3 10 291 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/159c520a8287b55d4dc88ee013255c04.pdf 740d7ca3ee3da8dc791bf9c5781aea5d PDF Text Text 11 1 11 STANDDOWN 98 A BIG SUCCESS Hundreds of Homeless Persons Served During Cincinnati's _,_ Two Day Event -··. Over 1,200 homeless persons and veterans attended this years Standown on October 15th and 16th, hosted by the Drop Inn Center and organized by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and the VA. Dozens of volunteers including military personnel pitched in to bring the cities homeless a temporary respite from the rigors of homelessness. "Standown" is a term used by the military during times of war to bring troops in from the front lines to rest and recuperate. The analogy is made between war and the battle of survival while experi­ encing homelessness. The' two day event afforded participants the opportunity to speak with represen­ tatives from service agencies, seek the services of medical personnel and receive clothing and food. There was also a Standown Court. presided over by a Hamilton County judge. Community service hours were given out to persons who had outstanding warrants o r pending court cases for minor offenses. The Stan down was topped off by a community cookout in Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine sponsored the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. This years' Standown event was consid­ ered by all to be a great success. Hundreds of people attended the Standown at the Drop Inn Center. Photo by Jimmy Heath • IN MEMORY OF BUDDY GRAY •~ WE REMEMBER • FEBRUARY 19TH, 1950 - NOVEMBER 15TH, 1996... : by Bonnie Neumeier, : From the Pleasant Street Garden, Over-The­ Rhine I sit here on this wooden bench surrounded by your favorite colors the browns, yellows, oranges and reds wishing you were still here instead The sunflowers now bending far over stood tall, proud, bright and yellow dried up and drooping the seeds they fall feeding the birds that follow What a short life like yours, Buddy But we know the warmth and the wonder of the Sunflower is You still with us. We will always remember you season after season for YOUR seeds have fallen deep nourishing our peoples' movement giving us feet. buddy gray leads protest marchers in Over-the-Rhine 4 Photo by Jimmy Heath This day won't go by unnoticed 'cause the fruits of your labor are planted all over Yes, you are still here with us in your colors of brown. yellow, orange and red Friend we.miss you and love you. ­ �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 2 STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by d)e Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Hom.e­ less. 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 homeles.sness 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 Photo1:r.whe r Jimmy Heath Writers Ron Carter Denise Crew Brian Davis Julia Fischer Lolonta Foster Barry Grosheim Patrick Harmon jimmy Heath James Hobbs Vikki Lynn Bonnie Neumeier Theresa Nye James W . Pryor William Stone Do nald Whitehead Lynn Williams Diane Young Brett Zwolinski Editorial Policy: 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 I506 Elm Street Cincinnati, O H 45210 (513) 421-7803 fax (5 13) 421-78 13 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com/gcch Fact of the Month, from the ·National Low-Income Housing Coalition (N LIH C): Number of deaths associated with problems in housing, annually: 5.000 Nurr;t:Jer of r:- • 1.4 million Donald Whitehead (far right) in Portland, Oregon. THE TRAVELER Not Just Another Trip by Donald Whitehead I've really enjoyed this column - traveling is sometimes a little lonely and it has been great to have you guys along. Each trip I've taken has opened my mind to new experiences I never imagined just a short time ago. For the most part my travels have been pleasure filled learning experiences. Sometimes though, learning is not a pleasant experience. I started out on this trip on the morning of Thursday, October I st. On this morning as is stated in the ad for the United States Army, I did more before six than most people did all day, that day. I actually prefer traveling early morning rather than late night. On the first leg of my journey I traveled with longtime activist Bev Merrill who works at the Welcome House in Northern Kentucky along with her very handsome son Shawn. We traveled to the Louisville Airport where we were joined by Kat Clark, National Coalition Board Member from West Virginia. Our final destination for this trip is Portland, Oregon. Our first stop is St. Louis where we were joined by several other National Homeless Coalition Board Members: Bill Faith President of the Board and Director of the Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio, Roosevelt Darby from Philadelphia and Don Jean from Maine. Most of my travels are a little lonely but this one was not. The flight to Portland is uneventful, a fact that is increased by my sleeping three of the four hours. The period I am awake I experience the works of the best artist that man will ever know. Mountain ranges perfectly sculptured in ways that boggle the mind, body's of water carving beautiful landscapes, never to by matched by the hand of any mortal artist. The purpose for this meeting is the National Coalition Board Meeting. I have found these meetings to be very useful in learning new strategy's for fighting homelessness. We meet twice yearly, once in Washington and once.in another City. Oregon has been chosen as this years' location so that we can explore rural homelessness. We were treated as special guests, part of our rooms were paid for by the City of Portland. We are part of a press conference addressing Civil rights violations against the homeless population in Portland. Another focus of our meeting is an opportunity to discuss the year 2000 Census. The Census bureau has not done a good job of Photo by Donald Whitehead counting homeless, poor or people of color in the past - our hope is that this will not be the case in 2000. We also present the Ma Curtis Award to individuals who have done outstanding work in Oregon. The award is even more symbolic this year because Beverly Ma Curtis did most of her wonderful work in Portland. My custom on trips is to interact with local homeless people. I do this for many reasons. some personal, some professional. I understand that the easy way to learn about conditions are to speak to those involved in that condition. I walked along a river bank close to my hotel were there were several people camping: I tried to strike up a conversation but there was no desire to talk, there seemed to be an edge to this group. I walked around the corner to the Gospel Mission - it was closed. All the while I passed people on the street. I do not scare easily but I did feel uncomfortable here. I finally did get a chance to talk to a young lady who reluctantly offered conversation in exchange for some change. Even this was unlike the warm conversation I have experienced in the rougher homeless populations back east. I felt uneasy because people kept looking down at my shoes with a look that said you must be a cop or something. In the midst of the incredible beauty that is Portland I am surrounded by uneasiness. anger and despair. I learn that there are no family shelter here during the summer, probably a large contributor to despair. I go back to my hotel a bit puzzled - its seems that for the first time I was not excepted by the population from which I came. Am I so far removed that.I can't relate or make contact anymore! Maybe I'm making a mole hill into a mountain, maybe I just didn't meet the right people. Ireflect back on the despair I felt on the streets of Cincinnati. I wasn't always friendly or open or nice. Sometimes I just wanted to be left alone. No matter how good intentioned or respectful the person approaching me, sometimes I just simply didn't want to be bothered. Homelessness is the most extreme form of poverty. It's a reality too harsh for most to imagine, sometimes the darkness is so dark that not even a shred of light can get through. These are the times when those that are homeless want and have the r ight to simply be left alone. A good traveler will always remember this. Good Tidings. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 OTR LOSES VINE STREET BATTLE by Jimmy Heath Over-The-Rhine residents, business and community leaders lost the hard fought battle over keeping Vine Street one-way between 5 Points Corner and 12th Street. In October. Cincinnati City Council voted 5 to 4 for the conversion to two-way despite community protests and declarations from community leaders, schools and Vine Street businesses. Over one hundred persons who attended the public hearing at City Hall carried signs and spoke out against the conversion to two-way. The debate centered around the safety of the residents and school children who frequent this OTR thoroughfare. Vine Street in Over­ The-Rhine was made one-way nearly 25 years ago because of the accident prone and dangerous nature of this formerly two-way street. The recent debate over the conversion began over two years ago when a private consulting team visited the neighborhood of Over-The-Rhine and recommended the recvnversion to two-way as part of an overall urban revitalization plan for the community. Community protests centered around this plan and subsequent report because of how it disregarded the concerns and well- Protestors gather at Cincinnati's City Hall to demonstrate against Vine Street conversion to Two-Way. Photo by Jimmy Heath being of the neighborhood residents, especially the disabled, the elderly and the children. The plan to convert one-way Vine Street to two-ways is supported by a minority of business interests who have pitted themselves against residents of this predominately low-income community. The community of Over-the­ Rhine lost this battle because of the power of money and politics over reason. The conversion to two-way will begin during the 1999 construction season. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• You are invited to the fourth annual OHIO EMPOWERMENT COALITION MEETING: l 998 HOMELESS COALITION HOUDA'/DENNER, NOV. 11, Wednesday 10:30 AM Sullivant Gardens . 955 Remick St. Columbus, Ohio The Ohio Empowerment Coalition is the statewide welfare rights coalition. We welcome new members. Come and·learn what recipients and other low-income, grassroots groups from different areas of the state are doing to change welfare laws. Join us in the effort to change Ohio's punitive welfar~ policies. For a ride from Cincinnati, please call the Contact Center at (513) 381-4242 at least ·by No­ vember 9th. Contents Welfare News Broken City Arts & Poetry Haiku Nationwide Prisoners' News Letters & Editorials Mexican Border News Homeless Veterans Cleveland News N. Kentucky News Movie Review Announcements Classifieds Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page Page 4 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 12 13 13 14 15 15 . Tuesday, November 17, 1998 7-9PM St. F rancis Seraph Soup Kitchen 14 E. Liberty Street at Vine $15 per person at the door Parking In Rear MUSIC, DOOR PRIZES, Al'JD RAFfl.E. DINNER SERVED BY POWER INSPIRES PROGRESS VEG£TARIAN E.NTREES AVAILABLE. ·PRE.5£.NTATION Of JIMMY RENDER AWARD The Homeless Coalition Holiday Dinner gives us a chance each year to focus on this year's positive accomplishments and share hopeful stories of the future. Anyone in the community is invited to participate. The Jimmy Render Award is given each year by the Homeless Coalition to honor a homeless or formerly homeless person who has struggled to help those still on the street. Power lnspires Progress is a non-profit job training organization designed to empower low income communities through job development. Greoter Cincinnati Coalttion For ","' The Homeless ; If you would like to sponsor a homeless. person for the dinner, please send $15 per person to: Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, ~ 506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Call 421-7803 for more i¢'o. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News WELFARE SANCTIONS IN HANCOCK COUNTY by Theresa Nye, Intern at Hope.House Inc. These are real situations that happened to welfare recipients in Hancock County, which includes Findlay, Ohio. The first family has three children 6, 7, and I 0. They were applying for emergency assistance (PRC) because they were being evicted from their home. The family was sanctioned due to being given the wrong voice mail number for the caseworker. This has happened more than once because she is constantly being seen by different caseworkers. This caus~s messages and gocumenta­ tion to get all mixed up on her case. It's a nightmare of missed communications! The second case was a women who·applied for a medical card. She was hospitalized so she left messages with caseworkers and never srot a reply < <j l ' . back. She sent her husband to finish the paperwork, but the case worker claims he did not fill out all the paperwork. Because of this, they now have a $10,000 medical bilrinstead 'Of a me<ilc'al card. ~ ..--" In 'tht!1hird liou'sehold's situatien, a gentleman found work the day before his-appointment with the caseworker. He catted and told-the caseworker that 'He 'cduld nb~a~e the meeti1;ig~:l:fe was•sanctioned anyway. This caused his whole family t0 lose 'their assistance. The last case I·am listing here, although ·there are more sanctioned households out there, is a single mother with children, aged 2 and I year old. She is facing being sanctioned. She does hot have a car. She was told that she has to put in 60 hours of work before the welfare department would help her with transportation. The caseworker.told her she had to work first, then after 60 hours, she could get help with transportation. This is like putting the cart before the horse. In a rural county such as ours, a car is nearly a basic necessity for getting to work. OHIO SANCTIONS VIE FOR HARSHEST by Lynn Williams, Ohio Empowerment Coalition Ohio is notoriously known for being one of the fourteen states with the harshest sanction (punish­ ment) policies in America. These fourteen states impose a complete cut-off of cash assistance for households under sanction. This includes even on a first sanction. Thirty-six states reserve the full cut-off punishment for the last level of sanction. Ohio cuts families off immediately for a first time offense. When the entire cash assistance is cut-off, this sanctions the children right along with the adults. Thirty-eight states are only cu tting off the "adult" portion of the check or less for a first sanction. Surely this is a more humane policy. Why should the children's portion be cut? Any reduction is going to hurt them as well. In addition, it should be remembered that families receiving welfare cash assistance are receiv­ ing checks putting them at 35% of the Federal poverty level. With food stamps added, it is 75% or less of Federal poverty level. How many families of three can survive monthly paying rent, utilities, heat and diapers on a $361 check? This is Ohio's benefit check for a family of three to live on monthly. How may legislators have spent a month living on that kind of money? If a family is sanctioned, the house­ hold most likely does not have savings to fall back on. How do you save money on $361 a month? Ohio also requires recipients to wait out the entire length of sanction or until compliance, "which ever is longer" before lifting the sanction. This is not true for twenty three states. These states lift the sanction as S?on as the recipient complies. This also is a far more humane approach. In addition, individual caseworkers and county welfare departments vary in h"ow they apply the "letter of the law." Here in Ohio, in Athens County, caseworkers are being trained to work with the recipient to avoid issuing a sanction and to use "commonsense." Is a recipient trying in good faith to meet the requirements? They also give th~ recipient a warning letter 15 days in advance of a sanction, warning that a sanction will ·be enforc~q unless they meet the requirement. r1 From what our OEC members across t\ie state are telli(lg usi this policy is a rarity. In SanduJ ky county, a woman was sanctioned for not calling to notify.a cas.Py.-orl<er: wtiy sh~ missed· h~er app9J_nt­ .. T 1 .; j ment. The reason: layino in the hosoital giving birth! \ r. i• ~ ' • (), ~ 'ti~ . 0 She ended ·u'p:sanctioned fo r not thfcu.<i'ng to make ' •. . . • . ti\i 11. this .ca~I afieac;l 'Of time~ ·' / .. , ~ In Montgomery County, sanctioned households can~o~ g~t r~~nction.tff~~d \J.ntil they;~~" I~days of complianc'e." This means a reci~i~n:~/\1~.~t {~ ten ~· fr; ,: , q~r.~pJJ'!~Or (6 ~.'? ~.~o\Jrs. d~~fY,) 11.n a. CO..QSeCU­ tiv;.~rper. ,J~ey are '!?t workmg of(~tieir b~nefit checks" because the.y're·under sanction & don't have a benefit ch~ck to work off. If the reb~ient rflfsses f ' :;· even on.~ day, the I 0 days starts all ov~,r aga1~! This happened to Carla Pitsinger of Montgomery County, who could not do the I0 days in a row because of two disabled family members needing her care. Incredulously, Carla ended up working 60 days of free labor before she got her sanction lifted! Where are the unions and labor activis·.:s to take outrage at this? We are hearing dismal accounts across the country about how sanctions are being applied. the sanctions are being used as whips and threats to subdue the poor into compliance. House Bill 793 will soften the welfare sanction policy here in Ohio. It would allow for a $50 cut in cash assistance for each sanction instead of cutting off the entire check. It would restore the adult portion of food stamps. It would restore the child care subsidy to families under sanction. It would restore a sanctioned household's eligibility for other support services from the welfare department, such as PRC (what use to be called emergency assis­ tance." The sanction would also end upon compli­ ance, instead of requiring the recipient to wait out a progressively longer sanction time. Current law requires a sanction period for a I st sanction to last one month or until compliance, whichever is longer; for a 2nd sanction to last three months or until compliance, whichever is longer; and for a 3rd sanction to last six months or until compliance, whichever is longer. Currently recipients who are sanctioned are counted in "caseload reduction numbers." They are counted in the official numbers of recipients who have left the roles. They left the roles·unwillingly if I '\ ' "1 1 ' ' i 4 - Page 4 they were sanctioned! According to the Ohio Department of Human Services September 16, 1998 Progress Report, 22% of the total caseload was sanctioned at some point since October I, 1997 when the law took effect. This is over one in five households! These families with children lost all their cash assistance! [For more information on how to endorse this bill and to get involved in working for its passage, call the Ohio Empowerment Coalition (Cincinnati contact) at 513-381-4242.] REAL STORIES by Diane Young It is one thing to hear about welfare reform and quite another to look at it in the faces of real live human beings. These people are not numbers on a page, but living, breathing people caught between the cracks. One of these real people is a 47 year old woman names Susan . Just laying eyes on this woman, it was obvious to see that she was very ill. Susan relayed to me that she was sanctioned because of her refusal to work. The reason for her non-compliance was her congestive heart failure and the effects of having surgery to have a lung removed. Because she refused to work at a recycling center, Litter Landing, sorting through trash and lifting heavy bundles which required health and strength, she was sanctioned. Susan applied for SSI, but because her husband is on disability for numerous health problems. she was turned down. Another situation involves a termination. Sam is a 3.~ year old ,kind hearted gentleman who w~s recendy diagnosed with diabetes and had suffered a s~r."c;ke thit left him wea~';;n his le.ft side. He was ­ waitipg for his SS!'to be p.rocessed. At this t\Te· th7 only assistance ne was receiving was a smiifl amount 1 of food stamp~ ·~nd a ~edlcal 2a~d: How~ver. both the fo'i?fstaf!'ps and hi~ Medicaid we~e, taken away becaus~ he rr)fssed 1~ ap,POintment Wit~ liis tase­ WQrker. The ~e'ason that he didn't make his appoint­ ment was th~t he d'id n't have access to'a car. With Findlay being a rural comrhunity there is no public transportation· available; with Health and Human Services being way out in the country where it is too far to walk, especially for a stroke victim, Sam couldn't go to his scheduled appointment. Waiting for his SSI to be processed was taking too long and this gentleman gave up. In spite of his health problems, he started working at a fast food restau­ rant. This restaurant hardly meets his basic ex­ penses, and furthermore, provides no medical benefits. Therefore. because of his medical card . being removed, Sam h~s no idea of how he can get his life sustaining insulin and other medications. 0 �- STREETVIBES _.,..~---.--~----""'-------- The Tri State's Hom eless Grapevine The Broken Citv. • • .. Mourners march through the neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine to commemorate the life and work of buddy gray. FU GAZI by Vikki Lynn I'm writing this article as a public awareness. In September of 97, I was recovering from my third nervous breakdo.¥n that year.When I became Mrs. Gregory George Neumeister. my life had changed k>r the worse. My husband had taken a job as a night manager at a tri-county Skyline. He worked there for three months before deciding to go to the west. My daughter had left home shortly after we were ma rried,so I left with him. On our Waof he told me he had stolen eight hundred to one thousand dollars from that company. I listened as he bragged about how he did it. Here we were out in the desert when he wants to tell me his indiscretions only to begin to see him for what he really is. On December 6, '97, it was late and raining terribly when I was being forced off the road by two semi tractor trailers. I avoided a collision due to having defensive driving experience. He took CNer the wheel at that point and we stayed in FlagstaffArizona for the night. That was the beginning of a series of things that I had went thro ugh while married to this individual. Upon our arrival. we both looked for employment. He was rehired at a Jewelry Store he had worked at before . I got a job at a deli. I was hired to become a night manager while in training. O n Decembe r 26, '97, when I was leaving work two vehicles attempted to run me over in the parki ng lot of the place I worke d .A little later in that same even ing as I was nearing the parking area of the apartments I lived in, again two different cars tried . I quit that job because of the night.There was only the people I worked with and my husband who k new I was working that day. Luckily another place I put in an applicatio n at called me. I worked there t hrough t he holidays until I was laid off. From time to tim e I did te mporary work.W e started argu ing a lot CNe r money more and more. He wouldn't buy the necessary things needed .W hen I got paid, I'd buy food and what was important. One day he phoned me from his job, request­ ing that I mCNe out because we weren 't getting along. I followed up on whether he could do that and no he couldn't . I stayed anyway. January rent was three weeks late and we had to move into a rundown motel. I fixed it up the best I could with limited resources.Two weeks into February, I threw him o ut of the roo m. He moved into another motel roo m n ext doo r: I had started doing o dd jobs like painting the vacant rooms where I lived. He paid difference in rent. Later into that month, again he was complain­ ing about the money saying he wouldn't Pao/ two rents. I moved into his room because of more amen ities.The next daoj after mCNing in,I was ch'lnging the room around to have more space when I found women clothes under his bed. It took him tv.Q daots to tell the truth about them. He skipped work to make for it but to no avail. Earlier that same week a woman knocked on the door looking for him. On the Saturd aoJ follo.¥ing February 27, '98 she called his room. I answered the phone knowing by her voice who it was. I invited her over but she declined. Before he got off of work, I checked into an emergency shelter: I stayed there for remainder of our trip. March the tenth, I was leaving work from the same place I had worked before where that incident had occurred. I was expecting him to be waiting for me because he had came by my job to tell me he got fired for unprofessional behavior: I noticed he had parked at the back of the parking lot where it was somewhat darker. I walked along the sidewalk towards his car.As I approached him ,a car drove throwing a bottle at me and as I was ducking I felt fast heat going past my right ear. I stayed dOY>1n.near the ground besides a parked car while I heard shattered glass from a windOY>I break.When I looked at him, he just watched my expression on my face. I countered by yelling" so meones shooting" pointing past h im.but he v.Quldn't look around. My adrena­ line kicked in but I remained neutral. He told me then that he was going back to C incinnati. He let me drive myself to the shelter. My reply was good-bye. The next day I called in to talk to my boss abo ut working daot ho urs because of the circum-' stances but he was peeved and that kind of made up my mind about staying out west any longer.We hooked up that day and got drunk and were packed to leave when once again his girlfriend from Ken­ tucky shows up and he called security on her. Two days later we we re back in C incinnati.We got into a fight immediately upon arrival. I was e sco rted by Cheviot police to the Drop Inn Center. T hats ho.¥ I became homeless in Cincinnati for two weeks. In that time he searched everywhere loo king for me. He called my two closest friends and my aunt feverishly trying to apologize for all the wrong he had done. He finally caught up with me one morning walking to.vards the center. He started a mass campaign to win me CNe r. Even the employees there were sick of him. I agreed ~o talk to him so he would stop aggravat ing every­ o ne. He had bought an apartm ent o n Vine Street. I hung o ut t he re until my apartment was available through Metro po litan. I mCNed in o nApril the 16th of '98~wo days before that, I was at H&R Block Page 5 finding out he had went downtown to Social Security verifying information p ertaining to my daughters nu mber. I was crimson. I neve r did tell him w here I cnoved to. I wo rked through a temporary agency here while trying to get on my feet again. He sh<:M'ed up there lurking around until I wasn't being given any assignments. So I joined a workshop to better myself. I sought employment in Kentucky. I was hired and was paid better than any job I ever had.The sixth day of my employment,he shCM'ed up on my job filthy drunk and acted foolishly.That night, I paid him a visit. I never wo re my wedding ring again after t hat night. He called my employer trying t o get me fired .T hey just laughed at him to me. His doing that caused me to lose the profes­ sional respect that I had when I first started there. After two months of constant teasing and taunt ing, I quit.T he death threats had st opped whe n I returned to Cincinnati because he didn't have anyone to help him manipulate me. I decided not to work while being married to him any longer. He kept promising me heo give me a di'r'Orce but those are lies to get me to come over his apartment. On September 23rd '98, he admitted to the three attempts on my life and to t rying vigorously to have me fi red on all my jobs.When I first met him, I told him I didn't want to be bothered w ith a relat io n­ ship. I had my own problems to wo rk out. He promised me he would be good for me and help me through whatever because we had been treated so poorly by other people.This is what I get for being polite and giving someone a warm place to stay. TESTING THE THEORY by Vikki Lynn. I want to write about when I was homeless. It isn't the most comfortable situation to be in, but the opportunities are endless. Once I was in a new town and I didn't have any friends and I was broke. I went to an emergency shelter and slept on the floor when I stayed there until a bed was issued to me. I got a job working in a submarine sandwich store. They start you minimum wage and after I was there a week or two, I got a raise. I also worked through temporary services. The state I ventured in, you had to have union cards, and sheriff cards. That way you make more money by the hour. I also was due to start working at a trucking company, but it didn't come before I decided to return to Cincinnati. When I came back, I was temporarily homeless at the Drop Inn Center for two weeks until I got an apartment through Metropo litan Housing. Then I worked here in temporary employment until I applied for another job as a professional driver. So my point is, just because you are homeless, doesn't mean being hope less. I d idn't like some of t he rules but to stay in a warm place out of the cold was reasonable. I didn't have any clothes, shoes, or money. My options seemed limit ed. I never gave up and now I have all the amenit ies necessary in my apartment and plenty of clothes and shoes. My secret is I believe in God and I pray frequently. I know I couldn't have made it without him in my life. Foundation is everything. Then you can build yourself up. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine ~ Page 6 WORD ON THE MY PRAYER FOR I AM A YOU PRISONER STREET by Rick Ashcroft by James W Pryor Arts & Poetry LIFE LESSONS by John Chetuck Sometimes things aren't what they seem, F.or we all have free will and do as we please. Papa's hands are the ones that guide Only his words can you trust for. all others lie. One must often question what one can believe For words and deeds too often deceive. Friends are those we choose to hold close to heart. Times like these pull them apart. A teacher or mentor is one from whom we learn, But even t hat must be tempered or one might get burned. A lesson learned is one that cannot be erased. So choose your lessons well, and learn them, but fall not victim to fate. Because one must trust; not follow by blind faith. Because even the words of a mentor or friend can be faded, And the wounds left behind can remain for a time, As can the scars on ones heart and mind. So take these words to heart and heed them well, That what is reality and truth only time will tell. DIVERSITY by Wanda (OTR resident) The money people are attacking my home. On the west, their tearing down homes and the symphony wants Washington Park, in the name of cultural diversity On the east, the businessmen and the rich landlords push for a ballpark and intervine district, in the name of economic diversity On the north, a new coalition is rehabing apartments for the wealthy and taking over a historic market, in the name of economic diversity On the south, the downtown council wants to expand north and change all the streets to two-way, in the name of diversity In the center is my home and yours, the poor, working poor, handicaps, homeless, all live & survive, day to day The powers want diversity. We all ready have it. They should help, not attack. I will stand up for the right to live where I want, I won't be in the Middle of Diversity. May you always stop and think Before you relapse, and start to drink May you find your "higher power" And let him be with you each passing hour May your road to happiness be lined with gold And may all your dreams, somehow unfold May each of you find success along the way And may your road to recovery, start each day For tomorrow is not promised, it is said May relapse never, enter your head Always stop ~nd think, from where you came May your troubles, never remain the same May you find peace of mind at heart God has given each of us a new start So my prayer for each of you is the best He has showed us the way, we just have to do the rest. So good luck, in everything you do I say goodbye, the best of luck to each of you. I am a prisoner confined behind the razor wire of Orient Correctional Institution; I am a pr,i soner of the corruption of a system that is to terrifying to mention; I am a prisoner to judicial bias created by my ex-wife's greeds; I am a prisoner of the pain of my love for my four year old son, which makes up my hearts needs; I am a prisoner to a life without family, because my family are prisoners of their own lives; I am a prisoner to all of my wrong choices, and m yown mistakes; I am a prisoner to love, because it escapes me everyday; UNTITLED. I am a prisoner who longs to live and be free. by James Curry The Beast is indisputable Because it is immutable. It uses reason in its quest, So simple recognition's best. It knows not time, but looks ahead For any time it may be fed. A day, a year, a century, Is fine in its eternity. You know your Beast is treatment-wise; You'd now be better, otherwise. "Treatment" means, "When you fee l well, Then tell your Beast to go to hell. " The Beast knows well you'll not feel well Enough for long enough to tell Just when it's finally time to yell, "It's time for you to go to hell." And when you do feel well enough, The reason's lost; you'll want your stuff. But "Never!" sets the Beast aflame. That word alone can win the game. Say "Never!" now, and feel the view Of freedom-joy, with hope anew. Say "Never!" now, and step ahead To sober living. Treatment's dead THE QUESTION by John Chetuck The !onliness inside feeding my pain The constant rejection feuling my rage, T his feeling I know, sadness is its name. A heart with no wings that wants so b~dly to fly; Eyes that wish to lend tears, But cannot for they've run dry. A prayer to the heavens as the dreams slowly fade, I have nothing left John Doe is my name. Searching through life, Hoping to find the answers to the riddles that puzzle my rriind. A soul that is lost searching for peace; A body full of desire wanting release And the heart of the dreamer wanting eternal sleep, Why is it that faith is so hard to keep. INADEQUATE by Lisa Webster It smells like something has just died. Down on hands and knees, I search the rug. My fingers rake the plush. Under these nails there is some dirt and blood, but no hope. Digital and vacant, a voice reaches me. Solace to silence. It reminds me how close I am to becoming a simple whore. I want to tear that need from my skin, to expose what lies beneath. It just gets muted by a desperate quiet that scares even me. I bring my knees to the floor, come eye to eye. Rolling and rolling, covering myself with something, more pure. Something perhaps, human. �-- - - - - --- ---.. STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Nationwide STREETSMARTS October 9, 1998 Dear Fellow Member ----~- of NASNA, Here in Miami.we 're about to publish our first issue of StreetSmartsWe need your help in~ areas: I .The city and county governments here in South Florida have told us that they plan to ban t he sale of StreetSmarts any way they can.They do not want our paper drawing attention to the 15,000 homeless here.Tourists might be offended.The ACLU.of course, will help us. But they've asked me to ask you if you've had similar problems in your a re a.And if so, can you send me a copy of the complaint as well as a copy of the decision on the complaint. Please share with us any experience you've had with government agencies arresting·or; harassing vendors, req uiring vendor licenses, etc. And their outcomes. 2. Part of our vendor strategy here is to work with clients of agencies such as the Rescue Mission, the SalvationA r my.and other homeless-helping organizations. Most demand to knCM' if there 's a precedent of street papers in other cities working with agencies like theirs. Just this morning l".tiami's SalvationA r my Captain told us that he would need specific information about other cities Salvation Armies selling street papers before he would commit t o working w ith us.T his is a conserva t ive and often fearful place; no o ne wants to be first. If you can help w ith any of the above, please write the address below (enclosing any supporting documents). fax 305.757.2448 (again, with support­ ing documents), email streetsmarts@kaisercom.com (attaching supporting documents) or call 305.754.8833 . We need answers as s~on as possible. In return, once we get through this first push, if I get a body of legal decisions, I'll compile everything and distribute it to the NAS NA membership. Thank you for your help in this matter. Cordially. Frank Kaiser THE 1999 HUD BUDGET Submitted by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo, the 1999 Budget is the best in I0 years for HUD. In a video conference in early October, Cuomo and Assistant Secretary Harold Lucas said we are "back in the housing business." There were increases in the Section 8 program, the homeless assistance McKinney programs, and there was a public housing bill. Cuomo said that HUD has spent years reforming itself and was viewed as an "obstacle to housing policies." He credited reform begun under ­ previous Secretary Henry Cisnaro and the progr ess made by the C linton administration in obtaining such a healthy budget. He also thanked advocacy and housing groups for making housing a prior ity. The HUD appropriation} bill also contained a new Public Housing bill, which was touted as . making public housing better. "fhe bill will at cord:.' ing to HUD officials help reduce crime by tearing down "failed projects" and replace them with mixed income communities. They were able to rebuff Republican attempts to make tenants volunteer for the housing authorities in exchange for living in subsidized units. There are new caP;i1;QI funds to build scattered site housing. In the Section 8 program, there will be an additional 90,000 vouchers nationwide with 50,000 going for welfare to wo r k programs. T his is the first increase in more than two years. The troubled Cleveland program which is currently under oversight of an outside consulting firm will receive an additional 150-200 vouchers. Cordell Cooper, Community Development Director, said the 1999 budget will raise the FHA loan limits. The FHA insurance program insures loans made by private banks to lower income families. The new increases will allow more families to enter the world of home ownership. Cooper also reported an 18.5% increase in funds for homeless programs. Cooper said, "We would hope that we can deliver a quality year in serving the public. The Fair Housing Department o f HUD will also receive an increase to do more investigations of minority discrimination in housing. STREETSMARTS COALITION INC. 780 NE 69 STREET/ SUITE I 709 MIAMI, FL 33138 Subscribe to Streetvibes HAIKU by Brett Zwolinski An Un.rhymed Japanese v erse f o rm of three li n es containing usually 5 , 7 , 5 (or 7,5,7) syllables respectiv ely. Please submit your suggestions for monthly Haiku to Brett Zwolinski at STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Now, Matt Mitchell ' s Haiku: jumping note to note laughing above city ligh ts; steps in harmony Page 7 Subscriptions t o Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $12 pe r ye ar. Plea se se nd a check t o the be low address and the pa p er will be maile d to you e ach issue. Streetvibes I506 Elm St reet C incinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Great er Cincinnati Coa lition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If yo u have any questio ns, call '421-7803 . WILLIAM R . WALLACE, D.D .S. 5258 MONTGOMERY AO. NORWOOD. OH 45212 Telephone (513) 531· 2338 payroll and human resource management TRANSCON EMPLOYMENT COMPANY Angle E. St r unk, CEO 1-888-841-7900 (513) 841-5550 Fax: (513) 841-5545. P.O. Box 12545 Cincinnati, Ohio 45212 angie_strunkOmsn.com · Phone: 921-1231 STATE AVENUE SALVAGE HISTO RI CAL BLDG. MATERIALS ' EARL (CHARLIE) MATIINGLY A~OTHER C L.\ S S 1958 S~ate Aye. Cinti., OH 45204 P~ O O CCTIO=" Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 (513) 230-6353 FACTS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : * In Cuy ahoga County, Ohio alone 20,000 people go homeless each year. *The Ohio Coalition for the Homeless es t ima tes t h at 1 4 0 , 000 people f ind t h e mselves ho meless each year through ou t the states *A recent study by the National Coalition for the Homeless showed that 13.5 million people across the country lived in shelters or on the street at some time in their lives . *The U.S . Census Bureau made a poor attempt at estimating homelessness that even the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development won't use. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine TURN THE PAGE by 0. Moneyhon ALLOW YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD by James Pryor, In Struggle Being a prisoner in the State of Ohio, I have learned many valuable lessons. One is that, to the system and society, I do not mean anything, because I've committed a crime. It wasn't a violent crime, just one committed by an eighteen year old boy, twenty years ago, who car:ne from a lower class family. Now I am a product of a corrupt capitalistic system that profits off of my misfortune. Due to my peril, I can offer empathy to the homeless, because I've been without, I receive no medical care, and society has turned its back on me and others like me. It really hurts to be isolated from a world in which you once belonged. One that you long to be a part of, and one you held tight to in your dreams. However, that world has cut me off, and now I am a prisoner of an enemy, from whom I receive constant maltreatment and harassment. The food is minimal and poor, medical care is next to no nexistent and the living conditions are deplorable, not much unlike being homeless. Society has ostracized the homeless and prisoners as though they are diseases they want no part of. They fail to see that we are human beings, just as they. These thoughts are created by a media dictated to by the upperclass, who are self-centered and uncaring. Th is is a social illness in itself, created by ignorance and power. We must create defenses against these entities. This can be done by our voting power, creating agendas and asking ou r legislators to enact laws or pass bills to heal the illness. The majority of local elections are won by a slim margin of votes. Organization of the agencies and networks that support prisoners and rights of the homeless, needs to occur. There is a voice in unity. and it must be spoken before this illness gets further out of control. Politicians running for office have overlooked an important constituency that can be influenced by felons. For every man and woman in prison, there are 3.4 husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, grandfa­ thers, sons, lovers, friends, and others who care about the welfare and safety of the prisoner. This is the same for the homeless of Ohio. There are agencies, some churches, family, citizens and others who care greatly about the welfare and safety of the homeless. All of these folks must be convinced to vote for the candidate who stands for social change, rehabilitation, redemption, restorative justice, and human compassion. I would like to bring this together, and hope for your support. As is very evident, I have plenty of time to work on it. I would like all churches, agencies, organizations, and individuals of compas­ sion to write me. In your letter, inform me of your concerns and views. From these I will take the majority of similar issues and concerns, and thus, create an a·g enda to present to our legislators. Also, I will inform them of the number of votes they can receive by acting on our behalf. There can be no justice in today's social ills until we take a stand. It is important to realize the power we have to influence elections and we should study the record of candi­ dates and advise our families and friends accordingly. Please contact me, James W . Pryor R# I09988, P.O. Box 51 I. Columbus, Ohio _43216. Please send a self-addressed embossed envelope for a reply! It was yard day. A black man wearing state issued powder blue pajamas was sitting alone near the inmate band in the prison hospital's courtyard. The rest of the crowd - infirmed prisoners, healthy prison workers, and staff - were scurrying about for more fresh grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, and fo r blobs of baked beans and potato salad served ·on Styrofoam plates. Many of the inmates were in wheel chairs. One had an l.Y. tree with one clear bag overhead and one bag of blood which matched the ketchup on the condiment table. The people who were finished eating were talking and smoking cigarettes as the band played another country song. The old man was positioned on an elevated patio which was like his own little stage just a bit lower than the band. The bass player walked deep notes around the scratchy, whining, gentle moaning of guitars. The drummer thumped predictably to the simple melodies. The old patient had a distin­ guished lo9king curly gray beard and hair. He was leaning back in a turquoise molded fiberglass seat. His eyes were closed, head tilted slightly to one side, as though drifting to the music. In the background, the blue-gray smoke from the grills drifted lazily but steadily upward. The charcoal smell mingled with the cigarette smoke in the not-so-large circular courtyard surrounded by tall brick walls. The old inmate seemed to be waltzing inwardly like the dancing smoke. After awhile, the band acquiesced to a requested side trip from country songs. Several people had asked the band to play Bob Seger tunes. Just then, !'Turn the Page" seemed to perfectly fit the scene of the meditating prisoner. For a moment that seemed rich enough and reverent enough for an eternity, the soulful words " O n the road again, up on the stage. H.ere I go again. Turn the page," seemed to move the man far from the confines of his low place in prison and far from his chronic, possibly terminal, illness. For the first time all afternoon, no one clapped at the end of the song. The peaceful old man's eyes remained closed as he drifted in silence. EDUCATION AS CRIME PREVENTION: .Providing Education To Prisoners by James Pryor, In Struggle There is a strong link between low levels of education and high rates of criminal activity, and one of the best predictors of adult criminal behavior is involvement with the criminal justice system as a juvenile. With so few resources devoted to the education of juvenile offenders, it is not surprising that so many remain involved in the criminal justice system well into their adult lives. Like their juvenile counterparts, adults involved in the criminal justice system are severely undereducated. Nineteen percent of adult inmates are completely illiterate, and 40% are "functionally illiterate," which means, for example, that: th.ey would be unable to write a letter explaining a billing error. Comparatively, the national illiteracy rates for adult Americans standards at 4% with 21 % function­ ally illiterate. The rate of learning disabilities in adult correctional facilities runs high, at I I%, compared to 3% in the general population. Low literacy levels and high rates of learning disabilities within this population have contr ibuted to high dropout rates. Page B Nationwide. over 70% of all people entering state correctional facilities have not completed high school, with 46% having had some high school education and 16.4% having had no high scho o l education at all. Nationally, reported rates of recidivism for adult o ffenders in the United States are extrao rdinar­ ily high, ranging from 4 1% to 60%. The difficulty in pinpointing specific rates of recidivism is often due to a confusion of terms. The national re-arrest rate, around 63%, is different from the re-imprisonment rate, which averages around 41 %. Programmatic efforts to reduce recidivism have ranges from boot camps and shock incarceration fac ilities to prison­ based education efforts. The effectiveness of these programs varies, but research shows that prison­ based education and literacy programs are much more effective at lowering recidivism rates than either boot camps or shock incarceration. For example, in a recent report on crime prevention programs conducted at the request of the U.S. Justice Department researchers at the University of Mary.land found that teaching reading skills to juveniles worked significantly better to reduce crime that boot camp programs. "Correctional Education Appears To Be The Number One Factor In Reducing Recidivism Rates Nationwide." - Alabama State Board of Education. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, there is ari inverse relationship between recidivism rates and education. The more education received, the less likely an individual is to be re-arrested o r re­ imprisoned. A report issued by the Congressional Subcom­ mittee to Investigate Juvenile Delinquency estimates that the national recidivism rate for juvenile offend­ ers is between 60% and 84%. For juveniles involved in quality reading instruction programs, the recid i­ vism rate can be reduced by 20% or more. A five-year follow-up study conducted by the Arizona Department of Adult Probation concluded that probationers who received literacy training had a significantly lower re-arrest (35%) than the control group (46%). and those who received GED educa­ tion had a re-arrest rate of 24%, compared to the control group's r:ate of 46%. Inmates with at least two years of college education have a I0% re-arrest rate, compared to a national re-arrest rate of approximately 60%. Research studies conducted in Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and other states have all reported significantly low recidivism rates for inmate participants in correctional higher-education programs, ranging from I% to 15.5%. As with all research on prisons and jails, data on correctional education tends to focus on specific localities or states. Texas is on jurisdiction which has done extensive research on the success of correctional higher education. The overall recidivism rate for degree holders leaving the Texas Department of Criminal Justice between September 1990 and August 1991 was I5%, four times lower than the general recidivism rate of 60%. A two-year follow-up report found that the higher level of degree awarded was inversely related to the level of recidivism - individuals with associate's degrees had a recidivism rate of 13.7%, those with bachelor's degrees had a rate of 5.6%, and those with master's degrees had a rate of zero. One must wonder as to the reluctance, nationwide, to implement educational programs into the United States prisons. It is evident by statistics and the rate of recidivism, that such practices greatly reduce the reoccurrence of crime by ex-offenders, greatly reducing the need for new prison construc­ tion. Yet, our legislators sign laws into existence which have opposite effects. Again, one must question their objective in filling prisons and returning prisoners to society who will recommit . . Taxpayers, especially here in Ohio, suffer financ ially due to such mismanagement. It's no longer a silent entity to be ignored, it is evident everywher e! [Source: Center on Crime, Communities & Culture. (1997, September). Education as Crime Prevention Providing Education To Prisoners. New York: NY: OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTEJ �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine 11 BORDER AWARENESS IN MEXICO .. . 11 From the Journal of Patrick Harmon 9/17/98 The college of Mt St Joseph is now in its third year Qf sending students down to the U.S./Mexico border. This "Border Awareness" trip is hosted by the "Women's lnterculturo/ Center" in Anthony, New Mexico. Students visit Anthony, El Paso, Texos and Juarez, Mexico. On the trip in Moy of 1998, the group visited cooperatives, unions, parishes, devel­ opment projects, and border patrol agents. We each spent time with families on both sides of the border. The following is a journal entry about a fomily I stayed with on the other side of the fence. Chabela's father Hector has very bad hearing, when she introduced me to him it was hard for us to understand each other. His shiny eyes would squint and his weather beaten cheeks would scrunch up as he cupped his hand around his right ear. I had to get in his face and speak very loud and clear, and through he could understand, it always looked as if he were trying a little too hard. He would return my questions and talk about his life in a very loud voice. almost as though he was yelling. exaggerating the expressions on his face to make up for his lack of hearing-sending all the children who had gathered around into fits of laughter. We were sitting down at the kitchen table drinking instant coffee and eating deep fried tortillas covered in sugar as.the sunset began to fade off the mountains in the desert of northern Mexico. Outside the cinder block house, I could hear mothers calling their children home from the dirt streets and tr.ails that snake through the community of Centro Santa Catarina. Through the kitchen window I saw electricity being turned on in the houses and shanties up the ravine, light streams out into the night through open windows and gaps in walls. A light breeze drifted in and out of curtains, everything smells of burning garbage and dust. Chabela kept an eye on her 5 children while she cooked on the propane stove and smiled, listening to Hector and I yell : teach other. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail and fell over her broad shoulders down as she fried up rice. beans and potatoes. Hector, tired of yelling. gets up and announces that he was going to get "the apparatus." He returns frqm the other room with a large, old school hearing aid that he swears hurts him to wear. He tells me that he lost his hearing working on a job at a filling station in Texas some years ago, and that he has been to "curas" all throughout northern Mexico to no avail. "At one point," he tells me, " I was eating 40 pills a day." He shrugs his shoulders with a disgusted look on his face , "40 pills" he repeats, "Que Va?" While Chabela cooks, she tells me that she was born in Juarez. and although s)le has traveled to other towns and cities in the Mexican deserts, she has come back here to raise her children. Her husband works at an auto parts plant in Chicago and sends home small amounts of money. " He comes home when he can, if God will it he will return home in August for a visit," she says. looking away from me. " He has to get his papers together." The way she tells me this betrays deeper feel ings within her, as though she talks about him coming home only for the sake of her young children. She says her husband wants to gather enough funds together and send for the whole family-to pay for their passports to come live with him-"but this is a dream, it is not secure enough." Till that time they decided to buy this small plot of land here, at the old dump, so they have something to fall back on. She smiles and mentions that she built this kitchen room all by herself. It is an impressive project, w ith the materials she could afford. There is a small piece of land in the back that is level before the hillside tumbles over into a trash ravine-she wishes to build another addition on that. "When the summer months come, the kitchen is too hot for her children to sleep in, with the sun coming in through the window-a place in the back would provide much more space. and be a lot cooler." When dinner is ready everyone crowds around the table to chow down. Chabela serves Hector and I first, then the children. She fixes a small plate for herself but there are not enough seats at the table for her to eat. I hate machismo culture, but I remain silent and practice eating by tearing off pieces of a tortilla and scooping up the food by hand. I eat more than I should to show respect. Chabela explains to me that the women's group at church has given her so much. Before she joined, she was isolated, most of the time she stayed at home with her children or by herself, introverted or sad. Now that she has a group to meet with, she has been learning how to express herself, sharing with other women of the neighborhood. She went into the other room and returned with a book of poetry, written in both English and in Spanish, by a woman who was a refugee from Guatemala. " I used to think that I was poor," she said with a d istant look in her eyes, "that I was the only one who suffered. Now I see that we are not alone, and that there are so many people who suffer more than us." She talked of a passage in the book that told of a village being burned by the army, of a mother shot down with her baby in her arms. "What about Chiapas?" I ask. "How do you, as Mexicans feel about what is going on here in your own country?" It seems as though I keep asking this quest ion of the people here. One woman I had talked with earlier told me that everyone feels the pain. Her husband swore that if he had the money, he would assist them. If he had arms he would send them, and if he had no.family he would go and fight. Chabela tells me that she doesn't understand why the military is there, why they have to go into the indigenous villages and kill people. She says that most people here feel a profound sadness about the whole thing. There have been demonstrations in Juarez, all the way at the other end of this large country, for peace in Chiapas. But Chiapas is not the only region in which there is suffering-perhaps in all parts of Mexico people live life as a daily struggle to put food on the plates of their families. Juarez and the whole border area are a perfect example. If you were to go look around both Juarez and El Paso you would see that the only resource that this area has to offer, is cheap labor-labor at exploitative wages. The workers might migrate here to the "maquiladoras" or sweatshops, to feed their families-yet they are not so stupid as to fail to see that the reasons the maquilas are here is to exploit. As for a factory in the U.S.. it is a question of paying an average of $25,000 a year in salary, benefits and security; or three or four dollars a day in northern Mexico. With the passage on NAFTA in 1994, the market has been flooded with cheap corn from U.S. agribusiness. Small-scale farmers can't compete against the productivity of industrial farming. All throughout Mexico, families have been steadily losing their jobs and their land; many are forced to migrate to the sweatshops or attempt crossing the border to find work. When the dishes are taken from the table, Hector lights a cigarette and begins to sing ranchero songs for the whole family. He prides himself, telling me that he knows a song for every person's name. I walk outside to the faucet to wash up, listening to his deep, lonesome cowboy voice, singing a song about Patricio, who got cheated on some job and left without enough money to even get drunk. After returning I ask him to sing a song about Hector, but he tells me that the only ones he knows are sad. I ask him if he knows any of the legendary "Ojo de Vidrio" songs. They are about the Mexican man who was wrongly accused of stealing horses and murdering an U.S. Marshall. Ojo de Vidrio see out alone on a horse for months riding in circles around gringo posses who had been sent into the desert to get him. Only when the burden of missing his family became too great did he return as a hero to be captured. A man who swore that Vidrio's only Page 9 crime was that of being an excellent horseman defended him in court. Hector smiled and tried to remember one of the ranchero songs about this, then laughed, explaining that the singer who sung those songs had a worse voice than his. It's getting late. I take a break from the conversation and relax on the small bed that they have offered me beside the window in the kitchen. One of the children with a look of wonder struck across his face shows me the two-week old kitten that he holds in his hands. Chabela asks me if I need anything before she goes into the other room with the rest of the children to watch late night soap operas on the TV. As I try and reflect over the last few days, I watch hector unfold an old spring bed and prop it up on some concrete blocks. " For my back," he explains, as he rolls out his bed roll. I bum a smoke and try to relax: images rise up like sand dunes blown across the desert. I think of droughts and fires, of migrating peoples, of a river and a thin line. The boarder through El Paso is the Rio Grande, channeled to control its tendency to carve out and erode its banks. On the U.S. side there are double fences with razor wire, motion detectors, cameras, boarder patrol trucks within sight of each other and a chopper in the air at all times. On the Mexican side I saw a mural of Che Guevarra as I walked across a bridge. A few months ago the b.oarder patrol pulled over a large moving truck out in the desert with a 14-year-old kid driving. When the officers were approaching they heard screaming and banging coming from the back. When they cut off a padlock and opened the door, over 70 people spilled out dehydrated, gasping for air. They had used boots and belt buckles to bust holes in the sides of the truck so they could breathe. Mothers often are exposed to hazardous substances while working in the maquiladoras. Children are being born with birth defects, others never mature; some mothers have lead in their milk. I walked up to the fence and stared at the shacks and the children, who stared at me, a train rolled by full of goods going north. 150 years ago people risked their lives against the system to ~muggle slaves to freedom . I sit in the kitchen while the blue desert morning grows outside the window. The bare light bulb casts a circle of light over the space where I write. Flies dance on the edge of coffee cups, looking for grains of sugar. I hear roosters up and down the hillside, calling out to each other, some­ where in the distance a dog barks as a car engine starts up. Hector, my grandfather companion has left, he finished his tall cup of coffee, put his tortillas and beans in a sack, shared a cigarette w ith me and headed out toward the bus route. He works as a laborer, manually loading construction trucks with concrete, sand and stone. He told me that they were poor, but their door was always open. I follow him outside and watch him leave, walking up the dirt road over a little rise, then disappearing. I look down the ravine toward Juarez at all the lights scattered out like a bag of stars busted in the sand. remember waking up, as if in a dream, the Chihua­ hua Desert wind ripping down from the mountains, in through the open window where I slept. There is something in the desert, slow, unmoving, suddenly breaking into a storm. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Hom eless Grap evine STREETVIBES Editorials & Letters HOMELESSNESS IS REAL .. . by Julia Fischer, Ursaline Academy 12th grade While clutching my mother's hand and trying to fight back tears, I closed my eyes to avoid the scene before me. A homeless man sat on the street corner. His clothes were ragged, his face dirtx. and his eyes were heavy with sadness. In front of him sat a.can with a few coins,.but all these im'a&es escaP,~d my eyes. This five-y.ear old couldn't stand the-tragic scene. When I closed my eyes, I believed what I couldn't see, didn't exist. At that moment, for me~ homelessness didn't extst. It was not until my sehior year that I again had a head-on collision with the homeless, but my attitude hadn't changed. The images in the newspa­ per or TV could have been scenes from a foreign country- they weren't real to me. Homelessness was not present in the suburbs; I never went into the city to find it. Poverty wasn't my problem. As a new project of my school's Mission Club, the members were expected to work beside, eat with, and talk to people who didn't have a place to go home at night. I wasn't sure if I could handle the challenging situations ahead: poverty, illiteracy, illicit drugs. and abuse. I had no experience with such topics and felt very uneasy. After my day was done, I could return home to a full table and a loving family. I worried that I would be resented, a well-off "do-gooder", in downtown Cincinnati for a few hours only to return to my flawless life in the suburbs. As I continue to work downtown, my concerns are slowly easing. Forgetting my anxieties, I focus instead on the people I encounter and the insights I have gained. One such person that has left a definite impression on me is a young boy living in downtown Cincinnati named Damion. One afternoon, Damion crept into the Children's Community Center. He looked longingly at the food on the table, but did not say a word. "Would you like anything to eat?" I asked. "A bagel? Apple? Coke?" " No, no thank you." "Are you sure? Would you like any Starbursts?" A smile. Bingo. I know what Damion likes. " Have as many as you like. We don't need them," I said with a smile. Three handfuls of Starbursts later Damion was feasting on apples, bagels, and Coke. Food was the bridge between Damion and me. The bond grew stronger as we played games on the computer. "What does that say?" he asked. "Um, Funny Faces. You wanna play that?" "Nah, that one?" "Wheel of Fortune..." "Yah, that one." A few minutes after playing Wheel of Fortune on the computer, I realized Damion couldn't read. "You know what that says?" he asked. "Um, I don't know. What do you want to guess?" I replied. "I don't know." R_VER,1:he computer screen read. Why doesn't he say "I?" Isn't it obvious what the answer is, I thought to myself. He's ten years old. It's not like he can't read... Oh no, he can't. For a moment I forgot where I was. In some ways. I was playing a game with a toddler for whom I Page 10 baby-sit. Tears filled my eyes. Never before had I met a fourth grader who couldn't read. "Why don't you try an ''l'T' I said . "Great job! We won the round!" For the rest of the day Damion clung to me. Each time I looked at him, I felt sad, but his enthusi­ asm warmed my heart. At such a young age, he has endured more hardships then I will probably ever face. Yet Damion helped me understand the impor­ tance of education. love, and service. Education will teach him to read, write. add. subtract, and take. charge of his life. Love will shield him from negative influences that hinder his life. Service will provide the foundation for building self-worth and confidence not only in Damion, but in myself. Dear Friend: I 0/10/98 I received the STREETVIBES and my request was printed in it. It was my hope and prayer that someone would hear my cry and distress through my request. However. there was no P.O. Box SI I. Columbus. Ohio 43216 Where I can be rea'c;hed. Make no mistake. your great concern is more than appreciated. Would you please re-print my ad or run my address in the paper- or however you see it! May God keep blessing you in your struggle. In Solidarity, lee Crum WARNING! Job Seekers I 0/22/98 Dear Friend: Should it be possible, prease place my address with my ad, so I can receive letters or pen pals. I also wish to thank you for printing my ad. Also, I mailed you-a.letter and it rewrned to ~ me- stating 45210. Incorrect- 45202/ I0 ac.ceptable. by Vikki Lynn l always read through-the want adS w~en­ looking-for a.job or just seeing what's available: What I've noticed on the last company I applle.q ~ ! was badly treated by a few oi the employees. "fhe second day on the job, I was calleda "bitch'1 and ' ! "nigger" by one of the workers. I don't know what I could have done while working th.ere tp that 1 individual, but nevertheless I suffered what is called . ''restraint of trade." I did resign to avoid a very badcf scene. The supervisor that I spoke to·said that that>, J person is difficult and try to work beside them anyway. I don't think so! At another j9b Iwas .) employed at, I was sexually accosted by an employe~ and my superiors did nothing about it.· I quit and they offered me my job back saying they were givini. me a second chance. Behavior like that wouldn't be tolerated because it was bad for the company as if it was my fault. How ironic! In 97', I got a job as a school bus driver for 'I special children. On the last day I worked there someone pulled up besides me and tried to run_me -> off the road. Get this, the training instructor was on the bus at the time and didn't do one thing about it. She didn't radio for help, she just sat there with a stupid look on her face. Iwrote down the license number, called the police, and contacted the director of transportation. I called an attorney I knew who suggested several avenues of defense, but to no avail. I was fired three weeks short ofbeing eligible for unemployment which you get if you don't work over the summer. So I say to you,"lf you are looking for a job or want to better yourself circumstances, Isuggest watch the company you choose closely before cosidering working there. It may not be worth your while. Read how often their company is seeking help. It may be something wrong with their picture."Photo by jimmy Heath - Thank you and Ma.y God' Continue bressing you ·alf.! In Solidarity, > A lee Crum 239-589 P.O. Box 511 (OCI) - - Columbus, OH 43216/0511 .' Dear Mr. Crum: Regretobly, we here at STREETVIBES were unable to locate your ad. However, it is our hope that the inclusion of your address here will render you solace in your endeavor to maintain contact with those on the outside. furthermore, your address .exists in the announcements section of REEETVIBES on page I5. If you hove any concerns please write to us again here at STREETVIBES. sf RESPECTING YOUR PEOPLE by Lolonta Foster Today I want to talk about respect.. Today in this world people have been disrespecting people by using words and actions in ways we people don't like. See people. when you disrespect other people, you know someone will disrespect you back. I know a lot of you out there know about respect, so you can just stop reading this. So, the people that don't know about respect you need to listen up. So for those of you that don't know about respect, there isn't nothing to it. Well, respect is when you go tell someone you love them or how beautiful they are, not by going up to them and trying to go mess up their face because you're jealous. Now, those of you that are on the streets and you know you disrespected your parent, I feel sorry for you because I would never disrespect my parent so that I would be where you are. So, one day you will look back and say, "Well, I think I disrespected my mom or dad!" Then you get on your feet and go find your family that you are sorry and please and beg them for forgiveness. Well. I was giving you all that are out a little something to think about. Good luck to you all!! �- - - - -- - - - - --- -------- - - STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page II Scramble byRancarter T ry to unscramble t hese related ~ COME ONE COME ALL TO THE -"MEETING ON THE OLD CAMP GROUND" SATURDAY r..- NOVEMBER 7, 1998 r..- 6:30 P.M. words: LEW EONLAH MPUPIKN SAMTIRCHS OWSN WNEAREYS ARTPY AVEENINLTS AYD DYCNA GHANKSTGIVIN KUTEYR at FIRST NEW SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH 710 SOUTH CRESCENT AVENUE CINCINNATI, OHIO 45229 MICHAEL K. CASH, PASTOR Answers on page I 5. ANONYMOUS GUESTS AT THE MEETING: UNITED PRAISE VOICES OF HOPE FIRST NEW SHILOH MASS CHOIR TRIBE GOSPEL CHOIR THE VOICES FROM HEAVEN ·M s. BURNETTA PRICE, SOLOIST OLIVET ANGELIC YOUTH CHOIR MS. TASHIA HANKERSON, SOLOIST ELDER & MRS. CLARENCE PRINGLE NORTHERN KENTUCKY BROTHERHO.O D-SINGERS Sister & Bro ther, put do wn your d rugs. So o ur children can put down the irs. You old drug use r, is getting our young ones into the drug game. You are creating new drug users, w ife beate rs, fatherless children, mothers who... Leave their children It's time to stop. You are and w ill be held accountable. AS.KING ALL THAT WILL TO WEAR DEN IM OR BLUEJEAN A1TIRE MRS. ANNIEBELL RILEY, COORDINATOR Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptio ns to Stre etvibes ca n be purchased for $12 per ye ar. Please se nd a check to the below addre ss and the paper will b e mailed to you each issue. Stre etvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnat i, OH 45210 Ple ase make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421 -7803. r.J 272-0 90 3 Community Celebration. Live Music! Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge Nast-Trinity United Methodist Church 1320 Race St. Cincinnati 721- 7339 Subscribe to Streetvibes COMEDY CORNER by Ron Carter There once was a cop named Smife, who carried a gun and knife. His gun was all dusted and his knife was all rusted, becuase he never caught a crook in his life. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Hom.eless Grapevine Page 12 FORMERLY HOMELESS: VETERANS ARE D.OING WELL by William Stone Submitted by Iola S. Green, HCHV Coordinator My name isW illiam Sto ne and I have been a compulsive gambler fo r ove r 30 years. In October 1996, I ent ered and completed the PTSD Program at theVAMC in Cincinnati, Ohio and began to deal w ith my problems from Vietnam. I was also attending GamblersAnonymous (GA) ,which I had off and on since 1976 when I got out of prison the first time. In January 1997, my life finally began to turn arou nd. Homeless and no where to go from the halfway house I had been sent to from prison, I was placed into the 6 month ResidentialTreatment Program at Joseph House by theVA HCHV Program With the help of Iola Green placing me into Joseph and the dedication and devotion from Sister Kateri M. Koverman.Clinical Director of Joseph House and Dr. James Ryan, the consulting psychologist, I started to hear and listen about my addiction, its strange hold on me, and how to work a successful reco.'ery. But I'm a slow learner and it didn't come right w:Nay. For the first three months of the Program. I continued to gamble,but didn't tell anyone at Joseph House.Then, guilt ridden and shamed of how I was and what I was doing. I told the staff at Joseph House. Iwas immedi- William Stone ately put on a Behavioral Contract, but felt relieved t hat everything was now in the open. Although I still have temptations often and have to deal with casino ads, lottery billboards, and the constant advertisements throughout the entire media, I no longer want to gamble.Through the Joseph House Program, my Ga mblersAnonymous fellowship, and my new relationship with my Higher Power, God, I am happy with who I am and with what I'm doing. I've gone from resident at Joseph House to Resident Manager at Moses House, a transitional housing program run by Joseph House, Inc.,to theAdm in istrativeAssistant at Joseph House. I am also on the Board ofTrustees as the first former­ graduate on the Board to represent the resident view in the decision making processes so vital to the homeless veterans Joseph House serves. I'm proud of who I am and as I help other recovering addicts at Joseph House, I continue to help myself. I consider \Jou Y\now +hose~ h.0Mons core about·as :f'\uch ~or euc:h . oth~~a~the~~ · -~~:~~~ do USo ..... -1·~- myse lf to be successful now but realize that wit h the illness of co mpulsive gambling, I must continue t o attend my GA meetings, keep totally surrendered to my Higher Fbwe r; Go d.and keep total honesty with my communities both at Joseph House and in the GA fellowship. I understand that I have a life lo ng mission to continue and am willing to do whatever is necessary to abstain from gambling. I'm also proud to say that I am beginning to recO'/er the relation­ ships with my five ch ildren and nine grandchil~ren which I almost destroyed during my addiction days. That will require life long humility and work too, but that which is worthwhile takes time and patience, both of which I have plenty to give. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 13 -News From Cleveland s Grapevine 1 LIFE AFTER WELFARE REFORM by Brian Davis After one year bf reform of welfare in the state of Ohio, there have been dramatic changes, but activists wonder if at the end of the day the commu­ nity is better-served .The Department of Human Services has split into two separate fields. One is known as Health and Nutrition which coordinates Medicaid, child care, and the food stamps program. The other is theWork andTraining Department which administers the cash program and works with the participants to assist in self sufficiency skills including finding a job. The Department has decentralized its services by setting up seven satellite offices in the community with four more in the works.They have reassigned · almost every case manager and provided training to almost fNery worker in the department.The case workers are in the community in an attempt to be more convenient to their clients. In the past two months, the department has started to convert · ' individuals from pape; fo~~d s~mps to electronic stamps that work in much the same way as a bank card. In Cuyahoga county. the welfare caseloads receiving cash assistance has dropped to 16,000 families down from 27,000. Cuyahoga County is actually behind other counties in reducing the welfare caseload with some counties cutting as much as 80% of those who were previously receiving assistance. CaseWorkers Reserve University Center for Urban Poverty studied those who left the welfare roles between 1996and 1997.Theyfound that46% were not making any money one year after leaving welfare, and another I I% were making less that $4,000 per year.They found that only about one third of the population was making $12,000 or more a year after they had left the welfare roles. With the number of worker in training, the new phone systems, and the confusion over the changes.both the Welfare Department and the County Ombudsman, and independent mediator and arbiter; report dramatic increases in complaints from recipients. Joe Gauntner. Director of Health and Nutrition, feels that those problems are in the past. He said," We feel we are on the downward curve (of complaints)'.' Rosalinda Denore, Special Projects Coordina­ tor of the Empowerment Center of Cleveland, is·not so sure that the worst of the problems are in the past. "There certainly is a lot of confusion:' Denore said. "They have set it up to make it easier, but they . have still not put in the i:ieces in place.They need training about being respectful and empathetic to the clients:· Denore said,"There are some who are really trying hard. Overall there is a lot of confusion and missing information and they cannot take time to help their clients:· 1 S ~eteWerheim,the County Ombudsman.said tl;iat they are finding it difficult to refer a women to the department·to sign up for assistance."f,hey are finding tha< they have to send~ social worker-with 1£. the client to be able to ask the right questions and know the direction a women must take to get the correct benefits.This is creating an additional hardship on the shelters who have to expand staff time to get women with children the benefits that they are entitled to receive. Gauntner defended the program changes saying that its natural to expect some confusion when a new system is iniroduced. Gauntner said that the training was almost complete."I think that things are starting to settle down. I would say that we try to be responsive to our customers'.' Werheim said," ( don't have a problem with having patience with the system. Basically, the people who are paying are those in the program . They tell us to'have patience: We need to hold them to the same standard that they are holding the community and their customers to:· The people receiving cash assistance are being sanctioned and dropped from the program at an alarming pace while their time clock continues to tick.The County will not accept" have patience" when a client shows up having voluntarily quit from their job because they had to quit to care for a sick child.They are given a three month sanction. Cleveland News Continued PaUe "14. v hr ..p n<.: > No-rth errr·-IE·Etn-tncky ~Hou·s ing~amr=· ·-· Homelessness Coa,lition (NKHHC) CITY OF NEWPORT DETERMINED TO DEMOLISH 202 UNITS OF ·PUBLIC HOUSING by Barry Grosheim Publi'c housing on Newports riverfront faces the wrecking ball if a still determined City of New­ port has its way. Using a combination of funding sources including Federal grants, HOME funds, l ow­ Income and HistoricTax Credits and private financ­ ing the City wants to clear the riverfront property for future development. In a letter to MayorTom Guidugli onAugust 27, 1998 the Steering Committee of the Northern Kentucky Housing and Homeless Coalition once again outlined its position on the proposed demoli­ tion.The letter; in part, stated: The NKHHC Steering Committee has ex­ pressed its concerns about plans to demolish 202 units of public housing on several occasions, both in writing and verbally at public meetings.The con­ cerns which needed to be addressed before the NKHHC Steering Committee could support any plan that calls for the demolition of existing units of public housing have been outlined, also in writing. This is to reiterate those issues and to raise specific obj.ections to the announced plan. In the past the NKHHC Steering Committee has stated that it could support the proposed demolition only if: · New units of housing are produced, on line and ready for occupancy before any demolition occurs. · One new unit of housing is built for each unit to be demolished. · Replacement units have affordability guaran­ teed for the life of the building. ·Any new units achieved through the ren(7(a­ t ion of existing buildings does not cause displace­ ment of current low-income tenants. Renovation of abandoned houses and of buildings not currently used for housing is acceptable, renovation of houses that are currently occupied is not. ·Any use of Section 8 subsidies is by new certificates, not part of the current allotment. The plan announced last month brings up two additional issues of great concern.The NKHHC Steering Committee opposes any residency require­ ments that differ from the guidelines for existing public housing units. Specifically, these new units of housing must be available to households with incomes below 30% of the median income for Northern Kentucky.Also, the plan calls for the use of Low-Income Tax Credits as part of the financing. package. Low-IncomeTax Credits were established by Congress to foster the development of much needed low-income rental housing.The intent of Congress did not include their use to replace existing affordable housing and certainly not for a project which would actually reduce the number of units of affordable housing available in Northern Kentucky.The. NKHHC Steering Committee opposes the use of Low-IncomeTax Credits in this project. The Mayor has not responded to the letter or the concerns expressed. Subsc.ribe to Streetvi bes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchase d for $12 pe r year. Please se nd a che ck to the be low address and the paper will be m ailed to you each m o nth. Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street C incinnati, OH 452 10 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coali­ tion for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 42 1-78 03. �I STREETVIBES The Tri State's Hom.e/ess Grapevine Cleveland News My Early Life In Continued The West End by James Hobbs From Page 13... A number of different activists raised the concern that at the same time the County is making huge cuts in the number of people being served, they a re expanding their CNerhead by opening neighbor­ hood centers. Denore raised the question that if the roles keep decreasing, will the neighborhood centers be open and the staff trained and there will not be anyone left receiving assistance. Is the money that was going to families being used to pay rent,addi­ tional staff, and security for the new centers? Gauntner said the Department still has not reached the estimated number of staff budgeted in January of 1998. He said that in comparison to years such as 1990 when there was a large welfare caseload, the department has hundreds of fewer employees. Gauntner said this was a legitimate concern,but cautioned that the task of theWork and Training office is to support people who have left cash assistance and support them so that they don't have to come back to cash assistance. The changes that will have the impact on the largest number of people is the conversion of food stamps from paper to an electronic benefit card. In the next 6 months, 40,000 people will need to begin to use the benefit card in Cuyahoga County. Gauntner said that most of the stores have con­ verted to the electronic benefits, and 5,000 people have started using the system.The problem with the new system noted by both the Ombudsman's Office and the Empowerment Center was the delay in getting the benefits when a problem arises. It takes sometimes as much as 48 hours to correct a problem when a card does not work.This is 48 hours the family goes without food or must make other arrangements. I remember moving in the Lincoln Courts shortly after they were built. I attended Washburn Elementary School. During the summer, my brothers and sister would swim and play basketball at Lincoln Center. One Christmas Santa brought me a new bike. On this same Christmas, one of my brothers caused the Christmas Tree to burn. The next summer Iwent on long bike trips. for example, Mt. Airy Park. Mt. Echo, the Cincinnati Zoo, and Lunken Airport. I remember picking apples up in Clifton Heights and taking them home where my mom prepared cooked cobblers. They were delicious. To me at that time, the Lincoln Courts were a wonderful place to live and play. 11 le:J IAlX)N MOVIEREVIEW ­ Page 14 apparent reason it ju,st couldn't deliver: It was a flop. LarenzTate,one of my favorite actors and who I IOYed in" LCNe Jones",carried the mCNie in his portrayal of Frankie Lymon. Halle Berry played a classy and glamourous lady who saw the talent in Frankie. She loved him but she tried desperately not to. Like so many sisters she believed she could do better but she was blinded by Frankies charisma. VivicaA. Fox known in the smash hit;' Soul Food", did an outstanding job. Her character made me weak. Her life was filled with pain, poverty and dominated by the blues. Like many young Black women who give their hearts to their men, she wound up being victimized in the name of ICNe.Th e gentleman that had been locked inside Frankie came out when he met Lela Rochan,who played the naive good girl.With no one to turn to and no one to love, Frankie Lymon took a journey into a dark world of self destruction that developed into a drug habit. Like a writer who loves to write, his passion for music which was no longer at the core of his life led him deeper into drugs. Music was what he lived for: It was his pass ion.his world.When Frankie was no longer appreciated by the public, he could no longer sang; he died even though he was alive.A very important element in the movie was exposure of the record company.They made four million dollars off the hitWhy Do Fools Fall In Love, while Frankie and his wives were cheated out of royalties. If this movie does nothing else, it enforces whatThe Shadow believes in .That self-publishing is the future. The movie was about his relationships but what I got most out of the movie is that Blacks need to self­ publish or produce their own works. People will probably get many different messages from the m CNie, butThe Shadows message to my beautiful Black sisters is when somebody ICNes you.its no good unless they ICNe all the way. WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE by The Shadow CMHA PROJECTS It was a story that was almost too sad to be told.The movie was based on a triangle involving three women who all claimed to be married to Frankie Lymon . He was a rock star in the SO's and was known for his classic hit that he wrote"Why Do Fools Fall In Love". It was one of those movies that built you up only to let you down. For unknown by Vikki Lynn I would like to enlighted people on the living in the Metropolitan Housing Devlopments. I was homeless when I applied for housing through the shelter I stayed at. I've been living there since mid April. I didn't have anything but as time went by. I accumulated what I needed. Since my stay, I have observed the environment I live in. The apartme.nt is a one bedroom. I don't pay utilities and they go by your income. Which can be helpful when you are not employed. Or between jobs. The downside of the projects is the noise. They play basketball at all hours of the night. Drinking acohol right outside the main door. Standing in the way when you are trying to get in or out of the building. Hollering for people. I feel that it's not where you live, but how you live. I go to the store, I keep my house clean, I take out the garbage when necessary. Basically, I stay. to myself. I'm polite to my neighbors and speak when i'have to. I don't visit or socialize. The other day. my neighbor was riding me to the store and she asked why I don't visit, my response was simple, I perfer to keep that way. Everywhere I have lived in this city, I stay to myself. I don't think it's proper for me carry on with folks because everyone does. There are pluses and minuses no matter where you go but, if you don't know the lifestyle that you're entering, it can pull you under or suck you dry. I have no idea how long I'll be there, but I sure am glad I have a place to lay my head and call my own home. I like it. Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home? Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Affordable rent that never exceeds 30°/o of your income ... Many buildings equipped 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 15 · ' TRIBE GOSPEL CHOIR PRESENTS "GOSPEL FROM THE HOOD" A YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT WORKSHOP NOVEMBER 12, 13 , & 14, 1998 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: ' UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ELDER TIMOTHY PRICt of CHARLOTTE, NC & IVA DURAND of CINCINNATI, OH AT In Memory of 11 Mac 11 Who Believed In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch ••• Because Every­ 0ne1 includes Prison­ ers and Former Prisone rs. 1 Ohio Prisoner's Rights Union P .O . Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201 ­ 1746 FIRST NEW BAPTIST CHURCH 710 SOUTH CRESCENT AVENUE CINCINNATI, OH 45229 MICHAEL K. CASH, PASTOR Write to prisoner Lee Crum at:: OCI #329-589 PO BOX Sii Columbus, OH 43216 For more information, please contact: MRS, ANNIEBELL RILEY at 2 72-0903 or 2 72-0911 Band Lookin& 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 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 for sale Native 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 Box 2. Streetvibes, I506 Elm St., Cincinnati, 45210. Laborer Looking for a labored Has worked at Riverfront. Is willing to do any kind of work. Call Sonia Craig at the Drop Inn Center, 721­ 0643. Elderly or Children Looking for a community oriented job dealing with elderly or children. 3 year ourteach worke-r/ counselor aide at YMCA. 13 years typing. Computer and cashier experience includin.& Windows, Lotus, Any Word Processor. Call Anjail Madyun at the Drop Inn Center, 721-0643. Degreed, successful grants administrator/writer seeks commissioned, free lance position as same; ten percent commission per award. Contact J. Janus, Jr. (Fax) 891-8663. Native American-Hispan ic female seeks sit down, slow­ paced industrial FACTORY position; physically challenged. (Fax) 891-8663. Scramble A·nswers from page 11... HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN CHRISTMAS SNOW NEW YEARS PARTY VALENTINES DAY CANDY THANKSGIVING TURKEY STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $I per line. Call 421-7803 for info. Stre·etvibes -Vendor Code of Conlluct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. I. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $I voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $I. 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" if! general. I will be honest irr 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 ar'e 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. Sales Representative 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 resta~rant as well as work as a dishwasher or cook. Is very dependable and available immediately. Please contact Wiley Powell at 831-8404. Baby Sitter Need a babysitter? Former child-care worker with day­ care experience. Call Mary Ann at 665·4375 or pager at 610-8527 help wanted I Contineency f ee ~ 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. Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm 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 stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday. Nov. 14th, 1998, Noon to I pm ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Advertise in Streetvibes! 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 1./2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 I /2" $20 per month A check or money order'must accompa,ny 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 or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes TV STREETVIBES Sweat and T-Shirts! Only $5 for T's, $1 O for Sweats. The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities 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. STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes TV November Schedule This month's show will feature a round table discussion with homeless pe rsons, forme rly homeless perso ns and service provide rs. Homeless issues will be discussed by pane l m e mber s in an ope n forum.. Channe l 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. Mo nday. Novembe r 16th at 7PM. 100% White Cotton Shirts and Long Sleeve Sweat Shirts XL Purple logo Re broadcast Dates for Show o n Chan· ne l 10: T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available at our office at I506 Elm Street. Please stop by and see us. Satl•rday. November 7, 1998, 4 PM Friday. November 13. 1998, 11 AM Friday, November 20. 1998, 11 AM Saturday, November 28, 1998, 4 PM Monday, November 23, 1998, I0 PM Broadcast schedules are s ubject to change - consult your local TV directory. Where Your Dollar Goes Vendor: 80 cents Printing and Production : 20 cents 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. Thanksforyour support. 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. SHELTERS: W o men and Children Alice Faul House (abuse) YWCA Transitional Living Prog. Bethany House Salvation Army Welcome House 24 1-2757 281-5770 557-2873 762-5660 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 Caracole (AIDS) C habad House Drop Inn Center (singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 38 1-5432 863-8866 Page 16 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing 244-7226 961-4080 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReST OC Tender Mercies (Mental 111) Tom Geiger House 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 TREATMENT: W o m e n O.D.A.A.T First Step Home 241-7343 921-7324 TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Bo th N.A. Hopeline A.A Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 820-2947 861-9966 38~-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 OTHER SERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 421-2437 62 1-5991 If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803. 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 STR££VIB£S is published monthly on a shoe­ string budget. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donor s. 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 Illustrator Software for IBM > Adobe Pagemaker Software for STREETVIBES layout >35 MM Film for STREETVIBES photo's >Laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper >Office Supplies >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups. donuts , etc.) >Computer for STREETVIBES layout and writing C a ll t h e STREETVIBES o ffi ce at Al 1­ 7803 if you c a n help! 231-6630 Beech Acres Center for Independent living Options 241-2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside Cincinnati Health Network 961 -0600 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Community Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. 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 72 1-4811 Mary Magdalen House 62 1-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721-7660 T ravelers Aid 721-7900 United W ay 559-6656 VA Homele ss 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 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 November 1998 Vol 2, issue 21 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: 'Standown '98' a Big Success: Hundreds of Homeless Persons Served During Cincinnati's Two Day Event In Memory of Buddy Gray: February 19th, 1950-November 15th, 1996 We Remember Pg 2: The Traveler: Not Just Another Trip Pg 3: OTR Loses Vine Street Battle Pg 4: Welfare News Pg 5: Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide Pg 8: Prisoners News Pg 9: Letters & Editorials Pg 10: Mexican Border News Pg 12: Homeless Veterans Pg 13: Cleveland News N. Kentucky News 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 November 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ron Carter Denise Crew Brian Davis Julia Fischer Lolonta Foster Barry Grosheim Patrick Harmon Jimmy Heath James Hobbs Vikki Lynn Bonnie Neumeier Theresa Nye James W . Pryor William Stone Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Diane Young 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 Barry Grosheim Bonnie Neumeier Brett Zwolinski Brian Davis buddy gray Denise Crew Diane Young Donald Whitehead immigration James Hobbs James W . Pryor Jimmy Heath Julia Fischer Lolonta Foster Lynn Williams Patrick Harmon prisoner Ron Carter Theresa Nye veterans Vikki Lynn welfare welfare reform William Stone https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/14daa7fa1f9cf8e722ba1fc054132747.pdf 5a911cbb287dc5105077583726b6aa11 PDF Text Text HOMELESS MEMORIAL HELD AT WASHINGTON PARK Homeless Advocates Remember Those Who Have Died by Jimmy Heath On December 21st, 1998, friends , family, shelter workers and advocates for the poor gathered together in Cincinnati to remem­ ber the homeless or formerly homeless who have died during 1998. A candlelight procession began at the Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse and proceeded to Over-the­ Rhine's Washington Park where a barrel fire burned in memory of those who have died. About 40 persons, braving, the rain and the cold, participated in Cincinnati's memorial After participants moved to the park ga­ zebo, Donald Whitehead, Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ ~ less remarked, "that while we are able to ~ get out of the rain and seek comfort in our E' own homes, lets don't forget about the E :.:; ~ Continued a. Participants of the Homeless Memorial gather to remember those who have died. The event was sponsored ·1oca//y by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and was observed nationwide. on page 2... URSULINE ACADEMY VOLUNTEERISM by Stephy Wang, 10th grade As I take my first glimpses of Over the Rhine from the window of a truck, I imbibe the scenery and surroundings with startled sincerity. This is a world beyond my clean quiet suburbia. Here, litter rules the ground, shady alleys stare insidiously between crum­ bling dilapidated buildings. and large assortments of glass bottles lay everywhe re the eye can see. I ask myself: how can anyone live here? The truck halts to a stop in the parking lot and I realize my jaw has been slack since I set my eyes on OTR. Closing it quickly. I step outside the door onto the asphalt parking lot. I take a deep breath in the morning chill and I'm mildly shocked to find that the air smells and tastes the same as the air in my neighborhood. Mr. Forman, the Student Activities Director, gathers up t he rest of the Ursuline volunteers and steers us to a tiny building that looks like a motley of wood boards, brick, and glass. It's not until we go across the street and get close enough to the building that I discover it's t he ReSTOC office building. Strike my mental picture of a small, but nea t and tidy build­ ing. proudly boasting a sign t ha t says: Re­ STOC. My view of the world is getting a good dose of r e ality here . All of us push our way into a crowded office an d after signing in, we wait for the jobs to get distributed . Most of the Ursuline girls turn around to talk to the person behind them except me, so I keep myself busy investigating the room. It's cluttered, but organized, and filled with newsletters, magazines and infor­ mation on homelessness , evic­ tions, politics, and other subjects. Pictures dot the walls, and many are of Buddy Gray. You can tell the reverence the people in the office hold for him , the ma-n who _ founded Re-STOC. A striking pencil picture of Buddy hangs above the entrance adjoining ·chis r oom; t he image rem inds me of a guardian angel w atching over t he office. At the appropriate time, I spy a Bible on the magazine rack, and I sit down on the floor to r e ad it. Almost imme d iately, a woman comes out and exp lains w hat is going on and what jobs need to be done. She asks for volunteers for each task, and I raise my hand high when sh e mentions scaffolding. It turns out I have vo lunteered to pull Ursuline volunteers working on ReSTOC bldg. nails out of a ceiling on the scaffolding. My group walks about half a block to Buddy's Place, w here the nail pulling needs t o be done. On this walk I supplement my educa­ tion about the life here around me by gazing at the buildings, people a nd str eets. Continued on page 12... �- - - - -- - - - - -- ---- - - - - STREETVIBES - - -- -- - - - - - - 1 The Tri State s Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES THE TRAVELER The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a do llar 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 o ur issues and increase circulation. If yo u are interest ed in helping o r have a comment, please call 421 -7803. Staff D onald W hi tehead , D irector Jimmy H eath , Coo r dinator Brett Zwo lins ki , Vendor Support Ron Carter, Vendor Support Photoir aph e r Ji mm y H eath Writers D a n Cahill Ron C a r ter Denise Crew Bria n Davis D wigh t G ive n Iola Green Barry G rossh eim Patr ic k H armon Henry H a rtsock J im m y H eath M u ldoon Gr e g Payton Aaro n Pitchfo rd Ja mes W. Pryor Valerie Tayl,o r Stephy Wa ng Don a ld Wh ite h e a d Lynn W ill iams Ro b e rt Woo dman Brett Z w olinski Editorial Streetvibes accepts all le tters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send a ll mate ri a l t o the follow ing addres s: STREETVIBES I 506 Elm Street The newest version of Cincinnati City Council is increasingly conservative in its decisions. If the current trend continues " The H ei m l ic h Zon e" scenario, while perhaps a stretch, is not totally improbable with the pull yourself up by your boot straps era we are now facing. On the front-line in the City' s unequal treatment is Councilman Phi l Heimlich. Councilman Heimlich who co ns iste ntly outspends most candidates in the race for council sea ts champions the cause of wea lthy cam paign contributo rs eve ry time he votes. While Mr. He imlich is a r ing leader he has pl e nty o f company. C ouncilwoman Jeanette C iss e ll and un-electe d ap pointed council member Jim Tarbell. 45 2 I 0 (5 13) 421 -7803 fax (5 13) 421 -78 13 e-mail: ho me coal@ primax.n et ht t p :// c in c i.com/g cch FACT OF THE MONTH: * 40% of shelter residents work full-time. Sub mit ted fo r your approva l; Ci ncin nati 2015, a city out of control. Streets are littered with peop le wandering a imlessly, cold, tired and hungry. They are moved along with angry shouts by the city's two million man police force. Many citizens head for shelter in the long aband c:>ned s ubway tu nnels, a good hiding place. In fact, the only hiding p lace w here one can ' t be dete cted by t he I OOO' s of surveillance camera' s o n every corner in t he city. Since there a re no shelters or soup kitchens o r food pantry' s many people ar e heading for t he river banks to fish . Tumorous fish are the catch of t he day. Those that are lucky can work at one of the two beautiful new stadiums fo r minimum wage which has now risen to a- w hopping s ix dollars . T hose people can afford a lmost t hree meals a week after taxes! If only they w ere CEO's, they w ould be exem pt from taxes. Sounds like some thing from George O r well's 1984 but all of th is could happen soon, because a ll these citizens have stumbled into Th e Heimlich Zon e. Most of the Trave ler st ories have been . filled with pleasant journey's and exper i­ ences. One of the most unpleasant journeys that I am forced to take _on a q~gu lar -basis is a journey down t o Cincinnati di:y Hall. Each trip is met with a growing sense of disappointment with city government. Cincinnati City Council has constantly voted against minorit/s, children, poo'r neighbor­ hoods a nd t he middle ~lass. In ' the same breath the city can complain about subsi dy for low-income residents an d in the next fo rgive taxes on st o ck options t o CEO's of majo r co rporations. T he City Government can o n one han d complain a bout subsidi z­ ing low-income housing and at the same t ime pour millions and millions of dol lars into upscale housing in the central business district. I have witnessed the City cut fund­ ing for innovative and much needed job programs like the Over-the-Rhine Housing Netw o rk Job Program and in the same breath complain about the loss o f city tax dollars. Polley: Cincinnati, O H by Donald Whitehead Th ere have been some good proposals at City Ha ll recently; Councilwoman Minnett e Coope r introduced legislat ion to do uble th e C ity' s stag nant human ser vices budget. Councilwo man C oope r's prop osa l was met w ith the same cynicism as most proposals t hat would benefit low- incom'e or disadvantaged individuals . Usually I give travel advice in this column , my advice for this month is simple; GET INVOLVED. Cincinnati's strange e lectoral process is r ipe for manipulation by the well to do. D ecis io ns Page 2 are constantly made that negatively effect the majority of citizens who are not t he affluent in our city. If we are t o avoid the scenario at the beginning of this story w e must fight back. T he He im lich's, Tarbel l's and Cissell's of this City will co ntinue t he war on average c itize ns until t hey a r e made ac­ countabl e. If you did n't like t he cond it io ns described in my vers ion of " Th e H eimlich Zone" please help us to change t hem . Unti l we start to fight back the year 20 15 scenario, conditi.ons are closer than you th ink. HOMELESS cont. from front pg... perils of living outdoo rs in this kind of weather, tha t some people in C incinnati don ' t have a home to go t o ." A poem , w ritten by the late homeles s advocate buddy gray was r e ad by Ma ry Burke, o f the Housing Network. Sister Mary Grafe, of Peas lee N eighborhood Center, lead the grou p in pr ayer. Dr. Bob Donovan, Hea lthcare for the Homeless physician, read the list of names of tho se who had passed away. The list was compiled fr om health care workers and the various shelters located in the Greater Cincinnati area : Warren Cook, of the Drop Inn Center, sang a gospel tribute to the memory of those who have died homeless. Before concluding, the group was lead in song by homeless advocate Bonnie N eume ier of Peaslee N eigh bo rhood Center. Held every year on the winter solstice, homel ess advocate s gat hered in unity in c i't ie s nationw ide in a n attempt to bring ay.tareness to the hazards of living outdoors on the streets, without shelter, without protectio n fro m t he el em ents . This year, em phas is was placed on bringing awareness to the lack of affordable substance abuse treatment centers for poor and homeless persons. Lack of affordable substance abuse treatment is one of the leading causes of homelessness in this country. O the r reasons includ e lack of living w age jobs, lack of affordable housing, welfare reform and domestic violence. Shelter w orkers and advocates are keen ly aware of these defi­ ciencies in our local and national goverr­ mental systems. In the shelters, workers ' deal with these challenges on a daily basis. ~n an attem pt to put a human face on this cri.sis , t he Homeless Memorial serves as a reminder of the countless who die needlessly every year in this country. The following is the list of names read at Cincinnati's Hom.eless Memorial: Martiniqu e Kemp Cha rlene Meyers M ichlene Wi lliam s Linda We r o n Ron To r ch C hicken Ge o rge Ra ymo nd C l endenon Addie Swa i n Cocrel Ha rold Watkins M ada ly nn Br ambl e Al Cl ay L o u is Col ston M ike Lofinnig Skeet er K amitz John Starr Paul Hill er Rodney D err Mary. Edmondso n Ron Brady Naomi Ma ssing Tracy Harris Tom Be ringer �STREETVIBES ' The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 COHHIO AMERICORPS* CLOSING CEREMONY by Brett Zwolinski and Emmanuel Green George Niles and Emmanuel G r een from ReSTOC with Brett Zwolinski from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless attended the COHHIO (Coalition on Hous ing and Homelessness in Ohio) AmeriCorps* Closing Ceremony on Decem­ ber I 0th. The event was held at the Cherry Valley Lodge in Newark, about 40 m iles northeast of Columbus. Local AmeriCorps* members Cindy Fowler and Mindee Hedr ick were instrumen­ tal in the coordination of events for the COHHIO AmeriCorps* Closing Ceremony. Accompanied by small tokens of apprecia­ tion , staff members and leaders were lauded for their great efforts and volunteerism that went beyond the call of duty. CO HHI O AmeriCorps* staff members Cathy Johnston (Directo1r), Angela Lariviere (AmeriCorps* Leader), and Mary Scott (Ad­ ministrative Assistant) were honored for their diligence and unique contributions to the eradication of homelessness in the State of Ohio . Emmanuel Green and Valarie Evans received awards for their demonstration of outstanding leadership in the New York Service Project held earl ier in the year. In her appreciation for COHHIO AmeriCorps* member volunteerism, Cathy Johnston administered Certificates of Na­ tional Service to each member present. The Certificate reads... "ln recognition of your service to our communities and our country Writing to STREETVIBES Send your letters and comments to STREETVIBES LErrERS AND EDITORIALS: c/o GCCH, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Or send your emall's to: streetvlbes@/uno.com We reserve the right to edit stories or letters for clarity and content. Contents Welfare News Broken City Arts & Poetry Nationwide Prisoners' .News Cleveland News N. Kentucky News Letters & Editorials STREETVIBES Etcetera El Salvador Remembers AVOC Announcements Classifieds Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page7 Pages Page 9 Page9 Page10 Page11 Page13 Page14 Page15 Page15 Left to right: Robert Freklng (ReStoc), Cathy Johnston (Director COOHIO Amer/Corps*}, and Emmanuel Green (Amer/corps * ReStoc) as a member of AmeriCorps," signed, Harris Wofford (Chief · Executive Officer, Corporation for National Service) and Peter Heinaru (Director, AmeriCorps* State/National). Robert Freking of ReSTOC left a day early with his host Emmanuel Green. After checking in a~ the Universal Hotel, local AmeriCorps* members Cindy Fowler and Mindee Hedrick showed Emmanuel and · Robert around the town. Mr. Freking had the opportunity to meet and network with COHHIO AmeriCorps* members and staff at the event (see photo). "The food was gooood ," seemed to be the unanimous response to the delectable cuisine of the Cherry Valley Lodge ... the type of food us AmeriCorps* members rarely embrace. Reflecting upon the 1998 year of Na­ tional Service, Emmanuel Green stated that, "The Laughter of AmeriCorps* as a whole really emphasiz.ed the unity of AmeriCorps* and what we stand for... Helping the H ome­ less in the State of Ohio." HOMELESS VErERAN WITH PJSD'FINDS HELP Introduction by Iola Green, HCHV Program Coordinator About one-third of the adult homeless population has served their country in the armed services . On any given day, as many as 250,000 veterans are living on the streets or in shelters, and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year. Many other veterans are cons idered near homelessness or at risk because of poverty, lack of support from fam ily and friends, and dismal living conditions in cheap hotels or in over­ crowded or substandard housing. Homeless veterans are eligible for a variety of benefits, health care, and other supportive services from VA programs. VA offers an array of programs and initiatives specifically designed to assist homeless veterans . One of these programs is the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Program. This program is designed to help veterans live with the events of war. David Snow is in the PTSD Program and is learning how to live sober. The following is one veteran's story of his experience in dealing with PTSD. was a medic at that time and became exposed to the death of many of my com­ rades and that was something I never could get out of my mind. After the war I found myself drinking heavily to forget the past, disregarding help for a normal future. Soon my s ituation overwhelmed me. Homeless, suicidal, and frustrated with my life, I turned to treatment at the VA hospital in Cincinnati where I was diagnosed with PTSD because of my experience in the war. Since my diagno­ sis, I realized w ith treatment my life might become manageable again with the right help. I'm currently in treatment at the Droege House in Dayton, KY and learning to deal with the battle in my mind. I know this may never go away altogether, but with help I know I have a chance to learn how to deal with this problem and learn to lead a normal life again . I encourage any veterans who are having problems in dealing with experiences from the war or who are home­ less to contact the VA Hospital to try to get help. DAVID SNOW I was in Army EVAC in 1966 in the Viet­ nam War and that changed my life forever. To talk with a member of th e Health Care from Homeless Veterans Team please call 572-6226! �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 4 STREETVIBES OFF OF WELFARE BUT NOT Welfare News OUT OF POVERTY by Lynn WI/I/ams STATES UNITING TO FIGHT TIME LIMITS by Lynn Williams At the NWMAP Conference in Ft. Worth, Texas Nove(Tlber 20-22, organized by the National Coalition for the Homeless and National Children's Defense Fund, a woman spoke with urgency in her vo ice. "We don 't have time to sit around and debate whether or not we want to design a na­ tional welfare policy fo r this country. People have already been cut off because of time limits and they and their children are hurting. We need to take action now! " At the NWMAP Conference, (National Welfare Monitoring & Advocacy Par tnership), welfare advocates and recipients agreed that the major battle we face in the short­ term is time limits for receiving TANF ( Temporary Assistance to Needy Families o r welfare assistance to families with ch ildren .) Current ly t here is a five year federal limit to receive TANF, with states having the option to shorten the time limit. Many states have rest rict ed it to less than five years. An advocat e rep resenting re cipi ents in Massa­ chusetts spoke on how recipients in her state face the time limit cut-off in Decem­ ber of t his year. Children and families in Massachusetts face a very cheerless Christ­ mas season . She stated, "Thousands wi ll be left destitute in my state, including infants! America's welfare policies wi ll t ake a deep toll." High points o f the conference includ ed agree ing to focus ou r efforts o n combating t ime limits, ge.t ting t he states t o spen d their TANF money, and pus hing fo r e ducation to be counted as the work requ irement. The conferen ce participants agreed to a reso lu­ t ion calling for a moratorium on time limits across the United States, including restoring welfare ass istance to families who have already been cut-off due to time limits. Actions that a re being planned to stop time limits include: *Holding a "Stop the Clock" Cam ­ paign with actions in cities across the U.S. at New Years' Eve events , inc luding Watch Night Vigils in chu rches. *Holding a National Call-In Day or Week to get people, including recipients, to call their U.S. Congress legislators *Mailing smashed watches to U.S. Congress legislators as part of the "Stop the Clock" campaign. 