna Louise Inn the use of Anna Louise Inn T when the zoning permits were granted, though the city followed the usual permit process, and in fact, held several conversations and one very contentious vote (8-1) on Council floor about the project. However, now Western and Southern’s legal action has stopped all related funding from being Photo: Courtesy of Friends of Anna Louise Inn delivered to ALI, keeping several small and large to think Western Southern was a businesses from being able to start good corporate citizen, a friend of the on already awarded contracts, and community.” Now folks are questiondisplacing nearly half the capacity of ing their motives as Western and the housing to prepare for the renoSouthern continues to change many vatoin; meaning over 40 women who citizen-minds about who the insurcould have found safe and affordance company really is. They ask able housing there, have had to look why W&S would give so much to somewhere else and the renovation cancer research, children’s issues is now being delayed. and tennis tournaments, but cast out The many citizens and business working women who have been living leaders standing beside the residents next door for over 100 years. of Anna Louise Inn overwhelmingly Friends of the Anna Louise Inn urge Judge Nadel to rule in CUB’s urge citizens to continue to write letfavor on the suit quickly, and allow ters to the newspapers, communicate the ALI to upgrade the accommodawith leaders of Western and Southtions for as many as 85 women, and ern so they know your concerns, sign to continue their community building the letter of support for ALI (see the efforts. Friends of Anna Louise Inn CUB website and Facebook page), ask that Western Southern end their discuss this issue with your neighcampaign against one of Cincinbors and colleagues and ask them to nati’s oldest providers of affordable speak up, peacefully protest and take housing. Citizens have been heard every opportunity to stand with the in meetings and on street corners women who need the Anna Louise making statements such as “I used Inn. Five National News Stories to Catch Up On JESSE CALL Contributing Writer Some people experiencing homelessness rode out Hurricane Irene on the streets of New York City, WCBS 880 reports. One man tried to escape the storm but was forced out of taking shelter in a subway station and emergency officials offered no alternative for evacuation, he said. He and another man said they would have evacuated earlier but they were unaware of the early shutdown of the mass transit system because they had no access to a television or radio. As he slept in the storm, he said officials driving by offered no assistance. 1 The National Coalition for the Homeless has sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder urging his office to review the recent voting reform legislation that has been considered or passed in several states, including Ohio. These 2 La Botz, continued from p.1 declined since then. With regressive campaign rules, there can be no platform on which any voice for the people could address mass audiences other than through punditry. An important recent poll by Christopher J. Bryan of Stanford, in published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that though most Americans are reluctant "to vote". But the poll laws often require state-issued photo identification to be presented at polling place. Many people experiencing homelessness do not have stateissued ID. Some states have also limited the number of opportunities to vote early. NCH said these laws violate federal law and Constitutional protections. In his letter, NCH executive director Neil Donovan writes: “We believe that these laws will disenfranchise thousands of legitimate voters to solve a problem that voting experts claim is documented in only a handful of cases out of the tens of millions of votes cast in the last seven years. We urge the Justice Department to intervene to protect the sanctity of the vote and require equal access to the ballot box across the United States.” NCH is asking supporters to send a similar letter to the AG’s office which they can download at http://www.nationalhomeless.org/. 3 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit dismissed an appeal filed against the City of Rich- also found that they want to "be voters". We are told there is no alternative to the two parties. But there are plenty of alternatives within that no alternative. You can buy petroleum, you can buy ethanol, you can buy biodiesel — but you can’t vote for a socialist. The two major parties essentially rig the system so that outsiders cannot win. Ohio gets a great deal of attention on Election Day. We could send a powerful message to the world by taking direct action towards election reform. mond, Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University on behalf of people experiencing homelessness. The Associated Press reports that several service agencies alleged that the city and university discriminated against people experiencing homelessness by forcing shelter and feeding agencies to move miles away from the downtown area. The ruling in the federal lawsuit said the plaintiffs failed to show any discriminatory conspiracy. 4 A 16-year-old high school student from Gary, Indiana, has admitted to raping a 68-year-old woman experiencing homelessness who had just sought shelter from the rain in a Chicago train station, police told the Chicago Tribune. Video surveillance shows the boy brandishing a handgun and police say the victim reported he told her he would kill her if she did not comply. It is not clear whether the woman was targeted because she was experiencing homelessness, but the teen is seen entering the stop moments after she entered the bus stop. The juvenile remains behind bars and has been charged as an adult. Police in Jackson, Tennessee are targeting people experiencing homelessness, but this time not with warrants or citations. The Jackson Police Department has created a Homeless Outreach Team, or the HOT division, that is designed to “address issues of homelessness the criminal code does not (address),” the Jackson Sun reports. Six police officers have volunteered to participate in the community-based policing unit which will link people with community resources to help them escape homelessness. "Usually, we deal with criminal matters and complaints, but arresting someone who does not have the money to make bail or pay their fines does not solve the major problems," Corley said. “Not to mention these people are our citizens, too." 5 � National 4 ST R EET VIBES S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 But then the vets came to town Veteran’s for Peace is an organization that campaigns against future generations being dragged into warfare through army recruitment in the schools of America. With recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq claiming the lives of America’s young men, war veterans like Joe Murphy and Mike Dedrick want this to stop by the use of an “opt out” option on having children’s information automatically sent to the military. “The military has been treating our schools as a press-gang operation,” Dedrick says To abolish war, that's the mission of Veterans for Peace (VFP), explains Daniel Shea, a Portland veteran of Vietnam who serves on the national board. "Some members are pacifists," here was not much promise in he adds, "but I don't count myself as the week beginning August 1. a pacifist because I do believe in selfOn Tuesday, following the Condefense. If somebody were occupying gressional battle over the debt ceiling, our country, I'd join in the fight. But President Obama signed into law the that would be the only time." Budget Control Act of 2011, and one Shea, along with other members day later national debt surpassed 100 of local VFP Chapter 72, spent months percent of gross domestic product for Past military men and women working hard to prevent the deaths of their future brothers and planning the convention, which the first time since World War II. Portland hosted for the first time. Vets sisters-in-arms. Photo: Courtesy of Veterans for Peace On that same day, Wednesarrived from across the country for five day, August 3, Nick Turse posted to the 2011 Gaza flotilla; and a panel on ask him how he got into the military. days of film, music, tabling and book Tomdispatch.com an article about the the continuing tragic aftermath of war "I was working in construction, sales, speeches and a business meetclandestine reach of the U.S. Special in Vietnam, where people still sicken putting myself through school," says Operations Command (SOCOM), now ing at which 16 resolutions, on issues and die from Agent Orange, and unDedrick. "But I was f##king around, from depleted uranium to Palestine to metastasized to 120 countries, where exploded landmines still maim and kill. playing pool. I flunked out of the Unitoxic chemical dumping in South Kospecial op teams from all branches I choose to watch "The Welcome," a versity of Washington twice and lost rea required their vote. Shea, an artist of the military carry out "assassinapowerful new 90-minute film shot durmy student deferment and got drafted, tions, counterterrorist raids, long-range with a day job at the Oregon Symphoing a unique veterans' healing retreat which would have been two years. So ny, personally curated an exhibit at the reconnaissance, intelligence analysis, in Ashland, Oregon. Under the guidI enlisted for three years 'cause I didn't Littman Gallery called The Tenacity of foreign troop training, and weapons of ance of author and storyteller Michael want to go to Vietnam." Hope. mass destruction counter-proliferation Meade, veterans begin to transform Whereupon he was trained as an operations." And while Turse's chillthe raw nightmare of war into poetry. intelligence analyst and interrogator, ing exposé was probably seen only The film ends with retreat participants and sent to Vietnam. It was 1967 and by lefties - it went to Huffington Post, reading their poems to an audience Dedrick was 21 years old. Common Dreams and Counterpunch of 650 people who pack the Oregon After discharge, he went to Sewithin a day - by Saturday the New Shakespeare Festival's Bowmer attle Central Junior College for a few York Times had published a long and Theater. quarters, earning As and Bs. "When thoughtful piece by Drew Westen One particularly moving poem, I'd dragged my GPA up, I got back into about the demise of our hope in by Melissa Steinman, a veteran of U.W," Dedrick says. "By the time I'd Obama ("…the arc of history does not Kuwait, speaks to the hidden path to earned my B.A. in European Medieval bend toward justice through capitulahealing through the jungle of underHistory, I was already in Vietnam Vettion cast as compromise.") that quickly brush and to the gratitude she feels erans Against the War (VVAW)." became one of the most widely eto older vets. Her poem is called "Old After a stint in a factory and two mailed of the year. Timers - A Term of Endearment." years learning to be an offset printer, What a week! As some of us he went back to the building trades. clicked frantically through websites From across the valley, a brother Meanwhile, Dedrick had begun his On Thursday, day two of the looking for the elusive good news, runs towards me, activism in 1971 as the VVAW Reconvention, the workshops begin and others went outdoors into the novel and nearly out of breath he says, gional Coordinator for Washington and the corridors of Lincoln Hall are loud Oregon sunshine, where news might "There was no path Alaska, working on counter-recruiting with talk and laughter as vets, WW II never reach at all. to healing when we came back. and running deserters and soldiers to Iraq, high five, hug and try to figure But then, on August 3, the vets But we are used to cutting through gone AWOL across the border to out where each of the nine offerings came to town. jungles, Canada. will be held in that first time slot. BackAt Portland State University's we started hacking through the bush Like other vets I talk to, Dedrick to-back presentations include two on historic Lincoln Hall, 400 veterans 40 years ago, regrets ever having let his guard PTSD (encounters with the criminal convened for an annual national in a direction that might lead to it…" down. "But you become fed up or justice system and transformational convention to talk about peace and burnt out, frustrated, depressed. It healing), drone payloads that target to scheme, on several simultaneous Older vets companioning young doesn't seem like its working." civilians, helping GIs who want out fronts; to wage it even in the face of vets is a key dynamic in VFP. "The The one victory he remembers of the military, and a teach-in on the a war machine so lucrative that even Iraq vets would tell you that they're from those years came on August 4, basics of organizing behind VFP's new Eisenhower might gasp. standing on the shoulders of Vietnam 1974. "I was in the Century Tavern, on campaign: How is the War Economy Hope, in the form of resilience, vets," says Daniel Shea, "and we're University Way, when Nixon resigned, Working for You? resistance and nonviolent revolution, standing on the shoulders of WW II and the owner broke out a case of "Man, how do you choose?" I hear was brewing in our midst. combatants who realized later that it champagne. That was a good moone vet was too high a price, that war could ment but, finally, I just couldn't do it grumble in We serve as a creative outlet have been averted." anymore. the elevafor women in need to Shea appears in "The Welcome," "So there's a long history of this uncover their talents and tor. "They're one of the two dozen vets who went [activism], going back to the sixties, build relationships while not going to making and selling jewelry, through the retreat with Meade, but only a lot of people, including myself, repeat any quilts, and other handcrafted misses the VFP screening to give a didn't follow through. items. We provide a of these!" workshop on recent U.S. actions in "In '91, the Gulf War really hit welcoming environment and In the continuous support-our Libya, where we bombed "to protect me quite hard. I really didn't think afternoon, women do the rest. They are civilian lives" and in Honduras, where this country would do what they did I pass up our voice. They are our we facilitated the military coup but take on the so-called Highway of Death, mission. They are our Sarah a session no notice of death squad murders of butchering all those Iraqis," he says, Center. Artists receive 50 % by Col. Ann from the sale of their items, democracy activists. speaking of the night raid on Feb. 26, Wright, who while the rest goes towards The Welcome, released in April of when American aircraft attacked Iraqi materials and other support. resigned this year, is making the rounds of military personnel retreating along in 2003 in festivals and will soon be available for Highway 80, which runs from Kuwait 1618 Vine Street opposition purchase: http://www.thewelcometheto Iraq. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 to the Iraq HELPING WOMEN HELP THEMSELVES movie.com/. war, talkFor more information visit www.sfoutreach.org Long-term activist Mike Dedrick Continued on page 5 ing about is in Portland for the convention, and I organizing MARTHA GIES Street Roots (USA) www.streetnewsservice.org T “We are reclaiming the path of transparency and holding our government accountable,” Paterson states with evident pride. Sarah Center �ST R EE T V IB E S National 5 S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 Continued from page 4 The first Gulf War saw the longest strike mission in the history of aerial warfare, and those strikes were televised, giving many of the older vets fresh nightmares. "We got a group of people together, and it was after that that I got involved in the GI Rights Hotline." But it was the invasion of Afghanistan that roused them to action. In 2002 Dedrick helped organize Seattle's VFP Chapter 92 and served as its first president. Today it has 150 members and is one of six chapters in the state of Washington. The Seattle chapter has a pool of half a dozen members who do tabling at state conventions of school officials - counselors, superintendents, principals - where they talk about a key provision of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act where, every fall, students can "opt out" of the requirement that the school give the student's name and contact information to the military. "I see a potential for some structural institution changes with this approach," Dedrick says. The approach, which is only two or three years old, was developed with Washington Truth in Recruiting, where Dedrick serves on the board. "We pay for a table and make our spiel, Dedrick says." Of course, Dedrick and his VFP colleagues continue to go out to schools to talk to kids directly, describing what a war looks like, what it feels like to be in a war, military life, the economics of war. "Once I was telling some students about some prisoners who were tortured and seeing kids that were killed, and one student said, 'I can't believe they let you come in here and say that.' But, generally, it's throwing a pebble into a pond: you never know who that ripple is going to reach," Dedrick observes, then adds philosophically, "It's a short life and you've got a limited amount of resources. My priority is to educate kids about war and militarism." Dedrick had hoped to make a presentation on counter-recruiting, but by the time he contacted convention planners, one Jim Murphy from Ithaca, New York, had already made that request. "So I called him up and piggy backed," Dedrick says. When the two men met for the first time in Portland, they recognized they'd had parallel lives. Jim Murphy served on temporary duty in Vietnam in 1966, and again in 1968 as an Air Force radioman. Seven years ago, he retired as dean of a NYC public high school, a career of 23 years. An anti-war activist since 1971, Murphy is currently with the Veterans Fellowship of Reconciliation chapter in Ithaca, and he co-founded New York Veterans Speak Out, which does truth-in-recruiting presentations in NYC and around the state. On Friday morning, Dedrick begins their workshop, "Military Recruiters in Public Schools: Counter-recruiting in High Schools and Advocating for Model School District Policies," with a characteristically blunt statement: "The military has been treating our schools as a press-gang operation," he says, then goes on to describe the success of the Washington strategy of targeting school administrators. Dedrick points out that the No Child Left Behind provision is not the whole problem. "For years before (NCLB), many schools were already giving the military carte blanch information on students," he says. "And I don't trust Facebook and Monster.com not to be turning all the information they collect over to the military. So it may be that opt out is not so meaningful anymore. But it does get us into the schools." When approaching superintendents and principals, he advises his audience, don't talk in political terms, but rather politely point out that their job as educators is to honor students' rights to information, including balanced information on controversial issues. "Go to a school board meeting," Dedrick advises. "Write a letter asking transparency and holding our government accountable," The presenter is Jeff Paterson, a young Christopher Walken look-alike who was the first public resister to the 1991 Gulf War. He founded Courage to Resist, which raised the money to get Manning a civilian attorney and pressured the government to get Manning moved from Quantico to the Joint Regional Corrections Facility at Fort Leavenworth. Since the move, Courage to Resist reports, Manning's overall mood has improved, he is regularly in touch with his new defense team, and is allowed visits from his family. This year, the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is holding its own convention jointly with VFP, though because of dual membership (two Iraq vets serve on the national VFP board) and the inter-generational if the district has a public policy in place." In New York, Murphy and his colleagues give presentations in the South Bronx and Washington Heights, places where the "poverty draft" is vigorously at work, that is, the military's campaign to target low-income neighborhoods with promises - very questionable promises - of education and jobs. "You ask an African-American adolescent in NY high school: How do you feel about the term 'sand nigger.' You can see you're getting a rise out of him. 'Well, that's what you're going to hear every day if you sign up,' I tell him. 'And you're going to accept that. And that's when you know they own you.' We make sure the kids know that basic training is an experience in racism." Joanne Luchini is in the audience with hand-outs to distribute at this workshop. The stepped-up recruitment effort under the NCLB Act got more civilians involved, and Luchini works through a Portland organization called Recruiter Watch PDX. Her volunteer work is a conspicuous example of how civilians can partner with veterans to do this work, though she is quick to point out that, when it comes to telling the truth about war or military culture, it's the veterans who have the credibility. As one of the many thousands of people who support Bradley Manning, the young Army intelligence analyst accused of leaking to Wikileaks a video showing a US Apache helicopter crew killing two Reuters journalists and other civilians in Iraq, I arrive early for the Friday afternoon panel, Campaign to Free Bradley Manning and All GI Resisters. "We are reclaiming the path of camaraderie, there's no sense of separation. According to Daniel Shea, IVAW has modeled themselves on the film "Sir! No Sir!" by opening GI coffee houses. Jorge González is on the Resisters panel to briefly describe his work at Coffee Strong, an Internet café within blocks of Tacoma's Fort Lewis. The café provides a safe place for active duty soldiers, military families and veterans to discuss war, deployment, PTSD and the hardships of life in the military. Movie nights and concerts attract soldiers who live on base and are looking for a hangout; once there, they can make connections to the GI Rights Hotline, National Lawyers Guild, Soldiers Project NW, Women Organizing Women, and Pack Parachute - that is, organizations that provide information and services. "Vets and civilians have a role in helping them make connections," González cautions, "but it has to be soldiers doing it themselves." Sarah Bjorknas has come down from Vancouver, B.C. to talk about their policy, now in its seventh year, of welcoming war resisters at the Catholic Worker House on East Pender Street. She explains their program of advising about legal status, offering hospitality and social support, while trying to persuade the Canadian government to get on the side of sheltering war resisters. She is dismayed that the government, which has now turned right, is not inclined to repeat the generosity of 1966-72, when 16,000 U.S. male immigrants (considered a solid estimate and probably low) crossed the border, largely congregating in Toronto's Yorktown and in Vancouver. Kathy Gilbert is on the program briefly, talking about the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyer's Guild, which has provided legal support to vets since Vietnam The session ends with facilitator Gerry Condon reminding us that President Carter campaigned on the issue of draft-resister amnesty, and that it was his first act as president, in January 1977. He made it possible for AWOL soldiers to return to a U.S. base and be processed. "It was not an automatic amnesty," Condon says, "but it was in the spirit of leniency." It is late Friday afternoon, and the auditorium is filling with people ready to hear S. Brian Willson talk about "Going AWOL from the American Way of Life." Willson, who has a lifetime of protests, was in the national spotlight in 1987 when he lay in the path of a munitions train that accelerated and took off his legs. I don't go into the auditorium. Though I plan to read Willson's new book, "Blood on the Tracks," I can't absorb one more word. Rather, I want time to think about all the passion and anger, energy and resolve, determination and hope of these two days. As we come up on the 10-year anniversary of the so-called War on Terror, I believe there is no more important task than to encourage and support resistance inside the military, and VFP are pointing to a variety of ways we can all contribute. But also, I want to listen to the haunting voice of Melissa Steinman, still with me from "The Welcome," where she is seen reading her poem about Viet Nam vets reaching out to the GIs in Iraq: "… we're most of the way up the hill, but we saw you coming, so we ran all the way back to get you. Don't get me wrong. The path is narrow and uphill in all directions, but we have cleared most of the brush before you, and as long as it takes, we will walk it with you." Portland author Martha Gies is the daughter of Lt. Carl Parker Gies (1915-64), World War II pilot and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. She is also the newest associate member of Veteran’s for Peace. Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com �6 Local ST R EET VIBES S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 Streetvibes Editor Top Cincy Baby Names Misplaces Editorial SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer o to a high school graduation in 2028 and you’ll likely see lots of Williams and Olivias marching down the aisle, getting diplomas. Those were the tops two names parents selected for babies born in 2010, according to a list released by the Cincinnati Health Department’s Vital Records Office. Of the 3,657 babies born in 2010, here’s a list of the top ten names: G Boys 1. William 2. Jacob 3. Noah 4. Michael 5. Ethan 6. Benjamin 7. Elijah 8. Aiden 9. Jackson 10. Logan Girls 1. Olivia 2. Isabella 3. Ava 4. Emma 5. Sophia 6. Madison 7. Elizabeth 8. Samantha 9. Brooklyn 10. Audrey The City of Cincinnati’s Vital Records office is the third largest in the state, issuing 48,000 birth certificates and 18,000 death certificates last year. The Board of Health recently lowered the cost for birth certificates by $5.00, to $22.00 because of office efficiency and to keep prices competitive. Customers may apply for and get copies of certified birth certificates at 1525 Elm Street, first floor, or by mail. For more information about vital records, please call (513) 352-3120 or visit the office online at www.cincinnati-oh. gov/health. JASON DEAN Streetvibes Editor C hange, change, change! There’s been a lot of changes in the paper and there will probably be a few more. Change can sometimes be a bad thing when inconsistency places people on unstable ground, but often it can be good if it is related to growth; Streetvibes is indeed growing and evolving as we become more engrained in the culture and politics of the Cincinnati landscape. Ironically, however, our humble paper would love to see the day when we were not needed. Much like other nonprofits and social justice agencies we dream of the day that our mission is complete; a day for us when everyone has affordable housing and there is not a need for street papers or homeless coalitions. But until that dream becomes a reality we shall be here providing economic opportunities for our vendors and a voice for those experiencing homelessness. In the past few issues of Streetvibes, and with several future issues, certain sections of the paper have shifted in an effort to make this a better paper for its readers and a better resource for those experiencing homelessness and low incomes. The biggest change with the current issue that you hold in your hands is the following four pages, the center of the paper. Information regarding our distributor program now sits on page 7, Jeni’s delicious recipes remain on page 8, a new section called “Agencies in Action” is on page 9, and the list of “Resources” has moved from the back of the paper to page 10. This shift is designed to make the center pages double as a sort of pamphlet that can be pulled out from the paper and shared with someone experiencing homelessness to give him, or her, an instant list of resources and opportunities in Cincinnati. Of course, you could also donate the entire paper to someone if you wish (and buy a second copy from your Streetvibes distributor), but having the removable center pages allows for a convenient list that can easily be placed in a pocket. Our new section on page 8, “Agencies in Action,” will see each new issue of Streetvibes feature one of the many organizations that are working hard to help people experiencing homelessness in Cincinnati. Streetvibes staff reporter Susan Lakes will inform us of the agency’s history, mission, work, needs, and hopes for the future. Every two weeks this section will place a face and fill in the details of the organizations you may have heard of or seen on our list of resources. We need to celebrate the good work being done by hardworking people to make Cincinnati a place where we can all live with comfort and dignity. Streetvibes Readers Rally to Help Distributor SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer ames Brown won’t have to buy a brand new bag. A nice person returned the bulky green backpack thieves snatched, and the kind people Brown calls “my Kroger family” hooked him up with a new phone to help offset his losses. Brown’s misfortune happened a few weeks ago. That humid, sunny Monday had started out just like most. He reported to Vine and Central Parkway, stacks of the latest edition of Streetvibes in hand. Brown has been a popular distributor in that same location for two years. When Brown noticed a woman having bicycle problems across the street from his regular post, he walked over to lend her a helping hand. The unthinkable happened. Brown spent a few minutes on the bike prob- J lem, returned to his regular spot, but things were different. His backpack---the one that held his identification, documents, papers and cell phone---was gone. “I’ve been selling in this spot for two years, and nobody has bothered that bag,” he said. “Those punks were just being funny and trying to get something over (on me).” The thought of what had happened temporarily immobilized Brown. He sat alone in the hot sun, hands covering his face and thought about what to do. He decided to walk the short distance to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless on Twelfth Street to buy another stack of papers. Brown got a surprise when he arrived at the coalition office. An unknown someone had found the backpack the thieving people had practically emptied out and dumped on the street. “My phone, my old phone, they took that. They left the battery and the My Distributor Is… M any Streetvibes readers buy their copy of the paper from the person they consider to be their regular distributor. Every two weeks you walk by that same spot and look out for that friendly smile announcing that the latest issue of Streetvibes has arrived. We would like to hear from you and publish your positive thoughts about the person from whom you pick up your copy of this paper. We invite you to write a line or two, starting with the phrase “My distributor is,” that describes your Streetvibes distributor. Please email your observations to : Streetvibes@cincihomeless.org back but took the phone,” he said. Brown recovered from the loss, thanks to some people with big hearts. The still unnamed person who returned the bag stopped by to tell Brown what had happened, and his customers from Kroger hooked him up with a new phone along with some prepaid minutes. “I got good people at the Kroger building who got me a phone,” he said. “That’s my Kroger family,” There’s a whole bunch of them,” he said, adding that he considers even the ones who don’t buy papers from him family since they are kind enough to speak to him. Coalition worker, Georgia Bohannon works closely with Brown and the other distributors. She’s touched but not at all surprised by what happened. “They (Brown’s customers) love him down there, “she said. “Every time I walk by there he’s introducing me to someone.” The generous gift from James’ “Kroger family” demonstrates the close friendship that exists between many Streetvibes distributors and their customers. Photo: Susan Lakes I purchased my first copy of Streetvibes today from distributor Larry Brown. Larry was exceptionally polite and personable. I also found the paper to be well written and full of interesting community news. This will not be my last purchase from Larry! Thank you, Mrs. Emily Hubbard �ST R EE T V IB E S Distributor Program S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 STREETVIBES IS DISTRIBUTED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO PURCHASE THE PAPER FOR 25 CENTS PER COPY AND SELL IT FOR A $1 DONATION, KEEPING THE PROFIT THEY HAVE EARNED. BECOMING A DISTRIBUTOR IS A GREAT WAY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FINANCIALLY POOR TO GET BACK ON (OR STAY ON) THEIR FEET. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME FOR THOSE UNABLE TO SECURE OTHER EMPLOYMENT. MONEY EARNED HELPS MEET BASIC HOUSING, FOOD AND HEALTH CARE NEEDS. THE PROGRAM IS A HAND UP FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN IN A PLACE OF GETTING ONLY A HAND OUT, OR EVEN NO HAND AT ALL. ALL DISTRIBUTORS WEAR A BADGE AND CAN BE FOUND SELLING THE PAPER IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, CLIFTON, NORTHERN KENTUCKY AND AREA CHURCHES. CURRENT DISTRIBUTORS ALFRED WOOLFOLK SINCE 10/2003 BERTA LAMBERT SINCE 1997 BRANDON NELSON SINCE 4/2008 BRIAN BEESON NEW 8/2011 CRAIG FITCH SINCE 7/2011 CRANDALL COBB SINCE 2004 GEORGE CHANDLER SINCE 7/2011 GRADY COOK SINCE 8/2007 JAMES BROWN SINCE 3/2009 JAMES BURRESS SINCE 4/2009 JAMES BYBEE SINCE 9/2010 JAMES DAVIS SINCE 8/2003 JAMES MOORE SINCE 11/2010 JERRY DAVIS SINCE 5/2011 JIMMIE GIPSON SINCE 2001 JOHN GAINES SINCE 12/2009 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 JULIE WALKER SINCE 6/2007 KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 KENNETH KIM STONITSCH GREEN SINCE 12/2007 SINCE 1/2010 MARK ANTHONY MARK SHEARS CAMPBELL SINCE 3/2006 SINCE 12/2007 RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RONNIE PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 SAMUEL JACKSON SINCE 10/2006 SHANNON MOATS NEW 3/2011 TERRY RANSON SINCE10/2008 TIA CASS SINCE 11/2007 TIM NEUMANN NEW 7/2011 TONY THOMAS SINCE 3/2005 TOMMY THOMPSON SINCE 2/2009 VICTORIA MINOR NEW 3/2011 WILLIAM BURDINE SINCE 8/2009 WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 W. KENNETH BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 WILLIE LEE JONES NEW 1/2011 Distributor Code of Conduct: 7 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for one dollar ($1). I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Streetvibes by any other means. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, I am allowed to keep the donation. 2. I will only purchase papers from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH). Each paper can be purchased for a cost of 25 cents. I will always show my badge when buying papers and if I do not have my badge I cannot buy papers. 3. I will never buy papers from and/or distribute papers to other distributors. 4. I agree to treat all others – customers, staff, and other distributors – respectfully. I will not use abusive language or force someone to buy a paper. I will not give a “hard sell” or be aggressive. I will not continue to ask someone if they want a Streetvibes after they have verbally or non-verbally said no and I will not make someone feel threatened. 5. I will not panhandle while distributing Streetvibes. 6. I agree to stay off private property when distributing Streetvibes. I will not distribute Streetvibes door to door. 7. I will not stand in front of doorways, walkways, crosswalks or parking meters nor will I impede traffic or sit down while distributing Streetvibes. 8.I understand that I am not an employee of Streetvibes or GCCH but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income. 9. I agree not to distribute additional goods or products when distributing Streetvibes. 10. I will not distribute Streetvibes or purchase Streetvibes under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 11. There are no territories among distributors. However, I will respect the space of other distributors, particularly the space of distributors who have been at a spot longer. 12. It is unacceptable for any distributor to persuade or ask customers not to purchase Streetvibes from other distributors. Coercion will not be tolerated. If a customer prefers to purchase from certain distributors that is up to them. 13. I understand that my badge is the property of Streetvibes and I will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing papers and display my badge when distributing papers. If I lose my badge I will pay three dollars ($3) for a new one. If I lose my lanyard I must pay ($1) for a new one. If my badge becomes ruined because of weather or use, I will get a new badge for one dollar ($1). 14. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a paper that covers homelessness and poverty issues while providing an economic opportunity for individuals looking for extra income. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word. 15. I will not deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a nonprofit charity or that I am collecting for the “homeless” in general. I will be in honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes go to the distributor. I will only use the word “donation” when referring to myself, not the Coalition. 16. There are special rules for distributing at Findlay Market. Only distributors with approval may distribute at Findlay Market at a time. Other rules as established by Streetvibes and Findlay Market. 17. I will attend monthly meetings. Monthly meetings occur every 4 weeks on Fridays at 1PM, (dates are posted in the lobby) these meetings are mandatory. Anyone who cannot make the meeting must talk with the Distributor Program Coordinator, before distributing Streetvibes for that month. Ten papers will be given to those who attend the meeting. 18. It is the responsibility of each distributor to police fellow distributors or former distributors. I will report violators of the rules to GCCH. The value of the paper depends on keeping it credible. 19. I understand that any infraction of the above mentioned rules will result in suspension of my privilege to distribute Streetvibes and possible termination from the program. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH and must be surrendered upon demand. For questions or comments pertaining to the distributor program contact: Jeni Jenkins, Distributor Program Manager. Ph:513.421.7803 Ext. 14 jenijenkins@cincihomeless.org �Recipe 8 ST R EET VIBES S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 OUR... LONG! M Y E S E NIGHTNI JENKINS L FEED M L A E BY JE FEED M The title of this column is taken from the 1986 film “Little Shop of Horrors,” where a plant keeper must meet the demands of a ravenous plant that feeds on humans. Instead of plants that feed on people, this column is for people who feed on plants!! Saucy, che e CREAMY RAVIOLI & ITALIAN VEGETABLES While eating out of the freezer isn’t ideal, from time to time having frozen food on hand, ready and available can be a life saver. For me, when I’ve come home after a long day at the office, at times the last thing on mind is cooking. But if I am famished enough, I get the job done. I made this recipe on one of THOSE days, when I went all day without a meal and I really needed to make something quick. I scoured my fridge, freezer and cupboard until I came up with this. To my surprise it was super tasty. I hope you enjoy! Serving size, 4-6 bellies. Ingredients: • 1(25 oz) bag frozen Cheese Ravioli • 2 tablespoons oliveLOREM oil • 2 cloves garlic, minced IPSUM • 1 (16 oz) bag frozen Italian style vegetables • 1 cup pasta sauce • 1 cup sour cream • 1 cup shredded mozarella cheese Directions: • Cook the ravioli according to the directions on the package. Drain and return it to the pasta pot. • Heat the oil in large non-stick skillet over medium Praesent molestie lorem Etiam ac libero heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Sed turpis • Add the frozen vegetables and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. • To save on pots, add the pasta sauce and sour cream to the veggie mixture in the skillet, bring to a slow simmer, stirring constantly, about 4 minutes. • Add the shredded mozarella and stir until melted. • Add the sauce to the pasta pot and toss to combine. • Voila, FEED! sy , y um my! �ST R EE T V IB E S Agencies in Action 9 S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 The Mary Magdalen House SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer It’s not exactly a pricey day spa, but for some people, it’s more than that. Mary Magdalen House is a place where guests can shower privately, use the toilet, freshen up, make a phone call and walk away wearing clean clothing. Their hosts, the volunteers and staff, call them by name, too. That personal touch is just one of the features of Mary Magdalen House, a non-profit agency that reaches out to the homeless and extremely poor members of the Greater Cincinnati community “Though not having a dime, we want them to feel like a million,” said Giancarlo Bonutti, the center’s director. “Dignity is the beginning of hope.” Bonutti put his words to action during a recent interview at the center. He sat behind a reception desk, scurrying to hand out bars of soap, towels, freshly laundered clothing and other necessities to those who waited in line for some spruce up time. For more than two decades, Mary Magdalen House has offered people relief from the stress and hardships of street life. The numbers run about 90% male guests, but the center welcomes adult men and women. Bonutti and former director, John Martin, agree that guests tend to be a younger lot than what was true twenty years ago. One shower is fully equipped to serve guests with physical handicaps, Fast Facts: including limited mobility. For three decades, it’s offered people relief from the stress and hardships of street life. For volunteer, Ellie Logan, the center shows a whole new definition of dignity. “It takes a lot to keep this place going,” she said, checking to make sure all supplies were in order and ready to distribute to guests for their afternoon oasis time. Logan began her volunteering when she was a student in a homeless course at University of Cincinnati. Longtime volunteer, Portia Fuller, likes best the personal time with the guests. “I get to know the guys and ladies by name,” she said. “Some people think homelessness equals worthlessness, and that’s not a good stereotype.” Meanwhile, a long line forms. Guests sign in, hosts smile and chat with them. The lines shorten as groups of seven move from the reception area into one of the three black and blue tiled shower rooms, into one of the many individual stalls located next to the toilets, urinals, mirrors and counters. Below, washers and dryers hum, cleaning one of the twenty-five daily loads. The two just a hair short of boiler size hot water heaters run continuously. And another day goes by at the place that was once a former butcher shop until someone had a dream and decided to put tons of love into giving to others. 3 = Washers wash the clothing at Mary Magdalen House. 626 = Dollars (estimated for 2009) spent per month for water. 4 = Large dryers dry the clothing at Mary Magdalen House. 25 = Loads of laundry completed daily at Mary Magdalen House. 100 = People take showers at Mary Magdalen House each day. 25 = Volunteers. 2 = Weeks the shower house stores clean clothing for guests. 150 = Bags of stored clothing pulled off the shelves every two months to keep shelves orderly. 14,200 = Showers taken by guests since computer tracking began in 1995. 7 = Full and part-time shower house staff. 90 = Percentage of budget met by private donations. 2 = Water heaters, each with 199,000 BTU’s. 831 = Dollars spent each month (average) for gas and electric in 2009. 1,547 = New razors provided in a single year. PainterTeam:Layout 1 6/15/2011 4:43 PM Page 1 How Do I Find The Shower House: Mary Magdalen House is located on the west side of Main Street, just north of 12th Street in Over-The-Rhine. If you’re downtown, head north on Main Street which is a one-way street. The address is 1223 Main Street, and the phone number is (513) 721-4811. Visit the center online at marymagdalenhouse.org. Background: Founders of the shower house saw individuals being forced to toilet in parks, parking lots, driveways or stoops. The needy people flocked to Old Saint Mary’s Church, saying they wanted to work. Work was unlikely since many of them were dirty and unshaven, and lacked access to phones for appointments. The Rev. Dohrman W. Byers, Mrs. Mary Heller and a family in the parish birthed the idea of Mary Magdalen House. It opened March 25, 1988. The Details: Mary Magdalen House is open for showers every day except for Sunday. No appointment is necessary. The hours are 8a.m. – noon and 1p.m. – 4p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8a.m. – noon on Saturday. Guests take showers on a first come, first served basis. First time guests receive a change of clothing. Also, guests can chose to have the center do their laundry. Telephones are available. Buying or selling . . . The Painter Team For all your real estate needs, call: Michael D. Painter, e-Pro, REOS, SFR 513.348.7999 Candace Kadivnik Painter, CRS, ABR 513.266.1025 Painting the town sold . . . 513.474.9100 �Resources 10 ST R EET VIBES S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point (Family Shelter Hotline) Cincinnati Union Bethel 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 381-SAFE St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 681-2365 762-5660 872-9259 Shelter: Men 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 241-5525 Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 661-4620 St. Vincent de Paul 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Prospect House 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Starting Over Treatment: Both Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 AA Hotline CCAT Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 471-1100 221-3350 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 721-8666 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-5300 961-1983 621-6364 PainterStreetNew:Layout 1 4/22/2011 1:33 PM Page 1 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 562-8841 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 784-1853 921-1613 961-2256 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4663 351-0422 381-6672 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-2247 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 558-8888 981-5800 458-6670 977-4489 Other Resources Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4080 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart Anthony House (Youth) 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John Treatment: Women 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Crossroad Health Center 271-5501 Treatment: Men First Step Home Shelter: Both 241-1064 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 Charlie’s 3/4 House City Gospel Mission 535-2719 591-2246 241-2600 241-2563 621-5514 381-0111 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 721-4700 421-7803 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Compliments of Judge Mark Painter United Nations Appeals Tribunal 2009– Ohio Court of Appeals 1995–2009 Hamilton County Municipal Court 1982– Judging strictly on merit for 30 years www.judgepainter.org Paid for by the Judge Painter Cte., Paul Gaffney, CPA, Treas., 5086 Wooster Road · Cincinnati, OH 45226 Brighton Center 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 859-491-8303 ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health Center for Respite Care Northern Kentucky 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �Street Voice ST R EE T V IB E S 11 S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 In the Mix RICCARDO TAYLOR Staff Writer ftentimes we find ourselves in the mix of the streets, and as often we realize that we are in above our heads and yet we continue to mix it up. Now if I didn’t quite make that clear then let’s put it another way. The life on the streets takes on many twist and turns almost never leading to a conclusion but rather adding more twist and turns! Then on those occasions when we have the opportunity to look back, we see where things went array or at best how we caused ourselves more inconveniences. So, we are in a perpetual state of questioning ourselves as to why, how and if. Insanity they say it’s doing the same things expecting different results, I say it’s doing the same things knowing the results! So the questioning seemingly is easy too resolve, but is it really? We make a mistake, and then find ourselves ill at ease, trying to figure out the why? Why did I do this, why was I there, why, why, why! Then we finally conclude that it goes with the territory, so we stop questioning why, and just chalk it up to the game! Of course during this whole episode we are convincing ourselves that we won’t go that way or do that again! Then comes the most depressing ques- O tion. How did I let that happen? How can I fix this or that? How do I make that right? The how is most profound because we have so may answers, so many alternatives, so many resolves, yet no real answers as to how! Well, again we are chalking it up to the game! Dawning our usual thinking, we won’t do that again! Now we are at our most common review. If only I had! If I had done this or that then this or that would not have happened! If I had just took more time, if I had went in that direction, if, if, if, how ease to place blame! But then why place blame? And the questioning goes on and on why, how and if! Of course it’s the same old line, “chalk it up to the game!” So, here we are at standstill, trying to figure which way to turn. We understand what is up ahead and we also know what’s behind, yet like the toss salad of life we continue find ourselves in the mix! Sometimes our senses come into play and we think outside the box. Riccardo Taylor. Photo: GCCH What? What do I do to get out of the mix? Ideally a proclamation is in order so we the very things we are trying to alleviate that start to seek out ways to relieve ourselves pattern of destructive thinking and acting! That of the whys, how’s and ifs. It is at these times same old mix that we so badly want to extract when we are most vulnerable. It is here that we are faced with the reality that what we know ourselves from. Why me, how did I, what if? They all are an integral part of being in the mix, best isn’t what’s best for us! Instilled with the so the question remains, how do we satisfy the old mind-set of do or die we start to mix even stirring that is the mix of our lives. more so! Confusion can lead to relapse into Follow the Money, Invest in Solutions SUSAN LAKES Streetvibes Staff Writer erry Lewis called Matt and Joel his kids. They weren’t. They were my sister’s beloved sons, my very own nephews and my parents’ grandchildren. Lewis, the comedian, hosts the annual telethon that raises funds for neuromuscular diseases, including the awful kind of muscular dystrophy that crippled and then slowly killed Matt and Joel. He’s the longtime spokesperson for The Muscular Dystrophy Association, or MDA as it’s commonly called during the annual fundraising telethon. My sister despised that telethon weekend. She called Lewis a phony, and vowed never to support or take support for her children from anything MDA-related. Instead of Lewis and his ilk, my big sister turned her hopes for “cured” J children to a small muscular dystrophy foundation based in Indianapolis. It was founded and run by a doctor who devoted his life to finding a cure for Duchene Muscular Dystrophy. The doctor bound my nephews in braces for his research. He periodically sliced muscle tissue from their calves and examined the tissue to check for improvements. I’m not sure what the final outcome looked like. If Joel and Matt showed improvement, it was shortlived. Matt, the oldest, died first. He was in his early thirties. Joel died at about the same age a few years later. I miss their beautiful smiles. I miss their spunk and spirit, especially Matt’s. One time, Matt was driving his motorized wheelchair too fast through a pharmacy aisle, and knocked over a big display. He turned it into a hit and run incident! Yep. Matt watched that display fall, and then high- tailed it home. My sister, being the great mom that she is, treated this speeding incident just like she would have had Matt been able to walk and drive a car. She had the police give Matt a speeding lecture, then made him apologize to the pharmacist. I think a lot about Matt and Joel when I decide which service gets my hard earned money. This thought process began back in the ‘70s when they were babies and when I first started working. The job encouraged us to give to United Way, so I did. (Looking back, I think there was some kind of contest going on that our agency leaders wanted to win). I filled out the form, picked the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation, had the payroll deduction and basically forgot about the money that was being pulled from my check, until … About a year later when I noticed my name didn’t appear on the list of donors for the foundation. I called and told them how much I had given, and found out that none of my money had made it to the foundation. It seems my employer had notcommunicated my consent and “given” all that money to The United Way, but not to the specific charity I selected. I was hot. I felt duped. I couldn’t get them to understand that I wanted to pick exactly where my donations landed. I insisted that they find the money and immediately forward it to The Muscular Dystrophy Foundation, the place that offered so much hope and solace to my sister’s family. I can’t even remember what happened, but I do know this; nowadays my donations had better go to the right place, and the recipient organization/agency had by golly better use it for what it says it will. If not, I’m prepared this time to call in government agencies, fraud units and even the IRS. I just might even call in the big guns with homeland security! That’s how very seriously I take investing in real solutions. �12 Arts & Culture The Cheetah and the Pig NICHOLAS HOESL Contributing Writer e all heard of the Olympian competition that decided the fastest cheetah in the world, pitting the Cincinnati Zoo’s Sara against a cheetah in South Africa named ZaZa, each soloing on their own turf. After Sara’s three timed runs at the Kentucky Speedway infield in Sparta, Sara claimed the world record for the 100 meter dash. “This was not just for fun,” said Cathryn Hilker, who founded the zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program. “It’s to look at the cheetah in awe and say, ‘We must not lose this glorious animal.’ ” Zoo patrons know all to well what happened on September 1, 1914, when Martha, the last passenger pigeon in the world died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo. The population of cheetahs has dwindled from about 100,000 at the turn of the century to 12,500. All of this brings to mind my participation in the zoo’s annual “Cheetah Run,” a three mile Run/Walk within The Zoo several years ago. Cars began pouring into the gates at 7:15 a.m. One of the best kept secrets was that you could load up your car with runners and non-runners to enjoy a family day at the Zoo without an entrance or parking fee. Also on tap was the Children’s Fun Run around Swan Lake. Parking the car in the Peacock Lot, I stroll-stretched into the pre-race crowd, when a megaphone man announced, “The Flying Pig has arrived.” Decked out in my baggy pink pants with silver wings and pig-pug nose, I felt right at home with twolegged and four-legged creatures. I was also here to plug Cincinnati’s “Fly- W ST R EET VIBES S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 ing Pigs Marathon” in May. Most runners remember the infamous Rosie Ruiz when she cut short her route and claimed her crown in the New York Marathon by using the subway to receive 15 minutes of fame. I took the longer route in running “The Big Apple.” Bumping into her, I asked what brought her to this race. “Oh, I no cheetah in this race. I come to town to see the Reds. Just call me “Rosie Red,” as she flaunted her Scarlet O’Hara persona. But I needed to get focused if this was to be my day of swine and roses. Then to my delight a zookeeper walks up to me with a real live cheetah. Her name was Moya. What a magnificent creature. This guy set the world speed record for land mammals, covering 100 meters in 6.6 seconds. We were in awe of her unassuming presence. Some were not surprised, considering that cheetahs go into schools and exhibitions, so why not see them up close and personal on their own turf? Asked about the dark malar stripes under the cheetah’s eyes, we were told they were to keep the glare out of the eyes and enabling it to spot prey as far as three miles away. Everyone’s adrenalin rose, not to mention the expectation of a fast course. I noticed the cheetah eyeing me from snout to tail, or was this a pigment of my imagination? There are no pigpens in the zoo. One employee thought a pigpen was something you write with. OK, let’s cut to the chase. At the crack of the gun, the runners headed out along the Zoo’s outer perimeter. There was an unusual amount of joggers behind low-slung kiddy strollers, and one whimsical pig solidly in the rear. As we rounded the oval the second time, Bengal fans were starting to stir. Forget about football. We’re talking real Bengals. Call it a reverse spectacle. “Run for your life,” a guy yells as he flies by. For me, the miles go easier when cracking a few jokes or belting out a song. I passed a group of zoo caretakers and couldn’t help saying, “You can thank us for your break today.” Circling the famous Elephant and Giraffe House with the Indian Mogul dome, I asked a runner if he knew how to get an elephant out of the theatre. “You can’t,” he panted, “not if it’s in his blood.” Rounding Monkey Island, we all wondered if the monkey was wondering whether he is his brother’s keeper or his keeper’s brother. More important, will the lead runners leave us any bananas? Every time we passed the Passenger Pigeon Memorial and took a quick glance at Martha’s statue, it was a time to reflect. Imagine if Martha was still around and the CREW (Center for Research of Endangered Wildlife) crossed the woodpecker with the carrier. You would get a bird that not only knocks on your door, but also delivers a message. Asking Zoo employees why more animals are not watching the race, they replied, “they’re mating,” Then added, “If you had the choice, what would you do?” No wonder Newsweek called it “The World’s Sexiest Zoo.” To be fair to the primates, some do take up painting, but most watch “Planet of the Apes” re-runs. By this time I was grunting and sweating, well, like a pig. My inner voice said “slow down.” My alternate said “Hogwash.” Unexpectedly, I meandered off the trail. Peering over my pork shoulder, I spotted the cheetah in the distance. At first I thought “how quaint.” This was Resuming up the pathway by Yeatman’s Cove is a pedal-activated model inscribed on the treadle by the mark of J.G. Murdock & Co. with the surname cast into the base and also addressed as Cincinnati. O. About a return route, a hop uptown to 4th St., whereby in a recess by the Christ Church is an august pedaloperated Murdock “bubblefont” continuing to promisingly provide vital intake to the people in the area. Setting upon turning up any records for the inception of the oldest Murdock “Bubble-Font”, surprisingly led to scant mention, even with local searches*. One source was a Cincinnati Post column by Si Cornell in 1978 from an article were J. Kelso Murdock related that John G. Murdock was a Scottish immigrant who on arrival in the States in 1842 applied his plumbing skill, eventually opening a supply store downtown on 5th St. According to J. Kelso his ancestor invented a “nonfreezing” fountain in 1853 that due to its bypass mechanism below the frost line meant that his fountain could be used year-round. This early claim led to delving into other sources that cited Harlan Huckleby- and as ceded Kohler- with the initial patent for the first “bubbler,” from which the modern drinking fountain derived being issued in 1888, with further credit given to Halsey Willard Taylor and Luther Haws for their wider efforts of sanitary drinking fonts in the early 1900’s. Why though has Murdock’s name largely been left out of this prime development? Aided by an employee of the current company there was a clarifying her names day, her back yard and now, her fun run. Hold on! Did the park install invisible fencing? No! The cheetah flagged her long tail skyward. Oh God, the charge was on! Adrenalin, don’t fail me now. At the Nocturnal House, I took off like a bat out of hell, squealing, running as fast as my hind legs could carry me. Was I to become a ham of draconian proportions? What would Doctor Dolittle do, besides chatting to the cheetah in Cheetonese? Would there be one less member of the World Wildlife Fund? Feeling heavy breathing on my neck and wing tips, I veered off sharply with zigzags and did a double handstand leap over a canyon wall. The cheetah stopped cold. Peering down, she gave me a quizzical grin, as if to say, “Well, now I know pigs can fly.” I also knew what it meant to be looking out instead of looking in. The game was over. For the following year, Zoo officials advised me to come dressed in any other costume. “Cheetahs go wild over portly pink pigs,” they remarked, “especially if they can catch one by themselves.” As for everyone else, they told me what is well known…running can save your life. Others said the whole episode reminded them of the movie “Charlottes Web.” Then they told me I was “Some Pig.” Join The Cheetah Run, Sunday, September 4, at 8 AM. Go to www.cincinnatizoo.org Nicholas Hoesl, of Westwood, is author of “Laughter: The Drug of Choice,” and “Jest Desserts of Cincinnati’s 50 Plus.” Hidden History: Cincinnati’s “Bubble-Fonts” A. MANN Contributing Writer long the Ohio River on the plaza that holds a piping memorial is nearby a familiar sight- a public drinking fountain. Often taken as a routine fixture for accessing potable water these joint founts are in regard of their lasting features vastly significant. In plain view the iron bearing of these base receptacles initially relays the look of a practical appliance more than any ongoing symbolic offering representing a prime issuance to Cincinnati’s heritage and growth. On the basis of the first fount, little is seen of any marked aspect beyond a useful button at hand. Further adaptation is visible from the basin that is pitted and though chromed inside, the bronze bowl is weather worn. The cissing felt of the outer rim has dredged up recollections partook of an alike fount; hazily re-forming past romps in area parks and city jaunts with my Dad, or on especial times granddad. In this reverie a whispered memory increases an odd quip by my grandpa for this drinking device… a “bubble-font.” This phrase prompts a release of a name recalling a sound stamp upon this fount being set as Murdock. A exchange made with Bob Murdock and his account was candid, deserving further detail than is within this article’s given scope. Archival material from 158 years ago is subject to fugitive conditions and the past documents may have been lost, as Bob stated that many original records perished in a fire in the early 1900’s at the building on 5th. St.. In further relay he shared that the patented system was originally installed within an “anti-freezing hydrant” mentioning that many are still in operation within Spring Grove Cemetery as well as some other extant fountains. As for an inset date for the “bubble-font” on 4th St. it remains unknown, though Bob shared it may be the oldest in town, being rebuilt twice in the last 30 or 40 years. Towards a recall of any well-built fonts before that, he reckons it was likely in Eden Park that has since be-en replaced, while the prior landmark fountain accorded by J. Kelso remains flowing in French Park since 1890. *Sincere thanks to Jeanne Strauss De Groote of the Genealogy and Local History Department in our Main Library, whose persistence and professional knowledge provided sources of reference when there seemingly were none in the system. �ST R EE T V IB E S S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 Arts & Culture 13 The Great Mustache Bash h, the Mustache. By definition, it is facial hair on the outer surface of the upper lip. It has grown its way into our history on such notable faces as Salvador Dali, Groucho Marx, and Adolf Hitler. Mustaches come in more flavors than Graeters Ice Cream, including such beauties as the Walrus, the Horseshoe, the Pencil, the Chevron, the Toothbrush, and who would forget, the Fu Manchu? Understanding that this persistent growth is undoubtedly ingrained into our past and certainly going to be involved in our future, a local group of hairy faces is celebrating the bristly, bushy, but always beautiful, mustache. On Wednesday August 24, promotion site Yelp – along with co-sponsors Arnold’s Bar and Grill, Far-I-Rome Productions, Christian Moerlein, Shutterbooth.com, and Vitamin Water – threw an event unlike any that Cincinnati has ever seen. Men from all over Cincinnati brought their scruff, scraggle, or your facial fur and enjoyed conversation, competition, and music with similar folk. Those not blessed with whiskered lips, strapped on some artificial fur and fit right in! Fake facial follicles were available at Arnold’s for those who might have been left out. Prizes were awarded for such amazingness as “Craziest Mustache”, “Best Fake Mustache”, and of course, plain old “Best Mustache”. Mustached musicians: the Kelsey Skaggs, The Turkeys, and Indigo Wild provided the sounds. (Jake Gerth) O To learn more about the increasing weirdness of the Queen City visit www.makecincinnati weird.com Feywill Inaugural Music Festival Rocks the Strasse NICK GREVER Contributing Writer C incinnati show promoters seem to love dichotomies. How else could you explain planning a weekend long festival, with over 50 bands, of varying genres and crowd types, and plop it all down in Covington’s popular MainStrasse village? But, in between surf-rock bands performing in an Irish pub and a sleaze rock band playing in a dance club, music fans were able to enjoy all that the inaugural Feywill Music Festival had to offer, even if normal club attendees weren’t so sold. By any measure, Feywill was a massive undertaking, with a massive list of bands, spanning across several MainStrasse bars and Goebel’s Park, effectively taking over the village for two nights. Perhaps due to Feywill’s age, much of the usual MainStrasse crowd seemed a little unnerved by the invasion of local music fans, but that was half the fun. Seeing Banderas perform a floor show at Pachinko, amidst the sea of club-goers was a paradox that festival organizers surely relished. But the festival’s bands seemed to make the very best of their various venues. MainStrasse standards, such as Cock and Bull, Zola and Strasse Haus were transformed, if only for two nights into music clubs. In fact, many of the venues saw a surge in attendance as the nights progressed and the bands started their sets. Being able to hear much of the bands from the street surely brought in inquisitive ears, curious to see what all the fuss was about. MainStrasse village’s layout was perhaps the biggest benefit to the chosen location. The festival, spread across just a few blocks made traveling to see several different acts quickly very easy. Crossing from one end of the village to the other took but a few minutes, allowing fans to crisscross their way across the festival. Combining this with the festival’s cheap pricing for nightly and weekend passes enabled music fans to enjoy a vast amount of live acts within a short amount of time. Several of the venues were free for all, making the price of admission even less for many attendees. Parking was an issue, but that’s just a normal occurrence in the MainStrasse area. When the worst part of a festival is having too many people at said festival, that’s a pretty good sign for a new event. For a brand new festival, Feywill drew in several big, local names, such as Loudmouth, Eat Sugar and The Harlequins (alongside many more) along with major, local sponsors, like Ale 8, Maker’s Mark and Kentucky Ale. The strong local ties made for an event that has a lot of promise for years to come. In fact, the vast amount of local bands and support provided a nice counterpoint to the other major music festival of the area: Midpoint. Midpoint has grown exponentially through the years and this growth has brought a lot of national attention. This national recognition, while very beneficial for the festival and the area, has also caused an influx of national and regional acts joining the festival to perform. Feywill’s almost completely local lineup was a welcome shift from Midpoint’s evolution. Being able to see a band and be almost completely assured that you could see them again soon at some local club is undeniably exciting. Ultimately, the inaugural Feywill Music Festival could be considered a success by any measure. Several dozen local bands, backed by local sponsors, and their fans converged upon MainStrasse village, took the stage across nine venues and rocked out for two nights of fun. With Midpoint and its myriad incarnations, Cincinnati and northern Kentucky is quickly becoming a hotspot for quality music festivals. With the inclusion of, hopefully, another yearly music festival, that reputation can only grow. �Meetup 14 Renaissance Man Meet Mike Henson. Age 64. Alcoholism Counsellor. Poet. Musician. Novelist. Lifelong activist. JIM LUKEN Contributing Writer M ike Henson has come for a meeting in the storefront office at Buddy’s Place, at 13th and Vine. In the short time before the meeting opens, he stares out the big front windows facing Vine Street. “I remember when those windows were filled with guitars and sheet music.” We were sitting in what was once—Mike reminds me—the Jimmy Skinner Music Store, a hub of old time music in Cincinnati for quite a few years. During that period (the 60s and 70s), according to Henson, there were five churches and five bars on Main between 12th and Liberty. “They were all playing bluegrass music. Even the Stanley Brothers came here to play.” At that time many, perhaps most folks in Over-the-Rhine had Appalachian roots. Mike Henson’s long-time involvement in Over-the-Rhine stems primarily from the neighborhood’s Southern Mountain heritage, which is now mostly a thing of the distant past. Having always loved “the hillbillies.” Mike, who has published a handful of books and holds a Masters Degree in English, proudly considers himself a hillbilly too. Of sorts. He remembers growing up semirural in Sidney, Ohio, an hour and a half north of Cincinnati. His mother was a school teacher, raised in Massachusetts. But his Dad’s roots were in the hills of Kentucky. The Henson family Sidney home’s backyard bumped up against the backyard of another Henson home, the place where his paternal grandparents had retired. Mike’s grandpa had “little or no education,” but he played five musical instruments. Henson says he would learn Southern words and expressions from his grandparents, then go home, and his mother would correct him. Henson smiles. “She talked like the Kennedys.” Mike remembers spending as much time as he could with his Dad’s folks. “But after they died, he says, “it wasn’t OK to be affiliated with anything south of the Ohio River. It wasn’t Ok to be a hillbilly.” In high school and college, Henson recalls classmates ST R EET VIBES S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 Meetup is meant to tell people’s stories in their own words. The views expressed in this column are solely those of the interviewee and not those of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, Streetvibes or the staff, volunteers and board members. Chicago. Mike’s intention was to get a Masters degree, then a PHD in English. He made it halfway to his goal. “We had a baby,” Henson explains. The couple returned to Cincinnati, and located themselves on Orchard Street near the old Woodward High school in OTR. Two more daughters joined their sister in the Henson family. Kathleen would