4 10 291 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/1e839ead57199d736b89f6b49bf5bf69.pdf 1c75def09036d73df188ec300ab52c6d PDF Text Text ~---· ----~-------- - - -~- " ­ / __) ['--_______________________) ( City Council ·c andidates P ro mis~ Support for Drop l·n n Center and Affordable Housing. Will They Walk their Talk? PRESERV E THE DROP INN WHERE IT IS Nearly all the candidates up for election to the Cincinnati City Council this November gathered at the Drop Inn Center Thursday, Sept. 16, to voice their support for affordable housing and neighborhood self-determination - Charlie Gardner, Scott 'Seidewitz, Theo Barnes, Chris Monzel, Jane Anderson, Forrest Buckley, Minnette Cooper, Alida Reese, Jeanette Cissell, Todd Portune, Kaye Britton , Ken Anderson, Charles Winburn ......... But ..... Who is against Mom and Apple Pie ? ......who is going to insult the hosts on their own turf? The two questions posed to the candidates: \ncreasing the amount of affordable his house at the Mt. Auburn "borderline", he dreams of building up the dozens of dilapidated buildings he sees. ...... Promises he won't be one ofthe councn members who forgets the people he's working for. housing in Cincinnati, especially since Welf~ re Reform is likely tC? put 800 families on the street come riext October, and Since Cincinnati's Hope 6 demolition is likely to displace up to 2,000 more people. Chris Monzel, engineer by trade, lives in Winton Place, where he is trying to develop a solid mixed income neighborhood . He believes that giving money to the nonprofit organizations in neighborhoods is one of the most efficient ways to make things happen. 1) What is your strategy for and 2) Do you support the Drop in Center staying where it is? (One can't necessarily equatEt elo­ quence of speech with eloquence of action; some of the candidates, such as Charlie Gardner, were maybe busy thinking of what they would do rather than what they would say.) Scott Seidewifz, however, had it all laid out in dollars and cents. President of the Over-the-Rhine nonprofit credit union Smart Money Commu­ nity Services, he describes himself as being dedicated to helping people develop the resources to lift themselves out of poverty. His "Seidewitz Sensible Government Plan" is designed to save 11 million from cutting out layers of bureaucracy, giving workers on the bottom layer more decision­ making power. Sounds great. Sounds li~e a miracle, almost. Hope he has the political sawy to see it through. Theo Barnes, Independent candidate: Believes strongly that people with criminal records should not be written off and thrown in the dump heap, but allowed the chance to prove themselves capable of fitting into newly developed jobs and housing. Walking through the neighborhood on his way from (~ Jane Anderson has taken on Housing as a top priority and special interest in her campaign. 'The City of Cincinnati needs to be proactive about developing a Housing Plan" . Housing Projects get bogged down in city hall. A Coordinator within City Hall is need~d to see them through. Forrest Buckley worked at the fire house · at McMicken and Vine Street for 12 1/2 years. He fears that welfare reform will mean a lot of people falling through the cracks, espe­ cially when the economy takes its eventual downturn. : ... Though CMHA promised that no people will be displaced , the numbers don't match up. He is in favor of Maintain­ ing the 5,540 units of low-inco'me housing in OTR. In fact, the City has a moral responsi­ bility to maintain them. Outsiders (slum lords) should not be milking dry the re­ sources of OTR, running poorly maintained properties. Minnette Cooper wants to focus her attention on the "Training, education, and readiness" of the people moving into new housing. [I think that really boils down to bringing up the economic; level of people who are too poor to afford market-rate housing.] Current plans are designed for people with money and jobs. We have to bring up the people leaving welfare to1hat state. Alicia Reese, first time candidate for City Council, grew up with her Grand­ mother on Linn Street. She is working with the Cinti Public Schools...."Preparing Cincinnatians for Cincinnati Jobs". People .need access to capital (though Candidates Forum continued on page 3..... ____________________) �ST RE~ TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Traveler by Donald Whitehead Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspa­ per written by, for, and about the homeless, social justice and poverty related issues. I t is p ub lished once a m onth, 12 issues a year, l:?Y the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for t he Hom eless. Vendors buy t he paper for 20 cents ( t o cover printing costs) and then sell t he paper for a dollar donation. The vendor keeps the profits. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a g reat way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) t heir feet. Streetvibes ven.dors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes vendor badge. The Gr eater Cincinnati Coali­ tion for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati throug h coor:dinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Susan Knight, Admi nistrative Coordinator Tom Billman, Streetvibes editor Ron Carter, Vendor Support Gina Miller, Rapid Exit Program Warren Perkins, Tenant Organizing Photos by Bev Brooks and others Paintings are from the traveling Homeless exhibit soon to come to Cincinnati Writers Donald Whitehead Brook Gumm Mildred Grinney Shelia Lindsey Tom Billman Ron Carter ·vannette Lacy Te'tro Amaru Donald Whitehead 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-mai l : streetvibes@juno.com (text­ only) or homecoal@primax.net ( attached files) web page: http: / /cinci.com/gcch Most advocates probably .g o through the phase I recently went thro~gh. A phase were normal optimism is replaced by discouragement. Mounting losses encountered challenge your commitment to the social justice movement you to feel as helpless as the character Sisyphus. He was the character in Greek Mythology who pushed the bolder to the top of the hill only to have it roll back down forcing him to began the process over again, this fate lasted an -eternity. The struggle to end homelessness is far from the top of the hill, it fact if it were the boulder that Sisyphus had to push it would just barely have started its climb. I guess my boulder is a just a pebble in this boulder of a problem that called homelessness but even pebbles can be heavy when your pushing them up hill. In times like these I always find myself searching for that thing or that event that renews my commitment and makes me believe that maybe just maybe we can make a dent It's funny how those kinds of happen when you least expect them. When I began this column two years ago it was in an effort to share my experiences and insights during my travels. To be honest my most recent trips have been rather uneventful. Meet­ ings with politicians or cabinet members don't offer the insight that readers of Streetvibes deserve. I am much more pleased when I have the occasjon to meet with everyday ordinary people. For quite some time I have hated hotel . rooms they seem so unfriendly and synthetic. I was very pleased to learn that· my next trip would be much differeht from the norm. Not only would I get the chance to meet with homeless and formerly homeless men and women I would also get the chance to stay at the home of a staff member from the agency that had requested technical assistance. At the very beginning of my trip I began to realize that this trip was going to be much differ­ ent than most of my recent trips. After landing in Nashville Tennessee I proceeded to the ground transportation waiting area were I was to wait for Bob Reeg Health Policy Analyst from the National Coalition for the Homeless. Normally in the feverish pace that you encounter in airports people rarely have time for conversations. The first indication that something special was hap­ pening was a conversation at the airport with a very friendly gentleman returning from a two week trip to Los Angeles. I will call him Reverend Jackson, Reverend Jackson was very tired because for twenty years he had been working with orphans (talk about commitment). I was delighted by his stores of orphans that had gone on to success in college, or sports or life in general. He was so grateful that many of them kept in contact with him regularly. I told him that I really appreciated that kind of commitment and perseverance that his work took to accomplish, he re.plied " we both ~ave tough jobs but they are the mission that God wanted us to complete we should be grateful he didn't choose us to build an Ark." Just then my ride pulled up and so did the Reverends, as we parted I kept thinking what a wonderful person. My next stop was the National Healthcare for the Homeless Office. There I met the staff and the Director John Lozier a friend and fellow National Coalition for the Homeless 'Board Mem­ ber. The first thing I noticed is that it was after 6 PM and everyone was still working. They were. getting ready for there national meeting and they were committed to making the event a success. Page 2 Later that evening we met John Lozier"s at his cozy country home complete with a hammock and a wondertul family. We dined at an Italian restau­ rant that overlooked the Cumberland River, the restaurant belonged to a couple that had moved there from New York, the story was that she was from New York and he was from lta!y they met and feel in love and moved to Tennessee to pursue there dreams. When we arrived at the place were we would conduct are workshops it was very dark, so dark in fact that we had a consid­ erable amount of trouble finding the key to the house. The house was the families summer home and it was on a private lake that also overlooked the Cumberland River. There is nothing more peaceful than being in the_woods away from I civilization. I realized that I f ,.. 1¥ had not had a night that was i I ' this serene in a very long time. No street lights, no traffic noise, no gun shots, no sirens. We I woke the next morning I was startled by the view, absolutely breathtaking, this was no synthetic hotel room. We were not completely primitive we did have cable television, air conditioning and most importantly a coffee maker but it was as close to nature as it had been in quite some time. N I have done technical assistance in several places with several homeless groups. I have to say this groups was one of the most impressive I've seen. One member of the group had started his own non profit temporary service, another had worked with Mitch Snyder there was one Graduate of Vanderbilt University, another from the Univer­ sity ofTennessee, a woman from out west New Mexico I believe who was now a provider. This very diverse group was very attentive and pas­ sionate about there work. At the end of the day the mission was accomplished. The group had formed an advisory committee, elected officers, and decided on a model for voting. All this was accomplished in an eight hour day, that also included a boat ride and a game of horse with a former NBA player who was also a member of our group (incidentally I lost the game). I have no way of knowing how much work this group will accomplish but I left with a renewed sense of commitment and a feeling that something special had just happened. I was so enthusiastic when I left Tennessee I couldn't wait to get back to Cincinnati. I arrived at home by 12:00 EST in plenty of time to watch the Bengals play Tennessee (another loss for the home team). Monday morning I talked with two women first thing. The first woman was living in an abandoned building she suffered from an obvjous mental · disorder and when I asked her about agencies she immediately got frustrated and left. The next young lady had been moving from place to place and had recently been raped in one of those places. These two women had very difficult situations but I was able to find shelter for one and hope to find shelter for the second if I can get her to open up to someone. It suddenly dawned on me that there's a reason I'm working here and I must continue to push the boulder up the hill. For other travelers and advocates although your task may seem hard and losses may seem frequent, in the words of Reverend Jackson " What if God had asked you to build an Ark." "Success is not a destination that you ever reach. Success is the quality ofyour journey." - Jennifer James '· �-· STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 auctions seem to have been private scams which cheated the taxpayers and the poor people of Cincinnati out of perhaps millions of dollars. CMHA, which owns 1800 buildings, is missing . trucks, cars, cabinets, refrigerators, etc. ~· banks/business) to reach the state of housing ownership. Thinks "Welfare to Work" strategies should be designed to employ people within their own neighborhoods, to benefit both them and their neighborhoods. Jeanette Cissell, a present member of City Council , chairs the Committee on Employ­ ment and Job Training. ..... She says that the success claims of "Welfare to Work" programs are not true numbers; people are not really becoming self sufficient, able to adequately support their families. Ms. Cissell recently returned from Washington, where she lobbied for the $10 million in Empowerment Zone money that was promised to Cincinnati. ....says ....a oneshot 3 million dollar program is not sufficient to really get people securely into the work force. A more continuous program is needed. Todd Portune is running for his·final term on council (due to term limits) Says...... Public policies do not support the preservation of housing at affordable levels. Welfare Reform is NOT working. The City needs to block- grant human services money to individual neighborhoods, to the people who really know what is needed. Affordable housing means 2 things: a) Keep the price affordable and b) Increase income , which means... jobs Mr. Portune favors making City expendi­ tures on public works/bid contracts contingent upon contractors having policl es in place to reduce local joblessness and poverty. There are 12 neighborhoods in Cincinnati where over 60% of the adult population' is without work. He also strongly favors a City policy against the destruction of public/affordable housing. 2) Question # 2: Should the Drop Inn Center stay where it is? Todd Portune says YES - . a) The OTR community Council deserves the support of the City in determining what is best for its commu- · nity. b) The arts center is a luxury. City money needs to be spent to improve city schools. c) Why should money, time, etc. in­ vested in the Drop be cast aside on a project, which, if redesigned, could peacefully coexist with the Drop. In the end, Mr. Portune believes that Cincinnati will achieve more fame by supporting the creative coexistence of the arts and the concerns of the homeless than by picking one side. Jeannette Cissell believes in coexist­ ence, says students will benefit from the pres­ ence of homeless people. Minnette Cooper, a strong advocate of self-determination, believes that money now targeted for a new arts center would be better spent fixing existing schools. The police' sweeps of Washington park before "highbrow" events at Music hall scare Forrest Buckley, who notes .......... Kunzel said he feared for the safety of the Children if the Drop stays; but Washington Park School has been operating almost inside Washington park, without any problems, for 20 years. Charlie Mattingly asks the Council candi­ dates: What would you do to protect the funds committed to low income housing?, to make sure they benefited the people for which they are intended. Gregory Payton: In the "Invest in ·Cincinnati campaign, - of the $140 million spent, none was invested in neighborhoods. Tommy Lee Drop Inn staff member, is insulted by the insinuation of some members of Council that homeless people all need training to be able to benefit from the opportunities extended to them. Many homeless people are very well educated and intelligent. Jane Anderson and Chris Montel (Chris has worked in a Homeless shelter in Oakland) both use the term "Win-Win" to describe their belief that a world class arts center and the Drop Inn Center can peacefully coexist. Scott Seidewitz believes that (a) "Where the Drop Inn Center is located should be decided by the Drop Inn Center." The Drop is Private property,·therefore can only be moved if the City of Cincinnati claims the right of eminent domain; and that, he would­ definitely oppose. (b) "lt is an absoJute insult to say that students would be threatened by the existence of homeless people or social service organizations. Part of the arts is exploring the human condition, so certainly students should be encouraged to come and get involved in social issues." Charlie Gardner spent a few nights at the Drop Inn, and wouldn't want to see the demise of what was a stepping stone for him. The City should not only leave the Drop Inn Center, but build another one besides. ..Several more candidates straggle in and are asked to answer questions 1 and 2 : Kaye Britton, (realtor}, Ken Anderson, realtor and title examiner, Charles Winburn , working to preserve the Fort Washington Hotel.. ... Winburn, who once lived in Allen House, states "I am not in the pockets of big business" (amidst a good bit of laughter) ...... but watch the next mayor carefully...... Whoever it is might favor moving out the Drop Inn Center. ..... and Ken Anderson : In expressing his opinion in favor of self-determination, .... ."people should be given a helping hand up, not a kick in the face" Part 3: THE AUDIENCE GETS ON ITS OWN SOAPBOX: Charlie Mattingly, A member of a local City government watchdog group, has been gathering evidence of alleged fraud and corrup­ tion within the administration of CMHA, occurring especially during the remodeling of Lincoln Court just before its demolition. Supposed PUBLIC Joyce Robinson, a 62-year old resident of the Drop Inn Center.... "lf it wasn't for the Drop Inn Center, I don't know where I'd be ....maybe dead." Though she has depression, she still has skills, and the ability to work, and believes strongly in a ­ long term program to help mentally and physically disabled people develop their talents so they can have the benefits of work. CONCLUSION: It was a helluva Jisplay of theoretical support for Homeless People and Affordable housing. We hope you-all do the right thing when the heat is on. Streetvibes Vendor code Each vendor has t.o sign the following code to. be able to sell the paper. I. Streervibes will be distributed for a S I voluntary donation. l agree not to ask for donations more than $ 1. l also understand that l will be able to keep 80 cents of ~ach dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. l agree that l will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3 . I agree that I will not as k for donaiions after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I wi ll not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard se ll .. or make someone feel threat­ ened . S. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distribu­ tors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that l am collecting for a not-for-profit cha rity or that I am collecting for the "home l ess~ in general. I wi ll be honest in stat)ng that all the profits from the sa le of Streelvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. l agree that I will not contest territories with other dis tributors. 8. I understand tha t 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 wo.rd and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that fai lure to comply with any of the above statements w ill result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. The Greater Cincinnati ·c oalition for the Homeleaa �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Charlene Robinson, Much- loved local advocate and caretaker, dies · af~er long illness. Charlene Robinson, long time Over The Rhine/West End resident and community activist, died at University Hospital on Sep­ tember 17, 1999 after a long .illness. Charlene was born in Louisville, Kentucky on June 1, 1945. At the time of her death , Charlene was a resident at Caracole in Rose Lawn. Charlene worked with the Dominican Page 4 NATIONAL CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES OCT 2nd JUSTICE FOR ALL? We must REJECT: We DEMAND: o o o o o o Out-of-sight, out-of-mind homeless policies and programs o Shelters as prisons o "Closing" our parks and public spaces o Economic cleansing of our communities o Continued criminalization of our homeless sisters and brothers o Anyone ever dying in our streets again! Living wage Jobs Safe, affordable housing Treatment on demand Community childcare Quality education Join With People from Across the Country to Launch the National Coalition for the Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project! Saturday · October 2nd, 4:30 p.m. San Francisco United Nations Plaza (Hyde and Fulton Streets) Sisters Home Health Agency as a community health worker for 18 years. In this capacity, she visited the sick and elderly in their own homes and provided services at the Contact Center the OTR Senior Center and Gateway Senior Center. As a resident, Charlene was involved in the Community Council and a variety of community activities including early efforts to stop displace­ ment. Charlene was a staunch advocate for single parents and their children, insisting on their right to be treated with respect and to receive adequate support. In the late 1980's Charlene became the first house manager of EPIC (Elderly People in Community), a shared residence for elderly people in the West End. Later Charlene became a cook and housekeeper for Caracole, a resi­ dence for people living with Aids. Charlene was a generous and kind caretaker and treated all those she served with deep respect. Her commitment to justice was evidenced in her advocacy for all those who were poor or in any way marginalized. Charlene retired in 1991 due to failing health. At this stage of her life she continued to be active with AVOC and served on their speak­ ers bureau . Charlene freely shared he own story and struggle with AIDS because she believed that understanding on the part of the general public would result in more just and loving care of people with AIDS/HIV. Charlene received the Maurice Mccrackin Peace and Justice Award in 1995 in recognition of her many years of commitment to the work of peace and justice. In 1996 she was given the Ohio Aids Service Award for her activity on behalf of the AIDS community. Charlene was appointed to the Cincinnati Board of Health by Mayor Roxanne Qualls in 1995 and served for two and one half years. When you met C~ne. she because y0ur friend and she treasured all of her friends. Charl8ne was recognized as a wise mother figure (Endorsed by (partial list): Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency, Caducsus Outreach Services, Coalition for Ethical Welfare Reform, Community Housing Partnership, Eviction Defense Network, Haven House Services (Jeffersonville, IN), First Unitarian Church, Food Not Bombs, Homeless Prenatal Project, Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights, Media Alliance, Metropolitan Community Church, national Coalition for the Homeless, National Lawyers Guild, Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (Cleveland), OPEIU local 3­ .AFL-CIO, People Organized to Win Employment Rights, POOR maga.zine, San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco Tenants Union, Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee, Street Spirit, Swords to Plowshares, Task Force for the Homeless, Atlanta GA. For more information, contact your local Homeless Coalition: 421-7803 in the community. Young people and old alike experienced her warmth, her caring concern , her love arid sought her counsel. She was an excellent cook and took great pleasure in serving delicious meats to her family and friends. Charlene loved to celebrate and could be counted on to liven up any party. Gerald passed away on September 13th from a heart attack. The cleanliness of the Drop Inn Center is a testament to his high standards. He ran a tight ship and let his workers know what was ex­ pected of them in no uncertain terms. As his friends could tell you, he was very generous with everyone he met. He always seemed to have an encouraging word when you needed it the most. About 100 people turned out for his memorial service held at the Drop Inn Center on September 16th to bid their farewells. Charlene leaves four daughters - Rosa (West End), Angela and Donna (Over the Rhine), and Markita (Mount Auburn), and eight grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her oldest grandson, Sherman, and her mother Dorothy Anderson. Services were held at St. Joseph Church on Wednesday evening, September 22. Interment was at St. Joseph Cemetery in Price Hill. Shelter Worker Will Be Missed by Pat Clifford Gerald Deer was always atthe Drop Inn Center, helping to keep the doors open and the food hot. He was technically the coordinator of Food and Building Maintenance, but he was much more than that. He was a trustee and trusted friend. ·His combination of a sense of humor with his strong WOfk ethic will truly be missed.··said co-worker Andy HlltZel of the Drop Inn Center. .. . �~--~---•-.-._....c;;;..-~------~- -- ­ STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Who is the Real.. me? WORD ON THE STREET Am I the womon who sits ot tlie desk ot Peaslee ond pleosontly ond politely answers the phone, writes thonk you notes, ond chots with the people around me? Or om I the one who gozes out the window wishing.for o dirrerent life - o life of adven­ ture ond excitement? Who is the reol me? Sometimes I don' know. I would like to be on o form with oll sorts of creatures - cots. dogs, horses, chickens, ond birds - ond growing flowers in o gor~en. Am I the 't;VOmon who in another life wos the dancer on the stoge -0- o Flamenco dancer, o belly dancer, or the womon who sings. In o littfe Bistro. songs of lost loves ond flaming passion? Or om I the perennial mother that loves babies ond smoll children ond feels the poin when the childbearing period of her life is over? Who is this person in this eighty-year-old body? Whot wos she in o former life? Wos she hoppy? Am I content with my life os I now live it? I feel sometim!='s thot there is something missing. Con I find the me, the reol me? Whot would I be os the reol me? I don't feel thot I'm the person the world see. My friends see me os o wise womon. I om not wise. I om o coring being. is that the real me? I wonder? Arts & Poetry SPIRIT'S SONG ......Shelia Lindsey The Spirit Song was lost in me, my heart was sillking low I drifted on the winds of change, and I had nowhere to go. Then you came and spoke to me with words so soft and light, You gave me hope, you gave me l;ove and then my soul took flight. While I'm with you, I know, my love, that nothing can go wrong. You are my strength, you are my Heart, You are my Spirit's Song. Page 5 WINDSONG Last night I heard somewhere Sometimes I feel I need, for a soothjng song on the wind, so much alone, me, a friend. I hear the night winds calling, but lulling me to sleep When I awake , this friend. is gone. It's for Him I weep The dark it seems to comfort me and Rock me like a Friend. To me it seems, my only one, and he is there until the end. The Night c·a n keep my secrets, for the stars, they · do not speak The Night winds hold me tight_, they lay me down when I feel weak So at night when I'm outside I toss my secrets to the wind , The Stars they are my s i s ters and the night sky is my friend. ......Mildred Grinney I Used to Have Eight Teaspoons Now whether it be Right, or Whether it be wrong, the N ight will always hold for me, my soothing Wind Song. I used to have eight teaspoons in my set Now I zealoµ sly guard the two that remain. I used to ride my bike for miles on scenic trai ls Now I run beside you in the parking lot whi le you learn to ride your own. l used to read inspiring books in the evening Now I'm coerced into wrestling and pillow fights : Ready to Die I used to clean house once a month. Now the kitchen floor needs overhauling once a week. ..........by Te'troAmaru God got me shit'n mud and piss'n out blood. He got to know how hard I try to live my life right What the fuck ... I'm ready to die. I previously had no clue who Molly was Now I know the names of Power Ran_gers and Teletubbies. used to have no desire for pets. Now I look forward to getting you a dog and volunteer to take your class' crab over spring break How did you change me so so fast? Like - bow did the penc iled marks on the wall ever get this tall? .......... by Brook Gumm, in honor of her son's 6th birthday Throughout this life I'm living I've experienced ups and downs. I've been so low the devil won't dwell places my seoul has fell. But still my wil.1to fulfill my dreams is stronger than the doubts you have in me. And with everything to win and nothing to lose don't question why I choose to die. Ready to die You don't understand me. And you don't want to comprehend what I'm going through. It's so demanding, this rollicoaster ride of my life. I've felt pain like no one else. I've thought things you can't imagine. I've done wrong but I've done right. I've got a good heart when I try. But at times' it's hard to find that one thing that means everything in my life. , I don't want to cry anymore. And I don't have the water for tears anymore. ­ I'm rea_dy to die! (an excerpt from the song 'Ready to Die') �STREET VI BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine / The Lamb 'I Who say that the tender plant was white with blue eyes? Who wanted black people to accept a white christ? Why then do we hang a portrait of falsehood upon the wall? Who was lead to the slaughter, as a sheep . to the shearers is dumb Who has done no violence, nor sinned with his lips? Who was wounded for our sins? But this soul has justified many. He hath poured out his soul unto death 4 the world. This black man died 4 our sins His name is the Lamb WORD SCRAMBLE. Send your poetry, writings or artwork to . 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati 45210 Phone - 513-421-7803, EMail (text): streetvibes@juno.com, E-mail (attached files, graphics): homecoal@primax.net But by the Grace of God there go I Now I live but soon I must die God is my father who gave life to me Mary is my mother for she loves me Jesus is my brother for all eternity God sent his angel from Heaven above • He sent me to earth to teach people love For a little while I will be with thee He will send his angels soon to come and get me But by the grace of God there go I Now I live but soon I must die. CHAMPION ..... ....Alford Cephas (D. 0. O.P.) As the seed is planted,·so were you. What process took place before the beauty ofthe bloom Watered with love and attention, Fed knowledge and information I do mention Armed are you now · -' to fight the aimy of we~~ · .) ·~ as they IJrowl "..': ·1 Will they defeat you, overtake you? Are you strong enough now? Spiritually, mentally and physically sound, You take a disciplined sword and cut those weeds on down. The soil is now turned, taking in ~he healing powers of the sun rays So the face of the flower now wears a champion's grin. TOP 20 SAYINGS WE'D LIKE TO SEE ON THOSE OFFICE INSPIRATIONAL POSTERS 1. Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings, they did it by killing all those who opposed them. ......... Beverly Keifer .......by Ralph Bolden geographical An alien society, comforts - formed from iron. illusions fill' captivity freedom attached with chains. Prosperity- prisons thrive. slavery legalized. Oppression - a way of life, suffering enhances happiness. Men fade: thoughts darken, hope disintegrates. looking for a way out, an end to suffering. The will to survive is strong some live, other embrace death's allure. Survivors suffer another day, hoping to enter an alien society. c/o GCCH (Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless), P.C. (Potassium Chloride) NWTCNCNI OTNANC EVLNDACEL MOLUBSUC KNYCTUKE: OLIEULILSV: GNTXLENON: RTOPEWN: .....James Prince 5treetvit7ee, ... ......by Ron Carter Hint: An Alien Society We Need Your Creativity! Who was crucified 4 us? When he was born, didn't the three wise men bare gifts 4 thee? Who was raised for an inquisition, for blood? Who had no beauty that we should desire him? Who was despised and rejected of men? Who was esteem stricken? And opened not his mouth. And who was ordered to death by King Herod, and Pilate carried carried out that order? Page 6 I'm dreaming ofdeath.. When I close my eyes for the last time I rewind... Will the last thing I see be my mother 's smile? Or the faces ofthe jury from my trial. Watching the P.C. come down the track, going into my vain, now there is no turning back. Strapped to the crucifix - pacifist cringe; If murder ain't right, why would the state kill them. Coughing up blood when I wake up in my cell, I think ofmy mother and a tear of love breaks my shell; But truthfully I'll never fold; day to day stay strong L iving in a place where no one belongs 2. If you can stay calm, while all around you there is chaos ... then you probably haven't completely understood the seriousness of the situation. 3. Doing a job RIGHT the first time gets the job done. Doing the job WRONG fourteen times gives you job security. 4. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. 5. Artificial intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity. 8. If at first you don't succeed , try management. 9. Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid altogether. 10. TEAMWORK .... means never having to take all the blame yourself. .... ...continued next issue - Death Row is a place where I lay captive, 24-7 lockdown is how we live. I S1!1U .:U!f-outside, tormeqt!- .U}Y.lYdreams. I see Potas°fmm'<Dhloride enter my oloodstream .......Mr. Bolden is currently on Pennsylvania s Death Row. He is a performance poet, writer and mustcian. Among his manyinspirations are his brother, an accomp lished musiccian, his mother, a published poet and author, and his great grandmother who at 92 years old has just publishedher second book. His interestsw are : religion (comparative studies), music, and current events. Correspondence is welcome. ,,_~The Old Man ·~ '"7'.f:,;. ,.._. ....... by Ron Colter ~ ¥t;I.­ . · ;..~ · .·!~ ·:~~~~- young women was drivin~· · down the road. All of a sudden she spotted an old man lying on the ground . She asked him why he was lying on the ground. He said, "A 1988 ford blue with a white top a man driving a women in the passenger seat, two kids in the back seat playing tic tac toe, radio playing 'On the road again', Ohio plates." The women said, " Wow, you can tell that car is coming just by lying on the ground?" Ralph Bolden #CZ 1411 1040 E. Roy Furman Hwy. Waynesbutg, PA. 15370-8090 He said, "No, that's the car that just ran over me." �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine BEHIND THE BATTLE LINES Page 7 by Josh Brandon DATELINE: No Man's Land, San Franciscp I didn't see them out of the corner of my eye until they were ten yards away, the early morning light flashing on their guns, both of them silently creeping up on my sleeping form, huddled in my hiding place. I woke up with a fearful start, a sixth sense had finally flashed danger through my fitful sleep, and the uniformed troopers stopped and told me to freeze. I froze, with only my wits for weapons, scared of being mistakenly shot. They told me to get up and come with them so they could report my capture. They walked me down the hill and lined me up against a wall , one covering me while the other decided what to do with me. I was going to be charged , not with a felony, not with even a misdemeanor, but with the more minor infraction of sleeping on state property. Overkill. I kept flashing to how similar this scene was to the filmed footage of 1930's Germany I had seen in documentaries, except here I was the Gypsy, the Jew, the Slav, the political dissident - the undesirable, however defined - that was being led away by aggressive, armed, and uniformed men to an unknown future. Then, too, the undesirables had been sought where they were hidden, hounded in public when flushed out, and lined up against walls to await their fate, simply because they had committed the crime of living and existing when and where others, with guns, had decided they shoul~ not be. And I also.knew that s0me homeless San Franciscans have been shot - and some have been killed - by those who "serve and protect." And I am not including the scores of homeless San Franciscans who have been found murdered with no witnesses, no motives, and no suspects. Qr the others, whose killers were caught, who were shot be­ cause they had panhandled tourists in front of a hotel, or whose throats were slashed simply because they had been sleeping in the wrong door­ way. And I'm not even counting the unknown numbers of homeless people who lived through their own private terrors at the hands of others, either armed with official authority or with vigilantee justice or with the primal joy of mayhem against the weak.. But this isn't the horror of the Holocaust happening to homeless San Franciscans a half century later in San Francisco. That night­ mare of systematic governmental madness was over there, not here, and a long time ago - although East Timor, and Kosovar, and Bosnia, and South Africa keep reminding us, time after time, that the past is still present. This is much more like. that time after Kristalnacht, the Crystal Night, the prelude to that Horror, when that government condoned a night of beatings and killings, the burning of businesses and the theft of prop­ erty of people who had been stereotyped by both government c;ind media as flea-bitten, insect-ridden dregs and parasites of good society. For it was soon after that night-that the Nazi state decreed and enforced - with the support of good citizens everywhere - fewer and different civil rights for people without steady jobs, with below-average intelligences, with mental disabilities, with physical handicaps,1 with severe illnesses, and anyone else who had held fast to different beliefs, different religious convictions, or different political principles - as long as it wasn't their beliefs, or them. Their civil rights were limited to low-paying jobs no one else wanted, to travel only to certain places at certain times, to be excluded from policy decisions that directly affected their lives, to lose their homes and possessions to whomever wanted to take them, or to be forced to go wherever government fiat decreed. I say this because I am merely another r~luctant and recent American draftee forced onto the frontlines in the War on America's Poor ­ the social civil war pitting housed Americans who have against homeless Americans - and I have seen my civil rights, as well as others, vanish as fast as my housing. Formerly homeless but housed for. the past seven years, I had worked as a newspaper editor in this city's poorest neighborhood, a freelance writer to the dailies, on the citywide planning body for develop­ ing Treasure Island, and for San Francisco's Department of Public Health as their homeless deaths researcher. But a DPH budget cut slashed my parttime job out of existence and, coupled with a systematic snafu with unemployment benefits, I had no income for six weeks. Three tempo­ rarily missing checks later, my housed life turned inside out. I planned a budget to regain my housing within three months, and then spent the next six weeks out of the public eye, foxholed into a nook of a bridge, where conflicts with official authority were few only seven years ago. I thought I knew and understood homelessness - both profes­ sionally and personally - better than most people, yet I didn't fully know or understand what it means today to be a homeless San Franciscan until I became homeless this time. What I have seen happen to others or have had happen to me during the past six weeks makes me believe that this city's public spaces have now become brutally vicious social battlefields, where guerilla-like tactics of camouflage and ~vasion are needed in_order to just keep those same rights we used to have when we were housed. Sidewalks and alleys, plazas and parks, bridges and benches are now where people with backpacks and bags battle badges and uniforms, unnecessarily protecting the housed San Franciscan , who is relatively secure, from the homeless San Franciscan, who is just trying to survive. In San Francisco in 1999, as in 1930s Germany, or apartheid Sputh Africa, or present-day Russia, some are clearly more equal than others. . Otherwise, I would not have had my clean, orderly, and wellhidden camp torn down and my possessions thrown away four times in nine days by the California Highway Patrol - and then told to stay on city property instead. Or get followed by private security guards into the public bathrooms of the Embarcadero mall complexes to be told that I would have to make a purchase in order to wash my hands, urinate, or shave in their restrooms. Or be told by a beat cop to not sit on the curb across the street from St. Anthony's as I waited to get something to eat while other people in plain sight on Market Street were sitting with their lattes. Or witness two beat cops confiscate the wares of homeless sidewalk vendors and write them tickets, conveniently ignoring the housed heroin dealers across the street selling cheap and potent heroin laced with flesh-eating bacteria. Or see a police cruiser on Powell Street stop in the middle of the block, weave through groups of drinking tourists to take away a street alcoholic's beer - and cite him. Or be instructed by another police officer in Union Square ­ firmly, yet gently - tO just move along, a phrase I never heard when housed, but .is now a part of my daily life. Being homeless in itself - like living in grinding poverty or enduring a terminal disease - a little piece of yourself wastes away each day. Every sunrise means another battle, another place to go or to avoid, another loss of heart, a smaller source of strength to spend. Some have heavy burdens and small frames, -and don't make it. A few, resigned, wait for the inevitable. But many more make it off the streets and back into the housed world, knowing they might be back, but damned sure they won't be soon. And when they do, they will look again at h51w they themselves were once seen by the others who are housed. If they - and the rest of us, as a matter of fact - are lucky, they won't have to see thfs on their television set: ·~ lot of them [the homeless] don't want to work. They would preferjust to get handouts. And my take on it is, there's a dog pound, and there should be a human pound. You know, there should be like a three-strike law. You're picked up and written up, and if you don't get a job, and you're picked up again, the government can help you get a job, if the third time you're picked up, it's the gas chamber." ..... Baywatch actress and Playboy model Donna D 'Erri.;o, as quoted from "Politically Incorrect" on ABC. June 25, 1999. .....Josh Brandon I E-MAIL STREETVIBES: STREETVIBES@JUNO.COM I • { t t •• r • J �__ ____ ___ -.__,. --'- ....­ ~-----~---- STREETVIBES - -~ ~ .. ~ ·----..........-........­ - - . - -- ·----------~------· - ­ The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Dear Sonny. .... I hope this reaches you and finds you keeping cool. I hear it has been hotter than hell out there. I only get out a couple times a week for the big hour if I'm lucky and it's been nice - a bit warm and muggy, but nice just the same. Any fresh air is nice, even if it is hot and muggy at that. You take what you can get around here, but you know that. I can't imagine working out in this shit all day like some people - has to be hell. I'd . be heading for the lake or a pool after a few hours! I must apologize for not getting back with you sooner. I did not mean to blow you all by any means. I lost your letter somewhere along the line, but looked on my letter sheet and realized I didn't have a check by your name meaning that answered your letter and for this I'm sorry. I've been busy these p~st couple months with legal work and trying to get these guards to admit my knee cardiologist tore and fix it. The latter is unfortunately dragging on for four months now. It's crazy and frustrating as hell. Had this idiot doctor they got back here just look at my knees - never even bothered to bend, wiggle them or anything just looked and said I was fine. Needless to say I went off! Then he tells me I probably just sprained or twisted It and all he was going to do is give me some aspirin. I have to pay for some quack to tell me this. This is the same idiot that tried to give me aspirin for a sore throat and cough! I was fuming with this idiot as you can well imagine and have been going round and round with them since May. He insisted it was nothing and I'd be fine in a couple weeks - their blow-off answer to everything. · Finally got them to x-ray it a couple months ago, but it took them over a month to have the damn thing read. Of course, it doesn't show any damage - cartilage damage doesn't show up in x­ rays - I L<now this. I saw the idiot again and was told now that my one knee is losing muscle mass and I need to work out with it more! It will be a few more months. Hell, if I could work out .with it and do everything I was doing before, it wouldn't hurt! so·four months of suffering this pain, my knee is finaly showing sigtns of me favoring it. I swear I'd love to put these idiots in here and give them the same.BS & run-around they give us. I just happened to be in a mi8nister visit the last time the quack came back to see me a couple weeks ago and my minister just shook hsi head at his 'diagnosis' and remedy. Talk aobut being struck between a rock and a hard place. The doctor reufuses to send me for an MRI even1hough I told him all the symptoms classic for cartilage damage. He now says that I didn't suffer any major injury to my knee from my history which he got by asking me if I ever had a ACL tear - Never did, but that doesn't mean you can't tear your cartilage. i should know my brother did it to both his knees before he blew them both out! I guess I'll have to blow it out before I get any help until then I have to suffer. Messed up and aggravating as hell. On a.lighter note, last week when my mom came to visit, she brought in an article from the paper about my appeal. They overturned a bunch of my charges, but affirmed my murder charges and death sentence. It's crazy, but that's the Ohio Supreme Court for you. I should know more next week when I get the ruling back or hear from my attorneys. Wild how the papers find out things before me or my lawyers even do. Where this leaves me I'm not quite S!Jre. I never expected anything form the State and the main part of the appeal I thought I might get something good on was turned down, yet the minor points prevailed! Just goes to show you that you never know what to expect. I'd doubt seriously that a prosecutor will let this go unchallenged, but then again, I know they don't want me back in that county. I don't really want to go back there, so the feelings are mutual. I doubt they will retry me if it means my coming back, especially since my death sentence is still in effect. I guess we'll see. So that's my reason for the delay and again I apologize for not getting back with you sooner. I'm more than busy trying to get some play on my appeals and these idiots to give me some PROPER medical care. Yeah, I know I'm wishing on a star on the latter, but I have to keep trying b/c my knee is killing me. Well, I better let you go. I've rambled long enough. Once again, sorry for not getting back with you sooner. Take it easy. Take Care & God Bless, James .... from Death Row, Mansfield, Ohio MUMIA ABU-JAMAL (quoted from the Progressive 712197, by Marin Espada) Mumis is an eloquent African-American journalist convicted in the 198a slaying ofpolice officer. Daniel Faulkner in Philadelphia under extremely dubious circumstqances. Officer Faulkner was beating Mumia's brother with a flashlight when Mumia came upon the scene. In the ensuing confrontation, bbth Faulkner and Mumia were shot. . Although Mumia had a licensed .38 caliber pistol in his taxi that night, and the gun was later found beside him, the initial judgement ofthe medical examiner who removed the fatal bullet was that it came from a .44 caliber weapon. Serveral witnesses claimed to see an unidentified gunman fleeing the scene, leaving both Faulkner and Mumia severely wounded in the street. Page a .for Mumia Abu-Tamai : Another Nameless Prostitute Says the Man is Innocent The board-blinded windows knew what happened; The pavement sleeper ofPhiladelphi, groaning in their ghost-infested sleep, · knew what happened; Every black man blessed with the gashed eyebrow ofnightsticks kneW what happened; Even Walt WHitman knew what happened, poet a century dead, keeping vigil from the tomb on the other side ofthe bridge. More than fifteen years ago, the cataract state ofthe cruiser's headlights, the impossible angle ofthe bullet, the tributaries and lakes ofblood, Officer Faulkner dead, suspect Mumiashot in the chest, the witnesses who saw a gunman running away, his heart and feet thudding. The nameless prostitutes know, hunched at the curb, their bare legs chilled. Their faces squinted to see that night, rouged with fading bruises. Now the faces fade. Perhaps an eyewitness putrefies, eyes open in a bed of soil, or floats in the warm gulf stream ofher addiction, or hides from the fanged whispers ofthe police In the tomb 9fWalt Whitman, where the gramite door is open and fugitive slaves may rest. Mumia; the Pantehr beret, the thinking dreadlocks, dissident words that swarmed the microphone like a hive sharing meals with people named Africa, calling out their names even after the police • bombardment that charred their black bodies. After the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's recent So the governor has signed the death warrant. decision denying Mumia a new trial, a federal appeal is his last recourse. His situation is grave because the recently anacted Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act i;nakes it difficult to win such an appeal. Time grows sho1t for Mumia. and it may be only the public demands for a retrial that can save this trother from execution. Write, call, shout, march, talk about this to your elected federal representativess, to family, friends , co-workers. Mumia Abu-Jamal is the first U.S. political prisoner to face execution since the Rosen burgs. For details on actions, or· for othet infom1ation about Mumia, call (215) 476-8812 or www.mumia.com / PAN-OHIO Prisoners Advocacy Network Statewide Meeting Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio November 13-14, 1999 Call PAN-Cincinnati, (513) 241-8014 ~ / The executioner's needle would flush the poison down into Mumia's writing hand so the fingers curl like a burned spider; his calm questioning mouth would grow numb,and everywhere radios sputter to silence, in his memory. The veiled prostitutes are gone, gone to the segregated balcony ofwhores. But the newspaper reports that another nameless prostitute says the man is innocent, that she will testify at the next hearing. Beyond the courthouse, a multitude of winesses chants, prays, shouts for his prison to collapse, a shack in a hurricane. Mumia, ifthe last nameless prostitute becomes an unraveling turban ofsteam, If the judges' robes become clouds ofink swirling like octupus deception, ifthe shroud becomes your Amish quilt, ifyour dreadlocks are snipped during autopsy, then drift above the ruined RCA factory that once firthed radios to the tomb of Walt Whitman, where the granite door is open and fugitive slaves may rest. • • • �STREETVIBES James F. Love, #329-475 P. O. Box 45699-L3-30 When in the Course of Human Events You are being deceived. Do you care? Before I ever crossed swords with the justice system, I read the letters from prisoners printed in various newspa­ pers and magazines, just like you are doing now.. 1paid them little attention, especially to the ones that claimed they were innocent. After all, how many times had I heard that all prisoners say that they are innocent? I'd heard that hundreds of times during my life. I heard it from prosecutors. I'd heard it from Judges. I'd heard it from the Police. I'd heard it from lawyers. I'd heard it hundreds of times.... Every time some prisoner wrote a letter protesting his innocence, I'd hear it again from some naive reporter. After all, why listen to this one when he's just saying what all the rest day? Then I came to prison. What I found out was that I had been lied to all my life by both the media and the government. I think the media simply repeats what they are told because the new generation of journalists are lazy. It's easier to go collect a sound byte from the prosecutor's office. or the police department, after. . lunch, than it is to go to all the time and trouble of sitting through a long trial, or, God forbid, actually visiting anyone in jail or investigating the case independently. It's easier and the story is so much better and sellable when it's a one-sides slam. Sensationalism. I mean, what story would there be if they're innocent? It's so much more suitable for gossip, and selling more papers, or getting more air time, if he, or she, or they, are guilty. Did you ever notice that in the cases where a conviction is obtained that the story is several columns tong, naming names of not only the person convicted , but their family and friends? Did you ever notice that in the hundreds of cases overturned over the past 5 years on DNA testing that they appear as one-inch blips buried on page 14? · John Doe was released from the Ohio State prison system this morning after 17 years when DNA tests revealed he was innocent. Mr. Doe plans to reside with his mother." End of story. The United States Department of Justice did a study a few years ago that encompasses all the cases and prisoners in the United States. The study con­ cluded that between 8% and 12% of all State prisoners in this nation are actually or factually innocent and that 4% of all federal prisoners are actually or factually innocent. That is a legal distinction, so please allow me to explain. Factual innocence is like the man I know at Chillicothe Correctional Institution who was drunk one night and walked into a Kroger's and stuffed $23.00 worth of meat down his pants and tried to walk out the door without paying. He was guilty of shoplifting. He was convicted of robbery and sentenced to 6 to 15 years. He is factually innocent because the facts of the crime do not sustain the conviction for robbery. Actual innocence, is like me. I was accused of crimes in Cincinnati, and have now adduced undisputable evidence in my federal writ of habeas corpus that at the time the crimes were testified to have happened, I was in Mexico. I'm not talking about a day or two, I was in Mexico for an eight month period of time during which I was testified to by the "victim" as being in Cincinnati committing the alleged crimes that led to 3 or the 4 life sentences that I am presently serving, and when she testified to 5 of the 6 total allegations made against me. That is actual innocence. Taking the mean of the percentages given by the DOJ in their study, considering the difference between the greater numbers of state prisoners as opposed to federal prisoners, and even cutting that number in 112, it still means that as you go to sleep tonight, wherever that my be, across this nation approximately 80,000 men and women, just like you, sit in a prison cell knowing they are innocent an.d shouldn't be there. 93% of all convictions are obtained by a plea agreement. Only 7% go to trial. Why the disparity in the numbers? Well, sometimes if you have a record and are facing a sentencing enhancement of 10 to 20 years, it is easier to plead guilty to something you did not do and take the 2 years offered in exchange for the guilty plea, as opposed to tryin!:J to convince a jury that you are innocent after the prosecutor drums your prior conviction into their head. Even though that is not supposed to happen in theory, it is what happens in Hamilton County. Go sit through a few of Judge Nurre's trials. That's his specialty. He's the county's "hatchet judge,", did you know that? Nurre and Ney, AKA Judge Roy Bean and Company. Appear before them and it doesn't matter if you were just truant from school when you were twelve, the jury will hear it somehow. That's called judicial activism. Circumvent The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine evidentiary rules to get the outcome you want and have plenty of friends cultivated on the Court of Appeals to uphold the case on appeal, or appoint an ~ppeal attorney that owes you a favor. A large portion of the "recidivism" rate of ex­ convicts in this nation is artificially generated by the police and prosecutors, not only focusing on ex­ convicts as suspects, but in them having leverage over the ex-con by way of"prior conviction sentencing enhancement" that runs into decades of extra prison time. Put that together with a judge who thinks that if you've been in trouble before you must be guilty now also, and it's a winning combination, for the state. So if 93% stood up and told the court and society that they were guilty, do you think they come to prison and then scream they are innocent? No, they don't. In the ten years that I've done in prison my experience is that most cons will tell you that they are guilty and that they are just doing their time. So who is this "all" that we always hear say they are innocent" It's that 5% that are innocent. That 5% are making so much noise that it just seems like "all" prisoners say they are innocent. What's worse is that the government and the trial judge know that they are innocent and don't want you to listen. By deceiving you, the public, into not listening to that 5%, and looking into why they are in prison and innocent, who is benefiting? Well, let's see. The court appointed attorney that sided with the prosecutor and allowed an innocent person to be placed in prison is probably in private practice now. He is benefiting. Who would hire him if they knew? The prosecutor who charged the person, and twisted or ignored the evidence to get the bogus conviction, is benefiting. He has to run for re-election in the county next term and wants to be State Treasurer in a couple of years. Wouldn't want a strong political opponent to be able to advertise the fact that he puts innocent people in prison during the campaign, would we? The Judge also has to run for re-elections next term. Might even be up for the Court of Appeals or a Federal appointment. He has the same motives as the prosecutor. The press? They · ran the first story about his conviction, and even if they didn't, they don't want to look like they either didn't do their job the first time around, or that they are siding with those nasty criminals and soft on crime, do they? Besides, if they actually run this story they will not be welcome in the prosecutor's office for the sound bytes and will actually have to w.Q!K for stories form the prosecutor and the police. Wouldn't want that. would we? So they all hide their heads in the sand. The police, hell, they arrested the guy. Don't want it on my record that I made a bad arrest....and if it~ bad, and he gets out and sues, all of the above hit the spotlight. 80,000 strong +they sit and wait. Anger? You don't know the meaning of the word. More than that, though we feel sadness for you and this nation. W hat right do I have to feel sad for this nation? Every right and rights that many of you w ill never have. I spent a year in Vietnam with the 101 st Airborne in Northern I Corp. But this is just another prisoner's letter. Read it and forget it. I used to. None of this means anything to you. It won't mean anything to you ever, hopefully. Why do I say "hopefully"? Because you will only remember this letter when you cross the fence, either in an orange jump-suit yourself, or to visit your son, or your daughter, or your father, or your mother, or your brother, or your sister, or your wife, or your husband. It will only mean something to you when you know that you or they .am innocent and that the "system" broke down. I say "hopefully" because I pray that God in his Mercy never allows that to happen to you or anyone that you love. So you forget that you read this letter and pray tonight that the day never comes when you wake up on a flat steel bed and remember it. I you ever do, you'll be like me. Wishing that I had not taken what I was told at face value and went on with my life. Wishing I had looked further into what I was tol d in those letters by those faceless prisoners and tried to make sure it w asn't true, and if it was true, to find out why and change the system to correct it. For those of you who don't recognize the title of this article, those words are the first seven words of the Declaration of Independence. Sometimes things go so wrong that they warrant drawing a line and making a stand for what is right. Your immediate reaction is that you are only one person and, "What can I do even if I want to?" In struggle, James F. Love, #329-475 Page 9 CORRECTION From Sep em er s ssue of Streetvibes: I Please Noted The address of the Justice for W.J.M. Campaign, stated in the September issue of Streetvibes, is incorrect. Please send re lies to : 2877 Wilson Avenue, Cinti, Oh 452251 , Phone: 825-0903 Freedom: A Native American Political Prisoner needs our help: Leonard Peltier. Ojibwe, was convicted of murdering two FBI agents on June 26, 1975. Since that time he has been held in Leavenworth Penitentiary serving 2 life sentences. The conflicting reports of the circumstances surrounding the deaths, the allegations of falsified evidence and testimony, and affidavits from Peltier's extradition from Canada have harbored suspicion concerning the case . Other evidence has come forth since. We need your help now. November is Peltier month . A culturaly brilliand and attention -attracting event in front of the White House in November will take place. Such people as Rigoberta Menchu, Des~ond Tutu and Arvol Looking Horse will lead prayers and speak. There will be visual display of teepees, drumming and singing. Leonard's dream is to continue what the trail of broken treaties started - an event that will have an historical and lasting effect in the minds and consciousness of the public. If you are a group or organiza ti on th at is serious about s upporting L eonard, please con tact Sonny or Chery l Hensley o f the local A IM (A merican Indian Mo vem en t) s uppor t group, at 586-721 0 (after 3 P.M.) , STREETrlBES ,,,,,.,,, #IB cont ains the writings ofpersons incarcerated in our nation's ~ j ails and prisons. Subscribers within the waUs receive Streetvibes free. If you want t o support us in t his effort, please sponsor someone on the inside by sending us $1 2 for a year's subscription Send y our comments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com mail: _ STREETVIBES 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Fax: (57 3)427-7813 " \ ' I '• .• �, STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Welfare News Recipients Rights ' Another victory for the Ohio Empowerment Coalition in our campaign to change welfare sanctions will benefit mothers with small children across the state. Caseworkers are now required to inform single parents that they CANNOT BE SANCTIONED if they are unable to do the work requirement because they lack sufficient child care for a child under six. . ' The Ohio Empowerment Coalition discovered through a statewide sanction survey that parents were be3ing sanctioned for this reason. Some parents were being forced to choose between complying with a work component and leaving their children alone or in other unsafe situations, or being sanctioned for not working. In some cases, if the children had been left with unacceptable child care providers, the mothers would have faced being investigated by Children's Services, or far worse, harm to their children. One mother from Athens County broke into tears when she told us her story. She had been unable to find child care for her two-year old. Her caseworker told her this was insufficient reason to not work. She was sanctioneq, losing all her cash assistance to support her three young children. Now the good news is that caseworkers are mandated to inform recipients of this good cause reason. /' I I I Page 10 "Affordable Child Care Arrangements". "All OWF participants are guaranteed eligibility for child care subsidies wit~ co-payments based on family size, income and number of children receiving subsidized child care." Each and every recipient has the rights to a state hearing if she feels her child care arrangements are A\ Ii\ inadequate. Caseworkers will be trained about this federal law. However, enforcement of this law will still largely be left up to individual caseworkers' interpretation. Recipients will still have to prove one of the following reasons: / J \ I I \ The Ohio Empowerment Coalition continues to monitor sanctions. If you have been sanctioned , please . send us your story with or without your name. Your name will be kept confidential. .Send to: Ohio Empowerment Coalition, c/o Contact ·Center, 1641 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio45210 I 1) "Unavailability of appropriate child care within a reasonaole distance form the parents' home or work site? 2) Unavailability or unsuitability of informal child care by a relative or under other circumstances. 3) Unavailability of appropriate and affordable formal child care arrangements. "Appropriate Child Care" means availability of a licensed or certified child care provider." "Unsuitability of Informal Child Care". This will be based on information from Children's Services. (We ask<, "Will recipients be investigated if they claim this good cause reason? W ill they ,have an open Children's Services case") STOP THE CLOCK • • ' No Liberty at the Liberty Bell "Reasonable Distance is defined by county welfare departments & based on transportation services available in the county. - • r Some broad definition are provided by the Ohio Department of Human Services. ' Homeless Mothers Fined and Banned from Liberty Bell for Exercising First Amendment Rights Sep tember 22, 1999: Members of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union were given fines of$250 each· in Federal Court today. In additon; Cheri _Honkala, Mar iluz G o~al ez, and Tamz in Cheshire were given "stay-away" orders, banning them from the entire historic National Independence Park area, and tbe Liberty Bell in particular, for an entire year. What was their offense? A peaceful gathering on March 3rd to protest welfare cuts and call attention to the cri.sis ofgrowing numbers ofhomeless people in Philadephia as a result ofpoverty and "welfare refonn". <> extend the time limit for receiving Ohio Works First cash assistance -- to a minimum of five consecutive years o restore the children's portfon of cash assistance to households under sanction, cutting only the adult's portion of the check <> respore the adult's portion of food stamps t o sanctioned households Join our Team! Volunteers and Interns Needed Legislators across Ohio decided, when they passed welfare reform, t hat childhood poverty was acceptable. They decided, when they passed welare reform, that childhood homelessness was acceptable. Legislators decided to cut families off from all basic means of survival when they dicided on a three-year time limit. On October 1 , 2000, thousands of children across Ohio will lose their basic survival means. The three year time limit on welfare will have rim out for their families. Moreover, every month thousands more children will be facing the same crisis. LegislatQrS have the power to st op this destructive policY.fi:.om h.apperong.. "I.bay...ba¥e-t~&i*)werto--- - 1 extend the time limit to the five consecutive years allowable using federal TANAF money. . To endorse the campaign, send/f.ax the following to: the Contact Center, 1641 Vine St., Cincinnati,· 4521 0/ 51 3-381­ 4022, contactcenter@overtherhine.org : _ ~....._~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ l.pOxP~--~____.RDE.__~~~~~Fax.__~~~~~ -----Yes, my organization endorses the Stop the Clock Campaign _ _ _ Please put our name on the endorsement list _____Yes, I individually endorse the Stop the Clock Campaign ------ Please put my name on the endorsement list , ________________________________ / If you would like to get experience worki ng for a progressive, grassroots organization call us at the Contact Center, 381-4242 The Contact Center is looking for students to volunteer or do internships at the Center. We are a progressive organizations working on poor people's issues, especi~lly welfare, housing and neighborhood self-determination. Activities would include: • Surveying neighborhood residents about what they want changed in their neighborhood • Interviewing welfare recipients on how welfare reform is working • Participating in outreach to low-ioncome people • Helping to organize workshops and teach-ins • Helping organize annual conference • Helping with basket and toy programs Call Katy or Cassandra at 381 -42~2 for more inforination, or stop by 1641 Vine Street �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine PROGESS MADE IN CINCINNATI TENANT ORGANIZING ......By Warren Perkins Car Living: How to Make it a Successful. Sane. Safe Experience f rom: "Bill Tinker" <wfi nker@fcqrielworks.nel > Subject: lives little luxuries Dale: Wed, 22 S ep 1999 07:16 :10 ­ 0400 The issues surrounding subsidized housing in Cincinnati are complex. No one person can possibly have all the answers but, the quest for those answers has become my mission. This search lies in contrast to what I had initially thought I would be doing. · I had visions of riding in on a ':Vhite horse and telling the evil, dastardly, landlords to stop their evil and dastardly actions. The People living in the buildings would cheer as the corrupt property owner was led away in chains. From that point on, only good things would happen to the tenants and I would gain their trust and admiration forever. Now I have found out the hard way that tenant are the ones who should be equipped with white horses. One thing I have found is that self-determination is the key to making affordable housing better. No person from the outside can come.in and magically organize tenants to do something great for themselves. Who decides what should be done? Is it outsiders who have preconceived notions of what is right or the people who actually live in and have first hand experience with the property they call home. Unfortunately, the former is often done. After reading the above statements you might now say to yourself, wasn't this article about progress made in Cincinnati tenant organizing. Progress can be found in the fact that I have learned. The first step in the gains I have helped with is to realize that I do not have the answers. The second step was to realize that no one except tenants could know what is best for them. The third step is to listen and hear. That has been the focus of the organizing efforts so far. I have been educated in this by the fine ten~nts of Ashwood Apartments, Metropole Apartments, and Shelton Gardens. The tenants in these building have shown me about their needs. My attitudes about section 8 housing have changed immensely mostly due to those tenant efforts. I have been humbled into changing my self to better serve the people who need my help. I~ organizing your project base.d Section 8 building is som~~hing you would lik~·~o do, please call Warren Perkins at (513) 421-2701. v1~·f;;. . Hey..... ... there's a new book out, titled ----­ ..... .By A J. (Jane) Archer. ($14.95) . Also check out www.carliving.com or e-mail Archer at ajarcher@earthlink.net. As an Americorp VISTA member, I was hired to work with Tenants in project based section 8 housing. Starting off, I had no Idea what project-based section 8 housing ·was. After working with project based section 8 housing, for three months I can honestly say I know just a little bit more. ~· ' Page 11 .'~~ ~~· yOU. The Cincinnati Tenant Organizing Project is part of the Cleveland Tenants Organization and Cohhio (The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio), an· association ofhousing .activists.from across Ohio who came together in 1984 to end homelessness and promote decent, safe, f air and affordable housing. For more information: ohiotenants@l!arthlink.net Ah, that shower you took this morning was so refreshing, wasn't, it? And that second cup of coffee really hit the spot, did it not?, and now it's on to work and earn that pay check, to keep that mortgage paid and the little wife happy....The american dream has fallen flat on its face for many of us who, in retrospect, know the dream was all a figment of our imagination.or somebody else's ...... Because when you wake up cold, frightened, and alone in a alley, box car or in a shelter where you know no one, reality crashes in on you fast, brother or sister.and the lies our government - be it local.or federal - has fed us since we could under­ stand right from left, hits us squarely in the face ... This is America, home of the free, land of the brave.and you look around and realize that it was all bull crap .... And right now you are craving a nice balanced breakfast that will not materialize on its own unless you pan handle it, or wash a few windows, or sweep off some store owner's side walk for a couple of bucks .... OK, you say, enough. When somebody like_the guy that just walked by you muttering can get a job..... doesn't he know that he is only six months from being exactly where we are or have been???? No, he he's living the great LIE and he, he's never had to move because the police said to .... no loitering or you'll be arrested ....so arrest me I need a meal and a place to lay my head down that is safe, you think..... ... ...It is in reality a scamming cold cruel world,and once in a while you do have a hand full of true friends; hang onto them because they are the greatest wealth or riches you could amass in a.life time, believe me ..... I have been there on at least five occasions in my life time. But I would fove to see an end to hunger and homelessness in our counJry fir~t, b.eto;~ :!"e spend all that monl . .!l! ., c~ntne~ can never repay th~1 · ~t··.s' So~ tak~·nce o~~ f~llow. a~ : ~ ~:;.I;.... Then pe~s-the great amer~ca!:l <fr ~n start to be fulfilled ...... . ........Bill Tinker wfinker@fcg nefworks.nef Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. (Get 'em now before the rate goes up!) Just send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Simple, Smart Ideas for Bringing.up Happy Kids. Sept. 21, 1999 Northern Kentucky Legal Aid Society, Inc. 302 Greenup St. Covington, Ky 41011 (ph): 606-431-8200 (fax): 606-431-3009 Letters Page 12 Believe in your children, so they can believe in themselves. Turn accomplishments into celebra­ tions. Donald Whitehead, Director Praise your kids in public (but make sure not to be embarrassing) Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Dear Mr. Whitehead: Letters are still coming in concerning the Greater Cincinnati Art's and Education Center board plan to relocate the Drop Inn Center. To support the Drop Inn Center's' right to not be move<;f, Write to: Erich Kunzel, 1241 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210, Send Copies of your Jettf!r to: Drop Inn Center Attn: Pat Clifford, 217 West 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45210, and to Streetvibes _ By St. Cecilia Conference St. Vincent de Paul Society 3105 Madison Road · Cincinnati. Ohio 45209 We would like to protest the proposed relocation or the Drop Inn Center. It seems much more expediant to have the Center near the people iL serves Lhan Lo move it elsewhere. As you know. ther are build ings_in the neighborhood where those working toward perma nent ho.using can be assisted. We hope you will work to'an amicable solution. Sincerely l!:ileen Schweizer. secretary Us, Write Us! Attention Streetvibes (513)421-7813 Sincerely, Richard A. Cullison . When you children talk to you, turn off the TV or put down the newspaper so you can give your complete attention. Get down on the ground and play with your kids, even if they're big! Be patient when they talk (never say: "Hurry up") Give your little ones an appreciative smile or hug when they are gentle with animals.· Treat you r children to a soothing foot massage. It will relax them and give the two of you some special time to­ gether. Bestow sweet nicknames on them to use only in private. Show how pleased you are when they're kind to younger kids. Support Your Local Vent.lor .. . Tell A Friend A 1:7o ut When your family is out to dinner or at home, let your children invent and deliver a toast. Dear Mr. Kunzel: I am writing to express my concern about the forced relocation of the Drop Inn Center in order to accommodate a new arts complex connected to Music Hall. Although a concentra­ tion of the arts is good for this community endeavor, relocation of the center is not the solution. As you know, the Drop Inn Center has been serving the homeless in their current location at the corner of Twelfth and Elm for 21 years. The center has been able to improve this property over these years through donations and grants. It is an anchor in the Over-the-Rhine neighbor­ hood and is critically linked with many other programs and services. The current residents of the neighborhood should not suffer in order to make a home for the arts complex. Contac~ FAX: now you have probably heard that the Department for Housing and Urban Development (HUD) did not fund Newport's HOPE VI application for a grant to demolish the public housing North ofFourth Street. On behalfof the Newport Housing Authority Resident Council, I thank you for the letter you wrote opposing demolition. We will keep you posted in the event there is a similar effort in the future that does not address adequately the needs of the residents. Thank you for your continuing cooperation in this matter. Executive Director Mr. Kunzel 1241 Elm Street We welcome input from our readers. Send your letters and editorial comments to: STREETVIBES: 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 When they come home dirty, say it looks as if they had a great time. I feel that this forced relocation is an injustice to those who are being served by the Center and that a more equitable solution should and can be found. I trust that you will take into consideration the needs of the homeless and the curr-ent residents of.the area asyoo move forward with your planing . __ Learn how to say "I love you" in sign language, and send 'secret' messages to one another. Notice your children's bright ideas. When your kids are home alone after school, call from work just to say "I Love You." Secretly wink at one another when you are in public, especially in a serious environment. Give each of you kids one beautiful · rose tied with a ribbon. Thank them for showing respect to the elderly. Share stories of something positive or wonderful that you each accomplish every day. Sing, dance and get really silly to­ gether. Let them know how much you like the way they're growing up. Tell your kids what they've taught EMAIL: streetvibes@juno.com Please include your name, address and daytime phone number with all correspondence. Sincerely, you. Ruth Kuhn, SC When your children admit the truth about something they have done wrong, be sure to express thanks for the honesty. Cincinnnati 45238 R_Kuhn_SC@juno.com o Speak to them as if all the angels could hear you . ·streetvibes@juno.com �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 13 The Changing ·Faces of Homeles.sness, ..... by Reggie Brown The face of the homelessness has changed over the years. The first homeless were the bums that hopped trains and traveled from city to city. This was the way the homeless were thought of - as alcoholic men who had lost the will to live. As times changed, so did the homeless population. We started to see mothers.with children, whole families, newly released prison­ ers, and - sad to say - the mentally ill. Why, you might ask? Because of the government's unwill­ ingness to help the people in the most need of assistance. The established society was not receptive to the needs of their fellow humans; t was all about ME. Laws were passed cutting funding for any programs that aided the poor, mentally ill, and working poor. "Where will it end?" This is a question we need to ask our­ selves when we go to the polls to vote. The Workin2 Poor There was a time when a dollar was a dollar, but now it is not worth more than half its face value. The devaluing of income for poor people affects their ability to buy good and services needed to fuel the nation's economy. This in turn creates jobs and more money. This theory has good principle behind it, but, unfortu­ nately, no meat. Industry was our biggest employer. Now, most of that has been moved to other countries that have a cheaper labor force. This leaves many unemployed or underemployed, working for minimum wages and trying to make it stretch. The power to be able to pay all the bills is a distant memory. Now a person must pay this bill this time, and the other bill next time. Soon all the bills are behind. What can be done? there is not help in sight. P.ray that the electric ~ will not get cut off before payday. Now that rent is still another thing . If I pay it, I can't pay the - Cl!Jergy bill; but I need lights. The circle starts to close, the pay is getting smaller and smaller. It is not enough. Soon I'm facing eviction. I will try to pay some on the rent; could you just give me a week or two? That day never comes, and your belongings are set out on the street. You must guard them or people will take what they want. I, who work everyday as hard as I can, am homeless. So another face joins the crowd. The working poor are part of the homeless community. The Mentally Ill The headline read, "We will not warehouse the mentally ill; they are to be set free .n Free to do what" Exist just above the animals? The controlled environment they are used to is now gone; Who will see that the pills to help with the mental illness are taken? The doctors say, "We are sure that they will take their medication as prescribed on the bottle." This is a person that is not given to rational thinking without the meds. ~ow is he/she to know when the time comes to take a pill or two? They go further into their mental illness. The vultures that prey on them next are only a few drugs or drinks away from being mentally ill themselves. These people introduce alcohol or other drugs of abuse to these child-like people, which takes then to another level of mental illness - a deep pit of drug-induced reality. Our govern­ ment has set up agencies to regulate their money through payees. But how much attention is placed on what is done with that money? The rent is paid, and the utilities. The authorities think · they will do the rest, but this is false. Even rationally thinking people make mistakes, but these persons are not on a normal wavelength. Consider this possibility: A mentally ill person is drunk one night with a cigarette burning in·their hand. A fife star1s, and only by GOd's grace is the person saved from the fire. when the case manager infonns the landlord that tile person he has rented to is mentally, ill the landlord may no longer be willing to rent'to another person with the same or similar prob­ lems. Tolerance is a learned virtue, we are not born with it. It is developed over time. Under­ standing must.be part of.this process. The intolerant person thinks: I need to keep the crazies away from me and my property." The total is that highter numbers of mentally ill people join the homeless community. Women and Children Welfare reform will give the taxpayers the break they need; that's the thinking behind the legislation passed in Congress and in the State houses across the country. The thinking is that the welfare queens will no longer stay on the rolls for years; the concept is over and done. But must of the women on public assistance are only on it because they have children not of school age and day care is expensive. so expensive that they find it hard to pay for day care while covering expenses with a low paying job. They cannot stretch their earnings enough to make a minimum wage job cover all the expenses. Family is not much help either, because in most cases they are also just making ends meet. Medical care is another reason women hold on to public assistance, as it assures they will have medical insurance for treatment of the children and themselves. The way things are is more in favor of the societal goals than hu­ mane goals that Goad has set for mankind. In the time of Jesus, the families of widow would then take them in care for them until one of the sons or daughters takes responsibility for the parent. The 1980's made people feel like : it is all about me, grab what you can, take all you can get, and don't share with anyone. People didn't connect with their fellow man on a human level: the people that have will not look at or listen to the have nots. And so the community of the homeless grow with the addition of women with children. Prisoners Increase the penalty and reduce the crime rate, build more prisons to House more criminals. The state has made an effort to control criminal activity by making sentences longer, and to keep these prisoners for this longer time period more space is needed. Today, we have found that you can be released back into society, but with certain restrictions. The Parole Officer. says, "No drugs and no alcohol for a period of1 and not more than 3 years. You will need to find yourself and job and maintain it while you are a ward of the state. You will report once a week to me and have a urine test done at this time." This expectation that the releasee maintain total abstinence is unrealistic because he did not receive treatment for chemical dependency while imprisoned. The ex-con is thinking, "I don't think so, X amount of years I have waited for the day when I get out to have a cold beer and shot of liquor and no-one is going to stop me." The Parole Officer says, "You need to find yourself an apartment, your old neighbor­ hood is not a place for you to be. There is a very nice place to stay on Atty Street ~ you make first and last month's rent and have a police check." The landlord says, Sorry, but we don't want one of you in our building. I have very expensive things in my House, and I want to keep them. No, you can't rent from me without a police check even if you have the rent and deposit." The Parole Officer says, "Why haven't you found an apartment yet? I aJYl going to refer to a transitional House but you still must find yourself an apartment." The former prisoner is thinking, "Everywhere I go they want so much from me that I don't know which way to turn. Rent and deposit, police check, gas and electric, food, clothes, a television, furniture and help making all this come together. The Boss says, "You r pay is $5.15 per hour to start, what do you expect? Be glad I took a chance on an ex-convict." Bus fare lunches, washing clothes. soap to wash your body with and any number of other things, out of $206 before taxes. Prison releasees - come on in and take your place in our ranks, homeless and on the run, because without a permanent address you are a fugitive. There are more sections of the .Population that I could mention, but the picture is cl.ear. We as a society have turned our backs on the people that are in the biggest need of help. The prevail­ ing wage is not nearly enough to support one person, let alone a family. We have thrown the mentally ill to the mercy of the wolves. The recently released prisoner is to just flow back into society, and become productive and an outstand­ ing member of the community, but this is not realistic. There are all kinds of obstacles in the way. One last group not mentioned in this paper is the people who have just given up on life in general. They live from day to day be their wits even if it is at another's expense. They liv.e by survival of the fittest, dog eat dog, because the will to live is still there but the will to change the situation is long gone. God made man in his image, but man was given free will. The Bible states that we should love our brothers and sisters, and help those in need. But on the road to this point, we have been sidetracked. We need to get Goad-centered and less self-cen­ tered. Homelessness is a reality, yet it is a condition that can be fixed. It can be fixed with better jobs offering a decent wage and benefits, more help for mothers going into the wort« force for the first time, and by taking the stigma off the prisoners coming out of jail. We have a chance to change the direction this thing is going, but only a total commitment will bring about the changes needed to offer these people long term shelter, housing for the homeless. • • • �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Evangelist .....Rodney Sutton It may seem as ifl have been missing in action again, however, that is, not the case. For one reason or another my articles were not included in the last few months of Streetvibes. Whether it was the design of satan or the will of God I do not know. I only know God has been revealing much to me through his Word, and it is some ofthese revelations which I wish to share with you now I Corinthians 9:22 tells us that the Apostle Paul became all things to all men, that he might save some. Here in this text the Apostle gives us some simple principles for witnessing to others: 1) find some common ground with the person 2) avoid a know-it-all attitude 3) make others feel accepted 4) be sensitive to their needs and concerns 4) Then look for opportunities to tell them about Christ These principles used by the apostle are just as valid today as they were during the early church, because there are those among the body ofChrist today who feel that because they are ·s aved they are better than others; but my Bible says, "for all have sinned, and come short ofthe glory ofGod? (Rom. 3:23) As an "evangelist", I have often made the mistake ofbeing so eager to tell someone about Christ that I have neglected to establish some common ground with the person to .whom I was witnessing. And this missing connection has resulted in my words falling on deaf ears. I have also bee~ guilty ofhaving a "know-it-all attitude'', especially when I first earned my Bachelor ofScience Degree in Bible. I now try to remember that it is not how much I know about the Bible, or anything else I know, for that matter, that can save an individual; but it is the grace of God (Eph. 2:8) So, ifyou find yourself out preaching the word of God, or just being a witness of the gospel, remember the above principles and I promise you, when "you" get out ofthe way, His Word shall not return unto H~m void (Isa. 55: 11). It does not matter if you are witnessing to the rich, poor, or the homeless; the same rules apply. The other revelation I wish to share with you is one many of us already know, and that is in Genesis 1:31. It says "God saw everything that He had made, an? behold, it ,, was very good Recently while studying in the book ofPhilippians, I was reading Chapter 2, and Death Becomes Us Part 1 Suicide through the eyes of a child .... Te'tro Amaru I remember the day like it was yesterday. My biological mother was putti~g t~e fi~ishing preparations on my younger sister s birthday party while the children playe~ in t~e backyard. I had just began living with my b1olog1~al m?t.h.er again on a full-time basis instead of Just v1s1ting for the summers. My father had allowed me to live in Philadelphia with her on a condition that I stayed out of trouble and kept my grad~s up. At that period in my life everything seemed different. I had left behind my grade school buddies in Maryland and come to Phila­ delphia to attend a new school. Also, my biologi­ cal mother had went from being that friend and weekend mother, which gave me anything and everything that my heart desired no ma~er ~hat I did, to being a parent which now had to inst1.11 discipline, responsibility, and various 0th.er hfe lessons that included whippings and punish­ ments. life had quickly bec;:ome drastically differently from the many summer visits spent . with her while I attended scho9I in Maryland with my father. I was no longer the center of attention day in and day out. I had chores and other . responsibilities that I either did or paid the consequences for not doing. Life hit me smac~ in the face as I realized that my heaven was turning to hell and that I could no longer indulge myself within.the comforts of being a spoiled brat. The previous Wednesday we ha~ attended church as usual for bible study class. The guest speaker presented us with the story of · "W things would be for those of us who fail to 10<>us Christ has your _-.1(..UIT'.,.") 'sav' · · Lord ano s; . - ...rding to ·-, the testaments of the bible) and how difficult it would be, after God took his people to heaven and allowed the devil's beast to roam the earth, to repent and submit yourself unto God. But, for those who somehow managed to survive the devil's temptation and follow the will of God, heaven awaited them for the rest of the days of their lives. As a child, the metaphoric semblance of the story escaped me. I merely took it as verbatim and assumed that what was told would happen. With that, when Saturday car:rie a~d I was constantly being ignored by my b1olog1cal mother, while she put the finishing touches on my sisters birthday party, I decided to put an end to the unfavorable treatment that I had been receiv­ ing from the moment I decided to live and attend school with her. It's truly a sad-funny tale of how my calls for help/attention went ignored and merely taken as ooe the many cr:azy things lwoula do as a child . But I guess I have no one to blame but myself since I was a very mischievous child . . Anyhow, I recall first using verbal threats to kill myself unless my biological mother paid some attention to me instead of being so consumed with my sister's birthday party. This in turn aggravated my biological mother, but only enou_g h for her to shove me aside and mutter.some slang words in her native tongue of Jamaica, as she often did when mad beyond what English words could contain. Next, came time to put my words to some action. I remember thinking of a way to get her to stop what she was doing and pay some attention to me. And with that, I went into the kitchen where she was cooking and grabbed a knife from the sink and held it to my wrist, Page 14 verse 6 jumped out at me. Particularly the part which say"s "He which hath begun a "good work" in you will perform it until the day ofJesus Christ" . The Holy Spirit at that time led me to Genesis 1:31 and showed me the connection between the Lord's completion of creation and declaring it to be very good, and His completing a good work in us. A work that will not be complete until the return ofJesus Christ. So for all of you who are in despair regarding your present situation, fear not, for God hath not given us the spirit <?ffear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (11 Tim. 1:7) Last month some ofyou may have gotten my article as an insert, so you know I am no longer with Helping Hands Outreach Mission Ministries. The Lord has taken A Way ofLife Ministries in a whole new direction and you will soon be able to get more information by logging on to my website. For now: you PC users can send your prayer request, Bible questions, and all other related matters to awol@goodnews.com; or you can join me in the chat room "I Got a Testimony", where I am your host AWOL. For tho~e who do not have a PC, you can still reach me at 210-4181. In His Service, Evangelist Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. threatening to slit my wrist. Now if you know anything about Jamaicans, believe t~e stereo~pe that we have terrible tempers. And with that said, my biological mother snatched the knife from my hand and poked me in the arm and screamed at me at the top of her lungs. With me not being a pain freak, I retreated upstairs to con~emplate a better and painless way to get my point acro~s to my biological mother. My next threat came with me entering the kitchen with a glass of w~ter f~ll of broken pieces of tylenol capsules, threatening to drink it unless she stopped what she was doing and paid some attention to me. This in turn lead to me being drenched with water and broken tylenol capsule pieces. . · Once again I retreated upstairs for a better plan of attack to get my biological mother to pay some attention to me. This time h~wever, I thought about truly killing myself. I stoo~ in the bathroom and looked in the mirror and recalled the minister from Wednesday's bible study class and ofthe story he told of how life would be just before judgement day. I recalled how he said it would be hard to overcome the devil's tempta­ tions, but he did not say impossible, which said to me that it could be done. Therefore, my next step was to open the medicine cabinet and take my younger sister's entire bottle of asthma pills. As a child, the thought of dying never entered my mind as something which ended my life. And the thought of pain accompanied death was certainly not factored in my plans. I simply wanted the attention of my biological mother and assumed that if I died, she would blame herself and miss me. But when I returned just before judgement day, I expected that she would have missed me so much that she would never neglect me ever again. I merely wanted to hurt her for not giving me the attention as she had given before, during my summer visits. Life and death at that point in my life was more like stop and go. I had no clue of what death involved nor of what death actually meant. I just wanted to be spoiled rotten again. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 15 "Problems are sent to us as gifts." - ·Ancient Oriental teaching ADVERTISE IN STREETVl!3ES Streetvibes Live Radio Hour Streetvibes TV covers news on poverty, homelessness and related issues Contact us at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless if you would like to be a part of the audience for more Information, call 421­ STREETVIBES Classified 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. promoting yourself to over 5,000 concerned people each month. Tune in to WAIF 88.-:3 fm! on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The 7803 Next Streetvibes Live : October 21st Help a good caus~ while Business Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" $1.0 per month ~ <otp' 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. If you need assistance in designing your ad or have any other questions, call us at NEXT SHOW DATES: 421-7803. 9"'rw9 Business Card Size 4" x 31/2" $20 per month Larger Adds also available Saturday, October 9th Saturday, November 13th Please send your add by the 20th of preceeding month, accompanied by your check I money order, to Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Streetvibea TV 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. Wanted: Position.working with homeless or individuals with mental illness and their families. If you have any ideas for future Have MSW, will travel. ...Kevin Kelso- (513)542­ STREETVIBES TV shows please contact the 3776 ......... - Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless office at 421-7803. Ideas should address STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free subjects related to homelessness and poverty in to low income job seekers. Others may our city. We are always interested in viewer place ads for only $1 per line. -ideas, so please give-us-a-can:-::---- ­ Call 421-7803 for info. ~--------------------- --~., ~·dS~ .~ . .v ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION Disc-Jockey Service (513) 230-6353 Rapid Exit JOB DESCRIPTION: (513) 761-3464 Mail the ad copy, or deliver, to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813 With Project Connect in Cincinnati, A program that provides educational services and support to homeless children and youth in Cincinnati. They assist children and their families when enrolling in school , provide transportation to and from school, facilitate in-school food service, provide educational - supplies, provide opportunities to join an after school tutoring club and create fun-filled enrichment programs for the children and thei.r family. QUALIFICATIONS: • Bachelor's degree • Concentration in social type fields preferred • Ability to work with administration, staff, and community • Must have car CLIFFORD JONES Streetvibes accepts Classifie'd , 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. People below the poverty level will be given five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Americorps Position Available assists · • • · • • • • • families and •ndividuals in moving from homelessness to permanent housing rapidly for more information contact The Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless : 421-7803 and ask for Community Outreach Tutoring homeless youth Recruit train and placEU).u.alified.v0iunteers Promote parental involvement Generate funds -grant writing.etc Assist in the database development Conduct and organize presentations Design outreach to runaway youth Organize a resource bank for reqeiving educational materials and supplies If interested in the position, please contact: Debbie Reinhart, Project Connect 1425 Linn Street, Cincinnati, Oh 45214(513) 357-05720,Fax: (513) 357-5722 Gina Miller ,/ �' · -. ' - . STREETVtf3ES TV Schedule Check us out, We 're on tv! The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Media Bridges (Cincinnati Commu­ nity 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 . OCTOBER Schedule October's Live TV show will begin at 7PM, Thursday, October 21st, and will be . broadcast from the Reading Road Studio. The .new show format includes a studio audience along with a guest panel discussion: .; Re br~adcast Dat es for September 's Show on Channel 24: (Please check your schedule) Saturday, October 2nd, at 5 PM Thursday, October 7th, at 10 PM Saturday, October 9th, at 5 PM Tuesday, October 12th, at 10 AM Tuesday, October 26th , · at 10 AM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. 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... O 35 MM Film for Streetvibes photos, one-time cameras, digital camera 0 ·Advertisers and Subscribers ~ O Editing, graphics and-La~tp Streetvibes has a minimal overhead costs 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. 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) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) f riars Club Haven House (Hamilton) l 24 1-5525 24 1-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 761-1480 82.1-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 244-7226 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John's Temporary Housing 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTGG Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men ,Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over TREATMENT: Both NA Hopeline A.A. 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 961-4663 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 O Website Update Help O Computers/components (monitors, hard drives, etc. for Streetvibes writ­ ing and editing, and for homeless computer lab If you can help!, contact us at: Streetvibes, c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 452 10 ph: (51 3) 421-7803, fax(513) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com OTHER SERVICES 421-2437 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961 -0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Community Center 24 1-2563 Freestore/Foodbank 241-1064 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 621-7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 Oral Health Council 621-0248 621-6364 Our Daily Bread Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721 -7900 United Way 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 October 1999 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: City Council Candidate Promise Support for Drop Inn Center and Affordable Housing Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 3: The Traveler Continued Pg 4: Charlene Robinson Pg 5: Arts & Poetry Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 7: Nationwide News Pg 8: Prisoner’s News Pg 9: Prisoner’s News Continued Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: Progress Made in Cincinnati Tenant Organizing Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Pg 13: Changing Faces of Homelessness Pg 14: The Evangelist Death Becomes Us Part 1 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource October 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Donald Whitehead Susan Knight Tom Billman Ron Carter Gina Miller Warren Perkins Beverly Brooks Brook Gumm Mildred Grinney Shelia Lindsey Vannette Lacy Te’tro Amaru Lynn Williams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF affordable housing Brook Gumm campaign Cincinnati city council Donald Whitehead Drop Inn Center Editorials & Letters Evangelist Gina Miller Lynn Williams Mildred Grinney nationwide news prisoners news Ron Carter San Francisco Shelia Lindsey Suicide Susan Knight Te’tro Amaru tenants the broken city The Traveler Tom Billman Vannette Lacy Warren Perkins welfare welfare news https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/2a986db285f61e18dd8acc2ebcfd5400.pdf 9890841a7f05e216537415c3fbf816be PDF Text Text Miss America Adds Human Touch to the 1999 Homeless Veteran's·Stand Down A Two-day Cease Fire in America's War on the Poor Stand-Down 99, a co-production of the Veteran'sAdministration and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, is a yearly attempt to stave off the encroaching of Old Man Winter for people living on the edge. Essentially, it is a services conven­ tion and surplus supplies give-away, where a lot of people with limited access to clothing, blandkets, etc. for the winter, or health, housing and other services, can receive them with very little hassle. Medical services like Flu Shots, T. 8 . Tests, Dental Services, Eye/glasses clinic, Blood Pressure checks and Acute _ doctor's care, were offered. Other ser­ vices included Free haircuts at the mo­ bile salon of Project Day-Maker, Legal Aid sign-up (Legal Aid Society), em­ ployment and housing programs sign­ up, AIDS information, and invitations to places like Moses House, the Homeless Veterans Landing Zone Lounge. As an extra nice touch, Miss America, Heather French showed up to lend her support for Homeless Veterans and all who struggle with poverty every day. She talked to people, hugged anyone who asked, casually walked through the Drop Inn Center in a characteristically non­ celebrity-like manner, and generally displayed her genuine conce rn and humanity. • ••• • •T.B. Heather French greets Stand Down participants as she tours the Drop Inn Center Miss America Visits the Drop Inn Center The winner of this year's Miss America Pageant, Heather Renee French, visited the Drop Inn Center October 2grh to d raw attention to the plight ofhomeless veterans. Miss America's visit was perfectly timed, for she came during the H omeless Stand Down, an annual event con­ ducted by the Veteran's administration in coop­ eration with the Homeless Coalition and the Drop Inn Center. The Stand Down is intended to offer desperately needed services to homeless veterans, such as medical care, haircuts, legal ser­ vices, housing referrals, and seasonal clothing. In the days before Miss French came ro the Drop Inn, the word traveled by way ofmouth that she'd be coming here. We all cried to be enthusiastic, but not too enthusiastic. A few people remembered her, for she had volunteered ac the Drop Inn Center in an effort ro under­ stand more clearly the struggles facing homeless veterans before becoming Miss Kentucky. In preparation, all the p ro- feminists put aside their objections to the M iss America pageant, in hopes that her visit might help the Center get some positive media attention. Miss French became concerned about the issue ofhomeless veterans as a child because her father is a disabled Vietnam Veteran. She re­ counted her memories of waiting with her fa­ ther at the Veteran's Hospital, surrounded by other veterans, some in poor condition. These experiences, which shaped her family life, left an impression that led her to choose to focus on homelessness ~hen she began competing in beauty pageants. As Miss Kentucky, Miss French had al­ ready advocated for homeless veterans in the Kentucky state legislature. Since September, when she became Miss America, she has used her increased stature to have a greater impact.on the public debate about homeless vetera.Qs. In addi­ tion to discussing the issue with Tipper Gore and other prominent politicians, she has packed vast numbers ofpublic speaking engagements in her single year as ¥iss America, for she hopes to raise awareness as much as possible in that time. In (continued on page 3) Larry Ashby , Drop Inn Center resident, with Heather French, Miss America £ �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Page 2 REMEMBERING buddy gray Tri-State's Homeless Graoevine 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 t he 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 aStreetvibes Vendoris a great way for homeless ~nd other low­ income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibesvendors are given an 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 services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. November 15th marks thethird anni­ versaiy ofbuddygray's tragic death, a tireless advocate for the homeless. Neigh­ borhood based organizations in Over-the­ Rhine suchas Drop Inn Center ShelterHouse, ReSTOC Low Income Hous­ ingCooperative, GreaterCincinnati Coali­ tion forthe Homeless and Over-the-Rhine Housing Network are able to continue to respond to the crisisofhomelessnessand lackofaffordable housing because ofthe strongfoundation that was built under buddy's long tenure of leadership and labor. After three years his loss is still poignant, but his death did not leave a vacuum because buddybelieved in pass­ photq byJimmy Heath Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Susan Knight, Administrative Coordinator Tom Billman, Streetvibes Editor Ron Carter, Vendor Support Gina Miller, Rapid Exit Program Warren Perkins, Tenant Organizing Photos by Tom Billman, Julie, Jimmy Heath, Donald Whitehead, Writers Bonnie Neumeier Tom Billman Te'tro Amaru Rodney Sutton James Pryor Alford Cephas Larry Ashby Judi Mendriski Alexandra Rae el-Katib Donald Whitehead Ron Carter Lynn Williams Dan Cahill Tree HenryTate Charmaigne Gilden Azariah Israel Rodey Sutton Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graph­ ics, photos.... 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 45210 (513)421-7803 fax(S13)421-7813; e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com (text-only) or homecoal@primax.net ( attached files) webpage: http://cinci.com/ gcch The Streetvibes Newspaper Planning Committee is about to resume its monthly meetings to plan the next issue and increase circulation. Ifyou are interested in giving us a hand, please call 427-7803. ing on knowledge and skills so the work ofthe Over-the-Rhine struggle would cany on. He did not work in isolation. He always had somebody learning and work­ ing along side ofhim. He was not about building up his own kingdom. buddylearned from activists and truth-bearers before him. He knew that for the freedom train to keep on chugging along more people had t o be inspired to hop aboard. buddy taught us well that the ride would be arduous and long but thejourneyworth it. Alice Walker claims in "AnythingWe Love Can Be Saved": We begin to distinguish between the need, singly, to throw rocks at whatever is oppressing us, and the creative joy that arises when we bring our collective stones ofresistance against injustice together." buddy possessed a special gilt ofenergizingourcollectivestonesof resistance. We miss so much his mobiliz­ ingand energizingspirit but h e believed stronglywe each carried itwithin us and he challenged us to call itforth in our own unique ways and to u se itin our daily work of justice . buddy's spirit is· singing cany it on, AND WE WILLI So in the chill ofa utumn's air letus rememberbuddyin his raiJroad cap putting his arm around a person homeless inWashington Park, coaxing his friend to come on over to the Drop Irm Center. Let us rememberbuddyin his hard hat work­ ingon a Saturdayguerrilla crew at ReSTOC getting everyone excited and believing we cansave this buildingfor our people to live in. Let us remember buddy whispering in a huddle in City Hall cham­ bers txying to figure outour next move to lobby a vote for our neighborhood issues. Let us remember buddyand his bellowing voice challenging injus­ tices everywhere he went. Let us rememberbuddyleaning down to pick up a child and giving a big squeeze ofcare and encouragement. Let us rememberbuddyin his pickup truckhelping a family move with their meager possessions setouton the street Letus remember buddy's electrtc laugh and sense ofhumor which helped us find fun in our work. Letus rememberbuddy planting trees for he believed beauty would inspire us. Let usrememberbuddyon his bicycle riding around in early hours of morning and lateat night to find space and moments to reflect. Let u s remember buddy buyinga cheese sandwich, chocolate milk and Reese's CupatBang'sMarket, and sharing it with a friend. Let us remember that buddy believed in us and the power ofthe people to change the world to be a better place. buddy remembers us too. He misses giving u s his "buddyhugs." I am sure he laughs and cries with us as we experience ourlittle victories and big defeats. He understands more completely than ever what we are going through in our daily efforts to hold on to Drop Irm CenterShelterHouse, ourhomes and our communityofOver-the-Rhine. buddy's life was violently taken from us;butour relationship with him still lives. Thework he dedicated his life to lives on in u s and through us. buddy'ssoul is embedded deep in our neighborhood ofOver-the­ Rhine because he planted roots and love all over the place. And when the struggle gets tou gh, ifwe listen long and hard enough, we will be able to hear buddy's bellowing voice .. .YOU CAN DO IT MY BROTHERSANDSISIERS, CARRYIT ON, NOT JUST FORME, NOTJUST FOR YOU, BUI'FORAILOFUS, CARRYIT ON! ........by BonnieNeumeier, I.ongTimeFTiend and c.ompanion �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 ARTIST GROUP ORGANIZES IN SUPPORT OF DROP INN CENTER Much of the Arts and Education center Board's the Arts and Education center act i':'ities now seem to be happening in seemed to have taken place in secret. committees, behind closed doors. No notices Several Over-the-Rhine advocacy ofpublic meetings have recently surfaced. o rgan izations became involved "We are asking the GCAEC co carefully however, after the initial reconsider any plan that threatens the Drop Inn announcement of5 potential plans, Center's home in Over-the-Rhine and co instead 4 ofwhich involved the destruction develop plans that respect che neighborhood and of the D .I. C., (the other, rhe ics many instinitions", said Steve Lansky, local poet elimination ofthe police station and and Artists For the Drop Inn Center member. a power station). The plans were At least 50 artists are presently in the gene rated fr om a $450,000 group, and a petition is circulating co attract more feas ibility study conducted by an support. outside architectural firm who did For more information, contact not talk to any Community groups Barbara Wolf, 861-2462, in determining feas ibility. br_wolf@hotmail.com * * * * Benefit Concert O n Wednesday, O ctober 6, a group of artists opposing the D rop Inn Center's D islocation called a press conference at the gazebo in Washington Park to announce che creation of Artists for the Drop Inn Center. Artists for the Drop Inn Center w ill hold a concert to ".,, benefit the Drop Inn Center on _L January 15 at the Southgate House1f 'I (lower ballroom and second floor bar area), featu ring a variety of artists­ punk, rock, jazz, classical fusion ... Players will be invited to tour and perform at the DIC the Saturday before. Ginny Frazier and members of Circles and Arrows (above) performed the Steve Schumacher version of " D owntown", (see September issue of Streetvibes) before a small crowd of artists and advocates. Bar ba ra Wo lf, spokesperson for the n ew organization, stated that, there is no reason to pit ans and artists against the Drop Inn Center in the creation of the G reater C incinnati Ar ts and Education Center. (GCAEC) Help needed to organize this event. Contact John at 751-1 740, or JohnZeh@aol.com, or CapCoverag@aol.com Bonnie Neumeier, one ofthe DICenter's founders, described the plans of the Cincinnati Arts and Education Center Board: M!lJly of the plans for ( Miss America, Continued) fact she travels 20,000 miles each month! Miss French, who has a research team that keeps her informed about the issue, offered some of her thoughts about homeless veterans. For, example, she said that she thinks the current government volunteers distribute refreshments to Stand Down veterans waiting in line fund ing is insufficient to address the problems of homeless veterans. She thinks that job train­ ing is one solution to the problem, and hopes that attention co homeless vets will help .t he homeless as a whole. Many here at the Drop Inn Center hope her visit will help the D rop Inn in its struggle to stay in its home at 121h and Elm. In fact, Miss America said she would sign on her support, and that we should call her ifwe need her to take ac­ tion (civil disobedience has nor been ruled out). Others offer positive feed back also, saying that they were amazed she would walk the streets of O ver the Rhine. Nancy Lester, co-chair of the Stand Down, said "she's very im­ p ressive, very committed and sincere", noting that she stayed an hour longer than she was scheduled to serve the homeless in Wash­ in gcon Park. Ms. Lester also remarked that Miss French scood apart from other winners of the pag­ eant because she chos~ a po­ litically volatile issue. "Most people rreat the poor like lepers, they have the feeling that homeless people could do better if they want to." Despite any reservations, most people interviewed held out the hope mat her visit would help some home­ less people, and contribute to keeping the Drop Inn Center open. As the Stand D own ends, the excitement generated by M iss America's visit is rapidly fading into the past. All things must pass, bu~ we should all thank Miss America for visiting the Drop Inn, leaving us with memories of a celebrity visit that buoyed our sense ofhope and importance. • • • • • • �. . ..t..."-. - STREETVIB..E S . . . - "fheT~i-State's. fjom$1ess Grapel(irJf? ~·. · .. ~ ~ .. - . " • ~·- .. • . ~ .: --.· .... , .. - ~a_g~ 4 _.c • ~ 4~ • ~ -·· • WORD O_N THE STREET Novetnber (regards to Mike H enson) ........ by Patrick Harmon Because snow falls early through broken windows Because wine burns blood red And crack melts the heart Because we live off the waste of the rich Beca use children pick through garbage And fa milies sleep in the park Because it can be illegal nor to have a bed Because hom elessness is living Because we are all refugees T hey created a climate of fear Because the m ind is plagued with hate Because the gherco's been flooded with guns Because bullets shine in the dark Because glasses were raised to the blast I shook. I held My knees and rocked back and fo rth Because I sat on the floor And rolled cigarettes Because I needed to be alone Because the ghetto was silent Because it was so cold for N ovember Because the wind crept under the door And stole the color of my soul Because Wilbur didn't pull the trigger Because Wilbur didn't pull rhe trigger • • • My Nigga. • • ...... Te 't ro Amaru To fully comprehend and understand where we're going one must realize the horrors from where we've been. Uprooted like produce to help produce the America which . hides all truths.brainwashes our youths, and rewrites our history for 'His' story of how everything was and has come to be .. . we have maintained our sanity and stability in an efforts to effectively reconstruct what the majority of 'devilz' intentionally and systematically plot to deconstruct. Arts & Poetry MEDIA PLAY ...by Alford Cephas (D.0.0.P) The Media will play with your mind all the ti.me Itwill rate you, tape you, player hate you, rape you, then downgrade you. ItwillcreateFantasy dreams. Make a man kill, steal, deal, just to be a part of society's team What the Media play is what the people believe. Usingwords to make the image for a Universal herd. Now you may not understand what the media will do to you. But,look inside the home~ c.ommunity, state or continent andsee people playing make believe life. W0 R D SCRAMBLE ........by Ron Carter soluiions to last month's scramble: Cinci1111at Cam on, Cleveland. Columbus, Kentucky, Louisville, Lexington, Newporr. E W HAl f lNO , K PMUPNI , K A s M" T I H wc OM BRO , O GI E OSD , ERTAT , P A S 0 I NATURE LIVES Nature is indeed the best Then comes the rest Man was made, But nature saves Man will eventually give But nature lives .... ... Henry Tate A FROWN W hile sitting here thinki ng about Life's ups and downs. Upon my face came a frown. A time to reflect on gifts, And not to be concerned about ifs If I could 've, If I wou ld've and if I should've Really doesn't matter. Because if we stay focused, Our lives will only get better. Then comes time when we may project ahead , Not knowing whether we will be living or dead. That's why it's important to live just for today. Not letting tomorrow get in our way. I Hint: before the saints come marching in. ( answers on page J5) ~Remember! God's in control of our ups and downs And if it's his will our frowns wi ll be turned upside down . .. ...by Henry Tate Stronger than the bonds that held us chained in chains we've strived and survived to accomplish unspeakable gains throughout the loss, and within the cost, unimaginable things. And yet, what many feel we have neglected from the on-lookers misconception is simply what we have taken out of disrespect and transformed into the respect of our 'feared' nation? Just 'cause I love My 'Nigga's'. I would shed blood for My 'Nigga's'. . Let a Nigga holler, "Where's My Nigga's'?" And all I want to hear is, "Right here, My 'Nigga' ." "It's our new Reality Check. No matter how many we issue, it will never cover your expenses." �STREETVIBES Wings ol Lorie As I tilt my face toward Heaven And search the skies above. She descends from on high to hold me near. And wrap about me her angelic wings of love. •• •• ••• by Larry A1hby The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine AINNIE Shining stars, and fellow d reams Aren 't as good as your ice cream When it tastes like lemon d rops, Custard pie with crunchy tops . Nice and cool and creamy whipped Messed Up World Trash in the streets. Paper on the sidewalks People strolling in parks lea·ving their trash on the bench. Destroying wonderful sculptures. Why do we live in such a messed up world? •••••••••by Larry A1hby Page 5 Not a cherry, just 4 dips Down your"tummy yum, yum, yum Now we're fi nished wasn't that fun . ...... ... Charmaign Gilden DREAM Seeing you is like a dream, Listening love and everything, Whispers sweet, laughing too. Enjoying all the soul of you. Touching you is so much more, I simply, simply, yearn for more, Deep inside you I long to Dwell In your heart and in all your wells Making sure this is not a tale Low Income or No Income ..... Low Income Housing is ..... living in an abandoned building because you have no place to call home,... Going to the Drop Inn Center because it's too wet or cold to sleep in the streets ... Corporate America dictates the difference and the outcome of the Low Income and the NO Income. If we examine the minimum wage laws an·d the attitudes of the wealthy or those who employ, we will see the injustice that is done to low income families even in the White House. The United States of America has declared with the power invested in them by GOD, that it is fair for these industrious corporate geniuses to set your salary at minimum wage; so if minimum wage is low income and minimum wage is $5.15, what is that going to provide for a family of 4? The economy or the monopoly is in the hands of the landowners or the corporate geniuses or the United States Government. Now, consider this: The agency that offers to adjust your rent according to your income is not doing you a big favor at all because 4 hungry ch ildren, a husband and a wife still live in poverty. ...............Charmaign Gilden .. ........Azariah Israel FREEDOM R -R -R each for the sky, Grab on to a star-r, Follow where it leads, hang on-as it travels, HoldTight! You're in for a r-ride. You 'II swerve from side to side, Tumble up-side-down, Swivel around like a top, Become topsy-turvy, Hold Tight! You're in for a r-ride. Freedom is a 2-edged sword. It gives you. the strength and endurance that you need; It allows you to do something you thought you couldn' t or wouldn ' t do. Freedom allows you to fight for something you believe in. -AND YET­ a loows you to figh t against something you don 't believe· in, The Cincinna ti Ben gals sat on a waH Because they could not Hip ! H ip! hoor ay for F reed om! The path takes you thru­ valleys and deserts. Let Freed om fly h igh! The way becomes almost invisible, Other times-very clear. Let ever yone rai se h ead s a nd salute, It may become curvy like a snake, O ther times, straight as an arrow. Freedom isn 't any " is m '; At times, you don't know where you are r a cism , ageism, n egati vism. going, Freedom is n't bigotry, hatred , Other times, it is very apparent. or anyt hing that does not Hold1ight!! res pect t,he huma n spirit. Hang on-you 're in for a ride!!! .....Judi Mendriski . ... ... by Ron Carter Judi Mendriski, from JUDI'S HEART pla.y football. All th e kings hot·ses and all the ki ngs men tried to help them get it together again . But \Vhen it was all said and done, No more gan1es had th ey won. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Awareness A handsome, middle aged man walked quietly inco the cafe and sat down. Before he ordered, he couldn't help but notice a group of younger men at the cable next to him. It was obvious chey were making fun ofsomething about him, and it wasn't until he remembered he was wearing a small pink ribbon on che lapel of his suit chat he became aware of what the joke was all about. The man brushed off the reaction as igno­ rance, but the smirks began to gee co him. He looked one of the rude men square in the eye, placed his hand beneath che riobon and asked ' quizzically, "This?" With that the men all began co laugh our loud. The man he addressed said, as he fought back laughter, "Hey, sorry, man, but we were just commenting on how prerry your lirtle ribbon Looks against your blue jacker!" The middle aged man calmly motioned for che joker to come over to his cable, and invited him co sic down. As uncomfortable as he was, the guy obliged, not really sure why. In a soft voice, the middle aged man said, "I wear this r.ibbon co bring awareness about breast cancer. I wear it in my mother's honor." "Oh, sorry dude. She died of breast cancer?" "No, she didn't. She's alive and well. But her breasts nourished me as an infant, and were a soft resting pierce for my head when I was scared or lonely as a little boy. I'm very graceful for my mother's breasts, and her health." "Umm", the stranger replied, "yeah", "And I wear this ribbon co honor my wife", che middle aged man wenc on. "And she's okay, too?", the other guy asked" "Oh, yes. She's fine. Her breasts have been a great source of loving pleasure fo r boch of us, and with chem she nurtu\·ed and nourished our beautiful daughrer 23 years ago. I am graceful for my wife's breasts, and for her health." "Uh huh. And I guess you wear it to honor your daughter, also?" "No. Ir's coo lace co honor my daughter by wearing ic now. My daughter died of breast cancer one monch ago. She choughc she was coo young ro have breast cancer, so when she acciden­ tally noticed a small lump, she ignored it. She thought char since it wasn' t painful, ic muse nor be anything co worry about." Shaken and ashamed, che now sober stranger said, "Oh, man, I'm so sorry mister". "So, in my daughter's memory, coo, I proudly wear this litcle ribbon, which allows me the opportunity co enlighten ochers. Now, go home and talk co your wife and your daughters, your mother and your friends. And here ..." The middle aged man reached in his pocket and handed che ocher man a lirtle pink ribbon. The guy looked at it, slowly raised his head and asked, "Can ya help me put icon?" This is breast cancer awareness month. Do regular breasc self-exams and have annual mono­ grams if you are a woman over the age of 45. And encourage those women you love to do the same. We Need Your Creativity! Send your poetry, writings or artwork to Page 6 INTERNATIONAL NEWS Sweat-shop Crusader Charles Kemaghan, the anti-sweatshop crusader whose e xpose ' of the worki ng Conditions in factories producing Kathie Lee Gifford andWal-Mart clothing brands became major national news, will speak at Occidental College in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 26,at 11 :30 a.m. in Thorne Hall on the Eagle Rock campus. H e will discuss, "The Global Campaign to End Child Labor and Sweatshops." Kemagban, the executive director ofthe National Labor Committee, anon-profit group that supports workers and bu.man rights around the world, made national headlines in the spring of 1996 when he testified in Congress revealing that 13-year old girls in a Honduras factory were being forced to work 13-hour shifts under ' armed guard,for 31 cents an how·, sewing pants fo rWaI-Mart and Kathie Lee Gifford la bels. Kathie Lee Gifford responded on her television program, crying and threatening to sue Kernaghan. The case exploded into a major press story and the issue of child labor and sweatshop abuses was finally on the national agenda as never befor e . Kathie Lee soon pledged to help eliminate sweatshops in factories around the world, including those producing her brand. Last month this controversy erupted in the news again when workersin El Salvador were fired, and received death threats, for trying to organize a union in a factory making clothing for Kathie Lee Gifford's Wal-Mart clothing label. The Kathie Lee Gifford controversy is only one ofNLC's many successful efforts to draw attention to the problem ofchild labor and sweatshops. The New York Times has referred to Charles K emaghan as "the labor movement's mouse that roared," while Women's Wear Daily obsetved that, "Charles Kemaghan and his anti­ sweatshop battle have been shaking up the apparel industry like nothing since the Thangle Shirtwaist Fire." . Kernaghan has led numerous fact-finding missions to CentralAmerica, the Caribbean, and China. The NLC has sponsored delegations of U .S. university and college students to investigate working conditions in sweatshops in Mexico, Central America, and elsewhere. The NLC has hosted U.S. tours of workers from Honduras, El Salvador,Hcµti and China.At his talk at Occidental, K e rnaghan will be accompanied by two ganrtent workers from El Salvador who have worked in sweatshops making apparel for m ajor U.S. labels a nd American universities. NLC has published numerous research reports, produced several Documentary videos. and run a number of highly s uccessful international campaigns to draw media and public atte ntion to sweatshops and to what consumer, religious, student, and Labor groups can do to bring pressure on clothing companies that utilize child labor and violate workers' rights. The NLC now works with over 10 000 ' religious, labor,student,women 's, human iights, solidarity and community groups across the country.. Ke rnaghan became in vo lved in the struggle to defend international Laborrights after participating in a peace march through Central America in December 1985. H e became the d~ector of the NLC in 1990. TheNationalLaborCommittee(NLC), founded in 1981, operates by establishing direct ties with non-governmental organizations around the world. It organizes fact-finding tours to investigate human rights and labor abuses; publishes reports based on these tours; and initiates inte rnational emergency response campaigns to protect lives of endangered trade unionists and huma n rights activists. More information about NLC can be found on its website: www.nlcnet.org. Kemaghan has an undergraduate degree from Loyola University in Ch icago and a master's degree from the New School for Social Research in New York. H e has spoken at hundredsofcollege and universities, high schools and religious, labor and human rights events. He also appeared on many radio and television programs and in more than 100 newspap{'.r articles. H e has taught at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and at SUNY's Harry Van Arsdale Labor College in New York City. K emaghan 's talk at Occidental, which is free and 9pe n to the public, is part of the college's lntercultural Speakers Series. Occidental is one of more than 100 colleges and universities around the country that have adopted a Code of Conduct for manufacturers ofclothing with the college's name and logo. Occidental 's code, adopted earlier this year,requires manufacturers to pay a living wage and to publicly disclose the location offactories producing the college's clothing. • • • • • • 5treetvi bea , c/o GCCH (Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless), 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati 45210 Phone - 513-421­ 7803, E-mail (text): to streetvibes@juno.com, E-mail (attached files This space reserved for silent reflection �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Fiscal Year 2000 HUD Budget...... from Better Than Expected (reprinted COOHIO field notes) There has been a flurry of activity on . Capital Hill _in recent weeks around 13 appropriations bills that fund the federal government. For a variety of reasons, qoth houses ofCongress have once again failed to pass the necessary legislation, instead, relying on continuing resolutions to keep government up and runn ing. One of the pieces of legislation in Question is the department of Housing and Urban Development(H UD) appropriations bill. On September 9 1h, the House of Representatives, by a vote of235-187, passed rhe Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban D evelopment, and Independenr Agancies Appropriations Act, 2000 (H.R.2684). This version cut the President's requested FY 2000 HUD budget by six percent. These cues were deep and widespread. O n September 241h, the Senate passed their version of the H UD appropriations bill ((S. 1596). T heir recommendations, though in stark contras~ co the funding levels established in the House, still cut the President's request by three percent. T hough some program s would see cuts in the Senate vt'.rsion, they were nor as deep and/or as widespread as in the House. T he Senate version, however, was not as kind to other programs; Community Builders program would all but disappear, the HOPE VI program would be further cut to the rune of abo ut $ 125 million, and as in the H ouse, no n ew Section 8 housing vouchers were funded . O n O ctober 7'h, the H ouse/Senate Conference Committee reached agreem ent on the FY 2000 VA-H U D appropriations bill. T he Committee provided more funding for the housing and community d evelopment programs than anticipated, and approved several initiatives pr oposed by the President. T he Committee "found" $900 million in Section 8 recaptures to offset the increases in HUD programs. Some of the highlights include: * M cKin ney H omeless Assistance Program (Continuum of Care) funded at $ 1.02 billion, $45 million over the FY 1999 level; *HO M E Investment Partnership Program funded at $1 .6 billion, even with the FY 1999 level; *Commun ity D evelopment Block G rant (CDBG) Program funded at $4.8 billion, $50 m illion over FY 1999 level; * Public Housing- $2.9 bi8Uion in the p ublic housing capital fund and $3.1 38 billion in the operating fund, a decrease in the capital fund, HUD Program McKinney Homeless Assistance Proroms (Continuum o Core) Housing OpCortunities for Personswit AIDS (HOPWA) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Su~portive Housing for the El erly (Section 202) Revitalization of Severly Distressed Public Housing (HOPE VI) Tot~I HUD Budget Page 7 but an increase in operating funds; * HOPE VI funded at $575 million, $50 million less than the FY 1999 level; * Full funding for Section 8 contract renewals; * Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (H.OPWA funded at $232 million, $7 million over the FY 1999 level; * Supportive Housing for the Disabled (Section 811 ) funded at $201 million, $5 million over the FY 1999 level; * The com~iccee appropriated funding for 60,000 new Section 8 vouchers; and * The Community Builders survive th e proverbial "chopping block" but only un til September 1,2000. The positions then revere back to civil service slots. By all accounts, the nation is mired in a serious affordable-housing crisis, with record low vacancy rates, rents rising at twice the rate of inflation , interminable waiting lists for federal aid and an unprecedented 5.3 million families paying half their incomes in rent. So in a startling ·turnaround last week - as Housing and Urban D evelopment Secretary Andrew M . C uomo clamored about the worst shortages in history - congressional Republicans agreed to drop demands for cuts and prepared to approve one of the most generous housing budgets in years. While Republicans and D emocrats are touting the deal as a key first step to easing the crisis, both sides agree that this m odest budget boost will" barely dent the problems facing the nation's poorest families. * * * * * For more information on specific programs, please review the chart below. (dollars in Mifliom) Fy 19YY Fy 2000 Appropriated Level Presidential Reauest Conterence Committee Recommendation $975 $1,020 $1 ,020 $225 $4,750 $660 $240 $4,775 $660 $232 $4,800 $710 $625 $625 $575 $24.6 billion $28.0 billion $26.3 billion Drowning Deaths of South Dakota Homeless Puzzle Police in 17 months, three this year. In typical years, RAPID CITY, S.D. - When the first few only about one homeless person turns. up bodies turned up in the gurgling trout stream downed along the creek. chat runs through a park in this city on the edge "There's just too many of them to say it's of the Black Hills, the deaths drew litde atten­ coincidence. But it could be," Police Chief tion. · Tom Hennies says. Police investigated, but all the evidence Authorities have no witnesses who saw any indicated that the homeless men had spent their of them go into the creek. T here are no bullet days and nights drinking along Rapid Creek and holes, stab wounds or evidence of other injuries. simply passed out and drowned. What investigators know is that six of the As more men died, however, law officers eight were Indians, and all but one had been became suspicious. T he deaths now total eight drinking hea,vily just before they died. Most had blood alcohol levels of at least 0.25 percent, or more than 2 • times the 0.1 percent level at which drivers are presumed to be drunk. The homele3ss people who live under bridges along the creek believe someone is pushing unconscious or helpless drinkers into the water. Clement Standing Elk says he and other street people no longer risk hanging out alone. (Continued next page) �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine (Drowning Deaths, Continued) "We go around in packs." Rumors reported to police include accusa­ tions that the creek people are being killed by a fellow homeless man, by racist skinheads, a motel owner, members of a Satanic cult, a big white man. Standing Elk is among those who blame racist skinheads, and says the creek people have banded together to chase some of them away. "They came by here. There were four of them and they said they were goi.ng to throw another dead Indian in the creek," he says. The homeless and others complain that the police and Pennington County Sheriff's Department are doing little to investigate the deaths because most of the victims are Indians, men whose names included Benjamin Long Wolf, Randelle Two Crow and Loren Two Bulls. The Victims The men who have died during the past 17 months along Rapid Creek in Rapid City, S.Dak.: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Benjamin P. Long Wolf, 36. Found May 21, 1998 George E. Hatten Jr., 56. Found May 31, 1998 Alan Hough, 42. Found July 4, 1998 Randelle E. Two Crow, 48. Found Dec. 8, 1998 Loren J. Two Bills, 36. Found Dec. 9, 1998 Dirk R. Bar<l:ing, 44. Found May 29. Anhur J. Chamberlain, 45. Found June 7. Timothy Bull Bear Sr., 49. Found July 8. • • • TOP 20SAYINGS, (continued) 6. A person who smiles in the face of adversity ... probably has a scapegoat. 7. Plagiarism saves time. 8. If at first you don't succeed, try management 9. Never put off until tomorrowwhat you can avoid altogether. 10. TEAMWORK .... meansnever having to take all the blame yourself. 11. The beatings will continue until moraleimproves. STllEETVIBES Prisoners News 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 $1 2 for a year's subscription Sendyour comments and questions.to streetvibes@juno.com mail: STREETV/BES 1506Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 To the Citizens of the United States of America: My name is Alexandra Rae el-Katib, I am 9 years old. I'm writing on the behalf of my sister Hana Marie who is 5 years old, and my baby brother said, 2 years old; We are all-American Born children. We really need your help! I am be·gging you to help us! We have not seen our father for 6 months now because Immigrations took him out of our home like a criminal on February 26, 1999. My father is a very good father and we ·need and miss him so much. They told us that my father would be gone for 90 days, and now it has been 6 long months. They keep giving my dad the run-around and we cannot seem to get anyone to listen to us. Immigrations will not help us at all. I don't know who else to contact, so I am going to send letters to every one in office. Someone will hear our cries for help. My father had a minor non-violent crime in the past. The charges were dismissed due to the lack of constitutionally binding evidence. I feel that it is a crime to lock an innocent man up and destroy his family and make them loose everything that he has worked very hard to provide for his family, for his entire life. My father is Mahmoud El-Khatib. He has been in the United States since 1984, working every day of his life to support his family and making sure that we had what­ ever we needed or wanted . The govern­ ment never had to spend one penny on our family because my father provided for us very well. Now you have him locked up as if an animal and we are loosing our home because no one will listen to our cry for help; no one seems to care! Now our mother cannot pay the bills or buy groceries for u~ to eat. This is your entire fault. Something has to be done right away ....,. not only for my father but for all the men that Immigrations has locked up in jail. We were taught in school that America is the Land of the Free! The treatment of the immigrants doesn't seem like freedom to me! They also told us that this is the land of opportunity. Where's my father's free­ dom and opportunity? In fact, they tell him that he has not rights! This is not true ­ This is America, remember - Everyone is supposed to be free! God says, "All men are created equal"! God didn't say that you had to be born in America to be treated equal! My dad is a man also and his rights as a human being are being violated! My dad has paid taxes here in the United States for 15 years now. Doesn't this mean anything to all of you? Page a Just tell me what to do and I will do it, so that my dad can come home to be with us again. We are very close to mhy dad; he is the greatest dad in the world and that is the God's honest truth. My sister Hana fell recently and broke her collarbone, and had to go to the hospital and have surgery. She was so scared and all she wanted was our dad. He was not able to hold and comfort her because you are still holding him in jail! This is really sad, keeping a father away from his chil­ dren. Dad is such a wonderful man. You can ask anyone at all that knows him. Dad will help anyone. He has friends, all over this country, who love and need him Fe­ leased from jail, too. My father is the best father in the world, so this is very hard to me. to understand why the United States of America is treating him so cruel; it's just not fair! I know bank robbers and murderers are treated better than the immigrants are in this country. Is this fair? Don't you realize that we all have immigrants in our family background? We should treat these people like family, not criminals. They just might be members of our family! Is this the freedom that they told us about in school? If this is freedom, I think it stinks and we must do something about this today!, not next 11.!0nth or next year, but today; just as soon as you finish this letter. It's about time that we show the immi­ grants in our country that "America does care" and that we can still be the Land of _ the Free. Let America be a place we are proud to live in. When I say my prayers tonight, I will pray that God and all the people in the United States will have a heart. In addition, release my dad and all the other dads that the INS is holding and send them home to their fami­ lies as soon as possible. Thank you and God bless every one. Sincerely, The children of Mahmoud El-Khatib: Alexandra Rae, Hana Marie, and Said El-Khatib Mahmoud and other INS Detainees are held at The Dayton Human Rehabilitation Center 1613 South Gettysbu.rg Ave. Please Send replies and support to this address: Barbara Marshall, 1286 us 50 Lynchburg, Ohio 45142 (937) 364-6828 E-mail: eh_bjmarshall@yahoo.com • • • / ' PAN-OHIO 'i Prisoners Advocacy Network Statewide Meeting Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio November 13-14, 1999 Call PAN-Cincinnati, (513)241-8014 ./ �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Poor Prison Management Makes Us All Pay Is poor prison management and legislative gerous offenders are idle in prison, costing taxpayers choices the cause of the high recidivism rate among some $222,000 plus per prisoner each year. On prisoners in the United States? What effect does leaving prison they have a hard time finding jobs. chis have on the individual and society as a whole? • Chances are chat their first incarceration will not be Would the reintegration of educational programs their last. for prisoners and training programs for prison ad­ The traditional American Criminal Jus­ ministration change all of this? tice system isn't working for anybody - victims, Officially, it is maintained chat there are offenders, or society as a whole. The results are no prisons in the United States. T here is a De­ disastrous, because prisons have little effect com­ partment of Corrections, and there are "correc­ bating the fears of crime of che rising number of tional facilities" equipped with "educational pro­ households couched by crime. The United Scates grams", "vocational training" and necessary "psy­ prison population grew a chopping 164 percent chiatric therapy." There are also no prisoners in from 1984 to 1996, one out of every 2.7 U.S. the United States; there are only "inmates". This households was touched by crime in 1996, com­ atypical perversion of the faces has been the cause pared to one in four in 1990. This can partially of the sociaJ view of prisoners as nothing more be attributed co the lack of educational programs than humna waste. It has been the goal of state in prisons. legislators and prison administration to inflict this Prisons don't rehabilitate offenders; they perception of prisoners upon society. In doing so, seem to entrench criminal behavior. Two out of it has allowed the bureaucratic majority to capi­ three offenders/prisoners will be re-arrested within talize on the demise of the prisoner and to escape three years of their release from prison. It is shown punishment for their maltreatment. In Ohio that recidivism rates are higher for prisoners than alone, the prison industry has become a capitaliz­ for identical offenders who were ·put on proba­ ing entity worth well over two billion dollars. tion. Despite these failures, the U.S. is relying To influence this goal, the legislature en­ more on prisons than ever before - at astronomi­ acted laws which withdrew fundi ng for educational cal costs to taxpayers. l:he number of prisoners in programs within prisons. In effecting these laws, the U.S. has nearly tripled in the last thirteen years they used public support which chanted, "pris­ - from 420,000 in 1984 to over 1,800,000 in oners do not deserve a free education when I can­ 1997. Trying co keep pace, as ofJanuary l, 1996, not afford to educate my children". In defeating states were spending $4.2 bilion on new prison the educational programs within prisons, it opened construction and renovation. State spending for the doors for an increased recidivism rare nation­ Corrections is growing faster than any ocher area wide. Prisoners no longer have programs which - including elementary and higher education, aid will help them co remain in society as productive for families with dependent c~ildren, and Medic­ citizens. In return, it has caused "revolving door aid. prisons", which keep the bureaucrats financially One last sad emphasis is chat the United sound and the taxpayer broke. Another example States fell second only to Russia (in 1995), who of legislative choices which help co flood the pris­ incarcerated 690 prisoners per 100,000 citizens, ons, are the draconian laws enacted which control as opposed co the U.S.' 600 per 100,000 citizens. society. They are aimed at further oppressing the Ac this time, the United Stares had 1,485,401 poor within society ac an alarming rate. individuals incarcerated in its prisons. Ohio cur­ The single most important thing to un­ rently has an estimated 49,000+ prisoners in its derstand in all of this is chat the behavioralist view prions, and they are rapidly increasing thac num­ of the criminal has nothing tO do with breaking ber. Ohio ranks among the top four states for the the law. Let us explain this with some well-known most number of individuals incarcerated. statistics. First, it is a matter of common knowl­ There are parallels co the field of criminal edge that only a small number of law violations justice. Curr~nt cri minal justice policy is built are detected and reported. Further, even of the on a political truth: chat crime involves law break­ reported violations only a small percentage actu­ ing. But it's fatally flawed in that it discounts ally result in police investigation s and arrest. another truth - crime causes injuries to victims, Secondly, drastically ninety percent of all the community, and even offenders. The goal of criminal defendants in the United States today the criminal justice process was to make things plead guil ty without a trial because they cannot right by repairing the damage to those parties afford a lawyer, and hope for judicial leniency. whether the damage was physical, financial, or Lastly between thirty to fifty percent of the pris­ rational. However, this goal has been abandoned oners in various cities and states are African-Ameri­ and a new one integrated. This new goal includes can and Hispanic; while African-American people, practices such as poor management, maltreatment for example, constirute about fifteen percent of and denial of programs, all of which increase the the total population. In the state prisons in Cali­ recidivism race. In doing so, they are creating an fornia there are 28,000 prisoners, forty five per­ angry, 'still undereducated individual who is re­ cent of whom are classified as "non-white". It turned to society. Therefore, society suffers as he/ should be perfectly clear that thousands upon she recommits, because there exist no social agen­ thousands of people presently in jail and prison cies to help chem in their reintegration into soci­ have broken no laws whatsoever. ety. Due to the increase in crimes by these people, In understanding the thesis of this essay, taxes are increased to the detriment of the tax­ we must take a broader view of the supporting payer. The only answer is to change these policies issues. One area that is contributed to poor prison and to change the infrastructure of the current management and poor legislative choices is the criminal justice system. I urge you to voice your non-violent offender and the affect of prison on . concern on these issues to your local legislator. It him. will take a strong voice to stop the poor prison As for non-violent offenders, they are of­ management and legislative choices which increase ten sentenced for years to an overcrowded prison recidivism rates deliberately for a capitalistic out­ where they are exposed to the horrors of violence, come. including homosexual rape, isolation from family In struggle, and friends, and despair. Instead of working on James W. Pryor the outside _co repay their victims, many non-dan­ Page 9 Mumia receives Stay of execution Political Prisoner, Mumia Abu Jamal, who is on death row in Pensylvania, received a stay of execution on Tuesday, the 26th of October. Thanks to all his supporters and people who rallyed in his support. .......... Sonny Williams l ( Ohio Prison Officials Attempting to Restrict Packages On October 4, 1999, prisoner advocates temporarily defeated the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections' efforts to implement a regulation which would ban prisoners from receiving packages from their families and friends. Under this proposed regulation, prisoners would be allowed to receive food and sundry packages from "approved vendors" only. This policy would greatly increase the cost of purchasing such items, because the families of prisoners would not be able to shop at discount or secondhand stores, and would not be able to send items into prison that they already have at home. This policy would force prisoners' families to purchase new items. Because of the extremely small storage space each prisoner is allowed to have (a 2.4 cubic feet locker box), prisoners are unable to store out-of-season clothing, plus whatever personal items they have. So prisoners are constantly forced to send stuff home or throw it away. Each year, clothing must be bought again under this policy. Prisoners who have their state pay garnished to pay court cost or other assessed debts (some of which run into tens of thousands of dollars ) would never be able to purchase food or sundry items be­ cause any money received from their family or friends to purchase packages would be used to satisfy such debts first. In effect this (continued next page) �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine would literally cut many prisoners off from receiving any assistance from their loved ones on the outside. This proposed regulation (Administrative Regulation 5120-9-33), entitled "Inmate Property" would also reduce the number of packages prisoners could receive. Prisoners in Minimum security would be allowed to receive 4 packages, Medium - 3, Close - 2, and Maximum - 1. This would include food/ sundry packages combined. It has been clearly established that packages from home help to maintain family ties. The DRC constantly gives lip service to ·helping prisoners maintain ties to the commu­ nity, but ·punitive policies such as this clearly have a detrimental effect on prisoners' relationships with families and friends. At the legislative Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) hearing, it was established that vendors who market their products to prisoners greatly inflate their prices. For instance, I purchased a cheap watch at a discount store for $1.06, and that same watch is listed in one of the vendors' catalogs supplied to us by DRC at $5.27. All the items in these catalogs can be bought on the outside for a small fraction of the price these vendors would be charging prisoners. Under this regulation, prisoners and their families would have no choice but to pay these inflated prices. This same problem exists today through the contracts prisons have with phone companies. The friends and,fa'milies are forced to pay higher rates than what .is commonly available in the community for collect phone calls from prisoners . What the DRC has been doing is creating monopolies with outside contractors and profiting from the misfortune of the families of prisoners. JDRC officials claimed at the hearing that the purpose behind this policy is to reduce the amount of drugs coming into the prisons. As a former prisoner I testified that this regulation would have little or no signifi­ cant impact on the amount of drugs in the prison system, since the vast majority of drugs are coming into prison through DRC employees, and not packages from prisoners' families. "Security" is the rhetoric used by the DRC when it wants to pass punitive regulation and policies to make their jobs easier, and we watched this trend for many years. Such actions-are not necessary and not effective. It is time for the families and friends of prisoners to speak out and hf!!lp us stop the ·trend of punitive regulations which hurts the families of prisoners even more than it hurts prisoners. Please write or call the legislative members of JCARR and let them know how this regulation would affect prisoners and the families of prisoners: Senator Eric Fingerhut 2800 Van Aken Blvd., #1 Cleveland, OH 44120 (614) 466-4583 Senator Merle Kearns 2664 Brookdale Dr. Springfield, OH 45502 (614) 466-3780 Representative Donald J. Mottley 1641 Longbrow Lane West Carrolton, OH 45449 (614) 644-6008 Representative Dixie Allen 4592 Toni Dr. Dayton, OH 45418 (614) 466-1607 Representative Kevin Coughlin 2324 Iota Ave. Cuyahoga F~lls, OH 44223 (614) 466-1177 Representative Joy Padgett 871 Walnut St. Coshocton, OH 43812 (614) 644-6014 Senator Jay Hottinger 455 Kelley Lane Newark, OH 43055 (614) 446-5838 Senator Nathony Latell 862 Drehl Ave. Gir~rd, OH 44420 (614) 466-7182 Representative Betty Sutton 338 East Baird Ave. Page 10 Barberton, OM 44203 (614) 644-6037 Senator James Carnes 47403 Puskarich Rd. St. Clairsville, OH 43950 (614) 466-8076 The above listed Phone numbers are their office phone numbers. The DRC has stated their intention to reOfile this policy in the near future, so please contact JCARR soon! In the struggle, Dan Cahill Prisoner Advocacy Network-Ohio Welfare Reform in Northeast Ohio ...byLynn w;mams Several members.of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition traveled to Wooster, Akron,Youngstown, Warren and Cleveland on a three-day outreach trip. Along the way we learned a lot about what is happening around welfare issues in the Northeast area of the state·. Some of the key points we learned include: official unemployment rate of 1QOA>. The unofficial figure is much higher, including people who are under-employed or part-time workers or have given up searching for~ job. Mothers facing~ l:lave-afuture of fast food jobs-to support their children. These families clearly will not be out of poverty. No Jobs at Livable Wages At a time when Ohio's time limit will cut off 26,000 families from assistance, less than one year away, we heard from both recipients, advocates, and shelter providers, everywhere we went, that good payingjobs are very hard to come by for both recipients and other unemployed individuals. Most jobs are in low-paying service areas, especially fast food restaurants. Thejobs may be relatively easy to get for young, energetic workers, but they pay minimum wage with no benefits, and it's easy to lose thesejobs. Transportation is a Key Concern of . recipients and those who are working to assist recipients get jobs. In the rural areas, such as Wooster, it is next to impossible to become employed unless the recipient finds ajob right inside the city. Even then, the recipient can expect to do awhole lotof walking, along with making her small children walk to and from day care or the home provider, to get to a job. There is no longer public transportation in this small city located southwest of Akron. Youngstown folds also stated that transportation is a key problem for recipients. They don't have a good mass transportation system and innercity people have ahard time getting out to the suburbs where the jobs are located. If your child is sick one too many days and. you must stay home to take care of her, it's common to be fired. Show up more than five minutes late for your shift, and you may be replaced by the time you arrive. It'll be easy to find a fresh worker. Each city reported the same information on job availability. In Youngstown, good paying manufacturing jobs are nowscarce with the dosing of the steel mills in the ?O's. Even at the new prison located there, which was supposed to bring in plenty of jobs, employees are being brought in from out ofstateto fill many of the prisonjobs. Youngstown has an Problems with Caseworker Communication were prevalent in each city. The recipients we met with stated they had a-lot of difficulty getting through to a caseworker by phone, even to leave a voice mail message. One woman stated that she had never been able to communicate by phone with her caseworker. The caseworker never returned her calls. Others talked of the difficulty getting documents to caseworkers without having �5TREETVIBE5 them lost somewhere in the department. Effect of sanctions We learned about how sanctions are affecting recipients. A woman living in a homeless shelter in Warren had been . working at a fast food restaurant and receiving a partial benefit check before she became homeless. When she ended up sanctioned because an employer failed to fax in the employment form to her caseworker, she was unaware that she potentially had "good cause reason" to not be sanctioned. She was unaware that she even had the right to a hearing! In Youngstown, we learned that recipients have been sanctioned for being one minute late for an appointment. In Akron, we heard that mothers have been sanctioned for not working when they lack childcare for a child under six. Cost of Housing a Key Concern The cost of housing was also a key concern in all the cities. Wooster reported that many low-income renters live in sub-standard mobile homes because there is no other affordable housing available. Each city reported a rise in homelessness in their area, and all shelter staff whom we spoke with reported a rise in the numbers of women & children at t heir shelters. Some posit ive t hings we learned: • Some recipients are being allowed to count more hours of education towards their OWF work requirement • Because of domestic violence advocates in Trumbull County, t he county welfare department had mandated domestic violence training for all caseworkers • There are agencies out there, where t he staff genuinely care about the individuals and families who come to The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine their doors. They are doing good work in their area of the state to try and alleviate some of the harshness of the state welfare law. • There is a lot of spirit out there to change the state law! People are rewed up about the wrong of punishing the poor, especially children. There is a sense of injustice and outrage about what is happening. + People are signing up to vote and getting other people to vote to make changes in who represents them. On Saturday we were part of a panel held by Stop Targeting the Poor (STOP), a coalition of social service advocates in Cuyahoga County. George Zellars of the Greater Cleveland Council of Economic Opportunities cited some statistics about welfare households in Cuyahoga County and across the state. "More than 45% of OWF recipients in Cuyahoga County are off welfare but do not have any earnings, any income." He continued, "In our county (Cuyahoga) most of the recipients who are leaving welfare are worse off, farther into poverty.'' He stated that in CUyahoga County alone, 7 ,000 households have been cut-off of cash assistance this year. "They did not have to wait on the time limit to cut them off. It's happening already with sanctions." And we add, the maze of requirements and documents that recipients are expected to comply with in order to get a subsistence check. Rosa Linda Demore of the Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland, another member of the OEC, alarmed the group when she told us that Cuyahoga County is setting into place a plan to deal with the huge number of welfare families cut­ off next year because of time limits. 40% of the state's OWF families are in Cuyahoga County alone. "Cuyahoga County is increasing the number of foster care homes so the county can place all these children cut off of cash assistance. The plan will be to do emergency home visits of cut-off OWF households. The home visits will determine if the children's needs are being met, and if not, they will be removed." Many people at the meeting were visibly, and understandably, upset at this news. One woman stated, "How can they just come in and take our children?" Rosa­ linda stated, "It can be done and that's the plan. And with the new foster care laws in place, t he children can be removed permanently after one year in temporary foster care." Rosa-Linda continued on, "We are returning to the days when it's a crime to be poor. A crime to be homeless. I'm a social workeL One of t he first codes of ethics for a social worker is "Do no · Page 11 harm." And yet, with bad laws like full­ family sanctions and three-year time limits, enforcing Ohio law is doing harm! Brian Davis, director of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, also told the group very alarming news. "In Cuyahoga County, the age of homeless individuals is steadily going down because of more children becoming homeless. This is because of welfare "reform". In our community, families are disappearing from the face of the earth. These families are no longergoing to our city shelters because the shelters are already completely full. Where are they going?" He continued. We're finding more children hungry, looking for food, not just in downtown Cleveland, but in the suburbs as well. ..There's no doubt that welfare reform is causing great harm in Cuyahoga County. Punishment for not making a meeting should not lead a family with children to homelessness...or going without food. We need to be asking our legislators this question: "Will this policy cause harm to our children in our community?" We must all, across the state, be asking this question of legislators, "Will this time limit policy cause great harm to children?" Approximately 50,000 children across the state face being completely cut off of cash assistance when the time limit clock winds down October 1, 2000. Katy Heins of the Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition urged participants to not be passive spectators in the face of time limits. She stated that the need is great to educate legislators on the great harm time limits will cause. Theressa Taul, Chairperson of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition, invited people to get involved in the Ohio Empowerment Coalition by coming to the next EEC meeting in Columbus. The Ohio Empowerment Coalition will hold its next bi-monthly meeting December 11 , Saturday, in Columbus. Call 513/381-4242 forrrore information. • • • Support Yo u r L o c a I V ~ n d o r .... Te l l A Fr ie n d A b o u t S tree t vib ,e 5 ! 5u p p,ort Your loca l Rea lity- hungry citizen (per haps y.o ur­ , eelf ) .... Tell A F r i end About becoming a Streetvlbe5 Vendor! ....or wrlter/artiet! Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions to Streetvibes 'Can be purchased for $12 per year. (Get 'em now before the rate goes up!) Just send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater C incinnati Coalifion for the Homeless--Streervibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Letters your plans and leave The Drop Inn Center alone. This is the only place for these homeless ones, we urge you not to take it away from them. Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter. Sincerely, Mr. and Mrs. Ron (Jackie) Bowers 794 Sheridan Rd. Marion, Ohio 43302 Letters are still coming in concerning the Greater Cincinnati Art's and Education Center boardplan to relocate the Drop Inn Center. To support the Drop Inn Center's' right to not be moved, Write to: Erich Kunzel, 1241 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210, Send Copies ofyour letter to: Drop Inn Center Attn: Pat Clifford, 217West 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45210, and to Streetvibes Oct. 12, 1999 Mr. Erich Kunzel, My husband and I were appalled over an article we read recently in the Columbus Dispatch. We strongly disagree with these who want to take away the Drop Inn Center. Explain to us, how can you even think of taking away the Center form these people, for such reasons. Don't get us wrong, we too like art, etc., but n~t at the expense of the less fortunate. What you need to do is put yourself in a homeless person's shoes for a little while. Scary, isn't it? To think that you would have no one, that you would have nowhere to go but the streets, that you would have no food to eat, except what you could find in a garbage can somewhere, or that the only clothes you might have are the ones on your back. We urge you to find another place for ontact Us, rite Us! . i Ne welcome input frorn our )aders. Send your letters and j itorial comments to: _ ; TREETVIBES: : 506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 4521" T=ax: ~~Attention Streetvibe~ 5 13)421-7813 ~.,~.. •. ··· mail: ( -reetvibes@juno.co,,, Dear Editor, Re: Prosecutor Mike Allen seeks Death Penalty for Denise Lipscomb; Ralph Lynch (Mentally Ill All His Life), sentenced to death ----­ ---As a taxpayer, I am sick and tired of us spending all this money to put killers on D.earh Row. We continue to ignore the facts that the death penalty coses about three times more than putting people in prison for life, and that it does not deter murder (Look at Texas, for example), or keep us safe. Why not use that extra money to hire more police, put addicts in treatment programs before they kill, feed the hungry children of Cincinnati, or build a new arena for the hockey team? Putting people on death row is a juvenile, emotional "Feel good for awhile" reaction that has no useful purpose, other than to appease the bloodthirsty revenge creature in all of us. Sure, I would consider revenge ifI knew a victim ... but since when does two wrongs make a right? God calls us to control our passions and use our heads .. . not ignore facts with emotional and political solutions that do not really solve the problem. It would be nice if the Enquirer were more responsible about educating the citizens about Death Penalty facts, rather than beat the drum for the same old useless solution that is not working. Most People in Hamilton County are denied the facts and are fed the company line without knowii:ig the other angles. · Let us be responsible citizens and put people like Ralph Lynch in a hospital where they can get the help they need and desire before they devastate a family by killing a little girl. .. and it would keep all of us safer. Most people do nor know that the mentally ill can not get what they need in this community because extra money goes for stadiums, fixing up downtown, jails and death penalty cases. Are we stupid, or what? As Earl Pins would . ,,, say: "W:ake up, Amenca. .. . ." ... Mike Shryock, Justice Watch­ Page 12 To all "Streetvibes" Readers, I read my first issue of "Streetvibes" in August of 1999, and it has forever changed the way I look at homelessness. We were studying infere.nce in my English.class at Miami University and focused a great deal of time discussing homelessness and the common misconceptions associated with this issue. My professor gave us each an edition of "Streetvibes" and the first story on the front page especially caught my attention. The headline read: ''Homeless Population Continues to Increase In America's Rural Areas". I am from rural America and unfortunately, the photograph corresponding with the article was a sight all too familiar in my community. The photo depicted "impoverished rural America'' by showing a small, rundown house and a car that had not been driven in months 9r possibly even.years. The car was being overcome with weeds because nothing had been done to improve its condition; symbolically, the same is being done to end rural homelessness- absolutely NOTHING............ Jimmy Heath's writing was very effective because it opened my eyes to the problems in my hometown- problems that I never took the time to look at before. I encourage those of you living in rural America to open your own eyes and pay attention to what you see. Do you see people living in abandoned warehouses and automobiles? Are there children your can barely children go to school · afford~he o es on their back? There is no denying it; homelessness exists. It can be found in rural America, in large cities, on every coast, and on every continent. If America does not do something now, the homeless will soon be like that car overcome with weeds-hidden and forgotten by those living on the outside. Sincerely yours, Evin Morin To whom it may concern, Here, lately, the homeless people have been harassed. We cannot help it, when high c~ass people are putting us down for no reason; We are citizens, coo. No one wants to give us a chance. As it is, they have never been out there;. it's time that people in the upper class wake up and see what they are doing. We don't like ro be out there. But those kind won't give us a chance. Phone: 357-7258 E-MAIL STREETVIBES: ,.... anonymous streetvibes@juno.com �. • STf<EETVIBES . ,.:. .· The '• ~ • • ~ Tri-St~t~'s ...... • The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Presents: ".:it • • H9me..(!J.S~ • "· - ' Grapevine • ' The Traveler • • ~ · Page .r 13 :.~• JJI~ ......by Donald Whitehead This month's traveler is twofold, a sort of peak and valley in advocacy. October l st 1999 I found myself headed for San Francisco California, home of chc Golden Gate Bridge. As a youngster "The Streets Of San hancisco'', scarring Carl Malden, was one of my favor ite shows. I've often wondered why Cali fornia advocates seem co be a little bit angrier than most other advocates fro m elsewhere. I now have a great deal of empathy for their ·unique struggle. In my travels I have been to almost every region in America. The Ease Coast, Southwest, the Far West, the Midwest, the Deep South, che Northwest, the plain states, and the West Coast. By far the . homelessness I saw ·in San Francisco is the most pronounced. On Saturday advocates from across the country kicked off the National C ivil Rights Monitoring Project. We purposely chose San Francisco because of th e severity of conditions. . O n Saturday O ctober 2 , a rally and a March were ·9' scheduled. The rally was an inspiracionaJ rally • chat consisted of short speeches by advocates from across the country. T here was also inspiracional poetry and some very well done street cheater. Joining us in the rally were hundreds of homeless people. I couldn't help but wonder if this was staged, I couldn't bel ieve chat this square located directly in front of a city hall chat is literally draped in gold. r went back on Monday and there were cwice as many people as there were at the rally. What was worse chan the shear numbers of people was their condition . Mose of the homeless people on the sidewalks of San Francisco seemed to be sick, their body badly beaten by che reaficy of day to day living on che streets. I have never been Featuring Miss Black Cincinnati, Joel Davis, angrier in my life. A program called che Macrix Program has been responsible for thousands of arrest in San Francisco for quality of life crimes. A new ordinance Denise Wilburn, Angie Pepper, Ron Carter, envisioned by the mayor would make it a crime to use a shopping cart within city Dave Myzel4 and more . .. limits. San Francisco symbolizes what happens to community when homelessness continues unch ecked over· a substantial period. It symbolizes what C incinnati will Call 421 - 780 3 fo r tickets be if we continue to ignore the need for low-income housing. . Traveling co a more positive time, I bring you co che end of O ctober 1999. Ir's Wednesday O ctober 27th, 1999 and I am on my ,)'vay co meet the most beautiful woman in America, H eather French, the reigning Miss America. M iss French has decided to use Homeless Veterans as h er platform for her year as Miss America. I found Ms. French co be an extremely genuine articulate and compassionate human being. Ms. French's father was a Vietnam Ver and she was couched by his plight at a very young age. The Homeless movement has needed a spokesperson fo r a very Thursday, December 9, 1999 long rime. Heather French can be quite a spokesperson. T his year's Stand Down was one of the best I've 7-9 P.M . been involved in; it somehow avoided many of rhe St. Francis Seraph problems rhac have occurred in past years. According co H eather French or Miss America " This is one of the mosr Soup Kitchen organized Stand Downs I have ever been co". I got rhe · 14 E. Liberty Street at once in a lifetime opporcuniry to escort Miss America around Stand Down co greet volunreers and srood by her Vine Street side as she and her family helped serve lw1ch. It occurred co me at rhar rime char this wonderful young lady was $15 per person at the door smashing all kinds of stereotypes. AJthough 1 consider Parking In Rear myself very open minded, l am not immune to stereotypes. The picrure in my mind of Miss America was chat of a person far to glamorous co associate with the less rhan well ro do. l rhoughr that she wou ld look down MUSIC," DOOR PRIZES, AND RAFFLE on the people d1ar I wo.c:k wirh and live wirh. How DINNER SERVED BY POWER INSPIRES PROGRESS wrong I was! Heather French has all the other qualificacions of Miss America, the beauty, the grace, rhe VEGETARIAN ENTREES AVAILABLE charisma, and che charm. Whar I didn't expect was rhe * PRESENTATION OF JIMMY RENDER AWARD and humi lity, rhe compassion and the genuine concern for rhe less fortunate. As she walked through rhe Drop Inn 1ST ANN UAL BUDDY GRAY AWARD Cencer were she once volunceere~, she cook the time co speak and hug eve1yone rhar asked. The Homeless Coalition Holid~y Dinner gives us a chance each year to focus on this . As che person ulcimately responsible for her year's positive accomplishments and share hopeful stories of the future. n Anyone in the safety, I stood on pins and needles as she made her way commjunity is invited to participate. co Washington Park. On chis day all che negative publicity about rhe homeless, Washington Park, the The Jimmy Render Award is given each year by the Homeless Coaltion to honor a Drop Inn Cencer and Over-The-Rhine seemed totally homeless or formerly homeless person who has struggled to help those still on the street. ridiculous. Not once in rhe enrire time that Miss America spenc with us was there a mean word or Power Inspires Progress is a non-profit job training organization designed to empower low threatening gesture. The whole time I kept chinking, income comr:nunities through job development. Where's Erik Kunzel or the Arts and Education Cenrer Board when you need them? The Buddy Gray Aw ard is given to an individual This day was the perfect example of a peaceful dedicated to advocacy in the homeless community. coexistence among people from different stations. We finished Stand Down without a single person left sranding in line, quite an accomplishment considering If you would like to sponsor a homeless lines had reached a block long by 8:00 that morning. person for the dinner, please send $15 per In October I traveled the full spectrum of person to: Greater Cincinnati Coalition emotions from the anger about the condition in San for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street , Francisco co the joy I received from Miss America and a Cincinnati, OH 45210. successful Stand Down. You never know what to expect when you travel; I guess that why I keep traveling. Ca/1421·7803 for more information -Helping The Homeless Through Song Benefit Concert, Saturday, Nov:ember 20, 1999 1 8:00 P.M. TAFT High School 1998 HOMELESS COALITION HOLIDAY DINNER * * * * Greater Ciricinnati Co@fitiori Fa Tne Momttess • * * * * * * * �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Words from the Evangelist .... by Rodney Sutton As I cype these words it is with the realization that some of you will read them while I am cruising on the Carnival's Ecstasy. This cruise will be a spiritual retreat for me, because I shall be walking on land I have never tread before and cruising foreign waters; therefore, I will be turning to the One who supplies all my needs. And the supply of your needs is what I would like you to meditate upon this month, because I recently met a man ro whom God has demonstrated His supply. This man is Mark Pastor: a community activist and entrepreneur, and a man who is battling intestinal cancer. Under the guidance ofhis physician Kent Robinson, he is undergoing a holisric treatment that is not covered by h is insurance. However, God has surrounded h im with such a circle offriends and acquaintances who on October 10, 1999 came together at Swifton Commons Mall for "The Art of Healing", an afternoon ofspiritual healing and renewal. The primary goal ofThe Art of Healing was to raise $18,000 to defray Pastor's medical expenses, and to educate the communicy about a variety of holistic and natural approaches to health management and healing. There was an auction of original arc, which was donated by many of the anises Pastor worked-with over the years as co-owner ofArtistic Apparel and Black World Products Internacional. There were performances by the African American Dance and Drum Ensemble, New Prospect Baptist Church Choir, poetry readings, and holistic practitioners were on hand to discuss and demonstrate alternative forms of healing: including herbal therapy, massage, yoga, meditation, cai chi, karate and other stress relieving methods. Frank Frazier designed the limited edition collectible t-shirt that was on sale during the Arc of Healing for a minimum donation of $50. There were only 100 of these t-shirrs available. There are also white t-shirrs with Frazier's design for a minimum donation of $15. Poster prints of the same design are also available for purchase. The day prior to the event Cincinnati saw non-stop rain, and the day of the event began overcast and cool. However, by 1pm the words of Dr. Kent Robinson, " I'd prefer sunshine", became a realicy as the sun pushed boldly through the clouds, and the people began to gather to help this special person. I watched them come: young and old, black and white. I watched as the music and dance excited and then soothed the growing crowd. I watched as Curtis Fuller played auctioneer to such citizens as Vice-Mayor Cooper and Councilman Winburn. I watched as the healing of a community took place. In the air was a feeling oflove, harmony, and togetherness which reflected God's blessings upon this special event. As the Art of Healing came co a close I estimated approximately 500 people had been in attendance, and I learned from Pastor's inner-circle that over $13,000 had been raised with donations still coming in. Those in the Art ofHealing Cirde and the many others who came together to make this event happen all have their faith rooted in God and His ability to make all things possible. I was blessed to be a part ofthis special event, especially since I know what it takes to plan such an event; and in this instance God's supply was evident from Page 14 beginning co end. Ifyou are ofa pessiplistic nature, then this evidence of God's working for the benefit o~ Mark Pastor through a community of friends and strangers should convince you that m~ ~od s~all supply all your need according to His nches m glory by Ch rist Jesus (Philippians 4: 19). Not only shall He supply all your need, but as you continue co trust in Him and allow Him to be your Shepherd and guide, you shall not be in need (Psalms 23: l); because everything is the Lord's (Psalms 24: 1) and He shall with.hold no good thing from them that walk uprightly (Psalms 84: l lc). The Art of H ealing Circle plans to make this an annual event which will continue the emotional, physical, spiritual healing and renewal of the whole cicy ofCincinnati. As I cype these words a healing circle has been formed at New Prospect Baptist Church, and .i t is my prayer that a healing circle will begin in your church and communicy. Then as a chain is linked together we shall d raw our strength from one another as each draws strength from God (Philippians 4: 13). . I~ you have questions about forming a healmg cxrcle or would like to help the Art of Healing Circle in defraying Mark Pastor's medical expenses, call 381-7700. While I am away on my cruise, I would like you people with a PC to check out my web page: http://www.geocities.com/ Athens/Sparta/7907I and send me an e-mail (awol@goodnews.net) with your comments and questions, and if you don't own your own PC go co the library and send me a PTL. Prayer requests can still be placed at 210-4 n Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. The Evangelist Grateful Givings Day Needed -Volunteers Now Volunteers are needed now to plan the fifth annual "Grateful Givings Day" at Sirwell's Coffee House in Clifton's gaslight district. A traditional (Thanksgiving-style) holiday meal will be served for free on Thursday, Nov. 25. Call Susan Storie at Sitwells, 281-7487 or e-11'.ail CapCoverag@aol.com, to get involved. Clients of social service agencies are targeted to enjoy the dinner, but all are weltome - the homeless, people without families here (including nearby UC students), seniors, single people, anyone. "You do not have to be hungry or alone to attend," says Susan Storie, Sicwell's owner. Ted Raft ~!'>J",.-.(~ Ji"tt:U }.~~~tl! t �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 15 " If you want to increase your success rate, double yourfailure rate." .... ThomasWatson, Sr.,founderof!BM I Streetvibes Live Radio Hour Streetvibes TV covers news on poverty, homelessness and related issues Contact us at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless if you would like to be a part of the audience for more Information, call 421-7803 November Streetvibes Live is not Live: It's a taped video of Miss America at the Drop Inn Center during Stand Down99 See Show Times on back page! Help a good cause while promoting yourself to over 5,000 concerned people each month. Tune in to WAIF 88.:3 fm! on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The Business Card Size ~ <1:-;tlJ' 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: STREETVIBES Classified Band Looking for Work Streetv10es (the band) .. We like to party. R&B, Oldies, Blues/Jazz, Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421-7803. ww STREE1VIBES provides Classified Ads free to incomejob seekers. Others may place adsfor only $1 Saturday, November 13th Saturday, December 11th k_ 9"Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 1/2" $20 per month Larger Adds also available If you need assistance in designing your ad or have any other questions, call us at 421 -7803. Wto reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or, . tobacco products. You will receive a foll re.fond should your ad be denied. lf you have any ideas fo r future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact the Greater' Cincinnati Coalition 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... per line. 2" x 31/2" $10permonth Please send your add by the 20th ofpreceeding month, accompanied by your check I money order, co Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, O H 4521 0 5treetvibe5 TV Call 421 7803 for info. AOVERTISE IN STR££TV/!3£S Word Scramble Answers: (We won't let you wait a month this time): Halloween, Pt::1mpkin, •\ Mask, Witch, Broom, Goodies, Treat, Soap ANOTHER CLASS : . ~ Ss · · PRODUCTION Dental Care for Homeless Individuals Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 ­ e-mail: jonesacp@tbol.net (513) 230-6353 Rapid Exit Streetvibes accepts Classified Ads for irems such as Help Wanted, I terns for Sale, Apartmen ts for Rent and ocher non-personal items. T he rate is only $1 per line, approximately ten words per line. People below the poverty level will be given five free lines for six months co advertise their skills or products co our readers. Mail the ad copy, or deliver, to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813 assists families and individuals in moving from homelessness to permanent housing rapidly for more information contact The Greater Cincinnati Coalition ForThe Homeless : 421-7803 and ask for Gina Miller Can't Sleep because of Nagging Toothaches? Bleeding Gums? Sores in your Mouth? Haven't had a dental exam or Cleaning? Clifford Jones, R.D.H., B.S. is offering dental to homeless individuals at 3101 Burnet Avenue. Call (513)621-0248, or (513) 357-7310 for more information �, ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes Vendor code 5TREETVIBE5 TV Schedule Check us out, We 're on TV! The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Media Bridges (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. Nobember Schedule: Broadcast Dates for November's Show on Channel 24: (Please check your schedule) Saturday, November 6th, at 5 PM Tuesday, November 9th, at 1O PM Saturday, November 20th, at 5 PM Tuesday, November 23rd, at 10 AM Thursday, December 2 at 10 AM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell t he paper. l. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 · voluntary donation. l agree n ot to ask for dona­ tions more than $1. I also understand that I will b e a ble t o k eep 8 0 cents of each dollar collected . Future issues of Streetvibes will be p urch ased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cen ts. 2. J agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes wh ile und er the influence of drugs or alco ho l. 3. I agr ee that I will not ask for don ations after 12 midnight. 4 . I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abu s ive langu age or force someon e to give a don ation. I Will not give a "h ard sell" or make someon e feel th rea ten ed. 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of Streetvibes to person s who are n ot regis t ered dlstrtbu tors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that 1 a m collectin g for a n ot-for-profit ch arity or that I am collectin g for the "h om eless" In general. 1 will be h onest in stating th at a ll the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the indlvidual vendor. 7 . 1 agree that I will not contest terrttortes with other distrib utors. 8 . 1 u nderstand that Streetvibes strtves to be a self-s upportin g p a p er created by people wh o ar e h om eless or form erly h omeless. To help In this e ffort. I will try to s pread t h e wor d and write sto1ies if p ossible. 9. l u nderstan d that failure to comply with any of the above statemen ts will result In m e no longer being ab le to distribute Streetvibes. Page 16 Mobile salon at work, Stand Down '99 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... 0 Supplies for vendor's lounge (coffee, cups, paper towels, cr:~~ sugar, etc.) 0 35 mm Film for Streetvibes photos, oqe­ time cameras, digital camera 0 Advertisers and Subscribers 0 Streetvibes has a minimal overhead costs so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvlbes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421· 7803. Thanks for your support. Editing, graphics and Layout help 0 0 omputers/components (monitors, hard drives, etc. for homeless computer lab If you can help!, contact us at: Streetvibes, clo Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 ph: (513) 421 -7803, fax (5 13) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com Need Help or Want to Help? ....................................... ~ ... If for some reason you find y9tJrself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Services. Ifyou 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 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 431-8717 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 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 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality Network - ~44- 7226 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens~ ·~1-4080 St. John's Temporary Housing · 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House 721-4580 <­ 632-7149 241 -0504 369-0004 381-0954 639-7056 961-4555 TREATMENT: Women O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men . Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline C .C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 241-7343 961-4663 OTHER SERVICES 421-2437 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 621-5991 Appalachian Identity Center 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 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Community Center 241-2563 Freestore/Foodbank 241-1064 Goodwill Industries 771 -4800 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 357-4602 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge .Mission 221 -3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 Oral Health Council 621-0248 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Travelers Aid 721-7660 721-7900 United Way VA Homeless Program 559-6656 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 November 1999 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Miss America Adds Human Touch to the 1999 Homeless Veteran’s Stand Down Pg 2: Remembering Buddy Gray Pg 3: Artist Group Organizes in Support of Drop Inn Center Pg 4: Arts & Poetry Pg 5: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 6: International News Pg 7: Nationwide News Pg 8: Prisoner’s News Pg 9: Prisoner’s News Continued: Poor Prison Management Makes Us All Pay Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: Welfare News Continued Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Pg 13: The Traveler Pg 14: Words from the Evangelist 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 November 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Donald Whitehead Susan Knight Tom Billman Ron Carter Gina Miller Warren Perkins Julie Jimmy Heath Bonnie Neumeier Te'tro Amaru Lynn Williams Dan Cahill James Pryor Tree Alford Cephas Henry Tate Larry Ashby Charmaigne Gilden Judi Mendriski Azariah Israel Alexandra Rae el-Katib Rodey Sutton Lynn Williams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alexandra Rae el-Katib Alford Cephas Artists Arts & Poetry Awareness Azariah Israel buddy gray Charmaigne Gilden Dan Cahill Death Penalty Donald Whitehead Drop Inn Center Editorials & Letters Evangelist Gina Miller Henry Tate James Pryor Judi Mendriski Julie Larry Ashby Lynn Williams Media Miss America nationwide news Prison Management prisoners news Rodney Sutton Ron Carter South Dakota Susan Knight Te’tro Amaru the broken city The Traveler Tom Billman Tree veterans Warren Perkins welfare welfare news welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/894eb87e99b94b5aaeb3a819261ad0da.pdf 7b3e62ec6ce29a28015dd4053a23ccc7 PDF Text Text Homeless becoming a target for hate crimes Peaceful Kentucky Camp Attacked by 'Lord of the Flies"- style mob Photo by Warren Perkins Edward Murphy: "Me, Ernie, and his girlfriend Rita were down at the river; we had a camp set up. We was working out of Prestige(temp employment). We got out of work that evening; we were sitting around the campfire, cooking dinner. Ernie and his girlfriend were in the tent. We saw these kids coming, all white boys, 8 or nine of them. They came up on the hill above us, and started hollering, "KKK, Nazi KKK, and they started throwing bricks at us. One of the bricks went through the tent and hit Rita in the chest. Ernie came out of the tent, ducking bricks, and I'm dodging bricks. Ernie turned to keep from getting hit in the face and was hit in the back. I caught two in the ribs, one in the back, one in the leg. Rita is running around crazy pleading with them to stop. Ernie is pleading with them to stop. We charged up the hill to try to get to them, and we couldn't, cause there was so many of them and the bricks was coming so fast. One of them hit me in the face; broke my nose, knocked me out. I'm bleeding. The older kid, about 15, the one most dominant, pulled a gun out, and was going to shoot me, because, they said, I was camping with a black man .... Ernie pleaded with him, talked some sense into him, .. .so they wouldn't shoot us............. The kids finally took off. ... The Police c.ame; the paramedics came. The police took off without collecting any information from us, said they was going to look for the guys." ........ . Ernie gazes at the bloody stones which bombarded him, his pregnant wife, and partner Eddie, when a group of teens attacked them as they slept in their riverside encampment. Protesters Plead with the U.S. Army: Close the Sch~ol Cotton, Clay and Coca-Cola .... Columbus is Georgia's second largest city and adjacent to the 97,000-acre Fore Benning, home of SOA since 1984. Established in the Panama Canal Zone in 1946, the SOA has spawned graduates that have been brutalizing and murdering Latin American citizens for decades. 11 :00 P.M., Friday, November 19, 1999: Forty-three Cincinnati-area residents left Over-the-Rhine tO protest and Bad bruises, 3 cracked ribs and a broken nose, and no sense that justice would be done, because, initially, the Covington police did not seem to want to pursue the case. After meeting later with Eddie and a GCCH (Homeless Coalition) representative, however, they agreed to investig~te the case seriously. * * * The Purple Turtle of the Antericas (SOA) commemorate events like the Massacre at the On the night University of Central America. of November 16, 1989, a Salvadoran Army patrol entered the University of Central America in Salvador and killed six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter. Nineteen of the military officers cited for this atrocity received training at SOA. Following our eventful but sleepy bus ride (you know that half-slept feeling) , we quickly checked into our two hotel's and · proceeded co the vigil site on Fore Benning Rd. at the main entrance. Here we joined 5,000 + other folks of all ages. There were speeches and songs, in short sleeve weather, a brief rainstorm about 5 P.M. In the next 76 hours or so, I ran into many associates and friends from the anti­ nuclear movement ­ in particular, che Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament. Fellow activists: a sister and brother (Michigan, Iowa City), a walker form Chicago, a Canadian friend (who had just walked 5 days from Atlanta), internationally known state organizer from Florida, a Plowshares activist I had not seen in 11 years, and a GPM couple from Cleveland, not seen since the Poor People's march on Columbus) and many others, including the great 80-year-ol.d folk si~ger, Pete Seeger (in a brief b;:ickstage encounter [Unfortunately, I lost the photo of he and I together]) On Sunday, we arrived at the p rotest site at 10 A.M. More speeches, songs, and friends, old and new, and literature and food cables co be perused , and pamphlets to collect and one long line up port-o-potty hill. Oust in case a long sterile afternoon lay ahead). Ac the entrance, the road is divided by a green median strip. As you face the welcoming sign, chose on the right side planned to "cross the line" and risk 6 months in jail and a $5,000 fine . 10,000 people grew silent at noon as the procession began, led b>'. black-robed, white Close the SOA, continued page 3 J �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tr i - 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 ~ 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 an 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 services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Susan Knight, Administrative Coordinator Tom Billman, Streetvibes Editor Ron Carter, Vendor Support Gina Miller, Rapid Exit Program Warren Perkins, Tenant Organizing Photos by Beverly Mae, Tom Billman, Berta Lambert, Warren Perkins, and more .. Writers Berta Lambert Tom Billman Te'tro Amaru Rodney Sutton Kenneth D. Smith Caci Cambruzzi Richard Reibow Donald Whitehead Ron Carter Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Pat Mitchell Vera Zlatkin Walter C. Clair Streetvibes accepts letters,. poems, stories, essays, original graph­ ics, photos.... 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 45210 (513)421-7803 fax (513) 421-7813; · e-mail: streetvlbes@juno.com (text-only) or homecoal@primax.net ( attached files) web page: http://cinci.com/gcch The Streetvibes Newspaper Planning Committee is about to resume its monthly meetings to plan the next issue and increase circulation. If you are interested in giving us a hand, please call 421-7803. Page 2 The Traveler taking a home less person outside the city limits and leaving them) have become common. Individuals in several cities have resorted to ........... Donald Whitehead actually targeting homeless people with senseless hate crimes. These crimes have ranged from Thanksgiving drownings in South Dakota, to beheadings in Denver Colorado. Just the other day in The images ofThanksgiving are happy Covington groups of homeless people living on images - times ofwarmth where families share the blessings of the past year. Thanksgivings for the riverbanks were viciously attacked by a me have always been special. I have enjoyed the group of teens. Right across che river in special bond that my family and I have shared. I Jeffersonville, Indiana, a transitional housing have a heartfelt deep-rooted thankfulness because facility for families was fire bombed, resulting I know tha~ Thanksgiving was not always this in two deaths and more homelessness for the remaining families. While many of us can look way. back at our year and be thankful for new cars, new careers, and new houses, a homeless person can only be thankful to be alive. Nor only does he have to fight the harsh conditions caused by living outdoors; he also has to face cruel laws and maniacs. Ir very hard to believe that America has sunk to this level of cruelty that there are those that would prey upon those with the least means. Ir's hard to understand the mean­ spirimess that it takes to walk up on a person asleep by a river and simply push him in. It is even harder to understand the attitude that put him there in the first place. How can we demolish housing while people live under As a homeless person I only spent one Thanksgiving on the street. The bridges and in abandoned cars? How can we arrest people for sleeping on the streets when · images are still very vivid in my mind. I specifically remember the total isolation that I wealthy employers don't pay enough co afford felt. It was as ifI was the only person in the the housing they need? How can we spend world when I woke up and realized it was billions on the ~ar on drugs when we don't spend a penny on treatment for those living on Thanksgiving. I guess as a homeless person I always felt somewhat alone, even though I slep t the streets? How can we cut food stamps for in a room with 180 other people,_I always was babies a~d continue to build bombers. In some City's the "Pull yourself up by your by myself. bootstraps" mentality has really gotten out of Thanksgiving as a homeless person was nor totally dismal. I remember die staff at the hand. I suspect that even chose rhat subscribe to the conservative notion that everyone ­ Drop Inn Center being a little more upbeat a regardless oftheir circumstances or barriers they little more caring and a little friendlier. I have faced - should earn what they receive, are remember all the volunteers with t heir cheery appalled at the mayors ofsome cities who have faces. I remember some of the very warm clearly crossed the line. Mayor Guilliani in conversations about their jobs and their homes New York has now moved to make an and their families. I remember feeling like they emergency shelter something that is earned were my family too. For a period of time, I felt a sense of belonging; my dreary ex.i.stcmc;e was' not through some sore ofself-sufficiency contract. Once again we see an elected official unwilling as hopeless. Those people who came to the to admit that the need for housing is at its shelter char day had, for one day, made me feel a highest level in history. Instead Mr. Guiliani part of che real world. For that one day my and others in Cleveland, Austin and other places world had other people in it. that will soon follow suit choose to punish The next day things were back to those that face the terrible condition known as normal. All the volunteers were back in their own world and I was back in mine. I remember homelessness instead ofaddressing its root causes. No.wonder homeless people look wondering why we didn'c have that kind,of forward to the holidays; they have so much to volunteer presence year round. Why didn't any be thankful for. of the volunteers ask me to be a part of their photo by Warren Perkins world, their church or their family? My sadness didn't last very long. I soon realized that Christmas was only a month away and there'd be a lot ofvolunteers that day too. For today's homeless, loneliness is the least oft heir worries. When I was homeless, it was beginning to become illegal to be homeless. Today it's not only illegal it can be fatal. Cities all over the country have adopted anti-homeless ordinances. ln other cities it wasn't enough just to arrest homeless people to keep them our of sight; ocher more This peaceful scene was shattered as drastic measure like dumping (the practice of B-2 Kentucky homeless camp was bombarded by bricks �STREETVIBES Close the SOA, continued masked death figures carrying black coffins and children's small white coffins, each decorated with a rose or some other emblem of loss. Just as the line was crossed; buckets of red dye were splattered on these figures and their burdens; and from the stage, a man and woman, in alternating chants, read out the name ·of a murdered victim. Each voiced description (a .name, place, age, relationship) of the victim was followed by thousands raising hand-held crosses, in rows five-abreast, responding "Presente" (here in spirit). · The road began to wind and the stage became more faint as individuals in the lines read names - one person, one name. After what seemed to be nearly a mile, the protesters stopped. I was about 100 yards from the front, so I coul4 see that many front walkers had gone limp on the road. Before this, word had been passed down the line and via The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine yellow arm-banded peacekeepers, that we would walk through this group. But the military had other ideas, so we stopped. The day was hot - long-sleeved garments, long ago taken off, were no~ used as sitting pillows. The setting was beauttful. There was a very gentle slope in the right and a pleasant steeper embankment on the left. The trees reflected an early Cincinnati's September coloring pattern. My area of the line had just passed by 30 feet the death entourage lying motionless by their coffins. . Affinity groups began to form and spread out on either side of the road, large sitting circles were created on the road, singers began, women in front and men· 50 feet back, lead their immediate areas. Uniformed guards began walking up both sides of the road announcing that if protesters wanted to walk around those lying in front of them, buses were waiting and no arrests were being made. One could see the buses photo by Berta Lambert Page 3 arriving on the upper road .. . ........ . Ac the bus, dark was coming, but someone spotted Gordon Maham across the wide street and we chanted "Gordon, Gordon, Gordon", and he waved on his way to Oak Ridge. 5,228 crossed the line this day, 20 from our bus, and many from the universities of our area - Miami, Xavier, NKU, and Dayton About 62 people were arrested for going limp and will be given 5 year "Ban and Bar" letters. One brave soul was from our bus (which he missed) He told me a couple of days lacer chat he had caught a ride with a Lexington group, arriving in Cincinnati a couple of hours after our bus returned - Monday, 6 a:m. ....... Berta Lambert After Killings, Denver Streets Strike Fear in Homeless DENVER, Nov. 6 - His muscles tightened as he talked about life on the streets. He admit­ ted he was afraid. "You have to look around every corner now," Tom Hollis said. "Especially when it is getting dark." Mr. Hollis is one of about 5,800 homeless people in Denver. Many of them sleep on downtown streets and in local shelters. But since the killings began, many more are crowding into churches and shelters for safety. Since early September, five homeless men have been found beaten to death and two others have been assaulted near the trendy section known as Lodo, for lower downtown, an area of new bars, bistros and restaurants that attracts thousands of patrons every night. The police have arrested two people in connection with one of the killings and six in connection with the two assaults. All those arrested are age 16 to 21 and are known to the police as "mall rats," for their hangouts along the l 6'h Street Mall, the 13-block -commercial center of downtown. Like the men attacked, the police said, many of the mall rats are homeless, and they often compete with other homeless men for corners to panhandle on. But none of chose in custody have been linked co che four other killings, which have had a startling effect on many of Denver's homeless, including Mr. Hollis, 44, who was one of the men assaulted. "Ic's been a big change, a big change," Mr. Hollis said on Friday. "Everybody is really scar4ed right now. Everybody used co get along real well. People were friendly, like brothers and sister. Now, people carry railroad spikes in their .... by Michael Janofsky pocket to protect thems~lves. You're always worried about who's going to mess with you." Though the killings have not liad any appreciable efkct on downtown business, they have prompted an offer of $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible. City officials refused to identify the donor, describing the person only as a Colorado resident and business associate of Larry Strutton, publisher of T he Rocky Mountain News, one of the city's daily newspapers. The reword has not appeared to stimulate pro'gress in the case. Sgt. John Priest, a homicide detective who is leading the investigation, said the authorities were still developing leads and were reasonably certain they were not searching for "one mad killer." More likely, he said, several people might be responsible for the killings, and some could be involved in more than one case. The first victims - Donald Oyer, 51, and George Worth, 62 - were found together on Sept. 7 under a loading dock, beaten on the head and upper body. Police officers have not arrested anyone in connection with those killings, but they have arrested two suspects in the killing of Melvin Washington, 47, who was found on September 8. About three weeks later, Mr. H ollis and. another man, George Burdge, 39, were assaulted. They provided the police with enough information co arrest six people, one of whom, T homas Holden, 18, is suspected in che killing of M r. Washingcon. On Sept. 26, the same day Mr. Hollis chased away his assailants with a rock, the police discovered a fourth homicide victim, Milo Harris, 52, floating in the Platte River with wounds on his face, broken ribs and internal injuries. The police found the latest victim, Kenneth Rapp Jr., on Oct 22 in an open field with severe head wounds. His body was badly decomposed, and the police said he had probably been dead four to six weeks. He was 43. Mr. Hollis said he was sleeping when the attack on him began, with one young man kicking him in the back before "five more came from out of nowhere." Despite wounds ro his head and face that required 16 stitches, he said, he scrambled to his feet and began chasing them. Along the way he picked up a rock. "I found two of them,". he said. "I hit one of them in the head with the rock." He said he had no idea why he was attacked. le could not have been for money. He said he had $2.50, maybe $3, and a few cigarettes. . Mr. Hollis said three of the dead men were his friends. But now, he said, many homeless people are so frightened that they do not know whom to trust. And the arrests have not eased fears because no one is sure if the killers are in custody. "I hope rhe ones in jail are the ones that did this," Mr. Hollis said. "They need to put a scop to this. I've lost three Friends; I do n't wane to lose any more." * * * �------ ---------- STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 4 photo by T.B. Vine Street B ttle Continues Seattle (August and March): A 46 year old homeless man was fatally stabbed 18 times as he tried to sleep beneath an interstate overpass in North Seattle. Three teenagers have been arrested and charged with murder. Prosecutors say that one teen bragged about the killing, telling friends, "l et's just say there's one less bum on the face of the Earth." In March, a 14-year old was tried and convicted of first-degree murder in the death of a 50 year-old homeless man. After eating and drinking with the man, the youth, slammed him, and repeatedly struck him with a skateboard, robbed him, and then stabbed him to death with a pocket­ knife. The homeless man was found dead in a park with a dozen lacerations to his head, and many stab wounds to his chest, neck, eyelid and leg. Seven days after the killing, Seattle over what used to be the most convenient and A year ago, the Streecvibes headline read, police got a report that the teen was accessible route. Bumper-to-bumper traffic; "OTR LOSES VINE STREET BATTLE" bragging to his friends that he had beaten Up to ten minutes to go from Vine and Liberty Dozens ofOver-The Rhine residents, business and killed a bum. streets to Vine and Clifton; Reports of School The youth was sentenced to juvenile and community leaders fought for months to children and other nei_ghborhood residents detention until he turns 21 . tty and keep Vine Street one-way from becom­ nearly hit by cars when confronted by the new ing two way. Safety, common sense, and two-way traffic .. ... . Chicago (July): On July 14, Cleotha respect fo r community residents seemed to have The end resulr of an effort ro increase Mitchell fell asleep on a part bench. While ·been -disregarded in the City's final decision to business profits may very well be to discourage he slept, someone doused him with a convert Vine back into a two way street. people from patronizing the area because of flammable chemical and set him on fire.· If Thirteen months later, with the cwo-way inaccessibility, often the result ofplans that put a jogger had not seen him and put out the change actually in place ....the battle profit before people. fire, Cleotha would have surely burned to concinues . ..... .only now it is a battle of motor death. Instead, he will live the scars from vehicles rrying to make their w~y to Clifton third degree burns over 20% of his body and emotional scars the rest of his life. ' His only offense was being homeless. * * * * Hate Crimes Against Home­ less People in 1999: Jeffersonville, Indiana (September): An incendiary device was thrown through the window of an apartment building causing the deaths of three homeless people, ages, 40, 23 and 4 months old. Three other fami­ lies (15 people in all) were made homeless again. Three youth (ages 14-19) are prime suspects in this triple murder. Rapid City, South Dakota (Sept.): ·Eight homeless men in 16 months have been found.drowned in a stream near Downtown Rapid City. In typical years, only about one homeless turns up drowned along the creek. "There's just too many of them to say it's coincidence. But it could be," said Police Chief Tom Hennies. Six of the eight homeless men were Native Americans . The homeless people who live under the bridges along the creek say they believe someone is pushing unconscious or helpless drinkers in the water. · Chief Standing Elk believes the killers to be racist skinheads. He says the creek people have banded together to chase some of them away. The homeless and other complain that the police are doing little to investigate the deaths because most of the victims are Native Americans . The two men who lead the task force investigating the deaths say they have asked themselves whether they would do anything differently if the dead men had been affluent whites. ; Chief Sheriff's Deputy De Glassgow says he believes the investigating in being· conducted the same as if all the victims had been white. A $4,000 reward has been offered. Portland, Oregon (August): Three teens who beat a North Portland homeless man pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in exchange for 10-year prison sentences. Prosecutors agreed to the manslaughter charges because the three did not intend to kill the homeless man and he was alive when they left him. In addition, the teens did not use weapons, and the attack was not prolonged although they severely punched and kicked him. The man died of internal injuries, including a lacerated liver and kidney, caused by blunt force trauma to his stomach. Anchorage (Summer): Police are investigating two deaths of homeless people this summer as homicides, includ­ ing that of a woman, age 45, found dead behind an abandoned warehouse. Homeless outreach teams have reported breaking up "numerous fights between street people and teens . Police claim this was an isolated incident, but homeless people say other­ wise . They cite numerous incidents of assault and murder of homeless people as they slept. Cleotha Mitchell continues to have nightmares about waking up on fire . He is afraid to go back to.that neighborhood even though his family and support systems are there. The police have visited him once , but he has no idea what is happening with his case. Los Angeles (May): Margaret Mitchell, 55, a 5-foot-1-inch, 102 pound widow, was shot to death by a Los Angeles police officer who had approached her with hjs partner on bicycle patrol to ask if the shopping cart she was pushing was stolen. The police say Mrs. Mitchell bran­ dished a foot-long screwdriver and threat­ ened to kill the officers, until one of them , stumbling as he ducked to avoid her, feared for his safety and fired . · Police Chief Parks said it did not appear that his officers had "done anything wrong ." He questioned why Mrs. Mitchell's family had not done more to help her and ·complained that critics of his department were seeking to exploit the incident for their own ends. But at least two witnesses who dis­ pute the police account, saying that they saw nothing in Mrs. Mitchell's hand and that she never threatened the officers. �STREETVIBES Many activists are asking two police officers couldn't have found a less lethal way to subdue a 55-year-old woman who was only 5 feet, 1 inches tall and weighed 102 pounds. Los Angeles police had recently begun cracking down on homeless people and confiscating their shopping carts. In October of 1999, Police Chief Parks has determined that the officer who-shot Mrs. Mitchell used faulty tactics, but did not violate department policy. If Parks' views are adopted, the two officers would have to receive training to improve their tactics. In response to the Chief Parks' deci­ sion , the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness has called on the Civilian Police Commission to conduct an independent investigation. "We really found it to be a paradox.' How can you have a faulty tactic and still have it within policy."" It doesn't make sense," said Bob Erlenbusch, director of the Los Angeles Coalition. The Los Angeles Coalition also pre­ sented the Civilian Police Commission with 1O recommendations to improve police training, including more time in learning how to recognize mental illnesses, and how to handle mentally ill homeless people. Richmond, VA (March} In the month before his slaying and beheading on March 1, Henry Northington, 39 found a measure of peace and grace among Richmond's homeless. Police still have no motive or suspect in the slaying which apparently occurred near a cemetery. The killer or killers then carried his head nearly a mile, carefully placing it on the footbridge, apparently as some sort of message, police believe. While the ghastly nature of Northington's death has some in the gay community fearing that this was a hate crime, many in the homeless communit' are also wondering ifhe was killed and beheaded because he was a street person. San Francisco (February}: on Feb. 12, three homeless living under a freeway overpass were beaten. A homeless couple said the incident began early in the morning when he and his wife were awakened to calls for help from a homeless woman friend who was being attacked by three assailants armed with numchucks and steel rods. He and his wife responded immediately. Nearby campers identified the attack­ ers for police, who arrested two men, 18 and 20 years old , and a 28-year-old woman. "We got beat up pretty good .... My wife's forehead and back of her head are busted open ," said the husband. She also fractured both of her hands. The husband suffered a broken arm in the attack in addition to the gash on his head. 'They didn't attack us for money," he said. 'They didn't try to rob us. It was a hate crime." * * * The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 5 Ernie, Eddie, and what's left of the campsite that was their Covington, Kentucky home. (from page 1) INTERNATIONAL NEWS HOMELESS PEOPLE'S ENCOUNTERS WITH THE CHRIST ''But my gut feeling is that God is doing something in our time. I don't know what it is, but he seems to be making himselfknown in a way thatperhaps hasn't been done since Bible times. "... Paul Prather, Southern Baptist pastor. Author of Modem-Day Miracles: How Ordinary People Experience Supernatural ActsofGod. Out ofthe blue, people will talk about their experience ofMaitreya openly, publicly. " (Maitreya's associate in Share International, Jan/Feb. 1991) The US tabloid newspaper The Sun reported . on the experiences of several homeless people in the US who claimed to have had encounters with the Christ. Among the experiences reported: Alejandro Diaz, a 67 year-old man from Miami with cancer, had "lost his faith in God when doctors told him he had less than a month to live." One evening Diaz was searching through a restaurant dustbin for food when, he said, "a soft-spoken man tapped me on the shoulder. I thought he, too, was homeless so I offered him half of the bread crust I had fished from th~ trash. He smiled and took my hand. It was a feeling like none other - a kind of comforting warmth that oozed through my body. For the first time in years I felt happy to ee alive. Tears welled in my eyes and I blurred out to this stranger: "l don't want to die! Please help me! " We kneeled and prayed right there among the cockroaches and rotting food. My new fri end, ofcourse, was none other than Jesus. It didn't surprise me when the doctor at the free clinic told me my cancer had vanished." · Diaz said he has met a number of other homeless people in South Florida wich similar experiences. H e now holds daily prayer sessions on a street corner in Miami. "What you remember most is his eyes," said Tina Forsch of Los Angeles. Forsch was on the street with her three children because their father had left with another woman. "I was begging for food and change," she said, "and was so desperate I even considered selling my body. I saw this guy coming down the street and thought to myself: "He won't hurt me. He looks coo kind. " Before I could utter a word, he put his hand on my shoulder and said: "Your body is a temple given you by G~d ...ifyou desecrate this temple, you are turning your back on the one who cares and can lead you to the promised land. He held me as I cried like a baby. When my tears stopped, I felt my soul had been cleansed." Forsch accepted a $50 bill from the man before he revealed his identity. H e urged her to place the children in .a safe place.. Forsch donated the cash to church where she now works as a housekeeper. a Sylvia Dennison, suffering from senilicy, wandered into a dangerous neighborhood of Chicago. She was surrounded by several young men, but the would-be attackers were driven off by a flash of flame and searing heat. When the smoke deared, "Jesus guides Sylvia to a shelter." John and Mary Donaldson of Pennsylvania because homeless after their uninsured home burned dewn. A few days later Mary died. John Donaldson became so desperate for money co give his wife a proper burial, he planned to rob a bank. But, according to the article: "He's met at the door [of the bank] by Jesus who walks him to a park bench where they chat for hours." John vows to continue on with his life, and change his ways for the better. Money from an anonymous donor pays for his wife's service. (Source: The Sun, USA) From Share International's website: http://www. Shareintl.org/homeless.html �STRffTUIBES The Tri-State's WORD SCRAMBLE Homeless Grapevine WORD ON THE STREET •.......by Ron Carter INSESERP EERNIRED ~ffiX TS. KCIN IYLHO The Night Before Xmas GSLEIH NDYAC YTORFS ....•.. Ron Carter LRO SCA Season's Greetings ( answers on page 15) Portland, Oregon: STREET YOUTHS CLAIM POLICE ABUSE Peter Farrell of The Oregonian About 30 youths, some of whom said they have lived on Portland streets foryears, complained Wednesday to May~r Vera Katz that Portland police officersare harassing them , sometimes physically abusing them. The mayor talked briefly with the group members as they prepared to camp outfor the night under the portico of City Hall. She asked them to write aletter for an appointment so she could set up a meeting to discuss the issues. Katz is police commissioner. Dozens of people going in and out of City Hall signed a petition asking for an end to the harassment. "Most of us are what we call 'old school' and have been on the street for a while, and we're doing this to protect the 'newbies,' " saic;f Renee McDonald, 16, who talkeato the mayor. She said a similar protest eight years ag9 brought some relief for street youths . Holly Baugh, 19, who said she has lived on the street for most of the past eight years, said that when they sleep under bridges or in parks, some police officers will kick them in the head to wake them up. "Most of us come from extreme abusive backgrounds and are on ..the street to get away from abuse," Baugh said ......... ..... ... . SUPPOrt 'lo11r ~ocal Vendor••• . Tell A friend It was the nigh t before Christmas and all through the house Not a creature was stining, not even a mouse, T h e stockings were hung by the chimney with care Because we knew the little fat man would soon be there When out on my.lawn there was such a clatter I jumped up to see what was the matter Then to my wandering eyes what did I see But little old Santa just peeping at me H e said break out the hot chocolate and turn on the light Don't you know that it's cold out here tonight So he parked his Rolls Royce by the old oak tree Then came in to have a chat with me So we sat down and rapped for an hour or two T hen he said, "Ron, I h ave work to do" He filled al the stockings with Xmas joy. Also even left a gift fo r old Leroy a Homeless Gent I see every <;lay Selling his Streetvibes down the way After Santa had done what he had to do Turned and said, "Now, I'm all through" Santa then jumped in his·Rolls and drove away And from a distance I heard him say H ave a Merry Xmas, and by ~he way I'll be back again next Xm~, 0 K. · Page 6 Y2K The New Millennium approaches Is even at the door And wealthy merchants worry That Y2K will make them poor. So they build their secret shelters And prepare to hide their gold While they plot to build a world Free of the poor and maimed and old. The New Millennium approaches And politicians everywhere Seek to be in power when Y2K IS FINALLY HERE. They envision a New World Order And want to have their say In forming a new government Where technology holds sway. In the newage that is coming They want no poverty or fuss. With the emphasis being on "order" They see no place for us. But they're convinced the poor will all die off When hard times come our way; Never realizing that we have survived Worse times tha~ Y2k. For we have lived in Homeless shelters. Under bridges and on the street; And worked all day at menial jobs When we have had nothing left to eat. We have been thrown into prisons­ Oft when we've done no wrong- And been told we're less than human, That we never can belong. We've been denied an education, Justice, jobs, and shelter too, And access to healthcare; But somehow we made it through . As the New Millennium approaches · We too MUST have our say. For the world belongs to all of us And we will not go away. . .... Vera Zlatkin About Streetvibes! We Need Your CreativitJ1! Send your poetry, writin gs or artwork to Streetvi bes. do GCCH (Greater Cincinnati COalition for die Homeless), 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati 45210 Phone - 513-421-7803, E-mail (text): to streetvibes@juno.com, E-mail (attached files, graphics): to homecoal@primax.net Ho melessness is largely a n ou1come oft.he sh o rtage of affordable housinR at1d an increase in 'the num bers of t he poo r p,heot~ · .Jan Spene,; �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Y'all missed a great Concert! Page 7 Bernetta Price Shakes the Chandeliers with Gospel Song This year's "Helpin2 the Homeless .Through Song" Benefit Concert ; i , 1 was a do~n-home, relaxed event that delighted everyone who attended. Lemuel lsreal's Reggae was rocking the stage, accompanied by !l stage full ofpercussionists, members of the Streetvibes Band With everything from Flamenco guitar to gospel to improvisational jazz, this year's concert was a tapestry of tones and beats. Those who missed it are already shaking their heads in regret! Singer Songwriter Joel Davis lays it down Words from the Evangelist As I type these words it is with the realization that some ofyou will read them while I am cruising on the Carnival's Ecstasy. This cruise will be a spiritual retreat for me, because I shall be walking on land I have never tread before and cruising foreign waters; therefore, I will be turning to the One who supplies all my needs.The supply ofyou r needs is what Jwould like you to meditate upon this month, because I recently mer a man to whom God has demonstrated His supply. This man is MarkPastor: a community activist and entrepreneur, and a man who is battling intestinal cancer. Under the guidance ofhis physician Kent Robinson, he is undergoing a holistic treatment that is nor covered by his insurance. However, God has surrounded him with such a circle offriends and aquaincances who on October 10, 1999 came together at Swifton Commons Mall for "The Art OfHealing"; an afternoon ofspiritual healing and renewal. The primary goal ofThe Art ofHealing was co raise $18,000 ro defray Pastor's medical expenses, and to educate the community about a variety ofholistic and natural approaches to health management and healing. There was an auction oforiginal arc, which was donated by many ofthe arrisrs Pastor worked with over rhe years as co-owner ofArtistic Apparel and Black World Produces lncernational. There were performances by the African American Dance and Drum Ensemble, New Prospect Baptist Church Choir, poetry readings, and holistic practioners were on hand to discuss and demonstrate alternative forms ofhealing: including herbal therapy, massage, yoga, medication, cai chi, karate and other stress relieving methods. Frank Frazier designed the limited edition collectible t-shin that was on sale during the Art of Healing for a minimum donation of$50. There were only 100 ofthese t-shirts available. T here are also white t-shirts with Frazier's design for a minim um donation of$ l 5. Poster prints ofthe same design are also available for purchase. , The day prior to the evenc C incinnati saw non­ s.cop rain, and the day ofthe event began overcast and cool. However, by l pm che words ofDr. Kenr Robinson, "I'd prefer sunshine", became a reality as the sun pushed boldly through rhe clouds, and the people began to g~ther to help this special person. I watched chem come: young and old, black and white. I watched as che music and dance excited and then soothed the growing crowd. I watched as Cunis Fuller played auctioneer to such citizens as Vice-Mayor Cooper and Councilman Winburn. I watched as the healing ofa community cook place. In the air was a feeling oflove, harmony, and togetherness which reflected God's blessings upon this special event. As the Arr of Healing came to a close I estimated approximately 500 people had been in atten­ dance, and I learned from Pasror's in ner-circle that over $13,000 had been raised with donations still coming in. Those in che Arc ofHealing Circle and the many others who came together co make this event happen all have their faith rooted in God and His ability co make all things possible. I was blessed co be a part of this special event, especially since I know what it takes to plan such an event; and In this instance God's supply-w.as evident from beginning co end. .... by Rodney Sutton If you are ofa pessimistic nature, then this evidence ofGod's working for the benefit ofMark Pastor thro ugh a community offriends and srrangers should convince you that my Godshallsupply allyour needaccording to His riches in glory by ChristJesus (Philippians 4: 19). Not only shall He supply all your need, but as you continue to trust in Him and allow Him to be your Shepherd and guide you shall nor be in need (Psalms 23: 1); because everything is the Lord's (Psalms 24: 1) and He shall not withhold no good thing.from them that walk uprightly (Psalms 84: 11 c). The Arc ofHealing Circle plans co make this an annual event which will continue the emotional, physical, spirirual healing and renewal ofthe whole city of Cincinnati. As I type these words a healing circle has been formed at New Prospect Baptist Church, and it is my prayer char a healing circle will begin in your church and community. Then as a chain is linked together we shall draw our strength from one another as each draws strength from God (Philippians 4: 13). Ifyou have questions about forming a healing circle or would like to help the Art ofHealing Circle in defraying Mark Pastor's medical expenses, call' 38 1-7700. While I am away on my cruise I would like you people wirh a PC co check our my web page: http:// www.geocicies.com/Athens/Sparca/7907/and send me an e-mail (awol@goodnews.net) with your commencs and questions, and ifyou don't own your own PC go co che library and send me a PTL. Prayer requescs can still be placed at 210-4181. In His Service, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Prison News Jailhouse Lawyer John Perotti had a heart attack in November at Youngstown Supermax Prison. At last notice, he was at 0.S.U. Hospital, Columbus. PAN-Ohio says, "Get well, and Solidarity, John" PRISONERSSPFAKOUfABOUf<DNDIDONS ATOIIlOSfAlE , OUNG510\VN Isolation I Booklimit "We are in lock down in our room 23 hours a day. All we have is time co read and study. They only allow us two religious books in our cell at one time, two legal books, and two library books. OSP is dictating to us how much we can read and learn about our religion and how much legal work we can do at one . ,, ume ... Lockdown "No 01,itside recreation for us; no sun, no air, no grass.... They have a room with a six foot tall by 4 inch wide window with grated steel. screen; they call that outside recreation. It is not outside!!" Restraints "Being handcuffed and held on to by two guards just co go to the shower is very excessive! These door s are automated, and all they need to do is open one door, let the inmate go to the shower, wash, and return. I'm so sick of guards grabbing on to me, I won't even.shower or rec. ,, now. Cell Searches "Every time you come out of your cell they tear it- up. I personally come out every day for rec. & this happens every single time. I can understand once in a while, but when they tear it up every day it gets on your nerves." Food "The food is horrible sometimes and cold all the time. I haven't eaten hot food since I've been here." Transfer Out "Most of us inmates have no idea when we are or will be able to leave OSP> They have no set guidelines for security classification." Dangerous Medical Neglect "I have been waiting to have a lump removed from my right shoulder since October 1998.. . I can't work out or sleep on my right side because ofthe pain. The lump is the size of a Ping Pong ball. It could be cancer. When the doctor examined me, he took no blood or x-ray. He just felt the lump and said that he wil remove it if I want him to. I told him yes. That was nine months ago." Phone Calls "The phone calls we get to stay in touch with our family, we get 2 calls and we do not know what time to call. They bring the phone at different times, so ifwe try to call and no one's home, we lose our call and don't get to try again." Insufficient Programming "Programs that are supposed to help a person should change where the inmate has some direct verbal communication with the teachers, weekly. The way things are attempting to be taught, the inmate can only listen [co programs on the T.V.] He can't ,a sk a ·question • ifhe don't understand or while the subject is being taught." Limited Visits "The visits are only on week days. lt~s hard enough tha tI live in Columbus, a 4 hour dive one way, but my family works, as must people have to to live right. They can't affodrd co take days off, plus my kids would have co miss school. Every other place has weekend visits. Because o fonly week day visits, I have not seen my kids in a year and a half." Restraints During Visits Transfer In . " In .November 1998, I was transferred to OSP from Lucasville; for what reasons, I do not know. I have never demonstrated an act of violence, since my incarceration, or been affiliated wit)l any gangs or group movements." No Legal Assistance "If a inmate here don't know how to read and write, also do legal work, they are in bad shape. 'The staff or legal service won't do nothing but give him legal books. Also the staff don't allow us co pass anything to another inmate or help another inmate with writing a letter or doing l_egal work. We don't have any . contact unlesss we talk from our cells." "The visiting conditions are the most_grueling and sdiscou'raging I've ever e~perienced. ·My Mother cried from seeing me in pain and . agony caused by the chain around my waidst being so tight ap.d the cuffs with a black box causing my wrist to swell right before my eyes. My wrists and sides are always bruised and swollen after a visit, and because of this, my family doesn't want to come to. visit me here any more ... " [Typically the right hand is cuffed with the palm up, the left hand is cu.f fed with the palm down; , the hands are held back-to-back with a black box that keeps the hands several inches ,. apart.] Page a Illegal Repercussions for Complaints "8/3/99... Today when I received your legal letter it was given to me by Lt. _ _ and I had to put my signacure on a log sheet of paper that Le. _ _ had before he gave me your legal letter. Ac the time Le. _ _was handing me my legal letter from you, Le. _ _ made a threat to me that ifl continue co file complaints on his employees that I am digging my own grave to be here at OSP for several years, and ifI give him a reason that he (Lt. _ _ will personally do a cell-extraction on m e and I won't like it.!!!" PRISONERS .A T OSP ARE PUTTING THEMSELVES AT RISK TO GIVE THESE TESTIMONIALS. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO WHATYOUCAN. The Ohio Department ofRehabilitation Correction has formed a committee to consider changes at OSP. Write to Director Reginald Wilkinson and ask him .to keep you informed about changes. Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation and Correction 1050 Freeway Drive, North Columbus, Ohio 43229 ... ;. :... ..anonymous .......for funher information, contact P.A.N.- Cincinnati, (513)241-8014 Prison Rights Activists Investigate Lucasville Uprising For the past two years, Alice and Staughton Lynd have been investigating the Lucasville uprising of April 1993. In an effort to summarize the results oftheir investigation and to present' tb~m. to the public, they· plan t<> produce a docudrama that prese~ts the fac~ in the form of a play. The text of the docudrama will, to the greatest extent possible, consists of dialogue that was actually spoken during the rebellion or at trial. Footnotes will identify the exact source of the spoken words. A transcript of this docudrama co be critiqued by interested individuals is being offered. The Lynds want to hear from readers as co "whether you understand what is presented, whether there are still questions in your mind when you finish reading, whether you have ideas about how to present the material more effectively. In other words, what you receive in the mail should be understood as a draft, still capable of revision .afte.r you' make your input. To receive these transcripts send your name· and address to George Skatzes Supporters, P.O. Box 1591, Marion, OH 44301-1591. (The Lynds are veteran workers ofthe Civil Rights and Anti-Vietnam 'War movements. As law2yers they have fought for the rights ofworkers and their families who were locked out oftheir jobs with the plant closings in Youngstown, Ohio. As historians they have published many books ofbenefit to working class people. They help edit IMPACT, the monthly Rank and File Newsletter. As prisoner rights activists, they organize to expose the horrors associated with the new ''Supermax"prison in Youngstown and Ohio's new private-for7profit j>rison.) �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 9 The Dept. of Corrections and Victims Services Free at Last ...... Walter C. Clair I was irresponsible, so they sent me to a place where I had no responsibilities I wasn't a productive member of society, so they isolated me from the community. I wasn't positive and constructive, so they put me in a place where we're degraded and made -useless. I wasn't trustworthy, so they put me where there is no trust. I wasn't kind, so they placed me where I was subjected to hate and cruelty. I wasn't loving so they put me where there is little love. They wanted me non-violent, so they placed me where there is violence all around. They wanted me to quit being a tough guy, so they placed me where the tough guy is respected . They wanted me to be a winner, so they placed me where all the losers are housed under one roof. They wanted me to quit exploiting people, so they put me.where people exploit one another. They wanted me to see myself, · and when I looked around, I didn't like what I saw. I wanted to change what I was, now they are helping me do that. I'm Human Too!, . ......by Richard Reibow, I was born a human being in a world that knew no bounds, I also did a lot of things, and traveled lots of grounds. I even did numerous things that helped to make me grow; Some I am paying for, . yes you reap what you sow. I was born a human being, sure I made a few mistakes, But humanism is not a title that one can forsake. I notice that how recently it seems to be the norm, Society has given up on me, they think I can't conform. That's really not the half of it, or the part that hurts the most. I was. born a human .being, now they call me an animal. Although I'm here for committing a crime, I'm human just like you. All I ask is for a chance to re-enter society. And be looked upon as a human being, cause I was born one. I'm paying my does to society, by serving all this time; To label me an animal is a much greater crime. Smoke, Mirrors and Bureaucratic Waste For the last two decades we h ave beard che politicians and bureaucrats crumpet the cause of che victims of crime. If you have watched close enough you have noticed that viccim's services offices have sprouced up all over the place. Of course, you would expect thac che Stace would be che leader in providing services to those who had b eco m e the viccims of cri m e under vario us circumstances. Some of these people cruly need help, such as those physically injured to the pofoi: chat chey cannot work for a period of time. This, incidencaJly, is handled through a fund, a rather substantial fund, overseen by Attorney General Betty Montgomery. Bue what ofsome of che ocher Victim's Services offices? What do chey actually do, if anything? Recently I was approached by an inmate in Orient Correctional Institution who wished to make a rruly sincere effort co undo some of the damage he and caused co his vicrim. This man had undergone a religious experience and felc chat he was obligaced co help his vicrim heal che wounds caused by his actions. After assuring myself chat che man was sincere, I assisted him in writing a letter to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections' Office of Victims Services. This office. is located in . ch e ·.mai n Corrections complex ac l 050 Freeway Drive in Columbus and is adminiscered by Ms. Karen Ho. Supposedly the D. R. & C. Office of Viccims Services is chere co help viccims and cheir assailants reconcile and start a process that brings understanding, empachy and mutual respect to che point thac boch parties can heal che wounds of crime. That is what it's supposed to be. Apparenrly the Office of Victims Services is something else and what that is should cause Citizens of O hio to gee angry. The inmate's letter requested that the Office of Victims Services help him to help his victim. He was very sincere and looked forward to doing something positive for the first time in years. His leccer was mailed co Ms. Ho in Augu~c, 99. Two weeks later another .man decided cha~ lie sho~ld do the same ·thing and after assuring myself of this man's sincerity, I assisted him in composing a letter co the Office of Victims Services. This letter wen t ouc around che first of September. Mid-September came and went and the first inmate received no response. Deeply concerned, he asked chat I assist him in doing a follow-up Exodus Jail Visitation Program Training Through Exodus, volunteers listen co incarcerated people who are sometimes filled wich anxiety, Frustration and depression because of cheir past and present life situation. Volunteers are trained to identify and report symptoms of pocential~y harmful behav.iors and co bring· acceptance,, respect and help co a specialized segment of our community. No client visited by Exodus has committed suicide since che program's inception in 1985. This past year we saw 463 inmates and utilized 55 volunteers. This service continues t5o be an approved and apprecitaed option for inmates by all che jail facilities in Northern Kentucky. If you are interested in participating in this valuable service, please call co sign up for che training chat will take place in February. The training will require 8 - 12 hours of your time, spread out over 2 to 4 weeks. If you are interested in chis very rewarding program, please call Diane at 292-2485 for more information or to sign up. letter, which I did. It was mailed in mid­ Sepcember. By the end of September che second inmate came co me complaining that he, coo, had not received a response to his request for help. I assisted this man in doing a follow-up also. It was mailed around the first of Occober. Weeks have now passed and neither of chese men has received a response form either of che letters they ma.iled to Ms. Ho. If is apparent chat che Office ofViccims Services is nothing more than a bureaucratic sham designed to make jobs and little else. If Ms. Ho and her employer, the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, understood che crue after-effects of crime, these men would have received a prompt response and che. assistance chey requested. There are two victims to every crime, che criminal and his victim! Anyone who chinks chat crime is a one way street has never considered the waste of tax dollars, lives, futures and families chat result from these acts. Not only is the object of che crime harmed, but also his or her whole family is affected. Additionally, che one who commits che crime and his or her whole family is also affected. Society is also affecced because of che excessive incarceration today and the tax burden it imposes on all working citizens. So who is the victim of crime? le is everyone and all parties should have che assistance they need to heal and break che cycle of offense and incarceration. Our society should oe doing all in its power to see that chose incarcerated be given every chance to achieve positive goals. We should never ignore positive attempts, as has been done in chis case. The D.R. & C's Office ofVictims Services appears to be noching more than window dressing chat deludes che public into chinking that chere is real effort being made co address che after-effects of crime. And if chis is truly the case, then all che money spent on its employees is wasted and constitutes legalized fraud. Ms. Ho and her staff should be required to either address all che needs of all che victims of crime or che Office of Victims Services should be terminated and che money saved used for really wor~hwhile rehabili~ative efforts. .........Kenneth D. Smith Orient Correctional Institution P. 0. Box 5 11-305504 Columbus, Ohio 45216 STlffTVf£S Prisoners News contains the writings of persons incarcerated in our nation's jails and prison$. 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 mall: STREETVIBES 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Fax: (513) 421-7813 -- �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 10 Welfare News WELFARE REFORM IN APPALACHIA Lynn Williams Recently ~embers of the Ohio Empow­ erment Coalition made an outreach trip to the Southeast area of Oliio. In particular we were interested in finding out how welfare "reform" policies are affecting low-income families and individuals in Representative Carey's home district. Rep. Carey is the Chairperson of the House Human Services Committee; a power­ ful committee that largely decides what welfare policies gees passed in the Ohio Assembly. This is the committee that designed welfare policy giving Ohio recipients the three-year cime limit for receiving cash assi.stance and harsh sanctions. What we found was appalling. Appalling in che fact that Rep. John Carey's Party ever agreed to a three-year time limit for receiving welfare. His District includes Lawrence, Meigs, Galia, and Jack~on C<;>Unties. This area of che state has some of the highest unemploy­ ment and poverty conditions in the entire state. Everywhere we went, we learned that job · prospects for welfare recipients are few, and livable wage jobs for unskilled, uneducated laborers a rarity. Official unemployment rates are high for all of these counties. Keep in mind that official unemployment rates ·d o not include the.people who are working pare-rime . b ut need full-rime employment and people who have given up looking for work or welfare recipients. Official figures do not list by gender, education level and race what unem­ ployment rates are for a particular group in society. - I I In all these counties, we learned that fast foods restaurants are the majority of employers and they (logically) are most likely to hire individuals who have reliable transportation to get to work. A simple statement, but this is definitely not a simple issue in the lives of recipients trying to find jobs. This is not a simple issue in the lives oflow-income workers hoping against hope that their dunker does nor break down rill they can build up emergency savings on a minimum wage budget! All of these areas are largely rural. In trying to locate one small village in Pike County where recipi­ ents were willing to meet with us, we drove for miles in hilly terrain to get there. It would be a definite obstacle ro lack a car in this area of the scare! At our visit in Ironton, which is in Rep. Carey's District, we learned that there were no jobs for recipients to go into. According to a shelter director, more families are on public assistance in Ironton than are working because there are no jobs! T he few wirh jobs had cars and could drive to minimum wage fast food jobs in Portsmouth. Sanctions In Pike County, we mer with a group of women, Community Pride With God's Help, who had story after story in ~nswer to our question, '"What are things like with welfare reform here?" It seems each per~on in this g~oup had been sanctioned or si~p1y termi­ nated from welfare, largely due to lack of transportation. The women who had cars were unable to get PRC (emergency assistance) for car repairs; they were cold PRC could not be used for that purpose!!! Two mothers reported being required to walk miles to gee ro their workfare sites. One mother was required to walk 17 miles, through dark, hilly, rural, seemingly deserted territory, one way to her workfare site. Nc;mecheless, she did it because she couldn't risk getting sanc­ tioned: she has three small children to feed.at home, one of them an infant. She was required to do worl<.fare after her baby was less than one month old! She ended up getting sanctioned, even though she faithfully walked those 34 miles each day for the sake ofher children. She wouldn't identify the father of her oldest child because she had been raped and didn't want anything to do with the man. She wiped away tears as she related this to us. Her caseworker never informed her she would have good cause to not identify the father. This is how welfare reform has impacted the life of this Appalachian mother of three small chil­ dren. Anotherwoman, age 49, who had a disabled leg, was 'm andated by her caseworker to walk 10 miles to get to hc:;r workfare site each day. She refused because she was physi­ cally unable to do it, and was promptly sanc­ tioned. As the woman before, she was never told that lack of transportation could be a good cause reason to not be sanctioned. Other sanctions included a woman who was required to clean out the morgue area of the county hospital as her workfare assignment. She did it for a while, but cleaning up the blood from victims got to her. She said one person was brought to the hospital after a shooting. When he died, she had to clean the spot where he lay.. This was too much; she· refused, and was sanctioned. Other mothers who gathered around us told how their children, their elderly parents and themselves were unable to get Medicaid. One caseworker refused to sign a toddler up for Medicaid because the mother had taken.a minimum wage job that offered health insur­ ance. The insurance company would cover the daughter (if che mother paid $50 each month for coverage). The welfare department denied Medicaid co the child. The mother was unable to pay an extra $50 for health insurance each month on a minimum wage salary. (Nore: Legally the daughter should have been able to gee Healthy Start). Transitional Medicaid was unh'.eard of by rhis groµp we met with in Pike County. . Time Limits Even without adequate jobs or reliable cars, even if these women walk hundreds of miles during year 2000 to comply with welfare work requirements, the time limit will cut their small children and themselves off from their survival means on October 1, 2000. The Ohio Empowerment Coalition is urging the Ohio Assembly to make a change in Ohio's three-year time limit. Our Stop the Clock Campaign is working to get the three years extended to five consecutive years. The majority of states .are allowing ~ecipiems to have the five c~nsecu~ive years allowable under Federal regulations. States have the option of extending the five years by' funding their welfare program.with state money. Four states have already committed to using state money to extend the five years. Representative Catherine Barrett, Democrat of the 3 1st District (Over-the-Rhine & West End) and Rep. Dale Miller, Cleveland, are planning to introduce legislation to give Ohioans the five consecutive years. Call your Ohio House Representative and Ohio Senator and urge them to support this legislation. For more information and/or to endorse the Stop the Clock Campaign, call the Ohio Empowerment Coalition at5131381-4242. �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Are you concerned about welfare time limits? Lack of quality child care? No health insurance? Confused & perplexed about all the welfare rule changes & endless mounds of paperwork to turn in on time? You are not alone! Join with ot hers from across the state who want to better life for their families, themselves! Page 11 PLEASE HELP ME FIND MY MISSING BROTHER ! OHIO EMPOWERMENT COALITION . Meeting December 11, Saturday, 11 :00 A.M. HENRY WAYNE HOLT at First Old Presbyterian Church 1101 Bryden Road (corner of Bryden & Ohio Avenue) Believed to be in the Cincinnati Area May use other name s 60 Years Old, D.O.B . 12·14·38; 6'2", Approximately 200 Lbs; Bl ue eyes and Grey hair, Tattoos on a rms Known to Wear a St. Christ opher's medal Columbus, OH for directions, call (513) 381-4242 PLEASE CALL TOLL FREE AT 1-888-394-4175 Berta Lambert receives Five Star Award by 1999 United Dairy Farmers/Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, for keeping Over-the-Rhine "Clean and Beautiful" Berta Lambert has lived in Over-the-Rhine for nearly 20 years. For the past four years, Berta has serv3d as the Project Coordinator for the Over-the-Rhine Community Council's ongoing Community Cleanup Program. Berta's efforts have focused on large visible projects wth an emphasis on creating an arch of clean lots and streets in the northern part of Over-the-Rhine. Over 400 individuals includng school children, church members, and other community volunteers have worked in this program through coordination with the non-profit organization, ReStoc. A significant dent in the massive trash problem has been made - with much more to do! Berta has alos initiated a Peace Rose planting project with the goal of planting 1,000 peace roses over the next several years. The project, scheduled to being in 2000, has already been funded for the first year. Berta makes a difference by demonstrating in one of Cincinnati's poorest and most depressed neighborhoods. Schizophrenics Anonymous Group .Starts The Recovery Network is leading a Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA) support group every Thursday, starting November 4,6-8:00 p.m.; St. Elizabeth South Behavioral Health Unit, 2ndfloor multi-purpose room . SA began in Michigan in 1985 and there are now groups in about 20 states and 7 counties. SA follows 6 steps to recovery and is seen as a self-help group which is to be in addition to a person's therapy and medication. The leaders, who are mental health consumers, have all completed SA leader training. SA meetings are open to anyone affected by schizophrenia or schizophrenia-related illnesses. There is no cost to participate. For further information , call the Recovery Network at 261 -1546 or the N. Ky. Mental HealthAssn.At292-2487 Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. (Get 'em now before the rate goes up!) Just send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed ro you each monch Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater C incinnati Coalition for the H omeless--Streervibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. If you have subscribed, but are not receiving your Streetvibes, please know. Our dog (Streetvibes computer) ate some addresses during a recent crash. �STRffTUIBfS The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 letters TEAM UP to Support the Homeless! Letters are still coming in concerning the Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center boardplan to relocate the Drop Inn Center. To support the Drop Inn Center '.r 'right to not be moved, Write to: Erich Kunzel, 1241 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210, Send Copies ofyour letter to: Drop Inn Center Attn: Pat Clifford, 217 West 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45210, and to Streetvibes Dear Friends, We are asking you tO"support the Drop Inn Center Shelter and ReSTOC Housing Cooperative in their Annual Hol iday Fund-raising Drive to help those who are without homes in our city. The Drop Irin Center and ReSTOC have been helping the Homeless in Cincinnati for over 26 years to providefood, cJothing, treatment, and housing. Your dollars will go directly to help those who have fallen on hard times. No donated funds are used for administrative expenses. During this holiday season, please keep the homeless in your mind and heart. By "teaming" up to help others, we can change lives that will strengthen our entire community of Cincinnati. Will you join us in supporting our brothers and sisters who face this winter without homes? ~ Sincerely,. _ ~-p(lOsv-;­ \ fa · Skip Prosser Head Coach Xavier University Basketball University ofCincinnati B~ketball HeatherFrench MissAmerica2000 Dear Friends, I was honored this y~ar with the HOUSE THE HOMELESS, INC. P.O. BOX2312 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78768-2312 (512) 796-4366 Fall1999 oppo1tunity to realize my dream of becoming Miss America 2000. However, while the glamour is still fresh in my mind, the work has just started. My mission this year is to bring attention to our Forgotten Heroes: Honoring Our Nation's Homeless Vets. You may be surprised to learn that 30% ofour nation's homeless are veterans. And I'm sure you would agree that as long as there is one homeless veteran, that is one too many. The Drop Inn Center is one of the largest resources for homeless veterans in the Tri-state Area. It provides basic food, clothing and shelter as well as drug treatment and transitional housing. It links up with ReSTOC to provide permanent housing in Over-the­ Rhine. I have volunteered there in the past and know it is a worthy program. Please consider supporting our homeless vets and these organizations ~is holiday seac;on. Sincerely, Ii r ,. ". . _ Q' c:~.tl4--~)~.L~ Heather R. French Miss America 2000 I An Open Letter to the Citizens of North America Homeless Solutions for the New Millennium {excerpts from part two in a four part series) In spite of the overall desperate need for affordable housing in this country, in spite of government subsidies and tax brakes being used to keep building costs down and in spite of mixed use initiatives, low income housing is only rarely being built in America and never at a price affordable to homeless citizens. If we can't create truly affordable housing using these kinds of broad-based approaches, and if the Federal Governments response to our plight is no more comprehensive than to give billions of our section 8 housing voucher dollars to foreign countries while our people live on our own streets, then perhaps we need to take a different approach to addressing the problem. Perhaps we need to ensure that people can simply enter the general housing market under their own financial power. This can be accomplished by embracing the simple axiom that suggests that we should pay people a fair {living) wage for a fair day's work. Can we not all embrace the moral premise that says: anyone working a full forty hour week should be able to access at least the ch eapest level of housing without the need for government subsidies? ...... ... ... . E-MAIL STREETVIBES: Holiday Survival Guide Beat the Holiday Blues! · Ideally the holiday season is one of the happiest times of the year, but in re~i~ it ~ is often the m~Li4t,--:----­ dep.ressiorris-surpn singly widespread. The problem seems to be rooted in overanticipation - expecting coo much form ourselves and ochers. H ere are some tips to help you cope during the holidays. *Be Moderate - in you r activities, eating drinking and spending. Be Realistic - estimate the amount of time, energy and money available and plan accordingly. Keep parry plans and meals simple. Prioritize - list what must be done and what would be nice to do. As pressure mounts, concentrate on the must do list. Be Healthy - get enough rest, take time to relax and to be alone, exercise regularly. Laugh - a sense of humor is the best medicine there is ro relieve tension and promote a happy atmosphere. Do Something Nice for Yourself - a favo rite treat or acti¥ity. Ir will energize you for the holidays. streetvibes@juno.com I �- - ---- STREETVIBES Spreading the 'Vibe ...... Caci Cambruzzi - 12'1' grade As I walked through the lobby of my school, Ursuline Academy, one day last year, I noticed something different. There were two men who appeared ro be selling some sort of newspaper. The two men stood out from the contrasting all-girl population ofthe school. Our of curiosity, I approached the table where . the two men conti11ued to sell the papers." Who are these people?" I asked myself, still unsure ofwhy these strangers were in our school. When I reached the table where they sat, I found that they were selling a paper called ScreetVibes. "How much for a paper?" I asked, still a little confused to see them at school. "One dollar," the man replied politely. I also learned that the man was homeless and that 80 cents of the dollar from the sale supported him and his family. I still wasn't sure what I was purchasing as I pulled fou r quarters from my lunch money. Giving money to the homeless seemed like a worthwhile charity, so I bought the paper, put it in my book bag, and continued my normal day at school. It wasn't until after I got home 1999 The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine when I started to realize the true value ofwhat I had bought. T hat night, after I finished my homework, I found the paper I put in my book bag earlier that day. As I read some of the articles, I was astonished by some of the events, none ofwhich I had ever read about in the regular newspaper. I learned about problems I never knew existed. I learned of a man that died in shanty fire as well as many other hardships the homeless must face on a daily basis. It was also refreshing to hear about homelessness from a different point ofview, other than what is heard in the regular news. It was as if Cincinnati gained a new dimension. After reading just that one issue, I began ro view homelessness from a different perspective. The next cime I saw the ScreetVibes vendors, I approached them eagerly with a dollar in hand. Only, this time was different than last time, I began to talk with the ven­ dors. They told me their names were Azariah and Grady. In the conversation, I heard first h and what it is like to live under an overpass in the middle ofwinter, and other experiences. I could not believe the courage of these men. I went home and read my second issue. Again, I Home less Coa lition Holiday Dinne r Page 13 was surprised at what I read. I was pleased with this opportunity to learn more about my world in such a unique way. However, some of what I learned angered me, like the threat to the Drop-Inn Center. Bue overall, reading the paper compelled me to do something about the problem of homelessness that plagues our Clty. Of all the things to buy fo r a dollar, a StreetVibes paper, in my opinion, is one of the most valuable. The dollar is not just charity given our of pity, but instead is a step towards justice. StreetVibes is a way to spread the word about the actual problems that affect the homeless community. The more people who become educated about che truth ofhomeless­ ness, the more people are likely to work towards a solution. T his awareness of the problem is priceless. Know ofa place where a vendor could continue to spread the word? Call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-2701 or email: streervibes@iuno.com ' Help fight homelessness ... one dollar is a small price to pay to come closer to justice! New Staff Member at the GCCH Office .......Pat Mitchell Thursday, December 9, 1999 7-9 P.M. Washington Park . Elementary School, $1 5 per person at the door * MUSIC, DOOR PRIZES, AND RAFFLE DINNER SERVED BY Power Inspires Progress VEGETARIAN ENTREES AVAILABLE * PRESENTATION OF JIMMY RENDER AWARD and 1ST ANNUAL buddy gray 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 Coaltion to honor a homeless or formerly homeless person who has struggled to help those still on the street. Power Inspires Progress is a non-profit job training organization designed to empower low income communities through job development. The Buddy Gray Award is given to an individual dedicated to advocacy in the homeless community. If you would like to sponsor a homeless person for the dinner, please send $15 per person to: Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Call 421-7803 for more information Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless , I am a new member of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 1506 Elm. And to my amazement, this is a very important and useful organization. I really enjoy working with these people. This has been a very interesting and fulfilling position. One of their most interesting features is their paper, Streetvibes (editor, Tom Billman). Streetvibes is a very popular newspaper, enabling homeless vendors to be somewhat independent and have some self-esteem and self worth. Also on staff is Gina Miller, who is a real asset to the program, finding housing and giving out referrals of all sorts to the homeless and needy. Gina is very efficient and very good at her job. Warren, who is also on staff, is our tenant organizer. We also have Susan, administrative coordinator, who does fine community work. And we all know and love Donald Whitehead, who is our director, a jack of all trades. We never know what adventure Mr. Whitehead's job . will take him to. Last but not least are our little people, w ho indeed need to be mentioned - Ron Carter, another asset to the program, who has been with the staff for 3 years; and under him, Pat Mitchell (myself). Ron and I keep the vendors happy and supplied with newspapers. Don't just walk by next time you pass 1506 Elm --- Drop in! Coffee is available for all! -~ - �- - - -·- - -- -- STRffTVIBfS The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine NIGGER or NIGGA Why we can say it and You Can Not Growing up, the word 'nigger' was probably the worst thing you could say in our household. Using curse words and foul language were out of the question (as it should be in every household). My grandmother even scolded my brother and I whenever we slipped up and said the word 'lie'. Outside of talking back, which usually followed with a stern look of death from my father chat would make the toughest of men wee their underpants, and saying ' I can't' when pertaining to accomplishing anything and everything. The word 'nigger' was simply not used nor even thought of within our household. Sure, I was included within the growing number of children whose parents sought a better life for their children co coincide with their monetary status and thus provided chem with the besc that life has to offer by sending us to private, science and technical, or the top of the line suburban schools to further ensure we received che same and/or more opportunities in life. And since a child's first and sometimes major influences aod learning manuals derive from their parents, compounded wich the face that as an African American child within a suburban school of high standards you are more chan likely one of the eight or so chocolate faces within che entire studcntbody, being called a nigger or overhearing the word ~sed .co negatively describe you is sadly mevnable. However, my first recollections of the word 'nigger' being heard within our household was during an HBO special of Richard Pryor ' Live In Concert'. When I first heard him say che word in connection wich one of his hilarious scory-celling jokes, I quickly snapped my head co look ac my father's reaction and thought to myself, "Richard Pryor is about co gee it in the worse way.". Oddly enough, my dad laughed even harder. And as we both sac and laughed so hard that we had tears in our eyes, I thought to myself that maybe now it's okay to use the word. Although I know he said not co use that word and whenever my brother or I would say anything close to it or he thought he heard us using the word, we would gee the 'death stare' and at the speed of light would have to clearly and articulately state what it was that we had just ·said. But we had just sat through an hour and a half of this Richard Pryor guy and laughed until our hearts content as he told jokes using the forbidden 'N' word and my father never once motioned for me to change the channel. And although the majority of Black children being raised within my era never questioned our parents when col~ to do . something, unless you had a senous beam malfunction that wasn't cured after the death scare and smack upside the head you received after asking why. We simply did what we were cold while silencly mumbling under our breathes as we walked away. But never the less, confusion sec within my formidable mind and I assumed chat it was now okay to use the word ­ nigger (nigga). So as we dried our eyes at che conclusion of Richard Pryor's HBO special, 1 committed the worse mistake of my life (co this dace). Definitely and measurably more foolish than che rime I allowed my uncle Jarvis co trick me inco getting drunk back in fourth gra~e, wh ich lead co rhe worse whipping of my life and che most prominent reason why I do not drink co chis day. Anyhow, looking back, as I got up off che couch co gee some mo re kool-aid, wirhouc chinking I proclaimed to my father, .... Te'tro Amaru "That 'nigga' is funny". And unaware that the death-stare had been placed upon me, my father asked casually of me to repeat myself and I did with the same enthusiasm - call ic temporary insanity. Now to be fair and honest, I do not recall entirely what came next but I can say that my father hits extremely hard. And I muse have blacked-our, because the nexc image thac I had of him was in the bedroom where I laid across his waterbed ac che edge with only my ~-shire and underwear on as he whipped me with his thick genuine leather belt for exactly three hoW:s straight. The reason I know this wich such detail is because we (my brother and I) normally goc lashes on our butts for an hour straight and my dad wouldn't lessen the cime when we seldomly would squirm away co che other side of the wacerbed. Just thinking back gives me shivers as I can hear my father's deep voice saying, "Whenever you're ready, get back over here. You've still goc uhmm (as he would look at the clock) rwency-five minutes". However on this occasion, I could've sworn rhe clock was broke. And has he had previously given his lashes while simulcaneously celling me his reasons why he was whipping me, what not tO do in the future, and chat (somehow) whipping me hurt him more than it hurc me, chis time he was complecely silent. And when I squirmed a~ay from rime to time he followed. Even cacchmg me with che big silver belt buckle a couple times. And I must poinc out and make clear that I do believe his discipline methods would be mosc definitely thought of and looked ac as child-abuse (or even assaulc and battery for that matter) in our present day. Bue I have co admit thac those methods of discipline are what has been the foundation of success for many a Black child entering adulthood and maintaining a successful life. Needless co say that the usual hour plus car drive full of lectures and speeches of my facher's pasc similar experiences, chac normally accompanied my major screw-ups, did not follow. The forbidden 'N' word was simply never spoken in the household again nor even thought of within a twelve mile radius. But as I got older things changea .. ... Although the word nigger has derivations from the overt slave days in America with which it was solely used co describe the Africans that were uprooted and transported co America in the ucmosc vile and degrading terminology created by man in a thorough effort co noc only crush the hopes and dreams of those living presently on a day co day basis, hue also co be manifested within che generations to come. The master plan was to noc only enslave us physically buc mentally, which is more . painful then any physical abuse you ca~ thmk of. Yet, like wich anything and everything second-handed to us and/or left behind that we've encountered, we have embraced the word, changed the definition (which now promotes . and invokes a positive image of someone who 1s willing co do whatever necessary co accomplish cheir goals), and declared chac only our race be allowed the choice to say it or not. All others {without exception) who dare co attempt co invade our newly formed club will pay the consequences. However, many people do n~t understand and accept the concept of America's young Black generation. Elderly Blacks wh~ survived rhe vicious mob attacks and lynchrngs, Page 14 who have had police dogs and water hydrants turned upon them during che 1950's and 1960's Civil Rights Movement, and who have seen their peers unjustly beaten and murdered as they fought for equality and the God-given right co be treated above the second-class citizenship status that they've incurred upon the soil of their birch places, are completely outraged. Which is easily comprehended when one considers everything they went through noc to be called a 'nigger' and then to finally accomplish their goals (by systematically implementing laws against racial slurs) only to hear and see young Black youths calling themselves 'Niggas'. I understand, buc times have changed. Which leads me to the inspiration of this article. A colleague of mine spoke with me in private abouc a dilemma thac she was having with her six year old grandson. Donna Sander, a truly nice and down-to-earth white middle-aged woman who is one of the four or five white families chac reside within a 90% Black apartmenc complex community (and from what I've heard, it isn't the type of place your · everyday white person or any person for that matter would live if chey didn't have ro) pulled me aside recently during one of our breaks to ask me a serious question. Being as though we've only known each ocher for a very short period, she began her question with some background information of herself and up-bringing. She confided in me that she has never used the 'N' word and was raughr as a child chat it was a word never to be used . So w she recently overheard her six year old grandson say rrigga~ he goc a whipping and was told to never .use . ~ that word again. But mind you, he wasn t saying the word in a negacive manner and later questioned why it was alright for his many ~lack friends to use che ' N ' word but wrong for him simply because he is white? This is where I co into play. After intelleccuaUy discussing the matter and my explanation of why we can say 'nigga' and why white folks can not, she still did not understand. Finally I used the symbolic story that my father would say co me whenever I asked similar questions (but only when I grew , coo big for him to have lay at the edge ~f h.is wacerbed for his fashionable hourly wh1ppmgs). "If everyone jumps off the bridge (co their deaths), are you going to jump off the bridge too?". And with that I could see that she undersrood as she replied that ic still wasn't fair, it's a word that shouldn't ever be used by anyone, and of the difficulty in expl~ing this to her six year old grandson. T hen I simply let her know that life (due to our members only race-club thac is unwillingly to accept outsiders) was not fafr and chac the power of Black people have forced whice people to either accept it or face the consequences. Lastly, I think chat I should mention something stated to me during our discussi~n . Donna asked if I had any white friends and 1f so, did they use the 'N ' word. I laughed and said that I guess I have a few whice friends buc they would never refer co me in that manner. She nexr revealed to me chac her twenty year old son, who works with many Blacks, uses the 'N' word amongst his Black friends. And he also told her of a special way of pronouncing the word, 'N-I-G-G-A', and that to pronounce it as 'N -I-G-G- E- R' was rhe bad way. Not being a native of Cincinnati (I'm from Philadelphia), my only reply ro that was . . . "Only in Cincinnati". �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 15 Americorps Position Still Available With Project Connect in Cincinnati, A program that provides educational services and support to homeless children and youth in Cincinnati. They assist children and their families when enrolling in school, provide transportation to and from school, facilitate in-school food service, provide educational supplies, provide opportunities to join an after school tutoring club and create fun-filled enrichment programs for the children and their family. Streetvibes TV covers news 'on poverty, homelessness and related issues. If you would like to-be a part of the audience, or if you have ideas for future shows, call us at 421-7803 Streetvibes Live Radio Hour ADVERTISE IN STREETVIBES Tune in to WAIF 88.3 fm! on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The Homeless Coalition's live radio program. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Help a good cause while promoting yourself to over ~. ooo concerned people each month. Business Card Size ~ 2" x 3 1/2" $1 0 per month STREETVIBES Classified 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. STREE1VIBESpro.vides Classified Ads free to low income jub seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line. Ca/1421-7803 for info. 9"Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 1/2" $20 per month Larger Adds also available If you need assistance in designing your ad or have any ocher questions, call us at 421-7803. Please send your add by che 20th ofpreceeding month, accompanied by your check I money order, co Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Screec Cincinnati, OH 45210 \.\'.le reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those whichpromote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a foll refund shouldyour ad be denied. r~ l . Presents, Holly, Reindeer, Sleigh, Scrooge, Candy, St. Nick, Frosty, Carols NOW HIRING Competitive Wages Great Benefits (513) 230-6353 Rapid Exit Items for Sale, Apartments for Rent and ocher non-personal items. The rate is only $ 1 per line, appmximately ten words per line. People below the poverry level will be given five free lines for six monchs to advertise their skills or products co our readers. Mail the ad copy, or deliver, to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813 If interested in the position, please contact: Debbie Reinhart, Project Connect 1425 Linn Street, Cincinnati, Oh 45214(513) 357-05720,Fax: (513) 357-5722 Word Scramble Answers: ·' Disc-Jockey Service Streetvibes accepts Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, • Community Outreach • Tutoring homeless youth • Recruit train and place qualified volunteers • Promote parental involvement Generate funds -grant writing.etc • Assist in the database development • Conduct and organize presentations • Design outreach to runaway youth Organize a resource bank for receiving educational materials and supplies -===f==============================:: : - . ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 e-mail: jonesacp@tbol.net JOB DESCRIPTION: <o,§P' NEXT SHOW DATES: Saturday, December 11th Saturday, January 9th QUALIFICATIONS: • Bachelor's degree • Concentration in social type fields preferred • Ability to work with administration, staff, and community • Must have car Goodwill, one of the nation's largest providers of rehabilitation programs, is seeking energetic, honest and reliable people to fill the following postitions: assists families and individuals in moving from homelessness. to permanent housing rapidly for more information contact The Greater Cincinnati Coalition ForThe Homeless : 421-7803 and ask for Gina Miller * Production Workers -.Retail employees . Donation Center Attendants * Rehabilitation management staff * A variety of other positions * Some jobs require bending stooping, lifting, reaching over head, upper and lower body movement and mobility. * Please apply at any Goodwill Location or call Hilda Hesse at 771-4800, ext. 225 __, �STRffTUIBfS The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 16 / Volunteers Needed! Streetvibes Vendor code Check us out, We're on TV! The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Media Bridges (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. Hli@•iu M@iHM~ Broadcast Dates for December's Show on Channel 24: {Please check your schedule) Saturday, December 4th, at 5 PM Tuesday, December 7th, at 10 PM Saturday, December 18th, at 5 PM Tuesday, December 21 rd, at 10 AM Thursday, January 7 at 10 AM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to selJ the paper. 1. Streetuibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for dona­ tions more' than $1. I also understand that I will be a ble to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetuibes will be purchased Crom the H omeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetuibes 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 Streetuibes 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 p rofits from the sale of Streetuibes will go to the in.dividual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetuibes 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 spr ead 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 Streetuibes. 20 Cents Streetvibes newspaper is looking for volunteer writers and editors interested in serving on the. Streetvibes Editorial Board. For more information, please call the office.at 421-7803 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. .. 0 Supplies for vendor's lounge (coffee, cups, paper towels, cream and sugar, etc.) 0 35 mm Film for StreeiVi e·s-ph0ltos,.._i camera or free/cheap developing service 0 Advertisers and Subscribers Printlns a Production : Streetvibes has a minimal overhead costs so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvlbes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421­ 7803. Thanks for your support. 0 Editing, graphics, and layout help 0 Website update help a -Computers/components (monitors, hard drives, etc. for homeless computer lab If you can help!, contact us at: Streetvibes, clo Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 ph: (513) 42 1-7803, fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com · 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 (Toll Free) !-888-872-9259 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 281-5770 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 431-8717 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America L II t 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 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 ' 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 Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 639-7056 961-4555 TREATMENT: Women 0 .D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 314 House Prospect House Starting Over TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 241-7343 961-4663 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 .... 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 4914435 559-5011 OTHER SERVICES 421-2437 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 621-5991 Appalachian Identity Center 231-6630 Beech Acres Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 . Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Community Center 241-2563 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Ham_ilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 621-7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 621-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721 -7660 Travelers Aid 721 -7900 United Way . VA Homeless Program 559-6~56 491 -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 December 1999 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Homeless Becoming a Target for Hate Crimes Protesters Plead with the U.S. Army: Close the School of the Americas (SOA) Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 3: Close the SOA Continued After Killings, Denver Streets Strike Fear in Homeless Pg 4: Vine Street Battle Continues Nationwide News Hate Crimes Against Homeless People in 1999 Pg 5: International News Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Words from the Evangelist Pg 8: Prisoner’s News Pg 9: The Dept. of Corrections and Victims Services Smoke, Mirrors, and Bureaucratic Waste Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: Welfare News Continued Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Pg 13: Spreading the ‘Vibe Pg 14: Why We Can Say It and You Can Not Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource December 1999 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Donald Whitehead Susan Knight Tom Billman Ron Carter Gina Miller Warren Perkins Beverly Mae Berta Lambert Warren Perkins Berta Lambert Te'tro Amaru Lynn Williams Rodney Sutton Sonny Williams Kenneth D. Smith Pat Mitchell Caci Cambruzzi Vera Zlatkin Richard Reibow Walter C. Clair Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Appalachia Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Caci Cambruzzi concert Denver Donald Whitehead Editorials & Letters Gina Miller Hate Crimes Kenneth D. Smith Lynn Williams nationwide news Pat Mitchell police brutality prisoners news protest Richard Reibow Rodney Sutton Ron Carter SOA Sonny Williams Susan Knight Te’tro Amaru Thanksgiving the broken city The Traveler Tom Billman Vera Zlatkins veterans Vine Street Walter C. Clair Warren Perkins welfare welfare news welfare reform https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/3dc48dfbf1dfd44f0fcd926a5e756020.pdf f5e5b482c368e3e455d5d6aa6d030634 PDF Text Text January 2000 National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project Collles to Cincinnati In response ro increasing civil rights abuses, Th e Nation al Coalition for the H o meless is coordinating a locally-based national movement to protect the civ'il rights of people who are homeless. N CH has chosen C incinnati as one of the sites for this narional project. A Vista Position has been created for the local project, which is working out of the office of GCCH, the Greater Cincinnati C oalition for the Homeless, and working closely with NEOCH, the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (Cleveland). Gina Miller, who up till the first of me year was G C CH's Rapid Exit ho using specialist, will now be directing h~r efforts roward developing a program to: end d iscrimination against homeless people, prevenr rhe misguided policy of using existing laws to target homeless people, and reduce the n umber of hate crimes directed a t homeless and very low income individuals. ROOTS OF THIS NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT: By definition, people who are homeless live in public. A lack of housing forces them to do in public what everyone prefers to do in private. T his indignity is one of many reasons we seek to end homelessness. Unfortunately, it has also become the battleground for the most fundamental defense of people who happen to be homeless: the right to exist. The Criminalization of Homelessness In cities with an admitted lack of day shelters and few jobs chat pay a .living wage, people who are homeless sometimes rest at bus stops or on sidewalks. Tucson, Arizona, has made it unlawful co be at a bus stop for more the 30 minutes. Police in Seattle, Washington, have been instructed co fine or arrest people who are homeless for sitting on ·che sidewalk. In cities with an admitted lack of affordable housing, people who are homeless a.re forced to carry their worldly goods with them wherever they go. In Beverly Hills, California, ic is crime punishable by a fine or jail time co set baggage down on the sidewalks. In Georgetown, a trendy part of Washington, DC, an archaic pare of rhe Discricr Code is being applied to fine or arrest people for storing property (including people themselves) in doorways. T here is an esrimaced 24 million people on the waiting list for public housing in this country. Despite this acknowledgment of insufficient housing options, the city mothers and fathers of Dallas, Texas, and many ocher cities across chis country (including Phoenix, · Jacksonville, Columbus, Boston, Austin, New Orleans, Long Beach , Virginia Beach, Adanra, Sacram ento, Tulsa, M iami, and Buffalo) have made it· ilJegal to camp or sleep in a park. The flaws in chis effort to criminalize homelessness are as numero u~ as they are obvious. T hough no one should ever have to sleep in a park or beg fo r food, making chose acts inco criminal offenses does not help the people d riven by desperatio n ro commit them. T hese city ordinances (and similar stare statues) are misguided because they seek to hide homeless people; not end homelessn ess. They are unjust because they seek co punish people for being poor. Because people who are homeless don\ have the option not ro sleep in public, walk through parking lots, set down baggage, etc. these 'laws are illogical. We have laws against arson because we each have the choice of nor burning down buildings. People who are forced to live on the streets don'c have options - if they did, they wouldn't be there. Though it is easier for cities ro attack homeless people than to attack the root causes of homelessness, it wastes scarce resources and human cime, energy, and dignity. It cosrs much much less to secure permanent housing than to p ut people in jail and prison-even shelters (still more expensive th an permanent housing in the long run) cost less than incarceration. Thousands of citations have been issued nationwide. Police continuously misapply and selectively enforce existing laws in order to harass people who are homeless and move them from parks co neighborhoods to alleys and back into parks. This strategy demonizes poor people and feeds negative public sentiment to target people who experience homelessness, rather than the root causes of homelessness itself. In addition to its other effects, the criminalization efforts rear our focus away from long term, permanent solutions in order to fight for the right of people who are homeless to simply exist. Our greatest victories in combating these new civil rights attacks will only secure an already inhumane status quo. With this in mind, we must build a locaHy-based national movement to protect t~e civil rights of people who are homeless that can seamlessly-even simultaneously-work to end homelessness once chese discriminatory threats are eliminated. .Our Response Our plan co prevent and combat the violation of homeless people's civil rights fo cuses on linking homeless individuals and families, and the grassroots effons chat they lead, inro a national nerwork in order forti fy those local efforrs and to snengthep cooperation. This plan will result in a coordinated sharing of srrategies, a greater ability ro fighr effectively, and increased public awareness ­ all geared coward abolishing discrimination against people who are homeless.. The National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Projecr (NHCROP) will have seven regional organizing posts in different regions of che country: Ease, Midwest, Soucheasc, Northwest and Sourhwest, plus a nacional office in Washingron, DC. Proposed field offices include Arlan ta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Pordand, San Francisco, and Washingt0n D C. Scaff people ac each location will work ro bring together the efforrs of all local homeless advocacy groups and to fortify efforcs in communities that are resource-poor. People who are or were homeless will be hired to fill all-field staff and AmeriCorps*VISTA positions created by NHCRO P. It is roo ofren the case that rhe harshest anci-homel~ss attacks occur in those communities chat lack the resources co organize an immediate, effective response. N HCROP will n-:ak.! ir much easier for such locales to hook into th e knowledge, experiences and resources of ocher 'c ivil rights efforts in order co improve their ability to best protect the civil rights of people who are homeless. One of the primary ·goals of the organizing project is to collect and . use video documentation of police and private security guard abuse of homeless people, along with interviews of individuals who are victims of such abuses. Hundreds of hours of videotape have already been shoe, and che abuses continue to stack up. Commun ities that presently document civil rights violations on tape (e.g., San Francisco, Aclanra and New York StreetWatch programs) find chat having abuses on tape acts as both a deterrent co future abuse and a powerful advocacy and educational tool. Taking rhese functions further still, NHCROP will combine the footage co AJ show- the similarities between tactics used by different local governments, BJ organize a well-planned counter-campaign against existing or proposed anti-homeless laws, and CJsupport groups attempting to set up or expand documentation efforts. Finally, we can use this information as a springboard co pointing out th e contradictions in blaming the victim and the lack of appropriate policies for ending homelessness. At chat point we will be able to articulate more proactive, cooperative community initiatives and organize for their adoption and implementation. Focused on the civil righcs of all people, CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT, Continuedonpage 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. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low­ income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes vendor badge. 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 Susan Knight, Administrative Coordinator Streetvibes Editor Tom Billman, Ron Carter, Vendor Support Gina Miller, Homeless Civil Rights Warreri Perkins, Tenant Organizing Melissa Samhan, Rapid Exit Program Writers Donald Whitehead Mike Weiman Tom Billman John Chetuck Lynn Williams Rodney Sutton Azariah Israel Alexandra Rae el-Katib ...... and more ........... . Graphics Sketches and Cartoons by D. Jackson, Howard Dease, T. Billman...... Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, photos.... 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: streetvibes@juno.com (text-only) or homecoal@primax.net ( attached files) 1/1/eb page: http://cinci.com/gcch The Streetvibes Newspaper Planning Committee is about to resume its monthly planning meetings. Ifyou are interested in giving us a hand, please call 427-7803. CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT, Continuedfrompage 7 NHCROP seeks to address discriminacion nor only through our organizing, bur also in che way we are organized. Our membership is open and is as inclusive as possjble. Moreover, we actively encourage those service providers and housed advocaces involved ro engage people who are or were homeless in chis effort. lt is our expeccation char the bulk of our leadership and membership and all of our new staff will be people who are or were homeless. Ir is in this way char we seek to consistently address the issues of racism, sexism, and classism char can - if we are not vigi lant - create incongruities in our values and an imbalance between our incernal structure and rhe outward manifestation of our organizing. People who have no choice but to be homeless have no choice but to be public. To punish them for this heaps injustice on top of indignity. As one Santa Monica woman who is homeless wondered, "When does it stop? Are we going to push homeless people off the face of the earth? l do have a right ro .exjsc. I have the righc to food, clotlling and shelter because r live." GOALS OF THE HOMELESS CIVIL RIGHTS PROJECT: • To develop a model "'bill of rights" for customers of shelters and homeless social service organizations, which can be used throughout the State. Page 2 Homeless Protected Class Resolution to be presented to U.S. Congress The Protected Class Resolution for the Indigent Homeless Population calls for Protected Class status for homeless and low-income people earni ng I00 percent or less of the Federal Poverty guidelines. Approved by the National Coalition for the Homeless' Civil Rights Work Group and its Board of Directors in April 1998, it is the vehicle the National Homeless Civil Rights Organi zing Project (NHCROP) will use to guarantee homeless people's civil rights in it attempts to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include the indigent homeless population. Based upon the United States government's 'state party status' to the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Habitat Agenda - which guarantee basic econom ic, social, and cultural rights, and protection against discrimination - the resolution is the homeless person's bill of rights and calls for protection from: laws against sleeping in public, acts or laws interfering with their right to travel, unfair wages, laws that disregard personal property, violence and hate crimes, and being characterized and treated as non-citizens. NHCROP, in coordination with other national civil rights organizations, will soon begin a national campaign to introduce this resolution as civil .rights legislation to the US Congress. NCH's Protected Class Resolution Where As, the United States government has adopted ~<fl is pai:ty to the United Nations'. • Io organize a steering committee of . · docuirie.ilt reflirenced "aS.iJ1e Univer~at" ~ : homeless people in cities tlrn?ughout Ohio to. implement the goals of rhe Americorp VlSTA Decla.r:ation pf Human Rights, which '·confers program. This committee will work with on every member of society a right to basic traditional civil rights organizations in each economic, social and cultural e ntitlements that community to raise awareness of the civil rights every (nation) state should recognize: serve, needs of homeless people. and protect, of which food, clothing, medical * To develop a training program for care, and housing are definitive components of security personnel, businesses and police forces to the right to a minimum standard of living and sensitize organizacions to the special needs of dignity," and homeless people iri che community in which they· reside. * To work with local Coalitions and service providers to assure that homeless people know their rights and have an effective mechanism for reporting violacions. * To develop a training program for homeless journaljsts to increase awareness and communication on the sueets. This will allow some members in the horyieless community to develop skills that could lead co fucure employment. * To coordinate a public awareness can:paign of the violations of human rights of homeless people and the need for empowering and nurturing services to assisc homeless people. * To create a database within Ohio that not only documents local efforts co criminalize homelessness, bur also documents effective policies that move the mosc noticeable and hard to serve members of the homeless commtmity into stable housing. Where As 1 the United. States Goyemment bas adopted, and is party to the United Nations document; the Habitat Agenda, which calJs for certai n actions that include but are not limited to: protection against discrimination, legal security of tenure and equal access to land including for women and 'the poor; and effective protection from illegal forced evictions, "taking human rights into consideration, bearing in mind that liomeless people should not be penalized for their status; by adopting policies aimed at making housing habitable, affordable and accessible, including those who are unable to secure adequate housi ng through their own means", and Where As, the United Nations document: Habitat Agenda, calls for the "Effective monitoring and evaluation of housing conditions, including the extent of homelessness and inadequate housing and in consultation with the affected population, formulating and adopting appropriate housing policies and implementing effective strategies and plans to address those problems," and The Homeless Civil Rights project begins in Where As, there is a shortage of affOJdable Cincinnati on January 24. Find out what you housing stock nati onwide, and can do to help prevent and combat the Where As, the national minimum wage is an violation of homeless people's civil rights. Call Gina Miller at 421-7803 continuednextcolumn �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine insufficient amount of money to secure safe, decent, affordable housing even at the most basic financial level, and Where As, more than the minimum wage is required in every state to be able to afford even a one bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent, as set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Where As, the combined effect of these and other circumstances create a group of people that have no alternatives to living on the streets of our nation, and Where As, it is estimated that nationwide, there are at least 760,000 persons living without a permanent, fixed, individual residence on any given night, and Where As, at least 40% of our nations homeless population are United States Veterans, and Where As, approximately 25% of the single · adult homeless population suffers from some fo rm of severe mental illness, and Where As, the fastest growing segment of our nation's homeless population is women with children, and Where As, 36.5 million men, women, and children of all ages are living in poverty of whom are already homeless), and (ma~y Where As, there has been a collective, concerted governmental effort at city and county levels to devise laws and ordinances that find homeless people guilty of having committed a crime for simple acts such as sleeping in public, and Where As, there are certain life sustaining acts such as eating, breathing and sleeping that must be conducted by all persons including those that are.homeless who must conduct these acts in public, and Where As, these laws and ordinances are designed to criminalize and sweep these homeless persons from our nation 's streets and imprison them, without regard for their personal safety or care for their personal belongings, for no reason other than they are lacking housing and as a result, are characterized as non-citizens, and are deprived of their basic human rights, and Page 3 such circumstances constitute cruel and unusual punishment and impinge upon these persons access to travel, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that persons without a fixed , permanent, individual place of residence, and those that are earning 100% of Federal Poverty Guidelines or less, are sufficient in number, characteristics, and vulnerability to comprise a distinct class of people, and as a result, shall hence forth constitute a Protected Class with all rights and protections afforded under such a designation. Here in after, this Protected Class will be referred to as the Indigent Homeless Population. AND FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED, that as a J:>rotected Class they will be protected: -from laws against sleeping in public, -from acts or laws interfering with their right to Where As, these impoverished persons are travel, targeted and often made victims of malicious hate crimes and selective enforcement of these laws and ordinances, and -from wages that are so low that they are Where As, camping, sleeping and other anti­ homeless laws are being enforced at a time when emergency housing shelters are consistently full and no housing alternatives remain available, and denied access to housing, -from laws or practices that disregard their rights of ownership, and protections for their personal belongings, -from being made targets of hate crimes, and -from being characterized and treated as noncitizens. Where As, the enforcement of such laws under The New Callousness .........Arianna Buffington Judge Judy, the doyenne ofsyndicated self-righteousness, solidified chat preeminence two weeks ago at a literary luncheon in Brisbane, Australia. On tour to promote her new book, "Beauty Fades, Dumb Is Forever," she suggested that instead ofattempting to control AIDS and hepatitis by providing clean needles to drug adldicts we should "give them all dirty needles and let them die." Instead ofresulting in universal derision (and, even more justly, a lightning bolt from the sky) this stunning proposal evoked cheers from her fans in the audience. But it got not a mention from the U.S. press (indeed, if it weren't for the people at Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, I never would have heard about it). Granted, Judge Judy isn't William Rehnquist, but the sharp-tongued, dull-witted jurist's opinions - doled out on her top-rated 1V show - are heard by millions more people than the ChiefJustice's. Worse, her views reflect a disturbing trend in our culture coward getting the "love" out of rough love. Call it the New Callousness: . turning an indifferent shoulder to anyone ­ drug adclicts, the homeless, those behind bars - who hasn't had the good sense to become a bull-market rider. After all, they're getting in the way of the Panglossian message chat all is well "in this best of all possible worlds." Evidence of chis cold spot on the national heart is all around us. In New York, Mayor Rudy (rhymes with Judge Judy) rang in the holiday season by ordering the (http://www.ariannaonline.com) NYPD to step up its efforrs to sweep the city's streets of homeless people by arresting them for so-called "quality-of-life" crimes. Declaring that rhe city has not been strict enough in rousting people "who don't belong there," Giuliani claimed char the right to sleep on the streets "doesn't exist anywhere. The founding fathers never put that in the Constitution." He doesn't seem too keen on the homeless living in city shelters either: He recently announced that anyone wanting to stay in one would have to work or face expul-sion - mental illness or not. Apparently, he prefers sending chem to jail, where mental-health-unit beds cost $91,000 annually. It costs $20,000 for a bed in a shelter and $12,000 for the supervised apartments char remain woefully underfunded, even though they have proven the most effective in dealing with chronic homelessness."There were times," Mayor Rudy said, "in which we romanticized this to such an extent that we invited people to do it." Ah, yes, the romance of sleeping under the scars in a cardboard box in the dead of winter. Proving that heartlessness cues across party lines, Willie Brown, San Francisco's liberal mayor, is overseeing his own crackdown on the homeless - just in time for his upcoming runoffelection against even-r,nore-liberal rival Tom Ammiano. Brown is clearly reveling in this rare chance to stake our the "conservative" position in the race - going so far as to arrest homeless advocates for handing out soup and sandwiches to the poor. "Advocate types claim I'm the most hostile" to the homeless, said Brown. "That's not true. I'm not the most generous. I'm not the most hostile. But I am the most firm." Call Tony Bennett, it's time for a rewrite: "I lost my heart in San Francisco." In fact, more and more of our cities are using the police to enforce arcane laws - such as sanitation statures that make it illegal to leave cardboard !?oxes in a public place - to get the homeless off the streets, including many homeless veterans who risked their lives for their country. In Los Angeles, Ted Hayes, who has devoted his life to working with the homeless, calls the coast-to-coast crackdown "status cleansing." "For us to turn to outlawing our homeless citizens," he told m e, "is a betrayal of the promise ofAmerica· 'Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me.' Perhaps the Statue of Liberty should be turned around ro face this country." Transforming human beings into nuisances - problems chat must be eradicated - is a dangerous step along the deadly path of dehumanization. It takes very little to end a life that has been stripped ofits humanity. Which is exactly what is happening in D enver, where this fall seven homeless men have been bludgeoned to death, two of the victims beheaded. Is this the logical endgame for a culture so intent on celebrating its "winners" chat it has no room left for life's losers? �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 4 Brief History of American Holneless Society The history of the Am erican Homeless sociery begins in a small Texas rown, where poverty and racism had me nailed since birth. My parenrs had eight children, while chey worked long and hard in restaurants, cafes and bars, ro pay the bills. The good news was that they brought home plency of leftovers to eat, and the bad news is chat rhey would usually come home drwik and fighting, moth and nail. l was rheir fifth child, and hardly knew chem. They loved us, bur by sunrise, I would hie the streets or go fishing, co avoid the daily warfare in om home. In the first grade, l only knew Spanish, and had no shoes co wear at school. My careered clothes were baggy hand-me-downs from my older brothers, and we had no hoc water for showers, or hearing in the house. M y first bicycle had no cites or rubes, just rims which rolled me noisily co school. Withottt brakes, I ran inro a car or rwo, but 1 had to have a bicycle like my peers. The only thing 1 undersrood rhe first year of school was "the bell," e.g., when to eat, recess and go home. Jn my second year, I kind of figured our how tbe English language worked, so I could ralk ro the White and Black people, but unril then, f just copied what studenrs around me did, and turned ir lrl. In the third grade, che shadowy racism against "Mexicans" that permeated the small Texas town hit me hard, and by the sixth grade, I was ready to qufr school. I could learn English, but J could not change my ethnicity or color of ski'n. Fortunately, the music reacher asked me to join his band in the seventh grade, and I jumped ar the opportunity. My interest in the band sustained me through high school, and I even planned to go ro college, to become a band director, roo. l wor~ed my way through high school as a fry cook. Du(ing my senior year, however, my family moved to California, where my father gor a job as a cook, too. I tried to stay in my hometown by myself-to at least graduate from high school with my lifelong friends-but r missed my fam ily coo much. I j umped on a bus in January, 1995-to be reunited wirh my family-and I graduated from a California high school rhac year among rotal strang­ ers. ln my fo rlorn srace, I lose interest in music, and joined rhe Marines, after all. After boor camp and infantry training, I was stationed wirh the Marine Corps Band ar Parris Island (SC), and then wirh che Firsr Marine Division By Ruben Botello, Founder Band near Danang, in 1968. We were overrun in 1969, and some of my musician Marine friends were killed and wounded during the battle. I lose other friends in Vietnam, and I was put on an airplane home a few weeks later, more dazed, confused and bitter rhan ever. I tried college on the GI Bill for awhile, but qi1it to work full-rime, so I could rent my own place to live. Unforrunarely, I was soon living in my care, driving aimlessly along the Pacific Coast Highway, and unable to hold a job. In 1970, I returned to college, and starred ro understand how racism, poverry and Vietnam had affected my life. I decided co become a lawyer, to change rbe world, but I soon dropped our, and was homeless, again. In 197 1, I again returned to college, fell in love and hitchhiked to our wedding in 1972. My wife and I concinued our higher education, and earned our bachelor degrees in 1975. We had two sons by the rime 1 finished law school in 1980, and I worked full-cime as an administrator for various crime prevention programs in Southern California from 1976-82. I taught at the college and university level for four years, and all seemed quite well, until 1982, when my wife abandoned our rwo sons and l, ro live and travel with her multimillionaire employer. Our sons were then ages rwo and five, and we were devastated , to say the least. We wound up homeless from Corpus Christi to Searrle th.at tumulruous year, rolling from ciry ro city in hope and prayer che nighcmare would end . Like a roulecte ball on a wheel, we went around and around from rown to town, as I looked for work and a sense of belonging. By Christmas, 1982, we were back in California, homeless, broke and dejected. We again sl ipped and slid into homelessness in 1987-all rhe way from Los Angeles to Wash­ ingron DC, Erie PA, Salt Lake Ciry, and in so many cities in berween. As the roulerre wheel slowed, we again landed in Californ ia, thoroughly hungry, broke and exhausted from our cross­ coumry homeless rrek. I founded che American H omeless Sociery in 1987, to help ocher homeless and ourselves gee anchored in co a communiry of neighborly love. I decided the lease I could do as a poverty-stricken single parenr was to give my -sons a "hometown," and I did. Nevertheless. the wheel kept rurning againsc us, and ir is still turning coday, as we struggle daily ro sray on our fcec. We scill live on wheels, and ( sananda@northcoast.com) local folks do nor want us around, but we have no place else co go. I was honorably discharged from rhe Marines in 1969, and I have never been arrested, charged or c~nv icced of any crime. 1 worked my way through high school and college, bur now I have to musrcr all rhe rime, energy and resources I have, co deal wich rhe post-trauma stress disorder of the divorce, povecry, racism, homelessness and Vietnam experience that knocked my sons and I out of mainstream sociery in rhe first place. These major barriers and obstacles are like a brick wall that keeps us down and ouc, no macrer how long and hard we struggle to overcome it. I help other homeless with my legal education, but I also have scoliosis, arthritis, a slipped disc and ocher chronic health problems. I am on "GR," and live in an old RV chat has to be moved, periodically. Somecimes it runs, and sometimes it is registered, bur it always leaks, and rhe ro·o f is caving in. If ic gees rowed, I will lose it, altogether. I found my best homeless friend dead .in his van. I certainly do not want co go char way, but I do not believe it is up to me, anymore. 1 do nor dru1k, take drugs, panhandle or steal, because I still believe in chc ren commandments and rhe boy scout mono. I help everyone I can, rich or poor, in their time of need, and it does come back co me now and then. However, whar I see more of in this decade is a great hatred and conrempr for the homeless, and this grieves me very much. There are very real solurions co America's homeless problem, but unril sociery and govern­ ment are willing ro accept us as fellow human beings, we will never 'be created in such a way rhat rhe prob[em can be resolved. Our priorities and ways of life are different from chose of mai nstream America, because we have co make chese adjust­ ments in order to survive. If we fighc our homelessness, we are accused of aberrant, antisocial and even criminal behavior. If we surrender ro our lot, we are branded as lazy worthless bwns. Anyone can slip or slide inro homelessness, regardless of race, color, nationality, religion or creed. Whether it is due to hard times or a narural disaster, all Americans would be wise to remember the next person you see sleeping under a bridge may be you. .........R uben Botelw, Homeless in Eureka Report paints m ost comprehensive picture ever of H omelessness in America A landmark study reports that most people who become homeless have suffered severe hardships - including physical and sexual abuse, dilchxx::t trauma,poverty, a!XXl"ed.Jcaticrl, disability and disease - b'u t are successful in escaping home~ when they get help from federal and other prcigrams. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomoreleased the report,which is the rriost comprehensive study everof homelessness in America_The report i$ titled "Homelessness: Programs and the People They Serve," and is filled with revealing statistics that tell the story of people around the nation vvho have fallen thrbugh the social safety net into homelessness. The report said the top priority of homeless people it surveyed was toget ajob-the first step to self-sufficiency. It said 44% of homeless people surveyed worked at leastpart­ time during the past month. • incomeof$348, andhomeless families reported a mean income of$475. In addiOOn, 4C1'A>of raneless people surveyed went without food one or more The report also said that when homeless days in the previous month because they couldn't afford food, compared with 3% of other poor people gethousingassistance and needed services - such as healthcare, substance Americans. * Health and disability problems are abuse treatrrent, mental health services, educ:atim andjob training - 76% of those living in families · common among homeless people. When survey participants were asked about theirhealth and 600/0 of those living alone end their homeless status and move to an improved living situation in the previousmonth, 46%saidtheyhad achronic. ',. health problem such as arthritis or cancer, 3 9% aftercompletion of the assistanceprogram. reported amental health problem, 38%.reported The studyshoVvS homelessness is associated with an alcohol problem, and 2 6% reported a drug problem. 55% said they had no medical insurance. abroad range ofproblems. Itfound that * Homeless people have low educational * Serious problems since childhcxx:I are common levels. The survey found that 38% of.homeless · among homeless people, with 25%report]ng childhoocl physical orsexual abuse, people have less than a high school diploma, 33%reporting rurring 'iJtNa'jfrom horne, and 27% compared with 18%ofthe overall population. This saying they lived in foster care, a group home or makes it harderfor homelesspeople to getjobs. other institution as achild. Formore information or to read the report * Homeless people are among the poorest in on-line, visit the HUD USER the nation, with incomesaveraging half thefederal website athttp://www.hxi.Jser.org/ poverty level. In the 30 days before they were pubfteations/homelehtml• surveyed, single homeless people reported amean • �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 5 the men have begun to paint murals. One gentleman, Yamamura-san, can be seen from time co rime standing in the shadows directing the painting. H e mikes che seance ofa Japanese masret· Standing strait, INTERNATIONAL NEWS Down and Out in Tokyo Text and Photographs by] ward Hills boxes in lace January. Please underscand." As wacer cannons srood by, metropolitan security guards and from url=(0057Jhltp://www.webcom.com/whills/ Japan/Homeless/E-lomeless.html In addition to being che busiest and rhe police officers, watched as 50 bystanders, surrounded the homeless and their supporters, who then scarred to scuffle wich police. Three people were arrested for obstructing the police. A Japanese civic group submicted a lecrer co rhe Prime Minister's Office citing that "The Japanese government has approved a United Nations human rights commission resolution that says forcible eviction of homeless people is a human rights violation," the letter continued "The national government bears liveliest train station in Japan, and maybe the world, Shinjuku station has another side has emerged recently bur is not calked about in polite Japanese society. The West side of the scation is known in the tourist guide books as the home of the tall buildings and the City offices of Tokyo representing the powerful economic empire of Japan. But below chese modern monolithic skyscrapers are men who slipped through the cracks of the rising economy and are now living in card board boxes. On the West side of Shinjuku Station live the homeless people. The Japanese economy is well known for cradle to grave employment and support. To be laid-off or fired is almost unheard of; or at least was unriJ the great buqble economy of the 80's bursr. Dedining proflrs, banking crises and inflation ail conspired to force Japanese corporations to violate che long held agreement oflife long security with some of rhe less productive em ployees. Wichouc any social safe[}' nee many fo rmer salary men ended up no longer sitting at rheir desks bur racber on rhe srreet. O ver o ne weekend las r January (1995), merropoliran officials. backed by 350 police officers and security guards, handed an "ultimarum" co abour 200 resid enrs of "cardboard houses" alo ng an underground passageway siruaced at the West side of rhe srarion "This is not a place to sleep; ir's for pedestrians.'' a merropoliran official cold rhe residents wirh a bullhorn Saturday nighr. "The merropol ican government will remove rhe cardboard moral responsibility co demand chat rhe merropoliran governmenr abandon its plan ro construct the moving walkway, which is to be built using taxpayer's money. " According to members of rhe civic group, the Prime Minster's office agreed chat, rhe resol ution should be respected . However, the foreign office said rhe Japanese nation and the UN "are in no posirion" to judge ch e matter, which falls under the jurisdiction of the local government. The homeless were moved our of rhe station. Less rhen a year lacer, chey have reclaimed che srarion. They simply moved down the way a bit and sec up rheir boxes again. T his time rhey have rhe arrenrion of some med ia and a few sim ple phocos dis plays showing rhe bacon and shield equipped police pushing rhem our of their old boxes. ln from of rhe display is a .donarion box. Abour three m onrh s afrer rhe evict ion mosr, or at least the same number. of rhe men have rerurned. Like com munities everywhere chey have raken to decoracing their homes an d sunoundi.ngs. O n the sides of their cardboard houses hands clasped behind his back watching his student attentively, but withouc encouragement. Ac the same time, proud of his art, and ashamed of where be practices it he has supervised the decorating ofa few dozen of the box homes. A few cimes a week the Hari-Krishna come down to the srarion co feed the men. Most of the men line up for a second or third helping of the rice curry. Ir is one of those contrasting images so common in Asia. T he sound oflndian tambourines and voices chancing 'Hari-Krishna' accompanjes the homeless lining up for food while Japanese businessmen walk past in Italian suits and kids pass by in school uniforms. One of the Hari­ Krishna girls chanting has a E nglish Mother and Indian Farher, she grew up as a missionary ro Japan. Sh e is very polite bm does not miss the chance ro hand me a map co the next prayer meeting. The problem of the homeless is nor really addressed much in rhe Japanese p opu lar media or Government. In rhe Japanese language home and family are almost synonymous. With~ou r family co help them chere are few ocher srructure~ in Japan ro lend aide. And even if there were some means of assistance for these men some are so angry at th e society rhey would rather be an nuisance just to make t roubl e. Sti ll o che rs are simply mentally ill and cannor fie into the expectations of the Japanese sociecy. The people of busiest train sratioo in the world all taking part in rhe great Japanese economic miracle; some in silk sufrs some in leather jackets and some in cardboard boxes. Send mail to whills@webcom.com URL: http://www. webcom. comlwhills!]apanl Homeless/Homeless. html Ohio OH99·SOO Cincinnati\Hamilton County (Ohio) Coe Franciscan Home Development, Inc ....................... ............................ . c ::J :c SHP $249,900 Over the Rhine Housing Network ...................................................... . SHPR $168,111 Center for Independent Living Options, Inc.......................................... . SHPR $167,189 City of Cincinnati ............. :................................................................ . SPCR $2,450,340 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati, Inc........................................................ . SHPR $85,050 Hamilton County Dept. of Human Services ............................................ SH PR $366,628 Mr. Justice Watch ............................................................................ . SHPR $183,621 Joseph House, Inc...................................................................... ..... . SHPR $322,983 The Salvation Army Cincinnati, OH ................................................... . SHP $826,980 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati, Inc ......................................... .-............... SHP $157,500 Chabad House of Cincinnati ................................................................ . SHPR $506,041 Franciscan Home Development, Inc..................................................... . SHP $391 ,104 COC Total: ..................................... .. ... .... ................. ........ .. .. .............................. . State Total: $5.875,447 $42.475,359 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine WORD ON THE STREET / '/ We Need Your Creativity! '\ Send your poetry, writings or artwork to Streetvibes, c/o GCCH (Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless), 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati 4521 O Phone - 513-421-7803, E-mail (text): to streetvibes@juno.com, E-mail (attached files, graphics): to homecoal@primax.net Unfinished Business Will the new advances in technology that herald the new millenium bring with them greater understanding? [Did the Microwave oven herald the end ofworld hunger? Have they found a pill that will uplift the human heart?] No, the miracle char always saves mankind is the one described in the miracle of the loaves and fishes from rhe Bible. In these times when greed is, indeed, nor only justified, but celebrated, it is even a greater miracle when people find it in their hearts to share. In chose times, we discover that our true wealth is our heart, our center, which, when we open up, we find, is limitless. Arts and Poetry HOPE Life is becoming s hort and hard, nights are cold and long. No where to go, no where to sleep, I'm feeling death beneath me. Crying out for help, but no one's around .. .Sad and alone.I feel like going home. Will someone Hear, Listen, Open up their Heart Cause living on the streets is tearing me apart. Finally I hear a Voice come from Above, Telling me to Stay positive and that I'm Loved!!! Reaching out for his Hand, right then, I have to take a stand. Before I sleep I say my Prayer, Hold my head up high: I Pray to God to let Me live because I 've got to stay positive I Pray to God to let me Stay S!rong, Ask for forgiveness for what I've done wrong. I Pray to God for Better Days, cause now I see the Err of my Ways. Look Up, Stay Focused, Be Strong and of Good Courage!!! Blessings and Peace be upon You and All People You Reach. I hope this puts a smile on your face I hope that you are well and safe. Our love will withstand the test of time, Forever yours, forever mine For lonely days or darkest night, It's you I love with all my might. ...... .Azariah Israel Have you ever watched kids On a merry-go-round Or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight Or gazed at the sun into the fading night? You better slow down D on't dance so fast Time is short The music won't lase. Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply? When the day is done, Do you lie in your bed With the next hundred chores Running through your head? You'd better slow down Don't dance so fast Time is short The music won't last. Ever told your child, We'll do it tomorrow And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die 'Cause you never had time To call and say "Hi"? You'd better slow down Don't dance so fast Time is short The music won't last. The Spirit of the fountain dies not. It is called the Mysterious Feminine The doorway of the Mysterious Feminine Lingering like gossamer, it has only a hint of existence; And yet when you draw upon it, it is inexhaustible ...from the Tao Teh Ching ..... Tom Billman SLOW DANCE Troy Pitts & Michelle Whyte Is called the Root of Heaven-and-Earth. And our true poverty, is, certainly, our endless clutching at those things which will always disappear before our very eyes, those things which, at the time of our last breath, will reveal themselves as being, truly, without substance. Page 6 When you run so fast to get somewhere You miss half the fun of getting there. When you worry and hurry through your day, It is like an unopened gift.... Thrown away... Life is not a race. Do take it slower Hear the music Before the song is over. hpn@aspin.asu.edu (Sent out by a child dying ofcancer:-­ a message to the world) �STREETVIBES A LTERNATIVE MEDICINE a briefexploration ofthe history, philosophy andpractice ofthe many healing arts that have beun to gain popularity as people lose the1· trust in synthetic drugs and high-tech machines The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine & Hey, Mookie, is this what Ufe have in store for me fortheyear2,000? Don't think about it like that; think about it like this: A poor man with no money is a rich man at heart ~p Page 7 Hey·, man: there's still one thing you do have: the power to change. Garlic A few notes on Allium Sativum ...."pharmacologists in the west... fell into the error of suposing that they were better chemists than Mother Nature who, besides creating compunds coo numerous co mention, also synthesized the aforesaid chemisrs and pharmacologists." (Robert de Ropp) Luckily, researchers have be loking back to the garden lately and discovering chat this socially maligned member of the lily family s a valuable medicine. · ~ fhe Sanskrit word or garlic means "slayer of monsters." Ayurvedic herbalisits oflndia use it fr H ysteria, flatulence, sciatica, learrburn, Asthma, diphtheria, typhoid fever, skin disorders... T he ancient Romans used garlic as a conic for enduring extreme :emperatues while working in the fields. Pliny, the Roman naturalist, recommended ~arlic for respiratory ailments, gastro-inresrinal liso.rders, infections and wounds. . Dur ing the 1721 Palgue in Marseilles, a band )f theives who immunized themselves with garlic, nade great profits robbing the bodies of plague victims. Many cultures have hailed garlic as a potent aphrodisiac. Culpepper, the famous and popular English herblisr, recommended it as a n amidore for herbal poisons such as henbane, hemJock and wolfsbane, as well as a cure fo r the effects of drinking polluted water. Poultices of crushed garlic may relieve che effects of Poison Ivy. Garlic oil can cure athletes foot. Recent clinical evidence suggests that consumng 1-3 cloves of raw garlic per day sign ificandy lowers blood cholesteraol levels and can prevent (or even help cure) arteriosclerosis. Russia;1 scie;1 t~t& ~a\le isolarnd "allicin" from the garlic, which, they say, kills only specific bact~ria, leaving natural helarhy bacteria u~touched. Perhaps the reason it .really works is chat chewing garlic k~eps aw~y all the peop.le who care more about the way you smel than the way you feel, and leaves you with only your true frien ds .... .. ......... TB. Donald Whitehead, with Santa Claus and members ofthe Aiken High School Leadership Team. Donald was there to accept gifts donated to children in shelters by students and faculty theirHoliday Gift Tree Project.... (see The Book ofGarlic, byLloyd J. Harris) .Life on the streets .... by john Chetuck The ocher day a friend asked me co explain what life on the screecs was like. At first I was tempted to answer sarcascically, then I cook a moment co think about it. I mean, here was a chance co dispel some of the misconceptions the public has about homeless people and homelessness. There are a great many misconceptions abouc homeless people; for instance, many rimes I've heard people say char homeless people are all alcoholics, druggies or thieves, or that they are jusc coo lazy co work for a living. I'm here co cell you they're wrong! A long time ago 1 believed the same misconceptions; then I found out the reality when l myself became homeless. Homeless people are far from lazy; indeed rhey have co work harder co survive than many do at cheir jobs. They have ro struggle to get shelter, food, money co gee che things they need, a nd even more so co be neared like a human being. Too often, people fail co realize chat not all homeless people ask for money, or are out for a free ride. Since l ended up on che screecs, I have found that many of my homeless peers work everyday ch rough day labor companies, or do odd jobs, some even collect scrap metal, to make ends meet and get .the things they need co survive, just like cl10se who .aren't homeless, rhe difference being char when rhey gee off work their day is just beginning. I guess che best way to explain what I mean is co share with you my routine after work. Wlie11 J geL home, I have LO go collect wood and cue ic so I can have a fire for warmth and so I can have something co ear, chen I have co go gee warer ro clean my d ishes and cook with, and clean myself up, so I can be prepared for rhe day co come. You see, homeless people have to work harder co get rhe things they need, like a hot shower or a home cooked meal, or even just to have water handy so chey can have something co drink if they wake up rhirsc, the licde things char mosc rake -for granted, like a kind word or a friendly smile can make a world of difference. I uuly feel chat most could learn a few lessons from the homeless community about self-sufficiency and compassion, for I have fou nd char among the homeless popula­ cion there is a sense of community like I've never felt anywhere else. So next rime you see a homeless individual, instead of turning your head or crossing rhe street to avoid chem, perhaps you should try talking to chem or perhaps extend a kind word, or even spend some time with them. You might £nd char you both are the better for it. • • • �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Prison News Page B \ ~~; ' .. ~.. ., "Freedom." To the Citizens ofthe United States ofAmerica: The United States ofAmerica, a country founded on the principal that all men are created equal. A country founded by immigrants from all over the world. A place founded for the purpose of political and religious freedom! Let us look at the definition of"Freedom'': The state ofbeing · free and independent. How can the United States claim to be a country of freedom? When they hold men as hostages in our jails and prisons. They are held just because they are not United States citizens. What kind of freedom is this? I thought that all men were equal. Men are incarcerated after being allowed to come to this country who have established a family, jobs and their life. Men who have paid tax.es and ar.e trying hard to learn the American way of life and tradition. Then they are told to leave their families and return to their original countries. Nobody told our ancestors they had to leave, and most of them were criminals from their native countries. These immigrants are held in jail without bail and then deported and taken away from their lived ones and everything rhey ever worked for. This is injustice, the definition of which is: "Violation of ones rights". Do these people not have the right to live with their families? Do they not have the right to become "Americans". What ever happened to "Liberty and justice for all?" . ' ~ . t· - - --·-·-·······-·· ----- ·-···- · - ----- - - ---:- - ---,.,.----·- -- ­ divorced. On )uly 23, 1999 the INS came into his restaurant and arrested him and he has This is written on behalfof.Mahmoud­ El-Khatib and his children: Alexandra Rae, Hanna Marie, Said El-Khatib Mahmoud Hussein and daughter Alexis Hussein, Samuel McKeKonnen andfamily, Samiri Ismail and family..... Please contact your president, Vice President, Janet Reno~ Senators, Governors, 'Newspaper and. TV stations. Please demana the release of·the immigrants held at DHRC in Dayton~ Ohio and all over this country! Please Help us free the immigrants and send them home to their.families today. Thank you and God Bless You. Mahmoud Hussein was born on September lO'h in Egypt. He has been in the United States since 1983. He has always worked and paid his taxes in this country. Mahmoud was married to an American Woman and they share a daughter together named Alexis born January 24, l 997 . Things didn't work our for \ ) bee~ in custody s.ince this·time. He was arrested for a non-violent crime that happened many years ago, for which he did his time and paid for his mistake. (After he found out about the death ofhis mother he was so depressed that he received a couple ofDUis, and this is all that they have on him.) Mahmo~d has been separated from his daughter since the INS arrested him. This man truly loves his daughter and it is breaking his heart being kept away from her. Alexis is sure a daddy's girl; she thinks the world of him. They have a very close relationship. Alexis just started talking, but you can sure make ,o ut "D ada" . for a crime for which he has already paid. This just isn't fair to either of them. Supposedly, in this country you can not be tded for the same crime twice; so why is he being treated any different that the American citizens? Is it because he is an Immigrant? If so, this is discrimination and this is against the law in America - right? Mahmoud needs his daughter just as much as she needs him, if not more so. Alexis is his reason for living and if the.INS deports her father, they will be breaking the hearts of this family. We can't let the INS keep destroying the lives of these men just because they were not born in this country. We must demand the release ofthese Immigrants and send them home, to be part of their ~hildren's lives and support their families. Please help us fight ·the INS and release these men so we can have the jail space to lock up the real criminals. You must write to you Congressmen, Senators, and the President. We must demand chat they Abolish the 1996 Law that President Clinton passed; it has really hurt a lot of families. I pray that these men can be home with their family for the New Year. Please help us, write to abolish the law of 1996. Thank you and God Bless you. You can forward your support to this e-ma# address: eh_bjmarshall@yahoo.com �STREETVIBES Streecvibes/Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Sr., Cincinnati, Oh45210 D ear Editor: After reading the December l, 1999 article "Prison Package Ban Revisited" (written by re­ porter Tom Beyerlein, Dayton Daily News,), I would like a chance to respond and bring a few points tO view from "The Other Side of Prison Packages". "Pr.ison Package Ban Revisited", was writ­ ten about the benefits of a new rule chat would allow 'state-approved' vendor catalogs to be used by all prisons in an effort to curtail, if not end, sundry and food packages sent to prisoners from family members. The goal is to cue down on con­ traband such as drugs and weapons being con­ veyed into the 31 Ohio prisons. In this article, Mr. Arbogast, the Assis­ tant Chief Inspector for prisons, commented that people are becoming more sophisticated in con­ cealing contraband in food and sundries. But these packages arc sent through a fluo­ roscope x-ray machine such as Lebanon Correc­ tional Insticucion and other institutions now use. This machine is of the same type, only smaller, as those used in airports and other high security in­ scallacions. Each one of che prison fluoroscope machines is backed up by a thorough eyeball and hands-on physical search that includes che open­ ~ng of each and every item in any package sent to inmates. Prison officials said, "The new rule isn't meant to be punitive". Certainly it's noc, because it's nor the inmates who would be punished. Any item (except drugs) found unacceptable inside food-sundry or vendor packages, results in three options for inmates: l) Mail the item back to their family; 2) Donate it to the state; 3) De­ stroy jt. Few items are actually destroyed; che majority of prisoners mail the offending item back home. Many unacceptable items are "donated" at the time of receipt co the state, which, presum­ ably, gives chose donated items co charitable orga­ nizations. However, I do not kJ:iow of anyone ­ inmate or otherwise - who has seen or heard of any letters of appreciation from chose quarters. Arbogast says, six Ohio prisons now ban pack­ ages from home and mentions there are few com­ plaints from inmates in chose prisons, using a ven­ dor catalog system. Well, what's co complai n about if that's all there is? Mr. Arbogast also denies the prison system will profit from vendor sales to inmates. Catalog vendors buy seconds from name-brand suppliers and dump those sec­ onds into prisons by che thousands. The Bureau of Corrections does not operate for free, nor does it do anything for free. You can bet che bureau for Ohio's prisons will be compensated from each vendor, and call it the "price of being allowed to do business with Ohio's inmates." An example: money orders sent co pris­ oners from family members. Money orders are credited co inmate's commissary accounts. What che interviewer did not know, or simply refused to inquire about, is the practice (used by any eco­ nomic entity) of collecting interest from che nor­ mal float of idle funds awaiting transfer., in this example, via the Correction Bureaus.prisoner bank­ ing process. Mr. Arbogast was correct when lie said, "We're not making a dime off of chis." The Correction Bureau will not make just ONE dime. The Bureau will make ten thousand dimes rimes cen, from collected interest based on the sheer volume of money orders sent, each day, to prison­ ers around the state. This does nor include a fee for processing all those up and coming scare-ap­ proved vendor catalog sales, and everyone knows graft is never confused with profit. The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine It's crue; some vendor catalog prices are comparable to siores. Though based on che ar­ ticle I read, if a survey of 177 sund ry packages indicating 79% of inmaces co uld ha,ve saved money buying from a vendor, while another 21 % would have spent more - was true, chen maybe Mr. Arbogast could explain, whac does 79% of one and 2 1% of another have to do with Family . members who purchase items for their incarcer­ ated and are themselves not incarcerated? How many of our non-imprisoned citizens are willing to let local police/fire/corrections departments/ mayors come into their homes, in person or by electronic means and suggest ~r even dictate when, where, w~y and how they can spend moneys worked for and claimed as their own? Both item and allowable price limits are clearly seated on inmate food-sundry package lists. A legally sanctioned method allowing the control of a prisoner's family members may be the latitude our prison officials are seeking. Or ' per­ haps, our Department of Rehabilitation and Cor­ rections' ulterior motive is to permanently end visits by inmate's family members so "prison officials" can claim inmate fam ily members arc throwing drugs, contraband and weapons over the fence? As the article stated, "This time, they're (prison officials) armed with statistics designed to bolster their claims...""end quote. I put this question to the reporter who wrote the article. ""H ave you ever nouced . how elusive "they" are? Next time, could you please check with che 31 local courc houses of Ohio's prisons and see for yourself how many (prisoner's families vs. ~orrectional staff} have been charged for convey­ mg drugs, contraband and weapons into chose prisons. Few inmates are foolish enough to have contraband mailed to them inside packages or brought in via visitors and risk severing che last link they have with their families. Perhaps, Mr. Arbogast, or Mr. Joe Andrews, Prison Spokesman, might have been asked Why so many correctional staff are permitted to resign, yer nor fired and formally charged with bringing contraband into state prisons"? That is one way "they" jigger their contraband and spending statistics! Many of these people are never indicted, never see jail time, and are never "slammed" by Mr. Arbogast. "They" are permitted co resign! What better environment for the criminally intent to work in! The numbers discovered may belie any of the srariscics produced by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. Finally, believing an all-vendor receipt number system will seem rhe flow of contraband into prisons is basically irrational. I agree, some · Corrections staff have proven to be staunchly honest and unshakable. Yee one muse consider the fact that corrupt people are always found at both ends of any spectrum. As in this case, some wear the clothes of employees looking to make some quick cash, while ochers wear the clothes of corrections staff, looking for the same quick cash. Paying higher wages will nor stop corruption in prisons because the real lolita for many who are correctional staff is corruption! Page g Packages from home are a lifeline for prisoners I respond co the article "Ban affects family ties, relatives say" jn the Dec. 7 Dispatch. Perhaps the most viable rehabilita­ tive tool available co me in the 11 years I've been in prison has been receiving sundry items and food packages from home. Twice a year, I am remembered with genuine love, above che demoralizing anonymity of prison life. Contrary co prison ufficials' claim of curbing the flow ofdrugs and contraband by prohibiting family-sent packages, it is common knowledge within the prisons chat drugs and contraband are smuggied in by some prison staff members. Likewise, the $553,384 officials say they will save annually by reducing the hours prison employees spend searching packages is exaggerated. Prison employees who process packages are assigned that duty based on an average nine-hour shift. If they are not processing packages, they would be given ocher assignments within che prison, and the $553,384 would still be a pare of their regular salary. . The use ofscace-approved vendors could benefit prison officials with possible kickbacks. Inmates have seen the reality of such collaboration in the contracts prisons developed with phone companies. M illions are made yearly from inmates who make collect phone calls to maintain family ties. Prison officials and legislators have depleted and gutted many rehabilitative incentives in prisons. The obvious next move is total alienation from society. . ... .. .Lee A Walker, inmate, Mansfield CorrectionalInstitution r PAN-OHIO Prisoners Advocacy Network Meets ~ext at Old Presbyterian Church, corner of Bryden and Ohio Avenues.Columbus, Ohio, on Jan 30, 2000 For further information, contact (51 3)241 -8014 STffET\HS Prisoners News contains the writings ofpersons incarcerated in our nation's jails and prisons. Signed, f wcui.pose Columbus Subscribers within t he walls receive >treetvibes free. If you want to support us in this effort, please >POnsor someone on the inside by sending us $12 for a year's subscription Sendyour comments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com mail : STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 �----- - - STREETVIBES ---------~------- The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 10 Welfare News STOP THE CLOCK CAMPAIGN -- UPDATE by Lynn Williams, Ohio Empowerment Coalition Ifyour group has not yet endorsed, please endorse by sending the endorsem ent form below to the Contact Canter, 164 1 Vine St., C incinnati, OH 45210 or fax to 513/381-4022. In the meantime, please call yorn O hio House In November, mem bers th e Oh io Empowerment Coalition m et with O hio H ouse Representative D ale Miler (Cleveland) about introducing a bill that would extend Ohio's three yeai- time limit fo r receiving cash assistance to five co nsecutive years (or what is allowable by the Federal government. In addition to the time lim it changes, Rep. Miller agreed to include changes t0 sanctions in the same bill. T he bill will restore the adult's portion of food stamps to a sanctioned householo, or, in other words, not cut the family's food scamp allotment. T he bill will also include policy that ends a san~cion upon compliance, by issuing a pro-rated benefit check co the sanctioned household. Rep. Catherine Barrett (Cincinnati) also has drafted legislation to extend the tree years to five consecunve years. The Ohio Em powe rm ent Coa lition is encouraging organizations and grassroots groups to endorse these policy changes co rime limits and sanctions in the "Stop the Clock Campaign." Representative or Senator and ask them to support extendi ng O hio's time limit to the five consecutive years (or what the Feds allow) . Some points you may wane to keep in mind when makingyour call to legislators: u Ohio is one of only 8 states char have a time limit ofless than che 60 months allowable under the Federal government. u In addition to th e 60 months, some states are not rime lim iting the children's por(ion of the benefits. Other states are providing vouchers for the families chat have reached the Federal limit. (California, Indian, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, and Texas). Michigan does not have a time Limit; it will use state funds co provide cash assistance to families after they reach the Federal Lirnit. • u Official unemploymem rates may be low across our nation on average, but for certain demographic populations ofour society chey are quite high. The unemployment rate for a high sch~ol graduate wich no additional education is 11.5% for age group 18-25 yr. Olds. The unemployment rate for Black males in chis age and education group 8s 22.3%. For Black ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • • OHIO EMPOWERMENT COAUTION •• (CEC) "Stop the Clock: End Welfare lime Limits" Endorsement Form Ogaizatm~~~~~~~~~~ _, •• Aci:tes.5.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ •• •• Oty~~~~~~~~• • • • • Ft'o"le.~~~~~~~~~~~Fax~~~~~~~~~- • • • • _ _ _ Yes, my organization endorses the Stop the ClockCampaign • • Please put our name on the endorsement list _ _ _ Yes, Iindividually endorse the Stop the Clock Campaign Please put my name on the endorsement lis t - ReaseretunthsfamtotheCmta::tCenter, 1641 VreStreet, Cn:irJati, (J-145210, afaxitto(57 3) 387-4022 • females it is 20%. Hispanic females face a 13.4% unemployment race and Hispanic m ales in the 18-25 yr. group a rate of 10.5%. u Some coumies of Ohio, especially northeasr and southeast councies ofthe scare, have "official" h igh unemployment rates as their average rates. And yet, Ohio's rime limit will cue these families offstarting October 1,2000 regardless ofwhether or nor they have fo und jobs! These ai-e families with child ren, often rimes very small children. Children are the ones who are going co be directly harmed and punished by Ohio's mean-spirited law. The C hildren's Defense Fund -Ohio estimates that 55,000 children wilJ be cut off statewide starting O ctober 1,2000. Is chis what che citizens of Ohio really. want? The O h io Empowerment Coalition has fait h that chis punitive law will be changed, but not without a struggle. ·Corporate Welfare for Weapons Makers :J ~ • ~ .? lu-' - ,I I (' J The. Hidden Costs of Spending on Defense and Foreign Aid by William D. Hartung, President's Fellow at the World Policy Institute. The defense and foreign aid budgets are the largest single source of government funding for private corporations. More than haJf of U.S. weapons sales are now bei11g financed by taxpayers instead of foreign arms purchasers . During fi scal Executive Summary: year I 996 (the last year for which full statistics are available), the government spent more than $7.9.billion to help U.S. companies secure • just over $ 12 billion in agreements for new international arms sales . The annual $7.9 billion in subsidies includes taxpayer-backed loans, grants, and government promotional activities that help U.S. weapons makers sell their products to foreign cu$tomers. Also, the provision o f low-cost facilit ies and extensive subsidies for research and development and mergers and acquisitions to major contractors fosters a " risk-free" environme nt in which weapon!