1998 by the National Priorities Project and Jobs With Justice, shows just how hard it is for welfare recipients to escape poverty after leaving the welfare roles. The report reveals an alarming reality about what kind of jobs are out there for recipients without a college degree, not to even mention those without a high school degree or G.E.D. The majority of jobs, including those with the fastest job growth, are retail salespersons , waiters & waitresses, nurse aides, orderlies-, attendants, and cashiers. None of these jobs pay more than $15, 496 a year, and few provide health care or pensions. One member of the Welfare Rights Coalition who transitioned off of welfare through a nurse aid training program told us that even though she works in a health care setting, around doctors & hospital patients all day, she cannot even go to a doctor because she doesn't have health insurance! Her . health care job does not provide hea lth care! ' In Ohio, a living wage is defined as a salary of $30,038 a year for a family of four. The report states that the majority of welfare recipients are getting jobs that pay only $5 .50 and $Z,.OO an .hour, averagjng $1 1,410 and $14,560 a year. Only 28.8% earn above $14,500 for a family of three. • •,I' The majprity of livable wage jobs require a co llege edu cation . W elfare reform laws have cut- fa r back . on .the- .q,J lo wance of time recip ie nts can count college classes as a work activity. However, if recipien ts are going to get liva ble wage jobs ~nd pu ll their famili es out of poverty, they wi ll need college degrees . According to research done at the CUNY (City University of New York) Graduate Ce nter, the li kelihood t hat a person with a college degree will be po o r is less than a I in 50 chance. W ithout a coll ege degree, the like.lihood inc reases to I in 5. If legislators are serio us about getting recipients off of welfare fQr life , they shou ld be promoting higher education as a work activity & reward recipients for taking this initiative to study! The report states that at the same time that the most job growth is in belowJlivab le wage jobs, CEOs are reaping in record salaries! Incredibly, in 1995, CEOs made 115 times the salary of the lowest paid worker. For example, the CEO of Provident Financial Group, Allen L. Davis, earned as much in two hours as the lowest wage worker did in a whole yea r. Mr. Davis makes an above­ livable wage of $123 per minute or $15,366,000.00 annually. It would take a low­ wage worker 1,023 years to make that much money! It took CEO John B. McCoy of Banc One only three hou rs to earn what his lowest paid worker made in a whole year. Mr. McCoy enjoys a salary of $85 per minute and $I 0,569,000.00 annually. His lowest paid worker would have to toil 704 years to earn McCoy's annual salary. At a press conference held on Dec. 8th, a spokesperson for the Ohio Empowerment Coalition said they are committed to fighting for livable wage jobs for recipients. Anyone who works full-time should auto­ matically be able to provide adequately for their children . Welfare recipients who attend college, job training or G.E.D. classes should be rewarded, not punished by the welfare system. In addition, along with advocating for livable wage jobs and more ­ allowance for education, the OEC is part of a growing national movement to fight for a safety net for people who are unemployed and those who have no way to provide for their fam ilies and themselves without gov­ ernment help. · (For more information about the report " Working Hard, Earning Less:, call Jobs With Justice at (202) 434-1106 or the National Priorities Project at (413) 584-9556.) OHIO EMPOWERMENT COALITION MEET~ JANUARY13th WEDNESDSAY 10:30AM at Sullivant Gardens 955 Remick St. Columbus, OH ELECTRONIC FOOD STAMPS? by Brian Davis The Cuyahoga County Office of Health and Nutrition reports that by the middle of February 1999 all recipients of Food Stamps will need to convert to the Electron ic Benefits card or they will no longer receive the stamps. The electronic benefits card is sim ilar to a bank debit card and can be used in many grocery stores t hroughout the city. Cuyahoga County has begun the process of changing from paper based system to an electronic system. Many homeless people have not made the switch and are in danger of losing their benefits next year. Cuyahoga County officials are try,ing to urge homeless peop le to sign up before the deadline so t~at they do not go hungry after February of 1999. Homeless people interviewed said that the food stamp benefits are so small that it is not worth the t ime and aggravation of switching. One homeless man who wished not to be identified said, "What am I going to do with food stamps if I don't have a kitchen to cook the food!" Many homeless people traded or sold their paper stamps for cash to buy fast food or other items that they deemed necessary in their life. �STREETVI BES 1 The Tri Stote s Hom eless Grap evin e The Broken City... by ll••T He•tb -- . While the building falls apart, the owner guards his property with a gun .•. KINGS' STRUGGLE SURVIVES TODAY by Jimmy Heath 1999 will mark 30 years since the assassi­ nation of Martin Luther King Jr. at his hotel room in Tennessee. Many people realize that the struggle that eventually took King's life still goes on today and the challenges facing human rights advocates today are even greater than ever. Even as we move into a new millennium, racism and bigotry is alive and well in this country. We war with countries against people who are not like "us." The fight for fair and livable wages, affordable housing, and the rise of hate crimes against citizens of our country; those who are d ifferent, pose new moral and philosophical challenges every day. These are the battles of in justice that King would be fighting if he was still alive today. King is remembered as the voice of justice for the rights of African-American people during the 60's. But we know that poverty and justice is not an all-black issue. Even 30 years after his death, King is consid­ ered by many to be a hero for the rights of a ll poor people - people that are left in the wake of so-called present day economic vitality, stuck in low wage jobs and poverty and homelessness. The goods and services that allow products to be affordable to the beneficiaries of todays economic blessings rely on the cheap labor of ill-paid wage earners . Then there is the quiet hate - the bigotry and racism that goes on behind the closed doors of corporate boardrooms and in our living rooms. The simple and insidious kind of racism that grovels in the dark because we all know that it is wrong and cowardly. A malice that seeks to blame som eone less fortunate and removed. As a "baby boomer" I feel the yearning to succeed and feel the pull of selfishness that drives my generation. We know how to take care of ourselves and we close our eyes to the pain of others. And we blame. Kings' powerful character taught us things about the sp irit and the inherent goodness of human nature. During the holidays and the winter months most people recognize the struggles of the homeless and the poor and the spirit of giving is found. But the struggles continue long after the holidays. Somet imes hope can not be found during the warm and friendly summer months. The battle for human justice needs to be fought everyday through the generos­ ity of our spirits, our hands and our hearts. It takes a commitment and patience to realize this calling of the human spirit. As the holidays pass, will the spirit of giving fade away? Will we forget about the suffering beyond our own walls? Will we learn to honestly confront our own intoler­ ance! In 1963, King said at the March o n Washington for Jobs and Freedom; "Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children." 35 years later, the struggle continues. Pages drinking, or using drugs, and had no major mental problems. They were broken and beaten down spiritually. They were young mothers with little children. They were men who had skills in plumbing, carpentry, etc., hard-working men who had become displaced workers for one reason or the other. All of these people had known abuse of the physical and emotional type in past relationships. They all spoke of the sadness of the breakup of their families. I discovered that being in this environ­ ment, and being an active participant and not a casual observer, has given me some valuable insights into the realities of rural homelessness. Some of the experts have concluded there are no rural homeless people. That is a sad untruth. The folks met at Blue Creek shared w ith me their life stories. They have dreams and aspirations of good jobs and security. They spoke of well-rounded relationships. Their human dignity spoke of spiritual fulfillment and of their desire to share their lives' experiences with others. " When you're on the bottom there's nowhere to go but up," one lady related to me. Yes, being there with my new friends at Blue Creek, sharing the household cheer chores, telling our stories to each other; that was deeply spiritually rewarding. As life would have it, I now am a community organizer here in Brown County, in addition to teaching and performing my music part-time. One of our grassr oots · priority issues now is building a homeless shelter here in Brown County, Ohio. Some­ times we blindly stumble into the arms of . grace ... FIRST NIGHT AT THE SHELTER by Greg Payton DO RURAL AREAS HAVE HOMELESS PEOPLE? by Wiii Henry Hartsock When we think of a homeless person, we often see in our mind's eye a person pushing a shopping cart with all their earthly possessions, along a city street. Also, we view this person as being dependent upon alcohol, drugs. or being in need of mental health care, or a combination of all three. don't know the statistics, but only speak from my own personal experience. In January of 1998, I abruptly became homeless, due to my wife forcing me to leave our home. In respecting her wishes, found myself watching the snow fly all around my head, as I left our house, with $20 dollars in my pocket ... then the real shock. Brown County Ohio has no homeless shelter. I called the local social services director. I explained that I worked part-time as an ethnomusicologist at a local rural college, but had not started the spring semester yet. I told him I had no money nor did I have a place to sleep, except in my old car. His reply was, "I do not consider you homeless . . ." These words stung in my ears as I politely stammered, "Well, thank you sir,'' and hung up the phone. After exhausting all my leads, I found a shelter out in Blue Creek, Ohio, near Ports­ mouth. A rather long way to drive just to sleep in a warm place. After having stayed there for a month, I came to a gentle realization; these folks with me were not Now that I'm here I ask myself, "What can I do? Who can I trust? And who can I talk to?" The sun went down, and I was out of the weather, thank God . First, I listened when they told me th e rules. Then, I got a chance to eat, and I w as thankful too. I asked someone for a smoke who was just like me . I looked around and asked for one of those lockers I cou ld see while I relaxed and watched big TV. Then someone said, "Showers," and I stood in line. They said, "You need an l.D. for a towel." And I said, " I lost mine." So they said, "See the advocate in the morning." I said, "I don't have any money." They said, " Follow instructions and it might be free, sonny." I laughed, something I haven't done in awhile. I got soap , toothbrush, toothpaste, and shampoo with that towel. When I finished , I gave them their towel. They gave me deodorant and a comb for my style. I went back to the bench to watch TV and smelled food again, coming from the kitchen I couldn't see. They said, "We have snacks this evening." And I smiled, remem­ bering and thanking God because I walked so many miles. I thanked them for having something to eat. They smiled and said, "Thank you, but please have a seat." I looked around an figured I was one of many they had to meet. I was back in line, but for a mat this time. I was clean , and I was full , and I was thankful most of all. The door, yes the door, was open for the poor. In my prayer tonight, I must recite... Thank you God for another day. Thank you D rop Inn Center for a new way. �STREETVIBES 1 The Tri Stote s Homeless Grapevine WORD ON THE STREET Arts & Poetry THE SHADOW CHANGES HIS NAME TO "THE TRUTH" Making His Book, The Odd Cookie, A Collector's Item! by Dwight Givan The author changed his name from The Shadow t o T he T ruth because he was un­ aware of the old radio show, The Shadow Knows, when he first selected his pen name. Because he is a dee p complex writer who writes from the heart and always the truth, it was only fitting to call himself The Truth. Mary Sibler of Wentworth Gallery in Kenwood Tow ne Centre Mall; Mr. Shane of The Next Generation in Cleveland, TN, and Ms. Karen Wilson of Authentic Autographs in Pigeon Forge, TN are in the business of buying and selling collectibles. They have all agreed that The Odd Cookie is a collector's item. When the author, known as The Shadow, changed his name on Octo ber 19, 1998 to The Truth, any book bear ing the name The Shadow became a collector's item. There will be no more books printed with t he pen name The Shadow. only be availa ble for purchase during Kawanza and Black History Month. At all other times, the book is only available when the author is hosting a book signing. All books will be autographed in gold lettering. Mark Pastor, co-owner of BWPI (formerly Artistic Appa r el) and co-founder of the Cincinnati Black Book Fair thought so highly of the book that he promoted it on BET during Black History Mo nth. The Truth has remain e d a headl ine r at the C incinn at i Black Book Fair for t he last three years. He's a lso appea red a the Los Angeles Black Expo as a guest of Dr. Ros ie Milligan with Black W riter's On Tour. Ar t galleri es are wa iting for the release of prints from pictures in the book. There has been so much t hat has emerged fo r m th is bo ok and I expect th at we have not se en the last of much more to come. The r eviews were grea t and it so ld o ut both Saturda y and S.unday nights. Channe l I 9's Fox News in the Morn ing did a segment o n the play. Donn ie McFinley, who wo r ked o n ·t he sm ash hit mo vie, Sha ws hank Rede m ption , d ire c ted the play. There was a cast of 17 child r en and teens. Furthe rmore, Mr. Bond, a t ea cher at Bond Hill Elementary School, co llabQr a ted with The Truth to create The Odd Cookie Awards . The awards recognize children who e xcel in the arts. the 2nd Annual Odd Cooki e Awards will be held at Hoffman Elementary School on February 6, 1999. The children will r.eceive awards and prizes in the areas of reading, writing, and acting. There will be a chance for the children afterwards. the Truth's vision is to see The Odd Cookie Awards on national television hosted by children celebrities. When you support The Odd Cookie book, you support The Odd Cookie Awards. To purchase The Odd Cookie Book, contact the publisher, Children 's Clas sics at (513) 221-5114 NOT FOR LOVE OR MONEY by Denise Crew The Odd Cookie book is a survival. Mr. Jerry Moore, a White principal at Anderson Place Elementary School , on Channe l 9 news stated that The Odd Cookie teaches blacks not to listen to white folks . The Truth, formerly known as The Shadow, in the same interview stated that his book_ is about peer pressure and that it has no color. the controversy created an Odd Cookie mania in Cincinnati causing sales to skyrocket. This is the last year during the holidays that the book will be sold. After 1998, it will You keep telling me how lonely you are feeling . No one calls you, no one visits you at hom e . You only care about making t he quo ta and b ringing in the money. You aren't fearful of me, you don't let a thing get by you. Finally my spiritual equal a challenge to work on. Too bad you don't have a social clue as to what the hell is going on. You worshi p a G o d, that controls your e x travagant life styl e. Dinner on the Diners' C lub- no prob lem Ja cket on the Gold Car d- no problem P r oblem? It was a disturbing place to visit and I wouldn't want to live there . ~ Page 6 WHEN THE FINGERS POINT . ATME by Rick AKA Vampire Wben the fingers point at me Because I dare to dream To be what I am . When the finge r s point at me , A smile gently caresses my face , And I know they can n e ve r Hurt, t ouch , bend o r br ea k me To their rules. There are others o ut there like me, Who choos e to ru n, to hide , to flee But I say to you now Rise, rise, rise up Into glory, an d stat e what you are, And wh o you are, Beca use it is people like myself, An d man y othe rs That give them t he aut hority of exist­ ence, Because without us, who or what would they have to taunt, O r point at? If I would rather to be anything, It would be; not to be like them VENDOR: AARON PITCHFORD N ot this message, that message. I decided to write because I can't talk. I wanted you to know I'm Chicago's old best street ve ndor. I sold big red and peppe r mints to prepare myself in the future. I'm like the old street vendor Charles Deve raux on Race Street who had licenses here, Cleveland, and Chicago. Now he is driving a yellow cab as opposed to Aaron who had licenses here, Milwaukee, Chicago and Dayton [and uh], A comment from the peanut gallery or Ron Carter's comedy corner. What's the best way to keep milk from getting sour. The correct answer is not this message. Ron, that ain't it. Well how you expect me to get up there to leave it in the cow[do dat doom]. COMEDY CORNER ~ by Ron Carter WAS I ~RUEL? As I awoke this morning a brigh t new day was born A Robin perched upon my window sill To signal the coming, the dawn The bird was gracefu l young and gay And sweetly did it sing T houghts of joy and happiness within my heart did ring I smiled at his cheery song Then it paused for a moments lull So ·1 gently closed the window And accidentally crushed his little skull �STREETVI BES ' STREETVIBES Nationwide ANOTHER TOUGH YEARI by Brian Davis, Cleveland's Grapevine On a local and national level, we have seen another tough year for those without a home. From an alarming number of com­ munities we have seen legislation making it illegal to be homeless to a local church that set up barriers for homeless people to keep them away from the door. For every step forward (an increase in the Department of Housing and Urban Development budget) we have taken two steps backward (in­ creased welfare sanctions, and continued losses in housing). Three years ago before welfare reform and before we started seeing large scale reductions in housing, I had hope that with better coordination of services we could begin to reunite large numbers of people with a stable lifestyle. Now we are at a point that it will take a large scale commu­ nity effort just to maintain the status quo. In late 1997, the City of Cleveland won the right to license our vendors when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal of the Grapevine vendors. The City of Cleveland has as yet chosen not to enforce their licensing privileges. However, in other cities we have :seen Pandora's Box thrown wide open. The city of Miami has a new paper, Street Views, which is facing litigation by the City of Miami to force their vendors to get a license. We have heard rumblings of Los Angeles, a Chicago suburb, and Cincinnati debating the issue. We do not know how many cities without a street paper will not see a newspaper spring to life because of the threat of licensing. On the positive side, we did see an increase in the HUD budget, which is no where near the need, but one has to ac­ cept the victories no matter how small. What we have seen across the country is a con t inuing decline in affordable housing. In many communities huge public housing by Brett Zwolinski An Unrhymed Japanese verse fo rm of three l i nes containing usually 5,7,5 (or 7 , 5 , 7) syllables r e spectively. Please submit your suggestions for mon t hly Haiku to Brett Zwolinsk i at STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street , Cincinnati , Ohio 45210 Massood Rahimi' s Homeless Grapevine projects are being destroyed. On its face this is an attempt to de-concentrate poverty in the inn er city, which is a worthy goal. But the underlying result is a destruction of ex is t ing communities and a reduction in affordable housing. There will not be a one to one replacement of the properties that are being taken down . HUD has reported a huge gap in the amount of affordable housing and yet we are reducing the opportunities for stable living arrangements for poor people at the same time. Haiku: i rea11y don't know this crap too damn exhausted shh... the neighbor is s1eeping Page 7 Please Support Our Advertisers WILLIAM R. WALLACE, D.D.S. 5258 MONTGOM ERY RO. NORWOOD, OH 452 12 1999 Actlrlty: The National Coalition is looking for another increase in the HUD budget and the Health and Human Services budget. Advocates at the state level are looking to find a stable source of funding for the Housing Trust Fund, a program to build affordable housing and services to place people in housing. Locally, advocates are working on three initiatives to strengthen oversight locally, improve homeless people's access to affordable housing, and build stronger links with the health care community. The most important work will be to continue to amplify the voice of the homeless. THE OLD WHITE GUY Submitted by Brian Davis, Cleve/ands Grapevine A published report in the St. Petersburg T imes details the marketing campaign of the network of rescue missions throughout the country and how "The Old White Guy" tugs on the heart strings of readers to donate to the missions . During the holidays, missions throughout the country (City Mission in Cleveland and Rescue Mission in Young­ stown) put advertisements in the local daily newspapers to raise funds for their ~helter and meal programs. These advertisements are based on years of focus group studies and marketing analysis according to the St. Petersburg Times. One advertising executive told the paper that "the Old Guy" sells. While minor­ ity people or mothers or children do not have the same appeal. Officials of the Missions in Florida claim that the stereotypi­ cal vision of a homeless person works best in fundraising because people think that homeless people are older alcoholic men. The paper also reported discrepancies in the price of a Thanksgiving meal. The Subscribe to Streetvlbes HAIKU Now, 1 The Tri State s Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be pur­ chased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below address and t he paper will be mailed to you each issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home less--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. Telephone 1513) 531· 2338 ~~ ~ PRII\'IERICA Financial Senices Clifford Jones R1p11sentatlvt 8075 Reading Rd.• Suite 1 • Cincinnati. OH 45237 Res. (513) 761·3464 • Bus. (513) 821·3332 Voice Mail: (513) 230-6353 A MemberofTravelersGroup All llMltPtndut rtprtulltllln of Prlmerlo FIHnclll Strmes Rtpresenting: Primerica Ute Insurance Company/£xeculJVe Ottices: Duluth, Georg.a ~ ~, $si A N OTHER CLASS PROD U ' TIO~ Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761·3464 (5 13) 230-6353 advertising agency used in St. Petersbu rg and Tampa said that meals cost $1.57 which is repeated throughout the United States while a local hunger organization reported that a meal costs $1 . 79 for one Thanksgiving dinner. 79% OF NEW JOBS IN OHIO PAY LESS THAN A LIVABLE WAGE . . . *3 9% of these jobs pay below ha l f t he l i vable wage . *I n a dd i tion , many of t hese l ow wage j o bs are part time or temporary and f ew provide health insurance o r oth e r benef its . *Most j obs held by former Wel f a re rec ip ients pay between $5 . 50 and $7 . 00 a n hour : Only 28 . 8% earn above the $14 , 500 poverty level for a family of three . *A living wage for a family of four in Ohio is $30,038 per year . *In 1995, CEO's made 115 times the salary of the l owe st paid worker . �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Prisoner News THEACA ACCREDITATION FRAUD by Dan Cahlll, Muldoon, James Pryor, and Robert Woodman Orient Correctional Institution For more than five years prisoners in Oh io and throughout the nation have been condemning the American Correctional Association (ACA) accreditation program as a sham and a fraud. In 1933, prisoners at the Madison prison in London, Ohio, issued the Ohio Prisoners' Rights Union (OPRU) position paper on the accreditation pro­ gram. It stated: · *ACA accreditation lends credibility to fraudulent claims by prison officials, and is used as a defense aga inst lawsuits through fa lse documentation. Prison offic ials claim that accreditation demonstrates a "good fa it h" effort to improve prison conditions. In reality it's an attempt to mis lead the public into thinking pri sons have better living co nditions than t hey really have. *Prisoners don' t have access to the ACA acc reditation stan da rds and aren ' t involved in the accr ed itation p roces s, and have no way to com pel priso n official s t o com ply with those standa rds . *Until prisoners are actively involved in the ACA accre ditat ion process and ha ve access to the ACA sta ndards - the accredi­ tation program m ust be recognized for the sham that it is. Prisons and their outside support groups must fight the ACA accredi­ tation program." The OPRU position paper was distrib­ uted to all of CURE's (Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Erra,nts} state chapters by Eunice McAllister of South Carolina - CURE (Now the Prisoner Advocacy Network- PAN). Mrs. McAllist er also sent evidence and reports from prisoners across the nation to National CURE exposing the accreditation program as a fraud. The evidence compiled was presented at a workshop at CU RE's national convention . In the Journal of Pr isoners o n Prisons, Vol. 6, No. 2 ( 1995), "Little Rock" Reed and Ivan Demsovich condemned the ACA accreditation program as a fraud in their article, "The American Correctional Assoc: A Conspiracy Of Silence." However, in National CURE's Fall 1998 newsletter, CURE clearly supports and promotes the accreditation program ... CURE's continued support of the ACA lends credibility to the entire fraud prisoners have been attempting to expose for years... Prisoners who litigate on prison issues know first-hand how detrimental fraudulent ACA accreditation can be. W hen a prisoner sues an accredited institution, they are faced with a mountain of documentation as counter-evidence in the court. To win, the prisoner must prove that the documenta­ tion and accreditation is false or irre levant. If he/she fails to win, the prisoner loses the case , and the conditions wh ich led to the lawsu it remain unrepaired. In Reception Perceptions Uuly/ August 1998) a newsletter for the Correctional Recept ion C e nte r, t he r e was an article titled "W hat Is ACA?". The article sa id accred it a­ ti o n is " .. . a defense against law su its t hrough the documen t ation of a ' go od faith' effort to improve condit ions of con­ finement, ... and enhanced public credibility fo r administration and line staff ... " It doesn't seem to matter that the en tire process is a sham, or that t he documenta­ tion is false. The current president of the ACA is also the Director of the Department of Rehabili­ tation and Correction (DORC) , Reginald A. Wilkinson. Considering how much of tax­ payers ' money DORC spends with the ACA each year through the accreditation pro­ gram and the purchase of ACA literature, this appears to be a serious conflict of interest. The ACA is a special-interest group which represents those whose livelihoods depend on federal , state , and county prisons and jails. Is it any wonder that they lobby for larger prison budgets to c.ontinue expanding the prison systems? On October 5-7, 1998, the Orient Cor­ rectional Institution (OCI) underwent an ACA audit for accreditation. Prior to the ACA inspection, prison officials had more than 60 dump-truck loads of what they called " junk and clutter" taken to the dump and thrown away. This "junk" consisted of hundreds of chairs , couches, filing cabinets, wooden a nd steel desks, unused office supplies and cleaning supplies, computers, keyboards, tape players, TV's, unused medi­ cal supp lies, etc... Now prison officials are in the process of purchasing s.u pplies and equipment to replace what was just re­ cently thrown out! The audit team consisted of 3 individu­ als, who spent 2 1/2 days at this prison. Most of their time here was spent reviewing pol icies and procedures to ensure compli­ a nce wit h ACA standards. No effort w as made t o verify tha t polici es a nd procedures were actually carried o ut! They ignored broke n w indows which were covere d in plastic, and made no effort to dete r mine if showers, toilets, sink fixtures, fire alarms, or lights really wo rked. T hey ignored sew age dripping fro m pipes in a dorm se t aside fo r disabled prisone rs ...and extreme overcrowd­ ing. They ignored t he condemned dorms with their crumbling foundations. cracking and buckling floors, and leaking roofs... It was predetermined months before this audit the OCI would be accredited. For months guards and pri son staff spoke openly in front of prisoners saying, "The fix is in; we'll pass the ACA inspection." This wasn't hard to figure out since the DORC director is also the ACA president... The purpose of this audit was to ensure t hat necessa ry documentat ion is in order. The ACA was not concerned about the fact that OCI doesn ' t actually comply wit h the ACA standards, so long as there's plenty of documentation which SAYS they ar.e in compliance... Did someone cook the books? Or were the auditors just not look­ ing? THIS is the documentation prisoners must disprove in court if they attempt to bring about any improvements th rough litigation. Legislators won't force any reforms on a prison system that is ACA accredited; that's the enhanced public credibility the DORC refers to! A prisoner who once possessed a copy of the OPRU position paper on the ACA accreditation program was charged with possession of contraband and gang activ­ ity, placed in isolation for almost two months in 1993, and has suffered many forms of reprisals over the past 5 years. Exposing this fraud is necessary if we ever hope to see any positive changes made in the prison system. We know that by writing this article we may be subjected to reprisals. That fear Page B keeps most prisoners fro m spea ki ng out. O ur efforts to expo se t his fraud, and to educate the publ ic about intole rable living conditions are crippled so long as CURE, and people like them , buy into the ACA's lies and cooperate in perpetuat ing t he accreditatio n dece it. Can we eve r hope to convince t he publ ic? CURE is the nation 's largest prison reform organization , and part of their mission is educating the ge neral public and legislators about t he inhumane conditions and corruptio n wh ich is in herent in the prison system . In supporting and promoting the ACA accreditation program CURE participates in the oppression of more than 1.7 million people. CURE is out of touch with the prison reform movement, and should give some serious thought to the concept of "solidarity." CURE needs to condemn the ACA accreditation program for the fraud it is, help expose such activities , and stop working against prisoners . OCI will be accredited, along with all Ohio prisons. We stand by what we've written and challenge the ACA to prove otherwise! We also ask all thoughtful people on the outside of the fences to contact their legislators and ask them to stop accepting the accreditation lies from the ACA cover up serious problems with a bl izzard of fraudulent paperwork? PRISON SLAVES FOR SALE By Dan Cahill In Big Brother's continuing effort to ex pl o it prison slave labor, it has deve loped the C omputer Aided Drafti ng (CAD) Pr o­ gram here at the Orient Correctional (OCI) (at Orient, Ohio, near Columbus). CAD is part of t he O hio Penal Industries (OPI), which is supposed t o sell services and products directly only to th e gove rnm e nt agencies. However, this CAD program has done work for t he American Ele ct ric and Power, Kroger (supermarke ts), Muns el Inc., Key Blue Prints Inc., Pro Repro (now Franklin Imaging) and Trans Map Inc. CAD charges t hese companies $8.00 per hour per man on most jobs -approxi­ mately half of what outside CAD companies would charge. Prisoners receive 21 cents to 47 cents per hour, with an average pay of 35 cents pe r hour. Outs ide companies cannot compete because the government has an unfair advantage: slave labor. CAD has t urn ed out t o be such a profitable enterprise t hat t he State o f O hio has allowed a private contractor to open an OSSI (Ohio Offshore Services and Indus­ tries) CAD program at the Marion Correc­ tional Institution - in direct competition with outside companies. . Computer skills necessary in CAD require a lot of training and cold provide prisoners with valuable, marketable skills which would be helpful in finding meaning­ ful employment upon their release. How­ e ver, the demand for this type of work on the outside is diminishing as CAD programs inside prisons continue to expand. On May 5, 1998, the U.S. Department of Justice convened the first National Prison Industries Forum. Moderator Warren Cikins stated that 70,000 prisoners (out of a total of almost two million) produce $1.4 billion in Continued on page 12... �STREETVIBES 1 The Tri State s Homeless Grapevine Page 9 News From Cleveland's Grapevine ANOTHER TOUGH YEAR Ohio: In Ohio, we have sadly marked the one year anniversary of welfare reform with one­ fourth of the total population no longer receiving benefits. Again, not a bad thing if these families were living in a more stable lifestyle, but we actually have no idea. Studies have shown that only 25-50 percent of those moving off the welfare roles move to employment and even fewer move to meaningful employment. It will take a crisis before our elected "leaders" realize that we need to mobilize every resource to make the first three years of our children's lives the most nurturing and free of stress of their life. We have seen a growing gap in service to homeless people as a result of changes in the medical service delivery sysc.em. With managed care the homeless do not fit in a health organization's bottom line, and the state has done nothing to protect the health of those who stay on the streets. It is increasing difficult for a single homeless person to gain access to health care through Med icaid and even more difficult to gain access to care that treats an individual back to good health. We have managed care r ules based on saving money and are set in stone. They make no special protocol or rules for those who ca.n not recuperate in a stable environment. That is the opposite message we deliver when we sanction a Mom un der welfare reform. A surprising level of anger came out of this State and manifested itself in the No­ vember election. The governor of Ohio refused to accept money from the federal government to put people in jobs. He refused to allow people who cannot find a job a waiver from the Food Stamps rules as is allowed by the Federal government. Then in the November election, Governor Voinovich boasted of the number of people who are no longer receiving welfare assis­ tance. He did not mention the number of people working who were on welfare last year, because no one knows how many people are working. As has been said many times in these pages there is an increasing level of anger toward poor people. From championing the death penalty to support of the end of the social safety net in the political campaign was alarming. Cleveland: In Cleveland, we have seen a larger number of people who are having a difficult time finding access to health care. We have featured detailed stories in the Home­ less Grapevine which show how people on the streets have a difficult time accessing health care with the new Health Mainte­ nance Organization's rules which are di­ rected at people with homes. Recently, we saw the organization that was entrusted with assisting those who are medically indigent expand their focus at a time when we need a health care for the homeless people most. We have seen a net decrease in afford­ able housing, but because of ,Jhe vigilance of a number of organizations like the Cleve­ land Tenants Organization and the Alliance of Cleveland HUD Tenants who have drawn a line in the sand we have seen a temporary stay in future reductions. With the appoint­ ment of former Community Development Director Terri Hamilton to the position of Executive Director of the Cuyahoga Metro­ politan Housing Authority we look for a brighter futur·e and closer communication with the homeless community. We see some of the problems with the Section 8 vo ucher program beginning to be ad­ dressed, and we look for continued im­ provement for 1999. On a political front, the citizens of Downtown Cleveland voted in a former outreach worker in the homeless commu­ nity, Joe Cimperman, to Cleveland City Council. He in turn sponsored legislation that would require homeless service provid­ ers to be appointed to local homeless service provider's Boards. We have gone another year and still have not been ·able to close Project Heat, the overflow shelter system. The Heat shelters are mats on the floor in the evening and are a beneath the dignity of a human being. They are worse than the conditions at the jail, and yet people enter them voluntarily every night. It is no wonder that there is a lot of anger and distrust of the system. Then we have the unfortunate situation of a Catholic church putting up barriers to prevent homeless people from sleeping outside the church's door without the permission of the city. The City of Cleveland has as of December taken no action on this act of hatred. Two other positive developments in 1998 were the forum with City Council member Frank Jackson which allowed over I00 people ·who stay on the streets to express themselves and have their thoughts recorded and acted upon by an elected official. And we held a unifying event called the Homeless Stand Down which featured services and workshops for homeless people, but most importantly two days of respite for over 1,000 people on the streets. Northern Kentucky Housing and Homelessness Coalltlon (NKHHC) HOMELESS DAY CENTER by Barry Grossheim The Nort hern Kentucky Housing and Homeless Coalition (NKHH C) has long been concerned about the lack of facilities to assist homeless individuals in meeting their basic needs. For several years the NKH HC has researched ways to fund a day center for the homeless. This seems likely to be the year to make this center a reality. W ith Transitions Inc. acting as the lead agency, the NKH HC is hopeful that Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will approve the initial funding before the end of December. If so, it will be the culmina­ tion of efforts by the Coalition and several of its member agencies over the last five years. The proposal calls for a drop-in day center and transitional housing units. The day center w ill house outreach workers from a variety of Northe rn Kentucky mental health, substance abuse, job training and placement, and social service providers. The center will offer homeless individuals a place to spend time during the day, to escape from bad weather, and to Informally interact with volunteers and professionals from the community. The center will include showers, locker space, telephones, mail and a message center. Outreach workers will be available to assist individuals as they identify their specific needs in accessing available shelter, housing and services. Even with HUD funding the center is a long way from being a certainty. More than $400,000 will need to be raised locally to match HUD funds. Plans are being made to bring togeth e r all interested agencies to address the additional funding needs for this project. All concerned are hopeful t hat HUD will agree with the need for this facil ity and will present Northern Kentucky's homeless population w ith a very real Christmas present this holiday season. / �STREETVI BES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Editorials & Letters WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST•.. by Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. As I sit at my desk, this warm, yet wet, December day, I reflect on this year of our Lord 1998. January began for me w ith uncertainty, because although I was gain­ fully employed I was once again moving to a new residence; and t his brought to my r emembrance the feeling of homelessness. February came , a nd with it the dread of income tax time. March brought the possibility of war m weather, but also a time of decision mak­ ing. April came and went so fas ~ I hardly knew what hit me. With May came a revelation from God that for a certainty I was to quit my job and return to full t ime ministry. As Ju ne tu rned into July, I pushed faithfully onward. Sometimes hungry and on the brink of homeless ness once again . Then came August, and while some scoffed, others prayed and gave words of encourage m ent . But when September came, and the guiding hand of the Lord was revealed many were amazed , because I met Rever­ end Leonard W ill iams , Sr.• Pastor of the W hole Life Church o f Jesus C hrist , and founder of He lping Ha nds O utrea ch Mis sion Ministries. By October, w hat had been A W ay O f Life (AWO L) Ministries had emerged u nde r t he umbrella of HHOMM , because the L.:ord had brought togeth e r t wo men of God whom He had give n a si milar vision. A vision t o help t he less fortunate and disad- · van t ag ed , who me ver and however t hey might be found. Th e n the Lord p rovided me with a job which would not inte rfer e with His work. So when November cam e it was no surprise to me that the Women of Vision Program, under the W hole Life Church of Jesus Christ, had sponsored its first Gospel Skate Night at the Fun Factory, and with the ' planning to assistance of HHOMM was sponsor its .first Bowling for Jesus Night at D~l-Fair Lanes. Both youth and adul t s had a joyful and blessed time of fellowship and fun at these events. November and D ecember were a time when · the. outreach of HHOMM was very effective in reaching out to families and individuals who were less fortunate or disadvantaged . Thanks to grou ps such as Buskens Bakery, City Cur e (Christmas Store), Toys For Tots, T he Findley Market, and too many individuals to name, HHO MM was able to bless over 2 00 individuals and families with food and gifts for the ho liday season. WE THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! The children of the Whole Life Church of Jesus Christ planned and performed their first Chr istmas play, 'T he W ish," unde r the direct orship of Evangelist C ord elia Nowe ll. De ce mber also saw for the first time a uniting o f r e lig ious bod ie s and ind ividuals in So uth C umminsville to hold a candl e light vig il an d C h r ist mas caroling in t he co mmu­ nity. On December 3 I st, at 9:00p.m. myself, Evangelist Rodney L. Sutton , was ordained as a minister of Whole Life Church of Jesus Christ. For a year that began w ith such uncer­ tainty it has ended with my faith being rewarded by the one who said, "Lo, I am with you always. even unto the end of the world (Matt.28: 20) The year of our Lord 1999 is a time for fresh beginn ings, and He has given me one; for on January 3, 1999, I shall be installed as Pastor of Helping Hands Outreach Mission Ministries. The ceremony will take place at The Whole Life Church of Jesus Christ at ' 4:00p.m. This date, unbeknownst to Pastor Williams (when given to him by God), is my natural birth date. It shall also now be a spiritual rebirth. The Lor d has also blessed us to begin a transportation ministry, so if you do not have a church home or just wish to come a nd fellowship please call the church at 681-5537 no later than 6:00p.m. on Saturday evening and we will make arrangements to pick you up Sunday morning. May God keep you and sm ile upon you this new year. UNAACEPTABLE RACISM by Dan James Today, Monday, I w as confro nted by a punk w ith a Michelin Tire jacket. I was wal ki ng t o t he heal t h department: for trea tment for my panic d isor der. Puffy- boy confro nt ed me with , " Whatcha got for me? Muthaf@#!?" Strik­ in g hi s mos t macho po se he con t in ue d, "G ive me your money !" " Hey look, b ud , I' m hom e less and p r obably have le s s cash t han you. It ' s t im e for you t o bac k o ff. See this American fl ag on my coat. It says that as a citizen, I have a right to go whe re and when I desire. You want to f#@! with a Marine, and I'm ready!" As he appr oached me. sprouting gang signs, I became prepared for a fight that I probabl y co ul d n't win -(I've had three cervical fusions and suffer from chronic pain). But I wasn't ·going down without a fight. Moving closer, he flashed his lower­ educated gang signs and challenged . It was time for action, otherw ise I'd get my a@# kicked for sure. As he moved closer, I kicked him hard in his measily gonads, but it was wit hout effect. He came back swinging: not like a trained boxer, but more like a rab bid, crack­ infected streetfighter. We traded punches and t hreats , too. I ad vised him, "You may be able t o hurt me, b ut 'it's not before I do some very permanent damage upon yo u r f@#!in' ass !" He retreated, shouting that, "If you come back to my street, N !@#@!, I'll kick your f#@!in' ass!" I let it slide, not wanting to get into another further hassle. He walked and strutted away, thinking, 'Tm all that, and probably more!" Page Io I left thinking t hat the world is fu ll of fools . Good rid dence , Miche lin Punk. T he next time I meet you my blade is going for your thro at. Please people, le t's let pe o ple alone who mind t heir own bu siness. No one has a nything ove r an other. We 're all peop le ; we have problems , and to use a famous phrase from one of the all -time greatest losers, " Can't we just all get along?" He had a point... DEAR STREETVIBES: As a former homeless person, I have been very lucky ... Mansfield, Lebanon, Ohio Penitentiary, London Prison Farm , and County Jail were my homes for I0 years or so. Seeing the mis-treatment of inmates all those years and going through both p rison riots in 1968 w ith a parole in my pocket was tough times. I ended up having to travel to Columbus, Oh io to court because of the prison riots. Still not through w ith the law, I shot someone in 1972. I wa s ordered to leave Cincinnati, Oh io ... to not drag the story out, ended up in Knoxville, Tenn. Five years of homelessness was enough, though at times found it hard to cope with society. In prison , I was placed on psychiatric medica­ tion throughout the duration. I stayed at a mission in Knoxville. I worked there and got an opportunity to attend Temple Baptist College in C hattanooga, Ten n. I r etu r ne d to that mission as director. buddy gray and Maurice Mc Crac kin were very clos e fr iends of mine. I have gone on to other things ... now I'm a business man, but still haunt cit y officials. The hardest peo ple I have ever dealt w ith are Bigot C ity Offi cials. I am mo r e at ease at Over t he Rhine where I grew up than at t he court house or city hall. I rea lly sti ll enjoy talking to Sonny Williams , Gordon , and Berta my lo ng t ime fr iends. I will continue to help fight for the rights of humanity unt il I m eet bud dy and Mau r ice at " T he Other Place." Frie nd of the homeless, Charlie Mattingly 1958 State Ave. Cincinnati, Ohio 45204 phone: 921-1231 P.S. If yo u need a fri e nd to t alk to cal l me from 9:00am-3:00pm Monday- Friday. DEAR STREETVIBES: Drugs and alcohol is the biggest reason for homelessness. Mental illness, and just wanting to live on the street, is another problem . No problem, no bi lls, don't have to cook, don't do nothing but be homeless. There is no way in this world, would I waste my t im e - either way. If the streets has ca lled th e se people, and this is what they chose then so be it. Let it go, force all homeless people to work, just like the welfare is forcing us to w ork. And by the way. we don't have a choice, or we could just be homeless . Whatev e r, Vickie Will iam 1529 Vine Street Box 15 0 Cincinnati, OH 45210 �STREETVIBES 1 The Tri State s STREETVIBES Etcetera••• Press Conference Emphasizes Living Wages On Dece mber 8, the Great er C incinnati Coalition for the Homeless along wi t h the Welfare Rights Coalition held a joint press conference to publicize " Working Hard, Earning Less". The report was a joint venture between Jobs with Justice and The National Priorities Project. The report focused on the lack of livable wage jobs being produced in the United States. The press conference used inform ation pertaining to Ohio specifically. In Ohio, 79% of new jobs pay less than half the livable wage. Welfare recipients who must find jobs are especially impacted . Studies by both the National Governor's Association and the Census Bureau find that most jobs held by former recipients pay between $5.50 an~ $ 7.00 an hour, averaging $1 1,41 0 .an d $14,560 a year. Only 28.8% earn above the $14 ,500 poverty level for a family of three. Studies have also fou nd that 40% of those in homeless shelters wo r k eve ry day. The panel also included a homeless man that works full-time and is still not able to find hous ing. According to a study by the National Coalition for the Homeless in 1997 titled Un abate d and Increasi ng, the cost for a one bedroom apartment is $7.63 an hour and the cost of a two bedroom is $9.37 an hour on average. Many cities across .the country have started. successful living wage campaigns. It was the hope of organizers of the press conference that there would be renewed interest in a livable wage campaign in­ dexed to the cost of housing. Subscribe to Streetvl bes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purcha sed for $ 12 pe r year. Ple ase send a che ck t o the below address and the pape r will be m aile d t o you e ach iss ue. Streetvibe s 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Ple ase make checks pay­ able to the Greate r Cincinnati Coalition for the Home le ss-­ Stre etvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. Homeless Grapevine HUD Announces Continuum of Care Grant Awards The department of Housing and Urba n De velopment recently a nnounced its fisca l Year 1998 Continuu m of Care Home less Assista nce Awa rd Recip ients. The C ity o f C incinn ati an d Hamil ton Coun ty recently learned from HUD t hat $5 ,277,384 dollars will be allocated to the area to provide mu ch need e d s ervi ces t o th e hom e less po pulatio n. The Greater Cin cinnati a rea received fundi ng fo r nine in novative proje cts t hat will help expedite move m ent fro m homeless ness to perma­ nent housing. The G ra nts covered a ll facets of the continuum fr o m ho melessness to permane nt ho usi ng. Greater Ci ncinnati pr ograms inclu ded an expansion of the Shelte r Plus Care pro­ gram that provide dollars for much needed permanent housing. Included in the program was also new jobs programs at the YWCA and, th·rough a collabora­ tion betwee n the Greate r Cincinnat i Coalition for the Homeless, the money will also help expand dental services, services for the disabled, mentally ill and people suffering from HIV/AIDS. This highly com­ petitive process has now helped to pro­ vide ove r $ 13 million dollars in fu nding fo r muc h needed housing an d services for the homeless in the past three years. In re­ lated news, t he City of Cincinnati a lso received $591 ,000 for ESG (Emergency Shelter Grant) funds for FY99 this figure repre~ents $1 41,000 more t han the City's Economic D epartm e nt anticipated. HOMELESSASSISTANCEAWARDS: ($) 385, 000 First Step Home Independent Living Op's 124,687 2,098,020 City of Cincinnati Drop Inn Center 297,000 349,125 Chabad House (GCCH) Caracole 591,240 682,651 Oral Health Council YWCA 460,911 Tender Mercies 288, 750 Community . Celebration. Live Music! Every Sunday -6PM Free of Charge Nast-Trinity United Methodist Church 1320 Race St. Cincinnati 721-7339 Page 11 ScrambI e by Ron Carter Try to unscramble these related words: EKAM SIHT RAEY HTE TBSE NOE FO MEHT LA L ANSWERS ON PABE 1 S. WORKSHOP SERIES: RETURNING TO WORK by Valerie Taylor, LSN On Wednesday, January 6, AIDS Volun­ teers of Cincinnati (AVOC) is very pleased to be starting a ser ies o f presentations about re turning to work. The ser ies will be held e very W ednesday evening form 1/6 / 99 through 2/3/99 at Clifton United Methodist Church. It w ill be held from 6:00 until 8:30 and r efreshmen t s w ill be provide d. Present­ ers will include Ken Skahan, MD speaking about managing medication while work­ ing, and attorney Al Gerhardstein who will add r ess discrimination in employment and related issues. Concerns about how Social Security eligibility would be affected by earned income will be addressed by Scott Knox, an attorney and huge supp~rter of AVOC programs. This program was developed in re­ sponse to concerns about returning to work. New medications and treatments have resulted in many people living longer with a better quality of life overall. There is an 'eagern ess to return to work but also enor­ mous fears about giving up the relative safety of disability. What it if I take a job and then find after four months that I'm getting too tired to work full time? What do I tell a prospective employer about what I have be en doing the last three years? Should I tell them I am HIV+ ? Can I get in surance? W ill I be able t o afford my medi cations ? Infor matio n abo ut ed uca­ tional and trai ning opportunit ies will also be ava ilable. Case managers Mike Angeline and Megan O'Day have done a tremen­ dous job of planning topics and speakers to address these and many other issues . y./e are also very interested in hearing from employers who might be willing to work wit h AVOC and/or a local train ing program on assisting those who are HIV+ in re-enter­ ing the work fo r ce. For more information, call either Mike or Megan at 421-243 7 or your case manager if you have one. �STREETVIBES 1 The Tri State s Homeless Grapevine 'URSULINE' Continued from front page... Most of the buildings are abandoned and give me the impression of jails; their win­ dows are covered with metal bars, and occasionally wooden boards. Covering the streets, and most of the ground, are candy wrappers, paper, glass bottles and other debris. Loud music and the shouts of people echo from the apartment floors above. People stroll down the sidewalk, apparently not noticing the trash and filth around them as I do. We reach the door of Buddy's Place and enter into a dark gloomy room. Light filters through the cracks in the boarded windows and we are able to discern the dust rising from our shuffling. We are ush­ ered to an inner room. My eyes have ad­ justed well enough to note the old, cracking blue and green floral wallpaper that peel from the walls. We are told to try to · remove all the nails from the ceiling. I stare at the expanse of ceiling above me for a second and feel a -little faint. The scaffolding scrapes across the floor as we drag it to a good position to pull nails from. Three of us finally clamber up the metal bars and begin to swing our hammers and tug at the rusted nails. Problem: Old wooden ceiling, nails, dust and hammers. Each time a hammer missed its target, a shower of fine wood dust flies into our face, nose, eyes, and mouth. I am in a very bad situation; I am allergic to dust and today I have my con­ tacts in. My e yes are getting dried out and rubbing t hem threatens to make fall out. Afte r half an hour of sneezing and getting blinded, we each take turns pulling nails as the rest of us cower from the dust. We quickly perceive this isn't going to help finish removing the ceiling's nails. We explained the problem to our volunteer coordinator. We're promptly given eye protection and the job is finished about three hours later. After we have put everything away I pull off a couple patches of the wallpaper to keep as souvenirs, and we trudge back to office. Mr. Forman greets us as we all dropped onto a nearby couch from exhaus­ tion and wait for the others so we could get lunch at the Drop Inn Center. The rest of the Ursu,l ine volunteers appear and we leave the ReSTOC office building to saunter off in the "This Is a world beyond my clean . quiet suburbla... My view of the world is getting a good dose of reality here. ,, direction of the Drop Inn Center. On the way we pass the park, it seems like a tiny patch of land to me compared to the fields and woods the park near mx house is comprised of. In the green grass, the chil­ dren laugh and carouse while the homeless nap on benches or on the grass. It seems so n.atural, no one thinks it's odd that the children and homeless are intermixed together on the park lawn. Even more, the homeless appear peaceful and natural as they nap, but I know that there is much more going on in their minds than a leisurely nap. At the Drop Inn Center, benches are .· filled with people waiting for a meal. One particular old man in an overcoat catches my eye. He is bent over and his shoulders are hunched forward at an alarming angle, what really gets to me is that he is wearing swim shoes. His whole outfit is mismatched and patched, and is almost ludic: ous, except I can 't laugh, or even smile about it. I am saddened by his appearance and disgusted at my inability at this moment to help him, or at least give him socks. I felt a nudge from behind me and get pushed into the food line. I pick out some of the food they dole out to us, mostly vegetables . I pick at my food for a while ~nd begin to slowly chew it, while I muse deeply a~out all I have seen. A group begins forming its way to the back of the cafeteria door for a tour of the Drop Inn Center, and I follow. Dorothy, our tour guide, leads us to an inner room and explains the significance of the Drop Inn Center for her. We follow her to the women's room where we see almost two dozen neatly made beds for helping homel~ss women in the process of rehabili­ tation. Many of us are surprised to see mother and children rooms and some sigh "aww ... " over the rooms with special baby items in them. In the kitchen, the sea of sunflowers that serve as decoration amazes us. (More aww .. .'s can be heard from within the group.) Here in the kitchen, "It seems so natural, no one thinks It's odd that the children and homeless ~are Intermixed together on the park.lawn.,, Dorothy tells us her story as an ex-homeless women and drug addict. We are drawn into her narrative of how she got to where she is now. Tears begin to fall from her eyes and many of us become emotional. After Dorothy's last sentence, we reach over and give her a hug. I am affected by her words and deeply touched by the bravery she has to tell us about her past. After we say our goodbyes to her, we are shuttled off to tour the men's quarters. Our guide shows us up a stairway and shouts at the top floor through a door, "Women on the floor! Women on the floor!" We are then led through the corridors and shown the enter­ tainment room and exercise room, which consists mai nly of a row machine. Having little time left, our guide hurries us down the stairs to a huge echoing room lined with many plastic covered pallets. The homeless can sleep on them at night and in the wintertime when it is especially cold, · he explained. Even though the room is enor­ mous and filled with these pallets, I still can imagine the lack of space they must have when the temperature gets to freezing level. At the end of the tour, as we stream out the door of the Drop Inn Center, I notice that I feel different. It is a strange feeling, the sense of having to go back to a place where there is no litter on the ground, no bars on the windows and a no glass bottles. I almost feel like a hypocrite, mingling and helping for a while for the less fortunate and then going home to a place where I have everything a person needs. It's as though I am abandoning all the people I have seen and met who need help more than I do. While boarding the truck, I know I never expected to see anything like this before in my life. My parents would have tried to prevent me from seeing all of this and would have kept me sheltered if they had the chance . But I'm glad I finally know about life outside 'my' world, including the litter, glass bottles and barred wi ndows, because now that I do know .. . I can help. .· . ·. , _. :. Page 12 Prison Slaves from page 8... goods annually. The potential for increasing their profits is staggering, and the potential abuse and corruption concerning the use of the prison slave labor is just as great. Prisoners have no protection from unsafe working conditions, and in one documented case, prisoners were knowingly exposed to deadly toxic waste with abso­ lutely no regard for their health . (See Pris­ oner Legal News, "Worked ~o Death-Ohio's Work Release Program," October 1995) There was never any follow-up by the government to render medical assistance to former prisoners who were exposed to toxic waste. Prisoners are the perfect expendable, transient workers. In the past several years the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correc­ tions (DORC) has been loaning prisoners to "Community Services," and one such project is renovating asbestos without any protective clothing. Prisoners here at OCI are also gutting dormitories in preparation for renovation, and part of their job assign­ ment includes removing .asbestos - again, without any protective clothing. Commu­ nity Service work crews have only one or two supervisors, and no safety inspection to ensure such abuses don't occur. Any pris­ oner who complains is removed from the job site and may be subjected to disciplinary action for failure to perform his job assign­ ment. There are no safeguards to protect prisoners from this sort of tragedy and no independent monitoring agency to ensure their safety. Over a hundred years ago, the exploitation of prison labor was discontin­ ued in Ohio because the same type of corruption and abuse which resulted from marketing prisoners as slaves. Now history is being repeated. In promoting the use of prison labor in 1990, Chief Justice Burger stated, "This isn't for the benefit of the criminal community [prisoners]. This is for the benefit of you and me [status quo]." Prison labor is being regarded as a national economic asset, to the detriment of the U.S. Labor Movement and prisoners. Representafr"es from National CURE (Citizens for the Rehabilitation of Errants) attended the National Prison Industries Forum . In CURE's national newspaper, they briefly mentioned putting together some position papers, and one of the issues will be prison labor. It gives me reason for concern that CURE never mentioned attending this forum and did not pass on any of the materials and reports generated by the forum to the prisoners. It would almost appear as if CURE may be "representing" prisoners without notifying them of what exactly is taking place - and with little or no input from prisoners. To my knowledge, no Ohio prisoners were contacted by CURE requesting infor­ mation specifically on labor issues. Surely CURE wouldn't attempt to represent prison­ ers on the issue without contacting prison­ ers ... or would they? CURE often claims to represent the interests of the friends and families of prisoners, and not the interest of prisoners themselves. It is our labor which the forum discussed; so who was CURE representing? It is time for prisoners across the nation to establish a dialogue among ourselves on prison labor to determine what our position will be. It is our labor, our futur~. and our lives at stake: �STREETVIBES 1 The Tri State s Homeless Grapevine EL SALVADOR REMEMBERS by Patrick Har!f1on in El Salvador today, with few jobs and little hope for positive change; the youth often turn to gangs for support. The two largest gangs (maras) which are at war with each other are the 13th street gang and the Salva trucha ( 18th street} gang. Both of these gangs originated in Los Angeles and came back to El Salvador through deportation of illegal immigrants. The gangs are attractive to street youth chat perhaps didn't under­ stand the civil war in political terms, but rather in terms of the violence they grew up with. Children's parents were sometimes raped and murdered in front of them, bodies often strewn in the street at dawn, and the government bombed poor and working class communities that sided with the guerillas. Citizens of the United States, much like the Salvadoran people, were divided during the war. Under the Reagan administratio~'s "war against communism." Up to two million dollars a day was given to the El Salvadoran military during the worst parts of the war. This provided arms, training, state of the art technical assistance, and advisors from both the armed forces and the C IA. US foreign policy was not affected by reports of Page /3 concerns, to surrender to too many de­ mands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in every­ thing is to succumb to violence . More than that, it is cooperation in violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his or her work, because it kills the root and inner wisdom which makes work fruitful." - Thomas Merton He handed It to me not long after got back from an extensive stay in Central America. It seems fitting t hat another friend , · Matthew Eisen, saw it two years ago before he left for El Salvador and still refers to it today. The following story is as much about Matthew as it is about El Salvador, Over the Rhine, and life as an activist... El Salvador, a mountainous country of roughly 9 million people is the smallest and most densely populated natio n in Central America. El Salvador (T~e Savior) is · a land of sharp contrasts between heaven and hell. Its small size and large population push the violence of sustained social inequalities and sharp divisions between classes to­ gether in a dangerous way. During the Cold War, the right wing governments of El Matthew grew up in Delhi Townsh ip, Salvador had their genesis in " Las Catorce," right down the street from where his mother, the famous 14 family oligarchy which con­ Eisen worked at the College of Mt. St. Betty trolled over 60 percent of the land holdings Joseph. Matt attended Elder and Oak Hills in the country. The majority of the popula­ high schools, where he first got involved with tion. who are peasants, were forced to the human rights organization "Amnesty work for slave wages on huge plantations Though his interests in human International." of coffee, sugar cane or cotton, or migrate rights have lead him to many places in this to inner city ghettoes to find whatever work will tell you that Over-the-Rhine world, he they could . Attempts at organizing for remains in his heart. Matthew presently works change through peaceful means was with at-risk youth and gang members in El repeatedly met with repression by the Salvador. He works at a center called the landowners, government and military, and XX/ Youth Movement." I in­ "Generation through this civil war erupted. tended to write a feature story about the The civil war in El Salvador lasted 12 speaking tour which Matt and his two friends years, roughly from 1980 to 1992 when the Tara had come to give. Juan Carlos and government and the guerillas (FMLN} down is simply a What I wrote signed peace accords. The war cost Photo by Jimmy Heath conversation we had at two in the 80.000 lives and created hundreds of morning at a friend's apartment on thousands of refugees. Though both Elm Street... sides committed abuses of human ''The spring of 1990 was a time rights, the vase majority of abuses of major transition for me. I got to were committed by the Salvadoran know a woman through Amnesty military. Soldiers were known to gun named Veronica de Negre. She was down entire villages in the moun­ from Chile but she fled to the US tains, and in the cities pull people after the coup in 1973. She had a out of their homes at night never to son named Rodrigo who was born be seen again by there family and while she was in the States, and in friends. he decided to go visit Chile in 1990 Right wing Death Squads w ith order to see his country w ith his own names such as the "White Warriors" eyes. He was taking pictures of would target progressive church some protest in Santiago when the workers, unionists, teachers, critics of police grabbed him, dumped the government and their families gasoline all over him and set him on for torture rape and execution. fire. He died a few days later in the Many public schools in the capital hosp ital. lost almost their entire student body, In 1992 I went to Europe for 6 and each day, mutilated corpses months to discover my roots. As a would show up, on the roadside or white male from the States I feel as in garbage dumps. Left to right: Juan Carlos Hernandez, Tara Mathur, Matthew Elsen though I have no roots, but I need During the war, many thousand to overcome that. All of us in the US Salvadoran refugees fled co the United have history, for good or bad, and we need States. Some received political asylum , human rights violations, "death squads," or to recognize it, we need to honor it. Maybe most did not and were subject at any time even US Church Workers and Human Rights all those thoughts about roots lead me to to be picked up off the streets of Los Ange­ Workers who were put to death at the think about my own city of Cincinnati. Here les or Chicago and sent back by the Immi­ hands of Salvadoran Mil itary. I was studying all these big important gration and Naturalization Service (INS). Contrary to US foreign policy, a grow­ international issues about Human Rights, Upon arrival in the States, many young ing number of US citizens who began to and I wasn't even in tune to what was refugees with no papers found that jobs hear about El Salvador felt called to action happening inside my own country. So in the were hard to come by. In cities such as Los to oppose their own government and help fall of 1993 I moved down to Over-the-Rhine Angeles, many Salvadoran youth adopted the Salvadoran people who were being and became an intern for ReSTOC (Race the gang lifestyle as a means of survival. In persecuted; Church groups, doctors, human Street Tenant Organization Cooperative). recent years, as the US government has rights workers and people from many walks lived there till the summer of 1994 when I been getting tougher on illegal immigra­ of life devoted much time and effort to went out to San Francisco to work with tion, INS officers are now a more frequent spreading the word about El Salvador, Survivors International, an organization that sight in Latin barrios, constantly checking for pressuring congress to vote against aid, works with survivors of torture from all over documents. The result is that along with providing funding for refugee communities, the world. In the fall of that year I was deporting undocumented immigrants, the and risking prison sentences to smuggle again in Over-the- Rhine, then in the spring of US is now exporting gangs. refugees to safe communities in the United 1995 I finished my senior year of college in States. Many Salvadorans today say that their Nicaragua through a program at Xavier country is worse now than it was before the A few years ago a friend of mine gave University. In the summer I was back in war. There is no organized group fighting me this quote and I stuck it up on my Over-the-Rhine, living on Pleasant Street in the armed forces, but the daily murder rate refrigerator... an apartment I was fixing up for ReSTOC. is higher now than it was during the war "There is a pervasive form of contem­ years ( 18 persons murdered each day during porary violence to which the idealist fighting the war compared to 23 today). The peace for peace by nonviolent methods most accords signed with the guerillas have easily succumbs - activism and overwork. shown very little progress and the intellec­ The rush and pressure of modern life are a tual authors behind institutions such as the form , perhaps the most common form, of its "death squads" have yet to be prosecuted. innate violence. To allow oneself to be The situation for today's youth is a hard one carried away by a multitude of conflicting 'El Salvador' next page... �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Hom eless Grapevine 'El Salvador' from page 13... That fall I went off to DC to work for a year as membership coordinator for the Mid-West Regional office ofAmnesty International. I knew that after that year I was going to follow the dream of mine to go back to Central America, but I still didn't know where I was gonna go. After Buddy's murder I came back to Over-the-Rhine in December of 1996, then went to El Salvador with CRISPAZ (Christians for "/think that now, more than ever we should be lending a hand to El Salvador to help them to build peace." peace in El Salvador). I chose to go to El Salvador because I wanted to honor the commitment that so many people in the States had toward the people of El Salvador during the war. I think that now, more than ever w~ should be lending a hand to El Salvador to help them to build peace. Even though there is not a war going on the same conditions that brought about the war exist, and some say that it is even worse now than how it was before the war started. The history of the youth movement I am involved with is this... Back in 1987 there was an earthquake that destroyed a large part of San Salvador. Because the school in my neighborhood was damaged, the government built two little garages where students would go to classes till repairs on the old school could be completed. A few years ago the same youth who now form part of the movement got together and wanted to start something that would be an alternative to the gangs, they wanted to get together and talk and do activities but they didn't have any place to do it in. They went to the school board and asked if they could have one of the small "He was taking pictures of some protest In S~ntlago when the police grabbed him, dumped gasoline all over him and set him on fire." buildings that the government built for the school to have classes in after the earthquake, and the board said they didn't know anything about it and that it was all under the municipality. So they went down to the municipality and nobody down there knew anything about it, so the youth just took it over. Now it's a meeting place, complete with a big mural on the inside that the youth painted. We have guitar classes there. and folk dance classes, all kinds of stuff... And the youth did it, it was their idea and they did it all on their own initiative. We have a public library. the only public library in a community of 260,000 people. It started off when some of the youth at the movement decided to have a party. and instead of charging admission they told everyone to bring a book. We also have a scholarship program that helps youth go back to school. in some cases to finish high school; and in others to go to college. We fund it through donations from delegations. churches. and even people in Over-the-Rhine. There are former gang members from the two riyal gangs. the 13th street gang and the 18th street gang (Mara Salva Trucha). who are looking for something more to do than tag walls. Some of the movement's youth from these two gangs were hired out to paint a mural and they called it the "Meeting ofTwo Worlds". It was about the conquest of the Americas and it had an indigenous poem painted on it. I completely believe that the only way out of the crime, delinquency and violence in El Salvador that exists today is not through English and math classes. The problem was born in the US, first by shipping down guns for war. We created the refugees to come up here, their children pick up gang activities in the US, then we deport them back. Then (we) as good hearted Christians or leftists or whatever, and I include myself in this too, become arrogant enough to think that O.K. we created the problem, we can solve it, so we send gringos like myself down to teach English or bring down comput­ ers. We send down our culture, and youth are walking around in Jordan jerseys with Nikes and • Hillfiger shirts, and we think we can introduce them into this economic -system that we have, but just like the youth in OTR. they can consume but they will never be incorporated. They see everything on TV or in magazines and they get resentmen~. In inner city US or urban Salvador, there is no room for them ... So the whole idea is that classes and cultural exchange can help, but their path out has to be indigenous, from their culture and their language. whether in OTR or in Mejicanos, El Salvador... Their liberation, their path out of violence comes from them, their spirit to respect their roots and culture. One of my favorite quotes was from Steve Biko from South Africa went something like ... "Western culture in the 19th and 20th century gave the world the industrial revolution, but the great gift still has to "You don't have to go all over the world to see poverty. You can be In solidarity with the poor and the oppressed in your own communities." come from Africa, which is to give the world a more human face." I think that you can say the same thing about Latin America. In western culture we rely so much on gadgets and technology, but we are so disconnected from the earth as a spirit. There is noting good about poverty or oppression, but whether in Africa, Latin America or Over-the- Rhine, there still exists community and solidarity from one neighbor to another. That's where-the human face of the earth exists, that's where love exists ... Even my conservative republican brother-in-law who builds decks for rich homes that are heated in the winter and air-conditioned in the summer is saddened because there is no community. People don't know their neighbors ... They have cell phones, cars, and big wooden fences for privacy. Even though we disagree in our politics. there is some commonality. we are both human and we all want friends, family Page 14 and community. You don't have to go all over the world to see poverty. You can be in solidarity with the poor and the oppressed in your own communities. And I would recommend that you not go into these communities with the arrogance of problem solving. but with the attitude of being ruined. We always talk about the activists that come down to El Salvador. or the activists that come down to Over-the-Rhine and get ruined, we remember back to the universities and all those ideas and plans we had, and we got ruined. You need to have the art and the skill of listening and accompaniment. .. And we can come in with computers and pump in money, but these people need to be heard and respected. This is not some­ thing you can fix and forget about. These people have an experience to teach us, and it has to be told and taught." STREETVIBES Sweats & T-Shirts! Only $5 for T's, $10 for Sweats. T~!Rfri Elt~'~sES Homeless Grupc.. 11e 100% White Cotton Shirts and Long Sleeve Sweat Shirts XL Purple logo T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available at our office at .1506 Elm Street. Please stop by and see us. Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home? Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Affordable rent that never exceeds 30°/o of your income .. . Many buildings equipped 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. �' STREETVI BES 1 The Tri State s Homeless Grapevine Page 15 CONGRADULATIONS CLIFFORD STREETVIBES JONES of The Greater Cinc innati Oral Heal t h Council Announcements Program Coordinator FREEPOLlnCAL PRISONERS of The re are seve ral political priso ner s in O hio's prisons. If you are interest ed to w rite t o t hem, like Jame s Pr yor o r Da n Cahi ll, please c ontact: lNICN' of Coord.inatingCommittee "LITTLE ROCK" REED of The Executive arrl · JESSICA DIANE 'WALLACE Board DENTAL HYGIENISTS' I ASSOC. Band For Hire Band L ook i n& fo r Wo r k Streetvibes (the band). We like to pa rty. R&B. Oldies, Blues/)aJ:z, Reggae. Helpi ng the homeless to help themselves th rough free e nt e rprize. Ca ll 42 1-7803 . 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I agree to treat othe rs with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donat ion. I will not give a "hard sell" or make so meone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copie.s of 01 DB:EMBER 23 1998 of OHIO Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. ct BREIT ADAM ZW)LINSKI HAS BEEN ELECTED TREASURER THE BEST ONE PRXlAIMThG GCCH Member ON HIS FREEDOM AND PAROLE THANKSFORALLTHESUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY TO FREE HIM MAKE THIS YEAR OUR LORD JESUS GffiISI' tl:e !CONGRATULATIONS! 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 o nly $1 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 42 1-7813 aE The Homeless Dental Program Ohio Prisoner's Rights Union P.O. Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-1746 STREETVIBES Classified Ads BY THE GRACE Streetvibes to pe rsons 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 effo rt, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply Y<ith any of the above statements will r esult in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. STREETVIBES LETTERSAND EDITORIALS: c/ o GCCH, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 We reserve the right to edit stories or letters for clarity and content. Streetvlbes Radio Hour 1· On WAIF 88.3 fm 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 stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Sat., Jan. 9th, 1999, Noon to I pm Advertise In Streetvlbes I Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 5,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 3 I /2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 112" $20 per month A check or money o rder must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will rece ive 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 Home less Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 I .t �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 16 Streetvlbes TV The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities 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. Streetvibes TV January Schedule Cha nne l 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. Mond a y. !a nuary 11th. 199 9 a t 7PM . Re broadcast Dates for S how o n Cha n­ ~ nel 10: I Saturday, January 2, 1999, 4 PM Friday, January 8, 1999, 11 AM Friday, January 15, 1999. 11 AM Saturday, January 23, 1999, 4 PM Monday, January 18, 1999, I 0 PM r. Donald Whi tehead, as Santa Claus, leaves t he Coalition office on his way to visit Cincinnati shelters for children. Broadcast schedules are subject to change - con sult your local TV d irectory. If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803. 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... Streetvlbes Wish List STREEV/BES 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 wis~ list please give us a call. .. >Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning costs >Adobe Illustrator Software for IBM > Adobe Pagemaker Software for STREETVIBES layout >35 MM Film for STREETVIBES photo's >Laser Printer Vendor: 80 cents Where Your >Good used photocopier >Office Supplies >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee , cups , donuts , etc.) >Computer for STREETVIBES layout and wr i-t~A--ga--- Printing and Production: 20 cents n 0 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. SHELTERS: Women and Children Alice Paul House (abuse) 241-2757 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 281-5770 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660· Salvation Army Welcome House 431-8717 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. 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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 921-7324 784-1853 921- 16 13 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-501 1 42 1-2437 62 1-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for lndep_endent Living Options 241-2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center Emanuel Community Center 241-2563 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. 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 Ne ighborhood Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 559-6656 VA Homeless Program 49 1-3335 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 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 Janurary 1999 Vol 3, issue 24 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Homeless Memorial Held at Washington Park Ursuline Academy Volunteerism Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 3: COHHIO* Corps Closing Ceremony Homeless Veteran with PTSD Finds Help Pg 4: Welfare News Pg 5: Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide Pg 8: Prisoners News Pg 9: Cleveland News N. Kentucky News Pg 10: Letters & Editorials Pg 11: Streetvibes Etcetera Pg 13: El Salvador Remembers Pg 14: AVOC 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 January 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Dan Cahill Ron Carter Denise Crew Brian Davis Dwight Given Iola Green Barry Grossheim Patrick Harmon Henry Hartsock Jimmy Heath Muldoon Greg Payton Aaron Pitchford James W. Pryor Valerie Taylor Stephy Wang Donald White head Lynn Williams Robert Woodman 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 Barry Grossheim Brett Zwolinski Brian Davis Dan Cahill Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Dwight Given Greg Payton Henry Hartsock Iola Green James W. Pryor Jimmy Heath Lynn Williams memorial Muldoon Patrick Harmon prisoner Robert Woodman Ron Carter Stephy Wang the broken city The Traveler Valerie Taylor veterans welfare welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/d83d3c88e8f0d6983c6372be19ac38ff.pdf f1dd8b225c16a47423bbfee344a59eec PDF Text Text MORE DEMOLITION PROPOSED IN THE WEST END Photo by Jimmy Heath by Tyrone Smith Last year Cincinnati's homeless advocates agonized at the loss of 800 units of housing slated for demolition in the Hope VI application for the tincoln Courts Housing Project. Little did they kn.ow it was just the tip of the iceberg. This St;eetvibes reporter has learned that a proposed plan to renovate the laurel Homes project, a so­ called Master Plan put together by Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and a few member.s of the Laurel Homes community, was conceived back in 1996. The plan would actually · eliminate 500 units of public housing located in Laurel Homes in Cincinnati's West End. The plan .. . . was signed off and endorsed by Laurel Homes resident Ms . Shirley A. Colbert and the Director of CMHA, Mr. Donald Troendle. The Hope VI plan for Lincoln Courts, a·lso in the West End, and the plan for Laurel Homes would bring the total loss of housing in the neigtlborhood to over 1300 units. If this sounds bad to you, then guess what? The numbers have just gone up. On January 26th, 1999, Donald Troendle, Director of CMHA, asked the City for $9 million 1o demolish Laurel Homes. As many Streetvibes readers know, in 1987, the Laurel Hornes Community was placed on the Federal Historic Register, as the first public housing community built in the country. Who knew that Donald Troendle would show up some day with a plan to displace more of the people in the West End? Where is this going, and what is being done about it? Since last year community leaders and organizations have had the opportunity to discuss this displacement and the consequences of the Master Plan with the Assistant Secretary of HUD, Eleanor Bacon. When she came to our city Ms. Bacon met with and discussed the Hope VI Plan with the Lincoln Courts residents and community leaders . The Baptist Ministers Conference, CMHA, representa­ tives of the local Catholic Parish Church, Donald Whitehead of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, and myself, were just a few of the community leaders involved in these discussions. At the end of the discussion Ms. Bacon said, '~hat the project is not a done deal, that there is a level of distrust between the community and CMHA and I recommend that the community, their leaders, and CMHA continue to meet and discuss their differences." Additionally, Ms. Bacon added that she would be back for another visit in a couple months. If you are wondering why you did not read or hear about this prominent government officials' visit to the Laurel Hornes community, it is because she wanted to be here without a lot of publicity. After all, she is the one who granted the infamous Hope VI proposal - the plan that would eliminate homes for 800 families in our community. A community which is neither 'DEMO' cont. on page 1.4 Marchers Celebrate the Life and Work of Martin Luther King Jr. January 18th - Cincinnati's Fountain Square was the focal point for today's celebration in . remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr.. Dignitaries from around the city spoke from the Fountain Square stage honoring the work and life of Dr. King. Afterwards, hundreds of the Fountain Square program particippnts took to the streets to march from Fountain Square to Music Hall. The line of marchers at times stretched for more than six city blocks. Police escorts led the marchers through the blocked-off streets to their final destination at Music Hall in Over-the-Rhine. In Music Hall , parade participants were treated to music, by the Martin Luther King Choral, and speeches presented to celebrate the work of Martin Luther King Jr. The gathering at Music Hall and Fountain Square was only one of several events held in the city. Many churches and civic groups honored the memory of King including the annual King Day Breakfast at downtowns' Hyatt Regency Hotel. King is remem­ bered as the voice of justice for the rights of African­ Americans and all oppressed people during the 1960's. But his work and his words still ring true today. On January 17th, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. would have celebrated his 70th Birthday. Thousands of marchers gathered for a parade from Cincinnati's Fountain Square to Music Hall. Photo by Jimmy Heath The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless, social justice and poverty related issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation. The Streetvibes Vendor Program gives our vendors an opportunity to get back on their feet. All vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. A file is developed on each vendor so that we may track and help facillitate thier move from poverty to self­ sufficiency. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Planning Commit­ tee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, story or editorial that you would like published please call 421 -7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Ron Carter, Vendor Support Photographer Jimmy Heath Writers Tom Billman Ron Carter Denise Crew Brian Davis Dave Dietz Jimmy Heath Cliiford Jones Farshid Kamali Susan Knight Mary Ann Lederer Vikki Lynn James Pryor Rodney Sutton Daniel Thompson Vampire Donald Whitehead Lyn n Williams Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O (513) 421-7803 fax (513) 421 -7813 e-mail: homecoal@prim ax.net web. page: http://cinci.com/gcch Page 2 longer resent them but I wholeheartedly resent what they do. On this night I have pity for them. What drives a person to stand on a street corner night-in and night-out peddling destruction one rock, one pill, or one bag at a time? What kind of society do we live in? Could any amount of money make a person stand on a corner all night when its too cold to cry because your tears freeze. I realize that they have fallen through the cracks too. There destiny may have been shaped by inadequate education, single parent homes and exploitation. These young. men have a future that is all to predictable; prisons or cemetery's. Again, I ask what if? What if their hero's wore lab coats instead of $180 dollar gym shoes? What if MTV and BET and Country Music TV gave way to the Discovery Channel? From one traveler to another I just hope that since so many have fallen through the cracks that the cracks don't get so wide that we all fall through. The Traveler by Donald Whitehead This months traveler is once again not a very long trip. it is a trip of both mental and physical nature. This trip begins with a trip that all of us take at one time or another in our lives. This trip can be effected by rewards as well as punishment to ourselves and to others. This trip is commonly known as a 'guilt trip'. . As I travel slowly through the streets of downtown Cincinnati I can still hear my wife's words "You can't save the world, Donald''. I know this to be true but I still am driven to try and save just a few of its occupants and attempt to give back what was freely given to me. Every night for the past three days I have driven the snow covered streets of Cincinnati hoping not to find anyone. A few days ago a man froze to death less than a mile from our office. Intellectually, I know there's probably nothing I could have done. Spiritually I feel personally responsible . It may be incredibly egotistical to think I or any other human being can somehow prevent what is inevitable, but I can't help but agonize for this human being who must have suffered tremendously. There's a lot of people that do not realize that there are some people that are possessed by evil forces they we cannot attempt to understand. One such man is a man I will call Isaac. I have tried on several occasions over the last three days to convince Isaac that his shelter, a heat grate in the central business district is not adequate for his physical well being, especially on this night when temperatures have dipped below zero. Isaac is oblivious to the temperature because his mission, as he tells me, is to fight Satin. I offered Isaac some hot coffee which he gladly except because he needed to stay up all night to fight Satin. On my second visit to the grate, Isaac had a companion who was fast asleep. Isaac and his friend had somehow fallen through the cracks; I do not remember ever seeing either of these men throughout my time working with the homeless population. For some reason outreach had not reached these two. Isaac was not the only person I encountered out in these terrible conditions. Other people I would encounter on this night also had fallen through the cracks somewhere along the way. Two gentleman getting their last drink before the 10:00 P M curfew at the Drop-Inn-Center Shelter walked down 12th Street unaware that the overflow shelter was in operation. Gratefully, they rode with me to the Center, happy that their judgment hadn't cost them more than a few minutes more than usual. These two gentleman were also unaware that the Drop-Inn-Center has a very flexible curfew in the winter time. There were ·several others I approached on this frigid night who had braved the bitter cold for other reasons. Because of the slow speed at which I traveled to make sure.there wasn't people who had stopped moving in the many doorways and alleys I passed I was often mistaken·tor a customer. Several young women approached me to offer company for the night. Their plight to me was just as sad as Isaac's. The demons they battled can be defeated with a little intervention. Those that think addiction is not a disease need only see the men and women who stroll the streets on a night that no human being should be out. One can only wonder what might they be able to accomplish if we built more treatment centers and fewer stadiums; would these men and women be compelled to risk life and limb for that next high? Others are possessed by demons of a different nature. I am the last person to defend drug dealers - I have grown in my spirituality to a point were I no Cin'cinnati Chose.n as a Federal Empowerment Zone. Submittedby the. Over-the-Rhine Community Council Cincinnati is one of 15 cities nationwide to be chosen as a Federal Empowerment Zone, receiv­ ing $3 million in funding. Over-the-Rhine was chosen as one of nine neighborhoods in the city to receive this funding for neighborhood improve­ ments. The Cincinnati Empowerment Corporation will oversee how the money is spent for each neighborhood. This agency has a 33 member board consisting of 11 representatives of govern­ ment and nonprofit agencies, 11 business repre­ sentatives , and 11 community representatives. The University of Cincinnati Institute for Commu­ nity Partnerships and the Evaluation Services Center will serve as watchdogs over decision­ making. It is important that members of the Over-the­ Rhine Community Council get their voices heard about what the funding should be used for in Over­ the-Rhine. When the $3 million is split up be­ tween the nine city neighborhoods, the funding will not be enough to fund all the improvements necessary. However, Congress may fund addi­ tional millions in the future for the Federal Empow­ erment Zone program. Responses from 20 members of the Over­ the-Rhine Community Council and residents of the neighborhood comprised a wish list of the follow­ ing: "more affordable housing," "fix up the vacant buildings so poor people can live in them," and "use money to keep our neighborhood schools open." Other responses included money for small business start-up and job training programs . Also, a majority of residents were critical of t~e decision­ making process . One person stated that "the powers that be will make the decisions over who gets the money. It won't be made by the people of Over-the-Rhine." It is up to the citizens to partici- ·· pate and make their voices heard and to make our opinions count! For more information call 381­ 2956 or 381-4242 �~------------------------------ ~-~----- STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine National Coalition for the Homeless Releases Report: Lack of Resources for The Chemically Dependent The National Coalition for the Homeless recently released a comprehensive report entitled " No Open Door: Breaking The Lock On Addic­ tion Recovery for Homeless People". The report reissues the call for serious action regarding addictive services and recovery supports for homeless persons, launched by the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and others as early as the 1980's. The publication is arranged in · four parts . Part one: Addictive Disorders and Homelessness highlights the difficulties in obtain­ ing an accurate national estimate of the percent­ age of the homeless population with addictive dis.orders. Part Two; Community Profiles is a comparison of the addictive disorder treatment and recovery continuums for homeless people and gaps therein in thirteen communities across the nation. The Community Profile provides an opportunity to make observations about the current state of ~ffairs of homeless persons with addictive disqrders in those locations and by extension, the nation. Part three of this well researched study: Environmental Assessment explores both program-level obstacles within the existing treat­ ment and recovery continuum and more vexing system level hurdles that deny's the homeless and other individuals from access to addictive disorder treatment opportunities . The fourth and final part of the study: Policy Recommendations lists a number of recommendations by the National Coalition for the Homeless that call on the federal government to take several concrete actions to end perpetual homelessness for persons with addictive disorders. Open Door: Breaking the Lock On Addiction Recovery For Homeless People is available for $10.00 (plus $1.50 for shipping and handling.) To purc hase copies , contact NCH at 202/737-6444 (Phone); 202/737-6445 (fax); nch @ari.net (E-Mail), or NCH, 101214th St. NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C 20005-3406. Contact Bob Reeg, Health Policy Analyst. Contents The Traveler Welfare News The Broken City Arts & Poetry Nationwide News Jail Facts Prisoners News School of Americas Letters & Editorials Streetvibes Etcetera Scramble buddy's place Cleveland News Martha's Woodshop Announcements & Classified TV Schedule Page2 Page4 Pages Page6 Page 7 Pages Page B· Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 ------- Page 3 COLD DRIVES HOMELESS TO MISSION sweatpants, adidas running pants, a T-shirt, a flannel shirt, a sweater, another flannel shirt, a gray hooded sweatshirt and finally, a black stocking cap. "I'm a pretty hardy individual," said Alan, 29, who moved to Eugene from Portland four years ago. "And it's good practice. We may all have to b e out Copyright © 1998 The Register­ here sometime." Alan shares the enclosure with his black lab Guard mix , Digger, and three to five other men at any given By ANNE WILLIAMS The time. A couple of those men, he said, had decided to move indoors until things warm up. While tarps, Register-Guard blankets and sheets keep out much of the wind and rain, they have no heat source, other than a small As the temperature on Monday plunged to a cookstove and candles. But Alan, an unemployed frigid 12 degrees, Tammi Hilliard counted her screen printer who used to follow the Grateful Dead blessings to be indoors in the cozy, Christmassy on tour, said he'd take chilly temperatures over rain mothers-with-children shelter of the Eugene any day. When the rains come, the ground -rock­ Mission. Meanwhile, her friend, "Alan ," put on a hard on Monday - turns to muck and the carpeted few more layers and hunkered down for another floor turns soggy. "There's no way to keep things night outside. dry," he said. "But you can always put on another Hilliard, 35, had been living out in the brush layer." with Alan and other friends in what she calls "The Should Alan or others like him ever decide Tarp Palace" -an elaborate warren on the outskirts they've had too much , they'll be welcome at the of Eugene filled with rug scraps and furniture Mission, Simmons said. "No one is turned away," he recovered from trash bins. But three weeks ago, said. Even if all 400 beds were full, he said, they'd Hilliard took the pelting rain and a windstorm that haul mattresses out to the floor of the common blew away her tarp as a message from God to get room. The nonprofit mission serves 650 meals a inside. For others , it took the weekend's subfreez­ day, more during cold snaps, he said, and - unlike ing temperatures to persuade them to seek many other missions - offers all-day access to a shelter. The mission saw one of its biggest crowds common room. of the year Monday, as more than 30Q men, St. Vincent de Paul Society also houses the women and children sought refuge from the cold homeless, through its car camping program with the and the possibility of snow. "There's definitely city of Eugene and its Interfaith Shelter Program, more people here than would be on a normal, 40­ which hosts homeless families in churches through degree Oregon day," said John Simmons, mission fall and winter. At its First Place Family Center and spokesman. Eugene Service Station, men, women and children But even under extreme conditions, when the can find donated items and a range of social possibility of hypothermia or even death becomes services. very real, more than a few independent types such Both St. Vincent and the Mission said dona­ as Alan opt to stay where they're most comfort­ tions of blankets, boots , socks, mittens, gloves, able - under bridges, by the river, in the woods. "I haven't set foot in the mission since I came coats and hats are especially welcome in the winter months . "It's always this time of year that people here," said Alan, who asked that his real name not rememberthe homeless," said Jake DuDell, St. be printed. He also asked that the location of his Vincent de Paul's emergency service director. "But encampment not be disclosed - such camping is it's a year-round problem, and it doesn't go away illegal in Eugene, and he already has been ousted after Christmas. It doesn't go away after the cold from a previous camp. weather." John "Mac" McFadden of St. Vincent, who "I've heard good things about it, but I don't is coordinating the program to place vehicle camp­ know - I've got friends in town and my own situa­ ers in city-sanctioned sites, said propane is also tion here." badly needed. "People are freezing their butts off On Monday afternoon, Alan emerged from out there" in school buses, vans and trailers, he one of several individual tents in the tarp-covered said. enclosure to greet Hilliard, who's now working at the mission as a night floor supervisor. He wore sneakers, two pairs of socks, lon·g johns , MORE MINORITIES TO HELP BUllLD CINCINNATI'S STADIUM By Andrea Y Carter, Cincinnati Herald Staff Reporter Hamilton County commissioners released new figures Tuesday [ 1/19/99} regarding the increased participation of minority workers in helping to build the new Bengals stadium. Approximately 25 percent of the labor on the public works project are minority while 7 percent or $16.4 million of $219 million in awarded contracts go to women or minority firms , according to the commissioners. 'We are very pleased with the workforce participation numbers," Hamilton County Commis­ sioner Bob Bedinghaus said. "Quite honestly, we continue to struggle to get much beyond the 7 or 8 percent minority contracting." Bedinghaus believes the limited number of contracts awarded is due to a limited number of minority companies in the construction industry. "We are working with some people in town to see what we can do to address this issue," he said. Bedinghaus noted even if the problem is addressed and new companies come forward they may not be able to participate in building the Reds stadium. Hamilton County's figures so far exceed the goals established in the 1995 agreement with the city, officials said. The agreement established a 15 percent participation of minority and women­ owned companies and a number of minority work hours with the stadium project. 