become deeply committed to the efforts to save the Peaslee School as a downtown public school. Initially, Mike found himself involved in the so-called Model Cities Program. “We did a lot of good work,” he recalls, “but the program itself After so varied a job history, Mike now finds himself working as making fun of some of his down-home a licensed, independent, chemical expressions. “Pert-near,” for example, dependency counselor in a program and “crick” for creek. called Paths to Recovery. His office As an undergraduate at Xavier is at the new Jimmy Heath House University, he hooked up with a group on Odeon Street. On the surface this called “The Appalachian Volunteer might seem like a dramatic employProgram.” The students would make ment turn-around. Not so. In addition regular trips to Eastern Kentucky. to his regular work, Henson had been “I loved it,” Henson beams. “That’s helping—mostly as a volunteer—with where I met Bonnie.” [Bonnie Neuclinical supervision at the Drop Inn meier, 40-year activist in OTR] Center for the past 15 years . “One of During one of the student trainthe things I am most proud of is that ings for work in Appalachia, Mike met we brought what had been an ‘experia man named Ernie Mynatt. Ernie ment’ up to professional standards.” was from Harlan County, KY, a born Henson looks back on his emteacher, and, at the time, a “detached ployment career as a kind of social worker” in Over-themystery. “If you had told me 35 Rhine. Henson says Mynatt years ago what I would end up received a little money from doing, I wouldn’t have believed an Appalachian Fund, and you. It’s like I had these differsimply hung out on the ent lives, and they really didn’t street with the folks. “He have anything to do with one was the most charismatic another.” man I ever met. He had a But that’s not all. There way of articulating this posihave been at least two other tive vision of hope.” “lives” that the hillbilly-wanAfter the training sesnabe lad from Sidney has lived sion, Henson sat down with out through all these years. A Mynatt who scribbled some political and a literary life. notes especially for the “I’m a person of the left,” young activist-to-be. “I kept Mike says, “a totally unapolothem with me for 20 years, getic socialist. But the things until my wallet was stolen.” I value most, are also valued More than anything else, it by many of my conservative Mike reflects on his long and winding journey . Photo: Jim Luken was Mynatt’s influence that friends. If we could find out brought Henson to work in how to talk and to act on these comwas a great destroyer of community OTR. One of Ernie’s statements, as mon values, we could change the organizing.” Mike recalls, could be true for any world.” Then with a sigh, “There’s just It was at this time (’72-’73) that middle class person working/living so much noise.” Mike met buddy gray, and became among the poor. “Remember…you Henson on black-white relations: involved with Voices newspaper, the can always leave. They can’t.” “I’ve been privileged to have had precursor to Streetvibes (he remains In September of ’65, still in colgreat experiences working with the an occasional contributor of poetry lege, Mike Henson got a summer job African-American community, working and book reviews). He participated in with the Main Street Bible Center, a with black colleagues and friends. It a start-up project, through the Urban Catholic social service agency. His job Appalachian Council, called “The appears to me that the lower down the resembled that of his mentor. “I was economic scale people go, the less Appalachian Heritage Room” on 14th encouraged to hang out with the guys. Street (now the office of Over-theracism they have, the less fear they So I did. I took them fishing.” have of one another. I think the poor Rhine Community Housing). Henson The young social-worker-to-be can teach society in that regard. describes this as—partially at least— got very close to some of these men. “In the East End, black and white a five-year-long attempt to bring the “They were my great teachers.” More families have been together for years. Black and Appalachian communities important perhaps, this group of men They ought to be the ones to tell the together. “As little as we knew about enabled Henson to get in touch with city how to deal with race relations. what the hell we were doing, I’m his own familial and cultural roots. “It surprised everything didn’t go wrong. I Forget the high-priced counselors.” sounds stupid,” he explains, “but they And then there is the artist side of think we did a pretty good job though. taught me to let my shirttails hang out. Every now and then we hit it right.” Michael Henson. He is the author of They taught me the richness of the But, as often happens with intense five books, including a novel (Ran(Appalachian) language. I remember sack), two books of poems and two working situations, there were people the tones and the rhythms.” Indeed, books of short stories. He will soon problems. Finally, he says, “the persome of those tones and rhythms publish a short novel, called Tommy sonality stuff overwhelmed me.” have found their way into Henson’s Perdue. Like his four children, he says So Mike decided to take a factory own “voice.” Even now, he speaks with job at Duro Paper Bag in Covington. “I all the books are different, and he is a slight, sweet drawl. proud of each one for different reaonly weighed 120 pounds, and I was All these first clients and teachers sons. working with some very big machinand friends are dead now, Mike HenAnd then there is the music. Mike ery, and very heavy bundles. Ever the son relates. Three of them from “the Henson is an excellent guitar player organizer, Henson says he helped consequences of alcohol”… “One kid and—take it from this writer—a singer rebuild a foundering union into a got executed by the state of Ohio.” with a haunting approach to his matefunctioning one while he was there. “I On one of his trips to out to Martin learned a lot,” he says. rial. Low key, but powerful, very much County, Kentucky, the young activist like the man himself. After that job, Henson worked for met a local girl, named Kathleen PruHenson: “Mostly I do music seven years as a counselor at Talbert dence. The two would be married in because I enjoy it. It brings me in House, doing outreach in the East Adams County (Ohio) where Henson contact with people I wouldn’t meet End. He divorced, and later marwent, after graduating from Xavier, to ried Elissa Pogue, a long-time social otherwise”…”If you want to relate to be an English Teacher. He recalls that worker, specializing in prevention the working class, learn some corny this was the poorest school district work. They had one son, who is now song, like Kenny Rogers. You need to in the poorest county in Ohio. Once 24, and a professional writer like his relate to people where they are. I don’t again, Henson—along with his new Dad. think people should just do the narwife—got deeply involved with the ApIn 1999, Mike Henson went back rowly correct thing.” palachian community there. to the Urban Appalachian Council, Far be it from Mike Henson to do A year later, the couple left Adams doing organizing work around environ- the narrowly correct thing. He is, after County for an entirely different world. mental issues for eight years in Lower all, and obviously, a renaissance man. Graduate school at the University of Price Hill. �Book Review ST R EE T V IB E S 15 S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 Get up, Stand Up: Uniting Populists, Energizing the Defeated and Battling the Corporate Elite KATE ZAIDAN www.cincinnatibeacon.com ne need not look far to see the evidence of a deflated population. Quality of life for the poor and middle classes in America is careening toward untenable, with the most draconian cuts to government services since Nixon advanced by a Democrat promising change. We live in the most economically prosperous country in the world, and the story we are told over and over is that we are bankrupt. While spirited protests and committed individuals surround social and economic justice issues, overall, movements for change involve only the tiniest sliver of the general population. Are we rallying around the wrong issues? Is protest dated and ineffective? Or are we too sad and helpless to believe that anything can change? I had the opportunity to sit down with Cincinnati’s own Bruce Levine, whose recent book Get up, Stand Up: Uniting Populists, Energizing the Defeated and Battling the Corporate Elite is the latest addition to a growing body of work that attempts to explain and diagnose the passivity of the general public in the face of increasing austerity. Levine is a self-described “dissident shrink” and posits that most Americans are not lazy, greedy and selfish; rather, many have become psychologically incapable of rebellion. I spoke with him last week at a local coffee shop in his eclectic Cincinnati neighborhood. Bruce’s take on contemporary American life is painfully acute. We are in an “abusive relationship” with our society; we live in a cycle of dependency where violence takes the form of complete corporate control of our lives. Efforts to resist are criminalized, medicated, and co-opted. “Most people know that money controls the world, but are either too depressed or drugged to do anything about it.” We learn helplessness: our lives at work, home and school isolate us from each other, compromise our integrity and reward money and ego worship. Drugs, both illegal and prescribed, and television are simply filling the holes in our hearts. Our psychic malaise serves an increasingly empowered elite, enriched on the backs of working people, without any risk of reprisal. Levine’s book carefully reconstructs the terrain of struggle for progressives: we need to focus less O on information, and more on creating energy. He points a compassionate yet honest finger at traditional forms of activism, noting that the ever-present lectures and reform campaigns often serve to burden our already heavy hearts. What we need instead, Levine says, are communities formed in struggle that provide a platform for reverberation, a sense of belonging, and small victories that build our morale. “Strategically, when we recognize that large corporations cannot stomach losing any money, then one realizes that boycotts and bad publicity can be quite effective. Coalition of Immokalee Workers, an organization of mostly immigrant and undocumented farmworkers, decided to fight the biggest food corporations on earth—and they won. Ten years ago they started a campaign for “fair food,” pressuring the major buyers of those tomatoes to pay more. Within four years, they got Taco Bell to meet all their demands, and by 2007 McDonald’s had fallen in line. When one experiences some sense of potency, this can be antidote to demoralization and defeatism.” Movements for change must build self-respect and collective selfconfidence to summon the energy needed to win our battles. “Collective self-confidence—or the belief that it is actually possibly to overcome corporatocracy domination—can comes with even small victories. So, for example the Boston based group City Life has won victories over banks, stopping evictions, foreclosures by organizing blockades, vigils and other actions, that exert public pressure on the banks, and these victories energize those City Life activists to take on larger systems.” “People must believe that they are worthy of power” says Levine, and contends that the institutions supposedly anchoring our democracy, like the electoral system and higher education, actually erode our collective self con- fidence, providing a false and hollow sense of control. “If one is only caring about electoral politics on the national level, this can create learned helplessness and be disempowering. After all, whether a Republican or a Democrat wins, we still get senseless wars and corporate control, and because of the power of money in our election system is almost impossible for a third party such as the Green Party that opposes corporate control and senseless wars to win. So, it is important to keep in mind that national elections are only one ‘democracy battlefield’, and we should put more energy into battlefields that are less controlled by big money.” Progressive books of this sort are often predictably formulaic: seven chapters of hyperbolic doomsday scenarios proceed one chapter of simplistic utopian vision, with a case study of an organization that is doing it right. Get Up, Stand Up is a refreshing anomaly. Levine instructs us to navigate what might lie in between global meltdown and democratic, selfsustaining bioregions. While some of his critique of schools and government seemed to be rooted in strongly held yet unsubstantiated opinion, Levine’s book does offer something new and hopeful to the tired reiterations of what is wrong with the world. “Academics sometimes stress only information and seem to believe that the truth alone is enough to set people free, but all democratic movements—from anti-war, to labor, to civil rights—have always required risk and courage. In the U.S., unlike some other authoritarian societies, there is less risk of being killed for opposing the corporate elite but there is a great risk—almost certainty—of economic marginalization. That’s a big way how the U.S. corporatocracy keeps us in line. So, we must begin to do what old-time activists did, which is that you have create more economic self-sufficiency and a community that supports one another financially. Many of us would like to ‘do the right thing’ but fears including financial ones break us. So activists must begin to do what America’s most successful activists such as those in our great agrarian revolt, the Populist Movement in the 1880s and 1890s, This was to implement practices such as producer cooperatives that reduced the financial pain of its members. That’s how one recruits and sustains a movement so I spend a great deal of time in Get Up, Stand Up talking about the lessons from that Populist Movement.” Levine’s revolutionary suggestion is that we approach both activism and mental health in ways that are democratic, human-centered, and give us a sense of our own power. Treading lightly around the questions of ideology, Populism is used (perhaps too casually) to illustrate a vision of a movement that meets both the material and spiritual needs of working class people. In fact, Levine suggests that traditional divisions of right and left prevent us from building strategic alliances with positive outcomes. “When it comes to horrors of the senseless wars that wasteful military spending, one failure of many left activists is to be unwilling—perhaps out of fear that it is not politically correct—to form alliances with anti-war libertarians who passionately oppose these wars. By they way, these antiauthoritarian libertarians also oppose the Wall Street bailout, the PATRIOT Act, NAFTA, the War on Drugs, and other issues that left-antiauthoritarians also oppose. Alliances among different political camps on these issues don’t prevent debate and disagreements on other issues, such as the proper use of government and markets. In fact alliances on war opposition can turn these other debates into more productive dialogues, and I have actually had libertarian antiauthoritarians tell me, after such dialogues about the corporatocracy, that maybe they will move over to being left anti-authoritarians.” The old left has been accused of favoring the material over the spiritual. The new left tends to uphold the therapeutic over the concrete. Levine helps us strike a balance. He posits that change cannot occur until we begin to heal our broken hearts. The book stands to change much of what we think about political engagement. Courage, hope and solidarity are more than just buzzwords, indeed, these intangible qualities are the difference between a winning and losing battle. SPRING by Willla Denise Jones Spring has always been my favorite out all four seasons Spring has no snow and not too much heat, may that be the reason Spring with it so many misinterpretations and misunderstandings Spring to the light so we can see just what mankind is demanding Spring to the facts: Unemployment and homelessness on the rise, can these things be an illusion Spring into the reality: We as a people trying to control each other, now this is the confusion Spring into new horizons, now living with new politicians, new fights and new killings Spring into arrest which means nothing today for the facts state the state is doing the stealing Spring to the wakeup call so I sprung up one morning and realized my seasons had come Spring into the real understanding that the battles only God has won Spring is the understanding that like all things that come and go, spring is here Spring back to know that all men are created equal is that not what should be made so clear Spring to the knowledge that we as people have choices and can make positive decisions Spring into the word of God and believe with faith, with trust only then can we stop these collisions �16 ST R EET VIBES S e p t e m b e r 2 - 1 5 , 2 0 11 STREETVIBES ANNUAL VISUAL AND LITERARY ART CONTEST: As part of Streetvibes’ commitment to building community and advocating justice we are expanding our reach to the local arts community, seeking their artistic voice and vision. Beginning SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2011 Streetvibes will begin accepting submissions for our first annual visual and literary art contest. There are three distinct categories 1. StreetVision 2. StreetVoice and 3.StreetVagary. All submissions will be considered however, preference will go to work produced by local artists and writers from the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area and for work that embraces human rights and social justice. Submissions are reviewed on an on-going basis. Submissions are $5 per entry and there is no limit to the number of entries each artist or writer submits. Submission fees will fund a pot of prize money that will be given to the top entries bi-annually. Prizes are awarded to the top three entries in all three categories. CATEGORIES: you are invited: Please join Prairie and the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition for the release party for the 2012 Day by Day calendar and Homeless Awareness Month Kick Off Saturday, October 1st 7-9PM At Prairie, 4035 Hamilton Avenue Through October Gallery Hours Tues-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-4 Prairie collaborates with Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition to produce an annual calendar called Day by Day which includes photographs and text by distributors of Streetvibes. The unique points of view presented in this calendar are sold by Streetvibes distributors in late Fall. SUPPORTED BY: 1 StreetVision: This category is for visual art that will be published on the back cover of Streetvibes. The back cover is a full color page, however black and white images will be considered. All artwork not accepted will be ready for pick up 30 days from submission date. Work not picked up after 90 days will be auctioned at the Coalition for the Homeless Annual Dinner. Guidelines: Art must be no larger than 11x17 -OR- if larger than 11x17 bring in original piece and include a digital version. All mediums accepted. To submit your artwork bring it to the Streetvibes office at 117 E. 12th Street on Tuesdays between 9AM and 5PM. Include name, phone number, email and address on back of each entry. This cat2 StreetVoice: egory is a fiction writing contest. With this contest we are looking for original short stories. Winning entries will be published in Streetvibes. Preference will be given to stories that incorporate themes that address social justice, discrimination, oppression and/or the causes and consequences of inequality. Patty Cottingham Guidelines: Stories should not exceed 3,000 words (shorter lengths are welcome.) No handwritten entries. Include your name, address, email address and phone number on each entry. Streetvibes will publish the winning stories as they are received. Mail or drop off your entries and fee at the Streetvibes office at 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45223. Please do not send cash via snail mail. Submissions will not be returned unless a SASE is included with each entry. This is an editorial cartoon/illustration contest. 3 StreetVagary: StreetVagary is open to aspiring or professional cartoonists of any age. Winning entries will be published in Streetvibes. Preference will be given to political cartoons that incorporate commentary on current events. Riccardo Taylor experience allowed me to get outside of myself, taking "Thea look at the world around me. The reality that things are not always what they seem and in fact present a reality other than the one of first impression, allows me to be more aware of the world around me. " Guidelines: Submit single panel or strip cartoon entries. Include your name, address, email address and phone number on each entry. Streetvibes will publish the winning cartoons as they are received. Mail or drop off your entry and fee at the Streetvibes office at 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45223. Please do not send cash via snail mail. Submissions will not be returned unless a SASE is included with each entry. � 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 2011 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 2-15, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cincinnati Teacher Fights Being Shut Out of the Political Debate Pg 2: From the Director Letter to the Editor Pg 3: Friends of anna Louis Inn Hosts Ice Cream social at Lytle Park Five National News Stories to Catch Up On Pg 4: But Then the Vets Came to Town Pg 5: But Then the Vets Came to Town Continued Pg 6: Top Cincy Baby Names Pg 7: Distributor Program Pg 8: Recipe Pg 9: The Mary Magdalen House Pg 10: Resources Pg 11: In the Mix Pg 12: The Cheetah and the Pig Pg 13: The Great Mustache Bash Pg 14: Renaissance Man Pg 15: Get Up, Stand Up 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 2-15, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jason Dean Josh Spring Catie Dargue Jeni Jenkins Susan Lakes Riccardo Taylor Georgia Bohannon Karen Chatman Stephen Gentry Rubye Goode Della Woolens. Mark Grauhuis Alisa Balestra Harrison Lott Corey Luthringer Laura Osborn-Coffey Jesse Call Jason A. Haap Susan Lakes Willa Denise Jones E. Hayden Jim Luken Lee McCoy Jessica Hopsicker A. Mann Make Cincinnati Weird Steve Sunderland Joe Noaln Kevin LeMaster Dorothy Dark Girish Balsavar Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF A.Mann Alisa Balestra Anna Louise Inn Catie Dargue Cincinnati Corey Luthringer Della Woolens Dorothy Dark E. Hayden Georgia Bohannon Girish Balsavar Harrison Lott Jason A. Haap Jason Dean Jeni Jenkins Jesse Call Jessica Hopsicker Jim Luken Joe Noaln Josh Spring Karen Chatman Kevin LeMaster Laura Osborn-Coffey Lee McCoy Lytle Park Make Cincinnati Weird Mark Grauhuis Mary Magdalen House National News Riccardo Taylor Rubye Goode Stephen Gentry Steve Sunderland Susan Lakes Teachers veterans Willa Denise Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/582d271cfc140ecfe6ca8e4573d09ad1.pdf 9b1194344752a037ab68dcf5b62955b2 PDF Text Text BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY! THOUSANDS OF OHIO CHILDREN FACE CUT-OFFS ..... by the Ohio Empowerment Coalition Starting October 1st, thousands of unemployed mothers with children will lose their income support in Ohio. Ohio will have put into effect its three year time limit for receiving Ohio Works First, the state's public assistance program for families . Entire families will be cut off of their survival means, including children. Children make up two thirds of the households on cash assistance. To be eligible for Ohio Works First, a family must have at least one child or be at least six months pregnant. The time limit for receiving cash assistance will affect thousands of Ohio's poorest children, including babies. On October 1, 2000, it will not matter if a recipient has thoroughly complied with all the eligibility and recertification rules; whether or not she has faithfully complied to all her work requirement tasks; or whether or not she has searched for job opportunities and has otherwise complied. It will not matter if she is unemployed with children to feed, clothe and shelter. It will not matter if she has an infant in the home. It will not matter if she does not have infant care so she can work. The whole family, mother and children, will receive a final termination stating they will lose their cash assistance. Why are children being punished in this manner? Why should children be cut off of their means to survival? While many Ohioans are reaping benefits of a good economy, what do we tell a child who will lose all of her survival means and quite possibly her mother, also? And yet, there is hope. If passed, HB 578 in the Ohio House (and SB 275 in the Ohio Senate) would extend CUT-OFFS, cont. page 4 phozo by Sonny Williams $26 m il.lion for just one school What about the rest? ,. ....by Cassie Gundrum J Cincinnati School Board offers no Surprises Here in America, the home of the free , we love surprises. They excite us and give us something to talk about in loud disbelieving voices. Like when the Bengals went to the Superbowl or wheri that jerky guy Rich won Survivor. We seek out surprises like waiting in line to ride the thrilling roller coaster. What isn't thrilling is politics. [Yawn.] It's become so predictable, everything from the Republic National Convention to city council, from the editorials in the to the Cincinnati Public School Board. The end result is more reliable than Disney cartoon movies: money and power always win. On Monday August 14, 2000 the Cincinnati ( occupies a. beautiful historic Building on Sycamore in OTR Public Scho9I Board voted unanimously to partner with the Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Committee (GCAEC). [Yawn.] Together CPS and the GCAEC will spend equal amounts of money ($26 million each) to build a K-12 school for the arts in Over-the­ Rhine. The OTR Community- in the form of Drop Inn Center supporters and members of Save Our Schools- fought the alliance. We fought to have the existing school renovated. A cheaper project would free up more funds for our neighborhood schools. We lobbied every Board Member. We met with Cincinnati Public Schools Administrators about each one of our community's schools. Countless hours of grassroots energy went into organizing against this elitist action which leaves ou r neighborhood children behind. We've been organizing around this issue for two years. We lost the vote. And our children lost too. '• We're upset, but not surprised. The CPS Administration has backed the project from the beginning. Sure the Board voted it through, but it was largely on account of Superintendent Steven Adamoski's heavy-handed pushing that the GCAEC got this far. It seemed like little more than a tentative agreement back in January when the Board voted to temporarily set aside $26 million for the K-12 GCAEC school. But Adamoski and SCHOOLS, continued on page 3 INSIDE ••·.•• Bae~ to the Streets (The Roots of Comm.unity Organizing)...... 3 Wor ld Trade in Cinti ............. 3 Miss America at Joseph House ... 5 A Man Named J 9se... ................ 6 Iraq Sanctions (Genocide?).. ........ 7 The darker side of Olympia ..... ... 7 Cleveland's Camelot falls .•....... 8 Homeless Picke'rs Glean Little ... 8 Lucasville Trials, Part IJ .......... 9 Third Party Candidates ............ 10 The Evangelist ......................... 10 Mcc rackin Awards ................... 10 Bethany House .......•..••...•....•... 11 LETTERS ....... 12 POETRY ................................. 15 Reader's Survey ..•.................. 17 Streetscopes ......................... CALENDAR ........................... 18 19 ) �STREET VIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 2 Staff Notes Congratulations to Miss Mary Streetvibes Attends North ..... by Pat Mi.tcliell S treetPibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a oewsp~per written by. for, and about home­ lessness, sodal justice, and poverty-related issues. lt is pt~blisbed once a month, 12 Issues a ye~ by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition (or the Homeless. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents (to cover printing costs) and then sell the paper for a dollar donation. The vendor keeps Lhe profits. · Becoming a Streetvi.bes Vendor is a great way for h?meless aod other low-income people to gel back on (or stay on) their feel Streetvibes vendors are given an orientation and sign a c0de of cenduct before being given a Streetvibes vendor badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coa_lition for the Homeless is a group of shelters., agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coormnati.ng services, eduoat­ ing the public and grassr0ots organizin_g. Smff Alicia Bee~ Susan &night To01 Billman JohnHaJpm Director Administrative Coardinator Editor Assistant Editor Streetvibes lntern. Dan Marschnel" Ron Outer Warren Perkins Pat Mitchen Mary A. Gaffney Sonny WilHams OUrreach G:ootdb1ator Tenant Organrung Outreach 'Volunteer Reception.ist Prison News Couespon_dent Writers Mn Lee Susan ToQl Billman Pat Mitchell AJanna M[l]oney Jamaal Coleman ' Dan Marscb.ner Staught0n Lynd Rick F(eemati Susan tfuesken Brian Davis Johnny WiJJiam Byrd, Jr. Simon M. Mattin~ Sr. Rodne)' 'Sutton Kaj~ht Ron Carter Sharon Weiss J ohnJ;taJpi n Greg LeSaint Cassie Gundrum Kunta Kenyatta Mac MacArthur Cathy Murphy By Midarn Axel-Lule John Perotti Kunto Keny.alta Pat Gowens ... by Ron Carter Here's an update on last month 's story about the North American Street Newspaper (NASNA) conference in Edmonton, Canada. photo hy So1111y Williams The Staff members at cl1e Coalition for the Homeless wish Mary Gaffney a Happy Birthday! ''Miss Mary," as we all call her, is our receptio nisr. She is a very outgoing person, a "people person" and an excellenr receptionist. Sbe is a very hard worker. She is ac work every day even though she rides the bus. We can depend on Mary rain or shine. Miss Mary will be 74 years young September 1. Even though she is a widow, she does gee around. Miss Mary came to us from the AARP in March 2000. Children are the love of her life. She is a devoted member of St. John Zion AME Church. Her services rendered there are Financial Secretary for 3 years, WHOM Missionary Society, and 46 years as a member of the Gospel choir. She is the mother of 1 daughter, l grandson, and 3 great grandchildren. · Some of her other credits are Geo Colin Mortuary, Rec Scaff Worker, Licensed Day Care, Private Oury Nursing, Joe Garr Funeral Horne, Secretary Chairs of the Columbus and Cincinnati Discricr Choir. Cooperation czhurch/Cintin Treasurer, Hazel Bell Jankins Fund for St. John Zion AME, Secretary of WHOM Missionaries, and Secretary of the M etro Rider Club. Whar a blessing to have been here so long and done so many iJ1credible rbings. "You go, M ary!'' and Happy Birthday! ADfJERTISE in STREE'IVIBES Graplilcs Photographs by Berta Lambert. Tom Billman,, Sonny Williams, Jimmy Heath. and more: Drawings by Roger R. Streeh!ibes accepts letters, poems. stories. essays, original graphics. photos.... We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are' bomeJess or vendors. Subscriptions to Streefy.ibes can be purchased for $15 per year. (Please mal<e checks payable ro GCCH) Please send all material to the following address: American Street Newspaper Conference in Canada Our AdverUsers help a good cause wh ile promoting themselves to over 8,000 concerned people each month. , Business Card Size ,., 2" )( 3 1/211 $15 per month ~ Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 1/2il . $-3() per month Streefvibes l:.arger:tAdds a1$G avaJlable do Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 4Zt-vso3. Send y~mr add copy te Stt~J!lvibes; 1506 Elm Streei,Ginti, 45210 ~ (513) 421-7803 lwhlecoal@f!riltJax.net , fax (5 1 ~ 421-7813; I met a lot of interesting people from different street newspapers around the country. everyone StTiving to make their paper the best it can be. We got a chance to share different ideas about each others' papers. Everyone was very friendly and. helpful. We stayed in the dorms of the University of Alberta. ll was a very pleasant experience. l got a chance to see the biggest shopping mall in the world. It was huge. 1 can ' t tell you what all it had iJJ it because it would take too long. While I was there, Ahcia, our new director. Jimmy Heath, former editor of Streetvihes at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, and a very sweet young lady, a future street newspaper associate, named Ann were my running buddies, We had a great time together. We had the opportunity to elect the new Executive Committee for the Conference. The workshops we attended were very informatjve and helpful. There were a couple things that took some getting used to. One was having the sun come out at 4AM each morning and still seeing daylight after 10PM. While we were there, we held a vend-off on one of the main streets one evening for about an hour. The winner was a gentleman who was a new vendor who had only been selling papers for about two months. He sold 40 papers in an hour. He was very excited about that. When he was asked to speak after he was announced as the winner, he said, " I have only been selli ng papers for eight weeks, ano now here 1 am, the North American champion!" He was given a standing ovation that he well deserved. Next year the NASNA conference will be held in San Francisco. I hope I can make that one, too. For photo by Jimmy flealh those of you that have friends that haven ' t read Streetvibes. tell them about it. We are nationally known, and we are Like the TV show The Jeffersons - we' re movin ' on up. Thank you for reading Streetvibes. Remember we are always open for new ideas to improve our paper. One other thing: years ago movie star Jimmy Stewart made a movie called Harvey. Well, Harvey was a giant invisible rabb'it. Well, I want you to know that Harvey is alive and well and Living in Edmonton, Canada. lf you don' t believe it, just ask Alicia Beck, our director, or Jimmy Heath, or our little friend Ann. They aU saw him. 1 hope Harvey doesn't decide to take a trip to Cincinnati, because l don't want to see him~ '.Q ~cal), 421-7:803. e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com (text-only) or bomecoal@printax.net ( attached files) web page: llttp://cinci.com/gcch Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of tbe views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The. opinions expressed herein are not necessarily tbo"se of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coa1ition for the Homeless. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State 's Homeless Grapevine Back to the Streets: Why Community Developers Should Join the Fight Against Corporate Globalization .... By Miriam Axel-Lute April 15th was a busy day in Washington, DC this year. A week of rallies, protests, teach-ins, nonviolence trainings, and preemptive police action was reaching its peak, and mass protests and civil disobedience were planned for the biannual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank the next day. The focus of the "A16" protests, like those in Seattle at the World Trade Organization talks, was largely global. From their various perspectives, the protesters were all challenging the wisdom and ethics of giving investor and corporate interests carte blanche in the rapidly developing global economy. But among the discussions of human rights in China, third world debt relief and the destruction of rainforests was a much immediately saw the similarity between the IMF's structural adjustment programs and what happened to New York City in the '70s. "Democracy was basically suspended and bankers told the city what it had to do to get access to credit in the future ," he says. Displacement is a theme familiar to both US housing advocates and third world activists. "It's peasants and their land in developing countries and working class tenants and their homes in Brooklyn," says Waters. The support action drew about 200 people and visited three apartment buildings where imminent evictions had been threatened. Larry Yates of the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, recalls, "At each [building], at least one tenant leader - in each case a person of color - came out and spoke to the crowd, each one clearly nervous, excited and heartened by the march's support." Where Were the Community Developers? Although many grassroots housing activists were in the thick of the action, the housing movement at large - and cdmmunity developers in particular - were not as visible a part of the anti-globalization coalition as labor, environmentalists, and third-world solidarity organizations. "It's hard for folks who've gotten used to the tasks of actu al ly makin g a real difference in a specific person's life to go out to a protest that they don't see an immediate effect from." says Lar ry McNeely, an graduate student who has work ed with the homeless in St. Pauli recently parti ci pated in the National Congress for Community more local Econornic Development's Emerging Leaders issue - impending gentrification (il) in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of prog ram, and was arrested for his participation DC. Columbia Heights , a mixed ethnic, in A16. Given their already full schedules and historically Black working-class neighborhood, limit ed resowces , why should com munity has a brand new metro station, making it developers involve themselves with a suddenly accessible from downtown. Th e opening of the station coincided with a movement that seems far beyond the scope of newfound interest in code enforcement that has their local efforts? left several buildings slated for eviction, say Globalization Happens tenants and local housing activists. Many are The people living in the neighborhoods CDCs suspicious that the area is being cleared for serve, occupying the housing they bui ld , gentrification, charging that most of the needed receiving their services. and participat ing in the repairs could be made without forcing the tenants out. Meanwhile, they point out, DC's education and public services budgets are cut see µage s and privatized, an unelected control board tells the city how to reduce its debt, and public funds are spent on a new convention center. "It's a SCHOOL BOARD from page 1 microscopic example of what's going on his administration sealed the deal by never worldwide ,'' says Clark McKnight, a Columbia Heights tenant leader and A 16 organizer. drafting feasibility ~tu d ies for the school's renovation/relocation. So there were never Ruth Caplan, of the Alliance for Democracy, agrees that the parallels are striking. She any figures about how much it would cost to renovate the School of Creative and produced a four-page brochure for A16 Performing Arts in its current location. Nor outreach detailing the similarities between what was there a presentation of a third location agencies like the WTO and the IMF impose on where the school could be built. More developing countries - privatization, cutting of importantly, there was never an alternate essential services, catering to the needs of plan for spending the $26 million. businesses, focus on exports - and what governments of all levels impose on poor On August 14th the Board voted without commu nities in the United States. all the information. [Yawn] Should we be Caplan and the A16 local outreach committee surprised? The rich get what they want and also worked with activists in Columbia Heights we are left behind. Board Member Harriet to set up a support action on April 15th to Russell roared at the crowq of people at harn ess the energy and solidarity of the Monday night's meeting, "For those ot you globalization protestors. It was a good fit. When who think there 's a fairness issue here, Tom Waters. a tenant organizer with New York there's no fairness issue here." State Tenants and Neighbors, arrived in DC and In the August 101h facilities committee learned that a housing action was planned, he meeting Board Member Florence Newell t he STREETS. Page 3 The World Trade Organization Comes to Cincinnati Only this time, it is called the TABD ....Susan Knight November 16th through thel8ch, theTrans­ atlantic Business Dialogue will be coming to Cincinnati. Hundreds of US and E urope's rop CEOs will be meeting to discuss trade issues. The Transatlantic Business Dialogue was estab­ lished in 1993 to create more effective "dialogue" between the European Union and the Unfred States. Their web sire: www.tabd.com, states, "The Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) offers an effective framework for enh:mced co­ operation between the transtlantic business com­ munity and the governments of the European Un.ion and the United States." Essentially, it is an informal process whereby European and U S companies and business associations develop joint EU-US trade policy reccommendations, working together wfrb che European Commis­ s ion and US Admin istra tions. These reccommendarions are rhen taken co rhe ~O and with US and European endorsement, rhe WTO can enac t rhem. Jn other words, t he TABD is a means for European and US corprate i.nreresrs to push rheir agendas through th e wro. The TABD's agenda=Free Trade The TABD's agenda is free rrade. Free Trade favors predominantly multi-national cor­ potations because wirh rhe elimination of pro­ rective barriers, smaller ii1dependem businesses cannot compete and are ultimately boughr up or run our of business. Free trade also dicrares rhar environmencal, health and labor barriers such as livable wages and emission laws are barrie rs ro business and should be broken down . The TABD issues reccomroendadons to European and U.S. governemenrs surround- TABD, continued on page 5 said the board plans to renovate every school in the district but, "w.e can't renovate all schools at the same time. We have to start somewhere." Of course you do. SCPA is in better shape than any other school in our neighborhood, yet it's getting a brand new facility. The Board is spending more than a fifth of the entire district's budget to make a good school even better. What happens, though , to our schools in poor conditions? Will they ever be made into good facilities? Will our children ever attend a neighborhood school where all the bathrooms work? Where the roof doesn't leak? Where entire stairwells aren't blocked off because their walls are crumbling? Where there's no lead paint? Now that would be a surprise! And we­ by definition-would love it. We'd be thrilled and stand around talking about it in loud disbelieving voices. l t I' i ..,. I• . t �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine CUT-OFFS, from page 1 Ohio' s time limit to the five consecutive years allowed by the federal government. It would call for a moratorium on time limits if Ohio entered a reces sion. HB 578 would also soften sanction policy by restoring food stamps, and woul d end a sanction upon comp ••1ce. T e is running out quickly for the thousa s of mothers and children of Ohio facing cu1 offs. Marne1ta is an Ohio Works First recipient living in Akron who is expecting a baby in late summer 2000. "I'm on Ohio Works First. After they take my check I won't be.able to pay my bills: my rent, lights and gas. 1have to take care of my son. And I have another one on the way on the 23rd. There really is no way to pay the bills even now. I don't know what I'll do when the time limit hits. Probably move back in with my mom if sheW let me. Right now, without public assistance, I will not have any way to take care of my son or my new baby. " Ohio's three year time limit is one of the toughest time limits in America. It is not mandated that it be this tough on low-income families. The federal government allows five consecutive years for receiving federal TANF payments. After the five years , states are permitted to use state money to p rovide assistance to needy families. Twenty-nine states allow recipients the five consecutive years. Many states go beyond this, allowing extensions for "good cause" and "compliance with work requirements". In these states as long as a family is complying with work requirements and searchi ng for work, they are not cut-off of income support for their families. A grandmother in Akron , herself a former recipient, shared her thoughts on the time limit. "Contrary to popular belief, there will be a lot of people who are cut-off public assistance on October 1, 2000. A lot of people are unaware that there will be a cut-off. A lot of the community agencies and social service agencies are not prepared for all the people who are not going to be eligible for public assistance. She continued. 'There is still a shortage of jobs in Ohio. There are still a lot of people who are unemployable. There is no safety net for these people. I see a big uproar by the time October 1 rolls around and by the end of the year. It is really going to be bad when it starts getting cold and people are going to lose their housing. Shelters are already full. I don't know what they will do then. The answer is not to have to build more shelters. It's in having affordable housing and a safety net for people who are not able to find employment, so that their children can still survive." HB 578 will give families the additional two years of cash assistance that the federal government allows, it will also allow extra time for recipients to get a G .E.D. or other educational degree. Pam of Cincinnati shares her experiences of being on public assistance at a time when there was no time limit. ''I'm very thankful that I could rely on welfare assistance to complete my nursing degree. I'm thankful that I didn't have to worry about basic survival while trying to finish my education. It took me longer than the three years that recipients are limited to now. It would have made it much harder to work at a minimum wage job while trying to complete it, and take care of three small children at the same time." 98% of the households facing time limits are headed by single parents, predominately women. Approximately half of the recipients in Ohio do not have a high school degree or G.E.D. Without a G.E.D., what are their their chances of getting jobs that will adequately provide for their children? What are their chances of getting any jobs? Michele of Youngstown is a recipient who recently graduated with a four year degree. She has landed a well-paying job which she will soon start, leaving the welfare rolls forever. "I consider myself one of the lucky ones. When I started Ohio Works First, it came at the tail end of my education. I had two quarters left, but I started experiencing some hardships. It was really hard to find the money in order to pay for my last coup/e of quarters. Being on welfare helped me tremendously. I have 25 months left on welfare, but because of the fact that I was allowed to finish my four year degree, I'm going to start a job next week, allowing me to be off welfare completely. If I had not completed my four year degree, I don 't believe I would be completely off now.... Some people I know started school after two years of being on welfare. The time limit will make it harder for them because they will have only one year left on welfare, but three more years left of school. It is hard for them to decide which directions for their lives to take. Either they get jobs earning minimum wage in which they will not be able to support their family, or going to school.'' For those mothers who will be cut off October 1st without jobs or degrees, the future looks bleak for their families. Many mothers fear losing their children. Plans are already in place in some counties to have "Child safety reviews" wherein the Children Se.rvices Department will access homes that have been cut off cash assistance. If the heat and electric have been cut off, what will be the outcome in these homes? Being poor does not mean a mother is a bad parent. It would be wrong of the state to remove children from their mothers simply because the mother has no income. Jackie , a former Ch ildren's Services caseworker worked with recipients who were facing the October 1st cut-oft. " I see a lot of children going into foster care because of welfare reform. Mothers are not going to be able to make it. .... What will happen to children if mothers cannot provide food, shelter and clothing for their children? If mothers can't provide these things, the children will go into Foster Care. Where does that leave the mother? Many families workin·g minimum wage, low-skill jobs could face a need to return to the rolls if and when the economy goes sour. There will not be a safety ·net for these families to fall back on. Although the unemployment rate is low in southwestern Ohio, unemployment rates are quite high in many southeastern and northeastern counties of Ohio. Children will suffer if the parents are unable to f ind employment through no fault of their own or lack adequate child care so they" can work. The Ohio Empowerment Coalition is urging people to attend the " Stop the Clock" Rally 11 :30 a.m . at the Statehouse on September 12, Tuesday. The Ohio Assembly will be back in session that day. Transportation is available by calling 513/ Page 4 · 381-4242. In addition, other steps to take: • Call & write Rep. Robert Corbin: 937­ 434-2404. He is the chair of the House Fi­ nance & Appropriations Committee, where HB 578 is located. Urge that the Committee hold a public hearing and vote on HB 578 when it reconvenes in September. Write to him at 135 Shadybrook Dr., Dayton, OH 45459. • Call & write Sen. Grace Drake : 440-248­ 9297. She is the chair of the Senate Health, Human Services & Aging Committee, where SB 275 is located. Urge that the Committee hold a public hearing and vote on SB 275. Write to her at 5954 Briardale Lane, Solon, OH 44139. • Call & write Governor Taft. Urge him to support stopping the cut-off of low-income families in Oh io. Call him at 614/466-3555. His address: n s. High St., 30th Floor, Riffe Center, Columbus, OH 43266-0601. * Studio Audience Wanted !!! Streetvibes TU is produced Live,, the Fourth Thursday of each month,, (Sept 28) 1 • 8 PM at Media Bridges (Cincinnati Community Video), 2114 Reading Road, Cincinnati Ohio. If you would like to be a part of our studio audience, or have ideas for shows, please call us at 421-7803 September Schedule Re-Broadcast Dates for August's Show on Channel 24: (Please check your schedule) Saturday, Sept. 2, at 5 PM Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 10 PM Saturday, Sept. 16, at 5 PM Tuesday, Sept. 26, at 10 AM Thursday, Oct. 5~ at 1O AM Broadca.s t schedules are subject to change ­ Consult your local TV directory. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State 's Homeless Grapevine Page 5 vets confront their many problems. After completion of the program, the veterans can spend up to 24 months or homeless veterans at several local events longer at the program's Moses House recently, including the Cincinnati Flower transitional facility as they· move back into Show, at a joint appearance with U.S. Labor ...... by Tom Keller "real life." At Moses House daily living is still Secretary Alexis Herman at Goodwill The reigning Miss America, Heather very structured, and recovery remains the Industries, and at a visit to Hillcrest Cemetery, number-one priority. Veterans cor:itinue their Renee French, spent an hour and half the final resting place of more than 1,000 offering hope and encouragement to rehabilitation as they learn, once again, to veterans of African-American heritage. homeless veterans at Joseph House August hold down a job and maintain a 9. ----------------------------------------------~ stable living environment. Participating in a group "Even after the six-month discussion setting, Ms. French program at Joseph House, these listened attentively as the veterans vets need to live in a safe and sober told harrowing stories of how they environment for a while. It helps had served their country, how the them get their feet on the ground, as fabric of their lives unraveled, and they guard against slipping back into how they wound up living on the the old patterns that left them streets in the tri-state area. homeless in the first place," said Heather French, the daughter of William Malone, the facility's a veteran disabled during the executive director. Vietnam War and a native of Most of the veterans are sent to Maysville, Kentucky, has taken up Joseph House by the Veterans' the cause of homeless veterans as Administration (VA) following the centerpiece of her year as Miss Heather Renee French, right, the reigning Miss America, listens detoxification and a 3-4 week America. The 1997 graduate of the as Joseph Bouse Executive Director Bil Malo1le explains the treatment program. The VA then University of Cincinnati has spoken organization's mission. While a student at the Un iversity of pays a stipend for long-term on the homeless veterans' issue in Cincinnati, Ms. French often volunteered treatment and housing for the most appearances across the country. at the Drop Inn Center. troubled of these veterans. A grant Joseph House for Homeless from the Department of Housing and Veterans is located on Vine Street, half a Joseph House offers much more than a Urban Development helps through supportive block south of Liberty, in the heart of Over­ roof over a veteran's head and a safe place to services and operating funds. the-Rhine. The Cincinnati Council of the sleep. The center offers a structured program Joseph House for Homeless Veterans, Navy League sponsored Ms. French's visit to that helps homeless vets rebuild their lives. 1519 Vine St.,' Cincinnati, OH 4521 O, 241­ Joseph House, and she spoke at a League­ Generally running six months, the program , 2965, Fax: 214-0368, hosted dinner on the evening of August 9. guided by a staff of chemical dependency e-mail: joseph-house@juno.com French has spoken about the needs of counselors and licensed social workers , helps Miss America Visits Homeless Vets at Joseph House the STREETS, trom Advertise page 3 empowerment processes they facilitate are all being directly affected by the policies and .... prio riti es of corporate globalizatio n . For example, community developers have long recognized that it takes more than housing to rev italize a dis inv est ed neighborhood . "Affordable housing isn't affordable if people do n't have jobs ," w rot e Bethel New Li fe Executive Director Mary Nelson in the last issue of Shelterforce. But as soon as you start talking about jobs, you've already gone global. Luci Murphy, a singer-songwriter and one of the org anizers of the anti-gentrification march , explains what is known as the race to the bottom: "Depressed living standards abroad together with the U.S. funded repression of 'security forces' has led to the export of U.S. manufacturing jobs , and de pressed living standards at home. T his job 'relocation' has caused many middle-class com munities to become poor." Many people straddli ng the line between community development and global justice work identify with the parable about standing by a river rescuing drowning child after drowni ng child , until someone thinks to ask why no one is going upstream to see who is pushing the children in. "I [wanted] to learn about the nuts and bolts of organ izational leadership and commu nity - development, so that if there was a chance to get someone a house built or get someone a job, or help a county that was doing badly, I could do it ," says McNeely. "But," he continues , "I've realized that I'm just plugging holes in a dike that's about to burst. One neighborhood by itself is never going to make this global economy work tor them." ......... . BACK TO THE STREETS will be Continued in next month's STREETVIBES Sell Streetvibes! Are you homeless a homeless person or do you need some extra income? If so, try selling Streetvibes ! Stop by the Homeless Coalition office at J 506 E1m Street, and ask for Pat or Ron. Mental Health Association Launches New Support Group Clearlngtiou.se. The Health Founoati on of Greater Cincinnati and the City of Cincinnati have awarded grants to the Mental Health Association of the Cincinnati Area to establish a Support Group Clearinghouse to serve the people of Hamilton , Clermont, Warren and Cli nton counties. Anyone seeking a support group or wishing to publicize one, contact Wendy Grab at the Mental Extra! Extra! Support Streetvibes by Advertising to Socially Conscious Readers! Rates: aaout 2 bucks per square inch TABD, from page 3 ing specific trade issues. By 1995, only two years after its conception, the US Stare Department claimed that "Th e TABD is i.nsrrumemal in developing US trade policy." Critics of the TABD say TABD=Profits over People The TABD conducts itself in closed meeti ngs. Consequently, consumers and advocates do nor have a forwn to voice their concerns. C ritics cla.im this cre­ ates a "profits over peopl·e atmosphere." For example, che Bovine Growth Hormone, found io .milk and beef is ouclawed in Europe because the healch affects ofrhis ho rmone on humans has not been studied . Man y Eu­ ropean consumers want their meat labeled so they are able ro distinguish what they are buying. T he TABD recc_ommends strongly against such reguJacions. H armonization, the lowest possible standard The TABD. also advocates for harmon ization. Harmonization would rake a given standard and ap­ ply it co ail relevam crade issues/nations. Involved in rhis concept ofharmonizarion is the belief that if there is no scientific dara available indicating that a given policy is detrimemal, rhe policy shouJ.d be implemented unril there is proof co do otherwise. Once again, crit­ ics ask [hac the health of people aod che environment take precendence. Safery and preservation they argue, should be maintained prior ro "signjficant data" being discovered . T he policyofharmoniz.ation, consequently, will resulr in the lowest possible health and environ­ mental standards, world-wide. + + + �STREET VIBES The Tri-State 's Homeless Grapevine with physical health, lack of good paying employment skills and a dwindling supply of affordable housing. Most homeless people are also suffering from disaffiliation, that is a "social disconnectedness." This lack or ......Mac McAthur, Executive avoidance of relationshi ps means they do not Director, Transitions, Inc. have a social support network to fall back on when they are faced with homelessness. Services for the homeless in Covington To address these problems in Covington, took a step forward in May with the beginning the agencies providing the services for the of service delivery made possible by the "Homeless Service Project" wilJ receive "Homeless Services Project" (HSP) grant. $710,3 12 over the next three years. This funding is provided through a grant from Transitions will serve as lead agency and the Supportive Housing Program, sponsored work closely with the other four service by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban providers. All five agencies are members of Development (HUD). the NKHHC (Northern Kentucky H ousing and HUD recognizes that most of the Homeless Coalition. The Coalition bas homeless population needs more than just s upported efforts to obtain such a grant since housing to end the cycle of homelessness. The the concept first surfaced in 1994. Each of the maj ority of the homeless have m ultiple five agencies providing service bring their problems, and if they obtain housing wjthout agency's areas of expertise to the project. addressing these personal problems, odds are ...NorthKey Community Care will they will be homeless aga~ in a few weeks or provide psychiatric services. Residential months. substance abuse treatment will be provided by Major contributing factors to Transitions, Inc. Catholic Social Services homelessness include untreated mental illness will provide outreacb and personal counseling. untreated substance abuse, chronic problems The Mental H ealt h Association of Northern New Services for Covington's Homeless Page 6 Kentucky wilJ teach Life skills and will mentor homeless clients through the resources of their newly formed Recovery Network. Welcome H ouse will coorclinate these services and oversee outreach, intake, case management, employment services, and, on a small scale, financial assistance. This grant falls on the heels of a prior HUD grant, also awarded to Transitions and supported by the Coalition. This prior grant is for the construction of transitional apartments for the homeless. Construction details are not yet finalized, but planning is underway to situate the apartments in a larger building or complex that would provide space for a homeless medical clinic and offices for providers. Efforts are underway to gain support for a residential component to establish a holistic, integrated continuum of care. Homeless individuals and fam ilies would then have the opportunity to go from a life on the street through an assessment, services, training, and educational curriculum that could result .in self-s ufficiency at their highest level of potential. • • • thinning hair. Most people loot at me a Chink that I am youqger than 1 really am. My health is not good. I had prostrate surg.ery at home in Puerto ~i:co. I now have to wear .... interview bJ Mr. Lee ''Pampers'1 • I cannot walk very far, and I have to urinate frequently. Tt takes me a long The following is a Mrief pr¢file ofa time. I am very afraid of germs~ so 1 dean Fivmeless man. I call this a profile in manJ ilie bathroom when I go. I have .no money, courage.. because it takes a lot of courage to My name js Jose. I am a si~cy-nine so h un arow1d t-0 various. agencie.s tQ get the sur1'ive for a homeless person. This anicle Pampers that I need. I love to go· downtown year okl man of Puerto Rican b irth. I den' t intent is to simply provide 1he l'eader ei speak English Y~Y well, even though I Jived to see the eity. sketch ofthe individual being profile. To and worked in New York far over ten years. I de not drink. A long time ago I used mak~ this homeless individual three­ Y.ou probably are wondering how, I was able t© drink. Today, I thinkjt is bad for people to dimensionCJl. A homeless man is. more than drink. I want to make Cincinnati m y home. t0 live in New York, withQUt being fluent in what the term conveys. More than 'a man English. I wonder how yotI function without I want t0 go see the baseball game. who does. n0t 'have the mest ba~a of knowing some Spanish ! I have come to SQmeday, I will go to the new stadium, if ne~ds••.a home. The state of homelessness Cincjnnati because l really loved the movie Qod~ve II\!:Xbreath. I run leavjng soon to has far deeper and more complex /actors The Cinehmati Kid. Yoo-know with Steve go baG:k to Pu~rto Rico, but I will return! ff than the absence ofa {le.r:sonaJ residence. It McQueen? I want to make Cincinnati my Gt>d gives me breath.. I am grateful for the (homelessness speakS. to a state of mind, ll,ome. I have c(;)me becauseJ ba.,ve no help, that I nave: been given at the sheiter. l body and spirit. I believe that it wa.s will gee me a small apartmeJ1t when I get children and no wife, really no family. I Abraham Maslow who st,at.ed. That a need hope to fmd a good wife. and have Ghildren. back go to church and find me a wife! lf that has been satisfied/or a long tiltie is no I am.somewhat short, with graying and Goo give me b,reatb. • • • Prajlles in longer a need. Therefore, a person who has not had an issue with their housing, or has never known homelessne.'ls, doesn't really feel it. I ask the reader to place themselves iJJ the bo'dy-yf individµal whose description fflllows. Try to be fom for just a few nrinutes. Please u.se your imagination. You can cit> this Courage.~ A Man Named Jose s WORD SCRAMBLE by Ron (the machine) Carter Tomcurpe Hneaimc xfa REXXO Adeo rykb .:: <:::, t:~ wn H VOICf~ ;s.: Troiomn 0 ~ ~ ""> 0-0 (;:; ~ ~ ~ Sou me Rp inert �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 7 INTERNATIONAL NEWS Compelled to Action in Iraq ......... by Cesraea Rumpf Each day we read and hear tales of injusti ce and atrocities suffe red by people around the world. While these stories often move us, few have the power lo compel us lo action. T his was not lhe case with Gabe Huck and Theresa Kubasak, however. when Voices in the Wilderness {VitW) co-founder Kathy Kelly told them about the suffe1ing U.S. and United Nations economic sanctions are causing for the people of Iraq. At a ca ll-to·action conference about two and a half years ago, Kel ly showec.1 a May 11, J996, video in wbich then U.S. Ambassador to lhe U.N . Madeline Albrighr said I.he economic sa nctions were worth the cost of Lraqi chi.ldre n's deaths. toraling more than lhe number of those who died in the U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since that conference, Huck. a publisher for the Archdiocese in Chicago, and Kubasak, an associace professor in the school of education at National Louis University's Evanston campus [neaT Chicago], have never looked back. The concern Kelly sparked carried them to Iraq for two weeks in December 1999 as part of VitW's 30111 del egation. "Although they [the lraqi people] were welcoming and kind, i:hey reminded us we can no longer be innocent of the accusation they have to bring against us. in front of the world, that our government has shattered a huge percentage or life.'' Huck said. "There are one to two million dead in a country of 22 million, and virtuall y no one is unaffected .'. Owing their delegation. Huck and Kubasak brought donations such as antibiotics, vitamins, med icines. school s upplies and books written in Arabic to Iraq. According to Kubasak. people "of all faiths and differenr political persuasions" can get involved on whatever level they can. Civil disobedience rather than relief work is the most important part of YitW's delegations, however. Since each delegation goes against the sanctions and thus breaks the law, "We say to the government. ' We believe the sanctions are wrong and we' re willing to go over there and do civil disobedience, '" Kubasak said. Through their visits to hospitals, schools, and camps for displaced persons and meetings with religious leaders, Huck and Kubasak: witnessed t he devastating effects of the econ omic sanctions. In a poor neighborhood in Basra, they met a11 English teacher named Um Heyder, which literally tnrnslutes LO "Mother of Heyder'' - her son was killeo in a U.S. bombing on January 25 . I 999. Her other son Mous tafa was injured severely in the attack and had to be hospitalized for four mo nths. "This random bombing is part of the on­ going intimidation we do," Huck said. The U.S. claims its bombings are it1 response to radar Anti-Olympics Alliance Protests .Racism and Repression in Sydney 2000. ... by Kim Maree The Anti-Olympics Alliance is a newly formed activist group made of community, student, and progressive forces, such as Rent-Watchers, the Indigenous Student Network, Justice Action and many Qthers. The Alliance works in coAjunction and solidarity with Indigenous groups and organFzations, such as the Metropolitan Land Council and is active in organi£ing protests q_nct events to highlight the negative impact of the Olympic Garnes, as weHas racism and social injustice in Sydney and Aus~r&lia. The Alliance is seekirig t.o· higtili~htiSeveral isst1es. Ameng. these ;ssues are the forced . relotation of ·many people ih the ,-,. Reclfem Koori Community and the fact that indigenous Australians are still the most socially and economically disadvantaged section of the Australian community. Indigenous adults die twenty years younger than other Australians, and indigenous children have a child mortality rate three times higher than non-Indigenous children. While the New South Wales (NSW) government has spent over $2.5 billion on the otympics,.there has been massjye cuts to puhlie hospital, public education. childcare and social welfal'.e spending. Government priorities ar.e for incre~sing profits to big business, increasing the divide between rich and poor. There are 30,000 homeless people in a.,• R.R. the greater Sydney area per night, a number that will be exa.cereated by the Olympics. Sydney has a nine-year waiting Hst for public housing. It is estim ated that there will be·i n e-xcess qf 50, 000 pofice and security forces used at the 01ympic.s, including over 30,000 sec urity guards, 4000 Austratran military (the same size of the Australian force. sent to East Timor), as well as American and Israeli intelligence anq security forces. The NSW government has passed laws making Syc!ney and NSW an "Olympic police state" with these laws designed to curtail and stop legitimate protest and dissent. Under Se£ Syd.ney,pa:ge.14 picked up in no-fly zones over Iraq, but Huck is quick to point out that "We have never lost anything over there and the U.N. never authorized no-fly zones." The depleted uranium that U.S . bombs leave behind have been the '·real heartache of Basra,'' Kuba.sak sa.id. "The depleted uranium aerosolizes and is breathable in the environment, land and water. The rate of childhood cancer has skyrocketed.'' Upon entering a Basra hospital. 1he s mell or g~tsoline greeted Huck and Kubasak. Since the sanctions prohibit the importance of bleach into rhe country because of a fear it may be used to ...... make weapons, hospital s use a gasoline -based clealling product. The building's cons truction as a modern hospital seems i1Televant since sanctions impede lhe arrival of sophisticated equipment. The OH for Food program allows some imports to reach Iraq, but delivery of s upplies ca n sti ll be p ut on hold by a veto in the Security Council. Consequently. a shipment of syringes may reach hospitals while the necessary needles are put on hold. During the past nearly ten years of sanctions, Iraqi professionals have been c ut off while worldwide developments occur, s uch as sophis ticated transportation, water treatment, electrification, education and medicine. Thi s externally imposed stunted growth on a country that once flourished especially concerns Huck. " Iraq was not a third world country," Huck said. " In 1990, rraq was close to being a first world country with f ree health care and education. In those few weeks of war in 1991 wheD we dropped more tonnage of bombs than all of World War 11, we systematically attacked lntq's infrastructme as well as military targets. Then we kept the sanctions on so that it is almos t impossible to rebuild those systems. The sanctions ~U"e more thoi:ough than anything ever placed on anyone. It's like a siege." Even more frnstrating to Huck and Kubasak is that the sanctions, which violates the U.N.'s own charter and declaratio ns on human rights that prohibit waging war on a civilian population , wiJJ not weaken Saddam Hussein 's regime. "We fo(get that most of the atrocities we accuse Hussein of, he did while_he was our friend in the 1980's," Huck said. Although it has been over five months since their return from Iraq and they do not know when they will have the opportunity to return, Iraq remains an integral part of both Huck's and Kubasak's life. "haq is always a presence with me. I'm always thinking about the Iraqi chi ldren,'' Kubasak: said. IRAQ SANCTIONS Cont. page 14 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine EDITORIAL Camelot Is Taken ....by Brian Davis ofthe Cleveumd Grapevine (The old Ward Bakery on Chester Avenue in Cleveland, communiry. The federal government has developed th is "Continuum of Care" approach to dealing wirh homdess people w~ich is a deliberately slow process to move people from the streets to emergency shelter to transitional shelter and finally what is called "permanent" housing. While this has focused attention and raised resources it has left many people on the outside looking in. There are those who were scorned or even victimized by the system who need a great deal of work to coax chem back inco the mainstream. There are those who sought assistance in a sheher and insread had a child endangerment flle opened on them. There are men who served in Vietnam who are having difficulty negotiating rhe bureaucracy. The reality is char there are a sizable home to many homeless people, was torn down in the beginning ofAugust) Couples and malcontents built a community known as Camelot, which was a safe place of peace in the heart of Cleveland. Our of the remains of an archirecrurally significant bakery long since forgotren by the ciry, a diverse group with no place in sociery created a sancruary. As in cbe legend, outside forces destroyed Camelot, leaving a large crumbling, asbes tos­ filled memorial co an ideali2ed sociery. There are . a Few things to understand with ~ '. . regard to homelessness in Cleveland in order ro · undersraod the reason Camelor was created. First, ~~ shd~er _is not ~ways appropriate for e~ery. person. ~~ While in America, we n·y ro homogernze everyone ~ Q into majoriry rrends. The realiry is char not everyone ' \ /"'\... .::::::1 watched "Survivor" or wears corporate logos as .., '"\ ~ /,'.'