> makers have li ttle economic incentive to produce e ffective systems at affordable prices. Furthermore. a portion of the $ 120 bil ljon the Pentagon spends each year on contracts with U.S. defense contractors is being wasted on defense pork- that is, redundant or unneeded weapons systems. Such subsidies and spending for defense pork can ime rfere. with the fulfillment of legitimate security needs . In concordance with a recommendation made by the •Presidential Advisory Board on Arms Proliferation, govern'ment subsidies for arms exports should be phased out. Federal subsidies to • corporations in the national security sphere shou ld be the excep1i011 rather than the rule . Tbe executi ve branch and Congress should establish an independent commission to conduct an annual review of corporate-targeted contracts, tax breaks, and price subsidies contained in the militaiy and foreign aid budgets. Only those subsidies fulfilling important national security objectives 1ha1 could not be accomplished witho111 government assistance should be maintained. The overall review should be supplemented by a separate pane l. modeled on the Defense Department's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) panel, which would put forward an annual list of pork-barrel mi litary procurement projects that should be terminated. To limit '"horse­ trading," the list of unnecessary projects would have to be voted up or down in its entirety-much like BRAC procedure for military. base c losures. • • ••• • •••••••••• • •••••••••• • •• • • • • • •• • ••• • •• • • • • • •• (http://www.cato. org/pubslpaslpa-350es.html ) �-STREETVIBES ---------- The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST..... I was very excired rhe morning of ovember I, 1999 as I arrived ar chc Word of Deliverance church co meet my traveling companions. When we were loaded in the airporr limousine ic became evidenr char only a few of us were morning people, however, once we arrived ar che airporc our group came alive. The Aighr co Miami was unevenrful save for che ceasing ofo ur firsc-cime Ayer. As I boarded the cruise ship Ecstasy I looked back ar Miami and wich a conscious efforc l cleared my chough(S of all I had lefc behind in Cincinnaci, because uncil this very moment l had nor released myself from my life and responsibilicics ac home. Yee I knew char chis could only become a spiritual retreac if I lee go and b God, so as I went ch rough che check-in procedure I began to praise God for just having chis opporruni ry to ger away : co have a "real vacarion" as invisioned and experienced by mosc middle and upperclass Americans. A luxury many homeless and impoverished do nor experience. The expression of praise released a peace upon me. My retreat had begun. As defined by webster a retreat is the retirement oftroops before an enemy, the act ofgoing back or withdrawing from n position; a pince ofprivacy 1111d safety, a home for nervous and i11snne persons, a period of withdrawing from worldly nffeirs and spending time in prayer and meditation, the net ofwithdrawing from an unpleasant situation, or a bugk call sotmded immediately after sunset. In chis instance l am referring co the withdrawal from worldly affairs and spending rime in prayer and medication. The firsc day aboard ship I merely explored its vastness. I learned that it housed 2700 people including guests and sraff. And as l explored che ship God allowed me co withdraw from my position in chis life: my position as.father, estranged husband, self-employed healthcare provider, brother, son, man of God and friend co many. H e led me to a withdrawal ofall that is cemporal, and cook me on a journey of chat which is eternal. To a place of peace and cranquility. Do not gee me wrong. l am not comparing my cruise experience to Heaven, but I wane co assure you chat once I forgot the cares of chis world (Marc. 13:22), and began co seek out His will (Matr. 6:33) l began co have an experience like no ocher in this life. l got a taste ofHeaven. The first evening ar dinner l ordered the cornish hen encree. It was excellent. After dinner was a time of wandering around the ship, becoming acquainced wich irs eleven decks and getting ro know my traveling companions. There were cen in our group, two men and eighc women; and "we were all Christians leering our light shine. We were in the world, but not of the world. Our first pore was Key West, Florida and all the stories I had h~ard did nothing co prepare me for the beauty of the island itself. Pare ofour cruise package included a free trolley tour of historic Key West , and though our cour guide was young he was very knowledgeable. As he drove che crolley he expounded on the island's tale ofshipwreck co riches. The extravagance ofthe homes were astonishing, but the shopping for tourist was very reasonable. I picked up several gifts and souvenirs, and scrolled the cobblcscone streets under a blazing sun. Back on ship I took a guided tour of the Beauty Salon, Aerobics Room and the Naucica Spa & Gym. Rerurning to my cabin I found my bed made and fresh rowels in the bathroom. I showered and prepared for dinner. Our waiter was from Hong Kong, and he truly entertained us with his surprising wit and quick practical jokes. The first evening he recognized me as a connoisseur of fine food, so on this evening he recommended the prime rib as he gave me the menu. Glancing quickly at the menu I agreed, but after cascing someone's lobscer I order an additional encree. This chen became our practice; when I arrived ac dinner our waiter would give me his suggestion and I would order a second dish as well. I mean, why nor, you only live once; so I showed my appreciation for rhe Rodney Sutton fine cooking each evening by earing cwo meals. · Each evening after dinner there was a variety of things co do ,such as: go dancing in Stripes Disco, watching che showgirls in the Blue Sapphire Room, trying your luck in the casino, or just sitting o n deck watching rhe waves.Our group just peaked in on a lot of rhe entertainment, although we did sir in and cacch a couple of good shows. The one l remember in particular is che nighc afcer our 'day ar sea'. This was guest calenr show nighc, and there were two performances which were spi ricual char jusc cook control of all present; saved and unsaved alike. A nucleus of our group from che very firsc nighc found ourselves drawn together in what was labeled "The Card Room". On che second night we renamed ir che "Praise Room" and upon our arrival thereafter che ' Private Party' sign was placed at the door.We would just gravicace roward this room and review our day's adventure with praise and worship. Giving rescimony after cescimony of His goodness, especially when several of che group was hie wirh seasickness, and our various cours of Playa del Carmen and Cozumel, Mexico curned our co be a bir more adventurous than planned. We would go from this room co the midnight buffer or 24 hour piua bar. AJI the while fellowshipping and enjoying the goodness of the Lord. On our lasr nighc we ministered co a young lady whom we had met, and watched the glory ofthe Lord revealed when her and her husband were on the same Aight from Miami co Cincinnati. I cannoc speak for the others, bur for me ic was like Paul's crip to the third heaven (ll Cor. 12:2). I will nor say I received any special revelations, but I can cell you that for four days the cares of chis world were not mine. I got a tastt ofHeaven. Then on the fifth day we docked in Miami, grabbed our luggage and ran for the tour bus. We embarked on a cour ofSouth Beach, Miami. Such things were pointed out co us as: AJ Capone's house, an island where Oprah and Will Smith have homes. Then we were out sightseeing on our own. We found hamburgers for $7 in one restaurant, and then l went co the beach.· On the beach, with his collapsable chair propped againsc a wall and his duffie beside him, I mer Wale. Wale was homeless. Wair had come from New York several months previous, and without a job he now spent his days on the sands ofSouth Beach. Talking co Wair brought me back down co earth. The Lord had allowed me four days of bliss, but here in Miami He was leering me know the recrear was over. The days spent in prayer and meditation had brought forth rhe answer to many a question, and now as a soldier in che army of the Lord I was prepared to engage che enemy. le had been a good trip. The goodbyes were hard. Especially as one member of our group would be moving to another state the day after our return. Nonetheless, a spiritual bond has been formed, so ic is certain our pachs shall cross again. If the cares of this world are weighing you down, cell the Lord you need to recreac. Your recreac may not be as mine, but He will honor your request and you will recurn a soldier prepared for battle. We are at the close ofanother year, the ending of the millennium, che celebration of Christ's birth; which can get lost in commercialism and Y2k media hype. My cruise experience gives me a very fresh raste ofGod's grace, and so I encourage you all this holiday season and New Year to get a taste ofHtnvm. I have experienced some cechnical problems with my PC, so if you could not connect ro my web page or I missed your e-mail I apologize. I should be back on-line by the new year. So come visit: www.geocities.com/Athens/Sparta/7907/ or send me an e-mail awol@goodnews. net, and you can still leave prayer requests ar 21 0-4 I8 l. Page 11 ............ Create in me a clean heart, 0 God; and renew a righr spirit within me. (Psalms 51: IO) The new year brings with it new resolutions to quit chis or do one thing or another. We make resolutions because we are noc happy or satisfied with who we are or che srare ofour lives. We want to change some things. Yer many of these resolutions we have made, year after.year, after year. Noc co say we have nor cried valiantly co carry our our resolucions, but often simple willpower is nor enough. Thar is why King David in Psalm 51 pours our nis prayer and confession to God, because he knows only rrue and lascing change can come from God. David presenced chis psalm to God afcer he had sinned by commirting adultery wich Bachsheba. God lacer blessed rheir marriage with a son whom rhey called Solomon. Therefore, if it is change you seek, rurn co the one who is unchanging; for scriprure says " ... presenr your bodies.a living sacrifice, ....And be nor conformed to chis world; bur be ye cransformed by the renewing ofyour mind ..." (Romans 12: 1,2). So we have chree simple keys co fulfilling chis year's resolutions: a) presenc your bodies a living sacrifice b) be not conformed co this world c) be cransformed by the renewing of your mind d) Some may argue char chese keys are nor so simple, and co them l say: "Give Jesus a cry." The presenration of ourselves co God as a living sacrifice is our debr ro Him who gave us life. H e is not asking anything unreasonable ofus, especially when compared to whar this world and chose in ic ask of us. Things we find absolutely, and undeniably, unreasonable. God also promises a healthy recurn on our investment. This world promises nothing. Since most often we find ourselves not liking the world around us anyway, it should be simple nor co conform to it, because then we become chat which we d islike. Therefore, let us be transformed by the renewing ofour minds. This cransformation cakes place when we regularly read and hear God's word. Out minds are renewed because the regular input ofGod's word allows us to know what God's good, and acceptable, and perfect will is for us. This knowledge is the key co presencing ourselves as a living sacrifice, nor conforming to this world, and being totally transformed. Nevercheless, some will ask, " How does chis help me keep my resolucions?" The answer is simple. The transforming power (the knowledge received with the reading or hearing) ofgod's word will motivate you co change those things in your life which need changing, because you will learn God's dislike for those things equals your own and you will find the strength to do all things chrough Christ (Philippians 4: 13) I present my own life as a living example ofwhat I say. If you review the nine columns I wrote last year, you will find the three above keys in action. You may recall my mention of crial and tribulation, but chere is always the promised reward to follow; because God is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11 :6) My computer went down in November, so I apologize for any e-mail I may have failed to respond to, not being in the char room, and failing co updace my web page. Pray with me rhac A WAY OF LIFE MINISTRIES will be back on-line soon. Our volunteer list is growing. but we can always u.~e many more; so ple:1Se oil 2 10-4181 and ask how you can help. You can also leave prayer reques(S at chis number. This is a new year, therefore, my speaking calendar still has many openings; so give me a call and schedule a talk with your youch group, singles ministry, men's ministry, general congregation, school, and community group, etc. In His Service, Rodney L. S11tto11,Sr. The Evangelist Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. (Get 'em now before the rate goes up!) Just send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month Streecvibes, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless If you bave any questions, call 421-7803. If you have subscribed, but are not receiving your Streecvibes, Please let us know. Our ~og (Streetvibes computer) ate some addresses during a recent crash. �--- STREETVIBES ----- -- - The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Letters letters are still coming in concerning the Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center boardplan to relocate the Drop inn Center. To support the Drop Inn Centers' right to not be moved, Write to: Erich Kunzel, 1241 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210, Send Copies ofyour Letter to: Drop Inn Center Attn: Pat Clifford, 217 West 12th St. Cincinnati; Ohio 45210, and to Streetvibes Contact Us, Write Us! We welcome input from our readers. Sendyour letters and editorial comments to: STREETVIBES: 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45~ - Fax: Attention Streetvib1 (513)421-7813 Email: streetvibes@juno.com ~-~-- Page 12 To the Editor of the Cincinnati. Enquirer: I suppose if I could believe the media's portrayal of homeless people in movies, television .and sound bites, I would believe that solutions like those proposed by New York by Mayor Guiliani and Cleveland's Mayor White are the answers. The thought that homelessness is as simple as getting people into jobs is extremely shortsighted. According to a recent study done by several Federal agencies including HUD, HHS and the department of Labor, over 40% of h_ome­ less people in this country work everyday at least part-time. In Cleveland approximately 900 shelter beds exist for 3000 people. Mayor White believes that rounding up the \ '\ ..~~ .~ ~j i r ;~ "1J,. national Symposium on Homelessness Research has shown us that receipt of affordable housing is the single greatest predictor of formerly homeless persons' ability to remain in that housing. The major­ ity of homeless persons who receive subsi­ dized housing remain in that housing. homeless and placing them in jail is the Villainizing the homeless allows politi­ answer. The supportive Housing network in cians to avoid real solutions and may ulti­ New York estimates that in New York City, in mately have darker consequences. In 1999, 29 homeless individuals died as a result of 1998, it cost $40,000 per year to jail some­ one compared with just $12,500 to provide hate crimes committed against them simply affordable housing and a variety of support­ because they were homeless. The mur­ ders occurred in 11 different cities, including ive services. Criminalization is quite frankly a way to hide homeless people from the Anchorage, Ch icago, Dallas, Denver, general public. While issu~s like substance Jeffersonville Indiana, Los Angeles, Portland, abuse and criminal history are a part of the Rapid City (SD), Richmond (VA), San story, they are far from the whole story. In Francisco, and Seattle. The victims' ages ranged form 4 months old to 62 years. our society we are saturated with the dis- . While the individuals that committed these ease of addiction and crime. The truth is the homeless are portrayed ~s moral-degen- · . crimes have the ultimate responsibility, part of the blame also lies in the hand of those erates, when homelessness is not a moral issue; it is an economic issue .. When one who choose to paint an unrealistic picture of looks at solutions that have worked in the the homeless in the media. As in so many . . . effort to effectively battle homelessness, . other cases, society is refusing to share the affordable housing combined with supportive responsibility for the growing number of services is the real solution. The newly people who have been forcectJ0-live Cinder released multi-agency federal study done by brid§es~in--abanctoneaca;=;-and in shelters. the Urban Institute, reported that when The next time people want to blame the homeless people get housing assistance homeless for their situation and tell others it and needed services - such as healthcare, is a choice, remember that women and substance abuse treatment, me~ta l health children continue to be the largest growing services, education and job training, a sector of the homeless population. Certainly whopping 76% of those living in families and the 4-month-old child who lost her life in a 60% of those living alone end their homeless transitional house that was firebombed in status and move to an improved living Jeffersonville Indiana did not have a choice. condition after completion of the program. Additional research gathered at the 1998 ...............Donald Whitehead CLIMATE CONTROL -· <-­ I ---7__j ! ..._~~~--~___.I I E-MAIL STREETVIBES: L._,__ . streetvibes@juno. com I �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 13 A ONE PAGE RANT ON POVERTY The stock marker is at an all time high. Mergers, acquisitions, encrepreneures, science, high-tech, bu2z, wired, E-commerce, creacive license, success, prosperity; we wanted a global economy and now we have it. Technology expands but also limits. There has been a major shifc in ch.e global distribution of wealrh. Never in the history of our country or the world has rhe cliche been truer that the rich get richer and the poor gee poorer. Fifreen years ago $6 miliion qualified you as the richest man in the world while today $40 million only gets you in r.he ballpark. The three richest people in the United Scares have more wealth than the coral gross national product of 25 countries, other than America, combined. How much money makes you rich? I guess it's all relative ro how much you don't have. Statistics say char the rojddle class isn't shrinking. Statistics l·ie. Unemployment is at an all time low bur jobs pay less. The middle class in this country maintains it's status only because two people in rhe household must work full-rime co support a family. There's been a dramatic increase in the cost of renr and housing which has outpaced the minimum wage. There is a direcr correlation between the increase in affordable housing and the simultaneous increase in poverty. Now we have a new class in rhis country with the catchy name called the working poor that crosses all demographic lines viol~nce, Vier Nam Vets or just plain uneducated. And don't get me started on an education, an entirely different problem, graduating a dispropor­ tionate amoum of unskilled labor for low paying jobs. Don't start with chat give the01 a fish or give them a fishing pole and teach them how co flsh. Give me a break. If handouts help co promote a liberal philosophy so does a free fishing pole. People are hungry now. In our currenr political climate less public sector help is available and the privare secror has picked up some of the slack but the problern is enormous and the solution is complex. Some like to say that the homeless must show an obligation to society. But I say that since the ground rules have changed the converse is true. If we can afford tax breaks for the rich, corporate welfare and subsidies we can afford to help our poor. A very smart man once cold me chat che essence of successful management is the vision ro manage change. He also said to never begin to believe that you are smart instead of lucky. The next time ·someone asks you for help, give it to him or her. It may be selfish but you always ger back more cha.n you give. The next rime a person on the street asks you for spare change at lease look them in the eyes and reaffirm their sense of dignio/. and even includes some people in che military. There's been revolution in the health care industry. There are more cures available now than ever before, there's a piU for every malady but fewer people can afford to cake advantage of them. And gee this; educated doctors once considered pare of che elire have joined rhe middle class. Managed health care foJce doctors t:o crank out a patiem eve1y seven seconds co meet a quota for smaller paymenrs. Many of our working poor, when faced with not even a catastrophic illness are forced to make choice to die instead of maimain the basic economic necessities of food , clothing and shelter. And sometimes they gee to graduate to rhe hungry, cold, and homeless poor. There are now so many homeless we can't ignore them so we demonize them as lazy, drunks, bums and dope fiends. 0 yeah? 40% of the homeless are children. Some cities :have made the decision co for~e the homeless into hospitals, shelters, or treatment. Within a monch gee a job or you're out and the foster care system keeps your kids! What? Is trus response co homelessness practical or political? Do we need police solving our prob­ lem of poverty? Thankfully the outcry of some decent citizens has slowed this flawed progi:am. Do we actually believe that homeless people enjoy their horrible situation? Sure some are. addicted but many are mentally ill, physi­ cally handicapped, old, victims of domestic ....Mike Weiman, Dec.13, 1999 t'i"\ .. \.c.. t > ~":,.\\,... C,..._.) ......~ -.. ...........~~ -\'v-.o. ~ "--\-C..~'(' ~ A r 41t. . ~,~''- «. ~""·~ ~ ,..,.\d ; •\-;,\,).\,.\ ~ ' "'""')., ii;t,~<t.. ................., r.... .. "1-o<.,. , ,1.,.._ \.'-­ \>t.:,.~ ,. A.v e. \:>'!? ~ .,, - ~«::......, \ . ,....._.._ C-~ \' ~·"'-w...... 1'tR11.~.t hnM-tt.A~Q. ~~ ~v·\. -'\.:, ~"'-"- " '""'"I~ ~v\ ~\.M&'... 't \>\ ~Q.,.· ~ ........... . ...... ~ ~~ ..1 "-ll"l . t'"'(.q "'!.> . C-.,.\.t l.,( ~ ' ·~>~' O P •< ')' f."':'-.. i\:>~<..,.-<• ~"f~>e:---"\V-,._ ..,... .,..,r..,..t... 'I 4;_\.,A...\ \Ve; i.:.r<:> f>\" .:> \,'-'t. <,• ~ """:",.._.. • ..,*? -(ot~;n~C'(" (' '°':... "~" "" ·~ ·,~\.. ·~«::lt."' C ~"" ".~ • ·~ e...,...,.~Ac~ c 'o<l..\\e~ .• -Mfordable Housing Jobs Available RuraJ Opportunities, Inc. (ROI) is seeking qualified applicants for two positions based in Alliance. Ohio. ROI is a regional non-profit organization founded in L969 to .address the critical needs of farmworkers and other low-income families. Applicants for the positions below should submit resumes via mail > fax or e-mail ASAP. I ' . . Housing Director ROI seeks a ski lled professional to lead jts Ohio affordable housing development program includjng rental and for-sale housing development, bo rne ownership and neighborhood revitalization programs. Requires a BA plus at least 6 years experience in housing development or housing program administration, knowledge of state and federal housing assistance programs. excellent communications skills, supervisory experience .. and computer competency. Salary to mid $40s plus excellent benefits. . . \\. ' Housing Develop~r ' ' Responsible for undertaking the develop~nent and rehabilitation of affordable rental and for-sale· hol!sjrig L~ O'hio. .kequires at least 3 years experience in housing developmenl,.knowledge of state and federal housing assistance programs, ~xcellynt communications skills and computer competency. ·, · · Send letters of-interest and resumes to: ..._ .:· Rural Opportunities, Inc._, Attn: ]. Wiltse 400 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607 FAX 716-340-3337 E-mail jwiltse@ruralinc.org �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine No Permanent Abode •••• S.M. Miller REPRINTED FROM TlKKUN. Bi­ monthly Jewish Critique of Politics, Culture & Society (S. M. Miller is seniorfellow and director ofthe Project on Inequality and Poverty at the Common­ wealth foundation and Research Professor ofSociology at Boston College.) ...... ~- Some years ago, while visiting Dublin, Ireland, I discovered that I had been homeless as a child in Brool<lyn. I was consulting with Focus Point, a newly established Irish organiza­ tion that deals wich housing problems. In the course of questioning the staff in order ro clarify ics goals and activities, I used the cerm "home­ less." The staff pointedly corrected me; they djd not use that word. Their phrase was people with "no permanent abode." That definition extended beyond people in temporary shelters or "living rough" on the street. Included were chose who lived doubled-up with ochers and chose who had co shift from one indoor sleeping place ro another. Suddenly, I realized chat by this definition I coo had been " homeless," with " no permanent a bo de. " I was overwhelmed , close co rears, ac chis naming of char terrible experience when I was cen. Immediately, I way char time in an even more terrifying light chan I had ever permitted myself co acknowledge. During the depression of the 1930's we were living in Philadelphia where I was born. Family economic conditions worsened co the point that our electricity was turned off and we lived in the dark. My parents decided finally to seek help with my mo ther's sisters in Brool<lyn, aunts whom I scarcely knew. One sister cook my mother, father, and me to live with her husband and three sons in a c rowded aparcment. My two sisters, considerably older than I, lived with other aunts. After several months of chis strained, divided exjscence, my parents were chrown out summarily by my irascible uncle who found our presence (and my withdrawn shyness and school success) disturb­ ing. Another aunt cook us in for a while during the hoc summer and my parents and I shared a bed in a tiny room with an exceedingly small window opening on a shaft. Another relative whom I did nor know at all, appalled I believe by the three of us sharing a bed, cook me co stay with his fam ily. T his went on for some period until my parents found jobs chat enabled us co rent our own small apartment and reunite the family. My sisters and I never discussed this episode with each ocher and certainly noc wich our parents. When I did chink about ic in lacer years, I would focus on my pain and isolation. le was only after Dublin, many years lacer, that I could discuss char rime with my surviving sister and realize how damaging char period was for her and muse have been for my parents, especially for my mother, a proud, energetic and effective woman. My Dublin-based recall was highlighted recently because of my role as a social scientist concerned about poverty and inequality. I learneq of an arcicle by Bruce G. Link and his colleagues at Columbia University's School of public Health that moved beyond che usual practice of counting as homeless only those who were living in shelters or on the street on a given day. Using what was, in effect, the definition of "no permanent abode," they asked a national sample if they had ever been homeless. (The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is beginning co use chis broader understanding of homelessness.) By using the broader definition and by asking about lifetime experience, chis study differed from the usual councs of the numbers of home­ less people. Through this method, the count of the homeless swelled from perhaps 400,000 who o n a given night were living rough or in a temporary shelter to 26 million adults who at some time during their lives lacked a permanent abode. Asking for lifetime exeerience makes a great deal of sense. A one-night reporting of the homeless is an under-count of what happened co people during the year or over a lifetime (just as unemployment rates cell only ofwhat happened in a parcicular week rather than how m any people and households experienced some sizable unemploy­ ment and loss of income during a year) The lifetime rate is important because living with "no permanent abode" scars p~ople. Gaining a reliable residence.does not wipe out the troubles that lacking a reliable home produces. In my case, I have enormous difficulty in asking for a favor despite enjoying the privileged position of providing many favors co others. Yes, I learned from D.H. Lawrence's The Man Who Died that just as there is a greed in taking without giving, there is a greed in giving without taking. None­ theless, I recoil (as does my sister) at the idea of asking for a favor, even from those I have helped. When I do, it cakes enormous willpower to overcome that sense ofshame and fear of rebuff in having to ask for aid. I trace this reluctance and m any other fai lings and disturbing feelings to that period of "no permanent abode." Homelessness is a deeper continuing experience than the passing loss of a bed to call your own. It is a wound chat never fully heals. Streetvibes VENDORS ' NEWS There are presently three sites where vendors are specifically invited to sell papers - Bellarman Chapel at Xavier University, Ursuline Academy in Blue Ash, and now First Unitarian Church on Reading in Corryville. ' Usually two vendors are chosen to sell at these events. If you are interested in the opportunity, please let us know. The times of the month for these events vary somewhat, so come in and find out for sure. Currently, vendors receive 25 extra papers for selling 100 within any particular week (7-day period), and 100 extra papers for selling over 500 papers during the month (issue to issue). Papers sold at special scheduled events such as Bellarman Chapel and Ursuline Academy are not included in this count. Don't forget, you can get free papers for submitting stories, poetry, art work, .or photography that is used in Streetvibes, the number subjectively dependent upon how much the editor needs your stuff at the moment. (usually anywhere from 10 to 100 papers[for a major story]) Free papers also given for tips leading to stories. If you want to tack a shot at photojournalism, you can obtain a one-time-use camera at the Homeless Coalition office........................ . Page 14 DIVORCE/SINGLE PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS BEECH ACRES Mediation Center H elping C hildren Cope with Divorce Single Parent Services 6881 Beechmont Ave., C incinnati OH 45230, (5 13)23 1-6630 Free Single Parent Groups! .. .... a safe place to share the joys and frustrations of raising kids alone. Tbe group blends education and discussion of single parent issues. AVONDALE/CORRYVILLE Single Parent Group 2"d & 4•h Tues., 6:30-8 p.m. Beech Acres' Family Center 512 Maxwell GREENHILLS/FOREST PARK Single Parent Group 2"d & 4•h Mon., 6:30 - 8 p.m. Our' Lady of the Rosary School Library 17 Farragut Road LINCOLN H EIGHTS Single Parent Group l .. & 3n1 Thurs. , 6:30-8 p.m. H aven House of Lincoln H eights Baptist Church ~O Gr.aneview Avenue BLUE ASH Single Parent G ro up Tuesdays, 12:30 - 1:330 p.m. Raymond Walters College 9555 Plainfild Road For RWC Students Only DOWNTOWN Single Parent Group Saturdays, 12:30 1:30 P.M. New Prospect Baptise C hurch 1829 Elm Street KENNEDY HEIGHTS Single Parent Group Thursdays, 6-7:30 p.m. Ke;nnedy Heights Presbyterian 6312 Kennedy Avenue MT. WASHINGTON Single Parent Group Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m. Beech Acres' Hall Cottage 688 1 Beechmont Ave. WESTWOOD Single Parent Group Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m. Westwood First Presbyterian 3011 H arrison Avenue Child Care is provided. Call 231-7205, ext. 798 to register �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Live Studio Audience Wanted for STREETVIBES TV SHOW ~"\)(S Media Bridges (CCV), 2114 Reading Road, rr,ti... '1,~eo'li-~f~"" ~~ o$'1 °~" '((\o'(\ At'-" e"e'<'I from 7 :00 to 8 PM. Streetvibes TV covers news on poverty, homelessness and related issues. If you would like to be a part of the audience, or if you have ideas for future shows, call us at 421-7803 Streetvi bes Live Radio Hour ADVERTISE IN STREETVIBES Tune in to WAIF 88.3 fm! Help a good cause while promoting yourself to over 5,000 concerned people each month. on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The Homeless Coalition's live radio program. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly giuest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. NEXT SHOW DATES: Saturday, January 9th Saturday, February 12th Business Card Size ~ /:: 2" x 3 1/2" $10 per month Two Business Card Size 4" x 3 1/2" $20 per month Larger Adds also available If you need assisrance in designing your ad or STREETVIBES Classified Band Re-organizing. The Streetvibes band is itching to get back together. Musicians, unite.' ..Call 421-7803. · have any other questions, call us ac 421-7803. Please send your add by the 20th of preceeding monch, accompanied by your check I money order, ro Screetvibes, 1506 Elm Street,Cincinnati, OH 45210 ~ reserve the right to deny any a4, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied POSlTION WANTED in Non-Profit Envi.ronmenl. Have 26 years of diversified national and international marketing experience. Recognized creative innovator with strong interpersonal and communicative skills. Would like to work in quality, value-enhanced program with like-minded people of integrity dedicated to service . .... Michael A. Weiman, 2581 Montchateau Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244,(5 13) 231-2853, Office (5 13) 232-459 1. Fax (513) 232-1837, mwalvin @aol.com Page 15 JOBS in COMMUNITY ORGANIZING wirn WORKING IN NEIGHBORHOODS (WIN) 1) Recycling & Energy Educator Full rime position available educating residents in cwo low and moderate-income neighborhoods about their opportunities to recycle and save energy. Position involves door­ to-doo r education, prese n tations co neighborhood, church,.senior and youth groups and developing group projects around recycling. Requirements : able to relate ro people of different economic, racial and religious backgrounds; self-motivated, and able to rake superv1s1on . 2) Community H ealth Educator/Organizer Full time posirion educating seniors in Hamilton County about Medicare + Choice plans (H MOs), How to save on prescription drugs, and o ther programs which can help low income seniors reduce cheir our-of-pocket health costs. The poisition alos includ es training existing leaders and recru~ring new members for a Seior Accion Coalition. Position involves: pres<;!ntacions to senior groups, conducting research about senior issues, training leaders, and helping seniors plan meetings and develop an action plan to adress senior issues. Requirements: able to relate ro seniors ofdifferent backgrounds, self-motivated, and able to take supervision. Training is available. Send resumes to Personnel Committee, Working in Neighborhoods, 3726 Llevellyn Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45223. 513-541-4 109 Streetvibes accepts C lassified Ads for icems such as H elp Wanted , Items for Sale, Apartments for Rent and other non-personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approximately ten words per line. People below the poverty level will be given five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Call 421-7803 for more information Mail the ad copy, or deliver, to: GCCH, 1506 Elm Street,Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813, or e-mail to streetvibes@juno.com Rapid Exit assists families and individuals in moving rapidly from homelessness to permanent housing for more information contact The Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless: 421-7803 and ask for Melissa Samhan ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION Comin11 Soon: The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Calendar, featuring the incomparable photography of Jimmy Heath. Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 e-mail: jonesacp@tbol.net. Stayed tuned to find out how to get your very own! (513) 230-6353 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 16 '\ STREETVIBES TV Schedule Check us out, We're on TV! The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the -facilities of Media Bridges (Cincinnati Community Video), 2114 Reading Road , Cincinnati Ohio. If y ou 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. January Schedule some Broadcast Dates for December's Show on Channel 24: (Please check your schedule) Saturday, January 1~th , at 5 PM Tuesday, January 18th, at 10 AM Thursday, Feb 3 at 10 AM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. Streetvibes Vendor · code Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to·sell the paper. 1 . Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for dona­ tions 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. S. 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 genera). 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 ~treetvibes. Volunteers Needed! Streetvibes is looking for volunteer writers, reporters, photographers, etc. interested in serving on the Streetvibes Editorial Board. For more information, please call the office at 421-7803 ' ~ 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 ... 0 Supplies for vendor's lounge (coffee, cups, paper towels, cream and sugar, etc.) 0 PhotograP4tleb~ of all sorts for Streetvibes­ photographers, film, deve opin~<a.iligital camera?) ~ ' 0 Advenisers and Subscribers Streetvibes h.,,;3....--­ . imaf-over ead costs ~~~!a<.1.JLU:L--t_s-::~t o :h~a~t7.the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting f or a private charity, please call our office at421-7803. Thanks for your support. Need elp o Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Kousing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. -- .. If you can help!, contact us at: Streeroibes, c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalidon for che Homeless, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 ph: (5 13) 421-7803, fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Womens Shelter 872-9259 !-888-872-9259 (Toll Free) 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) 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) 761-1480 821-5100" 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 244-7226 Interfaith ·Hospitality Network 961-4080 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 651-6446 St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR 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 Starting Over TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A. 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 24.1-7343 961-4663 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 OTHER SERVICES 421-2437 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options Churches Active in Northside Cincinnati Health Network Community Acti<?n 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 569-1840 381-4242 241-2563 241-1064 771-4800 621-7149 632-7186 357-4602 352-2902 221-3619 241-9400 271-5501 721-4811 621-0248 621-6364 621-551 4 721-7660 721 -7900 572-6226 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 2000 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource January 2000 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project Comes to Cincinnati Pg 2: Civil Rights Project Continued Pg 3: The New Callousness Pg 4: Brief History of American Homeless Society Pg 5: International News Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Alternative Medicine Life on the Streets Pg 8: Prisoner’s News Pg 9: Prisoner’s News Continued: Packages from Home are a Lifeline for Prisoners Pg 10: Welfare News Pg 11: Words from the Evangelist Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Pg 13: A One Page Rant on Poverty Pg 14: No Permanent Abode Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Donald Whitehead Susan Knight Tom Billman Ron Carter Gina Miller Warren Perkins Melissa Samhan D. Jackson Howard Dease Lynn Williams Azariah Israel Mike Weiman John Chetuck Rodney Sutton Alexandra Rae el-Katib Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alexandra Rae el-Katib Arts & Poetry Azariah Israel Cincinnati Cincinnati Enquirer civil rights Donald Whitehead Editorials & Letters Evangelists Freedom Gina Miller John Chetuck Lynn Williams Medicine Mike Weiman nationwide news poverty prisoners news Rodney Sutton Ron Carter Susan Knight the broken city The Traveler Tokyo Tom Billman Warren Perkins welfare welfare news https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/f971ea6b710191ca0673c958b2e89575.pdf 61629606d0ed268d029888b31b6a944a PDF Text Text (BoY from badeed vendor ONLY!] by Steve Lansky and Mike Henson The Southgate House hosted an unprecedented mix of music and music lovers at an artists·· benefit for the homeless last Saturday night in Newport. Over 700 people; young and old, came out in support of the Drop Inn Center the Over-the-Rhine homeless . ' shelter threatened with demolition by mainstream arts organizations and their officials, headed by Cincinnati POPS conductor Erich Kunzel. The Newport venue's event, entitled "Not in Our Name," was part celebration, part fundraiser. It featured eight bands and five singer-songwriters running the gamut from folk to punk. Action was on two fronts--the main ballroom (with a comfortably packed balcony) and the wood-paneled library style room on the second-floor which filled and emptied several times as the acts transitioned smoothly throughout Denise, Bonnie, and Paulette on stage Tracy Walker the night. Rockers The Simpletons fa9ed their largest crowd ever. Their first CD will be released at the Southgate House February 19. Headliners Ray's Music Exchange were broadcast live on WAIF 88.3 FM thanks to Al Ringhauser and crew. Other performers who donated their services were rockers Thistle, blues singer Tracy Walker with her band Sprawl, Chris Treter's Savory Mull, Norah Salmon's Hemline punk "grll" band, Ginny Frazier's Native American and Appalachian band Circles and Arrows, and folks from Paulette Meier's Carry It On. Singer-songwriter Todd Ethan hosted the stage upstairs with Mike Landis, Rebecca Vie, Mad Frog, Savory Mull, Thistle, and Eric Gray. Bob Donovan of Big Bang Productions, who practices medicine for the city health department's Health Care Cincinnati City Council targets immigrant workers Lady Liberty, move over a little more ... by Sonny Williams Two city o rdinances were just proposed by Councilperson Todd Portune and former Councilperson Ty_rone Yates: that employers in Cincinnati be criminally prosecuted for hiring undocumented workers and that the Department of Buildings and Inspections have a new ordinance that would allow the department to cite property owners and landlords for housing undocumented workers. The ordinances were introduced to try and stop employers from abusing undocumented workers; but advocates fear it may have the opposite effect. On Tuesday afternoon, at the Law and Public Safety Committee meeting, several opponents of the two proposed ordinances spoke against them. I believe that our appearance at that co mmittee delayed a vot e on the ordinances because the ordinances were indefinitely delayed. Speaking at the Committee meeting were Sonny Williams , from Prisoners Rights Advocacy Network; Mary Merrill, with the Central American Task Force, and Margaret Sanger, a representative of the Latino Community in Cincinnati. For further information on this issue, contact the office of Todd Portune at City Hall: 352-3000 �ST REE TV I BES 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. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low­ income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes vendor badge. 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. Director Administrative Coordinator Streetvibes Editor Assistant Editor Editorial Intern Vendor Support Homeless Civil Rights Warren Perkins, Tenant Organizing Rapid Exit Program Melissa Samhan, Susan Knight, Tom Billman, John Halpin Jess Ballew Ron Carter, Writers Mike Henson Tree Mosolf Steve Lansky John Halpin Warren Perkins Berta Lambert Tom Billman Sonny Williams Lynn Williams Rodney Sutton Te'troAmaru Pat Mitchell Joan Rohrer Carl Walker ...... and more ........... . Graphics Photographs by Jimmy Heath and Berta Lambert, Sketches and Cartoons by 0. Jackson Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graph­ ics, photos.... 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(S13)421-7813; e~mail: streetvibes@juno.com (text-only) or homecoal@primax.net ( attached files) 'Mlbpage: http://cinci.com/gcch City Plants Replacement for Community Council Imagine there were a group of people who were created to bypass advocates for the poor. This same group of people are planning to displace poor people and tear down buildings, and want to make Over the Rhine a neighborhood where 80% of the people are middle income. This group re­ ceives huge amounts of funding to sustain it even when it falters. Unfortunately, this is not some bad dream, it's a reality. This group of people exists, and th~y're called the Over the Rhine Coalition. Recently the City Council agenda revealed that Council is trying to find $6 million to fun 2 or 3 special mega housing projects in Over the Rhine to try to rehab 30-70 vacant buildings. This doesn't sound too bad. Not yet, at least. It gets more disturbing when you find out more about it. City documents explain that 60 percent of the city's funding for hous­ ing in Over the Rhine goes to "unrestricted" units, also known as middle income market rate units. While this might be enough reason to be concerned, the document goes on to state that the city is partnering with the Over the Rhine Coalition to develop a Master Plan for Over the Rhine. "Wait a minute," you might be saying. "I thought the Over the Rhine Community Council is the representative link between our neighborhood and City Hall." Or perhaps you have never heard of the OTR Coalition. Who is the OTR Coalition? Who is the ULI? The OTR coalition was founded following the visit of a think tank called the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in 1996. The basic goal of the ULI was to give the city direction in "revitalizing" Over the Rhine. Unfortunately, they saw OTR not as a neighborhood where low income people live but as a resource to be exploited by developers for the city. When they visited, they barely spoke with any low income residents of the neighborhood at-all, but instead spoke with middle income people and developers. When reading the ULI report, one can surmise from the language used what they had in mind for the neighborhood. Regarding social services, ULI says that they should promote "self sufficiency, reducing low self esteem and dependency." Are they implying that social services have been promoting dependency and low self esteem all along? When one considers the underlying motives of the ULI, it sounds as if they are saying that the people who need social services in OTR should be gotten out of the way so their plans for the neighborhood can proceed . They sound rather naive, as if they have never worked with poor, minority, mentally ill or homeless people. The ideology of the writers of the ULI report is further revealed when they write that OTR needs to be developed as a "community of choices." By this they mean a choice of income levels, a choice of housing cost. Apparently though, they didn't mean choice for low income people, who would have no choice but to move out when prices rise. In fact Ult openly discusses displacement and how to "manage" it. Here's a quote: "Guiding criteria no. 6: Ensure that a plan accompany each proposal, outlining developer's method r . ,, 1 • • 0 t ,. \ o t -t ~ l • • ·' 0 • \ • I • ,..I Page 2 by Patrick "Tree" Mosolf of moving tenants out of his or her existing buildings with minimum disruption to their lives. Displacement hardships must be minimized. " Another of the bold strokes of the ULI report is its proposal to tear down buildings in order to create more parking. In the drawings in the ULI report, almost 1/2 of an entire block· is destroyed to make room for parking. Not only would this reduce the potential for low income housing, but it is not consistent with the architectural design of the neighborhood. It is also not sound environmentally. The original design gives residents a more ecologi­ cally sound limit on the number of parking spaces, but the ULl's proposal makes OTR more like a suburban neighborhood with a low population density. Finally, the ULI proposed the creation of the Over the Rhine Coalition to overcome what they see as fragmented leadership. The stated goal for such an organization was to promote collaboration, but the circumstances would prove to make this very difficult. The report did not mention that the Coalition would supplant the Community Council as the legitimate voice of the community. How could they expect to get collaboration if their very starting point was to snub the Community Council? In general, the ULI report has a utopian flare, with wording designed to sound good to city bureaucrats impatient to turn OTR into a jewel for middle incQme taxpayers. But the motives and values of the panelmembers invariably limit the vision presented. In fact, excluded from the utopian vision are any significant plans to help low income people. Thus, when viewed from the perspective of the whole city, the ULI report involved the rather dystopian idea of pushing the poor out of sight, out of mind. The reality is, any plan to redevelop OTR which does not specifically provide for preserving low income housing will probably damage and eventually displace the low income community. What has the OTR Coalition Done? Admhtedly, the author of this article does not know too muct1 about what has happened with the OTR Coalition. But a brief overview of events since ULI left town follows. Even without much information, it becomes clear that in the three years since ULI left town, The OTR Coalition has not accomplished very much. Yet it still continues to get city backing as the group which will create a Master Plan for Over the Rhine. Immediately after the ULI left town, Damon Lynch held five picnics in OTR to promote the Coalition, which were described in an OTR Community Coundl document as very disorganized. Soon afterward the city and DCI (Downtown Cincinnati, Inc.) hired another consultant to come in. Following this there were talks held between all the parties involved, including the Community Council and the Chamber of Commerce. However these talks failed when DCI representatives stated that they would have the ultimate decision making authority (not any groups located in the neighborhood.) In 1997 the city gave the OTR Coalition. $150,000 in funding, which truly reveals the city's role in propping up this institution. This 0 • �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 Drop Inn Center (continued from page one) for the Homeless, presented an incredible state-of the-art light show in the ballroom featuring powerful civil rights movement related video. Master of Ceremonies Michael . Burnham spoke eloquently about the homeless struggle, reading from works by Robert Bly and other poets, as he did on WAIF FM in 1977. The audience represented all ages, from seven to seventy with a range of social backgrounds as well. There were men with long hair wearing black leather coats, women in overalls and T-shirts, one man with a bold mohawk, women with . platform shoes, and even men in traditional suits and ties. As gatherings go, it was peaceful and energetic, with dancing on both floors: clogging upstairs and pogoing downstairs. The happening was in part a celebration because on January 7, the school board announced that the effort to move the region's largest homeless shelter was no longer a part of plans for an arts academy. Drop Inn Center representatives were pleased with the news, but concerned. "We are cautiously optimistic about it," Center coordinator Pat Clifford told the Post. "But it still has to go to the full board and there's a chance these recommendations may not be accepted. If it is accepted then we would be pleased but still cautious because there are a lot of details that need to be worked out. We want to be sure the community is involved as it goes forward ." Artists for the Drop Inn Center was formed in May 1ggg in response to the January announcement by a group headed by Kunzel of plans to develop a new, kindergarten through high school arts campus that would replace the current School for the Creative and Performing Arts. City Plants (from page 2) funding came despite the fact that at that time the Coalition did not have bylaws and wasn't incorporated. To give this amount of money to an organization with no track record and no accomplishments.to speak of is highly irregu­ lar. Certainly, no neighborhood group which has acted on behalf of the poor has ever received this kind of liberal funding. Around this time, the Coalition tried to get involvement from the Community Council by offering an advisory position on a board to choose a consultant to conduct the OTR Master Plan. The Community Council respectfully declined. The Coalition also went through a period of disorganization and conflict, center­ ing on its ineffective director Linda Kirkland. Kirkland apparently alienated almost everyone involved in the Coalition before she was fired, so that the organization was barely a shell when she was dismissed. Even after it was restarted there was still a great deal of conflict over bylaws and the structure of the organiza­ tion. Despite efforts to get participation form low income community residents, it was and Second Floor Crowd, Southgate House, Artists for the Drop Inn benefit concert SCPA is currently housed in the old Woodward High School at 13th and Sycamore, which some claim is dilapidated and inadequate. The proposed arts academy would provide state-of-the-art studios and performance space for an expanded student body. The proposal called for placing the new campus near Music Hall and the WCETstudios. And , in some versions, it called for demolishing the site currently occupied by the Drop Inn Center. Naturally, homeless activists were concerned. But they were not the only ones. Three artists--a videographer, an actress, and a dancer--issued a call to musicians, artists, writers, performers, and arts workers to take a stand against displacing the homeless in the name of arts education. Videographer Barbara Wolf said she taped the Christ Church Forum discussion about the Kunzel plan from the Drop Inn Center's perspective. Wolf was behind the video camera listening to a broad base of comments. Current residents of the Drop Inn Center spoke about how their lives had has been overwhelmingly dominated by professional elites and "big players". Thl;JS, it has failed to get collaboration from all groups or to build broad based support. A letter from the Coalition from June of '99 states, "Since May, after a period of organizational setbacks, the first order of business was to rebuild the OTR Coalition Board with broad based community repre­ sentation pursuant to the recommendations of the Urban Land Institute." Thus, the Coalition is continuing with its mission as decreed by the uu. rn fact, it hopes to produce the OTR Master Plan by December of this year with the help of city employees. Yes, despite its problems and lack of accom­ plishments, the OTR Coalition is still trying to get something done. What Should We Do? We should do something about this situation in order to stop this group from getting its way in our neighborhood. Here are some suggested actic;ms: 1. Speak out about the Coalition­ People need to spread the word about what the Coalition is doing and what its objectives been changed by .the support they had received at the Center. "They mentioned recovery from alcohol in a deeply personal way," Wolf said. "They wondered how artists could do this to them. I thought, I must say as an artist I cotJldn't agree with Kunzel." Thus the group, Artists forthe Drop Inn Center was formed. The "Not In Our Name" concert was conceived as a way of showing that artists throughout the area stand in solidarity with the homeless. Some of the top bands and musicians in Cincinnati were there to show it loud and clear. The concert was supported by The Citizen, AMP Alert e-zine, City Beat, WARM 98/MoJo's Brian Ewing, Capital Coverage News Service, CincyRing.com , Ethanonics, Vindu Indian Restaurant, Sitwell's Coffeehouse, DNN, Blue Jordan Records, and WAIF 88.3 FM. Earthsave Cincinnati, the Welfare Rights Coalition, and Greater Cincinnati Mumia Committee staffed tables at the hall to help broaden.the ooo night's political outreach. are. The motives and makeup of this group need to be revealed for the residents of OTR and the public to see. 2. Petition the city to take back the Coalition's authority- The city gave the Coalition its power by making them the agent producing the OTR Master Plan and by giving them funding. OTR residents should approach City Hall and ask them to return the power to the Community Council. 3. Create our own vision and Master Plan for the neigh­ borhood- We cannot be put into the position of reacting negatively to every plan put for­ ward. The flip side of criticism of the Coalition is the preparation of our own vision and dream for the neighborhood. Our Master Plan can be used to challenge the legitimacy of the Coalition's plan and state our view in a positive way. To get involved with this or other issues relating to the neighborhood, call the Over the Rhine Community Council at 381-2956, visit the Council at 1713 Vine St., or come to the Community Council meeting which is held on the last Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m. •- • • • - - . 0 . - - .Cl • 0 �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine THE PURPLE TURTLE Page 4 Berta Lambert Save Over-the-Rhine... from Kunzel's Nightmare (the so-called Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center) Painting a more complete picture of Over-the-Rhine: I) The central issue has never been saving the Drop-Inn-Center, but the protection of the neighborhood and in saving Over-the­ Rhine. The Drop-Inn-Center is protected. II) O ver-the-Rhine population is 7,000­ 9,000 people, 70 % African-American and another 70% below the poverty level. Over­ the-Rhine is small in land area with its largest public open space being Washington Park. A $ 100 million dollar project which will grow in the coming years will have an enormous negative impact on a small poverty ridden community. Ill) At its base, the purpose of all the interlocki ng proposals for Over-the-Rhine are to remove African-Americans and others in poverty as part of Kunzel's Nightmare to open the possibility of two new arts auditoriums: expansion of Memorial Hall, and a new Nightmare Performing Arts Center at 12th and Elm Street. IV) Early press discussion of Kunzel's scheme included the American Classical Music Hall of Fame, now temporarily housed on West Fourth Street. Music Hall is still being discussed as a site. It seems not unreasonable to expect a classical music museum to be no smaller than C leveland's Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. For O ver-the-Rhine, this means ­ more land taken, more displacement of residents, higher prices and more traffic. Rhine, downtown gobbles up the area, making DCI so happy. VI) The so far unsuccessful redevelopment of Findlay Market wishes to play a role in this "social cleansing" process. It appears to have two physical objectives: A) Expansion of the marketarea l ) to Liberty, 2) to Vine Street, and 3) to Central Parkway. B) Acquire through city purchase the Zone Economic Empowerment Center (ZEC) by buying from Hamilton County the building in which Our Daily Bread is located . (there goes the soup kitchen) ....Thereby giving a long­ term home to city planners and bureaucrats. Non-r~sident Damon Lynch ill, who through his New Prospect Baptist Church played handmaiden to the creation of the illegitimate ULI Coalition (the so-called Over-the-Rhine Coalition which the late buddy gray fought so hard), is now being rewarded by the location of a much ballyhooed Busken Bakery in one (1) of his church's seven (7) empty building. The so-called Coalition was formalized in 1997 to usurp the function of the 30-year-old Over-the-Rhine Community Council (ORCC). By early 1999 all the Coalition's resident board members had resigned (seeing outside business interests dominated its agenda). However, through the efforts of John Hauck, more resident quislings were brought in, and now city planners are trying to_use this group to develop a new neighborhood plan instead of ORCC playing the lead roll as it was done in the past and is done by all the other fifty-one (5 1) community councils in Cincinnati. Vlll) A few more details: l )Police are proposing a fence around Washington Park. 2) Over $2 mm ion has been spent over the last I 0 years at the current SCPA site, and there is plenty of room for adjacent expansion. 3)Parking and traffic problems would become very large indeed with a new performing arts auditorium, school 5 days a week, special events, tourists and ongoing Music Hall events. 4)Cincinnati public schools need to spend the proposed $26 million on fixing up schools and not on elitist private -projects! 5)The Drop-Inn-Center and Tender Mercies would eventually be isolated and those they serve would no longer feel comfortable in the area, a slow agonizing death for DIC and V) An important part of this effort to "steal the neighborhood" is the ending of low mcome Section 8 \. housing in Over-the-Rhine. \ \ In the past, owners of bui !dings could choose to sig n for 5 add itional years. Now, they are only able to sign for 1 year at a time. Every year a landlord seeing "changes in the community" can switch to higher rents, pricing minorities out of Over-the-Rhine. VI.) Meanwhile, Kroger is underwriting the rehab of Emery Theatre (n low income folks up stairs and is likely to bui ld a super store at I 21h and Vin (when " low income residents" are replaced by "market rate residents" in the nearby West End). If Kroger acts as an anchor, then, along with the other proposals for Over-the- Tender Mercies! IX) And given this picture .... death to the present Over-the-Rhine Community. In stopping Kunzel's Nightmare, all the other projects listed above and those not yet made public can be either stopped, modified or assimilated by the Over-the-Rhine community or by the so-called market forces. The unspoken elements driving Kunzel's Nightmare are greed and racism. (Continued Next Column) �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine US Army School of the Americas Grad Arrested for Murder of Guatemalan Bishop CLEVELAND: (Courtesy ofSOA Watch) Homeless win ban on arrests By Martha Grevatt Cleveland PURPLE TURTLE Continued Social cleansing is its name! POSTSCRIPT: Kunzel's Board met Monday, Jan. 31. Following standard meeting business, including the approval of the Minutes of their last meeting of May 4, a treasurer's report was given: ASSETS: Bank Accounts (1) l ,739, 2) $163. DEPTS: 1) $8 1,000, 2) $14,000, and 3) $ 1,200 - All thi s after four years. They are not in good shape. Care was taken to introduce Mr. Kunzel, and emphasize he would introduce a resolution with four parts supporting a personal letter he sent to the Cincinnati Public School Board (CPS). The context suggested a conflict among the insiders of his Board on the 1si part of his resolution: a commitment to have SCPA remain a public School rather than a charter school. A division of the resolution was made. All passed. On part three(3) a cornmjtment to raise matching funds for CPS's $26 million, several questions arose: A) Raise how much money? 26, 46, or 60 million dollars ? B) Which of the four Kunzel Nightmare plans would be used? C) What is the relationship of these monies to the closing of the three remaining elementary schools in Over-the-Rhine. Board members representing the interests ofOver-the-Rhine voted against part 3. A motion was made which in essence prevented Kunzel's people from seeking Drop Inn Center properties in any phase of this nightmare. It failed to pass, with an 8 to 8 tie (3 abstentions). In summary: The Kunzel board seems to be on its last gasp. Political advisors have suggested to them that their only chance of survival is to focus exclusively, for now, on a new SCPA. (Seems is a key word). From where is a group which has less than 2,000 and is in debt for nearly $ 100,000 going to get money to hire a firm to rai ~ ·- ,...,. 60 r1... •; - · . dollars in the next 6 months? Hidden Assets? Page 5 New York is not the only city where it is a crime to be homeless. Just in time for the busy holiday shopping season, the city of Cleveland instituted a policy of arresting homeless people caught sleeping on the streets or "panhandling." After five people were arrested, homeless advocacy groups began orga­ nizing to defeat the ordinance.The North­ east Ohio Coalition for the Homeless demonstrated and packed City Council chambers. On Dec. 22, the coldest day of the year, Food Not Bombs erected a tent shelter on Public Square in front ofTower City shopping mall. The group, which has been feeding homeless people every Sunday for the past four years, served hot meals and distributed blankets and cloth­ ing. At 7 p.m., city officials informed demonstrators that they were in violation of the law, but there was no order to disperse. It was not until 3 a.m., when the streets · were empty and the media were inacces- ·: sible, that police surrounded Public Square. Eyewitnesses state that dozens of police cars, a fire truck, and an ambulance arrived on the scene. Cops tore down the shelter and confiscated food .blankets and all other provisions that had been left for the homeless. Five people were arrested while Mayor Michael White watched from above in a cozy Renaissance hotel room. Home­ less people and their supporters were arrested. They have since been released. Despite the arrests, the protest was tremendously effective. On the same day as the demonstration, the American Civil Liberties Union issued a letter to the mayor expressing its intent to sue the city to block the unconstitutional arrests. Lawyers for the ACLU offered not to file the suit ifthe sweeps were halted, but the city refused. The victory came when Federal District Judge Paul Malia issued a tempo­ rary restraining order stopping the arrests of the homeless. While feeling good about the victory, homeless people and their advocates will not rest until the ordinance is overturned. * WASHINGTON, DC ­ SOA-trained Guatemalan Col. Byron Disrael Lima Estrada was arrested, along with his son, January 21 for the 1998 murder ofRoman Catholic Bishop Juan Gerardi. According to a declassified US Defense Intelligence Agency biographic sketch, Lima Estrada took Military Police training at the US Army School ofthe Americas (SOA) now located at Ft. Benning, GA. Lima Estrada went on to head the infamous D-2 (G-2) Military Intelligence agency at the height ofthe genocide campaign in Guatemala's civil war. Bishop Gerardi was bludgeoned to death in his home two days after he released a human rights report that implicated the D-2 in human rights atrocities committed during the war. The report, "Guatemala: Never Again," based on thousands of testimonies collected by the archbishop's office, provided a chilling catalog of the mechanisms of violence. In a chapter titled "D-2: The Very Name of Fear," the report severely criticizes the military intelligence agency headed by Lima Estrada from 1983-85. It cited the D-2 for playing a "central role in the conduct of military operations, in massacres, extra-judicial executions, forced disappearances and torture." The arrest of Lima Estrada will add to the mounting evidence against the US Army School ofthe Americas. The SOA bas come under increasing criticism by groups in the United States and Latin America who cite numerous human rights reports and US State Department reports that link SOA graduates to atrocities in Latin America. The 78,000-member Leadership Conference ofCatholic nuns and the 13-million member AFL-CIO are two of the spectrum of organizations that have called for the closing of the infamous US Army school. In commemoration ofanother SOA-linked assassination in El Salvador, over 10,000 human rights activists gathered to protest the Ft. Benning combat training school last November. Twenty­ three now face six month prison sentences for their nonviolent protest. In July 1999 the US Congress voted 230-197 to cut funds to the SOA. The measure failed in the conference committee, but another vote is expected this year. Rep. Joseph Moaldey (MA) and Sen. Richard Durbin (IL) have introduced companion bills calling for the SOA's closing. The arrest in Guatemala will bolster their efforts and counter Pentagon and Congressional supporters who argue that SOA atrocities are a thing ofthe past. For more information, contact Carol Richardson, SOA Watch, (202) 234-3440. �( .. ST REE TV I BE 5 The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 6 Center Helps Drug Users in · Nepal Find Hope hyJohnHalpin Nepal is the world's only Hindu kingdom, a small country of 22 million people nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, between India and Tibet (China). I had the opportunity to live for three months in this nation, the home of Mt. Everest and some of the world's other highest mountains. The physical beauty of this land is unsurpassed. I saw breathtaking sunrises, snow-capped mountains reflecting the setting sun, and rainbows arching over the earth's deepest valley. In the midst of all of this beauty, stands something equally beautiful, the indomitable spirit of many of the Nepali people with whom I became friends. This was demonstrated to me by a small group of men recovering from drug addictions. Nepal, unlike most of its other South Asian neighbors, was never colonized, and its borders remained closed to foreigners until the 1950's. Westerners often speculated that the mysterious Kathmandu Valley was "Shangri-la," or the land of paradise. This proved not to be the case, but I believe that life was in some ways better in this country of isolation than it is now, afterthe recent influx of foreign aid, Western culture, and the many social problems associated with the West. Perhaps one of the most tragic results of this meeting of cultures was the birth drug use among Nepali youth. Historically, drugs such as marijuana had always been available in Nepal but were only used by wandering ascetics, older men who had left their material lives to roam the country in search of religious enlightenment. This changed in the 1960's when young American hippies came to Nepal in search of these inexpensive and legal drugs, settling along a street in Kathmandu that became known as Freak Street. In the 1970's, several years after the hippies had been living in Kathmandu, the king outlawed drugs and sent them back to America. Their visit left a legacy, however.. Influenced by these Americans, Nepali youth began to experiment with drug use. Other reasons may have contributed to this rise of drug use, but most experts agree that the Freak Street residents had a profound impact on the development of drug use in Nepal. Today there are countless Nepali youths addicted to drugs, in a country that has virtually no support services to fight this problem. The only drug rehabilitation center in the country is a residential home for men called the Freedom Center. Located just south ofthe capital Kathmandu, the center was started in the 1970's by an American Jesuit from Cleveland, Father Tom Gafney. Established shortly after king outlawed drug use, the facility was always controversial. Father Gafney's outspokenness was a main source of this controversy as he became a loud critic of corruption in the police force. The police know who the drug addicts are and will often stop them, take their drugs, and either use them or sell them for profit. Gafney also aroused suspicion that other powerful people were behind the Nepali drug trade. The priest's activism on behalf of the countless men he treated cost him his life. In December, 1997, he was found murdered in his small apartment. The murder has never been solved, most likely because those investigating simply c;io not want to find those responsible, if they already do not know who they are. Despite this tragedy, Fr. Gafney's work has continued. The Freedom Center today continues to treat Nepali men from all ov~r the country. The two most deadly drugs present in Nepal are brown sugar (a distilled form of heroin) and tidigesic, a highly addictive painkiller that was once legally available. Drug users inject both of these drugs intravenously. Clean needles are expensive, so needles are often shared. About one-half of the men at Freedom Center have contracted HIV this way. For three months last fall, I had the opportunity to study in Nepal along with 12 other Xavier University students. Part of our academic program was a class in service learning. Through this class, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Freedom Center and to meet some very remarkable people. Recovering from an addiction is difficult no matter where you live, but the social conditions of Nepal make recovery much more difficult here. Only a small fraction of Nepali drug users get the chance for rehabilitation at this center, the only one of its kind in the nation. When they return to their homes, they are spread out all of the country. There are virtually no support systems for them to tum to. There is no Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous. Unless they are from Kathmandu or Pokhara, the two largest cities, there probably are no other. recovering addicts in their area. They are on their own, oftentimes with untrusting families. In the communities in which they live, they have been labeled drug addicts, a label that sticks. Sometimes, the only friends they have to turn to are their friends who are still doing drugs. Coupled with HIV/AIDS, one's situation is even harder. The social stigma of this disease is great, treatment is too expensive, and there are not even any facilities to care for people in the last stages of the disease. It is not an easy life, and the men and boys at Freedom Center know that. Yet in their faces, I see a lot of hope. There is Reuban, a resident for six months, who returned home to take care of his terminally ill father. Their relationship had never been a good one, but Reuban's commitment to staying clean and his father's illness has brought them together. Every morning he goes to college, hoping to get a degree in advertising. He wants to educate people in Nepal about drugs and HIV and other social issues that they are often un-infonned about. There is Subaas, always with a smile, with whom we spent hours talking on the sunny front porch. Unable to get a conclusive HIV test, he does not even know if he is really positive for the virus. He faced this agonizing situation with courage, though. His dreams were of starting a business, maybe even going to America. There is Suraas, who at twenty­ seven kicked a drug habit that controlled him since his teenage years. Meeting many HIV-positive men at the Freedom Center has inspired him to make plans to open a home for people in the last stages of AIDS. He wants to provide them with a place where they can really be loved, even as they are dying. The list could go on and on. Sharan hopes to visit Tibet this autumn and go to school afterwards. Peruj reads his philosophy and religion books in his spare time. They are all tiny examples of people building a life out of hope, even in the midst ofgreat suffering and obstacles. The guys at Freedom Center struggle every day with their addictions, but they courageously build lives upon their dreams of a better future. That is a lesson for all of us. Never give up hope ... you can build a marvelous life with it. Food For Thought Don't down the one that's down today but cheer him in his sorrow For this old world is a funny old world and we may be down tomorrow ... .Pat Mitchell lf four cars pulled up to an intersection All at the same time, And there was no traffic cop or light, Which car should go through the intersection first? · Give up? Welt, ...The one that feels the luckiest! �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 7 PROVERBS 14:20 One quarter that's all they ask for But sometimes I have it but look in their eyes and say no. Can you give me two dollars so I can get something to eat? How I know you don't just want something to drink? I know you have it hard out here on the streets But Westaff is hiring and they pay every week. They are the homeless. But why do we make them the helpless? Walk down the street and see the food less, but restaurants like Mc'donald's and Burger King throw food away like they're foolish, and we do the same because we're heartless or maybe we're Godless. Living witho_ut God is the true definition of homeless I use to be homeless but now my st)elter is God. WINTERWOOD E. Joan Rohrer Winterwood is all good. A tree's energy goes within To make way for leaves in spring. Baren though the tree may seem, It's much like me with my dream .. . Which hibernates within my soul .. . To blossom forth in time. WORD SCRAMBLE RMOST ONATORO NRHUCIRAE LHIA WSON LADZBZIR OHTPONY ETLES (answers on page 19) He's my protection in good time and when it gets hard. God love's a cheerful giver and the homeless is a good start. Let's get them off the streets the right way, that's by everyone having a giving heart. On Sunday, February 20,2000, TENDER the acclaimed Back to Broadway group will stage a production benefiting Tender Mercies. Founded in 1979, by Mary Jo and Al Katona, Back to Broadway was designed as an MERCIES event to ~rovide funds to local non-profit organizations. This year's production of Back to Broadway will include songs form Guys and Dolls. Annie Get Your Gun, My Fair Lady, Chorus Line, Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera, and Saturday Night Fever. SPIRIT OF 2000 in Over the Rhine. ...... Carl A. Walker ,12111199 By Sonny Williams THOUGHTS ON MUTUAL AND · MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION Black, Latino, White 12th Street, Drop Inn Center is the people's right Erich Kunzel's plan failed to shut it down; The Homeless United in Cincy-Town. In the theme and spirit ofwhat one thoughtful soul said with "If I can't dance, <ion't invite me to your re>.1olution" ­ Ifwe can!t iaugh Of cry and have you and others listen to ~ur.jokes, stories and whatever else we may have to say, don't bother invitjng us to your meetings or conferences or caus.e s and expect us to listen to.your jokes, stories or speeches. · BACK TO BROADWAY PRODUCTION TO BENEFIT TENDER MERCIES Letters of support from N.Y.C., Cleveland, Marion Ohio. Spirit of Soweto is the national call, It's right to rebel. Down with Displacement, A Victory for the Homeless! Ron Bohmer is scheduled to appear with the cast of Back to Broadway at this show. Mr. Bohmer most recently starred as the lead in the Frank Wildhorn and Nan Knighton musical The Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre. He has also starred in lead roles in national tours of Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard, and The Phantom of the Opera and enjoyed a two-year Broadway engagement as "Enj olras" in Les Miserables. Proceeds from the show will benefit Tender Mercies, a non-profit corporation that provides housing and supportive services to mentally ill homeless persons. Tender Mercies currently houses 150 permanent and sixteen transitional residents in seven buildings in Over-The-Rhine. The show will be held at the College of Mount St. Joseph Auditorium , 5701 Delhi Road, Cincinnati. The show starts at 4:00 p.m ., with a reception at 2:45 p.m. Tickets are $20 for the show only, $35 for the show and reception. To order tickets, call Tender Mercies at 639-7054. �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page B Street Corner PolitiX Poetry in Motion From the minds of many gathered in discussion on topics dropping from this to that, we intellectually and respectfully converse and debate life in it's essence... frequently questioning che Devilz methods ofmadness that often prevents our own peoples happiness as we dwell daily through earth's hell with the belief of a heaven to come (in which no one has seen or known ofanyone to return from). Now whose the dumb ones? Those who require to acquire heaven on earth or the so-called 'Christians' insisting we all turn the other cheek in che face of cheir devilishness in return for che promise land in che life hereafter. The frequent glances from chose who drive by only stopping for red lights hear our language as 'ebonic' mumbo-jumbo while thinking chat it's simply irrelevant nonsense without ever having the patience to listen and thoroughly comprehend the rhetoric's relevance. Then they say, "Let us help ..." infiltrating our administration under che guise ofdesegregation in a covert effort to annihilate and/or assimilate ... "Let us help" is what's said, but "Lee's help ourselves" is what's meant As a fe:w (growing to many) of you mislead-wanting-to-gee-ahead Niggas char figure chat they'll place their crust within the Devilz foolishness. "Not I", says Te'tro! Eicher I stand with my peoples or I die alone. Because ifl don't have love to show love who will? You ... Your God above? The one whose son you portray with the blond hair and blue eyes, who supposedly gave his life for our lives? And whose truth you hide within your bible's lies to maintain chat we continue to 'Try' while never succeeding in actuality? Your smiling faces doesn't displace your hatred. I know the truth. The truth of how you systematically backwards teach our youth, devastate and separate our athletes through divide and conquer techniques which leave us to believe chat we must put our trust in you for your donations of financial funds. But our take is a mere fraction ofwhat you make on the backs of our God-given talents. And as if chat is not enough, you hit us below the belts with your no ass (now-a-days a little plump) big titty, duck sucking, and forever ready to f_k ... hillbilly co-co loving whores - better known as your mothers and daughters. by Te'tro Amaru And fo r those of us who lust the flesh we get caught-up in the Devilz quest to have us forget, neglect, and even disrespect the women who became our mothers, loving us steadfast regardless. But never the less, Black Amerikkka's thinking has us sinking as we are misled to believe that the deeds ofsome speak for the beliefs of everyone. But please try to understand: It's like when a snake bites your child. You don't run wild l~oking around for the snake with blood on it's mouth? Any old snake will do! Any old snake will do! Indeed it's a puzzle to unravel when contemplating exactly who we can trust, but with time all things are revealed and in time o~y can we tell??? Now pass the heat in the brown paper bag - caking control of our minds while warming the soul in these trying times ­ Yet I'm not a drinker. I am a thinker with God-sent rhetoric reaching the minds ofmen teaching each of them to beware of the consequences ofour actions. Since every cause has an effect I affect the cause to project the flaws in man's laws to force him to chink, rethink, and chink again of che dialect I inject which transforms boys to men. Justice or 'Just-Us' leave us the victims pleading the perpetrators for fairness as we're told to pray and turn the other cheek and that God will hear our plea? All awhile, we continue to be profiled racially, held back institutionally, and systematically taught to hate ourselves through Amerikkka's education while dam near facing extinction at the hands of ourselves and assisted by Amerikkka's police brutality. Now rotate the dungee to the left. Inhale deeply to propel swiftly through che Devilz hell? Food for che ffiindzeye that transcends man's chinking far beyond che visions of money and women. Still .. . I catch wreck from the second-hand smoke as the Kings toke until they choke inhaling to exhale the remedies ofAmerikkka's foul society as we ignite to rewrite 'His-story' of our 'History'. In essence Street Corner PolitiX is simply what you fail to see or perceive to be ghetto nonsense. But yet, it's purely us in abundance. So as you pass by with a smile while silently voicing a snicker of'Nigger'. My peoples continue to strive through the strugg~e to survive with the pride of being a 'Real N igga'! �STREETVIBES Prison The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page g News A DEATH-ROW INMATE TELLS HIS OWN LIFE STORY lnterviewbyDavidlsay and Stacy Abramson Dear Sonny, Thank you for your letter and the full page editorial from "Streetvibes" concerning O .S.P. Upon receipt of your letter and the notification of John Perotti ' s heart attack, I called O.S.P. in ho p es of prying information out of them. I was pleased to learn he was released and back at O.S.P. I have since received a letter from John but I want to than you for bringing his heart attack to my attention. The conditions·described at O.S.P. sound horrifying in addition to unconstitutional. Sonny, I'm curious as to know if the Northeast Regional Director has ever interviewed prisoners at O.S.P., do you have any idea? Do you receive copies of any complaints from priSoners at O.S.P. I guess I'm asking if you receive actual documentation that would give someone "a leg to stand on In pursuing human rights violations. I can ask the next time I write him, also. Society has no idea what truly occurs behind the wire and that is one of my missions (one of many), upon my release, that I'd like to address. One in five families have or know someone who is incarcerated and that number is growing every day. It infuriates me to know that society believes we are "well kept" by the state and that we are treated "as we should be" treated when, in fact socity obliterates any thoughts of wrong doing on behalf the state because of fifty plus years of "brainwashing" ideas such as "get tough on crime," "lock em up and throw away the key", or the lie of the century, "'ODRC rehabilitates." There has to be a "prison beat" in major newspapers to expose major atrocities, as described in the editorial placed in "Streetvibes." I'm convinced that once one major newspaper picks up a "prison beat", others would follow, if for no other reason than competition. If you can't tell, the media disgusts me with their half-truths and blatant lies. The worst part is, Sonny -- society believes it to be the gospel. 1plan to attack the media and be heard. 1won't stop until I succeed! Poor "them"! I've taken up enough of your time so I'm going to close for now. 1 wish you a wonderful New Year and many more to come. John Lamb was the Bl'h death-row inmate executed this year, and the 587'h since the Supreme Court upheld the death penalty in 1976. On November 10 he was interviewed at the Ellis Unit, a state prison near Huntsville, Tex., one week before his execution. I was born in San Jose, California. Been unhappy from the time I was born. Never had a moment of happiness in my life. I was raised by my stepfather and my mother. My stepfather was abusive. He built R.V.'s. Very hard worker, very succesful. I respect him for raising two kids th~t weren't his, but he was under a lot of pressure and he was violent. He would get mad and hit and then get madder as he hit, and if I cried, he'd hit me more, so after a while I learned not to cry and pretty much just toughed it out. When I was a kid I didn't talk to nobody. Didn't talk at all. I attempted suicide when I was nine years old - as much as a nine-year­ old can, right? I took a whole bottle of Excedrin headache tablets, mixed in a cup of water and drank it. I just didn't want to live no more. But I don't blame my stepfather. Anybody that blames their crime on somebody else - on child abuse or anything like that ­ that's just an excuse. N I left home when I was 15 and-a-half and stayed on my own until I was twenty-five, when I was arrested for this crime. I shot a man and killed him. In Greenville, Texas, off Interstate 30. I've never denied it. I had just gotten out of jail in Arkansas - 100 days for receiving staler) property. Detective in Arkansas drove me to the county line, told me to get out and don't come back. No wallet, no ID. So it's getting near dark, and I'm walking down Interstate 30. I see this .shed-type thing and I say, 'Tm going to go in there and sleep." I go in, and they had an arsenal - shotguns, handguns. I grabbed me two handguns and I walked down the road . I started talking ot this guy standing out fron of this Ramada Inn. He says "Where you headed?" I said, "Dallas." He said, "All right." He was in the process of moving and had to get his things into the car. So we got into his motel room and the guy come over and put his hand on my leg. And I told him, "I don't go for that crap." So he got mad and told me to get out. I don't remember pulling the gun out of my pocket but I know I did - there's no doubt about that . I reme m ber he was t ryrng · to hand me his wallet. I knocked the wallet out of his hand and said, "I don't want that." And I started shooting. There wasn't no blood, but he lay down and he died. Shot punctured his lung and he drowned in his blood. I don't know why I shot the guy. I could have beat him uphe was half my size. It was almost as if I was shooting my bad luck or something. All I had witnesses, no fi ngerprints. But I took his car and stayed in it. Didn't sleep for days. Used the guy's credit card to buy beer and stayed up drinking. Got caught in Florida seven days later. They sent me back to Texas, and the district attorney.offered me 40 years. I turned it down - thought I could do better. This is my fourth execution date. Had three in my first three years and then didn't have any for 14 years. They told me about the execution four months ago. It's kind of shocking because you go on and go on and years go by and you hear nothing. Then all the sudden, bam, they tell you in four months they'll kill you. I'm supposed to be executed Wednesday, I believe at six· o'clock at night. I believe I have until then. I have a minister, Father Walsh , who's going to be there. He's a friar, Fransiscan. Known him for a long time. He's helped me with my burial, funeral - whatever it is. Tuesday night I'm going to be rebaptized over again by him, given my last rites and all that. Noon Wednesday they'll come take me over to the Walls [the prison in Huntsville where executions take place] where I'll have my last meal. What happens after that I don't want to think about. I don't like needles, so that's the worst part. I wish they'd just take me over there and use a guillotine - something quick and painless. I'm not afraid of dying, I'm just afraid of the process. I don't think the man's parents are going to be there, so I'll probably just tell everyobdy that I've known that I'm sorry that I didn't live up to their expectations. Then I'll probably tell God that I'm sorry for disrupting his world. I'm not sorry to society, though. I feel bad about the man that died, and if my death could bring him back, I'm all for it. But as far as society goes, how can I feel bad? I mean, all these people say, "Go ahead and kill him" are no different from the people that. knew my stepfather was whipping the hell out of me and my brother and my mother, and they didn't have guts to step up and say anything about that, yet they got enough guts to say go ahead and kill me now. So that's how I look at it. Then I'm going to be cremated,. My mom's going to get my ashes and that'll be the end of it. You're going to die someday anyway, so it's too late to cry about it now. guess I've been lucky to last this long. That's one way of looking at it. John Michael Lamb received a lethal injection at 6:13 P.M. on November 17, 1999. He w as pronounced dead six minutes later. His last words were: " I'm sorry - I wish I could bring him back. I can't. Goodbye. Do it." · •.. , , ,. .. ,,.,, ,.. ,.. , , , -~ ~ .....................................tq .P.P. !.~.~~.l~..~~~Y.i J~§l!'~,~ IL ~~~~~ ~~~ ,_flq ~· ... .... ~ -- .. !.~~~~!~~~ . - ~-~?~ndportraits.org .. .. . ....... ......... ... . .......... �, STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Death Penalty Taken from December, 1999 "Issue Paper," by permission of /JPC. Indeed, signs of hope, countering the growing number of executions, can be found . Over a dozen states have considered legislation regarding either moratoriums or abolition. Since the US Supreme Court decision in 1976, thirty­ eight states have re-installed the death penalty. This year, Michigan, Maine,. . Massachusetts, and Iowa considered bills tht would have adopted the death penalty; but all failed . During the discussion in Massachusetts, State Senator Greem spoke out against pro-exiectuion Governor Paul Cellucci. "I believe that when a government of the people engages itself in murder, whatever the rationale, we do not deter crime but in fact desensitize our people to its horror and contribute to its p~rrnissibility. " (Boston Globe 3/23/99) A frequently quoted Gallup Poll found 71 % of Americans supporting the death· penalty. Yet other studies suggest that given the choice of an alternative to the death penalty (life imprisonment without parole) the public support falls to 44%. These percentages are not divided down religious lines, but rather seem to be related to education and awareness of the issue. Most perceptions and myths used to foster support of the death penalty can be easily argued with proper information. Is it fair? The death penalty is applied rather arbitrarily throughout the United States. It seems that the most important variables which send 1% of convicted murderers to death row each year include race, economics, education and community pressure. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall found "[it] is evident that the burden of capital punishment falls on the poor, the ignorant, and the underprivileged members of society. " Does it save taxpayers dollars? No. A recent study from Duke University concluded, "the extra cost of adjudicating murder cases capitally outweighs the savings in imprisonment costs. As it is currently implemented, the death penalty cannot be justified soley on grounds of economy." In fact, incarcerating a person for life costs a fraction of the e·xpense of capital cases. Is it legal? Cruel and unusual punishment violates the 8th Amendment of the US Constitution. Additionally, the death penalty is in.opposition to the United Nations International Covenant on C1vil and Political Rights. Does it save future lives? No. A 1988 United Nations report stated, "[research on deterrence) failed to provide scientific proof that execution have a greater deterrent effect than life imprisonment." In 1997 the average murder rate per 100,000 population was 6.6 in death penalty states; 3.5 in non-death penalty states. (Amnesty International) Will we execute the innocent? In 1999 the College of Social and Behavior Science Center for Survey Research at Ohio State University found 68% of Ohioans think wrongful executions are likely to occur compared to 32% who found it unlikely. Since the re-instatement of the death penalty in Illinois, eleven people have been executed; interestingly, the same number have been exonerated. Across the country for every seven executions one prisoner on death row has been found innocent. (US News & World Report 11 /9/ 98) Do we execute juveniles? Yes. Since 1976 juvenile offenders (at the time of the crime) have been executed in seven different states. Of the 13 juveniles executed, 7 were executed in Texas. (source: V. Streib, "The Juvenile Death Penalty Today") How do the mentally ill fare? Poorly. In violation with international standards (and UN recommendation), the US ~xecutes mentally ill and mentally retarded persons. Justice Thurgood Marshall said, "It is no less abhorrent today than it has been for centuries to exact in penance the life of one whose mental illness prevents him from comprehending the reasons for the penalty or its implications." (1986) Is race a factor? It is a fact - blacks convicted of killing whites are more likely to receive the death p~nalty than any other group. In a 1990 report, the US General Accounting Office found , "a pattern of evidence indicating racial disparities in the chargin, sentencing, and imposition of the death penalty." The 1993 Keil and Vito sutdy (KY) found , "the data indicating that blacks who kill wh ites are singled out by the capital sentencing process ... were l.ikely to be charged with a capital offense and receive a death penalty." Page 10 Prison Rights Activists Investigate Lucasville Uprising . For the pas~two years, Alice and Staughton Lynd have bee.n investigating the Lucasville uprising ofApril 1993. In an effort to summarize the results of their investigation and to present them to the public, they plan to produce a docudrama ' that presents the facts in the form of a play. The text of the docudnima will, to t he greatest ex;tenr: possible, consists of ·dialogue that was actually spoken during the rebellion or at trial. Footnotes will iden.dfy the exact source of the spoken words. A transcript ofchis docudrama to be critiqued by interested individuals is being offeted. The Lynds want to hear from readers as to whether you understand what is presenre~ whether there are still questions in your mind wh.en you finish reading, whether you have ideas about how to present the material more effectively. In other words, what you receive in the mail should be understood as a drafr, still capable of revision after you make your input. To receive these transcripts send your name and addr~ss to George Skatres Supporters,, P.O. Box 1591, Marion, OH 44301-1591. (The lyn'ds are veteran workers ofthe Civil Rights and An~ Vietnam \\'tar movements. As lawyers they have fought for the rights of workers and their families who were locked out oftheir jobs with the plant closings in Youngstown, Ohio. · As historians they havepublished many books ofbenefit to working class people. They help edit IMPACT, the monthly Rank and File Newsletter. As prisoner rights activists, they organize to expose the horrors associated with the new "Supermax"prison in Youngstown arid Ohio's new private-for­ profitprison~Y .So how ought we to encourage signs of hope in the midst of prosecutors who scurry to execute? How can we voice a no against state legitimated homicde? Before we can do any of this we must learn to heal and forgive as individuals and as a community. We can learn much from Mary Nell Verret, the sister of Ja,mes Byrd, "Our family has no use for destructive hate .... Will we ever forgive the men who did this? Forgiveness is when you le tgo of resentment. We resent now. But when you carry resentment inside, it tears a way at you. You become sick. You become a victim all over again. It can keep you from sleeping, eating, and thinking straight. It can keep you from going forward . One day we won't resent anymore." (USA Weekend, July, 1998) . lntercommunity Justice and Peace Center has many educational · resources on the death penalty. Call 513-579-8547 to borrow. Sl1l&1VIB£S Prisoners News contains the writings ofpersons 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 Sendyour comments anii questions to streetvibes@juno.com mail : STREETVJBES, 7506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 452 70 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine In Memory of ''Little Rock Reed'' Today, January 15,2000 is a day of great sadness. We received word today that Timothy "Little Rock" Reed, our friend and.brother, who was also a longtime activist for prisoners rights, was killed last night in a car crash. It happened in New Mexico. ''Little Rock" will be forever missed, but n~ver forgotten. ...... Sonny Williams PAN - Ohio - Cincinnati ...... .Jackie Bowers, Ron Bowers PAN - Ohio- Marian 'Little Rock' Reed killed in auto accident Reprinted from an article in the Columbus Dispatch/A.P. Timothy "Little Rock" Reed, who crusaded in Ohio for Ame1i can Indjan prisoners he said were being abused, died yesterday morning at a New Mexico hospital of injuries he suffered in a car accident. Greg Johnston, spokesman for the Umversity of New Mexico Health Sciences center in Albuquerque, said Reed, 39, died at 4:35 a.m. while being treated in the intensive-care unit. Reed rear-ended the vehicle in front of him, which caused his sport-utility vehicle to roll over and the vehicle in front of him to crash into a southbound vehicle, Patrolman Max Miranda said yesterday. Several people were injured, but Reed was the only fatality. Drugs also were found in Reed's car, Miranda said. Reed's attorney, Stevan Douglas Looney, said he was informed of the accident yewsterday by Reed's wife, Leanna Brownlee-Reed of · Albuquerque. He said Reed 's mother, Nancy Scull of Cincinnati, was on her way to New Mexico. "He was in my office just hours before the acddent. He dropped off a tape of hi s music with about eight or nine songs that were to be turned into CDs," said Looney, who had represented Reed in federal courts. Looney said Reed 's music reflected his human rights and advocacy experiences. "He was a compassionate person who was interested in justice for everyone and saw little of it in his own life," Looney said. Reed, who had said Ohio authorities wanted to silence him for speaking out agajnst alleged abuses oflndian prisoners, fought for five years to prevent being extradited from New Mexico to Ohio. He had served a decade in prison in Ohio for armed robberies and drug theft, and became an activist for inmates. Six weeks Page 11 before his parole would have ended in 1993, he fl ed to New Mexico. He was picked up in Taos, N.M., in 1994. But a New Mexico judge ruled he had fled Ohio "under duress and under a reasonable fear for his safety and life," and released him. That state's Supreme Court agreed in 1997, calling him a "refugee fr9m injustice." However, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Reed returned to Ohio. Ohio officials could have sent him back to prison for 15 years, but they let him finish out the six weeks of parole living with a relative in Cincinnati. He 3was freed in March. Cary Cooper, a lawyer in Toledo, represented Reed in Ohio. Reed had a civil­ rights case pending in federal court in Columbus, Cooper said. "He went to prison as a confused guy, but while he was there he decided to do the best he could in terms of developing his education and setting goals for himself," Coooper said. Brownlee-' Reed was preparing memorial arrangements for her husband yesterday. The two were separated and have a son, Jasper Col.e Reed, 2. "I think he would love the fact that his service (was) held Monday - on the same day people recognize.the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," Brownlee-Reed said. She described Reed as a devoted father who enjoyed the outdoors. "This is very sad. I have a lot of fond and loving memories. Little Rock loved humanity. In spite of all his turmoil in pris·o n, he was very optimistic and always trying new challenges." ,. PAN-OHIO Prisoners Advocacy Network A Victory for Human Rights in Cincinnati contact (513)241-8014 ••• by Berta Lambert In 1996 Cincinnati activists Mac Mccrackin, buddy gray, Sonny Williams and I raised our voices in protest against Phil Heimlich sponsored "banning law" for Over-the-Rhine. Mr. Heimlich has pushed for an anti-panhandler ordinance (ruled unconstitutional) and advised the use of $25,000 "spy cameras" in public areas. On January 20, U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Diott.granted a motion for summary judgment by two plaintiffs, Patricia Johnson and Michael Au France. The city law banned from Over-the-Rhine , for 90 days, anyone arrested for prostitution or drug charges. If convicted, the ban was extended to a year. If anyone banned was found in the area, they were charged with criminal trespass, which carries a maximum fine of $250 and 90 days in jail. In 1997 Mr. Heimlich sponsored a similar anti-gay ordinance for sex-related offences in Mt. .Airy Forest and Burnet Woods. Thursday's ruling will also spell the death of this ordinance. Under the Over-the-Rhine ban Patricia Johnson was prohibited from caring for her grandchildren or visiting double jeopardy as a second punishment for her daughter. She was arrested March 18, 1998 the same offense. and banned March 24 on charges of trafficking Judge Diott's ruling may result in the marijuana. A grand jury refused to indict her and reversal of hundreds of drug convictions and the city may be forced to pay ACLU's legal the charge was dropped but not the 90 -day ban. On April 8, 1998 she was arrested for violating the fees and compensation to anyone held on ~harges of violating the ban . a a a ban. The charge was later dismissed. Michael Au France is a homeless man. After being convicted of a drug related crime in the AFDIC Benefit Concert October 1998 he was banned. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ­ He spent more than 100 days in jail for repeatedly violating the law which prevented him from seeking food, clothing, shelter and visiting his lawyer (Bernard Wong the lead ACLU lawyer in this case). in Over-the-Rhine. Through the efforts of Scott Greenwood, general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and Mr. Wong, human rights in our nation have been strengthened. U.S. District Judge Susan J. Diott ruled that city COL!nsel can not usur'f) court powers and the Bill of Rights , grants substantial protection to . freedom of association, espe­ cially from government interfer­ ences; and there should be no .:r �ST REE TV I BES 1ne Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 Welfare News WEEK OF WELFARE AWARENESS by Lynn Williams, Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition The Week of Welfare Awareness was held on the UC Campus by UC People Inter­ ested in Social Transformation (PIST), in conjunction with the Cincinnati Welfare Coali­ tion. A week of information tables and an art display of children affected by Ohio's three year time limit occurred at Tangemann Hall Student Center. On Tuesday of the week a forum featured recipients, former recipients, and a former employee of the Ohio Depart­ ment of Human Services. According to the panelists, welfare reform clearly is not working, citing the puni­ tive nature of sanctions, time limits, and lack of educational opportunities. The ever present t.hreat of fraud investigators intimidating innocent people is also punitive. Donna from Pike County, east of Cincin­ nati, spoke about the effects of sanctions on her children. She was sanctioned erroneously by a caseworker who lacked understanding of the law. The Pike County woman is surviving only by leaning on her relatives, people who cannot afford to help out. She stated, "It's very humitiating to ask my people to help me, because they're barely making it themselves. But now I have nothing for my family to live on." Charmaign, another panelist, shared her bad experience. "I was investigated by the fraud investigative unit. I had done nothing wrong to my knowledge , carefully reporting every change in my income. I've held down jobs that lasted for a time, but I was back on assistance again , either because the unem­ ployment compensation ran out or the job didn't offer any. Well, the fraud investigator claimed I had not turned in an unemployment form from way back, more than five years ago or so . I happened to see it in the edge of the folder & pulled it out for the investigator. Then she started interrogating me about details from ten years ago! After that, she claimed I was overpaid and never reported it, but I d idn't know what I was supposed to be receiving after the earned income disregard was counted in . All that was very confusing to me. Well, to make it short, they now claim I frauded the system even though the case­ worker made the mistake of miscalculating my benefit check. Where is the justice in this?!!! " Linda Howell-Perrin, a staff member at Bethany House, told her story. "I was able to get a four year degree while I was on public assistance. This isn't allowed now. I was fortunate . Ohio's three year time limit does not allow women time to get a four year degree so they can get a livable wage job. They won't be able to make it on minimum wage jobs. What is needed is to give these women time to get a good education and learn job skills. You need adequate time to get a livable wage job. Welfare reform should be about women getting livable wage jobs, not sinking further into poverty." "Because I'm working at a homeless shelter for women and their children I'm seeing the numbers of families who 'need shelter in Cincinnati. Many are coming to us who cannot even get public assistance. That's a point that is not often brought out: how hard it is to get back on assistance once you're off. We are seeing women who've been laid off from fast food, seasonal and temporary jobs. They often can't get public assistance because the former employers won't fill out and sign the lengthy employer verification forms. Without these forms turned in, these women cannot get help they badly need to provide for their families. They end up at Bethany House with zero income. " Emphatically she stated, "The fastest growing numbers of homeless people in America right n.ow are children! Welfare reform is the main reason we are seeing this tragedy happen!" For more information call the Cincin­ nati Welfare Rights Coalition at 513/381­ 4242 or PIST at 542-2819. WELFARE REFORM: Pain with no ga.i n ldon'tknowthestatisrics. Andlhaven't done a survey. At best, myknowledge aboutWelfare Reform is from my personal experience.... standing in line at Food Pantries, listening to the complaints ofseniorcitll.ens like myself. ....through conversation at the welfarewith working mothers (which affects my kids and grand kids.) The issues ofthe seniors are numerous. But most important are their issues about Medical andFood. Ifthey buymedicine, they can't buy food. Or ifthey (like myself) are given medical spend-downs, this means no medical at all. · Personally, I was employed 20-years in the samejob. Now I am disabled and struggle to survive on a small amount ofmoney..Yet I receive only 10 dollars monthly for food. Most seniors have to pay for their medicine, glasses, and food, in some instances. They have to pay for medical, which is taken out of their monthly check. So they are forced to stand in line at the Food Pantries. Then there are the mothers trying to raise their children and work, relying on childcare provided byWelfare Reform; and they have to pay their earnings for daycare, along with their vouchers. This iswhere my kids come in. In almost all cases, you hear (caseworkers say), "You make too much money''. So then you are denied food stamps. And then there are those mothers struggling on welfare. Most ofthem are never going to succeed because there is always some barrier. Like 3 years maximum on welfare. Working for minimum wages. Poor Housing, etc. Yes, there are success stories. But we never hear about the ones thatweren' t successful because everyone doesn'thave survivalskills. I could go on and on. But who will listen or hear me. And who will care. I sometimes wish I could help all these people I hear crying for help. How long must we rely on such unfair systems? .. ..Or maybeI'm misinformed. 0 . . ... ... .PatMitcheU. Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions to Streetvibes c.an be purchased for $12 per year. (Get 'em now before the rate goes up!) Just 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 payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless If you have any questions, call 421-7803. If you have subscribed, but are not receiving your Streetvibes, Please let us know. Our dog (Streetvibes computer) ate some addresses during a recent crash . ... �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine News from Across the River Struggles as a Homeless Person in Covington ....... byMARKP. Hi! my name is Mark and I have been living homeless on the streets off and on now for the past 6 years. It was suggested that I write something to be published in your paper. We as a group of homeless people have been meeting over at Goeble Park every Sunday for the past 4 or 5 weeks. We all have been discussing the attitude and actions that we are encounter­ ing from the Kenton County Library and the Covington Police Department. I mostly have hung around Covington because I am a member of AA and have been sober for 6 years now and an AA clubhouse was there to hang out at. They are in the process of moving to another building and the AA meetings have moved but I still go over there because most of the people I know in AA hang out there. So I am not the stereo-type alcoholic you would see laying drunk in the street. I am usually somewhat clea n and well groomed other: than the beard I choose not to lose, but even that I keep trimmed. Most of the guys in the street that know me also know I have been sober for the past 6 years which is a testimony to the power of God and the love in Alcoholics Anonymous. I really had no problem with the library officials or the cops till the old library direc­ tor Mike Olberdick stepped down and a Mary Ann Mongam took his place, from there she made my business hers to a degree and any change of policy that would change concerning use of their computer system I was the first to be told, and in no way a kind way either. I had her come over and in a very nasty way one day tell me that "You only get 2 hours!" I wasn't even quite sure of what she was referring to and her attitude towards me prompted me to start asking some questions about this new policy that they had not bit of which in writing. A police officer heard our discussion and Brady has a reputation of zero tolerance of anything so I was ar­ rested for trying to iron out the new policy they had established. I wanted a jury trial and not surprisingly Officer Brady had insufficient evidence to convict me so another case dismissed was on my record. I had another encounter with Covington Police years before when I was told to leave an AA meeting sober, when I refused I was arrested. A week after I had an altercation with some fellow that lives and alternative lifestyle. Officer Brady and I have had a few other meetings before this incident at the library. Seems that there was a fellow who thought he could take a threaten me with a ball bat after a little name calling and when he did not like what I called him after the threats he went over and told Brady I was prejudice. Brady threw us both out of the library that day. That same black fellow had taken a swing at me outside a soup kitchen over the same thing, the black guy would get smart and nasty and the name calling would begin. One day I was walking through an alley and look who comes walking through but the same black guy. All I said was what's up? We passed each other but as I walked on I saw a rock hit on the street next to me. The black guy started picking up chunks of asphalt and throwing them. I got away and called 911, Officer Brady shows up and says "You called?" I said, "That's right, I have rights too!" Brady said anything that happened between me and a black man I brought on myself that I was a racist and a bigot. I told him that I didn't want to hear it and he went ballistic. Got out of his car screaming that I was going to hear it and arrested me for disor­ derly conduct. I am handcuffed and up against the car not struggling and he maces one of my eyes. Brady failed to show up in court that next day so the judge said that the state was not going to go forward with thecharges. Just this September I walked into the Kenton County Library and had a off duty police officer, Dan Jackson the one who is in charge of security at the library, came over and grabbed my arm and started dragging me out the door telling me that I had been terrorizing and menacing chil­ dren. I spun around and called him a liar, he called for back up and another police officer showed up. I was not going to leave that library, I had done nothing wrong. They took me out to the parking lot and started torturing me. They threw me in the cop car, took me out by my neck, almost dislocated my shoul­ ders when one took my handcuffed hands and held them over my head for his own sadistic pleasure. I was then told that if I did not get back in the car I was going to be maced. One officer mad the comment, no let me show him a ninja move. That officer put his fingers in the hollows of my ears and then drug me into the car. I never once resisted, but as the law books state, passive resis­ tance is not punishable. So if they told me to do something I did nothing. Again the case was dismissed in the court room , I wonder where these children are that I was accused of doing these things are? They could not show up because the incident never hap­ pened. Lt. Jackson shows up in court the day the case was dismissed and had the director Wayne Onkst there with him. They told the judge they did not want me back in their library. The judge said that it was not by his power that they cou ld kept me out and that the police and officials had talked it over with their lawyers and found a way. I am still trying to find out if they have a court order to keep me out but I will not rest till I am treated like every other citizen of ~ovington . I am also in fear of my life after all the threat and torture that I went through in that parking lot in Covington, and the sad thing is it is not from crack heads and hoods, but from police officers. Those people put in charge of protecting all, including me. Page 13 Public Spaces in Covington Not for Use of Homeless Article by Gary: I am writing to tell of my ordeal with the Covington Police. I was sitting at the Point sitting area (corner of Washington and Pike St.) and three cops came over to me and said I had to leave. I told them that there was no sign saying I had to leave. With that, they got me down and arrested me for disorderly conduct. I told them I had a metal rod in my leg. With that, they twisted my leg more. I ended up doing four days in jail. After I got out of jail, I went back to the Point sitting area again. I was with six other people and the cops showed up again and said we had to leave and this time we all did. I would like to put a lawsuit against the Covington Police for harass­ ment. Sleeping is a Crime for Some of Us by Rev. Rick Dalton: (December 7, 1999): After having coffee at the Jacobs Well, I went down to the Kenton County Public library in Covington and I sat down to read my Bible on the south side of the building in front of the bay windows. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. After reading a few chapters, I began to warm up and happen to drift off to sleep. It wasn 't long until the library guard (Covington Police Officer) was shaking me to wake up. Once I woke up I said I was sorry. Without a second going by the guard said I would have to leave. In the past I have noticed other people dressed in nice clothes, not dirty or layered, who had fallen asleep just as I have and nothing was done about it. But, I was asked to leave, which I did. Even though I felt degraded and my rights had been violated. I have noticed in the past other Home­ less people were asked to leave and they, like myself, were only reading, not causing any problems. We the homeless pay taxes, read newspapers, books, use computers, go to church and if we could wash and wear clean clothes everyday we would. (December 13, 1999): I'm now back in the Kenton County library writing this articles and there is a couple using the copier who are talking very loudly and making quite a lot of noise but no one is warning them or asking them to leave. I asked these people if they would mind holding it down so I could read my bible. Once aga in.. .I was asked to leave. Right or wrong, I was heard this time by everyone in the library. The Security officer walked over to me and started to put his hands on me and I strongly advised him that wouldn't be a good idea. He backed up and said he would call for more police if needed. I asked him to step outside where we could take care of this matter between us and the security officer declined. All I can do is pray. 0 0 0 �.­ STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 14 · Street Scopes Letters By Alanna Maloney The Urban Astrolo2er Happy Birthday Aquarius! Dear Mr. Kunzel, I'm writing this.letter publicly to ~pplaud you on your vision. It Syems you've really struck Why do I get the feeling that you have been reading this paper backwards or upside down? This February, don't become trapped by your own talents. Are you over or undere mployed? When will you have the time to pursue your creative . bliss? pay dirt with your dream for a· new ARTS The Big Picture: We are at the ve'ry nexus EDUCATION CENTER, a place where the youth can gro·w and learn about esoteric l ife and bow to kick a man in the teeth when he's lost his vision. A place where your youth can enjoy the scores of Bach and .Beethoven while ignoring the sc ores of c h ildre n who s uffer from dysfu nctional situations. Let them enj oy the paintings of the Renaissance and tum their backs on the signs "HOMELESS PLEAS E HELP", painted by a man who is part of life's canvas. Yes, let's teach them all ab011t how to build a set of tenement slums for a production of "WEST SIDE STORY", whi le eliminating the homes of hundreds who partiaHy due to inadequate systems and waivering politicians don' t have a chance at adequate housing. Let's not forget the bru nches and lunches that wrn be held to pat on the back all those concerned for their contributions to the Arts. while some wayward teen goes to jail for i;hoplifting since ifs the only way he and his younger siblings will eat djnner. Wasn ' t it Spencer Tracey in the roll of Father Flanagan in "BOYSTOWN", who said THERE A RE NO BAD BOYS". see even the homeless enjoy the arts. of Uranus' travel through its native sign, Aquarius. In the coming years there will be unprecedented changes in the fields ofhistory, social activism, science, technology, and, of course, the "I-word" . You may find yourself attracted to your friends these days. Your home life may feel like work this year. You may be having a freeze with a parent or spouse. Many delays are possible in home-improvement projects. Work on the foundation and bide your Hey Eric how about letting us use the gold plated shovel that you will be usi.ng for the ground breadking to bury one of the homeless vets who passed away with no one but those here at the DROP INN CENTER to call family, or the little child killed in a random act of street violence "OOPS, ~ONG PLACE, WRONG TIME", since her school was closed. Seems you've been shovelfog a long ti me, old pal;. It's amazing, Mr. Kunzel, how progress just ro lls along, yes it just steamrolls rightover what once was homes, businesses and peoples livelihoods. I once sayw progress in action and it was amazing, yes the.KILLING FIELDS were amazingly vile. For one who says they lov·e the arts and ·then proposes to commit such. an unforg ivable ac t ~gain st ·one of GODS GREATEST iytASTERPIECES, "MAN", is a gross contradiction ... So consider yourself on notice, Mr. K un zel from one of GOD ' S MASTERPIECES in the OVER-THE-RHINE area. What you 're considering is very ugly and GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY, Homeless Veteran never afraid, Kevin L. Deal you. Seize opportu nities to socialize, start new projects, and assert yourself overall: Take pho tos, write screenplays, and stop worrying that you are too weird. Express all that · rebellious c r e ativity which is lo o king for an o u tlet. Watch your fe et a nd a nkles . Aries The Big Pictur e: You can effect profound change in this peribd ofyour life by focusing on its deeper meaning. Education, philosophy, and travel are good investments at this time. The go, go, go - ofnew ventures and socializing will be cooling down soon enough. Continue to seize the day­ especiaJly opportunities from mentors and benefactors. Setbacks in finance and creative areas are part of a greater lesson. Don 't get depressed! Realize that throughout this year - aspects of your structure will be lying fallow like a field in winter. Things die so that new life may later flomish. This Month: W hile you may be time. This Month: Focus on your dreams by expressin g your id eas in unique and surprising ways. You may fee l motivated · to buy, sell, or build­ fin a nciall y, arti s tica lty, and spiritu ally . You may enjoy a short trip with friends or a visit with your siblings . You are in a position to take the lead in many forms of communication. Your career and reput.a tion in t he community may be a secret source ot shame for you. Now is a good time to process th e se feelings by s ha ring the m with a friend or lover. You may also enjoy rene\ ving your connection with the earth and your body in a spiritual way such as Reiki or Yoga . 