'We have been confident in the approach we 'STADIUM' cont. on Pg. 16 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Third Annual STREETVIBES Empowerment Welfare News Coalition Conference Set For April In "The Cincinnati Enquirer" (Dec. 29, 1998) editorial, the editor paints a picture of how well "welfare reform" is working. The mea­ sure of the s uccess appears to be the caseload reduction numbers and how much money Ohio has saved by not spending it on Ohio'. s poorest families. The editor goes on to report that the success is nationwide, not just for Ohio. He then urges people to pay no attention to advocate­ types who portray a different picture. However, for citizens who have a sense of community responsibility, we should be paying attention to reports from advocate groups. Recently, the National Coalition forthe Homeless and the National Children's Defense Fund re­ leased a preliminary report on their national monitoring project, Welfare to What?. While the report shows that some states are creating innovative programs to assist recipients to find good jobs (and not just any job), the picture the preliminary report shows is dismal. The report states some of the following findings: "Only a small fraction of welfare recipients' new jobs pay above-poverty wages; most of the new jobs pay far below the poverty line." "Extreme poverty is growing more common for children, especially those in female-headed and working families. The number of children living below one-half of the poverty line (or less than $6,401 for a three-person family in 1997) grew by 400,000 between 1995 and 1997. Although this increase was small, it is startling at a time of strong economic growth ... when extreme poverty should have been declining. Extreme child poverty is a more appropriate indicator of welfare impacts than is overall child poverty because most children on welfare are already poor." *"Ma ny families leaving welfare report struggling to get food, shelter, or needed medical care; many are suffering even more hardships than before." "Many families are not getting basic help (such as child care, medical coverage, food, or transportation) that might enable them to sustain work and care for their children on very low wages." "Many families a re denied cash assistance through little or no fault of their own; states often penalize families without assessing their ability to complete required activities." Caseloads have fallen by 64 percent in Ohio since 1992. However, this is a very simplis­ tic way to depict a success if we genuinely care about the lives of human beings, including children. Sanctioned (punished) households are also included in caseload reduction numbers . These families with children are thrown off unwillingly, losing all their cash assistance. Monitoring studies, including the report cited above and a more local monitoring project in Montgomery County, show that oftentimes these sanctions are imposed having nothing to do with whether or not a recipient is willing to work. Until we know that the majority of families are moving into jobs that not only get them off of w elfare but out of pove rty will we truly.be able to say that "welfare reform" is a success. Submitted by Lynn Williams, Over-the-. Rhine The Ohio Empowerment Coalition's third annual statewide welfare conference promises to be the best OEC conference yet. Mark your calendars now to attend April 14th & 15th at the Lenox Inn, Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Day One will be Lobby Day with meetings with our state legislators, and Keynqte speakers & Reception in the evening. Day Two will offer a variety of educational workshops to select from, including Ohio Works First, Recipients' Rights, Sanctions/ Terminations, Child Care, Medicaid, Disability issues, and Education & Job Training. Trainings will include Coalition & Organization Building, Alternative Media, and other informative presentations on leadership/ organizing skills. Cost to attend the Conference is free to low-income individuals; hotel rooms are $55 with potential scholarships. One to four people may share a room. Cost is $25 for non-low-income to attend the Conference plus $55/hotel room. For more information on the Conference and/or to register, call the Contact Center (Katy Heins or Lynn Williams) at {513) 381-4242. MEDICAID: A Necessity For Welfare Transition Ann, who left welfare (including Medicaid coverage) for a job, shared her thoughts about her job versus being on welfare. "I don't know what I'll do if I get really sick and need hospital care. Or how I'll afford even routine screenings. It's so expensive. Fortunately, I've been in good health so far but now I'm getting older. It worries m e what I'll do if a health emergency hits. My job doesn't cover health insurance and I can't afford to pay for it out of my low salary." Approx imately 50% of the low-income working poor !ack health insurance. These numbers could be reduced if Ohio would make changes in conjunction with the Medicaid rule changes brought about by the 1996 federal welfare law. The federal law now permits states to allow low-income individuals to be eligible for Medicaid. The 1996 federal law separated the. link between Medicaid and welfare. States can now allow individuals to apply for Medicaid even if they are not applying for welfare cash assistance . However, in Ohio, this federal policy has not been implemented. We ask, why not? Page 4 In Ohio, Ohio Works First (welfare recipients) are automatically eligible for Medicaid. After they leave welfare for a paid job, they are eligible for one year of Transitional Medicaid, depending on their income level. For the first six months on Transitional Medicaid they are eligible regardless of income level. After six months on, they can remain eligible for another six months of Transitional Medicaid if their income is below 150% of the poverty level. Federal law allows up to 185% of poverty level. After twelve months of transitional Medicaid, former recipients are no longer eligible for Medicaid in Ohio. Considering the three year time limit in Ohio, almost all recipients will lose their Medicaid eligibility. This does not need to happen. Other states are extending the Transitional Medicaid period and allowing low-income working people, both welfare and non-welfare recipients, to be eligible for .Medicaid . Ohio needs to change current policies and seize this golden opportunity to allow more poor & low-income adults to have health insurance. Because federal law has separated eligibility requirements for welfare and Medicaid, it should be easier to get Medicaid . This is one good thing that came out of the 1996 federal law. Also, within the last year, the d iscriminatory policies against two-parent families to get Medicaid were ended. This is another victory at the federal level for welfare & health care advocates & recipients. Because of the federal Medicaid changes, children of low-income parents can now receive health care under CHIPS. In Ohio children can be eligible in households with incomes up to 150% of the poverty line or approximately $20,000 per year for a family of three. Pregnant women are also eligible for Medicaid up to 133% of poverty. Federal Medicaid changes now allow both children and pregnant women to be covered at even higher income levels. However, it's up to the states to accept these changes. It makes more sense to assist people with preventative health care than having them later show up at emergency room doors because they couldn't afford early-stage treatment. Health care should be a basic right for all people, not just the affluent. It is basically an issue of valuing human lives. Information Sources: Families USA Foundation and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Subscribe to Streetvibes 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 Cin cinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for t he Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421 ­ 7803. �- . - --··- ----- --- STREETVIBES --~----------~---- -------.._- -------------~ The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Broken City... by Jimmy Heath Page s automatic, "Not important." His next question was, "You got a man?" I kept my cool with "You ask too many questions." After t hat he offers his phone number. My retort was, "I'm not interested." Then I turned my head to look him straight in the eyes to make sure he got the message. Finally he got in line to play his number(s) and mumbled something under his breath. Often too many men come at women the wrong way and then wonder why we walk · away or look at you like you're aliens. If she doesn't smile when you approach her, please consider that it might not be her day. Everyone likes a comment or lite flirts but don't wear it out with what, why, where, and how many? Take note when you are told to take a hike. She obviously has good sense enough to know you are not the one, and be on your way, or you may end up licking your wounds later down the road. Thank you. Tony's Story by Susan Knight BLIZZARD OF '99 by Clifford Jones I drove with my Mother, sister, nieces and nephew to Chicago on the 1st of January. The snow fell and kept on coming. With prayer we finally made it to our destination. Once there, we rejoiced and visited with my brother. As time grew late and the snow continued to fall we felt it necessary to return home. 21.6 inches of snow and we're driving around in it. Well as fate would have it the van got stuck. Looked like there was no way out the stress and frustration compounded. But then all of a sudden a homeless man came by and ask if he could help. How did I know he was homeless? During the process of asking about and providing assistance all he said was help the homeless. With his boots and hands he cleared a path for the van to travel, we broke free. Telling this story to some friends they say that was an angel. In a community were no one knew me it was a miracle. This brought to mind, several years ago in my'community on a cold winter day my car would not start. A neighbor noticed my distress came to my rescue so I thought. Once he gave me a jump to start my car he said that would be ten dollars. Well of course I was dumbfounded. That just goes to show you don't need a home to have a heart nor does being homeless diminish yqur care and concern for mankind .. Thank you who ever you are. tearing of fabric. Only yards from where I stood, a woman was being attacked. Should I get involved? I was frightened for my own ·safety, and cursed myself for having suddenly decided to take a new route home that night. What if I became another statistic? Shouldn't I just run to the nearest phone and call the police? Although it seemed an eternity,- the deliberations in my head had taken only seconds, but already the girl's cries were growing weaker. I knew I had to act fast. How could I walk away from this? No, I finally resolved, I could not turn my back on the fate of this unknown woman, even if it meant risking my own life. I am not a brave man, nor am I athletic. I don't know where I found the moral courage and physical strength-but once I had finally resolved to help the girl, I became strangely transformed. I ran behind the bushes and pulled the assailant off the woman. Grappling , we fell to the ground, where we wrestled for a few minutes until the attacker jumped up and escaped. Panting hard, I scrambled upright and approached the girl , who was crouched behind a tree, sobbing. In the darkness, I could barely see her outline, but I could certainly sense her trembling shock. Not wanting to frighten her further, I at first spoke to her from a distance. "It's OK," I said soothingly. "The man ran away. You're safe now." There was a long pause and then I heard the words, uttered in wonder, in amazement. "Dad, is that you?" And then, from behind the tree, stepped my youngest daughter, Katherine. TESTING THE Courage Pays THEORY by Pat Box by Vikki Lynn God has a way of allowing us to be in the right place at the right time. I was walking down a dimly lit street late one evening when I heard muffled screams coming from behind a clump of bushes. Alarmed, I slowed down to listen, and panicked when I realized that what I was hearing were the unmistakable sounds of a struggle: heavy grunting, frantic scuffling, and I would to write to you guys who don't really know how to talk to women properly. What ever happened to the one liners? Like, "It's a lovely day?" Or "Where's that bus at?" Something polite and not personal. The olher day I was in a hair shop getting hair supplies and this guy walks in and starts his rap, "Hey baby, what's your name?" My response was Amidst the noisy urgency of the Drop Inn Center exists, often times between the lines, personalities. Tony Brown sits quietly on the edge, absorbing much of his new surroundings but always apart from the somewhat ·chaotic bustle that overwhelms the Drop Inn Center in the evenings. Originally Tony was confined to a chair because of his bad foot. Now, however, he sits, able to move, but not without pain. So instead, Tony chooses to absorb his surroundings, growing and reflecting upon his new title of homeless and all that now means to him. Tony grew up in Avondale. Like many, Tony did not know what he wanted in life. His mother died when he was 2 and his grandmother, off of a social security check, raised 10 children. Tony never had the opportunity to "know what he wanted from life" because his grandmother became very ill and Tony was not able to stay in school. The state intervened, and Tony was sent to live in Forest Park as a foster child. This was his first taste of the middle class. Tony grew up like many of us. He met his wife through a mutual friend, had a good steady construction job, moved to College Hill, and the next thing he knew, found himself middle class and celebrating 15 years of marriage. Then the work stopped. Tony severely injured his foot in an accident and found himself out of work and physically unable to look for another job. The tensions between him and his wife mounted as Tony began to deal with the realities of the situation and the impending financial crisis. Unable to provide for his wife and her children and unable to work through growing tensions and stresses, Tony and his wife sepqrated. Ashamed, feeling as if he failed, Tony refused to look to family for help. Instead, he has come to Over-the-Rhine and the Drop Inn Center. Until, however, the human spirit dies, a person continues to grow and to learn. And although Tony does not know why fate has left him here, he is still trying to heal his foot and his pride, and is still alive, learning and growing from this experience. He observes a world of addic­ tion, pain ridden and angry, but he is also seeing many men and women who need special atten­ 'Tonys Story• cont. on page 14 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine . THE LIFE WE WORD ON THE LIVE ... STREET Farshid Kamali Arts & Poetry BACK-ALLEY BEGGAR Living in a North Side Chicago hotel ­ $40 a week, lobby TV by the quarter. Social Security Income is a chain tying me to an empty room- to wait - for death, insanity or the first of the month, whichever comes first. So I cram a change of clothes into a pack, sling my $15 guitar over my shoulder and heaq for - some place, where some thing - anything, is moving. I build a tent out of packing plastic on top of the remains of an ancient river wharf..... watch the fresh Lake Michigan tide displace the dirty sludge-muddy Chicago River water. Watch moss grow on the river bank. Make pets out of mud-dauber wasps that come to gather mortar. Summer is fever, for a recluse, a tramp hiding from the tenuous trap of social insecurity. I am too weak to say "howd'ya do" to the lily­ white daytime Loop walkers, 40-hour-a-weekers. They are slaves to dubious corporate occupations. I am a slave to the remnants of respectability that keep me from scrounging food in broad daylight. So I starve in the light, and indulge to excess in evening's shadows. And fever keeps me running ........ ...... t. bi/Iman SOLIDARITY by Denise Crew Speak quietly to our hearts With thoughtful acts and deeds Listen as we sing to you our song Want no more from us than we give Give to us freely without condition that which we are w illing to accept Join in, sing our song of freedom, struggle and woe Stand with us, to d efend the ground where we stand, we do stand strong. Band together, h and in hand to protect this our land. Share with us our labors, in your leisure Come break community bread at the peoples table. ~ We wear this mission upon our brow, but never lightly is its touch The raging waters of struggle, makes for different wading. though the deadly undercurrents threaten our existence We take the leap of faith for love, for tomorrow, for our lives We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts , but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbo~. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes; but lower morals; more food, but less appeasement; more acquaintances, but fewer friends; more effort, but less success. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, 'but have less communication; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality. These are the times of fast foods and slow · digestion; tall men and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure and less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. · These are the days of two incomes , but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one­ night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in the stockroom. Indeed it's all true. Think about it...read it again. JUDGMENT DAY Page 6 . NAKED HEARTS by Daniel Thompson When my mother Sunbathed on the roof Planes would sometimes Buzz the house On an afternoon At home after her operation She was proud Vacuuming the rug Naked Of her lone breast And her scar Out of her mind In a time of violence (0 forgive me, Mother My brutality) She ran from the trailer Out of the camp Without a stitch on In time To wrestle home The angel of death A tree Or a whole forest May have fallen The night no human woke To hear her dying breath After that My life in pain­ Wounded, aggrieved - Oejavued by love again A breakup Leading to a breakdown To my endless Manic panic· pacing In the empty apartment Suddenly I found my mother In the dark Cave of sorrow And spoke to her Naked heart To naked heart Help Wanted Social Services/Cheinical ependency Program Weekend Monitor (Part Time, II shifts.) needed at by Vampire esidential program for hemical dependent women. Race, sex, and religion; or be it my personal favorite; 'the handicapped.' egin a career in social Let me give you a prime example, ervices or make extra $. a man or woman who has been called to ust be supportive and war, their butt on the line! otivated with High School Some come back, or some just die. Those that have made it back, iploma or equiv., min. one may not look the same, ear relevant experience & an arm, a leg lost to war. river license with auto ins. You look at them and it is all you see. IF YOU WRITE POETRY AND ax resume & letter ASAP to They are the same men and women, and this is how you repay them , WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR iz Hughes at 921-2375 or making them handicapped! WORK IN STREETVIBES, CALL ail to FSH, 2118 St. Michael That is just like you. 421-7803 OR FAX US AT 421­ t., Cinti, OH 45204. EOE. I'm sick of all the pointing and taunting. 7813 What a shame, a pity. It is coming, your day of judgment! �- : STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Nationwide PANHANDLER ­ RIGHTS ADVOCATE DIES Copyright <C> 1998 The Register-Guard By JANET FILIPS The Register-Guard A homeless Eugene man who in 1996 won the constitutional right to panhandle along roadways died Saturday in his pickup camper. Rick Aquizap, 46, died while living in a city-sanctioned parking spot at Alton Baker Park. The medical examiner performed an autopsy and ran toxicology tests Monday, said Don Major of Major/Fredericksen Springfield Funeral Home, which is handling the arrangements . The cause of death was not yet known. Aquizap told friends he suffered from leukemia and had been in remission until a few months ago when he began undergoing chemotherapy. He smoked and drank heavily, friends said, and for the past few months often stood at the intersection of Coburg and Belt Line roads to beg. "I think he probably just wanted life to be OK, and it never really was for him," said Tom Musselwhite of Eugene's Homeless Action Coalition. "His life was very much a tragedy." Aquizap will be cremated and his ashes sent to his family in Hampton, N.H. Despite the difficulties of his own life, Aquizap made a lasting mark on homeless rights. He had been in Eugene since at least 1992, and often was at the center of public issues related to Lane County homelessness. His most visible battle began in 1994 over the right to solicit for work and contributions while on roadways - at the time, a violation of an Oregon statute. In 1996, the Oregon Court of Appeals agreed with Aquizap -represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and attorney Edmund Spinney - that a state law forbidding the solicitation of work or money while on a highway violated freedom of speech as guaranteed in the Oregon Constitution. Spinney, a Eugene criminal defense lawyer who volunteered to represent Aquizap, remembers him well for "his commitment to persevere and do what he felt was right and what he felt was going to help other people in similar situations." Aquizap had been cited in January 1994 at Pioneer Parkway and Q Street in Springfield, where he regularly held a sign that read: "homeless, willing to work for food, gas, money." In November of that year, an Oregon State Police trooper -responding to a complaint about a panhandler - cited Aquizap for displaying a similar sign in the window of his motor home while parked at a rest stop on Interstate 5 in Linn County. Lower courts found him guilty of both violations . The appeals court overturned those convictions. His angry views about society's mistreatment of homeless people were regularly reported in issues of a one-time street newspaper, Houseless Journal, written and produced by a former partner, Bridget Reilly. When news crews covered homeless camping controversies, Aquizap "was the one who was always right there in front of the · camera, quick to let you know if you were homeless, by golly, you'd have a different attitude," Musselwhite said. "And by golly, you probably would." Aquizap, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era, was among the first in Lane County to be registered to vote as a homeless person, said homeless advocate John "Mac" McFadden. McFadden met Aquizap in 1992, during the conflict over homeless people camping on the McKenzie River across from Armitage State Park. "The first time I ever saw Rick, he was standing on a corner holding a sign saying, 'Where are we supposed to go?' I guess he got his answer." Aquizap was born in Kittery, Maine, on Sept. 1, 1952. He told various reporters, friends and his lawyer that he previously lived in Massachusetts and Portland, worked in the shoe industry, had a degree in history and an associate's degree in oceanography and was last employed at Harvard University, where he grossed $1 ,200 a month. He is survived by his parents, Bruce and Patricia Aquizap of Hampton, N.H.; sister Victoria , also of Hampton; and partner Daisy Putnam, of Eugene. A memorial service will be held in New Hampshire. Copyright CO 1998 The Register­ Guard Page 1 Please Support Our Advertisers ANOTHER C L ASS PRODC'CTIO=" Oise-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761·3464 (513) 230"°353 George E. Ferguson Typin2 Service By Appo intme nt Only 7 East University Ave. Cincinna ti, Ohio 45219 (513) 559-9908 Cfjnj cal Trja] ·{' Schizophrenia / Schizoaffective Disorder The Psychotic Disorders Research Program is currently conducting outpatient clinical trials with an investigational atypical antipsychotic. Persons who have been outpatient for at least two months and have been on a stable dose of an oral antipsychotic for one month or longer may be eligible lo participate. Those who are en­ rolled in the study will receive medication and follow-up at no cost. Please contact Monique at (5 13) 558-6195 for more information. Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home? Subscribe to Streetvi bes Subscripti ons to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check t o the below address and the paper wi ll be mailed to you each issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnat i, OH 4521 O Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority ... Affordable rent that never exceeds 30°/o of your income ... Many bu!ldings . equipped 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 STREETVIBES Prisoner's News TO STREETVIBES from D. Hi bro! I just went up in front of the Parole Board again yesterday, and my records were still screwed up! So, the Parole Board gave me another 60 flops to get the records straight. This is the second 60 day flop I've gotten over my records being messed up. I should have been released this week! If my records hadn't been falsified back in November of last year. Now the earliest I can get out is the first week of May - if I'm lucky! I already have more than twice the maximum amount of time called for under my guideline - but they won't let me go. This is just one form of retaliation. Mess up a prisoners records so I can't make parole. Raymond Capots of the Parole Board called the administrative assistant, Ms. Stasha Doty, before I left the building, and determined that my records were wrong! But, instead of correcting my records right there and then and giving me a parole - I have to wait another 60 days! These new parole guidelines don't mean anything - because they aren't going by them. Being a prison activist, I expect retaliation from prison officials and the parole board. But the general public doesn't believe, or doesn't care, that reprisals take place frequently in here. We got the Ohio EPA reports on our drinking water here and discovered that our drinking water has actionable levels of lead and copper in it. Even worse than that, they've been exceeding the maximum contamination levels for coliform for years. Coliform indicates fecal pollution in our drinking water. No wonder none of the guards or staff drink the water here. But, we have .no choice but to drink it. Then when we get sick and go to the hospital we're charged $3.00 for medical treatment. But, since it's the drinking water that's causing the problems t here's very little the medical staff can, or will, do for us. In Struggle. WHAT TYPE OF CORRECTIONAL STAFF DOES DORC EMPLOY? The Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DORC) is a branch of the state criminal justice system designed to house Ohio prisoners. Yet, one must question what type of correctional staff DORC employs to maintain security at its numerous prisons. The reason I ask this question is because of the continuous abuses and neglects of duties I've witnessed in my time incarcerated at Orient Correctional Institution (OCI), one of the most mismanaged correctional institutions in the State of Ohio. I was recently witness to incidents by correctional staff in the dining hall, behavior that was sexual in nature and in clear violation of the rules forbidding obscene gestures or comments toward another employee. These behaviors and others are a regular occurrence here at OCI. I reported this incident to the Deputy Warden of Operations here at OCI. His response, nearly a month ago, was that he would contact the investigator of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. However, like other ignored incidents of abuse and neglect of duty, an investigation never materialized. So, the Deputy Warden himself, has failed to carry out his duty. Sexual misconduct, though one of the main abuses carried out by correctional staff - others include bringing in drugs, sleeping on the job and allowing security issues to be ignored. Just as recently as October 26th, 1998, a nurse at Frazier Health Care Center located at OCI was charged in the Pickaway County Court with smuggling marijuana into the prison. A similar incident occurred on October 8th , 1998 when a correctional cook was arrested at London Correctional Institution after accepting 20 grams of marijuana and advance payment to smuggle drugs into the prison. These are surely not isolated incidents, and are prevalent within the prisons throughout Ohio, mainly OCI. Since my incarceration here, I've witnessed so much neglect of duty by correctional staff, that it would take forever to write about. The sad part is that it goes unchecked by the DORC's administration. Not only do these incidents of abuse and neglect threaten security at the institution, but it threatens society also. Society entrusts the DORC with maintenance of its correctional institutions, and puts forth billions of dollars in taxes for a system that is in trouble. In struggle, James W. Pryor DEAR STREETVIBES My name is #####. I am currently housed at the fairly new supermax prison in Youngstown (Ohio). And I want to describe an incident that occurred to me last night. Around 9:00 PM, I began to complain about getting the shower that I was told I would receive earlier. Shortly after I had complained to the officers upstairs in the control booth, a 2nd shift Lt. Carter came storming into B-3 pod to go into B-5 pod for me to take a shower (this is not normal procedure). And when I.got over there with Lt. Carter and 5 other guards, instead of being given a shower, he (Carter) began to spray me with his mace container for no reason at all. Furthermore, he then had my two escorts walk me upstairs towards the upper range shower in 8-5 pod, and halfway up the stairs, he then pushed me down the stairs so that I fell on the bottom landing and sustained a cut to the back of my head. (There should be a medical report to indicate this injury). Again , on the floor, I was maced for the second time. And afterwards was taken to the unit strip cell and was made to stand in there with mace in my eyes for around an hour. Then I was taken back to my cell in B-3. I must explain how this incident was not a usual use. of force occurrence. Firstly, the use of mace may be used to subdue a prisoner but truthfully, I offered no resistance to my escorts at no point between walking from 8-3 pod to 8-5 pod . So, in this,case, Lt. Carter spraying me with mace was unjustifiable. Secondly, I know for a fact that under no circumstances whatsoever is an inmate to be pushed down a half-flight of stairs in handcuffs. Lt. Carter did Page a push me and I did fall with an injury. Therefore, his actions constitute making the incident last night very unusual. I've just written a formal complaint to Major Ishee here, and it is pending. I have in mind Jo start a civil action against Lt. Carter for violating my rights. Would you please advise me about the issue after you review this letter? Will my federal complaint stand up in District Court? STREETVIBES PRISONERS NEWS JS THE WRITINGS OF PERSONS INCARCERATED IN OUR NATIONS JAILS AND PRISONS. SEND YOUR COMMEN TS OR QUES TIONS TO STREETVIBES @JUNO.COM Facts What Role does Jail Play in Present Day America? Jails are becoming America's new mental hospitals. Increasing numbers of seriously and chronically mentally ill persons are detained in jail each year. Alarmingly high numbers of severely mentally ill persons are steadily causing our nation's jails to replace public mental hospitals as primary mental health service providers. * Approximately 670,000 mentally ill people· are ad".'itted to US jails each year. * As many as 13% of the individuals arrested each year suffer from severe mental illness, compared to less than 2% in the general population. • In Seattle's King County jail, approximately 8% of the inmate population is severely ·mentally ill, making this correctional facility King County's largest institution for the mentally ill. * Miami's Dade County jails house more mentally ill persons than any single institution or hospital in the county. • Suicide is the leading cause of death in jails. * Over 50% of suicides are committed within the first 24 hours of incarceration; 29% are committed within the first three hours. * Over 95% of those who commit suicide in correctional facilities have a treatable mental illness, 75% communicate their intent in advance, and 30% have made previous attempts. • The rate of suicide among those inmates who have made previous attempts is more than 100 times the rate in the general population . Compliled from Research Brief, The Center on Crimes, Communities and Culture �1 STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS: The ultimate union buster. Why should unions work to close the SOA? The U. S. Army School of the Americas (SOA) , located at Fort Benning, Georgia, is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers. In its 50 year history, the SOA has trained 60,000 Latin American troops in commando tactics , military intelligence, psychological operations, and sniper fire. These soldiers are taught to make war against their own people. They have massacred entire villages of women, men, and children. SOA graduates target grassroots leaders for assassination, torture, rape and intimidation - especially religious workers, student organizers, and local union leaders. The School's unstated mission is to silence leaders who organize for the rights of working people and the poor. Our tax dollars train Latin American union busters at the SOA. Union members in the U. S. know that an attack on workers anywhere is an attack on the rights of workers everywhere. U.S. workers must speak out and join in solidarity with those trying to close this ~nti-uni on, anti-Ameri~an institution. SOA "Muscle" enforces NAFTA in Mexico Workers on both sides of the border know that NAFTA is anti-labor. NAFTA puts U. S. jobs in jeopardy and guts the bargaining power of both Latin American and U.S. workers. When transnational companies can hire Latin American workers for shamefully low wages and get away with inhuman shop conditions, U.S. plants close to chase higher profits in the South. Workers in the U.S. and Latin America suffer. Hours after NAFTA went into effect, Mexican indigenous workers rise up to say "NO!" and they have paid a dear price for their opposition. The Mexican military moved in immediately with troops, !ielicopters, and artillery. At least 13 of the high level officers who planned the repression campaign trained at the School of the Americas. The elite few in the Mexico and the U. S. who benefit from NAFTA acted quickly to bolster the military "muscle" to silence the opposition. Shortly after the initial uprising, Mexican soldiers began to pour into the School of the Americas for training. Mexico now sends more soldiers to the SOA than any other country. Page 9 SOA Training Manuals Advocated Targeting Those Who ... Report: "Nunca Mas" ("Never Again'') • "do union organizing or recruiting" • pass out "propaganda in favor of the interests of the workers" • "sympathize with demonstrations or strikes" • "make accusations that the government has failed ...to meet the basic needs of the people" This 1998 report from the Archdiocese of Guatemala chronicles the violence during the 36 years of civil war. Numerous military officials cited in the report were SOA graduates. For example: * 3 directors of the notorious 0 -2 intelligence agency • 2 of 3 cited for the murder of, Myrna Mack • 3 officers cited for cover-up of Michael Devine murder Columbia: A Case Study of SOA Terror Tactics against Unions Consistently, the countries in Latin America with the worst human rights violations against labor leaders and others have received the most SOA training. Columbia, for example, has sent over 10,000 military personnel to train at the School of the Americas - more than any other single country. Tragically, the training has worked. Colombian SOA grads have left a trail of blood and suffering in their home country, and union members have been a prime target. In the early 1990's, one Colombian trade unionist was killed every other day. 180 a year. By 1996, the number increased to 253. Of every 10 trade unionists killed in the world in recent years, 4 were from Columbia. SOA grads are trained to help lead the campaign of terror intimidation against union members. SOA Graduates Cited in United Nations Truth Commission Report The UN Truth Commission Report on El Salvador, released March 15, 1993, cited over . 60 Salvadoran officers for the worst atrocities during that countries brutal civil war. Over two thirds of those named were alumni of the U. S. School of the Americas. For example: • 3 of 3 cited for the murder of union leaders • 2 of 3 cited for the assassination of Archbishop Romero • 10 of 12 cited for the El Mozote massacre of 900 villagers • 19 of 26 cited for the massacre of 6 Jesuit priests 'T his institution costs millions of dollars a year 2nd identifies us with tyranny and oppression." -Rep. Joseph Kennedy (MA) According to recent Pentagon figures, the SOA costs U. S. taxpayers almost $20 million a year. "The money spent on the SOA could be put to much better use in programs that support working people." -Basil "Buzz" Hargrove, President, Canadian Auto Workers "For 50 years the school has participated in the training of foreign despots and mercenaries operating well outside the bounds of freedom, democracy and decency." -Veterans for Peace, National Convention Resolution "...the SOA n,ms contrary to the very principles of humari rights and democracy for which our nation's veterans have sacrificed ..." -Veterans of Foreign Wars, Santa Cruz chapter, Resolution to Close the SOA "Be it resolved that the 40th Constitutional Convention of the Minnesota AFL-CIO go on record to join with others to call the close of the U. S. Army School of the Americas ." -submitted by UAW MN State CAP Council, passed 1997 'The School of the Americas is a cold war dinosaur and should be closed." -Maj. Joseph Blair, U. S. Army, Ret., former SOA instructor Unions are· "Enemy" targets In 1996, the Pentagon was forced to release training manuals used at the SOA up until 1991. These manuals advocated interrogation techniques such as torture, execution, blackmail , and arresting the relatives of those being questioned. Lab9r organizers were one of the groups singled out in these groups. ''!need you to look depressed Imagin e you \rorked in the sweatshop that 1\!!ADE those clot/res." �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 11 STREETVIBES •Kudos to the Editorials & Coalition Letters Oonald, Dear STREETVIBES "Unacceptable Racism " My name is Shana Owens and I was compelled to write you all. You see, the article on page 10, "Unacceptable Racism" really hit home deep in my heart. You would think in 1998-99 th e world would. now be over that racism bullcrap, but as we all see, hatred seems to have a way of rearing its ugly face over and over again. As a human it really hurts to think someone could be so cruel as to attack another human, I will never understand. We sometimes forget that on Judgment Day the Good Lord will see no color, only our earthly deeds. I pray that he will see me as one of his children and not judge me by my color, but by my deeds. If we all live as Christ and learned to love one another by our ways and deeds, not by our color, then we would all be much happier. Sincerely, Shanna Owens I just read Bill's copy of Homefront newsletter (I snatched it from the trash). Just wanted you to know how much I admire and appreciate the work that you are doing. I was amazed to see all that GCCH is doing! Of course, I was most moved that you continued to have a critical, authentic voice about economic and social justice. On those dark days, please know that I send out my spirit and warm wishes to you to uplift and comfort. Keep keeping on! Mac and buddy look down and smile (I know that some days they smile on me, too). Page 10 At that time, my undocumented Mexican migrant worker siblings brought to my home our Black brothers and sisters they found in the streets in Dayton, Ohio, to celebrate the holiday of Our Lady of Guadalupe, our common mother. And walking back to Africa this year, our every step was a prayer for our own liberation that will only come when Leonard Peltier, the Puerto Rican prisoners of conscience and Mumia Abu Jamal are set free. Please read Peltier's statement, and send it to all your friends. Let the world know that both of them , Peltier and Jamal, as all the prisoners of conscience in the jails this empire and its allies have, are at the center and the very reason for our own small struggles, no matter how dissimilar or contradictory the causes may appear. Hasta la victoria! Pio. Celestino In awe, Barb STREETVIBES Dear FRIENDS 'Opens Eyes• Talking with some of you we concluded that we can not say we stand for justic~ if we do not join our cry and our actions to actively protest and refuse to accept the fact that the best of our people are either in jail for crimes they did not commit, or, worse yet, they are set to be killed for simply refusing to be mockeries of themselves. It is with a great sense of responsibility that I ask you to read the following statement that Leonard Peltier, the unjustly jailed son of our lands, writes on behalf of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the Black poet who is to die for refusing to be the ideal "little N@#$&*#" this system expects all of us to be. Praying in front of the Marion, Illinois prison, where this government had Leonard Peltier, many years ago, I met some of you. I just finished reading the January 1999 edition of Streetvibes. Thank you for such thorough and high quality writing in each and every edition. Streetvibes makes an effort to cover many of the issues that have an effect on, and in turn, are effected by homelessness. There are no easy answ~rs to resolving any of the issues covered by Streetvibes, but by writing about and hopefully opening peoples eyes to issues that are often hidden, such as prison labor, more people will ·have the information they need to remove the blinders we all wear to the injustice around us. Thank you, Michael Flood t> Months ~ . . later: ,.. ·­· . \ Lost ff'i"( Job~ ,I I �STREElVIBES, The Tri-State's - . l.. 4.r - }; ">' '. ,~'.. STREETVIBES~" Etcetera ... DOES SPEAKING O.U TEVER WORK? by Mary Ann Lederer On Monday, January 4, 1998, Sonny Williams was watching the Channel 5 evening news. A man, Isaac Miller, had frozen to death in the hallway of an apartment building on Race Street. The Channel 5 News team was broadcasting f rom the Over-the-Rhine Community Center, a heat center which provides shelter in freezing weather to people whose furnaces are broken or where power lines are down or for those just needing shelter and warmth . Sonny noticed, from the broadcast , that people in the Over-the-Rhine Center were sleeping on the floor. Appalled by these conditions, Sonny began his own campaign to obtain cots for the heat centers. The following morning, Tuesday, Sonny called WCIN radio, Lincoln Ware's show, and put out a plea for citizens to call the city council representatives and request cots for the heat centers. On Wednesday morning Sonny went to council person Minette Cooper's office and spoke with her aide , Andrea Johnson. She said she would see what she could do. Sonny continued lobbying on WCIN WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST... ACJmet~ss Grapevine throughout the week. On Thursday morning Sonny visited council member Paul Booth's office and spoke with his aide, Diana ·Fry. According to Diana Fry, she made a number of phone calls to try to get cots for the centers. Then Sonny went to Tyrone Yates' office and spoke with his aide, Samantha Herd. On Friday, he visited Charles Winburn's office and spoke with his aide about the matter. Sonny Williams also called the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and the Cincinnati Health Department. On Monday morning Sonny phoned the new heat center at the McKie Recreation Center in Northside. Sometime between Friday and Monday morning 50 cots had been delivered. Then Sonny called the Over-the Rhine Community Center. Again, 50 cots ha~ been delivered there also. Now people seeking warmth and shelter no longer have to sleep on the floor.. Thanks Sonny for making a difference. Page 11 Scramble by Ron Carter Try to unscramble these related words: (Names of GCCH Members) NKTONISH FILDFROC EITHWEDAH EBRUK SIENH NOJSE TEHAH ERNIUMEE RAMWCIKE SN HJ ONO Answers o n page 15. Notice $300 in Gift Certificates will be paid to mothers with children, ages 6 to 8, to participate in a National Study. -Mothers must be currently in Treatment for Substance abuse or have completed treatment within the past 12 months. Sonny Williams And I, Pastor/Evangelist Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. will close on February 3, 1999 at 7:00PM. This will be an event you will not want to miss, because·God is doing great work and He has a special blessing for all who will attend this Winter Revival; which will be held in South Cumminsville at 1810 Powers Street. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED . It is now the year of our Lord 1999 and _ _ _ _Yo11 will have the opportunity to hear the who knows, but our Lord when He shall return. life changing word of God from several anointed Yet we are exhorted to watch and be ready ones, and praise and worship from the Whole (Matt. 24:42). Lite Choir and some special selections from In the 24th Chapter of the Gospel of Jane Woods of the House of Joy, and other Matthew we are given answers by Christ musical guests; plus you will have the Himself about the signs of the end of the age opportunity to learn more about Helping Hands and tlie sign of His coming. Outreach Mission Ministries social service I bring this to your attention because there programs. So come on out and fellowship. is a spiritual awakening taking place in HHOMM is sponsoring a Sweetheart Cincinnati and throughout the whole world. If Bowling event on February 6, 1999 at 3:00PM. you are a child of Go I'm sure you have noticed This event will be held at Delfair Lanes at a cost this spiritual awakening among the Brothers and of $7.00 per person. If you are interested in Sisters in your church body. coming out and fellowshipping, call Elder It is because of this spiritual awakening Leonard Williams, Jr. (542-6837) for details. that Helping Hands Outreach Ministries is HHOMM is still receiving donations for our hosting a "Winter Revival" titled "Preparing for food pantry and other outreach ministries the Millennium." The revival will begin on (clothing, furnishings, etc.) Please mail Sunday, January 31 , 1999 at 4:00PM with monetary contributions to 1810 Powers Street, Brother Jim Nune, and his wife Prophetess Cincinnati, 45233, and call 681-2400 for delivery Sandy Nune from Bowling Green, Kentucky. or pick-up of other donations. On Monday, February 1, 1999 at 7:00PM I look forward to seeing you at the Winter we will have Evangelist Cordelia Nowell of Revival. In His Service, Rodney L. Sutton, Whole Life Church of Christ. Sr. '-----~---- · CALL GLAD HOUSE FOR MORE INFORMATION 641­ 5530 or 636-591 7 Subscribe to STREETVIBES! For only $12 per year 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 4521 O ------ �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 BUDDY'S PLACE: A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS IN CINCINNATI ... Submitted by ReSTOC, a low­ income housing co-op in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine community It is one of the first of its kind, if not the first. buddy's place - 20 units of permanent housing for homeless individuals is serving as a national model in the effort to address the causes of homelessness and not just its ramifications. buddy gray was always known for his innovation and for his tireless commitment to ending homelessness. He was one of the founders of ReSTOC and the Drop Inn Center and was nationally recognized as a voice for low-income and the homeless. Now, over two years after his death, 1300 Vine Street, in Cincinnati's Over-the­ Rhine neighborhood, is being given new life. buddy's place was slated for demolition in the late 80's, having been vacant and ne­ glected for over a decade. With city shelters already at capacity and low-income housing in Over-the-Rhine being destroyed at alarm­ ing rates, buddy realized the potential of this "old building''. Amidst the decay, the burnt walls and missing floors, he saw housing that was safe, decent and affordable. The principle of ReSTOC is that housing is a human right, not a privilege. Many people work at day labor jobs at minimum wage or less. They cannot afford market rate hous­ ing. And so buddy's place, 1300 Vine Street, will stand as an opportunity for men and women to take control over their lives and experience a sense of freedom and self that life on the streets strips you of. It has taken many donors - individuals, public and private - and hours upon hours of volunteer labor, but buddy's place is nearing completion. It will be 20 furnished single room occupancy apartments. There will be an elevator, community room, tenant court­ yard, parking and a roof deck. The first 1O apartments are completed and applicants are being interviewed. The final 10 will be completed this month. Exterior improve­ ments will be completed in the spring. In order to complete these final improvements, we still need to raise $10,000. The "Buy a Brick for buddy's place" campaign will help us reach this goal. A brick can be pur­ chased for $50. Individuals or groups who "Buy a Brick" will have their names painted on a brick in a permanent mural on the side of the building at buddy's place. The obstacles seem insurmountable at times, the numbers of homeless grow every year and housing is continually being lost to demolition and gentrification. Life, however in Over-the-Rhine continues to thrive and continues to build community. buddy's spirit and outspoken voice lay in the completion of the buddy's place project as it represents, like virtually no other community in this country can offer, a solution to ending homelessness. *Individuals interested in applying for housing at buddy's place may contact ReSTOC at 381-0954. buddy's place, at 1300 Vine Street nears completion Photo by Jimmy Heath res t oe buy a brick ·~ tor budd 's lace ,:. b uddy's place is a community effort to help alleviate the tragedy of homelessness. We invite you to take part in this community effort and provide housing to our sisters and brothers who are homeless. Thank you for your on-going support. RESTOC 114. W. 14th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 • 513-381-0954 -··- - - - -•-•u.•-••-.-••-•••••--•••o•H-•-·--·-•••••••••-••••••••••••-·•••--••••---""'-·-·•••.--...-0...0...•••·•••••••••-•-•••-••••••oo•••..••••--•.o••-•••,.••••••••-•••-••••----•-••-•·•-•-••••-•-•---•-•­ - \ yeS \ .J 7 I \ we would like to buy_ brick(s) to support the construction of buddy's place gr' .......................................................................................... name ·········································i>f-ian·e················································· ···························sc'fioo1·c;·;·c;;·9aiiii"iiili:iii··································· amount enclosed ($50 per brick) .................. please m ake checks payable to RESTOC. In the space below. please Indicate name you would like painted on brick �STREETVIBES I The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine News From. Cleveland's Grapevine Cleveland Vendor Profile: Marguerite Perdue By Staff of Grape vine, Cleveland's Street Newspaper - Page 13 Homeless Grapevine vendor Marguerite Perdue has a message for Cleveland. She wants you to know that there is an urgent need to increase the housing options specifically for single women who are struggling to make the transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. Growing up in Cleveland, Marguerite had "a pretty good child life." She was adopted into a loving family when she was five months old, and has younger brother. Marguerite went to area schools, went to community college for three years , and became a Certified Nurses Assistant and a Home Health Aide. She has two grown sons and a grandson. Although, her father was killed in an accident at the PepsiCola Bottling Company when she was eight, Marguerite is proud that her family was never on Welfare. She has never lived in low-income housing, has always had her own house, own apartment, own car. About ten years ago, Marguerite lost her Nurses Assistant license, and began attending school and working at factory jobs through some of the area temporary employment agencies, while waiting to become eligible for recertification in 2000. She was self-sufficient, living at the Jay Hotel where she was renting her own room which she obtained with the help of a social worker at the Salvation Army and either AEA or CEOGC . And then everything fell apart. Marguerite became homeless about a year and a half ago. On a day that her rent was due, she called the landlord to let him know that she was at work and that she would pay him at the end of the day when she got home from work. But when she arrived back at the hotel, she found a lock placed on her door. Paying $35 rent for the day (because the room could have been rented that day) , a $15 fee for packing up her possessions, and a $1.50/day storage fee was more than she cou ld manage, so she left and the landlord kept her possessions. "I don't understand how [the landlord] took all my stuff like that. The Jay is really not a bad place. It's the best place there is, but I had just got everything together. He knew I was working." Marguerit e moved back in with her mother until her mother got sick and was unable to walk, which made it necessary to let a cousin buy the family's house. Marguerite's mother went into a nursing home, her brother moved to Detroit, and Marguerite moved to Akron, where she stayed at the Haven of Rest Center shelter. She was able to make arrangements to move into an apartment for single women next door to the Haven of Rest, but shortly before she was to move in, her mother went into respiratory failure. Marguerite immediately came back to Cleveland to be with her mother. "Since my cousin got the house, ever since I came back here from Akron, I've been homeless. I mean, I called all the shelters. There's nothing for a single woman. No where. nothing, ever. No rooms. No nothing. and that's basically the way it is" Marguerite has explored most of the . housing options avaihl:>le to her. She has b"'en ui · der to get shP 11 to three Oh1c now 11 is imperative 1or Marguerite to sta} , 1 Cleveland; she needs to be near her mother at the nursing home. Marguerite is afraid that away unless she is living close enough to the nursing home to stop in every day, she won't be contacted immediately if her mother passes. Because she committed a felony some years ago, CMHA housing is not an option. An outreach worker found Marguerite a room at a three-quarter-way house run by the Community Reentry program (prison reform) but, although the rent was only $125/month, she didn't feel that it was appropriate for her to have to follow the mandatory regulations and programs designed for the rest of the residents who were recently released from prison, on parole or on probation. Marguerite also tried getting a room at a hotel on Detroit and West 65th street. She went to the hotel one Thursday with $85 for rent in hand only to learn that the weekly rental cycle went from Saturday to Saturday, and she would have lo pay $35/day for the two extra days. After having walked all the way carrying all her bags she was discouraged and left, realizing too late that she could have paid for the week and then spent Thursday and Friday nights in the womens' shelter. It is difficult to get into the hotel, and having the money at the right time is hard for Marguerite. Finding trustworthy roommates to share housing expenses in rented situations has been difficult, also. Twice Marguerite has lost apartments because roommates didn't work out and the expense was more than Marguerite could manage on her own. Last summer, Marguerite went through a 30-day program for drug rehabilitation at the Hitchcock Center for Women. A week before coming out, Marguerite was promised housing at Transitional Housing, Inc., but two days before she was released, she was told there was no space available. She made an arrangement to room with another woman who had been in the treatment program with her, but that didn't work out either. At that point, Marguerite began staying at Project HEAT site C, the womens' emergency shelter at the First Methodist Church, (East 30th at Euclid) . When she has the money, she also has paid a couple of friends $10 or $15 dollars to sleep at their places for a night. Marguerite believes that if she had dependent children, finding housing would be possible. "Women with children , they've got it made," she says. "But I'm not going to have kids just to get someplace to live.". She also observes that too many people are no longer able to cope with societal pressures. "Half the population is taking psyche meds because they can't cope with life. You just have to cope. That's all." Marguerite refuses to let that happen to her, even though she admits that she has considered giving up and signing herself into a psych ward just to have a place to live and convenient meals. Lately, Marguerite has been selling the Homeless Grapevine, and working for $6.50/hr as a machine operator at a factory in Strongsville-a job that she got through MinuteMan. Work there has been slow, however, because of the holidays and the recent bout of inclement weather. Although her training is for the health care industry, Marguerite can do any kind of factory work. She can drive a tow motor and weld, or do any kind of assembly work. But what she likes to do is the nursing. 'Without a permanent residence," she points out, "how can you find a permanent position? I can get a job, but I need a place where I can take a shower. You can't, being homeless, deal with all that and be expected to get up and go to work everyday." Marguerite hopes to find her way out of this Catch-22 by landing a live-in position as a e close recently, but home health aide. She c lost the opportunity bee, 1se she didn't have I enough money for the required uniforms, shoes and a stethoscope. "If I could just find a room for myself­ an efficiency- I do not make enough money. Mostly, the landlords want first month's rent and a deposit. I can't come up with that. I have to eat every day to survive. Wash my clothes. There's no way I could do it." "They should open up something, a rooming house for women just like they do for men, you know what I mean? Because it's really hard. A single woman can't get a place to live." Marguerite would like to see someone open up a house , rooming house or boarding house for women. Even a three-quarter way house like the Community Re-entry ones would be of help, but one without the mandatory rules and restrictions that are necessary for the residents in those situations who are making the transition from prison to lite in the community. "The housing-that's the main thing," Marguerite insists. "Somebody needs to-not needs to, but it would be appreciated if somebody could try to come up with some kind of solution that would help single women. The single men have everything. They've got VOA, they've got St. Herman's ... there is no place that is suitable for single females." 'Community Voice Mail' Awarded Murphy Family Foundation Grant By Todd Neumann at NEOCH, (Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, Cleveland) (216)241­ 1104. Cleveland Community Voice Mail was awarded a grant by The Murphy Family Founda­ tion to support the introduction of a Community Voice Mail System in Cleveland. Community Voice Mail(CVM) is an innova­ tive concept designed to assist the homeless, jobless, domestically abused, and other at risk clients in facilitat ing improvements in their lives. The premise is simple. People can not find housing or jobs without a number where they can be reached. Community Voice Mail gives them that. CVM contributes to the self-esteem of its users by taking away the stigma of their homelessness or phonelessness. Community Voice Mail empowers people by giving clients control over retrieving messages, allowing them to stay on top of their job or apartment hunt. Community Voice Mail (CVM) was pio· neered by the national non-profit, Community Technology Institute (CTI) . The organization was founded in 1991 when it set up its first CVM system in Seattle, WA. Since then the non-profit has been honored with the "Innovations in State and Local Government Award' by Harvard's Kennedy School of Govt. & The Ford Foundation. The Coalition through the work of AmeriCorps"VISTA's organized 19 local social service agencies to participate in Cleveland's Community Voice Mail System. The goal is to be operational by the end of summer 1999. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 14 Martha's Woodshop Provides Income and Pride for CTR Community By Dave Die tz Combining the ideals of environmental sustainability and social justice is a challenging task. The Buckeye Forest Council is working toward this goal through our 100% recycled wood craftshop. If someone asked me, "What are the most important things Over-The-Rhine needs?" high on my list, along with housing and shelter, would be a dignified source of income for current residents in the community. Martha's Woodshop is accomplishing this goal we employ a technical director and two apprentices. Even the small amount of money our shop provides has an impact on the lives of people who are meeting the basic needs of a roof over their heads and food on the table. Martha'.s Woodshop is in this way a homeless prevention program. The job helps maintain a sense of dignity and a source of income. We have been blessed with a technical director who is an artistic genius. Victor Siffel learned wood carving from his father while growing up in the Over-The-Rhine 'Tony·'s S~ory• from page 5 ... tion, who are mentally and physically challenged. His stereotypes about the label of homelessness that he now bears the burden of, are being broken. But still, he worries about what people will think of him. What if somebody recognizes him, standing in a soup line, or worse still, will people think differently of him, when he does finally leave here and they know of his past. Tony struggles with such thoughts on a daily basis, as the day he can work comes closer and closer. He says, however, he will not forget the Drop Inn Center or its residents although you can see he has difficulty reconciling this time in his life. Tony is not alone. .....•·· Working in Martha's Wood Shop... and West End area. Mr. Siffel currently works as a free-lance artist doing sculpture and historic restoration work for many individuals and busi­ nesses including The Wooden Nickel. Victor is involved with our program because he sees the urgent need for forest protection when he thinks of his children and their future. He also sees the · shop as an opportunity to pass along his skills as a wood carver to future generations. Martha's Woodshop is at an exciting phase of development. Our apprentices have been learning carving skills for a few months and we have been selling our crafts since August. Christmas was a busy time and we all worked extra hours to get the orders out. Now we are in the process of reaching out to the greater Cincin­ nati community with our line of 100% recycled Photo by Dave Dietz wood crafts. If you enjoy beautifully carved wooden crafts and jewelry or are part of a busi­ ness that would be interested in carrying our line don't hesitate to contact us. We have a flyer with photos and prices of our craft line. We can also custom create any type of wooden object that you describe. Contact us by mail or telephone and we will send you a flyer and any other inforn:iation you need. Thanks for you support! Buckeye Fo rest Council 1542 Elm St. Cin. Oh. 45210 Attn: Wood Crafts Ph. # (513) 665-4900 Steve or Dave OVER-THE-RHINE COMMUNITY ---­ COUNCIL T-SHIRTS FOR SALE!!! Be Proud to be a Member of the Over-the­ Rhine Community Council. T-shirts are in Large Size; Colors Available P urple or Burgundy Cost: ORCC Member $4 Resident, non-ORCC Member $5 Others $10 Call 381-2956 or 381-4242 for information 'Demo' from page 1 ... run-down or dismal - the major impetus for the awarding pf the Hope VI Grant. This is why we must be ready as a commu­ nity. Ms. Bacon needs to be reminded that homelessness in our community is unacceptable. We know that the Hope VI Plan would add to the homeless problem in our city. And to add to the irony, with the loss of 1300 units of low-income housing, where is the so-called economic mix? So pleasP keep your ear to the street ahd be ready to stand for the p eople in this city when Ms. Bacon returns. on where T-shirts are sold. You can also purchase them at the monthly ORCC meeting. OVER-THE-RHINE COMMUNITY COUNCIL The creative design is by Jimmy Heath �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Announcements Live Studio Audience Wanted STREETVIBES TV SHOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE? SHOW IS LIVE ON STREETVIBES Classified Ads Streetvibes is now accepting 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, approxi.mately 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 m_onths 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 THE SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AND IS BROADCAST FROM THE STUDIOS OF CINCINNATI COMMUNITY VIDEO, 2114 READING ROAD, FROM 7 TO BPM. STREETVIBES TV COVERS NEWS ON POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS AND RELATED ISSUES. CALL US AT THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS FOR MORE INFORMATION-421-7803 music Band Looking for Work Streetvibes (the band). We like to party. R&B. O ldies, Blues/ Jazz, Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421·7803. Dwight Wise 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 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. - jI Scramble Answers from page 11 ... • Jones Heath Neumeier Wickrema Johnson HVAC Technician for hire. 24 Service! Call 751-3182. Thank You! ••••••••••••••••••••••••• • • STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $ 1 per line. Call 421-7803 for info. Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm 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 stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Satutday, March 13th, 1~99, noon to 1 pm Streetvibes! Advertise in Streetvibes! Streetvibes Vendor Code. of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. 1s In Memory of "Mac" Who Believed In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch ... Because 'Everyone' includes Prisoners and Former Prisoners. Hinkston Clifford Whitehead Burke Heins position wanted Page 5. I agree that I will not supply oopies 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 dr 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. ' . Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to over 5,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2 11 x 3 1/2 11 $1 O per month ***Two Business Card Size 4 11 x 3 1/2 11 $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 or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati , OH 45210 .. �f_ f STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 'STADIUM' cont. from page 3 ... .... had taken from the beginning," Bedinghaus said. The commissioners' approach incurred the wrath of ,many city and community leaders when they decided not to meet the 25 percent goal because of a court ruling that struck down minority set-aside programs. Bedinghaus said the commissioners' strategy included meeting with people who would work constructively toward a better situation. He explained that he continu­ ally meets with Or. Milton Hinton, president of the Cincinnati branch of the NAACP, and Jonathan Holified, first vice president of the NAACP, to discuss the stadium issue. The commissioners' also created a new position to assist minority and women-owned business participation on the stadium projects. Jonathan Railey, on loan from Cinergy, who served in that capacity, left the position last week. Reprinted by permission by the Cincin­ nati Herald. STREETVIBES, Streetvibes TV TV Schedule The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video, 21 14 Reading Road. 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 information. Streetvibes TV MARCH Schedule March's Live TV show will begin at 7PM, Monday, March 8th, and will be broadcast from the Reading Road Studio. The new show format includes a studio audience along with a guest panel discussion. Channel 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. March 8th at 7PM. Rebroadcast Dates for Show on Channel 10: Saturday, March 6, 1999, 4 PM Friday, March 12, 1999, 11 am Friday, March 19, 1999, 11 AM Monday, March 22,1999, 10 PM Saturday, March 27, 1999, 4 PM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. l Page 16 Vendor: SQ cents Printing and Production: 20 cents Where Your Dollar Goes 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. If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our viewing audience. 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 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. .. >35 MM Film for Streetvibes photo's >Laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper > Good used or new Photo Copier >Office Supplies >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups, etc.) ;:-Computer for Streetvibes layout and writing >·Subscribers Call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 if you can help! • 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. SHELTERS: Women and Children 241-2757 Alice Paul House (abuse) 281-5770 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431~8717 Welcome House 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 244·7226 Lighthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Wom en O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men 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 Beech Acres 961-4080 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 241-7343 921-7324 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 421-2437 621-5991 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241 ·2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381·4242 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Community Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van 221-3679 House of Refuge Mission 241 -9400 Legal Aid Society Madis.onville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 721-4811 Mary Magdalen House 621-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 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 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 February 1999 Vol. 3, issue 26 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: More Demolition Proposed in the West End Marchers Celebrate the Life and Work of Martin Luther King Jr. Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 4: Welfare News Pg 5: The Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide News Pg 8: Prisoners News Jail Facts Pg 9: School of Americas Pg 10: Letters & Editorials Pg 11: Streetvibes Etcetera Pg 12: buddy's place Pg 13: Cleveland News Pg 14: Martha's Woodshop 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 February 1997 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tom Billman Ron Carter Denise Crew Brian Davis Dave Dietz Jimmy Heath Cliiford Jones Farshid Kamali Susan Knight Mary Ann Lederer Vikki Lynn James Pryor Rodney Sutton Daniel Thompson Vampire Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Brian Davis buddy gray buddy's place civil rights Clifford Jones Daniel Thompson Dave Dietz Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Farshid Kamali James Pryor Jimmy Heath Lynn Williams Mary Ann Lederer panhandling prisoner ReSTOC Rodney Sutton Ron Carter Susan Knight the broken city The Traveler Tom Billman Vampire Vikki Lynn welfare West End https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/eecc210e5522f466d79ac4f9e3eae8ca.pdf 16e123c6381ff9e47cd194d0391eafa4 PDF Text Text NEW ARTS CENTER PROPOSAL PITS THE RICH by Susan Knight, Drop Inn Center Staff. Photos by AGAINST TH.E POOR Jimmy Heath "We will not move. Period." This is the statement Pat Clifford, the General Coordinator of the Drop Inn Center, Ohio's largest homeless shelter, issued to the media, the community, and to Erich Kunzel, the conductor of the Cincinnat i Pops Orchestra. Kunzel and his select commit­ tee are facilitating the creation of a new SCPA (School forthe Creative and Performing Arts), currently located on the corner of Sycamore and 15th Street. The lines have been drawn; from the residents at t he Drop Inn Center to the executives at various foundations and local corporations (who have agreed to support the project), people are taking sides. The clash could potentially come to a climax in City Hall's chamber in a simple majority vote for or against the City exercising their right to imminent domain. For the Drop Inn Center the issue is an old one-upper income individuals have a dream and they want to realize this dream; at the expense of the low-income. Bonnie Neumeier, a longtime resident and community activist of Over-the-Rhine spoke at a forum held recently by Christ Church. She commented, "We live in system that p its the affluent against the poor. And this is about power. Who has the power to have their dreams real­ ized." Erich Kunzel sees it differently, however. Initially, Kunzel said there would be no displace­ ment of residents. However, in the final weeks of a two year long study Erich Kunzel changed his tune. He believed that the Drop Inn Center and Music Hall were incompatible. The loss of supporters for Cincinnati Pops was due largely he said, to Music Hall's location. "We're in a location where we're being hurt in terms of ticket sales because of the nature of the neighborhood . .. Two Cincinnati musicians," he continued, "were robbed outside Music Hall and the Pops had 500 less subscribers last year than in the previous · year." "We live in a system that pits the rich against the poor. And this is about power. Who has the power to have their dreams realized... " Bonnie Neumeier So now, in the hard-working world of non­ profits, two have been pitted against each other­ the arts and a homeless shelter. Two institutions that have thousands of dedicated people working to enrich lives and make Cincinnati and maybe even the world a better place to live. One says, "build around us." The other asks why can't the Drop Inn Center just take the mon~y and go find another location since it is more feasible for the Center to move than for Music Hall to move. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. The Drop Inn Center in its 26 year grass-roots history of controversy, speaking out and taking stands for the low-income, knows this. Erich Kunzel, who The Drop Inn Center at Elm and 12th Street, Over-the-Rhine. entered this controversy simply wanting to offer his love of the arts to more people, and most importantly, more children, is learning. There are the basic (but important) argu­ ments for not moving. David Logan of Prospect House, a men's treatment facility says, "The idea that only one thing is permitted per area is like introducing obsessive-compulsive disorder as a principle of city planning ...Real urban life in real cities is characterized by vitality and variety." Bonnie Neumeier reflects on this, saying, ''They know if the Drop Inn Center doesn't move, they'll have their economic mix!" Also important to note, is the clientele the Drop Inn Center serves. Dorothy Gary, Day Advocate for the Drop Inn Center says, "We serve the people that everyone else has thrown away. When nothing else comes to the mind of a mentally ill man, the Drop Inn Center does." The location is known by its residents and when they are in their most desperate moments, they know where to go. This will not be the case if the Center moves. The Center's proximity to day labor, to the Police Station and bus lines are all part of the equation. The location of the Drop Inn Center (12'h and Elm in Over-the- Rhine) is also key to the con­ tinuum of care the Drop Inn Center utilizes in working with their residents. Jennifer Summers, the Coordinator of ReSTOC, a low-income housing cooperative in Over-the-Rhine, empha­ sized this importance at the Christ Church forum, ''The Drop Inn Center," she says, "is a life line for a lot of organizations . . . it was not an accident that ReSTOC is around the corner, Emmanuel Center is right there, Tender Mercies is down the street. It is an intentional web." The sentimental discussion of the impor­ tance of being rooted in a piece of land also came to the forefront for supporters at the Christ Church forum. J ennifer Summers said, "It [the Drop Inn Center] is a public investment, it's a private investment and most importantly a personal investment. That cannot be negotiated away, that cannot be replaced. " Stories came forth of volunteer crews, of building a center bit by bit, dollar by dollar. Bonnie Neumeier, who helped to found the center 26 years ago, reminisced , "We didn't know then [26 years ago) that we would be here fighting this fight. But we knew at that moment we were doing the just and right thing... The Drop Inn Center is our own community's grass-roots effort to deal with the problem that our neighbors.and friends faced. It is something you cannot just transplant." No money can replace the blood, the sweat, the work and the emotion that has gone into the corner of 12th and Elm ... These issues are sincere and true to life. However, they are not the bigger picture. The Drop Inn Center knows all-to-well the bigger picture. Gregory Payton, formerly homeless and now working on his bachelors in chemical addiction at the University of Cincinnati alluded to the bigger picture, "Move 'em or we' ll take it. Makes me feel like Rosa Parks felt. 50 years ago people didn't like people. Today people don't like homeless people." "Save the people," Jennifer Summers pleaded, "not just the facades." Forcing the Drop Inn Center to move is upholding a precedent set since the industrial revolution 'Arts' cont. on page 3 ... The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES A Trip That Will The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Not be Taken by Donald Whitehead Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless, social justice and poverty related issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation. The Streetvibes Vendor Program gives our vendors an opportunity to get back on their feet. All vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. A file is developed on each vendor so that we may track and help facillitate thier move from poverty to self­ sufficiency. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Planning Commit­ tee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in ~el~ing or have a comment , story or ed1tonal that you would like published please call 421-7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Ron Carter, Vendor Support Photographer Jimmy Heath Writers Belquees Ali Ron Carter Pat Cliiford Brian Davis Richard Hague Jimmy Heath Susan Knight Gerald McMillan Gina Miller Bonnie Neumeier Gregory Payton Eunice Ravena Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 o (513) 421-7803 fax (513) 421 -781 3 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net web page: http://cinci.com/gcch I originally wanted this months traveler to talk about two of my recent trips. The first trip w.as to Washington DC, our nations capitol. This tnp was a very busy trip and there's much that could be shared with you. The trip consisted of ~everal very important meetings, the first meet­ ing was the Executive Committee of The Na­ tional Coalition for the Homeless and was followed by a meeting with the GAO (Govern­ ment Accounting Office) concerning a recent study ~f h~meless programs. Our next meeting was with high ranking government officials including Deputy Assistant Fred Kamas, F~ther Joe Hakala, and HUD Secretary Cuomo. Our next meeting was a lunch meeting with the new staff person for the Senate Banking Committee and finally we met with Deputy Assistant HHS (Health and Human Services) Secretary Ham­ burg. Each one of the meetings could be a Traveler Column itself. I also made a trip to Columbus to meet with statewide representatives ~eg~rd~ng fair lending by Ohio's largest financial 1nst1tut1ons, again an issue that will be an entire Traveler Column in the future. . This mo~ths issue is not on these very important National and Statewide issue's: it will focus on an extremely important local issue. Some of our reader surveys told us that most ~tre~tvibes readers were of above average intelligence and up-to-date on current affairs. Most of you have no doubt heard about the newest threat to the Drop Inn Center. [ed. note: The Drop Inn Center is Ohio's largest, most comprehensive homeless shelter, located in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. See story beginning on front page.] The Drop Inn Center has been under attack for most of its existence, so being under attack again is nothing new. The source of the current attack is not new either. Over the last twenty-five years conflicts have arisen between groups wanting to rid the community of the homeless. Many people over the last twenty years have confused homelessness, an economic situation, with a moral deficiency. Blaming the poor for being poor is very common in today's America. Cincinnati is no different. In Cincin­ nati , the homeless population continues to grow and this statement is substantiated by the fact that the Drop Inn Center has been at or near capacity since the beginning of November. While more affordable housing and not more shelters are the solution for homelessness we can hardly afford to lose any shelter, especially the biggest and only 24 hour access shelter the City of Cincinnati currently has. The Drop Inn Center was threatened by a study a few years ago by a team of researchers from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) . The ULI final report called the Drop Inn Center along with Tender Mercies inappropriate at their present locations and suggested they be moved to the "Warehouse District". On January 29, a group of consultants doing a feasibility study for a proposed arts and education facility in the Washington Park area of Over-The-Rhine also concluded that the Drop­ Inn-Center was inappropriate in its present location. A spokesman for the group made reference to the inappropriate location of t he Drop-Inn-Center and a possible figure of six million dollars to relocate both the Drop Inn Center and the Pipefitters Union Building on Central Parkway. Many of you will undoubtedly hear state­ ments like "Why don't they just take the money and get a better place" or "You could probably get a wonderful shelter for six million dollars." What those people do not understand is that - p age 2 history leaves low income advocates with little faith in promises In tact, no promises have actually even been made, and contrary to popular belief, there is no real offer on the table. The 6 million dollar offer would be split with every other building that needs to be relocated. And the fact is, any offer made would never be accepted. Many people have given blood sweat and tears and even their lives to build and maintain the Drop Inn Center. You can put a dollar value on property but what value can you place on a human life. Shelters in other cities have had a hard time finding a home because of zo~ing laws and NIMBY (Not In·My Back Yard) att1tudes._Another very important factor ignored by many 1s the Drop Inn Centers importance to the neighborhood as a whole . The Drop Inn Center p~ovides employment to many neighbor­ hood residents. The Drop-Inn-Center is also the ~nchor f~r several other social service agencies in the neighborhood. The Drop Inn Center is the site of many important events such as Stand Down, meetings of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, and many others. The Drop Inn Center is also easily accessible to law enforcement agencies who regularly use the shelter to house individuals who might otherwise be ja~l~d and/or harmed because of their physical cond1t1on. I could go on and on about the many reasons why moving the Drop-Inn-Center is an unthinkable option , but we only have sixteen pages in Streetvibes. I will share one more reason, an~ this one is personal. Four years ago I st.u_mbled into the Drop Inn Center an obituary wa1trng to happen. Life to me had become nothing more than an unending list of broken promises and lost dreams. The Drop Inn Center was a lifeboat in the sea of hopelessness. I crawled in looking for a warm place to sleep and a hot meal. What I received was a reason to live. I still remember this short bespectacled long-haired guy, with a bandanna and overalls walking up to me and saying "I'm glad your here.• That man gave his life for the Drop Inn Center: h~ became my buddy. I'm proud of the couple of things that I ve been able to accomplish over the past few years and I know that they are all due to my buddy and those words. There are plenty of su~es s stories from the Drop Inn Center. They all, hke me, would without a doubt echo what I feel: "Drop Inn Center, I'm glad your here." 1 The Traveler Drop Inn Center Letter The Broken City Arts & Poetry Nationwide News Prison News Rights of Homeless Welfare News Streetvibes Etcetera Scramble Letters & Editorials Cleveland News Book Review Classified Ads TV Schedule Page2 Page4 Pages Page6 Page 7 Pages Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 "The contest for ages has been to rescue liberty from the grasp of executive power." -Daniel Webster �STREElVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 'Arts' from front page. when groups of people lived in small defined areas. The rich live next to the rich and the "poor" live next to the "poor." This makes it easy for wealthy citizens to buy and/or manipulate land owned or lived on by the low-income. The low-income were no longer intermingled with a rich overseer as occurs in agrarian societies. Instead the land, the homes on the land, the people's ·lives this land sheltered, were all of one class and this made it easier for the upper class individuals to control the lower classes. In other words, power became consolidated in territory not just by race. Effectively the poor's right to a home became equal to that of the black man or immigrant who did not have equal rights under society. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's Bonnie Neumeier addresses gathering at Christ Church Forum. Dear Friends and · Suppc;>rters of the Drop Inn Center Bonnie Nuemeier, Board Chairperson and Pat Clifford, General Coordinator - Drop Inn Center We are reaching out for your help as we have throughout our history. Recently, a group of arts and business supporters lead by Erich Kunzel declared that the Drop Inn Center must relocate to make way for a new $99.2 million arts complex connected to music hall. We need your support and immediate response to protect our very existence. We cannot move and this is why. The Drop Inn Center lias been serving the homeless for 26 years. It is a grassroots re­ sponse to the crisis of homelessness in our community. We provide food, clothing, shelter, chemical addiction treatment, counseling, medical and mental health care and transitional housing to over 16,000 people each year. It was buddy gray's dream and vision that we create a center so that people would not have to live and die on the streets. The corner of Twelfth and Elm has been our home for 21 years. We have rehabilitated our Page 3 recognized this. Malcolm X was struck at the similarities between the black man's plight and the plight of the Third World. Martin Luther King, Jr., at his death, was planning a poor man's march on Washington. This is the bigger picture. Cincinnati is upholding precedent held by our country since before the existence of the Drop Inn Center and one that the Drop Inn Center has been fighting against since its inception. No money can replace the blood, the sweat, the work and the emotion that has gone into the corner of 121h and Elm. But more importantly, even if the Drop Inn Center was offered millions (currently the figure being heard in the media is a share of 6 million) to build a grandi­ ose new facility, it could not replace a community that has worked (and fought) for generations to rebuild ~self. Over-the-Rhine is a community that is already being attacked by developers from every direction, a community that already faces growing numbers of homeless due to the displacement that has already occurred, a community that looks to do more than just exist, that continues to push itself to protect the safety of their residents and schools and a community that at its most moti­ vated, most vocal most active moments, when people stand up and want a say in their lives and their children's lives, is rarely respected inside of City Hall or downtown. People often ask why there is so much crime, trash, addiction in our inner-cities, why people should try to help people that do not help themselves. But upon examina­ tion of low-income communities one could find that before crime, before trash, is the struggle to be heard and to take control. Low-income people must fight for the right to help themselves. For many, such negative stereotypes are a rationaliza­ tion to so say it is OK that an arts center is more important than a homeless shelter. Besides, many would contend, it would bring in more tax revenue to the area. Tax revenue is something needed if you want to fund these social service agencies. However, maybe if a community was allowed to prosper on its own terms the Drop Inn Center would not be so desperately needed. That self­ determination, stable homes, and a sense of ownership and control are a recipe for positive community. After all, that is what the Drop Inn Center has been working for for the last 26 years. "Our City doesn't understand that its soul is at stake here," says David Logan. "It's (the Kunzel Dream) a wonderful dream. But it must find its place, not the Drop Inn Center's place," remarks Canon Steven Solle. And so the Drop Inn Center is gearing up for the fight of its life (one of many) as Kunzel and his committee begin figuring out how to fundraise the estimated 99 .3 million dollars for this project. Fortunately, this conflict is not about the arts and the low-income-there is no real conflict there.· It is an age old battle between the classes and in this battle the Drop Inn Center will not be bought. Erich Kunzel just wants to make beautiful music. Hopefully, he and others will come to realize the Drop Inn Center and the community the Center came from are part of making this happen . dormitories and treatment areas bit by bit, grant by grant so that we would have a secure home designed to provide quality services . We also have five transitional buildings close by to help people in their transition to permanent housing. It has taken us many years of blood, sweat and tears to get this far. We feel it is wrong to displace and jeopardize the home of the most vulnerable in our society. Development in our neighborhood should benefit current low-income residents, not dis­ place us. It is unfair to force us to defend our right to stay in our home because others have negative stereotypes of the homeless . We feel that it is an injustice to pit one public service against another. Debating whether helping the arts or the homeless is more impor­ tant seems pointless. Unfortunately, fighting this forced relocation will drain our energy from where it needs to be-helping people survive on the streets. The Drop Inn Center is an anchor in our neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine and is critically linked with many other programs and services. Disruption of the shelter would impact the web that exists to shelter and protect the rights of the homeless and low-income people who live in Over-the-Rhine. Relocation is not a solution. The same prejudice which is trying to move us out of our own neighborhood would prevent us from enter­ ing other neighborhoods. We would become a homeless homeless shelter. We need you, our community supporters, to join with us to defend our hqme. Our supporters are many and broad based. They include homeless residents and volunteers; civic, reli­ gious and community leaders; churches and synagogues; schools and teachers; unions, businesses and social service agencies. We will survive by standing together. You can expect that the arts and business group will be unrelenting in their campaign. We have already seen negative articles and editori­ als and can expect many more. We can expect that they will prey upon the public's prejudice against the homeless and that they will attack our shelter efforts. We need your help to counter with the truth of our positive work and reasons why relocation is wrong. We will keep you updated on develop­ ments and our ongoing strategies in an upcom­ ing flyer and newsletter within the month. Please support our cause by helping with the action steps below. Pat Clifford, Genera! Coordinator of the Drop Inn Center - " We will not move. Period. " ACTION STEPS 1. Contact Erich Kunzel and urge him to let us keep our home. 1241 Elm Street, Cincin­ nati, Ohio 45210. Fax: (513) 651-2262 2. Contact the Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent and School Board Members and tell them that you do not support removal of the Drop Inn Center or any community residents to make way for the proposed Arts and Education Center. P. 0. Box 5381 , Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-5381. Fax: (513) 475-4935 3. Write letters to the editor of the Cincin­ nati Enquirer,.Post, Herald and your community newspapers and church bulletins. 4. Volunteer with our services or our defense campaign by calling Susan Knight at (5 13) 721-0643. Please send a copy of your letter to the Drop Inn Center or fax it to us at (513) 721­ 8937. We would like to thank all of our many supporters who have already called or written to express their outrage. �- - - - --- ----------------------~-~----~----------------- STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 4 STAFF AND RESIDENTS OF DROP INN CENTER RESPOND TO THREATS BY ARTS COMMUNITY If it wasn't for the Drop Inn Center, I wouldn't know who I am and I would still be on drugs. I hear that someone is trying to tear the Drop Inn down; for what reason, I don't know. Also, I hear that they want to take the park and a few schools that are landmarks, you know, t hings that can be restored. The Drop Inn saves lives and it has restored men and women to sanity. This is a place where people can come for help when they are homeless, burntout and when no one else doesn't want them, the Drop Inn gives them a home to live in and helps people get back on their feet. The Full Circle Program is for women who have no place to go. It also has a program to help with kids as well as finding homes for them outside of the shelter. The place that the Drop Inn Center is now, is the right place. God put it in a person's heart to see that the homeless had a place to go. Now tbat we've stuck together and made it, they want to take it away from us or move us outside the community, we are somebody. I will do what I have to do to protect my home. Moses brought the slaves from Egypt, God gave us the home called the Drop Inn Center. It is a home for the homeless. Warren Cook WHAT THE DROP INN CENTER MEANS TO THE OVER-THE­ RHINE COMMUNITY The Drop Inn Center is temporary shelter for homeless people who've fallen short, for more reasons than alcohol and drugs. Hus­ bands, wives and children who've lost their homes and found that they couldn't make ends meet together anymore. Families that have fallen because of welfare reform and its sanc­ tions. The Drop Inn Center is tempor~ry shelter for the mentally ill who've been thrown away by society. The Drop Inn shelter is temporary shelter for the homeless who were sleeping under the railroad tracks, in alleys and on the streets . It is a place for those who are not received any­ where else because they don't have identifica­ tion , because they don't look right, talk right or smell right, because they don't have the right personality, or they have drug and alcohol problems, or other diseases and don't know where to go. For the mentally ill person, going to the Drop Inn Center means getting a case manager, a payee and finding out about group homes. People at the Drop Inn Center can receive medical attention . The D.l.C. means birth certificate, social security card, i.d. and police check so that people can get jobs. The D.l.C. has a 50/50 plan which helps people save money so we can help end homelessness. The Drop Inn Center means getting a G.E.D. or going to college. It also means clinical for colleges students. The Drop Inn center saves lives!!! There is no price that can be on t he D.l.C. Why should we have to move? People are just realizing where the D.l.C. is and all it has to offer. We are the solution to a lot of problems. would think that before fighting to move the problems somewhere else, people would like to help us end homelessness here. Help us by coming together. We want what you want but not at the expense of the poor, mentally ill or persons trying to find a new way of life. Buddy gray died for the homeless and this building and we should not be moved. Dorothy Gary Daytime Advocate MY WORK HAS JUST BEGUN Until I applied for a job at the Drop Inn Center and found out all the services they offer to the people in need, I have to admit my view of the Drop Inn Center was very narrow. But after I became a part of the cause and stopped sitting with my hands folded, I realized my work has just begun. I now see how I can give and not take and know that all I give would be appreciated. In just the few months that I've been here I've seen several success stories walk out the door. I've also seen several men, women and children come in with tears in their eyes, glad they found somewhere to go. Seeing is believing and now I see there is much to be done and a lot of it starts with you and me . .. Janice My name is Douglas Webb. I am 26 years old. I have been in the recovery program for three month and six days. I have been homeless. I had been in the Drop Inn Center a couple of times before entering the program because of my addiction. I want to ask a question. Why people treat other people different? Because they are homeless and they are having bad luck or they are suffering from addiction. If they move the shelter people will still be homeless and the workers might be out of a job. I am going through the program to get a second chance at life. What happens if somebody needs help for their addiction? Let someone else have a chance at this program. It will help them when they go out there in the world . I am·getting my G.E.D. now; then later I-­ am going to try going tp college when I get done with my GED. I might be dead if this program wasn't here. I want to give thanks to everyone for helping me to get a second chance at life. Douglas Webb DROP INN CENTER IS AN INTERNATIONAL MODEL We are established and known world wide-from Canada to Mexico. We are known to be here, in Over-the-Rhine. People in England receive our newsletter, we have had guests from Ireland visit and tour our facility. We are a model enigma for the sheltered homeless. There is not another shelter in our nation that operates or provides a wide range of extensive life saving services. Our doors are open 24 hours. It is a beginning point for many people who seek and receive: hot meals recovery transitional housing permanent housing Moving the shelter would be a great disservice to the homeless of the Greater Tri­ state area. It would hinder, greatly, the continuum and quality of medical, health, outreach services we currently provide on a daily basis . Especially for those who cannot receive services through regul.ar avenues, due to life's instabilities, lack of funds, addictions, and or direction. Our goal is to service any and all people, who walk through our doors. The only requirement to receive our services is to simply get here. A vis Nichols Staff Worker FOOD FOR THE SOUL When I first arrived at 121h and Elm Street one week night, I was planning on working at the Drop Inn Center soup kitchen. I had images of filing bodies in one by one, handing them a bowl of soup, and quickly sending them on their way. This alone is a welcoming gesture offered at very few places. But as I walked through the doors, I experienced something completely different. I could feel the compassion and love with the first hand I shook. Each person here puts so much heart and soul into his or her job. They always give 100% effort because they are doing something t hey love and believe in. Junior was the person who affected me the most. He gives tours to the newcomers at the Drop Inn Center. He does not just give tours, though. He tells stories, he laughs, he cries , he affects people, because the Drop Inn Center affected him. The people here took him in, and helped him restart his life when he needed it most. This is what the Drop Inn Center continues to do for each person who arrives at their door. When· we began serving dinner, I realized we were not just serving to a crowd of people, but we were serving to individuals with names, faces , personalities and stories. That is who they are and that is how they are treated here. We were not simply offering them soup, bread, and shelter, we were offering them a helping hand-a chance to regain the hope and integrity they once had. The Drop Inn Center does not just wanno give people a break from their trying times, they actually want to break those times, and help them regain their lives. Everyone•wants tO help themselves, they simply· -· need to kriow they can. This is what the Drop Inn Cenler·does. This is why I choose to come here and work at the soup kitchen . There is enough hope and i:>romise to uplift anyone. To be a part of it is a gift. After all. . . It is in giving that we receive. Rae Roberston Volunteer THE MAN BEHIND THE MIRROR On January 291h of this year, a Mr. Cliff Radel from the Enquirer wrote an article about the Drop Inn Center and our late founder and friend "buddy gray." When I read his article, my mind wondered back to an article that I had written entitled, "On the Outside Looking In." This man, Cliff Radel is a prime example of what I wrote about. First, he mentioned that this location is not safe nor suitable for anyone that has money, nor is it safe for children, he along with others pay lots of money to send their children to school and be taught but yet and still even though they are paying money for their children to get an education, the teachers in the school are abusing them, and might I add that these teacher's are supposed to be professional (no, if we can't send our kids to what we believe is a safe place then how is this man gonna judge the homeless population?) He went on to say that the man that gunned down our friend and founder was a resident here at the center and that buddy was trying to help him, which was a lie. I dare him to use the name and death to corrupt the minds of those who believed in what buddy stood for, I dare him to tell lies in order to get people to look down on the home- Continued on next page. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The BrQken City... by Jimmy Heath TV Lounge area of the Drop Inn Center on a typically busy evening. The Drop Inn Center in Over-the-Rhine provides shelter, food, clothing, treatment services, counseling and referrals for thousands of persons every year. less, placing evil seeds in minds of others that the Drop Inn Center is a dangerous place, placing thoughts of fear within the hearts and minds of men, women and children that when­ ever they see a homeless person that they will get hurt. I dare him to try and take away our residents home without a struggle. I dare him! Even if buddy had lived, would have forgiven the man that took his life. that was the kind of person he was. If the shelter has to be moved, there will be no other shelter, because the word "homeless" to some means the same as the work "jail" and nobody wants neither of these places in their neighborhood. The residents we serve are no animals, but human beings like Cliff Radel and I and they should be treated as such and not placed in a warehouse as though they were waiting to be shipped out. We the Drop Inn Center staff has come along way since our founder and friend was gunned down and it took a lot for us to try to hold things together, starting over for us made us feel like a rose bulb just starting to bloom and to try and tear down what we and a lot of our friends helped us build would be like Mr. Kunzel pulling a gun on us. There has been no record of any homeless person bringing any harm to any of those rich folks that attend Music Hall. If Music Hall feels that they are losing clientele because of the homeless people, then maybe they ought to be the ones to relocate. In 1 Corinthian, 15m Chapter it says, "Therefore, my beloved breth­ ren be ye steadfast. unmovable always abound­ ing in the lord for the lord as much as ye know your labor 1s not in vain in the lord." and we at the Center will continue to steadfast and be unmovable and our labor 1s not in vain because we are doing exactly what the Lord wants us to do and that is offering and giving food, shelter, love, support, understanding and most of all a place which someone can call home. So I leave Mr. Cliff Radel along with Mr. Erich Kunzel with these encouraging words: Whatsoever things are true Whatsoever things are honest Whatsoever things are just Whatsoever things are pure Whatsoever things are of good report, If there be an virtue of praise, let us remember. Gail Frazier-Holley HERE WE GO AGAIN This time the plan is not to bluntly say, the Drop Inn Center is this and that and needs to be closed. Instead the plan is to kill us with kindness. The offer is a share of 6 million dollars. This is to draw public support from those who involved themselves with the Center and have no idea of how, directed right, the money could be used to help with finding solutions to ending homelessness. The idea that people are saying the Drop Inn Center is stopping progress both in business and being attractive enough to want people to live and send their children here and wanting a diverse neighborhood, just doesn't ring t rue. In fact, it is the community which welcomes diversity and has the ability to coexist with people of every make-up and it is the community who comes up with the plans to beautify and not tear down­ displacing the poor. In fact, if the Drop Inn Center is forced to move, then whomever, whatever, becomes an eye soar to contain people is forced to move. The notion of a diverse community then becomes totally false. Let us not be blinded by the figure of 6 million dollars. Remember, this will be your money, your tax money, this is yours and our chance to say to those whose only concern is for them­ selves that what we want counts and we support the Drop inn Center in its effort in its right not to be moved. Tom Lee WOMEN'S PROGRAM The Full Circle Program is currently on the 2nd floor of the Drop Inn Center. The Drop Inn Center is located in the center of most local agencies designed to help the homeless get on their feet and off the street. Health Care, Phyciatric help, soup kitchens, transitional housing , human services are all located within walking distance. If the shelter is moved the choice for many will be to avail themselves of shelter or of these needed services. A shelter removed from the resources needed to solve the prob­ lems that cause homelessness effectively lock the door to these resources. Page s It makes no difference where you put the shelter you will still have the same problem. The neighborhood needs to be cleaned up. Moving to another place, the problems will move tob. Many other institutions and agencies regularly or sporadically extend assistance to homeless men and women. Yet, in perhaps no other field of social work is there more overlap­ ping and duplication of effort or so low standards of service. For example, the missions and some of the churches working independently of one another boast that they feed and clothe the needy but they make little or no effort to distin­ guish between those who do and those who do not deserve assistance. SELECTED RIGHTS OF HOMELESS PERSONS Homeless children have the right to attend public school. Homeless children are entitled to the same public school education, including a public preschool education, as is provided to all children. Homeless children do not need a permanent address to enroll in school, nor can they be denied enrollment if school records are not immediately available. Children may choose to remain at the same school attended before becoming homeless, or enroll at the school serving the attendance area where they are temporarily housed, determined by the best interest of the child. School districts are re­ quired to remove barriers preventing the enroll­ ment and attendance of homeless students. Each state that participates in the McKinney Act Education Program has a coordinator for the education of homeless children and youth who can assist in resolving enrollment and atten­ dance problems. Homeless children have the right to participat e in mainstream federal, state, and local p ro grams . Homeless children and youth are entitled to participate in all extracurricular activities and all federal, state, or local programs for which they are otherwise eligible, including food stamp programs; before- and after-school care pro­ grams; vocational education; Title 1 programs; Head Start; and programs for gifted and talented students. Ho meless people have the right to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Homeless people may be entitled to the Earned Income tax Credit (EITC) , if they worked and earned at least $1. The EITC may go toward taxes owed, or if they don't owe any .taxes they may receive cash back from the IRS. Homeless persons do not need a permanent address to receive the EITC. Homeless people have the right to vote. Homeless people should not be denied the opportunity to vote, or to register to vote be­ cause they do not have a house, apartment or other traditional residential address. If an address can be provided,. such as a shelter address, homeless people should not be pre­ vented from voting. In almost all states, home­ 'rights' cont i n~ed on back page ... �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine~ WORD ON THE NOT FOR LOVE OR STREET Arts & Poetry MONEY Yes, I too... by Gina Miller Yes, I too have been homeless. Yes, I too have been hungry. Yes, too have been without money. Yes, too have been unemployed. Yes, too have been ridiculed. Yes, too have felt alone. Yes, too have felt afraid. Yes, too have thought of suicide. Yes, too have struggled. Yes, too have become cou rageous. Yes, too have reached out for help. Yes, too have become employed. Yes, too have returned to school. Yes, too have a permanent place to live TODAY. Yes, I too am willing to help other people. Yes, I too am grateful!" CHILD OF THE UNIVERSE STOP TELLING ME HOW LONELY YOU ARE FEELING NO ONE CALLS YOU, NO ONE VISITS YOU AT HOME YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT MAKING THE QUOTA AND -BRINGING IN THE MONEY (YOU WORSHIP) YOU DO NOT FEAR ME YOU SELDOM LET ANYTHING GET PAST YOU YOU ARE A SPIRITUAL CHALLENGE SO SAD, YOU HAVE NO SOCIAL CLUE BECAUSE I LOVE YOU YOU WORSHIP A GOD THAT GUIDES A EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLE DINNER ON THE DINERS CARD..... .. JACKET ON THE GOLD CARD ..... .. OFF TO THE MOVIES TWO DAYS PER WEEK FOR TWO AT SEVEN DOLLARS A POP I MUST TAKE MY LEAVE FROM YOU AND YOUR NEW SPORTS CAR NEVER TO LOUNGE AGAIN IN YOUR HOME WHERE EVERYTHING IS QUOTED BY ITS PRICE IT WAS A DISTURBING PLACE TO VISIT AND, I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE THERE I firmly believe that mother universe will provide all that I am 'in need of to sustain this life of mine. Please understand my fear I'm the only one standing here When I woke up.. · I didn't know what to do I do remember I prayed to you .This time and place is new to me There's no instruction for me to see Please God can I hold your hand At least I won't be lonely as I stand My feelings and goals are hard to do But God, deep in my heart, there really for you Ther paths you make and choices you give Are those that I cnose to. liye You are my master, I am your servant I seek you. I submit to you Even wothput you in my view With your grace and mercy everyday I can face fear and doubt in every way As everyday goes past My faith in you, I know will last Thank you God in every way Thank you God just for today Gregory Payton OVER-THE-RHINE COMMUNITY COUNCIL T-SHIRTS FOR SALE!!! Each of us can harness the talents and energies to accomplish everything we set for ourselves as a goal. We are each in the space and place we belong in. Where we are and where we are headed is already pre-destined. Page 6 Be Proud to be a Member of the Over-the­ Rhine Community Council. T-shirts are in Large Size; Colors Available Purple or Burgundy Cost: ORCC Member $4 Resident, non-ORCC Member $5 Others $10 It has been determined by the seeds we have sewn in this life and by those of the past. Its success depends on how well we attend to the crop we have planted within us. when in doubt we must speak truthfully....... in all matters love every one with a open hand ......even when it is painful to do so ...... look into tomorrow and do what is for the good of all. ...... including you Call 381-2956 or 381-4242 for information on where T-shirts are sold. You can also purchase them at the monthly ORCC meeting. Great care should be taken of what you manifest. '·:\ Do not speak or act anything negative into existence ... Knowingly refrain from these activities. ~ )f y _.-· -~ IF YOU WRITE POETRY AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR WORK IN STREETVIBES, CALL 421-7803 OR FAX US AT 421-7813 .., ­ OVER-THE-RtllNE . . . COMMUNITY COUNCIL The creative design is by Jimmy Heath �---~---- --- - - - . STREEOll.B.ES.,. :~.I~tl~-~t.rJ::~.~~!.~k§~?~l:JgfJl/!JJ.i~~~4~JJ~-Yt'J~_. ~ -~:.:_~;:. ~~;,_,t,~:..:;!:r;~.f!~Qr~.- ~Ci~ Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United, strongly urges the House Committee on Business and Consumer Affairs to oppose the passage of HB 2401, HB 2402, HB 2403 and HB 2405 . "The living and working conditions farmworkers currently have to endure in the State of Oregon are horrible." Farmworkers today continue to live in sub-standard housing and work in piece rate crops , while violations of state minimum wage laws continue ram·pantly, field sanitation is non·existent in many farms, children continue to work in the fields, and the health and well-being of farmworkers in Oregon continue to decline. A study done several years ago by the GAO, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, concluded the following: 1) 300,000 farmworkers suffer acute illness or injury each year; 2) 31 % of farmworkers work without drinking water or toilets; 3) over 100,000 childnm under the age ANOTH ER CLASS PRODCCT I O~ of fourteen work in the fields; 4) health care facilities only serve 15% Disc-Jockey Service of the farmworkers; CLIFFORD JONES 5) growers are three times more likely (513) 230-6353 (513) 761-3464 to omit or under-report workers' earnings which qualify them for Social Security · benefits; and 6) currently housing is only av.ailable to George E. Ferguson 30% of the farmworker workforce. Alex Typing Service Pulaski, a r~porter with the Oregonian, recently completed a series of articles which By Appointment Only examined these conditions in Or~gon , confirming many of the GAO conclusions. 7 East University Ave. ­ "Agricultural work is one of most Cincinnati, Ohio 452 l9 hazardous occupations in this state. The (513) 559-9908 Legislature must recognize the importance of having safeguards to protect workers from injuries and conditions which may lead to long term health problems. We feel adoption of HB 2405 would significanW hurt t he enforcement of health and safety protection Social Services/Chemical Dependency for farmworkers. "We feel that given the Program conditions facing farmworkers in agriculture, Weekend Monitor (Part Time, all shifts) enforcement laws and resources need to be strengthened, not gutted. HB 2405 sends the needed at residential program for chemical wrong message to the agricultural commu­ dependent women. Begin a career in social nity. To the growers, it removes an incentive services or make extra $. Must be for them to comply with state health and supportive and motivated with High School safety regulations . To the farmworkers , the Diploma or equiv., min. one year relevant message is that we don't care about you. "Farmworkers have made Oregon agriculture experience & driver license with auto ins. into a strong, productive industry nationally Fax resume & letter ASAP to Liz Hughes at and internationally. It's about time that we 921 -2375 or mail to FSH, 21 18 St. Michael recognize this contribution and start trea1ing St., Cinti, OH 45204. EOE. farmwQrkers \A{ith respect and work towards ending the Apartheid conditions in our state." FARM­ WORKERS UNDER ATTACK Conditions faced by farmworkers in Oregon are in many ways typical of those in agribusiness throughout the U.S. Not satisfied with the present level of exploitation , gr~wers are using their considerable lobbying power in an attempt to roll back - even further! - the weak protections currently available to those who put the food on our tables. In Oregon and else- . where, farmworkers are fighting back. The Oregon farmworker union PCUN is organizing_ statewide resistanc·e to this latest anti-worker effort by growers. The 1999 Oregon Legislature started off with four bills trying to gut farmworker rights. At the request of the Oregon Farm·Bureauy Rep Jeff Kruse (a grower from Roseburg, Oregon) introduced the following bills: • HB 2401 exempts agricultural employ­ ers with 10 or fewer employees from require­ ments to have workplace safety committees. • HS. 2402 exempts corporate fc;irm officers and members from occupational safety and heath requirements. • HB 2403 excludes seasonal farmworkers when determining need for work­ place safety committees. • HB 2405 prohibits Oregon-OHSA from issuing citation and notice of civil penalty to • employers for non-serious violations discovered during first inspection or investigation during a calender year. At a legislative hearing a week after these bills were introduced, Ramon Ramirez, Presi­ dent of Oregon:s farmworker union , PCUN, t testified: "Or.t behalf of our m~mbership, composed of 4,500. Willamette Valley farmworkers, ' treeplanters and nursery workers, PCUN ~ COMEDY CORNER . by Ron Carter A man was given a ticket for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. So he went to court to plead his case to the judge. He replied, "Your Honor, I had to be going the right way." The judge replied , "How do you figure?" He said, "because it got me where I wanted to go." "Are you happy about that?" the judge asked. "Yes sir," the man replied. The judge said, "Good, now we can both be happy." The man said, "why are you happy, your Honor?" The judge replied, "I am happy because you got to where you were going driving on a one-way street. I am also happy because you are now going where I want you to go for driving the wrong way on a one-way street." "Where is that?" the man asked . "The Justice Center," the judge replied in a loud voice. "Ninety days!" Help Wanted ~ Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home? Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority ... Affordable rent that never exceeds 30°/o· of your income ... Many bu(ldings equipped 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/F~lrmount West End Winton Place . R• For more information, call 421-8190 today. �I STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine JOINING STREETVIBES FORCES TO Prisoner's News SAVE A LIFE STREETVIBES PRISONERS NEWS IS THE WRITINGS OF PERSONS INCARCERATED IN OUR NATIONS JAILS AND PRISONS. SEND YOUR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS TO: >STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM or mail to: >STREETVIBES 1506 ELM STREET CINCINNATI, OHIO 45210 or fax to: >(513) 421-7813 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: My name is Yo-el Brown and at present I'm incarcerated in Orient, Ohio. This hell-hole is known as the Orient Correctional Institute. I write article's for papers and magazines. My subject matter varies depending on what IO'm dealing with. I'm hoping with this short letter that you will find it in your heart to publish some of my writings.not so much as to get praise or to give it, it's simply not about that. It's about getting the message out, whatever that message may be. Enclosed you will find an article I wrote for the news letter titled Impact. If you like or are i•rested in what you read , please publish it. Should you have any subject matter that you wish me to write on, by all means, let me know in a follow-up letter. Also, I write this letter seeking to get on your mailing list for STREETVIBES. If a fee is attached to me being on your mailing list, let me know that too. Before I close out this letter, let me thank you first, for taking the time to read my letter, and thank you also for the work you are doing to aid and help the homeless. I'm a native of Cincinnati, and I just want to help, if I can. Mr. Yo-el Brown Here is Mr. Brown's Article... There are presently more than 1 .7 million men, women, and children impris­ oned in the U. S., with over 49,000 of those right here in Ohio State Prisons . The vast majority of us are trapped in the cycle of poverty, imprisonment, and exploitation ... In the community we will be/are the working poor, or wage slaves, and in the prison system we are the slaves of the state. Prison laqor is once again being marketed to private industries, just as it was over a hundred years ago.... The entire prison system is dependent upon the labor of prisoners. Our labor is by Eunice Timoney Ravena Ohio plans to execute the first death row inmate since 1963. The scheduled execution of Wilford Berry is Friday, February 19th at 9PM. Mr. Berry has refused the appeal process therefore moving his case to the forefront. Berry is mentally ill and suicidal; activists fear the State is carrying out this man's suicide wish. On Wednesday, February 3rd, over 100 concerned Cincinnati citizens rallied at the Hamilton County Court House. Participants heard from Maria Hines, a family member of a murder victim. She spoke of the need for healing that comes from forgiveness, not revenge. She was able to truly come to a sense of forgiveness for the man who killed her brother, and found comfort and closure. Ms. Hines is active working against the death penalty in her home state of Kentucky. On Saturday, February 13th over 75 citizens of Cincinnati joined with others to demonstrate on the grounds of the Governors Mansion. This rally was attended by a _diverse crowd including representation from activists, mental health professionals, religious leaders, politicians, academics, and penal system professionals. All were calling on newly elected Governor Taft to commute Wilford Berry's sentence. Music was lead by Paulette Meier and Brian Crum. Local speakers included Tom Luken, Tom Choquette and Berta Lambert. Page a Active students from XU , UC, Antioch, and Dennison were also in attendance. While traveling to Columbus, the Cincin­ nati group shared reasons for attending the rally and supporting the clemency of Wilford Berry. Many were able to point to Mac Mccrackin as a leader in this fight and a presence on the bus. We all joined in the spirit and sang our way to Columbus keeping Mac's memory alive. During the week prior to the scheduled execution many prayer services are scheduled throughout t he city at various denominations. Many thanks to St. Gertrudes, St. Paul's United Methodist Our Lady of Victory, Faith United Church of Christ, and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church for sponsoring these services. We should all be proud of our local legisla­ tors who have lead a lobby in Columbus. State Senator Mark Mallor}' along with fourteen other state legislators (including Catherine Barrett and Sam Britton) met with Governor Taft on Tues­ day, February 16. Mallory's concern involves the competency of Mr, Berry and, "If this execu­ tion is allowed to stand, it will set the course for many others to follow." Mallory's concerns are well founded, since the US reinstated the death penalty in 1976, the United States has executed more than 500 citizens. On Friday, February 19th, many people will attend a prayer vigil in Lucasville to mourn the scheduled execution of Wilford Berry and to show a strong opposition to the death penalty in Ohio. For those seeking information regarding the death penalty in Ohio call toll-free 888-565­ 4410, or visit the Ohioans to Stop Execution web site at www.otse.org. For those interested in working against the death penalty and joining our local committee please call Eunice at the lntercommunity Justice and Peace Center at (513) 579-8547. Jen Manning reads Wilford Berry's story to gathering at Hamilton County Court House. Photo by Eunice Timoney Ravena the key to the solution. Without our labor the entire prison system would have to be shut down. If the majority of prisoners participate in a prolonged work stoppage, prison administrators would be forced to shut down the entire prison for security reasons. Simple mathematics tells us that prison officials can't ship us all to a maxi­ mum or super-maximum security prison. They don't have enough control units to hold us all. With solidarity among prison­ ers, it's clearly possible to paralyze this oppressive beast known as the criminal in­ justice system . Non-violent protest will garner more outsic;le support for our cause. We must not only protest the actions of the Ohio Parole Board , but all the inhuman living conditions that exists within the prison syst~m. We must include the interests of all prisoners to generate the unity needed for the action I speak of. It has become all to obvious that prison officials and guards have been trying 'Brown• cont. on page 9 ... �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 'Brown' continued from page 8... to provoke us to violence, to further demori­ ize us in the eyes of the public, all to justify financing the construction of still more prisons. · This is a struggle against racism and classism, and all the injustices that are inherent in this corrupt system. Non-violent protest is also necessary to show our sons and daughters that we are human beings, and that we can bring about change in this system without vio­ lence on our part. Violence has been prevalent among the under-class and the casualties have been limited exclusively to our own people. It's time to end the vio­ lence and unite in this struggle, and show our oppressors that we have the power and the force to bring about the justice and equality that all human beings deserve. Inside these concentration camps there is only one race, the huma11 race. Our Brothers at Lucasville showed us that strength is possible through unity. This is not a struggle for justice within the prison system, this is an effort to break the cycle of poverty, exploitation, and imprisonment in society at large. Through our example, it may be possible to rally our brothers and sisters from the working class to the larger struggle in society. We desperately need outside support in the movement to make the public aware of the true nature of the problem within these prisons, not only in Ohio, but throughout the nation. THANKS, STREETVIBES by Eric I want to thank you for responding to my letter regarding an unusual incident I was involved in on 12/4/98. I am in a little better health since being maced by Lt. Carter and pushed down a half flight of stairs at Ohio State Penitentiary. So far, I've had a 'use-of-force' hearing on 12/23/98 about what happened. I haven't received a copy of the committees determina­ tion yet. But I imagine that I will hear something in good time. And I've recently sent in my appeal to the Chief Inspector's Office on 1/1/0/ 99 to make sure that I get the complaint and issue all the way down to the grievance court. But right now, I am just waiting for a response to my appeal. And I guess that's the latest update con­ cerning the issue. But while I am writing this letter to you, I might as well fill you in on a few of the things that Lt. Carter has done since I wrote my complaint about his assault. He has come by my cell and threatened me with revenge if I didn't stop making noise about the 12/4/98 assault. These two times happened on 1/ 15/99 and 1/22/99. It doesn't seem like he is a fast learner, but I am confident that in the end I will see him disciplined for his actions contrary to prison rules. The black Lieutenants are constantly doing things contrary to established prison rules here at OSP, and are rarely held accountable. However, I hope you find a place to publish this letter in your upcoming issue. Much thanks again. Page 9 Poverty as a Commodity Do Temporary Labor Agencies Profit From the Struggles of the Poor? Temporary agencies can be really hard on people, the people they rely on to staff their workforce. We are not talking about the white- collar temp agencies here, but the kind that serve the low-income neigh­ borhoods. Folks are w·orked hard for minimal pay. And the jobs are sometimes . dangerous or repetitive. These are jobs that don't require any skills or training and are the kind that no one wants anyway. Most of the jobs pay between $5 or $6. Some pay $7.50 an hour. You go to the temp agency and wait to be selected. Sometimes if the agency knows you they will pass you over and give the higher paying work to someone who "just walked in" and hasn 't waited at all. This keeps you hanging if THEY need you, and treats the newcomer right so that he will continue to come back. If you don't have a car, the agency will take you to the job site in their van. And this service will cost you: it's taken off the top of your days earnings. This will usually cost around $3. You may wait an hour and the transpo rt time can be another half hou r to an hour depending on where the work is. You work 7.5 hours. When you finish you must wait another hour for the van back to the agency. They may deduct money for advances for lunch money. Or, they may charge you for hard hat rental or steel toed shoes. So, you might spend 11 -1 2 hours in total (transportation time anq work time) and only get paid $27 (after taxes, deduc­ tions , etc.). The agency is not required to provide you with a retirement plan, or insurance or any other kind of incentive. Basically, you are a TOOL at their disposal. There is no incentive to promote you , to train you , or help you find any kind of permanent position. They are not there to help you get back on your feet. It is to their advantage that you remain poor, and stuck. _Preparing . fo~ Most of the folks who work temp agencies consider the work demeaning and difficult. It certainly is not motivational to be working as a temp and getting paid $5.00 an hour when you might be standing· next to someone (who is a permanent worker) making $15 or $16 an hour. It seems obvious that for people who want to work, there should be better oppo rtunities made available to them. Temp agencies should be made accountable for how they do business and they should be providing their workers with at least a livable wage. These agencies should not be allowed to profit from the struggle of poor folks caught in this cycle of poverty. Subscribe to Streetvibes 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 every month. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Ho meless-Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421­ 7803. economic downturns Is my Golden Parachute packed? t> Do we take reservations? �PROTECT OHIO'S CHILDREN Shanna Owens was sanctioned from Ohio Works First in December of 1997. When she went in for her recertification appointment , the caseworker told her to get a job. Shanna has no problem with the idea of working (she's now employed), but at the time she was five and a half months pregnant and had a six month old baby. Shanna was unable to find chi ld care for her baby so she was not able to work at the time. Shanna was verbally told that she was sanctioned, but never received a formal letter stating this. Hence she found herself and her baby completely cut off of cash assistance. The caseworker also elimi­ nated their food stamps, including the baby's, and cut off Medicaid for both of them. Shanna was pregnant with health problems of diabetes and high pressure. After she was cut off of Medicaid, she received no prenatal care. Ohio Assembly that would stop Full-Family sanctions. Full-Family sanctions punish the entire family. In effect, they sanction children along with the adults. Studies in other states are showing that Full-Family sanctions do not help families find work. Instead, families are being driven further . into hardship. Ohio is only one of fourteen· states that completely cuts the cash assis­ tance for a first offense. The majority of states reserve this most severe sanction for the third sanction. When Ohio public officials gloat that welfare caseloads are down, making welfare reform a "success" in their eyes, they are also speaking of the families with children who have unwillingly been thrown off the roles. Sarfctioned households are counted in caseload reduction numbers. Stories of families like Shanna's are hap­ pening all across Ohio. A recent sanction survey by the Ohio Empowerment Coalition shows similar stories happening in other counties. Counties more families have . been terminated oe·cause they and their caseworkers could not keep up with the maelstrom of paperwork required quarterly­ or more frequently. • ., .Jr - Stopping Ful~amily sanctrons would be one positive step forward that Ohio legislators could support to assist families in leaving poverty. Punishing them se­ verely only drives them dee~er into destitu­ tion. • stop the Full-Family sanction wherein the entire family loses their cash assistance . restore food stamps to the sanc­ tioned household . keep the recipient eligible for other support services, as child are subsidies, from local welfare departments . end the sanction as soon as the recipient "complied" Full-Family sanctions punish the entire family. In effect, they sanction chil­ dren along with the adults. Studies in other states are showing that Full-Family sanc­ tions do not help families fine work. In­ stead, families are begin driven further into hardship by having to borrow money, doing without, and ending up in homeless shel­ ters. "When I was sanctioned, I was five and a half months pregnant with a six month old baby. The caseworker said I had .to do the work requirement, but I didn't have chilq care for my baby. I ended up .losing my apartment," stated Shann~ Owens. Opportunities to interview sanctioned recipients during February are also available. If you are interested, call CYnn Willams at 1­ 513-381-4242. Call your Ohio Assembly legislators now and urge that they support stopping . the Full-Family sanctions in Ohio. Because she was completely cut off of cash assistance she lost her apartment. Because welfare payments are so low, $ 296 for a family of two, she had no savings accumulated to tide them over. The sanc­ tion left her and her six month old com­ pletely destitute. Shanna was unaware that she could not legally be sanctioned if she was unable to locate child care for a child under six. The caseworker never informed her of this "good cause" reason for not doing a work requirement. Shanna automatically as­ sumed that the caseworker knew the rules. She was never called back in for a recertification appointment because she did not "comply" with the work requirement. When she went back in to tr-Y to apply for assistance in May 1998, the caseworker immediately asked her if she was working. Shanna said she was taking care of both babies. The caseworker refused to even let her apply for assistance. Evidently the sanction was still in effect because techni­ cally she had not "complied." When Shanna asked the caseworker for help with transportation money to look for work and look for a child care provider for her chil­ dren, she was denied this also. Being sanctioned threw Shanna and her two babies in a very precarious situa­ tion and it will take time to undo the dam­ age to these human lives. The Ohio Empowerment Coalitio~·is working hard to get a bill introduced by the Submitted by the Contact Center and Lynn Williams For more.information, call the Contact Center at (513) 381-4242. BILL TO PROTECT OFllO'S CHILDREN Ohio has one of 'the harshest welfare sanction laws in the United States. This· may be about to change. Senator C.J. Prentiss of Cleveland and Representative Tom Roberts of Dayton plan to introduce legislation in February that would soften welfare sanction policies. A press confer­ ence will be held locally on February 17th, Wednesday, 12:30 a.m. at the Contact Center, 1441 Vine St., to release the results of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition's statewide sanction survey report and our local monitoring study report by the Con­ tact Center and Applied Information Re­ sources (AIR,lnc.). The Ohio Empowerment Coalition, a statewide welfare rights coalition of which the Contact Center is a member, advo­ cates that the following changes be made: Subscribe to Streetvibes 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 4521 O Please make checks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, ~a!I 421-7803. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVl-BES Etcetera ... ·that this be done. Residents, Businesses and Institutions in Over-the-Rhine want their Coalition back. They want whatever ransom is owed to Kirkland to be paid so she can go back to wherever she fled from to come to Cincinnati. The Coalition cannot survive under its current state and Directorship unless Kirkland realizes the uniqueness of the Over-the-Rhine community and its demand that it be resp ected and appreciated for its diversity and character. Whose Coalition is this anyway, Ms. Kirkland's, the City of Cincinnati and its inves­ tors or the Over-the-Rhine Community? WHOSE COALITION IS. ·ARTIST THIS­ CAPTURES ANYWAY? COLD by Belquees Ali REALITIES OF HOME­ LESSNESS In June of 1996 the Urban Land Institute visited the community of Over-the-Rhine. They completed an assessment of the community, its residents businesses & institutions, which included several face-to-face interviews with those outside the community as well. The result of this assessment was the Urban Land Institute recommendations for OTR. They included the relocation of several social service institutions an increase in residential development for families of higher income than the current OTR residents and the recommen­ dation that a coalition of Residents , businesses and institutions be formed so that the develop­ ment process and the Master Plan recom­ mended would have input from all facets of the community. The Coalition building process took over a year and a half to complete. Those involved with its conception and actualization faced and still face various reproductions for being sup­ portive of this process and its concept that it would help to facilitate the Master Plan process as well as act as a clearinghouse for plans and projects. The OTR Coalition completed several tasks, such as the creation of Bylaws, Tax exempt Status as a 501© 3 Organization and several subcommittees were formed to address community issues. In April of 1998, this newly formed Coali­ tion hired its first official Director, Linda S. Kirkland. Ms. Kirkland was chosen after a 7 month search. An OTA Coalition Committee chose Ms. Kirkland from over 63 responses. Initially, the Coalition and its members were supportive of Ms. Kirkland and her abilities and credentials. This soon faded after board members began to resign and the accountability to the community decreased. There was no attempts to continue the community outreach started by the Outreach Committee formed prior to Kirklands hiring. All communication and openness was shut down. The Coalition was under seize by its new director and still remains that way. Membership at the time of Kirklands hiring was 200 and growing. Over the last 9 months Membership has fallen over 75%. There is no accountability from the current Coalition to the Over-the-Rhine community. Kirkland's failure to realize that various members of the Coalition risked everything they had to see it become a reality is blatant disre­ gard and disrespect for community building. The community of Over-the-Rhine was supposed to be well into its Master Plan process by now. Ms. Kirkland has alienated so many community people that no one knows where this process is or what the Coalition is planning to do. For over one year now no financial state­ ments have been given to the general member­ ship, although various members have requested Page 11 feel a pulse of corporate emotion as we experi­ ence our lives together." She continued, "In these paintings, one sees not only the images of people who are homeless, their faces and body structure, but the cold realities of what a society creates when the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" widens without concern." Michael Stoops of the Washington, D. C. ­ based National Coalition for the Homeless, a national homeless advocacy organization, says that "the Images of Homelessness exhibit will make people realize the many different types of people who become homeless in this country." This largest-ever oil painting exhibit about homelessness will tour the country, beginning in May with a showing. in Wheeling, West Virginia. Other exhibit cities include: Louisville, Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Huntington, WV and Washington D.C. After the tour, the exhibit is to be donated to the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington, D. C. Scramble ·. by Ron Carter The "Images of Homelessness" exhibit, a collection of 20 oil paintings of homeless people nationwide, goes on a nationwide tour beginning in May of 1999. The portraits are from photo­ graphs taken of homeless people in both urban and rural locations. Painted by National Artist, Tammy deGruchy, the exhibit introduces you to the many different faces of homelessness. It seeks to educate the general public about the growing homelessness crisis in both urban and rural areas. "Art is not only a reflection of ourselves," deGruchy says, "But it affords an opportunity for a society to see itself as a living body politic. We may not see our exact image, but we can Try to unscramble these related words: NOTNSWAHGI NOLIN LC NDENYKE TCRRAE HSUB TNLINCO NGAERA UNTAMR TOVLESROE HNOJNOS Answers on page 15. .J ·­ Rapid Exit assists families and individuals In moving from homelessness 10 permanent housing 18Pid/y ror more lnlormauoo contact The Greater Clnclnnatt Coanuon For The Homeless at 421-1803 and ask ror Gina Miller �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Dear Sir or Editorials & Madam, Letters STREETVIBES I want to thank you for responding to my letter regarding an unusual incident I was involved in on 12/4/98. I am in a little better health since being maced by Lt. Carter and pushed down a half flight of stairs at Ohio State Penitentiary. So far, I've had a 'use-of-force' hearing on 12/23/98 about what happened. I haven't received a copy of the committees determination yet. But I imagine that I will hear something in good time. And I've recently sent in my appeal to the Chief Inspector's Office on 1/1/0/99 to make sure that I get the complaint and issue all the way down to the grievance court. But right now, I am just waiting tor a response to my appeal. And I guess that's the latest update concerning the issue. But while I am writing this letter to you, I might as well fill you in on a few of the things that LT. Carter has done since I wrote my complaint about his assault. He has come by my cell and threatened me with revenge if I didn't stop making noise about the 12/4/98 assault. · These two times happened on 1/ 15/99 and 1/22/99. It doesn't seem like he is a fast learner, but I am confident that in the end I will see him disciplined for his actions contrary to prison rules. ~he black Lieuten­ ants are constantly doing things contrary to established prison rules here at OSP, and are rarely held accountable. . However, I hope you find a place to publish this letter in your upcoming issue. Much thanks again. Eric. To Whom it May Concern: I write you for help! Will you please, please, help me. I need help with my enemy. My enemy he walks with me, he talks with me! God, this guy even sleeps with me!! God, everybody knows Him. His name is "Cocaine." His last name is "Alcohol." God, I don't want this guy in my life no more. So can you please help me. You say in Your word what ever I ask in you name it shall be given. So Gpd, I ask that you will please kill my enemy. Cocaine and Alcohol. From Gerald McMillan Better knowed as Detroit!!! I would like to explain the small story behind this subscription. On Th ursday, February 18th, I was coming out of CVS [pharmacy] on the corner of Walnut and 7th Street at approxi­ mately 2:45 or 3:00 PM. As I exited the store with full bags in each hand I noticed a young lady holding up newspapers and asking passerby's if they would be inter­ ested in Streetvibes. Normally, I would have walked on by as I have enough to read. As I waited .for the 'walk' sign, I noticed how gentle she was as she contin­ ued to smile and speak with people. I turned around and asked her what the paper was. about. She enthusiastically explained the paper and its reason tor . being, she gently explained a little about herself. I bought the paper, mainly be­ cause of her industrious and gentleness. I After reading the paper I am ordering a subscription as I am familiar with many of its issues having worked at the Free Store (social work) for 7 and a half years. I'm no longer there but live downtown and have friends in soup kitchens, shelters, etc. I wish I had gotten this young ladies name, she does very good work and I commend her. Please thank her for me. Thank you. Sue A. Murray Page 12 PLEASE, DON'T INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE By now you've heara of the plan to move the Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse. Why? We have to ask this question. No. First before we answer that , Who? The Drop ln.n Center is located at 217 West 121h Street. Prime property, I said, prime property. Someone said, "Let's build an art center so that people from all over the w9rld can come to Cincinnati, and enjoy the arts ." Then someone said, " Lets be the Arts Capital of the World." All the Powers that be said , "DO IT . .Well let's see, first we have to have some things in order, MONEY, we have make this look like steak, we need money. They won't know until it is too late. We can get a lot out of this, especially revenue. WE can make promises we don't have to keep. The Airport can grow, the Convention Center can grow. We can be like Nashville, only we can be the classical music hall of fame. They won't under­ stand, we are already getting away with two new 1 1 INTELLIGENCE continued on page 14... buddy's place is a community effort to help alleviate the tragedy of homelessness. We invite you to take part in this community effort and provide housing to our sisters and brothers who are homeless. Thank you for your on-going support. RESTOC f \/E;.5-') 114. W. 14th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 • 513-381 -0954 we would like to buy_ brick(s) to support the construction of buddy's place name .........................................iifiane................................................ . ...........................sa:ii:iai·a·r·arsaiilZ-iitfon·········.......................... amount enclosed ($50 per brick) .................. please make checks payable to RESTOC. In the space below, please indicate name you would like painted on brick �STREETVIBES I The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 13 News From Cleveland's Grapevine I What Needs To Be Done To Significantly Reduce The Homeless P.opulation? These are a compilation of solutions developed from discussions with homeless people, homeless service providers, and community forums around the issues of homelessness over the last two and one half years by the staff of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. Create a better emergency shelter system for men . This could involve the Salvation Army proposal or the creation of two or three smaller emergency shelters with at least 50 additional beds for men, tnis would allow better entry into the sys­ tem. This system should accommodate those who work second and third shift. There also should be a "wet" shelter for those who have not made the commitment to undergo treatment. There is a success­ ful model in Minnesota. Get the Mental Health Board to get into the Emergency shelter business or to take additional responsibility for those with a mental illness in providing them additional safe places. This means the lobbying fhe state for additional funds. Get the Alcohol and Drug system to make housing their clients a priority. Right now they do treatment and then they send the client into the world . _ Address the hospital dumping issue by getting a protocol for HMOs to deal with homeless people, and providing funds to create a respite care center. Bring Cleve­ land Health Care for the Homeless back to the table to address the needs of thosft without medical coverage. With $30 million dollars in Federal funds under the direction _o f the-Office of Homeless Services, they need additional staff to do oversight and planning in col­ laboration with the City Health Department and NEOCH. They also need to be in­ volved in the decisions that are made by private foundations that have supported .. HOMELESS SHELTER SQ~~'l Wi'I\~ '~g~;.Q FiLLED UP projects that have little impact on the community. Get the County Commissioner more involved in affordable housing locally. The Commissioners should have a seat on the CMHA Board, and should be working with HUD on a regular basis to develop housing for poor people. There needs to be a priority with Federal Funds for creating additional Transitional, permanent housing, Single Room Occupancy housing opportu­ nities for homeless people especially those with a disability. There is a great example of a Single Room Housing apartment in Youngstown which is an old n,yrsing home for recovering addicts with so7'a1workers on staff. There needs to be an expansion of programs that help people with security deposits. There needs to be some attention given to the most difficult to serve popula­ tion cu rrently in the system-homeless young people under 20 years of age. These are people who are either emanci­ pated foster children or runaways who have very little hope of getting out of the home­ less system. They cannot get a place because they are too young and have a difficult time with getting a job. This may involve the expenditure of additional local funds. Using Federal Funding or State Funds establish a non-profit temporary service for those coming out of jail or homeless people that will pay a livable wage. For profit temporary services exploit homeless people and pay below minimum wage. [editors note! also see Poverty as a Com- · modity on page 9] Establish a one stop referral center using the First Call for Help Database augmented with other on-line databases to provide one place downtown homeless people can go to get accurate up to date information. This would be a place with storage for homeless people, and comput­ ers and a message center for homeless people. Encourage· all local educational institu­ tions to do some outreach to homeless people to make GED and other higher education opportunities readily available. We should have a goal of getting everyone over 20 years of age without a job a GED by 2002. There needs to be a safety net for those who live in Cuyahoga County to prevent homelessness with a local human services entitlement fund . The most critical need in the community is for comprehen­ sive services to children who are infant to three years old. If nurses, teachers and social workers regularly visited high risk children in this critical developmental period many problems that develop later in life could be avoided. Create a local Housing Trust Fund that would set aside money from the sale of all houses to fund the creation of affordable housing locally. There is a successful model in Dayton/Montgomery County. Expand existing early warning systems and examine policies and procedures that needlessly cause or prolong homelessness. Place social workers at the Housing Court to work with those who_will lose their hous­ ing to place them in accommodations other than the overcrowded shelters. A better method of prevention will save millions each year. Expand the local protected classes to include poor people to prevent discrimina­ tion in all areas including housing, employ­ ment, and contacts with governmental employees. Prepared by the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. For more information call 216/241-1104 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Book Review A POEM OF STRUGGLE AND RENEWAL: MIKE HENSON'S RANSA.C K by Richard Hague The namesake of the central character in Mike Henson's novel Ransack is the son of Adam named Seth. As father of Enosh, Seth was an ancestor of Noah, of whom Genesis tells us, "Out of the very ground that the Lord has put under a curse, this one shall bring us relief from our work and the toil of our hands." Throughout the novel, Mike Henson invites us to witness a difficult life in which relief and new growth are earned. Seth is a homeless youth, late teens maybe, trying to recover from the effects of displacement from the hills of Appalachia, and from the broken relationships, drug addiction, and hopelessness caused by that displacement. He finds temporary work as a demolition worker in downtown Cincinnati, and in the course of wrecking old buildings slowly works his way toward rebuilding something good from the wreck­ age of his life. The book is filled with superbly ob­ served descriptions of manual labor, of city life, of street people, of the threatening presence of cops in the lives of the poor and oppressed. In what might be Over-the-. Rhine's Washington Park, Seth sits down a moment to rest. "Around him, the fat pigeons lobbied over their bread, their necks glowing, their soft voices stewing and cooing. He watched, and the pigeons lifted, as one, off the floor of the park, checkering the air with the black and white of their wings." Later, armed with a wrecking bar, Seth is given a job of work to do in a condemned building. "When he cracked the mantel shelf off the wall he saw, like foxfire, caught on the lath-plaster, a silver dollar, bright as mint: Liberty's head placid with all her ribbons, the only brightness in the room, and behind her, a stain even darke·r than the rest, and the lath-piece rotted to char­ coal. A dollar like that's worth some money, he thought. Old money's always worth something. But when he tried to pick it up, it broke in,to foil and black dust and the foil dropped to the floor and the dust capped his fingertips ..." · Another time, after having been turned out of an employment office, hungry, his only prospect two days off in the future, he passes a restaurant while garbagemen work in the distance. "The engines and hydraulics ground upward: Stern stern stern stern: and gulleted the mash and groaned the lip around again and Seth looked from the streaked smears of paper and spoil along the foul throat of the dump to the restaurant's window where he saw a huge horse-eyed woman with cheeks like toma­ toes in a yellow wig waving a fork at him and soundlessly laughing at him from behind the glass." This is the recurrent character called the "Princess Pocahontas," who fun ctions in the novel as the personification of gross abundance and consumption, and of the spurious worth of misused American wealth and political power. "Her elbows were buried in plates and the plates were piled with columns of hotcakes, rafts of eggs, and splinter piles of bacon. She laughed again, winked, then mannered at he food, shoveling it at her mouth with a millwheel motion and swallow­ ing bolts and spools each time." Aside from the remarkable writing in each of these passages, we see something else, something of Henson's intentions throughout the novel, which are realized time and time again through such descrip­ tions; he wants to remind us of the political nature of inner-city poverty and suffering, of the class roots of pain. Looking back to the first example, of Seth in the park, we see this insistence of the political even in the verb describing the pigeon's ruckus over food; they "lobbied." In the description of the silver dollar behind the mantel, we cannot overlook the irony of Seth's obser­ vation that "Old money's always worth something" and the subsequent emptiness of this classist platitude when the dollar turns to dust in Seth's hand. Nor can we fail to realize the connection between the Princess Pocahontas's lewd, selfish appe­ tite and the garbage trucks to which she is implicitly linked in the last passage's de­ scription. But this is not to say that Ransack in any way reads like a political tract. It is more like a poem in its style and in its consistency and reiteration of image and symbolic motif, and in its spare ballad-like story line. And all the while, Seth's inner struggle to release that which is healthful and life-giving inside him-represented by the imagery of a seed about to burst into a seedling and by Seth's work crew's informal adoption of a former girl friend's baby at the end of the novel-is contrasted· with his literal work of demolition. But much is made of the .notion that even the demolition of a house is a rebirth of sorts, since to the crew, salvage like copper pipes, nails, even good boards, is a source of income. In a sense, such salvage is the only "trickle­ down" of profit the people on the street enjoy. Still, the ~ovenant is clear; Seth 's adopted child may be the one who is "brought relief from work and the toll of hands" through Seth's hard work, through his overcoming of his addictipn and his anger, through his faithfulness and commit­ ment. That new life is promised out of old suffering is one of the hopes of Ransack, and one of the strengths of th e tough, struggling people who populate it. Photo by Jimmy Heath Mike Henson, author of Ransack 'INTELLIGENCE' from page 12..~ stadiums. We can use their children. Give them some money to close three schools, then we'll tell them, we'll open one special school which their children can go to. They won't know they can't afford it. We have the ULI (the Urban Land Institute) in place and don't forget we have DCI (Downtown Cincinnati Inc.) The Queen well be done soon. Just make promises. Don't forget the Linn Street Job. Remember, buddy, he's out of the way, we can move them through imminent domain. And its on to Liberty. Don't Page 14 worry we'll treat them like the Native Americans. We'll move them and take it. Just like old times , fifty years ago. Those low-income, and the homeless, they're the new minority and we'll win. We don't want them down here with the blacks, anybody that doesn't make 35 thousand is not allowed. Remember, if we build it, they will come. The tax payer is going to take care of it. If we get resistance YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. If that doesn't work, talk about the Olympics. · Part two soon. Gregory Payton �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Announcements Live Studio Audience Wanted STREETVIBES TV SHOW­ WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE?. SHOW IS TAPED LIVE ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AND IS BROADCAST FROM THE STREETVIBES Classified Ads Streetvibes is now accepting 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 allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, P.ayment 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 4521 O or fax it to 421-7813 STUDIOS OF CINCINNATI COMMUNITY VIDEO, 2114 READING ROAD, F_ROM 7 TO 8PM. STREETVIBES TV COVERS NEWS ON POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS AND RELATED ISSUES. CALL US AT THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ,C ALL 421-7803 Irr===--=--= -l:1 j 1 I i -=--=-~~ I . .IJ.. ~/ Page 1s In Memory of "Mac" Who Believed In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch ... Because 'Everyone' includes Prisoners and Former Prisoners. L~ music Band Looking for Work Streetv1bes (the band). We like to party. R&B, Oldies. Blues/ Jazz. Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421·7803. position wanted DwjgbtWjse HVAC Technician for hire. 24 Service! Call 751·3182. Thank You! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line. Ca/1421-7803 for info. Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About Streetvibes! Scramble Answers from page 11 ... Washington Lincoln Kennedy Carter Bush Clinton Reagan Truman Roosevelt Johnson Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm 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 stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, April 10th, 1999, noon to 1 pm Advertise in Streetvibes ! Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to s ign 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 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. Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to over 5,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4 11 x 3 1/2" $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 or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 �STREETVIBES _-T he Tri-State's , '- . 'rights' continued from page 5 ... less people should be able to vote if they can identify any location they consider a horn~ base to which they return regularly. Homeless people may have the right to sleep in public if there is nowhere else to sleep. Homeless persons may have the right to sleep in certain public areas at night if there are no other available places, such as shelters, for them to sleep. Homeless people have the right to apply for basic public assistance, e. g. Food Stamps, Medicaid, and Supplemental Secu­ rity Income ~nd may also qualify for other benefits. Homeless persons do not need a perma­ nent address to apply for government benefits. Federal law requires that Public Assistance offices provide a method of enrollment to otherwise eligible persons that do not have a permanent address. The offices must also devise a protedure to allow eligible persons without a mailing address to obtain benefits for which they are entitled. For example, Food Stamp and Social Security offices may allow homeless persons to pick up their benefits at the agency's offices or to any address they desig­ nate as their home base (e. g. shelter, soup kitchen, religious organization etc.). - Homeless Grapevine Page ..t6 . ·: . . STREETVIBES Streetvibes TV TV Schedule The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video, 2114 Reading Road. 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 information. Streetvibes TV APRIL Schedule April's Live TV show will begin at ?PM, Monday, April 12th, and will be broadcast from the Reading Road Studio. The new show format includes a studio audience along with a guest panel discussion. Channel 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. MONDAY. APRIL 12th at 7PM. Rebroadcast Oates for Show on Chan­ nel 10: Saturday, April 3, 1999, 4 PM Friday, April 9, 1999, 11 am Friday, April 16, 1999, 11 AM Monday, Apri 26,1999, 10 PM Saturday, Apri 24, 1999, 4 PM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. ' endor: 80 cents · Printing and Production: 20 cents If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our viewing audience. 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. .. Streetvi bes Wish List Streetvibes 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. .. >35 MM Film for Streetvibes photo's >Laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper >Good used or new Xerox machine >Office Supplies Where >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups, etc.) Your >Computer for Streetvibes layout and writing Dollar Goes 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. Thanksforyoursupport . >Subscribers Call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 if you can h elp! ••• !!!!!!!!Pi!~ - • l!I • !!II !II !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. SHELTERS: Women and Children Alice Paul House (abuse) 241-2757 281-5770 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 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 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 244-7226 Center for Independent Living Options Lighthouse Youth Center 961-4080 St. John's Temporary Housing 651-6446 HOUSING 721-4580 CMHA Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 369-0004 OTR Housing Network 381-0954 ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental 111)721-8666 961-4555 Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women 241-7343 O.D.A.A.T 921-7324 First Step Home TREATMENT: Men 784-1853 Charlie's 3/4 House 921-1613 Prospect House 751-3260 Starting Over TREATMENT: Both 820-2947 N.A. Hopeline 861 -9966 A.A. Hotline 381-6660 C.C.A.T. 684-7956 Talbert House 491 -4435 Transitions, Inc. 559-5011 VA Domiciliary OTHER SERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421 -2437 621-5991 Appalachian Identity Center 231-6630 Beech Acres Churches Active in Northside Cincinnati Health Network Community Action Agency Contact Center Emanuel Community Center Freestc>re/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 Heal!h Council Our Daily Bread Peaslee Neighborhood Center Travelers Aid United Way VA Homeless Program Women's Crisis Center 241-2600 591-2246 961-0600 569-1840 381-4242 241-2563 241-1064 771-4800 621-7149 632-7186 357-4602 352-2902 221-3679 241 -9400 271-5501 721-4811 621 -0248 621-6364 621 -5514 721-7660 721-7900 559-6656 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 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 March 1999 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: New Arts Center Proposal Pits the Rich Against the Poor Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 4: Drop Inn Center Letter Pg 5: The Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide News Pg 8: Prison News Pg 9: Rights of Homeless Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: Streetvibes Etcetera Pg 12: Letters & Editorials Pg 13: Cleveland News 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 March 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Belquees Ali Ron Carter Pat Clifford Brian Davis Richard Hague Jimmy Heath Susan Knight Gerald McMillan Gina Miller Bonnie Neumeier Gregory Payton Eunice Ravena Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF arts Belquees Ali Bonnie Neumeier Brian Davis Donald Whitehead Drop Inn Center Eunice Ravena Gerald McMillan Gina Miller Gregory Payton homeless rights homeless shelter Jimmy Heath Lynn Williams Pat Clifford Richard Hague Ron Carter Susan Knight the broken city The Traveler https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/006c61bf59952308bc66fd63cfd39736.pdf d54539c390c258bcdd1c266e900194c5 PDF Text Text STRUGGLE TO SAVE DROP INN CENTER INTENSIFIES by Susan Knight, Drop Inn Center Staff The struggle for the right to self-determina­ tion escalates as plans to relocate the Drop Inn Center continue amidst a new push by Councilmember Charles Winburn to "revitalize" Over-the-Rhine. The Arts and Education board who is leading the push to create a new School of the Creative and Performing Arts surrounding Music Hall, met Tuesday, March 2nd at Memo­ rial Hall. The discussion was heated as Pat Clifford, General Coordinator of the Drop Inn Center and Arts and Education board member, demanded to know why he was not informed of the decision to relocate. The plan bypassed the facility committee in which Pat sits and went directly to the media. Bonnie Neumeier also expressed concern, "The community is upset that we have let this happen. I feel as if we are just tokens on this board, when what we were told is that we were here to represent our communi_ty. Well, we have not been treated like that. No one has asked us how to incorporate this huge arts center into the community. No one has listened to our concerns." The discus­ sion moved to anxiety over funding as the City has expressed worry over whether the Nannie Hinkston house and the other transitional housing, which has already been awarded Federal funding, but is located across the street from the Drop Inn Center, will be there in the next couple of years. Although, it is important to note, these buildings are not part of any of the proposals for the new School of Creative and Performing Arts. The board agreed that some of the actions taken, regarding releasing the proposals to the media prior to informing Pat Clifford, were inappropriate. It was agreed and voted on that the next meeting would be held at the Drop Inn Center and that all 5 proposals, one of which does not include the Drop Inn Center, would be seen. The board has since wavered on this decision to hold the May 4th meeting at the Drop Inn Center and it is unclear as to whether such a meeting will take place earlier in April or Music Hall, located in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. photo by Jimmy Heath whether the board will meet as usual at Memo­ rial Hall on May 4th. The Drop Inn Center expresses the importance of community pres­ ence wherever the meeting is held and should have more information closer to the date. The hearing to discuss what to do with Over-the-Rhine's abandoned buildings is putting added pressure on the Drop Inn Center. Chris Frutkin, a for-profit speculator, testified that the Drop Inn Center and ReSTOC owned 34 of the abandoned buildings in Over-the-Rhine and that we were a major problem to positive community development. Mary Burke, director of the Over­ the-Rhine Housing Network countered, saying that although development might not be as fast as for-profit it was certainly happening and was constant, and that maintenance funds were in dire need to maintain the buildings, once rehabilitated. Moreover, non-profit development was about development for the existing commu­ nity, that community development was not about pushing out the old community and bringing in a new one. Winburn voiced support for the non-profits, saying that low-income housing needs to be protected. However, fast-track development, such as what has occurred in Columbus and historically throughout the country and what was being discussed at the hearing held, has re­ sulted in mass displacement of low-income residents. Winburn's voice of support did little to ease concern community leaders have for the future of their neighborhood and low-income housing. This hearing has subsequently created incentive for for-profit developers to support the forced relocation of the Drop Inn Center now, as the Center has been a long-time anchor and supporter for low-income housing and not-for­ profit development. The Drop Inn Center will continue to claim its right to maintain its facility and exist on its land. In the meantime, if they are any questions or would like further information, please feel free to contact the Drop Inn Center at 721-0643. African American Youth: A Preferred Tobacco Industry Customer "The horrible effects of tobacco use among children in our communities has got to be stopped at its tracks. Our role as parents is to do what we can to make sure our children grow up smoke-free." Quote from African American mo(her. These stories, and many others, are being heard during Minority Health Month, in April as designated by the Ohio Commission on Minority Health to increase understanding among African Americans living in Ohio about · the serious health risks associated with tobacco use. African Americans continue to suffer disproportionately from chronic and preventable disease compared to white ·Americans. This includes the nation's most serious public health problem - the use of and addiction to tobacco. Of the three leading causes of death in African Americans, heart disease, cancer and stroke - tobacco use, particularly smoking is a major contributor to these illnesses. Each year more African Americans die from diseases caused by smoking than from car crashes, AIDS, homicide, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs combined. The most startling trend is the increas­ ing rate of smoking among African American kids. According to the 1998 U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups, the number of African American high school seniors who smoked increased from 1992 to 1997 while declining between 1977 and 1992. In addition, the African American eighth grade students smoking prevalence increased by 106% from 1992 to 1997. 'YOUTH' cont. on page 13... The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 2 STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless, social justice and poverty related issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation. The Streetvibes VendorPtogratn gives ou·r vendors·an oppbrtunitY to get back on their feet. All vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. 'A file is developed·on each vendor so that we may track and help facillitate thier move from poverty to self­ sufficiency. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless ·is a group of shelters, agencies and indivlduals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Planning Commit­ tee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, story or editorial that you would like published please call 421 -7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Ron Carter, Vendor Support Gina Miller, Rapid Exit Program Photographer Jimmy Heath Writers Mary Ann Bravo Ron Carter Denise Crew Sheila Crowley Dorcy Mathew Hagerty Jimmy Heath Mike Henson Cliff Jones Susan Knight Carolyn Meszaros Gina Miller Gregory Payton Eunice limoney Ravenna E>r. Tom Somani A. Tyehimba Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes clo Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O (513) 421-7803 fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: homecoal @primax.net web page: http://cinci.com/gcch by Donald Whitehead ' - observations and relations I make in my travels. This trip was filled with personal revelations. On the second night of our trip we gathered in a huge circle over a hun­ dred strong. We were given the task of explaining who we were? How we got here? And why we came? For some this was an easy task, because we had asked ourselves this question many times. For others this task was very complicated and took a great deal of introspection. I was thoroughly impressed by the diversity in the room. There were Lawyers, ex-lawyers, future lawyers, ex-legislators, ex-hippies, baby boomers, generation Xers, ex­ panthers, communists, socialists, demo­ crats, republicans, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Christians, atheists, formerly home­ less, ex-Realtors and ex-bankers all in the same room. There were many different answers to the questions, llJOSt had the same theme. It occurred to me that this was America as it should be. Many differ­ ent people from many different back­ grounds joined together for a common positive goal. So often we get sidetracked by our own personal goals and we forget our fellow man. The more people that explained their reason for doing what they do, the more heartfelt and sincere the responses. I'm sure not all the people in the room were totally true to there re­ sponses but that mattered little because I was mesmerized by the moment. As my turn approached I wanted to think of something profound. I wanted to give them something that would help them feel the inspiration this moment had given to me. In the end I simply shared that I was trying to give back that was so freely given to me. In my travels I've learned that honesty is the most effective means of defining ones true motives. It is moments like these that revitalize a weary traveler and helps him remember exactly why travel is important. This trip once again helps me realize that regardless of your destination every trip is worth taking if you bring your heart along as a travel companion. March is a month that the traveler usually earns his wings. This March was no different from usual. The month of March began with the State Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, (COHHIO), annual statewide conference. This years conference was held March 8, 9, and 10. The conference was very informative. Workshops covered a variety of issues that are of concern to homeless advo­ cates. Workshops on welfare reform, public housing, and how to start a Street newspaper were well attended. Speakers like Sheila Crowley, President of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition informed us about upcoming legislation threatening the scarce resources that are available to the homeless population. The highlight of the conference was the legisla­ tive visits. Three groups of advocates from Cincinnati visit every legislator representing our respective areas . While its very important to visit regularly with state representatives in addition to state and federal representatives there is nothing more powerful than the collec­ tive efforts of advocates from all over Ohio visiting with representatives in force. I com­ mend COHHIO for their efforts along these lines. The only way to effectively sway political opinions in todays environment is a strong show of force or a strong show of currency. The trip for me was made even more interest­ ing by my need to be back in Cincinnati to host this months addition of Streetvibes TV. I beat the snowstorm on the way back to Cincinnati , however the trip back to Columbus was the scariest I've ever taken with between 5 to 12 inches of snow on the expressway all the way to Columbus. My next trip was a bit easier, I flew the friendly skies heading to Portland. Many of you The Traveler probably read about my last trip to Portland Homeless Disease and some of the uneasiness surrounding it. Police Predators This trip to Portland was a supervisor training FICA Rip-off workshop for the Corporation for National The Broken City Service. The Corporation for National Service is the domestic version of the Peace Corps. Arts & Poetry The Americorp Vista Programs are directed by Nationwide News the Corporation. The particular project, one of Point of View hundreds that the corporation offers is orga­ Prison News nized by the National Association of HUD HUD Funding Tenants. The project involves Vista Volunteers organizing tenants in at-risk Section-8 Housing. Welfare News Walking the Streets The program has been very successful nation­ ally, a ·pattern we hope to continue in Cincin­ Streetvibes Etcetera nati. The training was very valuable in identify­ Scramble ing new concerns about the future of affordable Letters & Editorials housing. The PSO or Pre-Service Orientation Cleveland News also helps Supervisors and Vista Volunteers Comedy Corner learn about their mission, responsibilities and CD Corner , benefits. I personally found the training very Classified Ads informative and satisfying. The training con­ sisted of position meetings on NAHT and Streetvibes Radio valuable sessions on Diversity and Equal TV Schedule Opportunity in the workplace. I personally am always more influenced by the personal • Contents Page2 Page3 Page4 Page4 Page5 Page6 Page7 Page7 Pages Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 11 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 15 Page 16 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine WHY AM I HERE? Why in the hell am I here in the Drop Inn Center Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program? Good question. Here's a good short answer. As the old cliche states, "I was sick and tired of being sick and tired." I [George) was physically, mentally and spiritually drained. I must admit that the initial process leading to me signing on the dotted line was one of "Attraction and not promotion." My prior living arrangements and life-style were totally chaotic and unhealthy. In the world of "crack" I was on a downhill path of self-destruction. I believe that my God lead me to "this" program for a reason, for some special purpose that is unknown to me right now. I am in recovery to regain things that I lost and perhaps to gain some things that I never had. I entered Detox on Jan. 7, 1999 with one day clean, realizing that I was totally powerless alone and that my life was definitely unmanage­ able. Since being here, I've been amazed at how far a little "open-mindedness" and "willingness" can go. Through the help of D.l.C. staff, reading, meetings and the other fellow live-in residents, I am learning quite a bit about myself. I am gradually gaining knowledge in the area of "Acceptance." That is to say that I am powerless over people, places, things, situations and even over my thoughts and feelings. But I am not powerless over how I react to these things. Some of my stress and problems are manifested by my own "self-obsession" which I have found to be the core of my addiction. God definitely works through other people. He is working on me. For these things I am truly grateful. HOME­ LESSNESS A DISEASE? by Terrine Homelessness is a mental disease, it is a state of mind. Each individual that is homeless is not able to maintain everyday living because of their mental state and/or their alcoholism. These two things feed off each other. Do you have any idea how overwhelming being home­ less is? You become paralyzed. It doesn't matter how smart you are, how hard working you are. I woke up every day nauseous and waiting for the moment when I would have enough courage to kill myself. And people walk past us. People hate us. People fear us. People tell us to go get a job. Sometimes I feel sorry for those people. They have forgotten what it is to be human. Even if I was a horrible person, lazy and didn't care about anything but myself I don't think it should matter. That is why I came to the Drop Inn Center. Because there, it didn't matter. And now I am certified and working. And I care about people. I care about people because people cared about me. Funny how people that throw money everywhere don't understand this. Plus, if you think about it, a look showing me that I am alive is free, it doesn't cost one penny, but those people in suits do not want to give that up. I know now that treating people like they are all human beings makes me feel more like one too. This is what homelessness has taught me. -- buy a brick forbudd lace b uddy's place is a community effort to h elp alleviate the tragedy of homelessness. We invite you to take p art in this community effort and provide housing to our sisters and brothers who are homeless. Thank you for your on-going support. RESTOC ;( ye5 114. W. 14th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 • 513-381-0954 J we would Hke to buy _ brick(s) to support t he construction of buddy's place nam e ................................ .........phone·················................................ ...........................si:hoai·c;r·or9iiiiiziiiion············· ...................... amount enclosed ($50 per brick) .................. please m ake checks payable to RESTOC. In t he space below, please indicate name you would like painted on brick Page 3 The Father's Eyes This teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relation­ ship. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his father continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn't want to. But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he'd.get to . play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a "walk-on." Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice _ and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed. The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excite­ ment and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in the game. It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big play-off game, the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent... Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?" The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday." Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back so soon. "Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close play-off game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. "All right," he said. "You can go in." Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His team­ mates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you've never heard! Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach.noticed that the young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alorie. The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?" He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?" The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!" �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine POLICE OR PREDATORS? YOU DECIDE by Somani A. Tyehimba How is it that you find yourself being stopped for an alleged traffic violation and then have a gun pointed at your head? Well, just be a black man in America.. Oh, and just one more thing, make sure you're stopped by two wild­ eyed, adrenaline pumped, blood thirsty, mouth foaming predators, disguised as Cincinnati police officers. When I noticed the flashing lights behind me I pulled into the driveway at my son's school. I stepped out of my van, only to see two angry white men pointing their guns at me and shouting, "get back into the vehicle! get back into the vehicle!" I immediately returned to my van, shut the door, and placed my hands on the steering wheel. One officer advanced forward as I returned to the van and stood five to six feet outside my door with his gun aimed directly at my head. He shouted to his partner, "Go ahead, I've got him covered on this side." The other officer ap­ peared on the passenger side of the van and shined a light into the side window. Why he needed a flashlight in the daytime is beyond my comprehension. This same officer instructed me to roll down the window. I told him the window was broken and did not roll down. He then instructed me to open the door and slowly get out of the van. I slowly exited the van, with my hands in plain view. I stood perfectly still with my hands in front of me, palms up, showing the only things in my hands were the van keys. Yet the officer who held the gun t~rgeted at my head kept shouting in a very hostile voice, as he moved closer to position himself in front of me, "don't move your hands, don't move your hands." Mind you my hands were not moving: Also h·e is continually advancing toward me. I can hear incredibly well. I answered to him each time, in a very calm and nonthreatening voice, "My hands are not moving." As this exchange took place, it became apparent he was looking for a reason to shoot. My best defense was to remain calm. While Rambo still targeted the gun at my head, he leaned forward and snatched the keys from my hands. ;He asked me if I ha~ anything else on me as if the keys he snatched from my bands were some sort of weapon. I calmly replied no. By this time the other officer had come to the drivers side of the van. He ordered me to step away from the vehicle and turn around. I was handcuffed while at the same time being told, "just be calm, you're not under arrest." At no time did I exhibit any behavior other than calm. After being handcuffed, Rambo's partner patted me down while Rambo finally holstered his gun. After feeling the Money in my pocket, the officer said, "that feels like a lot of money. How much money do you have?" I replied I wasn't sure maybe $180. I asked myself what difference does it make how much money I have in my pocket? I then realized these officers must have that stereotypical view of me as a drug selling, gun toting, hostile and danger­ ous black man. And it's open season on me. Rambo asked me why I didn't stop. I replied I did stop. He then snatched my right arm and forced me across the street to the police car. Once in handcuffs to Rambo I was just another criminal. He could treat me and talk to me in any manner he pleased. I asked Rambo why they stopped me. He said I was weaving in and out of traffic and went left of center. That was a lie. When we got on the sidewalk, Rambo spun me around facing the police car. He kicked my feet apart without instructing me to do anything. Again I was searched. This time Rambo pulled money and everything out of my pockets and asking me question after question. "Do you have any weapons?" "No." "Do you have anything sharp in your pockets that would stick me?" "No." "What about a box cutter?" "No." "Do you have a job?" "I work for myself. I own a retail store in Swifton Commons Mall." "What do you do?" "I said, I own a retail store in Swifton Commons Mall, Black World Products Interna­ tional." "Well, what do you sell?" "We sell books, art... " "Get inside the car!" I asked him why he had to cuff me in the first place if I wasn't under arrest. ''This was embarrassing," I told him, "being handcuffed in front of my son's school and searched." Since he didn't have the pleasure in killing me, having an innocent black man caged in the back of his police car feeling embarrassed was his consola­ tion prize. Rambo's partner had moved my van out of the driveway to unblock someone and parked it down the street. Rambo drove me down the street by my van and his partner got into the car. They began asking another series of questions. "What's your name?" "Somani Tyehimba" "Is that your real name or did you change it?" The FICA Ripoff Page 4 "Yes it is my real name, and yes I did legally have it changed." "Where do you live? What's your phone? What's your work number?" After about fifteen minutes of sitting in the car waiting for them to complete their work I was released and cited for Improper Change of Course and Left of Center. It wasn't until later that evening I realized the magnitude of what happened. All during the ordeal I was quite calm. Being calm I know saved my life. The fact that this officer had a gun targeted at my head caused me to shudder. At the same time he was warning me not to do something that I was not doing. Was he really talking to me or setting up his alibi to the surrounding onlookers had he blown out my brains? If I had moved my hands, would my family be planning my funeral? Would my son have to grow up without his father in his life? Would I have become another statistic where an officer "thought he saw something' and had no choice but to shoot? I have to answer yes because that blood thirsty predator seemed eager to bag his kill for the day. I have always instructed my son to respect authority. Whether the authority is a teacher, another adult, his parents, or even police officers. I feel a need to modify this directive now. I will still inform him to respect authority. However, when it comes to police officers here is what I will tell him. Respect the authority that is represented by the badge. However, take the one eye opened, one eye closed approach to the person wearing the badge. He just might be a predator, looking for an excuse to kill an innocent black man. COHHIO rallies hundreds I by Gina Miller by Dr. Tom Everyone in Washington is busy trying to decide what to do with the budget surplus. No one seems anxious to admit that the alleged surplus is actually the result of embezzlem.ent from the Social Security Trust fund ... a crime aimed at the pocketbooks of America's poorest workers. · FICA contributions are figured ·on a workers gross pay up to $72,600. Income taxes are progressive, i.e. they give a break to the lowest income workers. FICA contributions are based on gross income and are the largest deduction from a low-income worker's check. They are regressive. It is criminal to even discuss using sur­ plus~s in the American workers pension funds for tax breaks for upper income taxpayers. Especially considering that by law The Social Security Trust Fund is a pension fund which is supposed to be kept separate from the general fund used to finance the government budget. In private industry and in unions pension managers who divert funds from pensions are put in prison. I was granted an opportunity to attend the annual Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio conference. It was held in Columbus, Ohio. The dates were March 8-10, 1999. The prestigious Hyatt hotel was the "stage". The State House was the "backdrop". Semi-casual to formal was the apparel. "Housing Ohio: Challenges & Opportunities" was the theme. The format appeared to be just as diverse as the people who attended the conference. Panel discussions, speakers, individual appoint­ ments as well as question-and-answer sessions provided avenues for collaboration in efforts toward ending homelessness. People traveled many miles (regardless of the weather) in order to take part in this important event. ­ I gained some valuable insi§hfs, from attending several workshops. Topics ranged from Public Housing Reform to "Organize Ohio!". The agenda included information on Welfare Reform, employment opportunities, the Fair Housing Act, and starting/maintaining a "street" newspaper. I left the conference feeling inspired to continue assisting people with obtaining permanent housing. Here are the facts about the supposed budget surplus. The Make Believe Surplus YEAR 1999 2000 2001 2002 FICA FUND OVERPAYMENTS FEDERAL DEFICIT Th1AGINARY +$113 BIL +$123 BIL +$130BIL +$139BIL -$104 BIL -$114 BIL -$102 BIL -$ 49BIL + $9BIL + $9BIL + $ 28 BIL + $ 90BIL SURPLUS - - =' ­ �STRE IBES ·The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Broken City... Page 5 Funeral March for b uddy g ray by Mike Henson A day of bright and bitter cold Silent, we march the stony blocks and hear only the tread of feet on the pavement thousands of feet on the stony pavement, only the banners that billow, snap, and bellow out again. Only these and the snap of the drum. We enter the park Watched by bullet-colored crows silent and alert. We pass the stone gates; the drum stops. Song overlaps the silence. Singing, we fill this small place with our small hundreds. The ground we tread was once a Potters Field. The earth beneath us is riddled with bones. ·From thei r dark porches, the dead observe us through a screen of glass. Memorial procession through the streets of Over-the-Rhine honoring the late buddy gray, neighborhood activist and founder of the Drop Inn Center. November, 1996. LIFE EVERY DAV IS BETTER by Mary Ann Bravo by Dorcy A CHANGED This story is about my stepfather 14 years ago. My stepfather was a drunk. Day and night he would hang in the bar. I just prayed to the Higher Power to help this man change his life. Well before I left town in 1990 he went into a program. I have not seen my stepfather for ten years. When I went home and saw my stepfa· ther I was so proud of him. He had stopped drinking and don't hang in bars any more. Keep up the good work no matter what happens. I will always love you. Today my father is sweet and good hearted. If you need anything he will try to do it. He feels so good about himself. He feels so different. He can see the differences that he made in his life. ROCK BOTTOM I got here because I left Cleveland and came to Cincinnati, to start over. I tried to find a place to stay, first with the Volunteers of America, where I stayed for a month. But, then I found myself living on the streets. It was hard. Lots of empty buildings, lots of drugs and lots of alcohol, everywhere. I heard people talking about the Drop Inn Center and came. The people were nice. I have stayed here for the last three months, every night. I think, however, I am leaving next month. I am moving to a place that rents rooms to disabled people. I feel good about having my own place in the next week. The homeless are people too and they shouldn't be looked down upon just because they are having a hard time. Some people are responsible for being homeless and some are homeless because of their circumstances-­ domestic disputes, loss of jobs, poor self esteem. I am an independent person and these last months have been scary but the situation is improving and all I can do is take it one day at a time. by Anonymous One of the things that has caused my homelessness is my drug addiction and myself. The people that I have chosen to be around are no good for me but as long as my money held out I was cool and life seemed to be a party. I have to, however, put the blame where the blame belongs and that is with me, not being able to hold on to a penny no matter what job came along. My house was my drug and it was all I cared about. I didn't care about myself, I lost my self-respect, my dignity. I was home· less. I was homeless not because I didn't have a home or a bed to sleep in, it was because I didn't care about the things that were good. But you know what, there is always hope at the end of the tunnel. I had to hit rock bottom before I could put this hope to use. I don't know where this hope is going to take me but today I have it and one day I am going to make it out Subscribe·to Streetvibes-:: 11 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 issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Great er Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless- Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. From the band shell there are speeches, more song. Around the band shell, handshakes and embraces. My small son and I sit close and listen. I ask him, are you cold? he denies it. But he shivers, so I lend him my coat. His arms are lost within the sleeves; the hem devours his knees. He is a little, shivering thimble, a haystack nipped at the ears. But he does not complain. He has march each cold and stony step. Now, he follows each word of the speeches. He sing each song, chants each chant. We are watched, in our small hundreds under the bright, over-shouldering cloak of the sky, by the cy<?loptic eye of television, by the shivering homeless at the edges of the park, by the cold, curious crows in their balcony seats among the trees, by the investors in carrion, sniffing the air (or a hint of decay, and by the dead, standing at attention in their dark ranks. And so, we are not alone. 1:1 1 1:: •t: I • 11·1111; lI I ' l I I I i·i,·i:. l " '" .11·: ,I ; i'' I I ' More poetry on page 6 ... I IH �STREETVIBES 1 The Tri-State s Homeless Grapevin'e DICI WORD ON THE TOGETHER STREET WE CAN Arts & Poetry SPIRIT OF OVER THE RHINE by Sonny Williams, 1998 Black, Latino, White 12th Street, Drop Inn Center is the peoples right Eric Kunzels' plan tried to shut it down, but the Homeless rebelled in Cincy-town. Letters of support from N. Y. C., Cleveland. Spirit of Soweto is the national call, It's right to Rebel Down With Displacement, Kunzel -Sour note of the Poor! Maria Martinez by Francisco Perez Estrada translation by Patrick Harmon She was a sister of the trees, Child, she slept by the sun in the field she cried out when birds took flight. One day the sap rose and a woman emerged. Hers steps smelled of madrono trees her blossoms filled the boundaries. Of her sex it was heard on all the roads when the Indians spoke: esta buena, esta buena. The dry branches revealed green shoots, the day that spring arrived. . J ' J ' white-faced monkeys threw branches as I brought water from the spring. by Denise Crew Our friendship is a silly one You know we are subject to fall out about anything at any time for no reason Together we can reach out and help the needy all people, man, woman and child. That we can eliminate the line of poverty and the feeling of helplessness, hopelessness, pennylessness and the condition of homelessness. Together we can stand for those who can't, we can speak for those can't say and read for those who do not know how. You say things because you can I do things because I can we lock horns because we can Our friendship is a silly one you know we are subject to fall out about anything at anytime for no reason You don't like my work I don't like your work today we fuss about who worked the hardest of course I did We are here to eliminate the pain of suffering. We are here to do the will which is not ours, but of God's we will continue to do goodwill while going uphill. We will stay focus day or night we will continue to struggle and fight. We have a plan to stand though training, treatment, and education. Our friendship is so silly You know we are subject to fall out about anything at any time for no reason Why do you page me and put H E L L 0 in when I told you I had a meeting it was cute only the first three times sometimes I think you need help We will do this together. We will do this by reaching and holding on to the flower which has not bloomed, to the Condition which has not changed. To the right which has not been given. Our friendship is silly you know we are subject to fall out about anything at any time for no good reason you want the top down I want the top up I want to get out you refuse to stop Service to others is an Action of Need Anyway is not to say but to survive one more day Volunteers, contributions, donation is the way at the Drop Inn Center Our friendship is silly but I'm glad we can fall out about anything at anytime for no good reason Gregory Song of Shelter Caesar and the Meat by ~rnesto Mejia Sanchttz (Nicaragua) , 1 translation by Patrick Harmon Her foliage did not last long ripened in nine moons of earth and wood. Her womb was large. Her children grew strong in Coajtepe, La Fuente, El Guapinol. · Now, ancient, she is only a question of stone, of silence, of shadow. Page 6 Caesar created another tax for the prosperity of his people. The butchers raise the meat to pay: the ranchers raise the cattle to pay: only the people have to kneel down to pay, because all the cattle and the meat, the ranchers and the butch­ ers are of Caesar, not the people. by Mike Henson Evening, on a day of bitter cold The wind stirs great flocks of crows above the hillside. Flecks of ash whirling in a basin. They swim in air like fish in a pond. Curb-bound, I feel the bite of the wind. I flinch. I shiver in my shoes. I fear for any unhoused creature in the teeth of such a wind. The uncountable crows breast the wind with grace and command. They soar upon it masterfully. They settle, one by one, into the black branches of the trees. Black leaves. Ornaments of ash. They call and call · and call. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Nationwide Senator Gramm Attempting to Dismantle Support for CRA Senators who support the Community Reinvestment Act are the current target of Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) in his battle to deflate and discard the Community Reinvest­ ment Act. During the week of March 8, Senator Gramm met with bank and insurance industry representatives to encourage them to put pressure on Senators to pass his version of the financial modernization bill. According to The Washington Post, one of Senator Gramm's main targets is Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY). Senator Schumer just won his seat after a long, expensive campaign in New York where Wall Street interests gave him much financial sup­ port. The Senate version of the bill, which passed the Senate Banking Committee on March 4, deals several blows to the Community Reinvestment Act. If Senators who support CRA buckle to banking and insurance industry pressure, passing the bill in the Senate will be that much easier for Senator Gramm. President Clinton has repeatedly said he would veto any bill which weakens the Community Reinvest­ ment Act. We are hearing that Senators who usually support the community Reinvestment Act need to hear much more from their constituents on this important legislation in order to shore up their resolve to protect the CRA. Specifically, calls and letters need to be made immediately on the following points: *in the Senate bill, banks that are not in compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act could affiliate with other entities and engage in new powers. *the Senate bill gives a sate harbor for institutions with a "satisfactory" or better CRA rating on its most recent CAA reviews. These institutions would be automatically deemed in compliance with CRA unless "substantial verifiable information" arises. Public comment on CAA performance would be effectively eliminated; 97% of institutions 11~amined in . . . · 1997-98 received "satisfactoryJ or"t~ehJr\~ttngs~ ~ *the Senate bill has a small bani< ~ke<m~-' : tion. Banks with less than $100 million in assets would be exempted from CRA - 63% of all banks! This provision would have a devastating effect on rural communities because small banks are often the only source of credit in rural areas. You can call both of your Senators through the Capitol Switchboard at 202/224-3121. For more information, call Linda Couch, 2021662-1530 ext. 242 or email linda@nlihc.org. Point of View by Sheila Crowley, President, NLIHC . I had the pleasure this week of participat­ ing in the training of the second class of HUD Community Builder Fellows. Some 300 people from across the country are in Washington preparing to become HUDs outreach arm into communities. They represent diverse disci­ plines and are all experienced problem solvers. They bring many years of accumulated practice wisdom to strengthening the role HUD plays in improving the lives of people in poor communi­ ties. There is some criticism of HUDs plan to add new staff recruited from the outside to take on new roles at a time when the department is downsizing and the existing staff has to take on more tasks. I, for one, applaud the move. Probably more than any other federal agency, HUD has direct contact with people working on serious social problems in urban neighborhoods. Deploying HUD staff to be purposely engaged in achieving the HUD goals at the local level is a bold and positive step. I hope that the citizens in poor communities, local housing advocates, and the Community Builder Fellows form close partnerships. My interest in the translation of federal intent into local program implementation led me to engage in research in 1995 about the inter­ pretation of federal housing policy in three entitlement jurisdictions. Using qualitative research methods, I examined the manner in which these jurisdictions responded to the concept of the Consolidated Plan. In interviews with local officials, nol')profit providers, people who receive federal housing assistance, neigh­ borhood activists, and civic leaders, a fascinat­ ing and paradoxical portrait of HUD, and by inference the Federal government, emerged. On one hand, HUD looms as an onerous force to make localities conform or risk the loss of funds. On the other hand, the Federal government is the protector of minority groups and vulnerable people, and HUD, as the hous­ ing arm of the Federal government, is supposed to assure equality and social justice in the housing system. A third view is that, in many ways, HUD is irrelevant at the local level and in the context I was studying, this view was the most accurate one. There was scant local sense of being part of a national strategy to solve serious urban problems, nor was there a local commitment to national housing goals. I would like _t~e 90f!ln;1Unity Builder Fellows to alter that dynahiiblaM:frepre§eM the ~ederal·., government as a powerful force in lmpro"img·ttle \ social and economic well-being of poor people. Secretary Cuomo speaks eloquently about the quest for social, racial, and economic justice. The Community Builders Fellows should be the ambassadors who bring tangible results of that message. There are three very concrete ways that the Fellows can quickly become engaged in addressing serious housing issues in local communities. First, identify good assisted properties in danger of prepayment or opt-outs and work with residents and other local partners to preserve their long term use as affordable p age 7 housing for very low income people. Bill Faith in Ohio reports that one of their Community Builder Fellows has done just that. Two, create effective linkages between the two local plans that are required for receipt of federal housing funds, the ConPlan and the new Public Housing Plan. This is essential to assuring a holistic understanding of the housing needs of the poor and to maximizing the use of federal housing resources on their behalf. This seems like a natural role for Community Builder Fellows to undertake. Finally, I want the Community Builders to use all. the ~ed era~ tools they have, including the analysis to 1mped1ments to fair housing, to assist voucher holders in achieving true housing choice. As the eyes and ears of HUD at the local level, Community Builder Fellows should be identifying, articulating, and calling for actions to assure that all voucher holders are successful in the housing market. I encourage our partners at the state and local level to be actively engaged with your Community Builder Fellows and to share your experiences with them with us at NLIHC. Capitol Hill Budget Resolutions: Spending Caps )l / ..,.~~9J / ~1rmi.inm}11 '·mTrtTY"'fi'T'1 ······ U.U.1.1.1.LU..U.llJ On March 17 and 18, the House and Senate Budget Committees, respectively, passed Y2000 budget resolutions. Both Com­ mittees' budget resolutions keep domestic discretionary spending caps put in place by the 1997 budget agreement. It is not too late to call Senators and Representatives and ask them to oppose keeping the caps on domestic discre­ tionary spending. Partisan and highly charged debate continues as both chambers prepare to bring their budget resolutions to their floors the week of March 22. The Budget Committees budget resolutions include a $15 billion tax cuts for FY2000 and $778 billion in tax cuts over the next 1O years. The pressure on domestic discretionary funds is further tightened by sought-after large increases for military and education spending. Democrats have stated that, with the caps in place along with tax cuts and increases for the military and education, domestic programs could see and across-the-board cut of 12%. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) is quoted by the Associated Press, saying "If it (the budget resolution) were an over-the-counter drug, it would have to say, 'Warning: Could be h~rmful to elderly, children and working fami­ lies.'" The White House has also spoken out against the resolutions. However, the budget resolution is not something the President signs or vetoes. It is, however, the omnipotent guide­ path for the work of the appropriations commit: tees. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has just issued a series of papers analyzing the Republican budget proposal. In brief, these analyses show that the proposal would require severe cuts in nondefense discretionary pro­ grams. As the Center states, the problem 'goes , ' beyond t~~ y~rr,,1arge:cui~ ~de~titiek:f iff t~e\ EI, i 1; · budget propos'al i\se~.'' By :cdnsuming· mo~r of i ~ '· the projected non-Social Security budget surplus through tax cuts and utilizing a "lockbox" measure that requires a supermajority to incur a deficit in the non-Social Security part of the budget, the Republican budget proposal likely would require further cuts in discretionary spending after 2009, and sooner if the economy 'NATION' cont. on page 14... �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Prisoner's News INJURIOUS PRISON CONDITIONS Dear Shirley Pope: I have filed a number of grievances with appeals to Columbus, spanning prior to the year 1997 and now in 1999 as well. My grievances dealing with the injurious prison conditions pertaining to denial of proper and adequate medical treatment by hospital staff. Hospital staff put the blame on Mr. Wilkinson and the funding cuts. But it is not just medical, but over all treatment towards myself, a death row inmate and others on death row. 1. have addressed this issue a number of times on different levels and the Department of Rehabilitation & Correction for which you work along side of Mr. Wilkinson. When asking for the intervention of the Chief Inspector or agen­ cies with the state of Ohio, the most famous quote is: "Your letter concerning conditions of your confinement has been forwarded to the inspec­ tor of institutional services at your institution. I am confident that your concerns will be ad­ dressed." I follow the grievance procedure and when I appeal it to Central Office, instead of them launching their/your investigation, they defeat the purpose of an appeal and send it right back to the prison institution it came from. Thus, creating more "Red Tape" and long delays in obtaining resolution. On 11/20/97 disposition of grievance for which I appealed to this office and the Chief Inspector concerning harsh physical and psy­ chological conditions on death row prisoners, No. 11-97-25, which never got a response. In this particular example, like many others. You ask the prisoner to follow the procedures under 5120-9-31, but what about prison staff's failure to follow them. I always wait in excess of the five working days before filing a Notice Of Grievance with the inspector. Most importantly, the four pages of infor­ mal complaint, I give up my record of ever filing the grievance when I submit the "PINK" copy to the llS. Numerous times I have filed kites to these persons and they don't reply. I file the Notice Of Grievance and after three weeks, a month or longer the person back-dates the grievance as if they responded within the time period and for some reason it got lost until that time. . July 13, 1998, Grievance against the Institutional Inspector Services designated by No. Cl-99-17, by Inmate Post #A183-812, the office of the Chief Inspector asked for additional time to give a fair and proper resolution, a resolution that I have no record of. Dated 8-21­ 98, Grievance No. 05-98-67, the Chief Inspector's Office affirmed the actions and investigations of the llS here at Man. C.I ..... My complaint dealing with again, the conditions of confinement for death row inmates, not provid­ ing medical care, dental care, charging for services that were not performed. Medications and treatments issued by Dr. L. Juan whom also treated me at S.O.C.F. while I was there. On August the 11th or 13th, during a shakedown, guards confiscated typing ribbons, typing paper, r made me send all my legal work out, confis­ cated medical journals, confiscated my tennis shoes that were bought by the Medical Depart­ ment, but the shakedown team stated that the prison did not issue the tennis shoes. Special boots were issued to me back in "1997" through C.M.C., these boots were taken in August and a new pair was to be issued, NOT AS OF THIS DATE. On the same date above, my typewriter was destroyed by prison staff, I have been punished repeatedly, from taking my desk and cabinet away to curb my typing, for which at this time I must sit on the cold floor. I addressed the issue that due to my large size at 453 lb .. and after a number of hunger strikes lost (100) lb.. , but still could not sit at the desk bolted to the wall. Medical staff issued me a chair to sit in (Brian Cain), but that was taken away by the new Hospital Administrator and Death Row Staff, and only certain inmates are allowed chairs. Because of the injuries I have sustained through the Department of Corrections and its agents, I have addressed my concerns to Mr. Reginald Wilkinson and to the Governor, of course they don't respond. I have tried going through the Federal Courts, but of course with taxpayers money and the unlimited access the State of Ohio and the Attorney General's Office have, I am no match for you people. Even through the Governor and agents deny me access to the law library and law books which I have also addressed with no beneficial resolu­ tion to me, with the exception of the continued harassment, continued retaliation, continued destroying of my personal property and legal work, and for the last (10) months the depart­ ment of corrections and their agents have kept me isolated in solitary confinement with no interactions with any pri~oners, only prison staff. I have been without proper clothing, no boots, no tennis shoes as supported by my medical file in over five (5) months. I have been forced to walk around in socks or put plastics bags on my feet to walk some place for medical care and outside in the freezing tem­ peratures. Dr. Juan issued medication for me that he said I would probably have to take the rest of my life. He also gave me warning signs of things to look out for as I am (PARTIALLY DISABLED) due to injuries I have sustained spanning over the past five years. The Depart­ ment of Correction and agencies cover up the injurious negligence of its doctors. I have been on "Sick Call" over two months, I have had a serious cold due to other inhumane conditions imposed on myself and others just because we are stereotyped death row or would 'scum' be more suitable? On December 9th or 10th, I turned in my medication bags for the pills I take to curb the swelling in my left leg and foot. The second shift guard said he gave the bags to the nurse, the nurse said she never got them, but would check my medical file to see if the pills or refill was issued. I have got the runaround all month telling me to see the doctor, telling me I must see the Podiatrist first. Three weeks go by and emergency intervention of a guard, I get over to the hospital. I see !he foot doctor, he sjts in the I chair and asked ''What can I do for you?" I explained about how the increased swelling in my left leg is causing veins to protrude the surface of the skin. The veins continue to rupture and expel blood. The foot doctor would not even examine me, he would not even look at my feet and legs. I asked about a pair of orthopedic boots in size 12 EEEE, or EEEEE, he said there was no money to give death row inmates special boots or shoes. He would not even examine my right foot, swotren and black and blue as it is. As I stated, it has been close to a month since I have had the proper medication. On December 30th, I awoke to a wet feeling and to Page 8 find that my bedding was soaked with blood and clear fluid. I reported it to the nurse at the morning pill call, and I reported it to the guards and stated that I needed to be seen by a doctor. I have been told that there is no doctor to see me, that only in emergencies can a doctor be called in. Profuse bleeding, clear fluid oozing out of my open wounds, stained sheets of blood and fluid; I guess that is not an emergency. Dr. Juan told me to watch out for something like this, that I could bleed to death, form- gangrene or loose my leg. I have to keep reminding myself, this is Mansfield, I am on death row and I am supposed to be treated Q..umanely. The Governor doesn't care, Mr. Wilkinson doesn't care, medical staff doesn't care, who do I turn to now, I guess nobody cares. An interview and intervention would be a welcome sight, if you can spare the time. Respectfully, Ronald R. Post A-183-812 WILFORD BERRY KILLED CRIME-211911999, 9:31PM ACCUSED - THE STATE OF OHIO By: Eunice Timoney Ravenna, lntercommunity Justice and Peace Center On Friday, February 19, mourners gath­ ered at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Evanston to mourn the ex~cution of Wilford Berry. In the words of Sutiith Wickrema, director of Justice Watch, many participated in the vigil, "to show that we are not a part of the collective decision to kill B~rry as punishment." Many people w: 10 are anti-death penalty believe the penalty does not serve: as a deterrent to violent crime. Still others were concerned that this execution is rather a sfate assisted suicide for a mentally ill man and should not be the case to resume the death penalty in Ohio. Some chose to be pr'esent at the execution and went to Lucasville that Friday ·evening. Carpools of Cincinnatians made their way from Peaslee Neighborhood Center to the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility - the location of Ohio's death house. The caravan hoped to be a public witness in opposition to execution and to offer prayers for the deatH of Wilford Berry. People from throughout th'e state began to gather in Lucasville at 4prn and held vigil until the 9pm expected ~xecution. Approximately 200 Ohioans were in attendance. Due to complications in the "death house" Berry was not pronounced dead until 9:31 pm. With strained lines of communication between the prison guards and both media and mourners, those present were unaware of the difficulty officials had finding Berry's veins which delayed the lethal injection for twehty minutes. The mood of the evening was reflective, somber, and defeated for those who stood in opposition to the ex~cution. Others who favored execution (approx. 40 present) were excited about the prospect of Ohio's resuming the use of the death penalty and hoped to find peace and closure to their own loss. Such a stance is > �STREElVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine perpetuated by our criminal justice system. Many families truly feel that the execution of the man convicted in a family members death will bring about an end to their pain. This is a violation of those families imposed by our penal system. After witnessing the execution that was to bring about miraculous healing, many family members remain hurt, empty and searching. The state needs to do something different for these families - but such potential seems distant. In the clemency denial from Governor Taft, he ends with these words, "I pray this decision will allow them (The Mitroff Family) to find peace of mind and closure in the face of their loss." And we wonder how anyone can support the death penalty? And we wonder why people cheered at 9pm? Hearing a few cheers at the announced death of Wilford Berry moved me fram a saddened silent state to one of disbelief. Am I really hearing cheers? Could this get more morbid? And, I mourn all the more - for the men on death row; for the families of prisoners; for the families of victims; for the barbaric penal system; for those who cheer at death; for those who see all of this and feel helpless; and lastly for the life and death of Wilford Berry. Wilford Berry suffered greatly during his childhood years and continued to suffer during his years in the state's custody as a prisoner. Many who mourn realize that all of Ohio are responsible for the tragic life and death of this man. For those interested in getting involved in the opposition of the death penalty, the next committee meeting will be held Wednesday March 24, 7pm at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center. For more information call 579-8547. Plan to do your part. PROPOSAL TO BLOCK GRANT HUD MCKINNEY FUNDS Representative Lazio (A-NY) is planning to once again introduce legislation which would block grant HUD McKinney Homeless Assis­ tance Funds. Representative Lazio intends to skirt the customary legislative authorization process under what is called suspension of the rules. This means the proposed legislation would bypass the Housing subcommittee process, and instead would simply be intro­ duced, a hearing would be held, and it would go straight to the House floor for a vote, allowing no amendments. They want to fast track this bill by introducing it the week of March 15th, and passing it before their March break. This makes the timeliness of your contact with your repre­ sentatives in the House urgent. Under the proposed legislation, McKinney funds would be distributed on a formula basis to states and localities, based not on the merit of what they would do with the money to prevent and end homelessness, but as an entitlement, based simply on the formula adopted, except for a possible housing set aside that would be distributed at the federal level through a competitive process. Currently, there is limited, but critical, federal oversight of how McKinney funds are used, through the Con­ tinuum of Care process implemented by HUD that both insures a collaborative, comprehen­ sive process, and local decision-making in the planning and implementation of homeless housing and service programs. Block granting McKinney funds will mean that many states will lose millions of dollars they now highly effec­ tively use to address homelessness in their communities, because they will only be allowed their formula share. After extensive conversation with homeless advocates, housing and service providers from across the country, NCH believes that block granting McKinney at this time would not be in the best interest of those who are homeless because: * a recent GAO study identified 34 federal programs that serve low-income per­ sons, and could include those that are home­ less. 20% of the funding for these programs comes through block grants that states and localities have the authority to target to those most vulnerable in their communities - home­ less men, women and children. If they don't do it now, why do we think they will do it later? Even if this new block grant has the so called 'protection' of being targeted to those who are homeless, shouldn't the current federal block grants, intended for the most vulnerable, have been used to spare both individuals and families from suffering homelessness, and we as a nation from being shamed by it? Because they have not been, the 'systems' funded by these current block grants too often serve to either stimulate or prolong homelessness. Taking an increasingly effective Continuum of Care approach and adding it to this list of block grants, that may not effectively serve those who are homeless, seems too risky. * Two issues should be addressed by Congress before they consider block granting McKinney funds: (1) the large number of McKinney permanent housing programs that need 'renewal funding has grown to be a signifi­ cant problem. The individuals and families who live in this housing can now be considered permanently housed, and therefore, should not continue to depend on funding from the McKinney program. Instead, mainstream housing programs for low-income persons should be funding this housing; (2) the support­ ive services needs of those who become homeless require effective response as much as their housing needs do. To address the one without addressing the other, makes the im­ pacted homeless persons vulnerable to homelessness again. The Housing subcommit­ tee continues to want to dedicate more McKinney funds to permanent housing, without any plan for where the supportive services funding will come from. * the current Continuum of Care pro­ cess, initiated at the federal level, stimulates integration, collaboration and effective out­ comes. It gives state and local entities (non­ profits, governments, businesses, homeless persons) working collaboratively, full decision­ making authority over how federal funds for the homeless will be spent. These local collabora­ tions successfully plan, implement and evaluate the homeless housing and service programs for their communities, which would be the primary motivation for block granting the funds. If it is already happening, and also insuring limited federal oversight, why change it? * the goal of the federal government should be to bring an end to homelessness in America, not find ways to further institutionalize it, by giving money to states and localities to 'manage' homelessness in their communities. * we fear that some local communities may use homeless block grant funds to further their anti-homeless regulatory and NIMBY intentions. * the principle thrust of the original HR217 legislation was to enhance the amount of HUD McKinney funds that were used to provide Page 9 permanent housing. That stipulation was already included as a requirement in the HUD appropriations bill, it has already been done. * if decisions about how to use McKinney funds are already made locally, if 30% of McKinney. funds already have to be used for permanent housing, then what is the point of this bill? If Congress really wants to end homelessness, they need to be authorizing policies and funding programs that can ad­ equately provide (a) permanent housing for those households with the lowest incomes (instead of removing access to such housing as they did in the public housing reform bill, without any plan for where these households will live), (b) supportive services that are needed, for temporary or long-term periods of time, by some members of our society who are challenged by chronic disabilities or limitations, (c) livable incomes (both fixed and earned) so that families and individuals can afford the basic necessities, including housing, and will therefore not have to be rendered homeless. Let's get on with what we really have to do as a nation, to prevent and end homelessness. Let's fix what is really broken. Too many lives, too many futures are at stake. Please call your members in the House and let them know that block granting McKinney funds is not in the best interest of those who are homeless, and they should not do it. r-'i l IF)1 ~-lJ LFTI I i ~~( I ~$11 !Lii '-·'·-··· ·····' i I! i:i :..•........ i i : u l L.r.~~'.~~~:lJ..--···--·- - ·- -- - - --- - · · · · · · ·l FUNDING ANNOUNCE­ MENT The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced the avail­ ability of approximately $2.4 billion in HUD program funds covering 32 grant categories. The housing component of this SuperNOFA encompasses many of HUD's housing pro­ grams, including targeted housing and homeless assistance. Targeted housing programs include Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOWPA) ($22.2 million), Section 202 Support­ ive Housing for the Elderly ($434.8 million) and Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities ($87.2 million). The SuperNOFA also includes funding announce­ ments for community development technical assistance for the Supportive Housing, HOPWA, and other programs. $750 million is available for Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance through the Support­ ive Housing, Shelter Plus Care and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Single-Room Occu­ pancy programs. The application deadline for the Continuum of Care programs is June 2, 1999. The closing date for receipt of applica­ tions under other programs in the SuperNOFA varies. For additional information, see the Federal Register of February 26, 1999 (54 FR 9618), call the SuperNOFA Information Center at 1­ 800-HUD-8929 or visit HUD's lntemat Website at http://www.HUD.gov. • t �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 10 STREETVIBES Commentary on Wisconsin's Welfare News Welfare Plan, (W-2) (What Ohio should NOT Do) MYTHS by Lynn Williams VERSUS FACTS ("Women and Welfare : Popular Conceptions vs. Facts", from Back to Basics: Women 's Poverty and Welfare Reform by Dorothy K. Seavey, Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, published in Glass Ceilings and Bottomless Pits by Randy Albelda and Chris Tilly, South End Press) Myth: Cash welfare benefits constitute an adequate income for welfare recipients, giving them little incentive to work. Fact: In 1996, the maximum monthly TANF grant for a 3-person family in the median TANF state was $389, or 36% of the 1996 federal poverty level. Myth: Welfare benefits have been increas­ ing. Fac t: Over the period from 1970 to 1994, the median decline in real AFDC (now TANF) benefit levels was 47% . Myt h: Welfare benefits may be declining, but together with in-kind benefits they constitute a generous package. Fact: In 1996, the combined maximum TANF and Food Stamp grant for a family of 3 in the median TANF state was $699 per month, or $8,388 per year, an amount that was 35% below the federal poverty line of $13,267. Fact: Food Stamps and Medicaid aside, other forms of assistance are either consider­ ably smaller or received by only a minority of TANF recipients, or both. For instance, in 1995, less than one-fourth (23%) of all public assis­ tance families received any type of federal housing subsidy. Myth: Welfare recipients freeload on government programs while everyone else works hard to earn a living. Fact: Over half of U.S. families receive government transfer payments of different kinds. Myth: Welfare spending is out of control, and means-tested entitlement programs in general are burdening taxpayers and enlarging the federal deficit. Fact: AFDC (now TANF), as a share of federal spending, declined from 1.5% in 1975 to 1% in 1994. Myth: Families receiving welfare are very large. Fact: In 1995, about tfiree1.tt5ur;tkls>{'i!3%)' ~f / ~ all ,fMJil ~Eii M f\F.~.<t .