.:::::1 ~ fashion. This is similar io cl1e homeless community. (~MELOT It would be a lot easier if everyone would foUo~ the number of people who are absolurely cut off from protocol for gercing off me streets outlined by the the social service system. There are roa.oy people who OepanmenrofHousingand Urban Developmenr, bur work or get some form ofdisabiliry who never ven cure tl1is wiU never happen. Group quarters in Cleveland inco any help centers. These are independent-minded are not always appropriate for couples and people with people who have embraced all. che rhetoric a.bout rhe disabilities. The other realiry is that every shelter is American Protestant work ethic. They bought the "pull full every n ight. The stare housing coalition estimates yourself up by your boo cscraps" menraliry. It is a char there are 3,080 people on the streets on any given question of pride. and self-Iespect. For meir mental night. 1,100 beds exist in Cleveland, and so there are srabiliry, they do not wanr or need sh elters, food obviously people who have ro "sleep rough," because scamps, welfare, or any charity. These are the ghosts there just is not enough space. of our community who recycle abandoned buildings. Finally, we have a huge housing crisis in Cleveland, They are uncounted by the Census, forgotten by local as we do in most urban cities in America. We have government, and ignored by the social service agencies. seen me withdraw ofaffordable housing w1its over me In July of 2000, the Mayor instructed his Community last five years all over the United States. A quick .trip Oevelopmenr department to clear the homeless people down C hester Avenue in Cleveland reveals the 700 from the old Ward Bakery on Chester Avenue because abandoned and now destroyed Vanguard properties, it was going ro be destroyed . Ciry officials enlisted which were withdrawn from the invemory four years the help of the many outreach workers co run ago. These units were noc replaced and are the mosr i.nrerference and move rhe squatters. On July 14, glaring example of che large number of affordable n1embers ofthe Meneal.Health Services and Volunteers housing units lost in our city. With all of chis, people of America outreach team descended on Camelot have a remarkable abiliry to survive and seek out places bringing with them ilie declaration of war from the to stay alive. fo C leveland, we have neglected our. Ciry. Even though the landlord renantlaw specifically chronically homeless for so many years chat we have a addresses squatters and th e remedy for removing large number of people in abandoned buildings and squatters (housing court), the Ciry of Cleveland sent under bridges. We saw in December 1999, the Mayor's outreach workers to remove the residents of Camelot. attempt to deal with this burgeoning population by The ourreach workers realized chat these independent instructing police ro arrest those who were visibly men and women were not going to go to shelter so homeless. This was stopped by the Coalition for rhe rhey cold the membe(S of Camelot mat if d1ey did not Homeless and *1 sm.all group of cour::ige.om homeless evacuate by August l, the Ciry was going to blow the people, but the problem was never addressed. building up around iliem. ' These are not items to casually gloss over. The oucreach workers continued to engage the They all have dramatic policy implications for our residents with bribes ro leave and offers of assistance. 0 f ·., WAS Pages Some ofrhe couples left, bur a small group resolved to go down with the building. T hey enlisted rhe help of Food Not Bombs, which offers a 1nea1 and comfort to homeless people on Sunday afternoons. Food Noc Bombs' volunteers, who consider themselves caterers to the revolution, were willing to help save the building. They planned a rally for July 31 to get community arrention. The knights of Camelot also sought reinforcements with legal assistance ro prevent the destruction of meir beloved castle. As ilie supporters gailiered oo July 31, abour I 0 people scarred their vigil to preserve Camelot. Every media outlet showed up for ilie eve.or. They did live remotes and toured rhe building. They saw rbe makeshift shower and che beds. They saw the recreation room and rbe garden room. They lisrened to rhe e.laboratc plans for the buil~ing and the hopes and dreams of the residents. The srory as it appeared on the evening news was nor the typical "anarchists rake on the system" story, but for the most part was, "What if rhe Cicy showed up to demolish your home?" slanc. This was ben:er rhan anyone could have planned. Ciry officials showed up ar 8 a.m. on August 1 first with police and then with troops from Ciry Hall. The bombastic Barry ~itbers and the "good cop" Linda Hudecek surveyed the resistance and toured the building. They conveniently missed the 50,000 square feet ofasbestos rhat their inspecror had found in a 1997 survey. They declared me building unsafe and told the iJiliabitantS to vacate. The Food Nor Bombs negotiators r.ried to come to some resolution, but the Ciry refused t:o deal. Finally, the Knights of the Roundtable agreed to leave when an attorney from Legal Aid showed up to deliver a strategy for a lawsuit. Incidentally in July, two ofilie inhabitants of Camelot were present when a brown bread t ruck pulled up ro ilie building and rwo black men went: into the building co remove some of the asbestos. They did nor wear protective suirs, and put rhe asbesros in regular green garbage sacks, then deolared the .building free of the. cancer causing agent. The knights of Camelot held a victorious press conference as they ex.iced the building relling all rhe members of the media that they were trespassing on their property: The residentS were aware that h omeless people had occupied the building for decades, and mey wanred a judge ro decide if iliey had legal grounds to claim the building based on che adverse possession laws in Ohio. They also felt that mey were not evicted propedy. Their other claims were char the building was a.rcbirecrurally significant and that there had not been the proper debate within the city to rake down the building. AJI this was very shaky with no legal precedenr, bur deserving of a judge co hear the arguments. The residenrs of Camelot approached the see CAMELOT, page 12 HOMELESS PICK "COTTON BALLS" IN CLEVELAND STADIUM An article appeared in the Sunday, August 20, edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer under the heading, Homeless Find· Work Cleaning Ballpark in Cleveland. In the AP released article, the writer basically tells the story of how workers clean Jacobs Field, the home of the Cleveland Indians, a major league baseball team. In the article, the writer interviews Alexander Hamilton, a homeless man, who works as a (trash) picker through the Cleveland office of Minute Men (we have a Minute Men office in Cincinnati). Minute Men has a contract with the Cleveland Indians to clean the stadium after games. In the interview, Mr. Alexander compares the job to farm (slave) labor. "Instead of picking cotton bolls, we're picking trash from under the seats." Mr. Alexander is paid minimum wage for this temporary work. "I'll have $27 in the morning , clear," he said. ''That beats nothing". After work, Hamilton and most of the other workers walk more than a mile to pick up their paychecks. Two thirds of the article is devoted to detailing how the workers clean the stadium. The color-coded work teams, assigned stadium sections, the cleaning process, with the supervisor (straw boss) shouting orders in some detail. What is not explored or even suggested is the blatant exploitation ot the homeless, and/or chemically dependent labor force used for this labor. The homeless man drew an accurate comparison to the exploitation of migrant workers, which still occurs in the farm industries of the South. The real deal for all of the homeless and working poor is $5.15/hr for pickers and $6 for blowers, with no benefits. Let's review the key this: 1) Hard work, bending reaching hundred, thousands of times during the course of the long night. . 2) Lousy working conditions, rain or shine, the job has to be done 3) Low, low, low wages. M-1-N+M-U-M wage . 4) A supervisor shouting at you through a speaker system ( a big naked eunuch, beating a drum as in the days of Roman slave ships would be no more effective) 5) Insensitive (that means, they don't give a damn about you) employer, Minute Men, not the Cleveland Indians or the Stadium management. 6) No benefits. This scenario is not unique to Cleveland. Although, it is important to note, that Cleveland is one of the seven most financially successful franchises in Major League Baseball. This type of exploitation goes on all over the country. In a future edition, Streetvibes will report on the Temporary labor industry in Cincinnati and the exploitation of the poor and homeless. ....... They call me Mr. Lee �STREETVIBES The Tri-State 's Homeless Grapevine Page 9 The Death Penalty, Moratorium, State­ Sanctioned_Murder, The Constitution. ....by Johnny William Byrd, Jr. The Lucasville Trials: Part II ...by Staughton Lynd ......The Highway Patrol had parties with us al Oakwood. They gave us chicken, popcorn, cake, movies. ft was made clear that if we didn't say what they wanted , then we would be punished or our safety ignored." This particular info1mant testified against a defendant, as desired by the State, but also testified on behalf of two other defendants. As a result, according to this prisoner's statement: "In September 1998 the Parole Board gave me another 10 years. They specifically maintained that I bad testified for defense cases related to the Lucas ville iiot." Oakwood- known among Lucasviile defeodants as "the snitch academy" - was not the on 1y prosecution tactic to induce testimony. A prison psychologist has stated that one of the so­ called leaders needed treatment for depression but that she was prevented from providing it by officers who said that "he's just about ready to tell us things." The same defendant was taken to see patrolmen, refused to tell them anything, but then was placed in a new cell in a different pai1 of the prison. His absence, immediately after meeting with the authorities, created the impression among his cellmates that he bad "rolled," and that impression, it is thought, was the reason that Anthony Lavelle turned States evidence the next month ..... LUCASVILLE, As the debate on capital punishment and on the possibility of an innocent being murdered by the states heats up, more and more death row prisoners are drawing closer to their homicide, myself being one of them . While politicians play cat and mouse with the gravest of punishments, innocent people are going to be, and already have been, murdered! Retiring justices of the United States Supreme Court, in a vain attempt to clear their consciences of the horrendous horrors they have permitted to take place and to cleanse their souls before facing their judgment before the almighty, have told us that they have indeed murdered innocent people. Once the light of life has been extinguistied and everything that individual was, could have been, or was ever going to be has been taken, it's too late to say - "Oh God, what have I done?" All who support this barbaric abomination of humanity are guilty of murder. What'3ver rationale one may apply to himself to justify his support of this Holocaust against . human life, one should be advised that even the law recognizes state sanctioned murder as a homicide. The cause of death listed on the death certificate of a state-crucified humane being is Homicide! In recent years, the United States Supreme Court and Congress have been exercising their blatant disregard for the Constitution in order to be politically correct ­ Byrd, continued on page 13 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- continued page t3 Dear Streetvibes, My name is Simon M. Martin, Sr. #370-41 o Lock S-C-25 Pickaway Correctional Institution, P.O. Box 209, Orient, Ohio 43146. . I am writing because I have been in prison for 2 Vz years on a 3 year sentence. have filed for a judicial release about 8 months ago and was flatly denied by Judge O'Grady from Franklin County in Columbus. My first felony was through drug usage (crack cocaine). I am asking help in getting out of jail in a program that can be beneficial for me. My old public defender did a very poor job and I hope that your paper can get me a lawyer that can really help me with my case - kind of like one of those Oprah Winfrey shows when you see someone actually gets help. Please do not let this letter go in vain. I am writing because God is at this cqntrol. Once again, I thank you. God bless. keeping up with the latest polls, systematically denying the poor and working poor their rights under the United States Constitution, while creating loopholes for the wealthy. The avenues of appeals in capital cases have been reduced to formalities that only serve to place more money in the hands of those who are not defendants. When the rights of one are being denied, the rights of all are being denied (unless you are part of the selective wealth in this country). Article 1, Section 9, of the United States Constitution clearly states: "The writ of habeas corp us shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may requ ire it. No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed." The passing of the 1996 ATEDPA, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton, has all but done away with habeas review. Now, even if Federal Courts wanted to review the Constitutional violations of a capital case, they are constrained from doing so and must defer to the state courts' findings; which permits the cover up of corrupt convictions and which paves the way for innocent human beings to be murdered. In one way or another, the safeguards which prevent the murder of an innocent have been removed. The amendments to the US Constitution have all been white washed in favor of political correctness, for example, the Slh Amendment: "No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without receiving due process oflaw, from Lucasville, Ob: (To Streetvibes,) Dear Brothers and Sisters, The guards here are tag-reaming me at S.O.C.F., due to the fact I got that money (from the Federal excessive force lawsuit in Cincinnati). They put 9 excessive rules infraction tickets on me in one week, and put me on 6 months commisary restriction, 60 days phone restriction, radio restriction. They're denying me the heart medication that two doctors ordered for me for pain. They want me to go off on them so they can send me back tQ the Superrnax (Youngstown). So when I didn't go off, they're stacking up tickets to try and get me sent to Local Control (Isolation) for excessive tickets. Help!!! Your Bro, John Perotti #167-712 John Perotti remains in prison past his out-date, primarily because he is an inside advocate for prisoners, helping them.to file appeals and lawsuits. To advocatefor john, pleas send letters to : Reginald Wilkinson, Director ofPrisons, 1050 Freeway Drive North, Columbus, OH 43229 PEN PAL WANTED Derrick Jameson #187-382 P.O. Box 788, Mansfield,OH 44901 RALLY to STOP THE PRISON INDUSTRY COMPLEX Ohio State Capitol Building Thursday, September 28, 2000 I :00 PM to 4:00 PM, COLUMBUS, Broad St. & High St. info, call 513-241-8014 STBllTVIBES Prisonersllews contains news about the justice system and the writings of persons incarcerated in our nation's jails and prisons. I Subscribers within the walls recerve Streetvibes free. If you want to support us in this effort, please sponsor someone on the inside by - sending us $15 for a year's subscription Send your comments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com mail : STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Third Party Candidates Deserve Better ... By Greg LeSaint This November, millions of Americans are going to vote in the presidential election and potentially decide the fate of the United States for the next four years. Although a great deal of people believe that the president has little to do with the state of the nation and that it relies mostly upon the economy, our next president wiH have a lot of influence on tbe future of this country. With issues such as a flat tax, campaign finance reform, gun control, and the appointment of four new Supreme Court justices, there is a lot at stake for the people of this country. Although the presidential race is traditionall y a race between the two major party candidates, i.t is important for individuals to look at their other options as we1l because with the fate of the country, one should never have to settle on a president due to lack of options. Most people don' t hear of third party candidates because the media do not give them as much press coverage as the two major parties. Also, they don't have the fu nding THIRD PARTY, continued page 11 Page 10 Community Shares Gives Four ... Mccrackin Awards Greater Cincinnati Community Shares has named four individuals to receive the 2000 Maurice McCrackin Peace and Justice Awards. Anthony Davis, Darlene Guess, and Dr. Cathe1ine Roma will be recognized for thefr individual contributions; Sister Monica Sr. Monica McGloin is accepting the McGloin will accept the honor on behalf Mccrackin Award for her commuof others. The awards are named for the late nity of Dominican Sisters and social Rev. Maurice ("Mac") Mccracki n who justice advocates was well-known in Greater Cincinnati for hi s dedication to nonviolence and social equality. H onorees are chosen who support the human rights of all people, demonstrate integtity and commitment, share their skills generously, and provjde leadership and inspiration for others. Tony Davis has been involved with the Sickle Cell Parent and Family Network for 30 years and is currently board president. Tony works to ensure that those with sickle cell receive quality care and are able to li ve fully. An accomplished actor, Tony has been involved with several groups supporting artistic voices in the inner-city. He is employed ·with Postponing Sexual Invol vement, using peer counseling to promote self-respect and Continued top ofnext page WORDS FROM THE EUANGELIST On August 16, 2000, 844 days afcer officials rurned the fosr shovel of dirt, rhe Paul Brown Sradium welcomed fans and taxpayers anxious ro see what cheir money had bought. Then on Saturday, with a blastof fireworks, the $453.2 million stadium opened to 56,180 fans who were pleased wirh che Bengals 24-20 vicrory over tbe Bears. Tony Davis, Cathy Roma, and Darien Guess, 3 ofthe four recipients of this year's Mccrackin Award Cans for the Free Store were the tickets collected the as entrance fees for Cincinnati's tour of Paul Brown Stadium I was one of chose taxpayers who attended the open bouse, and [ must admit I wsas impressed by this arcbitecrural wonder; but I am also one of those Hamilton County Residems who has a biner taste in his mouth over che $46 million exrra which this stadi um cost us. When Tlook at this 40 acres and 18-stories-high monstrosjty I see rhe redevelopment which could have taken place in our inner oiry. I see cnildren and families which do nor have ro be relocated ro other low-income housing units because disrepair and demolition has taken their homes. Where Mike Brown views the Paul Brown Stadium as c:he ground breaker for the developmem of the riverfront, and insurance that the Bengals and Reds wil be here for our grandchildren; I view ic as an indicrmem of our values. For when we develop our riverfront at the expense of the EVANGELIST, continued on page 17 Entertainment was hot at this years Over-The-Rhine Community Festival (August 6th Washington Park) Two of the many entertainers, Tracy Walker (left) and one of the festival talent contest winners (right) kept the crowds cool and laid back. �- STREETVIBES positive options.. After once being hom eless herself, Darlene Guess has spent her life helping others in need. She began by volunteering at Bethany House where she had stayed, then joined the staff as house manager, and is now shelter director. Darlene resolves conflict through dialogue and consensus, shows compassion and commitment, and helps others gain a positive sense of self Through all of her actions, Darlene demonstrates how to make the world a better place. As artistic director of MUSE Cincinnati's Women's Choir, Cathy Roma promotes di versity in audience, membership, and programming. She is co-founder and director of the Martin Luther King chorale which performs at events for improved race relations. Cathy also directs a men 's chorus of prisoners at Warren Correctional Institution and teaches at Wilmington ColJege. Through music she promotes diversity and the power of the human spirit. . Monica McGloin believes that communities and not individuals make things happen and has declined to accept tbe award for your own outstanding contributions. A Dominican Sister of Hope, she gives credit to the other women in her religious community and to tl:ie many people who work together for social justice. Monica and the Dominican Sisters were special friends of Mac Mccrackin. One of his often repeated phrases was, "If anyone can, the Do mini cans!" The McCrack:in Awar(ls will be presented at Communi ty Shares Friends Fest, Saturday, September 9, 4:00 p.m, at Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park. The event is free. For further information, contact Mary McCoy 475-0475 The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine THIRD PARTY, from page 10 or size of the Democrats and the Republicans. Most people remember Ralph Nader as a great consumer advocate, but he is also the Green Party 's presidential canclidate this year. The issues that Nader takes the strongest stance on are those of economical nature. He is a major opponent of free trade and a flat tax. A flat tax basically means that every income in the United States is taxed at the same rate. While many claim that this is the only fair way to tax, there really is nothing fair about it. For instance, if a family with an income of $1,000,000 is taxed at 25%, then they are left with $750,000, which is more than enough to live increclibly comfortable. However, if a family with an income of BERTA'S ART CORNER Page 11 $14,000 is taxed at 25%, they are left with $ I0,500, whkh puts them well below the poverty line. Ralph Nader tends to be the champion of low-income people throughout the country. He is also a strong opponent of the death penalty, and a strong proponent of campaign finance reform. The issue with campaign finance refom1 is that many people feel that large corporations and interest groups are able to buy their way into politics and influence policy with large contributions to the parties. Many parts of campaign finance reform would reduce or eliminate this power and make the system closer to the intended THIRD PARTY, continued page t4 photo b1,1 Berta Lambert An old West Shell Realtors sign was transformed into this hand-carved welcome at the entrance to the former Buckeye Forest Council Workshop (1542 Elm Street). The shop's purpose was to turn recycled wood into useful items and idle time into creative expression BETHANY HOUSE: Serving the Community, Hand in Hand do a referral to one of these shelters and that person comes back to the office and says, Bethany House was one of the first "Thank you, Pat M." shelters to be certified by the Coallti9n On my interview I did learn that Bethany (Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless House has 8 staff members who have cooperates with the City of Cincinnati to actually been residents there, one being assure that shelters meet people's basic Darlene Guess. I'd like to salute all needs.) Bethany House has been servicing volunteers and staff members for your fine the community for 15 years, helping low work. income women and children. Greater This is indeed a program of structure, Cincinnati has 30,000 individual homeless which is one of the tools for a homeless people in a year. About 1/3 of these are person to lead a productive life. I do children. personally believe it is easier to identify with Working hand and hand with the .... by Pat Mitche/J YWCA and Tom Geiger House. referrals are made helping woman and children w.ith problems of domestic violence, single homeless women and homeless women with chi ldren. The director of Bethany House is Sister Mary Stanton R.S.M. I was recently given a tour of the Bethany House. I interviewed Tricia Roddy, and was amazed at the dedication of staff and volunteers, working together to achieve the same goals Housing, education and services for women and children, to live and lead a much better and more productive life. Also, after talking with Tricia, who is the Development and Volunteer Director, I learned that we share something very special (myself also a volunteer at the C0alition for the Homeless) - a passion for helping people. And the reward is even greater when we help another individual, whether it be a woman or a child , so that we can see this is working . I personally can't express the high I receive when I the peop le we serve daily if we also have experienced being homeless. Because whatever the circumstances seem to be, once you have "been there, done that!", you share the same pain fears and humiliation that all homeless people share. I have been homeless twice myself, and I'm sorry I wasn't aware of all the resources then that I know now. Learning about these shelters has been a real education for me. It has served as a plus because I can now use it to help others. During the writing of these articles, I have made referrals for the mentally impaired, for a chemically See BETHANY HOUSE page 19 �The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Letters An Open Letter to the Board of Education : Regarding Eric Kunzel's proposaJ co build an arr complex (Kunzd 's Nightmare on Elm Street), adjacent ro Music Hall and the D rop-Inn Cenrer, I expxess my opposirion to rhe building ofa new SCPA ar rhat location; and in parriculac, with the $26 miUion from t he public school funds. From press coverage of rhis concroversy,ir seems the Board is looking at three options: 1) build a new SCPA somewher~ in C incinnati 2) build a new SCPA at its cu rrent sire andJor do major rehab. 3) Build a new SCJ?A adjacent ro rhe Drop Inn Center and Music H all Option 4 would be co spend rbe $26 million on rhe much-needed school repairs rhroughout Cincinnati. It is rhe n:iost responsible oprion! A note on the negative impact of building a new complex adjacent in Washington Parle As a 20 year residen t of Over-the-Rhine and as its representative on c.he Cincinnari Empowermenr Zone Board, I know OT R well. OTR is a smaU neighborhood (7-9,000 pop.); 70% of the residents are African-Am erican . 7 0% are in poverty. "Kunzel's Nightmare" is a Gentrification Program! lr w ill displace blacks and the poor. Mr. Kunzel considers the SCPA complex as only Phase I. Phase II are two perfo rming Centers - A) expansion of Memorial Hall, and B) a large center sourh ofWashingtron Park on the parking lot Page 12 bounded by Central Parkway a nd 12'" St, and by Elm St. And Race St. Phase III- the bulding of lhe C lassical M usic H a.IJ of Fame (nor likely co be smaller than rhe Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame). Small OTR already bas a major parking problem when hundreds of sch ool buses park around Washingron Park during sp ecial performing events fo r Cincinnati's school children. It can.not a~so rb a $52 million school complex without major d isplacement i:hrougbout Over-d1e-Rhine. · Your responsibi.licy as a school Board member is to provide quality educacion co all of Cincinnari's ~hildre n . ln chis capacity you sh ould not ign ore the un pact of bu.i.lding srrucrures: on minorides, the poor, che social and ·economic order of neighborhoods! Please vote to use rbe $26 million ro help all of Ci.ncinnaci's school child ren! Sincerely, Berta Lambert CAMELOT, Homeless forced out of Covington Park Response to an article printed in the Cincinnati Enquirer about Covington reclaiming their park from the homeless (like we have taken it over). To: Cindy Shroeder, Denny Bowman, The Covington Community Center. MainStrasse Neighbors Associati~n I am answering in response to Cindy Shro~der ' s a'.ticle in August 13th's Sunday Enquirer. I will use some of history's more quotable people to show where the attitude described in that article will lead us. I have had the fortune to lose my job and all my worldly possessions about 7 years ago. No, you did not read a typq, my fortune was to come to meet some of the finest people I have ever come to know in my 40 odd years of living. Half of those people are those "undesirables" as the Enquirer refers to them. The other half were those who treated me with dignity and respect even though I was without a job and home. -­ people like those who volunteer and run the Parish Kitchen , Welcome House, Fairhaven and Storehouse Ministries. Those who do not like to hear the truth spoken would probably label people like me and my homeless friends "undesirable"; they prefer not to have their little wo~lds confronted with the truth. To put it mildly, I will not spare your feelings with my words. Then again there were quite a few who had the same opinion of Jesus because he dared to confront those who did not like what He had to say. In his words: Matthew 25:39-41 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Thomas Jefferson penned this quote from the Declaration of Independence: We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator With certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness - That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of , Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall ~eem most likely to effect their Safety and If that is so, do not the Happmess. homeless also have these same rights? I wish I could say that statement holds true from the treatment I have received from the local police here in Covington. Lets just take a look at my record, I have 8 charges filed against. me in the past 7 years, all of which have be~n dismissed. They were dismissed because I never committed any crimes. If I were anyone else with money that could afford adequate representation in court I would have long since filed suit for harassment. At present I am still not ~llow~d to enter a public building here in Covington , even after the lies a police officer made up and charged me with were dismissed in a court of law. I have been told that I will be recharged if I enter Covington's PUBLIC Library. Whenever I contact the public defender's office for some type of legal aid, I receive no response. I am not the only homeless person who stands "barred" from a PL!blic place withJhreat of arrest for being on the grounds. For our struggles are not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world. EphesiansS: 12 Then there is the new practice of the certain police offices in Covington to ask for ID and arres~ you for disorderly conduct for not having "your papers in order". I am not the only one who has been threatened and/or arrested for this ludicrous not to mention Communistic "law." So Mr. Bowman, maybe you ought to tell the Police they better learn how to enforce laws and not_opinions of people. Maybe step up a public review board for the conduct of those police officers who so choose to make and enforce their own laws. Telling them to step up park patrols is like telling the Nazis to start building furnaces, we surely don't need these " undesirables" littering our parks with their carcasses! But not all blame goes to the police for their conduct because it is in the courtrooms where men are brought before the judges, charges with such c~arges and then told if they plead guilty they will be left go on time served. The judges and prosecutors know full well what is taking place and say nothing about the behavior of police officers that think they can arrest and charge anyone with reproach of false arrest. But we all know how important conviction rates are at election time so again the poor people who , are not capable of defending themselves in court 1 are used for'the scapegoat. Again I will let my friend Jesus speak for me; 'Woe to you, teachers of the law, you hypocrites! They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to liff"a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for men to see. n _Keep going the way your are going Covington and I '!'Jill salute you in the manner you deserve, Sieg Hiel! .... Mark Pierce · tram page s Northeast Ohio Coalicion for the HomeleSs and our new arrorney, Doug Lawrence, to assist with their case. NEOCH's interest in che case was just ro gee rhe ciry ro address the needs of chose who were staying ar Camelot, and rry to gee precedence that squarters have to be evicted through housing court. The court hearing was a media circus, which took lawyers all da:y and night on Au.gust 1 and 2 ro prepare. By rhe rime attorneys could ger to courr, rhe b~ ildi ng destruction was underway. T he ghosts of King Arthur had provided a reprieve when the crane broke an 0 - ring, and did not work. Tb is was short­ lived, as ·ano cher crane was broughc in almost immediately. The remporary .restraining order was moot, but in an extraordinary move rb e judge ordered the ciry to appear the next day co address the nee~s of those wh o had srayed in the builcling. Every victory by rhe city rurned into a defear. The stand off had ended without bloodshed, and the media painted a picture of Goliath crushing the defenseless David. In cotur, the restraining order was tossed out, but the story was how che judge had scolded the C ity for their lack of concern fo r the inhabitants. . In the fi nal ~mbarrassment ro rhe ciry, ir was cliscovered that in their haste to rake down che buildin g d1ey did not do the proper abatement of the asbestos.. T hanks to the cliligenr woi:k of cl1e reporters at r.he Plain Dealer chis d iscovery halted thedes_tn'.crion ofthe building. Police were guarcling rhe building around che clock as asbestos flew i nco the air while the consrrucciou cornpany pulled the b uilding apart. As bestos left u ndisturbed is harmless. T he dust from rhe asbestos is what is dangerous. In rheir haste to kill Camelot, the ciry pur at risk neighbo rs, police o ffi cers, and the co nstructio n workers. In t he en d, t he judge accepted che word of Cornell Carter, legal director ofthe City of Cleveland, when he ap peared in coun and said char they would address the needs of rhose displaced by rhe destruction of Camdot. With all the historical assaults on homeless people by the White administration, this was at best a hollow promise, but more likely a blatant lie. Ofthe nine people who regularly stayed in the building, a few made it off the streecs with.our the assistance of the City of Cleveland. Th r e e are living in a tent; one has moved to another abandoned building; one is staying with a friend; two moved to Columbus (where they do not take your children if you become homeless); and two received a substantial anonymous donation and moved into housing. To date the city has not addressed the housing needs of any of the former residents of Camelot. "Camelot, the lordly casde of Arthur, wit~ its vast halls and beautiful grounds, was all raised by Merlin's magic power wic.hour the aid of human hands," and was lose in Cleveland because of the arrogance of power. • • • • �STREETVIBES LUCASVILLE, from page 9 Tunnel Tape 61 The one significant piece of physical evidence the prosecution brought forward was a rape made by the FBI in the tunnels under the occupied cell block. The tape, kriown as the Tunnel Tape 61., purportedly recorded a conversation among leaders of the rebellion during the morning of Thursday, April 15. In that conversation . t11e prosecution told various juries, rebernoo leaders decide:d to kill a hostage guard. Shortly after 11 a.m. that morning the body of prison guard Robert Yttllandingham was, in fact carried out on che yard. The prosecution's theoty was that anyone who had been at the meeting could be convicted of conspiring to murder the guard. There are two problems with this theory. The first is thal even the government's transcript of Tunnel Tape 61 does not report ~t decision to kill a guard. There is discussion of killing a guard. There is agreement that the authorities ; hould be asked to restore electricity and water in the occupied cell block. Finally. it is said that if the authorities fail to do so, the prisoners should meet again to decide what to do next. The second problem is that the Ohio Court of Appeals, in Jason Robb's case, has h eld that the tunneJ taping operation was illegal. "The trial court clearly erred in fai ling to suppress the tunnel tapes accordi ng to Ohio's former wiretap Jaw," the C ourt stated. However, the Court continued~ "given the other evidence in the case" the error was harmless. That other evidence was s nitch testimony. Apart fro m the inherent unreliability of all such testimony, snitch Lavelle helped to transcribe Tunnel Tape 61 and s nitches Lavelle and Snodgrass modified their testimony in light of what they beJieved or were told that the tape said. There was no Chinese wall between the recollection of the snitches and the words purportedly on the tape. But for the moment, Byrd, from Page B nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." Just as this right has been taken away from me and others on death row, so has it been taken from you. Just remember this next time you get pulled over for not having your seat belt on, and the police. want to seize your care or take your house or whatever you own. You do have a 4th Amendment right to tell them to stay out of your belongings if they don't have a search warrant. Just try and invoke this right and see what happens. You'll make the 6 o'clock news as another Rodney King. Under the 5 th Amendment to the United States Constitution: "In ·criminal prosecution all have the right to an impartial jury, to confront the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor anq to have the effective assistance of counsel." At my trial I did not have the effective assistance of counsel; my counsel had previously represented the state's key witness, the jail house snitch. My attorney refused to cross examine the state's witness and did not disclose any information or use professional witness in my favor. Neither did I have an impartial jury. The majority of capital case defendants have been denied this right. Studies are showing that when it comes to death penalty trials, the defendant is given court-appointed The Tri-State 's Homeless Grapevine three men are headed toward the electric chair because the snitch testimony bas been considered a reliable and independent source of truth. The Alleged Conspiracy of Muslims, Aryan Brothers, and Black Gangster Disciples The most bizarre aspect of the Lucasville trials has been the prosecution 's effort to play the race card. The prosecution scenario goe.s something like this: According to the prosecution, the Lucasville "riot" was run by three "gangs" The largest, all-Black group, was the Muslims. Abdullah Siddique Hasan (f.k.a. Carlos Sanders) was portrayed as the imam or leader of this grnup. Next in size and influence, according to the prosecution. was the Aryan B rotherhood. Jason Robb and George Skatzes were presented to the juries as leaders of the AB. Finally, there was the Black Gan ster Disciples, purported ly headed by Anthony Lavelle. The prosecution fast offered the juries evide nce of racial exclusivity and/or hatred on the part of all three so-calJed gangs. Then the prosecution showed that there bad been substantial inter-racial cooperation during the rebellion, evidenced by slogans that said "Black and white together," "convict race," and the like. For g~oups that didn't like each other to work together, prosecutors argued, there must have been a conspiracy between the leaders of the gangs. The evidence for the alleged conspiracy was of a hearsay and fragmentary character. S upposed Aryan Brother bylaws were put in evidence in the trials of both Robb and Skatzes, the evidence seemed to show that the althouoh 0 • bylaws had been written only after the.rebellion, aod that defendants may not have known of them before trial. Even less tangible was a supposed between all three groups, .or at least aoTeement 0 between the Muslims and ABs, that 1f a person of any race was to be killed, the group made up of members of that race must be consulted and take counsels that are under-skilled and underpaid to do a proper defense, while the prosecution has unlimited funding. If you have ever found yourself facing any form of charge without the money to pay for an attorney, you know how little was done on your behalf. Most likely you made a plea bargain because you could tell your attorney wasn't on the ball; howeve~, in most capital cases , pleas are far coming, especially depending on ·what county you are charged in. (Hamilton County is the wors~.) The atti Amendment states: "Excessive Bail shall not be required nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishme~t inflicted." The death penalty as a whole 1s cruel and unusual punishment. Ohio has recently passed laws to where judges can deny bail t o a defendant charged with anything. So once again, we come back to when the rights of one are denied, the rights of all are denied, also. The gih Amendment to the Constitution clearly states: "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." The 14th Amendment, Section 1, states, as well: "All persons born or naturalized into the United States and subjected to the jurisdiction, therefore, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherin they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the Page .J 3 part. T he aura of conspiracy engendereJ by the prosecution's so-called evidence about the LucasviUe gangs was also used to prevent separate trials for separate offenses. On·e of the Lucas ville defendants, George Skatzes, was charged with murders committed on April 11, 15, and 2 1, and was tried for all three deaths in the same proceeding on a theory that the killings expressed a single, continuous course of conduct. The courts' refusal to sever di fferent charges was especially harmful because of emotion surrounding the death of prison guard Vallindingham. Skatzes was charged with aggravated murder of Vallandingham and two prisoners. He was fou nd guilty of all three murders but the jury recommended against the death penaJty in the Vallandingham case. There can be little doubt that the defendaot 's a<;sociation with the killing of a guard made the jury more ready to recommend the death penalty in the other two cases. Conclusion As a non-criminal lawyer, I have been appalled at the sloppy and prejudicial manner in which the LucasviUe cases were adjudicated. It has often seemed to me that a "fender bender" in a civil court would be tried more carefull y. The Lucasvillle trials have indeed amounted lo a s urvival course for snitches. In this sense at least, those condemned after the rebellion are all political prisoners. They deserve new trials. Staughton and Alice Lynd are retired Legal Services attomeys who live near Youngstown Oh. The Lynds are members of the legal team working on George Skatzes' petition for post­ conviction review, and regula1·iy visit lucasville defendants, many of whom are now housed at the Youngstown super-max. readers who wish to receive the Skatzes/Lucasville 5 support Bulletin, or otherwise participate in the defense of these unjustly convicted men, should conununicate with Staughton at 1694 Timbers Court, Niles, OH 44446, voice (330)652-9635.fax (330)652-0171. United States, nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." I have been denied all these rights under the Constitution and so have you. Open your eyes and look around at what is going on, how you have been manipulated by the different organizations with their own agendas and politicians. They try to curb you into thinking that justice is being served, clouding your vision from the destruction of your own Constitutional rights. Stand up and be heard now. Refuse to be the blind pawn used by special interest groups and start contacting your state representatives and the governor to demand a moratorium. You'll not only be saving innocent life, but you'll be taking a step forward to regain the rights that have been taken from you. Now is the time to say enough is enough, and that the taking of one innocent life does not justify even murdering the guilty. Ohio's death penalty cases have serious problems, and even Chief Justice Moyer of the Ohio Supreme Court realizes this. Don't wait until the murdering gets out of hand as Governor Bush has permitted in his state. Support the bill introduced by Shirly Smith calling for a moratorium in Ohio. Don't permit yourself to be blinded by just the use of DNA testing ; a high number of death penalty Byrd, Continued Page 19 �STREET VIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine SIDNEY, trom page 1 these new laws, "authorized officers" with little security training can use force to remove you, without even giving a reason or producing identification (unless requested), can issue a $200 on-the-spot-fine, and can search your property and bags without reason. New Olympics related laws give incredibly wide powers to police and "authorized officers" (potentially untrained and unqualified volunteers). These new powers and new offenses, cr:eated by law last November and reaffirmed in May 2000, are in addition to those powers police already have. The Sydney Olympics will be a huge international event; it is a huge multinational industry, culminating in 2 weeks of spo rting events. There will be loads of media; the BBC alone is bringing 4 jumbo jets of journalists and equipment. Security plans have been in place since before the bid by Sydney to the International Olympics Committee; in fact, one of the reasons why Sydney got the Olympics is that security prospects looked good. Australia does not have a history of terrorism or political violence. Yet Olympic security alone has cost the New South Wales Police alone $174 million. The security measures are international, with daily communication with major security agencies across the world, and have been a long time in the planning. As far back as 1997, Victorian Deputy Police Commissioner Graham Sinclair admitted extensive surveillance of community groups ­ not just so-called "extremist" groups, but also innocuous organizations, in a crackdown before the Sydney 2000 Olympics, "as extremists often shelter in moderate organizations." He made it clear that any groups that threatened public order or could be involved in politically motivated violence would warrant police attention. Security for Sydney 2000 is massive. Of 13,600 N.S.W. Police, at least 5000 will .be deployed for the Olympics, as well as 4500­ 4900 private security guards (this may balloon to 10,000-12,000), volunteers (numbers unconfirmed), hundreds of Federal Police acting as '1close protection officers" for VIPs and diplomats, the Defense Force, and intelligence officers. N.S.W. Police are not allowed to leave during the Olympics, training has been canceled, and court cases requiring police witnesses are to be held over for the duration of the games. Despite this, numbers are apparently still tight. Recent newspaper articles state that Chubb security (who will be providing security for the Games) have been seeking new recruits through family and friends of existing security guards. They have also stated they will rehire retired workers and train up administrative staff! Some retired police will volunteer to work in country stations in non­ operational roles during the games. What do the Olympic Laws Do? These laws create new offenses, and give police, "authorized officers" (who may be volunteers), and "rangers" new powers. Generally laws give police powers to intervene in public space, but these laws give wide discretionary powers to people who have no training or qualifications. In Olympic Sydney, it is against the law to protest! You are now REQUIRED to seek authorization for public assemblies. It is an offense to "conduct or participate in any public assembly in a public area if the assembly has not been authorized ey the Sydney Harbor Foreshore Authority. If you get permission, it may be conditional. And "free speech" activities are outlawed! The Olympics laws make illegal many /RAQ SANCTIONS, continued from page 7 Her and Huck's responsibiLity now is to "really seek to remain active and become an activist for the people we met," Kubasak said. "We have to keep working to lift the sanctions and work on our government people. It's so urgent and there's so much to be done." Since their return from lraq, Huck and Kubasak have hosted discussions and shared slides and literature with various groups to educate others about the effects of economic sanctions on the lraqi people. They actively raise awareness about the situation in lraq because "nobody hears about it and says, 'Well, let's keep doing it,· " Kubasak said. They also commend the Chicago Tribune for coming out against the sanctions. In addition to appearing on local radio shows and television talk shows on Arabic TV, both have spoken with Congressional aides in an attempt to gain support in their struggle against the sanctions. They encourage others to call and write to their members of Congress. Huck said that bis work in Iraq helped him to realize mme clearly what the U.S. government's role is in the larger world and how to see through what the government presents in order to ascertain what is rea11y going on. Now, be and Kubasak help others achieve that clarity. For more information about Iraq or to schedule a presentation by Huck and Kubasak:, contact them at (847) 733-7141. Text Reprinted courtesy of Streetwise, Chicago.. Illinois. Photos are from the Iraq Sanctions Challenge Website ­ http://1Vww.iacenler. orgl iraqchalleHgel Page 14 activities that may happen in a demonstration. In the areas covered, it is now against the law to use a loudspeaker or broadcasting equipment or to hand out leaflets or to display any kind of message unless it's directly on your clothes (such as at-shirt) or your vehicle (such as a bumper sticker). In the Sydney Harbor Foreshore areas, on top of this, you cannot put up anything like a sign, climb any structures or trees, skate, or use the facilities for sleeping overnight! In "sports-grounds," officers do not even need to ask you to leave before using force to remove you , i.e. if you are annoying or inconvenient, officers may use force to remove you without asking you to leave, without giving you any reason why you should leave, and without a warning. Under the Act, any area in Sydney could be declared to be a "sports­ gro und ,'' even Town Hall Square . The Olympics laws also give the authorities the power to close off public spaces under their control. You may be refused entry in these areas if the Authority decides to limit the number of people in the area or if it has closed off a space. For more info and help: Legal Aid Help line: 1-800-806-913, TTY 1-800-243-434. THIRD PARTY, continued from page 11 "one person , one vote." Pat Buchanan, by far one of the most conservative candidates this fall, is the presidential ca~ctidate for the Reform party. Buchanan is known for hi s ultra­ conservative attitude towards many issues. He is a strong opponent of affirmative action and gun control. He supports the death penalty and the flat tax vehemently. One issue that divides Buchanan from most Americans is his strong support of appointing only Anti-Abortion judges to bhe Supreme Court While none of the third party candidates (Howard Phillips, John Hagelin, and Han:y Browne as well as Nader and Buchanan) have ever he ld political office before, they are still deserving of a better chance than they have in our bipartisan system. Perhaps it is with experience that candidates like George Bush and AJ Gore learn to stay in the middle and not take a clear stance on any issue. It is their desire to appeal to as many people as possible and not their hopes for the future of the country that keeps their campaigns going. Voters need to look more carefully at the issues that affect their lives and not feel like they simply have to decide between a Democrat and a Republican. After all, it's better to vote for something you want and not get it, than to vote for something you don' t want and get that. * * * * �STREETVIBES Poetry A Hole in My Sidewalk/ My Unmanageable Life . .. ... by Portia Nelsorv' .. .. .. .. by Mr. Lee I walk down the street. I live my unmanageable (sinful) life. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. The re are many "triggers" (temptations) l faUin. . I get caught up in the fast life (the world) I am lost. .. r am hopeless. I become addicted to . . . (fill in the blank space). I am hopeless. It isn't my fault I am not responsible for my addiction (sinful nature). It takes forever to find a way out. It takes a very long time for me to recover (repent). I walk down the same street . [ resume living my unmanageable The Tri-State 's Homeless Grapevine (sinful) life. The re is a deep hole in the sidewalk. There are many "triggers'' (temptations) along the way. I pretend I don 't see it. I ignore the warning signs. I fall in again. I relapse (return to my sinful life). I can't believe I am in the same place . I can't believe that I am back in active addiction (the world) again. But, it isn't my fault. I do not accept responsibility for the choices I have made. 1 am in denial. It still takes a long time to get out. · It still takes a long time to "healn spiritually (recover). l walk down the same street. I once again resume living my unmanageable (sinful) life. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. There are many temptations "triggers" along the.way. I see it is there. I know who, what and whe re the y are. I still fall in .. . it's a habit. I still re lapse (resume my sinful life). I am an addict (fallen saint). Page 15 My eyes are open . I can clearly see. I know where I am. In ac tive addiction (lost in th world). It is my fault. I am respons ible for my relapse (falle n s tate ). I get out immediately. I ge t back on the road to recovery (I repent) immediately. I walk down the same street. I res ume my unmanageable lif~. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. . The re are many triggers', (te mptations) along the way. I walk around it. I work THE program. I follow thos who follow Him. I walk down another street. I now trudge the Road of Happy Destiny. I follow His Path The above is offered with due credit to "There's A Hole In My Sidewalk," a poem by Portia Nelson. The words in italics are the thoughts and feelings that came to my mind as I read her work. Perhaps you can see some area of your life or that of a love0 one in her poem. Peace. ...... They call me Mr. Lee (Protesting in front of the YWCA welfare (W2) department in Milwaukee)­ W2 Life is Scum Mary's man left her with one tiny baby She needed support so she couldn't say maybe She went to the welfare that YW ran there The Y told her she had to work or die Mary had heart disease so she couldn't please YW women who kept her pay Much as she wanted to make her own way To try to work both jobs would soon end her days, end her days. Mary decided to ask for a hearing She thought that the Y bosses would be more caring She went to the hearing where Kim Coleman did say 'W e can't let you lay around home all day." Mary got sicker, her doc couldn't figure But still doc wouldn't defy the Y Finally lupus was doc's diagnosis Still YW welfare sent Mary to die. work and die. Mary's new worker said "we all know pain and strife Don't think we're letting you just lead a lazy life You must work everyday for not a cent in pay Don't ask for help you must do it alone." Ann Hadley was her name, she played a dirty game With illegal that cut Mary's check When Mary stopped her with bosses and doctors Ann cut her insurance to make Mary die,"work and die. Mary's sweet baby may never know Mama Unless we the people together will stand up To stop the rich man and professional scams Who make money off poor folks, However they can. Let us all come to fight those who make life scum Wars for greed waged on mothers in need Throughout our life span we all will need a hand The people united will take back the land, Take the land, take the land, ....By Cathy Murp hy (deceased) and Pat Gowens The Spirit of Shaka Sankofa .... by Kunta Kenyatt~ "This is part of t he Afrikan holocaust that we as black people have endured in Amerikkka ...".... Shaka Sankofa Death, t he only guarantee in life Yet the ultimate sacr ifice Which no person can ever make t wice But for Shaka someone · must pay the price He died by the enemy's hand Insisting, "I'm an innocent Black Man" And we all knew t he enemy's plan So now it's time to t ake our stand Shaka did not die a f ugitive He died so Mumla, Zolo and Bomanl could live So how much more blood do we have to give Before we force the release of all our captlvee;7 "Bianca, make sure that the state does not get my body. Make sure that we get my name as Shaka Sankofa. My name is not Gary Graham. Make sure that it is properly presented on my grave..." ......Shaka Sankofa �Tlte Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Workingforchange.com Supporting Social Justice with Online , Credit Card, and Long Distanc·e Telephone Servi· Radio for Change provides progressive Ce .... . By Dan Marschner new.sand viewpoints at any time of the day or night. Act for Change is a link to those w~o make decisions about soc1a1 weitare. This aspect of the site allows visitors to send messages to those in power. News for Change is the site's on line publication a daily resource for news and ideas abo ut ~ocial .c~uses. Finally, Volunteer for Change links v1s1tors to organizations that are working for social justice. In the year 2000, Working Assets has chosen 60 nonprofit groups to receive donations from its customers. These organizations are nominated in one of the following categories: Peace and lntemationaJ Freedom; Civil Rights; Economic and Social Justice; Environment; and Education and Freedom of Expression. Working ·Assets customers directly affect the selection process. Customers nominate the org~ni.zations each year by providing some basic information about the nonprofit group. To be eli gible. the group must have existed at least one year, work within the categories, and have a national or international focus. After Working Assets evaluates the nominees. the top choices are returned to its customers. These customers then decide how the donated funds should be Uessie Vibes GETTING STARTED ...by Susan Huesken • WorkingforChange.com provided all the information about the site for this article. 22 4U I HEIS. I AlN'T. HE CAN. f CAN'T. I DIDN' T. HE DID. I WON'T HE WILL. l MOVED . HE IS STILL. GOD. 22 4 U is dedicated to my bio Little I:>ol·rl ' I:> who has grown up enough to go off to college. I'm so very proud of you. God Bless You and keep you. H e gave me 22 words 4 U. Don' t forget. ... "Darkness is your Friend" . With Love, Th e Prodigal Father They call me Mr. Lee being a vegetarian if you can give knowledgeable answers to their inquiries. There are many veggie nutrition books available at t~e library, written by nutrition professionals, that will give you the information you need. The# 1 problem, facing aspiring vegetarians is "what to ~af'. There are many dishes that you are currently eating that are probably vegetarian or can be modified to be vegetarian .. Examples are lasagna, veggie burgers, .bean burritos, spaghetti, baked beans, pasta salad, pizza, chili, stir fries, black beans and rice, breakfast cerea ls, pancakes and waffles oatmeal cream of wheat, grits, fruit, vegetables, and of cours~ peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (which has always In the last article of "Veggie Vibes", many reasons were given why you would want to ch.oose .a vegetarian diet. In the following months1 detailed explanations will be given on how a meat-centered diet affects our planet, your health, and the animals. But ~ow, I would like to give those of you whose been a favorite of mine). interest has hopefully been sparked into I suggest that you go to the public library pursuing a vegetarian diet, or at least cutting and take out several veggie cookbooks. down on you r meat consumption, some · There. are almost 400 different books on available resources to help you get started. veggie nutrition and cooking available in the According to the American Dietetic Hamilton County Library System. You will A.ssociation's position paper on vegetarian certainly be able to find hundreds of recipes d~ets , appropriately planned vegetarian that appeal to you and that you will be able diets are healthful , are nutritionally to prepare. adequate, and provide health benefits in the Copy the recipes that interest you, and prevention and treatment of certain make it your goal to prepare one new recipe diseases. You can read the paper in its a week. In a couple of months you will have enti rety at http://www.eatright.org/ a repertoire of recipes, that you really like adap 1197. html. People who become to eat. You may find that in a few months vegetarians should become knowledgeable you have so many new and exciting recipes about vegetarian nutrition. that you won't be able to decide what to Since we currently live in a meat­ make. dominated culture, and vegetarians are not A wonderful resource for all vegetariahs in th e majority (yet), you may often is Vegetarian Times Magazine; it can be encounter questio ns by friend s purchased at bookstores or it is also at the acquaintances or family members that are library. This monthly magazine is filled with interested or sometime s feel almost great recipes, and articles. PETA has threatened by published a 23 page beautifully-designed your diet. You will magazine entitled "Vegetarian Starter Kit"· feel much more it h~s everything you need to get you started secure and eating vegetarian foods. If you want a copy, confident about • di-stributed among the various organizations. Long distance telephone, cred it card, and online services can be very confusing . Having an alternative that advocates for social justice is q~ite refreshing. and it demonstrates how valuable a resource the Internet can be for connecting social ly conscious individuals. 0 Workingforchange.com is a site designed to use the Internet to connect socially conscious individuals. The network links people .to organizations that work for social justice. provides business services that donate funds to these organizations and disseminates information about the~e organizations. Working Assets, the company t~at oversees the site, provides long distance telephone, onli ne, and credit card services that donate millions to nonprofit groups. Working Assets customers even select the nonprofit agencies that benefit each year. Last year, over $4 million was raised for 50 nonprofit groups. Working for Change has several different ways to advocate for social justice. At Shop for Change, 5% of a customer's purchase immediately is donated to nonprofit groups, ~t no cost to the customer. Give for Change is the company's on line donation center. Page 16 "Call Any Vegetable .....and the chances are good, ....that the vegetable will respond to you" ....... Frank Zappa send a request to, PETA Headquarters, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510. You will find listings of the veggie cookbooks and nutrition books available at the Cincinnati Library in the Cincinnati Vegetarian Resource Group's 72 page outreach booklet. Also included in the booklet is a guide to vegetarian nutrition: 25 easy to prepare recipes; listing of 65 vegetarian friendly restaurants in the Greater Cin cinnati area; glossary of unfamiliar veggie ingredients; local veggie related groups, and more. You can pick up a free cop.y of this popular booklet (so far over 11,000 have been distributed) at Clifton Natural, 169 W. McMillan Street, Clifton, 961-6111 or Twin Pines Natural Foods Market, 1051 North Bend Road, College Hill, 681-3663. If you can't make it to these stores you can send $1.50 (to cover postage) to, CVRG, P.O. Box 314551 Cin.,OH 45231 and they will mail you a copy. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 17 r----------------------------------------------------~ I I I Streetvibes Readers Survey (Please answer any or all questions) Do you have a hard time finding a copy of Streetvibes? 1. W hat is your age? 2. What is your cjty of residence (or neighborhood if you live in YesO No O . I __ __ . 8. Where do you us ually buy Streetvibes? I I I I I I I I I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . Greater Cincinnati)? 9. Do you generally buy from the same vendor? D Female 3. What is your gender? Male 4. How often do you buy Streetvibes? Every month D Most months D D D Some months First time buyer Few months 5. How much of Streetvibes do you read? Every article D D Most articles D I Yes D No 0 10. Would you hire a vendor of the paper if you had a job available? D D D Some articles Few at1icles 6. Please rate these sections on a scale of l to J 0, I meaning ..needs improvement" and 10 meaning "excellent." Welfare News o, Internationa l News O Prisoner News Yes D No 0 11. Have you had a bad, or a good, expeLience with a vendor? Please explain: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ o, Poetry and Art Web Vibes o. D Veggie VibesO 18. Do you think Streetvibes articles are ,s ufficiently diverse in their viewpoint? Yes D No D 19. Do you discuss the articles or issues presented in this newspaper with friends or co-workers? Yes D No D 20. What other areas would you like to see Streetvibes cover? 7. Using the same 1-10 scaJe, how wou ld you rate the trustworthiness of Streetvibes articles? D 8. Using the same scale as above, how would you rate the quality of articles in Streetvibes? D 9. Using th.e same scale as the above, how would you rate the 21. Do you believe that Streetvibes is a good business for low incm:ne or homeless people? Ye~D No D 22. Do you think this newspaper serves its mission as a voice for low quality of photography in the paperQ No D income or homeless people? Yes D lO. Using the same scale as above, how would you rate the layout of 23. What is your overall impression of Streetvibes? the pape r ! D 11. Do you have any additional comments about the content or layout? 12. Have you bought more than one of the same issue just to s upport the concept of the paper? Thank you for your time. Please tear off this page of the paper, place it in an envelope, drop it off or mail your completed survey to: Streetvibes Readers Survey, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 ~-----------------------------------------~----------J EVANGELIST, from page 10 ta..~payer, then we are sure ro neglect our responsibiliry ro our inner-city cornrnunjties. However, despite our excravagance there was someone on the Bengals staff who learned of a food drive which was organized at the opening of th.e stadium in Cleveland, and rook r.he initi?.cive to concact the Freestore/ Foodbak and organize a similar drive here in Cincinnaci. So the poor were noc totally forgotten; for those who came in droves on Wednesday brought non-perishable goods rocally 34,636 pounds. The goods were loaded in trucks and taken co the Freestore/Goodbank distribution center where many volunteers will sort it by categories for djstribution to 550 social service agencies which encompass 10 counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Some of these goods wil also be sorted by men and women who are part of the Freestore/Foodbank's Campus Project which is located on McMicken. The Campus Project is geared to help develp a work ethic among those who are coming off public assistance. Member agencies are most often non­ profit organizations, churches, soup kitchens, food pantries, and .include such agencies as the Talbert House. Agencies either pick-up their own goods or the Preestore/Goodbank has a number of crucks in which they make deliveries. One such truck, 14 feet long; was given ro the Freestore/Goodbank by ConAgra. T he Freesrore/Foodbank and the many agencies which chey collaborate wich know they cannot change the fact that there wiJl be poor with us alwqays (Matt.26: lla), bur they can make sure these poor do not go to bed hLmgry. That is why such projects as the Rosenchal Fresh Food Initiative, (which provided over 1 million pounds of fresh produce to member agencies), and the grants which provided refrigeration and freezers to agencies to help them handle the range of food now available; are so important co the future needs of this communiry which is ever changing as che welfare system comes to a complete halt. Those ar the Freestore/Foodbank, staff, volunteers, and member agencies should be commended for their effort and willingness to collaborate with one another and develp more createive ways co assist those who are living in poverry. Now if those who would develop the riverfront will assist in the redevelopmenc ofthe inner-ciry and low-income housing, and the development of training and employment opportunities for the cities poor and under­ priveledged; then Cincinnati would truly be a great city. One in which our grandchildren's children can live with pride. The kids Cafe at Washington United Church of Christ in Camp Washingcon had a great swruner, thanks to the Freesrore/ Foodbank, and wir.h rhe start of the new school year rhey ended the summer wjr.h a (air which offered free health screenings and school supplies. Over 150 kids were in attendance for food, fun, and live Christain music by "Daniel: an upand coming gospel singer. Once again, Washingron lJnited Church of Christ w ill be hosting a Homework Club, and two teaching professionals with Cincinnati Public Schools will co-direct the program; so if you are incerested in being a tutor, please call 541-7757. A he.althy snack, a few songs, scripture, and prayer will round out each days program. Bible Study will resume on Thursday evenings at 5 pm, followed by a family style dinner. I wil be on hand representing A.W.0.L. Ministries and available for Christain counseling or referrals as needed. Please come visit us or call in your prayer request at 210­ 4181. In His Service, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. The Evangelist �,.STREETVIBES The Tri-State 's Homeless Grapevine AND N'ffitNTlct (][)t9N &>~ )tFTtt\BtR HArrY BIRTMDAY VIRGO! Guess what? Thi':i is a great month to show everyone how sman you are. Communicate, and while you are at it whip o ff a couple of letters to city council or a representative or two. Be the life of the party, but beware of uncharacteristic overindulgence. Look for love at a pottery class or an historical lecture. Dust off old artwork and you may sell a painti11g or two. Think about how to ave some money away. Practice feeling love everyday and find out if your work feels Like that or not. If you focu on what really matters to you there may be exciting career opportunities coming-your way. Don' t let your unheeded desires and buried anger become a pain in the back. Let orr steam by planning creative project . Ensure that troubles on the home front don' t distract you from neat jobs and invitations lo political involvement noaling past your window. LIBRA Shine and be your lovely charming self a t panics this month. This is the beginning ofa great year to consider higher education. travel, or work that rcqujres Jong distance or foreign Lravcl. Keep it in mind. You will be moli\.ated lo stan new trends in your circle of friends. You will lind yoursetr ahle to perform ata high level [his month but be 0 11 the look out for unclrnracte risticall:y selfish acls. Un fortunately dee,p-seated anxieties will resurface this month anu threaten scveral sleepless nighrs. Seek out homeopathic rcmedie-. a healing diet or if all else fails keep the pepto hamly. )(QRf1Q 'I 11u ma) rccc1' . :. an anecdotal ' i-.itor in your dn.:•tms. Don't he ' hocked ( I know you wrni' t !:le> \\hen C.mndpa appears \\ith w111d • l Whdn111 lr\1m lx.•yond lhc <.!fU\ e. Thi.s ubtlit) w ' cc acrcw. tlw veil is )OUT b1nbrighc and you 'h11uld re' cl 111 it. It really might be time for a psyd1ic rcuding 11f 'ome l..ind thmt hint. .. ). Your inner Sherlock Holme' rnay well Man going nuts on you this month eggmg you lo\\ anl a career ur a l'\!:I of your ~ ork that utilize<- your other-\\Wklly ability to .,cc l)(!ne:1th the !