1 Pisces The Big Picture: You may have found it difficult to stabilize your career in recent years. Profound changes may be occmring in eve1y field you pursue. Try to go with the flow and focus on education, travel, and spirituality. You have been experiencing a feeling of restriction in communication, and sibling-type relationsh ips. Your car may also be acting up. Some of these limitations will end up blossoming after this period of delay. If relationships are suffering, look beneath the surface for drama related to your parental dynamics. Expect continued expansion in areas of finance and growing projects. These ventures may never be :finished, but grab yow- chances while they last. This Month: Your acquaintance network, g ro u p s., a nd lon g- term goal s w ill be h ea ting up. Spending t i me wi th , meeting a mate t h rou gh one of these areas may be sat isfying. Yo u will be making appearances. You m ay find yours._e lf more m otivated than usu al to remake some things about your look or how peo ple see or experiencing setbacks financially, you could make important career connections this· month. You might also find love or friendship at work. Communications regarding your social groups, acquaintance network, or goals are important now. Expect radical change and upheaval to continue. Get thee on the web! Beware of buried anger or sexual issues smfacing. The best cure is something spirirual and intangible like meditation, Reiki, or prayer. Taurus The Bi g Pi ctu re : Saturn has transited your sun, and you have been exp eriencing crisis in identity and career during parts of the past year. You might have made multiple starts and stops and a(e perhaps feelin g especially thwarted by n ew ventures and perso nal appearan ce. Big daddy Sat urn is taking you tG task and will c'ontinue to do so fo r the rest of the year. be patie n t. Saturn de lays; he doesn't de ny. Guard your self-esteem and plot for t he days ahead when all your res olve will be rewarded! This.Month: You may find your career an d rep utati o n under fi re. You need to integr ate t he newest tech nologies wisely into y our f u t ure pl a n s . State y our o verall c aree r go a l s n ow . Gemini The Big Picture: You are in a long period · w h e re re lations hip a nd partners hip a r e o u t to chan ge y ou profoundly. Weeding out childhood blocks to YOU! spirit a nd your dream s should become ·a long-term goal starting now. �STREETVIBES This Month: Enjoy exciti ng developments in your acquaintance network. Nourish yo ur intellectual goals, a nd technological aspirations at this time. Education and travel are also important factors to consider. Now is the time for you to shine in all things philosophical. If you can do your taxes this month, your return may be bigger than you expected. Let upheaval and change become par for the course. Your physical energy may be low this. month, but brainpower is high. Cancer The Big Picture: Work is where you find the most profound change during this period in your life. You may experiment with many different gigs or volunteering opportunities. Many could have educational or travel related benefits. This period is the perfect time to pursue healing work- explore being healed by alternative earth-based medicine. Embrace radical change in your psychological approach and spiritual outlook. This year brings opportunity for expansion and growth in your career especially through mentors and friends ofthe family. This Month: Please do your taxes correctly. Be cautious of business or insurance deals that seem too good to be true. Be wary while making investments with other people's money. Take a class or pursue a martial art. Leo The Big Picture: You will make major changes The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine This month: Now is a good time for romance and self-expression through the arts or your work. You may qave been having a hard time ·stabilizing your dreams in areas concerning work or health. You may experience revolt or upheaval on the job or a stress-related illness. Communicate your unique ideas. Assess any anger in relationships and find ways to be more active with your mate or best friend. j Libra The Big Picture: It is essential that you use this period to communicate, write, and take short journeys. Work to repair relationships with siblings. Your thoughts can have profound and lasting impact on your generation. Romance and self-expression may be rocky and filled with change these days. Again, I implore you to communicate your unique genius at_this time. While the last year has been filled with opportunities for love, friendship, and even marriage; beware of too many buds spoiling the soup. Also beware of burdensome investments and overly limiting financial partnerships. Delays will become gains in this area as this year comes to a close. This month: Like Cancers, you also have to take pains to do your taxes correctly. It's a good time to beautify your home or find a good home. Try to repair relationships with family. in your approach to self-expression, attitudes toward children, and creative output. You very likely will renew a bond with a favorite sport or physical activity. Travel and educational goals are vital yet burgeoning The Big Picture: This period brings themes during the next twenty years of your life. The slow but radical changes to the way you erratic is becoming every-day in your relationships. approach your finances as well as your self-esteem. Think of something like Stay open to the changes being wrought. Scorpio architecture or ceramics as a kind of This Month: Take the extra time you need to occupational therapy. Write love letters. communicate with partner and friends. You may find Submit that book you have hidden under a job you love or find a love on the job. Suddenly, your bed to a publisher this month. At you may feel a need for spiritual or psychological the very least, read it to somebody self-exploration. Allow time to discover yourself special. Upheavals in home and family through self-help, counsel, or occult study. Travel and may not be settling down soon, but by education keep coming up. You may already have now you must be getting used to the seen lucky opportunities in these areas. They may unexpected. well materialize into solid career openings soon. Yet, This month: Now is a good time to talk career may have you stumped just now. It may be all about it all. I need to stress that it about waiting for the right moment. Work on is essential for you to be working with maintaining self-esteem while you wait for your work computers at this time. If you don't have to bring harvest. one at home yet, think about how you can acquire one or get access to one-be resourceful. Assert yourself romantically Virgo and creatively. Don't forgo a ny The Big Picture: You are undergoing opportunity to exercise or play a sport! profound and long-term changes in your Luck is on its way to rescue your poor, sense of roots, home, and family. Before beleaguered relationships. If friendship this period is up, you may need to seek and love have seemed slowed this year counsel regarding a parent's hypocritical its 'cause they are! Work on building attitudes during your childhood. Stay something worthwhile in partnership but on top of the latest developments in expect delays. health and social work, or science and technology. Be aware ofjob opportunities in these areas. A year of looking deeper into your psyche and soul will soon culminate in educational or travel .opportunities. At the moment however, development in these areas may feel unnecessarily stalled. Be patient. Sagittarius The Big Picture: Youareina long period of deep, slow changes in your appearance and approach to projects. Others may feel threatened by the psychic and/or sexual power that you are emanating. Practice .meditation, martial arts, or some other method to channel this energy. Luck is on its way to save you on the job front. The last year or so you have really tried to buckle down and it's really Page 15 trying you. During this delay at work think of future expansion and possibly incorporating more travel into your job. \ This Month: Luck is with you in money and the arts. Communicate, write, communicate-especially regarding techno logy and social reform. Turn everything that you are doing backwards and maybe it will turnout right at long last. Beware of anger and accidents on the road or on the Internet. Go swimming or start a home improvement project. If you feel a sudden urge to move try Feng Shui or a psychic house blessing first. Capricorn The Big Picture: You are in a period of deep change d ealing with your unconscious and spiritual approach to life. Counsel or self­ help may help bring shadows safely to the surface. After a time of restriction in this area, gear up for expansion in romance, creativity, and matters to do with children. This Month: You are looking great and finding new love or friends at a party or in a new environment. But whoah! What's going on with your.finances? It is just one upset after another in all your carefully laid plans. During this period expect the unexpected and pegin to pursue your most far-out dreams. In fact this month you could begin to map out all those dreams. Watch out for flaming with siblings, on the road, or on the Internet. Strive to find out what you are really angry about before trouble starts. Squeeze that Horoscope 'til it yelps! Often we complain that Horoscopes are generalized. This is because they are! Each of us has at least 36 variables that make our astrological profile (birth chart) unique. Newspaper horoscopes can only cover 3 of these variables at most. You can, however, use a horoscope more to your advantage and bring that variable number much higher if you know your chart. If you have an interest in using horoscopes to your best advantage learn your rising (ascendant sign) and your moon sign from an astrologer, book, computa' program, or the Internet. Then read those signs every month. This will give you a more personalized horoscope. Example: if your sign is Taurus, your moon sign is Pisces, and your rising sign is Leo; then you read Taurus to learn about your self- expression (sun). Pisces for your emotional life (moon), and Leo (rising) for your social expression. This will help to make horoscopes make more sense and bring meaning. Readings with Alanna: I do Tarot consultations at SitwelJ's Coffee House 404 Ludlow Ave. from 9pm to Midnight on Tuesdays. Astrology and Tarot are available by appointment at the Occult Shop471-5200orby E-mail at psi_chic@hQtmail.com. �ST REE TV I BES Action Alert The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 142416th St. NW, Ste 404 Washington, D.C. 20036, Ph: (202) 328-0002, Fax (202) 462-2183, e-mail: nirsnet@nirs.org, http://www. nirs.org Nuclear Information & Resource Service Your Action Needed Now More Than Ever to Stop Mobile Chernobyl and the Yucca Mountain Dump! For the past several years while I still lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I regularly heard my U.S. Representative Fred Upton-sponsor of the Mobile Chernobyl bill in the U.S. House - claim that Yucca Mountain is the perfect place to store high-level nuclear wastes because it's bone dry and located in an uninhabited desert wasteland. Well, last week on my tour deep within the tunnels of Yucca Mountain, imagine my surprise to see drips from the ceiling and puddles of water on the floor: an experiment to see what the high temperatures of nuclear waste would do to the rock of Yucca Mountain. It is forcing out water trapped in pores and fissures; it then forms condensation, drips and puddles. While standing atop the mountain, a Nevada geologist pointed out how rainwater sometimes vanishes instantly into the ground, flowing downward. Looking out to the horizon, I could see Amargosa Valley not far away, a farming community d irectly downstream that will receive radioactive contamination via the groundwater. Guess Yucca Mountain is not a bone dry, uninhabited wasteland after all. Loo.king out at all the solar powered instruments atop Yucca Mountain (yes, this is the world's first solar powered nuclear waste dump!) - seismograph.s measuring earthquake activity, weather stations recording which way the wind will blow the radioactive gases that will inevitably escape, the global positioning satellite antenna studying how quickly the Earth's crust is expanding (which could mean there's a magma pocket beneath), I can't fathom how the nudearestablishment could do anything but disqualify the site from further consideration. Yet, moves are on within the U.S. Congress and the Department of Energy (DOE) to lock-in the proposed high-level atomic waste dump at Yucca Mountain, Nevada - and thus launch tens ofthousands of truck and train shipments through 43 states in the years and decades to come . NIRS has been instrumental in fending off this nuclear madness for 6 years thanks to help from supporters like you, and we need your help again right now. Senator Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) is Chairman of the Energy and Naturai Resources Committee and the nuclear industry's point man in the U.S. Senate. He has publicly announced that his 'Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2000' is his highest priority in this new session of Congress. Murkowski's bill, S. 1287, would gut environmental standards at Yucca Mountain, doom the underground aquifer to radioactive contamination, condemn 1 in 1,000 exposed downwinders (down­ streamers) to fatal cancer, make the Nuclear Regulatory Commission rather than the Environmental Protection Agency guardian of public health (talk about the fox guarding the hen house!) and loc~-in the site even before its suitability has been officially determined. Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), who decides the Senate's calendar, has indicated that S . 1287 is high on his list. Rumors in D.C. are that this bill may be one of the first to hit the Senate Floor in the new session, requiring our immediate action. Our job is to make sure that we hold on to the 34 votes in the Senate needed to sustain President Clinton's promised veto - or, even better yet, we could head off a vote from happening at all. Now is the time to contact YOUR Senators and Rep. and urge them to vote NO on S . 1287 and H.R. 45. Tell them about the faults mentioned above, and that these Mobile Chernobyl bills would needlessly endanger over 50 million Americans living within half a mile of high-level atomic waste transport routes by senselessly rushing tens of thousands of tons of atomic wastes to a site that the DOE's own studies show will almost certainly leak. These wastes are so deadly we must be sure that our moving them around actually im proves the situation, not make it worse! Phone calls and simple, concise hand-written letters are most effective. Members of Congress always Page 16 WORD FROM THE EVANGELIST... This t ime last year I was em p loyed at VIP Bakery o n State Avenue w hile building a foundation for A.W.O.L. M inistries., however, VIP Bak ery closed its do ors o n check their phone log and file of letters received before their votes, so your action now can make a big difference on S. 1287 and H.R. 45. White House: Phone 202-456-1414, Fax: 202-456­ 2461 and 202-456-2883. Phone the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be patched • through to your U.S. Senators and Representatives. For addressing letters: To Your Senators: The Honorable [full name] United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator {last name): 19, 1999 l eaving hundreds unemployed. Simultan eously I w as about to February become h o m el ess on ce again, bur by the grac1 of G od I had been offered a position as a l ive· in Personal Caregi ver prior to this closing;; sc simply w alked through the door which Goad h ad open ed . Many of m y co-workers were n so fortunate. R ecently I talk ed w ith o ne o f m y former coworkers, who had put, twen ty-five years in at VIP Bakery, and she is now employed with Sp auldi ng L ighti ng; but the rep ort sh e gave o n m an y o thers w as not as To Your Representative: The Honorable [full name] United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 p rom ising. One coupl e h as married and attend church regularly. I applaud them. Another young woman lost her husband co a Dear Representative (last name): h eart accack. H e w as under forty. Sh e is no~ Be sure to tell your Members of Congress: middle aged woman has chosen to retire, living off of his soci al security. Yee another •Vote NO on S. 1287 (Senators)/H.R. 45 (House Rep.) *Support EPA, not NRC, as the stand.ard setterfor Yucca Mountain. • NRC is not independent, and would be the fox guarding the hen house. • Protect groundwater at Yucca Mountain and all nuclear sites. * Radiation standards should protect the most vulnerable exposed persons - the unborn children. * 10,000 years' compliance is not enough; these wastes remain deadly for hundreds of thousands of years. * These bills would needlessly endanger over 50 million Americans living within half a mile of atomic waste transport routes. The DOE's deadline for public comment on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Yucca Mountain dump - and Mobile Chernobyls by the thousands that go hand in hand with it - is fast approaching. Public comments need to be in to DOE by February 9th, 2000. Your comments can be submitted in writing, via the Internet. or by fax. Written comments should be sent to: Ms. Wendy R. Dixon EIS Program Manager Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management U.S. Department of Energy P.O. Box 30307, M/S 010 North Las Vegas, NV 89036-0307 Written comments can also be faxed to 1-800-967­ 0739. Be sure to include 'Yucca Mountain Draft EIS' as an identifier on all written comments. Comments can also be submitted via the Internet at http://www.ymp.gov. Click the 'Environmental Impact Statement' on the left hand side selection bar. Then select 'Submit a Comment on the Draft EIS.' because h er limited skills do not provide man opportunities. M any others I am sorry co say h ave drawn their unemploy m ent, and are eith still unemployed o r in low-p aying j obs. The sad fact is many of these men an• w omen do no t have a personal relationship with God , and therefore do n o t know that ti. way of life is above to the wise, that he may departfrom heel beneath (Proverbs 15:24). I uied to b e a living w itness w hile I worked at VIP Bakery, and altho ugh there were scoffers, there were also those w h o were mindful of their conversatio n and actions in m y presence n eedless to say th at w as not enough. For scripture says that th e fear (respect) of the Loi is only the beginning ofknowledge (wisd om ) If these m en and w o m en h ad gone beyond their respect of m e as a man of G od, and sought after understanding then possibly they could h ave escap ed the h eel they are presently exp erien cing; b ecause G od i s faithful and a rew arder of those w h o diligently seek Him. T herefore I challenge you to put G od to the test. Seek Him search o ut His will for you and be obed ient to H is word , and watch h ow H e w ill open doors in you r life. I am presently forming a B ible Study G roup w h ich (God willing) will begin m eetiJ in M arch . If you are interested in b eing a par of this group wri te A.WO.L. Post Office Bo 36065, C incinnati, Ohio 454236 . Include your n am e, address, telephone number, best time and d ay for you to attend, and name of y our local congregation if applicable. The purpose o f this group i s to strengthen God's p eop l e with prayer, fellow ship, and the study Thank you for your actions to fend off efforts within Congress and the DOE to launch high-level atomic wastes onto our highways and railways, to dump them in a leaking hole in the ground. Together, we've stopped this nuclear madness for many years, and togetherwe can continue to defend present and future generations against the deadly wastes ofthe nuclear industry. of the w ord . All are w elcome. Altho ugh the holiday season is past A.W.0.L. Ministri es is still in need of don ations w h ich w ill assist indiv iduals and fam ili es in their way ofli fe. Please call 2 10­ 4 181 for pick-up o f food and clothing item s and mail contr ibutions to the above address. If you need any assistance, contact Kevin Kamps atN IRS: ph. 202-328-0002, or kevin@igc.org Prepared by Kevin Kamps on Thursday, Jan. 20th, 2000. In H is Service, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. The Evangelist �.... STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Street C·orner PolitiX A Glimpse of Te'tro DELIVERANCE #1 A quarter through life and I entered the new millennium wondering could my life become any more hectic, acknowledging that only fools fall in love, and questioning whether or not my recent misfortunes of life has anything to do with a warped sense of humor from God? Life up to this point has been sort of a rollicoaster ride filled with various highs and lows with the occasional loop-to-loop here and there. My childhood, fr~m what I've failed to erase from my memory (due to my biological mother disowning me in 1992) was pretry much pleasant and consumed with happiness, which was primarily due in part to my dad who transcended beyond a father figure the moment I took my first breath and as yet to cease being my mentor, . advisor/counselor, and best friend. When I think back long and hard of those childhood days, I can vividly remember my biological mother and I having our apartment robbed by this Jamaican guy that she was messing with (after her and my dad divorced) and, more importantly, my father coming to the rescue. I sit back and laugh whenever I recall the time my biological rµother chased me around our apartment dinning room table until she was exhausted because she was anempting to whip my backside for taking my big-wheel out in the snow. I also recollect my older cousin, Beverly, lening me puff on a cigarette when I was only two years old and that being the last time that my father ever allowed her to baby-sit me again! Or, the various episodes of fun-loving-near-death adventures that my cousins (Littles, Mike, Babe Rick, and Ronnie) th.at my cousins (Littles, Mike, Babe Rick, and Ronnie) and I got ourselves into, more frequently than Audry Townsell Does Reno, Nevada? Amaru .. with thoughts on life, love, and God . . . • • • by Te'tro Amaru Although memories like these and numerous others, such as doing back-flips on a dirty mattress in a vacant lot, may not appear as fond as vacationing on a cruise ship during the summer months (or whatever it is that that people with a much higher financial status experience within their childhood), I'll go out on a limb and say that both experiences probably equates the same level of joy. From what I can recall I've always lived with my father for most of my life, except when he was hospitalized for a bout six months (although at the time it seemed like two years). My father uprooted me from Philadelphia and into the Maryland suburbs in an effort to better my life with the abundan~ of opportunities as well as placing me within a better environment in which to elevate my thinking. Still, as a very mischievous youngster, the newly found comforts within the suburbs of Maryland had nothing on the treasures found within Philly's ghetto heaven. So to his dismay, he allowed me to return to Philadelphia to live with my biological mother in the sixth grade on the condition that I kept my grades up (honor­ roll and nothing less) and that I stayed out of trouble. However, these arrangements only lasted for about two months before I almost found myself six feet under green grass for attempting suicide. As I've stated and written of previously, I was a spoiled brat use to my biological mother being a friend rather than the disciplinarian who had now began enforcing a sense of responsibility, among many other things that were not to my liking. .And confused about Ehe fables of the bible, I found myself in a hospital bed with an I-V­ needle in my arm and a tube that ~an from one of my nostrils through my throat and into my Page 17 stomach (in which I was fed chalk to force me ro vomit m.y younger biological sister's asthma pills that I had attempted to overdose on). I remember laying in the hospital for about four or five days, in unbelievable pain, not ready to die, and begging for God's mercy - for God's help and not receiving any reply. And then the night that changed my life, my focus, and my thinking came to me in a dream wherein the EKG meter that I was attached to flat-lined ... Where was God's love as He watched his misled/confused child die? Couldn't He hear me yelling and screaming in agony as I fought for my life? 'Tm sorry! Lord, please forgive me . . . please help me Lord!" And still nothing . . . until I, Te'tro Amaru, decided that if He's like f_k me, than I'm f_i5, Him too! And from that point, I stopped asking for help and began helping myself I was able to use the bathroom after about three days of nothing, my fever finally broke, and the tube running through one of my nostrils and into my stomach was removed. Everything was looking better (my outlook on life) and I began feeling an awful lot better as well. .My father came to my rescue and transported me back to Maryland where I underwent psychiatric sessions for about four months until my dad realized that his firs~-born wasn't crazy but just thoroughly confused. It was fun while it lasted! I quickly realized that although my psychiatrist said that anything and everything we discussed would be completely confidential, that he told my father about whatever we talked about (~ajor or minor issues). So naturally, me being the mischievous child that I was, I decided to use this to my advantage. And let me tell you, I could have urinated on his favorite suit (d,µr ing that period only), and he would have somehow found an explan:\tion that did not put me at fault! Those were the days!! ........... . ......... To Be Continued ........ • Mount Auburn's Glencoe Apartlllents go through restructuring ... Warren Perkins, Tenant Organizer As many people know, HUD (department of Housing and Urban Development) helps low­ income individuals and families afford housing with subsi.dies given co private landlords for housing. HUD oversees these with the intent of providing safe decent and affordable housing to those who would not ordinarily have access to such. The contracts that HUD signed with property owners in the past tended to inflate the value of the apartment units. Tha.t meant that many building owners enjoyed added income that they would not have received at a normal market rent. Recent budget concerns in Congress have pushed HUD ro make changes in the way it makes contracts with owners. Now HUD employs people in each state who determine the value of the property and how much rent should be paid. The inspectors who visit the projects also hold meetings with tenants to get their insight. One such meeting happened at January 21, 2000 at Glencoe apartments in Mount Auburn. The Buildings at the sight ¥e 137 years old and have many problems associated with age. The Drug traffic on the corner is brisk and many residents are afraid. Despite this and maybe because of it many people assumed that the residence would not be interested in working to better the environment. Many people assumed that tenants at Glencoe would rather find other places to live than to work to better this one. They were wrong. The meeting starred at 10:30 with several residents of Glencoe waiting outside in the cold for HUD inspecrors and tenant organizers to open doors and ser up. The number tenantS who came ro the meeting out number the HUD officials and ocher guest. This is a rare occurrence since the HUD officials and guest tend to number around 15 people. Approximately 25-30 residents were in attendance. The meeting was held in an empty apartment, which gave non-residents the chance ro see the condition of an actual apartment. The Apartment had high ceilings with tall windows over looking an empty lot in the back and the street from the front. Steps led up from the foyer ro the living room space. More steps led from rhe first level ro the two bedrooms and bathroom. With the chairs setup in the living room area, people took seats and the meeting was called ro order. The HUD representative went over some basic facts about tenants housing and then started to ask tenants about conditions. The tenants were very forthright with answers to the question. The main areas of concern seem to be the lack of a working play area for children and heating. le seems that many residents are forced turn on . their srove and open them for heat. Residents say that the furnace does not properly heat the building. The temperatu re inside their apartments often does nor feel that much warmer than the outside. Another concern is the lack of proper playground for the children. The sire currently has two play areas designated. One site is made up of a platform with stairs and has wood planks leaning up against it. The other sire has no recognizable playground equipmenc. The Residents also expressed concern with overzealous police. The police are accused of covering their badges when they tell residents to go back into their homes. They also say that the police are quick to draw guns and that they once pulled guns on a person with an orange colored water gun. One resident said, "I don't know what is worse the drugs or the police?" The Residents also expressed positive things about their community. Many people find that access ro area attractions and services are a plus. Many parks are in walking distance of the apartments. Kroger's, Walgreen's, and Blockbuster are minutes away. Churches of all faiths are in the neighborhood also. The biggest draw is that residents live in the shadow of Christ hospital. Overall residents said that they wanted the problems with their homes fixed so that they could enjoy the large apartments and access to neighborhood resources. Other meetings will be held when HUD and the owner come to an agreement rent cost. �STREETVIBES COLERAIN CONNECTOR · MONSTER REAPPEARS Proposed Colerain Conne~tor, Northside Neighborhood destroyer, may not be dead after all. Certain unnamed political figures in Hamilton County and ODOT are trying to resur­ rect a portion of the Viaduct ( bottom of Colerain Ave.) at the last minute, trying to spoil the two-year community effort to incorporate these lands for neighborhood use. If you are interested in helping us defeat this monster, contact Mike McCleese, Coalition Against the Colerain Connector, 542-8609 DONALD WHITEHEAD RESIGNS as Director of the Greater Cincin­ nati Coalition for the Homeless?? Yep! Gone to the greener pastures of Goodwill, Inc., Gone to rustle up some Jobs for people. All of us at GCCH are going to miss him alot (though he still pops in from time to time) You can reach him at his GoodwilJ office: 421-4501, ...... and resumes for Direetor of GCCH are being accepted by our Coordinating Commit­ tee. Call 421-7803 for more information The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine ~~~ ~ II .Fund Page 18 Calendar of Events • liomeleaa,Children'• DON'T MISS THE 34th Annual "Children's Faces Without Places" BENEFIT on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000 ­ We are seeking donations ofany value. T he benefit will be held on. All donations will be recognized at the benefit and are fully tax deductible. Over 1000 invitations will be senc and the benefit will be well publicized. The Project Connect Homeless Children's F und was created to support Project Connect, which endeavors to provide educational opportunities for homeless children and youth. Project Connect provides a strong voice ofadvocacy paired with specialized educational services as well as life-style edu cation ah enrichment opportuni ties for children who have neither a voice nor a choice in being homeless. Project connect is the only program in our area exclusively serving homeless children. Since its inception in 1996, the program has served over 5,000 children. Project Connect is me sole beneficiary of funds. In response, Project Connect Homeless Children's Fund offers scholarships to homeless children for a variety ofreasons, including music, art and spores. Questions, call 513-357-5720 Project Connect Ho~eless Children's Fund P.O. Box 23300, Cincinnati, Oh 45223 Ph: (513) 588-8754. Fax: (5 13) 559-0449 Streetvibes VENDORS' NEWS Canvas Bags for Streetvibes vendors will soon be_available. Come by to give us your ideas on design changes. There are presently three sites where vendors are specifically invited to sell papers - Bellarman Chapel at Xavier University, Ursuline Academy in Blue Ash, and now, First Unitarian Church on Reading in Avondale. Usually two vendors are chosen to sell at these events. Ifyou are interested in the opportunity, please let us know. The times of the month for these events vary somewhat, so come in and find out for sure. Currently, vendors receive 25 extra papers for selling 100 within any particular week (7-day period), and 100 extra papers for selling over 500 papers during the month (issue to issue). Don't forget, you can get free papers for submitting stories, poetry, art work, or photography that is used in Streetvibes, the number subjectively dependent upon how much the editor ne~ds your stuff at the moment. (usually anywhere from 10 to 100 papers[for a major story]) Free papers also given for tips leading to stories. If you want to tack a shot at photojournalism, you can obtain a one-time-use camera at the - Homeless. Coalition office.... . ..... - - - ­ This month Srreervibes is starting a calendar ofevents to keep you informed ofhappenings ar(Jund the Greater Cincinnati area. Please callus ifyou have an item to list. Any submission is welcome: local community council meetings. and programs, socialjustice forums or protests, community festivals, art shows, etc. ~ hope it can serve as a resourcefor those wanti,ng to get involved in their. communities. Ifyou would like to add your organization's events to Streervibes' Calendar, please contact john, ]£ss, or Tom at 421-7803, fax us at 421-7813, or e-mail at streetvibes@juno.com. FEBRUARY 2 Spruce Up Grant Park meeting 12:00 pm, Contact Center, 1641 Vine St. 381-4242 3 Welfare Rights Coalition meeting (potluck) 12:00 pm, Contact Cenrer, 1641 Vin 38 1-4242 4 Safety Committee meeting 1:30 pm, Contacc Center, 1641 Vine St. 381-4242 5 Statewide Ohio Empowerment Coalition meeting, 11:00 am, First Old Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bryden Rd., Columbus (for cransportarion call the Contact Center, 38 1-4242) 8 Organizing Over-the-Rhine, full group meeting 12:00 pm, Contact Center, 1641 Vine Sr. 381-4242 10 Save Our Schools meeting 5:30 pm, Peaslee Neighborhood Cence~, 215 E. 14'h St. 381-4242 16 Park & Recreation Com~ittee meeting 12: 15 pm, Contact Center, 1641 Vine 381-4242 . 17 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless membership meeting 1:30 pm, Drop Inn Center, 217 W. 12th . St. 421-7803 28 Over-the-Rhine Community Council , meeting, 5:00 pm ,, Nast Trinity UMC, 1310 Race St. Looking Ahead... APRIL 14- 14 Statewide Welfare Conference, sponsored by the Ohio Empowerment Coalition Francis Fox Piven, Keynote Speaker Lenox Inn, Reynoldsburg (Q �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 19 Homeless Civil Rights VISTA position ~till open Streetvibes TV covers news on poverty, homelessness and related issues. If you would like to be a part of the audience, or if you have ideas for future shows, call us at 421-7803 Streetvibes Live Radio Hour ADVIRTISI IN STRllTVIBIS Tune in to WAIF 88.3 fm! on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The c: CD ce > Help a good cause while promoting yourself to over 5,000 concerned people each month. _ Homeless Coalition's live radio program. c: 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. Business Card Size <¢, ~ 2" x 3 1/2" $10 per month ~Two Business Card Size 4"x31/2" $20 per month Larger Adds also available ANSWERS TO WOR D SCRAMBLE Bl h zar~ , ' . Storm Typhoon Tor na do S lee t Hu rri cane Thunder S now Hai I If you ·need assistance in designing your ad or have any other questions, call us at 421 -7803. Please send your add by the 20th of preceeding month, accompanied by your check I money order, to Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210 (See Front Page article, January Streetvibes) Gina Miller, former Rapid Exit housing specialist at the Greater Cincinnati Coaltion for the Homeless, has decided not to .take this GCCH Cincinnati-based position, So ---It's still available! Qualifications: Education: Bachelor's Degree preferred. Experience: Organizing skills, expe­ rience with homeless people or desire to work with fragile populations., acministrative experience, fund raising experience, leadership qulaities. A strong desire to work on constructing a project to protect the rights of homeless people. Skills: Basic computer skills in word processing and/or data processing helpful, and communication skills are important. Worki ng Hours: 40 hours/week. No more than one weekend per month; no more th<:m two evenings per week. Project ends one year after start date. Second year possible. Compensation: About $728 per month+ Medical insurance: and $4,700 education award --or smaller cash stipend --after a year of service in VISTA. Apply to: NEOCH, 2012 West 25th ST. #717 Cleveland, Ohio 44113, FAX 241 -1047 For information or an application, call 241 -1104 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. 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. · People below the poverty level will be given five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Call 421-7803 for more information :J/(aleup, :J/(ash, 7/ccessories j9.J c:Sprins 9 r ot1e, Y!t1e. Ginc ir111a!t; Mail the ad copy, or deliver, to: GCCH, 1506 Elm Str~et, Cincinnati , OH 4521 O or fax it to 421-781 3, or e-mail to streetvibes@juno.com Oliio 4S22J Sl!J-S4/ -MOJ Caren '!Jou119 -- ....._ r Rapid Exit , assists families and individuals Coming Soon: in moving rapidly from homelessness to permanent housing T he Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Calendar, featuring the incomparable photography of Jimmy Heath. for more information contact The Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless : 42 1-7803 and ask for Melissa Samhan ~ es:. . ~\. ~ .•. ·. ¥' ~ .... ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION ,. Disc-Jockey Service ~s~ CLIFFORD JONES Stayed tuned to find Ol;lt how to get your very own! (513) 761-3464 e-mail: jonesacp@tbol.net ~ \... •-. • • t .. # # . . . .,, # • • . , . . . . . . . ._. . . . . ~ ,,.. . . . .. . . . _.. . . . . . . . . . . . , •• ~• • • . , . . . . . . . . . , ! . . ., • • -- --....----- ..... . .. ------.. - - . - ... - . - ...... ,.--...--- ..-- ,..--. .... .. ...... - .. - -----.. - -- - ... . ~ ~ ~ �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES TV Schedule Check us out, We 're on TV! The Streetvlbes TV Soow is produced at the facilities of Media Bridges (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. February Schedule Broadca~t Dates for January's Show on Channel 24: (Please check your schedule) Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 10 PM Saturday, Feb. 19th, at 5 PM Tuesday, Feb: 22nd, at 10AM Thursday, Mar. 2, at 1OAM . Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. StreeMbesVendor code Volunteers Needed! Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. 1. StreeMbes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree .not to ask for dona­ tions more than $1. t also understand that l will be al>le to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. li'uture Issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from : the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute StreetVibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. l agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive l~age or force someone to give a donation. I will not gtve a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 5 . .J agree that I will not suppty copies of 'Streetvibe~ to persons ·who are not regts(ered ~ Page 20 Streetvibes is looking for volunteer writers, reporters, photographers, etc. interested in serving on the Streetvibes Editorial Board. For more information, please call the office at 421-7803 6. I agree not to deCetve the pub]c by saying that I am co'Uec;ttng for a not-for-profil chartty or that I am collecting for the "homeless" ln general I will be honest In s~ that all the profilskom the saleof Streetvi.beswill go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest terrttorteswlth other - ~ 8. I ungerstand l:hatSlreet.uibes st:rtves tobe a self­ supporlingpaper created by peoplewho are homeless or formerly homeless. To help In thi$ effort. I will try to spread the word and wrtfe stortesJf po8§ihle. 9. I undCrStand thatfailure to c.OinP1Y With:aey of tlieaboveStatements wtllresulf in meno longer being able to distribute StmetvlheS. Wish Lis't 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 or our wish list, please.give us a call ... o Supplies for vendor's lounge (coffee, cups, paper towels, cream and sugar, etc.) O Photography Help of all sorts for Streetvibes- photographers, film, developing , {a digital camera?) o Advertisers and Subscribers o Computers/components (monitors, hard drives, etc.) for story-writing, editing, research, and future home­ less computer lab- Streetvibes has a minimal overhead costs so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If you can help!, contact us at: Streetvibes, clc Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a. private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Cincinnati, OH 4521'0 ph: (513) 421-7803, fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com Thanksforyoursupp~rt. Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you· find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or .S ervices. 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 431-871 7 Salvation ArmY, Welcome House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America SHELTER: Both Caracole (A IDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfa ith Hospitality Netwoi:t< •• -:· :i'"" 4 • • • • ",:' .: ... • .,,.. • - .; .... .. ·_ 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381 -1954 761 -1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 244-7226 ~ - AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241 -2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Genter 381-4242 Emanuel Community· Center 241-2563 Freestore/Foodbank 241-1064 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 621 -7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357 -4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 721 -4811 ­ Mary Magdalen House Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John's Temporary Housing 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR 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 Starting Over TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A . Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary OTHER SERVICES .. -. . ~. ~. I, . 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 3'81-0954 639-7056 961-4555 241-7343 961 -4663 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 Oral Health Council Our Daily Bread Peaslee Neighborhood Center Travelers Aid 820-2947 861-9966 381 -6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 United Way VA Homeless Program Women's Crisis Center Women Helping Women . ... . ~ ··---~. ~ .. ·;,;.. -~ ... • - l' - 621-02~8 621-6364 621-5514 721-7660 721-7900 572-6226 491-3335 872-9259 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2000 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 2000 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Artists Rally and Jam in Support of the Drop Inn Center Pg 2: City Plants Replacement for Community Council Pg 3: Drop Inn Center Continued Pg 4: The Purple Turtle: Save Over-the-Rhine…from the Kunzel’s Nightmare Pg 5: National News Pg 6: Center Helps Drug Users in Nepal Find Hope Pg 7: Arts & Poetry Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Continued: Street Corner PolitiX Pg 9: Prison News Pg 10: Prison News Continued: The Death Penalty Pg 11: Prison News Continued: In Memory of “Little Rock Reed” A victory for Human Rights Pg 12: Welfare News Pg 13: News from Across the River Pg 14: Editorials & Letters Street Scopes Pg 15: Street Scopes Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Susan Knight Tom Billman John Halpin Jess Ballew Ron Carter Warren Perkins Melissa Samhan Jimmy Heath Berta Lambert D. Jackson Mike Henson Steve Lansky Warren Perkins Lynn Williams Te’tro Amaru Joan Rohrer Tree Mosolf John Halpin Berta Lambert Sonny Williams Rodney Sutton Pat Mitchell Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Artists Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Carl Walker community council Covington Death Penalty Drop Inn Center Editorials & Letters Human Rights Joan Rohrer John Halpin Lemuel Israel Lynn Williams Mike Henson nationwide news Over-the-Rhine Pat Mitchell prisoners news Rodney Sutton Sonny Williams Steve Lansky Te' Tro Amaru the broken city The Traveler Tom Billman Tree Mosolf Warren Perkins welfare news https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/32f1b4088f638d60e9aeac8b559e8bfb.pdf 7deb1171e8787bcb859c55f343f306a9 PDF Text Text HO·MELESS CENSUS SET FOR MARCH . Three-day effort will attempt to count the homeless in Cincy With the 2000 census ready to begin in just one month, workers are gearing up for the challenging task of counting the homeless. This will be part of what is called the "Special Places Count" and will take place the week of March 27th. The Special Places Count will enumerate the population that are not staying in traditional places s uch as homes, apartments, or mobile homes. This includes people in shelters, on the streets, in mental health facilities, jails, hospitals, and any other non-traditional dwelling. Many of these people will be counted in these special places and in a place of permanent residency. When the duplication is corrected, those who were counted solely in a "special place" will be considered homeless. Mako Nikadoh of the U.S. Census Bureau is in charge of the Special Places Count and says that based on the 1990 census, he will make no estimate of the local homeless population's size. Service providers didn't accept the 1990 statistic, so it was probably not accurate. Nikadoh stresses the importance of the census, and he says that his department is doing every­ thing they can to get an accurate count in 2000. Because so many funds allotted to the city depend on the number he finds, he hopes the census is accurate, enabling service providers to secure the funds they need. Because of an undercount in 1990. the city of Cincinnati has lost 40 million dollars. Susan Knight, co-administrator at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, appreciates that the effort of the census bureau is improving but says the homeless count will still be sh01t. Because so many people live doubled-up with ftiends and relatives and because there are so many outdoor locations that will not be found , the entire homeless population will not be able to be counted. Neve1theless, she thinks that they are doing a better job than in 1990, with efforts that include hiring homeless people to conduct the count. Mako N ikadoh says that he hopes the homeless enumerators will be able to help them reach the homeless who live in out-of-the-way places and will help people feel more comfortable participating in the count. Three places - soup kitchens, shelters, and "targeted non-shelter outdoor locations" ­ are where Nikadoh expects to find the majority of the homeless population. Nikadoh says that his staff will visit all of the shelters and soup kitchens in the area before the actual count. They will brief the staff and establish a plan specific to that agency. The "targeted non-shelter outdoor locations" are where the bureau hopes to find and count the segment of the homeless population who do not use services. This part of the census is presenting different problems for different cities. Maryanne Gleason, director of the National Coalition for the Homeless says that Indianapolis has 135 outdoor locations reported where they intend to count. She doesn't know how census workers will be able to reach all of these areas during the three hours allotted to this pait of the count. Mako Nikadoh reports that very few outdoor locations in Cincinnati have been reported to him yet and is urging service providers to share this information CMHA LAYS DOWN THE LAW --- (Lady Liberty Sighs again) Is the US becoming a No-tolerance Zone? LAUREL HOMES: Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority'S Zero Tolerance Area ­ Advocates suspect that the Zero Tolerance Rules (form dated 819199) were initiated by CMHA primarily to escape responsibility to find housing for Laurel Homes residents when the demolition happens. CMHA: "If you and m embers of your I with him. Advocates for the homeless have ex­ pressed concern that illegal campsites of homeless people will be reported to law enforcement officials. Maryanne Gleason says that for months the bureau would not promise to keep these outdoor locations private. The bureau first said there was a law that required them to report the outdoor places to local governments - although for census purposes only. Later, they reported that this law did not apply, and the locations woul d be kept private. Gleason says that the National Coalition is now "relunctantly suggesting participa­ tion" and cooperation with the census, but she urges great caution. Nikadoh stresses that no outdoor locations in the Cincinnati area will be reported to local authorities. Title XIII of the U.S. Code is the nation's strictest privacy law and protects the census bureau's information. In the past the FBI, IRS, INS, and other groups have sued the census department to get information but have never succeeded. Donald \Vhitehead, former director of the the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, says that in his experience, authorities in Cincin­ nati already k~ow where these outdoor locations are and reporting them to census officials probably wouldn't negatively affect the homeless popula­ tion. His only concern is iflocal officials obtained information about abandoned buildings in which the homeles s live. These are the only places where he thinks action might be taken against the homeless. household presently reside in, or will be moving into Laurel Homes, you should know char it is a Zero Tolerance area. Residents are advised of the following requirements, which pertain to all m embers of their househ old and their guescs. ln addition co sp ecific requirements ofthe CMHA lease and other policies, the followin g requirements and provisions are required in order for CMHA to prevent the destruccion of ics property and to preserve the rights of all residents co reside in dean, safe and affordable housing." The following is a sample ofthe regulations we find especially characteristic ofthe dehumanizing structure ofCincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (our own paraphrases included) OUTSIDE AREAS: Preventing che destruction of CMHA Property. (Thar's a good one!) I �ST REE TV I BES - The Tri-State's Homeless G~apevine STREETVIBES The Tri-S t ate's ...by Donald Whitehead First ofall I would like to offer my apologizes to the loyal Srreervibes readers who sometimes read th~ Traveler column. I must apologize to you for my absences from last months Streervibes. As many ofyou may know I have resigned as the director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the homeless. In January I took a position as Program Recruiter at Goodwill Industries. One of the first differences had to confront was, I no longer had a floating deadline for my column. I had to have my column in at the same time everybody else did (life just isn't fair sometimes). I wanted to share with you my reasons for The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for t~e Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through .coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. Sta ff Co-Director Co-Director Streetvibes Editor Assistant Editor Editorial Intern Vendor Support Homeless Civil Rights Tenant Organizing Warren Perkins, Melissa Samhan, Rapid Exit Program .Gina Miller and Susan Knight, Tom Billman, John Halpin Jess Ballew Ron Carter, Writ ers Donald Whitehead Drew Miller John Halpin Tom Billman Lynn Williams Tyrone Smith Melissa Samhan Ryan Mo Better Azariah Israel Alanna Maloney Dutch Dalton Sarah Gallant Jess Ballew Sonny Williams Rodney Sutton Lashanda Damien Minor Aaron Pitchford Carla Pitsinger Graphics Photographs by Sonny Williams, Berta Lambert, Lemuel Isreal Streetvib es accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graph­ ics, photos.... 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 Greate r Ci n cin n ati Coa litio n for the Homeless 1 506 Elm Street · Cincinnati, OH 4521 O (S 13) 421-7803 fax ( S 1 3) 4 21 -7 81 3; e-mail: streetvibes@juno . co m (text-only) or homecoal@p r i m ax . net ( attached files) web page: http: //cinci.co m / gcch _ THE TRAVELER 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, 1 2 issues a year, by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for t he 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 St reetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low­ income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibesvendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes vendor badge. Page 2 through gainful livable wage employment. While advocates continue co advocate for the development ofsafe sanitary, affordable housing. I feel that in the interim we must make existing housing affordable. Workforce development is a key component for those seeking relief from ever shrinking available resources for those at or below poverty levels in the United States. The other reason for my move was the need to live up to my growing responsibilities as a family man. Five years ago I was a single man with very little understanding of responsibility or commitmenc. Today I am a full time dad, husband and basketball coach. My responsibilities have required me to look at the long-term. I would like to be able to help my children gee through college or whatever else they desire. While finances were not the o~ly reason I would be dishonest ifl said they did not effect my decision. One other factor that may be hard for some to understand burns within us all. It is sometimes hard to have a desire to improve one's self and not appear superficial or materialistic. It is impossible to predict the leaving the coalition. I have outcome ofour decisions or the direction chosen to travel down a new road for a couple those decisions will move us into. One can ofreasons. I hope that this column will help only hope that the path we choose turns our others to avoid the mistakes that caused me to to ultimately be the right path. have to change career paths. After five rewarding and eventful years at the Greater I have the upmost confidence in chose who Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless I are still working at Coalition. Gina Miller, found myself face to face with an old nemesis. Susan Knight, Ron Carter, Tom Billman, All throughout my life I have found that the Warren Perkins and Pat are some of the most biggest barrier for me as a person is capable people I have ever met. I have also complacency. In order to remain effective I heard good things about John Halpin and need to be constantly challenged. While Melissa Samhan the two newest staff many challenges remain, the staff at the members. Bottom line is the Coalition is in coalition was is so talented very rarely did very good hands. The confidence in the staff those challenges reach me. When I started at made my decision a lot easier. I hope that I the coalition all ofmy work was about one on am able to link Goodwill industries and its one contact with individuals or groups. In considerable resources with the homeless others words I was what is commonly referred population. I am thoroughly convinced that to as a people person. I enjoy being a people the people at Goodwill have the mission and person. I feel proud of the programs that values I have come to identify with from the were developed during my tenure as coalition other members of the coalition. Thus far it director. I am even prouder ofsome of the looks like the path that I took when I came to people that have been assisted in their 1 the fork in the road was the right path. development, myself included. HappyTrails. Much of the work that my job evolved into was working on systemic changes that could ·f ;p;F('. end homeless in the near future; I also enjoyed this aspect of my work tremendously. Streetvibes exists as a forum for Since my work with the National Coalition the expression of the views and for the Homeless will continue, I am in the opinions of our readers and ~nvious positi?n of having my cake and eating supporters. The opinions it too, I can sull work to address che big expressed herein are not picture issues that will hopefully result in necessarily those of the systemic changes. At the same time I get co Streetvibes staff or the return to my roots as a people person. As a Program Recruiter for Goodwill I have a chance to really positively effect many people Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 Homelessness in AmeriCa: Why are the number$ increasing? increasing poverty, and welfare reform , among othe.r: r.easoos, Oftentimes, people. deal.ing. w~th things such as mental illness, addiction, or domestic violence are the first to fall victim to the structural shortcomings of our society and through the cracks into homelessness. In order for us te. solve the problem of homelessness we must address the structural problems in our society that allow homelessness to occur in such large numbers. What are these structural problems? Homelessness has been an increasing ~ probrem in the United States during the past twenty years. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about the causes of homelessness. Many people believe that an individual becomes homeless simply because of personal problems, such as mental illness or addiction. While these may be contributing factors, it is structural flaws existing in our society that truly make homelessness possible. HOW MANY HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE THERE? Conducting an accurate count of the homeless population is nearly impossible. Various different organizations have attempted to count the homeless and have found very different numbers. Because there is no standard agreed upon definition of what · homelessness is, each study uses a different definition and has different results. Even with a standard definition, it would be impossible to count everyone -the homeless are too hard to find. The lowest count of the past twenty years was by the Department of Housing and Urban ·Development in a one-day 1984 study. They found 250,000-350,000 people to be homeless. In 1987, the Urban League counted 500,000-600,000. A federal study in 1994 estimated that seven million people were homeless between 1985 and 1990, not including three million families who were waiting for Section 8 vouchers or public housing. A follow-up to this federal report found that 12 million people have been homeless at some point in their lives. A National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty 1999 report estimated over 700,000 people a night and two million per year experienced homelessness. In any event, homelessness is increasing. The National Coalition for the Homeless reviewed research conducted in eleven communities and four states and found that shelter capacity doubled in nine of the communities and three of the states and tripled in two of communities and two of the states. The reasons for the dramatic increase in homelessness are many. Structural problems in society should receive much of the blame - the lack of affordable housing, -- INCREASES IN POVERTY The economy may be booming but the benefits of this phenomenon have been concentrated among the rich . The lower­ income population is actually worse off now than they were thirty years ago. Between 1970 and 1988 the number of poor people grew from 25.4 million to 31.9 million, an increase of 26%. In 1997 the Census Bureau reported 35.6 million people were living in poverty. Forty-one percent of these 35. 6 million people have incomes that are less than half of the poverty level. · Why the increase in poverty? First, just as the baby boomers were coming of age and flooding the job market in the 1970's and 80's, de-industrialization was at full swing, leaving people with no work or with low paying, non­ unionized service-sector jobs. Today, an increasing number of these jobs are temporary or part-time. · The value of the minimum wage has fallen drastically. In 1997, the real value of the minimum wage was just 18.1 % of what it was in 1979. Currently, in the median state, a person would have to work 87 hours a week at the minimum wage to afford a two-bedroom apartment at 30% of her or his income. Paying thirty percent of one's income on housing is what the federal government has defined as affordable housing. The National Coalition for the Homeless reports that job growth outlook is not promising, either. Forty-six percent of jobs with the most growth between 1994 and 2005 will earn less .. - ·­ (ilCiii :Pio,GGv f>eYye"cii. Savemy-rour percent of these jobs will pay families below a livable wage ($32,185 for a family of four). -- ~ See CMHA, PAGE 3 1) No one is permitted to walk or play o~ grass or landscaped areas. (Any non-military-like behavior is strictlyforbidden! Flowers must never be touched or smelled! Walking on the grass with barefeet borders on anarchy and will not be tolerated.) 2) All furniture must be removed from concrete or blacktop areas after use. CMHA will dispose of any items offurniture, grills, swimming pools, etc. which are found anywhere on the grounds (Hang on to your possessiomfar dear life! Don't trust anyone!) 3) Adults, teenagers, and/or children are not permitted to loiter anywhere within the area. ( Don't stop and smell the roses, heaven forbid! And by no meam attempt to fraternize with your neighbors!) I Only CMHA approved signs are permitted. All others will be immediately be removed. I ' ' ..• ... "'• • • • • •• ,,.• • • .. • ...: ..: ... : . : . : ...: _.- ...: . : ...: . : ... - _ ; ;..: _.- .... - ...- ...- , - ~·- _..- ...- ; Y'- _.; J- . - .- - THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING Advocates for the homeless often cite the lack of affordable housing as the number one cause of homelessness in the United States and this may very well be true. During the past twenty years, the number of affordable housing units has plummeted while the demand for these units has skyrocketed.' In the 1980's it became less profitable for private landlords to create affordable housing. At the same time the federal government was making cuts in public housing. Combined with a decline in first-time home-buyers (these people were continuing to rent), the market was flooded and rents went up. From 1973 to 1993 2.2 million low-rent units were lost because of rising rents, abandonment, .or gentrification. In the four­ year period of 1991-1995 alone, median rental costs went up 21%. By 1995 there was a 4.4 million-unit shortage of affordable housing. Housing aid to low-income individuals and families actually increased during the 1980's, but the demand for housing was so great that two-thirds of low-incomP. renters still received no subsidies. The situation is the same today. In 199~ HUD reported that the wait (PLEASE SEE HOMELESSNESS, PAGE 4) CMHA, continued from Page 1 4) - THE DECLINING VALUE OF PUBLIC ASSlSTAN.CE PROGRAMS One of the reasons that poverty has increased is that public assistance programs have either been eliminated or their value has sharply declined. Between 1970 and 1994, the value of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits fell forty-seven percent when adjusted for inflation. The current Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF) that replaced AFDC after the 1996 Welfare Reform is no better. Combining benefits with food stamps, families Who receive TANF still fall below the poverty line in every state. General Assistance programs that provided aid to single adults have been eliminated in many states, including Ohio, despite the fact that studies have shown that General Assistance benefits reduce homelessness. ,. ~! ,. (Only government-sponsored events may be advertised!) INSIDE AREAS (Hallways and apartments) Preventing the destruction of CMHA Property. 1) Loitering or playing in hallways is not . permitted at any time (Anyone caught talking with their neighbor will be subject to punitive measures!) 2) ihe use of any illegal drugs of any type, on or off CMHA property is not permitted. 3) Engaging in any type of criminal activity, on or off CMHA property is not permitted. (The previous two regulatiom, while we understand the intended purpose, actually repres~t a kind ofdouble jeopardy and an unnecessary invasion ofprivacy. Ifsomeonegets in a fight somewhere across town and is citedfar, sa_)4 disturbing the peace, this means they can be permanently kicked out ofpublic housing. If someone happens to go to a party across town and takes one hit offa joint, they can be kicked out of public housing. · [ This would make President Clinton ineligiblefar residence in public housing.}) How ca,n you have cqmmunity when you have no say in how·your community operates? The principle oflocal control is extremely important ' in assuring that people are invested enough in their communities to make them safe' . comfortable, enjoyable places to live. It is time that CMHA understood this. �ST REETV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine HOMELESSNESS (Continued from page 3) for public housing increased by 50%, from 22 months in 1996 to 33 months in 1998. The wait for a Section 8 rental assistance voucher was 28 months in 1998. People who must wait for housing are forced to live doubled-up with relatives, in substandard housing, in shelters, or on the street. An important source of housing for single adults in the past was single room occupancy units. These SRO's were regarded as last resort housing for thos·e who had no other place to turn, especially the mentally ill or substance abusers. During the 1970's and 1980's most cities lost over half of their SRO units, most to urban renewal projects aimed at revitalizing downtown areas. Chicago lost all of its SRO units. Once this "last resort" housing was gone, the population that depended on them became homeless. The National Coalition for the Homeless reports that federal housing policy actually benefits the rich more than the poor. . "...it should be noted that the largest federal housing assistance program is the entitlement· to deduct mortgage interest from income for tax purposes. In fact, for every one dollar spent on low income housing programs, the federal treasury loses four dollars to housing­ related tax expenditures, 75% of which benefit households in the top fifth of income distribution (Dolbeare, 1996). Moreover, in 1994, the top fifth of households received 61% of all federal housing benefits (tax and direct), while the bottom fifth received only 18%. . Thus, federal housing policy has not responded to the needs of low-income households, while disproportionately benefiting the wealthiest Americans." These are just a few of the major reasons why homelessness exists in our society. It is crucial that we address these issues if we are to find permanent solutions to this senseless tragedy. A livable wage, support and funding for the development of affordable housing, a moratorium on the demolition of public housing, and effective and compassionate welfare laws are all necessary, among other things. Most importantly, perhaps, the public and our elected officials ~u-~; !earn the f~cts cf ~c :r~!e$snE?ss. Continued misconceptions about the magnitude and reasons for poverty and homelessness in our country will only make the problem worse. Educating the public about the facts of homelessness must be the first step in working towards solutions. • • • Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions can be purchased for $15 per year. (But if you~d like to give more, that's okay, too!) Just send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless If you have any questions, call 421-7803. If you have subscribed, but are not receiving your Streetvibes, Please let us know. Our dog (Streetvibes computer) ate some addresses during a recent crash . EDITORIAL: Presidential Election 2000: Where's the democracy? .....by Jess Ballew For the last three hours I've been surfing the Net, desperately seeking information about the presidential candidates and their positions on important issues. I checked the Associated Press-nothing. The Washington Post-nothing but rhetoric. How do we make informed decisions-without any information? I've been surfing the Internet for two days, desperately seeking the least biased information on the presidential candidates and their platforms. First I tried the "official" websites. That's a joke. All I found out is that Michael Jordan endorses Bill Bradley. Good to know, since we all respect Michael Jordan's political wisdom, right? Then I tried the Associated Press, the Washington Post, and the League of Women Voters. Nada. At least the League of Women Voters had a connection to a "Democracy Network," where persons such as myself can customize an "issues grid," choosing which candidates and wh ich issues I want to learn about. Too bad most of the responses are "No Comment." Want to know how the major candidates stand on welfare? Only Alan Keyes is willing to respond. What abou affirmative action? Only Keyes and John Hagelin take a stance. And how many of you have even heard of these candidates? Probably not many, because they are not the major names in the election. And there is a reason for that. The major names-George W. Bush, Al Gore, John McCain and _Bill Bradley- are "major" because they refuse to take stands on many major issues, thus appeasing the maximum amount of reg istered voters. This Democracy Network has thirty-seven issues from which to choose; Al Gore only responded to thirteen . Bush is even worse , making official statements on only nine of the thirty-seven issues. No wonder those two are so popular-it's difficult to disagree with them if you don't even know their positions. Not only do we have the right to vote, we have the responsibility to vote. We have no right to complain about the state of our government if we do not exercise the power we do have, however small. But how do we choose a candidate who best suits our beliefs when their beliefs have yet to be revealed? Page 4 The ATD Fourth World Movement by Gerald Bitoun SHARE INTERNATIONAL, FRANCE A report on homelessness and poverty in France and the organization which, for 40 years, has sought to keep this human crisis before the eyes and ears ofgovernment. ATD Fourth World Movem~nt (Aide a Toute Detresse - literally: "Help in all distress'J began in France in 1957, in the muddy Noisy­ .le-Grand Camp - one-of many shanty towns ly­ ing in the eastern suburbs of Paris. There, Fa­ ther Joseph Wresinski (1917-1988) took over the torch from another exceptional priest, Abbe Pierre, who had founded this shelter for home­ less people in 1955. Hundreds offamilies pack into the camp, trying to survive, a day at a time, in tents, strug­ gling against the extreme cold and mud of winter and the summer heat, battling against hunger and illness, confined by fear and the obvious in­ difference ofthe public authorities. Added to this is the physical confrontation with the police, psy­ chological trauma, and the endemic ignorance shared by the ministry of housing, the general public, as well as charitable organizations. ATD says: "Misery is worse than pov­ erty. It cannot be relieved, we can only try to put an end to it. One must fight it as an evil, the su­ preme injustice, because this misery destroys all harmony and allows no hope of improvement." ATD volunteers settle in the camp and from the start they participate in initiatives set up by the homeless people themselves, considering them true partners, thinking in terms of rights and duties rather than assistance. With few resources, this handful of vol­ unteers endeavours to break a system which keeps the 'excluded' (Les exclus - a French term which neatly covers homelessness, marginalization, and all attendant woes) in a kind ofpolitical and economic coma, turning them into a downtrodden class. ATD has to deal with prob­ lems on all fronts at the same time: cultural, reli­ gious, social, and occupational. ATD realizes that the poorest often know n:1~ ::>"'!n!h!=>r :'::i"!!'t:> nr111e>rlv i.c; :'? r.!OSAd r.ircfe iust -••V "'41 • - •••V• 1 .,..•••...,._f"_ .. _. .... J.- - -·.. _..:; ,. .F -­ like that of the very rich and privileged. Poverty is also environmental with the corresponding transmission of values, knowledge and legacy which refutes all the cliches about isolation among the poor. In this battle for freedom of speech and independence, A TD is setting up what will be called 'People's Universities' to help people be­ come aware of their dignity and power, of their "inalienable right to act freely for their own and other people's good". As meeting places, the People's Universities offer the opportunity of a positive confrontation between the world of ex­ treme poverty and the world of scientific re­ search, through an exchange of ideas and a sharing of knowledge. Among the excluded, the thirst for life and emancipation is great in spite of their fear of the system. ATD is working to heal the wounds and to knock down the walls. But the change is slow on both sides. One morning, the men and women of the shanty towns (and their children, if the parents have not been de­ prived of their right to raise them) are turned out of their homes; after a while their shelters ­ supposedly temporary, but which they have been living in for years - are razed by bulldoz­ ers. Some set off again just roaming around, giving up, which often leads to a dead end and tragedy. Others will finish up in an HLM (block ofcouncil flats), the 'reservations' of mod­ �. . .. . .. STREETV_IBES . __ . .. The Tri-State's,. Homeless . . . . em times. More sizeable than the sinister "emergency areas", the tower blocks hide the truth of rootlessness and a lack of a group structure: the homeless are now excluded on two fronts. All his life, Joseph Wresinski tried to ex­ pose the hypocrisy ofthe system: "The question is not what powers to allow the poor but rather: are we ready to let them have all the powers? From then on a change of civilization becomes possible. If the poor don't become true participating members they will never get any­ where. To be heard, one must be met. On the contrary, our system is based precisely on the avoidance of meeting with the poor. The encounter will happen only when the poor are able to escape confinement and appear in front of us as equals." The present system exists by hiding the true extent of the problem. The policy of the French Government remains unchanged: small patched-up solutions or spectacular selective face-lifts, without real will or vision for the future. There is a reluctance to see the human side of the problem behind the statis­ tics, to consider the wider issues, which would force the government to take new, radi­ cal steps. ATD is now an international organiza­ tion sustained by tens of thousands of sympa­ thizers and thousands of volunteers helping to promote long-term action such as emergency rescue plans. The movement created in a waste­ land under the impulse of a single man 40 years ago has become an essential partner to govern­ ment housing policies. ATD also has a consulta­ tive status within NGOs, the United Nations, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), /LO (International Labour Organization), and other agencies. However, the spectre of misery contin­ ues to haunt the outskirts of our towns and per­ sists due to the lack of a real egalitarian political will. The members of ATD endeavour to bring solutions to the most elementary, the most do"Yn­ to-earth problems which the homeless face. Is­ sues such as schooling for children and adult literacy (a sine qua non to get out of the rut) stagnate, not through lack ofstructures or inad­ equate resources, but because extreme poverty is a vicious circle. Yesterday the poor queued impatiently with their buckets waiting to take water from the commu­ nal fountain; today, they knock on our doors and claim a share ofprivileges......... . We are not speaking about the Devel­ oping World.but about a rich country - France ­ which, with its colleagues from the G7, exploits and handles a majorpart of the world's wealth. "The world of the poor is endowed with all creative possibilities along with the potential for defeatism and self-destruction. It is a universe crossed by an almost imperceptible boundary line. On this side of the line, the human being braces himself against adversity, clinging to the society and culture ofwhich he is an under~privi­ leged member; on the other side, the world is turned upside down; he gives up and surrenders. Beaten, he becomes the instrument of his own destitution, leading to misery." For ATD Fourth World and others who have turned their back on dependency - there is at present no adequate way ofdealing with misery and poverty as by-products of our civilization. They are a cancer we have to ex­ plore and cure with as much energy as we dedicate to fighting those diseases which seem to affect only our body, though they are the manifestation of a deeper and earlier imbal­ ance. "Misery is man-made and only man can destroy it." ~ ,• Grapevin~ . Page­ - ~ INTERNATIONAL NEWS 86 Arrested in Protest of Economic Sanctions Against Iraq 86 protesters from across the United States and Canada were arrested at the US Mission to the UN, on Monday, February 141h, at 12:00 p.m. Their non­ violent resistance was confronting the US/ UN Security Council sanctions against Iraq. Among those arrested were Kathy Kelly, Chicago, co-founder of Voices in the Wilderness; and Reverend John Dear, executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. A broad spectrum of human rights groups were represented in both the nonviolent resistance action and the legal demonstration. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Pax Christi USA, the American Friends Service Committee and the Fellowsh ip of Reconciliation , have all taken official stands against the sanctions. Leaders form every major religion in the US have also condemned the sanctions. In August 1999 UNICEF used the infant mortality rate from before the · sanctions to estimate that 500,000 Iraqi children under the age of five have died due to the effects of sanc~ions . 'They die from dysentery, typhus, cholera - and other epidemics of water-borne diseases which were created when the US bombed the civilian infrastructure of Iraq during the Gulf War. "The sanctions prevent infrastructure repair and maintenance." Noted Raed Battah from Kentucky, who recently traveled with Voices in the Wilderness to Iraq, in open and public violation of the sanctions. The protesters echo the concerns of the UN Humanitarian Relief Coordinator in Iraq, Mr. Hans von Sponeck, who has now asked to be relieved of his duties. Von Sponeck was not available for comment. Diplomats, speaking on conditions of anonymity, said Von Sponeck will be leaving because of the difficulties entailed with implementing the U.N. trade sanctions, initially imposed to force Iraqi withdraw from Kuwait. The sanctions have crippled the Iraqi economy, leaving ordinary Iraqis struggling to feed and clothe themselves. Von Sponeck wanted the Security Council to separate Iraq's humanitarian needs from its disarmament. His outspoken remarks drew sharp criticism from both the United States and Britain, the main proponents of sanctions on Iraq. Von Sponeck was also critical of the U.N. approved Oil for Food program. Von Sponeck's predecessor, Denis Halliday of Ireland, resigned in 1998, saying he did not want to be associated with the adverse impact of U.N. trade sanctions on ordinary Iraqis. Halliday stated, "We are destroying an entire society. It is as simple and terrifying as that." graphic courtesy of WordArt (www. windchime. walker. net/wordart. html) �ST REE TV I BE 5 The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 6 WORD ON THE STREET We Need YouT CTeativity! Send your poetry, writings or artWork to Streetvibes, do GCCH (Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless), 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati 45210 Phone - 513-421­ 7803, E-mail (text): to st:reetvibes@juno.com, E-mail (attached files, graphics): to homecoal@primax.net So after getting off the helicopter (who wrires this stuff) and after a Hard Day's Work I saw the Rahbit on the Couch and Chow-Chow, the android cat who was put on the Muhammad Ali Potato Chips with the orange background and Oscar Von Steuben played by Ron Carter. He said its velly nice and its Riceland and he put Cymbals on their heads and hit them with a Golf Pencil (and Ron! How am I doing) Well Any way their brain got transferred and the rabbit gave Chow­ Chow some liquid LSD and they plotted against me and Good night! ......... .Aaron Pitchford WHAT IS IT G od. By Lashanda Fools in Love Why do fools fall in love A foo l falls in love with someone who doesn't care about them A fool fal ls in love with someone who doesn't feel the same for them A fool falls in love with so meone who's in love with someone else A fool falls in love with some9ne who doesn't care, doesn't feel, or is in love "' ich someon1. else because there is ~omcchrng in chei1 heart telling them Lhat person is the one and only person for lhcm. That's why fools full iu love! Sunday As You Walk a steady path Over snow and ice In church shoes And carrying a bible I am sure That I love You. .......Drew Miller Making a replaceable cardboard box into the one and only pri- · For Each and Every One ofYou FREEDOM? America the beautiful Land of the free Sure is · Just ask Malcom X Or Martin Luther King, Jr. Oh ~ait, you can't, Maybe you should go to Philly And ask Mumia Abu-Jamal What freedom is. Maybe you should go to the strawberry fields in California And ask the migrant worker Who makes fifty dollars a month what freedom and the American dream are all about. G o down to Hollywood Blvd . and ask the junked-up h ooker with HN about her slice of apple pie. Or better yet ask the si.x year old boy growing up in the projects with a crackwhore for a mother and some cockro.lches for he.st friends What good ol' Abe Lincoln smod for. He'll tell you in a second: ...... By Dttmien Min01; Drop Inn Center ...... Azariah Israel You may be bi-polar And shouting To the heavens But I have found My quiet answers With you And they are my reasons .F or walking A steady path Behind you. What is this disease that makes us repeat a cycle that will never end When will we look this D emon in the eyes and say I won't allow you to continue to concrol m e anymore What is it that can help us beautiful people and beautiful things You become beautiful. Woe unto them that see evil as good and good as evil. They will receive their just reward.. I can not Be left behind. What is this demon that is breaking us down What is chis plague that makes us loose hope Why must we allow this thing to win When will we get up and say enough is enough and change If you surround yourself around Freedom? ... .. ...Melissa Samhan Be who you are and will be. Learn to cherish that boisterous angel that drives you up one day and down another protecting the place where your power rises running like hot blood from the same source as your pain. When you are hungry learn to eat whatever sustains you until mourning but do not be misled by details simply because you believe them. Do not let your head deny your hands any memory ofwhat passes thro.ugh them nor your eyes or your heart as everything can be used except what is wasted. Even when they are dangerous, examine the heart of those machines which you hate before you discard them, but do not mourn the lack of their power lest you be condemned to relive them. If you do not learn to hate, you'll never be lonely enough to love easily nor will you always be brave, although it does no t grow any easier and do not pretend to co nvenient beliefs even when they are righteous while you will never be able to defend your ciry while sho uring. Remember our sun isn't the most noreworthy st.u, only the nearest. Respecc whatever pain you bi ing back from your dreams. but do noc look for ne"' gods in rhe sea nor in any pan~ ot :i ratnbow. Each cime you love, love so deeply ~ if it were forever, only noching is eternal but life itself. .......By Ryan Mo Better �STREETVIBES The .Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 7 INTERFACE Impersonality can be a somewhat distant place from which to see; seemingly unemotional and decidedly detached in search of objectivity, not particularly desirable traits nor resonating in the internal spaces of those much more personal and subjectively inclined to experience themselves as the centers of their own universe. Interfacing as antagonists first, these polarized aspects of the very same whole remain firmly planted in their own ground, desperately clinging to all that has both dignified and defiled the past because the future is unknown, denying th~ relativity of each other truths unto themselves, thus unable to grow. Fighting against cold: cold weat her., cold responses from -the aovernm·eots and cohf looks photo: ShUtl·fohi Oshima Turned To Stone Like an alien carrying a plastic bag of belongings she stood new wave bag lay-hatted silent smoking cigarettes One pursues, the other dodges or runs; one demands, the other caves or won't give in, But neither listens, nor do they hear, resistant to becoming self and other aware, Driven instead to protect the inherent imbalances they embody out of fear; Fear of losing individuality inside of another's reality, Or fear of never even existing without another to mirror their own worth. Thus have gone many cycles of becoming here on earth that will continue to unfold ; the quest for the Holy Grail A bejeweled and golden cup in metaphor only, but essential and symbolic nonetheless of on the corner bus waiting squirrel watching bird feeding a crumb or two in erratic motion feeling uncomfortable with eyes cast down she sat awhile after miles of travelling inside and out Inner Journeys, Outer Manifestations Progressions, Limitations Giving and Receiving Sharing Quantum Leaping Daring Acceptance Humanity WHOLE ........Sarah Gallant rocking, self numbing so tired a laugh here, a snicker there METAMORPHOSIS cold stares, open hostility shame rushed through her body on the corner. CRAZED COCOON ENCUMBERED. EMBRYO SILKEN T HREADS CHOKING CATERPILLAR ASLEEP TOO LONG DREAMING ON IN FORCED EXILE INCUBUS INCARNATE CIRCUMSPECT CYCLES VAGUE INTELLECT PAIN AND ISOLATION QUIET INTROSPECT~ON COMES A DISTANT CALLING HOME BUTT ERFLY AWAY .......Sarah Gallant Sarah Gallant blushing cheeks to burning crimson beating her limited image down, down further down erupting deep volcanos overflowing covering her in a river of lava molding a stony statue gripping a plastic bag of belongings THE SECRET LIFE OF BUBBLES "This satisfies my urgent need for solitude, I thought to myself as I sat quietly on a tree stump deep in the forest. The scents of pine and honeysuckle hung delightfully heavy in the air. Treetops bowed to some invisible entity as the wind whistled past soundi.ng notes I faintly recognized. I watched and listened , mesmerized. So deep was the connection I felt to earth and heaven, both seemed to merge in iridescent hues, swirling spiraling designs that melted with the remnants of long forgotten dreams. All motion ceased and a bridge now stood befo re me with a sign pointing that read 'To The Future'. Millions of bubbles whose origin I could not determine floated around the bridge, then moving out, dancing on the breeze. Extending my arm with open had, a delicately formed sphere came to rest on my pal. It seemed to breathe, then to vibrate, and bursting open, a tiny fairy appeared. "Who are you?" I questioned her, surprised. "I am", she replied, "Does it matter who? Isn't the fact that I am enough for you?" "Well... um" I stammered, at a loss for words. "Follow me" she said with dainty wings drumming the air. And so I followed that captivating creature, so bold and yet so small; that tiny fantasy, or was she, (real or the makings of a broken mind or an overactive imagination?), across the bridge to the other side. What lie beyond the bridge, much rn my dismay, was a vast, vast space filled with unidentifiable shapeshifting forms in spectra grey; nothing at all like the glorious colors and designs I had seen just 1/4 mile behind. "So this is it?", I thought. "interesting no doubt, but so drab, so vague, and certainly not what I had en\fisioned". And that tiny little being who somehow know, said as she handed me a rainbow colors palette and paintbrush with crystal handle: "Paint the day, I bave uncovered the Way, the rest is up to you!" She then quickly withdrew inro a circle of vibrant light, scattering fairy dust before its radi us diminished and disappeared from sight. I was again aware of the tree stump, the honeysuckle, and the pine. "How long · have I been sitting here?" I thought aloud, "It must be way past early afternoon". Feeling sorne·thing in my pocket, I reached inside, pulling out a paintbrush with a finely faceted crystal handle. I held it up in front of me, enchanted as the setti ng sun's rays became refracted beams splayed into exquisite patterns at my feet. The ligh t then consolidated, forming an arrow directing my gaze toward the sky, where I caught a glimpse of a bubble, a delicately formed sphere, floating up .. up ....., and watched with my entire being until it faded from view. .. ......Sarah Gallant �ST REETV I BES Prison The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page B News Justice for W.J.M. Campaign Phone (513) 76 1-5452, 281-2256 We the family and friends ofW illiam Jonathan Mayo encourage you to lend an ear and perhaps even your hearts to this tragic yet true account of an attempt to des~roy this young, aspiring black _ man's life. IN MEMORY of Timothy "Little Rock" Reed. On January 14, 2000, my friend and brother died as a result of injuries sus­ tained in an automobile accident in Albu­ querque, New Mexico. Little Rock was best know for his tireless fight on behalf of his imprisoned native American brothers and sisters. He spoke out on national TV while on parole against the injustices occurring at the Southern Ohio Carree­ tional Facility (SOCF in Lucasville, Ohio during the 11-day Easter uprising by the prisoners, resulting in his having to go underground or having his parole violated and returned to SOCF. Little Rock successfully fought extradition, with Federal Judge Peggy Nelson granting himpoli!ical asylum, saying he was a refugee of injustice by Ohio parole officials and would likely face a death sentence at the hands of Ohio prison-crats if returned to Ohio. Rock was the author of the book "The American Indian In the White Man's Prison: A Story of Genocide", as well as countless articles and interviews he gave, educating the public of the plight of those of us in these cages of repression. One of the greatest joys in Little Rock's life was his 2-year old son Jasper Cole, who survives him with his mother Leanna Brownlee. May you walk in paradise, my brother, watching over us and all your people who you tirelessly fought for. We will meet again one day and that thought helps give me strength. Your Spirit remains, John Perotti William Jonathan Mayo, is a native C incinnatian. He attended Roger Bacon High School, graduating in 1984. Very determined to ·make his life better, he decided to further his education. He first attended Central State University and then transferred ro Morehouse C<?llege in Atlanta, Georgia. He majored in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. William was ve1y proud to have had the opportunity ro attend such a prestigious college. He worked ro put himself through college as a plain-clothes store detective and as a model for magazines in Deuoit and Chicago. ­ While at Morehouse, William had several dreams. The most important to him was being pare 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. In 1990, while living in Chicago, William met two underprivileged teenage men. Ir was William's belief that he could help make a difference in their lives by becoming their mentor. In November of 1991 , Wi1liam drove the two young men from Chicago to Atlanta for the Morehouse College Homecoming weekend. It was William's hope that (he visic would demonstrate to the young men just what college life was like and co encourage chem 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 li~e. 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 me n accompanying William decided to remain in the car while W illiam picked up his belongings. During the time William was as 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 were William was. They terrorized a middle-aged biracial couple fo r what had to seem like hours to them, but in actuality was about 10-20 minutes. They stole small items from the couple and tied them up with telephone cord. They were able to get back to the car just as William was returning with his belongings. William drove away without any knowledge chat anything had taken place; The car was pulled over upon entry onto the interstate by police men with their guns drawn. William and. the two young men were arreste~, taken into custody and charged with burglary, robbery and assault. William was the only one granted bond which enabled him co return home to Cincinnati to await his trial date. On April 3, ~992, after a week-long trial , at which he was represented by a state appointed attorney, William Jonathan Mayo was found guilty of five counts: ONE BURGLARY CHARGE, TWO ARMED ROBBERY CHARGES AND TWO AGGRAVATED ASSAULT CHARGES. Earlier in the trial the two young men pied guilty for a lesser sem ence and implicated W illiam as the mastermind behind the crime. W illiam J. Mayo was sentenced co two life sentences for armed robbery, two 20 year sentences for the aggravated assault charges, and 20 years probation for the burglary charge; all to run concurrently with each other. William maintained his innocence then and does so roday. During William's trial letters were submitted from college administrators, employers ~d ministers a(testing 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 ofsentence 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 "William had nothing to do with the crime, nor was he aware ofwhat 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 :i. new trial. If William had been granted a new trial based on the testimony of the two young men who had committed the crime, he would have been · relieved of the charges, his conviction would have been overturned, and today W illiam would be a free man. In December 1995, a State Habeas Corpus Evidenriary Hearing was conducted and several witnesses testified again. T he two young men ·testified again under oath in court for a second time. They swore that they lied about William's involvement in the crime that they committed. They made a pu~lic apology to William and his family for the pain and suffering they had caused. In spite ofall the evidence clearing William, the Judge in south Georgia refused to �STREETVIBES release William or even grant him a new trial. William is now thirty-two years old and has been incarcerated in'maximum security · prisons in Georgia for over 7 years. He has been in different prisons and is currently in Phillips State Prison in Buford, Georgia. He has waited patiently for J USTICE to prevail, however the Georgia courts have tried to hide the facts in this case. It was revealed that W illiam's prior four attorneys rendered ineffective representation by their own admission which is documented on transcript. W illiam, his family and supporters h ave finally obtained counsel who realizes the injustices W illiam has suffered and they are presently working very hard to o;erturn his conv1cuon. William's family and friends h ave organized the Justice for WJ.M. Campaign. Mose of the supporters are in Cincinnati bur also in Detroit and Atlanta. We are seeking supporters where ever they may be found. If you believe in justice, YOU are the person we need. William's case bas now been filed in the Northern District Federal Court, Atlanta, Georgia, as of May 22, 1998. H e needs your prayers and support. William wants his tragedy to be heard all over the United States so that no one else has to suffer the injustice he has. As ofJuly 2 1, 1999 the Magistrate C. Christopher Hagy gave his report and recommendation to deny W illiam's Habeas corpus action. As ofAugust 9, 1999, the case sits before the Federal Judge for final review and disposition. Along with the Attorney's reply to the state we were able to fi nally submit documentation that one of the State's key witnesses (William's would be alibi witness) not only testified falsely but also under a false name which the prosecutor knew or should have known at that time. This is only one of many grounds (Constitutional Violations) that Mr. Mayo has brought before the courts over the years. In the Magistrate's R&R report he stated that William had no proof of the above­ mentioned allegation. In August, 1999, through the work of a private investigator we were able to obtain proof ofsuch and h ave submitted it co the Federal Judge along with other grounds that we have had proof of for a long time. William only needs to be successful on one of these grounds in order to get a new trial. It seems that in spite of the truth that has been revealed, the State of Georgia is trying very hard co keep this from happening. If you believe in justice, and are willing co help in any way, please contact: Campaign Chairperson J ustice for WJ.M. Campaign, c/o Ms. Kimberly Todd 1581 Summit Road #53, Cincinnati, Ohio 45237 (513) 761-5452 ******************* Mrs. Elaine Patterson (Mother) P.O. Box 29535, Cincinnati, OH 45229 (513) 281-2256 ********************* Please send letters of encouragement to Mr. William J. Mayo, E/F #296129 Phillips State Prison 2989 W Rockquarry Road, Buford, GA30519 The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page g MUMIA ABU-JAMAL: A CASE OF INJUSTICE "The law will never make men free; it is men who have got to make the law free." -Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience For those of y ou who are familiar with the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, I hope this article will give you an update on his plight. For those of you who are unfamiliar with his case, I hope this story opens your eyes to the kind of injustices that occur in American courtrooms everyday. Mumia Abu-Jamal joined the Black Panther Party in 1967, at the age of fifteen. He went on to a distinguished career as a journalist. Mumia was the president of the Association of Black Journalists.in Philadelphia. He was also known as the "voice of the voiceless" because of his advocacy for Philadelphi a's black community. Because of his outspokenness on issues of racism and police brutality he earned the wrath of the notoriously racist Mayor Rizzo and the Philadelphia police department. On December 9, 1981 Mumia AbuJamal was driving a taxj at night when he saw that his brother had been stopped by the police. starting February 22nd. In a recent study conducted by Law Professor David Baldus and colleagues at the University of Iowa the facts speak for themselves: -The odds of re~ei v ing the death sentence in Philadelphia are four times higher if the defendant is a person ofcolor. -More than 50% of the death sentences rendered in Pennsylvania are cases from Philadelphia, which comprises only 14% of Pennsylvania's population. -Of the 226 death row inmates in Pennsylvania, 126 are from Philadelphia and 82 % of those are people of color. -More than 90% of Pennsylvania's death row prisoners were too poor to afford a lawyer for their initial trial, and were left with whatever representation the state selected for them. -After sending an indi victual to death row, Pennsylvania provides no funds for post­ conviction legal defense, and instead, has appropriated $5 00 ,000 to the Attorney photo by Berta Lambert Free Mumia Rally in Philadelphia He got out of his car to make sure police were not violating his brother's civil rights. In General 's office to establish an execution the altercation that followed, Philadelphia police resource center to oppose capital appeals. officer Daniel Faulkner was shot and killed. -Governor Ridge has sig ned 132 death warrants in his first term in office. This When the police arrived they arrested Mumia Abu-Jamal , who had also been shot. This is more than four times the number of death resulted in the "trial" that even Amnesty warrants signed by all the previous governors International proclaims as unfair and biased. .of the last three decades combined. MumiaAbu-Jamal went to trial in 1982 -Since beginning his second term in for the murder of officer Faulkner. The trial was 1999, he has already ·signed 61 more death presided over by Judge Albert Sabo. Judge Sabo warrants!* is a member of the Fraternal Order of Police These facts alone should be enough to and was openly hostile to the defense. Sabo convince a person that the judiciary and legal refused to let Abu-Jamal represent himself and system in Pennsylvania has been less than fair prevented Mumia's court appointed attorney and unbiased. (who asked several times to be taken off the A Habeas Corpus petition filed by Abu­ case) from getting the money necessary to J amal 's lawyer's, Leomard Weinglass and Dan investigate and prepare a defense. Judge Sabo Williams, has proof of no les s than 29 has sent more people to death row than any other constitutional violations. Any one of these judge in the United States, most of them B lack violations should be enough to prove that Mumia and Latino. There is a higher portion of Black Abu-Jamal did not receive·afair trial. Six fonner people on death row from Philadelphia than Philadelphia prosecutors even swore in court from any other city. In fact, recent evidence documents that no accused defendant can shows that the death penalty is racially skewed receive a fair trial in Sabo' s court. Every witness in Pennsylvania. It has gotten so bad that the that testified against Abu-Jamal in his initial trial Judiciary Committee. of Pennsylvania's Senate have all come forth and said they were coerced is holding hearings on Senate Bill 952, which calls for a two-year moratorium on executions MUMIA Continued Next Page �STREETVIBES Mumia, The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 10 Continued from page 9 by the police to say they saw Mumia shoot officer Fau lkner. Ballistics reports that were not brought forth in court prove that the gun found on Mumia, a .38 caliber weapon, was not the gun that killed officer Faulkner.. He was shot with a .44 caliber weapon. Police did not even bother to do a test on Abu-Jamal's weapon to see if it had been fued. Mumia was last scheduled to die on December 2nd, but thankfuily a stay of execution was granted by the Federal District Court. As stated earlier, a Habeas Corpus was filed by his lawyers that proves that the 29 constitutional violations should warrant a new trial. This does not mean that the fight for Mumia's life is won. Far from it! Please get involved, there are several organizations listed below that would appreciate anyone's help in the movement to free Mu mia Abu-Jamal. Also, I would recommend that you read Mumia's books: Live From D eath Row and D eath Blossoms. His attorney, Leonard Weinglass, also has an excellent book out, In Defense ofMumia, th at I highly recommend. It includes court transc1ipts from his original trial. Here is a list of organizations and people you can contact to make a difference: The Honorable William H. Yohn, Jr., c/o Leonard Weinglass, 6 West 20th Street, Suite lOA, New York, NY 10011 Governor Thomas Ridge phone:717-787-2500, fax:717-772-8284 State Senator Vince Fumom · fax:717-783-5210 State Representative Marie Lederer phone:215-426-6604, fax:215-560-3995 U.S. Representative Chakah Fattah fax:2 15-387-5407 Mayor Ed Rendellm fax:215-686-2180 PA Attorney General Mike Fisher phone:7 l7-787-3391, fax:?l 7-772-4526 Refuse and Resist!http://mojo.calyx.net/ -refuse/mumia, 305 Madison Ave Suite 1166 New York, NY 10165, 212-713-5657 Twin Cities Coalition to Defend Mumia Abu-Jamal, 2441 Lyndale Ave , South Minneapoljs, MN 55405612-649-4579, (http://www. l .minn.net/-meis) International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal , http:// www.mumia.org Or stop in the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and chat with me! .~.. ·· Melissa Samhan Reprinted from IMPACT WEEKLY, Dayton Ohio, January 20-26 issue Montgomery County Cashes in on col lect calls from inmates All state corrections facilities have their own phone service provider. And that provider pays the county in which the facility is located a commission, or "kick-back." The provider for Montgomery County is Ameritech, which paid the county $575, 118 in 1998. Rion said the state of Ohio received $16 million in '98 from various phone companies. "When we discovered that Montgomery County received over $500,000 for 1998 in exchange for allowing a phone company to install a phone in the jail, which is a matter of right anyway, we became highly suspicious," Rion said. "We looked deeper into it and found that the phone companies had more than doubled their rates in the last two years." Although the money goes back into the penal system - Sheriff Haines said it's used for operational costs of the jail - Rion contends that how the money is used doesn't make up for how they received it. We have a situation where we have taken a group of people that clearly don't have a choice. We've seized upon that lack of choice and milked it for everything it's worth," said Rion, who added that he doesn't believe the penal system should be fodder for big business. "We think that when all the information comes out the citizens wil be very.disappointed that our government orga nizations were receiving this amount of money form a group of people that, frankly, doesn't have it. " Greg Dunsky of the Montgomery county Prosecutor's office said the county filed for a dismissal on Jan. 4. He declined further comment. ... .... ..ANGELA WATSON GAY Does $2 .50 seem like an excessive amount to pay for a collect call? That's the average cost to accept a call from the Montgomery County Jail, compared to the $1.10 charge to accept a collect call from any. pay phone in Ohio. "It's just not right," said Dayton attorney Jon Paul Rion, who last month filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of the family and friends of Ohio inmates; lawyers and bail bondsmen are also plaintiffs in the suit. Defendants include the state of Ohio, Oh io counties and their sheriffs' ..offices in which a corrections institution is located, the phone companies that provide service to these institutions, and the Oh io Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. Inmates who want to phone someone - a friend , family member, bondsman or even their attorney - must call collect. They can't use calling cards, long distance services or toll free numbers. "I have an 800 number but the jail blocks out the numbers, forcing them to call collect," bail bondsman Tom Short said. And it's generally the inmates' family or fiends who are stuck paying the bill for collect calls. "A mother can't tell her son who's calling from jail that she can't accept his phone calls, "said Rion. "It goes against her instincts." Ameritech spokesperson Rich Magaini said calls from corrections institutions are subject to- higher rates because "it's a different service; it's specialized and requires special equipment by the corrections agency. It requi res security." He added that Ameritech is simply a "supplier to the corrections facility; the facility decides what to charge. " Montgomery County Sheriff Gary Haines said the county jail's fee is compatible with the standards set by the Public !Jtilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). "It's a PUCO­ approved rate," he said. "The lawsuit is without merit and that's what the courts will find ." ...., . -.~ Anyone interested in participating in this lawsuit, call John Paul Rion at (513) 223­ 9133, or write him at: 1 First National Plaza, Dayton, OH 45401. ~~......,.,.., rat (il\W'a~lfi!W1 tOAl.mqtt fOA rm fl~US PHOTOS BROKiNcrrv ... !. .. ... .. ,. . . BY JIMMY HEATH . Information provided by the Calendars MARK THIS DATE!!! ForSale MARCH 23 Togetyourveryown, send $8 to GCCH ($5forGCCH members), SPEAK-OUT ON TIME LIMITS Thursday, March 23, Noon At the Statehouse (Location TBA) If you are concerned about Ohio's three year time limit for receiving cash assistance, w e need YOU to testify. All legislators wi l be invited to listen to our stories at the Speak­ Out. Call (513) -381-4242 to sign up to speak. t> 20(\or \oi.l ; J\ ' \ · ~ -.,,;;,.;.;~ · 7 A VISUAL TESTIMONY OF THE STRUGGLE IN OVER-THE-RHINE, CINCINNATI 'S INNER CITY 1506 Elm St. Cincinnati 4521 0 orcomedown and pickone up �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Welfare News STOP THE CLOCK CAMPAIGN BEARS FRUIT On February 16, 2000, Rep. Dale Miler of Cleveland introduced HB 578 in the Ohio House. HB 578 extends the Ohio Works First 3-year time limit to receive public assistance (formerlyAFDC) to five consecutive years. The bill calls for a moratorium on time limits if Ohio enters a recession. In addition, the legisfarion makes changes in Ohio's sanction policy by ending a sanction when the recipient complie.." with the work requirement, with a pro-rated check from date ofcompliance. It also restores the adult's portion offood stamp s so ·that no food stamps are cut when a household is sanctioned. Co-sponsors ofthe bill include Rep. Catherine Barrett (Cincinnati), Rep. Roberts, Rep Beatty, Rep. Patton, Rep. Allen, Rep Flannery, Rep. Bender, Rep. Ford, Rep. Krupinski, Rep. Sullivan, Rep. Sani Britton (Cincinnati). Senator C.J. Prentiss ofCleveland plans to introduce similar legislation in the next couple ofweeks. The m?-jority ofstates are allowing poor families the full five consecutive years allowable under the federal government. In addition, some states have chosen to continue providing benefits or vouchers with state funds for families who reach the Federal limit. In contrast, Ohio has chosen to implement one ofthe harsher time li.mit policies in America. Ohio has a three year limit which will end cash assistance for families with children on October 1, 2000. According to the Childreri's Defense Fund-Ohio, 26,000 families are slated to be cut offstarting October l , 2000. Fi.fiy-five thousand children are expected to lose their cash assistance across the state. After being offfor two years, a family may be eligible for another 24 months only if they meet the hardship criteria decided ·by the 88. individual counties. Ohio needs to maintain a safety net to protect the poorest families with children. Because many jobs that recipients are taking are entry­ level, minimum wage jobs, these workers could easily need cash assistance upon job loss or another crisis. No children (or adults) should be deprived ofthe basic essentials oflife: a home, heat in the winter, food, safety from not qaving to sleep on the streets. According to monitoring studies by CatholicSocial Services, National Coalition for the Homeless, and the National Children's Defense Fund, states that have already ended cash assistance report increased homelessness and greater demand Page 11 on soup kitchens and food pantries. Linda Howell-Perrin; a staffmember at Bethany House, a shelter for women and children in Cincinnati, states, "I was able to get a four year degree while I was on public assistance. I was fortunate. This isn't allowed now. Ohio's three year time limit does not allow women time to get a four year degree to be able to get a livable wage job. Single parents won't be able to make it on minimum wage jobs. What is needed is to give these women time to get a good education and learn job skills. You need sufficient time to get adequate job training and/or an adequate education. Welfare reform should be about women getting Livable wage jobs, not sinking further into poverty. J> Lori, who is currently on Ohio ~rks First, shares her story. 'Tm divorced with four children. I was forced to drop out ofcollege and take a minimum wage job to get assistance. My time is quickly running out on Ohio Works First. I will be one ofthe first people to be cut off. My children will be the ones to suffer." The Ohio Empowerment Coalition (OEC), a statewide low-income people's organization, will hold a speak-out on time limits on March 23, Thursday; 5:00 pm at the Statehouse. It will be held in the Ground Floor (central area) ofthe Statehouse. All legislators will be invited to hear testimony from recipients, advocates and others who support HB 578. For transportation to Columbus, or for more information, call the Contact Center at 381-4242. OhioWelfure Policies Questioned January 9, 2000 To: Ohio Legislators: How the Ohio legislature determined that there should be an arbitrary 3-year time limit on OWF recipients receiving benefits within the Federally mandated 5-year time limit and why 3 years, I do not understand. Questions come to mind, such as: Why not 4 years or 2 or 1; why not 42 months or 54 months or 1 month? What is the magic in the number 3 years? Is there a guarantee by Ohio Employment Services and/or a guarantee by the private sector that absolutely all OWF recipients can be moved from welfare to work within 3 years? Can absolutely all OWF recipients be moved from welfare to work within the 3-year time limit in a way resulting in the ex-OWF recipients all actually being better off in terms of income and benefits than previously? Or even as well off? Or wilJ many recipients simply be moved from welfare, but not to work, not to a paycheck, not to benefits of any sort? Or if ro work, then how many to work at the lowest possible pay with no benefits, barely able (or not at all able) to afford childcare; and work having no medical benefits for the worker; and work that pays too low an amount to allow the person to purchase medical insurance? ls this simply setting in motion the first domino of a real ~uman disaster? Maybe even helping to bring on a recession? Or perhaps, considering the magnitude of the task, and the magnitude of the risk, the full 5 years allowed by Federal mandate is a bit more realistic. Just two more thoughts: A large number of churches, soup kitchens, food pantries and other non-profits, since welfare reform, have reported increased numbers of people requiring their help. Isn't this just the first "domino" already pushed by welfare reform and the stated goal "welfare to work"? As the system seems to be working at present, I really must question the stated goal, "welfare to work." I must ask, is the goal more simply just to eradicate welfare, regardless of the long-term human cost, and regardless of the long­ term cost to society? On many fronts that is the present accomplishment. From my personal experience: There exists in Ohio a problem with "d~dbeac dads" working under the ~able to avoid reported in~ome and to avoid child support payments, and this problem is made worse by "deadbeat employers" who employ these "deadbeat dads" knowing that child support is supposed to be withheld from pay but as the employment is under the table the employer avoids the paperwork and bookkeeping and hassles involved in withholding child support. In such cases the employer is as culpable. as the "deadbeat dad". It is rare that either the "deadbeat employers" or "deadbeat dads" are prosecuted, as the existence of under­ the-table employment is hard to prove in court, according to Montgomery County prosecutors. Where the child support not paid affects an OWF recipient, this becomes welfare fraud in reality if not in the letter of the law. Neither at the county level nor at state level is there a task force to deal with the latter problem, although it appears one is sorely needed to aid prosecutors in dealing with this situation, which sometimes is welfare fraud. These are both problems that may eventually haye to be addressed by the legislature in some way. Sincerely, .... Carla Pitsinger �.. ... . ST REE TV I BES -- ~he Tri-State's ----- ---- - - ---- - - ~---~--- ---- Homeless Grapevine HOPE VI PROJECT CONTINUES Cincinnati Metropolian Housing Authority Ignores its Responsibility On February 17, the Lincoln CourULaurel Homes Hope VI Task Force Meeting met at Cincinnati Metropolitan Housin9 Authority's Crosley Commons Auditorium. The purpose of the meeting was to update task force members on the plans for the Lincoln Court/Laurel Homes "community renaissance." Hope VI is a grant program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, aiming to redevelop what it labels as the nation's worst public housing projects. Cincinnati has won two of these grants, for Laurel Homes and Lincoln Cou rt. Both of these communities will be demolished and rebuilt as a mixed-income community. Citing the success of upper-income housing developments in other areas of the West End neighborhood, planners say this project will be of great social and economic benefits to the city, particularly the adjacent downtown area. Many advocates for low-income residents disagree with the glowing praise that this redevelopment project has received. The project may benefit the downtown area, but they wonder what effect the project will have on the current residents of the two communities. In making the two areas mixed-income, over 700 units of low­ income housing will be lost. CMHA has plans to provide for the residents who will be displaced, but advocates say these measures will not work. CMHA proposes the following relocation options: 1. Move temp'Orarily to other on-site housing during construction, move to a newly complet ed apa rtm e nt, or purchase a home on the site. 2. Rent another West End CMHA apartment. 