~~9 1qn~ 1 or 2 children, 11 1 1 1 111 and almost 90% had 3 or fewer (;'t{irdr'e'rf. •' Myth: Most welfare recipients are able­ bodied adults who have fallen into dependency and do not want to work. Fact: Many adult welfare recipients are active in the labor market and are often part of the working poor. Research indicates that during the mid-1980's, 40% of adult recipients worked at paid jobs, either simultaneously combining work and welfare or cycling between the two. Nearly three-quarters (71 %) of recipi­ ·ents had recent work histories. Fact: Welfare is primarily a children's program: in 1995, 69% of AFDC recipients were children, and 82% of those children were under the age of 12. Fully 100% of adult Wisconsin's welfare system (W-2) has been touted by public officials across the nation as the best state welfare plan in America. This is according to what one bases their judgment on. If based on caseload reduction, it ranks extremely high. Ranked according to number of forcible, physical evictions of families with children from their homes, it also ranks very high. Since W-2 began, evictions and homelessness have skyrocketed. Before W-2 began, Milwaukee County had an average of 700 physical evictions. After welfare "reform" began, 2,389 households were physically evicted by the county Sheriff's Department in 1998 alone. These were households that had their belongings literally set out on the sidewalk. According to a report from the Workers World, "In the past, people receiving eviction notices simply moved to another apartment. Now an increasing number have no resources at all and just stay put until they, their children and their possessions are forced out onto the street." At the same time, in 1998, Wisconsin changed its law to allow children to be removed from their family's home simply because the family is poor. Before this policy took affect last summer, the law required neglect to be established. Now if the family is poor, the state welfare recipients care for children, nearly always without a spouse's assistance. Myt h: Welfare encourages women to have children outside of wedlock. Fact: The growth in never-married women who are mothers has been greater among women who are not welfare recipients. The proportion of these mothers in the general population tripled between 1976 and 1992, increasing from 12% to 36%. Myth: There is an epidemic of teen childbearing in the United States. Fact: Teen births have been declining over the last thirty years. Few welfare recipi­ ents are teen mothers : in 1995, only 6% of. adult female AFDC recipients were age 19 or younger. Myth: Most people on welfare get trapped in the system and stay on for years as welfare becomes a way of life. Fact: Monthly data indicate that, of all people entering the AFDC program, 56% left within one year and 70% left within 2 years. Fact: About half of those who exited left for employment. The majority of these, however, ended up returning (most within 2 years), ott1n .b,.~c~~sr of a lack of stable employment and ina9~~uat~:.or !Jrtd~o~qab~e •. child car~,qr j'\ealt~ jn~ur~6ce~ 1 ) , ' 1 ) • £ • r _~ r 1= 1 >! Myth: Paid employment is the solution to welfare dependency. Jobs are available and chances are good that families on AFDC can move out of poverty if they would just work more. Fact: An increasing number of jobs pay low earnings. Over the period from 1973 to 1995, the share of workers with annual earnings lower than the poverty level for a 4­ person family increased from 24% to 30%. Furthermore, women are much more likely than men to earn poverty-level wages. Fact: In recent years, the minimum wage has dropped to a near 40-year low when adjusted for inflation. At the current minimum can legally take children away from their fami­ lies! Anyone receiving welfare, anyone working small below-livable wage jobs, and especially anyone who is terminated or sanctioned on welfare is in immediate danger of having the state take their children. With this happening, will workhouses and orphanages be far behind? Instead of providing a safety net to support mothers with children to be able to raise their children adequately, the government is blaming the victim and punishing mothers & children. In Wisconsin , W-2 denies cash assistance to any welfare applicant that a caseworker judges is job ready. The cash assistance is denied even though the parent does not have a job at the time or any means to support her children. Furthermore, Milwaukee has privatized its welfare system. Companies who have contracts with the welfare department make financial profits by decreasing the caseload size. This is a monetary incentive to get people off the rolls regardless of how much hardship these families will face. It is policy like this that is leading to the high eviction rates and children being taken from their parents as families lose any means of support. (Information Resources: " Workers World") wage of $5.15 per hour, by 2000 the minimum wage will be 26.7% below its 1979 level. Fact: Other characteristics of many low­ wage jobs that create obstacles tq relying on paid employment for economic self-sufficiency include the short duration and high turnover of many of these jobs; deteriorating job mobility prospects within and across firms; the increas­ ing incidence of part·time and temporary work; inadequate or nonexistent nonwage compensa­ tion (e.g. health insurance), and ineligibility for unemployment insurance coverage. Subscribe to Streetvibes 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 4521 O Please make checks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Etcetera... SHAKE ITOFF AND STEP UP from Cliff Jones A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule "braying" - or ­ whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well were worth the trouble of saving. Instead he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened ... and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shovel­ ling and the dirt hit his back ...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that everytime a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up... shake it off and step up ... shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! It was not long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUM­ PHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL What seemed like would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. THAT'S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness or self-pity... THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS US! Remember: FORGIVENESS, FAITH, PRAYER, PRAISE, and HOPE .... all are excel­ lent ways to "SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP" out of the wells in which we find ourselves! WALKING THE STREETS by Matthew Hagerty Out on the streets of Clifton and Over-the­ Rhine, there is a voice that cries out across the sidewalks and alleyways "Chocolate, cranber­ ries, Berta, bird, bat, read your 'Streetvibes.' That's where it's at." It is the call of Berta Lambert as he waves a newspaper over his head in front of the Esquire Theater. Lambert is 56 years-old and lives in a homeless shelter on Elm Street. He buys the 'Streetvibes' newspaper for 20 cents and then paces through the street in an attempt to sell them for a dollar. "I make enough money for pocket change," said Lambert. "If I can make five dollars I'm happy. That's all it takes for me to live on. I Berta Lambert hawks his papers near the Esquire Theater on Clifton Avenue spend 60 cents on the bus ride up and back and then the rest on living supplies and newspa­ pers." Lambert enjoys reading the news and keeping informed. He said that he buys the New York Ticnes every day, but has trouble finding the time to finish reading it. "To me, it's like getting a big piece of chocolate candy and not being able to eat it all," said Lambert. Some of Lamberts time is occupied by keeping the streets clean. As he walks down the street, he crushes cans that sit in the street gutters and along the walkways. "I can't stand to leave them there," said Lambert as he picks them up one by one and carries them. He then walks back to a gate that latches between the drug rehabilitation center and unlocks it with a key. Inside the gate are hundreds of bags filled with cans that sit organized neatly against the alley walls. "I'm an elected member of the Over-the ­ Rhine Board of Trustees," he said. "I'm the chairperson for the local cleanup campaign." Lambert also participates in many protest walks. He walked in "The Great Peace March for Nuclear Disarmament' in 1996. It was a walk that carried him from Los Angeles to New York and then to Washington D.C. He also partici­ pated in "The Walk for a Peaceful Future in the Middle East," and later even helped organize "The Poor Peoples Walk" that went from Cincin­ nati to Columbus, Ohio. "After you do a walk like that it builds self­ confidence," said Lambert. "You meet new people and exert yourself. We walked in extreme heat and a lot of cold." Lambert said that one of the greatest moments of his life was when he carried the Olympic Torch in the summer of 1996. "I was selected to be one of the people to carry the Olympic Torch," he said. "I wrote a paper about myself and sent it off. I was the only person from Over-the­ Rhine to do this. They gave us the option to buy the torches we carried, but I didn't have the money to but my torch from them. But that experience is going to be one of those things that's going on my obituary." Lambert says the worst days of his life are to come. "I'm getting older and don't have a family," he said. "If you look at my Page 11 life in terms of economics, I'm poor. Poverty limits you a lot. It doesn't let me do all that I want to. It makes it hard for us to keep up our health, and you don't have money to buy CD players or VCR's. We get left out." One of the things that stands out about Lambert is the pink hat that he wears. It reads "Be Kind." He said that the letters stand for ,6oost Everyone's Knowledge, Integrity, and .Qignity. Theses qualities mean a lot to Lambert who takes pride in his commu­ nity. As he walks down the streets of his neighborhood, he tells the stories behind all the buildings that sit abandoned and unkempt. "See that building," he said. "It's going- to be named after my friend Buddy Gray who was shot a while back. It's going to be a shelter for the homeless. You see that ball park over there. It used to be just a parking lot, but look at it now." Many of the buildings in Lamberts community are abandoned. Boards barricade the windows, paint chips are flaking off the brick, and trash clutters the street below. Lambert sees these places as potential homes and shelters for the poor and homeless who sleep in the muck of alleyways. Lambert is one of the lucky one's who found his way into the protection of the shelters. He writes articles for Streetvibes and sometimes takes pictures of the streets he used to call home. He takes pride in his neighborhood, and he wishes other people would too. "I think people should be peaceful planet people," he said just before he grabbed a stack of papers and walked into the street in front of the Esquire movie theater - where he would stand through the night crying out "Chocolate, cranberries, Berta, bird, bat, read your Streetvibes, that's where it's at.• .. Scramble by Ron Carter Try to unscramble these related words: ETERTSBEVSI SI NO HET SREI EESPLS LPHE SU KAET Tl EHGHRI Answers on page 15. tc.., ~'s~ ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION Oise.Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761 · 34&4 (513) 230-6353 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 STREETVIBES Mr. Whitehead, Dear Mr. Editorials & Kunzel, Letters I heard about your organization through Dan Cahill. He told me to write and ask to be put on your mailing list. I was born and raised in Reading, Ohio and the downtown city area. My mom died in July, 1998 and because of a few outstanding bills I had to sell the house. If I live long enough to get out of jail I'm going to need to get a roof over my head. Without it, I'll have to find a place under a bridge somewhere. I'm 61 years old and expect to be in my late ?O's when, and if, I get out. Well, see what you can do and I'll be looking forward to hearing from you. DEAR EDITOR I hope all the vengeful proponents of the death penalty feel better now that Wilford Berry has served as a sacrificial lamb for the lynch mob. In previous times, Mr. Berry would have been the witch burned at the stake in the town square to atone for all the evil in town that month. His murder by the state will not deter future killings, heal the broken hearts of those who grieve or rage at their powerlessness over life, nor will it keep us safe from crime. But like any placebo, it might make some feel better until another lamb is needed to calm the mob. His execution will save us some money, but we could have saved a lot more had we provided proper medical treatment for him thirty years ago. Those who have led the charge for this state murder; Betty Montgomery, State Senator Richard Finan, The Cincinnati Enquirer, etc., will have the blood (and souls) of innocent men on their hands because the system sucks, and mistakes (as well as railroad jobs) happen. Just think of your brother stepping into that death chamber as an innocent man! I still have a couple of questions that nobody has yet answered for me: 1. Why is Mr. Berry's accomplice not on death row too? 2. W hy is i~ that of the 20,000 homicides each year, only 250 get a death sentence? (And half of those are later overturned} 3. How come the homicides continue (and actually increase} in Texas and Virginia where they get to enjoy one execution after another? Execution is not the solution. There are no such easy answers for complex life situations, but we sure keep trying to find one as long as it is at someone else's expense. God forgive us fools. Wayne Hoevenaar, #168-223, Lebanon, Ohio Sincerely, Mary Louise Neumeier Elmer F. Neumeier Jimmy, Hi. I subscribe to Streetvibes. Very interesting paper. Especially the news from prisoners. I have a broth.er..on deatn row: Enclosed is an article on my brother. Want to know if you can put it in the next issue of Streetvibes? Thank you. Sincerely, Jackie Bowers Mr. Donald Whitehead, Mike Shryock Subject: Re: Drop Inn Center''••d'':_ --" . . I •!•112i111t11·1••111:1nt • l' . ' d .. Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless P. 0. Box 1232 Cheyenne, WY 82003-1232 (307) 634-8499 PHONE email: wch@vcn.com Subscribe to STREETV/BES! For only $12 per year you can have STREETVIBES delivered to your home every month. National and Local Stories on Issues regarding . homelessness and the Yo-el here ...Thanks for publishing my article in Streetvibes. I was brought aware of this by my comrade, Dan Cahill in Orient [Correctional Facility] . I was there over a month ago, but was transfered to Chilicothe, and my new location is on the outside. If at all possible could/would you forward me a copy of the-issue with the article I speak of. Plus, I seek ideas concerning subject matters that you feel peopte need/should know about. I have no problem whatsoever in'helping Where I'm needed. Your : ~~elP, r~Uified. fl'l'Jl from <?incinna,ti. myself, t born and !a~~ed, s~ a reply 1s requ,f:\~ted, at ~he , , earliest date possible. I'm out ort thlal rttte. I , ' I 1I Saying that I will remain strong, as I have no choice in the matter. !S I: Letters sent to all the papers [in Cincinnati protesting the closing and/or relocation of the Drop Inn Center.] If nothing else it makes them aware that what they do there is noticed in places other than Cincinnati, so maybe they'd think more?????? Virginia Sellner We are writing this letter to appeal to you and your Art and Business supporters to recon­ sider your efforts in trying to relocate the Drop Inn Center. We cannot imagine this center being any other place other than where it is. It has been a haven of rest, peace and home to so many desolate people over the years. We have visited the Center on many occasions and saw for ourselves all the wonderful things being done for the homeless, all the compassion and dedication of the volunteers and those who work there. If you and your supporters are familiar with Lenten Devotions and the Stations of the Cross, you will recall the 1Oth station, "Jesus is Stripped of His Garments" and you will immedi­ ately know that it is wrong to· 'strip' anyone of their dignity, and it is only right and just to reach out to those who cry for help, and not disrupt their lives needlessly. We appeal to you to please reconsider your plan to have the Drop Inn Center relocated. We sincerely pray that this campaign will come to a peaceful and just end, and not one that will disrupt the lives of so many homeless citizens, who are, indeed, all God's faithful tenants. . I Yo-el. Editors reply: Thank you Yo-el, for your interest and contribution to Streetvibes. We have found that prisoners are prolific writers but because of limited space we can't always print everything that we recieve from incarcerated persons. However, we are always interested in stories of hope and freedom. Also, keeping the number of words to a minimum will allow room for more writers. Peace. llqqr-,:. 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 4521 O �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 'YOUTH' cont. from front page Even though tobacco use is less among African American youth compared to other ethnic groups, African American teens are more likely to start smoking after they leave high school. It should be noted that some kids are able to illegally purchase their own cigarettes. However most kids get their nicotine supply from their parents or other adults. The increased health problems to African American youth are also brought about by a parent's use of tobacco. The Surgeon General's Report highlighted the increased health danger of exposure to kids of second­ hand smoke at home, in cars and in public places like restaurants. Exposure of second­ hand smoke has resulted in a higher number of African American children who have asthma attacks compared to other ethnic groups. They are seen in the emergency room for asthma more than any other group and the asthma also seems to be more severe. Smoking while pregnant among African Americans can lead to serious health problems for their unborn children. Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to deliver babies with weights too low. If all women quit smoking during pregnancy, about 4,000 babies would not die each year. To ensure that it has customers for years to come, the tobacco industry is now focusing much of its advertisement efforts towards African Americans. The Surgeon General's 1998 Report mentions how studies have found a higher density of tobacco bill­ boards in racial/ethnic communities. Three major African American publications - Ebony, Jet, and Essence- had 12% more cigarette advertisements than widespread publications such as Newsweek, Time, and People. Accord­ ing to the report, the tobacco industry has attempted to maintain a positive image and public support among African Americans by supporting cultural events and by funding minority higher education institutions, elected officials, civic and community organizations, and scholarship programs. During Minority Health Month, a variety of activities such as fairs, and workshops are being offered to address health concerns among Ohio minority members. A calendar of events describing these activities is available through the Commission on Minority Health by calling (614) 466-4000. For a copy of the U.S. Surgeon General's Report, go to http://www.cdc.gov/ tobacco/sgr-min-fs-afr.htm IS FIFTH/ THIRD BANK RUNNING OUT OF MONEY? Carolyn Meszaros On Saturday, February 13, I got a long awaited refund check (not paycheck or the like, refund check). I could have gotten it shortly after January 1 if the sender had been the least bit efficient. It was drawn on Fifth/Third Bank. Since it was around 2:00 p. m. when I got the check, it wasn't possible to cash it at my favorite check-cashing place as that was closed, and, of course, the banks, too, were closed. I needed the money but not desperately enough to go out to kingdom come (there are places open Saturday afternoon and Sunday), so I decided to wait until Tuesday (Monday was Presidents' Day, so everything was closed Monday, too), and just take it to Fifth!Third (it had my name spelled very badly, anyway). Fairly early Tuesday, February 16, I went to the Fifth!Third main office since that hap­ pened to be convenient. I handed the check to the teller and she informed me there would be a $5 charge for cashing the check if I didn't have an account there or I could open an account (and of course incur any subsequent bank charges). Supposedly the policy was in effect as of February 16; they only cashed checks for their customers. I didn't go there to open an account or to pay $5 out of a belated refund; so, I pointed out the obvious, the check was drawn on Fifth/Third. That the depositor was their customer was irrelevant. The withdrawer also had to be their customer. I could talk to a manager if I liked. I sat for the manager. While I sat, maybe ten m'inutes, a couple of other people opted to sit, but I can't say for sure it was the same type situation. Same song and dance from the manager; and, we got a bit sticky in the matter, me pointing out things like they were essentially acting as cashier for said company. Made no difference, I was not one of their customers. Both the teller and the manager wanted to know where I banked, which I don't think happened to be any of their business, but I told them BenchMark Federal and I liked them. They never heard of BenchMark (this was a manager at the main branch of Fifth/Third, you under­ Page 13 stand). Well, they've been around for 150 years (I think it's really 120) and that struck me as pretty stable; and, furthermore, if Fifth/Third hadn't been closed Presidents' Day I would have been over before their rule went into effect since I got the check Saturday. According to the manager I could have cashed the check at Kroger's the day before to which I said why should I have to go to Kroger's .... Now, I, personally, had no real problem. simply went up to BenchMark, had the teller call Fifth!Third to make sure there were funds in that account, and cashed it. I can, however, see that if all the banks start charging $5 to cash a "non­ customer" check, this could be a severe hard­ ship to people working the "work today get paid today" temporary services. If such people work every other day, get four checks as a result, the net pay after taxes might be $35-$40 per day ($160) and if it's a "non-customer" situation they'd be handing over $20 just to get their money on a weekly basis-$80 or more a month out of money needed for rent or whatever. After I took care of my immediate busi­ ness, I called the federal information number and subsequently talked with someone in Texas who informed me the $5 charge was perfectly legal. They also gave me information on a deputy whatever they are in Sharonville; but, I didn't call there. I did, however, call the state legislative offices (Senator Finan's office) to report a possible hardship (I honestly don't think the girl got what I was talking about, though) and the governor's constituency office to say the same thing. Since one might conclude that neither Fifth/Third Bank nor Kroger's is in dire need of customers, I, personally, can think of only two reasons why such a policy would be adamantly enforced: 1. Cut-throat competition to knock out even large banks if possible, and 2. Fifth/ Third has so many poor-risk depositors that they hope to regain some of the money lost on bad checks issued (if company "x" w rites checks with no money to cover them in the account, and the person getting the check runs to the bank immediately-a sensible thing to do if you don't trust the thing-and it takes 2-3 days to run it through to the depositor's account, then the money given to the person cashing the check is being put up by the bank; the person is long gone, so an account there from which the bank could retrieve the money makes sense from the bank's point of view). Anyhow, considering the number of people working at places like MinuteMan, QuickStaff, Labor Ready, etc., even though their accounts may be at banks that presently don't charge, that doesn't mean such can't turn up especially if competition demands it. " H1TTHE BULL'S EVE WITH OUSING IN A HURRY! If you're in the market for a new apartment, call Cincinnati's affordable alternative ... CMHA communities are budget-fri endly, are located in neighbor­ hoods across Hamilton County, and are near the places important to you ... jobs, churches, hospitals and stores! With CMHA's Housing In A H urry Program, you can be made eligible to be housed in 5 days or less. Don't miss this opportunity! Location: 163 5 Western A venue Call CMHA at 421-8190. Comedy Corner by Ron Carter CMHA ! Hours: Mon.-Sat., 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. • There once was a guy named Will Who lived on Capitol Hill He went out to have some fun with Wanda. Who drove a little blue Honda This took place a few years ago Their were witnesses who told me so He lied to his wife named Lil Now he's about to become a done deal. Just like the old TV show, Dragnet The names have been changed to protect the innocent. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 'Nation• from page 7 ... performs less well than predicted. Add to this the plan of many in Congress to create an expensive new entitlement - individual retire­ ment accounts - and the cuts in the nonde­ fense portion of the discretionary budget grow still deeper. Capitol Hill New Census Legislation The House Committee on Government Reform approved seven bills affecting census operations the week of March 15, mostly along party lines and despite strong opposition from Commerce Secretary William Daley. The Committee markup highlighted the ongoing disagreement between Republicans and Demo­ crats on how best to address the chronic undercount of racial minorities, children, immi­ grants and the urban and rural poor. Some of the bills require a post-census local review, printing census forms in 33 languages and Braille and mailing a second questionnaire to all households. Democrats accused Republicans of trying to burden the census process in order to prevent the Bureau from tabulating corrected numbers by the legal deadline for transmitting redistrict­ ing data to the states. Ranking Democrat Carolyn Maloney (0 -NY) called the package of bills a ''wolf in sheep's clothing." The full House is likely to consider at least one of the bills next week before Congress breaks for Spring recess. Homeless Programs Hearing On March 16, The House Banking and Financial Services Committee's Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 1073. This bill was introduced on March 11 by Subcommittee Chair Rick Lazio (A-NY) and Representative Barney Frank ( D~ MA). In general, the witnesses called to testify supported the bill. Concerns addressed in remarks by some of the hearing witnesses and some members of the Subcommittee included: block granting homeless assistance funds to states and local governments; Shelter Plus Care funds being used to fund housing renewals; the amount of local flexibility in using the funds. It is unclear when the Subcommittee will mark-up the bill. Public Housing Agencies Sue HUD Organizations representing the nation's public housing agencies have filed suit .ag~inst HUD in Federal District Court for the D1stnct of Columbia. The suit charges that HUD violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to provide an adequate comment period and information during the rulemaking process on the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS), the new version of the old Public Housing Management Assessment Program (PH MAP). PHAS scores the performance of public housing authorities in four areas: physical quality, financial capacity, management ~erfor­ mance and resident satisfaction. HUD will use PHAS scoring results to determine the amount of federal funding housing authorities receive and the extent of federal regulation and over­ sight to which housing authorities must submit. According to the housing authorities, the crux of the suit is HUD's refusal to fully describe how housing authorities will be assessed and scored. The housing authorities assert that the standards must be public for the program to function, while HUD, the housing authorities say, fears they will "game" the system if they kno~ the rules. According to a fact sheet the housing authorities have distributed, HUD has likened providing the information to allowing students to grade their own papers. For more information: National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, 202/ 289-3500; Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, 202/638-1300; Public Housing Authorities Directors Association, 202/546-5445; National Organization of African Americans in Housing, 202/588-0866. · Success Stories A Measure of Success Eight years ago, Joan, a Columbus, Ohio native, found herself, her kids and her husband homeless and living out of a car. After floating for some time among abandoned buildings, relatives and parking lots, she left her husband and entered the Catholic Social Services' Holy Rosary Family Shelter. Funded by federal Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG), the Holy Rosary program not only provided her family shelter, but also assisted her in setting goals, taught her how to budget her money and to keep a clean house. For the past two years Joan has been successfully employed and is currently respon­ sible for helping adolescents who are not capable of helping themselves. In addition, with the assistance of the Lutheran Social Services' Supportive Housing program, a Continuum of Care program, her hard work and perseverance have given her family the opportunity to recently move into a new apartment so that she can bring up her kids in the way she really wants. Terri Weisbrode Green with the Commu­ nity Shelter Board in Columbus believes that the comprehensive approaches to ending homelessness encouraged by the ESG and Continuum of Care programs were the key to Joan's success. Contact: Terri Weisbrode Green at the Community Shelter Board (614)221-9195. Minneapolis Private Funding The McKnight Foundation has awarded a $23 million grant to the Family Housing Fund in Minneapolis to build and preserve 5,000 units of affordable housing over the next four years in that city. Page 14 and the statewide investment/resource priorities process. You can contact your local primary care association via the web at http:// www.bphc.hrsa.dhhs.gov/bphc/stintel/st.htm or call the NHCHC at 615/226-2292. NAEHAwards The National Alliance to End Homelessness held its Tenth Annual Awards Ceremony on March 18. The multimedia program, including readings by Lee Stringer, author of Grand Central Winter, and perfor­ mances by the Washington Performing Arts Society's Children of the Gospel Choir, honors representatives from the private, nonprofit and public sectors. This year's private sector awardee was H. Wayne Huizenga of Republic Industries in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The nonprofit award was given to Lakefront SRO in Chicago and was accepted by Jean Butzen, President. The public sector award went to former Portland, Oregon City Commissioner Gretchen Miller Kafoury (Ms. Kafoury introduced Portland's enacted and under-attack preserva­ tion ordinance last fall). , Department of Housing and Urban Devel­ opment Secretary Andrew Cuomo received the John W. Macy Award. In his remarks, Secretary Cuomo stated, 'We need more affordable housing .... The economy is so strong .. . now is the time to do these things .. . it's a matter of political will." Scholarship Fund NLIHC is committed to assuring that the perspective of low income people is directly represented in the deliberations and actions of the coalition. That requires providing the support necessary fgr low income people to come to Washington. NLIHC is establishing a Scholarship Fund for contributions designated to underwrite travel and accommodation expenses of low income people, who serve on our Board _-/' of Directors, who represent state coalitions, an~-----­ who participate in our conferences. e.tease-sena a donation to the NLIHC SChOtarship Fund, 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 610, Washington, DC 20005. Thank you for your help. Texas Public Funding According to the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service, an agreement by Texas housing advocates and the new Director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Daisy Stiner, the Depart­ ment has committed to doubling its spending on the state's lowest income families - an increase of $15 million a year. In the Dallas Morning News, John Henneberger, of the Texas·Low Income Housing Information Services, stated "It is unprecedented." For more in-depth Texas housing information visit Texas Low Income Housing at their web site http:// www.texashousing.org. Resources The National Healthcare for the Homeless Council is encouraging all local healthcare for the homeless (HCH) projects to participate actively in their local primary care associations and primary care offices. According to ~HCHC, the Bureau of Primary Health Care provides funding to primary care associations and primary care offices. These are increasingly important agents in the devolution of health care 0 spending. They are charged to ensure "10~ /o access to preventive and primary care serv~ces and 0% health disparities in every community across the country". Being involved with the associations and the offices will help ensure your community's dollars are being effectively used. NHCHC strongly encourages health care for the homeless projects to form relationships with their primary care associations and to participate in association and office activitie~ , including the statewide market place analysis C. D. CORNER by Gregory Payton We would like for our patrons to be aware about chemical dependency. We would like to inform, educate and let you know just what maybe going on in your community, work place, or even household. Some people do drugs because, their friends do, they think it's cool, they have low self-esteem, they want to belong, want to have fun, or they're just curious. Re­ gardless of the reason, we know they were misinformed. This issue we will discuss: Huffing According to Dr. Neil Rosenberg (Medical Director, International Institute of Inhalant Abuse) huffing is when the indivdual inhal~s household products we use to fuel our engines, freshen our air, and paint our projects. When inhaled or huffed, these inhalant's provide a quick, cheap and accessible way to get high, but their effect can be deadly. This is more dangerous than Marijuana, Cocaine. The long term effects are loss of memory and brain damage. Remember that when the label says "this is dangerous" it really is to what we treasure the most~ (Freeman http://www.cbn.org./news/stories/huffing.asp) �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Announcements Live Studio Audience Wanted STUDIOS OF CINCINNATI COMMUNITY VIDEO, 2 114 READING ROAD, FROM 7 TO 8PM. STREETVIBES TV COVERS NEWS ON POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS AND RELATED ISSUES. CALL US AT THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE. FOR MORE INFORMATION - 421-7803 National Protest to Stop STREETVIBES TV SHOW­ the Execution of Mumia WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE? Abu Jamal SHOW IS TAPED LIVE ON THE April 24th, 1999 Philadelphia, PA SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH For More Information Call Justice AND IS BROADCAST FROM THE Watch (513) 241-0490 STREETVIBES Classified Ads Streetvibes is now accepting Classi­ fied 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 allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be re­ ceived 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 t o 421-781 3 music Band Looking for Wor k 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. position wanted Dwight Wise HVAC Technician for hire. 24 Service! • Call 751-3182. Thank You! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line. Ca/1421-7803 for info. Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About Page 15 In Memory of "Mac" Who Believed In Hu­ man Rights For Every­ one & Who Founded Jus­ tice Watch ... Because 'Every­ one' includes Prison­ ers and Former Pris­ oners. Scramble Answers from page 11 ... Streetvibes Is On The Rise Please Help Us Take It Higher Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm 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 stories in this paper. and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, May 8th, 1999, noon to 1 pm Streetvibes! Advertise in Streetvibes! StreetvibeS Vendor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to b e 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 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 m~ke someone feel threatened. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes ~o 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 failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to over 5,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 1/2" $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 or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine OUR DEEPEST FEAR "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. You are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within you. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we uncon­ sciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence auto­ matically liberates others." Attributed to Nelson Mandella Page 16 Streetvi bes TV The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video, 2114 Reading Road. 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 information. Streetvibes TV MAY Schedule May's Live TV show will begin at 7PM, Monday, May 1Oth, and will be broadcast from the Reading Road Studio. The new show format includes a studio audience along with a guest panel discussion. Channel 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. MONDAY. MAY 1Qth at 7PM. Rebroadcast Dates for Show on Chan­ nel 24: Saturday, May 1, 1999, 4 PM Friday, May 14, 1999, 11 am Friday, May 21, 1999, 11 AM Monday, May 24, 1999, 1 PM Saturday, May 22, 1999, 4 PM o Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our viewing audience. 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. .. Streetvi bes Wish List Streetvibes newspaper 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... >35 MM Film for Streetvibes photo's >Laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper >Good used or new Xerox machine . >Office Supplies >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups, etc.) >Computer for Streetvibes layout and writing ender: 80 cents >Subscribers a in-:ror Call the Greater Cincinnati Coal' ·c the Homeless at 421 -780 if you can help! 0 Printing and Production: 20 cents e r If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feet free to call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. SHELTERS: Women and Children 241-2757 Alice Paul House (Abuse) 281-5770 YWCA Transitional living Prog. 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431-8717 Welcome House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241 -5525 241-0490 241-2965 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER: Both 761-1480 Caracole (AIDS} 821-5100 Chabad House 721-0643 Drop Inn Center (Singles) 381 -5432 Friars Club 863-8866 Haven House (Hamilton) 244-7226 Interfaith Hospitality Network lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 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 421-7803. Thanks for your support. e St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental Ill) Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House St. Francis- St. Joseph 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 Beech Acres ?• 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 639-7056 961-4555 241-7343 921-7324 784-1853 921-1613 381-4941 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 421-2437 621-5991 231-6630 Center for Independent living Options 241-2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center 241 -2563 Emanuel Community Center 241-1 064 Freestore/Foodbank Goodwill Industries 771-4800 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 221-3679 House of Refuge Mission 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 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 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 April 1999 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Struggle to Save Drop Inn Center Intensifies African American Youth: A Preferred Tobacco Industry Customer Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 3: Homeless Disease Pg 4: Police Predators FICA Rip-off Pg 5: The Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide News Point of View Pg 8: Prison News Pg 9: HUD Funding Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: Walking the Streets Streetvibes Etcetera Pg 13: Cleveland News Comedy Corner 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 April 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Photographer: Jimmy Heath Writers: Mary Ann Bravo Ron Carter Denise Crew Sheila Crowley Dorcy Mathew Hagerty Jimmy Heath Mike Henson Cliff Jones Susan Knight Carolyn Meszaros Gina Miller Gregory Payton Eunice Timoney Ravenna Dr. Tom Bomani A. Tyehimba Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Bomani A. Tyehimba Carolyn Meszaros Cliff Jones Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Dorcy Dr. Tom Drop Inn Center Eunice Timoney Ravenna Gina Miller Gregory Payton Jimmy Heath Lynn Williams Mary Ann Bravo Mathew Hagerty Mike Henson police brutality prisoner Ron Carter Sheila Crowley Susan Knight the broken city The Traveler welfare https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/427d39118a45249af655646c694abcf8.pdf 0efdeacbb2381763d03bfddc4b48c159 PDF Text Text CENSUS: HOW DO YOU COUNT THE HOMELESS? What is the most frequently asked question about the homeless? The truth is the exact number of homeless people is really difficult to determine. The very nature of homelessness makes most traditional methods of enumeration very difficult. Point in time studies are used with many groups when attempting to attach numbers to their population. The very nature of many homeless peoples' choice of shelter (which may include abandoned buildings, abandoned cars, under bridges, garages and there are also legends of people living in caves along the Ohio River) makes counting the homeless a very difficult task even for the most dedicated outreach workers. Another difficult group of homeless people to count are those that live in doubled-up situations with other families. The Homeless Coalition has had visits from families that have as many as four families in a one bedroom apart­ ment. Amazingly this population is not consid­ ered homeless by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. These complications coupled with seasonal population shifts (the numbers of homeless singles in shelters go up in the winter while numbers of woman and children tend to go down in the winter and up in the summer) add to the difficulties in point in time studies. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition_for the Homeless plans to update the 1992 Greater Cincinnati Homeless Study for 1999-2000. The 1990 census undercounted approxi­ mately 4 million people, about the same total number who were counted in the first census 200 years ago. Even more troubling, this last census was, for the first time in history less accurate than its predecessor. The undercount of the population was 33 percent greater than the undercoat in the 1980 census. The census terribly undercounted those How do you count persons who do not have homes? living in poverty and especially those that were without homes. Agriculture Department Officials made promises to rethink there methodology used to count the homeless. The 1990 census so terribly undercounted the homeless population its numbers were laughable even to the most conservative of critics. Representatives promised not to even give a number attached to the home­ less in this years census. A week ago many advocates were sent letters asking for their cooperation in helping with the 2000 census. I was amazed that after promising that there would be no homeless count this year the department asked for the the locations of outdoor homeless encampments. While the need for a accurate homeless count is extremely important it is an absolute betrayal to give government officals photo by Jimmy Heath outdoor locations that may cause them to loose their only means of existence. The 2000 census will not even come close to the true numbers of people who experience the most extreme form of poverty. We have already seen the total inability to count this population in recent studies by the census. The 1999 Home­ less Coalition Study will try to give you a more accurate picture but even this study will miss a few. The truth is we my never be able to get a completely accurate homeless count, that is at · least not until the guys come in from the caves. INSIDE THE EMPOWERMENT ZONE IMPORTANT LISTS ALONG THE WAY by Berta Lambert In the beginning there was poverty and chao_s and the will to make things better! Twenty-four percent of all Cincinnati residents live in poverty. Cincinnati is the 49th largest U.S. city but compared to the 75 largest cities in the country: (a) it has the 12th highest rate of poverty; (b) the 9th lowest median household income ($24,006); and (c) the 9th greatest population loss during the 1990's (-5%). From such data it is easy to see Cincinnati has problems. In 1994 the Clinton administration created the concept of an Empowerment Zone (EZ) to assist solving poverty in the U.S. Many see the effort as a second generation of the 1960's Model Cities anti-poverty program. EZ's have set programs standards of accomplishment and some deadlines. Six cities were selected in the 1st round in 1994, Cincinnati was not. But in 1997 the Avondale Community Council with Jerry Pryor the lead mobilized nine communities, private and public sectors to reapply. On January 13th, 1999 Cincinnati was formally designated for an Empowerment Zone by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). An EZ should improve the quality of life of its residents by: (1) providing jobs, (2) providing career job skills, (3) improve the health of all ages, (4) improve transportation and (5) en­ hance local culture. The objective is to dramati­ cally improve lives and communities. To make such changes takes money and hard work. Cincinnati's $2.2 billion ten-year commitment of local resources includes; {A) $323 million in cash and program dollars; (B) $430 million in loan commitments; (C) $400 million in supplier subcontract opportunities; (D) $220 million in jobs based on a com­ mitment of 10,037 positions; (E) $700 million in committed Zone investments, and (F) $182 million in staff support and other in-kind services. Impressive Yes! But only if commitments are kept and resources used wisely. Congress is supposed to appropriate $1 o million a year for ten years to each of the 15 Round 2 Urban Empowerment Zones. However, only $3 million has so far been appropriated. The House Ways and Means Committee is the 1st scheduled stop for the $7 million bill. Local Congressperson Bob Portman is a com­ mittee member and is supportive. Rep. Steve Chabot whose district encompasses the entire EZ has not made a public statement of support. The operating structure for managing Cincinnati's Empowerment Zone programs is a non-profit entity known as the Cincinnati Enpowernmnet Corporation (CEC) formed within the State of Ohio October 1st, 1998. CE C's 33 member Board of Trustees has: 11 community representatives; 11 business representatives; and 11 representatives from government, faith community and non-profit sectors. At this printing CEC will have had two Board meetings at the Urban League Building (3458 Reading Road) . At its 1st meeting March 29th, 1999 the Trustees formed 4 organizational committees: (A) Nominating Committee; (B) By­ law Committee; (C) Board Training Work Group and (D) Administrative Work Group. The latter group of which the writer is a member will make recommendations at the trustee meeting April 26th concerning; (1) securing Legal Counsel; (2) �STREETVIBES . The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper written 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. The Streetvibes Vendor Program gives our vendors an opportunity to get back on their feet. All Streetvibes vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. A case file is developed on each vendor so that we may track and help facilitate the vendors' move from poverty to self­ sufficiency. The Streetvibes Newspaper Plan­ ning Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a com­ ment, story or editorial that you would like published please call 421-7803. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Ron Carter, Vendor Support Gina Miller, Rapid Exit Program Photographer Jimmy Heath Writers Ron Carter Denise Crew Richard Frye Jimmy Heath Mike Henson Berta Lambert Charlie Mattingly Gina Miller Patrick Mosolf Gregory Payton James Pryor Victor Velez Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvlbes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O (513) 421-7803 fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net web page: http://cinci.com/gcch The Traveler Page 2 America. America should be a peacekeeper in our own backyard. Traveling In The Backyard The National Coalition for the Home­ less Civil Rights Organizing Project (NHCROP), sponsored by the National by Donald Whitehead Coalition for the Homel~ss is a response to the Civil Rights Violations and hate crimes This months traveler comes from over 45 cities. I have traveled to some, and just heard or against homeless individuals by the police policy makers and the general community read about others. I have written about some of throughout the country. The project purposes these places in past travelers and will probably to develop a mechanism through which do so again. T he traveler starts however in a grassroots homeless organizations and place I've never been. You've heard a lot about homeless individuals/families can fortify their this place recently. It is the sight of yet another by hooking up to a national local responses peace keeping mission, a peace keeping mission network. The result will coordinate sharing of that uses bombs rather than diplomacy. A strategies to develop proactive protections/ strategy justified by atrocities perpetrated against strategies/actions against rights abuses, a Ethnic Albanians by Serbian leader Slovan greater ability to fight against local abuses, Milosivic and his troops. NATO forces bomb and increased public awareness-all of away and move ever closer to the use of ground which will help to end the increased use of forces. Albanian refugees are being forced out antihomeless laws. by the 1OOO's. Refugee's are being forced to NHCROP plans to have seven organiz­ endure unimaginable crimes and unlivable ing posts in different regions of the country: conditions. The situation is an unthinkable one East, Midwest, Southeast, Northwest and for most Americans or is it? Southwest and a national office in Washing­ In over 45 cities in the U.S leaders wage ton, D,C. Proposed cities for field offices war on another group of people. It occurred to and national headquarters: Atlanta, Chicago, me that although most Americans are, and Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Portland, San should be, outraged by the situation in Kosovo, Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The site in we ignore or deny the same atrocities here at Washington, D.C will serve as both a field home. Many people will argue that the crimes site and national headquarters. are not the same. They may not be exactly the The National Coalition is taking a same in sheer numbers but they are very similar proactive approach to a very serious prob­ in seriousness. Every day homeless people are lem. Below are examples of laws that are harassed, beaten, even raped or murdered currently discriminating against the Home­ simply because of their lifestyle. We continue to Atlanta: In 1996 Atlan.ta made it illegal less. see new laws that encourage the homeless to for "sleeping in public " and "to camp". become invisible. Our country is filled with jails Camping is defined as laying down on a over- crowded with people who have done little blanket to sleep on, preparing a meal or more than break laws that are for the most part living in a car. Atlanta also made it illegal to civil rights violations. In some cities one way bus walk across a parking lot without owning a tickets are the way to get the homeless to move Austin: In 1996 Austin approved an car. on. In other city's a more direct approach is ordinance to ban camping in public places. taken. In Cleveland police officials were accused Misdemeanor offense carrying a $500 fine. If of dumping homeless people outside the city you can't pay, you do community service or limits. Mayors in New York, San Francisco, go to jail. Beverly Hills: Beverly Hills now Miami, and others have declared an all out war or has a law forbidding sitting on a sidewalk on quality of life crimes. No sitting, no standing, leaving baggage on the streets. Cleveland : no camping, and no walking across the parking In 1997, homeless people won an out of lot unless you own a car there, laws continue to court settlement against the City of Cleve­ make homeless peoples lives ever more unbear­ • land in which the police agreed to end the able. Hate crimes continue to be perpetrated practice of driving and dumping homeless against the homeless. Throat slashing; baseball people at the far end of the city limits. bat beatings; and people doused with gasoline Honolulu: This city has prohibited nighttime and set on fire are commonplace in the homeless sleeping. Missal, MT: You can't linger in community. public. Orlando, Fl: The city just passed a These crimes are of little concern to most law that requires every panhandler to get a Americans who have lost interest in the home­ permit from City Government. Palo Atlo: In less plight. There is little protest when Mayors of 1997, the city passed anti-sitting/lyilllg law. major city's brag about the numbers of mentally Richmond, Va: The City Council passed an ill inmates they have in their criminal justice ordinance requiring that one must get a system. Homeless people also face everyday harassment by police forces in most cites. As we zoning variance to feed more than 30 people in an outdoor location. Santa Ana: "Va­ drive homeless people futher underground, are grants are no longer welcome." The City we any better than those that we denounce in asked charities to quit giving away free food. other countries. The United Nations Declaration Overhead sprinklers are left on 24 hours a of Human Rights lists housing as a basic Human day to discourage sitting and camping. Right. If we believe in the principles the United Police are doing regular sweeps, and are Nations is founded on we are one of the worlds throwing away homeless peoples' personal biggest human rights violators. As cites reclaim properity. Seattle: illegal to sit on the central business districts poor people are being sidewalk. Sparks, NV: a homeless man was pushed out of their homes. Town Houses and arrested for soliciting work. His sign read: Condo's go up and Public Housing comes down. "Unemployed Vet. Will Work for Food. God Where is the protest over the systematic elimina­ Bless You." He got two months in jail. He tion of affordable housing in every major city in America. Our we not cleansing our inner-city's of sued and won a $10,000 settlement. Wash­ ington, D.C.: the Mayor is proposing " minorities and low income people. Beggar Badges." Panhandlers will be People are appalled at the images of requir,ed to have a permit; a fee is to be refugee's living in squalor. Lack of food, water charged. and medical supplies ripe for disease and death. A 1994 Parade Magazine poll found The very same condition exists in hundreds of outdoor camps in the United States. Its time that that 82% of the public does not believe that homeless people should be banned from Americans, the policemen of the world begin to libraries, parks, mass transit and other public police their own backyard. We should justifiably places. A 1995 Gallup Poli found that 86% be saddened by the events in Kosovo. Our of Americans have sympathy for the Home­ hearts should be burdened by their enormous less:31% are more sympathetic today than struggle. We should also be deeply troubled by five years ago. the atrocities that go on every single day in �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine DROP INN CENTER SUBJECT OF COUNCIL DISCUSSION AT CITY HALL Page 3 FOUR RECEIVE MCCRACKIN AWAROS Greater Cincinnati Community Shares The following are excerpts taken from an official transcript of a Cincinnati City Council meeting on April 4th, 1999. Mr. Booth: I do have one additional . byleave. This other byleave is in reference to the Drop Inn Center. I move the administration report on the Drop Inn Center to build a new home for the existing SCPA [School for the Creative and Performing Arts]. We received calls on this and wa11ted to receive an update on that. Thank you. Mrs. Cooper: That will be referred. Mr. Tarbell: Maybe I can help with that a little bit. I am working on several aspects of that. I don't think the city has a position. I don't think the city is involved in that at this point. It was a recommendation by the Cincinnati Arts and Entertainment Committee that is working on a plan for Washington Park, that everything would be better if that program {the Drop Inn Center] was in another location. It is important to under­ stand the history of it. It started on Vine Street some 15 years ago. It was located on Vine Street because the person in charge at that time saw a store front that appealed to him. It was not because the client base was there. Then it moved to 14th and Main. It was there for a couple of years. Not because of the client base was there (sic), but because of available store front. They were evicted by the health depart­ ment. They moved next door to the present location. They occupy the Teamsters Union Hall. Against the City Manager at the time, allowed them to stay. Then the building was built next 'CITY' cont. on page 14... Contents ; I The Traveler Mccrackin Awards Collective Actions Mental Health The Broken City Arts & Poetry Comedy Corner National News Prison News Speakers Bureau Welfare News Arts Center Debate Scramble Letters & Editorials Cinti's Appalachians The Champ Classified Ads Streetvibes Radio TV Schedule Page2 Page3 Page4 Page4 Page5 Page6 Page7 Page7 Pages Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 13 Page 15 Page 15 Page 16 Winners of the Maurice Mccrackin Peace and Justice Awards, Left to Right: PhotobyJimmyHeath Denise Crew, Bill Joiner, Mary Ann Lederer, & Mike Henson The late Rev. Maurice Mccrackin spent his life working for peace, equality and justice. He dreamed of building a "beloved community," where all God's children would be welcomed and honored. But he knew it has to be done one-by­ one. That's essential. This is what the annual Maurice Mccrackin Peace and Justice Awards recognize: the efforts of individual Cincinnatians to transform the world, person by person. The 1999 winners are Denise Crew, Mike Henson, Bill Joiner and Mary Ann Lederer. They were honored at a public May Day celebra­ tion hosted by Greater Cincinnati Community Shares, Saturday, May 1st, 1999 at Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church. Denise Crew has worked for 20 years for homeless and low-income people in Over-the­ Rhine. She calls them her "children," but they are also her neighbors. As shelter coordinator of the Drop Inn Center, she puts in sometimes 70 to 80 hours a week. She was a founding editor of Voices, a community action newspaper, and she is a regular contributor to the newspaper, Streetvibes. Her poems have been reprinted in local and state publications, and through song and voice she has contributed to countless rallies and protests. A single-mother, she has raised three of her own children and numerous foster children. Mike Henson is also a writer and social activist with strong ties to Over-the-Rhine. Although his days are full working for the Urban Appalachian Council's Environmental Leadership Project in Lower Price Hill, he continues to volunteer at the Drop Inn Center. A state certi­ fied chemical dependency counselor, he provides free consultation at the Center during his lunch breaks. In previous jobs and during 15 year residency in Over-the-Rhine, he helped organize inner-city Appalachian youth. Both of his books, Ransack and A Small Room with Trouble on My Mind, are unique portraits of life in Over-the­ Rhine. Bill Joiner is a physics professor at the University of Cincinnati who has never let the privileges of middle class life numb him to the needs of the less fortunate. Inspired by Rev. Mccrackin and the late Buddy Gray, he has devoted himself to homeless persons, prisoners and ex-prisoners, working through Justice Watch , the Drop Inn Center and the Homeless Coalition. He helped negotiate the first collective bargain­ ing agreement at UC and has walked the .picket lines and labored in solidarity with numerous other workers. Through additional volunteer efforts at Planned Parenthood, ACLU and the United Way, he has striven to make this a more tolerant and just community. Mary Ann Lederer is well-known as an artist who, with bright colors and vivid images, shares her vision of a peaceful world. She is also a speaker, a regular letter writer and an organizer. Often her campaigns for human rights are through established organii:ations, such as EarthSave, the Contact Center and the lntercom­ munity Justice and Peace Center. But when she finds unanswered needs, she will create her own means to address them. Last year she solicited more than 400 books from friends and distributed them to children in her neighborhood of Fairmont. Though disabled as a young woman, Mary Ann has never let life in a wheelchair be anything less than fully committed to t~e libera­ tion of others. Greater Cincinnati Community Shares was the host of this annual, free event. Featured . speakers were Marian and Donald Spencer. Featured singers were the Laborers Local 265 Men's Chorus and members of MUSE Cincinnati' Women's Choir. A reception followed the program. Greater Cincinnati Community Shares is a federation of local nonprofit organizations that work collaboratively to increase support for their community-based programs, primarily by con­ ducting workplace campaigns. Subscri·be to Streetvibes 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 issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521O Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine FIRE SHOWS LACK OF COLLECTIVE ACTION by Patrick Moso/f St. Francis, St. Joseph Catholic Worker House Newsletter The night of January 7th, one of our guests noticed that a building down the street was spewing flames out of its windows. Outside, people gathered to watch as fire trucks rolled up and set to work extinguishing the inferno. Several hours later, trucks were still blocking traffic on Liberty and 15th streets. Despite the passing interest and the light' show, most of the people reacted with a sense of tragedy. Being a person who looks for the causes of things, I wondered, "Why is this building burning down? Why is this happening despite Cincinnati's lack of affordable housing, and the historic value of the buildings?" One cause appears to be the lack of collective action in the United States. By this I mean that the American people are more likely to look for personal security and gain than to try to work together for mutual goals. Lack of collective action and rugged individualism are two sides of the same coin. "Rugged individualism" is often said to be one of the defining elements of American culture. While it has its positive elements, such as freedom of thought, it also has its downside. One of these is our inability to work as a group for common goals, such as maintaining our city neighborhoods and providing homes for the poor. Another trend in the U. S. also relates to the fire on 15th street. Since the end of World War II, more and more Americans have been living in places called suburbia. At first this trend seems unrelated to individualism. But when one looks deeper, one sees that the motive for living in suburbia is to escape from the population density of the city. The goal of suburban living is to acquire a sizable piece of land which belongs solely to oneself and one's family. In doing this, a family elifT!inates the need for excessive interactions with people in a tightly knit community, and the thorny issues that sometimes go along with It. I wager that the main interaction a suburban family has with the community is through a religious group (probably once a week). This trend to suburban living is individualism expressed as the desire to carve out one's own comfort niche without difficult struggles with the neighbors or commu­ nity members. · On may wonder how this relates to a fire in the inner city. These dwelling patterns, actually a vast migration, have left huge parts of cities in the United States empty, with a declining tax base and abandoned vestiges of past glory. Only the poor remain in these places that are to Unpleasant for many folks in the age of the automobile. The poor, with very little money, cannot keep their communities afloat and the buildings open. Economic forces necessitate that these old buildings decay and become shells. Sooner or later, many are demolished. I stood watching the building burning, less than a block from our House, with one of our former guests. We grew silent for a moment, reflecting on the meaning of the fire. I won­ dered who the owner is - quite possibly an individual who owns many buildings, possibly for speculation. Or perhaps the owner is waiting for the resources to rehabilitate this building. A failure, I thought, not just of the owner, but in another way, of our society as a whole. I walked back to the House; a warm place in winter. It is still open, 14 years later, provid­ ing shelter for the homeless, thanks to the collective effort of many over time. May it be an example that spreads a little further down the street. WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH? Page 4 all the traits of good mental health all the time. One way of describing mental health is to describe mentally healthy people. Just knowing what mental health is doesn't mean you can go out and be mentally healthy, but knowing can help you to understand it. Most mentally healthy people work on their mental health every day. THE PRIMARY CHARACTER/ST/CS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MENTALLY HEALTHY: 1. They feel good about themselves. They can take life's disappointments in stride. They have a tolerant, easy-going attitude toward themselves as well as others and they can laugh at themselves. They can accept their own shortcomings and respect themselves. They are able to deal with most situations and take pleasure in simple, everyday things. Many people, when they hear the term mental health, think of mental illness. But mental health is far more than the absence of mental illness. Mental health is something all of us want for ourselves. When we talk about happiness, peace of mind, enjoyment or satisfaction in life, we are also talking about mental health. Our mental health affects our everyday life. Think for a moment about how difficult it can be to focus on work if you're worried about your family. Your mental health is affecting (however minimally) your work. Mental health involves the overall way that people get along ­ with their families, at school, on the job, at play, with their peers, and in their communities. It involves the way that each person balances his or her needs, ambition, abilities, feelings and conscience in order to meet the demands of everyday life. Mental Health has to do with three major things: how you feel about yourself, how you feel about other people, and how you are able to meet the demands of everyday life. There is no line that neatly divides the mentally healthy from the unhealthy. There are many different degrees of mental health. No one characteristic by itself can be taken as evidence of a mental illness. And nobody has 2. They are able to give love and to consider the interests of others. They have satisfying and lasting personal relationships. They like and trust others and believe that others will like and trust them. They respect the many differences they find in people. They do not take advantage of others, nor do they allow others to take advantage of them. They feel that they are part of a group, they belong, and they feel a sense of responsibility to fellow human beings. 3. They are able to meet the demands of life. They do something about their problems as they arise. They accept their responsibilities. They shape their environment whenever pos­ sible; they adjust to it whenever necessary. They plan ahead and do not fear the future. They welcome new experiences and ideas. They make use of their talents and set realistic goals for themselves. They are able to make their own decisions and are satisfied with putting their best effort into what they do. Jill Kartisek, Director of Education of Mental Health Association of Northern Kentucky, states that the most important thing to remem­ ber as you think about your mental health is that you have the power to change it. Rapid Exit assists families and individuals in moving from homelessness 10 permanent · housing rapidly tor morelnlormauon contact The Greater Clncinnau CoaHUon For The Homeless at 421-1803 and ask ror Gina Miller �STREElVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page s by Jimmy Heath board representative and long time community activist, expressed their anxiety over an outside firm coming in and assessing the needs of a community and then leaving, in the period of one week. The consultants argued that they had listened to community concerns, especially those regardirig Washington Park. That the center of the arts campus would not be focused on Washington Park because of the community's desperate need for green space. Pat Clifford and Bonnie Neumeier, board members and representatives of the Drop Inn Center expressed anxiety that an outside con­ sulting firm would come into the community, assess the needs, and then leave in one week. It is estimated that 33% of homeless persons in this country are veterans. The U.S. Can NEVER Bring Peace By Force! News of brutal ethnic cleansing, mass rapes, artillery bombing of civilians, and massa­ cres have pained people's hearts everywhere. There is a feeling of "somebody has to do something." But is that somebody the U.S.? Can their brand of violence stop violence? Well answer this question: How can the same people who justify their sanctions against Iraq as "worth" the deaths of 1 million children expect us to believe that they care about the people of Kosovo and want peace? As veterans of this country's invasions and wars, we know a little something about the "help" that this country brings to the peoples of the world. In Vietnam, our help included agent orange, napalm and saturation bombings. In Panama, it consisted on bombing civilians and covering them up in mass graves. In the Persian Gulf, our help resulted in the road to Basra and an environment poisoned by chemi­ cal weapons and depleted uranium. So we know that the last thing the U.S. is bringing to Kosovo is help. The real purpose behind the bombings is to force Kosovo and Serbia to accept the U.S. brokered RAMBOuillet agreement which includes a NATO occupying force of 28,000 (4,000 U.S.) troops. The agreement, basically, sets up a much harsher version of the Haiti occupation. The bulk of it is a "democratic" 9onstitution that renders the Kosovars and Yugoslavs powerless to do anything not ap­ proved by the proposed occupiers. The NATO occupiers can do anything they want without restraint or legal liability and the local authori­ ties are required to assist them on demand. With a blueprint like this, it's clear that the only interests served by U.S.involvement in the Balkans will qe their own. When asked on "60 Minutes" in May of 1996 about the deaths of half a million children, [in the Salkans] more than had died in Hiroshima, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright responded, " We think the price is worth it." ARTS CENTER BOARD MEETING TO BE HELD AT DRQ·p INN CENTER IS CANCELLED COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS CONTINUE TO BE A PRESENCE AT BOARD MEETINGS by Susan Knight Erich Kunzel was not present at the April 121h meeting of the Arts and Education Board meeting. However, over thirty Over-the-Rhine citizens and activists were. The concern surrounds the planned development of a new School for the Creative and Performing Arts which would be built up and around Music Hall. The sprawling arts campus could potentially encompass a considerable amount of land, much of which contains low-income housing, Washington Park, the largest green space in Over-the-Rhine and the Drop Inn Center, Cincinnati's largest homeless shelter. Four feasibility plans were presented before the board on April 121h. Three involved the dis­ placement of the Drop Inn Center. The feasibil­ ity plan that allowed for the existence of the Drop Inn Center called for the displacement of the District One Police Station and a power supply company, both of which would be ex­ tremely costly to relocate. The consultants contracted out by the board, hired a firm from Alexandria Virginia to aid in the development of a "master" plan to recommend to the board. Pat Clifford, board representative and General Coordinator of the Drop Inn Center, and Bonnie Neumeier, another However, the question of the existence of the Drop Inn Center remained. Pat Clifford asked that the next board meeting be held at the Drop Inn Center so that the board members would have the opportunity to "see" what they were destroying. At March's board meeting there had been a vote to hold the next board meeting at the Drop Inn Center, but do to a "miscommunicatio'n," that motion had been lost from the minutes. The Drop Inn Center was told it would have the opportunity to host the "special meeting," that was taking place April 121h . With only two days notice, however, and the idea that any "special meeting" could very easily not have good attendance the Drop Inn Center could not accommodate the last minute request. Conse­ quently, all board members were informed that the Drop Inn Center was simply not prepared to host the meeting Pat Clifford had requested in the March meeting. Addressing this issue, Pat Clifford was angered at the entire process and asked for another vote to reschedule· the next board meeting to take place at the Drop Inn Center. The motion failed. The board did vote to "encourage" board members that had not previously toured the Drop Inn Center to do so. The community attending the meeting ex­ pressed their outrage but no board members explained their actions. The next meeting will be Tuesday May 4111 at 4pm at Memorial Hall. All are welcome. Subscribe to Streetvibes 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 every month. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. . �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine WORD ON THE BECAUSE by Mike Henson STREET Arts & Poetry HEAVEN AND EARTH anonymous Some kid shot too much at the show and his click didn't want to call 911. Jesse was not alone when the room grew cold but now he's gone. John was stacking quarter pops at Shalash and told me they gonna run us out. lime to get a hundred people and lock the doors on music hall cause it's our neighborhood. The cops picked up Omar for a week's vacation in hell. Cops got Sonny cause if they run somebody has to pay. Cops took my neighbor at eight this morning. She wore a scarf and sun­ glasses but I saw her dignity. When Ali was against the ropes he would go into a room in his mind where the walls were covered with masks. Said he never lost when he found he could take one and wear it back into the fight. These days there is no beauty but the rain against the kitchen window. No time but now. My soul throws combinations of joy and sorrow. My silence breaks down doors. I count my breath and paint black circles joining heaven and earth. TEARS Because the comfort of one is the poverty of another Because God left the job undone Because there is no escape from pain Because it was all a lie Because Jesus himself went homeless and unemployed Because property is theft Because no one else would Because it said so in the Bible Because of the arrows of conscience Because there is no peace Because he believed what they told him Because there is no justice Because the cold winter wind is called the hawk; it whistles down the alleys it sweeps through the parks with a killing whisper Because it is all a mystery Because nothing else will save us Because the sultans of culture despise the poor Because the heart is the center of all true wealth Becau~e a person only needs just a little to live Because life is hard Because the world is sad Because the Pharisee are reborn more often tha_ n Jesus and the money-changers plan to rede­ velop the temple Because the widow's mite is turned over to Dives and Herod Because City Council passed an ordinance to outlaw gleaning Because the heart is where God lives Because there are just a few sure things Because he wanted to be innocent Because he would not be governed by any law but one: ­ Therefore, he left his home he took up his cross and was nailed to the floor of his office. SINGLES PHONE LINE by Denise Crew by Victor Velez on the tip of my eyes they rest to be cried later to be dried ·' they leave behind tear trace on my face during the night when they come out seeking hope asking for an endwhen will I cry happy tears again? Here I go again, listening to the lines What is everyone looking for It can't possibly be the honesty I keep hearing about from the shallow ones Who want to be gratified instantly About who they want me to be, rather than who I am Non-accepting imperfect people looking for accepting perfect people to pour their emptiness into. There are those who are, for the right, right now...... .. you ....... . For Friendship, For Life Page 6 AURORA anonymous I saw her on the bus that night alive while everyone else was off wandering home through the diesel maze Managua smelling like a pot of beans. She's more than she looks like behind a knife in the kitchen cutting veggie$ tor Jose and Don Trino staring at the latest soap on the black and white TV. She told me about it on the corner at midnight when we both had too much The revolution is dead But what has been born inside Can never be taken away from us People on the mountain Couldn't even read Aurora smokes sometimes cause she's longing for the old days when she used to know what truth was Pablo Milanes plays and sings a little slow on the beat up radio while we sit on the bottom bunk and watch it rain outside I want to get married Go up to the mountains Cause all this means nothing And I'm tired of trying ,. . ..-:.':.::.r (\ Comedy Corner by Ron Carter Here at STREETVIBES we have very good vendors. We have good vendors and we also have a Generic Vendor. As we all know, Generic in medical terms means a cheaper brand that is supposed to have the same effect as the name brand. We also know that the Generic Brand is an imposter for the real stu{f. Th~t brings me back to our Generic Vendor who goes around impersonating a real vendor. Our real vendors sell around 500 to 1000 or better Streetvibes a month, which is great. Here comes our Generic vendor, who will remain nameless, who sells about 5 or 10 papers a week because he spends the day, everyday, in our office. Here's hoping this Generic Vendor will get on the ball and get promoted to a real vendor, soon. Written just for a laugh or two. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Nationwide One Million Assisted Housing Units for Low Income People· at Risk National Groups Urge Clinton and Congress to Act The Clinton White House must act now to prevent the imminent loss of up to one million units of privately-owned, assisted housing, three national housing organizations declared at a Sacramento Press Conterence on Tuesday. The groups released new data showing that America is losing its supply of assisted housing at an accelerating rate due to unchecked decisions by owners to discontinue their participation in federal subsidy programs and raise rents to high market rates. "We're losing this precious housing at a current rate of over 3,000 apartments per month," said Michael Bodaken, President of the National Housing Trust (NHT), a national nonprofit organization formed to preserve and improve federally assisted housing for low and moderate income use. "This housing is an endangered species. Once it's lost, it will never be replaced." Data compiled by the Trust shows that close to 100,000 units were lost since Congress allowed owners to pay, off subsidized mortgage balances (called 'prepayment') on affordable housing complexes in April 1996. The Press Conference was held at a Sacramento development, Governor's Village Apartments, whose owner prepaid the mortgage last year and hiked rents to market levels. "What's happened to my building and over 600 · others like it across the country amounts to 'economic cleansing' of low income people who are considered less desirable by landlords who want to make a buck by charging high market rents," stated Charlotte Delgado, President of the Governor's Village Tenants Council and a Board member of the National Alliance of HUD Tenants (NAHT), the nation's first national tenants union of residents in HUD-assisted buildings. "The insecurity and fear of losing our homes each year is a real trauma for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Americans," Delgado added. "In the first two years since Congress restored the ability of owners to prepay, 33,000 units were lost, from April 1996 to April 1998. In the next eight months, an additional 26,000 units were lost from prepayment," stated Michael Kane, Executive Director of NAHT. ''This amounts to a 135% increase in the rate of loss of assisted housing from prepayments alone toward the end of' last year." Kane re­ ported that NAHT affiliates in over 15 cities are releasing data this week showing dramatic increases in loss rates in their states, ranging as high as 2,000% in states such as Florida and New Mexico. The NHT has also documented another 25,000 units which have been lost through owner decisions to 'opt out' of expiring subsidy contracts in the past two years, a problem that is expected to grow in the future as long-term contracts expire over the next several years and owners in high market areas 'opt out' of renew­ als. Owners will opt out of close to 200,000 more of these units in the next few years, according to a recent memorandum issued by Recapitalization Advisors, which represents owner groups. Participants at the Press Conference called on the White House Office of Manage­ ment and Budget to remove its opposition to U.S. Department of HUD proposals to use existing laws to save at-risk buildings. "By taking steps immediately to allow HUD to use existing funds to preserve these units, the Clinton Administration will further many of the goals to which it is committed-deconcentration of poverty, improved access to good schools and jobs, and protection of elderly and disabled people," said Sheila Crowley, President of the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) at the Sacramento event. The NLIHC is the nation's leading housing organization, founded in 1974 with membership in all 50 states. "Saving these buildings by renewing existing contracts at below market levels is actually cheaper each year than letting owners prepay and providing expensive market rate rent vouchers to tenants required by current law," added Kane. "When owners prepay, the government pays out more money and the units are lost as affordable housing forever. Prepay­ ment doesn't pay." In addition, the groups called on Congress to fund bipartisan legislation (HR 425) filed by Congressmen Bruce Vento (D-MN) and Jim Ramsted (R-MN) to provide federal matching grants to states which act to preserve at-risk housing. The groups also pledged to work with Republican Housing Subcommittee leaders Rick Lazio (R-NY), Jim Walsh (R-NY), and Banking Committee Chair Jim Leach (R-IA) to develop a recent bill (HR 1336) they filed to direct HUD and OMB to save at-risk HUD housing, following dramatic losses of elderly housing in Iowa. Participants at the Sacramento Press Conference were joinea by over 40 tenants representing at-risk developments across the state. California leads the nation with over 11,000 units lost to date, in 26 separate coun­ ties. While prepayment rates have peaked, California is now leading in market rate 'opt outs' of federal "project-based Section 8" subsidy contracts. In the past two months alone, the owners of 27 projects with over 3,000 units in the Los Angeles area have filed to terminate their expiring Section 8 contracts. The California Housing Partnership Corporation, a private nonprofit consulting organization, estimates that an additional 25-30,000 units·in the state will opt out of affordable housing programs in the next several years unless new programs are put in place. The groups urged support for state initia­ tives in California and elsewhere to provide preservation funds or to regulate owner deci­ sions. Contact: Erin Sprinkle, National Alliance of HUD Tenants: 617-267-9564 Linda Couch, National Low Income Hous­ ing Coalition: 202-662-1530x242 Michael Bodaken, National Housing Trust: 202-333-8931 Page 1 DESTITUTE IN SAN FRANCISCO ONCE AGAIN MADE A TARGET AS ELECTION NEARS MAYOR WOULD MAKE IT A CRIME TO BEG BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD Rachel Gordon - of the San Francisco Examiner Mayor Willie Brown has become the latest in a series of San Francisco mayors to zero in on people who are dow.n and out as re-election draws near. With just more than six months before he goes before voters seeking a second term, Brown is backing legislation to crack down on panhandlers. For Brown's immediate predecessor, Frank Jordan, the homeless people hunkered down in Golden Gate Park were in the cross-hairs. He ordered police to sweep them out. For Art Agnos, S~n Francisco's mayor before Jordan, it was the clearing out of the infamous "Camp Agnos" homeless encampment in Civic Center Plaza across the street from the mayor's City Hall office. This time around, people who use the city's median strips or stand on freeway on-and off-ramps to beg for money are election-year targets. Brown wants a law prohibiting them from the practice. Come election time, quality-of-life issues rank high on the minds of candidates, perhaps because they rank high with voters. "Every time there's been an upcoming election, the sitting mayors at the time have imposed crackdowns like this," said Paul Boden, director of the Coalition on Homelessness. "There's certainly been a pattern, and the message is clear: Get them out of sight and out of mind." The latest legislation, introduced by Supervisor Amos Brown Monday, would make it illegal for anyone to sit, stand or lie in roadways and median strips for more than a few minutes. Violators would face a $100 fine on the first offense, $200 for the second and $250 for the third within a calendar year. The mayor has steered clear ot even hinting that the proposed legislation, made public last month, has anything to do with homeless people. Instead, he describes it as a public safety initiative. "We have had an alarming increase in pedestrian fatalities in the last year, and I simply will not tolerate activities that contribute to these avoidable deaths," Mayor Brown said. "I believe that for the safety of our citizens - both pedestrians and motorists - this is a common­ sense approach to eliminating high-risk prac­ 1 TARGET 1 cont. on back page... �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Prisoner's News I I i i ! \ \I \. ... ~ \. ... ! i....... . P ROCEDURAL AND DOCUMENT ERRORS CREATE STRUGGLE FOR PAROLEE I am writing to you in my struggle to undue the wrong that the Ohio Adult Parole Authorities has done to me and my family. I went before the parole board on June 3, 98. My unit case manager filled out my INSTITUTIONAL SUM~ MARY REPORT and typed NONE under programs when I had 36 program certificates and a bachelor degree in Theology. When I went before the board the panel said we see you don't have any programs. I told them I did. They said we can't seem to find your unit file. That was the first part of the lie because the institutional summary report is placed in the unit file. So the board placed me at a MID range because I did have a good institutional record. I was given a projected release date of 7/1/2000. I came back to the unit and told my unit manager what the case manager had done. She told him to write a letter to the .parole board and list all the certificates, that if these would have been presented I would have been granted a parole for programs. The next morning the case manager, Mr. Danridge, called me into his office in front of several people and told me, "I HAVE SOME GREAT NEWS FOR YOU. I GOT IN TOUCH WITH FREEWAY DRIVE AND WE GOT YOU A NEW OUT DATE. CALL YOUR FAM ILY AN O T ELL THEM YOU ARE COMING HOME FEB/2/99." He showed me a memo from the record office with all the projected release dates on it and under my name it said 2/ 1/99. It came from Cindy Lan·e of the record office. After I checked with the record office I found out that this new out date was not true. I went to Mr. Oanridge and asked him about this. He then said he called the record office and that my out date was still 7/1 /2000 and that he didn't know what was going on. At that time I knew that Mr. Danridge had that out date put on that paper to get me off his back for the wrong he done me at my hearing. At the same time knowing that he was going to leave the institu­ tion and move to Florida BEFORE THE OUT DATE CAME UP! He is in fact now gone form the institution. I called my sister in Columbus. She called Ms. Ghee, the chairperson of the parole board, and told her what had taken place. She at that time granted me a new hearing for Sept/3/98 and told my sister to tell me to take all 36 programs and my Bachelor degree to that hearing. At that hearing Mr. Capots, the hearing officer, asked me why they should take the out date back of 7/1/2000. I explained to him what had taken place. He at that time said "we are still going to place you at MID range with the same out date of 7/ 1/2000." I showed him a copy of the paper from the record office. We at that time went out to the desk where Cindy Lane was. He asked her about this and she lied to him saying she made a mistake, that it was my projected review date and he told her no, that it was clear that this was under projected release date. He asked Cindy Lane for a copy of the paper and she did not give it to him. I filed an appeal to Ms. Ghee and she refused to answer the appeal. My sister wrote her two appeals and Ms. Ghee refused to answer either of them. The record office and the parole authorities said that I had a projected review date seven months before my projected out date of 7/1/ 2000. This March my name was on the March call sheet for the March parole board under projected release date. The unit secrelary showed me my name on the call sheet from the parole authorities and it was posted in several places in the dorm. When the parole board came on March 3rd I was not called to the parole board. I went to the unit secretary and she told me that it was for review or something, she wasn't sure. Now no one in the record office seems to know why the parole board placed my name on the call sheet. My sister called the parole board and asked them why my name was on the March call sheet tor the parole board. They lied to her and told her my name was not on the March call sheet. Under the new parole board guidelines there is a guideline for program achievement that states for programs such as Bachelor Degree and other programs that 10 to 15% of the total time you have served could be taken off your projected release date. I have served 132 months. 15% of that would have put my projected out date at Feb/3/99. It is clear that parole board has lied to the public and news media about the seriousness of the guidelines. They have stated several times in news papers how they follow the new guidelines. They only follow the part to make all prisoners serve the MID range of their category no matter how much they have done towards rehabilitation. The facts are clear. If I was placed at a MIO range at the first hearing without programs and then placed at the same MID range. at the second hearing when 36 certificates and a Bachelor Degree with an outstanding ·institu­ tional record and above average work records. They did not follow the guidelines for programs. If they would have then I would have been placed at a MIN range at the second hearing. Or had my case reviewed so that 13 months could be taken off for programs under the new guidelines. The only response I get is to keep up the programs and to stay positive. This kind of action by the parole board can only leave a prisoner more frustrated. The new guidelines are only there for show when it comes to programs. Not one prisoner has received time taken off their projected release date under these new guidelines. My file under programs goes well over the guidelines for program achievement and still the parole board refuses to send a message to prisoners that we care about your rehabilitation. So now I sit here until 7/1/2000, a frus­ trated prisoner who has done everything to rehabilitate himself only to have it pushed back in his face saying that we don't care. My sister has tried to get them to grant me a review to do what is right, but they refuse to listen, and continue to lie to her. Page a The parole authorities set rules for us to follow and then when we break them we are punished. Why can't they follow their own rules? Because they have no one to answer to! Also after the March 3rd meeting I was sent to the ID department by the unit secretary Ms. Hosley to be finger printed and have photo's sent to the unit for a parole packet that was placed in my unit ~ile. Why did the secretary, Ms. Hosley, unit secretary of unit 2E, order this to be done if my name wasn't on the March call sheet? Its because she was expecting for me to go home in 60 days once your name is placed on the parole call sheet under projected release date. This is why she ordered the finger prints and the photos for my unit file. Now the parole authorities are trying to cover this up by telling my sister that my name wasn't on the March call sheet. Ms. Hosley will tell you that it was and that she ordered finger prints and photos just in case I received a parole at the hearings. Richard Frye #205-231 POBox511 Columbus, Ohio 43216 THE OPPRESSOR by James W. Pryor We, with common knowledge, and experi­ ence within our modern day society, have a complete understanding of the term 'oppressor'. Such can come in many forms, the factory worker executive, a judicial officer, police officer, a correctional officer and the established government. We face the oppressor everyday when we are forced to live under the rules of a government that is centered on control, and not the good of it's people. The poor in our society, the underclass, are the ones that are most harmed by the· oppressor. You can see this in your factory worker who is forced to take a pay cut, because the corporation wants to generate more revenue, the homeless family that goes without food and shelter because our social agencies are underfunded due to the fact that governmental expenditures are focused on prison building, jails, police wages, and luxuries tor the executive branches. This list could go on, because of the extreme waste by the capitalists who generate their wealth by oppress­ ing the poor through laws, regulations, policies and a potpourri of political nonsense. The above is a serious problem, but it is the State of Ohio and its branch of corruption called the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, or more proper, DORC. Sure, I believe in rules, laws and regulations, but only when they operate for the worth of the whole people and not just a general class of people. Everyday I wake up to a new rule, policy, regulation or law implemented to oppress the Ohio prisoner {and I am sure that all prisoners in the U. S. face the same), but I can only express my experience. The Ohio prison system employs correctional staff that are undereducated and easily manipulated by the chiefs in charge. The funny part is that they do not realize the position they are placed into by their oppressor. Yet, every day they carry out the commands of their chiefs at the detriment of the Ohio prisoner. Ohio has slaves in the form of prisoners who are forced to work w ithin the Ohio Prison Industries under the dangerous conditions existing for meager wages while generating millions in revenue for the oppressor. The oppressor has the rule to charge a medical co­ pay tee of three dollars per prisoner tor each �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine medical visit, and the sad part is that the prisoner receives seriously inadequate treat­ ment from incompetent doctors and nurses. This may seem normal to some, but you must estimate the prisoner death rate per capita, and the fact that three dollars is one sixth of a prisoners monthly eighteen dollar stipend. Also, it must be realized that the commissary that the prisoner is allowed to purchase items from, charges extreme prices. Another area in which the oppressor capitalizes off of the prisoner is through phone calls, in which the prisoner's family (taxpayers) are charged higher rates than the general public who accept collect calls from family elsewhere. Everyday, I see forms of the oppressor and it hurts to see his actions accepted by fellow prisoners. The prisoner is forced to stand outside for long periods of time in all the ele­ ments of the weather in inadequate clothing waiting to eat a meal that is usually cold and of minute portions. This does include prisoners who are in their 60's and ?O's and older, the handicapped in wheelchairs, the ill, and all other prisoners. There is now a new oppressive move to extort monies form the prisoner. This is done in what they call infraction compensation, where they write reports on a prisoner for existent and nonexistent policies, then they deduct five dollars from the prisoners account. This is done regularly without the oppressor following his own regulations. The sadness goes on, but it would fill a coliseum with paper to write it all. However, with one final expression of disgust, I must make one last statement. Through all of this, there are a majority of Ohio prisoners who accept their oppressor. They do this by stealing from their fellow prisoner, informing on their fellow prisoner for rule infractions and by being the oppressor's boys. This is done by their cleaning up and covering up for the oppressor, the deplorable environ­ ment so that the oppressor can pass inspections and continue oppressing. This hurts, and inside I weep with sadness for these prisoners who are controlled in such a manner as to become nonfunctioning as rational human beings. GEORGE SKATZES Oh January 30, 1996, George Skatzes · (pronounced like "skates") was sentenced to death for the murders of two prisoners during the 11-day uprising in April, 1993, at the maxi­ mum security Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio. During the uprising George acted as a peacekeeper and spokesman for the prisoners. Many prisoners credit George with saving their lives during the riot. Former hostage guard Jeffrey Ratcliff asked the jurors to spare George's life, stating under oath that George helped protect two guards and even released a third guard who was badly injured. Ratcliff went on to say that he wouldn't be alive today if not for George. Surely fhe death toll from the uprising would have been much, much higher if not for George. He's been sentenced to death because he refused to cooperate (snitch) with prison offi­ cials, who promised not to prosecute him if he THE SPEAKERS BUREAU Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless forms new public education program. by Gina Miller Page 9 would "cooperate." George became the target of the investigation because he had·the courage to come forward and help negotiate a peaceful end to the uprising. As a spokesman, he became a symbol and a target. The prisoners who actually committed the murders that George has been sentenced to death for haven't been charged with any crimes, or were given lenient sentences in exchange for their testimony against George. Is that how justice works? The real killers get off the hook by blaming their crimes on someone else? They admitted that they killed the prisoners, but claim that George gave the order. These low-lites would say anything to avoid the death penalty! Assistant Franklin County prosecutor Dan Hogan stated, "Hopefully we've sent a message to any. other inmates who might ever consider doing anything like this again." Yes, they intend to execute George to send us a message. But the message is: You can kill guards and prison­ ers during a riot and blame someone else for it afterwards-and the state will help protect you! Another message·the state sends us with this verdict is: Don't get involved; don't step forward and try to stop the killings. Step aside and let it happen-otherwise you become a symbol and a target for state prosecution. That's the real message, and justice was not served in the death penalty verdict George received. He's 49 years old and sitting on death row waiting for his appeals to run out and an execution date to be set. The truth has to come out. We can't allow George to die as a symbol to send us a "mes­ sage." I have known him for many years, and he's a good solid convict who's always willing to help someone else. Everyone who knows George agrees that he's innocent of these charges. This is a desperate plea to support an innocent man. His sister has agreed to help form an outside support group and a defense committee for her brother. For more information contact: Mrs. Jackie Bowers, PO Box 1591, Marion, Ohio 43301-1591 True Pain Gregory Payton Pain-the sensations one feels when hurt, mentally or physically, especially distress, suffering, great anxiety, anguish, grief. Gina Miller, Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless staff person, speaks to conference g roup at Grailville, in Loveland, Ohio. photobyJfmmyHeath Many people want to learn more homelessness. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homelessness has started a "Speakers Bureau." It was formed in an effort to educate people, and share with people stories of hope. I participated in a retreat on Saturday, April 24, 1999. Four gentlemen and I shared about our experiences. We shared about our current efforts to assist homeless people. We also shared about having been homeless ourselves. I am grateful for having had an opportunity to participate in this retreat. I encourage anyone who is interested in sharing about their experience with being homeless to contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition fo( the Homeless at (513) 421 -7803. If you are interested in inviting people to come and speak about homelessness, please contact the Coalition. We would be happy to share information about it with you. This is what I feel when I look at what is happening to the children. This is what I feel when I think about the violence in movies, and on t.v. This is what I feel when I hear about child abuse. This is what I feel when I hear about child neglect. This is what I feel when I see a child homeless. This is what I feel when I see a child hungry. This is what I feel when I see a child all alone. What is the most important thing in our lives. What and who do we live for today. God's Children �\ STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News OEC UNITES TO FIGHT INHUMANE WELFARE LAWS by Lynn Williams To the shouts of "Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Sanc­ tions have got to go!", the Ohio Empowerment Coalition's third annual statewide Welfare Cont erence and Lobby Day was started with the intent of stopping Ohio's punitive welfare laws. At a press conference, members of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition spoke o ut for justice for the poor. Julie Star of Stand Against Social Injustice (SASI), in Sandusky County, stated, "We are rewed up and we are fighting back. We're not going to let them continue to run over us (recipients)." Mark Stansbery of the Colum­ bus Organizing Center, spoke out, 'We are powerful and we are strong. You {legislators) are going to have to contend with us." On Thursday morning, a group from the conference went to the House Human Services Committee where testimony was being heard on the Human Services budget. Approximately twenty-five members of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition d isplayed buttons with the words, "Stop Sanctioning Children!" and testified before the Committee. The House Committee had not planned to even deal with the issue of sanctions. Our testimony made them consider it. Representative Netzley grilled the recipi­ ents who testified. One man, Warren, who did a terrific job speaking out against the sanctions and who resides at the Drop Inn Center, was grilled over his substance abuse history. Rep. Netzley asked him, time after time, "Why are you an addict?;" and then "Why are you in a treatment program?" Warren stayed calm and held his ground. "I'm in a treatment program because I want to live." Netzley asked, "What did you say?" Warren repeated, "Because I want to live!" Rep. Netzley still appeared to not get it. At the hearing, a mother from Bethany House, a homeless shelter, testified about how being sanctioned had made her family end up homeless. Mothers with a small baby a nd little girl, all of whom are homeless, were in clear view of the legislators. The little girl sat next to her mother, quietly holding her doll. (How hard it must be to be a little child and not even have a place to call home!) Even though speaker after speaker testified about the impact of sanctions on children, and the legislators viewed sanctioned children right before their eyes, they appeared unmoved. When Genevieve Mitchell and Vicky Knight of Cleveland compared welfare sanctions with what the United States is doing to children in other countries {bombing in Serbia and sanctioning children in Iraq), Representative Carey hit his gavel. 'We are not going to discuss politics at this hearing!" he stated. 'We are here to discuss the budget!" And yet, there clearly is a connection of how the government is treating children & families in all these coun­ tries. Children are being deprived of the essen­ tials of life: shelter and food, and heat in the winter, right here in the heartland of America, as well as around the world in Iraq. Children are the victims, bearing the brunt of inhumane policies of our country. When legislators can cut off all support for poor families in Ohio, even hurting children, by sanctions and time limits, the Ohio Empower­ ment Coalition clearly has its work laid out for us. Currently, according to the Ohio Department of Human Services' testimony in the Legislative Red Book, 31,000 families are being sanctioned each year in Ohio. Considering that most welfare families have three members (a mother and two children) this equals approximately 93,000 individuals, of whom 62,000 are chil­ dren, being sanctioned. Our work is needed now more than ever. At our conference, repre­ sentatives from across the state (Northeast, Central, Northwest, Southeast & Southwest Ohio) united to take action on changing Ohio's bad welfare laws. Update: Members of the Ohio Empower­ ment Coalition met with Representative Barbara Boyd of Cleveland, member of the House Human Services Committee, on April 22nd to urge that the sanctions be changed. Rep. Boyd informed us that she plans to introduce legisla­ tion soon that will restore the cash assistance to children under sanction. The adult portion will be sanctioned, but not the childrens. Call Rep. Boyd to give your support for this legislation being introduced. Also call the other House Human Services Committee members to say you support this change in the sanction policy. Jacquelin O'Brien is the Cincinnati area member of this powerful Committee. Also call your Ohio House representative and senator. House Human Services Committee Members: Rep. John Carey 1-614-466-1366 Rep. Gary Cates 1-614-466-8550 Rep. Jackie O 'Brien 1-614-6;44-6886 or 231-5331 Rep. Barbara Boyd 1-614-644-5079 Rep. Robert Netzley 1-614-466-8114 Rep. Jeannine Perry 1-614-466-1418 Talking Points With Your Legislator • A statewide survey by the Ohio Empow­ erment Coalition shows that sanctions are hurting families with children across Ohio, driving them deeper into poverty. • 31,000 families were sanctioned from welfare in the past year in Ohio that is equivalent to approximately 93,000 people of which approximately 62,000 are minor children. (Data from OOHS Director Sensky's testimony of April 6 , 1999) • An OEC survey shows that most Page 10 sanctions are caused by miscommunication between the caseworker & recipient, or lost paperwork, but NOT due to recipients being unwilling to wo rk. • Ohio Works First families get cash benefits equal to approximately 33% of the Federal Poverty Level. A family of two gets $298 monthly; a family of three gets $362 monthly. When these families are sanctioned, they don't have savings to tide them over. (Most OWF families only have one or two children.) • Some counties are using sanctioris to pump up "work participation" rates for their counties. This is an incentive for caseworkers to sanction families. Counties will get extra money for meeting "work participation" rates. • O nly fourteen states across the United States cut off the entire cash assistance on a first sanction. Ohio is one of these states. Federal law does not require sanctions to be as punitive as Ohio has chosen to make them. For more information and other ways for you to get involved, call the Contact Center at (513) 381-4242. Subscribe to Streetvibes 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 4521 O Please make checks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421 -7803. 6600 B Dixie Highway (Diplomat Village) Falrtield, Ohio 45014 All About Tuxedos 203 E. 7th Street Cincinnati, OhiO 45202 Carl le's @ B.Y. A Pager 513-670-6782 arel 3764 Montgomery Road Norwood, OhiO Cellular 513-582-TUXS http://www/network1000.comtALLtux/ "The Outfitters of the Stars' �STREETVIBES The Tri-State•s Homeless Grapevine Page 11 NEW ARTS AND EDU·CATION CENTER PROPOSAL QUESTIONS ARTISTIC INTEGRITY have been waging for decades. by Jimmy Heath The proposal to expand Cincinnati's Music Hall into a larger, world class Arts and Educa­ tion Center continues to pit a poor urban neigh­ borhood; Over-the-Rhine, against the power of big city business and development interests. The Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center plan includes the purchase of private land around Music Hall to be developed and used for this monumental expansion project. Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conductor Erich Kunzel's dream of a world class education center for the arts has developed into a large scale money and business scheme with private landlords, consultants, construction companies, architectural firms, and corporate entities all lining up to cash in on this gold rush. The plan to overrun our community, take over by what­ ever means necessary the city's largest home­ less shelter (the Drop Inn Center) primarily for the land, seems to have nothing to do with how important art is in this city. The arrogance of these developers, in the name of 'art' and what they say is right for our city and our community is remindful of an all powerful ruling class telling its less fortunate citizenry what is best for them. The idea and the true form of this 'art' and its impact on the community, and the social responsibilities of this impact does not seem to be a real consideration. The community of Over-the-Rhine and its residents do not seem to matter much to the high-minded contrivances of the Arts and Education Center planning board. Over-the-Rhine, a small block of land just one square mile in dimension, north of Cincinnati's downtown business district, is considered to be prime real estate ripe for development. Yet it is home to thousands of low-income persons; ,.....~~- And Where is the Art? Erich Kunzel photo by Jimmy Heath families, children and senior citizens who find refuge here because of affordable rents, easy access to schools, transportation, shopping and social service providers. Erich Kunzel's 'dream' is a cloak devised by opportunists as a way to get poor people off of this land that is consid­ ered by many (rich folks) to be crucial to Cincinnati's economic growth and downtown expansion. And underlying all of this is the age old battle of the rich ruling-class waging war against those less fortunate as if we do not exist or do not matter. lhis is a battle that the community and the people of Over-the-Rhine H1TTHE BULL'S EYE WITH 0 USING IN A Scramble by Ron Carter HURRY! If you're in the market for a new apartment, call Cincinnati's. affordable alternative ... CMHA! CMHA communities are budget-friendly, are located in neighbor­ hoods across Hamilton County, and are near the places important to you ... jobs, churches, hospitals and stores! With CMHA's Housing In A Hurry Program, you can be made eligible to be housed in 5 days or less. Don't miss this opportunity! Hours: Mon.