>Urface of people and thing•.. Thi' )'cur you need a new techniqui.: or thera peutic cnv1ro11mc nt 111 whic h lo further explore your,clfp,yc.:hologically o;exually and spiritually. You may want to L' UI up any rcmuining credit cards right now because the urge to spend whul you don' t have may increa:.:c throughout the year. Don' L hesitate to pick the brains of your ehkrs thi:- year. T hey may provide a weaJLh or infom1 ..it1nn if not :1 legacy of some kind. Pride in ynur creath c ah1ht1c., will make you extrn aggressive this month. Social i1111~ 'II.ill fY.t) off with exciting new acqurunlancc' u-,e thi:- for nt:tworl..ing. This i-. a good month Lo tinall} put a'~"' old i, .,U\!':i with an ex ':iOyou can lovefreel} again. Tal..c your h~mc:' off to a ' ccrct hideaway and read tho ...c ronrnnl•c hook-. t.hat no oni: !..nows you have. 5ACHT/\RlJC> It " a good time to commil to the one whll take" ) ou LO poetry readings in Parh (or .at lea.,l talk':i about doing thal somedav>. T1 is time to confront the \\ays in whid1 your 1.1mily or famil y pattern<> get in the \\ UY of rchHion'ihips. Don't say no to spur of the moment trips and exciting courses of study. Stan expressing and communicating your most crcati ve and inspiring career goals now is the time lo ~ la11 pursuing t.hem. Single Sag cou ld fimJ love al the Synagogue, the elk lodge or the anarchists meeting. Double date with interesting but Lrustcd friends. month either through a love interest or a loving interest in your job. You know you know how to work hard do you know how to work well? AOU~ • People may que lion your commitment to reality this month including yourself. It is a wonderful opportunity to investigate your vision and tap into what you wild mind has to offer. It is also a great time to leave behind illusions and addiction. It is the beginning of a new year for varied and sundry creative expression. Ironically lhis may actually have a stabilizing effect on your seemi ngly erratic life. Consider pursuing a sport, an <art follTl or working with children this year. Beware of angry nare-ups in relationships this month. After checking your passion for egotistical motives pursue a new level of sexual hannony this month. If self-help in the areas of debt dreams and p ychologicaJ health is no longer e nough a psychic a p. ychologist or a debt counselors may have the informa1ion you need. It is time to write talk and communicate the anxieties that haum you. Take a closer look at your intuitive gifts you'll be surprised at how much you really know once you get past the elf-doubL After years of Lrying you might find love in the library yet. Fl<?>ct<?> • A better home, apanment or room is available thjs month. Also your roommate situation could change for the better if you like. This is just <l great half of the year for Pisces lo lay down roots, buy real estate and work on renovations. A homeless Pisces may find themselves faced with as multitude or options. Look for positive ways to assen your needs al work, to avoid walking off the job ion a righteou~ huff. Barrier:. on communicaLion in relation,hipi. are lifted this montJ1. and overall it's a great time 10 ITIO\'C forward in love life and friendship. You could find attraction with a loan orlicer. palm reader. or a monic1an ! ARit<?> l'al..c Grn11clp<1\ :1th ice it ) (111 '1uy new whccli. thii. year. 1i·i. 1hc beginning of a time when you cou ld make things nght wit h w1 estranged -.ibling, \\rite a hook or race Cat'\. You may consider <an0ther1 cur1.:er i.:hunge iO\ olving a job that require:'' IOL'i of road Lnp:-.. Play game5 and spons. go on date.,, ' tart an art project Beware of back injury llaring up. You have an opportunity to worl.. with you communication skill' aml talking can be the hest fonn or healing for you thii. month. Love could be found through a good f1ientl especially al an an opening <>r some such. A warm fuzzy fec•ling in your bell y will steer you toward thing' and people. who arc good for you al this time. trust it! Avoid spend ing too muc:h time with'' Mr.ftvfs. right now·· the -.pace for what you want is filled with what you settle for instead. T,AJJ\'LlcD After a sensationally challenging 1wo and a half years now mark'> the hcgi nl\ing of a new year for your self­ c,1ccm. bank account, <md ability to huild thingi. up fro m the bottom. Prepare for the fact that you may make more mune' than e \ er this year and con ...ider ho-w you want to u1il 11e or invel t that cu.-.h vm,ely before you loo!.. do\11 n and fin d too late that you have ~qu andered too much ot' ll on :-illy ·tuff. Sei7e the day on home impro\emcm projects, or a possible move. Focus on finding or creating a place Lhat expre:.se5 your t:ore identity. A desire to be heard and understood is building inside you and this would be a good time to challenge any writer's block or fear ()f public speaking. This month you could fi nd a nice date at the health food store. • CAFRICORN Cup This month is resplendent with new joh opponunitics. It is time to take • <., loci.. 111 ) our role a.., a teac her a communicator and a leader. Volumeerism • and work w11h the elderl y will bring unusual hcndits. Cap passions are running wild thi., month Take ti111c out for indoor spom. with ~t \trong silent typl'. Crn1'idcr chmtening a 1ong-tenn plan 10 elimmatc dcht .11 thio, time. It " a great Slart or il Nev.; Year forc<ip<; pu1-..u111g an eJu1..atmn and con...idenng '-'!rt ou~ trnvd tlm )i:ar. n.;... j, 'lll'h a gonu month al" ork '"' \\ •Jnh ml'nt1unmg .1g-..111 '111u 1.·an fi nd h.ippmes!) in '' mk ·1h1., ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION '/ Disc -Jocket) SeN1ce CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 e-mail· (S ) _ jonesacp@tbol.net 13 230 6353 Page 1s chiropractor. or the zoo. Think about the things you love about your job and while you have a good glow going ask for a raise. GtMINI September marks the beginning of a new year for you. where revolving doori. of opponunity threaten to overwhelm you. You wi ll be tempted to joyously bum the candle at both ends, so avoid over-indulgence and over-conceptualization (don' t think too much). Be careful of angry outbur ts especially behind the wheel. Make you cool new plans and ambitious ideas known. If you wanted to U1row a party this month it would be great. Hearth home and family will give you an excellent opportuniry you see inside yourself this month, and homeless Gemini's may find themselves hlcssed with the perfect shelter. You could find a date at the museum, a casi no or a ball game. • CANCtR . Grab the bull by the horn and get that money this month. Go ahead and alphabetize your books, buy a new bed or rearraoge your home using Feng Shui (Chinese p ychie interior design). Invest time in writing communicating and dri ving. Homeless Cancers can fi nd the place they love and nested Cancers can love the place they have. Parties, redecorating. and romance on the home front could all be highly satisfying this month. It is however also the beginning of a year where you will l)c as ked to plumb the depths of your prove rbial closet. Journaling or analysis to process you set:ret fears and hidden woes would really pay off. You have to find them hcfore they fin d you. By confronti ng this challenge you will find yourself monumentally dn,l!r to you fondc-.1 urcams. ~~~lflg a little fri.,k) thi... month'? • up .1t p.1n1e). .111J 11111i.u~ gr:rndioc;e Ill!\\ , 1.·hcme., TI) tn ovcrcoml! a perlec1il1ni tu: fu.,,~ 'treal.. when it come~ to you r llh. Ollli.' .1111.J l 111;in.· c~ . 'our in1.:111llt: ma) go up chic; month hut -o \\ 111 \our womc,. u,e a JOUmal or I 111.1n~rn l 111ai..~1 1 t:1 hool.. to straighten out your fear\ anti put ' 1111r cncrgv 10 a mnn.• producli\·c r urpose. A ,,1:11111g 1111gh1 1111J ) 11u a date. Consider writing jtL<;t for fun ~'pci.:iall) loH' lc1tcr... Your buddy netwo[k offere; 11~" \c111111 cs 1lw. 111t111th. and 111 fact you are looking al 111rn:,l\1:d p<1p11 l 11rt\ 1hmughout the year. !:11111~ Ac!JI( t1N ltc!JTffOLOO/Ct1L 0Utc!JT/9 Nl !tsl. l\rret'/Sc11p1's a q11esrim1. Send a question, 1·n11r d11ft' of l1irtli l r1 Afw111a al /'si chic@ hormail. com 1111t! 11111111• I><' <111rn·ered riRlif /u•re. Orher commems anti </II \11<111\ arc t1/\l/ 11·c>ko111ed. f([NJINOcf> W!l/'f ;1U1Ml;1: TM9 T !ft/lfJIMicb / ridays.from 8-11 PM at i\Jullane :\' <Ill R<1ce S treet. At!Jllfr)/fJ(j'f. 7i\ffO TIMMN (.',,n,11lra11om c111d 1rai11illg ar e ai·ailohle by t1ppo111111w111 rli11111i:li I ·mail at p:.i_rhic@ho1mail.co111. fftA!JINOc!J Wlllf Q!Pf9N <JJ/1/Tlf TMQ T /ftt1f)/N0c!J \m1mlm \from 8-11 PM ar \1 uf1111rt \ 1111 Rw 1 \/ rrc / StreetvibesLive RadioHour Tune in to WAIF 88.3 fml on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The Homeless Coalition's Live radio program. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke. Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stones in this paper and eclectic musical selections. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State 's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes Classified BETHANY HOUSE, from page 11 dependent Veteran , a single mother with a child, and a grandmother with 4 grandchildren. At the Bethany House, volunteers have dedicated over 10,410 hours in 1999 saving 8.H. , over 173,269 dollars in professional services. Some· of the highlights of the Bethany House Program are as follows : Emergency Shelter, Which provides shelter and case management to 218 women and 424 kids. Post Shelter Support, which provides 386 contracts and over 1,050 referrals to women and children needing additional support after the Emergency program. Transitional Housing, a 2 to 4 year program emphasizing goal-setting, focusing on education and job training through case management. Bethany Place, where 7 '·single" women can live , offering a therapeutic atmosphere where women PLACE your help wanted, for rent. for sale items in Streetvibes Classified. Only $I per line, free for 6 months for homeless/ low-income people Calendar of Events share duties and support each other with the help of staff and friends. household goods and furniture. And the Bethany Home, a permanent housing Rapid Exit program provides funds for rent program providing affordable housing for 24 deposits for people just moving into apartments. working, head-of-household women. Child & Parent Program provides I talked with two former B.H. residents ­ services to 218 families - 58 parenting Miss Evenia Starr, senior citizen and grandmother of 4, who was faces with all classes (very important, planned family kinds of obstacles. Once she entered the outings such as camping, with bus services, and a support group for mothers. Bethany House and got herself some kind of Nurses Aide Training Program, which structure, she began to receive all kinds of I like best of all. Certified by the State of Oho blessings. The other lady, who I personally know, is since 1995, this program has produced 40 Miss Chrystal Pope, who was in the 8 .H., and graduates, 80% of which have been employed 6 months or longer. has not looked back since. She is now We have a great need in sdciety tor____pursuing careers as a nurse's aide and as a Home-Cai:&<PrevideJ"!'f'\fO'f§es Al es. caring hair stylist. Chrystal says she has found for the elderly at home, caring tor children housing, hope, self-esteem and an while mother works or goes to school. This opportunity to learn to lead a productive life. training program is a great opportunity for the She says she owes it all to B.H. After reading this, I'm sure you will know women leaving transition housing, to become productive, caring, individuals with self that if you. or perhaps a friend, is homeless, esteem. feeling there is no hope for you , you can Other Bethany House programs: contact a staff member at Bethany House and soon you wi ll be on your way to a better Families leaving the 8.H. to begin a new life in their own apartment, are given a gift of .life, • • • • Wish List Streetvibes newspaper is published monthly on a shoe-string budget from the office~ ·of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. We depend heavily on the good1,ivill of many volunteers and donors. J f you can help out with some of the item$ on our wish lis f, please give us a call ... 0 Advertisers -Classified and unclassified 0 Supplies fo1· vendor's lounge (coffe~. ~ea, paper towels, cream and sugar.,etc 0 Office and Cleaning Supplies 0 Pbotography Help - film (400~800,1600 ASA'.), volunteer film developer, a d igUal or older manual focus film camera. Q Computers/component'i ·(monitors, hard drives, etc.), for Streetvibe$ story-writing, editing, research. 0 A new vehicle {van?) 0 A 11\ics;owave for vendor's lounge 1I yoLl can help,! , cofltact us at: Streetv.ibes, do Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, L506 Elm Street, Cindnn,ati, OH 4)210 ph: (513) 4i l-7803, fax. (513) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juuo.com Page 19 Byrd, Streetvibes has a monthly calendar of events to /;<eep you informed of happenings around the Greater Cincianati area. Please contact us if you have an item to list. Any submission is welcome: local community council meetings, social justice forums1 protests, community fesUvals, art shows, etc. Call 421-7803, tax to 4?1-7813 or email to streetvlbes.@juno.com to list an event. September 7. Welfare Rights Coalition Potluck lunch ~nd meeti.og, 12 no.on at the Contact Center. € a ll 38 1-4242for more informa­ tion. 7 Public He!!ripg on Wel(ar-e Refo(m1 with Catherine Barret. 4PM Urban League. Call~8l-4242 for mo.re information. 9 Community; Shares'' Friends Fest Concert, 4PM at Seasong~ Pavman. Etlen Pl'Wk. Bring a picnic <and enjoy tlUs fr~ conce1t, featurto-g Tracy Walker, Heavy Weather, ana other local talent. Citll ~75-6475 for more informatfon. 1:2 WRC Stop the ClockRally, Columllus, Ohio. F.ree btfs tran$p.o,rtatloo will be previded. Bosses will leave the Drop Inn . Center, 2 17 W. nu, Street., 11t 8:30AM. 14 Save Our Schools Committee. 5:30 PM Peaslee Neighborhood Center. Call 381­ 4242 for more information. from Page 13 convictions are based on the use of jail house snitches, such as in my case and others. I have never been given a chance to be heard. The system is broken when it comes to capital punishment. Now is the time to stand up artd be heard. Demand the killing not to get under way, demand for me, an innocent man (John William Byrd, Jr.), to be given due process of law and be heard before I'm murdered. The only evidence against me was the use of a jail house snitch , who was set free. Avoiding a maximum fifteen years in prison on a parole violation , all he had to do was give perjured testimony and the prosecutors would vouch for him. Now is the time for you - the concerned citizen - to take a stand and put an end to the erosion of the justice system. What has happened to me can happen to you or your child, husband, friend, or brother. Stand up now and be counted! Moratorium now! Free John William Byrd, Jr.! Don't murder the innocent in my name! .... Johnny William Byrd, Jr. #A17S145 (Dr-5-2089) P.O. Box 788 Mansfield, Ohio 44901 17-17 Organize! Ohio Statewide Gather­ ing, Grailville Conference Cemer. Learn more.about community organizing. lobby­ ing and advocacy, and issues such a~ scate scbl:)()t fundjng, welfare reform, and corporate farming. Call t-011 free 1-877­ 0RG-OHIO for more lnforma ti.9n. 21 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless General Body Meeting. 1:30 Drop Jnn Center. Open to the public 23-24 Millennium Peace Celebration at Xavier University_. with special guests from the ltlternational Inrerrelig~ous Peace Council. For mor~ information. call 745­ 3922 or see www.xu.edu/mpc/ 28 Rally to Stop the Pri.son Industry Com­ plex, l -4 PM, B,road St. & High St. 1n CQlnmbus '17 z..u Annual FrieJ}ds·Peace Lecture: ''Truth and ReGoncUiation: A Nation Recovedng ftom the Violence of Apart­ presented by Dr. J<;>hn Daniel. Ciiic'innafi FriendS Meeting, 8075 Keller Road. Call 942-9598 fox more information or free tickets. heid ,~' �STREETVIBES ·. The Tri-State 's Homeless Grapevine Page 20 Streetvibes Vendor Code Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $1. I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I w ill never d istribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs o r alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations af ter 12 midnight. 4. I agree to t reat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" o r make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the "homeless· in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest terri tories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self-supporting paper created by people who are homeless o r formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possib le. 9. I understand that failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer Ouch! Colleen Stanton restores faces of African-American children on a vandalized mural (N-W corner Vine & 13th St.) (photo by Berta Lambert) WORD SCRAMBLE ANSWERS Computer Fax Machine XEROX Monitor Mou5e Printer Keyboard OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachi<:m Identity Center 621 -5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241­ 2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati H ealth Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Community Center 241 -2563 Freestore/Foodbank 241-1064 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Greater Cinti. Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 621-7149 Hamilto.1 Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271 -5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 Oral Health Council 621-0248 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect- Homeless Kids 357-5720 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721 -7900 VA Homeless Program 572-6226 Women's Crisis Center 491-3335 Women Helping Women 872-9259 Need Help or Want to Help? lf for some reason you find yourseJf homeles.s. contaCl a CoaliCiQ11 Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Service.$. If you 'have any questiQllS. feel free to caJJ the Great.er Cincinnati Coa:Jjtioo for the Homeless. 651-6446 St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING: CMHA Ex:cel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network SHELTERS: Women and Children ReSTOC YWCA Battered Womens Shelter 872-9259 Tender Mercies (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Tom Geiger House Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 TREATMENT: Women Welcome House 431-8717 0.D.A.A.T First Step Home 721 -4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381 - 1171 639-7056 961 -4555 241-7343 961-4663 SHELTER: Men .. City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfaith Hospitality Network 761 -1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 471-1100 TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both N .A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert Hquse Transitions. Inc. VA Domiciliary 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 ROHS HARDWARE Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 899 ~ r­ • • ~· ..... ' ~ ' • I : • I , '. J 3-0rawer Rolling Cart Streetvibes bas a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as 'much of the proceeds as possible. ff ~ S2tlQg S1lreeMbes litaims to be coeedit-S tor a priY.ide c::taily,, please cal our office al .t21-7801 Thanks foT your support. 51 Pc. Socket/Bit RatcbetSet � 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 2000 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 2000 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Thousands of Ohio Children Face Cut-Offs $26 Million for Just One School! Pg 2: Streetvibes Attends North American Street Newspaper Conference in Canada Pg 3: Back to the Streets: Why Community Developers Should Join the fight Against Corporate Globalization Pg 4: Cut-Offs Continued Pg 5: Miss America Visits Homeless Vets at Joseph House Pg 6: New Services for Covington’s Homeless Pg 7: International News Pg 8: Camelot is Taken Pg 9: Prisoners’ News Pg 10: Community Shares Gives Four McCrackin Awards Words from the Evangelist Pg 11: Bethany House: Serving the Community, Hand in Hand Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Pg 13: Lucasville Continued Byrd continued Pg 14: Sidney Continued Iraq Sanctions continued Third Part Continued Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Pg 16: Getting Started Pg 17: Evangelist Continued Pg 18: Street Scopes Pg 19: Bethany House 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 September 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alicia Beck Susan Knight Tom Billman John Halpin Dan Marschner Ron Carter Warren Perkins Pat Mitchell Jamaal Coleman Mary A. Gaffney Sonny Williams Mr. Lee Rodney Sutton Staughton Lynd Rick Freeman Susan Huesken Brian Davis Johnny William Byrd, Jr. Simon M. Martin, Sr. Cathy Murphy Susan Knight Sharon Weiss Greg LeSaint Cassie Gundrum Kunta Kenyatta Mac MacArthur Miriam Axel-Lute John Perotti Pat Growens Berta Lambert Jimmy Heath Roger R. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alicia Beck Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Board of Education Brian Davis Cassie Gundrum Cathy Murphy Cincinnati Conference Covington Cut-offs Dan Marschner Death Penalty Editorials & Letters Evangelist Globalization Greg LeSaint International news Iraq Jamaal Coleman Jimmy Heath John Halpin John Perotti Johnny William Byrd Jr. Kunta Kenyatta Leonard Peltier Mac MacArthur Mary A. Gaffney McCrackin Awards Miriam Axel-Lute Miss America Mr. Lee Ohio Pat Growens Pat Mitchell prisoners news Rick Freeman Rodney Sutton Roger R. Ron Carter School Sharon Weiss Simon M. Martin Sonny Williams Sr. Staughton Lynd Street Scope Susan Huesken Susan Knight Tom Billman veterans Warren Perkins welfare news World Trade https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/6bc3a42f09098833486526f219d7bb26.pdf 08b07de29acda3ca477e6d5015eed2e9 PDF Text Text $1 Donation ST tEET IBES THE TRI-STATE'S HOMELESS 6RAP£\fINE BuY FROM BAD6£D VENDORS ONL~ SEPTEMBER 2001 Inside: Interview with Mayoral Candidate Courtis Fuller GREATER CINClNNATI COALITION FOR TH£ HOMELESS �EE SEPTEMBER 2001 Street View Interview with Mayoral Candidate Courtis Fuller by Riccardo M. Taylor photos by Jimmy Heath By Riccardo M. Taylor Street view, the perception of the street person. A unique yet curious look at how life appears to the person who lives the lifestyle of hardship. In a definitive way the essence of the view is without connotation. There is no single description of the street life. An idea can be offered, yet it can sometimes be biased when it is relayed from just one source. In writing my piece on the life of the street per~on, I try to be as honest as possible while being as candid as truth will allow. What is most important for me is that I have the opportunity to give to our readers some feel of what it' s like to be a street person, in a sense giving our readers a tour through the "life." Perhaps this is an introduction, and I'd like to believe that it has already been established through my past writing of this column, but I find it appropriate at this time because I'd like to take a moment in writing to establish what my intent is for our readers. That would be both entertainment and exposure to one reality of life as otherwise might not be known or understood by our readers. Often I cannot be as open in personal encounters as I can be in writing, therefore I will use this arena of the written word as my passageway to the minds of those who may be interested in knowing something about the way the street person lives. It gives me immense pleasure to have you come into our world, although it's only temporary. So shaU we take a look at what's up? Lets start by taking a look at what motivates most of the street people. The idea, that things which effect their lives will somehow miraculously change is always at the forefront of the street person's hopes. However the mindset of the street person helps to keep them from ever realizing Street View Cont. on page 3 On August 15, 2001 I had both the honor and pleasure to interview Mr. Courtis Fuller the Charter Rights Committee candidate for the Mayor of the City of Cincinnati. Upon . entering Mr. Fuller's headquarters we were greeted with appreciation and I was impressed by what I thought was a well organized campaign office - the staff was very courteous and willing to make us comfortable and welcomed. I interviewed Mr. Fuller with the hopes of obtaining some of his views which I thought may be of interest to our readers. I intended to ask questions concerning the state of our city and what I felt was most important to the future of our city. Our interview lasted approximately 30 minutes and during the time I was with him I asked several questions concerning campaign strategy and refo1m.. In relaying what I learned - I find that the most effective way to relay the information to you the reader - 1s to summarize what was said in response to my questioning. Mr. Fuller informed me that he was originally from Pittsburgh and has lived in Cincinnati for the past 13 years. He is a journalist by profession and has worked as a .news anchor for over a decade with Channel 5 TV. Mr. Fuller told me that be chose the Charter Rights Committee ticket in part because the Democratic Party has already endorsed their choice for candidate. He went on to explain that since this is a nonpartisan elec6on, the process of election and its end resu lt fitted perfectly with the Charter Rights Committee ideas - the idea that all political parties are in essence responsible for good government. The Charter Rights Committee stands foremost in the inclusion of bipartisanship. He believes that in order for us to have good government and good services it can be best served through the commitment of the Charter Rights pllllosophy of gover.ning. Over the past 76 years there bas been no direct election of the mayor in our city which now requires a changing of the dynamics of our political system. Mr. Fuller impressed on me that he felt it was pertinent for the future success of politics in this city that we take advantage of this chance to reform the system for the sake of future government and the city. Mr. Fuller acknowledged the fact that our city is in a crisis. Emphashing that race relations in Cincinnati are in shambles and needs immediate attention. I asked Mr. Fuller what he thought was the immediate solution? He stated that he believes that if we start to focus more on the things we have in common as a city rather than our differences then that would be the first step to bring about change. We need the creation of an atmosphere of inclusion, which does not take a lot of money or a lot of programs, just committed quality in the steps taken to get us where we want to be. What is Mr. Fuller's view on the present make-up of city council? When the people feel they are not represented at City Hall then there is a problem and that has to change - the first step to correct this is to make sure that the citizens are represented at City Hall, this according to the diversity of the ci6zens. What is most impor tant for the revitalization of our city? By breathing back the spirit of diversity our city will experience growth and improvement. Wh at was his opinion, su ggestions on investment for the city? We have to reinvest in our neighborhoods. We are supportive of downtown development and expansion as well as, our residential neighborhoods. When we take areas such as Over the Rhine we have to revitalize those areas. Ownership is the key to development in our residential neighborhoods. One program, which we have been looking at, we have termed "Mayor's turf war." Our objective would be to clean up the blight, reclaim abandoned buildings, rehab those buildings and then in an affordable way allow people to invest in them. Creating neighborhood organizations, whi~h can work towards the goal of investing in and using those buildings for the benefit of the neighborhoods. Such objectives as making rent affordable, having clean and safe neighborhoods for the people who live in those areas. Giving people a reason to have pride in their neighborhoods, reason w want to stay there and be a part of what is theirs. We would like to make Cincinnati a shining star. Give back its glamour. Bring back the attraction which our city is so renowned for. Mayor... cont. on page 7 Inside Streetvibes Cover Story GCCH Nev.,.s Civil Rights Prisoners News National News Feature Section Editorial Page Art & Poetry Veggie Vibes Homeless Kids Page3 Page4 Page6 Page8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 12 Page 14 Page 16 Page 17 GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS �. ST REETVIBES Sep~ember STREETVIBES 2001 -. - ~-,. . .. . ~:-:--~ . .,....__ ...._-;_..." ~"' GCCH NEWS . . . ~ ·' Page 2 The Demeaning Marketing of Main Street The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine policy was City Council's well­ prime example, we need look no by Jimmy Heath and Randy Katz farther than a slick, full-color publicized attempt a few years ago What really caused the to criminalize panhandling·. It took brochure published recently by the . community of Over-the-Rhine-a Over-the-Rhine Chamber of a federal court to remind our neighborhood that, both Streetvibes, the Tt;i-State's council members that Commerce as part of its effort to geographically and historically, Homeless Grapevine, is a newspa­ help the Main Street Entertainment constitutionally guaranteed · represents Cincinnati's heart and per written by, for, and about District recover from the effects of freedoms of speech, association soul- to explode in a firestorm of homelessness, social justice, and and movement cannot be denied to the April rioting. Ironjcally, the hatred and destruction following poverty-related issues. It is text of this promotional effort to persons in these United States the police shooting this past April published once a month by the merely because they happen to be lure discretionary dollars back to of one of its Greater Cincinnati Coalition for Main Street is residents? There the Homeless. 140£ . infected with the are some who Becoming a Streetvibes 513 very same " us" ­ believe that, Vendor is a great way for home­ Jord; versus-"them" less and other low-income people notwithstanding 1200 mentality that the palpable to get back on (or stay on) their 513-1 helped to provoke horror of the feet. Streetvibes Vendois are the April bullets that given an orientation and sign a uprisings in the pierced the body code of conduct before being first place. given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. of that unarmed, The brochure non-violent young The Greater Cincinnati prominently man named Coalition for the Homeless ·is a features a bloc of Timothy Thomas, group of shelters, agencies ancl text that strongly we must look to individuals committed to ending --: · ·~ ·. discourages certain attitudes homelessness in Cincinnati " From the Main Street Entertainment District brochure patrons from that reside in the through COO{di)mting services, giving any money · minds and hearts educating tile pultli'c and to panhandlers, based on the theory homeless or impoverished. The of Cincinnati's citizenry to find the grassroots oi:ga.Jtizing, damage, though, had been done. that "this social problem is real cause of the rioting that took fi€ ( '.H Staff Rather than fostering initiatives common to urban areas" and "their place. Alicia Beck Executive Director that are procreative and presence need not prevent people Susan 'Knight 'Administra~ve What we are talking about Coordinator productive, our politicians have from enjoying the Main Street here is the kind of mind-set that Mary Gaffney Receptionist squandered public resources to Entertainment District". The text attributes the blame for urban Receptionist Mary Taxlor support agendas that are punitive, goes on to encourage people who poverty to the very low-income John Halpin Americo~s~ Yista want to help to give to community shortsighted and very, very people who are most directly Molly Lyons Americorp8* Vista charity_gtQY~. dangerous. What we learned in affected by .it. Tragically, this Streetvibes Staff Once agaffi, tfien, the April- or should have learned- is wildly illogical point of view, Jimmy Heath Editor unseemly urge to blame low­ that when municipal government along with the corrosive and Sonny WiWamsPrison News Editor income people for Cincinnati's incorporates economic prejudice dangerously dehumanizing biases H. Lee Bowen Recovery, Mental economic stagnation has taken into its penal code, it breeds the that acc0mpany it, have tended to Health Editor precedence over any useful or kind of desperation and contempt characterize much of the public Writers · creative efforts to get things certain that can, under policy shaped by Cincinnati's Alicia Beck moving in the right direction. Can political and business leaders over circumstances, tum an inner city James Blackmon the members of the OTR Chamber neighborhood into a war zone, the past several years. Instead of Linda L. Berger of Commerce really be so However, while City Dants L, Carr shouldering the responsibility for insensitive as not to understand Council's effort to criminalize Carol Cuningham their own glaring failure to re­ John Halpin how arrogant and demeaning and panhandHng was struck down by vitalize the downtown area, the Susan Heusken the courts, the attitude that regards leaders of this city have instead Dr, Paul Kali poverty as a crime remains firmly sought to shift the blame to those MF. Lee entrenched in the minds of many who least deserve it- the urban Christi Keavne-y­ of those who wield the most power cont. page 5 poor. Molly Lyons and influence in our city. For a One example of such a Aaron P.iichford Edna Smith Steve Sunderland Rodney Sutton Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. Riccardo Taylor 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary collecting for the "homeless" in general. I will be Photographers donation. I ;igree not to ask for donations of more honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Berta Lambert Jimmy Heath than $1. I also understand that I will be able to Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future 8. I will always present my badge when purchasing Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the papers, and I will display my badge at all times stories, essays, original graphics, Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. while vending. Replacement badges are $1 each. photos.... We will give prefer­ 2. Streervibes may only be purchased from the 9. There are no territories. I agree that I will not ence to those who are homeless or GCCH. Purchasing or selling unauthorized contest territories with other distributors. I will vendors. papers, or from other vendors, will result in termi­ not sell on private property without permission. nation from the program . 10. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self­ Subscr\ptions to Streetvibes can 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations or attempt supporting paper created by people who are be"Rmchased for $15 per year. to vend after 12 midnight. homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition 4. I agree to treat others with respect other vendors, effort, I will try to spread the wqrd and write for the Homeless (GCCH) customers, and GCCH personnel. stories ifpossibl.e. 1506 Elm Street 5. I will not sell Screervibes .while under the influence. 11. I understand that failure to com ply with any of the Cincinnati, OH 45210 6. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel above statements will result in termination from (513) 421-7803 threatened. the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves fax (513) 421-7813; 7. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am the right to terminate a vendor at any time as e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com collecting for a nor-for-profit charity or that I am deemed appropriate. web page: http;ltcinci.coni/gccb Main Street. ... ·Streetvibes Vendor Code �ST REETVIBE S September 2001 Page 3 Cover Story: Outdoor Living Poses Challenges for the Homeless by John Halpin Throughout the year, but particularly in the summer, homeless people make their residences in outdoor places throughout the Greater Cincinpati area, including in camps and cars. Most people have no idea where these homeless camps are, although they can be found in a wide variety of places, both in and out of the city. These camps are well hidden and thus serve as a somewhat private place that people can call their own. Streetvibes reporter and vendor Riccardo Taylor says that it's hard to say how many people are Jiving outside, but he estimates that 35-40% of homeless men live in camps or vehicles. People have several 1·easons for choosing this option over staying in a shelter, he says, but the main reason is that people can have more privacy when they are living outside. Many homeless people also prefer to care for themselves instead of taking the help of a shelter. They' d rather be self-suffic ient, cook thejr own food, and have the freedom to come and go as they please, which they lose when staying in a shelter. Mr. Taylor says that although the perception of people living on the street is that they are lazy, the opposite is true. Living outdoors is a lot of work. Mr. Taylor says that staying in a shelter may be safer than living outdoors, but most people have a few friends with whom they' lJ stay, and they'll watch out for each other. More exposure leads to more victimization and a greacer chance to be cited Ol' picked up by the pol ice. While a lot of homeless camps across the country have undergone police sweeps, many homeless people in Cincinnati have said that the police leave their camps alone. Mr. Taylor says that the cops won't say much unless there's a complaint. Edna Smith, also a Streetvibes vendor, talked about being vulnerable when living outdoors, as well. She thought people would realize that a person living in a car doesn't have much, yet she still was robbed of her few possessions when living in her car. A few years ago, a brick­ wielding gang of youth attacked a homeless camp in Northern Kentucky and several men were injured badly. A few years before that, in another Northem Kentucky homeless camp, several homeless people were murdered. Many similar cases, both here and across the country, are probably not reported. The National Coalition for the Homeless issued a report on hate crimes against the homeless in 2000 and documented 43 deaths and 23 victims of non­ lethal violence. This number,only represents the cases that service providers or newspapers reported and is likely much lower than the actual number of crimes that occurred. The report details cases of homeless people being beaten, killed, set on fire, and urinated upon. the street person that they have the power to change their life? I always insist that those who can Cont. from page 1 help be supportive in relaying this those hopes. The fact that the idea. As I often say, it takes initiative from the general public hopes and dreams of the street person are limited to what they to create the atmosphere for such feel is their height of achievement ideology to take form. is discouraging to say the least. As much as I insist on the To believe that one can only be as idea that society in general has to successful or that one can only be apart of the social investment reach a certain limit hampers which will make the difference in growth, as well as the possibility the life of the street person, the of changing things for the street input from these entities can only person for as long as they believe be limited. This is very important that their plight in life is set. because whether it's an individual Complacency is the order of the or a social organization, the day. To believe that this is the assistance that is given will be the way things are suppose to be is springboard for the person very hard to get past. It is so easy receiving it. In other words, if the to get into this sort of thinking for street person is given everything the street person simply because without having to p ut forward any it is a reality of their lives. effort on their own then they Things always seem to come become complacent and will not back to where they began for the do for themselves or learn the street person. In other words one take on the responsibility that one feels that nothing is to ever be must adapt in order to maintain a different. It is hard for those who successful lifestyle. are on the outside to understand There are no guarantees how this works yet for the street on the total or lasting success of person it's a reality. Of course it the transition of the street person is not absolute, but getting things into the main stream of society. to look differentl y through the However, given the oppo1t unity, -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ eyes~ thorewhoare i n the life i s there has to be some who can quite a different story. One has to reach that goal and in reali ty the Call believe that things can and will entire transformation is beneficial be different if they are to in fact to all. So as an invitation I ask that each of us give what he can change. Nowwe have to find how this can be accomplished. to help alleviate the problem and Attorney at Law H ow can the idea be relayed to keep hope alive. • Street View Social Security/SSI Denied? ' John M. Keegan Practice concentrated in Social Security/SSI Disability Law NO FEE UNLESS W E WIN ~ (513) 651-9222 ~ FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION C li£.ford J on.es ( 5 13) 7 6 1 - 3 4 64 Office t (61<.'f>O\ .~C ~-n,ail: joncsaCV ( 51 3 ) 2 30- 6353 • W'\V 'W. c~ Voi cemail C.1~ c:P °'tiexchan ge­ �STREETVIBES September Z001 Local News Denhart bankruptcy will affect neighborhhood's PSC along with Nehmeier and poorest other community stakeholders since November of 2000. "We have been discussing these issues for almost a year and never once Hart Realty announced in did he say that he was having August that it and several financ ial troubles. Residents have companies and separate related paid for tbese buildjngs through limited partnersh ips that provide the years because of the deep affordable housing have filed fo r subsidies. He got rich off of poor protection under Chapter 11 of the people's housing and poor people U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Most of deserve to have these units stay the units owned by Hart Realty are affordable. Even better; own the located in the Cincinnati housing themselves," said neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine. Neumeier. "It is hard to believe Hart Realty, along with its that he was doing it for people - it affiliates, is the city's largest was for profit. If he really cared Section 8 landlord. The company for the neighborhood he would represents the largest single owner have tried to negotiate or discuss of affordable HUD subsidized this with us [in the PSC] in order units in the neighborhood of to avoid this crisis. The city Over-the-Rhine. The general should work with the community partner of the limited partnerships, to make sure this housing is not and the sole shareholder of three lost to market rate developers. of the filing corporations, Tom We've always counted Denhart's Denbart, stated that, "Our goal, as units as affordable. We can't stand it has been for the past 30 years, is to lose that many," Neumeier said. to continue to provide affordable. "Years ago, Denhart wanted to sell housing for those who need it." his buildings but he came to the But Denhart has been criticized table asking too much. He got rich for using government policies and off of our poverty. He's made his programs to amass ~ low-income money - how much is enough.? empire of over 1000 units in Denhart chose to opt out of Section Over-the-Rhine, the West End and 8 when HUD decided to lower his other Cincinnati neighborhoods. subsidy to match what landlords In the year 2000, Hart Realty were getting for market rate units companies reportedly made over in our region. Now when his $7 million dollars in gross profits aren't as deep Denhart pulls income, most of it through the rug out from under us. That's government subsidized Section 8 not fair. These low income units housing programs. are now in jeopardy," says Tom Denbart, his attorneys, Neumeier. Many community and the U.S. Department of members, along with Neumeier, Housing and Urban Development contend that Denhart has some (HUD) reached an agreement serious ethical questions to face. where Denhart will be allowed to Residents say that Denbart has continue to operate his apartments until the end of August. Rental --..income will allow the company to ' - survive for the first few weeks of September. A motion was also filed by Denhart lawyers to allow Denhart to sell one of his vacant buildings, owned by a Hart Realty subsidiary. "I feel that Denbart has betrayed the people of Over-the­ Rhine," said Bonnie Neumeier, long-time community advocate and a member of the Over-theRhi ne Planning Steering Committee (PSC). The PSC, working with the City Planning Department, has been given the task of developing a Comprehensive Plan for Over-the­ Rhi ne. Long time neighborhood residents are demanding that this plan not displace them. Denhart has been attending the Housing Subcommittee meetings of the by Jimmy Heath Page 4 and finely ground glass, cloths, garbage, hazardous materials, and debris of many sorts. This would be a good beginning - provide the unskilled laborer with full time employment and benefits and wages that supports families living above poverty level. · The Amelican Dream has turned into a nightmare. More than a year ago I met with William Jacoby, Elwood Cromwell, and Janet Spitzrniller to discuss the possibility of hiring a "clean up crew". r was told there are no funds for thi s project! How could this be?? The Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Health Services, Litter Control Division receives monetary funds My name is Carol from city government. Mister Charles Luken, you Cunningham and I am preparing can make it happen, if you will. for Success. In the aftermath of the The time has come to solve most recent riots within our city of the problems of the poor, Cincinnati, we the people cry out especially minorities, many who in a loud voice! Anger and are living in slum apartments and dwelling places. We the people violence, cursing, fighting and wailing; killing and dying much will continue to experience the too soon. snowball effect of crime and The violence will end and violence that began with the killing of an unarmed youth, nineteen our voices shall be heard. I am a years of age. spokesperson for the citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio and I rally with Mayor Luken, I agree with them and their plight, for mine is you that the Boston Plan has some theirs also. great.goals, howev5!r let us create -­ , ..-;' . jobs - good paying jobs, so that we The city of Ci ncinnati, prosper in this Great State of Ohio. Ohio reeks of litter, trash, broken made millions off the backs of poor citizens and now when faced with HUD budget cuts, he's looking for ways to get out of the business. Vacancy rates in Denha11 properties continue to rise as some tenants take advantage of the portability of the new Section 8 Vouchers. The Department of Housing and Urban Development started giving tenants vouchers for housing allowing them to find their own housing rather than subsidize property owners directly. • Dear Mr. Charles Luken The GCCH would like to thank this Starbucks location for their generous donation of .coffee and pastries. 3366 Erie Avenue East Hyde Park - OF COURSE WE HAVE GOV'T FOR THE RICH. YOU DON•T EXPKT US TO WASTE GOV'T ON THE POOR, DO YOU? �- . Local News STREETVIBES September 2001 Wild Oats Market donates to the Greater Cincinnai Coalition for the Homeless 1t1e 1i0Yr1e(ess Co~fitior Susan Knight, Molly Lyons and Alicia Beck of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless talk to a customer at Wild Oats Market in Rockwood Commons. On August 8th, Wild Oats Market donated 5% of their net proceeds to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Wild Oats Market is an organic food market that strives to include community throughout its business mission. Thank you Wild Oats, for your generous contribution! Call for Artists, Activists .... Loe~ artists, activists and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless are putting together a puppet show that will be petformed in late October. The puppet show wiJI be a love story that deals with how homelessness relates to corporate globalization, racism, police brutality and the criminal j ustice system. It will feature live actors interacting with the puppets and will be a family and kid friendly event. Ideas, people, energy and money are all needed. Homeless people are invited to write stories to be included in the puppet show. Also needed are actors, puppeteers, and writers. No experience necessary ! Questions? Contact Molly or John at 421-7803 or homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com. Extra! Advertise to Socially Conscious Readers ! Advertise in Streetvibes! Reach thousands of downtown workers each month! Call 421-7803 for more information about how advertising in Streetvibes will work for your business Low Rates Custom Sizes Available! - ~ Page 5 Main Street the social order that seemed more like the political chaos of some embattled third-world country than debilitating .is the message that an inner city neighborhood in poor folks, merely by "their southwestern Ohio? presence" on the streets of their Donald Whitehead, own neighborhood, constitute some ugly blight that can best be executi ve director of the National eliminated by being ignored? Can Coalition for the Homeless, had they really fail to comprehend the this reaction after seeing the Main Street promotional flyer: "This is consequences of their the ki nd of attitude that has insensitivity? allowed homelessness to grow The whirlwind of civil unabated ... the attitude that unrest that raged through our homelessness is acceptable. streets this past April took a grim Rather than acknowledging the toll on the City of Cincinnati, problem, or better still, assuming a producing widespread suffering, share of the responsibility for it anxiety and rage among its [groups such as the OTR Chamber citizenry, greatly injuring local of Commerce] encourage people to property and business interests, ignore it. [Charitable] giving to and causing what may have been irreparable harm to qncy's public social service agencies may help in the short term, but in order to bring image. The corporate media, of systemic change we must address course, were only too delighted to batten on tl)e images of destruction the root causes [of homelessness] such as gentrification and the and despair taking place here in unequal distribution of resources." Over-the-Rhine, and people in Whitehead ·thinks that the issue other communities around the ultimately comes down to a matter world gazed with fascination and of simple fairness and common horror on the hell's fury that emanated from the heart of our respect. "The presence of the Main Street Entertainment city. District," says Whitehead, "should But the interest in events not prevent long-term residents of here was motivated by something Over-the-Rhine from enjoying a more than just morbid fascination quality life." of the sort that compels The many Over-the-Rhine rubbernecking at the scene of an residents who are working hard to auto crash on the interstate. How could it be, people wondered, with support their families, to be good neighbors- and to survive- hope the U.S. at peace and amid it will not will not take another unprecedented general prosperity, series of riots to make Cincinnati's that the calm, conservative city of movers and shakers realize that Cincinnati suddenly looked like it had fallen through a time-warp and there is no problem that more seriously threatens our city's returned to the most turbulent stability and well-being than the times of the 1960s? Where had it absurd yet widely held perception come from, everyone wanted to know, this savage back.lash against that poor people are the problem. cont. from page 2 McMicken Dent al Center Formerly at Ambrose Clement Health Center Providing Free Dental Care to the HOMELESS 40 East McMicken PH: (513) 352-6363 Come in or call for .an appointment! Openjng on April 2, 2001 Services ind ude emergencies, extractions, cleaning, root canals" x-rays and fillings �STREETVIBES September 2001 Dead End Tickets Know Your Rights By Molly Lyons and John Halpin Many of you know the feeling. Driving down the street, you hear police sirens and see flashing lights behind you. You glance at your speedometer and are going fifteen miles over the speed limit. Ideally, all that happens is you get a ticket, grudgingly pay it, and go on with your life. For homeless peopie, though, getting a citation is not so cut and dry. As racial profiling hits the headlines of newspapers across the country, another kind of profiling - targeting homeless people - takes place everyday, unknown to most. Dreams of developing high-cost housing and of attracting tourist dollars have cities attempting to push the homeless out of sight by rigorously enforcing laws against actions that the homeless must commit in public for lack of any other place to go. In many cases, new legislation is drafted that specifically targets the homeless. What city governments don't know is that their policies may actually prevent people from escaping homelessness. The profiling of the homeless results in thousands of citations being issued each year. Most of the things homeless people are cited for are what we in Ohio call minor misdemeanors. The fines are relatively small, less than $100 in Ohio, but for someone who is struggling to find bask necessities from day to day, a $100 fine is impossible to pay. If a person doesn't pay a citation, they're supposed to go to court, but this proves difficult for many people on the streets. Like housed citizens, the homeless are often uninformed of their rights with.in the justice system and have limited, if any, access to legal advice. Coupled with distrust of a system that is working against them , many feel going to court is useless. Even those individuals who want to go to court face challenges in dping this. When living on the streets, being in court on the right day can be a challenge. Without a calendar, clean Page 6 By Molly Lyons and John Halpin Molly Lyons & John Halpin, Civil Rights Organizers Every month we will be highlighting a law or ordinance that affects homeless people in Cinci nnati. This column does not replace sound legal advice from an accredited lawyer, but seeks to empower and educate people in dealing with the criminal justice system and their lawyers. clothes, transportation, and other conveniences that the housed take for granted , the possibility of making it to court on the right day and time becomes dim. Because the person neither paid the fine nor showed up in court, a warrant will be Laws pertaining to Fountain issued for their arrest. Square: § 713-5. Definition of Fountain Outstanding warrants then prevent a homeless person from Square. accessing services and housing, Fountain Square is the area between Fifth Street, Walnut thus. trapping them in Street, Sixth Street and Vine homelessness. A city's attempt street that we usually think of as to get rid of the homeless Fountain Square but also . through criminalization comes includes any second level full circle. and actually skywalk in downtown (between exacerbates the problem. Central Avenue on the west, Some cities have Central Parkway on the north, responded positively to this Eggleston Avenue on the east problem and created special and the Ohio River on the homeless courts which have south). This applies whether or allowed many homeless people not the property is public or to get back on the path to private with the exception of housing. In San Diego, completely enclosed private homeless people, shelters, property, q,nd the sidewalk areas judges, the public defender, and surrounding Fountain Square on city attorney have developed the Walnut, Sixth and Vine Streets. Homeless Court Program, which meets once a month. § 713-3. Prohibited Uses of Recognizing that most of the Fountain Square. crimes committed by homeless It shall be unlawful for any people are public nuisance person, group of persons, or crimes and that sentencing the organization, without a valid homeless to jail time would permit to: simply disrupt their (a)Endanger, obstruct or participation in programs aimed unreasonably interfere with the at getting them back in housing, use of Fountain Square, any facility or part thereof, or access the court finds other solutions. to, from or through any part of In fact, the involved parties said square, including but not have agreed that no homeless person will go t0 jail against hj s limited to escalators, stairways, passageways, overhead or her wi11. Most of the walkways, elevators, exits and sentences they receive are to simply continue participating in entrances. Endanger, obstruct or unreasonably interfere with shall the programs in which they are apply to but shall not be limited already enrolled, such as to: substance abuse programs, job (I )The purposeful throwing, training, or continuing slinging, shooting or propelling education programs. of any object on Fountain Criminalizing Square; homelessness has done nothing (2)The taking of any animal onto to reduce the number of people Fountain Square, unless such on the streets. Programs like animal is being or will be used San Diego's, relying on positive by law enforcement officials means to empower homeless engaged in the performance of people in the legal system, can their duties, or unless such lead to real possibility for animal is a blind person's guide change - and can lead us one dog; or step closer to a society without homelessness. (3)The lying down on the floor surface or any walking or standing area on Fountain Square; (b )It is also illegal to operate or drive any vehicle, including bicycles, on Fountain Square, except city employees while engaged in their official duties; (c)Display, offer for sale or barter, or sell or barter or sell any merchandise on Fountain Square or any public stairway, escalator, passageway or elevator connecting to the Square; (d) Use any sound-amplifying equipment on Fountain Square; (e)Play any radio, tape recorder or other electronic sound producing equipment, other than with earphones so that no sound is audible to others. If you are convicted of violating this section of the code the maximum penalty is as follows: first offense, no more than a $100.00 fine, second offense, no more than $250.00 fine and 30 days in jail. If this is your second offense, you have the right to request a jury trial because you face jail time. § 713-2. Prohibitions on Fountain Square. (b) No person may communicate on Fountain Square any obscenity, defamation, or ''fighting words" including, but not limited to, a symbol, object, appellation, characterization, oral communication, or graffiti which injures a person or group ofperSOf!:S or is li~ely to cause an immediate act of violence by the listener or observer. A violation of this is a minor misdemeanor and is punishable by a maximum fine of $ 100.00 *Cursing in a way that will not induce a reasonable person to fight with you is considered protected speech under the first amendment and is not included in this law. Remember if you are cited or arrested under any of these laws you have the right to go to court and plea not guilty. It is the job of the state to prove that you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, so make them do their job! If you have any questions or have been cited or arrested, please contact John or Molly at the Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street, 421-7803. �Page 7 STREETVIBES September 2001 Mayor... cont. from page 1 What is bis idea's for ch~nge in the city's police department? He informed me that the policy of arbitration, which is currently in place in the . police department's collective bargaining agreement, needed reform. He suggest that negotiations for rewriting the policies which are now in place be a first step toward ~orrecting what's wrong. Further, policies by which the Chief and the assistant Chief of Police are selected need to be revamped so that our police departments fits the dynamics of the city better. As most citizens would likely agree, Mr. Fuller believes closer relations between the police and the citizenry has to be established. One suggestion he had was that we go back to the cop on the block program,'where the police officer can have an up fron't personal relationship with the citizens. Other ideas would be to establish tnore police citizen connection as police and youth clubs or neighborhood meetings for discussions about police practices and policies. From my own perspective I believe that Mr. Fuller is sincere about his position and is willing to take the necessary steps to help improve our beloved city. Although I was impressed by some of what Mr. Fuller had to say I am only one potential vote and can only hope that some of what I have to share from this interview would help others to make their decision as to who they want as mayor. Perhaps he may be the candidate of choice? • "Your legal problems are caused by your extteme poverty. That will be $10, 000." Ohio Bicentennial River Note Cards The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, in conjunction with the Ohio Natural Heritage River System designees, independent river/ watershed protection organizations and historical societies throughout Ohio, and Rivers Unlimited proudly presents a special bicentennial project highlighting the significance of rivers and streams in our state's history. By ordering through the Coalition for the Homeless, 50% of your contribution will go to assist our work! For more information on the Cards or where to purchase them locally, call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803 or Rivers Unlimited at (513) 891-4592. �STREETVIBES September 2001 Page 8 corporations whose bottom line is in Mr. Lee's article, the Cleveland court rejected "racism" as mental not our well-being,.but that of illness. All the psychiatric experts making more money and contains news about the justice system and the appointed by the court to examine acquiring more power in order to writings of persons incarcerated that defendant at State expense enforce its rule over others . were almost unanimous in in our nation's jails and prisons. However, as long as we conti nue agreeing he suffered from no Subscribers withi n the walls receive Streetvibes free. to believe in and buy into this mental disease or defect (and was If you would like to support us in this effort, please farce we've been handed down ... therefore untreatable and could sponso·r someone on the inside. A year's subscription costs $15. as long as we continue to allow never be rehabilitated!). I dispute ourselves to be dominated and those so-called ..expert'" ·opinions. Send your comments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com manipulate into dividing and present the following common ourselves along the artificiality of mail : STREETV/BES, 1506 Elm Street <;ense position. using ea<;i)y skin color. class, and other acts of Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 verified sources as evidence (all separation, we will continue to available at any good library) to bemoan our existence to a non­ impeach the credibility of those ·'humanitarian" country and goes hearing entity and thus live a sad doctors. In league with an about the world telling others and pathetic half-life. We have oppressive police state that serves about prisons; people living on the power to change the only the rich, those doctors violate the streets and a strategically conditions in which we live. We human rights and deprive one of devised permane nt employed have the power to enforce our civil rights under color of law class. w ill s and have what we want if when they deny a mentally ill As long as the people we are willing to stand firmly homeless person in need of By Ali Khalid Abdullah continue to together treatment access to treatment in a believe in; and not hospitarby refusal to recognize the In the United States of buy into; allow person's NEED for treatment! America, the working class are an support ourselves Newsweek, August 22, exploited class. They are and 1983 (p. 22) revealed that the to be exploited for their labor; exploited advocate "Nazi" paraded around tricked by with their vote; exploited by Cleveland's East Side in female for this the racism, sexism and homophobia current illusionary clothes, hoping one day to have a (which are systemic instruments "sex-change operation ." system we fa<;ade used to keep the working class will thrown to Cleveland's Plain Dealer Magazine, Sunday, November 27, divided and at odds with one continue to us, or sell out one another for 1983, noted in a long feature another). have people living in poverty and some momentary relief, which article entitled "Hate Without This exploitation is squalor. won'tlast. • Reason" that he not only wore a directly linked to capitaljsm. All of the homeless are dress and high-heels, but also Capitalism can only thrive on the workers. They belong to the ever­ walked down city streets in the basis of overproduction and growing army of the unemployed company of a black man and loved restriction of wealth distribution, and dispossessed. Thus black women. He attempted to i.e., all material things needed to capitalism presents itself as a pure land jobs (as a woman) by provide a substantial life, and contradiction and fosters the falsifying job applications and domination of the worker. degeneration of the worker to an used women's restrooms and It is important for the appendage of a machine ... a tool lounges. He frequently wore a by Miss Frances Anne Spisak people to realize that this system to be used. They have been "Star of David" during the months is not conductive for the people. thrown into the trash bin as before arrest. Frail and effeminate Mr. Lee's article ("Mental It is only conductive' for those expendable and unwanted which since childhood, he was tormented Health News," Streetvibes, July who have control over the has caused massive poverty and as a male. He wished to become 2001, "Extreme Racism: Mental resources of the world and uses that poverty has resulted in many Illness?") posits an enjgma: "Is it female and took Estradiol, a the people to extract those not being able to have a decent female hormone. He was arrested possible that someone's racism resources with their labor. In fact, place to lay their heads. We also and released once or twice for could rise or sink to the level that the worker has been reduced to a must look at and discuss the soliciting; earned money as a meets the definition of mental mere "thing" as the machine has whole issue of "propert)' prostitute on the streets illness?" This conundrum was taken over the worth of the ownership" and the greed of (impersonating females); worked presented to a Cleveland, Ohio working class. This exploitation landowner's who exploit the poor court 18 years ago this summer in in a gay bar; and even labored in a and worker manipulation have left with outrageous prices to live in local factory for Kelly Girls a much publicized high-proftle a gulf between the 'haves' and the buildings. ' What greater display Temporary Services as a "Kelly capital murder case where the ' have-nots' which is why we have of injustice can there be than to Gi1-J" for months until fired for defendant, an indigent homeless found more and more people using the wrong restroom at work have a countries citizenry living person, and accused "American one day. ·A boss is quoted as living in poverty and unable to in the streets; eating out of Nazi" was· defended by court saying; " .. .I knew he was a little have an affordable place to live. garbage bins to find food while at appointed lawyers who failed miserably to raise a defense of not off, so I tried to help him. ..he had The greed syndrome, which the same time, government bad judgment.. .". In Ohio, guilty by reason of insanity. The capitalism produces, have created officials point their plastic fingers verdict of that court was, although "mental illness" means a a surplus of homeless people, at other countries for alleged some racists might be mentally ill, substantial disorder of thought, une mployed people, "human rights violations". disenfranchised people and Every citizen of the United the particular individual on trial was just plain evil, and he was incarcerated people. This greed States . .. every worker (whether sentenced to death. Like the monster has caused the elderly to employed or not) should stand up be unable to purchase prescription and storm the Pimp House known American Psychiatric Association drugs needed to sustain the as the White House and all state While we make every effort to provide a forum for those quality of their lives because the capital buildings and throw out without a voice, STREETVIBES and the staff of THE GREATER pharmaceutical compani es are the political trash and retake; CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, is not respon­ more concerned with profit than reclaim and reshape our lives sible for statements, and do not endorse the opinions of the they are about human life. Yet, according to OUR WILL and not prisoners who's writings are represented here. the United States claim to be the that of the political and Prisoners News Exploitation and Homelessness A View From Death Row DEATH ROW cont. page 18 �STREETVIBES September 2001 Page 9 STREETVIBES attends National Street Newspaper Conference On July 26th, as the Bay sparkled in ~he distance and trolley cars hauled tourists looking for entertainment with which to numb their minds, representatives from street newspapers from across North America convened at New College in San Francisco. At the end of July, representatives from over 50 street newspapers nationally came together for the Annual North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) Conference to share their struggles, strategize, and to continue the alternative news media revolution. NASN A began in 1996 with a small group of dedicated Homeless, and Jimmy Heath, Editor of Streetvibes. Beck and Heath had an opportunity to participate in workshops organized by three papers serving the San Francisco Bay area, Street Sheet, Poor Magazine, and Street Spirit. Topics ranged from ''Training homeless people in journalism, and desktop and web publishing" to workshops about the "Universal Living Wage" and "Justice Journalism: Journalism as a Tool for Social Change". When asked about her trip to what many consider the epicenter of today's social justice movement, Beck reflected on the opportunities at the Conference to learn from so homeless advocates with a grand vision to produce an Association that would allow Street Newspapers to share resources, stories, and, most importantly, a common vision to end homelessness. Today, NASNA's membership includes over 50 street newspapers from Canada and the United States, and weaves the common thread of providing homeless people and those in poverty with a voice in an alternative media source. Representing Streetvibes, Cincinnati's 5 year-old street newspaper, were Alicia Beck, Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the NASNA Conference attendees challenge corporate media coverage of homelessness and poverty many homeless and formerly homeless activists that continue·to produce quality news sources across of country. "Not only did the workshops provide good information, but the spirit of the event provided the energy to forge ahead in our own goals for Alicia Beck addresses audience at NASNA conference and accurate portrayals of the homeless situation across the continent. STREET SHEET is published by the Coalition on According to the editor of Homelessness ( www.sf-homeless­ POOR magazine, Lisa Gray­ coalition.org). COH was organized Garcia, "The newest trend in the in 1987 to garner the active mainstream corporate media - as participation of poor people on witnessed in the One Hearst town both the design and critique of of San Francisco, as well as the rest of the corporate national press public policy and non-profit services that result in permanent - is to act as public relations ~ campaigns for economic and racial solutions to poverty. It is a unique organization in that the driving cleansing in cities across force is low-income and homeless ~ America." Citing recent press people, working in every aspect of ~ abuses, Gray-Garcia noted: 0 the organization, from the _g "Examples of this are evident in .