3. Rent a CM HA unit in another neighborhood not in the West End. 4.Receive a Section 8 voucher that would allow one to rent in another neighborhood. 5. Rent in the private market. Donald Troendle, director of CMHA, emphatically asserted that all displaced resident's housing needs would be met. Any resident unable to be placed in other CMHA units would be given a Section 8 voucher that would allow them to rent an apartment in any neighborhood they choose. Homeless advocates say these options will not be enough to absorb the massive displacement that will occur. With over 700 units of low-income housing lost, the advocates believe that there will not be enough housing available. .. .. ' . Even if displaced residents are given Section 8 vouchers, there is no guarantee that landlords will accept them. Homeless shelters are currently housing people who actually have vo uchers but cannot find apartments. Additionally, because Lincoln Court/Laurel Homes residents are bumped to the top of the waiting list for Section 8 vouchers, other low­ income individuals and families will continue to wait for housing. In other words, housing shortages are just being shifted to another group. The Lincoln Court/Laurel Home's ... The poor are being shipped around like they are the property of the city and its public housing authority. .. residents' housing needs may be met, but another group will be left out in the cold . Even if Troendle and CMHA's plan to relocate all displaced public housing residents is successful and all residents find new housing, does this make the plan okay? What message does Hope VI send to the residents of these public-housing communiti~s? CMHA is basically telling the residents that they are worthless. What gives CMHA the right to displace thousands of people, destroying two well-established communities in the process? Can you imagine if 2000 residents of Hyde Park were relocated? It would never happen. The poor are being shipped around like they are the property of the city and its public housing authority. The city, CMHA, HUD, and all involved parties are failing to realize that just because a community is poor doesn't mean it is not a community. With the mass displacement of the 700 units, 2000 people, innumerable community ties, friendships, and family will be split up and scattered across the city. CMHA obviously views these communities as projects, their projects, and not as homes, the homes of people who have the right to remain in them . Last April when tornadoes hit wealthy neighborhoods on the east side of town , the press detailed every aspect of the tragedy. And it was a tragedy- people lost their homes. Why can't Cincinnatians and CMHA see Hope VI in the same light? This time the situation is even worse - thousands of people will be uprooted from their homes and may not be able to find new ones. CMHA is ignoring its responsibility to provide housing for members of the Cincinnati community who need it the most. It is time for them to re-evaluate the Hope VI project. • • • • • Page 12 Street Scopes by Alanna Maloney The Urban Astrologer Pisces Happy Birthday! Triple-check new ventures and party arrangements, or confusion and misunderstandings may result. Universal advice this month is tO focus on finishing existing comm unications projects, rather than scarcing new ones. Be careful of breaking your scuff when you are mad also be wary of impulsive spending. On the other hand you can use this Mars energy co heat up an artistic or financial project. Party with siblings, work on you r car, and maybe even take a trip with your boss, a grandparent, or a m entor. Operatic science fiction, the Internee, and alternative spiritual work can help boost self-esteem and help you adjust in this time of rapid change. Aries The first thing that people notice about you this month is your energy and ambition. Pursue fitness goals especially t0 keep your anger in check. Stay in couch with your desires, and how you plan to have them met or your temper is going co Aare. You may be up for a raise or a gram make sure you are clear with decision makers abouc why you deserve it. Keep school and educational goals on the front burner. You and a m ate may enjoy hanging out with an unusual spi ritual or political group. Your dubs and acquaintance networks would be a good place to find friendship or love this month. Be ready to journal, meditate or see a therapist because things from your past are ready tO surface. This is a yearly pattern and you may want to begin planning around it. y Taurus Its Likely that you will make more money this year, but be careful because its just as likely, you will have more financially obligations. Focus on carefully paying any debt down. You are in a long-term period where out of control debt could become an issue, however you could cake advantage ofopponunities to borrow for important education or travel projects. The same triggers that highlight debt, also highlight taxes. Don't hesitate to get help or educate yourself before doing your taxes. If you do them this month you may need to triple-check them. Face it there are shenanigans and change going on at work. This is the rime where you may discover a sh ocking truth chat will make it clear what action is required. Beware ofgossip and miscommunication coming between you and your groups and goals. Use your intuition and your heart t0 feel your way through anger from the past may surface this month. Beware of headaches. Do yoga or Tai Chi. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevi(Je Gemini If you are in school or dealing with a travel-centered field during rhis period in your life you may be facing nearly constant innovations and reversals. This month use raw artistic charm and self-esteem to make it through. You could find a date or a new buddy in an educational or exotic cultural environment this month. Beware of miscommunication on the job front this month. Buckle down and finish old writing projects. T hii:ik about your goals, and group affiliations. It is important to know and get what you want to avoid unexpected angry outbursts. Visionary and spiritual opportunities are developing throughout the year bur don't let unexpected delays throw you. . Page 13 Self-expressive projects and communication with children need double-checking and reworking ~his month. Beware of anger on the job front, you really need to get in couch with your needs and desires to avoid headaches and stomach upsets. When you have decided what you want feel free co pursue it. Be patient with delays in wedding p lans, romance and partnerships this year. Also watch ou t for overspending but do press your financial luck. You may enjoy quiet evenings with friends or a mate at home this mooch. Even if unusual things continue to happen there. If you aren't publishing or getting paid for your writing or communication skills continue to work on your options. Sagittarius Cancer A friend may give you an opportunity to fix your taxes, or go on an occult study trip. Now could be a good time to make school or travel plans that require vision but this month triple-check any communication in these areas and if you can avoid signing on the dotted line 'til after the 14th: Headaches at work will signal unresolved anger or unmet needs. Be clear with yourself first, then aggressively pursue what you want. Your acquaintance network, groups and goals can bring opportunity this year but be prepared for inexplicable no fault delays. Don't forget that Chinese medicine and alternative treatment like Holism could profoundly change your health during this period. The Sun shines on your home life this month, but be patient in communicating with family and look out for miscommunication especially with your father. Workout, pursue a sport, express yourself Embrace your anger and expect that your needs will be met. Be patient with stops and starts on the job front this year. For every opportunity there may well be an unavoidable delay. Remember that others may be intimidated by your personal and psychic power during this period of your life. You need to learn ways to use and channel so that it doesn't work against you. You may develop romance or friendships from phone calls and short trips or through a sibling. But be methodical and safe for communication in these areas is stalled for you until the 14th. Leo Capricorn If you are feeling methodical go do your taxes. It is a good time to finish Make extra time to communicate clearly with siblings and car _mechanics this month. Beware of anger on the home • • • • • front. Think about your needs so you can meet them. Self-expressive projects and relationships with children are experiencing both expansion and unexpected delays this year. Be patient. You may get a break from the strange changes going on financially. Artistic or creative projects may really be satisfying. You may come upon a windfall or at least have enough money left over to invest in a good cause. · what you started but also a time where your contracts, loans, and taxes have to be triple checked if you aren't already close to finished it may be prudent co wait 'til after Mercury goes direct on the 14th. Think about any unresolved anger about education and travel. Now is a good time to envision how you are going co gee what you want and need in these areas. You really might be athletically motivated all month. Give into it! Conrinue to expect combinations of opportunity and uncontrollable delay on the work front, try to be Zen about ir all. Interesting things are bound to happen to your career in May. Enjoy unusual romantic dates or parties this month! Virgo Double-check all romantic communication this month. Be on the lookout for misunderstandings in partnerships. Things should clear up by the 14th. Think about what you really want and need spiritually and sexually, or your anger may make you do something rash. Expansion and delay play havoc with your educational and travel plans be patient. You may also enjoy love or friendship on the job. You can really look good at work this month in the face of radical changes. Feel good about your role and insist that you are valued. Libra Communication is stalled at work this month. Triple-check and focus on finishing extant intellectual projects. If you fo llow your instincts and give your uber-logjc a rest you can really shine at work. Beware of anger surfacing in partnership this month. You know what your partner needs and have probably taken care of that, but until you address your needs it will be one headache after another. Inheritance, legal issues and taxes are in a weird expansion and contraction cycle- lucky days are followed by delays. Be patient. Don't fo rget to finish writing projects that you've already started. They are important. You really may need a spiritual retreat or romantic getaway this month. Scorpio Aquarius Be clear and double check your work when communicating about fmances this month. You may be able to fund a visionary idea. Rash commun1cat1on or driving can be avoided if yo u remai n aware of your needs, and the causes of your anger. _.Family life and home . . improvement projects are lucky one day and delayed th e next, be patient. You can continue making innovations in your approach especially in the use of technology to show your best face to the world. You could make new friends or a love match while making a new scene this month. Astrological Holidays Sorry everyone! I neglected co warn everyone last month that Valentine's day is an astrologically incorrect holiday! "I forgot the flowers, the jewelry, and the hotel reservations .. ." it happens to all of us on this ill-fated holiday. Since Victorian times this holiday has become increasingly associated with our tenderest feel ings for our romantic mate. What a big mistake! While Aquarius is an excellent month to celebrate our love for our fellow humans on the universal level through things Uke social work, politics and history, it's a lousy time to celebrate our love for any one individual. Unless, you have major planets in Leo (which Aquarius can really kick up a notch) to avoid that "date with the absent minded professor feeling"-your best bet is the "greeting card" holiday Sweetest Day. It falls in Libra the month of partnership and harmonious marriage. You can find Alanna at Sitwell's Coffee House at 404 Ludlow Ave. from 9pm to Midnight on Tuesday nights. Astrology and Tarot are available by appointment at the Occult Shop 471-5200 or by E-mail at psi_chic@hotmail.com. �STRE.ETVIBES The Tri-State'~ Homeless G~apevine ·Page ·14 Words from the Evangelist.... On February 12, 2000 I traveled to Akron, Ohio, the city of my birth. I went for the purpose of tending my Grandmother's headstone, and burning incense to the Lord in memory of her. She would have been 86 years old on Valentine's Day. She was a woman who truly knew what the love of God was, and how to share it. She shared it with me, and it saved my life. No, I am not here to tell you about myself, or my Grandmother. God bless her memory. Yes, I am here to tell you about the love of God, and how its is being shared at the Haven of Rest Ministries and impacting lives for Christ. The experience of trudging through snow and removing frozen leaves from headstone after headstone, until finally I found my Grandmother's, was such an experience! I received memorable images of her and the many ways she shared God's love. The experience was so fulfilling that my next stop, an unplanned one, was Haven of Rest Ministries. This ministry had expanded since my leaving Akron in 1978. I wanted to see how it measured up to the Word of God. I was greeted by Scott Campbell, the Evening Chaplain. I introduced myself; asking Mr. Campbell if a tour of the facilities and an interview were possible . He informed me there were no administrative staff available as it was Saturday, and they normally handled interviews and such; however, he did suggest I return for the evening Chapel Service. Now you must understand how God was totally in control of the following events, because beyond tending to the headsone I had made no definite plans for my visit to Akron. I returned to Haven of Rest around 6:15 p.m., and at first watched men entering at a side entrance. Just as men enter the Chapel door of the City Gospel Mission each evening for a Chapel Service and a meal. Yet when I entered I could see a man at a computer in the corridor, and the men in line being checked in by picture identification. Some were there for the. Word and a meal, and others were there for a bed as well. Upon my return February 13, 2000, I entered the well lit Chapel and did not feel the . sullen silence and despondency which I experienced at City Gospel Mission . There were quiet conversations going on as music played softly. Men and women moved to and fro in greeting. The staff and volunteers seemed to be everywhere with a smile or kind word. I could feel His Presence. I knew I was in His Presence because my spirit soared within, and I felt as the psalmist when he .wrote: "Let us come before His Presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms." (Psa 95:2) After watching in amazement I saw Mr. Campbell coming my way. We greeted one another, and after a little small talk about why I had come, he introduced me to Terry Thigpen . Terry is a 38 year old man from Cleveland,.Ohio who came to Haven of Rest, leaving behind employment at Hopkins Airport, to work on his addiction and relationship with Christ. His quiet reserve at first made him cautious and thereby hesitant to speak to me, a questioning stranger. Then I handed him a copy of STREETVIBES, August 1998. It was opened to the last page where I am the vendor profiled. The Christ who had changed this man began to shine through when he recognized me as a brother who had been through the fire, and by the grace of God had come through to encourage people such as himself. He began to tell me how he progressed to the stage of intern in the resident rehabilitation program , a program which he has been in six months, one month as an intern. Terry describes the Haven of Rest Ministries as "God-sent," for the help they gave him in establishing a relat:ionship with Christ and the daily help they give men, women, and children - 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Terry told me there are 18 men in the program, and despite personality clashes at the fellowship during Bible Studies, basketball 1 err: higpr games and daily work asignments, all display the love of God. He said, "NA and AA Programs are okay, but here at Haven of Rest I have received a sure cure --a personal relationship with Christ. That is how I overcame my addiction." Scripture says that he who has Christ has overcome the world (I John 5:4,5), so why not an addiction? I had gotten all I could from Terry, so I thanked him and he returned to his duties. My· attention was then drawn to the Chapel, for we had been sitting in a large foyer at the back entrance. While talking with Terry, the Chapel service had begun and I had shut out the singing and praise; but I now allowed it to engulf me. The voices of men and women blended as one; and had I not known, I would have thought I was in the congregation of a church in one of our Ohio suburbs. I say this because often the services held for our less fortunate brothers and sisters lack the spirit of praise and rejoicing which I heard on this evening. It was obvious to me that someone had been spreading the love of God, and was impacting lives for Christ. When I arrived Sunday morning I found Mr. Campbell at the client services center, and to my amazement there was +a day room for homeless men and women , a clothing distribution center, laundry facilities, shower rooms and most of all the opportunity to feel the love of God. Mr. Campbell informed me the Day Shelter had been built in 1993, and usually there are 60 to 100 men and women in the day room. They do not have to roam the streets or city parks. They come to the Day Shelter where they can read, watch television, wash clothes, exchange clothes from one of two bags they can store at the center, and just live as people do in their own homes. If an individual wishes to stay for an extended period they can make a contract with the center to save so much of their earnings, and when they leave the full amount is returned to them. In this way the men and women can get ahead. I saw the dorms which could hold 100 men, and 40 extra mats if needed. I saw a clothing room as big as any Goodwill I have been in, and these items were all free. Men, women, and children could come once a month and get 4 items, which are stored in a huge warehouse after being delivered via the donation drive-thru. Mr. Campbell then took me to Haven of Rest Ministries main building which houses its administrative offices, chapel, food service facilities, housing for men enrolled in the resident rehabilitation program, and a computer enhanced learning center. The more I saw the more I marveled at the hand of God, because when Charles Curtis Thomas, Sr. began this ministry in his basement on a budget of $35, only ·God knew his mission; but it is certain Mr. Thomas and many others learned before long that his mission was to impact lives for Christ. Now with 85 paid staff, over 600 volunteers, and total support and revenue for the 1997-1998 fiscal year at $5,022,246, the· Haven of Rest Ministries has come from a very humble beginning to become the largest private social service agency in Akron and the neighboring seven-county area. Help is available without charge to any person, and this is made possible not by any government resources, but individual donors: churches, foundations, and the corporate community. 80% of this revenue goes directly to programs and services. I have read many an organization's statement of purpose, but when I read Haven of Rest's purpose (to serve and glorify God through a Christ centered outreach of love and compassion that responds to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of disadvantaged men, women, and children without regard to their race, color, creed, or social standing), I could feel in my spirit that this purpose had in it the power to impact lives for Christ. Thus, when Mr. Campbell responded that haven of Rest Ministries has a 100% success rate, because each person who comes whether by referral or walk-in is in some way impacted by the gospel of Christ, I could agree with him. I had seen the impact on the homeless at chapel and in the day room. I had talked with men in the program , I had talked with staff, and I had seen services from laundry facilities to a 1a-computer learning center. I also learned that one of our very own; Eugene Cannon, was one of the the first to graduate from Haven of Rest's Career Development Program. I send my congratulations to Eugene, because he was in the New Life Program at City Gospel Mission when I worked there and I always knew he left too early, but by the grace of God he has persevered ...... Returning to Cincinnati. ........ March is here, and the much requested Bible Study is about to begin. If you have not reserved a seat yet, call 210-4181 while there are still vacancies. We shall begin discussing how to release the power within us, so we can all impact lives for Christ. If you are searching for my web page, hang in there; I will be back on line soon. In His Service, RodneyL. Sutton, Sr. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Tales from across the river Life on the River and Life in an Apartment I lived on the River for a short time; I've lived on the streets from time to time; and I didn't tint it much different, except instead of a box or a dumpster, I had a tent which I gave $10.00 for. Life on the River was special; I made some good friends and met some really special people. While on the river, I found I couldn't cook, unless it was over a candle. I didn't have heat to keep warm on those really cold days or nights. It was hard to save money because I got myself candles and an oil lamp for light and heat. I drank pop when it wasn't frozen , and could only eat things that were canned and pre-cooked. After freezing for a few weeks, I decided to put back a little money each day from working in order to get a place to live. Finally I saved enough. Once I moved into my apartmnet, I took a good hot bath. And the pleasures of what a lot of people take for granted started happening to me. It's a good feeling being able to cook a hot meal, to be able to take a hot bath whenever you want. Or just having a warm, dry place to ca ll home. To be able to sit back after a day's work, watch T.V. and take it easy. I plan on keeping this apartment for along time. It's a good feeling to be able to have something and fix it up nice. I've had friends I met at work and other people give me towels, silverware, dishes, coffee cups, coffee makers, sheets, pillows, furniture, etc., the list goes on and on, plus what I find on the streets. Some weeks I don't make enough to pay my rent, so I pawn things to pay my bills; but with the help that God gives me, I always make it right. Also, having a good landlord helps. I now feel better about myself. Now my goal is finding a full time steady job. Pag e 15 Contact Us, Write Us! We welcome input from our readers. Send your letters and editorial comments to: STREETVIBES: 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Email: streetvibes@juno.com Fax: Attention Streetvibes, (513)421-7813 photo by Berta Lambert "Dutch" Rev. Rick Dalton VENDOR PROFILE Earlene Moreland and Grady Cook This is an update on two of our best Streetvibes vendors. Earlene and Grady are celebrating their third anniversary with Streetvibes. They are very dedicated to the paper and have contributed a lot of their time getting the word out about Homelessness. They are always willing to give a helping had to someone that needs it. We have received a lot of very positive comments from our readers about Grady and Earlene. I call them Bonne & Clyde because they are always busy passing the word to the fortunate to help the unfortunate, which are the homeless. Keep up the good work, Grady and Earlene, alias Bonnie and Clyde, the Streetvibes Bandits. Best Wishes, Ron Carter, Vendor C. E.O. photo by L emuel Homeless Coalition visits Ursuline Academy As a new member of the Coalition and also as a new vendor, I would like co elaborate on my first visit co this school. Earlene Moreland and I were chosen to sell papers at Ursuline Academy. Our hose was Todd Forman, and we were made extremely welcome by all. The time was spent very well. We made Valentine Cards for shutOin and elderly persons at rest homes. The atmosphere was extremely heart-warming for me because it b rough t back memories of my days ac Our Lady of Mercy, wh ich I attended years ago; now the building is a Job Corps building. After closing down shop, we were invited co talk wich che senior class about whatever experience we could share. G ina Miller (the Homeless Coalirion's co-director) and Ron Career (vendor CEO), joined us as well. This wcnc well, especiall} tor mo: I got to share .1l>out my t p•riencc of being homeless and my 'iews 011 ho\\ important eduC:.ltion is as I kne\\ things now as a emor Citiz n. Thanks, Todd, for an enjoyable day! girl~! An<l Lunch wa~ gn~ac . Also. thank you, ........ Pat Mitchell �PULSE OF THE OTR NEIGHBORHOOD In early January of this year, I was listening to WCIN radio talk show "1480 Talk" and a person named Otis Childres was speaking about a build ing on Pleasant Street in Over The Rhine that was given a demolition order by the director of Building Inspections for the City of Cincinnati. Mr. Childress wanted to below: Findlay Market Pleasant Street -- this secure his property to plt.i:Jntial /ow-incom develop a business there. ti elfing is now ~ ·*· Building Inspections refused molished to reverse the demolition order. They even offered Mr. Childress a demolition without charge if he couldn't afford to hire his own crew to tear down the building. This he also refused. In later February, the building (see photo below) was leveled, anyway. I believe the city demolished this building to expand Pleasant Street for Findlay Market. There is no longer any low income or Even Tom Jackson, who works for the section 8 Housing on Elder Street in the City ard manages Findlay Market, admitted Market area because of development and that one reason for the demolition was that expansion for Findlay Market. I am afraid that City workers complained that they couldn't further expansion of the Market means further safely widen Pleasant Street with the building loss of low income housing in Over the Rhine. standing. .. .... Sonny Williams NOTES FROM C.O.P.E. ls it possible that the source of socio­ po l i ti cal change is the change in awareness that comes about as humans engage in sincere spiritual practice? Through meditation, done regularly and with pure intentions, an individual can awaken their powers of intuition and insight. This awakening not only brings about a vision of a higher ideal, it also creates a reaction of discontentment with th e present reality. This moment of insight and ensuing discontent is the starting point towards socio-political change. The inner awareness ach ieved creates the catalyst char drives the discontented one into action to bring the ideal into conformity with the inner vision. What action, then, does one rake to bring the ideal into concrete reality?. What do we do-as a people-to express this new state of awareness in economic and political terms? How can the awareness brought about through sincere spiritual practice be translated into institutions designed fo r the betterment of the people? The actual building of working structures designed to provide for the material and spiritual needs of the people in a new way is what our goal is. In ·order to manifest the ideal one must perform acts of mind over matter. One must engage in operations that have distinct principles and laws chat must be followed. Very few seem to be aware of these laws as they retain the name Mysteries. To those who Know there's nothing mysterious about making the .' ideal real. Some would call this the Process ofManifestation. When a group of aware individuals collaborate one-pointedly, nothing can stand in the way of the attainment of the group ideal. First of all it is important to be aware th at: Anything that is conceivable is achievable! Secondly, one must be willing to follow through from the conception of the vision to completion of the manifesting form . Thirdly, one must be willi~g to maintain the form as long as needed to fulfill its purpose of manifestation. Lastly, once its meaning fa no longer useful, one must be willing to abandon the form to build a better and more useful one. It is a co ntinuous process of growth and developmen t. T he discipline needed for this process of manifestation is not for the weak­ hearted. Only through strict discipline will we as a people change the conditions we live in and build a new, living society in contrast to the old, dying one which is rife with racism, sexism a~d exclusionism. As for those labled unemployable, unwanted or unhelpable by the "powers that be", we must be ready and able to provide alternative ways and means for .our collective empowerment. Before beginning on this quest of creating the Ideal Reality one must ask at least a few questions: 1. What is really important in this current state of physical beingness? 2 . Who am 1? 3. Who do 1 chink I am? 4. Am I all that I ought to be? 5. What type of relationships will we actively maintain while creating the Ideal Reality? The answers to these questions provide the psychological perspective ~ecessary for engaging in the process of creating the Ideal Reality. Another aspect in this process is to vitalize your spiritual and mental functions while channeling your emotions positively. We must understand that we · own our actions and our responses to stimuli. In other words, as Funkadelic says, "If you don't like the effect, don't produce the cause!". Ultimately we need to determine what kind of person we want to be and bridge the gap between private and public life while moving towards total integration of our selfhood. Ask yourself which of these .3 people you want to be: A person that makes things happen; a person that lets things happe.µ; or a person that wonders what's happening? Remember that the greatest conspiracy is the action ofdoing nothing! In the end (or beginning) we all must answer to each other because we become one with that Spiritual Power chat permeates the Universe when we come together-as a people-co improve our condition and positively express ourselves in whatever manner we choose. ..... Community OfPracticing Eclectics (C. 0.P.E.) �. STRIETVIBES . ~. ~· . . ; The Tri-State's Homeless. .G rapevine .,. . . . : News from the mother ship Honieless Prevail in Federal Court and CLEVELAND: Stop Sidewalk Sweeps Three homeless individuals and the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless settled with the City of Cleveland to stop the sweeps of homeless people from the sidewalks. This_ means that City officials can not use disorderly conduct statutes against hom eless peo pl e who are sleeping, eatin g, ·walking or sitting on the sidewalk. Th ree individuals cam e forward to assure that others would no t be threatened with a rres t for being homeless. Cornell Carter, Law Director for the City of C leveland said in a December 23, 1999 press co nference, "It is clear t hat the city's en force m ent effort is not o nly legal it is humanitarian." -The three individuals and rhe many other affidavits that the Coalition for the Homeless took show a more inhumane treatment of people who look transient. O ne in dividual was p·ut in custody for accepting food on the sidewalk. Another was told by police that he co uld not be walking on the sidewalk after 9 p .m. and had to get into shel ter. One individual, Ro nald Russell, was cold ro move along 12 times as he greeted people in the morning at rhe welfare building with a friendly "good morning." The police officer told him chat he was no longer wekome in the area. Another individual, Jaso n Maiden, was told he had to keep moving or he would be arrested. The su it brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Coalition fo r t he Homeless is aimed at stopping the threat of arrest by City officials for the crime of using rhe sidewalk wh ile homeless. The City of Cleveland agreed to a court supervised consent decree to prevent the case from going to trial in federal court. The Mayor claimed that they are just enforcin g ex isting laws and atte mpting to help homeless people in a press conference at First Church. A federal judge had extended a temporary restraining order through the trial date, which exempted the D owntown area. The conse nt decree does not include any exempted areas or limit the protectio ns to only homeless peo pl e downtown. Affidavi ts from experts in the communiry show a lack' of adequate housing in this Cicy and a lack of an adequate safety . ' . ' . Page 17 net. Jim Schlect, outreach worker of Care Alliance, said in his affidavit that h e was concerned about people being push ed off of the public sidewalks and disappearing. It is dangerous for a person with a chronic heal th problem to be out of more pub lic areas . If an emergency happens and no one is around to call for an em ergency vehicle an individual may die under a bridge. The other concern is that homeless people who sleep off of t he public areas will be targeted as has happened in Toledo. Six older homeless people were killed over the last four months who stay under bridges. The Mayor had rejec ted a similar secclement offer by the ACLU in December. The America n Civil Liberties Union was scheduled to begin depositions of police and city officials 24 hours befo re the consent decree was announced. Plaintiffs expected t he police to verify all of the facts put forward by the ACLU in the lawsuit. It was anticipated that the police would confirm that the genesis of the policy was in City Hall, and that it was a stretch co tie the policy to existing laws in the C ity Code. The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the H omeless and the NAACP of Cleveland brought in Rev. Al Sharpton of New York into Cleveland for a celebration of the victory over the. City of Cleveland. On February 10, at the C leve land Free Stamp nex t co C ity Hall homeless people gathered to highlight the victory in federal court, and announce that they will continue to monitor the situation . • • • Over-the Rhine Landmarks Defaced ..... photos by Berta Lambert Bushes that used to provide green in Washing­ ton Park, were not-so-mysteriously removed in February by the Cincinnati Park Board The Denuded Landscape of Washington Park, another testimony to the City's igno­ rance of the principal of local~ontrol (Community self-determination) CORNER OF 13th and VINE: Unknown Vandals have left these 1O ­ year-old murals without a face. Let us hope that the Cincinnati School board's newest inner city centralization plan doesn 't do the same thing to the children of Over-the-Rhine. Above and Right : AFTER Left: BEFORE Murals painted at the corner of 13th and Vine graced this otherwise drab facade for 10 years �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine ·····stoLEXl nvts:··~ ·~~~· ~·~ti~~~ii~ ·cii~i;i·b~i~ci ·b~·~k: ··~~~t~i·~~· th~ ··· stories of_several Cincinnati victims, including Michael Carpenter, who was killed by two district 5 police officers. To obtain copies, send in the order form below. . . . .. ............................................................................ . STOLEN lf\/ES, 2nd edi_tion Order Form : Stolen Lives is a joint project of the October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, · the National Lawyers Guild, and the Anthony Baez Foundation. u\ o~· Number of Books Cost per Book Sub-total $15 for I-9 books $7 for 10 or more (# of books) X (cost per book) Shipping & Total Hand.ling <QO ·o~ . . ,. e~ 6.,,... '!> ~ 6e 1J.r:,e '1,.~ ~" G "~ 1-" #of books Special Std. Mail .. 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100 Amtrak $2 $3 $4 $5 $32 $45 $59 $72 $86 $99 $117 $144 $171 $198 $230 $257 $284 1-2 3-4 5-6 7-9 1.0 Priority Mail $9 $12 $15 $18 $21 $24 $30 $36 $42 $48 $57 $63 $69 . : : . : .: Type of Shipping (check one): D Special Standard Mail (U.S. only) • Can take up to 2 weeks) 0 $35 $35 $35 $45 $45 $45 $45 $52 $60 $68 $77 $85 Ship to: _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ -Phone number: Priority Mail (2-3 days) (U.S. only) : D Amtrak (call us first) (U.S. only) 0 International (Surface Mail) for • ALL destinations outside the U.S. : $2 per · book for any size order Make check of money order payable to "IFCO/Oct. 22 Coalition." Write "Stolen Lives" and the number of books ordered in the memo line. Additional tax-deductible contributions are always welcome. • · Mail to: October 22 Coalition PO Box 2627 New York, NY 10009 Any questions? Call us at 212-477-8062 fax: 212-477-8015 In Ohio, Call the local chapter ofthe October 22 Coalition at: 513-241-8014 ..... . ....... ................ ...... . .. ... .. ... . . ....... ...... .. . . ... . . . .. .. ..... . . Streetvibes VENDORS' NEWS The Latest Vendors Meeting - Friday, Feb. 18, was a great success, thanks to a lot of input from vendors. Stay tuned forthe next meeting -- Friday, March 10. Don't miss the opportunity to sign up to work one of the sites where vendors are specifically invited to sell papers - Bellarmine Chapel at Xavier University, Ursuline Academy in Blue Ash , First Unitarian Church on Reading in Avondale, Xavier University, or the University of Cincinnati. We have a new free-paper incentive system , due to the tightening of finances and the goal of the paper to break even. Starting in March, There will be no weekly bonuses, only a monthly bonus of 50 papers if you sell more than 300. You can still get free papers for submitting stories, poetry, art work, or photography that is used in Streetvibes, the number subjectively dependent upon how much the editor needs your stuff at the moment. (usually from 10 to 50 papers [more for front page story w/photos]) Free pape~s also given for tips leading to stories. If you want to take photos for Streetvibes, you can obtain the use of a disposable camera at the Homeless Coalition office. We presently have three computers dedicated to Streetvibes production, so there is space available for typing stories. Good Luck, and thanks for making Streetvibes the success tha~ it is! - '" '1 ··-'"'· . .............. ........ ---­ Page 1a �"~.- :-·_ STREETVliES . , . : . The~~;1r1-.~~~-te's·.· .. Hof.nefiJ~s~.:-'!J(C!Pfi~fri~ - ~·- ~ .·:,._·:-.~~ge, :·- 7~. ·:. - . .[.. ........ ' , ... l .• -.," . • - ·' ' " . '- .i •• ~ • • Streetvibes'TV covers news on poverty, homelessness and related issues. If you would like to be a part of the audience, or if you have ideas _ for future shows, call us at 421-7803 Streetvibes Live Radio Hour Tune in to WAIF 88.3 fm! on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The Education: Bachelor's Degree preferred. Experience: Organizing skills, experience with homeless people or desire to work with fragile populations, administrative experience, fund-raising experience, leadership qualities. A strong desire to work on constructing a project to protect the rights of homeless people. Skills: Basic computer skills in word processing and/or data processing helpful, and communication skills are important. Working Hours: 40 hours/week. No more than one weekend per month; no more than two evenings per week. Project ends one year after start date. Second year possible. Compensation: About $728 per month with Medical insurance. and $4,700 education award or smaller cash stipend, after a year of ser­ vice in VISTA. STREETVIBES Classified Execut ive Director position avail­ able at the Greater.Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Send resume and cover to Mary Burke, GCCH Co-Chair, 220 E. Clifton Ave., Cincinnati 45210, (51 3) 369-0004 Wanted , Items for Sale, Apartments for Rent and other non-personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approximately ten words per line. People below the poverty level will be given five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Call 421 -7803 for more information Mail the ad copy, or deliver, to : GCCH, 1506 Elm Street ,Ci ncinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813, or e-mai l t o streetvibes@juno.com Rapid Exit assists families and individuals in moving rapidly from homelessness to permanent housing for more information contact The Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless: 421 -7803 To apply: Contact Susan Knight at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (421-7803) , or NEOCH 2012 West 25th ST. #717 Cleveland, Ohio 441 13, FAX 241-1047 For further information or to obtain an application, call 241-1104 S1Jl£EMBIS and ask for Prisoners News Melissa Samhan contains the writings ofpersons incarcerated in ournation'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 ANOT H ER CLASS PRODUCTION Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 e-mail: jonesacp@tbol .net Crop Circles ... . ... -·· - . . .(5}~)}~~:~-~.?.~ . . .•.•.·-·.·. (See Front Page article, January Streetvibes) Gina Miller, former Rapid Exit housing specialist at the Greater Cincinnati Coaltion for the Homeless, has decided not to accept this GCCH Cincinnati-based position, So ---It's still available! Qualifications: Homeless Coalition's live radio program. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Wh itehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Streetvibes accepts Classi­ fietl Ads for items such as Help Homeless Civil Rights VISTA position still open Sendyour comments and quest ions to streetvibes@juno.com mail : STREETVIBES, 750 6 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 452 70 _ �ST REETV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES . . TV Schedule · - Ir • - • Check us out, We 're on TV! The Streetvibes TV Show is producea at the facilities of Media Bridges (Cincinnati Community Video), 2114Reading Road, Cincinnati Ohio. If you would lik~ to be a part of our live studio audience please call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 for more information. StreetvibesVendor code Volunteers Needed! Each vendor has to sign the followtng code to beable to sell thepapei: Streetvibes is looking for volunteer writers, reporters, photographers, etc. interested in serving on t he Streetvibes Editorial Board. For more information, please call the office at 1. Sireetvi.beswillbedistributedfora$1 VOIW1tary denatlon. I agree not to askfor donations more than $1. I also understand that! will be able to keep 80cents ofeach dollar collected. Future tssues ofSbretvlbes will be purcllasedfium the Homeless Coalition for20 cents. 2. ragree thatI will never distribute Sireetvibes while tmder fue influence of drugs oralcohol 3. I agree thatI will notaskfordonatlons after 12 ~ 4. I agree to treat others with respect I will not use abusive language orforce.som eone to f!jve a donation I will notf!jvea "hard sell" ormakesomeonefeel threat­ en:rl Broadcast Dates for February's Show on Channel 24: (Please check your schedule) Saturday, March 41h, at 5 PM Tuesday, March 14th, at 1 O PM Saturday, March 18th, at 5. PM Tuesday, March 28, at 10 AM Thursday. April 6, at 10 AM 5. I agree that! will notsupply copies of Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distrtbutors. 6. I agree notto deceive the public bysayingthatI amcollecttngforanot-for-profttcbarityorthatiam collecting for the "homeless~ in general. I willbe honest in statingthat all the profits from the sale ofStreetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. Iagreethatlwillnotcontesttenitorteswtth · otherdi.strtbutors. 8. I understand thatStreetvibes strtves to be aSelf­ supportingpaper created bypeoplewhoarehomeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and wrtte stories ifpossible. . 9. Iunderstandthatfailuretocomplywithanyof the above statements will result inmenolonger being able todi.stiibuteStreebibes. Page 20 421-7803 .I 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 ... O Supplies for vendor's lounge (coffee, cups, paper towels, cream and sugar, etc.) Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory, 0 Photography Help of all sorts for Streetvibes- photographers, film, developm , 1~n:Ugitalcam e ra ?) -----:.... 0 Streetvibes has a minimal overhead costs so that the vendors can keep­ as much of the proceeds as possible. If any on e selling Streetv ibes c laims to b e collecting for a private c hari ty, please c all o ur office at 421-7803. Thanks for your support. el orWa 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 tne Homeless. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Womens Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 431-8717 Welcome House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veteran s) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America SHELTER: Both Caracole {AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfaith Hospitality Network 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 471-1100 Advertisers and Subscribers ~ 0 Computers/components (monitors, hard drives, etc.) for story-writing, editing, research, and f uY,.re home­ less co ter-.lab--__,_­ If you can help!, contact us at: Streetvibes, clo Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 ph: (513) 421-7803, fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com to Help? Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John's Temporary Housing 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Wom en 0 .0 .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 721-4580 632-7149 241 -0504 369-0004 381 ~ 1171 639-7056 961-4555 241-7343 961-4663 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Community Center 241-2563 Freestore/Foodbank 241-1064 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 621 -7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721 -4811 Oral Health Council 621-0248 Our Daily Bread Peaslee Neighborhood Center Travelers Aid United Way VA Homeless Program Women's Crisis Center Women Helping Women 621-6364 621-5514 721-7660 721-7900 572-6226 491-3335 872-9259 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2000 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 2000 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 March 2020 Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Homeless Census Set for March: Three-day effort will attempt to count the homeless in Cincy Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 3: Homelessness in America: Why Are the Numbers Increasing? Pg 4: Presidential Election 2000: Where’s the Democracy? Pg 5: International News Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 8: Prison News Pg 9: Prison News Continued: Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Case of Injustice Pg 10: Prison News Continued: Mumia Abu-Jamal: A Case of Injustice The Broken City Pg 11: Welfare News Pg 12: Hope Vi Project Continues Street Scopes Pg 13: Street Scopes Continued Pg 14: Words from the Evangelist Pg 15: Tales from the Across the River Pg 16: Notes from C.O.P.E. Pg 17: News from the Mother Ship: Cleveland: Homeless Prevail in Federal Court and Stop Sidewalk Sweeps Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gina Miller Susan Knight Tom Billman John Halpin Jess Ballew Ron Carter Warren Perkins Melissa Samhan Donald Whitehead Drew Miller John Halpin Tom Billman Lynn Williams Tyrone Smith Melissa Samhan Ryan Mo Better Azariah Israel Alanna Maloney Dutch Dalton Sarah Gallant Jess Ballew Rodney Sutton Lashanda Damien Minor Aaron Pitchford Carla Pitsinger Sonny Williams Berta Lambert Lemuel Isreal Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aaron Pitchford Alanna Maloney Arts & Poetry Astrology Azariah Israel Berta Lambert Carla Pitsinger Census Cleveland Damien Minor Democracy Donald Whitehead Drew Miller Dutch Dalton Editorials & Letters Evangelists Federal Courts Injustice Inmates International news Iraq Jess Ballew John Halpin Landmarks Lashanda Lemuel Isreal Lynn Williams Melissa Samhan Over-the-Rhine Presidential Election prisoners news protest Rodney Sutton Ryan Mo Better Sarah Gallant Sonny Williams the broken city The Traveler Tom Billman Tyrone Smith welfare news William J. Mayo https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/0fddc305685aa17f4d3553399f41b9b4.pdf 340148de42cd57771af867cb81c397b8 PDF Text Text arrived. None of us were ready for what Kunzel would pull from his bag of tricks that day. Spontaneous Demonstration Erupts Kunzel Meeting is Circus of Deception and Exclusion by Patrick "Tree" Mosolf The struggle b o etween Erich Kunzel's Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Complex (GCAEC) and the Drop Inn Center has taken strange new turns recently. KLi[lzel and his Board have been making increasingly warlike gestures even after saying the Drop Inn Center does not need to be moved in the first phase of construction. The real casualty in the process has been any sense of democracy, whi'ch is so important if we are to have a jµst society. Background The Drop Inn Center first began to fight Kunzel's plan to move the School for Creative and Pe~rforming Arts into the Washington Park area 15 months ago when the GCAEC architects revealed that 3 out of 4 plans would involve moving the Drop Inn Center. After 12 months of grassroots organizing by the Drop Inn community, an article appeared in the newspaper January 7 saying that the new school could be built without moving the Drop Inn Center. However, at Kunzel's Board meeting on January 31st, a motion to commit to preserving the shelter in all phases of the plan aroused a great d.eal of opposition, and ultimately failed to pass by a vote of 8 to 8. Kunzel Boots Community . . Activist from GCAEC Board Kunzel's next move was to set in motion a series of steps to remove longtime Over the Rhine activist Bonnie Neumeier from his Board . Early on, Kunzel had included 4 representatives of the Over the Rhine low income community on the Board, presumably to build consen~us for his project. Bonnie had been quite vocal in stating that Kunzel and his henchmen had not adequately considered the community's needs before making their plans. When Kunzel tried to streamline the meeti~gs to bypass important issues like displacement and moving the shelter, Bonnie would draw the conversation back to these important considerations. Kunzel apparently did not like dealing with issues relating to the community, for his board moved not to renew her place on the Board. Over the Rhine community activists were debating what steps to take to mai~tain Bonnie's place on the Board when the meeting date, March 141h, nclnrl On March 14th I-had a funny feeling in my stomach, but was resigned to more of the same from Kunzel's Board- a streamlined agenda, silencing the public, and verbal attacks on the community reps. At 4:30 when the meeting was supposed to·start I was still languish ing in the office at the Drop Inn Center. Suddenly we got the news th at Kunzel and his Board had locked people out of the meeting. All of our supporters had come to see Kunzel's meeting but were now stuck outside! Denise Crew, a longtime shelter worker grasped the significance of the situation and called on the residents and staff of the . Drop Inn to go to the meeting. Of course, none of them was allowed into the meeting either. Well, a spontaneous demonstration was formed, with vibrant chants and stirring cheers. The people finally had a chance to express their frustration with Kunzel 's high handed, exclusive process outside of MemorialHall. Clapping our hands, raising our voices, we were unified by Kunzel's discrimination. In the end, rather than helping his agenda, he stimulated more of an uproar which disrupted his own meeting. Mysterious Meeting Change Despite the ·ban on members of the public in ~unzel's March 14th meeting, I managed to get into it by way of participation in SCPA's Local School Decision Making Committee. This group is one of the governing bodies of the SCPA school, and is composed of teachers, administrators, parents, students and community members. Strangely, their meeting had been rescheduled from March 16th at SCPA to March 14th at Memorial Hall (where Kunzel's meeting was being held.) The reputed reason for this was for Kent Cashell to be at the ·GCAEC meeting, and then to meet with the SCPA folks afterward. (Kent Cashell is an administrator for the Cincinnati Public Schools, and is the person responsible for the Facilities Master Plart, which includes designating $26 million for Erich Kunzel's Kunzel, continued on page 3 �5 TREE TV I BE 5 The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 2 STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-Stat e'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, 1 2 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 . don~tion. 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. Streetvibesvendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being gi\{en 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 services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. ADVERTISE IN STREETVIBES!!! Socially Conscious Readers Support Socially Conscious Businesses If you have a business, Streetvibes is a great place to advertise. We reach over 6,000 socially conscious residents of Greater Cincinnati every month who want to support businesses who are equally socially conscious. We regularly sell papers at locations such as Xavier University, University of Cincinnati, St. Xavier High School, Ursuline Academy, Ludlow Avenue, various downtown locations, Bellarmine Chapel, and many other local churches. Our business card-sjze ads are just fifteen dollars and a double business-card size ad is just thirty dollars. We'll even hel p you design your ad! If you own a business or an employment agency and need employees, put your help wanted ads in Streetvibes, for just $1.00 per line, with ten words per line. ' Staff Susan Knight , Tom Billman, John Halpin Jess Ballew Ron Carter, Warren Perkins, Pat Mitchell Administ rat ive Coordinat or Streetvibes Editor Assistant Editor Editorial Intern Vendor Support Tenant Organizing Volunteer Receptionist Writers Mike Henson Donald Whitehead Jess Ballew John Halpin Sonny Williams Tom Billman Rodney Sutton Lynn Williams · Tree Mosolf Bonnie Neumeier Tina Maser Marsha Ramsey Pat Mitchell · Ron Carter Michelle Kitchen · John Perroti Kevin L. Deal William Phillips Africa C.W. Mcintosh ­ Your advertising dollars will help us make certain our vendors have the late.s t Str eetvibes to _sell, all month long. The sale of advertising will also give us the flexibility we need to help vendors become seriously involved in the writing and editing of Streetvibes. Advertising in Streetvibes in one of the most tangible ways that you can support the homeless in Cincinnati. It gives you a chance to be part of a very. exciting time for Streetvibes and the Homeless Coalition as we expand and make our services even better! Give John or Tom a call at 421-7803 for more information, or feel free to send an ad with your check to Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Graphics Photographs by Andy Hutzel, T. Billman, Sketches by John Perotti, Demetrius . · Jackson, Patricia Lay Dorsey ... Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graph­ ics, photos.... We will print everything · we have room for, giving preference to those who ar,~ homeless or vendors. Please send all material to th~ 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 (text.:. only) or homecoal@primax.net ( attached files) web page: http://cinci.com/gcch Armed-Guards prevented Community advocates from attendiing GCAEC Boar(i-meeting �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Kunzel, tcontinued from page 1 "dream school" for SCPA.) If this is the case, it is sad to think Cashel! wouldn't have time to have a separate meeting with the SCPA folks, whose futures are at stake in this whole plan. But that probably is not the reason. It's hard to know who initiated the combining of Kunzel's Board meeting with the SCPA Decision Making Committee, but it probably involved Kunzel, Kent Cashel! and the SCPA principal. I think the motive was to galvanize support_for Kunzel's plan by impressing the rank and file· parents, students and teachers at SCPA with Kunzel's high profile board. It may also have been intended to alienate SCPA supporters from Drop Inn Ce.nter supporters, since the · SCPA supporters were allowed to participate in Kunzel's meetings whi le the Drop Inn Center · supporters were forced to demonstrate outside. It wouldn't be difficu lt for an SCPA supporter to misunderstand the situation of the Drop Inn Center and label them as "troublemakers". But despite Kunzel's attempt to drive a wedge between the Drop Inn and SCPA, the reality is that the SCPA people have also been left out of the process. · done on their behalf and they weren't even told about it or invited to participate. This kind of thing is the essence of Kunzel's elitist paternalism. It m~de. me feel even more strongly that Kunzel's motive is not so much to help SCPA, but to secure his own legacy. I challenge Kunzel to truly put the power into the hands of the people- members of the SCPA community can negotiate with the Drop Inn Center and other community stakeholders to determine a good locaticm for the Page 3 school. Maybe then all the options could be considered, including renovation of the existing building. Kunzel's handling of the project has · been so clumsy that it's time he abdicated his self serving role and leave the planning to those who can handle this important decision.: the school, the shelter, and the public . . To get involved with the struggle for the Survival of the Drop Inn Center, call 721-0643 during regular · business hours. SCPA is also Marginalized When I first went to SCPA to meet its supporters I thought it would be difficult to relate to them, since one group's interests had been pitted against the other group's. But I soon realized that they knew very little about what was going on, and had been left out of the planning and decision making for their own school. I was shocked when I had to tell the members of the SCPA group about Kunzel 's Board meeting on January 31st: The w}lole thing was being Bonnie Neumeier speaking to Over-the-Rhine Community members who have just been excluded from the GCAEC Board meeting. Community Advocate is Kicked off the Arts and Education Center {GCAEC) Board Bonnie Neumeier was the Over-the-Rhine community repres_ e ntative on the GCAEC Board. This is a statement she issued on March 14, 2000. I have been at these Board meetings with my body. My attendance has been perfect. I have been at these Board meetings with my mind, asking intelligent questions . I have been at these Board meetings with my voice, representing the voice of many, hoping whatever evolves is just and fai~ to the folk who call this· neighborhood home. I have been at these Board meetings with my spirit, for I feel passionate about our people, our land, our years of labor of love to build grassroots efforts, like the Drop Inn Center, that have kept people and our dream alive. ltis no surprise that I am not being re-nominated for the seat I hold. The reason given: "Other people on the Board think that I tend to be more divisive than building bridges; that I am abrasive, disruptive, and intimidating, thus causing other Board members to be quiet" Whoa, if I had that kind of power .... Deep down inside, I know we are a collaborative people, networking all the time to make the impossible possible here in Over-the Rhine. I/We need to stand proud about my/our participation. And know that the real reason for not recommending me for re­ coalescing .. ..You don't go into coalition nomination is an attempt to silence the because you just like it." The reason we voice of the people that this plan and are here with you is that we care about our process has not worked hard enough yet to community staying alive and we don't want understand, engage, res~ect or appreciate. to be drowned out by a dream plan that Getting rid of me will nofget rid of this can't recognize that we've been swimming collective voice. I admit it is not easy to sit · here for a long time ang we hope to stay here with our differences and the varying · afloat. Dr. Reagon also says: - "We've perspectives we bring to the table. I don't pretty much come to the end of a time relish these meetings either; it always feels when you.can have a space that is uncomfortable to me. So I can appreciate yours only--just for the people you that the Over-the-Rhine Community Voice want to be there. There is no hiding can make you feel uncomfortable and place. There is nowhere you can go frustrated. This situation reminds me of an and only be with people who are like article I read and often return to entitled you. It's over. Give it up." The tension "Coalition Politics" by Dr. Bernice Johnson that rises up at this table is a collective Reagon, Director of the Program in Black consciousness about a principle of fairn~ss · American Culture of Smithsonian that Over-the-Rhine people and programs Perf'.orming Arts. She writes this about deserve. That spirit cannot be snuffed out. coalition politics: "I feel as if I'm gonna keel over any minute and die. That is Respectfully, often what it feels like if you're really _ doing coalition work. Most of the time . Bonnie Neumeier----.. ._ --­ you feel threatened to the core and if Over-the-Rhine Resident you don't, you're not really doing no March 14, 2000 �STREET VI BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Kevin Scudder is Next to be Executed in Ohio? By Michael Manley, Ohioans to Stop Executions Note to Streetvibes readers: Kevin Scudder is the next Ohio death row inmate scheduled for execution. Like Wilford Berry, Scudder is a "volunteer" and has waived his rights to further review. Unless a stay of execution is issued in the next few weeks, his execution will be April 25. Although Kevin Scudder has said he wants to die an~ is scheduled for execution on April 25, 2000, there are serious questions conce~g his competency in 1990 to stand trial and his competency now to waive his rights to further review. IBtimately, there may be questions concerning his competency to be executed. Since no evidentiary hearings on these questions have been held, the execution would be unconstitutional until Kevin Scudder has been found competent regarding all of them. It is likely, but not certain, that a full competency hearing would require more time than the April 25 execution date allows; therefore, a stay of execution may be necessary. UPDATE ON KEVIN SCUDDER On January 7 , 2000, Kevin refused to sign a habeas petition and informed his attorney that he wanted to be executed. He wrote to the Ohio Supreme Court requesting that they allow the execution to pro~eed, and the Court set an execution date -April 25, 2000. On January 28 Scudder was moved, for undisclosed ' "security reasons ," from death row at the Mansfield Correctional Institution to the Corrections Medical Center in Columbus, where he remains at this time. On January 10, S. Adele Shank and Sharon L. Ovington, Scudder's attorneys,· entered a next friend petition in the United States District Court; with S. Adele Shank acting as next friend. The petition includes 24 separate claims for relief, beginning with the claim that the defendant "was incompetent to stand trial or go forward with any subsequent legal proceedings. No Get thee to a halfway house U.S. Court Upholds Law to ~ Evict Tenants for Drugs A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that tenants in public housing can be evicted for a household member's drug use, even if they did not know about it. In a 2-1 decision on Monday, the 9th U.S . Ci rcuit Court of Appeals upheld a 1988 federal law that . allows local housing authorities to apply the Department of Housing and Urban Development's "one-strike" policy. http://news.findlaw.com/News/sl 20000215/courtca/ifornia.html court evaluated his competency in compliance with federal constitutional standards" (Habeas Petition, p. 1). The next friend petition itself raises the question of competency, which must be resolved , before Scudde r may be a llowed to wa ive his remedies. Whatever the courts should decide about Scudder's competency du ring past proceedings, they ultimately might need to address Scudder 's comp etency to be executed, since the execution of the insane has been .found unconstitutional as a violation of the Eighth Amendment. . Now that case has been brought before the District Court, Judge Marbley is proceeding with a competency hearing. The defense and the state are submitting names of mental health experts, and Judge Marbley will select three (one from each of the subm itted lists and one of his choosing). · These experts will examine Scudder and make their recommendation to the court. A full hearing would ensue, with opportunity for cross-examination, and Judge Marbley would issue his ruling based on that hearing. BACKGROUND ON KEVIN SCUDDER Kevin Scudder (37) was convicted in 1990 of murdering Tina Baisden, age I 4. ·The charge of aggravated m"urder included attempted rape and kidnapping specifications. On December 14, 1990, Kevin Scudder was sentenced to death. Even though Kevin Scudder has maintained his innocence of the crime, he told his attorney in December, 1998, that he was "tired of living on death ro_w" and that he wanted to waive his remedies and be "put down" by the state; a month later, he explained to his attorney that "the voices in his head told him not to appeal or he would die that night." That attorney had serious doubts about Scudder's competency, and he expressed them to the Ohio Supreme Court. However, Scudder changed his mind and . Page 4 sought further review of his c_a se. He continued with this determiDation for the last year. Then on January 7, 2000, he refused to sign the habeas petition. When considering. Kevin Scudder's requests to waive his remec:iies, it is crucial to understand that this defendant has a long history of physical and mental health problems, ahd a legal history that raises serious questions about his competency. Physically, he was born with a cleft palate and amblyopia, and he is currently an amputee in a wheelchair and catheterized. Mentally, he h_as received a broad range of diagnoses , including paranoid schizophren ia, organic brain, damage , s ociopathy, an d drug dependence. In,1980, he was charged with breaking a man's jaw, but he ·was fo und incompetent to stand trial and then was fqund not gu ilty by reason of insanity. He was committed to Lima State Hospital for the Criminally Insane and then was sent to the Central Ohio Psychiatric hospital and the Mansfield Correctional Institution. While at the Franklin County Correction Center, he is reported to have attempted to hang himself, and there are further indications of suicidal tendency in the record . The question of Kevin Scudder's ..competency was raised before the murder trial. There was an evaluation by the state· forensic center; on the basis of this report and the "demeanor of the defendant," the .cou rt decided Scudder was competent. However, no evidentiary hearing was ever held, no independent evaluation was ever done, no opportunity to challenge the state report ever was ·allowed . · Since the defendant 's "demeanor" deteriorated during the course of the trial, the court should have reopened the question of competency but failed to do so . . It should be a matter of grave concern, even to supporters of the death pen alty, that Ohio resumed the practice of executions by killi.ng a man suffering from a serious mental illness, and now, one year later, is scheduled to kill another man suffering from serious mental illness. We need to examine closely how the judicial process treats the mentally ill and how it selects them for ,death. For the full text of this article and for additional information, see the " Ohioans to Stop Executions" website at www.otse. org. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Dying for Justice ....... by Jess Ba/few . Did you know that the Supreme Court, in McCluskey v. Kemp (1976) ruled that a certain amount of racial bias is "inevitable" in death penalty cases? And if this bias exists, why continue a system of "justice" so final as the death penalty? This was the predominant theme of Bryan Stevenson's March 2 lecture at the University of Cincinnati School of Law. An Alabama attorney and Harvard graduate, Mr. Stevenson is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama, an organization which seeks legal representation for death row cases in a state which has no public defender system following the initial trial. Mr. Stevenson recruits other attorneys to do pro-bona work for capital cases, and it is clear that he has his work cut out for him. He had to return to Alabama immediately following his lecture to attempt a stay of execution for a man scheduled to be put to death at midn.ight This man had spent three years on death row·--three "critical" years, according to Mr. Stevenson -with no legal representation. -_ Although Mr. Stevenson w,_as in Cincinnati to persuade attorneys to ~ volunteer for pro-bono capital cases, his lecture at U.C.maintained focus on the inevitability of racial bias in death penalty cases. Using the same statistical analysis that proved smokers are two-and-a-half times more likely to get lung cancer if they smoke regularly, it has been proven that a defendant is eleven times m_ore likely to get the death penalty if he or she is African American and the victim is white. Despite this blatant racial bias - and despite the Page 5 American Bar Association's recommended moratorium of the death penalty because of this bias - the Supreme Cou_rt continues to uphold the death penalty. So the question remains: why do we continue a process of retribution as final as the death penalty when bias has been absolutely proven? Our system of justice is not one­ hundred percent effective in determining guilt or innocence. Just recently in Illinois, 12 of 160 death row inmates were released after their innocence was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. Mr. Stevenson gave an example of a man in Alabama convicted of murder and sentenced to life-imprisonment - even though he had over thirtywitnesses to prove he was at a barbecue at the time of the murder. So why continue a punishment that is one-hundred percent final? As Mr. Stevenson so eloquently emphasized, the death row prisoners are "literally dying for justice." Throw Momma from the Shelter wAsH1NGToN, o.c. The mayor's office takes a sudden interest in a chronic emergency at the federal City Shelter. (rep.rinted from the Washington City Paper) ...By Kevin Diaz It's a windy Monday morning outside least the past four years city agencies have Washington's biggest and most beleaguered been sending families there , according to CCNV homeless shelter, run by the Community for director Terri Bishop . She also contends that Creative Non-Violence (CCNV). Squads of so­ the Coalition of the Homeless and Housing Or­ cial workers and health inspectors are expected ganizations recently heard CCNV's plans for a at' 10a.m. The television news cameras start new family wing and that even the mayor's con­ gathering a few minutes before. For the 600 or stituent service staffers had sometimes referred so residents at the shelter it can only mean one hard-luck family cases there , Suddenly, on this thing : They and the rickety structure they call Monday morning in February, getting women home are about to become the backdrop for and children out of this land of leaky toilets and confrontation between municipal scandal and free-roaming vermin has become Public Prior­ damage control. . ity No. 1. A week ago, a lengthy feature in the Washington City Paper reported on the abys­ Pardon Bishop if she's become a little mal conditions inside the shelter, where reporter cynical over the mom issue. "This is all a kneeJason Cherkis lived for a week. The presence jerk reaction to the City Paper article," she says, offamilies with children , Cherkis noted, is a vio­ as the mothers continue filing into the brisk morning air. Bishop wonders aloud whether lation of CCNV's lease, which expires at the end D.C. officials are more concerned with avoid­ of the year. One the eve of publication , D.C. ing bad press tnan with actually helping her cli­ Deputy Mayor for Child and Family Services ­ Carolyn Graham suddenly vowed to take ac- · ents. Some of the clients apparently agree. tion . Though Graham promised to send in the By Monday morning , the mothers were told, bureaucratic SWAT teams the very next morn­ they and -~heir kids had to be out. Word is that ing, they wound up waiting a few more days. But today: after years of inattention , city social the city will find them alternative shelter at D.C. workers are descending on the place with clip­ Village, near the Blue Plains waste treatment facility in fa r Southwest. "Isn 't that where all boards in hand·. The mothers and the child ren are the shit goes?'' asks one of the mothers. -Oth­ among the fi rst to file out the doors of the ers complain that it's far from their jobs and their kids' schools. troubled shelter. There's Angela Barnes, with 6-year old Brittany and 9-year old Brenda; By the time the city workers get to Fedthere's Sharon Holloman , with 8-year-old Felicia era I City- they're 45 minutes ·1ate - most of the and 9-year-old Robin ; and then there's Michelle _ mothers a re already in the street, the place Ragland with her three kids , Ash_ley, i 2, Ashton, · ,having ~en er~ temporarily for a demon-10, and Candice, 8. Most of th.em are wearing sir.@{ion aga ifls.t ,~"f.~ ~ dictio ns . The maneuver red baseball caps emblazoned wrrh the ogos as yielzt€, d a tef~ i\iz: crOJWd.. Most wander saying, "Help the Homeless." . off, but . or~ lhan t001residents and staff gather · The famil!es serve as !"r0ps-in -a w:~i ·' f . · ~;~ ~. Q_ct 1d handicapped-access ramp, where a worlds and symbols with city un1ctdb .11110 µru­ microphone has been set up. About a dozen fess ~c- '-- B shocked that the Federal City Shel­ children play in the park across the street. ter - located two blocks from the mayor's of­ "We don't know what's going on," says fice at Judiciary Square - is actually occupied Barnes, with Brittany tugging at her coat. "So by families with children. Never mind that for at far, they've promised us nothing. The social .. workers just told us we can go to D,C'. Village, but I've heard there's a 90-day limit." Whatever else people want to say about the quality of life inside CCNV 's shelter, it's been home to Burnes since December 6. "They've accepted us," she says. "They didn't leave us out on the street. You've got to give them credit. " While Barnes recounts her tale, five District social workers exit purposefully from a white sedan and file into the troubled homeless shelter. They're there to talk to shelter residents, not to Bishop, and certainly not to reporters. "I'm out of the loop," Bishop says. "They're not com­ municating with me, so I don't know what their plan is." T:hen she adds sardonically: "I'm not sure they even know what the plan is. They've just been told to come down here. And when you work for a salary, you do what you 're told ." Some of the mothers have already in­ terviewed with social workers since the City Paper story.· Those mothers tell the others out in the street that if they don't lea'{e, their chil­ dren cou Id be taken away from 'them . That gets the fighting instinct flowing in more than one mother. "I don't know where I'm going to go," says Holloman. "But I know that if they try to take my kids, I'm going to have to open _up a fresh can of whup-ass. " By early afternoon, the social workers and health inspectors have fanned out through the building at 425 2nd Street. Television crews fol­ low through the corridors, snatching interviews with confused res idents where they can. No­ body from the city is publicly taking charge, so there's general confusion about what's sup­ posed to happen next. "By now, I WqS expect­ ing to see some vans or a bus pull up, " says· Barnes, w ho's heading outside for a smoke. While they're at it, the inspectors decide to pay a visitto the D.C. Central Kitchen opera- Washington Shelter, (continued on page 17) �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 6 PROTESTERS AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY RIOT IN MONTREAL AP Wire Service - Mar 15, 2000 MT. OLIVE PICKLE BOYCOTT UPDATE by Sonny Williams On March l 7rh at St. Monica-St. George Church in Clifton, more than 22 people braved thirty-degree weather to hear Father Joe Nelson, Director ofthe Hispanic Center for the Carthage neighborhood. Also speaking wa~ Mike Ferner, former Communications Director of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC Union) , Toledo, Ohio. Mr. Ferner said . that the Mt. Olive Pickle Boycott has caused the Kroger Grocery Chain M t. Olive products at .....·... J.'-"l~""' Toledo area. "(The Mt. company is the la~ the South.) iJJ~o toxic ~~:Z;!il!:= Co. call the shots in agribusiness today. They dictate contract terms withfarmers before the crop is ttven planted They tell farmers how much they will bepaid on delivery and workers.are hired based on thatprice,. When confronted, they claim they are not to blame, saying don't employ the pickers, the growers do. " ..... From the web page ofthe Toledo chapter of theAmerican Association ofUniversity Professors. For more information on the Mt. Olive Boycott, call lntercommunity Justice and Peace Center at 579-8547. Or write to Donna, Central American Task Force, 7 45 Derby Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45232. Or call Sonny Williams, Welfare Rights Coalition, 381-4242. "we MONTREAL (AP)-_ Hundreds of people protesting against alleged police brutality broke windows at a police station and damaged shops and cars in downtown Montreal on Wednesday. Riot squads broke up the demonstration and arrested about 100 people. The unrest erupted two days shy of the 45th anniversary of another Montreal riot, when hockey fans enraged by the suspen­ sion of Montreal C~madians star Maurice Richard went on a rampage. Targets of the estimated 400 protest­ ers, some wearing masks, on Wednesday night included McDonald's restaurants, a , bank, a police station, and vehicles parked along downtown streets. No injuries were reported. · · Bernard Vadier, 62, said he was drinking coffee at a McDonald's restaurant when the windows were smashed. "It sounded like a bomb," he said. "The windows.shattered but there was no glass flying. Everyone was snacked. We all left the restaurant. " The protest came a few hours after prosecutors said a hearing would be re­ quired to determine if charges would be filed against two Montreal policemen who allegedly took part in the beating of a home­ less man. The victim died weeks later. Michel Breton, a chief prosecutor, said serious charges against the policemen could result from the special hearing. But Yves Manseau, a spokesman for the protesters, said the special hearing was extremely unusual and showed that police­ men in Montreal were getting preferential treatment. HOMELESS PEOPLE'S NETWORK <http://aspin.asu.edu/hpn> 7,500+ ar­ ticles by or via homeless & ex-home­ less people Nothing About Us Without Us ­ Democratize Public Policy kkkkkkkkk*********kkkkkkkkkk****7<kkkkkkkkkkkk************** . HPN maillist - HPN@aspin.asu.edu http://aspin.asu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hpn Where is Giuliani's Compassion? Policies jeopardize homeless' right to shelter by Shelly Nortz Ne~ York Mayor Rudlph Giuliani's plan on homelessness is dangerous and contradictory. Instead of proposing permanent and effective solutions, Giuliani wants to evict homeless people form shelters and arrest many of the streetbound homeless. His plan will not create one new home or one new job for a homeless person. The glaring contradiction between the two new policies betrays giuliani's real motive. Clearly; this is about sounding tough in campa_ ign sound bites and not about compassion : Imagine how a homeless person ·who has fallen through every safety net might react when he awakes to find the police offering him a ride to a shelter, handcuffs at the ready. Giuliani's plan threatens the 10-year­ old legal right to shelter for homeless New Yorkers. In 1979, the Coalition for the Homeless brought a class action lawsuit on behalf of Robert Callaban and other homeless men sleeping on the streets of New York city. On Christmas eve, the New York State Supreme Court ordered the city and state to provide emergency shelter t ~ homeless men, and in 19f31, approved a consent decree establishing the right to shelter for all of the city's homeless men. The court was concerned that the homeless were suffering frostbite injuries and that some had frozen to death in recent winters. In later litigation, the shelter right was gra nted to homeless women and families, 1 too. The coalition has returned to court repeatedly to enforce the decree when there have been too few shelter bed~ to meet the need and when shelter conditions have become especially dangerous. -Just two years ago, the Giuliani administration w_as ordered to open immediately 200 new shelter beds for homeless people whom the city had failed to accommodat~ during the coldest winter months. A truly compassionate· approach would -bring the streetbound homeless, particularly those who are most troubled, into safe, small shelters with legitimate outreach. To be effective, outreach should be conducted not by police officers, but by trained professionals experienced in engaging the homeless mentally ill and helping them to move to supportive ·permanent housing. If Mayor Giuliani wants to claim that his homeless policies are compassionate , he should embrace effective solutions by increasing funding for outreach, working wit the state to build 10,000 units of supportive housing fo r the homeless mentally ill and most important, leave the right to shelter intact so that the homeless have a safe and warm place to go. Shelly Nortz is Deputy Director fcir Pnfirv fnr the Coalition for the Homeless, a non profit .organization that serves a court-appointed monitor for New York City's shelters. �sTREETVIBl·s . The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 7 Honduran advocate speaks in Cincinnati · ··~·by Sonny Williams In the Wake of the WTO - Seattle ..... from the Open World Conference in Oefense ' of Trade Union Independence & Democratic Rights, c/o S.F. Labor Council, 1188 Franklin St., #203, San Francisco, CA 94109 . ... ...From the opening speech of the c 'o nference by Nancy Wohlfarth, VicePresident of the California Labor Fed­ eration: First of all I'd like to tell you that there are delegates from 56 countries attending this conference . We are truly a global wo'rkers' conference, representing a workers' re­ sponse to the devastating policies that are being perpetuated by the worldwide multina­ tional corporations who tell us the fantastic advantages of this wonderful "free trade" market. · ...It is terribly exciting to me and I am sure to every delegate in this room that we~ meet two months following the last major, public demonstr9tion of the 20th c~ntury, when over 50,000 people came together in Seattle to oppose this global economy and the so-called free trade policies of the world's billionaires. It was a protest to oppose the policies that are destroying lives of worker~ and entire nations around the world - from the genocide of millions of people in Africa under the guise of "free trade" because we cannot give them drugs to fight the scourge of AIDS that is rav­ aging the nation, to the poisoning of the drink­ . ing water with arsenic in Bangladesh. When we met in the Western Hemi­ sphe-re Workers' Conference in November 1997, few U.S. trade unionists had even heard of the World Trade Organization .... ...... However, through the work of so many people; and I think we owe a greatdeal of credit to the organizers of that very first conference in 1997' our message has been heard. The WTO is now a household word. No longer are these trade deals taking place in dark, back rooms. They are now be­ ing exposed to the vast majority of working people in the -United States and in all coun­ tries across the globe for what they really are - deals that are making a few peopl~ billion­ aires while the rest of the people are driven into dire poverty...... ......from the keynote address on the "International Struggle Against Child . Labor" by Gemma Lopez Limon, re- . s.e archer on child labor at the Autono­ mous University of Baja California at Mexicali, Mexico. ..... . .... In their drive to lower the costs of labor and in the name of "maintaining their com~etitive advantage," multinatio~al corpo­ rations and governments in their servjce are fueling the development of child labor. You find boys and girls working in increasing numbers in the "free trade" zones and sweat­ shops, or maquilas, that are prolifer:ating across the globe. You find child labor not only in agricul­ ture; you fin'd it in big industries, such as the shoe industry in Brazil or the bottling industry The Cincinnati Central American persons in City Council wanting to support Task Force invited Elvia Alvarado of Phil Heimlich's attempts to make Honduras to speak in Cincinnati on her Cincinnati-Garbage Collection employees organizing experience_in Honduras. -She private workers.) said that the people of North America and She says it is a constant struggle to not the government are in solidarity with the · obtain Honduran workers and peasants' poor of Ho-nduras. She is the Chairperson rights, including human rights. The Korean of U.T.C., Union of Honduras, a workers Corporations, who have sweatshops in union in that country in Central America . Honduras, tape the mou~hs of the Latino · She said that in Honduras there is land women, so they can't talk to each other on reform, but the Honduran government does the job. The Honduran women don't have not'enforce the law. She said that because any power, and the men have caused the her ion was only a few people, the problems in Honduras. She said that her Honduran government would not listE~n. work with women is to get them to speak And the problem for 20 years is that the out and be more open with disagreements . land is in the hands of the rich. withthe Honduran government. "The Corporations who own the land have ~old women of Honduras have no civil rights or land to the trans..,national corporations from worker's rights. We always say that we the U.S. and South Korea. The U.S. want to create social change in Honduras. Military has taken over at least 50% of the ''We need North Americans to help land to train soldiers· to go to Colombia, us with educational projects, like tutors for and Panama, to defend U.S. interest in the workers and peas~nts in the rural . Latin America. When U.S. delegations mountains." ·come to Honduras, the Union asks them to For more information on the visit the rural areas in the mountains, but - workers struggle in Honduras, write to Su they never do: · Casa Hispanic Community Center, The Honduran government is talking Seymour & Fairpark Avenues, Cincinnati, about privatizing everYthing. (Like CouncilOhio, or call (51-3) 541-9158. _ uh in India, which subcontracts to Coca-Cola and other soft drink companies . Because it is largely illegal. work, it is hard to quantify the extent of child labor. The International Labor Organization (ILO) esti­ mates there are today approxim~tely 250 million children at work, with close to 1 million · child deaths each year due to accidents on the job. These statistics, according to our research, are low. The statistics that exist regarding deaths and accidents among child laborers are very inconsistent. Many ofus believe that the abolition of · . child labor should be the battle cry, the fight­ ing banner, of the international trade union movement and of all political parties and organizations that speak in the name of working people . Why do we say this? First, it is clear that when boys and girls are at work, they are taking the job of an adult who could and should be employed. This leaves the adults idle, without work. Hiring children also puts a decreasing pressure on the wages of the working adults. The bosses, knowing they have a huge reserve army of child labor, threaten to fire the adults if they don't accept lower wages. Children become _ competitors of the adults on the labor market. This creates a vicious cycle. The drop in_ wages forces the adults to send their children to work, and therefore tends to depre~s wages even further. Sending .children to work, moreover, does not solve poverty, but simply reproduces it. The jobs are largely unqualified , req~iring little or no skills. An unqualified labor force is expanded, as these working children, in their large majority, do not go to school. ....... �. r -r RliT ,. ··>lA=lh~Tri~StC:t~;~ '·"';:;~;,;;r;;;~-Graf;e;;~; . Send your poetry, writings or artwork to . Thundering In Strcctvib'cs, do GCCH; (Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the.Homeless), Lyrics by Paulette Meier 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati 45210 ·' Phone- 513;;.421­ You found chances in this place ·. To build upon your affluence . . and build upon your grace. You'd have come sooner if you'd known Now you're brushing up the velvet and · you're polishing the chrome · 7803, E-mail (text): to streetvibes@jnno.com, E-mail (attached files, graphics): to homecoal@primax.net By Anthony Ray Watkins, Jr. I am the light that people can't see I am the light destiny for own history I am the light that shines like a candle In the night in the rwilight, you know I'm right Sometimes I frown on the outside · . But if you look deeply you can still see a smile B~t how can I smile in a world full of so much hate and confusion, there's no illusion Just look at our children ,' :,• :;, ''' ' ':•.;.....=- We -Need Your Creati11ityl SON OF-THE LIGHT ·- . _- ··f!:g:~~.<~~. _CHORUS: You come thundering in You come thundering in You want and you've taken plenty And all the things that we grew You'd plunder them through After last verse go right to ·And you'll drink till o·u r cu,p is empty Blindly thundering. For years we've been a ·nuisance in your eyes. The poverty and homelessness, you cannot disguise. Youid like to rid us from your sight And send your checks for charity, with no disturbing your fine_nights. CHORUS You want to build a world .class place . · : To celebrate the arts with those who have the finest taste.· You'll spend millions foryour scheme. While crumbling scho9ls and program cuts destroy our.children's dreams. CHORUS We'll tell you we have artists, too. Creating hope and healing, weaving tapestries of truth. We want beauty in our community; . · You have 110 right to e~ploit our plight and destroy our sovereignty. · But it's ~ hard knock life, a hard knock fight To do what is right Many a time I wonder; like an earthquake beneath my feet, · why others sleep. Why can't tl~ey see what I see Why is ~verybody in a constant fuss Why can't we all get on that bus? Because everybody's in a rush But still the sun burns with a high glow of light · And still will remain God's first child, , the son of light All that Glitter Ain't Gold What Tender Mercies is all about by Marsha Ramsey . Tender mercies Step Up is a place . permanent housing; the homeless can go to.regain their selfWe have relationship groups which respect and to lift their self-esteem. The · can help you through every day existenvironment i"s drug and alcohol free.' · ence. If you follow the rules you will survive. · It's like living in a village with The staff helps you with your goals, people from all different ethnic back­ and they give you a place to stay if you grounds. Security helps to keep us safe. qualify. Tender Mercies has eight build­ The staff at Tender Mercies are here to ings ih and around the Over the Rhine help you figu re out who you are and area : Dana Hotel -5 W. 12th Street where you want to go in life. We even Rec. Center-.24 W. 12th Street, Pl~as· have a Psychiatrist who comes once a . ant House - 1440 Pleasant Street, New week. The help _is here; all you have to · Morning House-1209 Elm St., do is reach out and ask somebody. · Women 's Building - · 1214 Race St. , There also are many programs to get H~ven Hall - 25" W. 12th, Step Up/Step involved in if you want. All you need to Out - 29 W. 12th Street. You are al­ do is ask. This is what I believe Tender lowed to stay a maximum of two years; Mercies is all about. then you have the option of going into Just recently, nine guys standing in front _, of the Drop Inn Center were suddenly approached by a man that promised · them jobs at $8.00/hr, and a meal. They were taken to breakfast and given a few bucks to put in their pockets. The man then collected all their ID cards and Social Security Cards, saying he needed · to make copies for the job. He took offand never returned. Don' t be so quick to get something for nothing. Just because it might glitter at the time, it ain't ahyays gold. . ' ....... .Pat Mitchell �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 9 My ~lack bag made me cry A show-and-tell for adults that shows how bad homelessness really is and demonstrates the intimacy and horror of what nurses do. ..... Cathy Crowe Dear Streetvibes, And wonder how did you make it? How did you last? . At 23 I came to Cincinnati How did you hold your head up when the homeless, s~parated frorp my husband, burden ~as too ~uch to bear? and pregnant with 3 children by my And how did you bear the burden when you side. We stayed in a homeless shelter thought none was there? (I'll leave nameless) where my children How did you smile were treated less than good. We lived in the face of a tear? in the projects and Over the Rhine and ,And how did you triumph · bounced around from here to there until . in the face of fear? I decided to replant us in some solid How did you have enough faith ground. . ­ . to believe in a better day? I have struggled and fought and ·A nd how did you hav~ worked my way to a somewhat peaceful . enough strength to tackle and content life for -me-and my children. everything in your way? Seven years laterl am still here. I have Who helped you up after every fall? 5 kids now and although my-path has Who was always there been hard and ·my burdens heavy God if only you call? has beeri good to us. We are blessed How did you come through and on~ of God's gifts to me besides in your times of need? my children is the gift of word. Through the grace of God, Here is one of my best so get down o-n your knees. messages: Because just when you thought you could no longer stand, · TIMES OF NEED The Lord was quietly holding your hand. There comes a time in ones life when you reflect upon the pa~t. WRITTEN BY, You put on the brakes, TINA MASER no need to go fast. P.S. I never forgot where I came You look at the years that went by from because I want to spread the in a flash, A trusted friend recently implored me to bring my nursing black bag (actually it's a knapsack) to a very public event that we were planning to attend. He advised me, as o~ly he can do: "People will find your bag so in­ teresting they wjll learn a lot about what you . do when they see what's inside." So I grudg­ ingly lugged my 30-pound black outreach bag, which ha.d given me nine months of a rotator-cuff injury last year, on a five-hour trip . to Ottawa for its five minutes offame. tt was a very public show-and-tell. The last time I had opened my black bag so conspicuously was on the altar of a Unite? Church in Toronto. It was the minister's idea. She invited the children to the altar to sit with me, before they dashed off to Sunday school, at which point I would give the first sermon of my life to adults on the topic of homelessness. One by one, the children were invited to put their hands into the darkness of my black bag to pull out a surprise. To each sur­ prise, the minister asked each child: "Why do you thin_ k Nurse Cathy carrie_s socks in her bag? Why does she carry granola bars and milkshake drinks and vitamins?" The chil­ dren with sweet and innocent expressions of c~ncern, quickly responded with all the right answers. Sadly, I thought to myself, they knew the answers. This time, the show-and­ by flashlight, checked. intravenous drips, tell was meant for adults. The message: See catheters and other tubing. They made hot how bad homelessness is - I'm a nurse, milk in the middle of the night and then, later but I have to carry socks, mitts, a blanke!, at home, soothed a child with too-frequent vitamins, even food! · earaches. On cue, my hands nervously groped I'm thankful, in retrospect, that my hands inside my black bag to find the right con­ always felt needed. To help colleagues tents to demonstrate the intimacy and horror make 30 beds on a ward on a short.:.staffed of what I and other nurses do every day. In.a Saturday morning; to write a 1·e tter for an clinical fashion, I explained their purpose to elderly stroke victim to his long-lost sisters; the adults in the room: to shop for canned salmon and strawber­ "You see, we now see ~igns of star­ ries for the retired recluse that I was told to vation and malnutrition, so I· carry Ensure." discharge from ~y public-~ealth nursing ·"We don't have enough sleeping bags in caseload ("he was not achieving any goals," Toronto, so I carry these space blankets." said my supervisor). · More recently, they held on to a dying "The duct tape is for taping the soles back father's hands. on shoes, but also for taping cardboard to­ These are good uses for hands. .­ gether for a roof." My black bag is still at my f~iend's house. As I spoke, my heart raced. I wondered later Despite being so full, it feels so empty. - how had the contents of my bag and the My bandages no longer cover the wounds way I nurse changed so much? To my sur­ of my patients. My vitamins will not prevent prise, I began to cry. ' the white plague of tuberculosis from taking _It is said that your body holds memo­ another victim. ries, and my nurse hands clearly remem­ I cannot even help someone achieve one bered better days. My nurse hands once did peaceful night of safety and sleep. more useful things. They immunized the fat, Only roofs will do that. And I am not a car­ healthy thighs of infants, they carefully mea­ penter. , sured cardiac drugs to administer to young heart patients, they bathed both the elderly Cathy Crowe is a nurse and works on lady after her surgery and the 24-year-old Ital­ the streets of downtown Toronto. ian-Canadian woman after ~er death. My HPN maillist - HPN@aspin.asu.edu hands once mixed linseed poultices, rubbed http;//aspin.asu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hpn 20 backs a night before darkness fell and, ­ word of hope and find a way to help. A Treat fof Road-weary Feet AUSTIN, TEXAS House the Homeless Inc. will join forces with The Lauterstein-Conway . Massage School and Clinic on February 16th to bring foot massage to Austin's Homeless Community. We will soak, wash, and massage feet then provide new socks and new footwear all for $5.00. Not only does everyone deserve to be touched but they deserve to be . treated with respect and dignity. There is nothing quit so good for the "Sole" as when one puts on new sneakers. "Heart and Sole" will operate on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. Wish us luck. ..... Richard HPN maillist ­ HPN@aspin.asu.edu http:/ . �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Snnday; March4, 2000 Dear Mr. Williams, How are you today? --Oood, I trust. I received a short note from you concerning your support for my upcoming parole hearing, and I wanted to at least drop you a Sincere 'Thank you!" for that and I also wish you the best in life and many, many healthy years to a::me. PAN OHIO Sonny Williams is a local representative for Prisoner's Advocacy Network Ohio, which serves as an advocacy organization for the rights ofprisoners. The following letters . were sent to him by prisoners from around.the state and are about their experiences with the courts and prison systems. . While I'm writing would you care to tell me what "PAN-Ohio" stands for and what it represents? As you know I'm being plastered , all over the news and in the papers because of . my upcoming hearing and to be honest it's just , ~ood old fashioned vindictiveness by people who don't know me or what all happened those many years ago . . My story remains the same. "I was · provoked into defending myself and in doing so a man lost his life." But no one wants to hear that because of who he was and what he was supposed to represent. So the story goes LONG LIVE. JOHN AFRICA THE On the Move! · COORDINATOR!! Sonny, got your letter, and as always good to hear form those active in the work of struggle. Long live John Africa! I'm doing good on this end, staying strong and revolutionary as ever. That is a must because the solution to all the problems we face as peoples of the world is in the activity of "total revolution"! -not the way it is twisted to "eonfuse" by this system, but how it is taught by John Africa to be the work people must do to stop supporting this system on all levels by working to rid themselves of all the system training & programming instilled in them. As people work to break free of the addictions to this systems (values, religions, schoolings, alcohol, fears, lies, fashions, drugs, materialism, etc.), the freer people will become and the weaker this system will get without their support. Long Live John Africa Forever! As you can see by this system's murderous lust for revenge, hate & oppression, the death row will continue to swell ion this country. The recent murder of death row prisoner "Beets" in Texas and the statements made by those who wanted to see her dead, ·shows that the Death Penalty is motivated by hate and revenge; and even more dangerous, as shown by · the actions of "Bush", that the D. P. is motivated by politics! That is the most dangerous of all the motivations, because it targets those this system wants to eliminate to try to stop the flow of.truth, such as Mumia Abu Jamal, and those of us · that they fail iri their attempts to murder on the street. This _v icious D.P. must be stopped and completely done away with! When people "volunteer" forthe D.P., it does make the battle harder. But the point can be made that suicide is sJ pposed to be "against" the law and there is no · difference between someone "committing suicide" and someone "volunteering" for the D.P. I heard a politician say on TV · yesterday, that there should be "no time limitation" on justice being done; well, . then, what seems to be the problem when we get to talking a_ b out how justice ain't never been given to th~ slaves & native peoples, how come them same politicians want to put limits on our demands for justice in those areas? How come every time we demand justice for our family they • murdered when they dropped that bomb ·on our children & family; in "1985", These same so call "defenders of justice" want to put limits on us! How come them cops are never faced with the D. P. for all the people they murder on a daily basis? These are the-things we must keep in these rotten politician's faces when · dealing with the issues of the racism, corruption and wrongness ofthe·o.P.! · Well, Sonny, I must close here for now, still much to·do.before I can call it a day. Feel free to write when you want and be sure to make contact with The Move Organization in Philly at MOVE, P.O. at Box 19709,Phila., PA 19143, (215) 387­ 9955, Fax: (215)476-7551, E-mail: movel lja@aol.com This is how any mail to me should be addres-sed from now on.... _ ' William Phillips Africa, #AM­ 4984 1000 Follies Road, Dallas, PA 18612 As always, Take care, stay strong by staying revolutionary in mind and action. On the move! Phil Africa Page 10 on; the truth doesn't matter- only that someqne pays, and in the process many more lives are affected and being destroyed, mainly my family's, and my two children . · It's a tragedy all away around, and just to keep the air clean between us, I am sorry that a man lost his life partly because of my actions. I have apologized to the victim's family the bestwaythat I can, and they've made it clear that it's not wanted oraccepted. So all I can do is go on, try to be positive, and grow, for whatever future that.I may be able to have once all of this is finally over and behind rre. Thanks for your ~ime in reading this and your support, and if you'd like to.keep some corresp6ndence from time to time that would be fine; and if you have any papers on what "PAN-Ohio" is all about, I'd like to read them. Take Care, C. W. Mcintosh Marion Correctional Institution. 3/17/00 Dear Sonny, How you doing, Bro? I had hoped I'd be back to Luc already so I could call you, ~ut they're low walking all these transfers, and it's taking forever. So ·1don't · know when I'll bet back.- They hav e-to operate on me again at OSU in Columbus due to cutting a vein when they went in last time, so that should be this week. Happy St. Patrick's Day!! I thought today was a Nationat Holiday so didn't expect any mail. It's always good having you though. I saw the Newsletter and it was pretty good. I was glad to see that they got it back out. I don't hearfrom Karen at all anyr;nore. I haven't pursued any religious · know, while I've studied groups, Bro-'you tt:le Bible (I am a Catholic), I'm just not too good at relating to religious folk. So how's my little honey Sara doing? Give her a Big ~iss for me, and my love to Lynn Marie. Stay Strong, John, Tiger Political Prisoner, �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 11 TJ-IE CRISIS IN OUR STREETS HAS NOW BECOME THE CRISIS IN OUR PRISONS By Michelle Kitchen, #39440 Northeast Pre-release Center Cleveland, Ohio has exposure ofraw sewage in the bathrooms In responding to Carol S. Manning's ~ditorial due -to inadequate plumbing. The "hotel" I'm entitled, "9hio prisons should not have the frills ~escribing is a dorm style building by the name ofa hotel," I would like the opportunity to ofHale (coined "Hell") at the Ohio address her questions: "If prison is so bad, why Reformatory for Women. do inmates keep going back? If they did not In continuing, Ms. Manning, the like being incarcerated, why did they keep ­ Department ofRehabilitation, and Co-rrections breaking the law?" Both ofthese are commonly or any other prisoner with doesn't supply asked questions in society today. In addition, I ~oap, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, would relish the chance to enlighten Ms. tampons, or douches. These are the "frills~' I -Manning concerning her many misconceptions purchase while I'm in prison and the amount of about prisoners and pris,o n conditions. state pay I earn doesn't nearly cover "frills" Fear ofcrime and increased feelings of because the product costs keep increasing, and vulnerability have hardened public attitudes and prisoners' state pay hasn't increased in twenty ­ led to tougher penalties for criminals, regardless­ years or more. of the sensibility of the policy. Most people The majority ofMs. Manning's editorial entering prison today serve shorter sentences for consists ofconjectured remarks surrounding one minor crimes such as shoplifting, possession of prisoner, Steve Garret. The crisis on our streets_ illegal drugs for personal use, or writing bad has now become the crisis in our prisons, and checks. The amount of time imposed for such the crisis I'm referring to I the lack ofeducation. crimes does little to effectthe elemental reason Mr. G~ret hasworked diligently to "educate" -for criminal behavior; therefore little prevents ­ not only prisoners, in order to help transform them from returning to their "old ways" or the them into productive members ofsociety. He same behavior after release. Recidivism results has also "educated" agencies and organizations from lack ofrehabilitation and education, not outside the institutions in order to shed light on from~ desire to return to prison for its "plush" the state-run bureaucracy ofinjustices that environment. siphon billions of tax dollars out of the The misconceptions stated in Ms. economy every year and resists every effort of Mannings' editorial are confirmation ofher reform. I'm sorry you don't know Mr. Garret . uneducated awareness ofprisoners and prison personally because, maybe, ifyou did he could conditions. She would like society to believe "educate" you in the areas ofstatistics, state that prisoners are given accommodations • expenditures, DRC "smoke screens," and civil C?mparative to "Low ctass hotels" and that the rights. Department ofRehabilitation and Corrections Don't you understand, Ms. Manning, supplies prisoners with all their "necessary'' that edu<:ation is the road to decent jobs and out amenities·. I don't know ofa "hotel" that, ofcrime? The only game I see being played here shelters 265 people in one room, has noise levels is not a game being played by Mr. Garrett, but typically ranging from 80 to 90 decibels, has ice instead a game being played by you and a vast forming on the l.nsides of the walls in the winter majority ofsociety: "the blind leading the months, has no working air ducts and_no blind!" The way I see it, unless the rules change, ventilation in the sweltering summer months, there are no winners. has roach and lice infested -mattresses and me A letter from Mumia to all the attendees ofa rally held in Philly on Jan. 77, 2000: LLJA! Ona Move! First, My thanks to all who made this trip on this cold day, to a cold Philadelphia, on behalf of Life. ­ On behalf of many others on Death Row, I also extend our Gratitude. We live in an age of Death. Politi­ cians shamelessly run on fear and Death today, not even bothering with Yesterday's promises of prosperity, better housing, better education or what not. They will promise you more jails, but not more justice. They will deliver more death penalties, but not truly competent counsel. ­ They will erect more penitentiaries, but inner city schools will crumble. They promise the poor more poverty, and only orphanages for the children of the poor. For those.promises made yesterday ­ still haven't been fulfilled today- So why do we expect them to be fulfilled tomorrow! Why hope for that which is hopeless? Why settle for politicians we don't want! Why settle for a system we don't want! Why settle for it! Why not resist a system that gives nothing but pain, poverty, prison and death to the poor? Why not fight to build the Alternative? ·Why not join us as we fight for Life, for true justice, for overcoming the Amerikkkan way of Repression? I invite you! lthankyou! ' Ona Move! LWA! Mumia Abu-Jamal pillows, has little or no hot water for bathing, or - John Perotti recently had surgery at CMC in Columbus, Ohio. Get well, John!! In Solidarily, Sonny Williams, Cincinnati The American ~cademy of Paralegals is a paralegal school offering its m~mbers both ·law courses and certification examinations, the American Academy of _ Paralegals also provides quality legal assistance to incarcerated pri~oners across the country at costs that are affordable. Tuition, fees, and membership dues are reasonable. Additional information may be acquired by writing the Academy's headquarters at: P.O. Box 2051, Houston, Texas, 77225-0510. . c/-·-· Fully Pardoned Jail ministry, P.O. Box 372, c.c - .........­ ••-.251 S. Mulberry, Troy,Ohio 45373, (937) 440-8828 We offer housing, food, clothing assistance, books and Bible studi~s to prisoners and ex-prisoners. Let's help each other to eliminate misery! ...... James Pryor �5 TREE TV I BE 5 PAN-OHIO Prisoners Advocacy Network Meets Next at Old Presbyterian Cl1urch, corner of Bryden & OhioAvenues, Columbus, Ohio, on April 30, 2000 For further information, contact (513)241-8014 SllliEll/lllfS Prisoners News contains the writings ofpersons 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 someon_e on the inside by sending us $12 for a year's subscription Sendyoutcomments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com mail : STREETVIBES, 7506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 452 70 The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 INNOCENT ON DEATH ROW A "Shameful record'~ his victims are rotting in prison. · That's how Illinois Governor George Ryan described his state's death penalty system as he ordered a moratorium on executions January 31. Illinois has released 13 innocent men from death row in 13 y:ears. But there are more ·innocent men behind bars. Stanley Howard is one. _ His 1984 "confession" to the murder of an off-duty police officer followed hours of beating and torture by Chicago cops. ' ~ Stanley was handcuffed _ to a wall in the police station, Officer Ja~es Lotito wrapped a plastic bag around his head and began suffocating him - until Stanley agreed to sign anything that was put in front of him. Chicago police later admitted that Stanley was tortured - but he remains on death row. And there's Ronald Kitchen. His ."confession" in 1988 came after he was beaten repeatedly in the groin with a blackjack, a telephone book and a telephone receiver. Stanley and Ronald are two of the Death ~ow Ten - Illinois prisoners sentenced to die based on confessions made during torture supervised by former ·Police Commander Jon Burge. So ma.uy torture charges piled up against Burge that the Chicago Police Department dumped him in 199 3. But while Burge gets a full pension to finance his comfortable retirement in Florida, SICK REALITY The stories of the Death Row Ten show the sick reality of the death penalty. But years of pressure by death penalty a"pponents have exposed the horror of t~is unjust system - from wrongful convictions in Illinois to the execution ofjuvenile offenders in . Texas to gruesome electric chair killings in Florida and Alabama. Now Ryan, a pro-death penalty Republican, has been forced to stop executions. And just days after the Illinois moratorium, President Clinton - who also supports the death penalty- was pressured into considering a similar move for federal prisoners. The national debate around the death penalty has been transformed. As Ryan said in calling a moratorium, the death penalty in Illinois is "fraught with error and has come so dose to the ultimate nightmare. " But the system is just as "fraught with error" in the other 37 states with the death penalty. And the "ultimate nightmare" - the execution of an innocent person - has already happened in Illinois and across the U.S. That's why the Death Row Ten and the more than 3,500 other people living under death sentences should have the threat of execution lifted- n~w! We need to step up the fight to force President Clinton and the other politicians to stop all executions - now! + + + PINE RIDGE RESERVATION STRUGGLES CONTINUE ...ftom the Northern Kentucky AIMsu.pportgroup.... ~p Justice was established afterthe bodies ofWtlson Black ElkJr. And Ron3ld Hard Heartwere found brutally beaten and murdered. Accusations were leveled at the Sheraton County Sheriff's Office in Nebraska American Indian Movement (AI.M.) leaders arrived to organize and lead a protest. The . protesters have been there since. White Clay beer sales exceeding4 million cans a year have received the brunt of the blame for the recent deaths and other general violence and alcohol problems. The Pine Ridge Reservation, just a little North of the Village, is dry. A few members ofAl.M. ofOhio and Northern Kentucky support group and Miami Council orNativeAmericans traveled there in February. They brought supplies, food and clothes. There they found the protesters spirits still high after 9 months. While in Pine Ri~ theymetwith Grass roots "Oyate" Lakota People at Ogalala Sioux Tribal Headquarters. Theywere planning strategies for the future. One ofthe key demands was met, to seize and remove records. They also demanded the removal ofWesley ChuckJacobsO.S.T. Treasury. TheFBiand Bureau ofIndian Affairs supenntendent removed records on January 18th. The crowd ofNativeAmericans applauded as they carried themoutandmembersofCrazy HorseDnun leadthe people in theAI.M. Song. �....~~~~,fto:oi •• ,... ,. • • ·--~ -........ ~~:;:w .. ,-;:F-7:',;~.~.... ~'(f' - .... , S'l°UftVIBES . . ,_ 1ci";«;.;" .-.. "'."""" ,.~ "~---;,~"\:"-~~- N:~1 """•'.:=-:'t~t."'~~~•i:i:~~~:.» .... • ... .:-."*.-~, .....~ .... ·~,... - .... ~ .. -c-:.~~,~ .. ,.,,...,..... • ... • - • -- ~ The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine """'~ - -.. . ..,..,,. ~ . • ~~ ;~ Page 13 ~ ... . ~. , -~~. .. ,.,..,."'s'J. .. L'l ,.,, ~ ~ ,.. ~" - •~\FJ -J-~-;,.