-Sat., 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. What responsibilities does the artist have to the community and society in general? The artist has the power to educate, make effeqtive change and bring awareness to the social issues of the day. Walker Evans, through photography, documented poor tenant farmers in Alabama in the 1930's, bringing awareness to the plight of sharecroppers and the rural poor. Diego Rivera documented, through his paintings and murals, the rumblings of a revolution. And with this power comes the issue of moral responsibility. Who owns the art that is created out of a community, a society? Can art be in itself an act of violence or should it only mirror the violence around us? Economic and social violen9e against poor persons is a constant battle fought daily in Over-the-Rhine and all around the world. As a community we are always fighting to keep what other communities sometimes take for granted; the right to live and . work in peace, with guarantees of certain basic rights. Is the Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center plan more important and beyond all moral considerations? Certainly, Erich Kunzel knows the power of the celebration of music and its importance to a community. It seems to me that elevating art beyond its community, by creating a class of art or artist, destroys the integrity of the work. Is fine art only a privilege that the well off may enjoy? When art becomes a commodity, a business to be bought and sold and classified, it becomes something other than a creation from the heart. It is tainted art. It becomes a destroyer of the people that it touches and is no longer art. Location: 1635 Western Avenue Try to unscramble these related words: IVRIYNSTEU STESVANE ODOG MRTISANAA HWSJIE HETSEDAB NSEDESAOC NSDLREIHC SHCTIR ECNPVRIDEO SAITN KELU YCRME ANIARCFCSN Call CMHA at 421-8190. Answers on page 15. . . Phone: 921-1231 STATE AVENUE SALVAGE HISTORICAL BLDG. MATERIALS ANOT H ER CL·\.SS P R ODvCT IO ~ Disc-Jockey Service EARL (CHARLIE) MATIINGLY 1958 State Ave. Cinti., OH 45204 CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 (5 13) 230·6353 Please Support Our Advertis­ ers �- STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES OVER THE Editorials & RHINE HAS ALREADY Letters SUFFERED Page 12 way? buddy gray is still watching over us and still lives in all of the homeless advocates in this city. We will not tolerate this unfair treatment of homeless individuals. Please think about what an inhuman proposal you are making and be consciously aware of the folks you would be putting on the streets to sleep in freezing temperatures or heat stroke conditions. Sincerely, Valerie Taylor 1- · · · - · · · - · · · - · · · ·..· · · - · · - · · · - · · · - · · · - · · · -..· ·\ \-/----C~'.::.~-~~::~-=~:=:7 I / ••••• --'i~=~~~~.:---·........ ( _...,,..;.>·;;·\.,...._•··--...! / \~~).____.__... -·- ~--~·-.,_·-·· ·- -- .... \ \, .. ••y. /# \ .' ,. -_... \ \ /:-....--~.....-.-·-·-·......... . ___ --· ·..: ..:.:-:.:·- __......- ....- __ .............--.............. ~--:;··-· .... ...- · f - ··~·:·-···/ ' ' ', l ........- .....__··-~\I/ Dear Streetvibes, John Perotti went on a hunger strike on April 17th because of prison conditions at Ohio State Penitentiary, Youngstown ,Ohio. Also he has been denied the right to call his attorney that is representing him at his federal lawsuit in Cincinnati. You can write to John Perotti, 167-712, at 878 Coitsville-Hubbard Road, Youngstown, Ohio 44505-4635 or call the Prisoners Advocacy Network in Cincinnati at (513) 421-1108. After a brief absence from Cincinnati, I returned to find that a new Arts and Education Center had been proposed to adjoin Music Hall, necessitating the removal of the Drop Inn Center and the effective closing of Washington Park Square. I have been involved with the arts in Cincinnati; for 3 years I was a member of the Cincinnati Boys Choir under the direction of Bill Dickinson. While I do support the arts in Cincinnati, an I believe that the SCPA needs to either renovate their existing building (it was bad when we practiced there over 15 years ago) or have a new facility, I do not believe that it is in the best interests of the Over-the-Rhine neigh­ borhood to relocate/remove the Drop Inn Center. OTA has suffered much from the gentrification which has forced many from their homes, and I honestly believe that the neighbor­ hood has oecome worse, what with increased police presence to protect the non-resident customers of new establishments. Quite frankly, what has happened amounts to a middle-class invasion of a poor neighborhood that until very recently was considered a lost cause by many. The arts are important to Cincinnati, and in recent years we have been fortunate to have the blossoming of theater companies and perfor­ mance spaces. Let's not make the arts and social services adversaries. Sincerely, Andrew L. Donaldson Sincerely, Prisoners Advocacy Network-Ohio The following letters are the result of public response to plans to relocate or remove the Drop Inn Center in Over-the-Rhine to make way for a new Arts and Education Center campus. See additional story on page --­ DONT SACRIFICE PEOPLE As a long time season subscriber and supporter of both the Cincinnati Symphony and the Pops I am all for increasing the arts educa­ tion and participation in Cincinnati. HOWEVER this most certainly is not at the expense of other segments of our community and its people. The Drop Inn Center has done a tremendous job to help and support the homeless and victims of our community. They have done this in a slow and persistent manner, with not a lot of help. I feel you are showing tunnel vision when you have a disregard for this community organi­ zation and their remarkable efforts on behalf of some people of Cincinnati. As a taxpayer and visible community leader, I urge you to recon­ sider your efforts and direction toward an arts complex. Surely there is another area rather than the corner of Twelfth and Elm for your plans. And perhaps you might even offer a helping hand to your Music Hall neighbors. Sincerely, Barbara W. Nellis MOVING THE ·D ROP INN CENTER IS INHUMAN Dear Mr. Kunzel. As a concerned citizen of this community I am outraged to hear about your inhuman proposal to make the Drop Inn Center move. Do you or have you had any personal experi­ ence with homelessness and how difficult that issue is for individuals who are homeless? I have been a homeless advocate working in the Cincinnati area for the last nine years. Drop Inn Center has been a saving grace for many of the folks I have worked with in the last nine years. They always have their doors open and in the winter take many more people than they can handle so folks don't freeze to death. Drop Inn Center takes in the chronically homeless who may not have any resources, are too sick either mentally or physically to find permanent hous­ ing, substance abusers wanting treatment who can not afford to go elsewhere but Drop Inn's treatment program, or folks who just have not been given the same opportunities you or I had in life. If you pursue this issue you again take away from those who do not have in the first place. Wouldn't it be more human to give money to assist them with their services than to try and destroy the most important center for homeless individuals? Is money such an important issue that human life has gotten in the PARENT OF VOLUNTEER SPEAKS OUT Dear Mr. Kunzel, My daughter Sara Baum, is a college senior at the University of Illinois (with a 4.0 average) and also helps to operate a men's homeless shelter on the campus there. She has a deep commitment to work with the homeless people to assist them in helping themselves. She also took her whole Spring Break week and went with another group of students to work on rebuilding a church in East St. Louis, Missouri. Her desire to do this type of work is a direct result of volunteering at the Drop Inn Center near Music Hall, through Finneytown High School under the direction of a caring teacher there, Steve Elliot. I am writing in behalf of the Drop Inn Center and my daughter to express how upset I am that the removal of the Center is even being considered. Sara volunteered there when she was in High School and my wfe and I also helped out. We were able to observe first hand how the Center provided food, shelter, warmth, a home, and counseling for the homeless persons that came there. The Center really provides an important contribution to Cincinnati humanity and it should be allowed to continue without interference. As you may know, it is also difficult to relocate a center like this to another area and still provide services for all the people that it now serves. I sincerely ask that you reconsider continu­ ing any further efforts to relocate the Center. Thank you for your time. Howard Baum, Father of 4, Grandfatf}er of 2, Mechanical and Industrial Engineer at an agency for the blind, attendee of many of your fine concerts, and resident of the fine city of Cincinnati for 57 years!! ACTION STEPS: Contact Erich Kunzel and urge him to reconsider his p lans for relocating the Drop Inn Center. 1241 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 or fax your letter to Kunzel at: (513) 651-2262 Send a copy of your letter to the Drop Inn Center at 217 West 12th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210, or fax it to the Center at (513) 721-8937 Volunteer at the Drop Inn Center by calling Susan Knight at (513) 721­ 0643 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine URBAN APPALACHIANS IN GREATER CINCINNATI Urban Appalachian Council You may be Appalachian . Approximately 34% of Greater Cincinnati is of Appalachian descent. Your family may have been among the three million people to leave the Appalachian region following World War II to seek economic security through factory and other work in the industrial mid-west. The Appalachian mountain range runs through 13 states from Mississippi to New York. In Cincinnati, most Urban Appala­ chians have roots in Kentucky, Tennessee, Eastern Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. We are your neighborhoods, co-workers, friends, professionals, service providers and artists (to name a few) . With more than 213,000 first- and second-generation white and black Appalachians in Hamilton County, you're bound to know one of us. We helped to build this community and to clothe it, teach it, feed it and care for its citizens, young and old. We come from all walks of life and in all shapes, sizes and religions. We are an important part of Cincinnati's history - and its future. Throughout its history, the people of Appalachia have contributed to the art and culture of the United States. Appalachian culture is rich and vibrant. Did you know that the only musical instrument indigenous to the Unite States is the lap dulcimer? It originated in the Appalachian Mountains. You probably know that Elvis and Dolly are Appalachians, but how about opera diva Kathleen Battle? Or film actor, George C. Scott? Or acclaimed writer Thomas Wolfe? The Cincinnati art scene, too, has been greatly enhanced by Appalachian musicians, photographers, writers, actors and artists working in a variety of media. We are family. The majority of the area's Urban Appalachian population has achieved some level of economic security. However, about a fourth of Urban Appalachians continue to live in poverty. A lack of educational attain­ ment and job training, limited employment opportunities and perceived or actual inaccessi­ bility to social services can make a goal of self­ sufficiency seem impossible to achieve. These Appalachians are not seeking a hand-out, but rather a "hand up" to quality education, decent wages, safe and secure homes. schools and communities and a sense of pride and dignity based, in part, on societal recognition of the value of the Appalachian culture. Achieving a decent quality of life for Greater Cincinnati's Appalachian citizens increases the livability of this community for us all. Cincinnati neighborhoods with the highest concentration of Urban Appalachians include: Lower Price Hill, East Price Hill, Camp Wash­ ington. Northside, East End, Over-the-Rhine, South Fairmount and Sedamsville. Many Urban Appalachian neighborhoods in Cincinnati have the higher drop-out rates and lower adult education levels than other neighborhoods. It is estimated that more than 50% of the 16-19­ year-old drop-outs in the city are Urban Appala­ chian. · HANGING OUT WITH THE CHAMP byRonCarter Homeless Coalition staffer Ron Carter, with 'the Champ.' One night about fifteen years ago my was so excited I yelled out "it's the champ, Muhammad Ali!" He looked up and smiled. brother Michael called me. He said he was coming over to pick me up to take me some­ knew this was a Polaroid moment that I couldn't pass up. I had to get my picture taken with the where but he wouldn't say where we were going. Champ. When he showed up, I asked him "where The Champ was very pleasant and agreed are we going?" Her just laughed and said wait to take a couple pictures with me. He also gave and see. He drove to Roselawn and at that time my brother and his family lived in Roselawn. I me a copy of his book he had written at that figured we were going to his house but he pulled time. The house turned out to be his bro..ther~ . - ·b th-· ­ house, also a r.eal ni~ ~ ·- -nup on a different street. When we got out of the - - · ... vc l:JUY, W om my ro er . b k d th th 'd f ~~ · ~., car I saw a b 1g us par. e on e o er s1 en ~ K k M'k d ·t 'bl f th 5 t "" t 1 t · t fi,,. ·-- -. Ml e new. 8 o 1 e ma e 1 a 11 poss1 e or me to meet the Champ. b ~ r -~ · ~;_ ryi_!:IQ. ~ .. ~ure out who it 1 ; _ onge_ ~. r\rcer we went into the house I For me, a chance of a lifetime. Thank you 1 .vund out who owned the bus. There sitting in to the man himself, the Greatest, Muhammad the living room watching TV was the answer. I Ali! Page 13 It is projected that close to one-third of Urban Appalachian are "making it" quite well. Another 40% are stable in lower middle class, blue collar, factory working families. About one­ quarter of the Urban Appalachian population lives in poverty. They tend to be concentrated in the inner-city neighborhoods and isolated rural pockets and tend to be the most alienated from urban life. Urban Appalachian Council 2115 West 8th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45204 (513) 251-0202 UNNATURAL DISASTER by Charlie Mattingly In this fast paced moving city, nothing has a permanent place anymore. Entire housing communities either have or will face demolition shortly. The old will be replaced with the new. The value placed on a human life is based on how much material goods they can produce, how much money they can generate and what they can produce for their governments. Hu­ mans are no more than a 'ready made' labor force, a number, a statistic, to serve and protect those with clout, money or position. If a tornado had struck the area housing the Drop Inn Center, politicians, investors and patrons of the performing arts like Mr. Kunzel and his partners would have cheered. That part of Over-the-Rhine would be demolished in short order. Most properties are either not insured or have very little insurance on them. Unlike Blue Ash and Montgomery and other tornado affected areas, funds would not have been collected to rebuild. Motels and hotels would not have opened their doors to temporarily house the Afro-American or would they offer to house the poor Appalachian residents. Food and other staples would not have been shipped in by the Semi-truck loads. Residents would be told to go the food bank, missions, or to stay with relatives or friends. The burden of making the decision to relocate the Drop Inn Center would be lifted from the decision makers downtown. These same decision makers do not understand the psychological damage they have already done to the Over-the-Rhine residents. The very thought of having their homes taken away and possibly being relocated to unfamiliar areas could destroy them. Areas in Over-the­ Rhine are the only world that many in that area know. Some may die from lack of serviqes, others may simply give up and die from a broken heart. Children would be scarred for life. Mr. Kunzel and Associates: You are not doing any favors by building a performing arts center near the Music Hall. Why not disas­ semble the Music Hall and relocate it in Blue Ash, Montgomery or Kenwood? It would be cheaper, the land there in those communities is available and you and your blue collar cohorts can have your own arts and music, blue collar kids performing in their very own blue collar communities, but leave historical areas atone! What you believe is best for Cincinnati may not be the best for everyon~ concerned in Cincin­ nati, Ohio. }\ ,,..C-1- : ·1 - c;==:. . '-'··Ji°'.. �~- STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 14 'ZONE' from front page ... applying for IRS 501 (c)(3) status; (3) grant agreements; (4) process for preparing revised. Implementation Plan and (5) process for recruit­ ing Executive Director. For the citizen who wishes to know more: (1) all Board of Trustees meetings are in the evening and open to the public; (2) the detailed application book for Cincinnati's EZ is available free from the city mangers office and is titled; PARTNERS BUILDING PATHWAYS TO PROSPERITY: LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND. Postscript: The Cincinnati Empoernment Corporation will schedule an all day Workshop for Board Training for Saturday, May 22nd, 1999. > Neighborhood and Census Tract Identification with Empowerment Zone boundaries in bold. Prepared by City Planning Department, September, 1998 + 'CITY' cont. from page 3 ... door. Once again the client base was not there. It was a convenient location for the program. That is why it is where it is. Let's not get hung up as to where it might best be. The client base is all over. It seems to me where the clients can work on their problems quietly and without being in the public eye constantly, if it is moving to a better location in the community and it can meet the clients needs, that is an advantage to all of us. I know the arts group is working with the administration of the program to find a good location. It won't happen, if it happens, it won't happen until that is the case and everyone is in agreement. I thank you. This is not in response to you Mr. Booth. It is out there in front of people. It is being discussed quite a bit and there is not a good history. I thank you for the opportunity. Mr. Booth: Thank you . Mrs. Cooper: It will be referred. Mr. Booth: I disagree. We are involved because we do fund the Drop Inn Center. We have a number of citizens concerned about the relocation. It was not meant as interference with the process. I think we need to inform our citizens who are calling in to find out what is going on. Thank you. Mrs. Cooper: Mr. Portune? Mr. Portune: Thank you. I have not been following the issue that closely in terms of the development plans. Though, I sense that it is about time we advance that issue more to the front burner as opposed to the back burner. I get a tittle concerned, though, when people talk about the Drop Inn Center, the homeless population. Those who have difficulty in terms of the best location for individuals who suffer the plight is in places where they are not seen. It is as if we want to just shove the issue under the rug and not deal with it directly. I don't know where the ultimate program goes, but there are a lot of unanswered questions that need to be answered. The city has, I suspect, I have not done the calculation, I'm sure we have more than $1 million of public money in the Drop Inn Center of capital construction. The taxpayers could be reimbursed for the taking of that and the taking of the building. My guess is that we · ·• · - - - ....+-ih11t"' tn this project [Arts ~will be asKea tu 1..v11u •...,..... ~ ·- . . Center]. Yet again, to the building and capit~r needs of a homeless population that does exist. People who have real problems, who we can't 1gnore, the majority of which are there not because of their incompetence but for reason~ outside of their control, I'm concerned about that. The Washington Park Redevelopment Plan. I know the citizens and families and children love Washington Park School. What are the plans long term for that school that has a tong following? I think that is under consid~r­ ation. Much against the interests of those tn the community or the neighborhood. I don't know what the final decision is on that. But in the last question, I don't want to get into committee work on the floor of the council. The issue has been raised. We have to be mindful of all of these issues. I think a new school for the SCPA would be wonderful. It is an exciting process. What level or amount of public school funds are going to be called upon for the construction of this new facility at a time when we have schools thoughout the entire district with exposed wires and building and fire code violations, with leaking roofs and other. things. It is the stadium project revisited all over again. Dealing with the luxury item as opposed to the priority. N~t .that we don't all like luxury. I make these dec1s1ons in my house and in my business outside of council as all of us are called upon to do. If the washer and dryer needs repaired, you don't buy the new TV set. I worry about these things. Not because I'm against progress or against good things happening, but because we canno~ ig.~ore these issues. We have to address the pnont1es first before we tackle the luxury. I want to raise this issue before the appropriate council com­ mittee. Does that mean in the final analysis that the Drop Inn Center stays or is relocated? I don't know. Let's make sure we have all of the issues on the table before we make the fin al decision. I don't agree that the problems of the poor are adverse to the positive interests of the city. People come to the city and they come to the urban core because it is where the resources are and the help is. We are the central seat of aid and assistance in the community and the region. That is why people come there. Seek­ ing that help. They will always come there. Let's get all of the issues out on the table. Let's not be afraid of them. Let's have this discussion done in a way so if this arts campus moves forward, the taxpayers don't suffer a hit. So the schools move forward in addressing their priority capitol needs in a way they are not put in the - -•hinn P.lse. If arts campus hap­ · ·----<>tc:: ::ire shelf or sonr1::11111 •::t - ·pens, it happens after those other lnie1"0'.... - · . met. Mrs. Cooper: I request Mr. Shirey, you heard and I'm sure people in your administration heard many of the questions. We request .t hat we get a report as comprehensive as possible. You need to talk with the representatives involved to find out how this will be affected by the monies given and the circumstances of the schools. it is something that is a big deal to us. We would like to hear from you in a comprehen­ sive manner. Thank you. Mr. Tarbell: Thank you. First of all, there is no room for rumor here. There has never been any discussion about moving Washington Park School unless it was to include that school in the development. That is the only context that it has been mentioned. Secondly, the neighborhood surrounding the Drop Inn Center and Music Hall and West End as well have survived because we removed the role models that have made those neighborhoods great. They both thrive because of the integration of the communities. That is why they are not thriving now because we removed that eco­ nomic integration. They will only be revived if we go back to what made them strong in the first place and reintroduce those formulas. . Over-the-Rhine will thrive on the backs of Music Hall. It will not thrive ever on the enhancement of an institution that caters to transients. You cannot rebuild Over-the-Rhine on the backs of the poor. You have to have the resources that bring leadership and role models in an econo~y in the first place. That is Music Hall. If there is any institution that represents our culture and the best of what we have had to offer our citizens, it is Music Hall. Why would you ever consider people with problems, why would you consider doing that? I was in the room when the founder of that institution said we will put it at the corner of 12th and Elm because it is in the faces of people who go to Music Hall everyday. Like that is the way to solve the problem. It was a political decision. The decisions for it have been political. If anybody can tell me that walking down 12th Street between Vine and Race and Elm is any way to address the prob­ lems of people that have trouble, mentally or otherwise. It is a mess. It is the biggest dis­ grace in the history of this city. We better recognize it now and take whatever measures to redo it. Look to your history and role models to give us those answers. Mr. Donaldson .said if you allow this to exist, it is the worse thing to P.ver happen. He was right. We need to go - · ,. •hn~e remarks and look at how · ......<>te in a kind back and rev1su u "·we take care of those less fonu1 ........ . .._f and humane way and revisit that as the way ..... the future. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page .15 PREP, Inc. is looking for STREETVIBES Announcements Live Studio Au.d ience Wanted SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AND IS BROADCAST FROM THE STUDIOS OF CINCINNATI COMMUNITY VIDEO, 2114 READING ROAD, FROM 7 TO BPM. STREETVIBES TV COVERS NEWS ON POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS AND RELATED ISSUES. CALL US AT THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS IF YOU STREETVIBES TV WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO SHOW­ AUDIENCE. FOR MORE wouLD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE? INFORMATION - 421-7803 SHOW IS TAPED LIVE ON THE STREETVIBES Classified Ads Streetvibes is now accepting Classi­ fied Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sa le, 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 allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be re­ ceived before the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us after the fi rst 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 music 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. position wanted Dwight Wise HVAC Technician for hire. 24 Service! Call751-3182. Thank You! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line. Ca/1421-7803 for info. persons interested in the following trades: *ACI CARPENTERS *ASBESTOS/INSULATION WORKERS *BRICKLAYERS *CARPENTERS *CEMENT MASONS *ELECTRICIANS L.U. #212 *MARBLE, TILE AND TERRAZZO *PLASTERERS *ROD WORKERS *ROOFERS *MILLWRIGHTS PREP. Inc. is in its 31st year of advocacy for minorities and women to enter into apprenticeship in construction. Call (513) 221-4700 for more information. Scramble Answers from page 11 ... University Veterans Good Samaritan Jewish Bethesda Deaconess Childrens Christ Providence Saint Luke Mercy Franciscan Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About 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 stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, June 12th, 1999, noon to 1 pm Streetvibes! Advertise in Streetvibes! Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct 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 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 failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to over 5,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 31/2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4 11 x 3 1/2" $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 or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521o �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 'TARGET' from page 7 STR-EETVIBES· Streetvi bes TV tices, such as selling flowers and newspapers, and drive-by panhandling in our streets and along median strips." But while the number of pedestrian fatali­ ties in the city nearly doubled in 1998 from the year before, ponce were hard-pressed to come up with examples that were connected with roadside panhandling. The American Civil liberties Union already has voiced concern about the ban, stating that the panhandlers' First Amendment rights could be violated. If beggars are posing safety risks, ACLU attorney John Crew said, existing laws address errant behavior that disrupts traffic. In addition, aggressive panhandling is barred in the city. Boden, a frequent critic of the mayor's policies, was skeptical of Mayor Brown's position that roadside panhandlers posed a pedestrian safety risk, choosing to believe that the real target was the homeless. Supervisor Brown, who has led successful drives at the Board of Supervisors over the past year to pass laws banning public liquor consumption and camping in Hallidie Plaza, Civic Center Plaza and U.N. Plaza, said. Monday such views were hogwash. "This has nothing to do with homelessness," he said. "It's about safety. It's about order." Super­ visor Brown will usher the "Pedestrian Safety Act" through the board's public hearing and deliberations process on the mayor's behalf. "TV~s~heau·1e· The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video, 2114 Reading Road. If you would like to be a part of our live studio audience please call t he Greater Cincinnati Coalit ion for the Homeless at 421-7803 for more information. Streetvibes TV JUNE Schedule June's Live TV show will begin at 7PM, Monday, June 14th, and will be broadcast from the Reading Road Studio. The new show format includes a studio audience along with a guest panel discussion. Channel 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. MONDAY. JUNE 14th at 7PM. Rebroadcast Dates for Show on Chan­ nel 24: Saturday, June 5, 1999, 4 PM Friday, June 11, 1999, 11 am Friday, June 18, 1999, 11 AM Monday, June 28, 1999, 1O PM Saturday, June 26, 1999, 4 PM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. Vendor: 80 cents Printing and Production: 20 cents Where Your Dollar Goes 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. SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER : Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 244-7226 961-4080 If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our viewing audience. 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. .. >35 MM Film for Streetvibes photo's >Laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper >Good used or new Xerox machine >Office Supplies >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups, etc.) >Computer for Streetvlbes layout and writing >Subscribers Call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 if you can help! 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 421-7803. Thanks for your support. Need Help or Want to Help? SHELTERS: Women and Children 241-2757 Alice Paul House (Abuse) 281-5770 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431-8717 Welcome House Page 16 St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental Ill) Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House St. Francis- St. Joseph 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 Beech Acres 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 639-7056 961-4555 241-7343 921-7324 784-1853 921 -1 613 381-4941 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 421-2437 621-5991 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Community Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van House of Refuge Mission 221-3679 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 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 Genter 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 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 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 May 1999 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 1999 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Census: How Do You Count the Homeless Inside the Empowerment Zone Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 3: Drop Inn Center Subject of Council Discussion at City Hall McCrackin Awards Pg 4: Fire Shows Lack of Collective Action What is Mental Health Pg 5: The Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide News Pg 8: Prisoners News Pg 9: George Skatzes The Speakers Bureau Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: New Arts and Education Center Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Pg 13: Urban Appalachians in Greater Cincinnati Hanging Out with the Champ Pg 14: Zoning from Front Page Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Staff: Donald Whitehead Director Jimmy Heath Coordinator Ron Carter Vendor Support Gina Miller Rapid Exit Program Photographer: Jimmy Heath Writers: Ron Carter Denise Crew Richard Frye Jimmy Heath Mike Henson Berta Lambert Charlie Mattingly Gina Miller Patrick Mosolf Gregory Payton James Pryor Victor Velez Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Census Charlie Mattingly Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Drop Inn Center Editorials & Letters Gina Miller Gregory Payton James Pryor Jimmy Heath Lynn Williams mental health mental illness Mike Henson nationwide news Patrick Mosolf prisoners news Richard Frye Ron Carter Sonny Williams the broken city The Traveler Victor Velez welfare welfare news welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/beaccaea3ce697df7a3d4ea7ed96feaa.pdf 3ab0ca45f54acc7c5e5ae80d1685db41 PDF Text Text ·• DEMOLITION OF .CINCINNATI PUBLIC HOUSING CONTINUES TO CREATE CONTROVERSY by Jimmy Heath The controversy over the demolition of public housing in Cincinnati continues to be the focus of attention for many of this city's home­ less and low-income advocates. On Wednes­ day, May 27th, Cincinnati housing advocates rallied on the steps of City Hall to demand a moratorium on the demolition of low-income housing in this city's West End neighborhood. The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) claims that the demolition and rebuild· ing of the West End's Laurel Homes and Lincoln Court projects is necessary because of the aging infrastructure of the community. Devel­ oped in 1937, Laurel Homes is the second oldest public housing community in the United States. The proposed HUD grant, known as Hope VI, allows cities the use of federal HUD money to rebuild these aging housing projects. The redevelopment project is a planned collabo· ration between the City o1 Cincinnati, Hamilton County, and HUD. The CMHA application for a .Hope Vl grant to demolish and rebuild the . Lincoln Courts and Laurel Hornes housing projects received a unanimous endorsement from Cincinnati's City Council despite protests from concerned citizens, residents, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and other advocates. Many homeless advocates across the country site Hope VI redevelopment projects .. as contributing to the root cause of homelessness which is the lack of affordable housing. Critics and proponents of Hope VI realize that there are problems with subsidized public housing projects in this country, such as high crime rates and overall decay of the properties. However, due to the loss of avail­ able units because of Hope VI redevelopment, homeless advocates have been outspoken · - l-.;. .... . Lincoln Court housing project, in Cincinnati's West End neighborhood. Buildings are being demolished to make way for redevelopment. photo:JimmyHeath about their concerns. It is ironic to many of these advocates that as homeless shelter populations continue to grow, demolition of public housing continues. While bulldozers plow under vacated housing units to make way for Hope VI redevelopment, advocates say that shelter space for the homeless continues to dwindle. "A one-day point of time study indicates that there is nearly a 400% increase in the amount of children in shelters. The demolition of public housing ranks at or near the top as the reason for this increase in the homeless popula­ tion," says Donald Whitehead, Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. "And many of the people who have been moved Rally participants at Cincinnati City Hall demand a moratorium on the demolition of public housing. photobyJimmyHeath out to make way for these redevelopment projects move on to housing that continues to be sub-standard. Their quality of life has not improved." Nationwide, the effects of Hope VI projects are potentially devastating to low­ income persons. In addition to Hope VI pro­ grams, that result in potentially fewer available housing units, data shows that America is losing its supply of assisted housing at an accelerating rate due to decisions by owners to discontinue their participation in federal subsidy programs and raise rents to high market rates. More available housing is being lost because owners are choosing to 'opt out' of subsidized housing Section 8 programs. "We're losing this housing at a current rate of over 3,000 apartments per month," said Michael Bodaken, President of the National Housing Trust (NHT), a national nonprofit organization formed to preserve and fmprove federally assisted housing for low and moder­ ate income use. "This hpusing is an endan­ gered species. Once it's lost, it will never be replaced." Data compiled by the Trust shows that close to 100,000 units were lost since Congress allowed owners to pay off subsidized mortgage balances (called 'prepayment') on affordable housing complexes in April, 1996. Many advocates see the destruction of public housing and 'opt out' programs for landlords as 'economic cleansing' of low income people. The NHT has documented another 25,000 units which have been lost through owner decisions to opt out of expiring subsidy contracts in the past two years, a problem that is expected to grow in the future as long-term contracts expire over the next several years and owners in high market areas opt out of renewals. Owners will opt out of close to 200,000 more of these units in the next few years, according to a recent . memorandum issued by Recapitalization Advisors, which represents owner groups. 0 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Traveler The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Revisiting the Trail Of Tears by Donald Whitehead Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper written 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 kaeps the profits. The Streetvibes Vendor Program gives our vendors an opportunity to get back on their feet. All Streetvibes vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. A case file is developed on each vendor so that we may track and help facilitate the vendors' move from poverty to self­ sufficiency. The Streetvibes Newspaper Plan­ ning Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a com­ ment, story or editorial that you would like published please call 421 -7803. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. filltt Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Ron Carter, Vendor Support Gina Miller, Rapid Exit Program Photographer Jimmy Heath Writers Malik Amilcar Ron Carter Denise Crew Anitra Freeman Richard Frye Amy Harpenau Lloyd Glen Jimmy Heath Mike Henson Shepard Andrew Martin Bonnie Neumeier Victor Velez Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 o {513) 421-7803 fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net web page: http://cinci.com/gcch . Often I find myself traveling back in time as I go about the daily work of an advocate. This months' Traveler takes me back to a time when things were very similar, but very different. I would like to take you with me. While we will be traveling back in time, we will still be in today. History has a way of repeating itself. Oppression is often revisited by a completely different generation in a completely different setting. Different time, different place same results. Many years ago the Native Americans were visited by settlers. In the beginning there was a peaceful co-habitation. The settlers made peace with their Native American brothers and the land was plentiful, the space adequate for all. Soon, more settlers came and the space began to shrink. Tribal Chiefs and Indian Agents negotiated treaty after treaty. Each treaty was broken and more land was lost. Tribe after tribe was forced into smaller and smaller pieces of land. Finally _ tribes were marched off to reservations. Many Native Americans died on the trail of tears. Many lives were lost due to broken promises. Fast forward to today. For many years residents in public housing lived in harmony. Later as housing authorities.ignored them conditions worsened. Crime, drugs, and other activity increased. Residents near these properties ran to the suburbs in fear. Later, city officials, alarmed by the loss of tax dollars to the suburbs, began to pay more attention to those forgotten inner city communities. Developments sprung up near long forgotten public housing complexes. These developments were designed to recapture tax dollars and create an economic mix. Housing Authority Officials and Resident Council Represen­ tatives negotiated treaties (HOPE VI) to change the face of public housing. Promises were made to improve the economic mix in the community. Residents fed up with the crime, drugs and decaying buildings bought into promises of improved conditions. Residents' leaders were given all expense paid trips to other housing complexes around the country. Residents were led to believe that the newly developed housing was for them. The plans showed something completely different - most of the new housing was completely out of reach for the current residents. The new trail of tears is residents being displaced. Moved from inner-city communities to other locations, yet to be revealed. The thought of new housing, less crime and other amenities in the suburbs are a definite draw for residents that have long suffered from the inattention to there plight. The demolition of public housing is not the answer to solving the nations housing crisis. It will ultimately be seen as a miserable failure, a policy that ranks at the top of the list when it comes to failed.housing polices in this country. Well meaning resident councils have negotiated away thousands of units of housing. Housing Authority Officials boast about housing options. Housing options do not replace housing units. In Cincinnati the housing authority boasts that 78% of the people with Section-8 Vouchers find housing. That's great for the 78%. Hopefully, the housing they find is not substandard, or worse, like many residents in other cities are encountering. We really have tremendous concerns about the 22% that do not find their housing needs met at all. Some readers may think that the analogy is a stretch. After all, along the trail of tears many Page 2 people died. In the plight of the homeless many people have died. Every year hun­ dreds of homeless people are buried. Each year advocates memorialize 1OOO's of people who die on the streets The demolition of public housing is not the answer to solving the nations housing crisis. It will ultimately be seen as a miserable failure, a policy that ranks at the top of the list when it comes to failed housing polices... The issues around public housing effect me deeply. I have attended countless meetings where residents were given misin­ formation to the point were it was almost criminal. I have seen divide and conquer tactics skillfully used by housing authority officials. I have seen promising resident council representatives hired and silenced by housing authorities. I have held rallies against public housing demolition and had residents in favor of their own displacement try to shout me down. I've watched angry residents attack the character of any resi­ dent opposed to the housing authority's plans. Character assassination is an age old tactic that is used to discredit people with different opinions. How strange it is to see the same tactics used against low­ income, homeless and minority groups used by them to attack their own. To me that is one of the most unfortunate consequences unfolding in the new trail of tears. I hold on to the hope that maybe I am totally wrong and peoples lives will improve as a result of HOPE VI. I suspect that the opposite will occur and we will see increased homelessness and future displacement. History does not have to repeat itself. We do not have to see another trail of tears. Residents must not leave their future up to a very small number of representatives who's individual concerns outweigh their sense of community. I have tried to raise awareness to this issue by bringing it to the attention of the media. I hope that other communities have taken note. Soon the treaty makers (CMHA Officials) will be coming to a commu­ nity near you. Don't sell your neighbors homes away. We need to stop the new, 20th century trail of tears. buddys place opens Homeless Summit Walking Wounded The Broken City Arts & Poetry Comedy Corner National News Homeless Woman Killed Dad Helps Homeless Vendors Targeted Welfare News Electronic Funds Scramble Letters & Editorials Streetvibes Etc. Inmates Help Homeless Classified Ads Streetvibes Radio TV Schedule Page4 Pages Pages Page5 Page6 Pagel Pagel Pagel Page9 Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 15 Page 16 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine DOCTORS URGE OUTREACH TO HOMELESS TEENS By Norma Wagner - The Salt Lake Tribune Homeless and runaway teens are as mistrustful of medical-care providers as they are of police, social workers and other representa­ tives of "the establishment." "So creating and staffing a clinic to address their health-care needs does not mean they will come," say two organizers of successful teen clinics in Seattle. Homelessness among teens "is a long­ standing issue in the United States, and it's not exclusively isolated to urban centers; it's occur­ ring in rural areas and community neighbor­ hoods," said James Farrow, director of the division of adolescent medicine at the University of Washington. Farrow and Robert Deisher, a professor of pediatrics at the same Seattle university, spoke to residents and physicians at Primary Children's Medical Center on Thursday. Over the past 27 years, they have used innova­ tive methods to get kids living on the street to the clinics, and to staff and equip those centers by forming partnerships with state and community agencies. What started as a clinic in an abandoned hotel where the teens hung out turned into three clinics with 70 beds under the name CityDoc Homeless Youth Clinics, open evenings Mon­ days, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They treat more than 400 youths per year. They have succeeded in getting local hospitals to provide the lab work, and community centers to donate equipment and pharmaceutical supplies, enlisting the help of local and state agencies. "But none of it would have worked had they not reached out to the youths to get them to seek treatment," both men said. Farrow outlined several recommendations from the Society of Adolescent Medicine to help meet the health-care needs of homeless and runaway youths. The recommendations include: - Not making the clinics too institutional, but adapt services to meet teens' needs. - Enhance the youths' self-worth and dignity, and recognize they are in a crisis situa­ tion. - Make them welcome, provide continuity and invite them back. "They're fun to work with despite the complexity of their problems," Farrow said. "You can make a big difference in these kids' lives." The Homeless Youth Resource Center is the main source of help for homeless youth and runaways in Salt Lake City. The nonprofit center, located at 655 S. State, provides the youths with a warm place where they can get free food and clothing. About 150 homeless teens are estimated to be in Utah on any given day. The center in January opened a trar:isition home near 600 East and 700 South where a handful of homeless teens can live for up to six months to work on their futures by getting more education or job training, or working. And sick teens are referred to the Open Door Clinic housed Wednesday evenings at the City-County Health Department clinic at 600 S. 200 East. It is open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and staffed by volunteer physicians, physician assistants, and residents from the University of Utah Health Sciences Center. But the Homeless Youth Resource Center is small, becoming increasingly cramped and struggling to meet all the teens' needs. "The center's board of directors is hoping to raise donations to move into a larger downtown building so the center and clinic could share space under the same roof," said Pamela Atkinson, board chairman. "What we're finding right now is that be­ sides food, clothing and shelter, they need counseling, physical health care, and mental­ health and dental care," said Atkinson, who also is vice president 6f mission services for the nonprofit, charitable lntermountain Health Care. 'They need mentoring, job counseling and education." "My goal is to see if we can't find some philanthropist willing to buy a building, remodel it and set it up for these homeless youths." San Francisco's MATRIX Targets Homeless Population ch@nce martin San Francisco Editorialist Scott Winokur's insight into MATRIX goes something like this: He went along with one of the Department of Human Service's 'outreach teams' to cover the story when then-Mayor Jordan initiated his 'quality of life' enforcement campaign against San Francisco's homeless community. The outreach teams were a public relations ruse. What he DIDN'T get to see, much less report, was the SFPD tactical squad officers who rolled up on the 'target population' about 5 minutes after the 'outreach teams' had left. Public areas where homeless people gathered and camped in groups were repeatedly swept by tac squad officers assisted by Depart­ ment of Public Works crews with trash-compac­ tor trucks. The officer would identify a tent, shopping cart, bedding , etc. and instruct the DPW crew to throw the stuff in the truck. If any bystander protested, the officer would ask that person if the belongings were theirs. If the person then answered 'yes', the officer would write a ticket for 'illegal lodging' or 'encamp­ ment' and leave the victim with instructions to not be there when the officer returned. If they answered 'no' they could watch the stuff get thrown in the truck and get compacted in with the garbage. Homeless people would accumu­ late multiple tickets, miss court dates, and, ultimately, have bench warrants issued for their arrest. I personally know of perhaps two people who received a temporary voucher for a SRO room from the DHS 'outreach teams', and maybe another who got hooked up with a GA check. After MATRIX was going full-tilt for a few months, the 'outreach team's' role unrav­ eled like the window dressing that it was, and SFPD officers would themselves perform 'outreach': distribute a handful of shelter bed vouchers each night to 'good' homeless people, 'MATRIX' cont. on page 5... Page 3 CONTAINERS DOUBLE AS HOUSING Units will be utilized by migrant cherry pickers MATTAWA, Washington: Shipping containers are being renovated as bunkhouses and family living quarters to shelter some of the hundreds of migrant workers who will come here to pick cherries this spring. Eight of the cargo containers are due to arrive soon, part of the $1.4 million Esperanza housing project coordinated by Grant County. Housing authority director Ken Palek hopes to have at least some of the units ready when cherry pickers begin to show up at the end of this month. "This is a pilot project to see what works and what doesn't," Palek said. It's also part of an effort to put an end to the shanty towns that spring up along the banks of the Columbia River each harvest season. A 1996 state Department of Health study found that some 37,000 of the state's 62,300 migrant workers had no place to live when they came to Washington. Many of the homeless laborers end up jammed into trailers or basements or sleep in their cars or in unsanitary camps along the river. "The housing here cannot keep up with the demand, especially during harvest," Mayor Judy Esser said. The contai_ners will be set up on five acres near a laundry, grocery and other basic services. "It doesn't do any good to put people far from town," Palek said. "Most of them don·t have reliable transportation to be driving to town for milk and bread." The steel containers will have plumbing, heating and cooling, and the interiors will re­ semble those of mobile homes. The rent will be $6 a day per person or $10 a day for a family, Palek said. Last summer, some migrant workers told health district staffers that they would be unwilling to pay anything for housing. Palek said there are legitimate costs, such as sewer and water, to be paid for with rent. "But there's another issue as well," he said. "If you give someone something for noth­ ing, they don't know its worth," he said. Subscribe to Streetvi bes! Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year for 12 issues. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O Please make checks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. �---l 'STREETVIBES The Tri-State's ----- - Hom~les~ Grapevin~, ·"'·::'c.·~·: · Page ·~ ~~ with little or no resources using all we had in us to claim the right to stay in this land. He had a deep care and compassion for people who are homeless and with little or no incomes. He believed in peoples ability to overcome addictions and hopelessness. He was an advocate of the people to whom he gave hope by what he said and what he did, he never brushed people off. buddy worked hard at developing and sharing leadership for he believed in the power of the people. What he thought was just and right, he took action with others to carry it out. buddy's place OPENS ITS DOORS by Amy Harpenau Doormats position themselves outside several apartments, the smell of food cooking and the occasional shuffling of feet up and down the stairs have been long awaited sights and sounds of buddy's place, the most recent ReSTOC building to be rehabbed. The mission of buddy's place is unique and set a national precedent. The 20 apartments of buddy's are occupied by adults who were formerly homeless. Just days ago these individuals were sleeping on mats at the Drop Inn Center with 200 other individuals, undergoing alcohol and drug treatment programs or sleeping on heating grates, in parks or down on the river. Today, they have brand new, completely furnished apartments, a place where they can have friends over, seek refuge and peacefulness, cook a meal and most importantly a place to call home. This continuum of care, moving from the streets to housing, is what the Drop Inn Center and ReSTOC are about. Supportive services accompany the lease agreement of every buddy's place tenant. The tenant agrees to actively work with the Case Manager to develop a plan to attain healthy and productive futures, and the Resident Manager who also acts as a resource for the tenant and monitors the security of the building. The process by which this was accom­ plished was no easy task full of potholes and roadblocks . The building was sched­ uled to be demolished just before ReSTOC assumed ownership. Since then, ReSTOC staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to rehab the building to its current condition and provide safe, secure and affordable housing to those who need it the very most. The building assumed the name buddy's place from the founder of the Drop Inn Center and ReSTOC, friend and tireless advocate for the homeless after his death in 1996. buddy's place has only touched the surface in eliminating homelessness. The need for this type of housing is astounding. After accepting over 100 applications, conducting many interviews and placing referrals with other housing agencies, buddy's place has reached it's capacity and the interviews continue for people to be placed on a waiting list. buddy's place's are needed in every neighborhood in every city. In the meantime, the Drop Inn Center and ReSTOC will continue with an even deeper commitment to provide longer term solutions to homelessness. On June 121h , we will be celebrating the opening of the building as another positive er tion ReSTOC has made to the .... ., as they provide safe, .:ecu·~ ;,1!:':e 1ousing to low­ inco,'7'e in i1ki1 ats in Over-the-Rhine. Join us fr.r th~ ' ' -1tion. Music, entertain­ me11t, , • 0 ~ , ..1it, refreshments and tours of the building will be ~vai lable all day. Come and see the positive 1,,c>11tribUtions ReSTOC is making in Over-the-Rhine. - - -- - - - To buddy, every person had a face, a name. buddy's COMMITMENT IS REMEMBERED buddy gray made a commitment very young to dedicate his life energies to the cau~e of freedom, justice and peace for all humanity. He never wavered in that com­ mitment. To buddy, every person had a face, a name. He was a man with great passion and soul. A man who was moti­ vated by his inclusive love and just anger so that we all could live free with basic rigl:Jts. In addition to many other accomplish­ ments, buddy supported the founding of the Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse for the homeless and formed ReSTOC, a non­ profit, racially-integrated, low-income housing cooperative. buddy's strong, life-giving spirit was felt and impacted many people and places, but his soul lived specially deep in the people and soul of Over-the-Rhine. He walked side-by-side with us, his neighbors, ......... {\ft !ill .. buddy saved the 1300 Vine Street building from demolition in 1987 with a vision of having people who are homeless live there. buddy's life ended on November 151h, 1997 during the continued renovation . of this building. For these reasons and more, ReSTOC has named this building "buddy's place" in appreciation for the life, memories and spirit of buddy gray. Adapted from "Remembering buddy gray" by Bonnie Neumeier, ·s treetvibes, February 1997... -----· RtSTOC, I 11c. . • • titOH. PQOFlf • He L~ co·oP HOU5 ING- ~· The Race Street Tenant Organization Cooperative (ReSTOC) cordially invites you to attend the Grand Opening of buddy's place, Permanent Housing for the Homeless at 1300 Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine on Saturday J une. 12th Jpm-5pm. The formal program will begin at 2pm. r>arkinf will he available at 1225 Vine Street. ease c '0 ' ifyou have any questior ,. 'ee you there .I �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Broken City... Page s ·· by J immy Heath 'MATRIX' from page 3 ... Donald contemplates demolition of p ublic housing in Cincinnati's West End neighborhood. Advocates at National Homeless Summit raise the bar for government by Anitra Freeman Reprinted from Real Change Vol 6, Number 10, May 1999 [Seattle, Washington's street newspap er] I'll never be able to tell you everything about the National Summit on Homelessness in Washington, D.C. The National Coalition for the Homeless gathered up over 600 homeless advocates and activists, including a couple hundred homeless and formerly homeless people, and workshopped , paneled, and inun­ dated us for three days on housing, health, human rights, livable income, education, veterans issues, and other aspects of homelessness and ending of it. Back in my getting-paid-for-computer-work days, l attended a few business conferences ­ long, leisurely breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, then everybody goes out partying. I have now attended four non-profit conferences - where you get run from pillar to post on half a donut and a plate of cold chicken. I would like to know who came up with the formula, "The less we pay you, the harder you have to work?" Maybe that explains the reception given Andrew Cuomo. Everybody was already pretty ragged and brain-soaked when we gathered together to hear the head of HUD, the United States Secr~tary for Housing, tell us that poverty is fundamentally about injustice, and that homelessness can only be solved by getting down into the trenches. Well, that's good, we go for that, we're in the trenches, we stood up and cheered him. Then he said that the government - he and other people getting paid $100,000 a year and up­ can't do any more to solve homelessness unless we who are in the trenches "work harder". That got less applause. When he opened for questions, he got grilled over the barriers that HUD's complex paperwork creates for grassroots housing programs and homeless housing applicants. In response to criticism of the Clinton Administra­ tion, he took his feet that had been held to the fire and stuck them in his mouth to cool off ­ he told 600 homeless advocates and activists that "welfare reform has had no negative impact on homeless people." I swear he was running when he hit the back exit. After the ritual sacrifice of the HUD Secretary, we returned to the less exciting business of workshops and networking. Subscribe to Streetvibes 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 every month. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O Please make checks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. (at the expense of anyone voluntarily competing for that bed in the nightly lottery). Especially favored were those who might provide informa­ tion on any extra-legal activities in the area. I assume this sort of intelligence-gathering fell under the auspices of the 'community policing' programs that began popping up like malignant little toadstools in San Francisco's neighbor­ hoods around the same time as the 'quality of life' These practices are now becoming institu­ tions under Mayor Willie Brown's leadership­ the same candidate Willie Brown who cam­ paigned with rhetoric like: "This charade called MATRIX will end when I become Mayor." The big change has been no pretense of any 'out­ reach' and spiraling numbers of tickets for 'quality of life' infractions, with monthly aver­ ages exceeding those of the Jordan era's most aggressive sweeps. Mayor Brown has widened the scope of places being swept to include unused industrial properties, freeway over­ passes, etc. , i.e; anyplace someone may be living that is in public sight, period. The way things are playing out here, there is likely to be an impending promotion of a 'secure campus' with 'sprung shelters' (large temporary tent-like structures) to serve as emergency shelter for homeless people, similar to the current proposal in Arizona. Then, if a police officer finds you in the 'wrong' part of town for no approved reason, you will be referred to this facility. Refusal will result in arrest. (Please bear in mind that if San Francisco's shelter capacity were DOUBLED from the current number of available beds, there would be shelter for about a fifth of the 14,818 people San Francisco attested to in its 1997 application for McKinney dollars to assist homeless people.) IT'S OPEN SEASON ON THE WALKING WOUNDED Matt Parkhouse, RN Four years ago, in Colorado Springs, within eight months, our police department shot and killed two mentally ill men. One was home­ less, one was not. The first, Richard Deerfield, was cornered in the bathroom of the downtown Catholic cathedral after causing a disruption. He drew a knife and was shot and killed. It was ruled justifiable and, several months later, the three officers involved were given Medals of Valor for executing this homeless mentally ill man. The status quo loving Catholic Dioceses ruled that resancitification of the Cathedral (traditional for a church to do if a murder occurs in the premises} was not necessary. Then later in the year, another cop, called to a disturbance, shot and killed a mentally ill man as he waved a wooden surveying stake about. This too, was ruled justifiable. These killings, and the lack of police accountability are the subject of "Fingers on the Trigger" a video that was shown on PBS a few months ago. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Gr9pevine WORD ON THE Song of the STREET Cold , . ·.1. . Arts &<Poetry by Mike Henson November is followed by December is followed by the aching new year with its bone-split weather. It rasps at the knuckles; it crackles in the lungs. The heart is a sieve; when the wind cuts right, the cold can cut through a man as if he were a shadow. MY NEXT STEP by Victor M. Velez My shoes wait. .. For my next step. Faithfully, they wait. They yearn to rest in a closet, under a bedto see a foot doctor, to walk in hopeful directions. Holding the weight of my fife, The news here is always the same. A million tress die for the daily papers. The frozen homeless are stacked for cinderblocks. Ten million women have mailed their ova­ ries to Congress and are awaiting further instructions. For fear of invasion, every farm in the country has been dis­ guised as a strip mall or a subdivision. The children of the South Bronx have volunteered to fast one week each month to help us balance the budget. Business is great. Life is wonderful. God is Republican. And the Republic stands ever so tall . like identical twins, they carry me, gripping my feet, resting its wounds from the rugged streets. My soul is losing its marrow. We continue forward, leaving behind loose laces, Page 6 DO FOR SELF by Malik Ami/car They say a Fool and his Money will Soon Leave Him. Is that The Reason Why we don't Have our Freedom? We spend $100,000,000,000 Annually, But we Don't produce Toilet paper. Ignorance and No unity is The whodunit In the caper. With these Dead end Jobs and These Primitive Wages. Got me And Mine Living in Infancy stages Eating to live Is the answer To good Health. The cure To my Illness is Doing for Self. Disgusted with it all , I walk the streets in the mankilling cold. My breath is one small white twist of vapor in the wind. The snow is thick on the -park benches, thick on the black branches of the trees. the muffling snows kill all sound but the call of the crows. And if I stand in the center of the park. And if I close my eyes, you are there. I feel you at my shoulder. I sense the rise and fall of your chest. A tuft of your hair blows across my face. But I can only hear the cold call of the crows. laces that have given up the fight. Rapid Exit assists families and individuals for m~re Information contact TheGreater Cincinnau CoaHUon For The Homeless at 421-7803 and ask for Gina Miller Comedy Corner by Ron Carter The Account A man walked into a bar and took a seat. The bartender asked, "Can I help ypu? " The man said "Yes, bartender, I'll have two cold beers on the account. " "Okay sir, " said the bar tender, "Coming up!" The bartender then said, "Excuse me sir, what did you mean when you said you wanted two beers on the account?" The man said, " Oh, on the account that I don't have any money to pay you! Have a good day." �--- 1 l STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine By Maro Robbins Express-News Staff Writer In a trial unfolding this week in federal court, several police officers have testified they were ordered to keep downtown streets tourist­ friendly by h~rassing human "eyesores" that included youths and the homeless. Past and present members of the Down­ town Foot and Bicycle Patrol said they were told to demand identification from patrons in certain bars, to snatch suspected gang clothing from teen-agers and to push homeless people out of the area - with or without probable cause that suggested laws had been broken. Testifying Thursday, San Antonio Police Chief Al Philippus said none of the alleged activities violated residents' rights to walk the streets downtown, if they in fact occurred. He emphasized that officers never documented specific abuses and never complained through official channels. He also noted that probable cause is not needed for officers to request identification. Altogether, nine officers have testified in a trial brought against the city by Officer Onofre Serna, who in 1996 was transferred from the highly visible bicycle patrol to squad-car duty. Serna claims the transfer was punishment for complaining about the unit's harsh methods, Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscri ptions 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 issue. Streetvibes 1506 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. - - - --- which allegedly started in 1994 and lasted about two years. He also claims the transfer violated his civil rights and laws protecting whistleblowers. lawyers for the city said Serna suffered no retaliation. They suggest the allega­ tions stem from personality conflicts and "petty employment issues." The trial has offered a rare view inside the squad room where officers navigated the politics of policing one of the city's most valued assets • - the River Walk. Bandannas, baseball caps and other pieces of suspected gang regalia decorated the walls of the patrol's office, several officers said. A box in a back room held more confiscated items, some, according to testi­ mony, snatched without probable cause. "It's basically theft," Detective Miguel Mares Jr., a former member of the patrol, said on the witness stand, describing why he - and other officers - balked at instructions to take sus­ pected gang paraphernalia. Most officers acknowledged the downtown streets had gang problems. But, they said, their orders also targeted teen-agers who broke no laws but wore gangster-style clothing simply to blend in with peers. Moreover, they said, many youths lingered downtown to avoid trouble in their own rough neighborhoods. "Even if they were just standing around, we were instructed to do something about this problem," Mares said. Mares also said the patrol had specific instructions to demand identification from customers in certain bars, such as the Esquire Tavern at 115 E. Commerce St. Other officers said they were advised to let bouncers and hired security handle upscale establishments like the nearby Hard Rock Cafe. Without naming any businesses, Philippus argued the department simply focused on unruly areas and certain crimes, like driving while intoxicated. "We target problems, specific violations of law, not particular (groups of) people," he said. Officers claimed the heavy-handed orders came from the patrol supervisor, then-Lt. Harry Griffin. Griffin, now a captain at the Prue Road substation, also was transferred from the patrol about the same tim~ as Serna. He has been named as a potential witness, but he couldn't be reached for comment. Officer Thomas Froelick said Griffin considered the teen-agers as "eyesores," and wanted them off the downtown streets. "The homeless in San Antonio - he didn't like them, either," Froelick testified. Mares said Griffin once ordered him to remove a mentally disabled homeless woman from the bench where she had sat quietly for years without causing many complaints. He was told to drop her off under a bridge by a home­ less shelter. On the witness stand, Philippus said he wanted to hear Griffin's testimony before he assessed the incident, but balked at labeling the woman's removal an arrest. In July 1996, Philippus assembled a panel of police supervisors to examine the grumbling coming from the downtown patrol squad. After dozens of interviews, the panel reported that a clique of officers was defying supervisors an<:l intimidating peers. It described Serna as "very disruptive," while acknowledging that Griffin had "serious managerial and supervisory shortcom­ ings." The report also stated the officers believed the tactics Griffin demanded "were heavy­ handed, illegal or racially and politically moti­ vated." Philippus said those allegations were too vague to warrant an inquiry into whether the patrol was harassing downtown visitors. In­ stead, Philippus said he followed the panel's recommendations. He transferred Griffin, Serna and two sergeants. Transfers of three other patrol officers already temporarily assigned to other divisions became permanent. Since then, both Philippus and Froelick testified, the unit's troubles have dissipated. Page 1 HOMELESS WOMAN DIES AFTER BEING SHOT BY OFFICER By Rich Connell, Times Staff Writer A homeless woman who allegedly threat­ ened a Los Angeles police officer with a screw­ driver died Friday afternoon after the officer shot her in the shoulder, detectives said. The woman, about 50 years old, was not immediately identified. She was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center about half an hour after the shooting at La Brea Avenue and 4th Street in the Hancock Park area. Lt. Anthony Alba, an LAPD spokesman, said the incident began about 4:15 p.m. , when two bicycle patrol officers-one male, the other female-tried to stop the woman on the side­ walk. Alba said the officers, neither of whom has been identified, wanted to question the woman to see if the shopping cart she was pushing had been stolen. According to Alba, the woman immediately began acting aggressively, threat­ ening to kill the officers. Alba said she kept walking as an argument ensued, and during the dispute a motorist stopped and attempted to convince the woman to comply with the officers' instructions to come to a halt. The woman continued to walk, and when the officers again attempted to stop her, she began slashing at them with a screwdriver. The male officer, ducking out of the way, lost his balance. Feeling threatened, he fired one shot that struck the woman in the shoulder, Alba said. Why the officers did not attempt to subdue the woman with batons or pepper spray-both of which they carried-was not immediately clear. Alba said the homeless woman was black, the male officer is Asian and the female officer is of Asian and Latino ancestry. Officers cordoned off several blocks shortly after the shooting. Their investigation, which snarled Friday evening rush hour traffic in the area, continued well into the night. Several witnesses-one of them an off­ duty woman officer who had a "birds-eye view" of the incident, were taken to the LAPD's Wilshire Division station tor questioning, Alba said. He said none of the witnesses contra­ dicted the account given by the officer who fired the shot. One man, however, told a KNX radio reporter that the officer did not fire until the woman turned away, no longer posing a threat. The man was not identified and police said they had not been able to find him. ,\..........._____ ___::_ l j ~ ; �. STREETVIBES ~ ..• • • . ) ' The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine DO HALFWAY STREETVIBES HOUSES FOR Prisoner's News PAROLEES AFFECT THE i HOMELESS \ ! \ ·-POPULATION? \ i •·. •t l r i ' ~ i i 1 '• • \ I \ ' -­ . i 4 . • • • • . '- i '··' i '··' A letter from jail to a friend: • • :., S, How are you doing, bro'? No, things aren't going well here - they're refusing to give me my legal files. They're tearing my cell up 2 times a day because it's the same T.C.I. guards running this place so they're getting their harassment hand off. And I have no envelopes, you can send one set or two. I'm glad to hear your staying active but I guess we're going to need to start focusing on this place. I can't believe the things I'm seeing here. Well, give my love to S.W.·and L. and respect to everyone. Stay strong, John Perotti w.. STREETVIBES PRISONERS NEWS IS THE WRITINGS OF PERSONS INCARCERATED IN OUR NATIONS JAILS AND PRISONS. SEND YOUR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS TO: >STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM or mail to: >STREETVIBES 1506 ELM STREET CINCINNATI, OHIO 45210 or fax to: >(513) 421-7813 SOLIDARITY IS AN EMBRACED VALUE One of the confines of passive resistance, we must realize that no effective movement in prisons can be built without deep ties to a strong movement on t.he outside. Prisoners are militarily isolated: they are captives in an armed camp, and even the most gallant military resistance can succeed only if it draws enough public support to stay the hand of the states death squad. In Struggle, James W. Pryor There is an ever growing concern from state prisoners and society alike as to the use of our state halfway houses. The halfway houses that are state funded through tax dollars are being used to house parolees that have family and friends who are willing to house them and help them adjust back into society. Halfway houses are state funded for the use to house parolees that have no family to go to. This helps the parolee find work and save enough money until he or she is able to provide self-maintenance for themselves. They are also used for work and education furlough. Meaning that a prisoner who has less than one year from being placed on parole may go to a halfway house to work and save money for his or her own maintenance when placed on parole. Many times the parole board gives a prisoner halfway house proffered at there hearing when granted a parole. Even though this prisoner has what is called an A and B plan to family that are willing to give them residence and help to find employment. While at the same time the parole board will give someone halfway house proffered who is without family and friends. The waiting list to enter a halfway house can take up to a year or longer in some cases. The chances are in many cases that the person who has family and friends will be released to the halfway house first being that they know that their stay won't be as long as someone who has no family or friends. This gives the halfway house a greater turn over and more tax dollars to operate. Ohio prisons are full of HOMELESS people who have no family or friends when once gr(:inted a parole can't be released back into society because the halfway houses are full of parolees with families that they could have been paroled to. This is a harsh reality for the home­ less of our state who have paid their debt to society for a crime they may have committed only to be further punished by our system and the Department of Rehabilitation and Correc­ tions by preventing them from returning to society sometimes up to two years after they are granted a parole. The State of Ohio does not want the responsibility of housing homeless people on parole because it means that their stay would be much longer than that of a parolee who has family and friends. This is just another way for the state to say we can keep more homeless people off the streets by keeping them in prison longer. What a sick society we live in that looks at the human race in this fashion. Many of the homeless people who are in our Ohio prisons are Vietnam veterans who fought for this country _and served the people within its society. Many of them are victims of the war who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome who are in some cases unable to hold down jobs or have a family but yet they are treated like an eye-sore within our society. If the State of Ohio were concerned with the homeless and helping then to re-adjust to society it would seem that they would place them first in these halfway houses but this is far from the truth. They are ever rejected as part of Page a society. Changes should be made in the policies by the DR. as to halfway houses full of people who have family and make room for the homeless people, help them find work, help them find places in which to live - this is how you help society and its people. My case in point. I went before the parole board and presented an A and B plan for parole . Both were rejected and I was halfway house proffered. For what purpose? To help me readjust to society, in which they claim. No. I was halfway house proffered to fill up the first bed to keep it out of the hands of a homeless person or someone who could spend more time there. I have a sister in Columbus who is willing to let me live with her and help me with the transportation and finances so that I can get on my feet. But at the halfway house I can work for awhile and pay them 15 or 20 % of my check each week to stay there. When many of the homeless people aren't able to find jobs and can't pay them the 15 or 20% to stay at the halfway house. This is the reality of the subject. Another problem within our halfway houses is that the parole board will make a prisoner who has an arson case or sex charge case halfway house proffered. At the same time knowing full well that they set the guidelines for the halfway houses, they won't accept them. So why does the parole board give them halfway house proffered. It's simple, so that they can use this for their parole quota saying that they granted this person a parole knowing fullwell that they will then call this person back before the board and give them another year of con­ finement. Sometimes they will do this for several years just to use these people as parole quotas. The halfway house problem is one that needs to be looked into by tax paying citizens and the homeless people of our state. The Ohio Adult Parole Authority at 1050 Freeway Drive, North Columbus, Ohio 43229 should be ad­ dressed as to this issue and concern from the homeless people and those who support the homeless in their struggle. Let them know that you are aware of their filling the halfway house full of parolees who have family and friends when they should be using halfway houses to aid people who are without family ani:l friends and who need help finding jobs and shelters. The Adult Parole Authority and the Depart­ ment of Rehabilitation are adding to the problem within our society when they have the means to help so many. They refuse to do so because of the way they look upon the people of our society. Richard Frye #205-231 PO Box 511 Columbus, Ohio 43216 Hunger Strike John Perotti is on a hunger strike. He has been on it for two weeks now, due to the condi­ tions at the Supermax Prison where he is at. His mother visited him recently and is worried about his condition. Anyone wanting to write to John to give him support can do so: John Perotti, 167-712 0. S. P. 878 Coitsville-Hubbard Road Youngstown, Ohio 44505 (Reported by Jackie Bowers) �· • STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine • • • • • • A MAN FOR THE HOMELESS­ MV WONDERFUL FATHER Joe Martin, third from right... As far back as I can remember, my father has been taking care of the homeless in Cincin­ nati. When I was a child growing up, I remem­ ber that my best friends were the homeless people that my father took in to stay with our family. Though he was a divorced single father with seven children to raise on his very own, he always found room in our big house to provide a place to stay for those who had no place of their own. He was a self- employed contractor who provided not only room and board but jobs for the homeless. I learned countless lessons about li(e from each homeless person that stayed at my Dad's house. I learned that life is not all gold with shine but that things can go wrong in a hurry. I learned that drugs and alcohol do have a negative effect on the out­ come of our lives. Homeless people taught me that everyone has a story to tell and a lesson to learn from this life as we go through it. The homeless people are people like you and me who have had a few bad breaks whether it may be physical, financial, or mental in nature. There are countless reasons why a person ends up without a home. My father is wonderful because he treated the homeless as a part of our family. His house was always open to them. Even today, Joseph E. Martin, at the age of seventy, is still helping the homeless in his house, though all of his seven children are raised up and have their own families. Every­ where I go in Mt. Auburn and Clifton, I meet people on the street who have once stayed at my Dad's house. Many have learned from my father or got the break they needed to put their lives back together. I see a few who even go around and help with Streetvibes to collect donations for the homeless in Cincinnati. The amazing thing about my father is that he never collected any rent or payment from any of the homeless people who have stayed at his house in Mt. Auburn. His reward was that he could be there for them in their time of need until they went through the crises in their lives. Just recently, my father came to church with a stack of Streetvibes and gave me one to read after the service. After reading through the editorials and comments of the paper, I could not help but to think about my father who spent his life helping out the homeless so I decided to write this about him. He is now a vendor for the Streetvibes. The best thing about Streetvibes is that it truly gives the homeless a voice and provides valuable information about what is going on with them. I have a referred homeless people who come to my church to the Drop Inn Center and many of the other shelters listed on the back of the paper. I am currently working as a nurse in Cincinnati and I am a bible teacher at the University Bible Fellowship which is an international Christian campus ministry. Over the years like my father I have shared God's love with many of the homeless I have met in Cincinnati. I owe much to my wonderful father who helped me to understand them as I grew up. God truly loves the homeless- and so does my father, Joseph E. Martin. May God continue to bless his work with Streetvibes and be a source of comfort for those who are still going through the hard times. God Bless You!!!!! HOUSING CRISIS THREATENS HONOLULU'S POOR By Gordon Y. K. Pang Star-Bulletin Shao Oun Lin, her fingers crippled with arthritis, can earn only about $200 a month as a dishwasher, and receives some $400 in various government benefits. Lin, 66, pays $140 rent for her one-bedroom apartment, with the rest subsidized through federal housing assistance. Like her neighbors in Chinatown's Maunakea Tower Apartments, Lin is now worried if she'll be able to stay in her apartment after August, when a 20-year Section 8 agreement between her landlord and federal housing officials expires. 1 Without a Section 8 agreement, the landlord could raise rents to market rates or even convert the building to a fee-simple condominium project. Under Section 8 rules, renters pay no more than 30 percent of their income for rent. "I may have to go back to China," Lin said. The Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance says the 380-unit Maunakea Tower, on Maunakea Street across from the Chinatown Cultural Plaza Shopping Center, represents the largest number of Section 8 units in a single complex which could be converted to market housing in the coming year. The agency fears some 2,000 of 3,27 4 Section 8 units statewide > • ' Page .9 - •• ·•..J will go the same way. Kathleen Hasegawa, executive director of the Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance, said the Section 8 program was attractive to developers in the 1970s because of incentives such as low-cost loans and rent subsidies. But 20 years later, even with Hawaii's poor real estate market, it doesn't make sense to keep the units in Section 8, said Maunakea Tower resident James Del Rio, a self-employed Realtor."lt costs $120,000 to build these units," he said. "Apartments are much more efficient to convert than to build new." HAPI Management Inc. has not said what will happen come August. No one from the California-based firm could be reached immedi­ ately for comment. The housing alliance, along with the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, is attempting to band the residents of various Section 8 buildings together to lobby the Legislature to create incentives that would convince the landowners to keep their units in Section 8. Federal help is also being sought by the national office. Hasegawa said that on average, rents for apartments that convert out of Section 8 go up 57 percent. "It's a train wreck in slow motion," said Craig Castellanet, a Legal Aid official. For many of those tenants whose apartments will convert, "this will relegate them to slum housing." A bill introduced in the state Senate would provide some protection, Castellanet said. The mea­ sure would require landowners to give tenants a year's notice if they decide not to renew Section 8 status. The bill also would require a landowner choosing to sell a previously Section 8 complex to give first right of purchase to a government, nonprofit or tenants' interest group. Castellanet said the state also loses when Section 8 agreements are discontinued because it would need to pick up the burden caused by the lost subsidies. Chun Ching Tsang, 74, said she won't have anywhere to go if her rent goes up. With Social Security, food stamps and other benefits, she estimates her total monthly income is about $500. She pays $.120 a month for her one­ bedroom unit at Maunakea Tower. With food , medical and utility bills, Tsang said, there's no extra money for a rent increase. Tsang , who came from China in 1975, said she has adult children. But she is reluctant to ask them for financial help when they now have their own families to raise. "Everyone has to help themselves," she said. Cities Target Homeless Newspaper Vendors Well, why is it that people feel so threat­ ened by Street Vendors for these papers? They don't "coax" money from people as panhandlers do (not if they are trained right) - and they are doing something that has some self esteem to it - they are NOT begging. What is wrong with organizations in some of these cities (other organizations that serve the homeless) that they are so afraid of these activities~ Could it be they're into keeping the homeless on the streets so they won't be out of jobs themselves? Isn't that what it is all about? If you work in a home­ less program shouldn't you be wanting, trying to put yourself out of business? People need to spend their time on their own programs, and quit wasting so much energy on worrying about what someone else is doing. Good grief. Virginia Sellner •- .• -~ • • .,, • ·­ •• • •• • • •• .. t- • -... · • �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News ''BRINGING AMERICA HOME AGAIN'' SUMMIT ing for livable wages and positive welfare policies in their communities spoke on organiz­ ing strategies and successes they have had in their commu11ities. Ilana Berger and Garth Ferguson of POWER (People Organized to Win Employ­ ment Rights) in San Francisco spoke about how they are organizing workfare recipients in California. The workfare recipients are GA recipients. In California, single individuals without children still have a safety net. They can receive $344 monthly in cash assistance plus food stamps but must do a workfare component. Not all states have been as inhu­ mane as Ohio in cutting off single adults without children. John Dodds of the Philadelphia Unemploy­ ment Project spoke about a Jobs Bill they have gotten introduced in the Pennsylvania state legislature. This bill would provide jobs for people leaving welfare. One of the keynote speakers was Rev. James Lowry of the Southern Christian Leader­ ship Conterence who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Civil Rights Marches of the 60's. His main emphasis was that we must be agitators, willing to speak out and go against the status quo. We must be willing to take risks and put ourselves on the line if we are truly Page 10 serious about ending poverty & homelessness in America. He stated, "Our politicians and corporations see the poorest as expendable. This city (Washington, D.C.) continues to ignore the growing disparity between those who have wealth and those who are poor. Our politicians are in a convenient state of denial." He contin­ ued on, "There is no debate (among these political circles) about the injustice of the disparity of what executives make and what the lowest paid workers make. This is economic violence against the poor." Donald Whitehead of the Greater Cincin­ nati Coalition for the Homeless led workshops on "Civil Rights of the Homeless", "Advocacy Strategies for the Homeless" and "Effective Approaches to Educating the Police." He also spoke as part of a panel of individuals who have been formerly homeless. Mr. Whitehead is on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the National Coalition for the Homeless and was on the Summit Planning Committee for this event. This Summit was a terrific learning oppor­ tunity and a great chance to meet people from across the U.S. working on welfare & housing issues in their communities. by Lynn Williams "I was feeling tired before I started speak­ ing. Now I'm energized because what I'm saying makes me so angry!" So started off Terry Scofield , of the Welfare Warriors in New York City. She spoke about some of the worse abuses of recipients in New York City, how many are denied even getting an application to apply for welfare, food stamps or Medicaid. She quoted some of New York City's public officials as saying their dictate to recipients is "Get up, show up and take orders" and "We must create a personal crisis in the lives of recipients." One policy that New York City has is requiring a Children's Protective Service intervention for each household that is sanctioned. This is like adding insult to injury. Punish recipients by cutting their cash and food and then threaten to take their kids. Terry went on to say how New York City is fanatical about doing investigations of recipients to try to find fraud. They fingerprint all recipients and try to uncover "domestic violence lies." Every woman in America should be appalled at this, as domestic violence is one of the main causes of women's deaths in this country. She spoke about how recipients are organizing to fight back: advocating for better support services including child care, transporta­ tion and higher paying jobs. It is those who are directly affected who are attending hearings, testifying and getting others to join in the struggle. She spoke about victories they have had in getting post-secondary education hours, as well as study hours, to count as the work requirement, and their push for non-traditional job training programs (such as electricians, plumbers, welders, etc... ) for women in order to get rid of the "pink collar ghetto". "We're not content to just be waitresses and child-care workers if all it means is minimum wage or less. We want to move into the job fields with higher wages that have traditionally belonged to men," she stated. She received a loud round of applause. Terry was one of the presenters at the Livable Income Workshop at the National Coalition for the Homeless' National Summit on Homelessness in Washington, D.C. May 1-4. The theme was "Bringing America Home Again." The Livable Income Workshop was one of the best workshops I attended at the Conference. Speakers from mostly grassroots groups work­ Several dozen local rights activists picket m tront ot the (Cincinnati) Hamilton County Human Service office in protest of Ohio's harsh welfare Sanction policy. photo by Jimmy Heath "We're making progress. The House of Representatives has restored food stamps to adults under sanction and restored child care and other support services. Our fight to restore cash assistance to children in a sanctioned household is winnable", stated Katy Heins of the Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition on May 19th at a rally at the Hamilton County Department of Human Services. Approximately 40 people attended the rally to support ending Ohio's harsh sanction policy. Ohio is one of only 14 states that completely eliminates the cash assistance to a family under sanction. This, in effect, punishes children along with the adult. The Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition, along with other groups, opposes this punishment of Ohio's poorest children. The federal law does not require the sanctions to be this punitive and most states are showing more humaneness. If you are interested in getting involved, call the Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition at 513-381-4242. Phone: 921 -1231 STATE AVENUE SALVAGE HISTORICAL BLDG. MATERIALS EARL (CHARLIE) MATIINGLY 1958 State Ave. Cinti., OH 45204 Please Support Our Advertisers �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 'ELECTRONICS FUNDS TRANSFER' Program Designed to Protect Government Funds Recipients For some 1O million persons who receive government benefits checks and do not have checking accounts, the Treasury Departments new ·EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) program may be an option. Social Security, SSI, Veter­ ans Administration, Civil Service, Railroad Retirement Board, and other government source benefits are eligible for EFT. A campaign to implement the Treasury's EFT Public Education Campaign is underway in collaboration with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), the National Coalition for the Homeless and Cincinnati's Coalition of Neighborhoods. "The real purpose of this educational program is to make government check receivers aware that they have options," said Morris Williams, Coalition of Neighborhoods Associate Director and NCRC local partner. "Federal check recipients can have their check deposited directly into a checking or savings account at a bank, or share account at a credit union. A second option is to notify your check source to continue sending a paper check, and a third Page 11 AWOL Ministries, its merger with Helping Hands Outreach Mission Ministries, my ordination and installation as Pastor of H. H. 0. M. M., and the start of 4PM Sunday Worship. We are off to a grand start too, but the enemy has planted a "seed of doubt" because it takes money to operate an outreach ministry. Money for rent, utilities, transportation, and other operational costs. It also takes the support of people. Chris­ tian people who are willing to sacrifice for the Kingdom of God. Disciples are needed. Men and women who know that God has called them to spread the good news. May 1st was to be the start of Helping Hands Outreach Mission Ministries Computer Training Program. The absence of money has only delayed the program, because God is sending His disciples and preparing them for the great harvest of souls which shall come through this and other HHOMM Programs. God has given us the power to go forward with Friday Night Power Station; this is an opportunity to come as you are, hear testimony after testimony of God's goodness, to hear God's word , to be delivered of tliose burdens you carry and to just have fellowship with God's people. Come out at 7:30 PM and break bread with us. It is always a glorious time in the Lord. option is to wait for the Electronic Transfer Account (ETA), which is supposed to be a lower cost account than is currently being offered by banking institutions," said Williams. "The important thing is that federal benefit recipients understand that they have choices, and that they can move back and forth from one option to another at.any time." "Federal check recipients should not allow themselves to be pressured into anything that they do not feel comfortable with. Despite what they may have been told or led to believe, they can continue to receive their federal benefit check in the mail if they choose. Anyone or any institution, including any local payee agency, that even implies that you must convert to direct deposit, is simply distorting the Treasury Department's very clearly stated message of choice," said Williams. Organizations can be provided with leaflets, pamphlets, posters and a guide book. For further information call (513) 531-2676. WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST by Rodney Sutton I apologize for the absence and the absence of the Word which God speaks through me, however, I do not apologize for the time I have had alone with God. Sometimes you have to get away. Get away and do a little prayer and fasting. Because some things will only be removed by prayer and fasting. Many of you will remember the start of H1TTHE BuLL's OUSING IN Scramble Eve WITH by Ron Carter A HURRY! Try to unscran:ible these re­ lated words: (Clue: electronic items) if you 're in the market for a new apartment, call Cincinnati's. affordable alternative ... CMHA ! .CMHA communities are budget-friendly, are located in neighbor­ hoods across Hamilton County, and are near the places important to you ... jobs, churches, hospitals and stores! With CMHA's Housing In A Hurry Program, you can be made eligible to be housed in 5 days or less. Don't miss this opportunity! Hours: Mon.-Sat., 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.rn. UTREOCMP EINIVELTSO RETSOE TSETACES EVODI ROEuRECR NIETPRR OXREZ AXF ... .,, .... Location: 1635 Western Avenue Call CMHA at 421-8 190. Answers on page 15. Mr. Carft1I •'.- Inc. (513) 721-6770 ; {513) 874-4141 All About Tuxedos & Gowns 6600 B Dixie Highwa~ 1D1p1omat VIiiage) Fairfield Ohio ~5014 All About 208 E Street Cincinnati. Oh.o 45202 A~OTHER CLA SS PR00{."CTIO~ Disc-Jockey Service ~ CLIFFORD JONES (5 13) 761-3464 Tuxedos~ 7lt; (513) 230-6353 Pager 513-670-6782 3764 Montgomerv Road Norwood. Ohio Cellular 513·382· TUXS http://www/network1000.com/Alltux/ "The Outfitters of the Stars· Check out STREETVIBES Classifieds on Page 15 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Editorials & . Letters Dear Mr. Kunzel, We have recently been made aware that the Drop Inn Shelterhouse at 217 W. 12th Street (Over-the-Rhine) has been targeted for reloca­ tion because a group of arts and business supporters (lead by Erich Kunzel) want to use this area for the proposed $99.2 million arts Music Hall. We are appalled complex linked that poor people are once again being dis­ placed, because of "economic growth." The Scripture (Bible) says that the poor will always ,.. be among us - why can't you work from this r:... ....··• -·- ..... t..... \ ; '-... ­ premise and leave the Drop Inn Center "among ' .' ........ us?" Can't you build your complex around the / Center? If it needs to be spruced up to conform with what you are proposing, can't you find the ' extra dollars to do this? If this world is ever going to work, those who "have" must learn to ' live with (and not just simply tolerate) those who "have not." We are of the opinion that the shelter will find the sane prejudice frying to get into another ........ ...__ ........ neighborhood as it is experiencing now with .... ....... trying to maintain its existence in a neighbor­ hood marked for economic change. We have a soup kitchen that provides hot, Many people continue to write letters nutritious meals for the poor and homeless of support for the Drop Inn Center, every Saturday from noon until 2:00pm. We Cincinnati's largest shelter for the city's talk to individuals who were once well-to-do, homeless. As reported in recent issues of individuals who have always been poor, both Streetvibes, there is a plan underway to men and women, and most unfortunately, remove the Drop Inn Center and nearby children. Our church has a burden, or desire to transitional housing and support services to do right by the poor. They are on our heart. We cannot continue to allow the poor and homeless accommodate a plan for an expansion of to be shuffled from one place to the next Music Hall. depending upon economic growth - there ought Many local community activists are to be a way to include them in the expansion concerned, not only about displacement of process. the Drop Inn Center, but the impact that the We know you have the best minds working massive Music Hall expansion would ha ve this project - please consider the plight of the on the neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine poor and the Drop Inn Shelterhouse. We have and its less fortunate citizens. For more added them to our Special Prayer Request. If information on how to support the Drop Inn you can't find a place for them in your heart that Center, please call the Center at 721-0643. they may maintain their current location, all we Below are some of the letters of support can do is continue to write letters, but more specifically we will pray. Our God also has a received by the Drop Inn Center and for­ burden or desire that we do right by the poor. In warded to Streetvibes. the bible God speaks out strongly against the poor. _ 1 \ 1•• _ - to - . ~ I "'-- - Page 12 Dear School Board Representatives: As executive director of a long-term alcohol/drug treatment program for medically indigent women and their children, I am all to too familiar with the homeless situation in our city. Through my work I have become not only aware of some of the major causes of homelessness, i.e. mental illness, addiction, and poverty, but also of how privileged I am having been raised in a stable middle-to-upper class family, having had a good education, exposure to the world through traveling, access to excel­ lent health and dental care, and the opportunity to meet influential people who could help me. Prior to working in my current social service career, I wrongfully assumed everyone had access to these benefits. Realizing they do not, I now feel it is my responsibility to work toward and support social justice and change. The Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse treats everyone with dignity and respect no matter how far down the scale they have gone. For most, it is the only home and family they have. As we all know, money cannot buy home and family. It is about a lot more than bricks and mortor. It is about roots and relationships. I know I could not do the work of the dedicated staff at the Drop Inn Center, but I can intermittently support them with a small check and I do sleep much better knowing they are there. Having received my undergraduate degree in art history, I am a great fan of art, architec­ ture, and music. Our community could not help but benefit from a world class arts complex, but just not at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens. I know it would be a lot easier to displace the homeless in Over-the-Rhine than it would be residents of Indian Hill, but is it fair? There is no doubt in my mind that you have the brain power and the heart to design plan that would strengthen not weaken the diversity of our community. Please consider this and reconsider your relocation plans. a Sincerely, Annie F. Bennett, MSW, LISW Executive Director First Step Home Sincerely, There are actually more than two Rev. Michael F. Mack, Pastor, Jerrie/ sides to this issue: there are the residents Baptist Church of OTA, who are worried about being made to move 'out of the way' and out of their community that has been home for so many years: (the homeless, low-income Moral Obligations persons and other disadvantaged people We have a moral obligation to both the who feel that without the money or power arts and to the poor of our community. The are helpless and without a· voice) the arts proposed Arts and Education Center that community who feel that they do not want includes the relocation of the Drop Inn Center to be pitted against the poor or be respon­ does. not honor the rights and needs of the latter. sible for displacement for the sake of art: Arguments can be made for· the plan but I believe that in the end those of us with vastly and the power and money people who are greater resources and options need to err on the only interested in advancing their own side of compassion and change our plans. I fortunes. And somewhere in between all of believe that a task force comprised of both sides these individuals are folks like Kunzel, who could resolve the concerns of art patrons and many believe is just being used by the set an example for other cities and our children money and power brokers: the thousands of how Cincinnati can help all of its residents to of volunteers and supporters of the Drop solve problems and co-excist in peace. Inn Center who live outside of OTA: the Bruce A. Kircher religious community, arts patrons and Cincinnati City government. The issue is at once complex, but morally simple: a society has the responsibility to provide for its Jess fortunate persons, those who are unable to defend themselves, for whatever reasons, against these types of moral injustices. A true and fair Task Force around this issue would junk the Arts and Education Center plan simply on moral grounds alone.) I Dear Maestro Kunzel: I am writing to you to voice my objections to your plan to locate your proposed arts com­ plex at Twelfth and Elm Streets in Over-the­ Rhine, and thus to displace the Drop Inn Center. My husband and I have been supporters of the arts for as long as we have lived in Cincin­ nati, and have been subscribers to the Cincin­ nati Symphony Orchestra for many years. We support your plans to provide additional educa­ tional facilities for arts education here, and think this project would be a great asset to our community. However, we also recognize the need to provide for those in our city who are homeless, and in need of the services which have been provided by the Drop Inn Center for the past twenty plus years. I have worked in a peripheral position on some of the development of efforts of many, many people in realizing the facility that the center has become. This also is a great asset to our community and needs the concern of all of us in providing for that segment of our population that is so easily forgotten and so ofte.n pushed aside. I urge to consider other locations as you develop your plans. Surely there are alternative sites in the city that would be suitable for your project. Sincerely, Juanita Stork E-MAIL STREETVIBES> STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM . . I �,:._:-. .__,~- SJBEETVIBES . • ..,;_ ! ' . ,. . .. The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Etcetera ... WEARE NEVER ALONE!!! This is a true story that occurred in 1994 and is told by Lloyd Glen: .. Throughout our lives we are blessed with spiritual experiences, sacred are meant to be shared. Last summer my family had a spiritual experience that had a lasting and profound impact on us, one we feel must be shared. It's a message of love. It's a message of regaining perspective, and restoring proper balance and renewing priorities. In humility, I pray that I might, in relating this story, give you a gift my little son, Brian, gave our family one summer day last year. On July 22nd I was in route to Washington DC for a business trip. It was all so very ordinary, until we landed in Denver for a plane change. As I collected my belongings from the overhead bin, an announcement was made for Mr. Lloyd Glenn to see the United Customer Service Representative immediately. I thought nothing of it until I reached the door to leave the plane and I heard a gentleman asking every male if they were Mr. Glenn. At this point I knew something was wrong and my heart sunk. When I got off the plane a solemn-faced young man came toward me and said, "Mr. Glenn, there is an emergency at your home. I do not know what the emergency is, or who is involved, but I will take you to the phone so you can call the hospital My heart was now pounding, but the will to be calm took over. Woodenly, I followed this stranger to the distant telephone where I called the number he gave me for the Mission Hospital. My call was put through to the trauma center where I learned that my three- year-old son had been trapped underneath the automatic garage door for several minutes, and that when my wife had found him he was dead. CPR had been performed by a neighbor, who is a doctor, and the paramedics had continued the treatment as Brian was transported to the hospital. By the time of my call, Brian was revived and they believed he would live, but they did not know how much damage had been done to his brain, nor to his heart. They explained that the door had completely closed on his little sternum right over his heart. He had been severely crushed. After speaking with the medical staff, my wife sounded worried but not hysterical, and I took comfort in her calmness. The return flight seemed to last forever, but finally I arrived at the hospital six hours after the garage door had come down. When I walked into the intensive care unit, nothing could have prepared me to see my little son laying so still on a great big bed with tubes and monitors everywhere. He was on a respirator. I glanced at my wife who stood and tried to give me a reassuring smile. It all seemed like a te 1~!e dream. I was filled-in with the details arc g;\ en a guarded prognosis. Brian was going to 1 \"" and the preliminary tests indicated that his heart was OK, two miracles in , d of th.? selves. But only lime would tell 1f 'lis b1 ·n received any damaqe. Throughout the seemingly endless 11vurs, my wife was calm. She felt that Brian would eventu­ . . ally be all right. I hung on to her words and faith like a lifeline. All that night and the next day Brian remained unconscious. It seemed like forever since had left for my business trip the day before. Finally at two o'clock that afternoon, our son regained consciousness and sat up uttering the most beautiful words I have ever heard spoken. He said, "Daddy hold me" and he reached for me with his little arms. [TEAR BREAK...smile] By the next day he was pro­ nounced as having no neurological or physical deficits, and the story of his miraculous survival spread throughout the hospital. You cannot imagine our gratitude and joy. As we took Brian home we felt a unique reverence for the life and love of our Heavenly Father that comes to those who brush death so closely. In the days that followed there was a special spirit about our home. Our two older children were much closer to their little brother. My wife and I were much closer to each other, and all of us were very close as a whole family. Life took on a less stressful pace. Perspective seemed to be more focused, and balance much easier to gain and maintain. We felt deeply blessed. Our gratitude was truly profound. The story is not over (smile)! Almost a month later to the day of the accident, Brian awoke from his afternoon nap and said, "Sit down mommy. I have something to tell you." At this time in his life, Brian usually spoke in small phrases, so to say a large sentence surprised my wife. She sat down with him on his bed and he began his sacred and remarkable story. "Do you remember when I got stuck under the garage door? Well it was so heavy and it hurt really bad. I called to you, but you couldn't hear me. I started to Cry, but then it hurt too bad. And then the 'birdies' came." "The birdies?" my wife asked puzzled. "Yes," he replied. "The birdies made a whooshing sound and flew into the garage. They took care of me." ''They did?" "Yes" he said. "One of the birdies came and got you. She came to tell you I got stuck under the door." A sweet reverent feeling filled the room. The spirit was so strong and yet lighter than air. My wife realized that a three-year-old had no concept of death and spirits, so he was referring to the beings who came to him from beyond as "birdies" because they were up in the air like birds that fly. "What did the birdies look like?" she asked. Brian answered, ''They were so beautiful. They were dressed in white, all white. Some of them had green and white. But some .Page_:.13f ·"--.. . . of them had on just white." "Did they say anything?" ''Yes" he answered. "They told me the baby would be all right." ''The baby?" my wife asked confused. Brian answered. ''The baby laying on the garage floor." He went on, "You came out and opened the garage door and ran to the baby. You told the baby to stay and not leave." My wife nearly collapsed upon hearing this, for she had indeetj gone and knelt beside Brian's body and seeing his crushed chest and recognizable features, knowing he was already dead, she looked up around her and whispered, "Don't leave us Brian, please stay if you can." As she listened to Brian telling her the words she had spoken, she realized that the spirit had left his body and was looking down from above on this little lifeless form. "Then what happened?" she asked. "We went on a trip." He said, "far, far away." He grew agi­ tated trying to say the things he didn't seem to have the words for. My wife tried to calm and comfort him, and let him know it would be okay. He struggled with wanting to tell something that obviously was very important to him, but finding the words was difficult. "We flew so fast up in the air. They're so pretty Mommy," he added. "And there is lots and lots of birdies." My wife was stunned. Into her mind the sweet comforting spirit enveloped her more soundly, but with an urgency she had never before known. Brian went on to tell her that the "birdies'' had told him that he had to come back and tell everyone about the "birdies". He said they brought him back to the house and that a big fire truck, and an ambulance were there. A man was bringing the baby out on a white bed and he tried to tell the man that the baby would be okay, but the man couldn't hear him. He said the birdies told him he had to go with the ambulance, but they would be near him. He said, they were so pretty and so peaceful, and he didn't want to come back. Then the bright light came. He said that the light was so bright and so warm, and he loved the bright light so much. Someone was in the bright light and put their arms around him , and told him, "I love you but you have to go back. You have to play baseball, and tell every­ one about the birdies." Then the person in the bright light kissed him and waved bye-bye. Then 'ALONE' cont. on ~>'ack buy a brick forbudd"' page ..'