=--~~--!~~~~----~--~~,;,;i;,j ~ volunteers to the staff and Protestors gather at the offices ofthe San Fransisco Chronicle the 'S.F. Chronicle,' KRON TV, leadership body. and the new ' S. F. Examiner' - all (San Francisco, July 28).... censors the voices of those most POOR Magazine Io response to es'Calating police affected," Messman added. of which acted as cheerleaders for sweeps and media vilification of "Currently, for example, Mayor Brown's bench removal and (www.poornewsnetwork.org) is a non-profit community based arts homeless people, protesters rallied the San Francisco Chronicle bas the MidMarket B.I.D. at Powell aDd Market Streets at the several reporters and columnists (Business downtown offices of the San who consistently give negative Fransisco Chronicle on Saturday, press to homeless people,'; he said. Improvement District)." July 28 to demand that San "The truth deserves a full airing Accordjng to Frapcisco's major news outlets and a more balanced approach." Bep stop inciting hate and begin to tell In addition to prejudicial Bagdikian, the truth about homelessness in the depictions of the poorest of the former Dean United States and the Bay Area. poor, organizers accuse the news of the U.C. Organized by Media Alliance, media of·championing the Berkeley " Poor Magazine," "STREET criminalization of homeless Graduate SHEET" and "Street Spiljt," this people and ignoring newsworthy School of demonstration coincided with the issues and events within the Journalism and homeless community. annual conference of the North S. F. Police guard entrance ro the Chronicle offices keynote speaker "Almost every homeless American Street Newspaper at the NASNA conference, in their organization providing media organization in the Bay Area has Association (NASNA). current coverage of homelessness access, arts and education to very had the experience of seeing Cincinnati's STREETVIBES staff the mainstream media have low and no income adults and undeniably significant, were also on hand to participate in become "party to a cruel and children. newsworthy events utterly blacked the conference and protest. unnecessary fl.aw in our society." Street Spirit out by the mainstream media," "When the mainstream (spirit@afsc.org) is a monthly "That 32 million of our said Chance Martin, editor of media stereotype and demean population have their housing, advocacy journal published by the homeless people, they incite public STREET SHEET, a newspaper food, and clothing 'index' drop American Friends Service intolerance and give tacit approval published by the San Fransisco for more than 30 years is Committee, and features hardsteadily Coalition on Homelessness. "A to the scapegoating of an already worth only an occasional feature hitting reporting on the issues of new baseball park is given persecuted group," said Terry homelessness, economic justice, story about an individual or extensive front-page coverage for Messman, editor of "Street Spirit" in back pages poverty, human rights and welfare statistical fragments days on end, but the same newspaper. of our most influential news issues. More than 100 homeless newspapers virtually ignore it "Running a major story on organizations," Bagdikian vendors sell "Street Spirit" widely when many of San Francisco's homeless issues that relies largely, on the streets of Oakland, Berkeley, observed. leading clergy and members of the if not exclusively, on the anti­ NASNA (http://ww.speakeasy.org/ and Santa Cruz. Vendors keep all Board of Supervisors gather at homeless views of merchants, city nasn~ is an association of proceeds from sales, making the City Hall to protest the staggering officials and the police is not only newspapers sold by homeless paper a positive alternative to 1,767 deaths of homeless people unfair and distorted reporting, it people, providing survival income panhandling. • in the City." i �I I I I STREETVIBES September 2001 FEATURES Page 10 WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST... Great Dylans My pen has been silent for several months now, and I want to apologize for the absence of my voice. My absence was in part due to the ten­ { 10) week Bible Boot Camp at Washington United Church of Christ where I am presently ministering on a full-time basis. We registered almost 100 Caucasian and African-American youth, ages four to sixteen. Our largest attendance was sixty-five (65). · The program began at 8:00am with breakfast. Then we had worship and began our training for the day - not ending the day until 2:00pm. Monday through Thursday - this was our life, and on Friday there would be a fun trip. Just as recruits in the army perseveres or return home, those in God's army did the same. At the program's conclusion we had twenty-four (24) take and pass the four-part test which required scripture memorization and knowledge of Bible characters. The graduates then went on missions which consisted of praying for the sick and elderly in the community, praying at each child's home, sharing the gospel at a nursing home, a daycare, Washington Park, and Fountain Square. Bible Boot Camp is a program, which we shall continue during the school year, but on a smaller scale. While the rest of the city has been askino 0 what is the solution to the violence and unrest which has plagued us since April; We have relied on prayer and the Christian principle: "love thy neighbor as thyself', and we have found it to be very effective. Our youth have grown to respect one another and their differences, therefore, as a member of MARCC and other organizations, which are working for a united Cincinnati; I Ghost by Aaron Pitchford Youth minister to homeless man at Fountain Square con,tinually exhort our leaders to preach and live the doctrine of love. The present unrest is part of a spiritual warfare, which we can only be victoriou~ in by relying on God's guidance. I speak from personal experience and the recent spiritual attack upon myself. Only God could have given me the victory, and thus He receives the glory. Our Cincinnati leaders (Church and otherwise) need to lay aside their own agendas and adopt God's in order that we may get past this present time. The youth in Camp Washington are leading the way .. . Won't you follow? If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, or would like to volunteer; A.W.O.L. (A Way of Life) Ministries can stiJJ be reached by calling 210-4181 or writing P.O. Box 36065, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. Or you can find me at Washington United Church of Christ, 2950 Sidney Avenue, 541-7757. His Humble Servant, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. The Evangelist Tom Paxton to perform benefit for the Greater Cincin­ nati Coalition for the Homeless -- On September 6, 2001, Tom Paxton will perform at the 20th Century Theater in Oakley. The concert is a joint fundraiser for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Rivers Unlimited. Mr. Paxton's songs are known and loved around the world and have b een recorded by hundreds of artists as diverse as Pete Seeger, Willie Nelson and Placido Domingo. "Ramblin' Boy," "The Last Thing on my Mind," "Bottle of Wine," "Goin' to the Zoo," and "Marvelous Boy" are just a few of his songs to have been absorbed into the oral tradition. Nanci Griffith has said, "I think we are all born singing Tom Paxton songs." For young listeners, Tom has recorded several albums of his own songs and sold his sixteenth book to Morrow Junior Books: "The Story of the Sandman". As part of the event, the Greater Cincinnati Coaliti on for the Homeless will showcase art produced by homeless and formerly homeless individuals in Greater Cincinnati. Mr. Paxton's performance is part of a three­ city concert tour planned for Ohio this September to benefit state and local environmental and social programs. Performance dates are: Cincinnati, September 6; Columb us, September 7; and Cleveland, September 8. The Cleveland concert will be held at Kiva Auditorium at the Kent State Uni versity Center (WKSU). The concert is cosponsored by Earth Shares of Ohio, the Earth Day Coalition, Rivers Unlimited and WK.SU - Public Radio. For information about tickets call Rivers Unlimited at (5 13) 761 -4003 or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803. It was on March 26, when Dylan Jones - who lived in Chicago's Old Town - came home to his apartment over a bar. He had been at his apartment for over a month. He came home one day with another resident of the apartment building who lived on the third floor. He opened the door with his twisters and his strobe light was on in the daytime but it wasn't plugged in. So he kind of signaled to the dude who walked past his opened door and said, "Man, what this?" He said, "I don't know. I think you should move!" He answered, "I can't because I'm laid off and on unemployment compensation from my past job as a j anitor working at my uncle's job." So he went in his apartment the next weekend early on Sunday morning prior to the Super Bowl game and he saw a cylindrical flat object with one dimension. It revolved in a circle by the kitchen . As it revolved its color would lighten up from light black to dark black. "Eh," he said, "I don't pay that no attention," and he looked and he kind of laughed. So a few minutes later he looked up in front of himself and saw the object that looked Aaron Pitchford like film thread on a old movie sitting between the crease of the wall and the ceiling. Then a few minutes later it was on the threshold on the closet door. T hen he said, "Maybe 1 should go to the store. Man, you couldn't tell Eddie Murphy nothing." Theri he looked up from the floor again in his stupor and it was in his face between his eyes. So he went to sleep and a couple weeks later it spoke. It was a little girl who was four years old when it died and it was standing up in between his eyes in darkness behind his face. It was suppose to jump out after spinning around in his head and jump out and jump off the bed and sit back in the comer by the sink. But it was a cloudy day and it misjudged the time. So two weeks after the Super BowJ game it told who it was. She died from pneumonia in the hospital and she stayed about five months after being buried. She rose from her grave and ascended about two and a half stories in the air and let out a shriek. Scared to death, in fear of tombstones, she felt naked and she noticed a force that enabled her to move. She landed somewhere by her home and in a few months she moved again but farther from her house. Another few months she moved again and finally found ·her house. When she went into Dylan Jones's house she never moved. Now after ten years she was still there. • �STREETVIBES September 2001 FEATURES Page 11 MAYERSON SUMMER SERVICE PROJECT Some of the volunteers who worked at the Peace Camp at W£1. nut Hills Christian Church The Manu el D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation supported two one-week Summer Service Pm jects that brought students and teachers together for a better understanding of their diverrr> communities, as well as, the impact of agencies serving the needs of others. The week ill July included students from Aiken, Bishop Brossart, Fairfield and Hughes. The August group included students from Finneytown, Roger Bacon, and Withrow. Some ofthe agencies served by the students and teachers included: ReSTOC, the Drop-Inn Cente1; Our Daily Bread, and Bethany House. For more information about Mayerson High School Service Programs call Steve Elliott at 621-7500 Reflective Essay by Daniesha Briggs While at Hebrew Union College I have grown a lot more from the whole week that I was there. During ~s experience I saw how some of the people in parts of the downtown area live so differently, like some people have nice houses and nice cars while others are homeless and don 't have anything. To help some of the less fortunate, there were organizations located in the area to help these people get back on their feet. For e~ample, there was a non-profit organization called Our Daily Bread that fed anybody who walked through the door with a nice hot meal. To name some other organizations that help the less fortunate are the Mary Magdalene House, the Freestore Foodbank, the Wilson Downtown center, the Contact Center, and the CRC camps. I noticed that every organization was filled with people who were dedicated to helping others in need of serious help. By being involved in the program it let me see part of what the homeless go through and made me want to volunteer more. Untitled By Latosha Chappell Joining a different world not knowing what to expect, happy, nervous, something you haven't experienced yet, not realizing that you are one color, one color to finish the rainbow, mixing with other colors leading to the pot of gold, the pot of gold is a treasure, the treasure is one's personality, getting to know a color of the rainbow is nothing but pure reality, experiencing different situations as one, leaves you questioning if your life's work is done, you want to help in every way, but things get harder from day to day, you may not have known that you've helped a lot, but helped to warm someone else's heart, each day the rainbow is coming together, by the time you leave the pot of gold will be found, only leaving behind the help you gave to this t?wn. Jennie Walker Over-The-Rhine was a good thing for me. I did not know there were so many people that cared. I thought that was wonderful! The people I saw who were homeless and the children I saw - I was about to cry because I wanted to help but couldn't. But I know that I was doing something by being there and I hope that I could do this again next year. God Bless! Sister Anita Marie We began the OTR experience as four high schools each thinking we were so different from the other. We ended the week celebrating in our similarities and having made many new friends. It is significant that with all the tension in the city, these 16 young high school students of very diverse backgrounds opened themselves to understanding the problems, struggles and culture of those living in inner-city Cincinnati. We visited many agencies and talked with people. We began to see the difficulties of supporting a family on a very limited income and we became fami liar with the host of Kourtney Y Robbins agencies making a substantial difference to During my week at Hebrew Union alleviate the problems faced by low-income College, I learned so much about myself such as It was a week that we will always families. what career I would like to pursue and how remember because we met very strong people grateful I should be for the things that I have filled with faith and hope for a better life.and because there are so many people in the city without anything. The students and teachers from we left with a greater personal responsibility to make a difference. other schools were very kind and I feel that I really connected wit them but I connected most with the people in my group. When I arrived at Jessica Schalk HUC I didn't think that I would even talk to the What causes poverty? Why is it so other students involved but we all talked to each hard to recover from it? Wbat ki nds of places other like we bad known each other before are available to the homeless? These were coming to the camp. We talked to each other just a few of the many questions that were most during the story circle that took place on going though my head July 8th through July Tuesday night. 13t11. My favorite volunteer sites were Peace When I arrived at Hebrew Union Camp in Walnut Hills and the recreation center in College to stay for a week, I had no clue as to Mt. Auburn. At Peace Camp we assisted the what was ahead of me. Each day I went out teachers in running their classes every morning with a group to do service for the community for the whole week. While at the recreation center we helped the staff with disabled children. and each day, I had a new and exciting In the beginning I didn't think that the recreation experience. I have been to adult day care center would be one of my favorite sites but I had centers and clubs for little kids, but I had so much fun with the kids there. Working with never served at a soup kitchen or sorted the kids at Peace Camp and the recreation center canned goods at the free store. It was a real gave me so much insight on what I want to pursue eye opener to see people so anxious just to get as a career in the future. I now want to become a a plate of food. It made me appreciate all that teacher. I take for granted. Rosie Ware This week of intensive community service Jaime Tave! The week at the Mayerson Foundation through the Mayerson Foundation Service camp was amazing, and it opened my eyes to Program changed my life in many perspectives. Brandon Weinel many things. I met interesting people who Coming from a sheltered community in Northern The experience of the Mayerson taught me a lot. We worked and experienced Kentucky, I felt extre1~ely unaware of poverty Foundation retreat is something that I will issues and domestic violence right here in the Over-The-Rhine area together. We remember forever. One of the things that stick Cincinnati, only 20 minutes from my school learned about different places people can out the most to me was the Drop-Inn Center. At Bishop Brossai1 in Alexandria. Sooner than I had volunteer. The volunteers at these places were the Drop-Inn Center, I was able to see how jn hoped, I was exposed to the darker side 9f devoted to helping people. They taught us need the community was for low-income Cincinnati, the poor and suffering. I learned some about homelessness. The homeless are often housing. It was amazing to see all the people of the current problems the city is faced with stereotyped badly which I learned the majority who didn't have a home they could call their today such as gentrification and lack of financial of the poor do not fall under those stereotypes. own. Another thing that that I learned is to not support and land ai·ea for shelters. The.se Being able to speak to the people makes me be stereotypical. Most people that that the problems we just don't have in rural suburban aware of how grateful and truly hard working homeless are lazy. They also think that if they Alexandria, Kentucky. I was also exposed to the would get a job, they could get a house. At the many of them are. 1 saw a lot of good in the different and diverse ethnic groups and races in Drop-Inn Center, I learned that almost all people I met. They made me feel completely Cincinnati through this program. I will never homeless have a job or two. This is just some of forget the new friends I made and the places I safe and welcomed while I was working. I the things that I learned while on this wonderful went. Now I know they exist and hopefully in the felt good while helping people and the camp retreat. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Mayerson. sparked something inside of me to continue to future I will take action in volunteering and do work in Over-The-Rhine. exposing others to these places. �STREETVIBES September 2001 What's happened to our children? by Edna Smith Those of you who are not familiar with streetlife would wonder, when a 10 or 12 year old child walks up to you and says, "I got that!" "Got what? A snake, a frog, a book or a flower?" Yet in our inner city, nine out of ten times, it's drugs. Sometimes stolen goods, even weapons. They are following bad examples. They see 19 and 20 year old men on the street, with the gold chains, fancy car, and pocketful of money. They feel this is a way out of poverty and misery. When in truth it is a fast road to prison or death. They live with the constant sounds of gunfire, fighting, drinking gnd using in or around their home. The children are our future, and should be taught respect, morals, values, with emphasis on the things that have real meaning in life. There is a big difference between a "beating" and a "spanking". There is discipline and there is abuse! The government has stepped over the line. Parents should be given free reign in raising their offspring. (Not involving abuse!) Children have an excuse not to behave today. Too many agencies are quick to believe abuse stories, even false ones. It goes back to education starts at home. Teaching children not to worship or glorify the wrong things. This includes hero worship, sports figures, etc. What about good old fashion elbow grease? A paper route? Instead of building arenas for adults and their entertainment, build roller rinks, skating rinks, and an amusement park on the waterfront. Society as a whole, individuals, groups, agencies, parents and friends need to stand up and take responsibility. We need to stop trying to be their friends and take back over being the adult. Make them believe that NO means NO! Guidelines, curfew, supervision needs to be resurrected back into our children's lives. Maybe then we can answer the question, "What's happened to our children?" • Wish List Streetvibes newspaper is published monthly on a shoe-string budget from the offices of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. We depend heavily on the goodwill of man:y volunteers and donors. Some of the more pertin~nt needs of the GCCH include: o Advertisers -Classified and unclassified o Supplies for vendor's lounge (paper towels, cream and sugar, snacks, etc.) o Office and Cleaning Supplies o Photography Help - film (400, 80Q, L'<SO<f), dev~loping help, digital and/or film camera(s~. o Computers/components for Streetvibes story-writing, editing, research. o Free standing metal or wooden shelving Ifyou can help!, contact us at: Streetvibes, cle Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45:210 ph: (513) 421-7803, fax (513) 421-7813 e-maH: streetvibes@juno.com Page 12 Reflections On the Adrianne Piper Exhibit more violence, and wishes to say that "not all police are bad." Who is speaking from this mountain top with her? No one, including our mayor and the council members, who were absent at the preview opening of the exhibit. Sad but this is Cincinnati, that wants to push this exhibit to the closet room, in the basement of the museum, below by Steve Sunderland the other exhibits and the movies about "caves." I wish everyone reading Well, we are deep in a this were there to see a very cave of ignorance, confusion, and interesting and imp~)ftant exhibit. ·rusrespect...and I don't think the Culturally, museums do not want museum gets it yet. · What they to remind the elite that rioting don't realize is the center of the happens when the unwashed Adrianne Piper exhibit at the masses just have had enough. Contemporary Arts Center: What explodes is the status quo namely, that racism feeds, breeds, and the assumptions that act as a and explodes based on thousands glue in the structure of the city. of cuts and insults and This glue has melted many times confrontations that are unnoticed in the history of Cincinnati, as the in the everyday life of the elite. exhibit makes so clear. But what The poor, the homeless, and is not clear is that the museum minorities know that the insults and other cultural institutions will not stop, or be apologized for, have had a part in keeping the or be the subject bf an exhibit masses out of the stories and holding up the elite mentality as pictures, especially the stories and the pathology of our century: pictures of pain, discomfort, sadly, the elites play the same horror•. as well as joy and tune over and over again, and it achievement. demeans them and minorities and all of us who feel that the elite have really missed the boat. Piper says it over and over in her art: "Don't assume you know anything about me as a woman, as a black woman, as a woman of · black and white parents, and as an artist!" "Shut up and keep your ignorant questions." Oh, we think as we stare at her work, she doesn't want to communicate. Wrong. She is pleading to get beyond the amazing elementary steps we take in the elite cultme 'to try and have the "race" problems explained to us, as if we Adrian Piper, Self-Portrait Ex?ggerating My Negroid Features,, 1981 really cared. Being in the elite means Are museums for black you don' t have to care~ that is the and poor people? Decidedly no. job for the police. And the masses This exhibit stands out-just know this, and Piper is saying: "If because it says we want the masses to see some "home movies you are scared, if you are aware that you and your family are " of the last 4 months and back to targets now for being pulled out 1967. "Hey, there's my brother, of a car somewhere in some city, my friends, and there I am," the and if you want to understand, pictures and stories say. But are then take a deep breath and shut we there, seeing the larger picture up and look, listen and find out as well as the ongoing and why you are having a hard time heartwarming and revolutionary loving people who are different spirit of Ms. Angela Leisure, the from you." mother of the killed Timothy Thomas? Her courage and Note: Dr. Sunderland is a maturity continue to feed my professor in the School ofSocial heart. She states that she Work at the University of "forgives" the officer that killed Cincinnati her son, has no desire for any I ­ ( Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression ofthe views and opinions ofour readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those ofthe Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition .for the Homeless. �STREETVIBES September 2001 · Welfare to What? August 22nd marks the five year Anniversary of "Welfare Reform." Low wage working families are being asked to leave our nation's last housing safety net and step broadly into the world of 1nadequage wages. The last two Conference of Mayors reports showed that in no city in the United State~ can a family afford a one bedroom apartment at the federal minimum wage. These arc the people who serve us food, reed ou r children in cafeteria lines, and clean our office minals. At best, wel.fare reform has had mixed results. But overall, the economjc instability of low income families has occurred during the longest economic expans ion in our nation's history. It has occurred during our lowest unemployment rate in over three decades. Who can guess the effect on our nation's poorest families during a period of slowing economic growth or even recession. According to the Urban Institute, families exiting welfare earn $ 1,093 per month. Additionally, over half of these families received wages below the federal poverty line. Over a year Jong period, forty -six percent of these families were unable to pay their rent, mortgage, or utility bills. Is it not time to assert the moral premise that anyone working a 40 hour week should receive a basic living wage? Perhaps this should occur before people are invited to exit our last housing safety net and enter the dark abyss of America's streets. Call (202) 456-1111 , press 0. Ask your Congressional Leaders and President Bush to reauthorize the law to focus on poverty reduction. Support a Universal Living Wage. Richard R. Troxell Universal Living Wage Campaign, National Chairman National Coalition for the Homeless, Board Member The Quiet Queen Dragon Standoff by Danie L. Carr Remember the riots? I' 111 willing co call Las Vegas and ask for lhe odds. when comparing those \\horn are still being seduced b)- the riots. to those" who feel me." when asked Lhat question. I must admit, as a writer of characters. when conducting self-investigations on a specific topic including people, I tend to find comfort in the effort of reviewing '·all angles." Who was right? Who was wrong? What events led to such destructive measures? Was this simply a kindled fire gone ablaze? I can come from Page 13 thi s angle and answer yes to the question above. Many events Jed to the riots. Yet as a young black man Jiving through all this karma, I ask why wasn 't there a riot in Bond Hill or at University Hospital right down the street from high crime areas where thugs failed to respond? Honestly 1 admit there has been sparks-from the kindled fire that went ablaLe - numerous mur<lers in the same general areas based on black on black crime. In Over-the-Rhine. my opinion is social living effects docsn "l allow the human Lo sustain a comfort level where one would reach for a hose instead of using the fire to ignite a bomb. You know. I' ve read articles about these 1iots, yet I refuse to form a format and offer too much open discussion. Most people can form their opinion yet they fail to realize these types of events have taken place Free Trade in Misery imports of goods produced in countries which have lower ethkal standards. Unfortunately, WTO rules make this impossible. In Dr Paul Kail some circumstances, it can even The aim of the World be illegal to inform consumers Trade Organization (WTO) is to bow the different products were force countries to remove trade produced, as this is regarded as a barriers, regardless of the form of discrimination. environmental, social or moral Nor is it possible for consequences. Membership is countries to simply ignore the voluntary; however, following a WTO rules. When th.is happens, 1996 agreement, the WTO has the country "injured" by the worked closely with the IMF and supposedly unfair trade barriers the World Bank. These can demand an amount of money organizations have the power to · equivalent to the losses caused by give or withhold financial the barrier. In addition, the country assistance to a country, based on is labeled as a renegade member the extent to which it has of the WTO, with serious deregulated its economy and consequences. complied with WTO rules. For example, in 1995 the Because the WTO operates EU banned the use of steel-jaw in a moral vacuum, it does not leg-hold traps, and announced that recognize a trade restriction based the following year it would ban the on ethical grounds as legitimate. import of fur from thirteen speci~s Countless laws to reduce sufferi ng unless these traps bad been and preserve endangered species replaced by more humane have been abandoned as a direct alternatives. In the US and result of the WTO. Canada, the fur lobbies lobbied It is inevitably the case that their governments to challenge the animal welfare legislation develops ban through the WTO. Knowing piecemeal. Some countries, such that it would inevitably lose, the as Sweden, are typically at the EU effectively backed down. forefront, wrule others, such as Leg-hold ttaps are cruel Japan and Mexico, are still a few and indiscri minate. When an decades behind. Thus it is critical animal is caught, he or she is in that countries which have high constant pain for hours or days. In welfare standards be able to limit some cases, animals have been so - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . desperate to escape that they have Are you a dedicated indMdual with a desire to educate the public about homelessness? Volunteer at Streetvibesf We need writers, photograpers: editors, webpage updators, any help you can provide. Call 421-7803 for more information. since the beginning of time. Yahweh will see each and every one of us threw all these events. At Yahweh, given time, all things will happen and only Yahweh will judge these events. Who wants to be submissive? Who is will ing to investigate with prayer? I studied with a Muslim in Germany back in 1992. He used to say that 85% of the world is deaL dumb, or blind. They don't hear. don't want co hear. Jon· 1 care ro hear, fai 1 Lo hear. or maybe even heard ii from someone else. believing it without inwsligaLing. or. are lazy. easily accepting. etc. All these negatives have an effect {on the question oO the riots. ·'Cincinnati, there·s a riot going on'" aml it just didn' t start in 2001. 1' 11 leave you with a verse or two to show you who I am submissive to; Isaiah, 42:8-9, and Jer. 16:10-21. • chewed off their own limbs. This cruelty is unnecessary: the EU was not asking the fur industry to quit completely, merely to replace steel-jaw traps with more humane alternatives. The ban received widespread support.in EU countries, and was clearly the wiU of the people. Another example _concerns dolphins. In the Eastern Tropical Pacific tuna fish are typically found underneath shoals of dolphins. Fishermen therefore developed a technique for catching tuna in which speedboats are used to chase the dolphins and the fish are caught in purse seine nets. However, the dolphins are also caught up in this, and either drown or are crushed by winches on the ship. Five to seven million dolphins have died because of this method. In the 1980s the US introduced laws which regulated the way in which dolphins were killed by American fl eets, and banned the import of tuna caught using methods which kill dolphins. However, Mexico filed a complaint to GATI, the precursor of the WTO, saying that US regulations were an " unfair trade barrier". Although the US challenged these rulings, wberi Trade... cont. page 18 ·buddy's place Permanent Housing for formerly homeless individuals at 1300 Vine Street. For more information, call Connie Martina or Agnes Mack at (513) 784-0800 �STREETVIBE S September. 2001 " Uhuru in Swahili" By Kunta Kenyatta Freedom (or Uhuru in Swahili) that's what matters most to me, life's number one necessity, making my mark on history. Freedom, in this life, in this world, in this time, I' m gone get mine, Freedom, a free man, take a stand, straighten your hand free the land that's the master plan. Freedom (or Uhurl! in Swahili) a chance to fulfill my destiny. f\frika you shall be free! In my Course of Life by Anthony Watkins · In my course of life I have found something worth Dying for, fiighting for Not to shine for self or to build Some financial decreasing wealth For that will be demolished Loosing its life giving spark • In my course of life . I reject, denounce man of flesh eating Sanken those hepatitis Prick who rob like Robin Hood rob from Poor to give to salvage rich the risk Ya' ll take is a fault mistake You die without horror pride and grace I can't embrace your online lie or Sink my teeth in your blood sucking Pies my people need to open there Eye in my observance of life. Game of Life By DeAndre Feagin, age 14 On the street, as I pray that I get to see another D~y, cause my life seems like it is fading away. Wondering where I'm going to sleep or how I'm going to Eat. It's not fair that people stare and they don't care That I don't have any clean clothes to wear. I can't believe people would act a fool and treat me So cruel, but I refuse to lose this game I didn 't choose. I refuse to lose even if people don' t play by the rules. Homeless By Amberlyn Poole, Age 12 How would it feel to live on the streets, With no place to sleep and no food to eat? Nothing to call her own, feeling all alone. Some people take life for granted, with their Social affairs, big cars, houses, and no real cares, While others have nothing to take for granted. Days go by. What to eat? Snow comes, rain falls What to wear on their feet? Asking themselves How they got there. People can be so cruel. Not understanding what Homeless means, and how they feel let Down, wondering where to go and now. God has a · Purpose for everything in life, and He will make a Way through life's strive. How would fr feel to live On the streets with no one to lend a helping Hand ? You. must be homeless to understand! ART & POETRY Twice as Nice as I could knock on wood everything that People say is not all good Wait! A minute lets flip the script on this senseless event bloods and crips getting -their ass whipped over the Color of their gothic life left stankin in the dirt, Parents riding in a hearse vividly this is being seen young Beam a satin tragedy choosing death without honor they Can't graduate and be a college scholar they can't even Holler in this hollow corpse shell in this institution of death They dwell livening their own hell young youth Untitled by Derrick Johnson Young ,Youth by Anthony Watki~s Young youth turn the volume down The drama down everybody knows That we are in charge of our own fate So why do we fall into Satan baits Young youth there is no limit to what You can achieve if you are a part of god Blessed seed baJ?y, haven babies ain't it crazy Young laid vibrant young thing Why go out to the wild of the wolf to Devour your minds, this is informative Action more than Jackson Act now if you can if you don't want to Cross over to this dying land Beware if you dare if you care why don't You share like the Kings and Queens beware of False witness people playing Russian roulette with Your life. Is it your life or theirs I ask you When I cry it rains ' ! and I create rhyrnes through the confines of my mind's landscape as my soul scrapes the inner core of the earth. l am worth more dead than alive still I strive and thrive with undwindling drive to keep my head to the skys still I rise like high waters in flood season where doors are cracked l ease in finding a place to rest before the day's end and then what will I eat my treat your treat then starts my questioning trend will ends meet Like lost siblings on jenny jones or will I be found somewhere beaten to blood and bones be called off by citizens with cell phones when I have none while l am dying inside your dying to have fun and what about life we only have one but when it comes to everything I have none. We all h~ve a right to hurt and grieve. and in dreams I do believe. I perceive things only. And as I live each soul lives lonely. I guess I am the !onliest cause all I have is my hope and only this. The second very !onliest, !onliest. feel ing ever and I swore I'd never get to this point but we all here together like I said we here • • 4 • ' ~ Page 14 and that's forever. Thunder strikes as I walk through the street. All I have is what I am wearing nothing seems complete. I delete my wants deal with all ~unts . I still cry as my past life haunts my soul 1 close my eyes touch my nose. I stay in my concrete jungle wiggle my toes and things change It seems quite strange. and life is so untamed. up even when I had my shelter it still rained what's gained. My life I thought l owned This but here I am homeless Hook: (when it's cold outside) where do I go, do I go, do I go when I need someone to comfort me (when it's cold outside) who's gonna wipe away my tears who's gonna hear me when 1 cry (when it'·s cold ouL<>ide) lord I am so lonely. Cold Nights By Dash Mealing, Age 13 Cold nights as I walk down the street. <::old Nights' I notice everyone is asleep. One night I wish I could go back ·· home: One night I Think of the little ones dreaming on. Cold Nights and cold days seem like winter Days. Lost Souls by David M. Meyer They roam the land by day and by night In no certain direction until it's j ust right. Very cautiou.s and scared most always confused, In search of a friend or some­ where to be used. A home is in need but not all will be blessed, Some find shelter to the streets with the rest. Their bellies are empty in search of some food, Bodies get kicked and hopelessly abused. Age plays no favor nor does the sex, Your world too could end up in this mess. Most won;t face up to it because it's not them, But sometimes I wish we were all thrown in. Then most would realize what the whole pictures' about, And open their hearts to the homeless no doubt. People don' t realize their bless­ ings in disguise, If you don' t help the homeless you ' 11 find yourself wise. �STREETVIBE S September 2001 Geeze, It's Us In you would sink, and oh how your body would smel l. You'll burn forever and God won't be there. That's not very clever because God is everywhere. "Jesus died for all sinner's You might not be where you confusion, believe it or you're want, but it's really not your dead." choice. I die for my sins .everyday, as Please let me do another stunt, love still pushes me on. for the never-e nding voice. My soul still knows the.way, as I'm delighted to live, and to my ego's motives are wrong. touch this lovely earth. Jesus was closer to his Father Your heart to Jesus give, or than I have ever been. your life will have no worth. For it's said he didn 't bother, to Jesus has me, and I will always play around with sin. have Him. I have no idol, besides an No one can see what you keep, invisible ghost. The light I hold inside will never because he's only within. I can't say I know, for that's a brag or boast. great lie. Jesus spoke the truth and never It's only God's show, so why judged a soul. even try? Perfect since his youth, To figure out life's mysteries therefore he never stole. and explain why we're here. People saw God in Jesus, and Through pages of our history, love through action shone humans still hold onto fear. bright. Just live graciously for the He will always please us. If you Mak.er, until you are dead. don't believe, you're not right. Which in eternity is never, and I'm sorry I don't understand, you will always be fed. could somebody please explain? Learning never ends, and Everyone says they can, but they dreams never die. all feel the same pain. A new life begins, as our souls Jesus died for the One, and it still they cry. was just in the plan. Sitting through life patiently, as Just like the rising of the sun, experience is attained. and the shifting of the sand. Our egos deny b latantly, as To my Creator I only owe, knowledge of love is gained. everything that's anything. Peace is with you, for I will Without him I can't glow, or never leave. learn to truly sing. Love is all that's true, so why I make up my own lyrics, as I not just believe? help to create my song. Without the aid of God's music, Copyright 6101101 Josh Miller words of life just wouldn't All Rights Reserved belong. Jesus isn't my God for he was here in form. On this earth he once trod, keeping humanity warm. He was the son of the Creator, but then so am I . I'll meet up with him later; I'm not yet past this sky. · Everything I say has already been spoken. Heaven 's in this day, I don ' t need a token. I will find my path, for it's already been paved. People still ask me, "Son have you been saved?" Save me from what? My world made up of dreams? My life's never cut, held on by the strongest seams. The Quilt of Eternity 's Love can never be scarred. Through this trip of Uncertainty, my soul 's never marred. I used to think of Heaven and the terrible wrath of hell. Yesterday I talked to my biggest illusion and here is what she said. Shutter Speed ART & POETRY Page 15 Call for Young Writers and Artists Peaslee Neighborhood Center is seeking young people from the C incinnati area, fi~st grade t hrough young adults (under age 25), who would like to do creative writing or reporting for STREETVIBES on issues such as homelessness, peace and justice, school, programs for youth, etc. A page will be devoted to making your voices heard. Visual images are welcome as well. Any youth who are interested should contact Brenda 2echmeister at Peaslee, 621-5514. The Street By Britney M, Age 14 On the street as I lay, praying to stay for Another day, my clothes are very brown as I lay on The dirty ground. When people walk pass, I ask for their Trash. I have a little change for a little meal, but yeah, I'm just a person on the street trying to keep it real. OK? by Mister Lee I am OK, then ... I'm not OK. You' re not OK. We're not OK. The City is not OK. The State is not OK. The Country is not OK. With God in my life, The Country is OK The State is OK We' re OK You' re OK I'm OK Thank God. OK? by J immy Heath �STREETVIBES September 2001 State Law for Homeless Education by Christi Keaveny Ohio becomes the second state to pass a law protecting the educational rights of its 35,000 homeless children and youth. The COHHIO Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) led the way in advocating for the passage of Ohio House Bill 94. Current and formerly homeless youth united together to protect every childs' right to attend school. The Columbus area YEP council has been supporting the idea of creating a state law, strengthening the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act's homeless childs' right to education, for over two years now. This began when YEP staff members heard many stories of youth being kicked out of school based on their lack of address while experiencing homelessness. While a homeless childs' right to a free, appropiate, public education is clearly stated in the Federal McKinney-Vento law, many local school districts that lacked "McKinney Coordinators" were unintentionally breaking the Jaw by denying access to education to these students. Paul McDole Jr. , Assistant Coordinator of Project Connect (Cincinnati's regional program administering educational support to homeless children) states that he " ...feels the new state law will make it easaier for school dostricts to stay informed of the rights of homeless children to attend their school." He continued to say that, "Cincinnati Public Schools have been cooperative and understanding of the special needs of homeless children. They make the enrollment process for children experiencing homelessness easier, so fewer days are missed while the are in transition." The Columbus YEP council members ranging in age from 12-23, have been great advocates for HB 94. They have written letters of support to Senators, on numerous occasions and encouraged their families, priests and teachers to do the same. While the bill Was being passed, they kept a close eye on the changing language and made sure that it was appropriately inclusive of all homeless children and youth. For more information on RB 94, you can view the legislature at http:// members.tripod.com/yep2001 and by scrolling down to "Ohio becomes second state to ..." See section 17532. Any questions for YEP or Project Connect can be directed to Christi at 357-5720. What is YEP ? The Ohio Youth Empowerment Program is a state wide program sponsored by COHHIO designed to alert people about the on­ going struggles of today's youth. Problems such as homelessness, poor education, and poverty are issues discussed by this committee. The program is run in conjunction with Lighthouse Youth Crisis Center. s Who in YEP? This program consists of young people ages 11-24 who want to inform the public about the pro blems affecting today's youth. They come from many different backgrounds and many have had experience with the Lighthouse. What are YEP 'S goals? The goal of the program is to alert the public and get feedback on what should be done to solve these problems. Also to get the community involved as much as possible. What does YEP do? We are striving to do a lot of things for the community. Some of our . aspired activities include the following volunteer jobs: Recreational Centers, The Drop Inn Center, Animal Shelters, and Kings Island. We will also be looking into doing car washes and other fund raisers to benefit the productivity of the council. The program is entirely voluntary. The group will meet at least twice a month to introduce new members and to set and track our goals. To increase the effectiveness of the p rogram, 5-10 youth will be selected to participate with youth from other cities in the Statewide Leadership Council. The Government can assist the needy in more cre­ ative ways by Linda L. Berger, Victim Advocate As a lifetime member of the Cincinnati community and free-lance victim advocate/ paralegal for the homeless in Over the Rhine for the last 8 years, I have been immersed in the day-to-day issues of the homeless population. I have personally witnessed their daily battles dealing with a basic lack of respect for them as human beings and the lack of concern or assistance from the local community in general. During the recent riots, a local homeless man from Over the Rhine was attacked and beaten and many of the local homeless felt helpless and afraid, in an already dangerous situation. In Baltimore recently, a group of young teens were arrested for "stomping" several homeless victims to death. The homeless situation has reached epidemic proportions in recent years, with no concerted effort to resolve this problem. The homeless status in Cincinnati ·has become even more dangerous, in a community that has not yet united to address this issue since homeless advocate, Buddy Gray, who started the Drop­ Inn Center, was killed in 1996 by one of the men he was trying to help. Recently, Donald Whitehead was appointed as the executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless and is the first African American and formerly homeless person to hold this post. While this is a step in the right direction, so much more needs to be accomplished within our inner city community. I have personally witnessed the daily struggles by the homeless with drug and alcohol addictions and last year, a small group of Page 16 advocates who are members of the Vineyard Community Church started an outreach program, called the "Good Samaritan Run" in May, 2000. Our outreach has 12 regulars and other weekly volunteers who, with the support of the Vineyard Church, have been prov iding over 100 box lunches and drinks for the homeless people in Washington Park every Saturday, rain, snow or shine. Our group also provides clothes and assistance into housing and other programs, by providing them with direct information we have placed into what we call our "referral binder" . This binder has been compiled by a member of our group and has every kind of program available that we have tested with former homeless people who are li ving proof that it works. The contacts within these agencies are now working with the "Good Sam" team to cut through the red tape and assist the homeless population. We also ask the people that now have housing and other assistance, to come back to the park and help others to show them that there are success stories. Our Good Sam Ministry believes that follow-up with each person is essential to his or her recovery and we keep in touch with our homeless family. The Good Sam Run is not a weekly ministry but a daily one, with our volunteers assisting the homeless and low income with their needs on our lunch hours, after work hours and on our weekends. We view this as a full-time ministry and are also working with the Mt. Airy Shelter and the City Gospel Mission, since these two groups work with the SAME population as we do and this allows us to pull together our resources to help even more people. Our Good Sam team has visited the homeless living under the bridges, taking blankets and food to those in need, taken them to hospital and doctor visits, cut their hair, helped with their children and any other needs that they have on a regular basis. Our outreach group has a strong relationship with the homeless community and we have won their trust. However, this is still not enough. Recently, a young man, who works as a leader with the Vineyard Youth Ministry Program and is a regular of our Good Sam Run, brought an established progran1 to my attention, called the International Dream Center Network. After reviewing this program, I found it to be what could possibly be the answer to the many of the problems in Over the Rhine. This "Dream Center", also known as the Los Angeles International Church, is located in the heart of the inner city in L.A. There bas been a steep decline in crime in recent years, due to this program, which is part of a ministry of the Los Angeles International Church. This center is a religious anti-poverty program that the Bush Administration wishes to s upport with federal funding to address the basic need s of poverty and the addictions, homelessness and crime that partner with these issues. The local community, churches and tbe police force have come together with this Dream Center in a concerted effort to help the needy and hurting in L.A. The L.A. International Church is now starting a Dream Center Affiliation Program, whereby the Dream Center assists other churches around the world to pattern a program after theirs. The Los Angeles International Church �STREETVIBES September 2001 (Dream Center) offers Biblical training, housing, clothing, food, job training and education to the needy in L. A. and works with organizations, churches of every denominati on all around the world and individuals who share their dream. T his Dream Center has an open door policy, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This Dream Center is doing what our Vineyard Community Church and other churches are doing now, but on a much bigger, more organized scale . I have contacted this organization in the hope that with the help of other church organizations in Cincinnati, we can start a Dream Center here very soon, in Over the Rhine. This Dream Center is time ly, in that the federal assistance may be available soon and we could address the multitude of issues in our inner city community by implementing this program. Additionally, this could solve the problem of having just another short term "fix" for the crime and poverty in our inner city, and actuaJJy give hope and a hand up to those in need on a permanent basis. • To all who wish for justice and peace in Cincinnati by James Blackmon I am 21 years old, and have been a resident of Cincinnati my entire life. I have lived in several 'n eighborhoods, including Delhi, Westwood, Clifton, Price Hill, Mt.Washington, North Fairmount, and others. I currently reside in Over-The-Rhine, and have lived there for three years. I don 't have much of a formal education, and I don 't come from a prestigious family, so don't expect me to have an amazing background. For the last ten years, I've been subjected to experiencing and seeing a multitude of prejudices and injustices against all people, not just any one race or class. For this reason, I believe that we as human beings must focus on more than one aspect of achieving peace and unity. I believe that a big part of this is rai sing the awareness and education of the community as a whole, which is not being applied in the amounts needed for change in thi s ci ty. Lately, there has been. a decline of groups active in the fight. From my experiences, I've found that these groups have essentially talked themselves out of existence. I admit, a lot of planning has to go into organizing a movement of this scale, but there is too much plan ning, and not enough actions. As I said, this is a movement. Lets start moving with a little more force. Don't get me wrong, there have been small bursts of activity, the biggest of which so far has been the successful boycott against the Coors Light Festival, but it is only the beginning. There are many ways to approach the situation at hand. I believe we must unite, if not on all fronts, at least with our similarities in mind, to be effective. Ignorance is too high a price to pay for peace. Open up your mind and hearts to what everyone is saying in Cincinnati. You' ll fi nd that most of what you hear is righteously said, and desperately needs to be heard. To those who sit in our city council, grow up. You are not in high school popularity contests anymore. Remember that you are there serving all of the residents of Cincinnati, not just those who have large amounts of political and social influence. Your decisions affect hundreds of thousands of lives. It is time to become a little more serious as to what you hear during public and private council meetings. The reasons vary from member to member as to why you guys aren't doing your jobs correctly, but it has become quite clear to me that the council has become a royal court, complete with a political jester of sorts. To the mayor of our city, I don't understand why you can't unplug your ego from in-between your ears and remove the government blindfold from your eyes. See that we are suffering and hear the cries for change. You took the job that you have believing that you could help create a better city for us, yet HEAVEN'S GROCERY STORE Page 17 - you need that everywhere you go. I got a box or two of wisdom, a bag or two of faith and you couldn' t miss the Holy Ghost, for it was every place. I stopped to get some strength and courage to help me. By then my basket overflowed, but I still needed grace. I didn 't forget salvation for salvation - that was free. So, I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me. Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill for I thought I had bought enough to do my masters will. Prayer was further down the aisle and I just had to put it in, for 1 knew that when I stepped outside I would rnn right into sin. Peace and joy were plentiful; they were on the last shelf. Song and praises were hanging near, so I just helped myself. Then I said to the angel, "How much do I owe?" He just smiled and said to me, "Take it everywhere you go." Again I smiled at him and said, "How much do I really owe?" He smiled again and said, "My child, Jesus paid your bill a long, long time ago." Author Unknown Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 (513) 621-5514 As I was walking down life's highway a · long time ago, I saw a sign that simply read "Heaven's Grocery Store". As I got a ]jttle closer, the door swung open wide, and when I came to myself, I was standing just inside. I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere. One handed me a basket and said, "My child shop with care." Everything a Christian needed was in that grocery store, and if you could not carry it all , you could come back for more. First I got some patience - love was in the same row. Further down was understanding Berta's Art Corner Wall Sculpture, One-Stop Employment and Training Center, Over-the-Rhine �STREETVIBES September 2001 DEATH ROW - ---from page 8... mood, perception, orientation, or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality, or ability to meet the ordinary demands of life. See Ohio Revised code 5 122.0 l(A). Transsexualism is a severe mental disorder and legally it constitutes a "serious medical condition ." Phi ll ips. op.c.it. The Sixth , Seventh, Eighth, and Tenth C ircuits, as well as the District of Columbia, have determined that transsexual ism is a serious medical condition. No c ircuit has determined that transsexualism is not a serious medical condition. A transsexual should get professional medical and psychiatric treatment and help. Without treatment or help, worse mental problems could develop. Difficulties encountered attempting to obtain treatment and help include financial, for example. Treatment of transsexualism can be prohjbjtively expensive, especially for a street person without medical coverage. Plain Dealer Magazine noted this indi vidual was not receiving treatment at the time the crimes were committed: he was unemployed at the time of arrest and dined on instant mashed potatoes prepared on a hot plate. Op. Cit., p. 26. It notes, "He bathed every day but refused to wash his clothes." Ibid. It is a well-established medical fact that hormones affect mood and thinking. Hormonal deficiencies can result in psychiatric symptoms. Me ntal abnormalities vary infinite ly in their nature and intensity and in their effects on the character and conduct of those who suffer from them. Where a person sufferi ng from a mental abnormality commits a crime, there must always be some likelihood that the abnormality has played some part in the causation of the crime. The science of psycruatry now recognizes that man is an integrated personality, and that "reason", which is only one element in that personality, is not the sole determinant of one's conduct. One starts with the indisputable medical fact that no significant activity in the brain occurs in isolation without correlated activity in other parts of the brain. As the level of complexity of human behavior increases, so does the degree of interaction and integration. The human personality is viewed as fully integrated system; a defect in one aspect of the personality could spill over and affect other areas. In so far as the view is accepted that the personality is an integrated organism affected in its tota lity by any mental disease or defect it seems to follow that if a mental disease or defect exists at all , it necessarily affects, to some degree, the criminal act in question. Mental disability can impair the Do you find yourself on the outside of the job marhet, looking in? Do you want a self-motivated, low-pressure j ob? Sell Streetvibes! . The monthly newspaper with news from the street: homelessness, poor people's Issues, poetry, prose, and articles with their feet on the ground. Vendors buy the paper for ZO cents and sell it for a $1 donation. First 10 copies free to new "endorsl Come in today to sign up! The Greater Oncinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 4SZ10 (Sl3) 421-7803 Page 18 mjnd's functioni ng in numerous ways. Once a disability has been established, it would ordinarily be impossible to prove that it had some likelihood that mental illness played a part in the causation of this person's "racism" and subsequent violent acts. Long before his arrest in 1982, his mental illness manifested itself by a preponderance of evidence in multitude ways. Legally, it would be impossible to prove that mental disorder had no relationship to "racism" and all the rest. Consequently, the Cleveland court should have been informed in 1982-83 that thjs person suffered from " mental illness" and that appropriate treatments were avai lable. (Transsexuals can be successfully treated with hormonal therapy and rehabilitated in a cross gender role. Doe,op.cit., Pinneke vs. Preisser, 623 F.2d 546 (1980)). Unfortunately, court-appointed lawyers and psychiatric experts did not so inform the court! This information was withheld and never presented. As a result, an ill-informed court sentenced this homeless person to DEATH! (lneffecti ve assistance of counsel is being raised on appeal.) The constitution's prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment draw their meaning from "the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society," (Trop v. Dulles, 356 U .S. 86 at 101 , 78 S.Ct. 590 at 598 (1958)). One of the standards of decency that marks the progress of a maturing society is the recognitio n of an indi vidual's NEED for medical and/or psychiatric treatment. And therein 1ies the crux of this enigma! Many of the so-called "best educated" elements in society - doctors and lawyers ­ are still not educated or mature enough to RECOGNIZE when everyone in need of treatment NEEDS it! Billions might be authorized to spend on military budgets to weaponize outer space and provide programs for the people had low priority, especiall y when the needs of the impoverished and homeless are involved. This is a reality we all face today. NO ONE CARES ABOUT US. Oho Revised Code 5 J 22.0 I , et.seq., was codified 50 years ago to protect the civil rights of the mentally ill and to help prevent their punishment in prisons and execution as common criminals should they commit ho micides or other violent behavior. Its purpose was to provide medical treatment (such as hormonal therapy and/or castration, for example) to deal with the mental illnesses underlying some violent behavior and/or homicidal acts. And yet in the case no one recognized that the " racist" involved was actually a severely mentally ill transsexual street person in need of treatment of a mental disorder! The best interests of all are not served by judicial failure to recognize symptoms of mental illness in an accused when well­ respected doctors abdicate their traditio nal role as compassionate healers of those afflicted in body and mind, becoming instead accomplices of executioners. Psychiatrists and lawyers can bamboozle the public and courts while aiding each other to railroad homeless souls to a lonely death in prison by lethal injection: The best interest of everyone would be better served by placing us in hospitals. A more decent, educated_, and mature course of action would be to treat "racism" as a mental illness, especially in this case. The facts cry out for utilization of a more surgical approach to cure what ails some human beings, especially this o ne. Trade from page 13 GAIT developed into the WTO the right to block rulings was lost. Following lobbying from the Mexican tuna industry, and under threat of an appeal to the WTO, the US changed its legislation to allow tuna ki lled usi ng methods that kill dolphi ns to be sold in the US . A further example concerns battery farming of chickens. Although EU regulations on the welfare of farm animals are inadequate, laws in the US are even worse. The present EU minimum standard for chickens since 1995 has been 450 sq cm (70 sq inches) per bird. This is pitiful. Yet, in the US, many birds are kept in half this space. In 2012 the EU will ban battery cages entirely. However, unless the EU has the power to veto the dictates of the WTO, this will have little overall effect on animal welfare. Because of the WTO, it is inevitable that countries with relatively high welfare standards will have their markets swamped with animals kept under more brutal conditions overseas. Many people have argued that the underlying purpose of the WTO and IMF is simply to make the world more comfortable for international corporations. Whether this is true or not, it is clear that they regard protection of the environment and a desire to treat our fellow creatures humanely as an impediment to development, rather than an essential part of it. • �Page 19 STREETVIBES September 2001 . VEGGIE VIBES CHICKEN OUT! By Susan Huesken Chicken and turkey have now become regarded as an inexpensive and convenient low­ fat protein source. Many people now forego red meat and mistakenly believe that they are making a healthier choice when they substitute it with chicken and turkey. Although poultry may not be as much of an artery-clogging health problem as steak (unless you eat it with the skin fried), there are several other serious health concerns and issues. One of the problems comes from the antibiotics that these birds are fed. These drugs are primarily used to make the chickens and turkeys more productive, rather than to cure sickness. Feeding the animals sub­ therapeutic dosages of antibiotics can help make doctor-prescribed antibiotics less effective -and in the most dire cases, completely ineffective agai nst disease in the humans eating the meat. Add this to a processing procedure that critics say is a health hazard in itself, plus the extremely crowded and stressful conditions in which these birds are raised, and we have a health crisis in the making. Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria The health community is becoming increasingly worried about the increase in antibiotic­ resistant bacteria. Along with the major culprits: doctors who over­ prescribe antibiotics and people not finishing their prescriptions, scientists are turning to animal agriculture as a part of this problem. The animal agriculture industry disagrees and feels that they are being blamed for problems being created by human misuse. But Dr. Deborah Huang, a science policy fellow at the Center for Science in the Public Interest said, "We feel there's enough science out there to support the conclusion that antibiotic use in animals can contribute to resistance in humans" The Union of Concerned scientists (UCS) estimates, in its 2001 report that livestock producers in the U.S. used 24.6 million pounds of antimicrobials for non-therapeutic use every year. Of this, about 3.5 million pounds is given to cattle, 10.3 million pounds to hogs, and 10.5 million pounds to poultry (since 1985 there has been a 307 % increase use on a per-bird basis). That tonnage would be even higher if therapeutic use was included: a staggering amount compared to the 3 million pounds that humans receive annually. Governmental agencies are now creating task forces and programs to better monitor how ·much of these drugs are really being used, and scientists from WHO, CDC, CSPI and others are demanding that the government issue "Usage guidelines and restrictions". According to a Newsweek article entitled "The End of Antibiotics": "F~ animals receive 30 times more antibiotics (mostly penicillins and tetracyclines) than people do. The drugs treat and prevent infections, but the main reasons farmers like them is that they also make cows, hogs, chickens grow faster from each pound of feed. Resistant strains emerge, just as they do in humans taking antibiotics - and remain in the animal's flesh even after it winds up in the meat case." Salmonella and Camphylobactor Each year, an estimated 1.4 million human salmonella infections occur in the U.S., causing an estimated 80,000 to 160,000 people to seek medical attention, resulting in 16,000 hospitalizations and nearly 600 deaths. According to the CDC, in 1999, salmonella and camphylobactor comprised almost 82% of the total food-born illness cases. Both of these diseases are increasingly associated with poultry. Chickens can even harbor campylobacter bacteria without becoming ill. More than half of the raw chicken in the U.S. has campylobacter in it according to factoryfarming.com. According to the CDC, most human salmonella infections come from the ingestion of contaminated food, especially those of animal origin and an estimated 20 % of retail poultry is contaminated with salmonella. Symptoms of c:ampylobacteriosis are diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and a fever, with nausea and vomiting within 2-5 days of exposure. The dianhea may be bloody and accompanred by nausea and vomiting, with symptoms typically lasting one week. Salmonella is a bacterial infection of the intestinal tract causing nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, chills, weakness and exhaustion. These food-borne infections can become potentially life threatening in the young, whose immune systems are typically less developed and in the elderly or immune-suppressed. It is these people who typically seek medical attention and are more likely to die if the antibiotics don't work. Poultry Drugs Banned from Use The scientific and public health communities have been noting more occurrences of fluoroquinolone (a drug class effective against food-borne infections often resistant to other microbials )- resistant campylobacter infections. No resistant strains had been recorded prior to the use of this class of antibiotics in poultry. As a result of this disturbing development, the FDNs Center for Veterinary Medjcine proposed to withdraw enrofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone) from poultry use; but after Bayer, the company that manufacturers it complained, the FDA held off. The proposal is still under review. Meanwhile, sarafloxacin, another fluoroquinolone used in poultry since 1995, has been taken off the market. The human drug synercid's (which is used as a last resort for vancomycin-resistant infections) effectiveness is at risk because of the use of virginiamycin, a closely related drug used as a growth promoter in chickens and pigs; virginiamycin is found in as much as 50% of the supermarket chicken, turkey and pork. In Europe, virginiamyci n, as well as three other growth-promoting antibiotics, have already been banned, following the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Diseased Poultry Aside from the problems associated with antibiotic use, another major concern is that many of the chickens being slaughtered and sold for human consumption are sick and diseased. Many of them are contaminated by harmful bacteria and pus, or are marred by lung and heart infections, cancerous tumors or skin conditions, and because of the inadequacies of the U.S. government's meat inspection system are not condemned. The Government Accountability Project, in conjunction with Public Citizen, revealed some of these meat inspection problems in a damning report called "The Jungle 2000", based on a survey that was sent to 2,340 meat inspectors. Apparently, many of these inspect.ors told of many instances, when they had not taken direct action against contamination (feces, vomit, metal shards, etc.) they had seen, and many had been instructed not to document violations that they had observed. NEXTMONTH­ FRANKENSTEIN CHICKENS! OF COURSE WE HAVE GOV1T FOR THE RICH. YOU DON'T EXPECT US TO WASTE Gov·r ON THE POORJ VO YOO? �ZS c Need Help or Want to Help? 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 899-431-8717 ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 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 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Chabad House 821-5650 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 · Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teen s) 961-4080 St. John's Housing 651-6446 HOUSING: CMHA Excel Dev~lopment Miami Purchase OTR Housing Net. 381-1171 639-7056 961-4555 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A Hotline 861-9966 C.C.A.T. 381-6660 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc. 