•."' ... .., • ~ Anti-Same-Sex Marriage Bills Introduced in OHIO Legislature Courtesy of Stonewall Cincinnati - _ A group representing Equality Begins at Home, a statewide simple, we need this language in plaee right now to protect families lesbian~ gay, bisexual, and transgenderlobbying group, held a January 12 ._from the non-tradltional vahles others may try to bring- into our state. press conference at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus in opposition to a This bill does nothing more than reaffirm that marriage between a bill that would deny the recognition of same-sex marriage in Ohio. inan and a woman is the cornerstone of the most basic unirin our Stonewall Cincinnati Exeeutive Director Doreen Cudnik was among the society, the family." glbt-rights activists who spoke at the conference. She wasjoinedby Eric Sponsors ofboth bills insist that their legislation's sole purpose is Resnick of Stonewall Akron, Sarah Fox ofthe transgender advocacy _to protect "traditional marriage," butas Resnick pointed out,-the group It's Time, Ohio!, and attorney Susan Gellman ofthe ACLU definition ofa "traditional marriage''.has changed dramatically over the Columbus chapter. generations. "In my grandparents' time, it was 'traditional' for marriages The focal point.of the January 12 conference was State Sen. Jay ·to be arranged. Until 1966, states had marriage statutes that made wives Hottinger's (R-Newark) reintroduction of a statewide "Defense of · the property of their husbands. In 1972,_there were states that forbade Marriage Act." A member of the Ohio House, State Rep. Jim Jordan (R- · · marriages between people of different race·s. ·It's our job GLBT Urbana) introduced a H:ouse version of the bill at the same timeHottinger's people to tell the truth about "traditional marriage." bill was introduced in the Senate. (Jordan is·also one ofthe lawmakers The House version of the bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Jordan, who voted to freeze federal funds for HrvIAIDS training unless the Ohio Aslanides, Brading, Buchy, Buehrer, Calvert, Carey, Clancy, Depiero, Department ofEducation agreed to an "abstinence-only" sex education Harris, Hood, Hoops, Jacobson, Netzley, Roman? Taylor, Terwilleger, program.) Tiberi, Willamowski, and Young. Depiero is the only Democrat co­ An identical measure, introduced by Hottinger in ~997 in response sponsoring the bill. The Senate version has also been-filed, ~d its to a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling, died in committee. Hottinger' s new bill · sponsors, all Republicans, are Sens. Carnes, Oelslager, Latta, Mumper, would reassert that the only marriages legally recognized in Ohio are those Wachtmann, White, and Watts. between a man and a woman. "If there is a silver lining in any of this," said Cudnik, "it is that "Ohio law is very cleat on the issue," Cudnik said. ''The Ohio bills like Mr. Hottinger' s pop up in response to our hard-won victories Revised Code already specifies that 'only a man age 18 or over and a around the country. The national gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender woman age 16 or over, b_oth who are unmarried, may ~e joined in movement is changing things one heart and one mind at a time. Mr. marriage.' Furthermore,-Ohio courts have ruled on this issue and have -Hottinger and those like him wantto turn the clock back on civil rights limited the right to marry in Ohio to male-female couples. Yet, Rep. advances for gay lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. But we will · Hottinger wants to ~ngage the Ohio General Assembly in a hateful, not let that happen, not here in Ohio. We will continue to build coalitions, divisive, and unnecessary argument, an effort to please his right wirig we will continue to fight, and we will eventually win in our struggle for supporters. This bill is nothing more than an attempt to bash gay and basic equality and dignity." lesbian couples who wish to share the same rights and responsibiµties of Cudnik, Fox, and Resnick are members of the·E baH steering civil marriage.'' committee, which will hold a "lobby' day" at the Statehouse on April 12. · Gellman, representing the LGBT community, discussed the Equality Begins at Home Ohio is part of a national network of state unconstitutionality of carving out a gay exception to the "full faith and lobbying groups, coordinated and funded by the National Gay and credit" clause ofthe tJ.S. Constitution. The clause requires states to • Lesbian Task Force and the Federation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and recognize the "public acts, records, ~d judicial proceedings ofevery other Transgender Statewiqe Political Organizations. The April 12 EbaH lobby state." . effort is a follow up to a successfuf event held fast year in Columbus. . Sponsors of the bill claim that there is ~need for the bill, in light of .This year's lobbying efforts will be equally divided between . a recent ruling in Vermont in which the Supreme Court ofthat state said Hottinger and Jordan's anti-marriage bill and a bill to include gays and that same-sex couples are entitledto the same rights and benefits as lesbiansin Ohio's hate crime law. ·opposite-sex couples. The Vermont State legislature has until mid-April to _ The existing ''ethnic intimidation," passed in 1987, increases figure out a way to do this. · · penalties for five misdemeanors ifthey are committed because of the "When we debated this bill last session, many of my colleagues victim's race, color, religion, or national origin. said the time wasn'.t right for this bill because no real threat existed," The hate crime bill, H.B. 277, sponsored by Rep. Joyce Beatty Hottinger said. "With the recent ruling in Vermont and the rising number of (D) ofColumbus, would add sexual orientation, gender, disability, and domestic partner benefits cases in our own state, there is no better time · ancestry. It would expand the law to include felonies, and would . than now to address this issue." ·· classify hate crimes committed by organizatfons as domestic Jordan, the bill's co'...sponsor in the House, said, "Plain and terrorism. as in Ca l·en d a rs For Sa-l e PHOTOS · sy JIMMY _ffEAi A VISUAL TESTIMONY OF THE STRUG ~LE IN OVER-THE-RHINE, CINCINNATI'S INNER CITY Togetyourveryown, send $8 to GCCH ($5 for GCCH members), 1506 Elm St. Cincinnati 45.21 orcomedown and pick one up �ST RE EJV I BES . ·.· ·.·. ·.·.·.· ·.· · :;~ : The Tri-State's •. . Hqmeless Grapevine , '11.- · ~~"'~ <-~< Page ,. 14 ··.·· .. . .. ' i-!!~~ •11111•••••1 •lfltlllal : ·l Letters Police Brutality Witnessed in Over-the-Rhine Mentally ill man the victim of attack ..... by R. w. Last night, near the corner of Green and Race, a mentally disabled man was walking down the street counting his money, when two cops on horseback accosted him. ­ He was not doing anything, yet, rea.cting to the threat of arrest, he became agitated. In response, the two cops on horseback pulled out their billy clubs and began to beat him, punch him, spray him with mace, and kick him in the face. He was even kicked in the ribs by one of the horses. The 40 to 60 bystanders who witnessed this brutality were practically at the point oftaking up arms against the police, whose numbers then had grown to eight. When bystanders a·pproached the police to protest this treatment of a mentally disabled man, they were threatened with arrest thems~lves if they did not keep quiet. R. W. , a neighborhood resident, said that he is fa irly well acquainted with the man, and that he has never witnessed him being disruptiv~ or violent. The man attends the same church as R.W. - Nast Trinity at 1310 Race Street. God and &1. Francis . Conversing ••• "Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world isgoing on down there in the USA? What happened to the · dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? had a perfect.no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms, atfracted butterflies, honeybees,· and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles:" "It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great extent to kill them and replace them with grass." "Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's _ temperamental with temperatures. . Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?" "Apparently so, Lord. They ·go to great pains tQ grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn." . "The spring rains and cpol weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites ·happy." "Apparently· not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it -sometimes twice a week." "They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?" '.'Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it Politicians, Keep • your promises DEAR CITY FATHERS: It has come to our attention that there is money to be spread around, yet it just doesn't seem to be making it's way to the things that we , the people, elected you to direct them to. I mean, look at the youth programs; do you actually think that our youth want to sit around and learn how to build · cabins out of popsicle sticks? The only way lhat will work is if the popsicle is still on them: Don't get me wrong, our youth are definitely more cognizant than that, but what you're offering, is no better. Ladies and Gentlemen , the time for "Backdoor Politics" has gone. To keep trying _to use them is a quick way to bring the people in the front door with more than just a suggestion. Oops, I'm sorry - I still haven 't said what -money I'm talking about. The money that is being referred to. is the money that you so gra,ciously turned over to the "Kunzel Project." You know, the project that is supposed to make the Over-the-Rhine area so much more appealing to-the public. Yes, you have once again done something for the people without so much as letting them know about it, or even asking them how they felt. I normally , leave politic~ to the politicians, but for some reason it just isn't working. So last year, I !istened to all the promises that were made by all those running for office. I even talked up and put it in·_ bags." . "They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?" "No, sir. Just the opposite. They .pay ' to throw it ·away." "Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?" "Yes, sir." "These Suburbanites must be relieved · in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and savesthem a lot of work." . . "You aren't going to believe this Lord . When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they cancontinue to mow it and pay to get rid of it." "What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade· in the summer. In the autumn theyfall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in thesoil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leavesform compost to. enhance the s,0il. It's a natural circle of life." to a few and ran some ideas by them. This is what I got from five of the nine that were _ elected. 1. I feel that's a good idea, but now the ball's in your court; just bring it back to me on a later date. I'll always remember who you are, and we can get right to work on it. .(This one must have thought I was really drunk; he was handshaking in a local bar.) 2. It seems to me that the people are truly left out of a lot of the true issues. Truthfully, I've never understo·od it. (Never answered the question and wouldn't know the truth if it bit him/her.) 3. Have you ever thought of going into politics? You seem to really care about people. Give me a call so we ·can discuss your suggestions further and run _ them up the flagpole. (Flattery only works if it helps me win the lotto. And next.time give me a card so I can at least make that call to you!). 4. I think me and my constituents can really work something like what you're suggesting into what we already have in mind. (Is he/she talking about the same three already mentioned? Oh boy, are we in trouble.) 5. You see it's people like you that just don't give people like me a chance to do what really needs to be _ d one before you , complain . Give the system a chance fo r once. (Who does she/he want to hold their breath? Me, my children, my gra~dchildren, etc.?. So now you see why this letter was so important:.... not that I'm fini_s hed; I just have to take a break from the constant reminder that Cincinnati is living up to its name "The Blue Chip City." The only question is whether the cow was blue as well? Maybe we should have kept the name "The Queen . City"? At least royalty can blame its mistake · on Parliament. Come on Cincinnati; let's get it back together for the children's sake, if for no one else. If you want to destroy your future, then make sure it's yours and yours alone. .... Kevin L. Deal, Homeless Vet "You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and havethem hauled aw_ ay." "No! What d,o they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winterand keep the soil moist and loose?" . "After throwing away your leaves, they. go out and buy something they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in p!ace of the leaves." "And where do they get this mulch?" "They cut down trees and grind them up." · Enough! I don't want to think. about this anymore. Saint' Catherine, you 're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?" "Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It's a real stupid movie about. .. " "Never mind I think I just heard the whole story." T.his was in th~ Spring 2000 Issue of Earth Connections Newsletter. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 15 CONFERENCE Ending Women's Poverty in ....... By Lynn Williams On March 6 and 7, the NOW Legal Defense Fund and the Georg~town University Law Center held a conference on ending women's poverty in America, "To Promote the General Welfare: Ending Women's Poverty" . The four cornerstones of ending women's poverty advocated at the conference were ending violence against women, especially domestic violence; reproductive rights; child care; and jobs, education, & training. The conference got off to a great start with inspiring keynote speakers who revved up the audience. One keynote speaker was Diane Dujon, a former welfare recipient in Massachusetts, spoke of the reality of what it is like to be on welfare and try to make ends meet. She also deplored the fact that welfare reform is not about reform but about getting rid of welfare altogether. She spoke on the need for income security for all women and children in this country. She spoke on the effects of the time limit in Massachusetts; the numbers offamilies staying at shelters and going to food pantries. At the church food pantry where she volunteers in Massachusetts, she reported that families are coming to them for food and they are now having to tum them away. "That is such a hard thing to do when you see hungry children right in front of you and there is nothing left to feed them," she said. She continued, "If welfare reform is not affecting you directly, it's on its way. ,This is affecting whole communities. I'm going across the country and I'm seeing the same thing happening as in Massachusetts when we reached limit (for receiving cash assistance). the Front headlines ofnewspapers everywhere say such things as, 'The governors say how great that time THOUGHTS ON ANOTHER SCHOOL SHOOTING TRAGEDY ... by Pat Mitchell ·we all heard about the tragedy of the 6-year-old girl that was killed at school in Michigan. As the story goes, this kid was at school and had had words with a little boy at school and the next day, he came back and shot her! Now, after all the trauma, the country is asking who's to blame for this little girl's death -the 6-year-old boy? The parents? Who? ' Well, it tu rn s out that the parents and the owner of the gun were charg ed with the crime. And I certainly agree that the · parents and the gun owners are responsible . We must set val ues and morals for our ki ds, protect them from r welfare reform is ... how successful it is.' But later on in the back pages of those same newspapers you read, 'All the shelters are full. Record numbers of families are coming to food pantries.' Somehow C~ngress is not associating the numbers of homeless with those without food and welfare reform." Ms. Dujon stated, "I am absolutely outraged at the welfare reform law and what it has to do with welfare. Where did this idea come from that women taking care of children are not working? Have you ever seen your mother sit down and do nothing? Taking care of children and living below 50% of the federal poverty level is extremely hard work! Women do work by raising children. Just because it isn't paid work doesn't mean it's not work!" For this she got loud applause. She went on to add, "How come it's not seen as work unless you are watching someone else's child? Maybe it's because if you love the people, it's not considered work? If you don't love the people, then you get paid, but for a very tiny paycheck." "Our country's politicians give so much lip service to the importance ofchildren, but actually their policies mean that children come last." "What is so bad about being dependent? I used to be dependent on welfare, now I'm dependent on a paycheck. We are all dependent on each other some of the time, we are all interdependent. We have a social responsibility for other people. None of us Iives isolated from . other people. What is so bad about that?" "A motherwhose children are going hungry or has no income for rent is doing the right thing to go and apply for welfare. There whatever. As parents we must do even more. Kids are important; they are our future. I think every young mother should be required to take a parenting class. Wake up! Kids killing kids? We must take responsibility and take charge of our kids! Cincinnati Enquirer, Sunday Mar. 5: "In Mount Morris Township , in eastern Michigan , a first-grade boy shot his classmate, a 6-year-old girl. The children apparently had fought on the playground the day before. The girl, Kayla Rolland, had yelled ' at the boy for spitting on his desk. The boy brought to school a gun from a relative 's home. The boy, whom authorities won 't identify, shot and killed Kayla.·Then he put the gun in his desk and went to the principals office" should not be shame in doing the rig}J.t thing to make sure your children are provided for. She should not have to be ashamed for doing this . She is taking care of her children. We must not let the government tell us that we are doing the wrong thing by going to get help for our children." Kathy Rodgers, President of the NOW Legal Defense Fund, stated, "Thirty percent to fifty percent offamilies dropped from welfare do not have earnings at all. Those with jobs are by and large still living in poverty." She continued, '~Recently President Clinton bragged that welfare reform is a complete success in his State of the Union Address. This is hypocrisy which we will not tolerate at the beginning of the year 2000. · Contrary to \Yhat press headlines are reading, welfare reform is not working. Consider that: 1 in 7 Americans live today in poverty. (This includes people working full­ time year-round.) 1 in 5 children live in poverty .i n America. 1 in 3 African-American children live in poverty. Even these statistics don't tell the whole story, that the poverty level is far too lowand outdated.'' Dorothy Roberts, professor at the Northwestern University School of Law, spoke on reproductive rights for poor women. Unexpectedly and with a unique tum ofthought, she emph4sized the reproductive right ofpoor women to bear children. She stated that the laws are limiting this right, specifically the Family Cap, wherein additional children are denied benefits; and with the aggressive use ~fNorplant pushed on poor women. Professor Roberts cited a long list of statistics from America's history on the numbers of women, poor and especially poor and black, who were forced to be sterilized in America. She went on to add that in recent years, many poor women are in effect sterilized because doctors will not remove Norplant implants. There are accounts of women who have actually tried to cut the Norplant implant out oftheir arms. · Professor Roberts emphasized that poor women must have the right to bear children. In response, another panelist commented that half ofAmerica's famous people would never have been born if poor women had not had that right. Although women at the conference were not in agreement on all issues, such as t~e extent of reproductive rights and the value of stay-at­ home mothering over employment, participants were in agreement that Congress must get serious about ending the high rates of women's and children's poverty in America. • • • �5 TREE TV I BE 5 The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 16 ·STREET MUSIC IN CINCINNATI of the book is to make an environment more suitable for human beings, instead of an environment where people are eating like lions, tigers, and bears. We are attempting to take the negative and turn it to positive by changi~g our ·physiology, by practicing the Mucusless Diet Healin-g System, which gives -our music a healing effect. Dishon Woody My Name is Dishon Woody. I am the percussionist for the Healing System Band, Lead by Victor Buttrom (Sax), with Jack Walker (sax), Matt Anderson (Bass), and Tom Billman (Keyboard). Victor introduced me to. playing in the streets many years ago. It's been fun, but even after years of fighting for the right to play, we still receive complaints and harassment from Police. _A City ordinance states that we are allowed freedom of speech for 90 minutes, regardless of whoever complains; but City Hall doesn't back us in our right to play by sending a message to the Police to honor our 90 minutes of free speech. Victor and I have been banned from playing at Findlay Market for some years; the reason - a decision made in a secret meeting held by city council - Go play in your own nei_g hborhood. The name of our Band was taken from a book called the Mucusless Diet Healing System, by P_rofessor Arnold Ehr~t. The goal Many people have supported my work as a street musician, and I would like to thank them: Allen Brown, Douglass Mansfield, Arzell Nelson, Ken Blackweel,_ Steve Stuhlborg, Scott Greewood, Judge Mallory, Mr. Sunderman, Dave Wecker, Melvin Greir, Laura Randall, Tanya O'roarke, Channel 5,9,12,19, and a special thanks to Cincinnati City Council, CMHHA, the Cincinnati Police Department, Congress and Capitalism for providing a crime and drug free environment where everyone's basic needs are provided such as food, shelter, healthcare, education and freedom of speech. And last but not least, the beautiful people of Cincinnati, Ohio who support street musician,S.­ ____.---­ Peace ·and Love, Dishon WOody �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Tales from across the river to have some kind of roof, so I started scrounging for something, anything, to keep the rain off me. I found a piece of plywood by Mark Pierce, Northern Kentucky . and some plastic for cover. It has been my home for the past 6 years. Matthew 11 :28-30 -- " Come to me, all you I had unknowlinglyenterecl God's Kingdom ~ho are weary and burdened, and I will give thatJesus was talking about in the scriptures above. you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn From that dayon angels have aided me on a daily from m e, for I am gentle and humble in heart, basis to provide food and clothing for me in ~ytime and you w ill find rest for your souls. For my oftrouble. You might not know them, but I do; ~ey yoke is easy and my burden is light. " are the people who man the soup kitchen lines and When I first ended up homeless in streets I the ones at shelters who give out clothes to people thought that I was among the lowest forms oflife ever like me. They have saved my life and many others on to exist. I was unemployable, had no self-esteem and · our journeys oflife. absolutely no hope. I felt abandoned by all I knew. I · "I was hungiyand you gave Me something to would go to churches and I prayed to die a lot, and I eat; in as much as you have done it (or one of the am grateful My God ignored those prayers. I had least ofthese, M y Brethren, you have done it for . suffered through some depression some time before M e!'"' - Mathew25:35-40 anditwasheavyonme, and I was bone tired. My · So ifyou are homeless forthe first time and physical condition has not changed much bymy ·are making your wayto the Lord's Table, remember attitude towards where God.had led me has. those who are serving the food donated to you! For it 'When mytime allowed to stay at the Drop-In is truly a gift from your Heavenly Father who helps Center ran out, I was really without a home. I twas you and I survive today! the beginning ofApril, but cold. I went down to the Not that I am a saint nor claim to be; but river bankand found a blanket. It was dirty, but; it was what kept me warm that night. I knewthat I had Rest for Your Soul , Page 17 Sunday's at 8:30 A.M.: Coffee and Snacks are served at Goebel Park in Covingto·n for all Northern Kentucky Homeless individuals. ther~ was a Saint named Francis who had a very humble lifestyle. The next time you are eating in St. Francis's Soup Kitchen on Liberty Street and you see one of those Franciscan Brothers in brown robes who run that school and kitchen, remember that they have dedicated their lives to the lifes~e ofSt. Francis. Here is a quote from an article'about him: · "He gave up eveiy material thing he had, pilin:g even his clothes .before his earthly father (who was demanding restitution for Francis' "gifts" to the _poor) so that he would be totally free to say; "Our Father in H eaven." He was, for a time, considered to be religious "nut," begging from door to door when he could not get moneyfor his work, bringing sadness or disgust to the hearts ofhis former friends, ridicule from the unthinking." · I am a furn believer that if the LOrd called you into the street He will not forget you! WASHINGTON SHELTER, (Continued from p.5) · tion, i.n the basement. "I've never seen this many inspectors at once," says volunteer coordinator Gary Adler. But Adler, for orie, doesn 't mi nd th e scrutiny. "A lot of advocates are sorry to see what's happen­ ing here in the interim, but they're not sorry to see some investigators [at CCNV] an d get some mom en­ tum going for something to change. " Out on the street, meanwhile, people are car­ rying their placards , warning against getting "Eggercized," _a reference to Central Kitchen Direc­ tor Robert Egger's reservations about CCNV, quoted in the City Paper story. Bishop says CCNV is solv­ ing the only problem that matters in the short run. "Whoever is out there homeless and needs to come in. we let them ir)," she says. "The lease is not going to keep them out." There are 17 mothers at the shelter Monday, . with 30 children among them, according to Bishop. Regardless of the conditions of CCNV's occupancy, she has· no plans to tell them to leave, she says. That's up to the city. But by 3p.m., residents see a bus pull up behind the building, and the moms and their kids climb in. After nearly a week of posturing by CCNV and the city, the women are being relocated to D.C. Village. , After four hours, the mayor's office releases a statement from Graham that terms the forced move part of a "much larger process that will loo_k at dilapi­ dated buildings all across the city whereby more situ­ ations like CCNV may be uncovered and will be qu ickly addressed ." The statement goes on to say · th at the move was necessary becau se th e shelter is su pposed to serve only single men and wom en. Among those on th e move is 2-month-old Wendell Taylor, whose mother, Storm Taylor, gave birth to him two days before she moved into the shel­ ter. "I came -here for the sake of my child," she says. "It's the first time I've been anywhere near a shelter. Now it feels like home ." "This protest is a.g ainst hypocrisy, apathy, in­ difference," declares Bishop in a statement posted on a wall inside the shelter. As long as she's had space, Bishop claims, city agen cies, from the Metro­ politan Police Department to Child and Family Services to the mayor's offjce, have dumped fa mi lies like Taylor's at her door when they had no oth er,place to put them . "Everybody's kn·own what I'm doing," she says. "I don 't do anything undercover. The city could have stepped in at any time. But they didn't." . In the meantime, she complains, the city has shortchanged CCNV by providing money for only the most superficial of repair~. though everyone's known the Federal City building is falling apart. Until Monday, ·she says, she's never seen so much as a fire or building inspector in­ ·side the place, though the health department regularly inspects D.C . Central Kitchen. And . she's certainly never seen so many social work­ ers out in force at once . "The city's just putting a Band-Aid over a bullet hole," adds John Baggett, a homeless staffer at CCNV. . In any event, says advocates, the real issue lies beyond the scope of regulatory quib­ bling. "Is some place better than no place?" asks _Mary Ann Luby of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless. "The broken-down building is not [CCNV's] fault. Who's at fault? The city's at fault." But why, if it could jeopardize her lease, did Bishop continue to allow ch ildren in Federal City? Why didn't she tell the city about her co n­ cerns before? "Why shou ld I?" she says. "If I'm in the busi ness of housing women an d children , it's becau se wo men and children are homeless. What's the issue? They should be concerned about what's happening in the community that drives these people to the shelter." At the end of the day, the cycles of life ­ and death - return to normal at Federal City. Come 2a.m. bed check, 58-year-old Marshall lshmell, a resident who had been in and out of the hospital, is found unconscious in the men's wing. He's rushed to Howard University Hospi­ tal, where he's pronounced dead, the ninth fa­ tality at the shelter in the last year. * * * �5 TREE TV I BES The Tri-State's The Traveler ........Donald Whitehead My travels lately have been filled with a newfound realization of my own miscon­ ceptions. I have witnessed the transforma­ tion of others due to reality encounters. In my new position at Goodwill Industries, I have had the opportunity to work in a new envi­ ronment that is closely tied to my old one. Workforce developm·ent·is one of the most important elements in a successful end to homelessness as well as prevention from homelessness . .While the current ecdnomy is strong , it has not trickled down to those at the very bottom of the economic ladder, for the most part. It has, however, forced em­ ployers to reach out to populations that were long ignored. People traditionally locked out by past indiscretions are now a lot more likely to be given a second chance. Every day I witness the elation experienced by those either en.tering the workforce for the first time or re-~ntering after a long period of absence. Working with the Welfare reform population has helped me gain insights into a culture that I was only vaguely aware of. · 1 have discovered that myths I thought to be untruths were in fact untrue. The idea that most people receiving seNices through the human service department were unwilling to work is perhaps the biggest misconception of them all. My experience so far has been that most people are very willing to work. I discovered that most of my encounters have been with people who were willing , but un­ able, because the issues that needed to be addressed, that kept them from work, were either inadequate or invisible. These issues, such as as transportation and training, are paramount to the success of any person en­ tering the workforce. With people transitioning from welfare, these necessities are too often viewed as unreasonable de­ mands. I also believed all human service case­ workers to be uncaring. I have since discov­ ered that the uncaring is more systemic than individualized. I was horrified to discover that some caseworkers have as many as 300 in­ dividuals on their caseloads. With 300 people on a caseload per caseworker the level of frustration must be extreme. Contin­ ued frustration does take its toll on Human Service workers. Just like the clients them­ selves, there is a definite need for support for the employees at the human services department. Their mission is to get people off of assistance by whatever means neces­ sary. Unfortunately welfare reform crafters in Ohio and many other states have not put -enough resources into support programs. The inability to recognize the value of sup­ --- port systems for those transitioning back into the work force, is a glaring flaw that will have drastic long-term consequences. B e ­ cause of a booming economy and a market that is begging for workers, placement has been fairly easy. The fact that many of ._ the placements have been in service-related occupations is of great concern to most ob­ Homeless Grapevine servers. Service re­ lated jobs are gener­ ally low paying, stress related, and lacking benefits. It is the hope of this writer that higher wisdom pre­ vails and the punitive nature of Welfare Reforms gives way to well thought out polices that have long-term suc­ cess as a goal for participants. ' I was going to dedicate this entire ar­ ticle to the issues around welfare. I have however decided that it is time to revisit an issue that has come to my attention again. The issue of cities' frontal attacks against their homeless populations. Cincinnati, too, has fallen victim to a plague that shallfrom here on out be referred to as Gui lianism . Gu ilianism stems from pol ices drafted by Mayor Guiliani of New York to rid the streets of homeless peopl e. The broken window concept is designed to rid the City of major crim es by aggres sivel y pursuing petty crimes. ·Thi s ill-advised strategy has been used for some ti me in New York City. The National Coalition for the Homeless has documented many cases of civil rights vio­ lation over the past five years but they have gotten steadily worse since Mayor Guilani began his program in New York. A more frightening a serious co nsequence of Guilianism is duplication by th e Mayors of other major Cities. A recent series homeless roundup thathave occurred in several cites including New York and Clevel and . Due to strong advocacy those practices have been stopped at press time. On an almost daily basis a policy pop up that infringes more and more on the rights of the homeless and the poor in America . Case in point is a policy in . Portland Oregon that is intended to limit the amount of people attending a church that serves low-income people. Cincinnati has also been infected with Guilianism. I just learned recently that the Cincinnati Police ·department was conducting a cleanup of outdoor encampments, particularly those · under bridges. I don't know where the order came from but it is extremely .coincidental that the sweeps happen one week prior to the outdoor locations count conducted by the Census department. If the City of Cincinnati wants to clean out the underpasses the best possible strategy would be to start investing as many resources into its low-income population as it invests into its Fortune 500 companies. I propose the" It Takes A Village Plan" ­ - a project that would require significant re­ sources, but pennies in comparison to the resources targeted for the many special in­ . terest projects in the City of Cincinnati. The project would be a marriage of old projects · that had some success but where shelved during the Reagan/Bush era when so many social programs were slashed or eliminated. The plan would use existing resources, one of our abandoned or soon-to be-abandoned school bl!ildings to create affordable hous­ ing with support. Those that wanted to live in the housing would do the construction. By participating in the building the residents would receive invaluable training in building · skills and a pride of ownership in the finished Page 1a project. The lunchrooms could be used as an on the job training site for those desiring training in culinary arts. The Gymnasium and Auditoriums have multiple possibilities for use -- community plays fund-raising and other activities. The residents would be re­ sponsible for ongoing maintenance and up­ keep. I am currently exploring possibility for funding and other important details for the concept implementation. I am.very excited about the possibilities. If there are readers interested in exploring this project, please. give me a call; we'll travel down this road to­ gether. * * * EYE ON ·MOTHER EARTH Agent Qrange now hastens our self-destruction DIOXIN Dioxin is a class of seventy-five chemi­ cals, formed when waste containing a chlorine · source such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic is burned and .during the manufacture _ of certain organic chemicals· containing _ chlorine. At least seven of dioxin's chemical forms are highly toxic, and-.on.e'"- 2,3,7,8­ tetracholorodibenzo-dioxin .- is believed tobe.... the single most carcinogenic compound in existence. Scientists have documented that,, . / even at very low levels of exposure, dioxin c~ also cause birth defects and affect the ·m::­ mune system, reprodueti e organs, and a variety of hormonal processes in ways whose ultimate effects are unknown. Because the chlorine bonds in the dioxin mofecule are extremely resistant to chemical or physical breakdown, dioxin is highly persistent in the environment. It can be airborne for long distances and subsequently enter the food chain through plants and water, ending up in meat, dairy products, eggs and fish. The Human body processes dioxin very slowly once it is consumed, creat­ ing a buildup of the chemical in fatty tissue ­ such as the female breast. Thus, nursing infants are particularly likely to receive doses of dioxin . . Combustiop-related sources, such as incinerators, account for the majority of know dioxin emission. A large proportion of dioxin emissions, from a multiplicity of sources, can be traced to a handful of individual chlorine­ relat~d products and processes: PVC, plastic, chlorine-based pulp bleaches, pesticides, and chlorinated solvents. PVC is the most abun­ dant product of Ghlorine chemistry, consum­ ing more than 30 percent of all the chlorine produced annually in the United States. It is widely used in pipes, many other building materials, furniture, packaging, _and more. And dioxins are formed both when PVC is manufac.t ured and when it is incinerated. From the Winter 2000 issue ofThe Amicus journal, the_ magazine ofthe Natural Resources Defense Council �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 19 SCRAMBLE Answers (from Page 7) Exercise, Aerobics, Running, Jogging, Swimming, Dan'c ing , Pushups, Cycling Streetvibes TV covers news on poverty, homelessness and related issues. If you would like to be a part of the audience, or if you have ideas for future shows, call us at 421-7803 . ..··: .·..·. : ::}~.=.: .=.). ··:: :::::.:· ·:.. :· . :· .. . . . .·... ·.-: ...:.. : -: ..···: .· .:· ..··.·. ·..·..· .·:.::-. -~ ..·..··.. ··. Streetvibes Live Radio Hour Tune in to WAIF •• 88.3 FM! Mac Day on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The Planners Needed Homeless Coalition's live r_ adio 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 edectic musical selections . The 2000 Mac Day (tlie Rev. · McCrackin Day held in honor of the late 0­ T-R activist pastor) Committee is forming. We would like anyone and everyone inter­ - ested to come to the meeting on Monday, AprH 3, 6 PM at St. Joseph Catholic Church Rectory, 745 Ezzard Charles Dr. Mac Day has been a child-friendly gathering ofpeace making, alt. living, enviro, grassro?ts, anti-nuke, homeless advocates, ;u,1 good-thing I good-vibe people festival with lots ofgood food and music. It happens in June at the Laurel Park in the West End, Macs' old romping grounds. We need as many people as possible to help plan, guide and_mold this event. Please come and/or share this info with others. Thank you, STREETVIBES Classified Executive Director position avail­ able at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Send resurne and cover to Clifford Jones, GCCH, 1506 Elm St. , Cincinnati 45210. Brian Crum bcrum@fuse.net 221 -5537 (Cincinnati) Streetvibes accepts 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. to order one or more copies of 510lEN LIVES a project ofthe October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, ·the National Lawyers Guild, and the AnthonyBaez Foundation, People below the poverty level will be given five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Call 421-7803 for more information call 212-477-8062"orthe local . · chapter of the Oetober 22 Coalition at 513-241-8014 for an order form ' Mail the ad copy, or deliver, to: GCCH,1506 Elm Street,Cincinnati, . OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813; or e-mail to streetvibes.@ juno.com· VOLUNTEER at the Opening Day Parade Monday April 3, 1000 Decoration Volunteers •.· will be meeting at 6:00 •· a.m. 1904 Woodburn <: (Parade starts at 10:00 .·.·. ••.. a.m.) :·.· .·.:· Come Join the Fun!!! · Cincinnati-Hamilton County ............................ Community Action UBS!l2~ Agency /Head Start l' 1t ..,-., .:WI' J _...A. IA .It- ..'.\ ~ Jt. , JJ . i.t tt ~ • -~ #. l>lt JI .R ...k .d ..I' •..!. .0. _. <# ::.t:! ~ J1 _., ~ >'1' ;f. -» ~ .• ~ -ci Jf • 'y ·' ..... Subscribe to Streetvibes J ., Subscriptions can be ··P.~ rchased for $15 per year. (you can give more ifyou want) ·Just send a check to the below . ~iddres.s '. and the pap.e r will be mailed · . toy6u each month . . . STREETvlBES, 1506 Elm Street, .. · . Cincinnati, OH 45210. Please make · checks payable toGCCH. If you have any ·. questions, call 421-7803. If y ou have subscribed, but are not receiv­ ing your Streetvibes, Please let us kn ow. ' ::i �ST RE ET VI BES Homeless Grapevine The Tri-State's Streetvibes Page 20 endor Code EER 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 .'d istributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public b y 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 seif-supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly h omeless. ·To help in this effort, I. will try to spread the word and write stories if possibie. 9. I understand that failure to comply with any of the above statements will resuJt in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. D S ree . ibes is looking for volunteer writers, reporters, photographers, etc. interested in serving on the Streetvibes _ editorial work group. For more information, please call the office at 421-7803 ish List Streetvibes newspaper is published monthly on a shoe"'.string budget from the offices of th e Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and don6rs. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list, please give us a ca ll. .. 0 Supplies for vendor's lounge (coffee, cups, paper towels, cream and sugar, ' etc.) 0 Photography Help of all sorts for Stre,e tvibes- photographers, film, developing , (a digital camera?) 0 Streetvibes has a minimal overhead costs o 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. Advertisers and S-U6sctlb~ 0 Computers/components (monitors, ,.,. hard. drives, etc.) for story-writing ~ editing, research, and future home-/ less computer lab ~ · - If you can help!, contact l:JS at: Streetvibes, cl o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for. the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 ph: (513) 421-7803, fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com Thanks for your support. ee Hep or ant to Help? If for some reason you find yo1,1rself 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) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 431-8717 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission · Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) · St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamltton) 1.nterfaith Hospitality Network 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John's Temporary Housing 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network ReSTOC Tender,.. Mercies Tom Geiger House 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-1171 639-7056 961-4555 TREATMENT: Women 0.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 241-7343 961-4663 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. • VA Domiciliary 1 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 ·.491-4435 559-5011 OTHER SERVICES ; \ • ~ "• ' • > ' 1' f'-' 1. AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center , 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati He~lth 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 - 221-3619 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 _ 572-6226 VA Homeless Program 491-3335 Women's Crisis Center 872-9259 Women Helping Women ' 4 < .. 'Ii • ·., • ~ ·• $ I '\, • 1, ­ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2000 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource April 2000 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Kunzel Meeting is Circus of Deception and Exclusion Pg 2: Armed Guards Prevent Community Advocates from Attending GCAEC Board Meeting Pg 3: Community Advocate is Kicked Off the Arts and Education Center (GCAEC) Board Pg 4: Kevin Scudder is Next to be Executed in Ohio? Pg 5: Dying for Justice Throw Momma from the Shelter Pg 6: National News Pg 7: International News Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 10: Prison News Pg 11: A Letter from Mumia Pg 12: Innocent on Death Row Pine Ridge Reservation Struggles Continue Pg 13: Anit-Same-Sex Marriage Bills Introduced in Ohio Legislature The Broken City Pg 14: Editorials & Letters Pg 15: Welfare News Pg 16: Street Music in Cincinnati Pg 17: Tales from Across the River Pg 18: The Traveler 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 Date April 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Susan Knight Tom Billman John Halpin Jess Ballew Ron carter Warren Perkins Pat Mitchell Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Bonnie Neumeier Marsha Ramsey John Perroti William Phillips Africa C.W. Mcintosh Mike Henson Sonny Williams Rodney Sutton Tree Mosolf Tina Maser Pat Mitchell Michelle Kitchen Kevin L. Deal Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Advocated arts Arts & Poetry Bonnie Neumeier C.W. Mcintosh Cincinnati Death Penalty Donald Whitehead Editorials & Letters education GCAEC International news Jess Ballew John Halpin John Perroti Kevin L. Deal Lynn Williams Marsha Ramsey Michelle Kitchen Mike Henson Music Over-the-Rhine Pat Mitchell police brutality prisoners news Protests Rodney Sutton Ron Carter Same-Sex Marriage Sonny Williams Street Music Susan Knight Tales from Across the River the broken city The Traveler Tina Maser Tom Billman Tree Mosolf Warren Perkins welfare news William Phillips Africa https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/93de0427804edd6759a2b23eae5d8da0.pdf 0fcb70a83e4212e423715996cf3217dd PDF Text Text The World Bank? The IMF?What's All the Fass About? Local Advocates Travel to Washington to Protest the Harmful Policies of Global Institutions ...By Susan Knight It is the biggest mass movement the United States has seen in a long time. Interestingly, however, the average "joe public" could not even begin to tell you what these enormous protests are all about. Some would even argue, your average "joe protestor'' could not even begin to tell you what these enormous protests are all about. The issue is com­ plicated, but a sincere commitment has been demonstrated on the part of the protestors. Non-violent tactics and teach­ ings dominate the demonstrations, despite isolated incidents of violence, most spe­ cifically in Seattle. (Seattle's police de­ partment has taken some responsrbility for this and the chief of police has in fact resigned over his handling of the demon­ strations.) Adding to the confusion is the presence of a wide diversity of issues. Protest posters range from "Save the Turtles" to "Stop Sweatshops" to "Gentrification Needs to End;, to "Free Peaceful demonstrators face-off with police Police barricaded many streets throughout the two days of protests. Abu-Mumia Jamal." So what is the connection? What is uniting all of these people in opposition to such giant global institutions? Beyond the accusations that the protests lack diversity, do not have a coherent media message and no leader­ ship to speak of, the issue is that too much power has been consolidated in the World Trade Organiza­ tion (WTO), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Time has shown that as a result of these organiza­ tions' agendas, people are suffering and dying, the environment is being deci­ mated, and global corpo­ rate power continues to go unchecked. The World Bank and the International Mon­ etary Fund The World Bank and the IMF emerged in 1944 in the aftermath of World War II. The United States, as the only industrialized coun­ try left standing at the end of the war, began the daunting task of . rebuilding its consumer base in Europe. There was obvious economic interest in seeing Europe recover from the war's devastation, as Europe was the biggest overseas market the US had. The Marshall Plan was developed to funnel millions of dollars to the region. Most of this money was in the form of gifts and investment. In an effort to oversee these millions and to stablize currencies, a conference was called in Bretton Woods, New Jersey, and with the United States at the forefront, the World Bank and IMF were established with Europe eagerly signing on. The World Bank and the IMF's inter­ ests began to expand as World War II became history and Western Europe once again became viable and self-sustaining. World Bank and IMF founders believed if they could stablize currencies and suc­ cessfully oversee European development, why could not the same formu la work for underdeveloped nations? Moreover, considering the volatile global political WORLD BANK -- continued on page 3 Homeless Advocates Believe the Homeless Census Numbers will be inaccurate The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless expresses concern that the census results will grossly under­ represent the the existing homeless population. Here are the concerns outlined by the National Coalition: A. Shelter residents are not counted in the same way or on the same dates as the general population. B. Family members who are homeless -parents and each of their child ren -- will be given an Individual Census Report (ICR) form to complete, instead of all being counted together as a family, as housed families are. C. Individuals enumerated at soup kitchens, mobile food vans and outdoor locations may not be allowed to complete their own Census forms and individuals wi ll most likely not stand in line to have their census form completed. D. The homeless count is a one-time shot; Households will have 7 opportunities to be counted. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is also concerned that only those individuals wiling to complete the form will be counted. Individuals who are not able, or not willing, to ask for help will ·not be counted. For example, the official Drop Inn center count was 140 men and women. However, on the 27th, the night of the count, the Drop Inn Center men's dorm was at capacity. The men's dorm sleeps 200. Bill Woods works with Air Inc., and contracts with the Homeless Coalition to do a 2000 assessment of the Cincinnati homeless population. He commented on HOMELESS CENSUS, continued on page 3 I Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless I �ST REE TV I BE 5 The Tri-State's. Homel~ss Grapevine . ·. Page 2 Do.n ald Whitehead Elected Chairperson of Nation~l Coalition for the Homeless Former director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless ponders his own journey and discussesthe continuing problem ofracism in A merica. Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for, and about homelessness, social j ustice, 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 ge~ back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes ver.idor badge. ~ THE T-RAVELER I once again find myself in my favorjte. writing position. Here I sit strapped in a seat cruising at 30,000 feet. There's something about the serenity one experiences looking down on the clouds. Even the occasional turbulence that most travelers become·used to is not a detenent to the experience of tranquillity that can only happen at 30,000 feet. I ani a little tired on this flight. I generally don't fly late night or early morning flights, but on this trip I did both. I am returning from a board meeting for the National Coalition for the This board meeting has been an Homeless. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition extremely impo1tantone for homeless individuals. for .the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to I was elected Board Chain.nan for the National ending homelessness in Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless I have served on through coordinating services, educating many different boards, especially in the lastfive the public and grassroots organizing. years. The significance ofthis position is that it makes a statement about change. My path lo this position was not a walk through a rose garden; it Staff ~as filled with many wrong turns and unfulfilled Susan Knight, Administrative Coordinator opportunities. My sto1y is no different from most Tom Billman, Streetvibes Editor recoverma0 addicts. It's not the details that make John Halpin Assistant Editor . Jess Ballew Editorial Intern my story significant but the symbolism. It says ·Ron Carter, · ' • • Vet~dpr Support . _ . loud and cle<).r that people can change·and that · ·warren Perki~s. ·· Tenam Organizing' · ~PatMfcliell'· ·· ·" · · · Votunt~e ~eceptionrst ··· · neitherhomeless~ess nor addictipnis a.permanent roadblock in people's lives; people can and will Mary A. Gaffney Receptionrst recover with a little intervention from someone that cares. There are so many wonderful Writers examples of people who have succeeded in spite Donald Whitehead Charles Mattingly ofroadblocks. John Halpin Jess Ballew Tom Billman Sonny Williams Originally, in this column, I ':Vanted to talk Rodney Sutton Marsha Ramsey aboutthe resurgence ofracism in America. I find ~ Tina Maser Pat Mitchell it amazing howmany people-shut down or walk Anthony Watkins Susan Knight away once questions ofracism su1face. I think William J. Mayo Mecello Barrar it's hard for most to understand the1'a:in Alanna Maloney Gordon Maham experienced by young African Americans on a · reguJar basis. I used to travel .in a sweatsuit ·because I felt extremely comfortable.in my Graphics sweats. I got so tired of'\\!ho do you play for" or· Photographs by Rodney Sutton, Susan "are you a.singer'' questions on·planes that! · Knight, and more .... stopped. These questions may be more abouf. ignorancy than racism, but the feelings of discomfort accompanied by those questiGos are just as painful, reg.ardless of their cause. Life as Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories_. essays, original graph­ an African American is an almost constant· ics, photos. ... We will print everythi n·g reminder that you .c an' t be trusted. There's we have room for, givi11g preference to nothing more .uncomfortable thanreing constantly . those who are homeless or vendors. follo~~9.at t9-e ~ep~t:?Qt s.tor~ by .an~mpJ9yey'. _ t ! hsking; ·~~1ill~~lR y~u wftl;l~~JAe,tlpnJ§?f'jgnp~gr 1 j : : F>1eaM 's~rld all'materiaffcf hu of the other customers who are notAfrlean the following address:· American. Streetvibes Racism has a huge effect on c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition homelessness in America. Unfair lending for the Homeless practices by financial institutions and 1506 Elm Street widespread and blatant discrimination by Cincinnati, OH 4521 0 renters not wanting "those people in their r , ..... ' J ... I ...(513) 421-78.03­ fax (513) 421-7813; ..• ,' r·. e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com (text­ only) or homecoal@primax.net ( attached files) web page: http://cinci.com/gcch Donald at a conference in Portland, Oregon property" are common. Groups like'Hou~iug Opportunities Made Equal are only able to investigate a fraction of the hou ing discrimination that occurs in America. Developing trend_s i.n-Welfare Reform show a definite pattem of d1scrim111ation in the workplace, also. It is extremely important that we have the courage to call u as it is. In.discussionS·about homelessne8s,'we often minimize the role that racism plays-. There is belief by advocates·m America that the i:eason that Government or the general public does not adequately address· homelessness is because it is a "Black Problem." Even some national advocaey groups that represent African Ainericans treat homelessness as an embarrassmenfrather than the serious problem it has·become·. Whilesome Afiican­ American religious leaders are quick to denounce inequality in the·workforce, entertainment industry, and in law enforcement, seldom do they speak on matters involving housing and employme.nt inequities. Some ofthe oiggesf victories in the Civil Rights movement have tieen cleverly negated through ooncentration and disinvestment •If racism continues to be disconnected from the problem of homelessness~wemay never see·an . ( end t0 th'e1growing:nl1rtlbets: <bfl Afticaiv Americans notrealizing·fue American Dream. If Afriean'­ Americans oontinue to·view homelessness as simply a moral issue and ignore the economic and social contribution brought on by racism, the problem ofhomelessness will, as Julian Bond stated, become more embarrassing to America than racism. .........Donald 'W hitehead a Streetv~bes. exists as a forum for the expression of the vi~ws and opinions of oµi;_ readers and suppo.(t~rs. : The OQinions ~xpre$sed.he~ein. are not .• · necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff o~ :fhe~ Greater Gincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. . · · . · . . • I c' �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine products, such as coffee. As a result, exports go up, GNP ·goes up, but more people starve be­ cause there is less food, and the food that is available is more expensive because it is now imported. Also, many Third World class structures have consolidated the land into a few selectfamilies. Consequently, the money brought in by increased exp0rts more often stays with a select few land holders, and the peasants are left with very little (trickle down economics works about as well in the Homeless man Joins Protesters in D.C. Third World as it did in the United States). WORLD BANK, (Continuedfrompage 1) Environmentally, Brazil is an excellent case i~ point. Because the United States con­ environment, it was in the United States' sumes so much beef, Brazil has converted best interest to stablize "Third World" many of its resources into ·meat produc­ economies because a stable economy tion. In order to provide the necessary would be less suceptable to a "communist grazing land, rain forest is being cut down. takeover." The World Bank and the IMF Or, in the case of Central America, when could take a leadership role in "spreading Hurricane Mitch hit, a mudslide swept over democracy and freedom" throughout the. an entire village, killing 2000. This Third World. This is not what happened. mudslide could have been minimized, if not Instead, the United States chose to put completely stopped, had the mountain not stipulations on the money going to the been clear cut. There were no trees to underdeveloped world and Structural stop the mud. Adjustment came into existance. Struc­ Tearing down protective barriers to tural Adjustment is the reorganization of encourage investment has equally the existing political system in effort to detrimentle results . Investment provides provide a nation with the capital to repay jobs and develops infrastructure for corpo­ its loans. Structural Adjustment involves rations that need roads and bridges to slashing social programs, converting the transport their goods. Many also believe economy to exports, dismantling any or all open borders are essential for capitalism protective barriers in an effort to encour­ to succeed globally. Unfortunately, capital­ age investment and to ultimately increase ism relies on exploiting your comparitive the Gross Nation?I Product (GNP). From advantage. Ad midst these giant, techno­ an economic standpoint it seems as if logically advanced corporations, the Third structural adjustment is essentially a long­ World's comparitive advantage is cheap term investment. Painful in the present, labor and lax environmental regulations. structural adjustment will ultimately result To rise above sweatshops and environ­ in the positive economic growth of a na­ mental degradation would mean these tion. countries were no longer exploiting their Unfortunately, time has shown that this is not the case, and that the economic comparitive advantage. Under the current system of rule it is unlikely an underdevel­ and environmental ramifications of such oped country could ever get out from policies are horrific. It is also important to under the controlling hand of global corpo­ note that because the Marshall Plan lay rations. Currently, the Gap Clothier's the groundwork for Europe to initially CEO can make 40 million dollars a year, comply with the wishes of the U.S. on and pay his workers on a small island of issues surrounding the World Bank and the coast of Taiwan 13 cents an hour (he IMF, now any indebted Third World nation makes $4566.00 an hour, 24 hours a day). not accepting loans from the World Bank All of this is happening while social and JMF is denied any outside governmen­ programs,. already limited, are being cut tal aid a~d is considered a credit/invest­ completely from budgets. Additionally, ment risk. although the GNP is increasing, the vast Strueturial· Adjustment~. (,: , . 1. j • • : • • mafdrity of COLiritries are AOW~ere fieaF ~ 1 ' ' •i 1 , Whe(l;a n:atiora ~)foep!s a IQan foom ~ hitting the actual oalance of tHeir'debt. the World Bank, it-qr:e .also accepting the They are simply paying off interest, as World Bank's "expertise." The World · more interest accrues. In other words, the Bank's specialists come from a limited World Bank will be setting policy for these philosophy of economic thought -- 85% of all the top level and policy making positions countries for generations. at the. World Ba.nk and IMF come from one What do the protestors want? Many are asking for the complete of fou r colleges: .Oxfqrd, Harvard, Yal~ forgiveness of Third World debt. The and Princeton. These specialists work with the government to establish a means _movement is demanding that the World Bank, the IMF, and the WTO reevaluate (as mentioned above) for paying off their ~ debt. · their priorities. Much of the debt accrued by these countries is questionable and When converting a Third World needs to be evaluated. For example, economy to exports, ·a few problems arise. Nicaragua ?Ccrued the vast majority of its Self-sustaining crops, such as beans an.d. rice are converted to more foreign friendly . - - - .. .. .. Page 3 debt in the 80's fighting a war waged against them by the United States (the Iran Contra affair in which the U.S. illegally sold arms to Iran and took that money to pay mercenary soldiers in Honduras to wage a 10 year war in Nicaragua). The Interna­ tional Court.of Justice, a United Nations appointed court found the United States guilty of waging a war that violated interna­ tional law and ordered the US to pay reparations. The US has never paid repa­ rations. The United States has also finan­ cially backed many genocidal dictators who have laundered/squandered much of their country's money while bowing to US corporate interests. A US backed regime is much more difficult to overcome and replace with a legitimate democratic gov­ ernment. The movement demands a reevalu­ ation of the system of unchecked corpo­ rate rule. Consolidated power of a select few has injured the labor movement within the US, has made it more difficult toques­ tion potentially illegimate governmental policies within the US and outside the US (as often times politicians bow to special interests), has made it more difficult to protect natural resources , demand living wages, or anything that may challenge the vast wealth possessed by a small number of people in this country. The movement does not acc~pt the World Bank, the IMF, and the World Trade Organization as legitimate policy: People, animals, and ~ultures are dying and there· is no relief in sight. Yes, there are prob­ lems with the protests and the movement itself. Some of the criticisms are war­ ranted. But the issue is legitmate and the commitment to non-violence is real. The protesters are working towards a better world, one in which a// can partieipate. Next month: Understanding the World Trade Organization. + + + .. ~ HOMELESS CENSUS, from page 1 .....how the 2000 survey differed from the Census count: "A Q~e:d~Y :GOljlCl! j~ fl S~pp~hot. It leaves no room for error. We are evaluating the shelters' records and doing two point-in-time counts. This won't be completely accurate; however, we believe we will come much closer to the actual numbers of homeless in the Cincinnati area. We are also evaluating the qualitative factors associated with homelessness; doing one-on-one interviews as well as talking to the care providers. I think as a result, wewill have a much better handle on the circumstances surrounding homel~ssness in Cincinnati. A one-time count is going to miss a lot of people and information." *** �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 4 Environmental Records of the Presidential Candidates Revealed Statement by Deb Conservation group finds Bush has "weakest record" on environment; launches on-going environmental information effort related to presidential race I would like to describe our findings on the candidates by discussing some of their key positions and actions: I'll start with Governor Bush. The saying that "everything is bigger in Texas" unfortunately applies to the state's environmental problems under Governor Bush. While Bush has recently changed his position and acknowledged that global warming exists, he opposes the Kyoto treaty that addresses the problem. He has acknowledged the importance of environmental protection, yet he has worked to make some Texas air pollution regulations voluntary, rather than mandatory for industry. This despite the fact that Texas has some of the nation's worst air and water pollution - including smog worse than Los Angeles - and at least a third of the state's rivers and streams violate federal water quality standards. Bush has repeatedly made clear that he believes that the federal government should have a reduced role in environmental enforcement and regulation, and that state and local governments should do more to protect "private property rights". Forinstance, when speaking about the Endangered Species Act, he stated, "I say to the federal government, leave us alone. We know what we're doing...we know how to run our own business." Under Governor Bush, the Texas parks system ranks next to the bottom nationally in the ·amount ofmoney it invests in state parks, and Texas has acquired no new park lands during the Governor's tenure. He has, however, publicly called for increasing funding for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. To boil it down, if Bush applied his "Texas knows best" standard to the rest of the nation, 30 years of environmental progress could bejeopardized in only four years. We believe that Bush rer:>resents the biggest threat to the environment of any leading major party presidential candidate. Vice President Gore is the most knowledgeable candidate on issues pertaining to environmental protection. He has helped foster an open-door relationship between environmentalists and the Clinton administration and led on many of the Clinton administration's environmental initiatives including suburban sprawl and open space protection. He was instrumental in opposing the anti-environmental initiatives generated by the 104th Congress, including efforts to weaken the Clean Water Act. His lifetime LCV score is a 64 percent. As a member of the House, Gore was a leader in the passage of the first Superfund legislation in 1980. He worked with Representative John Lewis (D-GA) to pass the Environmental Justice Act in 1992, and in 1997 he supported the EPA's successful efforts to strengthen Clean Air regulations, a contentious issue within the Clinton administration. Gore supports the Kyoto treaty on crtmate change , which he helped to negotiate. He has been an outspoken advoca~e on global warming, and he held the first congressional hearings on the issue in 1974. However, some environmentalists believe that he has not done enough to translate his commitment to the issue into action, through stronger controls on the pollution that causes climate change. Vice President Gore is considered a friend of the environmental community and if elected President, we expect him to be leader on ef1vironmental issues. WASHINGTON- Cal ling o n the .and the world in respect to conservation presidential candidates to talk more about and environmental policy," Callahan said. their environmental plans and records, the "Public opinion surveys consistently show League of Conservation Voters (LCV) that the American public cares about a today released its 2000 Presidential candidate's stance on environmental Profiles on the enyironment. The League issues. LCV's 2000 Presidential Profiles did not endorse any candidate, but did say provide substantive information so the that Republican front-runner George w. public can assess the environmental Bush's record on environmental issues is credentials of each Republican and the weakest among competitive major Democratic presidential contender." Based on extensive research, party candidates. "George w. Bu sh 's tenure as interviews, and presidential questionnaire governor of Texas is marked by weak responses, the 2000 Presidential state environmental regulations, neglect of Profiles are the first effort by an Texas state parks, worsening air quality organ ization to fully assess th e and a general governing philosophy that, environmental record of this year's major if applied nationally, would jeopardize party presidential candidates. The 2000 three decades of national environmental Presidential Profiles are available on the progress," said League president Deb Internet at www.lcv.org. As part of an Callahan. ongoing information effort, LCV wi ll Based on each of their records, regularly update the site to include the Callahan said Democratic candidate Vice latest environmental information from the President Al Gor.e has·.b~en a friend of the presidential campaigns. environment .and . would . promote ~ The nonprofit League of environmental-progress from the White . ConservatioRVOt~rs is the'political voice . House. for the national environmental and ''The 2000 presidential candidates conservation community. LCV is the only have all at one time or another referred to national organization dedicated full-time the importance of environmental issues, to i.nforming the public about the but most ofthem have yet to define a clear env1~onmental reC<?rds offederally elected vision for how they would lead the nation officials and candidates. (clipped from the Oregon Peace Worker) . ': '~.: .···, =.·.. .. ... - '•l .1·. :~· ·r_' .. , .. .. ' .. - ~ - I ·• • Callahan, President, League of Conservation Voters r.. ~· ,· _, .. i'· ~- �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 5 Congress to Decide Housing Assistance of the National Coalition for 2001 ........ . Courtesy for the Homeless renewal funding of existing housing vouchers, plus 120,000 new Section 8 vouchers. The new Section 8 vouchers are to be distributed as follows: 60,000 vouchers to be distributed fair share (with 5 ,000 for non-elderly disabled housing units and 2,000 for the Family Unification Program); 10,000 for the new housing production program; and 32,000 for people moving from welfare to work. The budget also calls for the creation of a Housing Certificate Fund - The President's funding request for the fiscal year .Voucher Success Fund, which would allow Courtesy of the National Coalition 2001 Housing Certificate Fund is funds to be used to ease the burden on those for the Homeless $14,128,000,000. Ofthis amount $13 billion is people who have barriers to obtaining housing for contract renewals. The budget calls for full with vouchers, for example, for transportation The U.S. Senate is currently considering a.,__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-. or security deposit assistance. bill (S. 2), "The Educational Opportunities Act," A new aspect of the budget is that the which incJudes provisions (the "Academic How You Can Get Involved President moved Shelter Plus Care renewals Achievementfor All Demonstration" or "Straight into the Housing Certificate Fund. Previously, A's" provisions) that would allow governors to Shelter Plus Care renewals were funded out of Please contact your representative in the block grant virtually all federal education the Steward B. McKinney Homeless United States Congress to let them know programs in their states; this inc1udes the Assistance Funds in the past. This move your opinions on these important issues. McKinney Act's Education for Homeless represents a victory for homeless advocates You can contact them at the Capitol Children andYouth (EHCY) program. In states who requested this move, arguing that once Switchboard at 202-241-3121, that opt for this approach, the McKinney Act people are placed in Shelter Plus Care housing, or write to them: would no longer apply, nor would these states be they are no longer truly homeless. Moving the Address letters to SENATORS at: required to spend any federal dollars on homeless The Honorable [Full Name ofSenator], renewals to the Housing Certificate thus "frees children and youth. As a result, homeless children United States Senate, Washington, DC 2051O; up" McKinney dollars for those who are not yet and youth's educational rights would be permanently housed. Dear Senator [Last Name:]. eliminated. S. 2 is likely to reach the Senate floor in the - ·. ··Stewarl .JJ. 'McKinney·lfomeless"· -~ · Address letters .to REPRESENTATIVES a~ last week ofApril. Now is a critical time to write Assistance Act·- Tbe·McKinney ~ct is the · The-Honorabl~ [Full Name ofRepresentative], to your U.S. Senators to urge them to oppose the major source of federal funding for homeless U.S. House ofRepresentatives, Washington, Straight A's provisions in S. 2, or any block grant initiatives. Last year, Congress enacted $ 1.02 DC 20515; provision. All U.S. Senators may be reached billion; the President's budget requests a total Dear Representative [Last Name:]. through the Capitol Switchboard at of $1.2 billion, including $105 million for 202.224.3121. Section 8 housing programs. The Section 8 allotment creates 18,000 new vouchers for DISCUSSION POINTS: Points to include in people who are currently homeless who are yourcommunication include: determined by the Continuum ofCare process "Straight A's" eliminates homeless have created the foundations for success for to have the greatest difficulty obtaining homeless children. "StraightA's" removes that . children·and youth's right to a free, permanent housing. -foundation and stops the progress that is appropriate public edueation and all the - In addition, the budget request funds educational rights contained in the McKinney -~ underway. 14,500 transitional beds cmd 11,000 permanent . "Straight A 's" removes a Critical Act.. The federal program requirements that beds, all linked to supportive services. accompany McKinney funds ate focused upon ­ source offunding from homeless children The language of the proposal highlights states' responsibilities to ensure equal opportunity and youth.. Homeless children are frequently the need for better coordination and integration for homeless children and )'.OUthinvisiblein their schools and communities; in the · ·they set forth ofMcKinney-funded programs with thenghfs ofhomeless children to'receive the same absence ofexplicit outreach, identification, and mainstream programs for which homeless 'Services, they go unseen and unserved. Without educational opportunities as their non-homeless people may qualify, such as Medicaid and the targeted funding provided by the McKinney peers. Without the federal requirements ofthe TANF. Mc:Kinney Act, homeless children and youth may Act, homeless children and youth will lose out ACTION: The next step in the budget be once again shut out ofschool. And without in the competition for funding to morevisible process is the drafting of fiscal year 2001 and powerful constituencies. Moreover, there access to school, there can be no success in appropriations bills in the House and Senate. are no state-funded homeless education school. "Straight A's" thus represents a return to Input from homeless advocates is crucial to the days when homeless children spent their days programs. The federal McKinney Act dollars assuring increases in spending for homeless are thus an essential resource for ensuring in shelters, cars, campgroupds, or motels instead programs. Please contact your U.S. ofin school. homeless children and youth's enrollment, Representative and your two Senators and "StraightA's" undermines the lessons attendance, and success in school. encourage them to: ACTION ALERT: Funding at Risk for Homeless Children learned from thirteen years ofexperience working to meet the educational needs of homeless children and youth,_ Prior to the McKinney Act, an estimated 50% of homeless children and youth did not go to school. Now, as a result of the McKinney Act, an estimated 88% ofhomeless children and youth are enrolled in school. States and school districts have revised pol.lc1es, devised effective practices, and built strong local programs to support homeless children and youth's education. In doing so, they The National Coalition for the Homeless is working to persuade Congress to provide significant funding increases for permanent housing and homeless assistance programs in the fiscal year 2001 appropriations process. Funds for these programs are included in annual legislation funding the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. Homeless children and youth's educational opportunities should never be waived in the name of "innovation." Rather than the misguided approach of the "Straight .Ns" proposal, the McKinney Act's Education for Homeless Children and Youth program should be strengthened and expanded by incorporating the wisdom, insight, and experience ofthe practitioners who work to meet the educational needs ofthis nation's most vulnerable children. l. Reauthorize the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act without block-granting the funds 2. Include Shelter Plus Care and Supportive Housing Program renewals in the Housing Certificate Fund, not in McKinney Funds 3. Fund 34,000 new vouchers for homeless individuals and families under the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. �5 TREE TV I BE 5 The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 6 WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST.... Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matt. 5:16) On April 15 at noon the City Gospel Mission kicked off its 2nd Annual Indoor Carnival. Jackie Jackson, Director of Evangelism, who coordinated this event, is also Pastor of Living Testimony Christian Center which currently meets at Anderson Place Elementary in Madisonville. Pastor Jackson has been at City Gospel Mission for two years and has coordinated two block parties (JOE'S "Jesus On Elm Street" Party) in addition to the carnivals. When speaking of these events Pastor Jackson says that his goal is to impact as many young lives as possible with the Gospel of Christ. This particular event was planned with a kid focus, so there were games, drama, videos, prizes, clowns, and handout material that were all geared toward the children, however, there were approximately 40 volunteers from the three different churches who came together to make this event possible. Each church in their own way provided the light necessary to make this event shine. For example: Love & Faith provided a drama team which performed skits for the child and adult audiences. These skits all provided sound Christian Center provided an evangelistic t team which shared the Gospel of Christ in word and deed. And Vineyard kept the games go1ng and the food coming. Three different churches at City Gospel Mission, a non-threatening religious environment, providing both physical and spiritual food. As my son and I enjoyed the festivities, I learned that community residents were among the volunteers who passed out flyers to announce the event, and were present still lending a hand here and there. A good thing, too, because their efforts resulted in approximately 600 men, women and children experiencing the love of Christ. Forty-seven individuals received salvation on this day and there were several restorations. One mom told of her son's persistence which resulted in her and his two siblings attending the carnival and receiving the Lord. I take my hat off of Officer Mike Williams of the Cincinnati Police, because he was a special part of this event with his ready smile and quick wit. He seemed to be everywhere, and not just as a police officer providing security but as a friend and role model to the children. And when it was time to go, Officer Williams was there with broom in hand helping to clear away the debris left by the children, families, and homeless who came together for this special event. On Tuesday when I talked with Pastor Jackson he was still glowing from the . community response, especially since when arriving that morning he was greeted by children who asked if the!e was anything they could do to help at City Gospel Mission. Such is the glory of God when revealed through His servants. My son and I were blessed by this event and I am sure others were also. Glory be to God: A reminder to all who would like to increase your relationship with Christ and your understanding of His Word ; every Thursday evening from 5:30 pm until 6:30 pm, I am leading a Bible Study·in Camp Washington at 2950 Sidney Ave. We h~ve a family dinner and fellowship afterwards. Please come and join us for a blessed time in the Lord. Direct all inquires to 210-4181 or 541-7757. In His Service, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions can be purchased for $15 per year. (You can give more if you want) Just send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street, Cincin­ nati, OH 45210. Please make D.J. checks payable to GCCH. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. If you have subscribed, 1 ~~ but are not receiv­ ing your Streetvibes, Please let us know. .~' New Photos of Over-the-Rhine by Jimmy Heath Documenting life in an inner-dty neighborhood through photography Featuring the writing$ of Mike H:e n,on and.Bonnie N~umeier Artists Recep~ion - May 19th, 7PM Peaslee Neighborhood Center. 215 East J4th S~eet Over-the Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 (513) 611-55 14 .....,........._...-,.,.,r-._..,:~ \) On Exhibit May 19 - May ~6~.'.20~0 iii . ­ ~ �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine ·; New Director for SmartMoney Community Services Formerly known as Cooperative Fiscal Services SmartMoney Community Services now has a new Executive Director - Darrick Dansby, succeeding Rahim Spence, who headed the organization since 1994. Dansby, a native of Mansfield, Ohio, was the Senior Volunteer Resource Associate at the United Way and Community Chest's Volunteer Resource C enter. He attained a Bachelor's degree in History and a M aster's in Educational Foundations from U C. H e was recently nominated as a YMCA Black Achiever and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Madisonville Education &Assistance Center (MEAC). SMARTMoney Community Se1-Y1ce's ongoing efforts in minority entrepreneurship (SMART Business). Individual Devel6pment Accounts (SMART Step Savings), tax prepartaion assistance (SMART Tax), and economic education (SMART C hange) allow people to save their way our of poverty in O ver-the-Rhine. Financial support fo SMARTMoney comes form the City of Cincinnati, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Provident Bank, PNC Bank, and GE Capital Consumer Card Services. SmartMoney ­ 1731 Vine Street, 513-241-7266 .~ . Page 7 HELP!!!!!!! HELP!!!!! HELP•••••• '''''' CHURCHES, ~AMILIES, GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND NEIGHBORS! RALLY and PRAYER VIGIL to SAVE OUR COMMUNITIES and LOW INCOME HOUSING Information: . Call 651-5093 MAY 4, 1000, 7:00 PM LAUREL PARK IN THE WEST END AT EZZARD CHARLES AND WADE STREETS - If we allow this final ground to be leveled, Over 10 0 million dollars of taxpayer money will have been wasted in the past 4 years to rebuild and tear down the Lincoln Court and Laurel Homes Apartments. Sponsored by Tyrone Smith. Avondale Public Hearing Helµ at Hirsch Recreation Center ' ..... by Sonny Williams City Prosecutor Robert Johnstone and Cincinnati City Councilperson We Need Your Creativity! PauJ Booth opened the March Avondale Send your poetry, writings or artwork to Community Council meeting at 7 ·p.m. Among those in attendance were Cheryl Meadows and Streetvibes, Cincinnati City Councilperson Alicia Reece. Che_ryl Meadows mentioned that the Avondale do G~CH (Greater Town Center was supported by her department Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless), and by City money. Alicia Reece was representing the Health and Human Services 1506 Elm St., Committee. Cincinnati City Councilperson Cincinnati 45210 James Tarbell, who is a member of the Law and Phone- 513-421­ Public Safety Committee, was absent from the 7803, Avondale meeting. It was announced that E-mail (text): to Michelle Taylor-Mitchell was on the Housing streetvibes@juno.com, Committee of the Avondale Community E-mail (attached Council. files, graphics): to homecoal@primax.net Reggie Boyd of the Empowerment state of the city at the present time. The Committee said he was very concerned about the poverty of Avondale residents exceeds that of people in Washington, D.C. In Cincinnati's black community there have been 130 homicides committed by other black people World Trade within the last year. Or~anization Community resident Robert Jenkins wanted the Cincinnati police to shake down residents for guns. District Four's Captain Cotton said a shakedown of residents would be a violation of their constitutional rights. Jenkins also wants Xavier University students to stop speeding through the Avondale community. He said that Victory Parkway in Avondale looks like I-275 during rush hour. Channel 12 News reported on the Avondale Town Meeting. "We know a number ofinternational companies who are hiring. Can you pass for under 12?" For more information call Cincinnati City Councilperson Charles Winburn at 352-3000. �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Top U.S..Clothing Retailers Agree to Settle Saipan Garment Worker Lawsuits Jones Apparel, Liz Claiborne,.and The May Company Support Ground­ breaking Monitoring Program HONOLULU - Eight more leading U.S. clothing retailers - Calvin Klein Inc., Jones Apparel Group, Liz Claiborne foe., The May Department Scores Company, Oshkosh B'Gosh Inc., Sears, Roebuck and Company, Tommy Hilfiger USA Inc., and Warnaco, Inc. - have agreed to settle claims against them in a federal class-action lawsuit alleging sweatshop conditions in the garment industry on the Western Pacific island of Saipan, a U.S. Commonwealth. Today's announcement means that seventeen U.S. retailers have agreed to pay a total of $8.0 millio~ in settlement and to adhere to a rigorous system of independent monitoring at the Saipan factories of contractors who produce their clothing. The settlement provides that in future supply contracts, retailers will require factories to comply with strict employment standards, including guaranteeing overtime pay for overtime work, providing safe food and. drinking water, and agreeing to honor employees' basic human rights. The settlement requires court approval and does nor involve an admission of wrongdoing by the defendants. That leaves The Gap, J.C. Penney, Target and Lane Bryant, among other defendants, who have not agreed to settle these cl-aims. None of the primarily~ foreign owners who actually operate- the garment factories on Saipan have yet agreed to settle. "This is an important step in the right direction. We are glad to see these companies take a stand for human rights on Saipan," commented Medea Benjamin, President of Global. Exchange. "These settlements will dr~a.tically improve the· lives of thousands of garment workers on Saipan. The strict and independent monitoring established will insure that in the future, rights wiJI be protected and laws obeyed," ...said Jay Mazur, President of UNITE! Under the terms of the settlement announced today, the seventeen companies will each make a one-time contribution to a fund that will finance an independent monitoring program, public education, administration costs and attorneys' fees, as well as payments to workers. These settlements will bring the total fund to approximately $8 million. "As a result of these settlement~, the first legally enforceable set of monitoring standards has been agreed to by retailers and will provide a model for the rest of the industry to follow," said Lora Jo Foo, an attorney with Asian Law Caucus and President of Sweatshop Watch. Veriee, an Amherst, Massachusetts-based non­ profit group, will independently monitor compliance by exercising far-reaching powers to oversee the conduct of contractors doing business with the settling retailers, including surveillance, ~nnounced and unannounced visits to facilities, and investigations ofworker complaints. The monitoring body can provide for payment of back wages, reimbursement of impermissible recruitment fees, and even recommend the termination of contracts where a pattern of violations exists. Veriee will report jointly to the retailers and to the plaintiffs in the two settled lawsuits. These include two international human rights groups ­ Global Exchange and Sweatshop Watch, the Asian Law Caucus, and UNITE, the labor union which Homeless Grapevine Page a AIDS in AFRICA Series wins Pulitzer Prize A Village Voice reporter who got experience in the lesbian and gay press has won the prestigious prize for his AIDS in Africa series. .... Mark Schoofs (is) a staff writer and columnist specializing in science and medicine at New York City's venerable weekly The Village Voice. Here is an excerpt from his first article: "Only 17 years have passed since AIDS was first found in Africa, on the shores of Lake Victoria, yet according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAlDS),'the virus has already killed more than 11 million sub-Saharan Africans. More than 22 million others are infected. Only 10 percent of the world 's population lives south of the Sahara, but the region is home to two-thirds of the world's HIV-positive people, and it has suffered more than 80 percent of all AIDS deaths. Last year, the combined wars in Africa killed 200,000 people . AIDS killed 1{) times that number. Indeed, more people succumbed to HIV last year than to any other cause of death on this continent, including malaria. And the carnage has only begun. Unlike ebola or influenza, AIDS is a slow plague, gestating in individuals for five to 10 years before killing them. Across East and Southern Africa, mor.e than 13 percent of adults are infected with . HIV, according to UNAIDS. And in three countries , including Zimbabwe, more than a quarter of adults carry the virus. In some districts, the rates are even higher: In one study, a staggering 59 percent of women attending prenatal clinics in rural Beitbridge, Zimbabwe, tested HIV-positive. Life expectancy in more than a dozen African countries "will soon be 17 years shorter because of AIDS --47 years instead of 64," says Callisto Madavo, the World Bank's v ice president for Africa. HIV "is .quite literally robbing Africa of a quarter of our lives." In the West, meanwhile, the HIV death rate has dropped steeply thanks to powerful drug cocktails that keep the disease from progressing . These regimens must be taken for years, probably for life, and they can cost more than $10,000 per patient per year. Yet in many of the hardest-hit African countries, the total per capita health-care budget is less than $10. Many people --in Africa as well as the West-­ shrug off this stark disparity, contending that it is also true for other diseases. But it isn't. Drugs for the world's major infectious killers­ tuberculosis, malaria, and diarrheal diseases­ have been subsidized by the international community for years, as have vaccines for childhood illnesses such as polio1and measles. But even at discountad prices, the annual cost of putting every African with H.IV on triple combination therapy would exceed $150 billion, so the world is letting a leading infectious killer for represents many garment workers. Verite has extensive workplace monitoring experience, and has previously served as an independent monitor under agreement with Tommy Hilfiger USA Inc., among others. The rwo lawsuits at issue were filed in January 1999. One is a class action alleging violations of U.S. anti­ peonage and indentured servitude laws and of international ·human rights law, initially filed in Los Angeles federal court and recently transferred to which treatment exists mow down millions ...." See more on the website : http: // www.villagevoice.com/specials/africa/ Schoofs was honored for Foreign Reporting for a 1999 series on AIDS in Africa the Pulitzer panel called "provocative. and enlightening." Along with tremendous prestige, the award brings $5,000, half of which Schoofs is. contributing to AIDS charities in Africa. Schoofs said in a statement, "Even though I have covered AIDS for 13 years, nothing prepared me for the devastation the disease has caused in Africa. It's the worst catastrophe since slavery. The fact that The Village Voice, an alternative newspaper, could make this kind of impact sends out a message: Anyone anywhere can do their part to help end this crisis." In six months in nine African countries, often in remote villages, Schoofs was most deeply affected by see·ing elderly, enfeebled grandparents caring for their many grandchildren after the epidemic killed their children . Learning of his prize he called it "an incredible moment" but added that, "For the people that I reported on, unfortunately, nothing has changed." He told the Los Angeles Times that, "I got a letter the other day from the headman in a village in Zimbabwe telling me that a woman I'd interviewed had died. Her husband was already dead. So while I'm sitting here drinking champagne today, her four children are orphans, with probably not enough money to go to school." He told the New York Times that AIDS is a "catastrophe that is transforming the [African] continent forever," but also that, "This country" - 1he U .S. - "can make a huge difference." · -Schoofs humbly credited his employer, saying, "It is a testament to The Village Voice that once I proposed this series on AIDS, the editors did not hesitate for a nanosecond. I had the paper's full support, and they did everything in their power to help me do the job." One report quoted the cost to the Voice of Schoofs' travels at$20,000. Editor-in-chief Don Forst said, "Mark Schoofs is the kind of reporter that The Village Voice develops. His commitment to the world crisis of AIDS and his · unflinching reporting during a six-month stay in Africa represents the best of alternative journalism." ... from PlanetOut News Staff, Friday, April 14 Hawaii. The other is an unfair business practices c~e filed in San Francisco Superior Court. The litigation will continue against the Saipan factory owners and several other major U.S. retailers who have yet to settle. Plaintiffs are represented by the San D.iego firm of Milberg, Weiss, Bershad, Hynes & Lerach and the San Francisco firm of Altshuler, BeJ:zoo, Nussbaum, Rubin & Demaio. ...... Courtesy ofSweatshop Watch �. . · STREETV_ Tri-State's .- -Homeless Grapevine .. .· . ...I.BES ,· ·.· .· .The . . . ~· ' . . ~ ~ ~ - .. --:- . . Page g Model Moratorium Resolution Urge your church, city counci~ civic group and other organizations to pass a resolutWn calling for a moratorium on executions! (Prepared by Equal Justice USNQuixote Center) WHEREAS there is ample evidence that the death penaJty is applied in a racist manner: In 1987, in McCleskey v. Kemp, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to act on data demonstrating the continuing reality of racial bias. In 1990, the U.S. General Accounting Office reported "a pattern of evidence indicating racial disparities in charging, sentencing, and imposition of the death penalty." Nationwide, 82% of those put to death had been convicted of murdering a white person even though people of color are the victims in more lb.an halfof all homicides. The U.S. Congrcs has failed repeatedly to pass the Racial Justice Act, which would allow prisoners lO challenge their dealh sentences using standards normal in civil discrimination cases. WHEREAS death c;entences are reserved for the poor: About 90% of those persons facing capital charge~ canno1 ,ifford their own attorney. No state has met standards developed by the American Bar Association (A BA) for appointment, perfomrnncc, and C'ompensation of counsel for indigent prisoners. WHE REAS prisoner appeals have been severely curtailed, increasing the risk of imprisonment and execution of innocent people: In a series of rulings since 199 l, the Supreme Court has drastically restricted the rights of death row prisoners to appeal their convictions and death sentences in federal courts, even in cases where prisoners present compelling evidence of innocence. In 1996, new legislation drastically limited federal court review of death penalty appeals and gutted public funding of legal aid services for death row prisoners. WHEREAS the American Bar Association bas concluded that administration of the death penalty is "a haphazard maze of unfair practices with no internal consistency" and has called for a moratorium on executions. Now, therefore, be it resolved that this church/ faith community calls on the Governor and our state representatives, and President Clinton and our representatives in Congress. to enact and adopt legislation imposing a moratorium on executions at least until this state and nation implement policies and procedures which: Ensure that death penalty cases are administered fairly and impartially in accordance wilh basic due process. Eliminate the risk that innocent persons might be executed. Prevent the execution of mentally disabled persons and persons who were under the age of 18 at the time of their offenses. Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution shall be forwarded to the Governor, our state representatives, President Clinton, and our representatives in Congress. Dear Sonny, Greetings, Give everyone my regards. I hope that my note finds y'all high-spirited and each morning up for the struggles "we" face -­ "Wt! must become the change that we seek".....Mahatma Gandhi P.S. Tell everyone that you cannot send postage in the Texas penal system. There­ fore I got to send them back. I appreciate your concerns. Forward with the Struggle, Kaman Wa Ngengi, w./jHill #568787. P.O. Box 16, Lovelady, Texas 75851 The following contains excerpts from an official document of the Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice: This isa picture ofMahmoud El­ Khatib and his family at Christmas ofl 998 (from left tolightin the photo:Mahmoud, hisdaughterHana, now5 years old, his The following items are considered Contraband by the Texas Board of Corrections: + + + + + + + + + Stamps and stamped envelopes money orders cash money Blank greeting cards sent by individuals Home_made cards sent by individuals Picture frames Postcards (blank) Medals and charms Stationary and writing materials sent by individuals + Newspapers, magazines and/or any publication sent by ijndividuals + Canceled checks or money orders + Hair + straw + Paintings + Posters + Playing cards + Maps + Stick-ups ex-wifeSusan, hisoldest daughter Alexandra, age 9, and his son Sid, age 2. Mahmoud hasnotseen hischildren since February23, 1999asthe INScame into theirhome and an-ested him. They still have him in theircustodyatThe Dayton Human Rehabilitation Center. They have kept himaway from hisfamilyfor almostayear,already. Mahmoudwas born on July23, 1965 in Kwaitt. He came to this country in search ofa betterlife and "Freedom" in 1984when hewasjust 19years old. There may be an end in sight. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently SJ1l&1'9S Prisoners News contains news about thejustice system and 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 $1 5 for a year's subscription Sendyour comments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com mail : STREETVIBES, 7506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 452 70 Protest May 13, 2000 10 AM - 12 PM For the Lucasville-5 Death Sentences Anyone interested in coming to the rally or helping to organize the anti-death penalty rally, call the Lucasville-5 Support Committee at 513-241-8014 or write to The L-5 Support Committee P.O. Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-1746 ruled that immigrants accused of crimes in the U.S. could not be held indefinately...... ....The ruling stated that aliens must be released 90 days after a final deportation order must remain free under INS supervision until their home country reaches an agreement with the United States to accept deportees. • • • �STREETVIBES TheTri-State's HomelessGrapevine William Mayo still languishes in Georgia Prison Since April, 1992, William J. Mayo has been sitting in a Georgia Prison, paying for a crime for which he was convicted on dubious "evidence" andfalse information. Careful examination of the facts might have won him an acquittal. 1Wo young men from Chicago, whom William was introducing to Morehouse College in Atlanta, have already confessed to the crime (aggraved kidnapping and burglary), and they have recanted their original stories, which originally lead police to implicate William Mayo. Still, the courts have not overturned the guilty verdict or his life sentence, nor listened to appeals f or a new trial. For a detailed description of the case, contact the Justice for W. J.M. Campaign. Here is a letter from William Mayo: Dear Streetvibes; Thank you sincerely for printing my plight for justice in your paper. For those of you who are familiar with my case, I hope and pray this article will give you an update on my plight. For those of you who are unfamiliar with my case, I hope you'll contact my W.J.M. Chairperson at the following: • The Justice for W.J.M. Campai gn · c/o Ms. Kimberly A. Todd 1581 Summit Rd. Apt. #53 Cincinnati, Ohio 45237 (513)761-5452 (home) (513) 351-9099 (work) I hope this story opens your eyes and heart to the kind of injustices that occur in these United States of America , or should I say "United Snakes of American? Some of you may know me as the brother from Morehouse College; the brother who grew up in Avondale, who graduated from Roger Bacon (i.e . W illiam J. Patterson-Mayo, class of 1984); the brother who attended Southern Baptist Church under the late Rev. James E. Milton; the son of Elaine Patterson, etc .... Nevertheless, it's my request and prayer that each person who reads Streetvibes help me! I am the same brother who appeared on Applause Magazine for Cincinnati's black lifestyle. I was the April/May 1992 Cover model for the spring edition on health & fitness. (See his picture below, taken from that magazine cover) On April 27, 2000, the W illiam Jonathan Mayo Campaign supporters from Cincin nati, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark/Atlanta University, Morris Brown College, and from elsewhere will be in Atlanta to peacefully demonstrate and campaign in front of the Federal Courthouse for my freedom and to request the Federal Judge to rule on my case. The W.J.M . Chairperson Ms. Kimberly Todd and others have appeared on Cincinnati's local radio (WCIN), Rev. Garr's show 9-11 pm Sundays , and T.V. stations on my behalf. My case has been sitting in the Federal District Court for nearly 2 years , and the federal judge has yet to issue a rul ing or decision. For the past few years, as the word becomes more publicized , more people are joining my fight for freedom. The reason for the demonstration/protest, is that my case has been before the federal courts for two years; we want an answer!!! We want to call their attention and the attention of the nation to what has been bypassed and hidden in the state level of appeals. T here is clear cut evidence proven on the state level, and now the federal level, that I did not committ this crime and that most of my constitutional rights were violated. Grounds: (1) To-Wit: The ineffective assistance of counsel (four lawyers) 2) Due Process claim 3) Unlawful photographic identification 4) Partial jury . 5) Recantation of Codefendants 6) False testimony and false name of two of the State's w itnesses 7) Findings of fact and conclusions of law In addition to the above, on Feb. 4, 2000, my attorneys filed an additional motion from a private investigator which includes: 1) Evidence of the criminal history, probation and/or warrants of the State's Key witnesses (in effect at the time of their testimony at my trial.) 2) Proof that the prosecuting attorney ~new of possible cri~inal a~tivity o~ his key w itnesses but drd not disclose 1t to the defense (which is an open Brady constitutional violation) 3) Proof that the investigating detectives knew of arrests of their two key witnesses but did not disclose it to the defense. 4) Proof that my own attorney (State appointed) was made abreast of the false name of the State's witness, Brandon Hill, but did nothing about it. Page 10 Mr. Hill's real name is Claude Jenkins) 5) Proof that co-defendant Dale Thomas testified under a false name and is incarcerated as we speak under this false name.. . It was stated in the detective's report that complete background checks were run on the th ree (Myself and 2 co-defendants). My record was clean for 25 years until current incident. 6) The State of Georgia has continually turned its head to the facts in my case. If the Federal Courts grant me an evidentiary hearing and take a good look at the petition now before them, I would be a free man immediately.... In conclusion, some Streetvibes readers have written letters of support to me, including Ms. Stephanie Hunter and Ms. Kathleen Diffenderffer. Thank you sincerely for believing in me. I am Muslim now. I believe firmly that no one has the right to be worshipped but God, "the ever-living, the one who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumbers nor sleep overtake him. To him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. W ho is he that can intercede w ith him except with his permission? He knows what happens to them (his creatures) in this world , and what will happen to them in the hereafter. And they w ill never encompass anything of this Knowledge except that which he wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and he feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And he is the most high, the most great!" from the Holy Quran 2:255 I have enclosed a poem I wrote called "Who am I"! (see page 17) May god's peace be upon each of you .. .. Your brother in the struggle, William Jonathan Mayo (Hakim) Monday, April 9 OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE: 83-year-old Cincinnati Activist Gordon Maham and 16 others arrested during protest at Nuclear Weapons Plant Dear Fellow Activists, Sonny ­ We closed Y-12 completely. It certainly was not "business as usual ." The policeman that arrested me, when I answered his questions honestly, became hostile. This is how it went : Policeman: " Are you working?" Gordon - "Yes." Policeman: "What are you doing?" Gordon: "Closing the Y-12 down." Policeman: "I mean, do you have a continued next column f �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine land near the downtown area were needed to develop a super-model city that could host the 2012 World Olympic Games. The plan proposes new, unique housing for young pioneers and empty nesters; plenty of entertainment and eateries, everything these new residentS would need within walking distance. Cincinnati has a very large problem. The West End and Over-the-Rhine are overflowing with Cincinnati will be on a roller coaster ride for the high crime areas. Poor, low-income families fill the old, next eleven-and-a-half years. So, citizens, guard your decaying apartment buildings. Bouncing the poor, low­ wallets and homes! If you live close to d owntown income families from one overpopulated area downtown Cincinnati, you may lose your home to eminent domain. to another does not solve the problem. The poor, low­ All of the new construction you see downtown income folk would have to disappear from the downtown may appear to be mass confusion. It is not! The · area. construction is a part ofthe well-placed plans for the future Oh, by the way! The po liticians and city of C incinnati. T his C incinnati-for-the-future got government leaders failed to mention another huge project underway more than 20 years ago. The timing had to be on the drawing boards: a new federally funded project perfect to set the wheels in motion. called the New Hope Housing Project, a project that is What is common knowledge to "those in the big enough to house all of the displaced citizens in know" in government politics and others in power is a dark, Cincinnati, Ohio. Corruption, lies, alibis and deception sinister secret kept from the common residentS ofHamilton plague our city. There is too much to tell in only one County. One of the darkest secretS is that "no private weiring. I'll let you digest what I have written until next citizen acrually owns any property in the jurisdiction of month. Cincinnati's city limits." It's a shock to find out that you December the 12th is not far away. That is when are only a caretaker ofthe property "you believe you own." Cincinnati, Ohio has to have its bid in for the 2012 World Ir's a fact that Cincinnati wanted to be a "super­ Olympic Games. model" city for many years. In the 1980's it was only a dream. Charlie Luken was a council member, the mayor, ..... Charlie Mattingly and a member of Congress in the I 980's, before coming back to Cincinnati where he was a news reporter for 1958 State Ave. Channel 5 television for seven years. And now he has re­ Cincinnati, Ohio 45204 entered as mayor of Cincinnati once again. 921-1231 Nick Vehr left city council co go on a crusade ro bring the World Olympic Games to Cincinnati, Ohio. fu her present condition at that time, Cincinnati could not possibly host the Olympics. From out of nowhere, and Editorial #2: now seemingly everywhere, new construction began. Longtime small businesses in the downtown area No information. Misinformation. No began falling like bowling pins. Large businesses left, too. accountability. Even our City Government officials are Phase one of four phases had begun. Cleaning and left in the dark. County government and big business clearing off the land was imponanr in downtown and the thumb their noses at anyone who would interfere with surrounding areas. The hammer was falling hard. their "well laid plans." A tiny handful ofcity government Phase two began: acquiring and demolishing all officials arc in the know, "but they're not telling." the old buildings and businesses along the river front. In Ever wonder why there is so much chaos? I'd the West End, demolition began in much ofthe low-income bet you that county commissioner Bob Bedinghaus and property, such as Lincoln Court, Laurel Homes and many Nick Vehr could tell you, but they former ciry councilman abandoned old buildings. Tremendous amounts of prime won't. Nick Vehr, member of the River Front Commission and former Ciry Council Gordon Maham, 10years member, set out on a crusade to bring the ago at Fernald World Olympic Games to Cincinnati in the regular job?" year 2012. The bid to bring the Olympics Gordon: "Yes." to us in Cincinnati is due in on December Policeman: "What is 12th, 2000. Everyone concerned realized that that?" Gordon: Cincinnati, Ohio was not equipped to host "Making this a more the Olympic Games because of too little peaceful planet." entertainment, n ot much downtown Policeman: "I mean, residential living quarters, outdated sports do you have a job that facilities, a small convention center, and not enough surrounding land to fill the needs pays money?" for the world Olympic Games. Gordon: "Not That's when the chaos began. money." Policeman: Ugly buildings had to go, new sports "You are trying to act facilities had to be built, new downtown smart and I am losing office space had to be provided: and new entertainment had to appear. New green my patience with you. space, streets, and anything that would help I can throw you in the EDITORIAL: The World Olympic Games 2012 A WILD RIDE County jail and set a high bond and keep you there a while." Gordon:" I am answering your questions truthfully and honestly" We got through all the questions, but he was not smiling. Notice the ages of my group: 18 - 83; Never too young or too old! Eric Johnson is a preacher. His daughters Ingrid and Andrea were arrested. The arrest and charges and court dates have been somewhat mixed up, but the bottom line seems to be - I had better pay $149.50 court costs or not cross any more lines in Tennessee. It is a difficult decision. l have not spent one dollar on lodging, and very little on food. Those peaceful people are really great! The Court's a problem. Gordon Maham , peaceful planet person Page 11 create a super model city had to be considered. The year 2012 was not too far away. New blood was needed for new housing in downtown Cincinnati. New arts centers and enticing facilities were needed to attract potential foreign businesses to Cincinnati. T he apparent chaos was not really chaos at all; it was a well laid plan. We have seen mass construction, mass spending, mass confusion and mass costly mistakes. The planners of this super model Cincinnati do not want any public interference because it would slow down the progress and raise questions that Mr. Bedinghaus, Nick Vehr, and their partners do not want to answer. They want free reign to do as they choose to do. The hardest blow from the hammer will hit the low income and homeless populations. They will have to be moved our of downtown and hidden behind one of the seven . hills of Cincinnati. Developers and politicians have to gobble up as much land as they can in and near the downtown area. Compared to what has to be done to make Cincinnati ready for the Olympic Games, twelve years is not much time. Blighted areas have to be torn down and rebuilt at market-rate value. Lincoln Court is gone. Laurel Homes is going. Over-the-Rhine residents and buildings will be going soon. The City of Cincinnati cannot possibly absorb all of these folk who will lose their homes. Other neighborhoods that are targetS include Lower Price Hill, Sedamsville, South Fairmount, and North Fair mount. All of these communities will lose their homes to eminent domain. Their land is needed to help host... the World Olympic Games. Another little tidbit that slipped Mr. Bedinghaus' mind is a new federal housing project that is big enough to house all of the residents of Over-the-Rhine, Lincoln Coun, Lower Price Hill, North Fairmount, and South Fairmount. Ofcourse, this federal hou~ing project will be located outside oftown, a community ofdisplaced people. "New Hope" Federal Housing Community sounds inviting. Uprooting families and moving them behind one of the seven hills has been a plan long time coming, and now it is knocking at the door. Dreams are shattered; tears are shed. T he politicians and money men and women knew the poor would put up a good fight, so they starred building around them, dosing in on them until it was too late to halt this madness in our ciry. Only a handful of City officials arc aware of the real picture and the reasons for the upheaval of our city. They were not informed and neither was the general public. Behind closed door meetings, our fate is decided by a few powerful people. We may never know who they arc. County officials and City officials say they can't conduct business with the public watching! What parts are they trying to hide from the public? Non-profit, for profit; It doesn't matter! The public money being used for any project should be accounted for by those using tax dollars to fund any project. The public has a right to know and should be allowed to attend an y meeting where tax dollars arc being spent. Further, these meetings that are conducted in places owned by tax payees, and tax payers, should be allowed access in those buildings, to any meeting. ..... Charlie Mattingly, YOU'RE FOREIGN AND NO OUT DATE ••• RIGHT? �5 TR EETV I BE 5 The Tri-State'.~. Homf?le~$ GrapevirJe. _.· .. ·" .-· . . ' . ' . ,-·~~.. ,:.~ag~ ;. 12; ~ ' company going to Cincinnati to the Drop Inn and picking up bus loads of people. Then they would cherry pick (pick our of order) the sign-up sheet. Example: A friend and I went in one night and signed up. After waiting 1112 hours, four young people came in, put in their applications, and went out that night. My friend and I were bumped off the job. Thus, ·the people on the Kentucky side get cut out of jobs. Now, what is a homeless person that doesn't want to be on the streets bur has no home address to give an employer to do? I feel that if a temp agency isn't here to help the people of Kentucky find work, why isn't their company over here instead of Cincinnati? We live in I'm writing the letter because I understand that a lot of people are.not aware of what goes on Kentucky- Let us have first choice on the jobs with the homeless in our community. I'll begin in our area rather than going to Cincinnati first. by telling you a little about myself. I'm 40 years Now to say the least, I'm not perfect nor do I old and had a job with a large company for 14 claim to be. Bur 1 don't understand why the police say a person looks homeless. Is there years and 9 months. It was very stressful and exhausting. The people there were the type that anything wrong with how a person looks? For if you were trying to climb rhe ladder to get that matter, who's to judge? Yes, I wear two coats, somewhere in the company they would either a ball cap and skull cap to keep warm. Bur I'm pull you down or step on you to make themselves clean shaven and my clothes are rarely dirty. Bur it seems I can't walk down the street without look better. As a result I began to drink and I eventually quit my job and moved from being stopped, usually without probable cause. Cincinnati to Covingron . Thar was in January, Exam ple: A friend and I were walking co New­ ~~~~~-1~9~9:4~·,.-,-,--..,-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.pu.~:e-ge~l'-Sefl1etlllng to ear at the soup I joined a program to overcome my kitchen there. One the way, we were picking up problem. When I did .finally leave I found myself aluminum cans. Out of the blue, we were on the street and working for temp services. I stopped and asked for I.D. and asked to step up worked through Minute Man - Covington office. against the wall while they checked us out. The My day was always the same - Sign up at officer told us char he had received several calls of 11 :00, go back at 1:30; from there, go to the us lingering around the neighborhood. The only Cincinnati office and wait until 3:00; from problem I say was that we were in no way there go to work for 10 hours, get back co lingering, bur we're making a straight path from the fourth Street Bridge to 9m& York. Jn any dowmown. <;incinqa~i ac 3:30 in. the A.M.,_get my check about 4:00 and from there walk back case, we hadn't done anything wrong, so chey h ad to Covington. My whole day was waiting to go to let us go. to work, with never any time to sleep or put in I just don't understand why people see applications at full time jobs. someone down on their luck and homeless and When that office eventually closed, I had automatically chink they're up ro no good! We already signed up at a new temp service are people too. I myself don't like or want to live on the streets, and am trying my best to get Labour Solutions. When I first begaa there, everything was going fine. The first 2 years were back on my feet! But until I do, it would be nice pretty good; but when staff began to quit and to feel like I was an equal..... -- -~eµllred,..new-sr-alf1 things-began-ro­ change. It began by the company losing a lot of ....A concerned homeless man my regular tickets or jobs. It then spread ro the Dear Streetvibes, Dear Streetvibes: I live in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. The Queen City is larger and greater than I realized. Many of those who have lived here for decades wonder where, when, and what has happened to the American Dream. It has turned into a nightmare, and it is crumbling before o~r eyes. As I walk the st re ets, avenues, and boulevards, I envision a people who are amazed , wondering , as I have, what has happened to the American Dream. It has left us for reality. We have made everything that exists and we the people are distraught as we experience the world today. Many are distressed, for meager skills count as minimum wages. I affirm that there is dignity in all work. And being able and capable and educated in professional technical colleges throughout our great cities of opportu nities in this great state of Ohio. I remain excited. I am considered to be a voice and a spokesperson for the citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio, and they rally with me and encourage my plight. For mine is theirs .... . ...... 