. res toe f ... buddy's place is a community effort to h elp alleviate the tragedy of homelessness. We invite you to take part in this community effort and provide housing to our sisters and brothers who are homeless. Thank you for your on-goi ng support. RESTOC 114. W. 14th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 • 513-381-0954 . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . .. . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . ... . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . .- • •• ••u . . . .. . . . .. . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . .. ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . - .•• • ••••••••••••.• • •••• ----·-i ( -'/e5 J we would like to buy _ · ................... . ···~ame· brick(sl to support the construction of buddy's place In the space ..··· · · ................... pho e ······ ·""'sc'fiool or organl1a:.on I lease ind· you w ould like painted OI' ... ···· amount enclosed ($50 per brick) .................. please m ake checks payable to RESTOC. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Excellent News for Poor Travelers A lot like you reading this, I have had the desire to write about the things that mean a great deal me, but I have always come up with excuses which have endlessly stopped me from doing so. UNTIL NOW. As a Christian, God has 'signed in ink' a heartfelt message to me guiding me to finally speak about the news affecting my life. Because I am a disabled, homeless, poverty-stricken traveler, the Mon­ day, May 17th, 1999 Supreme Court ruling that decided states shall not limit welfare and Aid To Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) for new residents. (If this is excellent news that affects you directly, regardlessly of where you are reading this article, regardless of who is watching you, please take a moment to smile.) The Supreme Court's 7-to-2 vote is the first high court challenge that brings compassion and decency to the United State's nationwide let's-shift-the-country's-financial-crisis-blame-to­ fall-on-poor-people" punishing welfare reform. Congress, in 1996, endorsed the welfare limita­ tions on poor people, but now they will have to regroup to find a new way to punish poor people for being poor. Until then let's give a bright white (or, if you' re like me, a slightly yellow, but no less attractive, if its heartfelt) smile and be happy that the underdogs can sometimes avoid the overzealous congressional dogcatcher. (If I were a dog, I would love to mail my congress­ man a copy of the Supreme Court's ruling wrapped around a doggie biscuit with post-it note reading, "please, chew on this. love, the underdogs of America".) Perhaps you'd like to know EXACTLY what that Supreme Court ruling states: "citizens of the United states, whether rich or poor, have the right to choose to be citizens of the state wherein they reside". And perhaps you'd like to know what the syllabus (headnote) of the court ruling states. In regards to states limiting welfare for new residents, it specifically ad­ dresses the fact that a state's " ... legitimate interest in saving money does not justify this discriminatory scheme". Despite the shadowy gloom of poverty, being an American is a wonderful privilege that fills the heart with vivid rainbows that cut across all shadows. Being an American is especially wonderful when we are FULLY ACKNOWL­ EDGED, by benefits and by our rights, as the residents of the United States of America, regardless of which of the fifty fine states we choose to reside in. When I, and many of my fellow homeless brethren were in the military serving our country and willing to lay down our lives, willing to travel to, and reside in, any foreign country upon receiving orders, willing to travel to any American state upon receiving orders, in order to defend EACH and EVERY American's freedom and peace, no one pro­ tested. When the enduring wives of soldiers also had to travel alongside their military husbands, uprooted from beloved friends and family, their children, despite emotionally vulnerable ages, ripped from the arms of a nurturing elementary school's embrace, and flung into strange new schools, no one pro­ tested. But in 1996, Congress decides that they were acting on behalf of enough people who believe "welfare-is-the-problem, limiting-welfare­ amou nts-that-poo r-people-receive-is-the­ answer", that they decided to protest and enact welfare reform punishing residents, (former taxpayers, former soldiers) when they get poor, a who travel to other states. The good news is: THE DOGG IE BISCUITS IN THE MAIL, BABY! and I'm givin' out hugs to cheer up saddened congressmen and the misled citizens who voted for them. But wait, READER, the excellent news isn't over! Not only does this Supreme Court ruling champion the rights and freedom of homeless people to travel, but it also champions the rights of your sister, your mother, your niece, your aunt, perhaps even your daughter and any other female friend you have who may someday have to flee from domestic violence. As a matter of fact, the law limiting welfare benefits was brought to the Supreme Court by three women in California who traveled to the same state in order to escape potentially fatal and violently abusive family environments in Louisi­ ana, Colorado and Oklahoma. You see, as stated in the court syllabus, "The right to travel embraces three different components: the right to enter and leave another State; the right to be treated as a welcome visitor while temporarily present in another State; and the right to be treated like other citizens of that State. The right of newly arrived citizens to the same privileges and immunities enjoyed by other citizens of their new State- the third aspect of the right to travel- is at issue here. That right is protected by the new arrival's status as both a state citizen and a United States citizen, and it is plainly identified in the Fourteenth Amendment's Privileges or Immunities Clause". Now, if this is good news that affects you directly or indirectly (because you now realize that it may save the life of someone you love), regardless of where you are, regardless of who is watching you, please take a moment to smile. We may not always agree, but there are moments when we can all love life, and love the excellent news. D'SAME A.K.A worm PENNSYLVANIA INMATES CHIP IN TO DO THEIR PA.RT FOR JOEY Mark Kram - Daily News Sports Writer The simple fact that the inmates at the State Correctional Institution at Chester earn just 19 cents an hour did not stop them from stepping up on behalf of Joey Jones, the 13­ year-old state-champion figure skater from Southwest Philadelphia who once lived in a homeless shelter. Collecting donations among themselves in sums as large as $53 and as small as 43 cents, the inmates yesterday presented a check for $1,000 to the Joey Jones Skating Fund in a small ceremony in the prison courtyard attended by Joey and his mother, Karen. Staff at the prison contributed an additional $220.50 to the fund, which was set up by the Daily News following a March 16 article on Joey that stirred overwhelming reader response. The total currently in the fund stands at $10,313.50. Help also has been promised by Flyers owner Ed Snider, wflo has said he would pick up Page 14 whatever athletic-related expenses Joey incurs through his appearance in the American State Games in St. Louis in August. "This is just amazing to me," Karen ·Jones said in the prison courtyard. "I am just so overwhelmed by how generous everyone has been." Joey shook his head in wonder and observed, "I just hope I can keep doing well." Two inmates spearheaded the donation drive for Joey at SCI Chester: Anthony Casey, 31 , and Clement Butterfield, 40. Touched by the original story that appeared in the Daily News, Casey and Butterfield received permission from prison officials to take up a collection for Joey and began soliciting contributions. Ultimately, some 700 of the 880 inmates at the prison donated to the fund. "I read the article and thought, 'We should do something,' " said Casey, who has served six years on what he said was a "firearms violation." "I remember I wanted to swim when I was his age, but it was discouraged. I suppose every one of us in here had a dream once." Said Butterfield, who has served just over two years in connection with the theft of a pickup truck: "Some of the people in here facea the same struggles that Joey and his mom faced - being homeless at one point and so on. Some of us could have used someone to step in and help and never got it. We hope he goes far." Prison officials characterized the donations as an effort on the part of ~he inmates to repent. "Remember, some of these guys have taken a great deal from the community," said Mark Jackson, a unit manager at the prison . "This is their way of giving something back, of sharing a common goal and performing a philanthropic act. Some of these guys see themselves or even their own children in Joey. He represents hope to them." Superintendent Mary V. Leftridge Byrd le encourages the inmates to perform charita~ acts. "What we hope to do here is promote the concept of responsible adu_lthood," sh~i . · "This is one way that we can do thar While Byrd and members of her staff looked on, Joey chatted with Casey and Butterfield. Cheerfully, the two inmates asked Joey for his autograph, wondered if he had ever gotten "those new skates that you need" (he did) and offered their encouragement. "Make good choices," Butterfield said. "Keep your eyes on the path ahead." Joey nodded and said he would. Casey then grinned and added, "We got your back, little brother. Good luck." Subscribe to STREETVIBES! For only $ 12 per year 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 eve!}' 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 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Announcements SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH A ND IS BROA DCAST FROM THE STUDIOS OF CINCINNATI COMMUNITY VIDEO, 2114 READING ROAD, FROM 7 TO BPM. STREETVIBES TV Live Studio Audience Wanted STREETVIBES TV SHOWw ouLD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE? SHOW IS TAPED LIVE ON THE STREETVIBES Classified Ads Streetvibes is now accepting Classi­ fied 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 allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be re­ ceived before the ad will run . No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us after the fi rst printing. ·vou will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O or fax it to 421 -7813 COVERS NEWS ON POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS AND RELATED ISSUES. CALL US AT THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE. FOR MORE INFORMATION - 421-7803 music Band Looking for Work Streetvibes (the band). We like to party. R&B, O ldies, Blues/ Jazz, Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421·7803. position wanted Dwight Wise HVAC Technician for hire. 24 Service! Call 751-3182. Thank You! ••••••• • •••• • •••••••••••••• STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may plac,e ads for only $1 per line. Call 421-7803 for info. Page 1s Mac Day! Rev. Maurice Mccrackin Day Celebration!! Where: Laurel Park aka "The Commons" on Ezzard Charles Drive near Linn Street, opposite St. Joseph Church. When: Saturday, June 19th - 1pm to 6pm. Speakers, Information Tables, Childrens Games, Music, Food, Face Painting, Clown, Adult Activities... Open mic - 3:30pm For more information call Phil Seher @ 381-4526 or Brian Crum @ 221­ 5537 Scramble A nswers from page 11... COMPUTER TELEVISION STEREO CASSETTE VIDEO RECORDER PRINTER ZEROX FAX Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program wnich 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 stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, July 1Oth, 1999, noon to 1 pm Streetvibes! Advertise in Streetvibes! Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct 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 certs. 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 a~ 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 failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to over 5,000 concerned people each month: The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 1/2" $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 or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati , OH 45210 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvi bes TV 'ALONE' from page 13... .. • Page 16 woosh, the big sound came and they went into the clouds. The story went on for an hour. He taught us that "birdies" were always with us, but we don't see them because we look with our eyes and we don't hear them because we listen with our ears. But they are always there, you can only see them in here (he put his hand over his heart). They whisper the things to help us to do what is right because they love us so much. Brian continued, stating, "I have a plan, Mommy. You have a plan. Daddy has a plan. Everyone has a plan. We must all live our plan and keep our promises. The birdies help us to do that cause they love us so much." In the weeks that followed, he often came to us and told all, or part of it again and again. Always the story remained the same. The details were never changed or out of order. A few times he added further bits of information and clarified the message he had already delivered. It never ceased to amaze us how he could tell such detail and speak beyond his ability when he spoke of his "birdies". Everywhere he went, he told strangers about the "birdies". Surprisingly, no one ever looked at him strangely when he did this. Rather, they always got a softened look on their face and smiled. Needless to say, we have not been the same ever since that day, and I pray we never will be. The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video, 2114 Reading Road. If you would like to be a part of our live studio audience please call the Greater Cincinnat i Coalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 for more informat ion. Streetvibes TV JULY Schedule July's Live TV show will begin at 7PM, Monday, July 12th, and will be broadcast from the Reading Road Studio. The new show format includes a studio audience along with a guest panel discussion. If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our viewing audience. Ideas should ad­ dress 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. .. Channel 24. LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. MONDAY. July 12th at 7PM. Rebroadcast Dates f or Show on Chan­ nel 4: (Please check your schedule) Saturday, July 3, 1999, 4 PM Friday, July 9, 1999, 11 AM Friday, July 16, 1999, 11 AM Monday, July 26, 1999, 1O PM Saturday, July 24, 1999, 4 PM >35 MM Film for Streetvibes photo's Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. >Good used or new Xerox machine >laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper >Office Supplies endor: 80 eents Printing and Production: 20 cents • Where Your Dollar Goes >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups, etc.) ...._ >Computer for Streetvibes layout and writing >Subscribers 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 421-7803. Thanks for your support . f 'J Need Help or Want to Help.? ( If for some reason you fil)d 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. •.t SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Womens Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) l-888-872-9259 281-5770 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 431-8717 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 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 244-7226 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House St. Francis- St. Joseph 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 961-4080 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241 -0504 369-0004 381-0954 639-7056 961-4555 241 -7343 921-7324 784-1853 921-1613 381-4941 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 Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Community Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van House of Refuge Mission 221-3679 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 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 Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 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 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 June 1999 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Demolition of Cincinnati Public Housing Pg 2: The Traveler Homeless Grapevine Pg 3: Doctors Urge Outreach to Homeless Teens San Francisco’s MATRIX Targets Homeless Containers Double as Housing Pg 4: Buddy’s Place Opens its Door Pg 5: The Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide News Pg 8: Prisoner’s News Pg 9: Housing Crisis Threatens Honolulu’s Poor Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: 'Electronics Funds Transfer’ Program Designed to Protect Government Funds Recipients Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Pg 13: Etcetera Pg 14: Excellent News of Poor Travelers Pennsylvania Inmates Chip in to do their part for Joey 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 June 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Donald Whitehead Jimmy Heath Ron Carter Gina Miller Malik Amilcar Denise Crew Anitra Freeman Richard Frye Amy Harpenau Lloyd Glen Mike Henson Shepard Andrew Martin Bonnie Neumeier Victor Velez Lynn Williams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Amy Harpeneau anitra freeman Arts & Poetry Bonnie Neumeier buddy gray buddy's place Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Evangelist Jimmy Heath Lloyd Glen Lynn Williams Malik Amilcar Mike Henson National Homeless Summit nationwide news police brutality prisoners news Richard Frye Ron Carter San Antonio San Francisco Shepard Andrew Martin the broken city The Traveler Victor Velez welfare https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/3aa4c4558598c697fdc3e2fc6649af82.pdf 1056289dec908186faf496065f2524db PDF Text Text LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL GRILLS CHIEF ON FATAL SHOOTING OF HOMELESS WOMAN Associated Press - Saturday, June 5, 1999 LOS ANGELES (AP) - · In a closed meeting with the City Council, Police Chief Bernard Parks said two of 13 people who witnessed the fatal police shooting of a mentally ill homeless woman have contradicted the officers' version of the incident. One witness told investigators that the woman was shot in the back, and another said the woman was shot while: she was on the ground, according to a "confidential fact sheet" presented to council members by the chief. However, police officials have said most of the other witnesses and physical evidence, such as the autopsy report, don't support those assertions. Margaret Mitchell, 54, was shot May 21 when she allegedly attacked two bicycle officers with a screwdriver. Mitchell was black. The officer who fired the shot, Edward Larrigan, 27, is Hispanic and his partner, Kathy Clark, 29, is Asian-American and Hispanic. The confrontation erupted when the officers stopped Mitchell to check on whether the shopping cart she was pushing was stolen. During the closed session Friday, council .members grilled Parks on the shooting, which some police critics claim was racially motivated. Parks, who has dismissed the notion that the incident was fueled by bigotry, explained the LAPD's policies on the use of force and how officers are trained to handle homeless and mentally ill people. Investigators are still searching for a motorist who was stopped by a motorcycle officer across the street from the shooting to determine if he witnessed anything, the chief said. "I think everybody finds that to be quite disturbing what has happened," Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas told the Daily News of Los Angeles. "It is not a very pleasant matter at all. And I think it cannot be established at this time that it was a good shooting." Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg would not comment on what was discussed at the meet­ ing. However, she did wonder why Mrs. Mitchell was even stopped by the two officers. "There was just a lot of concern that there appears to be a position taken by the depart­ ment that if you have a shopping cart that this is a criminal matter that should be pursued," she said. According to the fact sheet, Mrs. Mitchell refused to stop when asked by officers. The officers "attempted to verbalize and calm her" but she "became angry and armed herself" with the screwdriver, according to the fact sheet, contents of which were published in Saturday's Los Angeles Times. A motorist stopped to try to get her to drop the weapon. When Larrigan tried to get him to stand back, Mrs. Mitchell fled. The officers pursued. "Suddenly, Mitchell stopped, turned ... toward the officers and again threatened the officers with the screwdriver," according to the fact sheet. She was told to drop the screwdriver, but she did not. To "avoid being stabbed," Larrigan crouched down and fired one round at Mrs. Mitchell, the report said. The shooting remained under investigation by police, the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office. Priced Out in 1998: The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities In the state of Ohio, a person receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits receives $750 per month, or $4.69 per hour. A person receiving SSI benefits in Ohio earns on average, 32 percent of the area median income. In terms of housing affordability, a person receiv­ ing SSI benefit in Ohio pays just over 39 percent of their monthly income to rent an efficiency apartment, and nearly 47 percent of their monthly income to rent a modest one-bedroom apartment at the area Fair Market Rents (FMR). In Ohio, though it requires less SSI income as a percent­ age of rent than any other state in the country, people are still forced to pay more than 30 percent of their total monthly income for rent. Unfortunately, Ohio is one of the better states in terms of housing affordability for people with disabilities. Ohio is the only state in which SSI benefit exceeds 30 percent of the area median income. To put that into perspective, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines households with incomes between 30 percent and 50 percent of the median income as Very Low Income Households. The remaining 49 states and the district of Columbia have SSI income as a percentage of median income ranging from just over 12 percent to just under 30 percent. HUD defines households with incomes below 30 percent of the median income as Extremely Low Income Households. According to the Social Security Admin­ istration Office of Research, there are an esti­ mated 4.38 million Americans with disabilities -The Grea~er receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits. On average, these 4.38 million Americans receive $515 per month in SSI benefits. If you break that down, this monthly benefit equals just $3.22 per hour -or almost $2 below the federal minimum wage of $5.15 per hour. With incomes this low, it should come as no surprise that millions of Americans with disabilities cannot afford a place to live. Rather than spending 30 percent of their monthly income on rent per the federal govern­ ment for housing affordability, people with disabili­ ties are forced to spend an average of 69 percent of their monthly SSI income to rent a one bed­ room apartment priced at the US Department of housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rent. In March of this year, the Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc. and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task force published Priced Out in 1998 in an attempt to document the nature and severity of the housing crisis for people with disabilities most in need of housing assistance. by looking at several key factors including the fair market Rents for some 2,646 housing market areas, and each state's SSI benefit rates for individuals living indepen­ dently, Priced Out in 1998 concludes that millions of Americans receiving SSI benefits are too poor to obtain safe and, decent, and affordable hous­ ing. The report also found that: -People with disabilities receiving SSI benefits are among the lowest income house­ holds in the country. The national average of an individual with a disability receiving SS I is less than 25 percent of the typical Area Median Income for one person in that particular commu­ nity. -Ther~ is not a single housing market area in this country where a person with a disability receiving SSI benefits can afford to rent an efficiency apartment. This finding is based upon current federal housing affordability guide­ lines for very low income households, which suggest that no more than 30 percent of monthly income should be spent on housing costs. -In 125 housing market areas throughout this country, the cost of a one-bedroom apartment exceeds a person's monthly SS I income. using current FMR's as the standard for modest rental housing costs, nowhere in the United States can an SSI recipient rent a one-bedroom apartment for less than 50 percent of his or her monthly income. -The national average cost for an effi­ ciency apartment is nearly 59 percent of monthly SS! income, while the national average for a one­ bedroom is almost 70 percent of monthly SSI income. People with disabilities receiving SSI 'Disabilities• cont. on page 8 ... Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �_. STREETVIBES STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine THE. TRAVELER by Donald Whitehead Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a n~wspaper written 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. The Streetvibes Vendor Program gives our vendors an opportunity to get back on their feet. All Streetvibes vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. A case file is developed on each vendor so that we may track and help facilitate the vendors' move from poverty to self­ sufficiency. The Streetvibes Newspaper Plan­ ning Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you . are interested in helping or have a com­ ment, story or editorial that you would like published please call 421-7803. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Ron Carter, Vendor Support Gina Miller, Rapid Exit Program Photographer Jimmy Heath Writers Te'tro Amaru Malik Amilcar Dan Cahill Ron Carter Sheila Crowley Brett Estell Jimmy Heath Steve Long Shepard Andrew Martin Rodnet Sutton Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless 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: homecoal@primax.net web page: http://cinci.com/gcch Webster defines recovery as regaining something that we once had. The road to recov­ ery is paved with many obstacles. Most ob­ stacles are manageable with the help and support of others. Recovery from homelessness is paved with many obstacles. Those obstacles are also manageable with the support of others. At the National Advo­ cacy Summit on Homelessness in Washington D.C in May, I had the opportunity to chair a workshop entitled "Finding The Power Within Yourself." There were many stories of people overcoming the toughest bf obstacles on their road to recovery. The stories in the workshop had a common theme; each person who found the power within themselves, found it with the help of another human being. In my own personal recovery, assistance has come from many different places. One of the things that I am most grateful to have recov­ ered is the ability to have personal relationships that are unconditional. Throughol!t my struggles I have re-established relationships with family, friends and acquaintances. Sunday was Father's Day and I experienced the inseparable bond between a father and his son. A bond that transcends all obstacles and even the addiction' itself. To a small child time spent with daddy is still wonderful in most cases regardless of Daddy's imperfections. I am so grateful to have a second chance to give my son the greatest gift that any parent can give, it isn't games or clothes or anything material, it's time. Recovery is a series of new relationships. I remember the many friends I had before addic­ tion forced me into a solitary confinement in my own mind, oblivious to the outside world. The separation from those relationships is the com­ mon denominator in most homeless peoples' stories. While there are addicts that become homeless and mentally challenged individuals that become homeless, the link between them, the children (27%) and others (victims of natural disaster, people that suffer from domestic violence, prolonged illness or paycheck abuse) is the lack of a support system, no listening ear or consoling hand, no extra couch or rollaway bed, no loan to make it through the storm. One of the most important things we do at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homelss is education. Through our Speaker's Bureau we bring homeless people and their stories to the general public. One of the first question people have is how they can help. The homeless population has many needs food, clothing , money, affordable housing, just to name a few. While many hearts are willing, a lot of people who would otherwise give, lack the resources to do so. One resource we all are capable of giving is our time and our hearts. Just knowing some­ one cares is sometimes that little push that a person needs to get to the next level and over­ come one of the many hurdles that life presents us with. The fight to end homelessness has changed even in the short time that I have been involved. There are so many attacks from so many sources that huge victories are few and far between. The idea of individual victories are so important for an advocacy community fighting formidable odds. If you are reading this column you probably have a genuine interest in the Page 2 welfare of the homeless population. If we each make a commitment to take one homeless person to be a friend, imagine the impact! If each church member that helps to minister to the poor invited that person to their congregation, imagine the impact on that person and the impact on that congregation. Making a homeless person your friend cannot lessen the impact of Hope VI demolition or 'opt outs' from Project Based Section-a housing or the refugees from weltare reform, but it will have a positive impact on the life of that one human being. As I write about recovering relationships and beginning relationships I am compelled by sadness to talk about a suspended relationship. Four years ago I was thrust in to a community of guys linked by what many would consider failure. Failed careers, failed dreams and failed relation­ ships. We came from different walks of life; from Price Hill, Avondale, Over-The-Rhine, Indiana and as far away as Chicago. We came with different motivations;. job, court, health, marriage problems and others. We were ultimately searching for the very same thing; recovery. In the end the recovery we found was far more than just the end of active addiction. It was the ability to be parents, loved ones, spouses and friends. When we left we took different roads; jobs, family and tragedy took us in many directions. Some I have never seen again, at least one has passed on, some I seldom see. There is one that I have become permanently linked with. On September 1st, Jimmy Heath begins his stint as a Mickey Leland Hunger Fellow. To be chosen as a Hunger Fellow is a very competitive process. Being chosen takes a multitude of talent and integrity and a great deal of commitment. They could not have chosen a better person. For two years, Jimmy and myself have worked side by side. We have created some sustainable programs that will outlast both of us. We have developed a bond that goes far beyond a simple co-worker relationship. A friendship is the unconditional kind that usually only exists in families. How did I know that those two angry guys we were four years ago would become a contented team working side by side to battle injustice. A sort of Batman and Robin teamed together to end homelessness. Some of the people we went through the six months program with at the Drop-Inn-Center didn't make it. Just think of the possibilities if they would have just had a friend. Good luck and God B·less you, Jimmy. Thanks For Being a Friend. PS You come Back Now You Hear!! DC Initiative Spending Caps Harrassement Suit The Broken City Arts & Poetry National News Comedy Corner HUD Report Evangelist Prison News Back in Time Welfare News Panhandling Scramble Letters & Editorials Streetvibes Etc. Campus Shepard Classified Ads Streetvibes Radio TV Schedule Page4 Page4 Pages Pages Page6 Page6 Page6 Pagel Page 7 Pages Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 1S Page 1S Page 16· c:• • �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 MENTAL ILLNESS CITED IN SHOOTING By Shashank Bengali Mercury News Staff Writer Ten years ago, Clarence Dorsey's medical insurance ran out on him. And on Tuesday evening, time ran out for the homeless schizo­ phrenic when he threatened a police officer in Oakland. The officer shot and killed him. On Wednesday, Dorsey's family said the 31-year-old had a chemical imbalance but was "harmless" and should have posed no threat to the officer, Alameda County Sheriff's Deputy Glen Pace. However, an initial Oakland police investigation cleared Pace of any wrongdoing. Investigations by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office and sheriff's department are still pending. The incident reflects both the difficulty of obtaining medical insurance for mental illness and the problems of dealing with the mentally ill in society, family members said. But such cases are still unusual, according to a spokesman for the homeless shelter where Dorsey had spent many recent nights. In his experience, police encounters with the homeless rarely turn violent, and officers are generally very understanding. "This is the first time I've heard of anything like this," said Ray Ysaguirre, who knew Dorsey by face. The shelter, Oakland Team Ministries, is just yards from the shooting site - and the fatal shot rang out during a Christian service inside. Pace shot Dorsey once in the upper torso when Dorsey moved toward him and made a movement that simulated drawing a weapon. Dorsey was allegedly tampering with a parked car in the 500 block of Seventh Street in Oakland and ignored Pace's repeated orders to stop, police said. Earlier scuffle Hours before the shooting, Dorsey had been released from Fremont City Jail, where he had been held during the afternoon for resisting arrest anq scuffling with an officer. "I never knew him to act up like that," said Dorsey's grandmother, Elsie Jones, who spoke to him on the phone just minutes before he was shot at 7:30 p.m. "He called and we told him to come over for dinner," Jones said. "He said he would." Dorsey's father said his son might have just wanted a place to stay. "I think he was trying to have the officer take him in," Clarence Dorsey II said. "He probably just wanted a night of shelter in jail." The younger Dorsey had become a regular at the Oakland shelter, Ysaguirre said. "He used to eat, come to our nightly religious service and spend nights here," he said. Dorsey had also called Fremont's Central Park home, and was familiar to several of the city's officers and park rangers, a police spokes­ man said. His arrest record dates at least to December 1996. His family said Dorsey had been homeless since the age of 21 , when his medical insurance ceased to cover treatment for his mental illness. · 'Shooting• cont. on back page ... From left to right, Rev. Malachi Tobin, Clifford Jones, Laura Gushue, Rev. Mason Barker, and Dr. Larry Hill, Director of the Cincinnati Health Department Dental Program. photobyJimmyHeath The Homeless Dental Program Receives Recognition Dentist Laura Gushue of the Cincinnati Health Department and Dental Hygienist Clifford Jones of the Greater Cincinnati Oral Health Council were given appreciation plaques from Storehouse Ministries for their'continual support in providing quality service and programming to the Ministries' residents. Rev. Mason Barker and Rev. Malachi Tobin presented Laura and Clifford with the plaques. The Cincinnati Health Depart­ ment Dental Director, Larry Hill, witnessed the ceremony along with a few other advocates for the homeless. The Homeless Dental Program, which is sponsored by the Federal Government, Cincin­ nati Health Network, Cincinnati Health Depart­ ment, and United Way, has been in operation since 1989. Besides clinical services, the program provides on-site education. Their presence out in the community does make a big difference. Storehouse ministries acknowledged this with a wonderful ceremony. The dental program caters to the homeless population, people in emergency and transitional housing. Oral Health Care priorities are essential in the successful development of change agents' protocols (social, mental, and/or physical). The Homeless Coalition understands this phenom­ enon, by which the Homeless Health Committee evolved, providing seminars on current health issues as they relate to the homeless. Many other agencies utilize the program by setting up an educational series for their clients and resi­ dents. A little knowledge can go a long way. Congratulations to the Homeless Dental Program and continued success. A BIAS IN POLICY; A BIAS IN COVERAGE by Eunice Timoney Ravenna No matter where on one stands on the issue of US military intervention in Kosovo, all must agree it has national attention. The New York Times average coverage includes pages of articles and pictures of the horror of war. Even the Cincinnati Enquirer (not known for its expertise in world news coverage) includes a few lines on the bombing sites and the return of the refugees. What seems clear to both propo­ nents and opponents of the NATO intervention is the interest most Americans of European descent have in issues that effect the "home­ less". What seems to be a concern is the subconscious (perhaps I'm Naive) racial bias which is underlying this American interest. Genocide is hardly a new household word. We ought to remember recent news flash reports of Congo (Zaire), Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Angola and who is intervening in peace accords in these African sites - not the UN, not NATO, not the USA, but indeed - Libya. The most notable disparity between news coverage of recent history can be seen in a comparison of Kosovo and Rwanda. We all remember the news accounts of the slaughter of Tutsis and Hutus peoples, but according to Barbara Reynolds of the Cincinnati Herald, "never did the media humanize the African story in the way it is doing minute by minute in Eastern Europe." (The Cincinnati Herald, May 15-May 21, 1999) I am certainly not advocating bombing in either situation; but rather advocating; facilita­ tion, mediation, diplomacy and humanitarian aid. For as Gandhi said, there are three choices; fight (violence), flight (cowardice and avoidance), and active non-violence. But American foreign policy only recognizes the first two. In Rwanda we as a country chose flight; in Kosovo we as a country chose fight; in both we leave with the blood of many innocent defense­ less people on our hands. I end with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." �-.......----­ STREETVIBES :;.:::::::::::=-===:c::::=~ -------~:::;o:::==::;::~~-.-.,,,..- The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine • .. .. ~ Page 4 BUDGET D. C. INITIATIVE ADDRESSES SPENDING HOUSING FOR MENTALLY ILL CAPS THREATEN HOUSING.AND HOMELESS PROGRAMS WASHINGTON - At the first ever White House Conference on Mental H~dith , the Clinton-Gore Administration today announced two new initiatives to increase housing opportu­ nities for Americans with mental illness. Tipper Gore, the President's Mental Health Policy Advisor and a well-known advocate for people with mental illness. chaired the White House Conference on Mental Health, where the initiatives were discussed today. One initiative will help create more Safe Havens where homeless people with mental illness can stay and get food, clothing and showers. An estimated 25 to 33 percent of the roughly 600,000 Americans who are homeless on any given night suffer from severe mental illness. The .second initiative is a series of three televised awareness and training sessions led by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo, designed to help staff from HUD and groups that get HUD funding to fight housing discrimination against people with mental illness. "A safe, secure, and healthy home is important to the well-being of everyone in our nation," Cuomo said. "These initiatives will open our eyes to housing discrimination against people with mental illness and open the door to equal rights in housing for these Americans." The Clinton-Gore Administration's Fiscal Year 2000 budget proposes increased spending on HUD programs to help Americans with mental illness, including: 100,000 new housing vouchers to provide safe, decent housing tor people in need ; expansion of tenant-based voucher allocations through the Section 811 program to give people with disabilities a broader choice in where they live; $7 million more for the Office of Fair Housing (to $47 million) to better respond to cases of housing discrimination, including those involving mental health disabilities; and an increase from $975 million to $1 .02 billion for Continuum of Care homeless assistance, which provides housing and services to homeless people, including many with mental illness. Here are details on each initiative announced today: SAFE HAVENS HUD, together with the Department of Health and Human Services, will provide rn­ depth training for non-profit organizations, local government officials and other interested members of the community on how to develop and operate more Safe Havens. Safe Havens serve as refuges for homeless people with severe mental illness who have been unable to access or participate in traditional housing or supportive services. The Safe Havens provide for basic needs such as food, showers, clothing, and shelter. They will give homeless people a chance to adjust to life off the streets and to transition to permanent housing. Started by HUD in 1994, there are now 104 Safe Havens. · A new guidebook put together by HUD and HHS called In From the Cold: A Tool Kit for Creating Safe Havens for Homeless People on the Street will serve as the textbook for the training. The guidebook, unveiled for the first time at the conference, contains valuable advice and specific ideas on creating and operating Safe Havens to assist homeless people who are mentally ill. AWARENESS AND TRAINING SEMI­ NARS HUD will conduct a series of three tale.­ vised national awareness and training sessions led by Cuomo to reduce the stigma and dis­ ·crimination in housing against people with mental illness. The sessions will be broadcast via satellite to HUD's 81 offices around the country for HUD employees, employees of thousands of organizations that receive HUD funding, and others. Often, people with mental illness are denied housing outright by landlords and because of their disability are harassed by neighbors so much that they decide to move. In Fiscal Year 1998, 565 complaints alleging discrimination based on mental disability' were filed with HUD and its state and local govern­ ment partners. An unknown number of com­ plaints are also filed with private fair housing groups, which are not required to report their statistics to HUD. The first session will explore how people with mental illness experience discrimination in housing. The remaining two sessions will teach participants how the Fair Housing Act and other civil rights laws can help end that discrimination. HUD will link the themes of its two broadcasts so that those being trained about Safe Havens will also become more aware of the needs of people with mental illness and receive informa­ tion on Fair Housing and other discrimination issues. OTHER INITIATIVES In addition, HUD has a number of other initiatives designed to help people with mental illness remain in their homes. Among the most prominent is the Continuum of Care program, which uses a comprehensive approach to provide emergency, transitional and permanent housing and services to help homeless people become self sufficient. Since it was launched by the Clinton-Gore Administration in 1994, the Continuum of Care has more than doubled the funding devoted each year toward solving homelessness to approximately $900 milliqn annually. Homelessness assistance, much of which helps those with mental illness. is a significant portion of the over $1 .1 billion HUD spends to meet the housing needs of people with special needs in its proposed budget for the next fiscal year. HUD also operates additional housing programs to help people with mental illness and disabilities, including: Section 8 Rental Assis­ tance for People with Disabilities, which has $88.5 million in available funds for about 10,000 Section 8 housing vouchers; the Mainstream Program, which is a $48.5 million, five-year program to allocate 1,600 vouchers for people with disabilities; the Designated Public Housing program, which is a $20 million, one-year program to meet the housing needs of people with disabilities; and Rental Assistance for Applicants to Private Assisted Housing, which is a $20 million program for 4,200 vouchers to provide rental housing to people with disabilities who do not receive assistance because owners of private, assisted Section 202, 221 (d)(3), and 236 housing establish selection preferences for elders. Another program overseen by HUD to assist mentally ill and disabled people is Service Coordinators in Multi-Family Housing, which will allocate $5 million to allow multi-family housing owners to provide elderly and disabled residents with support services allowing 1hem to live independently in their own apartments. HUD has also funded the construction of housing in 544 developments under the Section 811 program to help people with chronic mental illness live in community settings. Federal programs that serve homeless and other low-income people are facing the prospect of dramatic budget cuts that would result in the loss of critically needed housing, health ser­ vices, and job training for countless Americans. These cuts would happen because when the country was running a high deficit, Congress initiated spending caps- in a bill called the Balanced Budget Act of 1997-to limit spending for all non-defense federal programs whose spending levels are determined each year by Congress. (The programs are in what is called the discretionary side of the budget.) Congress, in its Fiscal Year 2000 budget resolution, has called for a 20 percent across-the-board cut in discretionary spending for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 1999. To implement the resolution, more than $20 billion will need to be cut from last year's budget. (However, Congress elected to increase the defense budget.) Congress should now raise the budget caps because America's healthy economy has outgrown any need for these cuts. It is now possible for us to continue funding housing and social programs and make greater payments toward the national debt. Even though the economy has grown steadily in recent years, millions of Americans still live without adequate housing. health care, employment, food, or child care. Many members of Congress are interested in maintaining the caps in order to find money to pay for tax cuts for high and middle income earners-However, the tax cuts come at the expense of funding that helps provide basic necessities for the nation's most vulnerable and poorest populations. In May, the House and Senate established next year's funding levels for each federal budget account. The overall amounts are "allocated" to each of 13 appropriations subcom­ mittees, which then must distribute the alloca­ tions among the hundreds of federal programs under their jurisdictions. Two of the subcommit­ tees of particular importance to homeless people-Veterans' Affairs (VA)-Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS)­ Education-were especially hard-hit in the allocation process. Labor-HHS-Education programs could be cut by as much as $11 billion and VA-HUD programs by as much as $9 billion. If the caps remain and allocation formulae are not adjusted, funds for the mainstream and targeted programs that directly impact homeless people (such as Section 8, HUD McKinney, the substance abuse block grant, and Health Care for the Homeless) could be heavily reduced or eliminated. Discretionary spending cuts will affect housing programs, job training, commu­ 'BUDGET' continued next page... �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Broken Citv... Cincinnati's Washington Park, Music Hall in the background. The plan to relocate the Drop Inn Center and develop Cincinnati's Music Hall into an art's campus will impact many homeless persons who rely on the Center for services and a chance to get back on their feet. OFFICER WINS.BIG IN HARASSMENT. SUIT Federal jury finds San Antonio police policy targeted downtown homeless by THADDEUS HERRICK, Houston Chronicle - San Antonio Bureau SAN ANTONIO- On the legendary Alamo Plaza, under the shade of the leafy live oaks, tourists abound. But look closer and there are others: bearded men pushing shopping carts, barrio kids dressed as gangsters and tattooed punk drifters with safety-pinned eye­ brows. It was this often unseemly lot that Onofre Serna, a veteran San Antonio police officer, says he was ordered to harass in hopes of driving away. And it was this order that led Serna to challenge the San Antonio Police Department in federal court, arguing that his objections to the harassment policy led to retaliation against him. Last week, a jury awarded Serna $500,000, convinced by him and several other officers that the police department did order its foot and bike patrol to cleanse the downtown area in the interest of tourism. "San Antonio police officers were ordered to selectively enforce the law," said Serna's lawyer, Bruce Mery. "Officer Serna stood up and said, ' Wait a minute, this is not right.' " Though the judgment was not even half the $1.2 million Serna sought, it comes as a major blow to the police department. More impqrtant, perhaps, it highlights the difficult balance the city must strike in sustaining its No. 2 industry, worth more than $3.5 billion in annual economic impact, and lending a helping hand. But the ruling against San Antonio also represents a huge victory for a rank-and-file cop who seems to have been motivated by little more than his convictions. Not until Serna was transferred from the foot and bike squad to the overnight patrol, or "dog watch," did he file suit. Making Serna an even more unlikely champion of the homeless is this: He was shot in the chest by a drifter 11 years ago in an alley near San Antonio's St. Anthony Hotel, an incident in which his partner was killed. Serna, 38, testified that at first he believed the foot and bike patrol was doing the right thing with potential troublemakers, demanding identification from patrons in certain bars, snatching caps and bandannas from suspected gang members and forcing the homeless from downtown. But then, said Serna, who joined the force in 1984, "I realized we were harassing people." The city of San Antonio denies the police issued orders to rid downtown of the homeless or any other group. Nor, the police department says, did it retaliate against Serna after he lodged his protest in the summer of 1995. An appeal is under way. 'We feel there was no retaliation or violation of any rights of Officer Serna and believe there is no evidence to support this verdict," said Police Chief Al Philippus. Serna declines to discuss the case, citing his need to restore his relationship with the police department. But his surprising victory has given hope to two other officers who are chal­ lenging the city on the same grounds. The policing issue is a dicey one for San Antonio, which is not believed to have a home­ less problem as serious as cities such as Austin or San Francisco. Still, nearly 8 million tourists visited San Antonio in 1997, making the tourism industry second only to the military. But just how to deal with drifters, the homeless and others who may discourage downtown tourism is a vexing question. While the city says it encourages a progressive, preventive approach to law enforcement1 critics say the police continue to haras~. "The attitude among the police officers is that you can do anything you've got the guts to do," said Mery. "You can get in their faces, jack Page s 'em up, move 'em out." More troubling still, Serna contends in an affidavit that the police targeted Hispanics, stating that his former supervisor, Lt. Harry Griffin, told his officers, "If you see these Mexicans hanging around downtown drinking, give them a ticket." The kids who hang around Alamo Plaza say the police harass almost anyone who appears threatening. Rain McGregor, a 22-year­ old with green hair, military fatigues and combat boots, says he has been ticketed for jaywalking when crossing the street with tourists, whom the police ignore. "It doesn't matter who you are," said McGregor, who says he is homeless. "What matters is what you look like." More than nine police officers testified on Serna's behalf, arguing that between 1994 and 1996 they were ordered to crack down on the homeless and assorted groups of kids. But almost as many officers testified for the city. Even Rudy Garza, a homeless man in downtown San Antonio, vouched for the cops. "They never bother me or tell me anything," he said. "They're out to protect us." James Flores, a veteran officer with the downtown foot and bike patrol , says the squad may have seized a bandanna or two or moved a drunk from a merchant's doorway but that the police have helped make downtown a safer place for pedestrians. "We're proud of what we do," Flores said. "But all of a sudden , we're getting dragged through the mud." Griffin, the supervisor, was transferred after an internal report revealed that he had management shortcomings. But because the Serna case focused more on the question of retaliation than law enforcement policy, the debate over the harassment Griffin allegedly ordered may never be resolved. Nor is there likely to be agreement over whether the police currently harass the home­ less, drifters and the barrio kids who hang out downtown. But Mery, Serna's lawyer, is adamant. "It may be more discreet," he said, "but it's there." 'BUDGET' continued from page 4 ... nity and economic development, education, public health , and countless other social pro­ grams. Because we have more than enough money to continue to fund valuable social programs and to pay down the national debt, Congress should raise. the spending caps and focus on meeting the basic needs of the millions of Americans who still live without adequate housing, health care, employment, food, or child care. STATUS: The House and Senate Appro­ priations Subcommittees are now beginning to mark-up their respective Fiscal Year 2000 appropriations bills in keeping with the limited allocations. Several subcommittees, including VA-HUD and Labor-HHS-Education are post­ poning their mark-ups until the overall federal budget picture improves. ACTION: Please contact your two Sena­ tors and your U.S. Representative and urge them to take action to raise the caps on domes­ tic discretionary spending so that critical hous­ ing, health, and other safety nets are not evis­ cerated. Call the C?pitol Switchboard at 202/224­ 3121. Ask the operator to transfer you to your Senator's or Representative's office. When you reach that office, explain that you are a constitu­ ent and ask to speak with the staff member who handles budget issues. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Walking in the WORD ON THE Clouds STREET By Brett Estell Arts & Poetry GHETTO GYPSY by Malik Ami/car You want to Annihilate my Habitat so That you can Live in luxury, Leaving me A fruit without A tree. The pain, the poverty, There're too much For my cranium, But still You have money For your Stadium. It is said that it Is easier for a Poor man to Enter the gates of Heaven, than It is for a Rich man To walk through The eye of a Needle. But w ho will Be the messiah For the weak and The Feeble. Comedy Corner by Ron Carter News Flash When the man that wrote the song 'The Hokey Pokey' died, the funeral home had a problem trying to put him in the casket. Because, when they put his left leg in... well, there's no need to go on, you know the rest of it..... Page 6 STREETVIBES Nationwide My eyes see colors of light while soaring in the clouds with wings of flight fish running up the rivers neon clouds are bright empty trees showing the signs birds singing a sweet lullaby flakes and flurries forgotten sounds and sights Lost in the darkness of what's wrong don't know what's right the sun and the moon collide an eclipse turns it into night the moon was masking my bright light bushels of lost pain hiding behind dark clouds my vision so distraught emotions struck like lightening bolts at random nobody knew how to be taught but finally I was found as I was brought from the sin of the past a loving caress was felt calmness filled me within sights and sounds were heard were given a chance to shine desires filled the mind what once was a heart as black as coal but blessings from above gave tidings to my soul foliage of emotions ' begun to vine all the green earth looks so divine clouds parted from the sky haze lifted from the rays the sun broke through to shine paving the way for a beautiful white dove whistling words of encouragement love, patience, and tolerance of others must be ou r code daily work in progress our shoulders can be weakened by the load fear and anger slip away clouds are like the waves, between the low and high tides of life not always knowing where to step some waters having more treacherous depths creatures of all shapes and sizes sense the wake they circle around like vicious sharks predators on the take waiting for you to make that first mistake for a rainbow in the sky can't subside lights up the coral reefs in the ocean's tides flushing out the past issues lose their vitality working on the present has to be my Father's ability the worries of tomorrow should never be the sorrows of today colors of life fill the streams it no longer has to be a dream we can have heaven on earth if we just believe. POINT OF VIEW by Sheila Crowley, President National Low Income Housing Coalition A drama is playing out in Minneapolis that demonstrates what may be the most complicated dilemma in contemporary housing policy. Church leaders, residents of the traditionally Black Northside neigh­ borhood, and housing advocates halted the demolition of 25 units of public housing by stopping the bulldozers with their bodies. It was an unplanned act of civil disobedience, according to the Reverend Paul Robinson of the Community Covenant Church, one of the participants. They learned the day before that the demolition, which was not supposed to occur for nearly a year, was about to take place, and rallied community members to stage a protest at the site. Several people were arrested , but several more got a hearing with the mayor who called a moratorium on the demolition until a resolution to the conflict can be worked out. The demolition was part of a court ordered deconcentration of a 770 unit public housing complex, as the result of a lawsuit by the locC!-1 NAACP and Legal Services. In the words of one local ob­ server, the controversy is "advocates pitted against advocates." One side is motivated to overcome the decades long adverse effects of govern­ ment sponsored residential segregation. The other side objects to the destruction of what they see as viable housing for poor people, when the vacancy rate in Minne­ apolis is 1%, only one in seven vouchers holders can find a place to rent, and 100 Black families were literally on the street when a motel used as transitional housing recently was shut down. Both are noble, but competing, goals. Which value should take precedent - undoing discrimination or providing affordable housing? It is an absurd choice that we should not be put in the position to have to make. The conflict would be substantially reduced if the city and the public housing authority had been able to carry out the other provisions of the > �STREElVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine court decree to build new housing. The 770 units were to be replaced by an equal number of hardunits of public housing, as well as some 900 certificates and vouchers. Some of the new housing is to be on the current site, but most is to be built in small numbers throughout the multi-jurisdictional metro area. Over 400 units have already been demolished, but only 40 new units have been completed in four years. All 770 units are supposed to be on line by 2001, a highly unlikely possibility. Two explanations are offered for the delay. One is that the PHA has a difficult time operating in other jurisdictions due to the cumbersome nature of the public housing legal and funding structure. The other is that new develop­ ment is thwarted by NIMBYism. Moving ahead on demolition, while failing to make progress on new construction, is a legiti­ mate complaint, and elected officials should be held accountable for the imbalance. However, the story in Minneapolis is more complex than a mismatch between promises and deeds. The citizens of Northside are also challenging the basic assumptions of a policy of deconcentration. Reverend Robinson questions if dispersing poor folks will make them less poor. He knows that they are being uprooted and propelled away from their community, and send to places where they are not "em­ braced." The crisis created by competing goalS has at least one positive attribute. The depth of the housing crisis in Minneapolis is front page news, and generating much public discourse and community outrage. Hopefully, the tension will force some action. THE STATE OF THE CITIES 1999, HUD Report President Clinton has issued the third annual State of the Cities report, which finds that most American cities are prosper­ ing with strong economies. However, the report says too many cities have been left behind and face major challenges. "The State of the Cities 1999"­ prepared tiy the Department of Housing and Urban Development-also finds that some older suburbs are experiencing problems once associated with cities. In addition, the report says a new survey indicates that most urban and subu rban officials agree they must develop regional solutions to the common problems facing their communities, and cites the historic opportunity for more cooperation between cities and suburbs. I The State of the Cities report contains these major findings: Finding #1 : Thanks to a booming national economy, most cities are experi­ encing a strong fiscal and economic recov­ ery. However, too many central cities are still left behind and continue to face the challenges of population decl ine, loss of middle-class families, slow job growth, income inequality, and poverty. Page 1 remain forever: to add, subtract, multiply, or divide. Jesus Christ came so that we might have life, and that more abundantly (John 10:1 Ob). This should be our intent also. Every new meeting should be an opportunity to add and to multiply something good in someone's life. Finding #2: Some older suburbs are experiencing problems once associated with urban areas - job loss, population decline, crime, and disinvestment. Simulta­ neously, many suburbs are straining under sprawling growth that creates traffic con­ gestion, overcrowded schools, loss of open spaces, and other sprawl-related problems, and a lack of affordable housing. Finding #3: There is a strong consen­ sus on the need for joint city/suburb strate­ gies to address sprawl and the structural decline of cities and older suburbs. We now have an historic opportunity for cooperation between cities and counties, urban as well as suburban, to address the challenges facing our metropolitan areas. "I believe we ought not to leave any­ body behind when we go into the 21st Century," President Clinton said. "I want people to believe it can be done in thei r neighborhoods, in their communities, rural or urban." The State of the Cities concludes that the Clinton Administration's 21st Century Agenda for Cities and Suburbs would help communities left behind become partici­ pants instead of spectators in the Nation's booming economy. The Agenda is a broad range of initiatives in the President's pro­ posed Fiscal Year 2000 budget designed to promote economic growth, job creation, expanded homeownership, and affordable housing opportunities. For more information or to request copies, visit the HUD USER web site at: http://www.huduser.org/publicationsl pollegltsoc.html. WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST.. ~ Brothers and Sisters, I ask you to look back over the course of your life, picture the many people you have met along the way. Now ask yourself; did that person add to, or subtract from, your life? Did you add to, or subtract from, their lives? People come into our lives for many reasons some come for a season, others Call ou r 24 hour Prayerline with prayer requests and for an update on current programs and activities. If you are in need of food, clothing, or financial assistance call for our free referral services (681-2400). If you would like to make a donation or contri­ bution our address is 1810 Powers Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. Remember our Lord Said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:25). Come out Friday evenings at 7:30 PM and experience the power of praise, prayer, and preaching of Helping Hands Outreach Ministries "Friday Night Power Station". May God bless You and keep You, and His love shine upon you. In His Service, Pastor/Evangelist Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. Subscribe to Streetvibes! Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year for 12 issues. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O Please make checks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes.· If you have any questions, call 421-7803. E-MAIL STREETVIBES: STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM I �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Dear Streetvibes, Greetings - I received your letter, picture, and the stamp envelope. We cannot receive stamps or stamp envelopes through the mail here. I'll explain more in detail on a later date ­ I'm in a hurry to catch the mail lady. And on the $3, I will get back with you on that too. Sincerely, WA Ngengt Texas State Prison Lovelady, Tx PRISON TENSION RISES OVER SENATE BILL 149 By Steve Long and Dan Cahill This month (June 1999) State Senator Louis Blessing introduced Senate Bill 149, which prisoners had been led to believe would be a piece of legislation that would reform the Ohio Parole Board and remedy the unjust disparity between old indeterminate sentences and the new determinate sentences. For example, under indeterminate sentences prisoners were given a maximum indefinite sentence of 1O to 25 years for a first degree felony. The same offense under the new laws (Senate Bill 2, which went into effect July 1996) carries a maximum of 10 years. The difference is that under the indeterminate in the 1970's and early 1980's prisoners had a reason­ able expectation of being paroled after serving the minimum of ten years if good behavior was displayed over the course of those years. From the mid 1980's until now the parole board changed its policy as part of their "get tough on crime" attitude, and began making prisoners serve their entire maximum sentence, or close to it. Ironically when Senate Bill 2 was passed into law, politicians crowed about it being "tough on crime," when actually they reduced the amount of time to be served for many offenses in an effort to reduce the prison population. Now prisoners with indeterminate sentences are being required by a parole board that is out of control to serve 2 to 5 times the amount of time as prisoners sentenced under the new determinate sentences. This is the "disparity" which has stirred up a great deal of tension and anger among prisoners. Even Judge David E. Cain stated in a May 1999 article that appeared in BAR briefs; "Officials in the Department of Rehabilitation and Correc­ tions are quietly fearful that the unfairness to 'old law' prisoners is causing enough anger so as to endanger the safety of prison employees ­ from correction officers to nurses and secretar­ ies." When Senate Bill 149 came out prison­ ers learned that it does absolutely nothing to remedy this disparity, and actually makes it worse by abolishing half-time reviews for life sentences, first and second degree offenses, and any offenses of violence. This harsh law if passed would only apply to indeterminate sentences, who are already serving far more time than those prisoners under determinate sentences. We now learn Senator Blessing hopes prison reform groups will lobby for some insig­ nificant amendment to Senate Bill 149, that will do nothing to remedy the disparity, and claims that the parole board itself will lobby the Gover­ nor to veto any legislation which would contain mandatory language, or mandatory guidelines that would bring about parity and remedy this obvious injustice. His bill does call for term limits for members on the parole board, but that is meaningless because it does not resolve the· problem of disparity. The prison crowding problem is a direct result of the parole board not releasing those prisoners who are eligible fur parole, and who have served far more time than prisoners under the new sentencing law, and their actions are costing the tax payers hun·areds of millions of dollars each year. The parole board 'is protect­ ing their jobs far into the next century by deny­ ing paroles and keeping pri'soners under indeter­ minate sentences in prison far past what is fair and just. The expanding prison system is drawing money away from school budgets and social programs. It is an obvious waste of tax payers' money and a detriment to our entire society. As prisoners, we oppose Senate Bill 149 vehemently, and we ask prison reform groups and the general public to oppose it. We will not settle for any legislation that does not com­ pletely resolve the unjust disparity at the heart of this issue. Senate Bill 149 is an effort at appearing to remedy the problem without actually doing so, and has the effect of throwing gasoline on an already explosive situation in the prison system. We are asking concerned citizens to contact their local legislators and express opposition to Senate Bill 149, and demand a bill that will resolve this injustice that politicians created! STREETVIBES PRISONERS NEWS IS THE WRITINGS OF PERSONS INCARCERATED IN OUR JJATIONS JAILS AND PRISONS. SEND YOUR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS TO: >STREETVIBES @JUNO.COM or mail to: >STREETVIBES 1506 ELM STREET CINCINNATI, OHIO 45210 or fax to: >(513) 421 -7813 Page a 'Disabilities' cont. from front page ... benefits paying this much of their monthly incomes for housing costs are considered to have "worst case" housing needs. To make matters worse, people with disabilities are experiencing this housing affordability crisis while the overall number of federally-subsidized apartments is intentionally being reduced. Due in part to "elderly only" housing legislation passed in.the early 1990's, owners of federally-subsidized apartments can literally shut people with disabilities out of the housing market. This effective "net loss" of affordable housing for people with disabilities only serves to intensify matters. In 1996, it was estimated that by the year 2000, some 273,000 apartments in federally-subsidized housing buildings will no longer be available to persons with disabilities. Unfortunately, this estimate seems to be all too accurate. As of 1998, as many as 200,000 of these apartments had already been converted to "elderly only." These statistics are sobering. T hey serve to illustrate the sheer scope and magnitude of the housirig affordability crisis faced by millions of Americans with disabilities. Without safe, decent, and affordable housing, people with disabilities continue to live at home with aging parents, in crowded homeless shelters, in institutions or nursing homes, or are forced to choose between seriously sub-standard housing or paying most of their monthly income for rent. If you are interested in receiving a copy of this report, you can contact either the Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc. or the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force via the following: The Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc. One Center Plaza, Suite 31 O Boston, MA 02108 (617) 742-5657 http://www.tacinc.org The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force Washington DC (202) 785-3388 http://www.c-c-d.org Subscribe to Streetvibes 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 issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition -for the Homeless-Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine BACK IN TIME DROP INN CENTER HISTORY: FROM APRIL, 1985 The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Health Committee Presents: Practical Health Concerns: A seminar for Shelter staff Topics: Communicable Disease, Appropriate first aid and TB September 9th, 1999 (Thursday) Time: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM Location: TB <Control Conference Room 184 E. McMillan Street 946-7618 For more Information Call: Clifford Jones - 621-0248 (This letter was written to Drop Inn Center supporters by buddy gray in April of 1985. The City of Cincinnati was threatening the Drop Inn Center by attempting to make changes in the zoning laws that would force relocation of the Center. Threat of closure and relocation has threatened the Drop Inn Center during its entire existence...ED.) Dear Supporters, The time - long awaited - is upon us now. The Over-the-Rhine Comprehensive Plan, after 4 1/2 years 'of hard work, comes to City Hall for a vote May 3rd and 10th. Last Thanksgiving you rallied to support us - some 250 stro-'ng at City Hall - when the City Housing Department threatened Drop Inn's very existence with a 'replacemenf shelter in the West End to ~~rve 35 people at a $350,000 price tag. At tha~same time, City Planners were preparing to zone Drop Inn out of existence with office zoning. The re-zoning hearings had been set for December: 1984. But after the big rally those hearings were delayed and delayed. At Thanksgiving time City Leaders vigorously denied such zone changes were afoot. Now those very City planning Commission hearings are set for May 3rd and May 10th at 9:30 A. M., Page 9 to be held in City Council chambers, 3rd floor, 9th and Plum. In June, City Council gets final vote. During the delays, developer forces have organized an opposition to the 0-T-R Plan. They oppose the Plan's call to protect the existing 5,520 low-income housing units currently occupied by approximately 12,000 of our people, and they oppose the Drop In c .enter. We need your support. Despite the Over­ the-Rhine Planning Task Force's unanimous vote by residents and businessmen to zone the Drop Inn R-7 (residential) the City Planning Director is proposing the Drop Inn site as 0-1 (office). The picture is clear. Across Central Parkway behind us is the old French Bauer building just opened as office condo's. Behind us is the YMCA, which evicted 427 single room occupancy (SRO) tenants to make a fancy health spa. Next door to us is an interior decorating office condo which is just beginning. In these votes just ahead, Drop Inn Center and our low-income neighborhood as a whole face our biggest challenge - and potentially our biggest hope - in ten years. If Drop Inn is re­ zoned for offices, it is the beginning of the end for our shelter. Furthermore, Drop Inn has been a beacon of hope and symbol of resistance for our low-income neighbors who have struggled to stay in their homes nearby. Without the Drop Inn Center having been firmly rooted, the gentrification and disp1acement of the Washing­ ton Park area of Over-the-Rhine would already be in high gear. Without the protection of the 5,520 low-income housing units, displacement will continue. Without the revitalization plan for Over-the-Rhine, housing, business and public areas will continue to deteriorate. WE NEED YOU TO COME AND SPEAK OUT Support- the passage of the Over-the­ Rhine Comprehensive Plan - The protection of 5,520 existing low­ income housing units -the residential zoning for Drop Inn Center PUSH TO SEE THIS AS A CITY ACTION PLAN, not a document to sit on the City Hall shelf. Thank you for your support. buddy gray for Drop Inn Center House Manager Position Open St. Francis-St. Joseph Catholic Worker House . STREETVIBES TV SHOW is produced by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and broadcast from the studios of Cincinnati Community Video. Each month STREETVIBES TV explores issues of poverty, homelessness, and civil rights with guest panelists and studio participation. If you would like to be a member of our studio audience, call the Coalition office at 421-7803. The Catholic Worker House, a small shelter for homeless men, is searching for a House Manager, whose responsibilities include the daily operations of the House, conducting the administrative and clerical operations, acting as a public face, and setting goals for the House. The ideal candidate will have experience with the homeless or in another human service field and show a commitment to others. Please send resume and cover letter to Catholic Worker House, PO Box 10118, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News UP AND OUT OF POVERTY by Lynn Williams Women who earn a four year college degree have a 95 to one chance of needing to rely on welfare in the future. Without that college diploma, a woman stands a five to one ·chance of needing welfare. According to a report by Jobs With Justice, nearly all of the jobs that pay livable wages or higher require a college degree in this country. The report states that most of the,iobs that recipients are going into are entry level positions and jobs that, lacking further education and training, will never lead to a higher salary at a livable wage level. A woman who works a full-time, round the year job at minimum wage ($5.15/hr.) earns only $10,300 gross income. Deduct taxes and she earns even less than this amount! She is extremely likely to lack health care insurance. If she is in poor health, or needing medical treatment, medical bills could easily eat up a minimum wage budget. (see article on Health Care for Working Parents in Poverty) ·with a minimum wage job, a family of three is living almost $3,000 BELOW THE FEDERAL POV­ ERTY LEVEL! Unless they are one of the lucky families with a Section 8 certificate or other housing voucher, market rate rent and utilities will drain a significant portion of the family's income. Families living at or below poverty level could easily end up on public assistance; if a crisis hits, they will not have savings to cushion them 'til they're back on their feet. {If their time limit for welfare is used up they won't even have this option.) This paints a pretty dismal picture, but there is something to be done about it. If we are truly serious about lifting families out of poverty, we must: 1. raise the minimum wage to a livable wage for all workers 2. allow welfare recipients to count class & study time for a G .E.D. and college degree as their work requirement. This is much more far­ sighted than kicking women off now for tempo­ rary or l9w-pay, "no future" jobs. If a recession hits us, the recipients in entry-level jobs will be the first fired or laid off, probably without unem­ ployment compensation. According to economist Rebecca Bl:rnk in Glass Ceilings and Bottomless Pits , "It would be foolish for work/welfare programs to assume that women who find jobs will make steady economic progress toward substantially higher wages. Some welfare recipients will be able to follow this model particularly those with. more education), but this is unlikely to be the typical Page 10 experience among women who lack high school Therefore, I had time to go to college. Many diplomas or even among those who haye a high other people will not. school degree." My biggest fear concerning the current S.S. 123 currently in the Ohio Senate welfare reform legislation is that too many would change state welfare policy to allow for people will be forced to obtain minimum wage two years of full time college to be counted as jobs that will serve to keep them in their impov­ the work requirement for recipients. Currently, erished state. I believe it's time to find long­ only one year (or 1040) hours are allowed in this term solutions to this problem. I believe that manner. In addition, S.B. 123 would require every welfare recipient should be afforded the welfare departments to promote and clearly opportunity for long-term education and, in display this information in a "campaign". As it is some cases, this should be mandated. What now, many recipients in Ohio are not informed some people iri the general public and political arena forget is that the new welfare reform laws that they can count college hours for the first impact children in a very negative manner. year as the work requirement. This is a well­ kept secret! Rather than teaching them and their parents the The Ohio Empowerment Coalition believes appropriate way of obtaining long-term self· sufficiency, these laws push for immediate S.B. 123 is a step in the right direction. How­ employment. It is common knowledge that ever, it should allow for additional years of without a high school diploma and/or college college and study time to count as the work degree, the chances of finding a job that pays requirement. This would allow a recipient to • over $5.50 an hour decreases dramatically. concentrate on her studies and successfully complete a four year degree. College is work This leaves a person like me to wonder what is going to happen in another five years, when the and it should be counted as work time with a recipients are booted off the program. Will their farsighted thought of its importance in moving children starve to death? Will they be able to families off of welfare {but not thrown off) and out of poverty. afford even basic necessities? What will be society's responsibility if these things happen? The following story from Jennifer of As for myself and my family, we will continue to Findlay, Ohio is the story of a woman who has a bright future because of getting her degree. advocate for the rights of poor people and the "I am currently receiving public assistance need for continued public assistance for those through a local welfare department. I began people who simply. may not be capable of receiving assistance about six years ago shortly helping themselves." following a divorce. Never in my wildest dreams did I im~gine that one day I would become a single mother of three children. Then the unthinkable happened. My ex-husband quit his job and moved out of state. He has not seen our children since that time, nor has he paid any When almighty God created the heavens child support. • and the EARTH he gave man dominion over his After the initial shock of this dilemma wore glorious creation. Man has God-ljke qualities; off, I started working minimum wage jobs while but we have major faults, envy, greed, and still obtaining welfare benefits. I was hoping at jealousy. the time that the extra money from work would Everything in nature will reach their help feed my family. However, another disap­ destination. Almost all living creatures have a pointment came my way as I discovered that my place to call home. An ant has an anthill, and a benefits had decreased since I was earning an bird lives in a nest. So if we are the most income. It seemed the more I made, the further complex living entities: why are we straying behind I became. I knew there had to be a way away from the natural order in which the univer­ out of poverty somehow, but didn't know what sal law prevails? steps I would need to take. We were granted this enormous power. Finally, after two years of working low­ Power to build or destroy, and even to oppress. paying jobs, I decided to attend college. I was As citizens of the human family I was born with scared at first, since nobody in my family had God-given inalienable rights, so should I have gotten a four-year degree. In any case, through less equality than the next person? higher education I was able to face those fears Ghettos, slums, projects, are man made, and continue on with my studies. It was a very and so is the epidemic of homelessness. difficult road since I was attending college full­ America is the greatest nation or:i Earth; the time, working part-time, and raising three word great doesn't always mean good . The children alone. The truth is I didn't think I'd United States has conquered almost every make it. Many times I went without food and/or realm of impossibility; so why is it hard to sleep in my quest to get off of the public assis­ nurture and protect the very source of your tance program. strength that put you in a foothold as the leading I officially graduated from school last week world power? with a bachelor's degree in social work. I am The people are the might and the founda­ currently looking for employment in my field, but tion of this body. Every empire fell because will be free from public assistance very soon. It they ignored the little things, and little things add is a very rewarding feeling to know that I will up. Poverty, homelessness, and the internal always be able to raise my children without neglect of our citizens is the cancer of this assistance from the state. I am very grateful for country; ignoring the sickness won't solve the all of the help that I received, but consider affliction; it will only cause our demise. myself one of the lucky welfare recipients. I was able to rise above my circumstances in hopes of Malik Ami/car creating a better life for my family. However, · many other welfare recipients may not fare as well. I began receiving benefits before the state enacted the five-year limit on assistance. .\ :"< >T 111·: ~ (. L. \:--'::' I' ~~Ul)I . (·TI<>:"' Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 (513) 230-6353 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine PANHANDLING GETTING A CLOSER LOOK BY CITY by Raymond McCaffrey/The Gazette Colorado Springs · On an exit ramp off Interstate 25, Leon Mann appeared to be as much a symbol of the changing face of the city as the bumper-to­ bumper traffic before him. Cardboard signs in hand - "Every Body NeE?ds Help Sometimes God Bless You & Me," another that read simply "Homeless" - Mann stood motionless at the side of the road, careful not to violate the personal space of the motor­ ists escaping the gridlock on the interstate. "I've had people threaten to kill me," Mann said. Although Mann looks innocuous - he's a slight man with a gray beard and weathered face - his begging seems to elicit as much controversy as, say, bumper-to-bumper traffic. 'The best thing to do is stand here, and they just stick it (money) out the window," Mann said. "On a good day, you can make $40." As Shakespeare might have said: To give or not to give, that is the question. "I figure if they've come to this, they need help," said one young mom, who handed Mann some money as she drove by in her sport-utility vehicle, windows open, a load of young children inside. "Hell no," growled an9ther motorist, a man in a Jeep. "It's like a stray dog. If you feed them, they keep coming around." The subject of panhandlers is such a hot­ button issue that the City Council, at the request of Police Chief Lorne Kramer, is considering an amendment designed to crack down on begging. The proposal, scheduled to be discussed at Monday's City Council meeting, would restrict solicitation at certain intersections and along certain roadways where such activity presents a traffic and public safety hazard to both the motorists and those involved in such activity, Kramer wrote in a memo to City Manager Jim Mullen. "We were getting complaints from motor­ ists about ... aggressive panhandling," said Springs Police Lt. Rich Resling. "We tried to look at some ways we could alleviate the problem," he said. Those concerns also have made their way to members of the City Council. "There is a concern for the perception of safety, and there's the perception of what kind of a place is this where people are out there with cardboard signs at the end of ramps," Mayor Mary Lou Makepeace said. "My personal opinion is I don't like it. ... I know it makes me feel uncomfortable. I know it makes many women feel unsafe, and I think it projects a poor image of our community," she said. The plan comes at a time when community leaders have been trying to improve services for the needy, including setting up a sort of campus near downtown for such individuals. The city has had a sizable homeless population for years. According to the 1990 census, there are roughly 300 homeless people in Colorado Springs, the majority of whom live in shelters. However, the sight of panhandlers by the side of the highways is relatively new. "It's become a nationwide phenomenon," Resling said. "It's become - for lack of a better word - 'trendy.' They can literally work their way coast to coast. I think it's been the most preva­ lent in the past five years .... Now we have a record population that is here full time. They work (the roadways) full time. They work in shifts." Who exactly these people are is subject to debate. Some, like Mann, who lives under a bridge, are from out of town - he said he's .from Dallas. According to Debbie Mitguard, director of the Red Cross Shelter, which houses more than 200 homeless people each night, the panhan­ dlers typically are not residents there. "I think many of the folks I've seen on the highway exits and the freeways have been around for a long time," Mitguard said. "Typically they're folks living on their own somewhere.... It's a pretty elusive group." Some actually are residents of the commu­ nity. "Certainly everybody who's homeless doesn't do this," said Steve Handen, a former Catholic priest who helped start the Marian House soup kitchen and still works with the homeless. , "And many many people who do it are not homeless, but they're low-income." Many of the panhandlers are disabled, Handen said, primarily due to mental illness. It's not that they can't find work; they're just not able to. "There are jobs available. We're at an incredible moment in Colorado Springs history where there are a lot of jobs. A lot of those people are disabled," Handen said. Handen, though, is not as upset about the phenomenon as others. "We like to call them independent lobbyists for private-sector fund­ ing," he said. "If somebody gives somebody a buck, it doesn't make the giver poor or the receiver rich. It just may make the day easier for both of them." 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Ohio 45014 All About Tuxedos - Checkout 203 E 7th Street C:r>c1nnat1, Ohio 45202 STREETVIBES a!ffil1l?D©1:fa!rnif..114» Classifieds on Page 15 Pager 5 t 3·670-6782 T64 Montgomery Road Norwood. Ohio Cellular 5 t 3·582· TUXS http://www/netwc rk1000.com/ALLtux/ "The Outfitters of the Stars" �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Editorials & Letters· Page 12 NORTHEAST OHIO COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS 2012 West 25th Street #717, Cleveland Ohio 44113 •!• (216)241 -1104 June 14, 1999 Cincinnati Street Vibes Letters to the Editor An Open Letter to Cincinnati: We, in Cleveland, have heard ofthe proposed Arts and Education Center which will displace the Drop Inn Center shelter. While we feel this is regrettable, we understand the need to have a strong vibrant arts community over the need to have an entry point to a self-reliant life style. As residents ofCleveland, we have a great deal of experience with the displacement oflow income housing and services by entertainment facilities (Jacobs Field and Gund Arena). We are offering the assistance ofthe Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless in Cleveland to help with the Drop Inn Center move. We are willing to send you a couple of teams of shanty builders who can help homeless people displaced from the Drop Inn Center build temporary structures. We are enclosing a picture ofTyrone, one of our team leaders, and his handy work. Ed. Note: Letters are still coming in con­ With shanty builders, you will not need to relocate such a big facility. Our shanty builders are cerning the Greater Cincinnati Art's and Educa­ quite proficient and can probably help set up a shanty for many of the 250 current residents. tion Center board plan to relocate the Drop Inn Center. Cincinnati's largest homeless shelter, in These shanties may not be pretty, but they are useful. They represent the entrepreneurial independent spirit that it so important in Cincinnati. These shanties can go under freeway order to make way for an expanded arts cam­ overpasses, next to dilapidated buildings, or in small unused spaces next to schools. We can pus. STREETVIBES encourages all concerned spread these temporary shelters throughout the community so that one neighborhood is not citizens to write to Erich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops burdened with a high concentration of shanties. The beautiful part ofthis project is that the Conductor and the driving force behind the plan are cheap and can be placed in urban, suburban, or rural environments. shanties and voice your concerns about the impact that this will have on Cincinnati's defenseless We can have teams in Cincinnati in 30 days. I am sure that the City of Cleveland will pay for the homeless community and the Drop Inn Center. cost oftransportation to your city for many ofour shanty builders at no cost to your social service Please write in support of the Drop Inn Centers organizations. Our city leaders are happy to get rid ofthe shanty builders, but I am sure that your right to not be moved from its present location. community will embrace these self-motivated, independent-minded workers. Our shanty leaders Write to: Erich Kunzel 1241 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Send Copies of your letter to: Drop Inn Center Attn: Pat Clifford 217West12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 4521 O Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 4521 O Dear Mr. Kunzel, I am told you are leading a movement to relocate the Drop Inn Center to make way for a new $99.2 million arts complex. I love classical music, but I think the fact that there are home­ less persons in Cincinnati (or anywhere) is a scandal. I suggest the leaders of Cincinnati create a task force that will meet every day until this scandal is removed from our midst! In the meantime, the Drop Inn Center has been doing more for the homeless than these so-called leaders for twenty-six years now. It would be a tragedy to undo their work and displace the most vulnerable in what we con­ sider a civilized society. All of education should be dedicated to a level of civilization that assures at least the basic human rights of each human person. Although we have the refinement of evening dress and the fine arts, I think we are still at a barbaric level if we neglect the common good. I played varsity basketball and football in I could assemble their teams in two weeks, and we e~timate that they can significantly reduce the shelter population in six months. Sincerely, ~e==4 " <:::::> Brian P. Davis Executive Director, NEOCH high school and in college. I used to be a sports fanatic. But to build two new sports stadiums at public expense when there are still homeless people in Cincinnati has soured me on local sports teams. I hope I don't have the same experience with the arts. Peace, Rev. Benjamin J. Urmston, S. J. Xavier University, Peace and Justice Programs To the Editor: I would like to voice an objection to the relocation of the Drop Inn Center to make room for an arts and education center and new facility for SCPA. Art is not only about painting, per­ forming, music, sculpture. poetry, etc., but is also defined as a skill, and the practical applica­ tion of that skill. There is an art to living as a community; and the art of community is inclu­ sive. There is no reason why the Drop Inn Center and the proposed new arts center cannot peacefully co-exist, each being contributing, equal, and integral parts of the same area. The Drop-In-Center is a continually evolving social creation having the purpose of meeting basic critical needs of the persons it serves while also promoting creative solutions to homelessness and addiction through self-determination. It's present location is important because there, on 12th St. it serves as a hub and parent organization for other supervised close-proxim­ ity services it provides. These services include transitional housing and recovery programs. The Drop Inn Center is actively engaged daily in uplifting the spirit, offering opportunities, and encouraging persons to see and experience life in a different and more hopeful way. A real grass roots effort is being made there. Besides providing shelter, it is about new beginnings, tapping potential, and transcending personal realities. Isn't that what the creative process is all about? I am not against SCPA having a new and needed facility, or art centers and museums being built. In fact, it's an exciting prospect. What I do object to is all of that being done at the expense of the Drop-In-Center and the residents of Over-the-Rhine, offering them little or no choice. Further displacing citizens seems a narrow vision of the future and a direction to be avoided at all costs. This current proposal is only one of a progression of moves the city has made in an effort to 'upscale' our downtown area. I can't see where it has accomplished much in the way of enriching the majority of our population, seem­ ing to rather have a divisive, exclusive, and unregenerative effect. To me, either the Drop-Inn-Center OR a new arts center is a choice it needn't be 11eces­ sary to make. Sarah Gallant Cincinnati vf@pol.com (Vulcan's Forge) E-MAIL STREETVIBES: STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM I �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Etcetera ... HOMELESS ALBANY RESIDENTS DESPAIR OF LEAVING LANDFILL By Marianne Costantinou of the Examiner Staff [Californ ia] ALBANY - On a landfill at the edge of the bay, a colony of 50 homeless people live with a million-dollar view and pennies in their pockets. But this is no ordinary homeless encamp­ ment, no cardboard city of nomads. Many of the residents have lived here for years. Instead of makeshift shelters of sleeping bags and pitched blankets and cardboard boxes, many have built their own versions of low-income housing: shacks of plywood, some with win­ dows, built-in kitchen cabinets and even carpet­ ing. One fellow has a working shower. A threesome who own a gasoline-powered genera­ tor have electricity, and watch TV and play movies on the VCR. But it is the veteran resi­ dent of eight years who really lives like a king, or was about to: He is building a two-story, heart-shaped castle made of concrete and stone, with an arched window for his unob­ structed view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The residents - some of whom claim college degrees and middle-class comforts in their past lives - say they've lived here blissfully among the overgrown brush and concrete hulks of demolished buildings, away from the pres­ sures of urban life. To them, the landfill has been a refuge and a source of pride. "I'm a Landfillian," said Dan McMullan, 36, introducing himself to Albany City Council members at a recent public hearing before pleading with them to let him and his homeless neighbors stay. But the city of Albany, tired of the head­ aches this marginal community has brought ­ from sanitation and crime issues to complaints from its tax-paying joggers and dog walkers ­ has banned overnight stays at the landfill. The landfill is to become a regional public park, part of the Eastshore State Park that stretches along the waterfront from Richmond to Emeryville. The homeless residents have until June 15 to go. The thought of leaving gives the home­ less a sense of despair. They love this place: its rugged natural beauty, its isolation from a judgmental wor1d, its sweeping views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Tamalpais. The landfill has spared them from an endless stream of doorways and shelters, and given them a place to call their own among their own. "You build something out of the wilderness and make something for yourself out here," said Robert "The Rabbit" Barringer, 47, who says he has an art degree from UC-Berkeley and goes to work most days renovating other people's houses. As they carve their own spots among the brush, go dumpster diving in town for lumber to build their homes, ferry their water from down the road, read by candlelight and cook by campfire, they say they feel like pioneers. "They make us out like we're derelicts," said McMullan, who has been homeless since 1984, after losing his right leg in a motorcycle accident. "The people out here are the most resourceful of the poor, the strongest of the poor. The lazy can't make it out here." The homesteaders have nicknamed their outpost The Freedom Colony, and have even designed a flag that hangs on a pole supported by twisted rebar. It is a U.S. flag minus its stars, edged with brown camouflage cloth. Written in the white stripes is a sentiment many hadn't felt in a while, until they came to live here: UR SPECIAL "It's pretty sad we have to go," said Chris­ topher Moser, 38, a former auto mechanic who repairs his neighbors' bicycles, the chief way of travel. "I feel at home here." Here, they are not homeless. "She's not homeless," said Eddie, 1o, overhearing a visitor and jumping to his mother's defense. "My mom has a home. That's her home over there," pointing to a plywood shack with a tarp roof. Katrina "Trea" Williams, 30, beamed and gave him a tight hug. "You tell your friends," she said, "your momma has a house with a million-dollar view." .Eddie and Williams' two other children live with her ex-husband. She visits them almost daily, driving her car, an old American gas­ guzzler she's held onto from her working days. But she also has another family, here at the landfill. Although each person is protective of his own space - visitors must call out into the brush and be welcomed before entering - there is a sense of community, especially in the area nearest to town, called The Plateau, where some of the newer arrivals live close together. Williams' boyfriend, "Stark" Mike Martin, 49, uses his generator to recharge residents' batteries for their radios and flashlights. And before the city installed portable toilets a few months ago, he dealt with the buckets of human sewage at one of the outhouses. Ashby Dancer, about 40, has built two houses for neighbors. "Hmmm, I gotta fix this door," he said , showing off his handiwork. "I'm the landlord."Lately, Dancer and McMullan have taken to grassroots politics to save the residents • from eviction: calling activist groups, organizing a rally, advertising for a lawyer. "They're making us homeless," said Dancer. "These are our homes. We're out of their faces. We're not in the street. We're not panhandling on their corners or sleeping in their doorways. We're not begging or stealing ... "This is bigger than just this piece of land. This is about homelessness in America. Every city in the nation should give homeless people land so they're off the streets and off the curbs and off the doorways. I built this one-bedroom all by myself for nothing, so I know there's such a thing as low-income housing if they want it. I know low-income housing is possible." To talk with many of the homeless here is to wonder how they got In this mess. City officials and homeless advocates familiar with the residents say that some suffer from mental illness, and that drug and alcohol abuse is common. Everyone has a sad tale. Often there is a turning point - an accident, a lost job, a failed Page 13 relationship - that sent them tumbling. Even those homeless for years still can't believe it. Sarah Teague, 32, who says she gradu­ ated from Louisiana State University, was a case manager for three years at a San Fran­ cisco homeless advocacy group. "I went from Yuppie to Tenderloin trash," said Teague. "If for some reason you fall from grace, the city can be very unforgiving." Unless you've ever been homeless, it's hard not to be judgmental, she said. Even when she worked with the homeless at the advocacy group, she couldn't really relate. "It didn't occur to me," she said, '~hat it would occur to me." Physically, the landfill - a peninsula jutting nearly a mile into the bay on the cusp of Albany, just west of 1-80, behind the Golden Gate Fields racetrack - is like a place that time has forgot­ ten, a wind-whipped jungle of untamed nature and construction debris. Three areas distinguish it. Closest to Albany is The Plateau. Moving out toward the bay, the landfill narrows to what is called The Neck. Then it balloons to The Bulb, a mass of dense vegetation where most of the veteran residents live in seclusion. A dumping ground until 1984 for leftover chunks of demolished buildings, the landfill will one day be a park. But that is years away, after much clean-up and planning, said Ned MacKay, spokesman for the East Bay Regional Parks District, and Ann Ritzma, the Albany assistant city administrator overseeing the landfill resi­ dents. For years, the handful of early homeless settlers had most of the landfill to themselves and were largely ignored by Albany officials. But last summer the population boomed to more than 100 as the homeless were swept from other encampments in Berkeley and Richmond. Several homeless said police told them to go to the Albany landfill rather than sleep in their doorways. With no running water or toilets on the landfill, sanitation and health became concerns for officials, Aitzma said. Drug use was also a worry. And there were increased police calls - including an arson fire set by a landfill dweller trying to kill two neigh­ bors. In this solidly middle-class town of 17,000, such crimes were upsetting, said Chief Larry Murdo, who views the landfill residents as illegal squatters on public land. Meanwhile, the completion of the Albany Waterfront Trail brought more joggers, dog walkers and bird-watchers to the landfill. Some complained to officials about finding discarded needles and packs of the homeless' dogs along the trails. And they felt reluctant to enjoy the wildflowers if it meant traipsing· through somebody's yard. After months of discussion, the city council in March banned overnight camping and gave June 15 as the deadline for the homeless to move out. The city called Bay Area social service groups to help the homeless find other housing, said Ritzma. But there is an acute shortage of shelter beds and low-income housing, said Alex McElree, 52, founder of Operation Dignity, an Oakland advocacy group which mostly targets homeless veterans. And those with substance abuse problems are unwelcome in shelters. I've never implied I could help everyone" at the landfill, said McElree. "It's not possible." "You're gonna see some of them in the door­ ways, yeah." D·Day is two weeks away. But few resi­ dents have any ideas what they will do. Even as they face eviction, some are still building. Moser and Paula Johnson, 33, who live 'LANDFILL' cont. on back page �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine LIFE THROUGH THE EVES OF MY FATHER by Te'tro Amaru It's truly ironic that my father, who I once proclaimed to know nothing about and of life while I was in highschool, now maintains to be the foundation of my knowledge of and about life. As life continues to take me through its rollicoaster ride of ups and downs, my father continues to use his life's experience and wisdom to focus my energies in a positive direction. A quarter through life and I'm as contused as ever. What happened you ask? Could it be that I graduated from college but wasn't truly ready for the realization of the 'real world'? Or is this something that everyone goes through at my age? The uncertainty and haunting fear of becoming a thirty-something year old still depending on my parents for financial support and a failure within the game of life. Time and time again I maintain that life is what we make it as I secure myself within the ongoing wisdom of my father's testament "Success breeds success". Now at age forty­ something, a self-made man, successful entre­ preneur, and a grandfather, I feel secure within his wisdom and truly believe that if I am stead­ fast in my beliefs that I will overcome life's confusion and become successful as well. The tools have been implemented and the desire to accomplish my" goals in life have hardened within my mind. The only unanswered question is how. With the many talents and abilities that I possess it would seem an easy thing to figure out. However, life seems to sidetrack me and throw monkey wrenches into my plans ever so often, by way of female relationships, finance dilemmas, and most of all impatientness. At these moments in my life it helps to have a father as a best friend to turn to his wisdom and experience to refocus my desires. So on his day of days, Father's Day, we talked about life and discussed what he considered a normal di­ lemma that everyone my age goes through - the what to do now stage. I told him of my fears, my ho~es and dreams, and of what I was doing to fulfill them and the seemingly constant barriers that I wa~ running into within every positive step I took. His reply was simply, "That's life". Some things are so simple that it's hard to see at times. Which is kind of easier said than done when it comes to the predicaments of life. stt11, by the end of the conversation, I firmly came to the realization that it is better to do something than to do nothing at all. I could fail without a try and only thoughts of what I should do and not do. Or I could simply do the things that I do best, give it my all, and pray for a successful result in the end. And with those last thoughts and shared words between my father and I, life appeared settled (for now) and my desires refocused. There are a lot of things that I could do without in my life, but I do not know where I would be or who I would be without the guidance of my father. So as life goes on I remain strong and focus on achieving what I've set out to do regardless of the various barriers that my come my way. One day at a time, doing all that I can by taking one step at a time, with my friend and father forever by my side, life's mystery be­ comes elementary. There are a lot things that happen throughout one's life to make that person acquire certain thoughts and do certain unexplainable actions. But yet if we all remain focused on what we have set out to do in life it will make the rewards that much sweeter in the end. HOMELESS TEENAGER TO CAMPUS SHEPARD by Shepherd Andrew Martin I have shared this story to many college students over the years because it is a story how God can use anyone who commits his life into his hands. I am currently teaching the Bible at University Bible Fellowship. I would like to begin with the words from John 14:1 , "Do not let your hearts be troubled ; trust in God· trust also in me." ' My fathe·r tells me that I came out smiling and always laughing. I was the fourth child out of a family of seven. At the age of about five, my mother left my father. I still remember the day that yellow cab driver picked her up from our house. My dad was a painter and a roofer and he used to take all of us kids with him as he did his work especially in summer. I found myself paintin~ houses and climbing roofs by the time I was 7 or 8 years old. On Sundays, we would all attend a Roman Catholic Church together. We would go to many church functions where they fed us. During the pre-teen years, I discovered that we were poor and at times felt ashamed of it. I wanted to run away from home. I dreamt of many things my neighbors enjoyed, especially a two parent family. In my freshman year of high school, a soci.al service agency got involved with my family because we were living without running water, heat, and electricity at times. I used to sneak into an apartment complex down the street in order to take a hot shower. My dad did his very best to SlJpport us as well as many homeless people that he allowed to live in our house. But when I got a skin disease, a social · service agency stepped in to try to help us. The social service agency asked me if I wanted to go to an orphanage. A case worker took me to a boys home and showed me around. It had a basketball court, three meals a day, water, heat and electricity. I told the case worker I wanted to go. After living there for a while, I began to miss my family and the free­ dom I had at home. I hated all the rules at the boys home, and a few of the boys there beat me up. So I ran away. They decided to export me to another orphanage. Somewhere after my sixteenth birthday, I was allowed to go back home to my father. After being home for a few months I decided to run away from my life at home. ' I drove to Florida from Cincinnati to begin a new life at sixteen. In Florida, I found myself living on the streets. I slept on a beach and counted the stars. I found myself going to churches to beg for food, and hanging out with other home­ less people my age. One night I slept in an abandoned truck in a gas station to escape the cool nights. It was filled with straw, a nice place to rest to get away from the streets. On this Page 14 night I was awakened by many lights and speakers saying, "Come out with your hands up in the air." I was fingerprinted and received my own personal mug shot and sent to a juvenile detention center for boys. There I was humili­ ated and found myself in a cell next to a mur­ derer. For the first time, remember crying out to God, "Save me." I wept bitterly at my court hearing, where I was found to be innocent and they provided my plane fare back to Cincinnati. I had gone from a prisoner to a celebrity on a plane with the Tampa Bay football players. I vowed that when I got back to Cincin­ nati that I would straighten up my life. I got back with my old girlfriend and she became pregnant. I found myself drinking every night and sleeping wherever I could fined a bed. My son was the most precious thing on this earth, but I was still a teenager and still did not have a place to live or a proper job to take care of a family. Then my girlfriend became pregnant again and we had to give up our second son for adoption because we had no money. I could not handle all this so I dropped out of high school and ran away again. One night I was at a traffic light and a man pulled a knife on me and threatened to take my life. Up to this point, I only looked for a way to end my life. I could do nothing to help my son , so I felt deeply de­ spaired. I could not find any hope. In 1984 I was helping a friend fix the roof on a campus ministry. I was invited to study the Bible and learned that God was my creator. The Bible study gave me hope, healing and joy. Immediately, I began to teach the Bible to everyone I met. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in business. I have taught many stu­ dents the Bible, including my professors and employers. I can see now the hardships I went through were truly a blessing in God because he would send me back to minister to people who shared the same struggles in life. My son, who I abandoned in my past, came to many of my Bible studies over the years. and I recently watched him graduate high school with an honor in business. In 1993 on the most joyful day of my life, I married Rebekah and we have three children. God has truly blessed me. My wife and I work as nurses and teach the Bible. My father is a vendor for Streetvibes. Together we are striving to please God, who has become my loving and compassionate father, who has called us to himself. Subscribe to STREETVIBES! For only$12 per year 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 4521 O �I STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Announcements Live Studio Audience Wanted SECOND MONDAY OF EA CH MONTH AND IS BROADCAST FROM THE STUDIOS OF CINCINNATI COMMUNITY VIDEO, 2114 READING ROAD, FROM 7 TO BPM. STREETVIBES TV COVERS NEWS ON POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS AND RELATED ISSUES. CALL US AT THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS IF YOU STREETVIBES TV WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO SHOW­ AUDIENCE. FOR MORE wouLD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART INFORMATION - 421-7803 OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE? Page 1s HOMELESS HOTLINES 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND YOU ARE INVITED... Where: Washington Park When: August 1st Time: Noontime Food - Live Music Information Call ­ 797-4344 SHOW IS TAPED LIVE ON THE STREETVIBES Classified Ads music 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. 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. Streetvibes is now accepting Classi­ fied 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 allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be re­ ceived 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 •••••••••••••••• • •••••••••• STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line. Ca/1421-7803 for il)fO. · Scramble Answers from page 11... Cincinnati Chicago Pittsburg New York California Florida Arizona Indiana Cleveland Streetvibes Radio Hour Please "Tune In" To WAIF 88.3 fm! Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About 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 stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Saturday, August 14th, 1999, noon to 1 pm Streetvibes! Advertise in Streetvibes! Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct 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 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 failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to over 5,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2 11 x 3 1/2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4 11 x 3 1/2 11 $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 or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 16 Streetvi bes TV. 'Shooting' cont. from page 3 He tried to stay independent but never wanted to find a job, his father said. He still visited his parents - who are divorced but live near each other in Oakland - for meals a few times a month, or "when things weren't right with him," his father said. Last year, Dorsey's younger brother was killed in a drive-by shooting in Oakland. Dorsey's father s~id his son's size - 5­ feet-11 and about 200 pounds - may have seemed threatening to sheriff's deputy Pace, "but Clarence was sick. I think the cop behaved rashly." But police say Pace acted appropri­ ately. "In this case . . (Dorsey) immediately gave the impression that he was arming himself," said Oakland police Lt. Paul Berlin. "Based on interviews and what witnesses have .told us, (Pace) used the only option available to him." 10-year deputy This is the first shooting that Pace has been involved in during his 10-year career. He has been placed on a standard three-day leave of absence following the incident. Although police had cleared the officer, Dorsey's family was still searching for answers. "If they had arrested him and brought him in," Jones said, "they would have seen that he was sick and not dangerous." The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video, 2114 Reading Road. If you w ould like to be a part of our live studio audience please call t he Greater Cincinnati Coalition f or the Homeless at 421-7803 for m ore information. Streetvibes TV AUGUST Schedule August's Live TV show will begin at 7PM, Monday, August 9th, and will be broadcast from the Reading Road Studio. The new show format includes a studio audience along with a guest panel discussion. Channel 24. LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. MONDAY. August 9th at 7PM. Rebroadcast Dates for Show on Chan­ nel 4: (Please check your schedule) Saturday, August 7, 1999, 4 PM Friday, August 13, 1999, 11 AM Friday, August 20, 1999, 11 AM Monday, August 23, 1999, 1O PM Saturday, August 28, 1999, 4 PM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. If you have any ideas for future STR EETVIBES TV shows please contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our viewing audience. Ideas should ad­ dress subjects related to homelessness and poverty in our city. We are always interested in viewer ideas, so please give us a call... Streetvi bes 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... >35 MM Film for Streetvibes photo's >laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the pap~r >Good used or new Xerox machine >Office Supplies Where Vendor: 80 cents Printing and Production: 20 cents 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. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Womens Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) !-888-872-9259 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 281-5770 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431-8717 Welcome House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 661-4620 381 -1954 SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hami lton) Interfaith Hospitality Network 761 -1480 821-5100 721-0643 381 -5432 863-8866 244-7226 Your olar 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 421-7803. Thanks for your support. Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House St. Francis- St. Joseph 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 961-4080 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 639-7056 961 -4555 241-7343 921-7324 784-1853 921-1613 381-4941 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 421-2437 621 -5991 >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups, etc.) >Computer for Streetvibes layout and writing >Subscribers ------- Call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421 -7803 if you can help! 231-6630 Beech Acres Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 381-4242 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Community Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodban k 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. 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 Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 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 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 July 1999 Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Los Angeles City Council Grills Chief on Fatal Shooting of Homeless Woman The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 3: Mental Illness Cited in Shooting The Homeless Dental Program Pg 4: D.C. Initiative Addresses Housing for Mentally Ill Budget Spending Caps Threaten Housing and Homeless Programs Pg 5: The Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: The State of The Cities 1999, HUD Report Pg 8: Prisoner’s News Pg 9: Drop Inn Center History Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: Panhandling Getting a Closer Look by City Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Pg 13: Etcetera Pg 14: Homeless Teenager to Campus Shepard Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Donald Whitehead Jimmy Heath Ron Carter Gina Miller Te'tro Amaru Malik Amilcar Dan Cahill Sheila Crowley Brett Estell Steve Long Shepard Andrew Martin Rodney Sutton Lynn Williams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Arts & Poetry Brett Estell city council Dan Cahill demolition Dental Program disability Donald Whitehead Drop Inn Center Editorials & Letters Gina Miller HUD Jimmy Heath Los Angeles Lynn Williams Malik Amilcar mental illness National Homeless Summit prisoners news Rodney Sutton Ron Carter Senate Bill Sheila Crowley Shepard Andrew Martin Steve Long Te' Tro Amaru Teenage Homelessness the broken city The Traveler Travelers welfare news https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/4622c18cfddc5726e1f700f096d6f6f9.pdf 13eb595ca0a6368bb39e0e23ec5d4810 PDF Text Text HOMELESS POPULATION CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN AMERICA'S RURAL AREAS HOMELSSNESS NOT JUST AN URBAN CONCERN by Jimmy Heath Many people associate the problems of homelessness and poverty with big city !ife ­ soup kitchens and shelters, homeless people begging ror change or pushing a shopping cart on downtown sidewalks, people sleeping on park benches or huddled in doorways - these are the visible city-bound stereotypes that everyone is familiar with. Most people are aware of the homeless problem in this country only because of these observable examples on our downtown city streets. However, the problems of homelessness and poverty-related issues also exist out of sight in this country's poor and rural areas. Millions of persons, including families, find themselves in desperate situations in America's small towns and rural areas. The Center for Community Change, a Washington DC based community-grassroots development organization, reports that poverty is actually more prevalent in rural areas. Rural areas have lower incomes, lower employment levels and somewhat higher poverty levels than metropolitan areas. Understanding rural homelessness re­ quires a more flexible definition of homelessness. According to information from the National Coalition for the Homeless, "there are far fewer shelters in rural areas; therefore, people experiencing homelessness are more , c: :,+,:"fY.O:J~ ~ i ~ 2 0 ~K!:.~~~~~£&1~~il!ii111ml& Campbell County, Kentucky and individuals seeking help must travel, sometimes with great difficulty, to urban areas when seeking help, whether for jobs, housing, or public assistance. For example, opportunities for employment for rural families is affected by the recent phenomena of business clustering, where industries and suppliers locate in strategic groupings adjacent to one another. These groupings are often located in the same city or region, near urban airports and infrastructures. likely to live in a car or camper, or with relatives in overcrowded or substandard housing. Re­ stricting definitions of homelessness to include only those who are literally homeless - that is, on the streets or in the shelters - does not fit well with the rural reality..." A lack of resources, a shortage of jobs and affordable housing in America's heartland, paint a grave picture of 20th century life for the rural homeless. The problems for the rural homeless are further compounded by isolation. Families 'RURAL' cont. on page 5 NORTH AMERICAN STREET NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION (NASNA) CONFERENCE HELD IN by Gina Miller, Greater Cincinnati 4TH ANNUAL STREET NEWSPAPER CLEVELAND Coalition for the Homeless SYMPOSIUM HAILED AS A SUCCESS . .\ BY CONFERENCE ATTENDEES ~. :ll',h.l As a staff person of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, I VfaS granted the opportunity to attend the 4th annual North American Street Newspaper Association confer­ ence. July 22-25, held on the campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. I had no idea that so many people around the continent were participating in the street news­ paper movement. As it turns out, almost every major city in the U. S. , including 'cities in Eu­ rope, Canada and Nova Scotia use street newspapers as empowerment and alternative tools for the voice of the underprivileged. The kickoff for this conference consisted of poetry readings, dinner, and informal discus­ sions with fellow newspaper staff. The following day, I was inspired by the words of a formerly homeless Congressman named Dennis 'NASNA' cont.on page 3 The Executive Board of the North American Street Newspaper Association - - -. ....... - - - '- --.._ ~- - .-. _ ..... - - -.. - '- ..:;._ ~ \......; - - ~ - - ~ - - - -- .... - ,.,....._ ,,,,.... .r- - . - - ,..... ,,,,... .. : ,... ,,., '---' - - - '---" - - - - - -.:::,_ - - '-.,,../ ...._; -.:::,_ - - - - -..._./ - - - .._; - .. - ,... I"""- - - ,.. ,,... ...... ........ ~ ~ - - - .::::; - - ..__,,, - - - c - c::::,, ::::,, �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper written 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. The Streetvibes Vendor Program gives our vendors an opportunity to get back on their feet. All Streetvibes vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. A case file is developed on each vendor so that we may track and help facilitate the vendors' move from poverty to self­ sufficiency. The Streetvibes Newspaper Plan­ ning Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a com­ ment, story or editorial that you would like published please call 421-7803. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. filfilt Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Ron Carter, Vendor Support Gina Miller, Rapid Exit Program Photographer Jimmy Heath Writers Malik Amilcar Tom Billman Ron Carter Sheila Crowley Lettie Davis Jimmy Heath Beverly Keller Amy Krings Sheperd Andrew Martin Gina Miller John Perotti Kay Stinnett Ray Sullivan Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless 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: homecoal@primax.net web page: http://cinci.com/gcch The Traveler by Donald Whitehead Ironically the traveler hasn't been about traveling in several months. Its seems that there have been so many other big issue's to write about that hearing about my travels might not be that interesting to Streetvibes reader's. This month I got a chance to travel to a travelers gather­ ing. I have made this trip for the last three years. Travelers come from all across the conti­ nent. The event, The North American Streetnewspaper Association (NASNA) Conference is much more than just a confer­ ence. The conference, in its fourth year, was extremely inspiring. The first three years of the conference where like the first three years of a child's life - like a baby or any other·new organization, growing pains are inevitable. NASNA seems on the verge of substantial growth as a movement, perhaps rivaling the underground newspa­ per movement of past decades. The 1999 NASNA conference was a well organized event, thanks to the excellent work of the staff of the Nbrtheast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. The cont erence offered an opening address by Representa­ tive Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland. Rep. Kucinich offered an inspiring speech that touched on issue's that range from the tax cut for the well-to-do in this country. He also talked about the struggles in his own per­ sonal life. Hearing a member of the United States Congress say that he was a formerly homeless person is more than enough evidence that anyone can be homeless. Knowing that it's possible to rise from pov­ erty, offers hope that there is still a small measure of the American dream. The congressman also touched on the impor­ tance of keeping in touch with your repre­ sentatives in Washington . Congressman Kucinich was able to get funding renewed for an important project in Cleveland. Norma Green of C9lumbia College gave a very interesting talk about the history of the street newsp.aper movement. In my own personal opinion, the most expiring talk came from Lee Stringer, author of Grand Central Winter. Mr. Stringer shared a per­ sonal glimpse into the internal workings of his life and into Streetnews, widely regarded as the first street newspaper by today's definition. Aside from his keynote address I spent a great deal of time sharing in lively conversation with this very insightful man. The conference was more than speeches, it also offered a series of very informational workshops, panel discussions and networking sessions along with time set aside for picnics, poetry readings and socializing. I am always empowered by the conference because of the enormous amount of information provided. Even more important than the information is the net­ working opportunities. At times it's easy to fall into the mind-set that y<1U are in a battle Page 2 alone. Knowing that you have allies all over North America is an extremely comforting feeling. The downside of networking is finding out that the same inhumane tactics are used by people all over the continent. A trolley tour of Cleveland provided a sort of eerie sneak preview into the future. The City of Cleveland has a lot of recent devel­ opment. The visible homeless population is large. We were told that a homeless camp under one of the many bridges in Cleveland was a year round camp regardless of the fact that Cleveland winters are notorious for their severity. It is hard to put in words the excitement generated by this conference. Without a doubt this movement has a tremendous opportunity to shift consciousness in America. The opportunity to really see and understand what is going on in America is only offered by this media source. Main­ stream media sources rarely touch the true issues that create economic hardship in this country. I truly believe this conference was the beginning of the larger mission of wak­ ing America from its informational slumber. A trance induced by fairy tales of prosperity and fables about balanced budgets. The movement has the ability to revitalize those suffering from compassion fatigue, and identify those suffering from intrinsic greed. Once again America's underground journal­ ists must embark on a mission to stop a war. Only this time the war is a secret war, not waged against the .enemy from the east, or some madman. This war is waged on family, children, disabled, and the disenfran­ chised. As the death toll mounts we can only hope that just as the pen is mightier that the sword, it's also mightier than the dollar. I guess the best part of being a traveler is that there's always time to dream. To all the other travelers: please continue to dream because that's what movements are made of - dreamers and travelers. Better Life Heart House The Broken City Arts & Poetry Comedy Corner National News Prison News Cooling Centers NA SNA Tax Breaks Welfare News Scramble Sharing Christmas SK Walk& Run Letters & Editorials Streetvibes Etc. Homeless Art Labor Camps Classified Ads Streetvibes Radio TV Schedule Page3 Page4 Pages Page 6 Page 6 Pagel Page B Page9 Page 9 Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 11 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 14 Page 15 Page 15 Page 16 �STRE BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 about him: "He's a real good worker, real respon­ ment, is government subsidized housing for sible. If we decide to keep him until his contract those who qualify, and the apartments must meet with Pri-Pak runs out, he will be hired perma­ certain government standards. But according to nently. He would get a 25-cent-an-hour raise, up Randy Hildebrand, director of Dearborn ~ounty to $6.50, and another 25-cent raise after 30 Division of Families and Children, there 1s a two­ days." The last time there were layoffs, Ray was to three·year waiting list for HUD housing in Dearborn County. kept on the job. He said there just isn't enough HUD hous­ Michele said she is planning to apply for a ing. Since there is such a demand for r~ntal Medicaid card because of her pregnancy but has property, landlords don't need to get their prop­ put it off because she's embarrassed. Mean­ while, she has gotten on with the Women, erty approved for HUD funds. A story of hope for a rural homeless For example, Lawrenceburg Village Apart­ Infants, and Children program, a state-run family. ments which is designed for low-income families program that provides milk, juice, baby food and and is' rent subsidized, is 100 percent full, said some staples. by Michele Stegman The Richards want to wait until they have a supervisor Terry Stovall. The Dearborn County Register The Richards had to move from the effi­ • place of their own before applying f.or fo?d ciency apartment they were sharing with stamps. Because they are living wit~ Michel~ s They came to Indiana hoping for a better Michele's mother, so they moved into Jimel mother they have to include her Social Security life, better jobs, and to be near her family; but Motel in Lawrenceburg. income with theirs. Stimett said she helped Michele clean the what Ray and Michele Richards found are hard Once they are on their own, paying rent, apartment before the Richards could move in. and without her mother's Social security income times, disillusionment and problems. In October, the Richards moved from She said they worked all day washing walls and to add in, they will probably have a better chance Kentucky and began looking for jobs and a place cleaning the bathroom and kitchen. but that the to qualify for food stamps. especial~y when to stay while living temporarily with Michele's gas stove did not work properly and they were Michele has to quit her job, they said. They are still trying to find a place to st~y mother, Kay Stimett. afraid to use it. Things seemed promising. Argosy and They said it was not the best place to be and time is running out. There also are Medical because there were fights there, it was not clean, bills. Their daughter, Lacy, just had scarlet fever Hyatt were hiring, the Richards are y~ung and healthy, and have high school educations. and there were mice. The apartments were and has asthma. made by cutting a door between two rooms and Michele said she is ready to move back to Michele Richards has two years of business college and Ray Richards has experience as an Kentucky, where she said a person who needs making one of the bathrooms into a kitchen. But electrician's helper, mechanic, and has worked help can get it. And Ray's former employer at $120 a week. it was the only place the Richards could find that they could afford, they wants him back. with horses. Both are willing to work. Ray Richards But their children want to stay here. They said. already had a job in Lexington. a good job. But Jim Wind and his wife Melonie are the are settled in at Central Elementary School, owners of Jimel Motel. Wind said that the rooms Law renceburg, where they both are on the honor because he wants to support his family, he are cleaned between occupants; and his cleaning ref used to quit his job in Kentucky until he found roll, said Michele. another one. That meant a commute of over an Ray said he wants to stay here, too. lady. Betty Lucas, agreed. As Ray said in a note: "Bottom line. all we hour each way every day. Michele applied for a job with Hyatt's Grand need is chance, a chance to prove ourselves: BAD NEWS Victoria riverboat in Rising Sun, and started a job I'm a Damn good worker. I learn well and qu1c.k. It was near the end of December that the as a waitress at Frisch's Restaurant in Richards' serious problems started. On Sunday, I'm always on time. We are good people, but it Lawrenceburg. Ray was finding it more difficult seems like no one will give us a chance. I love Dec. 22, Ray was laid off. Michele said he was to l\nd a job. Although he has a good work my family and it just drives me crazy that no one off for the same time the kids were off for record - never late, never missing - he stutters. is willing to give us a chance. And we're not school. His speech problem is so bad that, in the pres­ On Christmas Day, Michele got her first slow. ence of strangers, he finds it hard to talk at all, "My speech problem just embarrasses me paycheck from Hyatt. It was on that day tha.t she sometimes resorting to notes to have his say. and makes me self-conscious. We moved here confirmed, with a home testing kit, that she is Job interviews are difficult and his wife goes for a fresh start and to have a better life. So far, pregnant. On New Year's Eve, she was in the along to help him answer questions. it hasn't happened. We just need a chance." hospital with problems from the pregnancy and SEARCHING FORA BETTER LIFE HOLIDAYS APPROACHING By December, Ray still was commuting to his job in Lexington and beginning to worry about driving as winter approached. He went to CBS Personnel Services, a temporary job placement agency at 696 Eads Parkway, U. S. 50, Lawrenceburg (IN). According to Lisa Cupito at CBS, there are more jobs available than there are qualified people to fill them. But most .of them are low paying and wages are lower in Dearborn County than in Ohio and Kentucky. But CBS had a job for Ray. The next day. he went to work for Pri-Pak, a bottling company in Schenley Place. Greendale, and he quit his job in Lexing­ ton. At $6.25 an hour, he took a substantial pay cut. Michele got a job as a pit clerk with Hyatt. The Richards were looking hard for a place to stay because her mother's apartment is small, just a two-room efficiency. Too small f?r Kay , Stimett, the Richards and two of the Richards children, Lacy, 7, and Andy, 6. A third child, Joshua, 11 , is Ray's from a previous marriage. Joshua has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Because of his disorder and the high cost of his medication, Joshua is living in Ken­ tucky in the Barbourville Pentecostal Children's Home. But inexpensive rental property is hard to find in Dearborn County. And rents are going up. According to Jan Fehrman of Fehrman Realty. Lawrenceburg. there is a huge demand for rental property and the monthly rental amo~nt has increased substantially, at least 25% in recent months. Most complexes also require a month's rent as a deposit. Nevertheless, the Richards needed cheap housing. HUD, or Housing and Urban Develop- she quit her job with Hyatt. Unable to pay their rent, they looked for help. Lawrenceburg Township Trustee Tony ~ibb paid for two weeks and St, Vincent DePaul paid another $50 for them. But on Thursday, Jan. 9, they were asked to leave Jimel. As Wind said, "You don't pay, you don't stay." He said that when the Richards left, the room was a mess, with food left in the refrigera­ tor and spilled on the floor. About the mice he said, "When you feed 'em you're going to have 'em." Michele said that she may have left a mess but that they had to get out right then. She sai? they packed up and left in 20 minute~. Sh~ s?1d she hated leaving a messy floor, but iust d1dn t have time to clean it. She said she left food in the refrigerator because it was good and she hoped someone could use it. . . So the Richards moved back 1n with Micheles mother in the two-room efficiency. Ray was working again at Pri·Pak, but not making enough to meet their needs and certainly not enough to get an apartment. . At that point, they had exhausted all their resources except welfare. The Richards had been on Welfare once when they were first married but managed to get off. They didn't want , to go back on it. "It's a pride thing., I never thought that we d have to go down to that level again,: said Michele. Despite doctor's orders, ~i~hele returned to work at Frisch's and plans to work as long as she continues to make minimum wage. Ray says he is willing to work a second job but can't find on~. Ray, however, is getting more hours at Pn­ Pak where his supervisor, Jenny Block, says 'NASNA' cont. from front page Kucinich. According to the Congressman, "street newspapers are vehicles for social justi~e." Norma Green, a historian from Columbia Col­ lege, stated that "archives from th~ stre~t news­ paper movement are being established in Wisconsin." I learned a lot from attending the following workshops during the conferen_ce: Getting Homeless People into Leadership Positions; Civil Rights of Homeless Pe~~le; and Recruitingffraining Vendors. As a part1c1pant, I also gained a lot from attending panel discus­ sions and business meetings. Updates were provided by representatives from various newspapers. According to confer­ ence participants. "some of these papers are struggling while others are advancing." One participant stated that "she is looking to start a street newspaper in Providence, Al". It was interesting to lind out that a newspaper in Bos­ ton, called "Spare Change" (along with many others) offers writers' workshops and computer classes. I also found out about an investigative journalism training program which is offered by a street newspaper in San Francisco called "St reet Spirit." By the end of the conference, members of NASNA made a commitment to work towards several goals in order to strengthen the organiza­ tion and the street newspaper movement in ~orth America. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Hom~/ess Grapevine Page 4 HEART HOUSE SHELTER PROJECT BRINGS HOPE TO -RURAL HOMELESS by Kay Stinnett Co-founder, President of Heart House £ ~ :::.... ~ .S .9 0 ~..._-------~-----" -a_ Kay Stinnett, co-founder and president of the Heart House Shelter, Aurora, Indiana . . HOMELESS­ NESS: THE CAUSES AND FACTS Who are the Homeless? 22% of homeless people are veterans. There are more homeless veterans today than U. S. soldiers who died in Vietnam. The average age of a homeless person in the United States is 9 years old. Heart House, a local grassroots organiza­ tion, is in the process 9f creating a homeless shelter for families in the Dearborn County, Indiana area. [ed. note: Dearborn County is a semi-rural area located in southeastern Indiana, just west of Cincinnati,Ohio.] The idea of creating and the need for creating a homeless shelter had been talked about in the communi­ ties of Aurora and Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Of course, I did not know these discussions were taking place - all I knew at the time was that my daughter, son-in-law and their three children had become homeless. In the middle of the night I gave a call to Pastor Glen Eisenbery, president of the area Ministerial Association. I was crying, not knowing what to do to help them. They had become homeless on the day of the first ice storm in 1996. Of course, they could stay with me for a little while only, because my landlord was concerned about health regulations. Pastor Eisenbery (having had experience in starting a homeless shelter), Reverend Perry Richards, Doug Garner, Marilyn Faber, Betty 151,000 households in the Chicagoland area have incomes at less than 50% of area median income and either pay more than half their income in rent or live in severely substan­ dard housing. Of those households, 106,000 are in the city of Chicago. In Illinois, 40'?'o of all households cannot afford a market-rate two-bedroom apartment, and 33% cannot afford a market-rate one­ bedroom apartment. This ranks the state 12th worst in the nation in the gap between income and rental coats. The affordable housing crisis, once con­ centrated in the cities, has spread to the sub­ urbs. The number of suburban households in Chicago, for example, with critical housing needs jumped by 146,000 from 1991 to 1995 - a 9% increase. In the US, 29% of homeless families that have ever receiveq TANF (welfare) reported having their benefits cut or reduced in the last 6 months. Nationally, 10.5 million renters compete for 6.1 million low-income units. This gap leaves 4.4 million people unable to find an affordable pla9e to live. In Chicago, 22% of homeless people are currently employed. 25% have been unem­ ployed for more than one year. 33% have never been employed. More than 1 million families nationwide are on waiting lists for assistance from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop­ ment. In Chicago, there are 61,567 households on the waiting list. 16% of homeless people spent time in foster care, group homes, shelters or welfare hotels before they were 18. In Chicago, 47% of homeless families have been homeless more than once. As many as 25-40% of homeless people work full- or part-time, but cannot afford to pay rent. CAUSE: LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUS:{·JG ln Chicago, 245,000 potential lov.-1.1come renters 'those households making ltJbS t'lan $12,00r per year) corr pet .; 1 ~~ C au..: " able rental units. As a result. 130,000 renters ca:-ii':; ~;'1d affordable 1-- .i"·"' ~ ·v Nationally, requests for housing assistance have increased by 74% in the last year. Only 27% of eligible low-income households currently receive housing assistance. 18 ,000 units of public housing in Chicago are slated for demolition, displacing 42,000 people. In 1998, 44% of families nationwide Jived doi.;b!ed or tripled up with family or friend::; prior tc 21~e i'lg :- o:Tieless shelter:... C,.":JSE: LACK ';F LIVING VIAGE JOBS In 1997, almost 30% of all U.S. worl\ers ·· enp1oy.:: • 1 p .. ,:me ur te• ,.. . 1 positions, even though many of these Tyler along with Manetta Glenn of the Dearborn County Mental Health Association offered their help in starting a homeless shelter project. We sent out invitations to all of the area Ministerial Association members, residents, local agencies and government officials. We invited Michael Stoops, of the National Coalition for the Home­ less and Barbara Anderson of the National Coalition and the state board for our first brain­ storming meeting. With the help of everyone involved we received our non-profit status and our Community Housing Development Organiza­ tion certification and start-up money for our office. Presently, we are looking for funding sources and a site to locate our shelter building here in Aurora, Indiana. I hoP.e this will give you some insight into the hard work that is going on here and all the dedication of those who have been here to help establish Heart House. FClr more information contact the Heart House, PO Box 479, 325 Second Street, Aurora, IN 47001. Phone ­ (812) 926-4890 workersactively sought full-time work. A person must work full-time and earn at least $8.29/hour to reach the federal poverty level for a family of four ($16,588). According to the most recent Census Bureau report, 2.3 million people worked full-time in 1997 yet were below the poverty line. A full-time worker at the minimum wage of $5.15/hour earns an annual income of $10,300 before taxes. Minimum-wage jobs generally provide no benefits such as health insurance or daycare, nor do they provide opportunity for advancement. · Between 1980 and 1998, the average pay of working people increased just 68%, while CEO compensation grew by 1 ,596%. The average CEO of a ·major corporation made $10.6 million in 1998, 419 times more than an average blue-collar worker. A 1998 welfare grant for a family of three was $377. The buying power of a 1998 welfare grant was less than 44% of a grant in 1973. IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS ON CHILDREN 50% of all children in shelters show signs of anxiety and depression. Children in shelters show as high as a 70% rate of delay in immunizations, compared to 22% among low-income children who are housed. 66% of students who missed 20 or more school days during first, second or third grade will drop o ut of school. 1-amilies w1tt1 er 111oren are the fastest grow·ng segment of the homeless population. -rs" trom . . . . . . . . . "~ rJ·H.., Coalition f<Jr tIle · t;mcago ,. · the Homeless. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Broken City... by Jimmy Heath ~'""':".""~~~--- American Stereotype... CINCINNATI'S GRASSROOTS ~-COMMUNITY PROMOTES PROGRESS by Ray Sullivan, Xavier University Student In the July 71h Post editorial entitled "Progress in Over-the-Rhine," the editors touch on a series of critical issues facing Over-the­ Rhine. Although very informative, the views presented do not paint the complete picture of what has happened, is happening, and could continue to happen in Over-the-Rhine. Development-the focal issue-has long been a hotbed of debate in the Over-the-Rhine community. Here's why. On one hand, for-profit development forces, whether within or outside of the community, have worked for what they believe is the betterment of the community and their own interests. On the other hand, non­ profit, community-based organizations have strived to improve the quality of life of many of the existing community by securing tow-income housing. Both sides believe that Over-the­ Rhine's revitalization is crucial for its own well­ being and as a resource to downtown Cincinnati. The Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse and its off­ shoot grassroots housing cooperative ReSTOC are anchors of non-profit development in Over­ the-Rhine. This past June, ReSTOC opened "buddy's place'', an apartment complex consist­ ing of twenty units of permanent housing for the homeless. Last year, the Over the Rhine Housing Network completed a similar project for low-income people, Sharp Village. Last week's article portrayed this grassroots continuum as the Mentrenched opposition" to development and as the "biggest impediment" to the revival of Over-the-Rhine. However. this portrayal belies both the scope of development in Over-the­ Rhine and the stance of these organizations. It is accurate, however, to assert that opposition to certain development exists among the grassroots community. This opposition is based on the reality that poor people are losing their homes because of incomplete develop­ ment. As neighborhood properties improve and property values increase, landlords and devel­ opers have difficulty building and maintaining low marl<et rate housing. Unable to afford it, low-income residents are forced out. Earlier this decade, Main Street experienced significant renovations that gentrified a well-established community. In just a five-block span from 12111 Street to Liberty, over 200 units of low-income housing were lost. Without the benefit of enforceable Anti-Displacement or rent control laws, displacement will continue. Displacement happens when a landlord allows building(s) deteriorate to the point of being unlivable, indirectly forcing out the tenants, when a landlord raises rents following area renovation, and most prominently when a landlord sells buildings to developers who evict the tenants, refurbish the buildings for marl<et rate or tear them down for parking. Another issue facing Over-the-Rhine is defining and encouraging the creation of a mixed-income community. The Over-the-Rhine community supports income diversity where "mixed" includes low-income and does not displace the poor from their community. How­ ever, what Mmixed income" currently means to the Over-the-Rhine community is too often not just the influx of wealthier neighbors; but the displacement of existing neighbors. The Milner Hotel, once a low-income rooming house, was tom down for the construction of Greenwich Village, a market rate complex for higher­ income people. While the village provides comfortable living for some, it displaced many low-income people who resided at Milner. The adjacent West End community is experiencing the demolition of two housing projects, Laurel Homes and Lincoln Court, as part of the HUD program Hope VI which grants cities federal money to rebuild old projects. When completed, Lincoln Court will consist of 500 housing units, 250 of which will be reserved for public housing. Approximately 100 units will be available for homeownership, 50 of which for low-income. The remaining 150 will be set at market rate. The numbers appear to present a mixed-income community with 60% reserved for tow-income. But by this net loss of 356 tow­ income units (856 to 500), hundreds of people Page s will be displaced with nowhere to relocate. As compensation, the city is offering these resi­ dents some job training and Section 8 vouchers to be redeemed by certain landowners who participate in federal subsidy programs. How­ ever, many of the 2000 Section 8 units up for renewal in Over-the-Rhine and the West End will be converted to marl<et rate as landlords opt out of this program within the next two years. For low-income people, this is a frightening realization as the low-income housing marl<et is becoming tighter by the minute and the shelters are already full. Truly, the grassroots community in Over­ the-Rhine is "deeply entrenched" because of the deeply entrenched needs of the homeless and low-income that will exist as long as the poor and the Over-the-Rhine community are ne­ glected and denied the right to self-determina­ tion. With a need for low-income housing that already outstrips the supply, public redevelop­ ment projects and private development continu­ ally contribute to the leading cause of homelessness: lack of affordable housing. It has been the public's-not the grassroots community's-inferior policy of constant gentrification that accounts for the "perpetual ghetto" in Over-the-Rhine. This lack of commu­ nity stability and individual control over their futures (and those of their children)- accompa­ nied with negative stereotypes - has profound adverse affects on the poor and homeless. T his grassroots community anchored by the Drop Inn Center does not facilitate homelessness. It was founded to respond to the needs of people who were neglected and mistreated by both inferior public policy and society itself. Rather than perpetuating an already existent "ghetto," the Drop Inn Center and many others strive to eradicate this "ghetto" and revitalize Over-the­ Rhine. By assisting individuals and families to obtain decent, affordable housing, by taking steps toward recovery and self-esteem, by establishing financial independence through work, and by worl<ing with organizations to encourage higher-income people to live in our diverse, safe, and caring community: this is true progress in Over-the-Rhine. 'RURAL' from front page ... These businesses rarely locate in isolated rural areas creating a vacuum of opportunities for poor families. Families on the move, looking for greener pastures, are America's homeless nomads. "One of the other problems of the rural homeless are that programs designed to allevi­ ate homelessness are targeted to urban areas and basically ignore the same conditions in rural America, resulting in a woeful lack of funding resources for rural communities," says Donald Whitehead, director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. "One of the solu­ tions is to get more of the rural communities involved in the HUD Continuum of Care applica­ tion and funding process. The Coalition for Housing and Homelessness in Ohio (COHHIO) is one of many organizations working to bring more of these rural communities into the process." The HUD Continuum of Care pro­ gram targets federal funding dollars to homeless programs. Efforts to end rural homelessness, accord­ ing to the National Coalition for the Homeless, are complicated by isolation. lack of awareness, and lack of resources. Helpful initiatives would include broadening the definition of homelessness to include those in temporary and/or dilapidated facilities, increasing outreach to isolated areas, and increasing networking and awareness on a national level. Ultimately, however, ending homelessness in rural areas requires jobs that pay a living wage, adequate income support for those who cannot work. affordable housing, access to health care, and transportation. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State•s Homeless Grapevine WORD ON THE TORY by Beverly Keller STREET Arts & Poetry LOVE HURTS Tory died so we could live All she knew was how to give. Through her death she gave us life Through her trials and her strife. She gave us something through her death To savor every lasting breath .. An angel sent from God above An angel who taught us love. TO SUBMIT YOUR POETRY OR WRITINGS TO STREETVIBES, CONTACT THE OFFICE OF THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, 1506 ELM STREET, CINCINNA Tl, OHIO 45210 (OR CALL 513-421-7803) JESUS LIVES AND WORKS TODAY! by Ron Carter Was he loved? I don't think so. I had a friend who came home from school one day to find out that his parents had moved. They left a note that read; "Dear what's your name, we went back to sleep after you left for school this morning. We both had the same dream. We dreamed that you had left town and was never coming back, so we moved. After we realized that we had only been dreaming, it was too late, we had already moved to our new house. Sorry about that, whatever your name is. A that point my friend had nowhere to go. So he quit school, lied about his age, and joined the army. He never received any mail tor a year. Finally, one day he did receive a letter and it was from his mother. It read as follows: "Dear son, now we remember who you are. How are you? We have really been having a ball since you left. When you get your furlough don't waste it by coming to see us. Because we won't be home anyway. When are you going to get you furlough? I need to know. So your father and I can arrange to be on our vacation. Write back soon so we will know what to do. Our address is PO Box 123, Forget Us, USA. Well, that's all I have to say son. Goodbye forever, Mom. PS: I was going to send you some money, but I already sealed the envelope. Sorry." PS: This is a fictional story, just thought you needed a laugh ... bySML . Wanderin, thinkin, tryin to find my soul a home, Where water is not thirsty and bread loaf is not stone. I've come to this conclusion and it chills me to the bone, Nobody, but nobody can cut it here alone. Sometimes I wish the world would open and swallow me whole. I can feel the hurt, not just on the surface, but down to my soul. I can feel the eyes watching me, but no­ clues there. I can feel the arms holding me, but they don't really care. by Lettie Davis Joseph had a Baby! Mary wuz sore Pregnant. Light of day shown at nite- Lord brought him forth with all of Mary's might. EMAIL: STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM COMEDY CORNER ALL ALONE I've spent many-a days just walkin down by the shore, I've cried tears of pain so much, that I can't cry no-more. by Beverly Keller When people are in love today It hurts when they go away. They break your heart in every way They take your soul and run away. You give your love with heart and soul your heart and soul, they have stole. When people are in love today It hurts when they go away. Page 6 Can't we see that we are saved today? Can't we admit that that Love of God is what saves us today? That love of God is our wit. Alone, all alone Nobody, but nobody Can make it here alone. DAMIEN'S BIRTHDAY GIFT by Amy Krings WHY WE SUFFER by Malik Ami/car Why must we Suffer this Taxation without Representation. Although you have The funds for Corporate bailouts And other foreign nations. A vision with No unity With no Vision. That's until The Day I made my Decision. Do for self. Wisdom With no Money, and Money with No wisdom Got me and Mine broke, Naked, outdoors, and Dependent On the System. Do for Self. This summer I met one of the most spiritual, gentle, and humble men that I know. met him on the skywalk outside of Saks Fifth Avenue in downtown Cincinnati. When I first saw him, he was sleeping. He held a sign in one hand and a cup in the other. Me and my co-worker from the Drop Inn Center sat down next to him. As the rain fell outside and many curious downtown workers passed, we sat and talked about God and life. A few weeks later, I was celebrating the birthday of my 9-year-old friend, Damien. His family had recently gone through some tough times because his mother lost her job. This meant that Damien did not get any presents, a party, not even a cake. His only gift had been $4 from his aunt. I invited him and his brother up to Xavier University for the day and arranged to pick up a cake for him at the store. During the day, Damien acted up. It was an emotional day, and he was easily upset. When it came time to stop at the store on the way home, I was feeling tired and frustrated. We pulled into the parking lot and passed a homeless man with a sign In one hand and a cup in the other. As I began to park, Damien said, "Can you drive around a minute, there is something I need to do." I heard him digging for the change in his pocket. Damien asked me to stop in front of the homeless man and he put about $1 of his change - all that was left from his aunt's birthday gift - into the man's cup. The man smiled humbly and said, "God bless you," - it was the same man that I met outside of Saks. Damien nodded and I drove away. All I said was, "Damien, I am ~ proud of you." �STREElVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Nationwide The strain on family lite and the perilp to the educational achievement of children are obvi­ ous. What these families need first is stable, affordable housing, in short supply in their community. That requires more low income housing assistance. In addition to the economic development initiatives the President introduced this week, investment in basic housing - that is, more housing vouchers - must be a priority. A voucher is the means to a stable home. A voucher can help free up income to buy a car to travel to a better job, and to provide better food and nutrition for children. A voucher helps keep children secure in their homes so they can learn in school. A voucher helps a worker live close enough to a job so she's not dependent on three bus transfers to travel to work, increasing her chances of finding and keeping a job. If economic development is a priority, then so must be housing vouchers. If the people left behind are to live with the rest of us, they must live in secure homes. The way to do that now is to find the money for new vouchers. Point of View Capitol Hill by Sheila Crowley Appropriations Mark Up Anyone who cares about economic in­ equality and persistent poverty in the United States has to applaud the President for his high profile tour this week of the places that have been "left behind" In this period of spectacular prosperity, and his New Markets Initiative. Of course, we would have preferred more empha­ sis on improving the social and economic well­ being of poor people earlier in his tenure. Left unsaid in the fanfare is that income disparity is a deeper structural problem than motivating business to invest in low-income communities alone can solve. Nonetheless, the public discourse that is generated in the context of this kind of event, and the images of poverty that poke and prod at the consciousness of the better-off, are ex­ tremely important. They offer a more complex and less demonizing explanation for poverty than has been the dominant perception in this era of welfare "reform and heightened individu­ alism. Implicit in the definition of the problem, as people and communities who have been left behind, is their connectedness to the rest of us who have left them behind, and our responsibil­ ity to bring them along. This is the time for public attention to those who have been left behind in our own communities. A three part series last week in the Fredericksburg, Va. , Free Lance-Star, a small town local paper, explored in depth the lives of families who live in the aging motels on U.S. Route 1. The motels are left over from the days when Route 1 was the major North-South thoroughfare, left behind when the interstate highway absorbed the lion's share of transport and commerce. The people featured in the articles have all been left behind in the eco­ nomic boom of t he late 1990s. Most are em= ployed. They are day laborers, waitresses, fast food workers, many supporting families. The newspaper account is one of people who are, by and large, good neighbors, people who care about their surroundings, and who want to raise their children well. They are left out of the housing market because of low wages; inability to accumulate the money needed to get into an apartment, and the poor credit that comes from years of eco­ nomic marginality. Meanwhile, even though an apartment is often less expensive, they must pay most of what they earn to stay from week to week in one room, getting further in the hole. As reported in a previous Memo, both the House and Senate VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Subcommittees are planning to mark up FY2000appropriations bills in July. The rumor mill reports that the Senate may not mark up until September, but Subcommittee staff can't confirm this H.R. 202 Hearing The House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity will hold a hearing on H.R. 202, the Preserving Affordable Housing for Senior Citizens into the 21st Century Act, on Wednesday, July 14th, 1999 at 2:30 p.m. in the Rayburn House Office Building. A segment of the testimony includes a technical description of the finance conversion process introduced in H.R. 202. The bill is part of the blizzard of housing-related legislation introduced this session. 0 I Lending to Minority-Owned Businesses The Wall Street Journal reported this week that black applicants for small-business financ­ ing are denied credit twice as often as whites with similar creditworthiness, citing a study sponsored by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The Bureau's study found small business loan-denial rates of 27% for whites and 66% for blacks (go to http://nberws.nber.org/ papers/w6840). The newspaper also reports that the Federal Reserve Board will be posting a collection of the latest research on small busi­ ness financing on its web site later this month (http://www.bog.frb.fed.us). Data collected as part of the Fed's 1993 Survey of Small Business Finances forms the basis for several recent studies. (Go to http:// www.bog.frb.fed.us/ssbf/ for the survey and related material.) Fed researcher Glen Canner presented his findings at the central bank's March 9 conference on Business Access to Capital and Credit in Arlington, Va. He con­ cluded, among other things, that compared to predominately white neighborhoods, predomi­ nately minority neighborhoods receive a some­ what smaller share of the business loans and loan dollars than might be expected based solely on the distribution of the number of businesses and population across areas. How­ ever, he also noted that while the number of small business loans tends to fall somewhat with Page 7 increases in neighborhood minority composition, the amount of lending measured in loan dollars increases. Other researchers have stressed the importance of examining individual markets, not just national trends. For example, Community Reinvestment Act expert Gregory Squires observed at the same conference that a similar Fed study, concluding that loan distribution reflected population distribution, had failed to note substantial gaps between lending activity in low and upper income areas. As the Journal points out, "this is hardly the first time researchers have concluded that blacks lack equal access to credit." What distinguishes some of the recent work in the field is its reliance upon the Fed's 1993 survey, a sophisticated body of data. The Fed surveys small business finances every five years, and is currently working on the 1998 survey. Earlier this year, in a survey of minority­ owned businesses and their banking relation­ ships, the Boston-based Organization for a New Equality found that 89% of the minority businesses it surveyed had applied tor bank credit products, but only 43% had ever received a product. Overall, only 38% of respondents had obtained bank credit. The work to be posted on the Fed web site was presented at the Arlington conference. For a report on Fed Chair Alan Greenspan's re· marks on CRA there, see Memo 3/12/99, at http://www.nlihc.org/mtm/mtm4-1 O.htm. To obtain a copy of the survey, contact Organiza­ tion for a New Equality, 617/424-6631. Administration Reiterates CRA Pledge Separately, Comptroller of the Currency Jerry Hawke, in a meeting with community organizations, reiterated the Administration's commitment to the Community Reinvestment Act, saying the President would not support a bank bill that weakens CRA. See previous editions of Memo for accounts of the recently passed bank reform bill. Political Giving: Financial Services The Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign-finance reform group, has analyzed political giving by the financial services industry. Since 1993, CRP finds, banks, securities brokers, and insurance agents have made nearly $190 million in soft money, Political Action Committee, and individual contributions to federal parties and candidates, predominantly f'1voring Republicans. Of the total, more than $86 million was given during the 1997-98 election cycle. Loose Change: The Debate over Banking Reform can be found at http://www.opensecrets.org/alerts/ v5/alertv5_22.htm (For a related story, see Memo 1/29/99, "Influencing the House Banking Committee, an Economic Analysis," at http://www.nlihc.org/ mtm/mtm4-4. him} Field Notes Connecticut The 1999 legislative session saw an increase in the housing tax credit to $5 million annually, the first expansion of the program since it was created in 1987 at the $1 million 'VIEW' continued on page 10... E-MAIL STREETVIBES: STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM I �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Hom~less Grapevine Page a STREETVIBES LETTER DENOUNCES PRISON Prisoner's News GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE f' \ \ \ \ \ I ' ··' R R I I MADNESS AT THE SUPERMAX by John Perotti • Hey, well. It's been sort of stupid up here again. I was moved upstairs to another cell. The cell had a TV in it, but that night, I had gotten a paper saying I was made a level 2. Next morning through a guard by the name of Lt. Adams came with a team, confiscated the TV set, tore my cell up, then put me back in the cell. They took my eyeglasses and the level 2 paperwork as well. A couple hours later, they came again. This time he tells me they are moving me to 8-5 which is where they have 3/4's of the psyche patients, who are constantly babbling and rambling incoherently. Plus a whole group of others who are here for having alte~cations against the same first shift guards as I do. The guards have done a lot of dirt and set up a lot people up here. At the same time all this happens, the guard tells me I have a piece of legal mail and to sign my name in the mail log. Well, he has my eyeglasses and I can't even read who it is from, so I ask for the glasses before I sign. He tells me "just sign it at the X." I don't, so he says "he refused, take him to 8-5." Then I am given my eyeglasses and <he leaves with my legal mail. So here I sit in 8-5, being played like I am a level 1, when, in fact, I am a level 2. I am just trying -to figure out what it is that has caused all this madness in the past two weeks. Mr. Guard, the unit manager, said I was/ am on a level 2 and he will check it out as to why the others are doing this. Well, we will see . Dear Streetvibes Staff, Hello! I hope that this -letter find all in the best of health. Things here are going really well, as I should be released on parole here in the next week or so. I will be returning to the Miami County, Ohio area and would ·like to help increase the subscribers in that area. Will you please send me the information on how to do this, and other assistance I may provide. Your answer will be appreciated! Please remember that I may only be here until July 7th, 1999! Sincerely, James W. Pryor Dear Ms. Paxton, [Director, Prisoner Rights Advocacy Center] I read your article in CURE-Ohio's newslet­ ter, (May/June 1999), about the prison griev­ ance procedure. I feel your article lends cred­ ibility to a grievance procedure which prisoners know first hand almost never works to resolve legitimate grievances. Prisoners are aware that prison officials allowed PRAC to win a few grievances to make it appear the grievance procedure works. Your article undermines all the work prisoners have done in the past decades documenting the fact that the griev­ ance procedure doesn't work. You clearly state the grievance procedure works, but the odds of a prisoner winning a legitimate grievance is about as good as hitting the 'Super Lotto'. By implying that it works without a statistical analyses or without an evaluation of how ineffective it is, you are giving it credibility. You made no mention of the fact that many prisoners have suffered reprisals in the past for using the grievance procedure, and you encourage prisoners to use it without warning them what the consequences might be. You should warn prisoners that they may suffer reprisals for using it! You claim PRAC is w0rking for grievance reform. What reform are you advocating: what changes do you recommend, and why? How are you going about reforming the grievance procedure? The Ohio Prisoner Manual by PRAC was removed from the law library by the librarian, and often the Administrative Code and DORC Policies we need to file grievances are missing from the library. Prisoners have been struggling with the· grievance procedure for more than 25 years! What you should tell the public and legislators is how ineffective the grievance procedure is, and how likely prisoners are to suffer reprisals for using it! Don't tell us, (prisoners) how to use it, tell the public what's wrong with it, and what needs to be changed! Anything short of that ids just maintaining the status quo with prison officials. I would really like to know what PRAC is doing to reform the grievance procedure? Sincerely, Ron Parrish (wHY DO WE NEED ALL THESE NEW ? PRISO~ \ ' I Now that we've cut all the social programs, prisons are the new answer to unemployment, drug addiction, homel~ssness and underfunded public schools. They've\ \ also become a convenient source of cheap, confined \~abor. ~~~~~~~~~~~ STREETVIBES PRISONERS NEWS IS THE WRITINGS OF PERSONS INCARCERATED IN OUR NATIONS JAILS AND PRISONS. SEND YOUR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS TO: >STREETVIBES @JUNO.COM or mail to: >STREETVIBES 1506 ELM STREET CINCINNATI, OHIO 45210 or fax to: >(513) 421-7813 Subscribe to Streetvibes Subsc;riptions 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 issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless- Streetvibes. If you h~ve any questions, call 421-7803. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine COOLING CENTER IDEA "FANTASTIC," TORONTOS LAYTON SAYS By Catherine Dunphy Toronto Star Feature Writer Toronto's mayor got hot under the collar yesterday at the idea of Metro Hall and other city buildings becoming Chicago-style "cooling centres" for the poor and homeless during heat waves. With the temperature expected to hit 30C tomorrow, Councillor Jack Layton (Don River) wants Mel Lastman to throw open at least four of the former municipal city halls for the hot and homeless. He also wants Lastman to start a heat watch and air pollution warning system, and operate it Irom his office like Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Chicago's cooling centers were introduced after the 1995 heat wave. In every neighbor­ hood some public buildings with air conditioning have been designated as places where resi­ dents can stay during a heat emergency. The system is triggered whenever the U.S. National Weather Service declares a heat watch or warning. When the humidex is more than 43C, the full heat warning system is activated. Everyone in Chicago gets involved in a hot weather alert, Layton said. "The hot weather alerts involve the whole community, from housing authorities and cable companies who tell seniors to go to cooling centres, to transit authorities who put on free buses to take them there, to libraries which stay open 24 hours to house them," he said. "It's fantastic." The mayor is not as enthusiastic. "t don't care what they do in Chicago, they do all kinds of things in Chicago," Lastman sputtered. He said he'd consider taking some kind of action if the temperature climbs over 32C but only as a temporary measure and never on a daily basis. Lastman also said he's getting a staff health report on a heat response plan for the city's homeless population today. Liz Janzen, regional director of the Toronto Board of Health, said the board hasn't identified a specific temperature at which the city should launch a hot weather emergency response. "It is difficult to find the health evidence to support the temperature at which to say a full emergency exists," she told the city's homeless advisory committee yesterday. Janzen said many drop-in centers are air­ conditioned, and parks and recreation staff don't remove people from sitting in tt'ie shade in parks as long as they are not drinking, using drugs or being aggressive. A just-released Toronto public health fact sheet called "How To Beat The Heat" recom­ mends people drink lots of water, avoid going out in the sun or heat, take advantage of air­ conditioned places and take cool baths in the heat. But people using shelters must leave them in the mornings and can't return until evening. "They are released from the hostels into the worst part of the day," said John Andras, a founder of Project Warmth. Andras has just started Project Water, which has distributed more than 80,000 donated bottles of water to front-line agencies such as Shout Clinic, Street Health, the Native Men's Residence Street Help bus and the Wellesley Hospital's health bus. "People are just scooping up the water," said Michelle Coutu, who works on Wellesley's health bus. The heat is still taking its toll on the homeless. "We had a terrible experience in Parkdale during the holiday weekend," said Victor Willis, executive director of Parkdale Area Recre­ atio.nal Centre. Temperatures soared over the 30C mark and some homeless people suffered seizures, he said. NORTH AMERICAN STREET NEWSPAPER CONFERENCE JULY 24 - 28 thursday through sunday. I was in Cleveland as a representative of StreetVibes, away from Cincinnati for 4 days, revelling in the newness of an unfamiliar town. Friday was a day of sumptuous feasting on the wisdom of formerly/ presently/homeless people from all over the continent, who de­ scribed their experiences running street newspa­ pers in their own cities. In the evening, we all took a trolley tour of Cleveland. It began with the usual tourist's grand tour - the grand mansions, the grand public buildings, the grand boulevards, parks and public works, the indus­ trial valley lush with factories (many now converted to offices and condominiums). But our driver was gracious enough to also take us on a side trip to see where the homeless of Cleveland hang out - in other words, on a tour of the real Cleveland (the real America). We drove under bridges, past old churches with meal programs, past overflowing shelters, past parks from which homeless people have been ejected to sterilize the atmosphere for local redevelopment. We shouted and waved to homeless people as we rode by.... it must have been unclear to them whether they were being harassed or honored. On the way back to Case Western Univer­ sity, where the conference was held, I noticed one old abandoned hotel slated for either development or demolition, and wondered what those people we saw - lying on sidewalks, sitting on benches and church steps, huddling under bridges - could do with a building such as that, together with even a tiny percentage of the public development money spent on the down­ town commercial projects we had just driven through. ... Later that night I had a more poignant reminder of what homelessness is all about. I suddenly found myself alone outside a locked dormitory, waiting for a ride back to the place I was sleeping, unintentionally abandoned, or so it felt. This was definitely a reassuring turn of Page · 9 events. How could a conference of homeless street papers be complete for me, without reliving the experience of homelessness? Had I been hanging out in a nice air conditioned hotel lounge at a typical convention, my body may have been comfortable, but my conscience would have been restless. I was alone in a strange city. After the wave of self pity came and went (after all, I am accustomed ta an environment under my control), I reluctantly ventured down the street to find my appointed shelter for the night. I could not help but remember times in the past when I wandered late at night through public and semi-public spaces, in search of a soft, safe place to lay my head. In the light, these grand edifices are proud monuments to man's ability to put boundaries around empty space and labels on the undefin­ able. But In the dark, for the tired and hungry wanderer, all these grand displays of man's creativity are just walls of separation, monu­ ments to the dead and to the death of human compassion. , • 22 t billmgq TAX CUT BENEFITS WEALTHY, CUTS DOMESTIC PROGRAMS A $792 billion ten-year tax cut bill passed the House on July 22. The bill, H.R. 2488 is a scaled down version of an earlier $864 billion tax cut bill, by far benefits wealthy individu­ als and corporations would ultimately be paid for by cuts to domestic d iscretionary programs such as housing and community development programs. The bill contains a five year phase-in of an increase to the low income housing tax credit, and then an indexing of this tax credit to inflation, as well as increases in the current cap on tax-exempt bonds. The Senate's version of the tax cut bill also cuts taxes a whopping $792 billion over ten years. This bill also Includes a five-year phase in of a tax credit cap increase. However, the Senate's tax bill does not then index the credit to inflation. The Senate bill includes a cap increase for tax-exempt private activity bonds through a five year phase­ in. The current bond cap per state is $50 per resident or $150 million per state, whichever is greater. By 2005, when the phase-in is com­ pleted, the cap would rise to $75 per resident or $225 million per state, whichever is greater. The full Senate is expected to take up their tax bill the week of July 26. Balking at such massive tax cuts, the White House and many Democrats are support­ ing ten year tax cut bills totaling $250 billion. This amount is still far above the most conser­ vative surplus estimates and thus cuts into domestic spending as well. By putting forth the $250 billion figure, the White House has set the lowest parameter of debate on how large a tax bill might be. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Welfare News Other agencies will now be able to do intake and process child care applications and recertifica­ tions. Applicants will be able to recertify by phone. Medicaid Issues In addition to the one year of transitional Medicaid recipients are currently eligible for once they transition off of welfare into a paid job, recipients will be eligible for another year of Medicaid If they have earnings at or below 100% of the rederal poverty level. Expands the Children's Health Insurance Program to 200% of the federal poverty level, effective January 1, 2000. Streamlines and simplifies the intake & recertification process ror Medicaid. Cash Benefits STATEWIDE VICTORIES FOR RECIPIENTS. by Lynn Williams All the hard work of the Ohio Empower­ ment Coalition has been worthwhile. The state operating budget bill, which has now been signed into law by Governor Taft, includes the rollowing beneficial changes ror Ohio's poorest ramilies: Sanctions Issues: Child Care subsidies and other support services will be restored to families under sanction if recipients are doing the work requirement. A letter warning a recipient that she is about to be sanctioned will be sent from the caseworker, before the recipient is actually sanctioned. The letter will notify the recipient that she has 1O days from the date of the letter to request a meeting with the department before a sanction can be imposed. If she requests a meeting, she cannot be sanctioned until the meeting is held. Requires each welfare department around the state to have an ombudsperson to resolve sanction issues between rec1p1ent and case­ worker. PRC (Emergency Assistance for Families): Makes pregnant women eligible for PRC. Earned Income Disregard: The limit on number of months a recipient can count the earned income disregard is dropped. The earned income disregard does not count a percentage of income in calculating the amount of the OWF benefit check. $250 and 1/2 of the remaining amount of earnings from a job are not counted in determining how much money a recipient is earning in a job. For low-paying jobs, a recipient can continue to receive benefit checks while working. However, Ohio's 3-year time limit still applies and each month of even a partial cash assistance counts toward the time limit. This change in law is a mixed "bag• of good points and bad. Child Care Issues: Expands child care subsidy eligibility up to 200% of the federal poverty level, effective July 1, 2000. Simplifies the eligibility and recertification process for applying for child care subsidies. Up to 3% increase in cash assistance amounts. Representative Catherine Barrett of Cincinnati had introduced an amendment in the House Finance & Appropriations Committee that would have restored cash assistance to children in a sanctioned household. Senator C.J. Prentiss of Cleveland likewise introduced a similar amendment on the Senate Floor. Both amendments to the operating budget bill did not pass. However, we are optimistic that the same policy, restoring cash assistance to children in a sanctioned household, will be introduced as a bill when the Ohio Assembly re-convenes in October. Members of the OEC around the state worked hard to educate their legislators about the effects of sanctions on families. In this respect, we made positive gains forward in bringing awareness of sanctions to the public, and legislators, in particular. Many of the legislators had to be re-educated about the law they had passed • they did not know what sanctions were or the severity of them. Many legislators were unaware of the cash amounts that recipients receive and how far below poverty level they are already living at before the sanctions take effect. The cash benefits equal approximately 33% of the federal poverty level. W ELFARE­ ROLL DRUG TESTS DEBATED Michigan plan requires applicants to submit or forfeit benefits ROBYN MEREDITH, New York Times Page 10 dropped from the welfare rolls. Against a tide of opposition from civil libertarians and welfare experts and mixed reaction from recipients, Gov. John Engler said the program would help those who needed drug treatment to get it and to obtain jobs. "The idea is that workplace testing today is so common," Engler said. "This is a tool that will help identify some of the problems that need to be treated." Michigan was one of the early leaders nationwide in the effort to end the decades-long system of guaranteed welfare benefits and to replace it with time limits and other changes intended to force those on welfare to work. Since October 1992, when Michigan's welfare changes began, the state's caseload has dropped about 60 percent, to 89,866 families from 225,359. With many of those most-able to find jobs already working, Michigan is trying a new approach on welfare. The mandatory drug tests, which other states have considered but rejected, are just one indication of its new direction. Other states have considered similar drug testing programs but have backed away. New York and Maryland planned to require drug tests but found that other types of screening, like questionnaires, were cheaper and more effec­ tive. Four other states - New Jersey, Minne­ sota , South Carolina and Wisconsin - ran­ domly test welfare recipients with felony drug convictions. The Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is considering suing the state to challenge the program on constitutional grounds, arguing that the mandatory drug test violates the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable search and seizure. But Douglas Howard, the new director of the state welfare agency, defends his plans. "We're rn an economy now where 1ob placement isn't as tough as it was 1o years ago," he said. "The challenge is in job retention." Subscribe to Streetvibes! Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year for 12 issues. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 o Please make checks pay­ able to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless-­ Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. DETROIT- In a controversial and unusual effort to move more welfare recipients Into the work force, Michigan plans a pilot program that would require thousands of those applying for aid to take drug tests to qualify for ben­ efits. Starting in October, Michigan welfare applicants under 65 in three locations yet to be chosen will be required to take drug tests or forfeit their benefits. Those already receiving benefits would be randomly tested. Those who test positive ANOTHER CLA S PRODUCTI ON for illegal drugs would be required to get Disc-Jockey Service treatment to collect welfare money, and those who ref use treatment would be CUFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 (513) 230-6353 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 'VIEW' continued from page 7 ... level. A business which contributes to a non­ profit housing developer receives a dollar-for­ dollar credit on its state tax obligations. The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority awards the credits through a competitive application process. The maximwm award per nonprofit is $400,000, and the maximum credit per business is $75,000. In addition, the legislature created a new Historic Home Tax Credit at $3 million per year, with a $30,000 per unit cap. Quote of the Week "In the Bronx, where I grew up, only 1,400 new units of housing were built in 1997 for a community of over 1 million people, despite a severe shortage of affordable housing. Mean­ while, in Manhattan, with approximately the same population, over 5,000 new units of housing were built. Could that be because so many people on Wall Street and corporate boardrooms are from Manhattan and so few are from the Bronx?" John Sweeney, President, AFL-CIO. SHARING LAST CHRISTMAS WITH THE TEENAGE BOYS AT A LOCAL ORPHANAGE were currently living there. Shortly after this, I went to visit the boys in order to get to know them personally. I bought each of them a bible with their names engraved on them . We studied Luke 2:1-14. The boys were so happy to have us come. I noticed that they ran to the door as soon as we got there for bible study. It was truly beautiful, and our Bible studies were full of many sincere questions and much joy. It was truly one of the most joyful moments of my life because God sent me back to this orphanage as a shepherd for these teenage boys were I once lived as a troubled youth. Though their lives were filled with many troubles, and some have even lived on the streets, they were very open to learn the bible. After our bible studies, I asked if they would like to actively participate in our Christ­ mas worship service. Most of the boys memo­ rized the words to "O Holy Night" and we held music practice with them in the gym. Though they struggles to learn the riglit notes, it was one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard from a group of teenage boys. These boys who were definitely full of troubles gave their whole hearts to worship God. My father-in-law who came to help with the music practice was in tears as he watched these boys give their hearts to God. . Our Christmas. worship service became most joyful because of the work of God revealed in the hearts of these young teenage boys. Truly, God brought them to reveal to us the joy and blessing of sharing our lives with others Page 11 around us. May God continue to bless his work in them. I am currently working as a nurse and a campus shepherd at the University Bible Fellowship. My father, Joseph E. Martin is a vendor for Streetvibes and shares his life with the homeless. God bless you!!! Scramble by Ron Carter Try to unscramble these re­ lated words: LCETRABE NTWAC CLKENCAE RAEQNJR NGRI KNATLE MIMNDOA Answers on.page 15. DROP INN CENTER HOSTS FIRST ANNUAL SK WALK AND .RUN by Shepherd Andrew Martin Last year, we decided at our church that we wanted to share our Christmas worship service with someone other than those that belong to our church. It was about a month before Christmas and we held our usual Monday prayer meeting at 6:30 PM. We all got together but none seemed to have any idea who we should invite to share Christmas. After much silence, I spol<e up and said, "Why don't we invite the teenagers from a local orphanage to come and share with us?" I have always wanted to teach the Bible to the young boys at the orphanage because I was a former resident there myself and wanted to give something back. Most of all, I understood them, since I was once a resident there. Immediately after the prayer meeting, I called the supervisor to tell her of our desire to share Christmas with the boys at the orphanage. She was so happy that we wanted to share our Christmas with them. She attended our Sunday worship service the following week and gave us the names and ages of each of the boys that At the start of the Drop Inn Center SK Run and Walk.•. . On Sunday, July 18th, the Drop Inn Center hosted its first annual SK walk and run in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Nearly 200 persons participated in the fund­ raising event. John Aerni won first place for male runners, completing the course in 15 minutes, 48 seconds. Crystal Park won first place for female runners, completing the run in 20 minutes, 14 seconds. Long-time Drop Inn photo byJimmy Heath Center employee, Tom Lee received first place in the 50-59 years of age, walking category. Many other Drop Inn Center employees and volunteers successfully participated in this years' event. At the end of the event, partici­ pants gathered in nearby Washington Park for the awards ceremony, speech making and refreshments. J �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 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 Center's right to not be moved from its present location. Write to: Erich Kunzel 1241 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 4521 O Send Copies of your letter to: Drop Inn Center Attn: Pat Clifford 217 West 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 and injustices do not occur. For this reason, the members wrote the enclosed letters to express their beliefs that injustices will occur if this plan is realized. It was the general opinion of the students that discrimination based upon economic standing was taking place, thus perpetuating an incorrect generalization about the homeless. As volunteers at the Drop Inn Center and ReSTOC, they wrote to express their disgust that their friends in Over-the-Rhine are being regarded as nothing more than a movable commodity. While the city sees only a homeless shelter, these volunteers, including myself, see indi­ vidual people and families that are part of a large network of activism working to solve the problems together, not just moving the problems to where they will not disturb the image of a community. As citizens of greater Cincionati, these students wrote to express their objections to more potential broken promises. Countless schools in Over-the-Rhine have been closed with the promise of building a better one. Not one of those schools have been built yet. We cannot let this happen to the Drop Inn Center. Erich Kunzel has been quoted as saying, "This will not displace one family." To him we say, "The Drop Inn Center is a family, one that shares its victories and triumphs. It doesn't just provide foQd, it provides medical care, counsel­ ing, shelter and compassion. The Drop Inn Center is a home; it is a place to cherish, not to discard." The drop Inn Center cannot be moved, or else our city, rather than flourish with fine arts, will die by giving in to profit and gentrification at the expense of family and a means to a solution. Please protect the Ameri­ can ideals of the individual and activism, rather than succumbing to the power and the money of the elite, and the motives of image and greed. Save the Drop Inn Center, please. It is more than just a building. Very truly yours, Melissa J. King Urgent Action Coordinator, Amnesty International Page 12 DEAR SIR, When I heard that there was a movement to force the Drop Inn Center to relocate I was very much troubled. The Drop Inn Center is a beautiful facility that provides a service to this community by providing food and shelter to those who are outside the system. In my opinion the Drop Inn Center should be a source of pride to our city. It says that we are a city which has a heart for the outcast of our society. I believe if the powers that be continue with their plans to remove the Drop Inn Center, it will become a scandal that will draw national attention. This could greatly damage the image of Cincinnati and especially the arts and educa­ tion community in this city. There must be a better way to deal with this issue! Sincerely, Chris E. Johnson Contact Us, Write Us! We welcome input from our readers. Send your letters and editorial comments to: STREETVIBES: 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 FAX: ATTENTION STREETVIBES (513) 421-7813 -------- EMAIL: STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM Please include your name, address and daytime phone number with all correspondence. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 4521 O Dear Cincinnati City Council, I tried hiring former welfare recipients ..... .~~ But they kept making the most unreasonable demands The enclosed letters are from students at Finneytown High School. At a recent meeting of our chapter of Amnesty International, I pre­ sented the issues surrounding the relocation of the Drop Inn Center and the creation of a "fine arts boulevard" to these students. As members of Amnesty International, many of whom volunteer in the Over-the-Rhine area, they were shocked. Amnesty International works through letter writing campaigns, thoughout the world commu­ nity, to ensure that human rights are not violated I E-MAIL STREETVIBES: STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM ...... 0­ I �I , STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Etcetera ... Gimme Shelter El Pomar cuts check for new homeless mall by Cara DeGette Colorado Springs Independent El Pomar wants a one-stop shopping mall for the homeless people of Colorado Springs. And what El Pomar wants, El Pomar gets. The local nonpro fit foundation has written a blank check to renovate the Michael Garman owned building at the corner of Wahsatch Avenue and Costilla Street southeast of the downtown core. The concept is simple - to consolidate many of the services currently scattered in different facilities, mostly downtown - into one superstore of sorts for the homeless. In addition to a new Red Cross shelter, an expanded Drop-in Center and a new Marian House soup kitchen , Catholic Community Services and other providers of services to the poor and homeless will be housed at "The Center," as it is being called. The cost is currently estimated at $3 million. The move will effectively move the home­ less away from the downtown core and from Confluence Park, an area business and commu­ nity leaders have long envisioned as the site for a convention center. In the works for nearly two years, the decisions to move and consolidate services for the homeless have mostly gone on behind closed doors. Amid their secret negotiations, El Pomar and the providers who will use The Center facilities apparently forgot to notify the Hillside Neighborhood on whose border The Center will be built. . And once they got wind of the plan, Hillside residents responded in fury. "We hadn't heard anything, we weren't invited or welcomed into the planning process," said Jason Gaulden, director of the Hillside Neighborhood Association. "Now that we finally got word of it, we were invited in after the tact." The El Pomar Foundation is headed by Bill Hybl, a former state lawmaker and current chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee. His sidekick is foundation president Thayer Tutt Jr., grandson of the famous man who endowed his fortune to the cause of the continuing better­ ment of Colorado Springs. For decades, El Pomar funds have been used to help shape the institutions of Colorado Springs, including Colorado College and the Fine Arts Center. A few years ago, El Pomar became the primary benefactor of the Colorado Springs World Arena when it pitched in $27 million to help boost disappointing early fund-raising efforts. (Hybl and Tutt are apparently pleased with that brainchild - the two were recently spotted boogeying down in front-row center seats is the $85 per t icket section of the Bob Dylan and Paul Simon concert.) El Pomar has also been a longtime financier for philanthroo1c causes, including service providers w hO will benefit from the new center. Cu rently, services are scattered in various locauons, 11ostly do~ntown. After years of jOWI vN• "19rChar1t -..°Omp J,f l.> abOUt hl ne9$S a11d mentally 111 pevple scaring awa ~ their ustomers, me f' ~ h . 1. _ _.;. >e!Y mov icif t segment of society out of the downtown core. Service providers have already put earnest money down on the building. Yet the seemingly secret way of doing business stuns some people - including those who will likely use The Center's services. "In Colorado Springs, they do anything they want," said Amanda Terrell, a formerly homeless Colorado Springs resident who still eats occasionally at the soup kitchen. "I don't know how things get done around here. It's a puzzlement to me. "There should have been big signs posted and meetings held where the town comes together and says yea or nay to the plan," she said. "In Santa Fe, for example, you don't even move a bus stop without telling the community. "It's very strange here." Tutt said that it makes more sense to consolidate services, and that "it won't get done unless El Pomar takes a major part in it." "Putting it all in one place is far more efficient than having [services] scattered all over," he said. "Clearly, we' re the catalyst for getting this process moving, but it won't happen without support from the city and others." Hillside Neighborhood Organization director Jason Gaulden believes his All-Ameri­ can award-winning neighborhood has worked too hard to improve their community be saddled with the homeless shopping mall. It's no secret that some downtown b usi­ ness owners and shoppers have long com­ plained about homeless people cluttering up the booming yuppie sector and making them nervous with their unpredictable behavior. But Beth Spokas, executive director of Downtown Partnerships, Inc. which advocates for business owners, doesn't like to talk about that kind of stuff. In fact, Spokas got downright testy when asked twice whether removing the homeless from downtown was part of the motivation for the new site. Spokas served on the initial organizing committee. "If what you' re suggesting is true, we never would have looked at downtown sites as well," she said. Of three sites that were considered by The Center's site selection committee, two w.ere closer to downtown. But, according to the committee's June 1998 recommendation, of the other two sites that were considered - the spot where the Marian Soup Kitchen now stands and the Metro Tech Center on East Costilla - neither were deemed compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods. The committee deemed the Wahsatch site compatible with the neighborhood. Trouble is, they didn't check with the surrounding neighbors - in this case, the Hillside Neighborhood Organi­ zation - to see how agreeable the new neigh­ bors were to the idea of moving the one-stop homeless service center into their neighbor­ hood. When Hillside neighbors found out. they were less than pleased. Just two years ago, the neighborhood in southeast-central Colorado Springs, was honored as an "All-American city." The prestigious national awar,d was presented after the communitty labored for years to clean up the urban blight and crime that had over­ taken their racially mixed neighborhood. Now, they don't want to become a dumping ground for the homeless. "Hillside Neighborhood, both as individual neighbors and as a collective community, has worked too long and too hard in our efforts to better the quality of living in this area to have an unwelcome project be forced upon us contrary to our interests," the association stated in a letter ot protest dated May 2i . 'At mis time, due to lack of information, unanswered questions, and un-addressed concerns we DO NOT welcome this project and WILL NC allow it to go forward against the will of U·~ • ::J ,:orhood resider·~ • Tt e association 1s currently circulating a pen"' , Jo!"ts to keep lri::: project from Page 13 moving forward. Gaulden said of 1,400 house­ holds in the Hillside community, he knows of only one that approves the plan. Tutt, however, poo-poos the neighbors' claims that they should have been notified early in the planning process that The Center would be built in their back yard. "Until a site was selected and the nonprofits [involved] had reached agreement, there was nothing to show the neighbors," he said. "I think it's been an excellent effort." Cyndy Kulp, the outspoken head of the Housing Advocacy Coalition, is critical of ­ though not surprised by - the "sneaky way" that El Pomar and other city leaders went about planning The Center. "If they really want to make a city that people can enjoy, they should build housing, not just remove [the homeless] to another part of town," said Kulp, whose organization agitates for affordable housing for those with low incomes. "You can't hide the homeless problem by pushing them to the side." There is another reason why critics, including the homeless and soup kitchen patrons are questioning the perceived secretive­ ness over the new site. Some are wondering whether the expensive new digs are even necessary. "We' re certainly sympathetic and under­ stand the need to serve [the homeless], but as tar as this facility, we don't see it as an asset to our community, and we haven't seen much information that it would be an asset to the community it's supposed to serve," Gaulden said. Only two years ago, again with El Pomar money, the local Red Cross shelter got a $350,000 renovation. But now, shelter Director Debbie Mitguard said the facility in its current location at Sierra Madre was always meant to be temporary. Like Kulp, Hillside's Gaulden sees no real benefit in simply moving the homeless popula­ tion from one place to another. "Not to speak offensively or defensively of the population we're talking about, it's the reality of the situation," Gaulden said. "And the reality is that what we see in the northwest part of downtown with the problem of homeless [people] sleeping under the bridge and holding signs for help will just be moved here. "Those same issues exist there, what's to say it won't be here?" Nothing suggests it won't be there. And, as low-income, affordable housing stocks continue to dry up at an alarming rate while wages don't keep pace, the problem of homelessness is only going to get worse. Tutt doesn't discount that El Pomar could one day help in efforts to offer long-range solutions to housing that would take people off the streets for good. But, he points out, the responsible agencies, including those of the city of Colorado Springs and the federal government have to take the lead. Mitguard, who will be The Center's new director, said the problem is more complex. "Certainly, affordable housing is a piece, but it's not the only piece - 1wish it were that simple," she said. "So many people need help with job and budgeting skills. Child care and transportation are huge issues in this town. There are so many factors, so that's why we' re concentrating our efforts in one place. Let's just get them all together." Tutt maintains that El Pomar's focus is in the right place when asked whether the nonprofit foundation has considered helping out with a more permanent solution, that is, giving money to help build needed low-income housing. "These people have a long way to go before they can afford housing," he said. "Our focus is improving the infrastructure for the 'POMAR' cont. on next page ... �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 1 POMER 1 cont. from previous page ... really down and out. "We've always had a bias toward serving the needs of the low income. Affordable hous­ ing is an important issue, it's just not the issue here," he said. But, according to advocates for the home­ less, providing low-income, affordable housing is the only real, long-term solution. During the annual Colorado Coalition for the Homeless meeting held early this month in Denver, CCH chairman Jack Real wryly noted that when the group formed 12 years ago, they thought it was for the short-term. They would solve the problem, and it would go away. The federal government's commitment to subsidized housing has shriveled. In the 1970's, when Jimmy Carter was in office, the department of Housing and Urban Developement was a $33 billion machine. During Ronald Reagan's time in the White House, HUD was slashed to $7 billion. Those resources have never been replaced. However, the homeless problem has only gotten worse. And, for the poor, the future looks bleak. The gully between the rich and the poor continues to widen, and in an era of growing conservatism, poor peoples' civil rights are often eroding while their income declines and access to health care shrivels. "We're losing ground rather than gaining ground," Real said. Colorado is in the midst of an economic boom, but the prosperity has not made the state a benevolent patron to the poor. In fact, Colorado's wealth has had the opposite effect on the homeless and working poor. The average price of a new home in Colorado is now $220,000. That's equal to 20 times what a minimum-wage worker will earn in a full year, or 38 times what someone living on Social Secu­ rity will take in. With housing costs skyrocketing, wages have not increased. Now, minimum-wage workers have to work 92 hours a week to afford a place to live. People living on Social Security have to pay their entire month's income to rent for an average one­ bedroom apartment. People living on disability still receive $229 a month - not even sufficient to pay the cost of an average rent. The amount hasn't increased for nearly 20 years. "It's a tragedy that the state thinks people wf11J are alone or disabled can live on this,• Real said. "I don't think the governor or legislators would accept this kind of freeze [on their sala­ ries]." . Further compounding the problem, begin­ ning last year, Section 8 affordable-housing vo 1chers began to expire and many landlords opted not to renew them. The result has been an ven more dramatic paucity of affordable ho •qing. After rattling off these facts and figures, R 1 paused for a minute. "No wonder we have to _.pen more shelters," he said. In Colorado Springs, the Red Cross' Mitguard said that the current number of occu­ pants hovers at around 200. The shelter's capacity is 260. Contrary to people's idea that more people come for help during the cold of winter, summer generally brings an influx, particularly of families who move when their kids are out of school. Also, landlords tend to ev .:t more often during the summer, and the higher summer rates burrip many out of motels they otherwise live in and on to the streets. Of course, not everyone stays in a shelter when they become homeless. Taking into account people who live in their cars or under bridges or are crashing temporarily with friends and family, there is no clear number of how many people in Colorado Springs are currently homeless. Kulp estimates as many as 1,500 people have no place to call home. Page 14 AURORA, INDIANA FIR~T IN MIDWEST TO HOST ART EXHIBIT ON HOMELESSNESS by Chandra L Mattingly Lawrenceburg, Indiana Aurora hosted the first showing in the Midwest of Images of Homelessness, an art exhibit of the National Coalition for the Home­ less by artist Tammy DeGruchy. In addition to viewing paintings of homeless people inter­ viewed and painted by the artist, those attending will be able to experience, for a donation, a mock soup kitchen much like the many soup kitchens which feed the homeless. Heart House, Inc., Aurora, Indiana, is hosting the show to raise money for a Dearborn County homeless shelter and to increase awareness of the plight of the homeless, said Heart House Director Kay Stinnett. Heart House closed its block of Second Street for the show and the accompanying activities, said Stinnett. 'We hope to make it a real nice thing for the State of Indiana," said Stinnett prior to the event. .. ' The largest oil painting exhibit on homelessness, this collection of 20 paintings was created by artist Tammy OeGruchy over two years of interviewing and painting people who are homeless. The exhibit has been displayed in Washington, D. C. and Wheeling, W. Va. only, said Stinnett. Heart House is almost halfway to raising the matching money it needs to get funds from the Indiana Housing Finance Authority to establish a homeless shelter. The Heart House has raised $20,500 toward the $50,000 match it needs before applying for $500,000 from the IHFA. she said. "In a rural setting, it's really hard for people to realize the plighrof the homeless because you don't see it out on the street like you do in an urban setting," said Stinnett. Michael Stoops, executive director of organizing projects in the field for the National Coalition for the Homeless, spoke at the event. Sheltered Reality, a band f rorn Iowa, provided the music and the Heart House raffled off prints of some of DeGruchy's paintings. ... / ·- ~ .. ~ One of the paintings by artist Tammy DeGruchy, on display at the Heart House fund-raiser, July 16th and 17th, Aurora, Indiana. The art exhibit, presented by the National Coalition for the Homeless, is on tour throughout the Midwest. WORKERS CALL FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO LABOR CAMP AND WORKING CONDITIONS Workers at Kraemer Farms have written a letter, signed by 32 of the field workers, that outlines specific changes they want to see in the camp and in the fields in which they labor. Workers have been taking their complaints public ever since they began organizing. Since their first letter to grower and camp-owner Ken Kraemer, some of the requests have been made but the changes are still insufficient. Some of the camp requests include improvements to inad­ . equate and substandard food, sanitary services, and overall improvements to living conditions and amenities. On July 13th, the workers gave a delegation of more than 25 religious leaders and laity a tour of their living conditions in the "trailer." They showed the supporters the improvements: four new sinks, three new shower heads, cages over lights, two replaced doors, and four replaced beds. Supporters, both locally on delegations and nationally, have responded to previous workers' calls for support in letters and calls to the Kraemers. This support has been instrumental in pressuring the Kraemers to respect the workers' requests. However, the changes at the camp are slow, and workers point out that most of their complaints have not been addressed. While the workers were encouraged to see new doors put in on the day that the news cameras arrived, they demand more than superficial changes. Workers remain dedicated to their original requests for more significant changes, and again ·ihey are calling for national support for their organizing. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Announcements Live.Studio Audience Wanted SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AND IS BROADCAST FROM THE STUDIOS OF CINCINNATI COMMUNITY VIDEO, 2 114 READING ROAD, FROM 7 TO BPM. STREETVIBES TV COVERS NEWS ON POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS AND RELATED ISSUES. CALL US AT THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS IF YOU STREETVIBES TV WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO SHOW­ AUDIENCE. FOR MORE wouLD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART INFORMATION - 421-7803 OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE? Page 1s Volunteers Needed! Streetvibes newspaper is lookil'.lQ for volunteer writers and editors interested in serving on the Streetvibes Editorial Board. For more information, please call the office at 421-7803 SHOW IS TAPED LIVE ON THE STREETVIBES Classified Ads music 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. 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. Streetvibes is now accepting Classi­ fied 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 allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. · Otherwise, payment must be re­ ceived before the ad wii'I 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: Street vibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O or fax it to 421 -7813 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line. Call 42 1· 7803 for info. Scramble Answers from page 11 ... BRACELET WATCH NECKLACE EARRING ANKLET DIAMOND Streetvibes Radio Hour Please "Tune In " To. WAIF 88.3 fm! Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About 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 stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 FM Saturday, September 12th; 1999, Noon to 1 PM Streetvibes! Advertise in Streetvibes! Streetv ibes Ven·d or Code of Conduct 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 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 t hreatened. 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 dist~ibutors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self-supporting paper created by people who ar.e homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will t ry 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. f, ~·.:t .i-.~ ~' I Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to over 5,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. -***Business Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" $10 per month ***Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 1/2" $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 or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. · Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine House Manager Position Open St. Francis-St. Joseph Catholic Worker House The Catholic Worker House, a small shelter for homeless men, is searching for a House Manager, whose responsibilities include the daily operations of the House, conducting the administrative and clerical operations, acting as a public face, and setting goals for the House. The ideal candidate will have experience with the homeless or in another human service field and show a commitment to others. Please send resume and cover letter to Catholic Worker House, PO Box 10118, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Page 16 STREETVIBES Streetvibes TV TV Schedule The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video, 2114 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 information. Streetvibes TV SEPTEMBER Schedule September's Live TV show will begin at 7PM, Monday, September 13th, and will be broadcast from the Reading Road Studio. The new show format includes a studio audience along with a guest panel discussion. Channel 24. LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. MONDAY. September 6th at ZPM. Rebroadcast Dates for Show on Chan­ nel 4: (Please check your schedule) Saturday, September 4, 1999, 4 PM Friday, September 10, 1999, 11 AM Friday, September 17, 1999, 11 AM Monday, September 27, 1999, 10 PM Saturday, September 25, 1999, 4 PM Broadcast schedules are subject to chan e - consult our local TV directory. If you have any ideas for future STAEETVIBES TV shows please contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our viewing audience. Ideas should ad­ dress 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... >35 MM Film for Streetvibes photo's >laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper >Good used or new Xerox machine >Office Supplies Vendor: 80 cents Where Your Dollar Goes 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 tor a private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Thanks for your support. >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups, etc.) >Computer for Streetvibes layout and writing >Subscribers --~ --­ Call the Greater Cincinnati oalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 if you can help! 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 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Womens Shelter 872-9259 !-888-872-9259 (Toll Free) 281-5770 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431-8717 Welcome House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER : Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) Friars Club Haven House (HamUton) Interfaith Hospitality Network 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 244-7226 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House St. Francis- St. Joseph 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 961-4080 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369·0004 381-0954 639-7056 961-4555 241-7343 921-7324 784-1853 921-1613 381·4941 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 421-2437 621-5991 231·6630 Beech Acres Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961·0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Community Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank 771 -4800 Goodwill Industries 621 -7 149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632·7186 Hamilton Co. 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 Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 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 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 August 1999 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Homeless Population Continues to Increase in America’s Rural Areas Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 3: Searching for a Better Life Pg 4: Heart House Shelter Project Brings Hope to Rural Homeless Pg 5: The Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide News Pg 8: Prisoner’s News Pg 9: Cooling Center Idea North American Street Newspaper Conference Tax Cut Benefits Wealthy, Cuts Domestic Programs Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: Dropp Inn Center Hosts First Annual 5K Walk and Run Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Pg 13: Etcetera Pg 14: Aurora, Indiana First in Midwest to Host Art Exhibit on Homelessness 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 August 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 5k Walk Amy Krings Arts & Poetry Beverly Keller Donald Whitehead Drop Inn Center Drug Tests Gina Miller Grassroots community Heart House Shelter Indiana Jimmy Heath John Perotti Kay Stinnett Lettie Davis Lynn Williams Malik Amilcar Midwest NASNA nationwide news prisoners news Ray Sullivan Ron Carter Rural Areas Sheila Crowley Shepard Andrew Martin Tax Cut the broken city The Traveler Tom Billman welfare welfare news 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