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 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 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 ROHS HARDWA.RE Helo is Just ' 16-ozBonus Rround the Cornel I ....-1-.4---,4 $2 Size Foam ~ '$)0 9.:> S·~ ~ t ~ § 00 ~-J ~ L'>' ~ "V ~~ 0 1403 Vine Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 (513) 421-0700 Sealant . 24" Poly Lawn & Leaf Rake • 13.991 19 l/4"X 29 112" Astroturf Door 14.991 Mat Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 Freestore/Foodbank 241 -1064 Goodwill Industries 771 -4800 G.C. Coalition . for the Homeless 421 -7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 621-7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 Oral Health Council 621-0248 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-6364 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's Crisis 859-491-3335 Center Women Helping 872-9259 Women Quotations from Women About Women ... A male gynecologist is like an auto mechanic who never owned a car. -Carrie Snow Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry with your girlfriends. -La.urie Kuslansky A man's got to do what a man's got to do. A woman must do what he can't. -Rhonda Hansome Behind.every successful man is a surprised woman. -Maryon Pearson � 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 2001 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 2001 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Interview with Mayoral Candidate Courtis Fuller Pg 2: The Demeaning Marketing of Main Street Pg 3: Cover Story: Outdoor Living Poses Challenges for the Homeless Pg 4: Denhart Bankruptcy will Affect Neighborhood’s Poorest Pg 5: Wild Oats Market Donates to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Pg 6: Dead End Tickets Pg 7: Mayor Continued Pg 8: Prisoners’ News Pg 9: National News Pg 10: Words from the Evangelist Great Dylans Ghost Pg 11: Mayerson Summer Service Project Pg 12: Editorials Pg 13: The Quiet Queen Dragon Standoff Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: State Law for Homeless Education The Government Can Assist the Needy in More Creative Ways Pg 17: The Government Can Assist the Needy in More Creative Ways Continued Pg 18: Death Row Continued Pg 19: Veggie Vibes Chicken Out! 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 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alicia Beck Susan Knight Mary A. Gaffney Mary Taylor Molly Lyons John Halpin Sonny Williams H. Lee Bowen Jimmy Heath Susan Heusken Dr. Paul Kali Mr. Lee Christi Keavney Molly Lyons Aaron Pitchford Edna Smith Steve Sunderland Rodney Sutton Riccardo Taylor Berta Lambert Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aaron Pitchford Activists Alicia Beck Artists Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Christi Keavney Cincinnati Courtis Fuller Death Row Dr. Paul Kali Editorials Edna Smith education Evangelist H. Lee Bowen Jimmy Heath John Halpin Main Street Mary A. Gaffney Mary Taylor Mayerson Mayor Molly Lyons Mr. Lee NASNA National News National Street Newspaper Conference prisoners news Riccardo Taylor Rodney Sutton Sonny Williams Steve Sunderland Street View Susan Heusken Susan Knight welfare Wild Oats Market https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/9dfda125a4c1255d02f1c0b9f5bdf8b5.pdf b6689f1223e354af21f30e96b7246c85 PDF Text Text t ST REET IBES Your Progressive News Source SEPTEMBER 2002 BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY 1 Broken Homes · Cover Story Page 1 Also Inside This Month ~~- Interview with ·~• Valerie Lemmie, Cincinnati City Manager Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless J . ,• 3 ~ �~ c -o-ver-S~ w= ry==============~£PT£.MBER 2002-=======-------------­ Hundreds of Huntington Meadows Residents Face Eviction by Brian Garry photos by Jimmy Heath - As I grew up in Bond Hill and I went to Swifton Primary School, which was surrounded by Swifton Village, now Huntington Meadows, I had no idea who owned all those red-brick apartment buildings. I was surprised later, when my brother informed me that it was Donald Trump who owned Huntington Meadows. DonaJd put new doors and shutters on , and sold those red brick apartments for 15 million dolJars in 1974. This was his first business transaction and he made a profit of 10 million before going on to be one of the world 's super powers. Huntington Meadows, the largest housing complex in Cincinnati, was built 1952 and has 1, 165 uni ts of rent-controlled housing on 65 acres. It is prime real estate and so there is much at stake in this new controversy. In 1997, the P.M. Group became the behind-the-scenes owner of the complex. To protect themselves lega11y, the PM Group formed a limited paitnership and named it Huntington Meadows LTD, which now officia1ly owns the property. In December of 2001 the Huntington Meadows LTD mass­ evicted 345 families. The families fought the evictions but only 150 tenants had the evictions over­ turned and were aJlowed to stay. The other 235 were literally, left out in the cold. Later that year, Huntin.g ton Meadows LTD claimed that since they didn't have enough renters and they had to file bankruptcy. They went belly up. The mortgager, Fannie Mae, recommended that Habitat America become the ·new, court­ appointed receiver/manager. The "turn-around" company, Habitat America, came in and " restructured the rent". Habitat America illegally raised the late fee from $25 to $125. The tenants had signed leases, which stated that their fee for a late payment of rent is only $25. This illegal practice led to more evictions. In January, the new managers and Habitat Ame1ica owners created a panic~h ysteria G with rumors, calling Huntington Meadows an environmental disaster area. They went out and bought "Danger Asbestos" Signs and put them up everywhere. Neither the Cincinnati Health Department nor the EPA recommended this action. The asbestos were present since the structures were built. Putting up the "Danger" signs caused another wave of residents to vacate the premises. $400-$600 dollars. Huntington Meadows' problems amount to leaky pipes and asbestos. Asbestos can be wrapped or removed. Leaky pipes can be fi xed. According to Dr. Handy, Assistant Director of the Cincinnati Health Department, virtually every home in Cincinnati has asbestos in them. Many homes have a few leaky pipes. These problems are fixable. Council just approved an additional $77.50 per unit of assistance. Wow, $77.50. The people are being offered $500 by Fannie Mae, the mortgager, only if they sign away all of their legal rights of c1aims against the owner and banker. Fannie Mae is the largest source of mortgages/ financing in the country. The $500 is an Anita Ivery posted this sign on her Huntington Meadows enticement apartment window. "Worse comes to worse, I'll stay with or my mother. " entrapment In July of 2002, the if you will, to get them to sign complex sits ha1f-fu11 with only their rights away. Does this sound about 600 of the 1,200 units Like Coercion? Bribery? occupied. After kicking al1 these Extortion? Blackmail? The folks out the owner cries that he residents only get the money after has no money because there are they move out and, as such, they not enough apartments occupied can't use the money for rent, and paying rent. He c1aims he is deposit or moving costs. Legal loosing $150,000. If he hadn't Aid negotiated this agreement kicked everyone out he would have without the residents present. an income of over $500,000 per Additionally, since the agreement month. I smell a rat. Although the was not a class-action as the legal­ complex is considered, by some to aid lawyer portrayed it to be, it is be low-income, only about 150 of not binding on the rest of the 640 the residents are subsidized by families. Further, the five fami lies section 8. that the Legal Aid lawyer Most pay basic market represented, never signed papers rates. Most rents range between retaining any lawyer as their H0 MEL£5S HEL representative in this process. The tenants never even saw the agreement until four days after "their lawyer" had signed. The tenants never signed the agreement. Tbe residents were tricked and bum-rushed into signin g this agreement. They were given a deadline to sign three business days following the court order. At a pubUc meeting on July 3 1st, Legal Aid failed to mention that if they paid their August rent then they would have until September 3rd to sign. This would have given more time to decide and allow for time fo~ a legal appeal process. The residents are being pushed around, hoodwinked and bamboozled. C incinnati Mayor Charlie Luken has never visited this site where 3,000 of his constituents are being forced out. If they were white and rich he would have shown up the next day. The owner was given, yes given, $30,000,000. This covered the cost to purchase the property, $ 10,867,000, plus an extra 20 million for repairs, although not many repairs seem to have been made. Huntington Meadows LTD received 9 million dollai·s in tax credits from Ohio investors through Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae is the largest source of mortgage funding in the country. The owners also received 4 million from the Home Investment Partnership Act (the HOME Program). This is federal money dispersed by the Cincinnati City Council. In addition, the P.M. Group received 17.5 million dollars from the county, which issued bonds to cover the cost. Clayton Group, a company, Eviction.... cont. on page 3 Write Us! W•'W lllul lo bur f10m flOU.-­ ~J..--· --"' Send letters or comments to: . Streetvibes@Juno.com, t. or wrHe the Coalition office attn: Streetvibes Letters 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 H L �STREETVIBES September 2002 Page 2 . The Vine Street Festival... Oops! · Some of the busjnesses on Vine Street felt excluded from the Photos and Opinion by Jimmy Heath, Streetvibes Editor planning and implementation of the Festival. Some even felt ·disrespected. . "It was a failure, it was too hot, it was held in the wrong place," said Han·y Ashford, owner of Smitty's clothing store on Vine Street. "There didn't seem to be much media attention to it either. And we need the suburban people coming down here and taking a stake in Over-the-Rhine - we need them to spend money." Ashford donated money to the Viny Street Festival to help finance the event. "I don ' t mind it at all when the City tries to do something for the community," said Edward Williams, who rnns The Next Looking north on Vine near 13th Street during the Vine Street Festival Millennium, a music and audio in Over-the-Rhine store near 13th and Vine. "But this It can be an embarrassing neighbors didn't bother to walk a thing [the festival] is killing my thing, when no one shows up to block or two from their homes on business." During the Vine Street your party. Maybe it was bad neighboring Festival, police weather, or miscommunication or streets to see­ asked Williams even bad luck, but it would be hard what was going to turn down to explain what happened in early on over on Vine . the music that August on Vine Street in Over-the­ Street. An was coming Rhine, when the party was held infolmal survey from his and people stayed away in droves. of my neighbors storefront I received plenty of notice about on Republic bu siness. the Vine Street Festival - I got Street revealed Williams three postcards in the mail, and I'm that most always plays his sure m_y neighbors did too. The simply didn 't music to the ---.....--..-;, .,.. ___....,. entertainment showed up and the care. Everytme street whicli is requisite City Hall dignitaries came knew about the designed to by for an appearance. But Over­ Vine Street bring in the-Rhine residents were Festival, but no customers. His shockingly absent: Only a few of one really front door on the curious came by and the rest cared. What Vine Street is were on their way to somewhere was the point? always open. else. Thanks to the street closing, Wbo or what Over-the­ Vine Street business owner Edward it was interesting to stand in the was this for? Rhine continues Williarps middle of an empty Vine Stryet, The Festival to struggle for during what would normally be a had a serious an identity. traffic jam. At lPM, on a S unday identity crisis. To add to the Mayor Charlie Luken and City afternoon, it was like a ghost town confusion, on the previous day the Council have focused energy on except for a few booth vendors and Over-the-Rhine Community O ver-the-Rhine to develop their a lot of police. Festival was held in Washington personal vision of what the I'm not sure why my Park with record attendance. --­ --­ Streetvibes Vendor Code Each vendor has to sign the foil owing code to be able to sell the paper. 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations of Huntingt0n Meadows on Langdon Farm Road, Bond ,Hill StreetVibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, photos .... We will give prefer­ ence to those who are homeless or vendors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be pmchased for $15 per year. c/o Greater C incinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCfl) 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421 -7803 fax (5 l3) 421-78 13; e--mail: streetvibes@j uno.com web page: htt p ://cinci.com/gcth 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. Falsely stating intent or otherwise more than $1. I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. misrepresenting may be cause. (or an-est. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased 8. I will always present my badge when purchasing papers, and I will display my badge at all times from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. while vend ing. Replacement badges are $5 Streetvibes may only be purchased from the GCCH. Purchasing or selling unauthorized each. 9. There are no territoiies . I agree that I will not papers, or from other vendors, will result in termination from the program. contest territories with other distributors. I will not sell on private property without permission. I agree that I will not ask for donations or attempt to vend after 12 midnight. 10. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a selfI agree to treat others with respect - other ven­ supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this dors, customers, and GCCH personnel. I will not sell Streetvibes while under the influ­ effort, I will try to spread the word and write ence. stories if possible. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel 11. I understand that failure to comply with any of threatened. the above statements will result in termination I agree not to deceive the public by-saying that I from the Street.vibes vendor program. GCCH am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I reserves the right to terminate a vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. am collecting for the "ho meless" in general. I �STREETVIBES September community should be. For the powers-that-be, poor people are the problem in Over-the-Rhine, and middle-class jnfusion is all that is right. The Vine Street Festival [not to be confused with the annual Over-the­ Rhine Commumty Festival, see page l 1] featured the planting of trees and flowers along one block of Vine Street near Central Parkway, and the dignitaries digging in the sojl provided a nice visual for the media. But the citizens were missing from the picture. And never mind that the Over-the-Rhine Community Council has been planting trees along neighborhood streets for nearly thirty years. It is not the first time that OTR resident concerns and voices have been silenced or ignored by City Hall. There is a long history of a struggle for citizens to be heard. The debate over changing Vine Street to one-way, for example, became a battle between the low-income residents and gentrification. In spite of resident and Community Council concerns over safety, and advice against the one-way plan by the city's own traffic department, Vine Street was converted to one-way. The money won. But one-way Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine continues to be a traffic jam and safety hazard. The suburban, outer-city folks who know nothing about Over-the-Rhine, except what the media tells them, are victims in this too because they are being mislead. The "sound bites" and video clips of these types of events never tell the whole story. The attention on Vine Street may make it appear that City Hall is "doing something" about Over-the-Rhine. I think the general public is beginning to get tired of all of this and is starting to recognize the pattern. There is no real news in small-town Cincinnati. There are not enough bad guys to feed the insatiable media appetite. Sometimes poor people become victims, not of crime, but of blame. There are over seven thousand citizens living in Over­ the-Rhine, nearly three thousapd of them are children. A great many are sem01· citizens, retired people and disabled persons. Residents hear what the politicians say about their neighborhood; they know what is going on with the tree planting, the flower boxes and the gentrification. This is why the community stayed away from the Vine Street Festival. Over-the­ Rhine is the target of a gold rush, and poor citizens better stay out of the way. 2~02 Eviction.... Page 3 poor tenants. It is felt that the owner as well as the City wants poor and black people out of the inner-city. In addition, the City wants white and upper income people to move back into the inner-city. This is demonstrated, some say, by the impaction ordinance which claims that all city neighborhoods, including Hyde Park and Mt. Lookout are "impacted' with poor people. Thus the ordinance prohibits the building of low income projects with Government Funding within the city limits. In either scenario the case is clear. The residents are not being evicted because of mold, sewage, etc. The residents are the property must be used for low and moderate income only. The cont. from page 1 county, although giving 17.5 who has passed $500 billion in million to the project, was not part reviewed assets, was the onl y bid of the court proceedings, which that Habitat America solicited to resulted in the residents being forced out, and required to sign assess the envfronmental problems. The Clayton Group away their legal rights in order to receive the measly $500 in claimed a of cost 10.5 million to fix the problems at Huntington relocation fees. The City, which Meadows. gave only 3.5 million, was a part of Many feel this estimate is the legal proceedings and a signer inflated, that the owner can claim to the agreement. Dowlin claims the cost of repairs is overwhelming that there is no county money in Huntington Meadows out the and that the complex must be torn down. The owner paid for the county issued bonds and used that environmental study, thus a money to give to Huntington conflict of interest is a real Meadows LTD. Now to the future. The big possibility. The Clayton Group is one of Fannie Mae's number one question. Fannie Mae, Huntington Meadows LTD and customers. Regarding Habitat America all the 4 million seem to want the complex closed; that dollars of HOME Program money we know. What we given to don't know, and no Huntington one is talking about Meadows under are the future plans the Roxanne for the complex. Qualls Obviously if these administration, a parties have given the Cincinnati project enough thought to close the Community Development complex down, then employee had the . have given thought as ~ . One ofthe abestos wammg signs posted at Huntington Meadows lO11.o wmg to say: · to what they are going ''The money was allotted very being evicted because the owner to do with it next. However, I differently. The orders came down went bankrupt and didn't take care believe that that has been the root from the governor's office. We did of the property. As you can see in of this whole conspiracy. The not use the same policy and did not the health dept. report or by talking future of the land and buildings go through all the usual steps and to Dr. Handy, no one is being was foremost in the bankers, procedures as we normally would. forced to move because of mold, managers and owners minds long It was a closed-door situation with etc. Local television and ago, possibly at the time of the director. We didn' t know newspapers report that the purchase, when they thought up why." complex is being shut down due to this whole sordid plan to steal the Employees at Huntington environmental hazards, but this land and give it to the upper conflicts with the Health Meadows do feel that there is an middle-class. The whole Department report. The Clayton environmental disaster at hand in environmental disaster illusion, the the complex. They point to the Group environmental report stated neglect of the buildings, the court fact that 20,000 gallons of raw that they found "O" friabl e (air­ deals, the bankmptcy, was all just a sewage has been pumped out the borne) asbestos. The Health precursor, a set-up for the evil plan crawl space under just one of the Department did not recommend to hijack the land out from under buildings. They say that there are the evacuation of a single unit. the innocent unsuspecting 5 kinds of mold in the walls and all Now the question becomes residents. Now they are holding the doors are constructed with why did the owners file bankruptcy residents' future hostage: Again, when they received the amount to asbestos. They also feel that the there is a plot to "redevelop" the City Health Department did not buy the property outright and still land, but they are using the rule that any apartment be have $20,000 left for maintenance. "environmental concerns" and evacuated because if the city Where did the $30 million go? "bankruptcy" as excuses for deemed the buildings to be a Why was there a seeming getting rid of the people and health hazard, then the c ity would systematic drive to get rid of families. Remember, "Redevelop" have to pay relocation costs. Some tenants and not to re-rent the is a code word that rich people use apartments during the past year? local activists feel that the owner for getting rid of poor and black Local media claims there was must have paid off environmental people. costly renovation. What did they inspectors because of the intense For more information or to scrutiny that buildings should have renovate and how much did it express your concerns call the been under during financing of the cost? What financial following: City Council - 352­ project. These problems should problemswere there? We have a 3000, County Commissioners ­ right to know. have been foreseen, some say. 946-4400, the Attorney General ­ Hamilton County They have also heard that a deal is 852-3497, Gov. Taft- 614-466­ Commissioner Todd Portune feels cunently underway with a new 3555, State Rep. Britton - 271 ­ that the county should have been purchaser of the property, at a low 1764, Congressman Steve Chabot involved in the court proceedings. cost. - 684-2723. email: He also feels that there needs to be refuseandresist@fuse.net or call Others feel that there is no real envfronmental disaster, that 236-4180 for more information. an audit into the financial re.cords of this Huntington Meadows LTD. these allegations are just a ploy to get rid of what some see as just Mr. Portune says that, under law, �STREETVIBES September 2002 The Triumphs of a Blind Individual by Fred White didn' t like living in a blind group home. For one thing, it wasn' t my home. I had people over me, telling me what I could and could not do. Don' t get me wrong, Samuel Bell was a very clean, warm, and secure place. And for some blind people, the home worked well. But I was still very active, and I love girls, so it was not the place for me. Eventually, I met my girlfriend. We liked each other so much that we decided to live together. But as time went on, and months turned into years, our relationship began to deteriorate. One day my girlfriend and I got into a big fight. The police were called, and it was determined that l would h ave to leave. The Page 4 Well, somebody came along and we sat and talked. I shared my dilemma with my newfound friend. They suggested I try and find help in Cjncinnati. It sounded like a good idea to me, and I was off. I became. a resident of the Drop Inn Center. The staff at the Drop Inn took me in with open arms. They were very helpful in showing me where my sleeping area was, where the bathrooms were, where the dining area was, and where I could store my things. Before long, seeing as how m~ blind skills were great, I knew my way around the place like I had been living there for years. AJso, the residents, some of whom became my good friends, told me about places that I could get food. I ate lunch at Daily Bread I haven't always been blind, and never dreamed that one day I would be homeless. When I was sixteen, I picked ap a pair of boxing gloves. I graduated from high school and traveled all over the United States, and half way around the world, throwin ' my dukes. I did this for about twenty years. My career was cut short when I was diagnosed with a rare disease called Sarcoidosis. It was a disease which affected my lungs, and later was associated with my blindness. One day I was sitting in my living room, watching television, and I noticed that I had a little dot in my' center of vi sion. L ater, this worsened. I went to the doctor and he diagnosed me with an eye disease called Uvitus. It's an inflammatory disorder that destroyed the parts of my eyes that allowed me to see. The loss of my vision was gradual, bot I was told by my doctors that I would eventually be almost totally blind. Today, the only sight Fred White lost his sight at a young age through eye disease that I have is light perception. This means that and dinner at City Gospel Mission. next day, I received papers from in the bright daylight I may see They also told me about a place the county sheriff that notified me fleeting shadows- and that 's it. where I could take a bath and wash there was a restraining order So being a boxer, having a strong­ my clothes (Mary M agdalen's). I against me. I could no longer go willed and bullheaded personality, was able to receive a haircut and a back to my residence at that time. adjusting to blindness was shave through services of St. Being on a fixed income especially diffi cult. I entered a John 's Catholic Church. I was (social security disability) and it blind trai ning school in Ruston, very thankful for all of these being only the first of the month, Louisiana, to learn skills that this placed me in a pickle. Lo and services given to me. I was never would allow me to live _behold, I was a blind, homeless dirty, never hungry, and able to independently. O nce I had maintain my self respect and man. At first I panicked. £said to completed my training I moved to God, "Oh Lord what am I going to dignity. Golf Port, Mississippi, where I got A few years back, before do?" a job working in a place called this whole restraining order At the time, I was living in Royal Maid Association for the incident took place, as I said · Hamilton, Ohio. Someone Blind. My j ob consisted of informed me of a homeless shelter earlier, I lived at Samuel Bell bagging plastic forks, knives, and Home for the Sightless. Well, as in Hamilton called the Haven spoons. After doing thi s for fate would have it, I had to eat a House. When I went to check out maybe a year or so, 1 got homesick this possibility I was met with little bumble pie. I went back to and decided to move back to Ohio. disappoi ntrnent. The people the director and asked him if 1 I discovered a blind home in the m nning the shelter weren't set up could come back. Of course he Cincinnati area called Samuel Bell for blind people and there was an said yes. A nd so at the begin ning Home for the Sightless, located in of the month, when I got my next issue surrounding their insurance. Over-the-Rhine. I was disappointed. and even more d isability check, I moved back into I tried l iving there for discouraged. I bowed my head Samuel Bell and was off the awhile but I discovered that I streets. But wouldn't you know, and prayed for direction. that same girl and I got back together again. And we li ved together for some time, until I decided that I really wanted to live alone. Today, I live as a single man in a small apaitment in Hamilton, Ohio. I am independent. I am a vendor for Streetvibes as well. Life is great, and I feel very blessed. HOMELESS FRONT­ LINE WORKER TRAINING PLANNED A new training opportunity is in the planning stages for Continuum of Care (CoC) Front-Line Workers. Front­ line workers are case managers, outreach workers, house managers/ coaches, primary social workers and senior advocates who work on a day-to-day basis helping ho meless fo lks design and implement plans for independent li ving. The CoC, in collaboration with the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, has convened a planning committee to develop the training program. The course work is being designed to provide front-line workers an opportunity to ]earn new skills, gather new tools and gain val uable information on ·c ommunity referral sources that will help in their everyday work. The training program is a direct response to the Homeless Think Tank's request for better-trained workers to assist them. A series of classes will be held on Tuesday mornings and repeated Thursday evenings for six weeks beginning the first week in October. These classes designed just for homeless front- line workers, will cover such topics as: assessments, stages of change, safety, homeless p riorities, c1isis intervention, self-sufficiency, incomes access, budgeting, obtaining and maintaini ng housing, and b uilding for success w ith special populations. Up-to-date info1mation on community service linkages and referrals will be woven throughout the classes. Certificates will be provided for all those completing the course work and CEU credits for social workers have been applied for. Ifyou are interested in attending please call 859-594-4283 for registration information. HUD bas provided a technical assistance grant to The Partnership Center to be able to provide these classes free of charge to CoC (HUD Continuum of.Care) agencies. Class size will be limited as will the number of applicants from the same agency/ organization. Register by September 20, 2002. �STREETVIBES September 2002 Latinos in Cincinnati by Rudy A. Alarcon I currently live in the Clifton area apd I think I'm the only Spaniard here. There's one Puerto Rican chick that works at a nearby Subway restaurant - aside from her 1' m the only Latino I know. I moved here tl}inking that the downtown area, being closer to the inner-city, that I would be surrounded by many fellow Latinos and Latinas. That was a bad assumptfon to make. I've lived in Cincinnati on and off since'92, but moved here permanently from the South Bronx, New York, in '99. I'm used to the multi-racial atmosphere and the many cultural backgrounds of the Bronx, so it came as a shock when I found a small Latin population in Cincinnati and had to tell everybody that didn't care to ask that I was a Spaniard and not a :IY1;exican. Yes, there is a difference and not a whole lot of people think that openly to figure out that they 're wrong. I first experienced this when I moved to Cincy and it .didn , t bother me a t first until people started calling me Mexican. It was then that I had to explain the difference, I'm educated and well spoken, making it easy, sometimes, to get jobs. People mistake me for other nationalities and sometimes I'm discriminated against, but it doesn't phase me a whole lot. Fortunately, the atmosphere in Clifton and in Cincinnati in general is relaxed and mellow, making the people worry about minor stuff like race. The life here in Cincinnati is, overall, for a. Latino, somewhat difficult only because of the immaturity of the people. Otherwise, living in Cincinnati has been a new experience for me. I've enjoyed my stay here... and I look forward to the many future experiences ahead. National Housing Trust Fund Sign-On Letter Page 5 Washington Park Photograph Limited Edition Poster Now available, 18" X 24" poster - Washington Park, Over-the-Rhine, Winter 1999. Each poster is individually signed by photographer Jimmy Heath. Purcha~e benefits the children's Literacy Through Photography program_at Peaslee Neigh­ borhood Center in Over-the-Rhine. Posters are $10 each, plus $3 for shipping. Send your order and check to: 4. Serve the lowest income families (75% of the funds would Peas•ee Neighborhood Center support households below 30% of Attn:_Photography Program area median income, and the other . 25 % would.support households at 215 East Fourteenth Street up to 80% ami). Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 If you support the idea of more federal resources for. or call (513) 621-5514 for more information housing, please send an email with The affordable housing your organization's contact crisis facing Americans is information to harry @nlihc.org or tremendous. Across the country, a endorse at www.nhtf.org. worker must earn an average of Please contact Harry $13.50 per hour - more than- twice Lawson at the National Low ,.D ear Streetvibes, minimum wage - to afford a Income Housing Coalition, 202/ This is the first time I' ve modest two-bedroom rental. 662-1630 ext 243, if you have any purchased your paper. I'm im­ In an effort to create a questions or comments. You pressed, it is put together better We'd Hke to hear ·..•..~..,-~ solution to this crfsis, the Coaliton should expect a follow up phone than many other general maga­ on Human Needs is requesting, on from ljOU.... zines. I think the general public behalf of the National Low Income call from a representative of the has a misconception of the content Send letters or Housing Coalition, that you review National Low Income Housing Coalition. . inside Streetvibes. It is not only the attached information arid join comments to: about homelessness, it goes further the coalition of over 2950 Streetvibes@Juno.com, When someone steals than that. national, state, and local or write the Coalition office another's clothes, we call What I hope to see is more ·organizations as endorsers of a attn: Streetvibes Letters, them a thief. Should we not training in selling technique for the National Housing I 506 Elm Street' give the same name to one vendors who distribute the maga­ Trust Fund that would: Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 who could clothe the naked zine. 1. Invest billions of dollars in new and does not? The bread in Ms. A. Nystroal,, Cincinnati federal resources your cupboard belongs to the 2. Establish an ongoing, permanent DEDICATED source of revenue (a hungry; the coat unused in (The Head Hunter \ your closet belongs to the one trust fund) who needs it; the shoes rotting 3. BUILD, REHABILITATE and in your closet belong to the PRESERVE at least 1.5 million units of primarily one who has no shoes; the rental housing (up to 25% of the money which you hoard up funds could be used for belongs to the poor. homeownership activities) Basil the Great Letter to the Editor.... Write Us! While we make every effort to provide a forum for those without a voi<?e, 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. "Well, its a Fortune 500 company-with ex~ellent stock options and a record ofvery modest jail terms.for senior executives.¥ �ST R EETVIBES September 2002 Page 6 A Personal Reflection - Service at the Drop Inn Center Proves to be Life Changing by Martha Napier When I fi rst heard about the opportunity to be a part of the Xavier University Summer Service Internship last school year, I was immediately fascinated with the idea. I didn ' t want to spend another summer by the pool, or working a job that I would solely be doing to make a few bucks. Instead, I wanted to spend my time away from class doing something that I could learn from, where I would make an impact, and something that would allow me to truly grow as a human being. I wanted a change, an adventure, a challenge. The internship was exactly what I was looking for. So, without hesitation, I took the initiative to be a part of something ...something big. I wanted to make the best of what I knew would undoubtedl y be a rewarding and worthwhne experience. In an attempt to be the most efficient as possible, I made a brief list, outl in ing the different agencies that appealed to me and wrote short notes, summarizing the advantages and strengths of each one. It wasn't until towards the end of my Listt, that 1 came across the job description for the Drop Inn Center. This was it. I had found what I wanted to do. In fact, the description seemed so perfect that it almost seemed as though it had, somehow, found me. The work that I would be responsible for there seemed to amazingly combine my interests in psychiatry through the recovery program, with my passion for administering service and care to those who cannot help or better themselves in the emergency shelter. The opportunity of the work at the Drop Inn Center was what I needed in my life. It was already a task that inspired and motivated me, but yet also forced me to leave the security of my 9omfort zone and challenge myself. At fust, I must admit, I didn ' t know a lot about the Drop Inn Center. In fact, my preconceived notions about working there were completely different from the reality that I have come to know as my six weeks come to a close. Previously, I had only visited "The Drop" for the purposes of performing one-time community service acts such as serving meals, or even cleaning the men's restrooms. On my first day, I was shocked to discover that the work of the Drop Inn Center entails much more than the services that it administers to the homeless on the first level. In fact, contrary to what I had believed to be true before, the Drop lnn Center was relatively huge. I had not idea that the men and women recovery live­ in programs even existed, or that there were as many offices as there are. To say the least, I had a real awakening on my first day of work. Originally, when I thought of the homeless, I had a very common stereotype in mind-dirty, tired, hungry and fairly uneducated. This image failed to continue to exist in my mind when on my first day, I walked into the kitchen of the Women's Full Circle Program. There, at a large table, sat about 10 women who surprisingly, Looked nicely dressed, well kept, and intently interested in the discussion at hand. But wait. .. weren 't these women au homeless addicts on their way to recovery? Where were their cardboard signs, their heaps of garbage bags and why did they look as though they had taken a shower recently? I soon realized Martha Napier that what 1 had before thought to be the typical homeless. person was not at all correct. All of these women were homeless ... but they were also women that wanted something more in life ...something to improve themselves. In the next few weeks, I would come to find that a lot of the people that I worked with and befriended in the program are some of the most in tellectual people I have ever met. Their wisdom and courage have been my inspiration and my backbone of strength, knowing that I am truly blessed. Getting to know all of these people was especially beneficial, but I found that when I talked to people one-on-one, I was much more likely to gain some true insight. I will never forget a particular conversation that I had that. He taught me not to judge your life on the misfortunes or the struggles .. .instead value your challenges and become a witness of the blessings and the gifts. For Alphonso, his pride resided in his baby girl, Monica, as he happily took on the role of a father. As for myself. .. I am still searching for the same passion that Alphonso found in his daughter, but for right now, I would say that it lies in my interest and compassion for people. By the second week of my in.temship at the DIC, I decided to really challenge myself when 1 started to teach a GED preparatory class for the women in the recovery program. Here I was, seventeen years old, not even out of high school myself, and trying to teach a GED class! At first, the mere idea of such a thing seemed very intimidating, as I knew it would prove to be a big challenge. However, I also knew that teaching and tutoring the women to further their education was something that I wanted to do. Soon, I would realize that teaching was actually something that I enjoyed and something that challenged me but wasn' t out of my reach. Of course, it wasn't always easy. Many times, I would come own community and the people into class, expecting to spend one that you encounter every day of or two days on a particular subject, your life cannot be learned through let's say fractions. I would then text. Lessons of life, of its realize that rather than spending a hardships and of its few days on the material, we would challenges .. . they must be spend weeks. learned ... they must be As for preparing for the experienced. reading and writing components of As Alphonso and I discussed the differences between the test, I would often have the women read an articJe at night, and the two types of learning, he shared something that I will never prepare a brief, one-page essay from a prompt that I had given forget. He said, ·'Maybe if I had them. These assignments proved to had this conversation with you be extremely rewarding, not only earlier. I wouldn't have a child for the women, but also for myself. right now . .. But, I have no Through reading these papers, I regrets .. .I have a beautiful baby was allowed to hear what the girl, Monica." It was at this women were thinking, know what moment. that Alphonso allowed they were feeling, and understand me to realize one of the most important things in life. He taught them a little more than l had before. However. many of the me the importance of finding issues that were often brought up in something you are passionate the essay were often difficuJt to about and proud of and liv ing for one day at lunchtime with one of the men in the live-in program, Alphonso. I have really enjoyed getting to know Alphonso, probably due to the fact that we can easily relate to each otl).er since, at the age of 21, he is on1y a few years older than myself. During this particular conversation, we spoke on how books can teach you a lot but can only go so far. They will teach you about the farthest planet from the sun or the most distant land in this world, but the lessons that you learn about the world within your �STREETVIBES September 20()2 Page 7 even read, and at first, made me the other staff and residents have. As Ms. Annie says, "We all bleed even feel sick. I couldn 't believe the same." Nothing could say In addition to Ms. Annie, I Peaslee Neighborhood have me many wonderful people, the homfic stories of abuse, what I have learned more simply Center neglect, incest, loneliness and such as Ms. Kemp and Ms. Ruby, or more clearly. 215 East 14th Street depression. The women had been both chemical dependency What I must realize now, as through so much in their educators and counselors, of my internship draws to a close, is Over-the-Rhine li ves ... almost too much. But what course, my XU mentor, Tim, as that this is the end of my official Cincinnati , Ohio 45202 I found to be truly amazing, was well as countless others. six weeks at the Drop Inn Center, (513) 621-5514 the fact that even after all of the I truly feel that I am a part but just the beginning of a new path of life. I plan to continue my hardship, and all of the pain, the of the community of the Drop Inn women were still in recovery for Center, and have found that feeling work at the Drop, possibly doing themselves. They knew that they to be most rewarding. I came into much of the same work that I did wanted something more in life work on the first day, thinking that this summer, definitely continuing I was not better, but different from than drugs, pain, and isolation. the GED class on a voluntary but everyone there. I didn' t know if These women were determined to consistent basis. I want to remain make a change in their lives and the people at.the Drop would a part of the "something" that I accept me or'even like me. Now, I have started here ... that same · were not about to give up hope. Throughout my internship realize that I had nothi"ng to worry . "something" that in the beginning, at the Drop, I was very fortunate to about. What is there not to accep ~ I said I wanted to be involved with. be able to get to know some truly or even different about me? Sure, What I never knew in the amazing and inspirational people. beginning, was that this I live in a different part of town, Of course, I enjoyed working with ."something" would be so big that and go to an all-girl, private, Empowering our the men and the women in it would be life-changing. For as Catholic high school, but when it neighborhood children recovery, but I truly feel honored of now, I continue to grow in my all comes down to it, I really am through peace, art and , to have met so many wonderful the same as everyone in the experiences and through the stories education staff. ·One person, in particular, I building. We are all living our of the people I meet. Because of have developed an undying respect lives and experiencing our own this experience, I have truly lived, and admiration for . .. Ms. Annie recovery in one way or another. and I am forever changed_. Coleman. Ms. Annie is a truly amazing person. She is the coordinator for the women's Full Circle Program, and was officia11y my supervisor, but more a friend and a mentor through the duration of the six weeks. You would never guess that in this little, delicate lady resided one "tough cookie." She runs the Women 's Program like she was born for it, and clearly shows love and compassion in her work. Ms. Annie not only runs the program to be one of the most successful programs available, but knows the i mportance of differentiating being a friend to the women and having their true best interest at heart. Ms. Annie does both without fail, only when the time is appropriate. To me, Ms. Annie h a~ been a true "We 're looking f or an outspoken African-American inspiration, as of course, many of who will say exactly what we tell him to." Wish List Streetvibes newspaper js 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? o Electric Stapler - Heavy duty o Blank Zip Disks - ForStreetvibes Archives o Supplies for Vendor's Lounge (paper towels, cream and sugar, snacks, etc.) o Office and Cleaning Supplies o Computers/components for Streetvibes story-writi~g, editing, research. . If you can help, contact us at: Streetvibes, c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: s~reetvibes@juno.com 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 fo r yourself or your agency, please caJl 421-7803. �:t""~. - STREETVIBES Septemht:r .2002 • ;' . ,... I" ~· ~·- only be unlearned by dialogue and education. This process has begun. As I attended each m eeting, and visited many United Church of Christ congregations over the past The United Church of Christ Supports Cincinnati months the recurring question has been; "What can we do to end the Boycott boycott?" Since many do not by Rodney Sutton, The Evangelist understand the dynamics of the On June 5, the United boycott, or that this is the least Church of Christ held press violent action of the powerless; conferences in Cincinnati and ans.wering this question has not Cleveland announcing the been easy. Executive Councils decision to Nonetheless, I continued to support the Cincinnati ~oycott emphasize that the injustices that sparked by the shooting of brought about the boycott are not Timothy Thomas and the three just an African-Ame1ican pro~lem days of social unrest that followed. or a problem for Over-the~Rhine, This decision brought an but a problem of economic and unexpected ·response from the social injustice that pe1meates the thirty plus local congregations in whole of · Cincinnati and Cincinnati. To Northern solve these Kentucky. Some problems we can pastors and many no longer look of their the other way. congregates We must follow were outraged the biblical that the national mandates to office had stamp out chosen to speak injustice fo r them on thi ~ whel'ever we may issue. find it. Local The church pastors Southern Ohjo began to hold Northern their own press Kentucky conferences, Rodney Sutton Association of saying that the the United national proclamation lacked Church of Christ has made a start substance on many levels, by hiring me as the Director of a including the lack of a theological Racial Justice Youth Ministry that foundation. They argued that the will focus .on racial diversity press release made it look as if all among youth and young adults. the churches agreed with the This ministry will haye as its focus boycott, but most do not. They felt the mentoring and community ' there had been a breach in the involvement of youth and young covenantal relatio nship between adults. It will help to establish a the local churches a!1d the national ministry of inclusion for all people office. There were threats to notwithstanding race, social, or withdraw from the denomination economic standing. and to withhold money from the The United Church of national office. Christ has a rich history of its Since the press conferences stance on social justice issues on June 5, and those which have since its inception 1n 1957. Its followed, the local congregations participation in the civil rights have held many meetings: a movement of the 1960's, its service of prayer and support of gay rights, and homeless reconciliation, dialogue with some issues to name a few. God has once of the national staff, and published aoain called for us to be on the 0 a half page consensus statef!lent in front line of social ministry, and the C incinnati Enquirer has given us a plan so the people disavowing support of the boycott. will not perish (Proverbs 29: 18, However, as qne of three KJV). African-American pastors which If you would like to visit · represent the U ~ited Church.of one of our churches or become a Christ locally I can say desp1te the part of this new ministry call me at unconscious racism expressed at (513) 349-5119. many of these gatherings that we are on the road to progress. I say Special Friends & ' unconscious racism' because I Neighbors Celebration have worked with many of these September 7th, Noon-Spm people and proclaimed the gospel Evergreen Baptist Church in their churches. I understand that 702 Gholson Ave. 'white privilege' .is something that Free Food, Gifts, many of them do not understand, Massage, Hugs! so manv of their words and acts of Call Jannette Johnson, 295-7999 racism have been learned and can Words From the Evangelist.... . ~. . • ·~ . ... ~"::..... : .. : ~ ·.-:,...._~ ~ -y. :-. -'- - • ;- • -·~ ....~ . -. ~ •, . • Page 8 Vendor Profile: Aubrey Bow~an heck with you!'" Bowman said he has met open-~inded people all over the city, but he sti ll feels there are plenty of problems here. One issue in Cincinnati that he didn't experience in Cleveland is theft within the homeless community. "Down here, they will steal your dirty socks." he said with a look of raised-eyebrow disgust, still somewhat surprised it would happen. In addition to some theft amongst the homeless, Bowman was also surprised to .learn Streetvibes vendor Aubrey Bowman about some other aspects of the area. Despite his insistence that by Brian Phillips Queen City is only as the brian_away@hotmail.com conservative as the rest of Ohio, Bowman says he has experienced Some people spend a problems with traditionalists h~re. lifetime trying to figw·e out Cincinnati. In the year Streetvibes When be began selling Streetv1bes vendor Aubrey Bowman has lived in November, he used the technique he thought would be here, he has learned more about most effective. He "hawked" the city than many locals ever newspapers in the sense of calling will. out the headlines, yelling out-what Recently in the GCCH office, Bowman shared his insight he was selling. , "Apparently, here in on the city's reputedly conservative population, problems Cincinnati, these people are not used to newspaper hawkers," between the area's homeless and Bowman said, shaking his head, how he became the self­ "At first, I was scaring a lot of proclaimed number one people." Streetvibes vendor. However, his innovative Bowman, 49, was raised in Cleveland with a brother and eight style was one of the reasons sisters. He lived .there most of his · Bowman q uickly became a leader in Streetvibes sales. life, but fell on hard times three Before Bowman was able years ago when he lost his job as a driver. It was then that he became to sell as many papers as he does now, he had to learn about the best homeless. sales locations. He studied the He decided to move to the area for several months and had South in search of better the traffic patterns figured out by opporturtities and stopped in February. Now, he can be found Cincinnati on the way. The in one of six· locations, chatting oenerosity of the people he met with his reoular customers and 0 . impressed him, and he decided to friends. His two favorite spots are stay. Ludlow Avenue and the "Northeast Ohio people intersection of 7lh and Vine are heartless," Bowman said, " people are more hospitable here." Streets. Bowman said 50-75% of Some locals might be his customers are regulars, and he surprised to learn that Bowman considers many his friends. said Cincinnatians taught him to As for the future, Aubrey be patient, and that he feels the Bowman hopes to get back to atmosphere· here is more relaxed diiving soon. He has to take care than in other parts of the state. of several issues, including getting While Bowman knows about the a physical. reputation Cincinnati has for Until then, he' 11 be around being conservative, he doesn't the city, loud and proud hawking think the situation is that simple. Streetvibes. And, to use his words "[Cincinnatians arel just Like every other Buckeye," he said, (as his smile lit up his f~ce), "Buy and read Streetvibes, and only buy starting to chuckle, ''We got the it from me!" same attitude in Cle~eland: 'to / �STREETVIBE S September 2002 project is always in need of people interested in writing articles on social justice/poverty issues, as Opportuniti~s well as assisting homeless and · formerly homeless individuals in writing their articles. Those interested in helping out with Skills Sharing, where the homeless individuals are ~nipped with important skills i ncluding computer skills, writing skills, First-Aid, etc. We need help in the afternoons at the front desk, There are numerous answering phones and handling opportunities for volunteers at transactions with our Streetvibes the Greater Cincinnati Coalition Vendors. This person will add:ress for the Homeless. We are the needs of visitors, having direct willing to work with each contact with homeless individuals individual in choosing a ser vice and should be available one opportunity that is right for afternoon a week. them. The following are a few There is always a need for of the areas in which the help with bulk mailings. For Coalition could use your help: Streetvibes, there are monthly Designing a web site for mailings. Other mailings in_clude our National Civil Rights the annual report, quarterly Organizing Project. This would newsletter, and various capitol include working with two campaigns. Americorp Vista volunteers on At the Coalition, outreach how to prevent further is an important part of our job. criminalization of homeless This involves direct contact with individuals as well as preventing homeless and formerly homeless the hwreasing hate crimes against jndividuals where we can seek them. ways in which to address the We need the help of issues and needs of each person. people interested in doing A person interested in this could journalism work. This includes work with ow- Vendors Program or interviewing homeless and work with staff to implement formerly homeless iridividuals to innovative ways to deal with the document their stories of how problems facing homeless they became homeless and the individuals. struggles that result from If you are interested in homelessness. volunteering at the Greater We need help with our Ci ncinnati Coalition for the quarterly newsletter and annual Homeless plc:;ase contact the office report. at 421-7803, or visit us at 1506 The Streetvibes newspaper Elm Street in Over-the-Rhine. Volunteer at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project (NHCROP) Regional Office 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com (513) 421-7803 Page 9 Congressional Letter to HHS Sparks Fears of Retributjon for Advocacy Terje Anderson, Director of the Activities National Association of People Twelve members of Congress, including Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN), have requested that the Health and Human Services (HHS) administration provide them with a list of individuals from organizations that receive any federal funds that attended July's International AIDS Conference in Barcelona. HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson was noisily heckled by members of more than a dozen AIDS service organizations while giving a speech at the conference. The protesters banded out flyers signed by twelve organizations criticizing the US for not spending enough money on AIDS in developing countries. While the letter to HHS was primarily to complain about the Members' perception of a slighting of religion at the conference, they also asked for the total amount of federal money that went into the conference. There is a fear that the members may be looking for a way to retaliate against federal grantees who spoke out against US policy. Local Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective Research Study * Financial Compensation * 45 years and over * Symptoms of depression * 13 visits (513) 861-3100 ext 41 87 or toll free (888) 267-7873 ext 4187 O I SC .JOCKEY 3366 Erie Avenue East Hyde Park (513) 533-3402 7896 Montgomery Rd. Kenwood 891- 7740 SE l~V ICE Cli£.ford Jon.e s ( 513) .230-63 53 (513) 761 - 3464 Office The GCCH w o uld like to thank these Starbucks location s f o r their gen erous donation of coffee and pastries. With AIDS, sums up this fear: "Groups that do advocacy and get publ ic money are always concerned that there's an awkwardness in that situation. But I can't think of another time there's been talk of retaliation." While federal grantees are prohibited from lobbying with federal funds, there are no such restrictions on private funds. The request may be enough to have a chilling effect on the advocacy activities of federal grantees. Claude Allen, deputy secretary of HHS, while saying the department does not want to engage in a witch hunt, is quoted by the Post as saying that protestors "need to think twice before preventing a Cabinet-level official" from speaking. Allen fears that Congress may mandate that HHS not participate in future conferences because the protesters did not allow Secretary Thompson to deliver his speech. OMB Watch 1742 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009202-234­ 8494 (phone)202-234-8584 (fax) et :\:)O\ .~ ~-mail: jonesa~ • """' Voic e rnail ~·C.ti)c. B ~11~...., e or ... '-'Cx c hang · Extra! Extra! Advertise in Streetvibes! Reach thousands of downtown workers each month! Call 421-7803 for more information about how advertising in Streetvibes will work for your business.... �STREETVIBES September. 2002 P age 10 Streetvibes Interview: Valerie Le.mmie, Cincinnati City Manager Streetvibes reporter Jerome Manigan interviews city manager Valerie Lemmie in her City Hall office Recently STREETVIBES · reporter Jerome Manigan and Jimmy Heath, editor and photographer visited with Cincinnati City Manager Valerie Lemmie in her City Hall office. The following is an excerpt from Ms. Lemmie s conversation with Mr. Manigan. STREETVIBES: Please explain to our readers the responsibilities of the city manager. Ms. Lemmie: The city manager is responsible for the day to day operation of the city (using & corporate model). The City Council is the equivalent of the board of directors, the chairperson is the mayor. The board and the chairperson decide policy, goals and direction, objectives and expectations. The city manager's role is to be effective and expeditious i n the implementation of the policies, goals, and objectives of the city council. STREETVIBES: Does this city or any city, for that matter, have a moral obligation to provide for · the less fortunate? Ms. Lemmie: Yes, cities do have a moral obligation to work with its citizens to find collective solutions to city problems. I do not think city personnel has a lock on all the ideas, resources or creativity. Cities must collaborate with neighborhoods, the business sector, and civic organizations to address issues and concerns that confront the city. STREETVIBES: Does that moral obligation require that cities be involved in providing social service programs? Ms. Lemmie: Ordinarily, cities are not involved in social service programs. STREETVIBES: Speaking generally and not necessari ly specifically about Cincinnati, is the collaborative process successful? Ms. Lemmie: It is easier to point to the many failures. The successes are relatively small. I have learned that teaching people how to fish is a challenge. It involves helping them to be motivated enough to want to learn to be self-sufficient. It requires them to understand that if they do learn to fish they will have a greater stake in the economic pie. Then they can make a difference in their own lives and the well being of their community. STREETVIBES: What are some of the insights you bring with you to. Cincinnati and your position as city manager? Ms. Lemmie: We are still struggling with the meaning of words like inclusion. We are trying to find the definition for equity. I belong to a task force that is trying to deal with the issues of equity and justice. We are grappling with tlie meaning of those terms and how are they rec.ognized? I have studied American and European histo~y. Moreover, I have discovered that none of us­ has been able to figure out what to do next. During the days of the Great Depression there was the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and other initiatives devised by the Roosevelt administration to get the country moving forward. There was some short term positive . effects. Still, long term, there was thousands and thousands and thousands of people without work. I worked with economist Milton Friedman. His current approach is opposition to tremendous government spending. I do not think any society has figured out how to JeveJ the income disparities that exist. STREETVIBES: What about problem of homelessness. homelessness? It touches on so · While I worked with . many complex issues. Are there any successful models that proviqe Friedman, over a billion dollars a effective solutions to this very real year was spent to eradicate homelessness. We were still were and frustrating problem? unable to effectively address the Ms. Lemmie: No one has ever problem. found a way to deal with I do not have the answers. homelessness. I think the best way to prevent homelessness is to make I do have big ears and I am willing to listen to people who know a lot sure young people get a quality more about homelessness than I education. They also need do. productive channels in which to Stay tuned to upcoming issues of spend their free time so that they STREETVIBES for more ofour do not have contact with the criminal justice system. These are. exclusive interview with Valerie ' Lemmie, Cincinnati s new City simple preventative methods. Manager. They do not begin to fix the Art Corner by Anthony Watkins �- STREETVIBES September 2002 . . .: • -+ : • . . - - ·- <·, ... - .. . . .. -·~-·' .. .....--:. - .. ~- . -- • _,, ~ ..... Page 11 Over-the-Rhine Community Festival Brings Neighborhood Families Together photos by Andy Houston In spite of the summer heat, hundreds gathered on August 3rd in downtown's Washington Park for the 18th annual Over-the-Rhine Community Festival. The Over­ the-Rhine Community Festival hosted booths sponsored by local community groups, churches and social service organizations that serve the neighborhood, including Peaslee Neighborhood Center, the Drop [nn Center, the Greater Cinci nnati Coalition for the Home­ less, the Cincinnati Art Academy, and many more. Festival sponsors passed out literature and other organizations sold drinks and snacks or provided games for festival goers. The goal of the festival was to provide fun for OTR children and adults and bring the community together. Children were encouraged to participate in several free art activities, which included chalk art and painting. A stage was provided for entertainment that included a talent contest for neighborhood residents and children and sched­ uled live musical entertainment that included the Ove~- the-Rhine Steel Drum Band and local music artist Tracy Walker. One of the highlights of the festival was the unveiling of the new "I Have a Dream of Peace" mosaic park bench, which is now permanently installed in Washing- . ton Park. The mosaic bench was a collaborative effort of Peaslee Neighborhood Center and the Cincinnati Art Academy and involved hundreds of community residents and neighborhood children, each participating in the placing of mosaic pie9es on the park bench. The design and construction of the "I Have a Dream of Peace" park bench took place at the Center for Community Engagement at buddy's place on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhjne. Neighborhood artists were also featured at the Festival with works of art and poetry. ______ Enjoying games at the Community Festival _,,,,.,...__,._,.... Some ofthe entertainment featured at the Over-the-Rhine Community Festival R Write Us .... We'd like to hear from youI Send letters or comments to : Streetvibes@Juno.com, ·or write the Coalition office attn : Streetvibes Letters 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 A side view ofthe "I Have a Dream of Peace" mosiac bench in Washington Park ~ �STREETVIBES September 20.02 P age 12 THE PEACE VILLAGE OPENS by Dr. Steve Sunderland I am part of a team working for peace in Cincinnati since the April riots, the 9111 tragedies, and the rise of violence in the Mid-East. Our work invol~es creating posters and discussions that promote healing and peace. We are working with many people seeking to recover from the hard losses of deeply hmtful racial insults, and from the horrors of war both here in Cincinnati and around the world. Now, as the anni versary of 9/11 approaches, we are planning a Peace Village in Cincinnati. We are working with many people seeking to recover from the hard losses of deeply hurtful racial insults; andfrom the horrors of war both here in Cincinnati and around the world. ... This Peace Village extends an open in vita~ion to all Cincinnatians to reflect on what we have learned from this year of conflict and attempts at reconciliation. You are invited to join this peace effort during the month of September and become a part of the healing and justice effort. Our hope is to have gentle discussions about what we have learned from this year from the examples of those who have worked persistently for peace. These discussions may be positi ve experiences for people, opportunities to find a glimmer of hope and fellowship at a time when hoITor and fear will be rerun. My involvement began in observing the efforts of Angela Leis ure to make -sure that revenge was not played out in the memory of her son's violent death. She inspired me to want to draw posters about what her courage and compassion had accomplished in improving the climate of non-violence. As a professor of social. work at the University of Cincinnati, as a long time grief specialist and civil tights activist, and as a resident of Cincinnati for 23 years, I was amazed by her strong and persistent example of faith i~ people to stop being violent just after learning of her son's death at the hands of a frightened police officer. Her acts prompted me to ask what I was doing to promote peace and healing. I drew pictures of her as a way of coping with my grief emotions and, quite unusually for me, I shared these posters with my students. They also wanted to draw their reactions to the riots. Other groups in Winton Place, Clifton, and Hyde Park also ·sought to join a healing prncess. Very soon a large scale community grief process was underway as groups tried to draw their pain, their fear, and their hope on simple cardboards and with markers. For five months many different organizatons jo ined in this community grief art project. Many people had a lot to draw about their pain and appreciated the chance to share both their drawings and some words about what they were. feeling. The riots isolated us; the drawings brought us together in a search for community healing and peace. And then 9/11 occurred. The attack of the terrorists was an emotional earthquake. Almost all of the groups that had created posters about the riots in Cincinnati now wanted to return to making posters and having some discussion about the world at this point of horror. Clearly, we were learning that peace and justice was not only a Cinicnnati issue. Here, though, we were caught in our community healing process and then dealt this horrendous national insult. For the past year, many groups have sought to place their feelings into pictures and discussio ns. We have formed a community of grievers and peace workers without consciously realizing that this is both what was needed and what could be done. We formed a Peace Village of people using · their imagination to understand how we can create peace, justice . and healing out of a war experience. The foundation of the Peace Village is in the over 90 organizations that have created over 5,000 posters and discussions about peace, justice and healing. I have met with churches, synagogues, at the mosque, schools, colleges, youth groups, and police and facilitators in the ARIA process, to give each person space to teach about what they feel is critical in peace work. I have been privileged to see an outpouring of powerful art matched by the sensitive expressions of hope and · compassion. Just this last week, I met with 18 teenage Israelies, Jewish, Christian and Moslems, at the Mosque in Mason, Ohio, to create posters and have a di scussion about what peace can mean in their lives. In this beautiful building, we sat, discussed, drew, and began to realize that they, too, understand w~at Cincinnati is going through even though they had only been here for 14 hours. "If there are people for peace in Cincinnati, then we are Cincinnatians. We are not the Israelies of war, we are the minority, the spiritual and numerical minority, who must . have peace and justice and spiritual freedom," so these young and energetic teachers said over and over again in Hebrew, English, Arabic and with black, red, and blue markers. As we talked about our drawings, a remarkable feeling overcame the group, a feeling that something vital in their future and our future was happening in this little room in the mosque. We became "artists," struggling to imagine peace, trying to make the faces say what we want. "If there are people for peace in Cincinnati, then we are Cincinnatians. We are not the Israelies of war, we are the minority, the spiritual and numerical minority, who must have peace andjustice and spiritual freedom ... " Ruga, a very gifted artist, drew faces in profile and explained, "We only see one si.d e of a person unless we look for the whole face, the whole person." We all nodded and realized that the mission of peace in this group in our city is to face the whole ugliness of war, or hatred, of prejudice, and imagine different faces, "the faces of angels," Ruga said. This group, organized by an interfaith , intercultural organization called, "Open House," wanted to draw and discuss the depths of compassion . They made the wonde1ful assumption that the children of . watTiors could imagine a different future than their parents if they only had a chance. I have had similar experiences in an art class in Heberle Elementary where . Little children shyly drew their memories of the neighborhood confrontation with the police, in the lobby-classroom of the Wyoming Jewish Temple where 60 children and adults drew pictures with Hebrew and English words calling for an end to war, in the auditorium of the North Avondale Community Center with an Arts for All group where made posters on cardboards were the backdrop of a new play about hope, in the basement of Knox Church in Hyde Park where 80 people worked passionately on some strands of hope that could be placed in their posters and hung on their church walls, and in the University of Cincinnati's school of social work classes where students, fii ghtened by the encroachment of the riots, drew and hastened out of the room, and at Morehead State University where art students drew of their involvement with 911 J in passionate and detailed drawings. 'fhe artists of Vulcan Forge, recovering from mental illness, gave to this project a depth and beauty that amazed them, although experienced artists. The students of Clark Montessori, thanks to their student government leadership, created a poster experience that frightened and reassured all who were a part. We drew pictures of what we thought the World Trade Center was experien~ing and what we had learned from such horror. A lot of posters, in many groups, are able to look at those two towers and still think of them as gigantic candles, never to be extinguished. Doing posters at the Twin Towers Retirement Village, College Hill; gave another layer of pain a chance to surface as the elders drew pictures of both sets of Twin Towers. "We are very lucky," one poster and one elder said, speaking for many of us. I have seen the deep wish on the part of people to imagine peace, justice and healing. Through drawing a facsimi le of their dreams and nightmares, they retouch old areas of hope in themselves. Once retouched, an amazing force is activated, almost PEACE cont. on page 18 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 ofthe Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. �..... - __ , , STREETVIBES September 20()2 . • '~ ,_,.-- , - - ~Quotes In the struggle, rewards are f ew. In fact, I know ofonly two, Loving friends and Living dreams. These rewards are not so few as it seems. A nonymous Peace is the work ofjustice indirectly, in so far as justice removes the obstacles to peace; but. it is the work ofcharity (love) directly, since charity, according to its very notion, causes peace. Thomas Aquinas ~· • • ..... . ~ .;:• - '• - .., '_ ,- ..f· ·-. - - - J - • Community Shares Hosts 7th Annual Friends Fest Greater Cincinnati Community Shares, a federation of 25 locaJ non-profit organizations, will host its seventh annual Friends Fest concert on Saturday, September 14, 2002, at 7:30 p.m., at House of Joy, 5910 Hamilton Avenue. in College Hill. With support from Corney & Shepherd Realtors, Friends Fest 2002 will include high energy musical perfo1mances by Drums for Peace, MUSE Cincinnati Women's Choir, Paule'tte Meier and Panache Steel Drum Band. The master of ceremonies for the event will be Ohio State Senator Mark Mallory. The theme for Friends Fest 2002 is "Finding a New Rhythm," which reflects not only the style of music at this year's concert, but also Community Shares' commitment to findin g new solutions for chronic community proble ms, such as homelessness. Greater Cincinnati Community Shares was founded in 1996 to meet the urgent financial needs of local nonprofit organizations that are committed to po!:iitive community change and are n~t funded by United Way. Community Shares member organizations aggressively address some of our community's most difficult issues, including lack of affordable housing, violence, discrimination, citizen apathy, lack of affordable health care and environmental degradation. Member organizations include the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and the Northern Kentucky Housing and Homeless Coalition. Community Shares conducts workplace giving campaigns and has raised nearly one million dollars for its member organi zations in its first six years. In addition to fund-raising, Community Snares works to _~;:,,-·-- :.. . - ,,.,,...,.. strengthen its member organizations by providing other services 1n the areas of promotion, training, networking, volunteering and administrative record keeping. Community Shares has sponsored a Friends Fest event every year since its inception. The audience has grown significantly each year, with a crowd of over 500 persons enjoying last year's Friends Fest at Christ Church Cathedral that featured a perfom1ance by Bernice Johnson Reagon and Toshi Reagon. The purpose of Friends Fest is to celebrate the commitment of people throughout Greater Ci nc innati who generously_contribute their time, talents and money to make this a better community. It also serves as a kick-off for Community Shares' annual fall workplace campaigns. Audience members include Community Shm·es' volunteers, workplace supporters, people from member organizations (including those served), as well as the general public. Friends Fest is an upbeat event in which a wide diversity of people connect through good entertainment and the celebration of work for progressive social change. Tickets are $ 10, and some free tickets are available for low-income persons. For further inform~tion , call 513-475-0475. - - - '"---·- - ~ . '·.. r .• ~-·· - ._... r P age 13 '­ ART, MUSIC, AND WRITING OPPORTUNITIES! basic photography skills through Peaslee Neighborhood Center, courses provided at introductory 2 15 East 14th Street, hosts lots of arts oppmtunities for adults Peaslee. Call the Center for and children to learn ski Ils such class schedules. as playing a steel drum or piano, photography, making mosaic art, Writing - Any young person in or writing. Any resident of ~he Greater Cincinnati area may Over-the-Rhine or the West End submit poems and/or articles via is welcome! All sessions are email at for publication in FREE, includi,1g instruction and Streetvibes. Content should be related to homelessness, social materials. No previous artistic justice, or poverty-related issues. experience necessary. Contact Brenda Z. at 621-5514, or for Ca11 For New Arts Advisory more information. Committee Members! - The OTR Steel Drum Band -Learn Alts Advisory Committee is looking for representatives from how to play the steel drums in an introductory series for adults. the neighborhood and the arts Parents may bring their children and business community. This (age 9 and up) to learn together committee helps to formulate the if they like. Participants will ~irection and development of Peaslee's arts programs. learn steel drum technique, rhythms, and how to read music. Looking For New Staff Community Mosaic Art Peaslee is also looking for new music instructors for the piano Project - Community members are coming together to make and the-mallets program. This is a wonderful opportunity to get mosaic art for the Over-the­ Rhine neighborhood. The involved in teaching music in a organizers are looking for ideas fun and rewarding setting. Anyone interested in any of for the next project Forward these opportunities, contact your ideas to Brenda Z. Brenda Z. at Peaslee, 215 East 14th Street, Over-the-Rhine, Photography - Teenagers and young adults ar~ invited to learn 621-5514. l1MTAKING MY 4011( OOT OF STQQ(S AND P<JTTING tT IN SOMETHING SAFER. �STREETVIBES September Art & Poetry 2~02 The New Yorkers Crack of Dawn by Mike Henson byjh I turn the vast grieving circuits of the city of New Yo_rk and bump against so much density of life. At every corner, so much undiscovered human complexity in the intricate sadness of Brooklyn and Queens and the Bronx and smoking Manhattan. For each window washer and each woman with a baby on her hip is invested with a full human life". Each one shoulders the cross of his own story. Each is propelled by her own daemonic energy. So many polishers of nails. So many seHers of knishes and sushi. So many doorman pierced by the fierce New York winds. So many lawyers and nurses and students speaking so many languages snatched from every corner and cattle track of the globe. And all in a rush! All of them step out with long straight legs; all of them look intently forward in their New York manner and all of them stride stride stride '-­ to the bus to the cab to the cellars of the subway station. They whirl through the gates and clatter all-at-once down the stairs and know exactly which way to turn until they reach the dark platform. There, they wait, motionless and potent as batteries. Each man, each woman pulses with an electric, third-rail energy. They poise at the edge; they gaze toward the dark tunnel, tensed like runners at the block until the train explodes past with such a clatter and blur and metallic danger. It threatens them no more than the house cat that glides past the couch, and yet it is this tigerish, springing and metallic thundering thing. And they do not retreat; they step even closer as if they want to embrace the car. But no, they pause, pause, and the car stops, the gates open, an electronic voice chants the name of the station, and the people of the platform pause again and gather energy to step on as the others step off. And I see that all this strict and relentless movement is a vast and solemn choreography though I cannot hear the music and I stumble in my bumpkin manner along the streets and ·up and down the stairs of the subway. Astounded, I gaze at the tall spires of the buildings and the nearly hidden bodegas and the hustlers of Times Square and the huddling homeless and the grim police and the saddened men at the fire station and I do not know the steps and I do not know the turns of this dance of the ballistic and elegiac New Yorkers. An 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. For information on submitting your poetry to STREETVIBES call 421-7803 Hideous, deadly, desperate eyes repeat the scanning ritual ­ Melt, Weed, Knife, Rob. Death by time, their youth buried, beneath the smoldering a<>phalt, that marks their pitiful scent. 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. Like stained and broken bedding, they wait by the curb, for tpe end of theif minds. Page 14 Do You Believe? by Robert Manassa All of the things in this world were created by one man and he's above. He showers us with his Blessings . When he speaks, it's the world he's addressing DoYou Believe? The things in this world were made·and molded with his own two hands How they were made we may never understand Do You Believe? No one knows the hour God will call us home Remember these few words; You will surely leave here as surely as you were born ' Do You Believe? My Inspiration by Jeff Branham The things of which I write about, are the things within my life. From the joyfulness that makes me want to shout, to.the pain that cuts like a knife. From the love that is void and unrequited, to the love both sure and true. From being overwhelmingly excited, to the morbidity of feeling blue. Things such as the way tbiJJgs used to be, ~nd things that have touched my soul. These are the things that are dear to me, in this way, my story is told. This is the way that I feel a part, as I write without reservation. I write down what is inside of my heart, for this is my inspiration. 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. I wish to thank you, my foends, For the lives you touched, Including mine. Our· fri endshi p, the times and memories we shared, I shaJl cherish. To you, my friend, I will not say goodbye, only Until we meet. For in my heart, You' re still very much alive. �STREETVIBES September 2002 Art & Poetry · Page 15 Can't Go Home City Cancer by Mecello Barrar by J oani Lacy Lord, why am I walking your streets tonight? Did you know that homeless days started with a homeless night? Rain pouring down on m head, but where can I go? I know one place where I cannot go And that's home for sure. Cause for some reason they wanted me gone. 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 whjle 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 The Bullet by Geraldine Devine Iraqi poet Love is a word that used to sound and mean so much I tried to domesticate the bullet, When it was spoken from To take her with me to school, someone's mouth, then that person To teach her the alphabet you should trust. And have her speak But she is made of black clay WilJ tomorrow be a better turn? Love was never a word to be and and stuffed with canned blood Cause I can ' t go home. action, that was just thrown around. I tried to domesticate the bullet, This homeless Life can't be true. t had real meaning, real feeli ng; To take her to the water-spring, Whatever happened to my ljfe? and with a persons hea1 t it covered To the fields of dew. How did it ever come to this? so much ground. But she has consumptive lips Wasn't poor nor either rich. That love to kiss the lips of death I be down on my knees just asking Love used to be and action, To rummage or wreck the Lord And blow ashes in our eyes. to please gi ve me a place to sleep, or in English known as a verb, But now we are living in a time People looking at me like I'm dirty where not much of a purpose does I tried to domesticate the bullet, Because I'm all on the street. it serve. To lead her to the truth, Living in boxes and buildings To wash her copper with perfumes Make what I can to feed the Let's take this word, give and show And replace her gunpowder children. it with sweets. as our Father does from above. But she refused to be un locked; Wife die two years ago. Let's take, put, power, spread, and and re mained dripping pus, Hard to explain to my b~by boy recharge With poison in her breath. that mama this important word called Love. won't be back no more, And we can' t find a place to call home Can' t find a job And we forced to be gone. Lord, all I ask of you is to open the hearts of all your children. Make them help one another, Stop looking down at _my kind, And give just a little change, Before it's somebody in their lives Living this homeless life. Dawn of Time by Dwight A. Turner In the universe there's a cluster of stars. Cam I touch one wjtbout touching two? I may even touch the sun without it burning me. J blessed your country to be brave and free, But you keep locking yourself up, throwmg 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 stan;, T hat you see. So why in this world is it so hard for you to see me? Shutter Speed Urban blight is a symbol of our times. God and the devil facing off under a street lamp. Book of Change by Sonny Williams how to say you ' ve changed to two dead girls after ravi.shing 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? by Sonny Williams �ST R EETVIBES September 2002 Page 16 A Growing Gap in A01erican De01ocr-a cy by Sasha Abramsky - - Two years ago the world watched as officials in Florida struggled to explain the mishaps and shoddy practices that had denied thousands of Floridians a chance to vote. They focused on butterfly ballots and hanging chads, but neglected a critical J?art of the problem: over half a million Florida residents had been prevented from voting by a state law that permanently disenfranchises almost anyone ever convicted of a fe lony, even those who haven ' t committed a crime since serving their terms, have jobs and are paying taxes. For like many Southern states, Florida had cemented felony disenfranchisement into its constitution in the post-Civil War years, when legislators were using any means to keep the vote in white hands. Following the 2000 presidential election, several states changed their suffrage laws. New Mexico, Delaware and Maryland either abandoned or curtailed their disenfranchisement provisions; Connecticut enfranchised people on probation; and lawyers in Washington State are working on a case to overturn that state's disenfranchisement Jaws. Iowa, Arizona, Nevada and Wyoming retain their catch-all , permanent djsenfranchisement laws. But the bulk of the disenfranchised live in southern states - Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia - and in several of these conservative legislators are fighting efforts at enfranchisement. Some experts estimate that in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida a quarter or more of black men are now permanently barred from voting. On July 18, Judge James Lawrence King of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed a lawsuit against Florida's disenfranchisement laws. The lawsuit had been filed by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York Un iversity School of Law on behalf of seven plaintiffs, first among them one Thomas Johnson, who weren't allowed to vote in the last presidential election. In his brief opinion, Judge King began by misnaming the lead plaintiff as Thomas Jefferson. From there, it only got worse. Brennan Center lawyers argued that the history of the South's felony disenfranchisement laws - along with studies indicating minorities are at particular risk of getting arrested and more likely than whites to receive felony convictions for comparable crimes - meant permanent disenfranchisement violated the 14th A mendment 's equal protection clauses. They also argued that Florida was violating the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Judge King disagreed, deciding that Florida had the right to disenfranchise people as long as the motive was to deny felons, rather than a specific racial group, the vote. Because Florida had rewritten its post-Civil War state constitution in the 1960's, he held felony disenfranchisement to be no longer racially biased. He cited as precedent a 1969 Florida case and a 1974 SuP-reme Court decision that upheld individual state disenfranchisement laws. The recent court decision neglected two important factors. The first is that Congress amended the Voting Rights Act-in 1982 to remove "intent" as a necessary precondition for a finding of racial discrimination, and to replace it with a resultsbased test. A voting qualification that interacts with social condi~ions to cause an inequality in voting opportunities violates the Voting Rights Act. Because ­ nonwhites are more likely to be arrested and convicted than whites, relative to their participation in criminal activity, felony disenfranchisement cannot but disproportionately affect African-American and Latino access to the ballot box. The second neglected factor is that, since the I 974 ruling, America's prison population has quintupled. A recent study estimated that disenfranchisement laws now deprive as many as five million Americans of the right to vote. Numbers this large really matter. At the last election, if even a small proportion of Florida's disenfranchised population had voted, and if they had broken 60­ 40 in Al Gore's favor - a highly conservative estimate given the demographics of this group ­ George Bush would not have won an Electoral College majority. Felony disenfranchisement, coupled with very high incarceration rates, has become a major challenge to our democratic values. In a self-confident democracy, such laws simply have no place. The Brennan Center is appealing Judge King's decision. Meanwhile, state legislators must speedily abolish these vestiges of Jim Crow. Sasha Abramsky is a media fe llow at the Open Society Institute's Center on Crime, Communities and Culture, and is the author of "Hard Time Blues: How Politics Built a Prison Nation." . A Fil0101aker Seeks Answers About Killings in Mexico by Mireya Navarro The New York Times Over the last decade more than 300 women have disappeared from the streets of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, many later found raped and murdered, their bodies dumped in ditches and the desert. But even more stunning than the number of deaths has been the failure of law enforcement officials to put a stop to the killings. A trail of newspaper articles about the mUFders led Lourdes Portillo) a San Francisco filmmaker who was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, not far from Juarez, to this unsolved mystery just across the border from El Paso. Initi ally, she said, her intention was to profile so me of the victims and create a memorial to "these girl s," but soon she found herself trying to fig ure out what happened to them and why. "I'm not a journalist, but it was so compelling to try to find out what really happened,'' Ms. Portillo said in a telephone interview from her home in San Francisco. Her search for answers is chronicled in "Senorita Extraviada" (''Missing Young · Woman"), a documentary to be shown on PBS. The film has already won several awards, including a special jury prize at this year 's Sundance Film Festival. Even more rewarding, Ms. Portillo said, is that the film may lead to action. With her blessing it is being shown to politicians, human rights activists and student groups to rally support in both Mexico and the United States for a more thorough investigation of the deaths. At first officials faulted the women themselves, saying that the victims moved in "high-risk" circles of gang members and prostitution. But as shown in the documentary, which includes pictures of scores of the women and visits with some of their families, the only obvious pattern is that most of the victims were poor, dark-skinned and slim with shoulder-length hair. Ms. Porti llo's interviews with relatives of the victims, Mexican law-enforcement officials and women who survived their attacks indicate that there are many theories about who can be behind so many deaths: serial killers, drug traffickers, opportunists emboldened to commit copycat murders. One woman, Marfa Talamantez, even points at police officers, saying that when she went to report the beating of her husband by neighbors, a group of officers at the station raped her and showed her graphic pictures of some of the murdered women as they were killed. Relatives of the victims and women's advocates also discuss evidence that some of the women may have been targeted inside the maquiladoras where they worked. But more significant to Ms. Portillo, who wrote, produced , directed and narrated the film. is why the murders are still happening. Even in the lawlessness of Juarez. a city of 1.2 mill ion people and a center for drug trafficking. Ms. Portillo argued that the lack of progress in catching the culprits reflected an almost-cavalier attitude toward the victims. "There's an element that the women are not worth the trouble," she said. "There's an incredible disregard for poor, brown women. There's.a racist attitude and a classist attitude." Few of the killings have been solved. And each time, as the officials have declared the problem solved, the murders have continued. In the course of 18 months of filming in 1999 and 2000, Ms. Portillo said, 50 more women were kiJled. The film notes that many bodies have shown evidence of torture and mutilation, fueling bizane rumors.and speculation about ritual sacrifices. Ms. Portillo said she herself felt " very unsafe" and that the sister of a woman she had interviewed, for example, disappeared not long after the interv iew. "I had the paranoid feeling that the deaths were coming close to me." she said. �STREETVIBES September 2002 Racism as History Page 17 that was beginning to treat human A second difficulty beings not (or at least, not only) as comes from Fredrickson's insistence that racism must God 's special creation but as by Kwame Anthony Appiah "a peculiar modern idea without natural creatures whose history involve both difference and There are many claims much historical precedent. " At of power. " To attempt a short could be studied along with that about racism that would be another extreme are many who other organi sms. It is in the formulation, we might say that accepted by most reasonable think of racism as " simply) racism exists when one ethnic Enlightenment that the first Americans. Here, for example, are manifestation of the ancient modern attempts at racial group or historical collecti vity three. Nazi ideology was racist. phenomenon of tribalism or dominates, excludes or seeks to classification, based not on Apartheid was racist. The Ku Klux xenophobia." religious ideas but on purportedly eliminate another on the basis of ' 'Racism: A Short Klan was racist. These cases are differences that it be)jeves are · scientific ones, were developed. easy to agree about in part because Hi story" does not stray beyond And these naturalistic accounts of hereditary and unalterable. " It is they involve judgments about Western racism, in part, the supposed inferiority of blacks certainly true that racism other places or other times. Ask Fredrickson says, because it has and Jews eventually overtook the developed in the West that way. people, on the other hand, whether had a wider impact than any But once the ideology religious ones that dominated the recent Republican campaign comparable ideology, spreading, of the early 19th century developed, it colonized minds, debates rhetoric or current Democratic as it did, with European empires about slavery. many of which are now far from support for affirmative action is ru·ound the globe. But he also everywbere, throughout the levers of power. An People racist, and the consensus believes that racism received its history, have sometimes been indi vidual racist attack surely disappears. Racist Laws, fullest theoretical elaboration in beastly to members of groups they need not be part of a current pronouncements and actions, we the West because racist ideology of as different. What is pattern of attempts at group thought developed in societies where it can agree, mruTed much of domination. distinctive about racism in the American history (and in this offended against a growing There is a deeper West is the deve lopment of full­ respect our history is far from conviction that " all men are ideology to scale systematic d ifficulty here, that the attitudes unjque). B ut how racist is the created equ.al." As a result, as the explain why these others deserved Fredrickso n stresses ru·e, as he United States today? And who are ideology developed, it was also bad treatment. And that theory says, "sets of beliefs" about the the racists? Try getting agreement "condemned and resisted." immutable awfulness of other was necessary only because about that. Fredrickson argues that races, rather than hostile feelings modern Western societies were But another reason we Weste rn racism has two prime most others, which did not toward them. But wh ile racist unl ike cannot agree about racism is strands - one anti-Semitic, the shm·e the assumption that human ideology - form al, articulated, conceptual: people understand the other white supremacist - and were created equal.and theoretical racism - is indeed a beings term rather variously. More than that anti-Semitism came first. It thus had nothing to explai n away. characteristic and distinctive this, wrule you wou ld have to be was only in the 15th century that Nevertheless, I think feature of the for;n s of hostility eccentric to think that racism is the religious anti-Judaism of the Fredrickson 's analysis is to blacks and Jews that provide E uropean .Middle Ages - which not wrong, it is f!lf from clear that potentially misleading in two the central pru·adigms of racism, most of us share a view about why allowed that, thoug h Judaism was at least as impo1tant in the ways. First, his just insistence on it is wrong. Ts it that racists have relig iously incoITect, Jews, once of racism as an attempt to life ofracism ru-e the the role everyday hatred or contempt for people of converted, were as good as anyone rationalize abuses might lead deep feelings of revulsion, other races? Or that they have else - was replaced, in Spain, readers to conclude that the some hostility, contempt or just plain irrational beliefs about them? Or wi th something more like racism. hatred that many racists feel. As that they tend to treat them badly? The process began when religious real hru·m is done by whatever causes people to abuse outsiders the philosopher Jorge L. A. ls it, as some opponents of antipathy to Jews as nonbelievers in the first place. But, of course, Garci a has put it, racism lives affirmati ve action allege, that it is was replaced by "a consuming once a racist ideology is in place more in the heart than in the wrong to take account of a hatred that made getting rid of on as we have seen in episodes head. person's race at all? Or is it, as Jews seem preferable to trying to fi ve continents in the last few It is, I think, quite those who speak of " institutional convert them." This anti­ decades - it can lead people to natural, faced w ith the worst racism" hold, that the motives and Semitism became racist when appalling things . do the most moments in the history acts of individuals matter less than "the belief took hold that Jews Even if racism sta1ts as a Fredrickson recounts - slavery, the systematic ways in which were intrinsically and organically for abuses that rationalization lynching, genocide - to focus people of some races are evil rather than merely having other motivations, it ends up have on the ten-ible hru·ms to racism 's disadvantaged in law and social false beliefs and wrong having a powerful negative force victims. And certainly the life? dispositions." Now conversion of its own. Fredrickson says greatest wrongs have occurred Jf we all agreed what was not so much undesirable as toward the end of his book that when racial hostility or contempt racism was, one would not need a impossible. In a sense, then, anti­ racism in the United States is has been combined with power. theory to find examples of it in the Semitic ideology developed in an we have " like a bacillus that But hate-fi lled or contemptuous past. But things are made even attempt to reconcile that supposed failed to destroy, a live germ that thoughts and feelings about more difficult by the relative impossibility with the conflicting not only continues to m ake some other races can be found too, novelty of the term "racism" demand that C hristians should of us ill but retains the capacity to alas, among the powerless. itself. Sometimes hlstorians can treat all men aschildren of a single generate new strains of a disease K wame Anthony Appiah avoid talcing sides in God. we have no certain for which S. Rockefeller is Laurance contemporary semantic squabbles Similarly, when the Atlantic slave cure." So he is not himself misled University Professor of by using words as they were used trade in Africans began, it largely on thjg point. Sti 11, his theory Philosophy at Princeton in the period about which they are in volved the capture and as University and its University might be cm·elessly construed writing, but that would make a exploi tation of heathens. Even as the view that racism is a Center for Human Values and history of racism going back to the slaves in the New World came rationalizing gloss for forms of the author, with Amy Gutmann, Middle Ages impossible. For the increasingly to be baptized, there exploitation whose real motivation of "CoJor Conscious: The word ' 'racism," in somethlng like was no need to justify their Political Morality of Race. " is something else. its modern sense, appears only in enslavement - until it was the 1930's, "when a new word challenged, in the Enlightenment. was required to describe the At that point slavery's defenders While we make every effort to provide a forum for those theories on which the Nazis based needed an ideology. It is without a voice, STREETVIBES and the staff of their persecution of the Jews." something of an irony that the THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION The late stru-t of the word tools with which they addressed FOR THE HOMELESS, is not ''racism'· has led some to think this task came increasingly from responsible for statements, and do not necessarily that the phenomenon itself must another side of the Enlightenment. endorse the opinions of the people be relatively new; that it is, as the rationalizing, scientific side whose writings are represented here. Fredrickson summarizes the view, �STREETVIBES Septem ber 2002 PEACE community and without cost: 1. On September 1, for a month, the Hamilton County Public Library, downtown Cincinnati, will be hosting an without choice. Hope and love, exhibit of many of the posters compassion and caring, are created by citizens in the village. I suddenly in the room, on the am hoping that we will be able to cardboard, in the discussion, and in change the exhibit each week, our hearts. I realize, now, it is the giving more people a chance to see invitation to be creative in drawing their posters in this wonderful peace, that triggers the old impulse setting. of hope and permits a picture of 2. On September 8th, at some fragment of hope to emerge. sunset, by the Civil Rights Working in a safe and supportive Memorial, in Western college for context, in a very limited time, Women's Miami University adds to the energy of the campus, Oxford, Ohio, the Peace experience. Surprisingly for me, Village will host an interfaith, many people know immediately multi-cultural, opening of the what they want to draw and say. village with music, prayer, and The act of shari ng both art and meditation. discriptions of what was trying to 3. On September 10, at be communicated deepens the Hillel Jewish Student Center, experience, suggesting that below Clifton Avenue, an all evening the surface of each poster is the long program will be held called, more complicated and suggestive "Watchman." This program will meaning. If only, the participants go throughout the evening and seem to be say ing, we could get provide opporttinities for beneath the surface and find what discussion, posters, music, and is common in our hopes for justice, reflection on what is coming on 91 peace and healing. 11. The program ends at the time The Peace Village of the first plane crashing into the continues as a source of hope, both World Trade Center. for Cincinnati and for those parts 4. On September 11 , at 10 of the world that are searching to am, at the site of the mosque in find the thread of peace. Here is Clifton, Clifton Avenue, a "Walk 4 some of what will be happening Peace," wilJ go up Clifton Avenue, and is open to the entire pausing at every religious cont. from page 12 Page 18 institution along Clifton and ending the walk in the plaza of the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music where some brief comments will be shared b)' the president of the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Joseph Steger, and others. 5. On September 11, at 6:30pm, at Clifton United Methodist Church, a discussion of the day's learnings will be engaged in by the community. 6. On October 1st and 2nd, the University of Cincinnati's Just Community will be hosting two days of making posters for students, faculty and any community group or citizen wanting to participate. The event is called, "Mending Fences," and is at the wire fence in the central part of the main campus. Cardboards and markers will be available. Many other groups will be holding meetings, conferences, and trying to communicate personal feelings about peace in our community. In other states, similar events will be occurring, and around the world in many cities. Thanks to the efforts of Rev. Emmanuel Itapson, a Nige1ian Christian minister and a Hebrew Union College graduate student, efforts to be in contact with his seminary and government in Nigeria on this day will occur. Rev. ltapson notes that his community suffered deeply from massacres between Christians and Moslems on September 7, leaving many children orphaned and deeply suffering. Efforts for reconciliation are occuring and Rev. ltapson is returning to Nigeria in hopes of building an interfaith orphanage. We have a connection with Rev. ltapson's work, just as we have connections with the Israel ies, just as we have connections with the police and community in Cincinnati, and, just as we have connections with Ms. Angela Leisure in her grief and healing. We are connected by spiritual ties, by deep wishes for peace, by the shared opening of our hearts to all who seek healing, justice, and peace, and by a determination, however fantastic, that citizens of an ever expanding peace village, called together for the use of our imagination in the quest for peace, can move our world one important step for progress, for sight, for compromise, for love, for hope, and for each other. Come join us on these days and say in your language peace, vrede, shalom, salama, seleha, salaam. For more information on the Peace Village, please contact me on the web at sundersc@email.uc.edu. correctional representatives and less reveal themselves through friends. This is the aggregate of a misused, oppressive-based, ink. day in my life of doing time in this Their sadi stic dependency to antiquated system of teaching the control pronounces how weak and contains news about the justice system and the axiom of apartheid to those in need empty they are unless they have writings of persons incarcerated in our what they "believe" to be power of fairness. nation's jails and prisons. over those subordinate. In their My reality is stimulated by We are seeking subscribers who are willing to sponsor a forces beyond my control, a patriotic minds, their uniforms, prisoner so they can receive STREETVIBES behind the walls. control which thrives off of with its corporate backing gives Please sponsor someone on the inside. them authority, power, recognition, RETALIATION/RETRIBUTION/ A year's subscription costs $15. and strength. REVENGE. I'm under corporate A day in my life is Send your comments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com control so my corporate owners remembedng where you are. This daily seek to manipulate and mail : STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street control my dignity and self-worth is prison, and prison is hell. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 "Death is listeni ng, it will take the through clandestine acts of first soul that claims defeat. " intimidation and strip searches aimed at humiliation, all this designed to depreciate and emasculate my culture, my pride, and my integrity. But, still - I ­ by Greg Stover welcomed by me in the midst of National Coalition rise! this excising hell that daily for the Homeless The duality of my prison Trying to wake up early attempts to suffocate and darken reaJjty is one of fighting to stay in before the sun rises so that I can my hopes of a better tomorrow. 1012 14th Street, NW prepare my mind for the constant And so, I'm up before the crack of possession of my intellectual Suite ()00 equilibrium, or else come face to deluge of chaos that awaits me, dawn encouraging myself to press Washington, DC within these walls of fractured on as I purge my soul through early face with becoming emotionally 20005-3471 men - my daily struggle. I try and morning prayer. And prayerful, I' ll decomposed due to bei ng forci bly (202) '737-6444 medicated and Jocked away get up before the emphatic sound be heard. Fax: (:202) 737-6445 because of falsified incident of the pre-programmed bell that The life of my soul in this reports that are color based and awakens countless men from their place depends on how I master email: sadistic in nature. A day in my life death sleep and burls them toward simplicity, moderation, pure info@nationalhomeless.org is dealing with certain members of another chaotic, stress-filled day of thinking and peace as best I can http:// a region/class/culture and navigati ng through the unexpected while casually catching glimpses www.nationalhomeless.org profession who have obvious that is about to be unleashed. of faces that wear raw, naked authoritarian issues which more or Sleep, when I can get it, is always hatred, masked as corporate Prisoners' News A Day In My Life �Page 19 STREETVIBE S September 2002 FRAC News Digest - Short takes on Hunger and Poverty Issues www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ residents in the northwest Alabama with Republicans as the majority efan02013/ community of Shoals rely on food in the House of Representatives, stamps as a means of survival. spending in Republican qistricts has grown substantially while REPORT ASSESSING Officials at the Department of Human Resources in s~JTounding decreasing in Democratic districts. NEW YORK STATE'S Colbert. Franklin, Lauderdale and Last year, accord ing to Associated Lawrence counties say that Press analysis, an average of $6 12 2001 DISASTER caseloads have been increasing million more in fe<leral spending FOOD STAMP over the past year, due in large paL1 went to congressional districts Participation in the Food BENEFITS to the high ~nemployment rate in represented by Republicans than Stamp Program in May 2002 (the the area. The four-county those represented by Democrats. PROGRAM (Nutrition latest data available) increased by unemployment rate hovers at or . A shift in spending priorities from 152,831 persons from the previous Consortium of New York State, above 10 percent. The number of programs helping people in poor month , to 19,325,272 persons, July 2002) people receiving food stamps in rural and urban areas to those according to FRAC's analysis of This report·evaluates the the four-county area j ncreased affecting more affluent suburbs preliminary data from USDA. T he pe1formance of the Disaster Food from 6,300 to 7 ,500 over the past and Republican-leaning farm May 2002 level of Food Stamp Stamp Benefits Program (DFSBP) year. http://www.timesdaily.com/ country contributed to the change. Program participation represented implemented in New York in the news/stories/ For example, between 1995 and a rise of more than 2 million wake of the September 11 , 200 l 21287newsstories.html 2001, the Food Stamp Program persons.compared to the May 200l terrorist attacks. "An Assessment was cut by a third. http:// level, and of 2.3 million compared of New York State's Di.saster Food To view the News Digest www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ to May, 2000. Participation has Stamp Benefits Program" (J;)SFBP) archives and the latest articles/A47 533-2002Aug5 .html 1isen in 19 of the last 22 months. reviews the important contribution issue in HTML format: Increases in participation in 200 l that emergency food stamp http://www.frac.org/html/ A COMMUNITY and 2002 likely have been driven assistance made for people by improved access to the program F OOD SE CURITY ·affected by the disaster, points out newslnewsdigestl in a growing number of states, and practices that facilitated relief, digestmenu.htm by the weakened economy, causing ASSESSMENT analyzes barriers that undercut more households to apply. effective service, and recommends Our web site is http:// TOOLKIT FROM steps to improve implementation www.frac.org USDA - UPDATED of food stamp disaster programs in REPORT: HEAT OR (Economic Research Service of the future. http://www.frac.org/ USDA, July 2002) EAT? COLD btrnl/news/disaster080 l 02.htrn This is a toollcit, designed WEATHER SHOCKS for use by community-based W e'd like to hear AND NUTRITION IN nonprofit organizations and others, IN ALABAMA, FOOD from vou_.. Send letters or for assessing various aspects of STAMPS ARE A ~ P OOR AMERICAN comments to: community food security. It MEANS OF FAMILIES (National Streetvibes@Juno.com, t includes a general guide to or write the Coalition office Bureau of Economic Research, SURVIVAL (Times Daily, community assessment and attn: Streetvibes Letters, Inc., June 2002) focused materials for examining Florence, AL, July 21, 2002) I 5 0 6 Elm Street This study examines the six basic assessment components A growing number of Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 effects of cold weather periods on related to community food family budgets and on nutritional security. These include guides for outcomes in poor American profiling general community While we make every effort to provide a forum for those fam ilies. The study finds that both characteristics and community without a voice, STREETVIBES and the s taff of . rich and poor families increase food resources as well as materials THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION fuel expenditures in response to for assessing household food FOR THE HOMELESS, is not unusually cold weather. But, poor security, food resource responsible for statements, and do not necessarily families reduce their food accessibility, food availability and endorse the opinions of the people expenditures by roughly the same affordability, and community food whose writings are represented here. amount as they increase fuel production resources. http:// expenditures, while rich families increase food expenditures. Poor adults and children reduce caloric intake considerably during the winter. Existing social programs fail to buffer against the effects on food consumption of cold weather temperature shocks. http:// papers. nber. org/papers/W9004 (Abstract available for free; $5 for fu l1 Adobe PDF document.) FOOD STAMP PARTICIPATION INCREASES IN MAY 2002; IS 2 MILLION PERSONS HIGHER THAN IN MAY 2001 Write Us! Where Vendor: 80 cents ANALYSIS SHOWS BILLIONS IN FEDERAL SPENDING SHIFTED TO REPUBLICAN DISTRICTS (Associated Press, August 5, 2002) Over the past eight years, Printing and Production: 20 cents ~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 informa­ tion about the program. Many thanks for your support. -­ �...... 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 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 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 661-4620 Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Anthony House 357-4602 (Youth) 761-1480 Caracole (AIDS) 381-5432 Friars Club Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 926-2064 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 861-1111 651-6446 St. John's Housing HOUSING: 721-4580 CMHA Excel Development 632-7149 241-0504 Miami Purchase 369-0004 OTR Housing Net. ReSTOC 381 -1171 Tender Mercies 639-7056 961-4555 Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women 961-4663 First Step Home Full Circle Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House 784-1853 Prespect House 921 -1613 Starting Over 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both 820-2947 N.A. Hopeline 351-0422 A.A. Hotline 381-6660 C.C.A.T. 684-7956 Talbert House Transitions, Inc. 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 OTHER SERVICES: Al DS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231 -6630 Center for Independent Living ROHS . 12-Ct./42-Gal. Heavy-Duty Contractor Trash Bags Helo is Just Rround the Corner ~ ~ 0~ ·~ ~ $3.47 ~ vJ)?f~~~<f ~ ~Q; ~~ 0 1403 Vine Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513 421-0700 10.1-0z. Clear or White SiliconeII Window&Door Caulk $3.57 6-Ft. Tvoe II Green Fiberglass Step Ladder $38.88 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 G.C. Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 621-7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile 352-2902 Health Van House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen 721-4811 House 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 � 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 2002 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 2002 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Hundreds of Huntington Meadows Residents Face Eviction Pg 2: The Vine Street Festival…Oops! Pg 3: Eviction Continued Pg 4: The Triumphs of a Blind Individual Pg 5: Latinos in Cincinnati National Housing Trust Fund Sign-on Letter Pg 6: A Personal Reflection Pg 7: A Personal Reflection Continued Pg 8: Words from the Evangelist Pg 9: Congressional Letter to HHS Sparks Fears of Retribution for Advocacy Activities Pg 10: Streetvibes Interview Pg 11: Over-the-Rhine Community Festival Brings Neighborhood Families Together Pg 12: The Peace Village Opens Pg 13: Community Shares Hosts 7th Annual Friends Fest Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: A Growing Gap in American Democracy A Filmmaker Seeks Answers About Killings in Mexico Pg 17: Racism as History Pg 18: Peace Continued Prisoners News Pg 19: FRAC News Digest-Short Takes on Hunger and Poverty Issues 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 2002 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brendan Goodwin Mary Taylor John Halpin Cheryl Ware Andy Erickson Jimmy Heath Rudy A. Alacron Brian Garry Mike Henson Robert Mannassa Jerome Manigan Martha Napier Dr. Steve Sunderland Greg Stover Rodney Sutton Dwight Turner Sonny Williams Andy Houston Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alabama Andy Erickson Andy Houston Arts & Poetry Aubrey Bowman Brendan Goodwin Brian Garry Cheryl Ware Cincinnati Congressional Letter Democracy Dr. Steve Sunderland Drop Inn Center Dwight Turner Editorials Evangelist eviction Festival Filmmaker Friends Fest Greg Stover HHS Advocacy History Hunger Huntington Meadows Jerome Manigan Jimmy Heath John Halpin Latinos Martha Napier Mary Taylor Mexico Mike Henson New York Over-the-Rhine Peace Village poverty prisoners news Racism Robert Mannassa Rodney Sutton Rudy A. Alacron Sonny Williams Street Life Valerie Lemmie Vine Street https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/b4f0f7bb5ddcd924705c10a3f5c467d8.pdf 0763ef5ffa80f06ada2ca9d318edcb29 PDF Text Text · Your Prooressive News Source BUY FROM BADGED 9ENDORS ONLY Se tember 20113 // I I I' ,/ Cincinnati for the �September 2003 Homeless Under Attack; Protecting People Who Live Outside -----­ ---- Office (GAO) investigation injury, the youth videotaped their into the nature and scope of crimes, which ultimately led to violent acts and crimes that their arrests. It is easy to see why occur against people experiencing homelessness. Ohio has been named the fourth most dangerous state to live in.if Their efforts are driving a you are homeless. movement to position 123 homeless people have homeless people as a died in the last four years as a protected class against all result of this kind of hate. A study forms of discrimination. conducted by the National Malachi and Glenn . ., ' Cincinnati Civil Rights Project meeting at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Story and photos by Jimmy Heath All Malachi wants is membership in a designated group and because the victim was to be left alone. He lives quietly engaged in certain specified under a bridge near downtown federally-protected activities - such Cincinnati. Glenn lives in the camp as serving on a jury, voting, or too. But recently, Mal achi and Glenn have been the target of hate; attending public school. Hate crimes are commonly their make-shift camp near Lytle called bias-motivated crimes, Park and the Ohio River has referring to the prejudice or repeatedly been a target of partiality of the perpetrator against unknown aggressors, who have the victim's real or perceived thrown rocks and eggs at them and grouping or circumstance. Most their friends, and have vandalized the camp. Things have been taken from the camp and recently a pile of clothing was neatly arranged and then set on fire. Glenn has had his personal belongings scattered and hate crimes are committed not by organized hate groups, but by individual citizens who harbor a .strong resentment against a certain group of people. Some are "mission his vital kidney medication was offenders," who believe they are on stolen. The vandals come back a mission to cleanse the world of a regularly, usually when Glenn and particular evil. Others are Malachi and the others are away "scapegoat offenders," who project from their camp. their resentment through violence "They usually don't come toward the growing economic around and mess with us when power, media attention, or other there is a ball game or other event perceived positions of power of a downtown. They like to be sneaky when no one is around," says Glenn. The term "hate crime" generally conjures up images of cross l;mmings and lynchings, swastikas on Jewish synagogues, and horrific murders of gays and lesbians. In 1968, the U.S. Congress defined a hate crime as a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of their race, color or national origin. The first federal law to combat hate crimes, 18 USC Section 245, passed in 1 968; mandated that the government must prove both that the crime occurred because of a victim's particular racial or ethnic group. Still others are "thrill seekers" those who take.advantage of a vulnerable and disadvantaged group in order to satisfy their own ec Coalition for the Homeless join the ranks of homeless revealed that from 1999-2002, people around the country there were 212 acts of violence who have been brutalized by which resulted in the 123 deaths. people who can't stand the Further, 89 acts of non-lethal sight of folks living in public, violence were also reported. Many or hold unreasonable more hate crimes against homeless resentments against certain people go unreported because the vulnerable people. Over the victims are unwilling to contact law ,:__­ years hate crimes and violent enforcement because of fear of acts against homeless people have retaliation or distrust. All homeless been increasing with frequency and people have faced hate to some brutality. The killing of Hector degree, and most of it comes from · housed individuals. Robles in Paterson, New Jersey by Sometimes when given a a mob of high school boys sympathetic ear homeless people saturated front pages and evening will share their stories of these news reports with its horrid encounters. Malachi did not want brutality and inexplicable his photo taken for this story motivation. Hidden from most because he is worried about living rooms, however, were a retaliation. "I'm just not sure number of other shocking crimes who's behind this, and until we find committed nationwide against homeless people this year. A 22- out who is responsible, I want to stay anonymous," said Malachi. year-old woman was stabbed almost 1 5 times and thrown into the Charles River in Cambridge, MA. A man was drenched with gasoline and set on fire in New York City. An army veteran in Ventura, CA, was beaten to death while resting in his sleeping bag. Closer to home, Ohioans were horrified by the actions of a group of young men in Cleveland who shocked homeless people sleeping in doorways with a stun gun and tried to defecate and Malachi and his friends have seen the vigilantes, who once yelled threateningly atthe men in the camp, "You are finished ! " " I don't 11.ke t o be t eatened," says Malachi, "I don't want ariyone to get hurt." Glenn adde g/"Don't th y have anything better to do than pick on us?" · For more information and resources about the homeless and hate crimes against the homeless visit the web site of the National Coalition for the Homeless - http:// urinate on them while they were nationalhomeless. orglcivilrightsl incapacitated. To add insult to hatecrimes. html pleasures. Thrill seekers, primarily in their teens, are the most common perpetrators of violence against the homeless population. This may be the demographic that has targeted Malachi and Glenn and their encampment. A passerby told them recently that their attackers may be a group of young men from nearby Page Towers, an upscale downtown apartment building near the men's camp. The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) in .Washington, DC has called on Congress for a General Accounting Glenn (left) looks on during Civil Rights meeting Grea er Cincinnati Coal· ion for t e Homeless �STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 Editorial Page 2 Does War Mentality Sustain Us As Consumers? by Jimmy Heath, Streetvibes editor When the horrible tragedy of September I Ith transpired two years ago this month, we suddenly began to look at the world in a culture fully entrenched in cheesy billboards, boorish TV commercials, and lame displays of our flag. In Ohio, 22 cents_ of each different way, peering over our gallon of gas sold is tax money, political shoulders for enemies that most of it used for transportation we did not fully realize. Had we costs in the state. This means that foolishly stumbled through the . the bigger the vehicle, the more gas world without regard or you use and the more you pay in . consequence to the hate we were fostering in people we didn't even taxes. That seems fair. In fact, I think the tax should be higher. know? There are people "out Owners will continue to shell out there" who were and still are intent good money in exchange for the on our destruction. They are not use of their cushy vehicles. after us so much as a people but Americans will go to whatever extent to get and defend the right view. Some of the world sees us as rich, overpowering and bunkers and hidden cave's; and with weapons created out of imagination and bailing wire, cell phones and fanaticism. United Nations sanctions that stifled Iraq's economy for the past 1 3 years were lifted in May, when the United States and Britain won broad powers to run Iraq and sell its oil until a new government is established. Iraq has the world's second largest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia. That's significant for rising cost of rebuilding Iraq, with be hated so much by so many. hate depends on your point of the oil field board rooms; in a number of reasons; chiefly, the Unfortunately, most more as a way of life. It is scary to The reason for this kind of waged against us will be fought in to use cheap gas. People are estimates now running as high as 1 00 billion dollars. As the world sees a failure buying huge SUV's in record numbers, no matter what the cost. In taxes, war, and environment, the imperialistic. Our own in Iraq to reveal weapons of mass destruction, Bush is now touting the war and the country of Iraq as a "linchpin" for government fosters this transforming the Middle idea by its actions, East. Before the war, taking an imperialistic President Bush stressed stance as the the limits of the mission, "responsibility" of a and promised to "remain democratic society. We in Iraq as long as do not bother to hide the necessary and not a day fact that we are more." More recently "promoting" democracy Vice President Cheney everywhere we go. said Iraq "will stand as an Invasions become a tool of national security and a kind of self­ righteousness. Our imperialism, or "world view", is also a tool for supplying our war, it has largely replaced products and control of "weapons of mass what we hold dear. I destruction" as think the appetite for oil justification. has redefined our On this anniversary patriotism as well. of the death of thousands Home-grown patriotism now means flying the flag inthe most unusual places. reasons for on insatiable lust for Banner painted by Eric Triantafillou, hanging outside of SSNOVA Gallery My favorite is in the window of the buying culture takes precedent. No huge SUV's that hog the road and wonder there are those in the world guzzle the gas that we depend on who hate us. from our questionable Middle East We spend over a billion _ "partners." I got stuck behind a dollars a day for national defense. huge Bumvee on Reading Road How do we use it to protect one day that was so big the driver ourselves from terrorism? The US couldn't keep it in his own lane. I is spending 50 billion dollars in the thought about the oil that was next six years to build a ballistic feeding this monstrosity and the missile defense system. Against young men and women who have who? The terrorists who attacked died in the Middle East to protect the World Trade Center used a our right to use it. The problem is strikingly simple home grown plan not that the owner of the vehicle is warlike, or selfish in nature, or that shook the world, rattling the ·United States military into a war in does not care; it is that he or she is Iraq and the occupation of caught up in de ire, a cornerstone Afghanistan. of our commercial culture. We Americans are fat in The continued and relentless Cold War mentality of a many ways, b_oth physical and previous generation that created philosophical. We consume these defense programs still lingers everything in sight like a plague of in Washington. How do we fight locusts. We defend our right terrorists with aircraft carriers, around the world to live this way. Comanche helicopter programs and Patriotism in the 2 1st century has sophisticated missile defense taken on the appearance of a systems? The war that will be of innocent people in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and with more recent tragedies from the war with Iraq, I cannot help but wonder if those who lost their lives would want to see the world as it is now. We have become a warring nation that hides under the cloak of patriotism and consumerism. Our own downfall, in spite of the sophisticated weapons defense systems and Homeland Security, will be here in om own home and rooted in our own desires, greed and consumerism. We depend on the world to supply our insatiable appetite for stuff, yet we are intolerant of the many varied cultures and customs of the world's people. We spend billions to defend our right to spend. At one time we-dreamed, celebrated and welcomed diversity into our immigrant land. Now we embrace our consumerism as a God-given right and sometimes, as a tool to undermine a world culture. For this we send our youth to war? �Page 3 STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 ON A SCALE OF ONE TO A HUNDRED, HOW MUCH DO YOU DISAG·REE WITH THE ·CITY'S TREATMENT OF CINCINNATI'S HOMELESS? ------------------------------- [fil I s20 I I S4o I I soo I I sao I I s1ool 1 Will DONATE: 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 tt:le 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 \ · Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless L------------------------------------- �STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 Page 4 From emails we have recieved .... I just have to tell someone whats happening to me. My children are raised and doing well after many years of struggling due We would like to hear from you to very little money, health issues, - please address letters and and my lack of higher education. comments to; My job paid 6. 1 0 an hour and was Streetvibes, 30 hours a week. My twin boys 117 East 12th Street, were in and out of the hospital for Cincinnati Ohio 45202 twelve years. Due to this problem (or) email to: I had to home, school them. Over Streetvibes@juno.com the years due to no money and no health insurance my health took a In response to "Get A back seat. Now I have several health issues which keep me from Job!" being able to work to support I am responding to the myself. I cannot get health care I readers letters in the August issue need because of no money. Now of Streetvibes. my three kids have told me I have I was really hurt by what to leave because they want to live people had to say. on their own. I am now joining the Ms. Georgine Getty, I want world of the homeless. you to know that what you are doing is what God wants you to could help Y OU succe d in your ·undertakings. Yes, my Friends and new office, the new home of the Buddies who are lost and have no Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the desire to better themselves or care, Homeless. It is very nice and a lot the homeless veterans after serving larger. in the armed forces; Life has made But my mind still went, as a bitter imprint on them. usualfo, my friends and buddies, But I still remember as a· the homeless. Yes, my friends and child in church in Sunday school buddies. For regardless of where lessons about our Savior and Jesus, they see me they greet and speak to who was always up in the square me - uptown, downtown or talking to people. One lady whereever. It is, "Hi Miss Mary." approached him and invited Him to They aren't asking for money, etc. And it is good to know that her home, and asked him to be a special invited guest. At he home, all Cincinnatians aren't against the there was a knock at the door. It homeless. I've found thaf out. By was a little child, hungry, dirty, just standing asking for and something to watching the eat. She told reactions to the child, "I some of the have no time people and to do this for do, so don't ever, ever give up. see how they you". The Organizer who do right. respond, second My name is Malachi. of Cincinnati. Things I don't like and things that I do like. Cincinnati needs a paper - desk admiring the new look of our who with help and understanding God is always on the side of those , I live under a bridge with 3 have learned so much about ny city · Today, I am sitting at my To GCCH Civil Rights I love to read Streetvibes. I · - God in the- Homeless by Ms. Mary other guys. . The next day after the city was told to leave the homeless - camps alone our camp and stuff in the last unheard otherwise. Keep up the 11 days we have been threatened and assulted. good work Streetvibes. _My camp mates were told Ms. Getty, I don't have no we're finished we're done. We money to give; but I do have have been insulted by eggs and avoice with words to be heard. rocks as we sleep. However, it has Marcella Brown, Avondale been quiet the last 3 nights. However I believe they will be back soon. A friend of mine, Sean, who works at the library told me he has been talking to you and he said you really seem like a nice guy. It just really bothers me that this city pushes the homeless around like they're nothing. We're human too, we have rights and God doesn't make no junk. Do homeless people have to be seriously injured or killed before any one takes notice? God bless, thanks for letting me vent my anger in this email. God bless you, thanks sincerely, Malachi Innocence Coalition Walk for Freedom September 27th, 2003 for more information: WJM Innocence Coalition Attn: Erica Farris WALK FOR FREEDOM P. 0. . Box 428617 ' Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 . ( knock was a to the man, all people who ragged an_d speak kindly dirty, asking to them. I for help. She said, was destroyed. Also about 5 times like Streetvibes because things go WJM quite kindly ) Call 513 891-0405 homeless tell them thanks and "God Bless You", when you drop something in their door. This time it was a tired, basket or bucket, whatever. elderly lady, hungry and weary, And this also brought to my dressed very badly. She asked if mind about our Savior Jesus. It is she could have some foo well known, by most everyone, the place ou story of Mary and Joseph, trying­ find a place on that eve. There were no rooms at the inn. Was it because the way they were dressed, pulled by horses. They were homeless, a child about to be born. But a person let them go to the stable for this child to be brought into the world, to grow, our Jesus. 1 sorry, I am very busy. I am expecting a guest". She was turned away. The hostess waited for or the way they came with a donkey? There was no fine Chariot · s usual, the answer was "No, Jesus to come, but he never showed up. This really _ disappointed the Lady. So she walked up to the square, and she saw Him. She asked Him why he did not come to her home? His The condition of the place he was reply, very quietly spoken; "I was born in remains a question. It had there three times, and you refused to be God, who saw ahead for this me and turned me away." child who would be Jesus, and who, at a certain age would see ·about a certain business. Not Joseph, but God.through His life, would be stoned and crucified. Was hung on the cross between the two thieves. He was told to come down and To make this short, I ask you would it be to much of your time or would it hurt to say a kind word to someone _on the street as you travel this road of life? You never know whihe or she has stopped you or come up to you. You might ask yourself why this save himself, but he would not man approached me and what come down. And the two thieves lesson is there that can be learned. And please remember, in asked Him if he would remember them in Paradise. He did not say no, or refused their question. He died, not for himself, but for our life and sins. To this I say to my Homeless Friends; you have people who care regardless what is said through the media, etc, clamoring for success, for buildings? parks, etc, - but no time for the little man, the sight of our most Heavenly Father, regardless of our race, creed or color, we are His children that he has placed in this garden of life. Until next time, may we all love one another, for it is said, how can you love God and harbor anger against your fellow man? �STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 Looking Away From the few people want to help to get the by Booger Love When someone asks for help, who will help them? Most people just look away and say nothing. Most people would rather have a hand up than a hand out, but where can they go? Nowhere. No one cares about what happens to the homeless, the children, only one, two, and three years old, out on the streets with their mother . · We need help to help these people, but don't know where to go. Some churches are trying; but they and the social services can't do it alone. It's sad that so people on the streets back into housing. No one needs to live on the streets. It's hell to live on the streets, not knowing where you are going to sleep and if if you're going to be alright at night. You never know who is going to come up to you when you are asleep and kill you or steal the few things that you have. Homelessness can happen to anyone, just like it happened to us and then who will be there for harder. I didn't know who to tum to for help. I 1 995, I moved to real father. It hurts. I hope and Cincinnati. I left in pray that one day I will see my back in father. When I ask my mother clothes on my back. I stayed at the 1 997 with nothing but the Drop Inn Center. There I met a grew up on the street at a young lady selling Streetvibes. When I age. My childhood was hard. I home. I have been adopted twice. I didn't like my adopted fathers at asked her about it she told me where to go. I went there. The people at the Homeless Coalition helped me get on my feet. all. There was one man, I loved I started selling Streetvibes. After him like a father. He just couldn't selling Streetvibes for a few weeks adopt me. His name was Julian. I left home very young. I It was not easy. My husband stayed gone all the time, and when my husband was home he used to beat me. You just want to have your broken over it. You go for days, weeks; heart fixed so that you can move and sometimes years and still don't ori with your life as if nothing ever get over it. For a long time you happened. carry a sad heart with you. But it takes time for a You go to talk to someone broken heart to heal, especially to fix your broken heart, to get when you are crying and the pain in over the hurt and pain. your heart won't go away with the You don't really want tears. PriS()Aers Advoca y Committee - Obio I got a place to live. I am still selling Streetvibes. It helps me make ends meet. Streetvibes did a lot for me over the years and still does. God Bless everyone at the Homeless Coalition. Ciru:in fi; Ohio 45201 ,r;submit a pri!2'! t'! name a cle. ·· 1?46, l !J flpmber at . i9?17@yahoo.co111 · .. .. 1 996, moved about him, she says nothing. I came from a alcoholic and abusjve broken it takes a long time to get thank you with all our hearts. by Mary Ann Bravo I grew up not knowing my you don't want to be alone either. we're houseless. Please help. We When I got married my life just got 1 7 years old. anything to do with anyone, but When someone's heart is you? We're homeless because Growing Up got married at Healing a Broken Heart by Booger Homeless ,, Page 5 u· ·L·· · r P. ;,,;'e ' fljroughout Ohio. Our New Address Still Downtown, still in Over-the-Rhine! Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 421-7803 "Okay. Your.'re self employed and you hate your boss. Go on.... " �STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 The Peace Village barbarism? Since when did this by Dr. Steve Sunderland The killing and glorification of Saddam's sons and form of military murder gain acceptance from our leaders? grandchildren have "tuned" into me . I continue to wait for our in frightening ways. Has this religious, educational and political country lost even the shred of leaders to stand up and say that our decency and respect for law that it current military policies in Iraq had not so long ago? I cannot violate the rules of engagement for watch the pictures that are being war. We are silenced by brutality shown of the alleged dead sons when we see it because it violates without thinking that we have lost something very basic in the our understanding of just how American character. Bush and damaging these pictures are on our Rumsfeld and psyche. The killing of these two Powell and Chaney without any chance for surrender, should know this or, without a trial, or, without even from the Vietnam the chance to interrogate them experience. sends a violent message to all who Frightened though look for a different behavior on the we may be for the part of American soldiers and the moment, the policies they are carrying out. American people Stunned by the violence of the will not be silent army actions, numbed by the for long. Shocked by the trauma of blatant killing, the the dead, and having- to listen to All1:erican political pseudo-arguments for the brutality, culture will either warn me that we are readying for have to black out an even greater overwhelming of protest or try and the American people. persuade the believing that no violence comment on what is affecting you committed in exterminating at this time in terms of the rise in Saddam is extreme enough violence in our culture of war. Can considering what happened to the you feel it? And, if so, what can World Trade Centers? Is the very we do as a Peace Village at this important grief response tied up time? with a holy war in which we thirst Recently, at a lovely for the blood of the Iraqis and meeting at team member Ellen anyone else who gets in our way? Bierhorst's house, four beautiful In short, only terrorism that is _teenage young men and women listened to we elders as we · · discussed the horror that some of us are seeing in our world. I smart, so savvy about the world, so "perceptive." I felt we were · American people necessary along with the death of allegedly perpetrated against the our men and women. But I believe Iraqi people will justify the torture that the American people have seen and lawlessness of the American the "line" of civility crossed and actions. We, our soldiers and our will see our leaders as reckless families, are the "collateral unless controlled by our damage" this time. We are the by Constitution. Or am I misreading the sounds of our people, as team member Ken Manges suggests. what are clearly acts of a frightened "Now," he says, "is the time for the and defensive super.power. Was sounds of war." Are the American anyone in the peace movement people so scared by the experience prepared for this level of of September 11 as an "enemy." I urge you to America. We adults seemed so that the death of more Iraqis are 1 1 justifications for anyone who we choose to identify Bush read the public correctly in remain innocent about "our " brutal pill. No amount of violence September developments? Moreover, has wondered how long they could American people will swallow this under the rhetoric of post­ for a long war of violence against hope and our own sense of pictures shown everywhere on standers who are being buried along with this set of violent robbing these young people of their television of the faces and bodies of I do not believe that the Page 6 as to willingly go SIR, AS A MORALE OOSTER FOR THE EMPLOYEES... American spirit as well. 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. --..__,,, ---_Q Sun er heads up "good" can answer terrorism that is Posters-for-Peace whzc enga es "bad." people in expressing their visions . I hope that those in the of Peace, in their own words, Peace Village who are reading this through the creation of posters. _ note will react with your own ideas about the state we are in at this moment. Isolation may contribute to the brutality because we do not share our own feelings and ideas about the rawness of our current situation. Not so slowly, we are being drawn into conflicts that may · tum out to be humanitarian jokes on us, ways of "shaping" our souls .. .YOU MIG T CONSIDER A VOLUNTARY PAY CUT. · _Slpplies for Vendor's U:mnge(paper towels, cream and sugar, snacks, etc.) * t:... WHI OF THE EMPLOYEES SHOULD I VOLUNTEER? Cleaning Supplies 'Wce.,.§11pplies - p()stage ' stifmps, floppies copier Ify !l r aJ!d ot ,r sqep!ies . ca el 7 ont ft us at: n: "Stre, 'Jvib(! ;clo . ! Cincinna Bo Str 1( 1 5. . .. less;; reater . Coalitionf?:r the · l7 Jlt.;ist llth t, Cincin !ti, o:u 45202 l.. 42177803 y · ;· I: s etvilles@ · · _ · _ : , · · -_ 1 _ _· - _ . - · · · · · · _· _ . _ , _ _ _____ _ ,. · - · · _ · · · · · __ __ _ _J �' Page 7 STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 building these for the rest of their lives." For families staying at the Tedford Shelter, they've found not just a temporary home but the resources needed to get a place of their own. That's because the Brunswick, Maine, shelter is homeless families can use to get county services has dropped In Portland, Oregon, street youth are shunning services that require them to give up personal information, like their names and family history. dramatically from 993 in the fiscal year that ended in June of 2000 to an estimated 400 in the fiscal year that ended this past June, out of an estimated total population of As a result, even as the number of to street youth continues to grow, the 1 ,500 2,500 youth who have lived on the streets in the past year. "With number of these youth seeking some kids, the new rules aren't publidy funded services has pushing them into the services," a percent 50 library filled with information homeless y_outp being served by compiled by Molly Rhodes dropped by more than also home to a comprehensive took effect, the number of North American News Briefs young woman called Bright Eyes over the past four years, according told the Tribune. "They are to the Portland Tribune feet. The library was developed in partnership with the Curtis Memorial Library's Health Info1lnation Partnership, and the tireless efforts of Curtis librarian Paul Dostie, who also works at the shelter. The libr contains 54 titles, covering topics such as health, pregnancy, parenting, domestic violence, and substance abuse, as well as a collection of pushing them out." (www.portlandtribune.com). Over jobs, services, and get back on their fiction, according to the Times Families staying at Salt Record (www.timesrecord.com). Lake City s Road Home shelter A month-long protest to can now proudly claim to have bring attention to the plight of added their own artistic stamp to homeless people in Ottawa shows the home, thanks to four newly no sigh of closing down, even installed stained glass windows after the group's permit expired that were all made by children the beginning of August. The who stay at the shelter. The the past four tc;>_ five years, the Multnomah County Board of Directors began requiring that agencies that serve youth start keeping better track of who they're serving and funneling more street youth into education, job, and housing programs. These changes stained class window projec came in response to a local report as led by the Salt Lake Art Center, in that found that many of the city's an effort to brighten the services allowed kids to come and perspective of about take essentials like food, clothing, 60 shelter the windows, according to the Salt sense of who these kids or were Lake Tribune (www.sltrib.com). and little attempt to get them off interfere with the protesters, who have set up camp near the government conference center, as kids, who both designed and built and temporary shelter without any police said they have no plans to long as don't break any laws, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Panel designs included one the streets into housing and job · geometric shapes and a yellow sun in a corner, as well as ones with a house, a star, a snowman, ;:tnd hearts. "The process is llTH AMEIUCAN reef Newspaper ASSOC'IATJ.ON important," Lou Marzulli, the children's case manager at the shelter, told the Tribune. "They'll probably remember Streetvibes Vendor Code Each vendor must sign and agree to abide by the following code of conduct... 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $ 1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations of more than $ 1. I also understand that I will be 80 cents of each dollar coilected. able to keep 2. Streetvibes may only be purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH). Purchasing or selling unauthorized papers, or from other vendors, will result in termination from the program. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations or attempt to vend after 1 2 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect - other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel. 5. I will not sell Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 6. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 7. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I ' the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. Falsely stating intent or otherwise misrepresenting is a violation of a city ordinance and may be cause for arrest. 8. I will always present my badge when purchasing papers, and I will display my badge at all times while vending. Replacement badges are $5 each. 9. There are no territories. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. I will not sell on private property without permission. 10. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a selfsupporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 11. I understand that failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I reserves the right to terminate a vendor at any am collecting for the "homeless" in general. I time as deemed appropriate. will be honest in stating that all the profits from charter of rights and freedoms," Ottawa police staff Sgt. Monique Ackland told the CBC, "and people have the right to demonstrate as long as it is done within the parameters of the law." The protesters plan to keep the protest going for a year. A Cleveland photographer has put a real face to the homeless population in area. Tuo years ago, with the support of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH), photographer David Hagan began inviting the city's homeless people into his studio, providing food and music as he captured them without makeup and in their everyday street clothes. The culmination of his work is now available in a book, distributed by NEOCH, Face to Face: Portraits of Homeless People in Cleveland. "While photographing, we discovered that we were portraying our homeless subjects as they should be seen," reads the introduction to the book, "as diverse as the i:est of us; complex people in a challenging world, struggling to find happiness." For more information on the project or to get a copy of the book, visit, www.neoch.org/ face_to_face l .htm. Support your local Streetvibes Vendor! dominated by green, blue and red programs. Yet since these rules (ottawa.cbc.ca). There is the �STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 Page 8 Editorial The Lifestyles of the Rich and not because I made a bad decision Less Caring It has not always been this way in Cincinnati. We used to support all of our citizens, all who were poor, mentally or physically programs that would support our youth and seniors. Some where down the line we lost all of this interest in our Elaine Coffey Ms. Ruth Lyons, Oprah Winfry. b. Transitional living, Thanking God that there are other Now what is the next action that.we need to take? My main focus has always been the homeless and seniors, in Cincinnati and throughout our world. I commend those individuals and support them with all my heart for their strength to endure all that they must overcome. Steps I think can be taken to improve the Quality Of Life in our city; Evaluate each persons 1. circumstance; why are they in the place of un mployment and' homeless. 2. Set a goal of how many ) individuals can be served and work with that number for a year, (supportive services, Department of Human Services, Unemployment, and HUD for Housing). 3. . The caseload could be lighter if some extra special housing could be funded for that year. This space could be used as a. Housing, I would like to hear from interesting for the larger companies you. Give me some feedback. Let to come up with a think tank. me know if I am just becoming Even if you are downsizing your paranoid, or is it time for this city company there is there a way that to wake up? Until next time, I put you could hire two people for half this pen down for this month. Hopping that you will join me on Media Bridges, channel 24 I am asking for City Often we had some type of people who really do care. of employment. the price? handicapped. up in the caring years of Bob Hope, responsibilities and are also in need never forget ! It would be by Elaine T. Coffey citizens. Thank God that I came . twenty years ago and computers , c. Treatment and aftercare centers, and finally d. Comeback Center (Social Services). 5. Evaluate each person and each person's barriers and redesign their future to allow them to regrouP,. Allow them to lean and grow on 8. 1 8. they should now be setting in place It Real -N- Cincinnati". Good Bye an agenda for employment for our for now. Peace, Elaine T. Coffy youth. They now have (E.T.C.) The GCCH would like to thank these Starbucks locations for their generous donation of coffee and pastries: 11379 Montgomery Road (513)469-1111 their strel}gth, skills, and education 3366 Erie Avenue or vocational training. East Hyde Park I am also suggesting to all My show is called "Keeping Council Members to realize that (513)533- 402 the high officials in this state to take action, revise and amend some of your laws. You must understand. .to repair these 7896 Montgomery Road (513)891r.- ·r17 4ttO)-- --- Homeless issues there has to be a change in higher places also ! I will not allow this cities officials to take the blame alone. If you want to have _:.;·.· dependent on this system, take a pl look at the felonies. Remember Lfrie :10 r income 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. 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 J1dJ ly forqpnµtions . eatthing and writing grants . .. for Our excel}ent}Jrogtams. cycle. Become gainfully employed Clubs are fighting for the rights of low­ in t wp}.ild J¥cy io _ And this might be the best The-Republic Street & Vine Street Block te · .• lffhi�tcoi!}d mtlude-askmg your! employment for me to break the Help build a ·powerful, resident led organizationl . .-:-:- · :< . undtaise for'oUr•orgallizatfon. that some have to pay child support, that FELONY COUNTS. for a job, because I was qualified, ·:.:;:·:·.: .. r<li:eaihv6lb leer 15e a·s lf--nrdtiV'titedi individuals independent and not .,;. ,, The Streetvibes . newspaper project is always in eed of peopl interested m There are numerous o parpnif!_es .l'!r '!-lunt ers at . the Great t Cincinn ti G:oalitio for thJ'.HomelJss.•.· We'are w!lling to !!'-or!{ witlJ. . ..ea€h individual in choosing g. service< " ' ·' ' opporlunify thilti� figlitfor tlJ m.·uTh fo#qwin_g.af:if. afew< · , · @ hieli tlie connecting with the vendors and . helping them write articles on social justice/poverty issues, .poetry, or personal stories. We need help in the ···afternoons at the front desk it!-nswerip.g phones and handlmg : trai c ns ith pur tj;re tviblffi ;l •Ve11c1orss This pe.. son.will j · .ddres '· · _em,tieds of visitofs, �Page 9 STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 On Getting Along by Howard Zinn You ask how I manage to stay involved and remain seemingly happy and adjusted to this awful world where the efforts of caring people pale in comparison to those who have power? It's easy. First, don't let "those who have power" intimidate you. No _matter how much power they have they cannot prevent you from living your life, speaking your mind, thinking independently, having relationships with people as you like. (Read Emma Goldman's autobiography LIVING MY LIFE. Harassed, even imprisoned by authority, she insisted on living her life, speaking out, however she felt like. Second, find people to be with who have your values, your commitments, but who also have a sense of humor. That combination is a necessity ! T ird (notice how precise is my advice that I can confidently number it, tlie way scientists number things), understand that the major media will not tell you of all the acts of resistance taking place every day in the society, the strikes, the protests, the individual acts of courage in the face of authority. Look around (and you will certainly find it) for the evidence of these unreported acts. And for the little you find, extrapolate from that and assume there must be a thousaqd times as much as what you've found. Fourth. Note that throughout history people have felt powerless before authority, but Sixth: When we forget the consciousness of people growing. fragility of that power in top we So you need patience, persistence, become astounded when it and need to understand that even crumbles in the face of rebellion. when you don't "win," there is fun We have had many such surprises and fulfillment in the fact that you in our time, both in the United have been involved, with other States and in other countries. good people, in something Seventh: Don ' t look for a moment of total triumph. See it as an ongoing struggle, with victories worthwhile. Okay, seven pieces of profound advice should be enough. and defeats, but in the long run the that at certain times these powerless people, by organizing, acting, risking, persisting, have created enough power to change the world around them, even if a llttle. That is the history of the labor movement, of the women's movement, of the anti-Vietnam war movement, the disabled person's movement, the gay and lesbian movement, the Movement of black people in the South. Fifth: Remember, that those who have power, and who seem invulnerable are in fact quite vulnerable, that their power depends on the obedience of others, and when those others begin withholding that obedience, . begin defying authority, that power at the top turns out to be very fragile. Generals become powerless when their soldiers refuse to fight, industrialists become powerless when their workers leave the jobs or occupy the factories. Peas lee Neighborhood Center 2 1 5 East 14th Street Over-the-Rh i ne Ci nci nnati , Oh i o 45202 (513) 62 1-5514 Empoweri ng our nei ghborhood chi ldren through peace , art arid education Write, Us! We'd ltk�>to h�:: from 'JO •• ,._ �STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 Page 10 North American Street Newspaper Association mem bers gather in Q uebec Story and photos by Jimmy Heath Believe it or not, Streetvibes is not the only homeless newspaper in the world as evidenced by a recent gathering in Quebec, Canada of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA). Dozens of street newspapers from around North America gathered tn Canada " for the eighth annual NASNA Conference to share resources and ideas and to participate in business meetings and workshops. The schedule also included visits to city shelters and programs to explore the driving forces of homelessness in Canada. There are nearly 50 street newspapers in North Americ , all working to accomplish the same thing; empower homeless and formerly homeless people through the NASNA Executive Committee. programs like Streetvibes, and provide them with a voice in their There was also time during the conference to explore the city communities through their own of Quebec, one of the oldest and writing, artwork and poetry. The most historic cities in North papers also provide the vendors America. The vast expanse of with financial support - all vendors Quebec province, which rests keep the profits earned by selling . within the even vaster expanses of the various street papers. Some Canada, has made some NASNA member papers are major questionable contributions to pll lic.ations with tens of thousands global culture. This, after all, is the . printed monthly, others are place that inflicted Celine Dion, newsletters produced by social Corey Hart and Men Without Hats service agencies. Although every (remember Safety Dance?) on the. city has a different approach and world. In contrast, Canada has the street papers are varied, the provided North America with some goals of each are the same. of its best street papers including Every year representatives Street Sheet out of Winnipeg, of street papers gather together for L'ltineraire of Montreal, and this ·a conference in a city hosted by years conference host paper, that city's street newspaper. The LaQuete published from Quebec. 2003 conference began with Older than that of any other · keynote speaker, Jean-Paul l'Allier, city in North America (north of Mayor of Quebec. In his speech he Mexico), the bilingual and utterly praised street newspapers for European capital of Quebec coming together to share province divides its time between information and ideas· so that the an Old Town bristling with historic · larger problem of homelessness and ramparts, churches, narrow lanes poverty could be addressed and former everywhere. battlefields, and _ - The conference also included competitive awards that · honored street papers in different categories, including best artwork, best poetry and best writing. This year Cincinnati's own Streetvibes districts revamped with museums, cafes, bars, and restaurants. Conference won an award for best overall attendees visited street paper. Old Quebec During the business during free time, meeting of the conference, the new enjoying the Executive Committee of NASNA many was elected by the membership. · Tim Harris of Spare Change metropolitan newspaper in Seattle, Washington and crafts restaurants, arts was named chair and I was selected stores, and as co-chair. Michael Stoops, of the street vendors National Coalition for the that crowd the Homeless was selected as narrow streets Treasurer, and Nancy Roussy of of this historic Canada's L'ltineraire street paper neighborhood. was selected to be the secretary by �STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 Page 11 J : T -A-- rough Ou r Ey_ ·-e1 · , _ _,Jo·n-·1· NASNA conference keynote speaker, ean Paul f'Allier, Quebec. .. "' ' . "• >.; - - " • - • ii\i;.iA •11 . .• 74 , • ,.r., .;; I, • : t<>ii Ii\ '•· t 2t4' - j NASNA Awardfor Streeivibes newspaper I 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. The book, Through Our Eyes, a collaboration of Cincinnati '.s Mother of Mercy High School and the Greater Cincinnati Coali­ tion for the Homeless. . :_. Through Our Eyes: Reflections on Homelessness takes you on a experiential journey of learning by high school students as they leave their suburban comfort zones to explore the world of the inner-city homeless of Cincinnati. A collaboration of Cincinnati's Mother of ST R A T A·G I N T E G R AT E D MARKETIN G Brad Crawford Proofreader/Copy Editor Strata-G Commun ications 250 W. Court communications SOLUTIONS Mercy High School and the Greater Cincinna i Coali­ tion for the Homeless, Through Our Eyes attempts to educate other high school students and the larger com­ munity about homelessness through stories of homeless and formerly homeless individuals, reflections, .art­ work and photography. The books are available from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless for $10 each, plus $3 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 �Page 12 STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 M i dwest Ral ly Aga i nst Rac i s m held to chal lenge pol i ce , city's m o n oc h rome b i as by John Zeh The focus of the Midwest African-American depart the city for the suburbs or beyond. "I saw a sign saying 'No one benefits from racism, ' " she the International Socialist columnist and Co-keynoter Kathy Organization (ISO), "What are we Y. Wilson noted "a serious, going to do about homophobia in a but classism, sexism and profound classism problem in this city that denies us full civil rights? homophobia, were spotlighted as Rally Against Racism was racism, city among blacks and whites and We must organize at the grass roots other curses c:m contemporary while racism will never end, we level and continue to fight for society as a multi-hued cast-of­ must find a way to put some justice and equality." buffers up. That's one way to fight changes in Cincinnati on S aturday, classism." . Wilson writes a frank, ·giying large local corporations weekly "Yolir Negro Tour Guide" millions of dollars in corporate August 9 . The event held i n Washington Park near historic . and other articles in CityBeat. "Another part of racism's status quo," she said. "They don ' t on this same day the U.S. dropped hop in Over-the-Rhine, a working want to be class neighborhood on the edge of interrupted, downtown. Chanted one disturbed. While performer under an overcast sky; we' re comfortable "Don't just sit there in your 'hoods, with a computer, the build up neighborhoods ! " Internet, a Palm Pilot, and a refrigerator for instance, others are Advocacy in Resources and getting the crap beat Education (ICARE) said Cincy is out of them because "not the best place to be if you're they' re poor-whites Indian ! " Embracing "two-spirited" or Hispanics. There people, she said, "racism is not a must be mutual black-white issue, but in between respect for different are red, yellow, and a multitude of mindsets. Black colors." Adding that her people people must stop are tired of being "treated like people-of-color. Any year-old daughter was spat on and movement needs a told to go home when she chorus of voices. protested the Cleveland Indians Muslims and Asians baseball game here. count as much as the "We may never win this war Council candidate John Schlagetter said he vows to unite Council. "If you don't "'· keep important issues . on peoples' minds, we forget there's a problem. We must not let issues like the ones raised today fall off their radar and lose vigilance." A 37-year-old architect, Schlagetter owns a home in the racially-diverse Price Hill neighborhood. He teaches interior design at the College of Mount Saint Joseph rest of us." here. His website is Another part www.John4Council.com of this town 's problem, said an atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Wilson, is that city government that in New York City police fired "criminalizes the oppressed, 49 shots against a West African making (the issues) their fault. irllrnigrant in a case of mistaken Owensby, Sr. , whose son was killed . . . and selling Streetvibes is a job," identity. by city cops, said Roger Jr. was not enhanced panhandling as "ready to go back to college, but Mayor Charles Luken says about for all regardless of race, class, or the police claimed he was a thug. the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for sexual orientation," said Suhiith · They said I had a dysfunctional the Homeless monthly newspaper, Wickrema, a Sri Lankan native. family, despite being married for 34 calling it his "pet peeve." "Police here are profiling on the years. [Hamilton County­ "Let's be conside'rate of · "We stand for equal rights basis of sexual identity," he economic issues," Wilson said. charged. "We must repeal (the City disgruntled father. The fix was "We may not agree with the Charter 's) Article 1 2, protect on !" boycott, but those who seem womens' (family/abortion) choice, annoying show up and are and make structural changes in the working with you to correct the effective. Anytime the city loses local election system." system so it won't happen again. even 50 cents, the boycott is You must fight the system, don't working. We must show those in take the easy way out. We must city hall - by our work - that we are . .federal Empowerment Zone fight for justice for the murder of serious. Everything is not black program, observed that only one of my son, that's my life mission," he and white. There are gradations." six OTR citizen groups attended Prosecutor] Mike Allen said I am a He was not deterred. "I am challenged the small crowd. He said Mayor Charlie Charter Committee OTR activist Berta Lambert, who serves in the city's the event, saying, "people who candidate for City Council John claim to be progressive need to be Luken told him that "if the facts Schlagetter said he was chagrined where the action is." With over 70 about (my son's) case were that "not a single Council percent of OTR's 7000 residents disclosed it would tear this city incumbent is here," noting that African-American, "decisions they up." Regardless, Owensby said, independent candidate Brian Garry make affect people in this "The city must be told the truth. I and he were the only non- community," he noted, holding a will go to the U.S. Supreme Court incumbents here. "Council does colorful anti-gentrification sign to make sure everyone's safety is not take the high road. Where are saying "No Yuppieville in 0-T-R ! " assured and we stop the the social justice candidates? We institutional racism in this city. If it have to stop being afraid of being Coalition for a Just Cincinnati also doesn't come to en end, it will seen with each other! " condemned Council's funding to destroy all of us." order to keep its here. and tell my brothers and sisters in Co-keynote speaker Roger scrutiny, it has delayed the OK for a new garage that Kroger wants in grocery headquarters heaven I tried," ICARE's Whitewolf said. provider Cynergy stay and gave denigrating other mascots ." She noted that her 1 6- (on racism) but I ' ll work till I die recently helped gas and electric for patrons). Under renewed historical note, she mentioned that Native American, Vicky Council built a new headquarters with parking for (but forced it close a free liquor bar welfare "while it harasses the homeless and panhandlers." On a soundtrack of rap, poetry, and hip­ Whitewolf of Indigenous Cultural definitely are ! " the Saks store money to modernize economics is people accepting the Music Hall included a colorful Kroger, and Saks Fifth Avenue Delta Airlines reservations center, She railed about city council color gathered to urge critical said. "On the contrary, Cynergy, C:::hallenged Molly Seifert of Monica Williams of the make sure big businesses don 't The rally's status was unclear for some because the City park board had demanded that sponsors take out special insurance. A donor paid the bill. A short march to police headquarters had been planned, but police _ insisted that organizers pay overtime costs for officers to block Satll;rday afternoon traffic, so groups settled for a rally only. Four police officers, one of them horseback, were on hand. No police intervention was necessary. This reporter counted about 1 20 people at the rally an hour after start-up, and 80 at the conclusion 3 hours later, 90 percent of them white, with many newcomers who missed opening speeches and poetry. Wilson noted that "white people outnumber people-of-color here today." Saying it's okay because, "we have to be off the radar a little bit. Let's show some unity. It can be invisible. They don't have to know. I ' m tired of this classist city. Close ranks in a multi-hued frontline," she concluded. "Work gets done by the few and the mighty." Journalist John Zeh welcomes · comments at JohnZeh @ mail. com. �Page 13 STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 What's Happe n i n g With TAN F Rea uthorization ? (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Federal Welfare Policy) by Lynn Williams, Ohio Empowerment Coalition TANF Reauthorization. Deja vu. Weren' t we struggling with getting TANF Reauthorization changed & passed out of Congress fast summer at about this time? Well, here we are in August a year later and once again TANF Reauthorization has been put on hold in the Senate . . . . . . until the Senators come back from their Individual Development for Everyone Act. His bill makes the Representatives passed in for welfare reform. Some of the policies included in the PRIDE Act that would be detrimental and a step backward for TANF policy include: § himself has made press statements that three months is long enough for welfare recipients to get an extension of the current TANF education ! ! ! ) -§ Congress that the 1 996 TANF to recent bills that have been § that Senator Grassley, Senate sanctions § Fails to adequately increase child care funding * Instead of earmarking required to work ·more $300 million per year for than 20 h urs per week for "marriage promotion" their benefit check. activities, use this money Earmarks $300 million per for education and job year for "marriage training programs to assist promotion" activities low-income parents in supporting wages. You can educate your Ohio in Sen. Grassley' s bill. Senators by writing and calling them about these issues. The Ohio Empowerment Coalition advocates for policies that are going to help, not hinder, low--income parents to escape out of poverty. These include: * Senator George Voinovich United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 202/224-3353 Revive the tri-partisan 202/228-1382 (fax) WORK Act that was voinovich @voinovich.senate.gov passed out of the Senate Finance Committee last Senator Mike DeWine United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 summer * Increase hours that 202/224-23 1 5 recipients can use for Fails to protect families from unfair or illegal family members. parents with children policies that would be detrimental assistance for recipients or are disabled themselves recipients with disabled Eliminates protections for This is only a partial list of the Fails to create adequate disabled family members Allow exemptions for obtaining family who are caring for policy looks milder in comparison introduced: the PRIDE Act or Allows only 3 months out of 24 months for education ! (President Bush Committee or at least an Finance Chair, recently § I out of the Senate Finance Take, for instance, the bill and what President Bush states he wants - to fight for a better bill to come introduced. 4) * under 6: they would be what the U.S. House of good news; it allows us more time the mindset is so conservative in § is basically very, very similar to August recess. Actually this is policy. It's hard to believe that to 37 hours per week current TANF policy look good. It February 2003 (HR year yet increases work hours Personal Responsibility and * * education 202/224-6519 (fax) Keep work requirement at senator dewine@dewine.senate.2ov 30 hours weekly For more information call the Increase child care funding Ohio Empowerment Coalition at by at least $5.5 billion per 1 -877-862-5 1 79 . Community source 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 Proje t has also produced cards for senior citizens, the homeless, and public school and Get Ready, Get set...Go back to school! Workmen spruce up the exterior of Rothenberg School in preparation for the return of students, teachers, support staff and administrators for the 2003-2004 school year. Rothenberg, one of the oldest schools in Cim;innati, is a landmark for the communities of Mount Auburn and Ov-er-the­ Rhine. Photo by Jerome J. Manigan Catholic school students covering the Tri-state area. Cards can be ordered from: cc 5300 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45224 or send a fax request to: (5 13) 541-0099 # 210 �Art & Poe try STREETVIBES Sep t:em er, 2003 Page 14 The Crack Attack is Over D ECEMBER 7th Wanting by P. J. by Cornelius Douglas by Delia Sizler I'm a quitter, that's right I quit Pearl of beauty, pearl of life Why do I plod along focusing only on what has to be done Within your channel deep, and fail to appreciate what all I've accomplished? Geek.in' & Seek.in' 4 my next hit 4 awhile I thought that crack was my friend Rest the men and tools of war Now I'm in a cycle where there's no en,d. For you and God to keep. I'm an American child, a "baby Boomer," All I wanted was something From northern skies an-early phase witp "baby boomer." 2 do But day after day my addiction grew Fell death and strife , As history wrote by early light, The affluence of America came right after I arrived. At 1 st• I didn't know that it was a habit A tearful memory tale. The boys were home again and life was going on. 2 have it Sometime I realized I just had 2 have it I'd do anything 2 suck the pipe What valor is there to be found Everyone was busy, making babies, making love, Until I realized I jl!st had W hen I hit the dipper 4 the very 1 st time In tragic human loss? making homes, making goods to feather the new nests. Man must begin to live as one Gradually prosperity happened to ordinary people, no matter what the cost. well, to some of them. . . the white ones especially. For all who died that Sunday mom What happened to the overflow of emotion then? That's when I knew that there wasn't enough We bow our heads and pray. Where did the trauma memory go? I had I beamed up 2 Scotty - past cloud nine 2 get more of this "redi roe" stuff For them, Please grant them Fifty plus years later we are awakened emotionally, On the street they call me a runner Peace. thrown out of our post war stupor, But mostly I was a cocaine hunter For us . . . . a better way ! ! our denial that memories matter, Search all day 4 that rush 2 my head And get mad cause my money was dead Yeah, the higher I got the lower my paper 2 pull off a caper 's low-down 2 steal But I always managed I know that's it our man made euphoria is interrupted. LORD WHY? I'm a "baby boomer," what do I know? Five decades to grow up focusing on what's yet to be done, ./ Lord, why did you put m_e_ here to · die, to bum, to learn? . It didn't matter, I had a crack deal Lord, why did you put me here to I still get a hooter around if I want it What is there to gain in this wicked I have 2 stop my own way when I part it Sometimes on purpose I even get broke die, in a world full with pain? game? What is there to gain when your That's also part of my strength, and it works ! back is against the wall, and you Now I can smile as I walk past the dealers try to get by you fall on your face? Cause I know dope boys R nothing but killers W hen I walk past the "dope fiend" puppets I laugh Cause I quit, I'm a quitter I put crack in my past. constantly fall, when everytime you What's left to save the human race? What is there to gain when-hope is gone and you are standing all alone? To bum 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 J:hi-s wicked place. More Condos by Mike Henson Yellow dozers tearing up the hobo camps of Eastern Avenue: Bare clay, naked roots of the trees Black plastic tarps tangled · among the spllintered willows. 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 missing memories and the connections they have with the other "more" of life, more than growing, building, making, buying, economy fixated thinking. What else to be accomplished? We have wanted to ask that, but later, too busy now, more to do. Don't pause lest the economy slump. One day the comfortable shell that insulated us _was cracked open. Terrorists attacked. The activity stopped. We "baby boomers" and all brew a collected breath, sensing something new erupting from inside the shell, hope and a glimpse of enduring freedom. Some "old-timers" remember when freedom was won. I don't want to lose it now. not after paying so much for it with human life. I want freedom to endure and memories to surface. emotions expressed and real connections to deepen. I want to pause to experience what I've accomplished in these growing up times. I want all of us to trust the freedom we've been blessed with, so much that we want to share it generously with-the world. I want an economy of peace and justice that has a face of freedom for all. 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 Gods beautiful grace in surrounding this wicked place. ; �STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 Ar t & Poe try LOST Saint Francis of . the Entrepreneurs by Steve Sunderland by Mike Henson I lost my wallet yesterday At the Public Library. I was in the Education and History section Looking for books on the Stories of the first Jews and B l acks in the US. What was in my wallet And lost? I lost the peace plan For the Middle East for 2004-5 . I lost the formula for Reconciliation between poor and rich In our world. I lost the genetic code that explains why all the races are one. I lost the 1 0 items that Guarantee rec.onciliation Between husbands and wives In conflict. I lost the battered program Page 15 Pit Bul l by JH Tiny, warm pet on a rope, g I feed the birds outside my window. dra ging on the ground, My father made a bird feeder of cedar. cringing, It is small, square, and humble. sighing, The birds don1t care. begging, It is battered: the lid bright, innocent eyes. blew off the hinges in a storm years ago. Gettin' ready for the big fight, small puppy. The birds don1t care. Teach you how to kill. The nifty plastic shield that held up the seed in a stack Cinder block as play toy. and dropped it into a feeding tray­· Chewin ' on broken glass. that1s gone to6. Momma' was a killa' , The birds don1t care. don't know who daddy is. The feeder is nothing more than a three-sided box Chicken bones and bread for dinner, screwed to the window frame. drink.in' from the street oil-pond. The birds don1t care. Wantin' to run away, the sides of the feeder and the windowsill but can't 'cause the rope is too tight, are white with bird shit. and the grip is too strong, but the birds don1t care a bit. and there ain't nothin' on the other side they perch in a row, waiting for the bonanza- anyway. . . They scrap and chatter and argue over their places­ . sparrows, doves, an occasional pigeon and a jay -regular as the meter manwho calls, sharp and piercing if he is not fed when he demands. Time and Time Again by Robert Manassa Of the Bar Mitzvah Of Jesus. I ' ve been told since I was a lad Things are goo, but oft times sad I lost the list of all of The reason I can't imagine why My children's birthday and I laugh and then I cry all of my wives date of marriage. I lost the special picture No one knows nor can predict the out­ Of my older brother, Lew, come of things And me when we We can't run away from reality Were smiling on the beach Nor do we have wings to fly. At Coney Island. We sit do wn to reason it out I lost the pictures of We' re only left with a world of doubt My grandchildren- Time anti Time Again. the newest and the oldest ones, The brown, black and beige. With only a few ideas left unsaid I lost the key to my The only thing left to wonder about Safety deposit box that is dread Holds a list of what I ' ve Time and Time Again Forgotten I had put in it. by Jimmy Heath I reach for the phone to Call the police and see At my feet A brown wallet. I pick it up and look Inside and see The face of love on a message: "Nothing is ever lost." Bingo in Washington Park �News & Editorial STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 Page 16 Words from the Evangelist, (Perilous Times) someone who five minutes before It is perilous times when Pepper and Monzel are preaching were sitting quietly enjoying the to the public that providing secure day is on their way to jail. My question to you communities is the motivation behind their decision to work for becomes does this make our an agreement that would keep community safe? Then we have the Shell Convergys in Cincinnati. It is perilous times when the station at Liberty and Walnut with communities, which are being its young entrepreneurs. On most secured, are being subjected to days they are very helpful to the unfair ordinances such as the no customers and the station loitering and panhandling attendant, but on others there registration. It is perilous times arises a need to call the police and when the Cincinnati Police are their arrival does not always bode being called to violate their oath to well for our young entrepreneurs; protect and serve, and asked to yet the ladies plying their trade in abuse and misuse the rights of our the same area seem to go disenfranchised and unnoticed. Again I ask, does this make underprivileged citizens. our community safe? The pictures you see here I also conduct ministry in were taken as I was doing ministry · in Over-the-Rhine on several Camp Washington, South different occasions. Twelfth and Cummingsville, Avondale, Winton Vine as we all know is an area Place, Pleasant Ridge, and Price where people tend to cqngregate as Hill. I also conimunicate with they conduct their business in the clergy and community leaders stores. Making purchases, and throughout other parts of the city. cashing checks. On any given day Therefore, I can tell you on some the police will have roused some authority that othe_r communities poor soul from their perch, and are not being made safe by the depending on the circumstances, abuse of the disenfranchised homeless and mentally ill. Nor can work, but only when all does the misuse of a loitering affected parties are at the table ordinance against young discussing the problems and entrepreneurs help make our producing solutions. City Council, communities safe. Cincinnati Police, and DCI must Is it going to take a federal court to make all our communities include the homeless and youth at the table. safe without the abuse and misuse Otherwise the pictures we will be of our disenfranchised and seeing are those of a underprivileged citizens? confrontational nature as the The Apostle Paul wrote to problems in our empowerment the Corinthian Church almost 2000 zone communities escalate out of years ago regarding their disregard control. of those they considered less than I have been doing some themselves. He reminded them that exciting ministry with the United those who considered themselves to Church of Christ here in Cincinnati, be of the body of Christ were many and have been privileged to members, yet one body. So the participate in some educational foot cannot say, because I am not opportunities that I will be sharing the hand, I do not belong to the with you in the months to come. body. God did not put us here to be AWOL Ministries will soon have a divided, but to have equal concern new Program Director so we can for one another (I Corinthian provide more Christian counseling 1 2 : 1 2-26) and referral services. Call As our disenfranchised and underprivileged citizens suffer we 349-5 1 1 9 (5 1 3) 36065, or write P.O. Box Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. suffer. We must find a way to include all in the decision making process to help provide safe communities for all. Community God Bless You All, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. The Evangelist Problem Oriented Policing (CPOP) Race in C incinnati gourmet meals, golf, and have sex motivated. For instance, Sands with their spouses while locked up. Montessori School was visited by by Brian Garry Poor and blacks steal a package of in the job/employment/income Having grown up in Bond field? Let's go further. Let's look Al Gore while he was running for baloney and get shot in the chest by president, and called "a diamond." Hill, I was given a very different at education in Cincinnati. Public perspective on race than your the Cincinnati police, as I It was the only Montessori in the schools contain more than downtown area. Now it has been av rage white male in Cincinnati. I personally witnessed at the Walnut black students. Why is this when moved out of the "inner city" to the consider this experience a blessing. Hills Kroger's. Why this serious Cincinnati is only approximately disparity, this discrepancy, this privileged area of Mt. Washington. Cincinnati is approximately 50% 50% black, 50% white, with a sprinkling inequality of treatment? For three years, grades seventh, the white students go to school, of other races. All of our city and why? In addition, why is it that employment should reflect this 70% black? Tell me, where do all All poor and black people want in Cincinnati is to be treated eighth, and ninth, I attended Walrwt Hills High School. 90% of those labeled as LD are color balance. For instance, our equally, and to be given the same black? Could those numbers use a police force, city paid construction opportunity, and rights as rich and little evening up? white people enjoy. Is that leaned over to me and asked where difficult? Why? Please explain to I lived. I replied that I lived in contractors, Cincinnati public school employees, and city There are limited land and While there, in Latin class, a pretty girl from Mt. Washington limited units of living space in administration should reflect this me why this is so hard. Aren't we North Avondale. She leaned back Cinci nati. Therefore, for one racial balance, but it doesn't. Why taught as children to be fair, just, over and asked, "Isn't that where white person to move back, one honest, and to share? What is up . all the n------ live?" I mention this not? Some studies reveal black person must be displaced. with our current city not to paint Mt. Washington with a · Cincinnati to be the sixth most What gives these people'the right segregated city in America. That is administration, that when we rise broad stroke brush, or to make to just come back and steal up and demand what is. rightfully blanket statements, but rather to not a distinction to be proud of. In someone else's property? Is it right Cincinnati, the boundaries of ours, i.e. freedom, equal treatment, illustrate the deep division of the to engage in a hostile invasion into "inner city" from the outlying areas, neighborhoods are the boundaries and opportunity, do they dig in someone else's neighborhood? of race and class, and unfortunately their heels and resist allowing us to including East, West, and to the Over-the-Rhine is Palestine. And North. in Cincinnati, race and class, more have what God has given us? Why Vine Street is the DMZ. The riot often than not, go hand in hand. must Pharaoh harden his heart? was the rebellion of the oppressed One plague, the uprising, has come. o illustrate this concept, let's look I think I have talked enough about the problem: rich people not who want the right not to be How many more plagues must sharing, building their wealth on the Cincinnati. For example, the pushed into encampments. Do rich , white people have the "right ,- to come? What is next? Why do they hacks of the poor while isolating average income of a black person insist on tearing down homes and themselves from poor and black evict poor people from their moving poor and black people out people. Let's talk about the at income and color statistics in in Cincinnati is $ 1 6,000 per year, homes? Some rob with a gun. while the average income of a of the city? How can they justify solution. The solution is Some rob with a peh. The white Opportunity, placing neighborhoods white person is this? Where is our mass protest man robs with a pen, and steals against this obviously racially first, and Equality for all people. more than all the poor and black motivated closing of Cincinnati's O.N.E. Cincinnati means we cannot largest apartment community? truly move forward unless we all $24,000 per year. That means that for every dollar the average white person makes, a people steal put together, and do black person only makes vety little, if any time in jail. If they 66 cents. Could this fact demonstrate racism do go to jail, they get to eat · Cincinnati Public Schools: This whole CPS plan is racially move forward together as one, O.N.E. Cincinnati ! exists as a forum for the expres ion 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 �News & Editorial STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 Take a Wal k i n my Shoes you desperate. had that training. mad, but pounding on the door by Dan Newth That little hamster driving and yelling have little effect other the rumor mill has been working than swollen knuckles. It was a overtime lately. metal door. Isn ' t it funny that Several "grass roots" something air tight isn't water organizations heard comments, tight? You feel something dribble through the grapevine, that the down your leg. [Portland, Oregon] City Council was displeased with them. It restroom? You walk around - started after Crossroads had the well, more- like shuffle, asking at audacity to hand out sleeping offices and restaurants. The most bags, a demonstration of the common reaction is a scrunched needs of Portland's homeless, in up nose. front of city hall. Then, members . Congratulations. You have of Crossroads addressed the City acquired a homeless aura: The Council, presenting the radical combination of perspiration and concept that people should have a diarrhea make you authentic. right to sleep. Well you' ve made it to the ..... I have a friend who thinks Salvation Army. Relief at last. City Council members have an You knock on the door and the opportunity for spiritual growth; guy you see at the reception desk He' d like to extend an open through the glass ignores you. invitation to the City Council : Feelirtg the fuse shorten you yell Leave your cash and credit cards out the urgent need to use the at home, and spend a day and damn toilet. Suddenly, desk guy night in the homeless system. pays attention to you. He will You could challenge your now be able to exercise his small immune system by eating bit of power by refusing you breakfast at the B lanchet House, access to the bathroom. The irony after that you may decide to - that someone that has been purchase your lunch. Time to homeless (the desk guy) exhibits panhandle. Holding a sign will so little compassion to another most likely generate a visit from human being enduring the the friendly "Clean and Safe" powerlessness of being homeless cops. They present an - escapes you for the moment. that in reality they are little more your way. The Adult and Family than security guards. They may Services office is across the street. offer you a place to stay but don ' t We can always rely o n the believe them. The j ails are full . government, can't we? Why not You end up being ordered priorities. The pain is causing you McDonalds. You ' re still hungry, to walk stooped over. Your face you ask around for a place too eat. is pale and grimaced. As you S alvation Army feeds at walk by a couple of construction 2 3 :30 p.m. Waterfront Park and chill out comment, "Watch the tools. 90 There goes another junkie." You get a feeling it was directed a.t see hundreds of people laying around, enjoying the blue sky, So you enter the AFS dealers. The police know who the · office. About a dozen people are · waiting in the lobby for their numbers to come up. Three person lying down wrapped in a social workers are at the front blanket. Heck, it's too hot for counter, one with a client, the blankets, anyway. other two are chatting and joking A sudden urgency comes upon you: The-call-of-nature, red dispenser." And the social Then you add in a subdued tone, worker turns away. "May I please use another abdominal cramping with that with each other. You have just entered the "Client Zone." . Approaching the two social workers, you stand at the for public restrooms ! This is a counter for a few moments great time to practice the funny waiting for acknowledgment. walk. You know, short quick Social workers know damn good strides with the muscles of your and well they have a lot of power gluteus maximus clenched. to influence a client's life. Subconsciously, they understand outside the bathroom? Well, it it is OK to feel superior to the seems some druggie has been client. It takes training and effort occupying the restroom for the to maintain sensitivity to the past clients' needs. These two ain 't minutes. Now you ' re restroom." "THE B ATHROOM ! The security guard shows WHERE' S THE B ATHROOM ! " Your frazzled nerves have no give. "I'm going to have to snapped. ask you to leav now." Just as the anger starts to The social workers have now evaluated your case and overwhelm you it is replaced by determined it looks, sounds and humiliation. The Blanchet House smells like a nut. One social breakfast has broken free in a worker signals the security guard noisy wet slide to the floor. You while the other addresses you like now have the complete attention a child, "Yelling is inappropriate of everyone in the room. The behavior for this office. If you smell is making you feel ill, will please take a number. and sit people are moving away from down you will be helped as soon you. You tum and wall\_ out the as possible." · door, swearing to yourself you "Can I help you?" you hear will never show your face in that the voice of the secu ity guard. office again. "Yes I need to know where the restroom is," your voice is a Reprinted from Street little shaky and the pain is making Roots, Portland, Oregon. DEAR R EADERS ! Send us you r -Vendor Stories Do you have a favor ite Streetvibes Vendor that you would like to tell us about ? Send us your stories or comments to: Streetvibes @juno.com or Streetvibes 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati. Ohio 45202 Know Your Brochure The Know Your Rights got-to-go-now feeling. Thank god 45 UNDER THE INFLUENCE !" Available ! drug deal if they see a homeless Is that an angry mob defensively state, "I AM NOT Rights . you. sunshine and easy access to drug past a You feel insulted and "But I just need . . . " and. you' re' cut off again. Scottsdale pick-up, you hear the degrees. When you get there you dealers are but will race building." workers sitting in an old p.m. now. Head to because the mercury is at influence to re!Ilain in this counter," states the social worker. Today, you have other just enough to get a burger at It's be helped at the information while in the neighborhood? managed to scrounge up a dollar, don' t allow anyone under the "Take a number and you ' ll apply for government assistance to move along. Luckily, you closed," the guard says, "and we wondering . . . " and you ' re cut off. Desk guy sends you on intimidating attitude considering "The clients' restroom is "Excuse me, but I was "The numbers are in the Where is another Page 17 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 42 1 -7803, or • stop by the Coalition office and pick one up. �Page 18 STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 B u s h Sa i d . . . . A n d I Say. . . . by Ali Khalid Abdullah Fund reported that nearly one During the presidential election 0{ 2000, · George W, Bush said he would "leave no child behind." Well Mr. B ush, with all due respect, you have left many children behind. You have left them several hundred miles behind as you push for military conquest in foreign lands that promise the Big Pay Day in Oil and other natural resources vital to Big Business and capitalism. You have left children behind with your new tax cuts, which will benefit those who are making below poverty wages or poverty wages, thus causing the children of poverty to be pushed further back. 200 1 lived in a family with an annual income of less than half the federal poverty level (disposable . income below $7 ,064 for a family of three, including food and housing benefits). Over one million black children are left behind in extreme poverty, according to Children' s Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman. I say that the Republican Party has never been concerned for the poor. Not even Abraham Lincoln's Republican Party cared about the suffering of poor black children, or else he would not have told the borcl,ering slave You have said how the states (during the Civil War) that nations children is our most precious and vital resource, but when a mother can't afford to buy her child new clothes and must go to the thrift store and barely have enough money to feed them, what importance do you place on this precious and vital resource? And hoe far behind are those children that you promised not to leave behind, Mr. B ush? With the growing numbers of extremely poor black chi ldren, which is at its highest level in million black children in 22 or 23 years, according to the Children' s Defense Fu d, how do you j ustify your billions of dollars . per day expenditures for military ­ occupations of foreign countries? The Children' s Defense they could keep their slaves as long as they did not fight against the Union. I say the two-party . system (republican and Democrat) are both the same, only difference i s one is more open with their agenda while the other is more covert - but the end results are usually the same. I say we ought to stop believing in campaign slogans and speeches and begin to develop our own structures, ways . and means for our children and ourselves . I say it is high-time that so-called revolutionary activists for social justice take a stronger stand and begin tackling these "government", along with bug very real issues and not overlook corporations, the mil itary them because your focus is industrial complex and the prison outreached on global matters, industrial complex . while neglecting the more imminent needs domestically. I say to the revolutionary The B ush Administration plans to dismantle programs like START, and block-grant activists that if you can spend the Medicare, as well as the type of money it takes to organize Children's Health Insurance rallies and huge demonstrations ­ Program. why not use that money to help Though there is research our poverty-stricken children? that suggests that overall poverty Children of all races, nationalities has declined among black and ethnicity? Why not lobby for chi_ldren, this research has not them? highlighted the condition on the I say we need to shift our record-breaking increase of attention away from simply giving children living in poverty. workshops and talks on the subject matters that do not Extreme poverty. While Bu sh has the concretely include the needs of military so-called "liberating Iraq" children at its most basic level. and previously claimed to have All the parades; · "liberated Afghanistan" from demonstrations _and rallies, rock what he called an "axis of evil", and bottle throwing, or the then why aren't children being trashing of police cars will not liberated here in Amerikkka from help feed a hungry child, or give the political rhetoric of mass that child shelter, a balanced diet destruction which keeps them and health care needs. desperately in need and without We know B ush has left children behind. We know Bush · vital necessities? \ The time is NOW that we has lied to us (as all previous focus more attention to this politicians have done) to be national and international elected into office - so why not problem, rather than ignore these focus our attention on doing for grim facts in order to protest other the "left behind" child rather than issues while children go to bed continue to seek handouts and hungry: favors from the government, which no longer means you and I, but the billionaires and multi­ millionaires who control the course of direction for career politicians, who ' ve become the UDGET S U R PLU S �//F _,_�j}J Privatizing the budget surplus. Comments can be sent to Ali Khalid Abdullah, s/n #148130 16770 S. Watertower Drive, Kincheloe, MI 49788 . �Page 19 STREETVIBES Sep tember, 2003 F RAC ( Food Researc h· a n d Action Ce nter) N ews The News in Brief and a Look Ahead On August 12th, Representative Allen Boyd (D­ FL) visited Bellevue Middle School in Tallahassee to discuss with students the connection between good nutrition and good results in school and to present to Florida Impact a $1,000 Victory Against Hunger award from the Congressional Hunger Center (CHC). Florida · based nonprofit Food Rese rch community groups and public and Action Center. 'The Stat entities to sponsor" the Summer Education Office is not providing Food Program policies that will technical assistance and one-on­ allow the Summer Food Program one guidance to new sponsors; ' and Child and Adult Care Food and rural areas," and state options "With the federal government being limited by deficit, rece sioil, and obstinate conservative leadership, it will be left to the states and NBCSL members for pragmatic, progressive policies _which can improve the lives of America's working families. We want to (See "Mayor Seeks Review of Feeding to expand CACFP to suppers in Program," by Valerie Strauss, afterschool programs." NCSL Washington Post, 8/1 2/03) . Perry reaffirnis its longstanding support was also featured on News for school lunch and school more on these: issues, link to the but efforts to ensure that only award, noted that federal child web site (www/ncsl.org) of the eligible children are served must nutrition programs address National Conference of State not have a chilling effect on household food insecurity and Legisl tures (NCSL), whose program participation for hungry stimulate local economies. animal meeting approved ·a education and ultimate future self­ sufficiency of young children." NCSL cautions, "[A]ccurate eligibility determination i s important in any federal program · children." Also new on the NCSL technical assistance on setting up revised nutrition policy calling for site is "Use of Non-Cash Supports feeding site visits for elected greater access in Food Stamp and by Former TANF Recipients. " Stamp Program, including those "While the most severe forms of malnutrition and starvation that prevailed through the 1960s have largely disappeared, some 33 million people live in households that aren't sure where their next meals are coming from-those whom policy analysts call the food insecure. When the that restore benefits to many legal nutrition programs under the · Lieberman, The Nation, 8/ 1 8-25/ action center." Debra Susie, who accepted t e For in America," by Trudy 03). summer food program this year. Florida counties to sponsor the "Hung available in more neighborhoods breakfast programs "as critically aggressive outreach strategies in less inequality. "' (Source: Program (CACFP) "to be important to the well-being, helping to sign on five north bottom were higher and there was said Kim Perry, director o f D.C. Go to FRAC's web site (www.frac.org) for information about Food Stamp Program implementation as well as news on upcoming reauthorization of child nutrition programs. For and recognized by CHC for ·its 'Food stamps Hunger Solutions, a project of the Channel 8 TV. Impact was nominated by Boyd and Action Center. were more available, wages at the officials, contact child nutrition programs. NCSL evollinger @ frac.org or declares, "The Food Stamps, eteller@ frac.org. For more Emergency Food Assistance, WIC information on child nutrition and Child Nutrition program legislation, go to http:// alleviate and prevent hunger and www.frac.org/html/ enable families to improve their federal_food_programs/ health and be more productive at cnreauthor/cnrc.htin school and work." It applauds the "D.C. Mayor Anthony Wiiliarns yesterday asked his staff to review the city's summer feeding program for children, which has been criticized as ineffective by anti-hunger organizations," reported the Washington Post on August 12th. "Last school year, 42,2 1 0 2002 law changes in the Food children i n the District were in work with you. The United Food and Commercial Workers lritemational Union (UFCW) with 1 .4 million members, is North America's largest private sector union, and together, we can work for state-level victories* .As the recession spreads, hunger will grow. To ensure food sufficiency­ especially for children, retires, and the disabled-the food stamp program can be a lifesaver. However, a recent United States Agriculture' Department (USDA) report ·says hat four out of ten eligible recipients are not being served. As the program is 1 00% federally funded, with administrative costs · split 50/50 between state and federal governments, state dollars go a immigrants give states options to Older Americans Act were created long way. Additionally, USDA streamline operations and "quality in 1 972, authorizing special food provides funds for outreach control" measurements of programs for the elderly, it was payment accuracy. It identifies Richard Nixon who pushed for areas for further improvements in more funding. Tmoughout the in your community. A small benefit access and adequacy, such 1 970s few Americans would have investment l.n outreach pays big as elimination of the cap on the disputed the idea that the federal [the free or reduced price school shelter deduction. On the child government had a major role to (Source: "State B udget Deficits lunch] category. Last summer, nutrition front, its policy, · among play in feeding the hungry. Makes it Hard to be Optimistic," programs, further enhancing the ability to reach eligible recipients dividends in combating hunger." by Michael J. Wilson, Chief 1 4,848 children were served, a other things, supports : full ' Hunger was a problem we came decrease of 40 percent compared funding of WIC, " policies that much closer to solving in the Lobbyist, Legislative and Political with 200 1 , according to the D.C.­ will make it easier .for non-profit 1 970s,' says James Weill, Affairs Department, UFCW, president of the Food Research National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) News, July 2003 ) . Vendor.: 80 cents Printing and Production: 20 cents here our ol lar oes The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal o verhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. · Please call our office at 421-7803 for more informa­ tion about the program. Many thanks for your support. / Prepared by Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), 1875 Conn. Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009;. 202-986-2200 x3016 www.frac.org �.. ,....,., ... .,.,,,.. ... · .. --._..... ·-·- --- eed Help or 557-2873 762-5660 761 -1 480 Friars Club 381 -5432 . Drop Inn Center 721 -0643 Haven House 863-8866 471 - 1 1 00 72 1 -4580 Excel Development 632-71 49 Women's Crisis 859-49 1 -3335 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Miami Purchase 241 -0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381 - 1 1 71 Tender Mercies 639-7056 241 -0490 TREATMENT: Women 961 -4663 First Step Home 24 1 -2965 Full Circle Program 72 1 -0.643 Men TREATMEN , Charlie's 3/4 House 784-1 853 381 -4941 House Formed >}n 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitiona{ 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, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 .C;rectfer Circ.ifUlQti Ceat AJ()I S\ lhe ·.,:. r- Prospect House 921 - 1 61 3 Starting Over 961 -2256 TREATMENT: Both N .A. _Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351 -0422 C . C.A.T. 381 -6660 Talbert House 684-7956 - Transitions, Inc 859-49 1 -4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-50 1 1 DIC Live-In Program 72 1 -0643 OTH E R SERVICES: AIDS Vol unteers of 42 1 -2437 Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 62 1 -5991 231 -6630 Beech Acres Center for Independent Living Options 241 -2600 Churches Active in Northside 59 1 -2246 Cincinnati Health Network I t I 1 Coalition for the Homeless 42 1 -7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mantal Health Access 558-8888 Point Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7 1 86 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221 -361 9 Legal Aid Society 241 -9400 Center 271 -5501 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. McMicken Dental 241 -5525 St. Francis/St.Joseph Goodwill Industries 771 -4800 Mary Magdalen House Garden St. House (Veterans) 241 -1 064 Fransiscan Haircuts 65 1 -6468 Tom Geiger House 961 -4555 Mission Joseph House 241 -2563 Homeless Mobile HOUSING: CMHA Welcome House 859-431 -871 7 Center 357-4602 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 861 - 1 1 1 1 St John's Housing 651 -6446 872-9259 Salvation Army (Youth) I nterfaith 1 -888-872-9259 381 -4242 Emanuel Center Foodbank Caracole (AIDS) Hospitality Contact Center Freestore/ SHELTER: Both Anthony House S H E LTERS: Women and Chi ldren YWCA Battered Bethany House 661 -4620 Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of Amer. 381 - 1 954 please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. (Toll Free) ,,.t"""" ...,...,,- . - 961 -0600 Community Action Agency 569-1 840 "-··· - -�� --·-··-- ..-..--, -!--.- ------------- Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help Women's Shelter ..----�'....-- 721 -48 1 1 Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily B read 621 -6364 Peaslee Neig'hborhood Center · 621 -551 4 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471 -4357 Travelers Aid 721 -7660 U nited Way 72 1 -7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helpin Women g 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-31 84 Salvation A my 863-1 445 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 � 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 2003 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 2003 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Homeless Under Attack; Protecting People Who Live Outside Pg 2: Editorial Pg 3: Donate Pg 4: Reader Mail Pg 5: Looking Away from the Homeless Pg 6: The Peace Village Pg 7: The Peace Village Continued Pg 8: The Lifestyles of the Rich and Less Caring Pg 9: On Getting Along Pg 10: North American Street Newspaper Association Members Gather in Quebec Pg 11: Through Our Eyes Pg 12: Midwest Rally Against Racism Held to Challenge Police, City’s Monochrome Bias Pg 13: What’s Happening with TANF Reauthorization Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: Words from the Evangelist, (Perilous Times) Race in Cincinnati Pg 17: Take a Walk in My Shoes Pg 18: Bush Said…And I Say… 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 September 2003 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Andy Erickson Brendan Goodwin Steve Shockley Mary Gaffney Jimmy Heath Jerome Manigan Elain Coffy Elizabeth Linville Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Andy Erickson Arts & Poetry Bias Brendan Goodwin Bush Cincinnati Elain Coffy Elizabeth Linville Evangelist Food Research FRAC Georgine Getty Jerome Manigan Jimmy Heath Mary Gaffney mental health Midwest News & Editorials panhandling Peace Village Quebec Race Racism Rally Reader Mail Steve Shockley Street Newspaper Association TANF War