1will show you stout, capable, able-bodied men with good minds and knowledge. Great architects with great and vital skills of masonry, carpentry, brlcklaying , cement mixing, and painting, as well as electricians and plumbers. We desperately need professional colleges skilled in training people in these skills. When the students are ready, the instruction will come from professional colleges. ..... Looking at the life-styles of today's modern world, much remains to be done ...... ..... At the intersection of Central Parkway and Vine St. all appears to be well; however, walk north on Vine St. , to Twelfth St., and continue through thirteenth, Fourteenth, and so on to Liberty St., and you will find yourself here in the "Ghetto". . .. Carol Cunningham trying to survive May 2000 By Alanna Maloney: the Urban Astrologer. Happy Birthday Taurus! feeling of restrictions you may have been feeling this year. All Taureans are especially lucky this month and there are opportunities for self-expressive expansion. Early month there are six planers in your sign! Beware of sore throats and stiff necks! There is unusual focus on you -- if things feel out of hand in both negative and positive ways, it is because they are! All this month you are looking attractive to oth~rs. This time ofyear is always a good time fo r you to show your face in new places especially parties, especially where people will be giving you gifts or hugs or even better, gifts and hugs! You will be feeling Gemini smarter and chattier than This month there is powerful usual chis month. Ir focus on your house ofsecrets would be a really good - and spiritual transcendence. time to begin a new U nforrunately the illustrious artistic or financial Astrological foreparents also project. Those of you who were born in the called this the house of self-undoing! third week of May will be feeling particularly Misunderstood and hidden self-detrimental under the gun these days, however this month patterns are going to whack you in the face all will bring blessings of many kinds to lessen the month (especially those having to do with self­ esteem and money). Be ready. Do what you can to process deep emotional pooh because it's all stirred up right now. Meditate it, Tai Ch'i it, Reiki it, write it, Shrink it, swim it off, film it, use it or it will use you and you will wind up in a ho house with a bottle ofJack between your knees by the time of your birthday! Really though, this could be an awesome time to shine in the arts, especially film and photography. Your p ersonal magnetism will be at an all time high. Cancer If you have important dealings with groups, social work, technology or politics there is a blessed break from restrictions this month. Blessings and gifts can come to you right and.left. In areas co do with the unusual, the revolutionary, and the greater good of all people, you can work well, communicate well, experience blessings, �STREETVIBES express yourself, and take much needed dramatic action. If none of this rings a bell for you then maybe you could dye your hair pink and join a protest this month, or open your own internet co,mpany, or join an organic farming collective or... Leo I know your career has been acting crappy lately, big dealings one day, dead the next; but May is bringing out the big guns for you in the work d~partment. Women contacts, mentors, blessings, opportunities, self-expression and action are here at last. Don't let your shock and disbelief at how well things are going cause you to miss out on enjoying this important month. Take the blessings and let them keep your spirits up throughout this year. You are not out of the woods quite yet but you have come to a big clearing, with a ~pring, and deer and wildflowers... Vtrgo _ Art classes, massage or healing classes, and education of all sorts appeal to you greatly this month. And if none of that sounds appealing, maybe raising funds for an overseas trip is called for. If you are really lucky, you are going on a trip to Thailand to buy spiritual items for a shop. That's the vibe that is kicking heavily for you this month. Exotica, !earning, and traveling. In what way do you seek the big truth in life? This month it is a focused blessed area. Look for the opportunities; the cash will be there! Libra This is a really weird month for you. Like Gemini and Aquarius, it takes you out of your comfortable air element of thinking, talking, and observing. It is going to demand a lot of you in areas to do with the big three-- sex, death, and taxes. Sex in its most spiritual form. Clean any residual guilt, and shadows from your erotic closet. Death in the sense of a strong awareness of the oth er side of life, an awareness of life's passing, the remembrance of the loss of a loved one, or an actual communication from the other side in a dream, a vision or a scented breeze. Here "taxes" is a catchall term meaning, of course, taxes, but also shared financial resources, banking, insurance, and inheritance. The watery mysterious under side ofyou is taking physical form this month. These three areas are bringing you unusual blessings, but at what cost to your peace of mind? Scorpio Your marriage, partnerships and best friendships have all the best to offer this month. You can be enriched and enhanced by important others in your life. Overall this area is under surveillance by delaying restricting Saturn this year and last- so really take this time The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine to enjoy the break in the clouds. Business partnerships and weddings are especially promising at chis time. Your spouse or friend may hook you up with a great job, give you a fat present, or get a great job themselves. Harmony, balance, beauty, and art are all enhanced in your life this month. Maybe it's about you giving a special gift to your honey or bud? Sagitta.dus So yeah, this pesky job thing... hmmm. Or is~it your health? Either way this month should bring you tangible results and even rewards for your patience (not you Sag. Surely not!) and hard work. Good advisement is to be had from mentors afl:d female cohorts. A raise is surely due, or some other equally tangible blessing. If you have been experiencing a throat or neck ailment, a good cure or solution should be at hand. For all your cogitating and theorizing, Sag. When it comes to work, you want to do something tangible, really meaningful, even permanen t. If your current employment denies you this feeling of something to build on think about scrapping it for something more fruitful this month! Capricorn Creativity, creativity, creativit}r... The crunch has. been on your self-expression chis year. Old sHf­ limiting paccerns have punched you in the face repeatedly (and taken your wallet and all-kinds of nasty stuff) , but chis month you can make a · comeback and be a real artistic contender. In matters to do with children, enjoyment, and speculation, you are blessed and blessed. Be open to opportunity for self-knowledge and expression that you were never allqwed as a child. You can make cash from just being you! Aquarius Whoah! Aquarius! Put that credit card away! (O kay, only those of you who haven't already fo rsaken all forms of money as a bourgeois concept). You are going to want to spend mass cash (barter) on your home, apartment, or family this month. The time is right for this kind of focus, but you could also overdo it rd ue to planetary urging. Try to do as much as you can with your own artistry and creativity, then let the gifts and good deals flow in. You may do well to visit a place that has fond childhood memories for you. You may also enjoy spending time with your dad. You may also inherit some kind of property this month. And importantly, if you are an Aquarius who has become homeless this year you may be in luck this May! Pisces There is a super focus of earth energies affecting all of Page 13 us this month and for you Fish folk it is in your house of siblings, communications, and short trips. Expect the roof to blow off in these areas. Buy a new journal, get more disk space, get a cheaper .long distance plan, and keep a good eye on your present car (bike, tennis shoes, scuba gear. ..) . And, keep your eyes peeled for a great deal on a new one, heck maybe your brother will even GIVE you a car. T here's just so m uch good luck and blessedness for you in this area this month- feel good about' finishing your novel or catching up on co rresponden ce w hile you are at it! Aries y D udes, this wh ole m onth is abou t m oney and self-esteem. Your world is just u n usually physical at· this time. Q uestions of cash , art, sex, exercise or lack thereof are vital these days. There is a possibility of b uilding something great and it's just a wonderful month to put all your wonderful id eas into action and solid form . If you were an architect this would be the month to b reak the dirt! Start a savings account for heaven's sake. And if you are lucky enough to h ave one already . t hink about h ow you could invest it. This physicality/finance thing has been restricted all year and now you are getting a blessed break and an unusual influx. Don't miss out! Squeeze that Horoscope 'til it yelps1 (This tidbit is repeated from February because I think it bears repeating!]) O ften we complain that Horoscopes are gen eralized. This is because they are! Each of us h as at least 36 variables that make our astrological profile (birth chart) unique. Newspaper horoscopes can only cover 3 of these variables at m ost. You can, however, use a horoscope more to your advantage, and bring that variable number much higher if you know your chart. If you h ave an interest in using horoscopes to your best advantage learn your rising (ascendant sign) and your m oon sign from an astrologer, book, computer program, or the Internet. T hen read those signs every month. T his will give you a more personalized h oroscope. Example: ifyour sign is Taurus, your moon sign is Pisces, and your risin g sign is Leo; then you read Taurus to learn about your self- expression (sun), Pisces for your emotional life (moon), and Leo (rising) for your social expression. T his will help to make horoscopes make more sense and bring m eaning. Readings with Alanna: Tarot: Tuesdays from 9pm to Midnight at ~itwell's Coffee House, 404 Ludlow Ave. Fridays from 8:30 PM to M idnight at Mullane's on Race Street. Astrology, Tarot, and Reiki: consultations and training are available by appointment through E-mail at psi_chic@hotmail.com. ­ �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 14 Low-Income Groups Seek to Redefine the Economic Security Agenda Courtesy of the Welfare Law Center The December 1999 issue of Welfare News reported the efforts ofseveral emerging released in Washington, D.C., community organizers in over 30 states and 50 cities released the report locally. coalition of low-income grassroots groups to forge a vision for an economic security agenda Poor Supports criticizes the states for that draws upon the experiences and views of denying Medicaid and Food Stamps to low­ low-income people. These efforts focus both on income families seeking welfare and leaving long-term organ11ing and more immediate welfare for work. It charts the decline in the opportunitie.' in the 'tates un<l at the national level variou<> states, and it urges the states to cake in the context ofTemporary A'sistance to Needy tep to correct the-..e abuses and the federal government to as urc that -..tare compl) with the Families ( fANF) reauthorization. ln the pa-..t l\\O month the folio'' mg tv.ocoalttion.. . h<\\e law. repo11ed -..ig11ificant de\elopments in their 01 ganizing ,md .t<h ocacy effrnK GRO\VL (Grass Roots Organizing for Call for states to spend TANF surplus to reduce poverty --- Welfare Liberation): Grassroots groups of low-income people come together to shape a welfare reform agenda. Thirty activists from 25 gral)sroots organizations across the country came together in A number of the leading grassroots and February for two days of ''politica1 exchange, • community organizing networks have come skills development, and vision building that together to promote a national agenda for economic security. This agenda seeks to address focused on creating a common progressive welfare reform agenda that advances race, the problems of persistent poverty and income gender, and economicjustice," according to the inequality and takes advantage ofthe Center for Third World Organizing (CTWO) of opportunities presented by a thriving economy Oakland, California, which convened the group. ·and budget slirpluses. The coalition seeks to About half of the participants were current or build on recent successful state and local advocacy and to use this work as the basis for a former public benefit recipients. Many ofthe groups had attended the November 1999 national campaign. Its plan includes the Welfare Strategy Gathering in Oakland. Those following: attending agreed that the voices oflow-income An income support system which meets women and women ofcolor need to be heard in everyone's basic needs for housing, the welfare debate and that they would work on education, healthcare, transportation, food, and clothil}g _ _ a multi-level campaign with several coordinated Job opportunities for all that are safe, secure, activities that would support a national campaign. These activities include documenting racial and pay a living wage and provide adequate gender bias in the welfare system, urging federal benefits hearings on discrimination in welfare programs, Racial and gender equity as central goals of all policies, programs, and practices adopted and developing a communications strategy to get the coalition's agenda into the public debate. to eliminate poverty Policies that allow all families to balance work and family life Targeted investment in low-income communities Recent Welfare News from Around the Nation The New York Bar Association repo1ts th.1t less than t\\ o of e\ery ten New Yor1' Cit) \\eltare dcc1-;1ons are upheld when the~ are challenged in a hearing. A complaint has hcen filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Sen ices Office ofCi' ii Righb that Lo~Angeles County"<;; welfare agency fails to m,tke sufficient "erv1ces. training, and infonnation a\'ailable to legal immigrants and refugees who are not proficient in English. This is in violation ofTitle VI ofthe federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. Illinois has agreed to change its child support cooperation rules. In the past, a parent who could not provide precise information on the whereabouts ofan absent parent would lose cast assistance for the fam ily and Medicaid for the custodial parent. The new rule allows parents to sign a statement under oath to verify that she or he does not have information about the absent parent. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law reports that large numbers oflow-income people are suffering as the result of severe restrictions on the work offederally­ funded legal services attorneys. The restrictions include a ban on bringing class actions or challenges to the legality orconstitutionality of changes in welfare policies. Information courtesy of'the Welfare Law Center Life after welfare reform In late February the National Campaign _ , issued two reports calling on states to make investments to reduce poverty and to assure that families receive the Medicaid and Food Stamps to which they are entitled. The reports were issued to coincide with the annual meeting ofthe National Governors' Association in Washington, D.C. Poverty Amidst Plenty reports that 45 states and the District ofColumbia have $7 billioninTANFfunds which remain unspent while poverty remains high. According to the report, a few states have diverted money from the TANF block grant to tax breaks and other state programs. The National Campaign has called on the states to seize the opportunity to spend these funds for innovative programs to reduce poverty. At the same time the report was "Since they cut offourfood stamps we've been eating out a lot." �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 15 Wanted:Volunteers to Help plantPeaceRoses in OTR. The objective is to plant at leastl OOOoverthe next couple ofyears. Atthismomentwehaveappropriations forl 20, some already crying to be planted Contact Berta Lambert at P.o. Box 101 08, Clntl 4521 O Ifyou wantto help. ' May you live all the days ~ of your life. - Jonathan Swift Former GCCH Director goes to Capital Hill Our Staff at the GCCH gives a standing ovation to our former Director Donald Whitehead, who has moved on to bigger and better things. Yes, Donald, you are the man! We congratulate you for your promotion as Chairman of the Board of the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington, D.C. We are extremely proud to have worked with you. I'd like to quote you, Donald - (referring to t~e fact that he is the first formerly homeless Chairperson) "By electing me, it shows that the Organization is sincere about fulfiHing its mission." You go, Donald! ... .. .Pat Mitchell The Homeless Coalition visits McCauley High Our host for our visit to McCauley Members of the GCCH staff spoke on some homeless issues to an audience of about 300 people, 240 being students. We were received well, and our messages seemed to be enlightening. Speakers included Don Whiehead, Susan Knight, Pat Mitchell and Ron Carter. For me this was a new experience, but a very rewarding one, educating about homelessness. Because anyone can be homeless; It could happen J'.O you. Hi~ School was Steve Elliot. .....•Pat Mitchell A protester in Brazil BRAZIL CELEBRATES SOOTH BIRTHDAY AMID PROTESTS By Phil Stewart PORTO SEGURO, Brazil (Reuters)- Brazil marked on Saturday the 500th anniversary of its discovery by Portuguese explorers, with official celebrations of its rich cultural diversity tempered by angry protests against centuries of ill treatment of Indians, blacks and peasants. More than 60,000 people gathered in Porto Seguro, a palm-lined beach town about 600 miles north of Rio de Janeiro, where Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral first dropped anchor on April 22, 1500, nearly eight years after Christopher Columbus made his first landing in the Americas. Police shot tear gas and stun grenades to break up thousands of protesters who threatened to push past a blockade, arresting 141 people in a swift morning crackdown that quickly snuffed out the threat of a mass march on the town center. By midday, the limelight turned to the party and its hosts - the presidents of Brazil and Portugal - who swooped on in Porto Seguro's restored colonial center to be greeted by colonial music, dances by a local indigenous tribe and an air show by Air Force stunt pilots. A regatta of more than 40 vessels also awaited the heads of state, just off the coast, after replicating the long voyage across the Atlantic to commemorate the birth of Latin America's largest and most ethnically diverse nation. "Looking across at this great mass of ships, I have to think of how lucky we were that Portuguese had the courage to cross the Atlantic," said Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. "We are not Portuguese; we are much more. There are the indigenous tribes that are still many ... and the African-Brazilians. But we will have always have deep ties between our two nations," Cardoso said, casting an affectionate gaze at his Portuguese counterpart, .President Jorge Sampaia. Cardoso also apologized for any excesses taken by the police and even added that Brazil's landless peasant movement (MST), the most violence­ prone group in a nation known for its peaceful protests, were "an uncomfortable, but necessary reminder of the concentration of private land" in Brazil. MST leaders had hoped Saturday would give them a chance to draw attention to vast inequalities in Brazil, where more than ­ half of Brazil's 165 million people live in poverty while 2 percent of the population owns about half the arable land. Indigenous tribes planned a peaceful mid­ day march to protest their continued poverty and to voice their opposition to celebrations they say ignore the racial killings, forced labor and disease that slashed their population from an estimated 6 million before the·Portuguese arrived to just 350,000 today. "This is a country where there is still murder of indigenous people, where there is still no justice. I don't understand why I should celebrate," said Marilene Jesus dos Santos, from the Pataxo Ha, Ha, Hae tribe. Her brother, Galdino, was murdered three years ago this weekend by middle­ class teenagers who doused him with alcohol and set him ablaze while he slept at a bus-stop in the nation's capital, Brasilia. Riot troops stormed the Pataxo reservation early Saturday, trying to silence the budding protest before it could absorb 10,000 members of the MST, labor groups and the black rights movement. Of 140 arrested, more than 20 were Indians and 30 were Catholic missionaries, according to indigenous rights groups. forwarded by the Homeless Peoples Network Hpn maillist ­ Hpn@projects.is. asu. edu �ST REE TV I BES Poetry and Art The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine HOW DO YOU BECOME HOMELESS? by Marsha Ramsey There is no set way that you become homeless. Homelessness can strike anyone at anytime. Your life can be going great and then you find yourself homeless. In my situation I had two heart Lord, why am I walking your streets at night? attacks in April of '99 and couldn't go back Did you know that homeless days to work, so I was abandoned by my now ex­ Started with a homeless night boyfriend and was asked to leave by my Rain pouring down on my head, but where landlady. I couldn't pay rent. So, what was can I go? to become of me? I know one place where I cannot go Like so many others I thought that becoming homeless would never happen to And that's home for sure. me! Guess what? I was wrong. When you Cause for some reason they wanted me gone. are abandoned by the ones whom you trusted and have been thrown aside like an Will tomorrow be a better turn? old shoe, it makes you sit up and take­ Cause I can't go home. notice. How do you feel about being This homeless life can't be true. homeless? For me, I felt devastated. Here Whatever happened to my life? I was always used to taking care of myself How did it ever come to this? E_nd heJQing oth.ers..with ~ver I C.illJld; -----~ Wasn't poor nor eitlier rich. and now I found myself homeless. I be down on my knees just asking the Lord In our society, people have a to tendency to look down their noses at the homeless. They feel that we are a burden Please give me a place to sleep. to them. What's even worse is being People looking at me like I'm dirty· homeless and sick on top of it. Some of us Because I'm all on the street. have panic disorder, which complicates Living in boxes and buildings issues. Again , some would say that's just a Make what I can to feed the children. scapegoat; well I'm here to tell you that's not so. It's very real and very scary. Wife die 2 years ago. Others are considered bipolar and Hard to explain to my baby boy that mama suicidal. How can anyone judge when they won't be back haven't walked in our shoes? I want to No more, know what gives people the right to think And we can't find a place to call home that we have a contagious disease. We Can't find a job also are thought to be lazy and losers. I for one would gladly go to work if I And we forced to be gone. coulcLB.ut I.have to accept the fact that that's not going to happen. So I sit waiting Lord, all I ask ofyou on my disability benefits to come through. Is to open the hearts ofall your children. I don't like having to depend on Make them help one another others; I'm used to independence big time. Stop looking down at my kind, I feel if your name is not Jesus then don't And give just a little change judge me, for he is the only one who has the Before it's somebody in their lives right to judge. Living this homeless life So if you still ask the question, "What is it like to be homeless?" Then trade By Mecello Barrar places in your mind with those who are, and imagine being devastated, feeling like you are at the end of your rope , with nowhere to turn except the much over-crowded shelters. Then you will get some idea of what it's like to be homeless and anxiety­ stricken. Most of us have been abandoned and rejected by our families and we feel unwanted to the point that if it weren't for the shelters, we would cease to exist. I've been lucky because Tender Mercies is my home - at least for the time being. I'm able to work on my goals and medical issues there. I can go to bed at night, knowing tomorrow is another day. I Can't Go Home - Page 16 take one day at a time. I also feel that most people would succeed in small things if they were not troubled by Great Ambitions. That's why if you're homeless, it is important to take it day by day and treat each day as a new challenge. I have talked to many people who say, "Well, I've got some college, so I'll never become homeless." NOT TRUE! I have a high school diploma and a college diploma in Production Art, and here I am homeless; so it doesn't matter what kind of education you have. You can still become one of the homeless statistics. People also tend to think that drugs and alcohol play a big part in becoming homeless - that's not always true; they can play a part but mostly homelessness happens because people run into very hard times. A lot of people are a paycheck away from being homeless, but they sometimes do not realize this fact. So if you meet people who say they're homeless, reach out a hand and shake their hands; because a lot of the time, that will make them feel good, just to know that some folks see them as human beings just down on their luck, and not people just looking for a hand out. A homeless person will eat from the dumpsterjust to stay alive. They sleep under bridges, under park benches, and battle the cold and rain . These people do not live in shelters because there is simpjy no room. They panhandle just to survive on the streets. Also, homeless people can be seen carrying everything they own on their backs, in bedrolls or grocery carts. They take chances every time they go to sleep whether or not to wake up to face a new day. Some of the homeless are homeless because they have been de-institutionalized and put out on the street with no follow-up program or medication and nowhere to go. These circumstances of the mentally ill have left a legacy of many positive changes that are probably permanent, but they have also left a legacy of problems that are unlikely to be solved. It is time therefore for a fresh look at the present and future of the homeless and mentally ill long-term care policy. We have gotten into much of the current mess by acting on best intentions without foreseeing the worst of unintended effects. One more thing in closing: we have a lot of talented people in our homeless circle; you'd be surprised what they can do. Check out the windows at 29 W. 12th Street, and you will see some of our talent. Marsha Ramsey Part of the Inner Circle �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine LORD, WHY? Lord, why did you put me here to live to die to burn to learn? Lord why did you put me here to die, in a world full with pain? What is there to gain, in this wicked game? What is there to gain when your back is against the wall , and you constantly fall, when every time you try to get by you fall on your face? What's left to save to the human race? What is to gain when hope is gone and you are standing all alone? To burn in hell or to die in a jail cell. When pain and sorrow, and it seems like no tomorrow, thinking back to the goodness we once had. It seems to me that the world is so sad; when everybody professes to keep it so real, when it comes down face to face they hold their head down in disgrace in this The PULSE of the NEIGHBORHOOD wicked place. When everybody's puffing on so much ch ronic smoke, it seems that life is one big joke. When kids play with guns thinking that this is a game offun, and money rules the world and its war and tears and its man that they fear. Don't they know the Savior is near? And the heavens open up and I heard a voice say, "My son what I said will be, so always keep your faith in me." Than I said to the lord, "Will I down in the sea or weaken like a willow tree?" Then in reply, "The lord said to me, "Stay strong even if you stand alone" So my brothers and sisters we must have hearts like steel to keep it real , looking up to God's beautiful grace in surrounding in this wicked place. .....Anthony Watkins Who Am I? Who am I? I am William J. Mayo I am a man from a distant land, A man who fears no chains or bonds, A man who knows the ugliness of oppression, injusti~e, and racism, A man who knows few highs and many lows, I am a conscious educated black man in these "United snakes of America'', A man with a burden to bear I am a man who must reach down and pull up both brother and sister. A man who must educate the uneducated, feed the hungry, defend the defenseless, love the unloved, and respect the unrespected. I am a man who must clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, and protect the abused. These are the duties of a Morehouse Man. I am a man who must love, honor and respect the black woman; for without her I have nothing. I have recognized the beauty within her, A beauty that has been passed down for generations. I have become mesmerized by her darkness, and must join with her in a strong sustaining will. I must join in a strong sustaining will for my dear mother: Elaine Patterson; my best friend, Kimberly A. Todd; my ~ i:•ri ••" • , . ,.. ·i •·. . - I Page 17 CRIME CAMERAS ARE -YOUI Do you feel belier, now? Dear Streetvibes, I am responding to the report by Kent Ryan, Cincinnati Safety Director, that Over-the­ Rhine residents had an adequate chance to comment on the camera at Race and Elder Streets. We at the Over-me-Rhine Community Council never got the notice ofPublic Discussion about the Over-the-Rhine camera, period. So how can the majority of O.T.R. residents respond, if they knew nothing of the Law and Public Safety Committee meeting that approved the camera? ...Sonny Williams, OTR Resident college friend, Ennis Cosby, and those before them. Document #200000315 To: Law and Public Safety Committee From : Kent A. Ryan, Director of Safety Copies to : Police, Safety Subject: Findlay Marker C~era J know that l am not the foot shuffling, fast talking, product selling, pocket The City Council at its session on February 16, 2000 picking, prostitute pimping, sex referred the following item for review and report. hunting, bank robbing, pill popping, cocaine snorting or the crack smoking COMMUNICATION, dated 1131100, stud that this cruel society has projected submitted by Council member Reece, from Sonny Williams, PAN-Ohio, objecting to the approval of me be. surveillance camera.s being placed in Over-the-Rhine without a public hearing being heki at City Hatt I know that I am the Lawyer, the On May 28, 1998, a report wa.s prepared and Doctor, the Dentist, the Muslim, the submitted to City Council regarding the installation of Minister, the Teacher, the Mentor, the a surveillance camera at Findlay Market. In the College President, the News Reporter, report, the Safety Director stated that the area around Findlay Market had wng bem a source ofdrug­ the Mayor, the Senator, the Governor, the Man who must provide for my wife, related complaints. In light ofthe restoration ofthe Market and the drug and crime complaints filed with children and family. the Cincinnati Police Division, it wa.s recommended by the Police Division and the City Administration Surely, I have turned myself to you, oh God, striving to be upright to you who originated the heavens and the earth, and I'm not of the polytheist. Surely my prayers, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for the lord of the worlds. that a surveitlance camera be instaUed. Supporters ofthe Camera included Hart Realty. Metro Management, the Findlay Market Association, the Over-the-Rhine Safety Committee and various community members. The report wa.s placed on the law and pubic Safety Committee agenda for discussion and wa.s subsequently approved by Council I know that I am a servant of God, an educated black man, a Morehouse College man, an innocent man who has spent 8 years of my life in prison trying to help two young men understand their self-worth. A man who fully understands the word "Friend" and "Conditional Friend". In September of 15!98, another report was prepared updating Council on the progress ofthe cameras. This report was also placed on the Law and Public Safety Committee agenda for discussion and approved by Council. In both ca.ses, the public was welcome to comment on the issue directly to the Safety Department or the City Council APPROVED .... William ]. Mayo john F Shirey City Manager ..... �ST RE ETVI BES Homeless Grapevine The Tri-State's ADVERTISE IN STREETVIBES!!! Socially Conscious Readers Support Socially Conscious Businesses H you haye a business, Streetvibes is a great place to advertise. We reach over 6,000 socially conscious residents of Greater Cincinnati every month who want to support businesses who are equally socially conscious. We regularly sell papers at locations such as Xavier University, University of Cincinnati, St. Xavier High School, Ursuline Academy, Ludlow Avenue, various downtown locations, Bellarmine Chapel, and many other local churches. Our business card-size ads are just fifteen dollars and a double business-card size ad is just thirty dollars. We'll even help you design your ad! H you own a business or an employment agency and need employees, put your help wanted ads in Streetvibes, for just $1.00 per line, with ten words per line. Your advertising-dollars will help us-make-eertain-ou~ vendors have ­ the latest Streetvibes to sell, all month long. The sale of advertising will also give us the flexibility we need to help vendors become seriously involved in the writing and editing of Streetvibes. Advertising in Streetvibes in one of the most tangible ways that you can support the homeless in Cincinnati. It gives you a chance to be part of a very exciting time for Streetvibes and the Homeless Coalition as we expand and make our services even better! Give John or Tom a call at 421-7803 for more information, or feel free to send an ad with your check to Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210. Page 18 CORRECTION IntheApril issueofStreetvibes, we publishedthelyricsto a song called ''Thundering In"andfailedtogivecredit totheoriginalwriterofthelyrics. The tyricswereoriginallywritten byDougie Mcleanand later adapted by Paulette Meierwithhispennission. Our apologies toboth ofthem! WAIF FM ALERT - wann~show? If you are a record collector (vinyl/tape/CD's) or have an idea for a public affairs/news show and are free weekdays, propose a SUMMER SHOW on all-volunteer WAIF 88.3 FM. Think about getting underwriting ($$) from a friendly merchant, and 1~ consider how you will publicize your show. Become a radio STAR! Here's help: alertAMP@aol.com 513/ 751-1740 5131333-WAIF ~ Cl) ·-> ~ ..J ~ en o Cl) :c .c 0 > ·.., "'C ·­ Cl) cu ~o:: .., (/) ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION Disc-Jockey Service Check us out, We~re on TV! The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Media Bridges (Cincinnati Community Video), 2114 Reading Road, Cincinnati Ohio. If you would like to DON'T MISS THE NEXT STREETVIBES CLIFFORD JONES be a part of our live studio audience (513) 761-3464 e-mail: jonesacp@tbol.net please call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 for more information. I• ; I' tL May Schedule i f• 1 I (513) 230-6353 VENDORS MEETING : 11 :00 A.M. Friday, June 2nd, the day the next issue of Streetvibes comes off th6 presses. 1 Broadcast Dates for May's Show on Channel 24: (Please check your schedule) Thursday, May 4, at 10 AM Saturday, May 6, at 5 PM Tuesday, May 9th, at 1O PM Saturday, May 20th, at 5 PM Tuesday, May 23, at 1O AM Thursday, June 1, at 1O AM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. Strectvibes TV covers news on poverty, homelessness and related issues. ff JOU would like to be a part of the audience, or if JOU have ideas for future shows, call us at 411·7803 �- · : ,STREETVIBES . ~ The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine . Page 19 STREETVIBES Classified HOUSING: Landlord Problems in your Subsidized Housing? Contact Warren J. Perkins, Tenant Support Organizer, 421-7803, in the Homeless Coalition Office, 1506 E lm St. Streetvibes has a minimal overhead costs so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selllng Streetvlbes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Thanks for your support. ----..,----r-------t The Ftee Mar f<et Fish Pond Streetvibes accepts Classi­ fied Ads for item·s 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. People below the poverty level will be given five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Call 421-7803 for more information Mail the ad copy, or deliver, to: GCCH,1506 Elm Street,Cincinnati, OH 45210 · or fax it to 421-7813, or e-mail to streetvibes@juno.com SALUTE! Wish List Streetvibes newspaper is published monthly on a shoe-st ring 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. .. O Supplies for vendor's lounge (coffee, cups, paper towels, cream and s ugar, etc.) 0 Organic home baker to supply vendors with Whole grain Guer illa cookies O Photography Help of all sorts for Streetvibes- photographers, film, devel­ oping , (a digital camera?) O !Advertiser~ and_Su~scrjbers 0 Computers/components (monitors , hard drives, etc;) for story-writing, edit ing, research, and homeless com­ puter lab If you can help!, contact us at: Streetvibes, clo Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 ph: (513)421-7803, fax(513) 421 -7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com Father James P. Kelly, of Old St. Mary's Catholic Church, has gone out of his way to help people, especially the homeless! No matter what day or time of night, he .is always tl;lere ton~lp!, Lmyself will always commend him and give·him thanks for what he has done for people. Thank you , Father and God Bless! ....D. Watkins THANK YOU, TO EVERYONE WH O A SS I STED WITH AND PA RTICI­ PA TED IN CENSUS 2000 �5 TREE TV I BE 5 Don't Miss the Annual "Mac D ay" Celebration! June 10, from Noon til 6, in Laurel Park on Ezzard Charles Drive, across from St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Political Groups, Children's activities, Free Food, Entertainment, Qpe~j Mac Day, held in honor of the late Over-the-Rhine activist, Rev. Maurice McCrackin, has been a child-friendly gathering of peace-making, alternative .. ·"wlivin~, 'en~rorµn~ntal, grassitiO-B~ ifttirnlik~ 'h.tstneless advocacy, all good-thing I good­ vihe people festival, with lots of good food and music. For more information, or to help in the organiZtZtion, contact bcrum@fuse.net The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 20 CINCINNATI AIDS ACTIVIST LOBBIES IN WASHINGTON ....By John Halpin Cincinnati resident Norman Hampton knows the importance offederal funding for AIDS programs. That's why he was one of was one of eighteen Ohio representatives who joined advocates from around the nation to lobby in Washington last month for continued federal support of HIV/AIDS programs. This is the third year Hampton has participated in AIDSWatch a project ofthe National Association of Peopl~ with AIDS. Hampton says this year's lobbying effort is doubly important because the Ryan White C~RE Act is up for reauthorization in Congress this fall. The CARE Act is the landmark 1990 legislation that serves as the federal government's centerpiece of efforts to improve the quality and availability of care for people with HIV/AIDS and their families. Not only did AIDSWatch 2000 lobb Congress for the reauthorization of CARE but also to meet their recommendations for funding of other AIDS programs and research. Norman Hampton had the opportunity to me~t with several Congresspersons, including regional representatives Steve Chabot, Tony Hall, and staff from Representatives Boehner· and ~obson 's offices. AIDS Action, a group XX8(~1n~ ~~gur~ ~ fair nati?nal policy on AIDS, graded memt>e1S of the 105ttl Congress 't or tfieif support of AIDS legislation and funding. Local House Representative Tony Hall scored the highest, voting AIDS-supportive 60% of the time. He was followed by Rep. Hobson at 40%, Rep. Portman at 30%, Rep. Boehner at 20%, and Rep. Steve Chabot at 9%. In the Senate, Mike DeWine scored a 40%, and former Senator !g Hampton's main efforts were directed to g~ini~g support for AIDS funding that helps low-income people. One-third to one-half of persons with AIDS are homeless or in imminent Norman Hampton in Washington danger of becoming homeless, he said. Hampton stressed the importance of a home for anyone, but particularly for someone with HIV/AIDS. For a person with HIV/AIDS to stay healthy, they need a home and the stability that it brings. The Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program, administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, provi.des the funds needed to make housing possible for low-income individuals with HIV/ AIDS. - · Two other programs important to Hampton are the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the AIE>S 9rug_Assistance Program (ADAP). SAM HSA-.. pr0-\Qdes program support for substance abuse treatment and prevention, ameR9-Q!!ier things. Hampton, a former substanC"e abuser, stressed the importance of assistance to this population. ADAP, which is funded under the Ryan White ct, provides a ·wtc:te-vane o health care and supportive services, including life-prolonging medications, to low-income people. Hampton said that he feels he and his fellow delegates had a good, productive visit to Washington. He said that one of the most important ingredients for success is that members of Congress get to meet the people and hear the voices of those who are asking for support. "They needed to see it, and they got to see it!" he said. Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treat­ ment, 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) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 431-8717 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt Airy Center Volunteers of America I : : SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfaith Hospitality Network 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 471 -1100 LighthouseYouth Center (Teens) St. John's Temporary Housing 961-4080 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381 -1171 639-7056 961-4555 TREATMENT: Women O.DAA.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both NA Hopeline AA Hotline C.CAT. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-501 1 241-7343 961-4663 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 5')9-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Community Center 241-2563 Freestore/Foodbank 241-1064 Goodwill lndustries 771-4800 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357-4602 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 241-9400 Legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 Oral Health Council 621-0248 621-6364 Our Daily Bread Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 572-6226 VA Homeless Program 491-3335 Women's Crisis Center Women Helping Women 872-9259 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2000 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource May 2000 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: The World Bank? The IMF? What’s All the Fuss About? Pg 2: Donald Whitehead Elected Chairperson of National coalition for the Homeless The Traveler Pg 3: World Bank Continued Pg 4: Environmental Record of the Presidential Candidates Revealed Pg 5: National News Pg 6: Words from the Evangelist Pg 7: Avondale Public Held at Hirsch Recreation Center Pg 8: Aids in Africa Pg 9: Prison News Pg 10: William Mayo Still Languishes Georgia Prison Pg 11: Editorials & Letters Pg 12: Editorials & Letters Continued Street Scopes Pg 13: Street Scopes Continued Pg 14: Welfare News Pg 15: Brazil Celebrates 500Th Birthday Amid Protests Pg 16: Poetry & Art Pg 17: Poetry & Art Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Donald Whitehead Tom Billman John Halpin Jess Ballew Ron Carter Warren Perkins Pat Mitchell Mary A. Gaffney Tina Maser Anthony Watkins William J. Mayo Alanna Maloney Charles Mattingly Sonny Williams Marsha Ramsey Mecello Barrar Gordon Maham Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Africa Aids Alanna Maloney Anthony Watkins Arts & Poetry Charles Mattingly Donald Whitehead Editorials & Letters Evangelist Funding Gordon Maham Housing Assistance International news Jess Ballew John Halpin Marsha Ramsey Mary A. Gaffney Mecello Barrar Model Olympics Pat Mitchell Presidential Candidates prisoners news Ron Carter Sonny Williams Tales from Across the River The Traveler Tina Maser Tom Billman Warren Perkins welfare news William J. Mayo World Bank https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/bd2aa39b1e4e7ba23b39f3894aa6387f.pdf e700bb835bf1f88dbd4e79b17d838c96 PDF Text Text Remembering the Milner Demolition Six Years Ago, 115 Units ofHousing/or th e Homeless Were Lost On May 20, the sixth year anniversary of the Milner Hotel's Demolition, students and professors from Miami University's architectUre department gathered with homeless and low-income housing supporters in Piatt Park-Garfield Park in downtown Cincinnati. At the center of the gathering was an rutistic environmental installation that Mi ami architecture students and Over-the-Rhine community members spent the previous months planning. The instaUation included a red ribbon running through the park's trees, silhouettes of homelesspeople and homeless supporters, and plaques describing how the removal of low-income persons from MILNER, continued on page 5 Don Sawyer, f ormer resident and employee ofthe Milner Hotel, addresses the crowd much debate and controversy, the CUITent A Tale of Two Cities plans for the project have been scaled­ Urban Renewal Threatens Shelters in Columbus and Cincinnati ...... by John Halpin The story is a familiar one to Cincinnati: A lower­ income neighborhood is targeted for redevelopment, and the homeless shelter that occupies it must relocate to another area. The popular idea that the poor and homeless cannot co-exist with economic development becomes public policy and practice. For over a year now, the Drop ~ Center, Cincinnati's largesthomeless shelter, located on the comer of 12th and Elm Streets in Over-the-Rhine,.has been fighting to keep its home. A plan spearheaded by Cincinnati Pops conductor Erich Kunzel and organized by the Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center (GCAEC) Board is seeking to relocate the School for the Creative and PerfonningArts to the Washington Park neighborhood, adjacent to Music Hall and the Drop Inn Center. At first, the GCAEC board maintained that the new school and the shelter could co-exist, but later, when the arts group revealed several blueprints that called for the removal of the Drop Inn Center, controversy erupted. An intense turf war ensued, and now, after I back, and the GCAEC planners say the Drop Inn Center site will not be needed in the current stage of the project's development. During the on-going debate about the Drop Inn Center's possible relocation, the center maintains that it was not right to displace the poor and homeless for any reason. R.atherthan placing the problem "out ofsight, out ofmind," the shelter advocates for real solutions 'to homelessness, such as affordablehousing, employment training, and supportive services. Relocating the shelter to another area, away from the proposed arts campus, would only be removing the problem from public view, not solving it The shelter and many of its neighboring organizations, such as non-profit housing developers ReSTOC and the Over-the­ Rhine Housing Network, advocate for urban renewal to benefit the poor, not just urban renewal to benefit the middle and upper class. Not only does the Drop Inn Center oppose hiding the problem ofhomelessness but it also maintains that its current site was 26,000 Ohio Children Face Welfare Cut-offs Advocates Take Campaign for Welfare Rights to- Legislators' Front Doors A group of determined welfare advocate;S gathered at the Contact Center in Cincinnati on the morning of May 19 for nor-your-average lobbying effort. They were gathering to take their "Stop the Clock" campaign to the front doors of the homes of local Ohio legislators. What brings these members of the Ohio Empowerment Coalition - a statewide welfare rights advocacy group - together is H ouse Bill 578. Currently, Ohio has a three- year co~secutive time limit on welfare benefits. As of October 1 of this year, 13,000 low-income households across Ohio will lose their support. Appr:oximately 26,000 children, many of whom are under six years old, could be cut­ offofincome support between O ctober and December of 2000. HB 578 would extend the three-year time limit on public assistance to five years, as well as ease harsh sanctioning policies such as cutting off food stamp assistance to sanctioned adulr.s. t Many welfare · supporters at the press conference insisted that three years was not enough time for a person to get thejop training and education needed to obtain a job that pays a living wage. Davorn Johnson, who is transitioning off ofwelfare and now employed by the Drop Inn Center shelter, made that poinr. She admitted that she herself is a success story but cautioned that not all welfare recipients have the same circumstances which allow for success. With an extended time limit, more recipients would be able to obtain the skills they need for success. If HB 578 is adopted, Ohio would be the 3or1i state co allow recipients five consecutive years of supporc through the Temporary ,,Assistance to Needy Families program. The advocates' lobbying effort today has a special sense of urgency, as the Ohio State Legislature will dismiss for the summer by May 24 andis not expected to reconvene until after the October 1 cut-off date. So far, despite intensive lobbying and support from many democrats, the assembly leadership has chosen to ignore the bill and has not allowed public testimony on it. Kary Heins of the Contact Center noted chat local Rep~esentatives Catherine Barret and Sam Britton have been particularly supportive of the bill. Today's lobbying effort, in which advocates will visit the homes of local legislators with whom they have not yet met, will attempt to convince Senator Richard Finan, and Representatives Schuler and O ' Brien, among others, to support HR 578 as well. "We are extremely concerned about what will happen to all kids in Ohio when the time limit hies, especially since we do not know what is happening to families once they leave welfare. Poverty rates have not declined much, but 50% ofpeople have left welfare. We are afraid that once the economy goes sour, many families will need help and there won't be any," said Cassandra Barham, an organizer with the Contact Center. • • • See SHELTER, page 3 SS I �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES THE TRAVELER The Tri-S tate's Homeless Grapevine by Donald Whitehead The Greater Cincinnati Coalition the Homeless is a group of shelters. agencies and individuals committed to· fOI' ending homel~sness in Cincinnati through ting services, ed the puJ:>li roots organi • Iliff Alicia Beck, Susan Knigh~ Tom Billman, John Halpin Ron Carter, Warren Perkins, PatMitche Mary A. G Sonny Wlllla . Director Administrative Coordinator Streetvibes Editor Assistant Editor Vendor SuPf!>()rt Tenant Organizing · Outreach Volunt~ ' Recep Volunteer Re Writers Donald Whitehead John Halpin Tom Billman Rodney Sutton Ron Carter Anthony W Cassie Gu Alanna Malo Brian Crumm Bonnie Neumeter Johnny Wm. Byrd, Jr. GeraldineDevine Patrick Holmes Melissa Widemen Susan Knight Grady Cook. Sonny Williams Pat Mitchell Sharon Weis LeeAnn McNabb Raymond Jane Katie Danko "'' Warren Perkins Earlene Moreland Lynn Williams Jeff Branham monica novae Emily Langford ney Sutton, Susa Be ambert, Grady Cook:,' Warren Perkins. Sonny Williams, Jimmy Heath and more.... Knight~ Streetvlbes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graph­ ics, photos.... We will print everything we have roorn for, giving preference t those wh' ·• homeless or vend ~f-. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 · f~ 13) 421-7803 fax (513) 421-7813; e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com (text­ only) or homecoal@primax.net ( attached file's) web page: http://cinci.com/gcch At this point in my life I am on top of the world, literally. I have just ridden a gondola lift up co the cop of the mountain in D enver, Colorado, some two thousand feet above sea level. The view is striking snow-capped peaks overlooking mountain streams littered with skiers and snowboarders getting the last ski before che season ends. Up here, the world's problems seem so far removed. Despite the discomfort caused by shortness of breath at this altitude, I feel extremely serene. I am in D enver for the National Healthcare for the Homeless Conference. The conference is one of the highlights ofevery year for m e. This year is even more special because I get to spend time with my dear friend Mary Ann Gleason, longtime Executive Director for the National Coalition for the Homeless. Mary Ann spent several years in Denver and was gracious enough to give me a tour of the mountains and som e of the social services in Denver. I was impressed with the mountains and even more impressed by the social services. Mixed income new construction housing in a suburban setting is the stuff thac C incinnati advocates can only dream of. The housing was noc only in setting that was very conducive to long cerm stability; it also included amenities chac are often ouc of reach for low-income families. Amenities such as swimming pools, on site daycare, and laundry facilities are often thought to be too luxurious for low-income developments. One ofthe arguments in C incinnati against the development ofnew construction housing is land availability and zoning difficulties. This argument does noc exist in the suburban areas surrounding C incinnati. Another program thac was very exciting to me stemmed from a concept Mary Ann calls Housing as Treatment. We visited a facility that housed women with untreated mental illness. These women are typically long term homeless because ofsome of the misunderstandings of their anti-social behavior. They are women who are frequently either barred part-time or permanently from shelters and transitional housing. Many people commonly refer to these ladies as Bag Ladies. As we toured the facility, the women seemed extremely delighted by our presence; the experience brought memories of my friends in Cincinnati. Ifyou are connected with homelessness in any way in C incinnati you probably know a few ladies chat fit these ladies' profile, such as women like Nan and Mahalia who are long-term members of Cincinnati's homeless population. The difference between my friends at home and these women in Denver was how happy the women in Denver appeared to be. T hey also seemed a lot fresher; women with the characteristics of these ladies always seem cired. They have to constantly walk in search ofsomething that the women in Denver have found: a safe secure place co call home. Page 2 In my thinking spot above the clouds I begin to digest what I witnessed this weekend. I really like the message chac being senc by the . advocates in Denver. Homeless people deserve the same kinds ofthings thac everyone else enjoys. Do we sometimes say co homeless people "This is the besc you can get" or "this is all you deserve"? This attitude is reflected by how and where we choose to develop our resources. Opportunities for people to live in low-crime, low-illegal drug communities must be · maximized. le is noc impossible to succeed in communities that are crime ridden or drug infested I personally am an example of thac happening, buc I muse say chac the odds are noc overwhelmingly high for mosc individuals in this situation. Mixed income communities are a wonderful idea only if they do noc call for the displacement oflow-income people. D enver advocates have insured chat there is zero displacement by doing new construction. The only downside to che whole day was the realization that the development of new housing is very cost prohibitive. I guess when you recognize chat the City OfC incinnati wants to spend 50 million dollars to attract a new major downtown retailer or the cost of the new Bengals stadium is 45 million dollars over budget 5 million dollars to put hundreds of people in quality affordable safe sanitary housing is not chat cost prohibitive at all. We also need co work to change the condition of our current neighborhoods. We should not settle for impoundment chat has become so common in inner city America, drug dealers determining the rules of the neighborhood. It is all right to leave the inner city fo r the safety and serenity of the suburbs, buc we must return. The armed aggressors in the hood are like any pack in the wild; they only pick off the wounded, the frail, or the young, afraid of the consequences involved wich taking on healthy individuals. It is our job as advocates to help people heal so they aren't easy prey. I am starting a support group in my neighborhood called S.WA.C. S. So We All Can Succeed. This group will hopefully evolve into a force to take on the pack through positive actions in the community. I can't wait to tell you more about it. Meanwhile I'm headed for Washington D .C., then on to Chicago. I'll talk to you when I return. Keep on truck.in, baby! Streetvibes,exists as a forum fo:tJh'e expression of the ~it:WS and opinions of our reAders and supporters.' The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine SHELTER, from page 1 The CZC Protest for Political Prisoners and Against Police Brutality best for its population. The Drop Inn Center declares it self the center of a human improvement campus in Washington Park. The center points to the fact that it is easily accessible to the homeless in the downtown area, and that the residents at the Drop Inn Center are within blocks of transitional hous ing, soup kitchens, government offices, employment agencies, and community centers which provide job traini·ng, education, and cultural programs. By LeeAnn M<;Nabb May 13th was a national day of action against police brutality and in support ofpolitic prisoners. Approximately 55 people from the Greater C incinnati area joined the Cincinnati Zapatista Coalition in protesting at the corner of 6ch and Main Street from 5pm until 8pm. We were joined by people from groups such as the Incerna~ional Socialise Organization, The AIM Support Group of Ohio and Northern Kentucky, the All-African Peoples Revolutionary Party, The Racial Awareness Program, Solidarity, Viet Nam Veteran's Against the War--Ami­ lmperialist (Sonny W illiams), and many more. We informed a lot of people on their way to Jammin' on Main about the cases of Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu-Jamal. It was a colorful protest, with several different kinds ofsigns, a megaphone, chanting, singing, drumming, and even a little dancing. We got sn ide as well as supportive comments from those passing by on their way to the music festival. Several motorists waiting in traffic actually asked questions and were given flyers on the issues. We collected petition signatures for Mumia Abu-Jamal and for Leonard Peltier's upcoming parole review hearing. We goc a really good crowd and were successful in delivering our message to the community. lVho are LeonardPeltier andMumiaAbu-]amal? Leonard Peltier is an American Indian Political Prisoner who was convicted in 1977 of killing two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation during a massive shoot-out. The judge in their case acquitted two other men who were arrested for the same original charges. After loosing the case, the FBI changed its plan . Allegedly, it used false affidavits to arrest Peltier, coerced testimony, ch anged the charges, suppressed evidence, and scared jurors into believing the American Indian Movement might kill them. Peltier's supporters range from Amnesty International, The National Congress ofAmerican Indians, Rage Against the Machine, the Indigo Girls, and many more. Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award winning journalist and a former member of the Black Page 3 A Similar Scenario in Columbus Panthers. He was convicted in 1982 of killing Officer Daniel Faulkner. He is currently on death row in Pennsylvania. He reported on police brutality in his journalism. His trial was botched and may have had a d ifferent outcome if witnesses and evidence by the defense had been permitted in court. Groups calling fo r a new trial for Mumia include Amnesty International, The Congressional Black Caucus, Martin Luther King III, Rage Against the Machine, and many more. The Cincinnati Zapatista Coalition is an indigenous rights and social justice organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio. We are named after a group of Mayan Indian rebels in Chiapas, Mexico, who rose up on January 1st, 1994, the day the North American Free Trade Agreement {NAFTA) went into effect. They rose up because of political, racial, and economic oppression felt by Mexico's 10 million Indians. T hey fight for more than just indigenous rights. Subcomandante Marcos {spokesperson for the Zapatistas) is quoted as saying, ""Marcos is gay in San Francisco, a black in South Africa, a Palestinian in Israel, Jewish in Germany, a woman anywhere on the metro at lOpm, a landless peasant, a Mayan Indian in Chiapas, Mexico ... " In other words, the Zapatistas fight for everyone. Their major slogan is "Todos Somos Zapatistas," which in English translates into "We are all Zapatistas." This is the basis on which CZC was started. For more information crmtact: Cincinnati Zapatista Coalition, PO Box 30401, Cincinnati, Ohio 45230. Email: miriamczc@yahoo.com, Phone (513) 232-0362 or (513) 325-4179. Our website at http://www.geocities.com/ Capito/Hill/13641. Representatives from Viet Nam Veterans against the War--Anti-lmperialis t, . . . . . .and. AIM of..Northern Kentuck.y. protest political imprisonment in Amer i ca Wbjle the drama in Cincinnati has cooled for the time being, a scenario is heating up in Columbus that has many ofthe same ingredients as the Drop lnn Center-SCPA controversy. The Open Shelter, a men's drop-in facility in the Frankljnton area ofthe Scioto Peninsula, is bracing itself, as next year it will lose $445,000, nearly halfofits operating budget, when the Community Shelter Board withdraws its funding. Unlike in Cincinnati, in Columbus, a third party determines the funding that shelters receive. This group, the Community Shelter Board (CSB), allocates all government and United Way dollars to local shelters. The Community Shelter Board announced that it would stop funding The Open Shelter after the shelter refused to leave its current site in Franklinton to operate a new facility that the CSB had purchased north of the city, near the fairgrounds, on Corrugated Way. The proposed shelter is one part of the " Rebuilding Lives" plan that CSB developed. The plan calls for reducing the number ofbeds in four existing shelters while moving more men into s upportive housing apartments. Rebui lding Lives also wants to relocate the two shelters located on the Scioto Peninsula - The Open Shelter and a shelter run by the Volunteers ofAmerica. The Open Shelter listed several points for why it did not accept CSB 's proposal to run the new shelter, despite the fact that the Open Shelter does want to move. They have been leasing their current site for 16 years, and each year they have had to pass up grants to improve their facility because only shelters which own their sites are eligible for such grants. The Open Shelter worked closely with the Community Shelter Board to find a new site, and have examined hundreds ofproperties as potential shelters. U ltimately, however, the decision as to whether or not to accept the Community Shelter Board's offer to run the new shelter came down to a basic question: What course ofaction would best serve the homeless? The Open Shelter felt that leaving their present location would hurt the homeless. When the other downtown shelter, operated by the Volunteers of America, announced it was moving out ofthe area, The Open Shelter balked at leaving the area also, knowing that it would leave hundreds ofpersons in the Franklinton area without immediate access to a shelter. The agency also objected to running a center with a smaller overnight capacity, as the plan called for. While the Rebuilding Lives plan calls for 800 units of subsidized, supportive housing units by the year 2004 to replace shelter beds, only 30 of these units are currently in operation. The Open Shelter believed reducing and relocating shelters before other resource s were available seemed irresponsible. ~ee SHELTJ!,R, page 5 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Kids' Day o·n Capital Hill · Homeless Children Tell Their Heart-breaking Stories For the past ten years, I have been involved with the issue of homelessness. I have experienced homelessness, I have volunteered to help, and I have advocated on the front lines for ending homelessness. During my tenure on the front lines, I have witnessed many things that have caused me to examine myself and the world around me. Nothing prepared me for the Kids Day 2000. Ever since the first time I visited a family shelter or the first time I saw the Fox video "Shelter Boy," I have been compelled by the plight of homeless children. I have always been a smiling face to children as I visit shelters. Every year I even dress up as Santa Claus and pass out toys. There's nothing more moving than a smiling child is, nothing except a child in pain. On paper, the fact that 1.35 million children are experiencing homelessness in America is beyond belief. Last year, the Better Homes Fund released a study that documented and statistically tracked the plight of homeless children. The study was well written and excellent in its visual presentation. It was ....By Donald Whitehead written by a group of experts from around the country. The groups of experts assembled for the Kids Day on Capitol Hill, however, were different experts. The experts at Kids Day 2000 were children. The best thing about hearing from a child is that their testimony is totally uncompromised, incredibly graphic, and totally honest. The panelists chosen by Barbara Duffield were beyond excellent. The children presented new perspectives to our extremely troubling pr9blem. Never once did I hear mention of blame or resentment. I heard pain, embarrassment, and even joy. I was particularly moved by the youngest panel member whose final statement "we had to stay in the Shelter but it was not that bad" started my first cry in a long time. The young man was responding to a question about conditions in shelters. Another moving moment was when a young lady who had just been accepted into college talked about her family being split up by the shelter system. She took us on a rollercoaster ride beginning with a happy Page 4 family and ending with a family in the middle of a divorce. There wasn't a dry eye in the place when this well-spoken young lady talked about her whole family living in one room. Twists and turns included scams, disappointments, and pain. All of the speakers were overwhelming to even the most seasoned advocate. I remember sometimes crying myself to sleep at night when I was living in the Drop Inn Center in Cincinnati. I can only imagine the pain experienced by a child going through homelessness. The children in the audience and those on the phone were very attentive and knowledgeable about the issues of homelessness. I was also pleased by the Congressperson~ in attendance, via phone and tape-recorded message. The entire event was extremely inspiring. Barbara Duffield did an awesome job of organizing. The only drawback is that there were not many more people who were able to attend this event. In my opinion, every city in the U.S should replicate this event. While society can easily label and blame adults, it is a lot harder to label or blame children. If our leaders can't listen to our reason , maybe they'll listen to a baby's. u u u NO APOLOGY FROM MAYOR LU by Sonny Williams, Streetvibes Vendor On Saturday, May 6m, the Citizen Police Review Enforcement Coalition had a 4-hour protest at Fountain Square. The Coalition was protesting that Mayor Charlie Luken did not apologize for the death of Michael Carpenter to Carpenter's family. Luken's apology went to the City of Cincinnati, not directly to the family. Dwight Patton brought a coffin on the protest site around 4:00 PM. Because Patton was not allowed on the square without an escort, Captain DeMasi and two officers from the Cincinnati police officers escorted him. When the protesters set up the coffin next to the fountain, several on-looking white males chanted, "We support police beating people; we support killer cops!" Nathanial Livingston, Jr., the director of the Black Marchers, then arrived, with two flags on poles. A police officer became upset and demanded that the protestors get those flag poles off the square now! The flag poles were removed to the corner of 511i and Vine Streets, and replaced by several signs. One included the autopsy photo of Mike Carpenter in the Hamilton County Morgue. Several protesters carried the flag of Ethopia and King Halle Salasie. One protester car~ied a video camera, which made this writer feel more secure in the face of enormous police presence and Cincinnati Recreation monitors who carried radios and mace. One sign said, "No Apology for Mr. Carpenter? ... No Peace Either!" For more information about the Murder ofMichael Carpenter, call John Shirey at 352-3000, or the U.S. Justice Department at 550 Main St., Cincinnati, Ohio. Fire Escape ~eglect May Cause Apartment Closure this Work order: By Warren Perkins, Tenant Organizer Glencoe Apartment residents may not know it yet, but they are in danger of losing their homes. On May 3, 2000, City ofCincinnati housing inspector Eric Otto made a visit to Glencoe Apartments, owned by non-profit Mount Auburn Good Housing. Glencoe, which is in the shadow of Christ Hospital, was cited on that day with more than 1j Cincinnati Building Code (CBC) Violations. These violations range from excessive I itter to missing bricks in masonry walls. The most serious of these problems is the disrepair of fire escapt!s on the Leroy Court building. The Fire Escapes themselves account for 3 CBC violations. The fire escapes are rusty and any hint of black paint is almost non-existent. The lack of paint on the emergency stairways means they are more likely to fall prey to the elements, causing accidental breakage. Many of the fire escapes have broken ladder steps and broken hand railings. These escapes are falling hazards and obviously provide little or no chance for residents to escape in.the case of fire. These problems caused.the City Inspector Eric Otto to issue REPAIR FIRE ESCAPE Violation: 415 DATE: 5105100 NARATIVE: Note: failure to repair fire escape may result in the vacation ofapartment units using same (welders will need A WS certification for job) ORDINANCE DESCRIPTION: Every required supplies facility, piece ofequipment, or utility shall be so constructed or installed that it will function safely, and shall be maintained in satisfactory working conditions. Section 1117-45. I CBC CORRECTIVE ACTIONREQUIRED : Replace all broken or rusted out members of the fire escape and restore it to good working order. Because of this work order's interest in fire safety, the city code says that it must be completed in 30 days or less. If it is not completed, residents may be forced to leave their homes at the end of this period. This means that 8 large family units may be lost forever in Cincinnati, not to mention the problems ofcurrent residents trying to find housing on such short notice. Mount Auburn Good Housing contracted a management company, Churchill and Company, to oversee operations and repairs of the Glencoe Apartments. Churchill Management's representative JeffWillis claims to not even have heard ofthe violations notice from the city until Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) representatives infonned him on May l 2. The Jack of communication between Mount Auburn Good Housing and apartment managers Churchill and Company may explain why some ofthese repairs have fallen through the cracks. The owners are currently waiting on repair funding from HUD that may not meet the deadline set by the city. Ifthe repairs are not completed in time, residents of the building will most likely be issued apartment vouchers they can use at other buildings which accept this form of payment. Residents could face other problems, such as a lack of funds to move heavy furniture from the old home to the new. COHHIO tenant organizers plan to meet with these residents to inform them of their rights and to advise them of possible action to take. The hope is to avoid problems like this in the future and eliminate the need for residents having to move. • • • • • �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine SHELTER, from page 3 Other reasons why The Open Shelter opted not to relocate to the CSB site were that the CSB stipulated that the new shelter would have a sixty-day limit on stays, a rule The Open Shelter says is contrary to their mission; they would have to lease the site from CSB when their goal has been to own a shelter, and they would have to undertake a $1,000,000 capital campaign to help Community Shelter Board purchase and renovate the site. "A Large and Lofty Group" With The Open Shelter's decision not to relocate, the Community Shelter Board announced all of the shelter's annual CSB funding would be withdrawn and transferred to the operator ofthe new shelter. The Community Shelter Board has drawn fire from all sides involved in this situation - both from The Open Shelter supporters and from residents. of the neighborhood where the new shelter may be built Kent Beittel, Executive Director ofThe Open Shelter said the CSB is appointed by the city, county, and United Way and is a "large and lofty group" and, for the most part, removed from the people they are serv ing. (In Cincinnati, a consensus process by a coalition of service providers and homeless persons makes funding decisions.) Kent Beittel says the Community Shelter Board's Rebuilding Lives plan arose after funding was secured for and construction began on a new floodwall around the Scioto Peninsula on which Franklinton and his shelter sit. Because the peninsula is a flood plain, it was never prime property for development. With the new floodwall in place, however, the economic development ofFranklinton - home of the new COSI and a new veteran's memorial - became a real possibility. City politicians and the Community Shelter Board rethought how the city assisted the homeless and decided that it was inappropriate to have half of the city's homeless population in an area in which so much potential for economic development exists. There is a myth, Beittel says, that the poor and homeless cannot coexist with economic development. The Open Shelter will now have to deal with the consequences ofthat myth as they look to replace the funding that the CSB has transferred from them to the new shelter, which Lutheran Social Services will run. North of town, in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood where the proposed shelter will be, the Community Shelter Board has drawn sharp criticism, as well. This time, the criticism is not from homeless advocates but from a neighborhood that does not want a shelter for the homeless in its backyard. Afraid of "neighborhood decline" as a result of the shelter, residents are strongly opposing the zoning variance that the Community Shelter Board has submitted to Columbus City Council. A zoning variance is necessary before the shelter can be built in the neighborhood. The language of the zoning variance has up set peop le, also. The East Fifth Avenue Commissioners, a neighborhood organization, believes that the neighborhood has been "racially profiled" by the CSB. The application for zoning variance reads, "First, the Fifth AvenueArea is characterized by high co ncen trations of poor, Africa n American neighborhoods, distressed housing markets, and a deficit ofaffordable rental units. These factors are directly related to increased shelter admissions." The NAAC P has spoken out in favor of the residents and their beliefthat the neighborhood was racially profiled. The fact that the CSB has no Africa.n American staff has only added to the existing tensions. The.Community Shelter Board denies that any racial profiling took place and say they regret that the language ofthe ordinance was understood that way. CSB states that the zo ning ordinance's wording was adapted from academic studies and was used because the zoning application required that a change in zoning laws must help the community in some way. Anonymous Donor Gives $450,000 With the eminentwithdraw ofCommunity Shelter Board funds, The Open Shelter was looking for ways to make up for the lost money and to continue its work for the homeless. Director Kent Beittel was worried about where the funds might come from, but in an article in The Other Paper (April 27-May 3, 2000), he said he believed that the people of Columbus understood the shelter's mission and would not let it go under. De~pite Beittel 's optimism about receiving aid from the communHy, he never expected the magnitude ofthe gift he received. On Monday, May 22, The Open Shelter announced that an anonymous donor gave the shelter $450,000, with specific instructions to use that money for the purchase ofits current building. After negotiations with the building's owner, The Open Shelter closed on the property May 17 for a selling price of$600,000. When announcing the purchase of th~ building, the Open Shelter stated that they are keeping their options open and will even continue to look for new locations that may help them to better serve Columbus' downtown population. Even though the shelter may eventually move if they find a better location, the purchase oftheir shelter adds a $600,000 asset to their balance sheet and allows the shelter staff to focus on serving the homeless without undertaking a long capital campaign. The Open Shelter board of trustees president Matt McClellan said, "While we certainly feel strongly that there is a need for our services in the downtown area, the anonymous donation signifies that others in the community feel . the same way." The shelter is currently adding new members to its existing Relocation Committee to broaden community imput about finding a new site in the downtown area for the shelter. The Open Shelter says it will welcome all community imput, including that ofthe CSB, on its relocation efforts but that it may have to reconsider the CSB 's role in relocation efforts iftheir funding is cut. The Best of Times, The Worst of Times While the stories ofthe Drop Inn Center and The Open Shelter are not the same, their similarities are striking. The displacement ofthe homeless in the name ofeconomic development is a trend that is taking place throughout the nation and abroad. However, it is equally important to point out how many people rally around the homeless in such difficult times. Just as an anonymous donor stepped forward in Columbus, so have socially conscious citizens in Cincinnati stepped forward, such as Artists for the Drop lnn Center, the arts group that has rallied behind the Drop Inn Center's effort to maintain its home. Through actions and efforts like these, the public says that the homeless do matter and they are demanding that public policy and practice reflect this. The Open Shelter and the Drop Inn Center are showing many people still believe their efforts can make a difference. And, although the battle is far from over, it seems that with efforts like these, the homeless and their supporters may come out on top, and city planners will re-~valuate what economic development truly means. • • • Page 5 MILNER, from page 1 America's cities today is strikingly similar to the forced removal ofthe Cherokee Nation from their land in the 1830's. ln 1944 the Parkview Hotel was acquired by the Milner family and renamed the Milner Hotel. For nearly fifty years, this privately owned, unsubsidized hotel flourished and was often filled on any given night It housed 115 single-room-occupancy low-income units, with 40-60 long-term residents, and 35-50 individuals and families on a temporary basis. It was used as quick access emergency housing by the Mental Health Association, Salvation Army, Red Cross, and area homeless shelters. In the early 1980's the city of Cincinnati approved new development plans that focused on redeveloping the Central Business District. Towne Properties acquired the site of the Milner for its Garfield Place Phase II. The city ofCincinnati used millions oftax dollars to purchase the hotel. The intent was to demolish the hotel for the development ofthe Greenwich on the Park. For years activists struggled for the salvation ofthe Milner Hotel. One such activist was 87-year­ old Reverend Maurice McCrackin; he fasted for two weeks, almost near to death, in order to persuade the city to reverse its decision about the demolition ofthe hotel. Also involved in the struggle were many community members and residents of the Milner Hotel. On May 20, 1994, despite the fierce multi­ year struggle fought by supporters, the hotel was tom down by the city. Of the more than one hundred people who were displaced from the Milner, only a few received assistance to relocate in low-income replacements. What was promised by the city (City Council Resolution April 28, 1993) to provide long­ term housing replacements never materialized. For the past two and a half years Miami students have collaborated with the Over-the-Rhine Housing Network on design/build projects to create low-income housing for Over-the-Rhine residents. This event was the first time the students were able to work closely with community members to commemorate urban cultural history. John Kirk, a Miami junior, said that many of the students were not previously exposed to issues surrounding homelessness. It was an "awakening experience for some people," he said. He also noted that doing a project relevant to such issues is important and that it is what architecture should be doing in the first place. Another student shared his feelings, saying that architecture is about people and it was nice that this project was able to commemorate the people involved in the Milner struggle. "I got a big huge smile on my face," said Over-the-Rhine Housing Network employee Mary . Burke when describing bow she felt when looking at the first plaque. She said it is so easy to drive down the street and forget that it ever happened. The reminder was nice to have. ''This is exactly what Cincinnati needs," said Susan Knight ofthe Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. " It's art, and it's accessible to everyone." Miami faculty member Thomas A. Dutton said, "Ifonly for a few short hours, the space ofPiatt Park was transformed to remember a suppressed history an d to challenge gentrification and displacement. The beauty ofMay 20th was that the meaning of Piatt Park changed in a way that was liberating, not only for history, but for the future oftbe People's Movement." The Miami University Department of Architecture co11trib11ted to this story. Special thanks to fac11lty member Thomas A. Dutton for /tis assistance. See activist Bonnie Neumeiers's personal account of the Milner Hotel demolition .on page 7. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Welfare News OHIO EMPOWERMENT COALITION RALLIES AT STATEHOUSE By Lynn Williams On May 10th, concerned citizens gathered on the Statehouse grounds in Columbus to rally in support of low-income mothers and children receiving cash assistance. What better way to celebrate Mother's Day than to demonstrate on behalf of mothers and their children? Before the rally began, the Cleveland contingent of 50 people had gathered in the public area of the Statehouse. Legislators passing through this area were taken aback by the sight of so many children and mothers gathered there. Comments overheard were, "What are they doing here?" "lt's the Stop the Clock." "What do you mean?" "They're trying to stop the welfare time limit" A couple of the men laughed. Apparently, word got to the State Patrol because two officers confronted an organizer, declaring the rally was stopped and the Ohio Empowerment Coalition would not be allowed to demonstrate. The mothers who had traveled three hours from Cleveland heard the words of the officer and were shocked. Many of them had risked sanction to be at this rally, traveling with small children or making special arrangements (and extra cost) to have their children taken care of so they could be there. Well, fortunately all was worked out before the rally was scheduled to start, and it began on time. Approximately 150 individuals from diverse areas of the state gathered in unity to stop the October 1 welfare time clock from ending cash assistance to poor families. A diverse multitude ofrecipients, non-recipients, former recipients, the marginally employed, the well off, Black, Caucasian, Appalachian, Native American, Latino, disabled, elderly, children, middle-aged, men, women, urban, suburban, rural, ndparents, church leaders, and social service providers united to fight against the cut-off. The Ohio Empowerment Coalition was represented well by a majority of our member groups: Miami Valley Full Employment Council of Dayton; Contact Center/Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition; Rural Action, Athens County; Empowerment Center of Greater Cleveland; Merrick House, Cleveland; Stop Targeting the Poor, Cleveland; University ofToledo Social Work Class; Columbus Organizing Center; Just Fed Up Coalition & Godman Guild, Columbus; and new groups interested in becoming members: Focus and Family House ofToledo; and the Legislative Education & Information (LEI), Havar, Inc., Marietta. Participants of the Catholic Lobby Day also rallied with us in solidarity. Catholic Lobby Day was held by the Ohio Catholic Conference, By Sharon Weis If you are low-income and poor, you may have personally experienced, or heard stories ofthe many difficulties encountered enrolling in Department of Human Services cash assistance or other critical support programs. Community organizations hear an endless stream of stories of lengthy application processes, mandatory interviews during work hours, and multiple bips to welfare offices. Some applicants are being told they need not apply for programs because they are not eligible, when in fact they are. In addition, some face disrespectful treatment and rudeness when applying for just minimal services. To put more focus on these problems, one thousand grass-roots community organizations, including faith-based and neighborhood organizations across the country, have united in a coaljtion called the National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support. Its main goal is to evaluate the services, particularaly support programs, provided by their local welfare offices. It also intends to put the cause of the working poor and the climbing poverty rate at the an endorser of the Stop the Clock Campaign. " Don't pay attention to that clock on the department store over there", stated one speaker from Toledo. " The real clock is this one", she said, motioning to the Stop the Clock sign. "Thousands of children in Ohio will be hwt by this time clock." After the rally, the demonstrators, carrying signs, formed a line and marched into the General Assembly, then in session. As we filed into the upstairs balcony, several of the demonstrators held up their signs for the legislators down below to see. Legislators' mouths dropped wide open as they craned their necks to look at the balcony. Surprisingly, the patrol made no move to confiscate the signs at that time. Then two individuals dropped a huge sheet over the balcony railing which read "Stop the Clock." By now, even Jo Ann Davidson, Speaker of the House, had a look of utter astonishment. The sheet was promptly confiscated by the state patrol, along with the rest of the signs. Down below, the legislators turned back to their important business of discussing who should be in the sports Hall of Fame, while poor mothers with children, about to lose their survival means and likely to have their homes tom apart, were ignored. No mention was made of this event in the Columbus press. Only one week remains before the General Assembly adjourns for the summer. HB 578 was introduced in mid-February and SB 275 in March. No hearings have been held on this important issue of income support for the very poor, including children. It is obvious that the Ohio Legislature does not want to re-examine welfare "reform" and whether or not the three year time limit will hurt, abuse, and maybe even destroy poor families. And yet, they have had no problem with holding hearings on HB 566, the bill that would fingerprint all recipients of Ohio Works First and food stamps. The ivory tower is well preserved in Columbus. Unless something is done, the Ohio Assembly will continue to tum a blind eye to the cry of the poor come October 1st, the same as they did May 10th. However, we continue on in hope that a flicker ofhumanity will ignite compassion in that tower. • NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR JOBS AND INCOME SUPPORT A Call to Action Page 6 center ofthe national debate. To help in this endeavor, Cassandra Barham- Denton, Michele Taylor­ Mitchell, and I traveled to Chicago for the launching of this national campaign. Some of the speakers were Marian Wright Edelman ofChildren's Defense Fund, Senator Paul Wellstone ofMinnesota, and John Sweeney, President ofAFL-CIO. In Congress and on the campaign trail, we heard both parties bragging about the sharp drop in welfare rolls brought about by the prosperity that has been created by many new jobs and by the welfare bill's tough welfare-to-work provisions. But as we know, the new economy has passed over the people who needed the help the most. And why is this? One ofthe campaign's member grqups, the Northwest Federation ofCommunity Organizations, used standard ized questionaires to document community members in Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, Idaho, Arkansas and Montana as they applied for one or more support programs. In their report entitled Access Denied, they found that • • • enrollment in four of the major support programs ­ Medicaid, Food Stamps, CHIP and Child Care - is very low relative to the number ofpeople eligible for them. They found that states keep the eligible populations in ignorance about the availability of programs. That states create needless administrative problems, subject applicants to rudeness, and use diversion tactics and intimidation throughout the enrollment process, discouraging applicatns entirely. States sometimes illegally drop people offentitlement programs such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, and other critical services needed to make the transition to See CAMPAIGN, next page ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION /, . ~ • , ~ Disc-Jockev Service S'~~ .( 513) 230-6353 ~~;~~~ jonesacp@tbol.11et �STREETVIBES . The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine A Tribute to the "SAVE THE MILNER" Struggle: Our Undaunting Spirit Still Lives by Bonnie Neumeier, OTR Resident and Activist Six years ago, on May 20th, 1994, a city-ordered wrecking ball carried out its fatal blow to the Milner Hotel. 115 units of low­ income housing were destroyed on Garfield Place in downtown Cincinnati to make way for "Greenwich on the Park," a 64 unit upscate housing project by Towne Properties. A valiant effort to save the Milner was organized by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless over a number of years prior to the Milner's destruction. The Hotel was home for residents with little or no resources. A portion of the units were made available to area homeless shelters for quick access when shelters were overcrowded. The Milner was a unique resource; it was a private business and operated with no subsidy. It was a safety net for many poor and homeless folk of this city. The Milner made sense and it worked . It was a resource this City promised to replace and pledged to explore duplicating in the Central Business District in an ordinance passed on April 28, 1993 by City Council. This ordinance came after the late Rev. Maurice McCrackin's 13 day fast which heightened the focus ·on this City's disregard for low-income residents. Now, six years later, the Milner is gone and adequate replacement was never carried out satisfactorily. The safety net many people counted on was permanently damaged. The number of permanent, available low-income units of housing is dwindling, and greater numbers of homeless people are bedding down at our shelters. A Master Plan ruled at a time when Cincinnati was awarded "The Most Livable City". We continue to ask the question: most livable city for whom? The Greenwich was heavily subsidized by the City and State to provide housing for the affluent. Cincinnati has managed to use taxpayers' dollars to build fine homes for the Reds and the Bengals. Where was this muscle, money, and m iracle when we needed it to save housing for the poor at the Milner? We are all diminished by policies that consider only the privileged. Garfield Place could have been a street that maintained an economic mix if the Milner stood standing. City Hall's CAMPAIGN, from previous page demand for economic mix in our neighborhoods weakens when it can't model this mix in its own backyard. Our people's struggle to save the Milner was marked with tenacious efforts. ·The decision to scale the fence and block the bulldozer with our bodies came after all other attempts failed. Citizens across this City joined us on that last day. With pots and pans clamoring in our hands, with eloquent voices "We are all diminished by policies that consider only the privileged." bellowing out for justice standing on the back of a blue pickup truck, with black balloons bursting one by one in the wind to mourn the loss of each 115 units of housing, with several people carted off by the police for risking civil disobedience, with a chorus of songs chanting our outrage and our determination to carry on despite this painful loss to our housing efforts, the wrecking ball did not strike its fatal blow without being drowned out by the roar of a powerful resistance to this unjust act. It was a day and is a day to remember. The spirit of the Milner still rings in our souls. In tribute to this heroic effort, Miami University Architecture Students collaborated with the Over-the-Rhine People's Movement to create and erect a visual remembrance of the Milner struggle. Their creative works of art were exhibited in Piatt Park on the sixth anniversary of the destruction of the Milner, Saturday, May 20th, 2000. Red ribbon hung in the trees to draw attention to the exhibit which displayed silhouettes of homeless persons and quotes from people who were affected by the loss of the Milner. One such person, Don Sawyer, who once lived and worked at the applicants were screened for this required service. Shannon of Bozeman, Montana reported work. having to view a disparaging TANF video before Here are some of their stories: she could get Medicaid. She didn' t understand what Nicole Prado of Montana is the mother of a the video had to do with her. Anglet, of Columbia, four-month old baby girl. She does temp work and South Carolina says the welfare office lost her paper usually makes about $6.00 an hour, working 40 hours · work which included signatures from her last three a week. About two months before her baby was employers. They made her start the process all over due, N icole went to the local welfare office to obtain again. Medicaid to cover the birth of her child. "They told In the states studied, the report found only me that there was a six-month waiting list for Medicaid a fraction ofthe people eligible are enrolled in support and that it wouldn 't do me any good to apply now. services. Across the country, participation rates in Several weeks later, I gave birth to my baby girl. .. and Medicaid and Food Stamp programs are actually didn' t have any insurance or money, and I now owe declining. The report had some very harsh words the hospital more than $3,500. I don ' t know how for what has gone wrong. "One major cause of the I'm going to ever pay them back." Under federal problem is the endemic lawlessness and the culture law, states cannot impose a waiting period on the of indifference, arbitrariness, and intimidation that processing ofMedicaid applications. characterize states' implementation of these " I made it clear that I was in an emergency p rograms." situation and needed Food Stamps right away. They To view Access Denied in its entirety, or told me to come back in three weeks for an learn more about the National Campaign interview.' 1 said Angie ofMedofrd, Oregon. Federal for Jobs and Income law requires that all Food Stamp applicants must be Support, log on www.commchange.org or . screened for emergency or expedited service. In Oregon, the study found that only 32% ofFood Stamp www.seanet.com/-nwfco Page 7 Milner was present and gave a moving testimony to the crowd who gathered for the event. Challenging questions were posed on placards laying on the ground to invite passers-by to critically think about what really happened here when the bulldozer wiped out the Milner. The exhibit resurrected the memory of the Trail of Tears when the Cherokee Nation was forcibly moved off their land. On the cover of the brochure that was passed out at the exhibit these words were proclaimed: "Those w ho cannot remember t he past are condemned to repeat it" (George Santayana, 1863-1952). It always takes our neighborhood groups mountains of labor, hours of sweat, and great lobbying efforts to muster up enough resources to put even one low­ income housing unit on line. And then, before our eyes, in one fell swoop of a wrecking ball, 115 homes shattered with no ironclad replacement. Thi_s inequity of power was and still is astounding. It made no moral or economic sense. There is something very wrong about pushing the poor out to make way for the rich , as is currently happening in downtown and in our inner city neighborhoods of Over-the-Rhine and West End. This city's vision and values must be challenged to include housing for all. We cannot let housing for the poor be considered last and get 9rumbs while politicians engineer master plans with fat subsidies that push profitable agendas for the already privileged. At our rally on the site of where the Milner once stood, we celebrated this undaunting spirit that waged this particular struggle for justice and simmers still in the souls of our people. Everyday we persevere and work hard to plant seeds that will someday swell to guarantee and protect basic human rights for all. The SAVE THE MILNER STRUGGLE will go down in our people's history as a story to be told again and again to inspire those who now carry and will carry into the future the banner for housing justice. In recognition and appreciation for the undaunting spirit that still lives and flows within us because many Someones before us stood strong against the evils of injustice. • • • • • �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine are not at the WTO table representing the people of their nation. Free Trade THEWTO -­ What's All the Fuss About? ... by Susan Knight Last month, Streetvibes reviewed some of the concerns of the people who protest~d the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington DC during the month ofApril. While the DC protests centered around these two institutions, the' Seattle protests in December of 1999 focused on the World Trade O rganization. T he Seattle protests, in fact, brought to a halt the World Trade O rganization's annual meeting. The WorU Trade Organization T he World Trade Organization was officially fo unded in 1995 to enforce GATT (General Agreement on Tariff and Trade). T he concept for it had existed since 1944, with the Brenton Woods Conference and the conception of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. It was called the ITO, International Trade O rganization. T he ITO's mission was to oversee the development of incernational trade as countries rebuilt themselves in the aftermath of World War II. H owever, the United Sta:tes, as the only industrialized power left standing post World War 11, understood that they were in a position to dictate .new trade policies. Consequently, the ITO never took hold despite overwhelming international support. As more and more countries entered the world market, the said policies became more complex and intricate. Thousands of pages of rules and regulations dictating trade and tariffs were developed. GATT was devdoped by corporate leaders to establish a given set of standards for international commerce. With the growth of GATT came many difficulties in enforcing these extensive regulations (this might have been intentional as corporations were looking for a ruling body that transcended national goveq_1men t, thus giving them more power). In 1995 the United States agreed to sign on to .the creation of the WTO (World Trade Organization). The World Trade Organization · consists of nation-state leaders and corporate heads. In addition to rule$ and regulations, the WTO is now responsible for some of the largest tax reforms the world. has ever known. The WTO puts pressure on countries to break down tax barriers on underdeveloped nations. In populist countries pressure comes in the fo rm of World Bank, IMF loans. If there is not a populist government, the heads of state have corporate interests already in mind as they The barriers surrounding the United States {especially US agriculture) still remain high. US <:orporate interests dominate trade talks. coJs~quendy, competing _independent farmers from underdevelope'ci nations cannot export to the United States or their goods rot · on the docks at the borders waiting for approval from the US Department of Agriculture. This is happening as the taxes that protect independent farmers from ~uge corporate conglomerates who can produce in mass quantities are being cut. Third World economies cannot compete with such forces and are once again forced to exploit their cheap labor and maintain lax environmental regulations. Because the WTO is dominated by corporate interests, other interests, such as unions, rainforest preservation, sea turtles or any movement that holds people and the environment over profits has difficulty being heard. The book "Who's Trade Organization?" by Laorie Wallach and Michelle Sphorza, outlines the past few years of trade debate, discussing all major decisions made by the WT O . No decisions have been rendered in favor of interests of environmental groups or labor unions. A few most recent dec~sions The privatization ofeducation. T he United States service industry (now 70% of our gross national product) was pushing in Seattle for the extension of the General Agreement on Trade Services (GATS) into education and other areas. Under CATS, private corporations could potentially sue governments for subsidizing their own school s.ystems and thus 'unfairly exclud ing' profit-making companies from the lucrative 'education market.' 1 Logging. Multi-national companies like Weyerhaeuse;r and Boise Cascade, their sales slumping in the wake of the East Asian financial 'crisis, wanted to speed .up logging worldwide by cutting tariffs to zero and ending time-consuming inspections for pests like the Asian long-horned beetle, which has devastated trees in cities like Chicago. The US Trade Representative convened two advisory committees on logging to develop the US position in the Millennium Ro~nd negotiations. Every member of both committees was a logging company representative. (Six environmental groups sued in US court to get a seat at the table. They won the suit. Then the US Trade Representative told them, "You can participate, but not at the same level as the corporations." . H~rmones ~d Catt!~. The WTO, fueled by the US beef industry, is worki~g to strike down the European baris against steroid­ . fed bee£ Moreover, the US beef industry is tyring to keep countries from labeling the. hormone-enhanced beef. · .• Glo balization is not ab.out free trade and development. It is about profit. There are alternatives to what is happening now. • Next month: Alternatives + page a ': �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Prisoners­ Newsl ,,,,,.,,, •.•. STBEE1111BES contains news about the justice system and 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 $15 for a year's subscription Send your comments and questions to streetvibes @juno.com mail : STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 452 10 FROM DEATH ROW .... .johnny Wm. Byrd, Jr. Mansfield, Ohio 44901 To: Mr. Rod Parsley World H arvest Church 4595 Gender Road Columbus, Oh 43232 Dear Mr. Parsley: I pray that this finds you and your family doing well and in the best of health on this day of celebration. My name is Johnny W Byrd, Jr., and I am in dire need of your help. I can only pray that you find it in your heart, as a servant of God, to help me with my calamitous situation. Seventeen and a half years ago, I awoke to a horrible nightmare. At the young stage of my life, when others my age were dreaming of their futures, I was shouldered with the weight of the world. I was forced into the arena of corrupted jurisprudence. I became a socially accepted sacrifice, an expendable pawn in the furtherance of self-serving political, financial aspirations. I was sentenced to die for a murder I didn,t commit. I have m aintained m y innocence for all these years I have been held captive in the bowels ofsociety's murder machine. I have fallen short in the glory of God - but a killer I am not!!! In my battle to show my innocence, I was prematurely placed in the death .house only feet away from the electric chair and came within minutes of being murdered by the State of Ohio. I have never been given the opportunity within this deteriorating justice system to be heard. Now, once again, I am facing my pending murder, and still I haven't been heard. For ifl was heard, it would ·expose the improprieties and the crimes committed by che Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office in order to obtain a conviction and sentence ofdeath. I realize it is often heard from others in my sicuarion th at they are innocent, and these claims are taken with a grain ofsale. This can no longer be an acceptable practice. Too much evidence in recent times has been showing that innocent men and women have been wrongfully convicted, imprisoned, and/or murdered by the states. Bur yer when this happens, no one is held accountable. Until scare elected officials (judges, prosecutors, governors, attorney generals, etc.) are held accountable for knowingly permitting and committing state sanctioned murder, it'll never stop! In my case, there is literally no evidence against me, as there sh ouldn't be. I'm an innocent man! I was convicted and sentenced to be murdered on the testi mony of a jail house informer, an individual wh o has been convicted ofsodomy, ass~ults, drugs, etc., yet the prosecutors office worked out a deal with this individual to be set free to victimize society so that perjured testimony could be used to place an innocent man to death. As I stated in above, my state­ sanctioned murder is pending fo r a crime I did not commit. If I don't start receiving gravely need help, soon they will murder me to hide what has been done to me. Attached to this letter you will find a copy of the appendix written by the honorable judge Nathaniel R. Jones, which is not going to be permitted to be placed in the text of the Court's opinion. What you are going to read is highly unusual, but strongly supports that I, as an innocent man, have never been given a chance co be heard. And ifsomething isn't done soon, I'll be murdered. We have lost our way in this country. The churches have lost their way and stopped teaching scriptures as scriptures should be taught, electing to be more politically correct in order to keep the numbers of their congregations. Supporting capital punishment is not the will ofGod. In the book of Luke God tells us, and I'll place this in laymen terms, that we have been taught an eye for an eye; but he went on to tell us, not to try and get even with a person who has wronged us, but to be forgiving and turn the other cheek. Also in the book of Luke, God told us, judge not, for we will be judged in the same light. The Lord has told us that all life is precious. These are basic teachings that have been forgotten for whatever reasons - but they are not the right reasons. The world is lost and so are Christians whose souls will be lost when the day of judgment comes. The Bible also tells us that what is in the dark will come out into the light, and that we should never bear false witness. The most . precious gift ever given to mankind was murdered on the evidence of false witness. Haven't ~e learned anything yet? On this day we,ll praise Jesus and celebrate his rising from the grave. Ifl am murdered by the State ofOhio, it'll be because of a false witness; however, after my crucifixion I will not rise from the grave and walk among my loved ones. Is it God's will that an innoc~ht man be put to death? It,s time for what is hidden in the dark to come out into the light. I am passionately requesting your help. Page g God blessyou andkeep you safe, johnny Wm. ByrdJr. P.S. For more information you can either write to me here atJohnny Wm Byrd Jr, Al75-145 D.R -5- 1087, P.O. Box 788, Mansfield, Ohio 44901; or you can give me a number that I can call you collect on; or you can call Mr. Richard Vickers: 614-466-539( or you can call Mary L. Ray: 513­ 25 1-9364. Please answer me soon. APPENDIX: DISSENT Nathaniel R. Jones, Circuit Judge, dissenting. This dissent is compelled by the majority's validation of the unpardonable constitutional improprieties present in this record. The effect of this validation is an intolerable abandonment of substantive and procedural principles deeply rooted in Anglo Saxon and American constitutional jurisprudence. Stated in its most simple form, these principles are designed to protect individual rights from constitutional shortcuts. I dissent here because rather than upholding these principles, as courts are sworn to do, a grievous breakdown has occurred. The ultimate· penal ty - death - hov ers ominously over this case, and this reality leads me to set forth several postulates. Democracy defends itself from anarchy by the degree it exalts process over passion. The supremacy of due process over raw emotion is even more compelling when government contemplates assuming the power to kill. Jurists most often find themselves in the cross-hairs of popular rage when confronted with constitutional infirmity in capital cases. In no other arena of civic decision-making is it more imperative that public officials operate with detachment. Judge Cranch, with unsurpassed clarity, spoke to the necessity of judicial impartiality in charged circumstances when he declared during Aaron Burr's 1807 treason trial: "The Constitution was made for times of commotion...dangerous precedents occur in dangerous times. It then becomes the duty of the judiciary calmly to poise the scales of justice,... undisturbed by the c lamor of the multitude." Examining Petitioner John Byrd,s claims with the requisite judicial sobriety exposes serious and egregious instances of prejudicial error whic h , if uncorrected , will lead to his execution. It is beyond refutation that the State secured Byrd 's death sentence in contravention of fundamental constitutional guarantees of due process, fundamental fairness, and effective assistance of counsel. These errors require an issuance of the writ or, at least, a remand for limited discovery. Anything less is a gross and irrevocable miscarriage of justice, as the stark and chilly choice here is between due process or death. Out of a deeply held belief that the option compelled by the Constitution is clear, I now set forth my dissenting views. · Please sendletters requesting Clemencyfor John William ByrdJr. to Governor Taft, 778 High St., 3(Jh Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43266­ 3555, Phone: 1-614-466-3555, Fax: 1-614-644-4357. �,' STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine A Prison health Care Horror •••• 3-13-00 function normally. My supervisor, Ruth Barrett and the officer (Kerkley) were very Beverly Seymour, #25777 V-2, 1800 Harmon, concerned. Ms. Barrett repeatedly contacted Columbus, Ohio 43223 FPRC medical services. Each time I was told Recently the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation that I should "put my feet up. " Finally on July l, 1997, I passed our and Corrections responded co a requested investigation of prison medical services. Officials in my dormicory. I was taken co medical services. My pain was so intense that I was termed prison services "Adequate." What does unable to walk. Nurse Wright was on duty that mean? An adequate number of prisoners that evening. She was shocked by my manage to live through it? While it's true there are professionals who appearance. Most of my hair was gone and I had lost 50 pounds. do attempt co provide decent health services, it's I was placed on bed rest and schedule also true chat in far coo many instances, health to see c:he doctor. The following week I was services are woefully inadequate, even deadly. seen by D r. Gilbert. By this time I had not The following is a personal account written by been able to hold any food down. This time prisoner Sandy Wolf abouc medical services she Dr. Gilbert agreed to send me co CMC. The experienced at Franklin Correctional Center in next week I was seen at CMC. I was Columbus. The care has left her physically and immediately taken to have an ultrasound. A emotionally damaged for life. huge mass was visualized in my abdomen. In July 1994, while an inmate at Franklin The doctor (CMC) told me that an appointment was being sec up at OSU Pre-release Correctional Center, I was taken to Hospital as soon as possible. O.S.U. Hospitai with severe abdominal pain. I I had numerous CT scans, blood was given several pelvic examinations different work, etc. In June 1997 I was sent to the doctors there. I was told chat the chief of James Clinic to see Dr. Lawrence Copeland. gynecology wanted to examine me; I was very Dr. Copeland cold me that he felt that I had concerned. I kep t asking what was wrong with ovarian cancer and would need immediate me. After the exam, the doctor told me chat a surgery. I signed consent forms and was report would be sent co FP RC and that the institution's doctor would speak returned to FPRC. My condition worsened. I began having intense rectal pain. Dr. tome. Gilbert gave me a pain pill, but still I didn't Upon my return, I questioned the nurse go to surgery. Each week I would go to the on duty about what was wrong the me. I was James C linic co see Dr. Copeland or to have told that the doctor would call fo r me if transfusions. Each time Dr. Copeland would necessary. I was never called to med ical services. Two weeks later, confused and still in great pain, tell the officer with me how important it was I returned to medical. Dr. G ilbert began yelling that I have surgery immediately. In lace August 1 was again taken to OSU Hospital at me, celling me chat there was nothing wrong with me. He asked if I had any idea what it cost with a huge peri-anal abcess. Surgery was performed and I returned with my rectum every time an inmate wamed to be taken to the hospital for menstrual cramps. I tried to explain and the obsessed area filled with packing. The surgeon sent additional packing and post­ to him that the pain I was experiencing was not surgery instructions fo r the medical staff. merely menstrual cramps. He was completely Again I was placed on bed rest. unconcerned. For the next two weeks I never say For the next year and a half, the anyone from the medical staff. The abscessed abdominal pain increased and was constant. I area was never cleaned, the packing never repeatedly saw Dr. Gilbert. Each time Dr. changed. Gilbert cold me that I simply had cramps. By Two weeks after the rectal surgery I early 1997 I was in agony. I was bleeding was being transferred co CM C for pre-op constantly. D r. Gilbert said I was in early testing. As I was being escorted co the front menopause. When I began to experience entrance, the n urse asked ifl still had packing bladder control p roblems, Dr. Gilbert said all in my rectum. T he nurse then said that she women experience bladder spasms at one time had better check the area. She checked it in or another. When my bowel movements became the visitor's restroom. pencil thin, Dr. Gilbert cold me to drink more T he next morning I was transferred water. from CMC to OSU where I finally had I begged Dr. G ilbert to send me to a surgery. Unfo rtunately, but the rime surgery gynecologist; he cold me that he would have to was performed, the benign fi broid tumor had examine me before referring me to CMC. grown so large that my bladder was crushed H owever, he could not do a pelvic exam while I was on my period. I explained to him that I had and required surgery.. I had to have a been bleeding constantly for 11 months! By this complete hysterectomy. My colon had been time I did not feel that I would stop bleeding on crushed by the tumor as was my rectum. I was fo rced to have a colostomy. my own. Dr. Gilbert told me to come and see I spent weeks in the hospital, him when I was off my period. Then and only recovering. In October I returned to FPRC. then would he examine me. My symptoms Instead ofleaving a horrible ordeal behind me, intensified. When my hair began falling out, Dr. I began a constant struggle with medical G ilbert said it was due co stress. services to get supplies to care for my new During this time my work assignment colostomy. T he nursing director suggested was working at the Fairgrounds. My health was that since the supplies were so expensive that I so impaired that it was impossible for me to have my family send chem in for me. when I A News release from • - Page 10 cold her that would not be possible, she cold me that I would have to be patient. I went for days without clean supplies. Several days before the Columbus Day weekend, I informed the medical assistant (Dennis) that I had no colostomy bags. She told me that she would go our co ger it as soon as possible. The next day I went to her again, without success. 1 was left for the long holiday weekend without a colostomy bag ro cover my stoma. I spenc 4 days in my room with a garbage bag wrapped around my waist to catch the fecal matter from my colostomy. To dare, I have not had a single follow up visit to the surgeons who cold me how imperative it was that I keep my post-op appointmencs. Three times I have gone to Dr. Gilbert asking fo r him so send me to the appointments. He has refused. I was in agony for a year and a half. I was fo rced to have extensive surgery and will never be "normal" again. All because a benign condition was not treated when it was first discovered. I could have had a simple procedure to remove a benign rumor and avoided the pain, suffering, and permanent damage co my body, and the emotional and mental torture then, and for the rest of my life. Dr. Gilbert is still rhe doctor employed to address women's health problems here at FPRC. • • • HELP MI CHELLE, from page 19 and asked her to contact the Warden's office requesting a visit with Michelle, and asked her if they ask why, to say regarding the way you are mistrearing her! I asked her to talk to her supervisor just co put more outside pressure. I'll be calling ORW (937)642-1065, and the Norrh regional Director's Office, Norm Hills (614)752-1720, and I'll caJl the new inspector romorrow, and the mail room regarding my mail. Michelle has NOT been found guilty of any type of rule violation for this type of mistreatment, nor afforded proper due process. This is direct retaliation for all the grievances and RIB appeals she has been filing on behalf of others. Me and Freeman will file a temporary restraining order against the warden, Le. Sanders in the hole, and any other John Doe's, and deliver it to the Marysville Court of Common Pleas on Monday. T his will bring the Attorney General into the picture. I want ro thank everyone in advance that can .assist Michelle in any way. Thank you so much! Well, it's late and I got one more email to do for a lot of you. Take Care. ...... Steve. Jackie Bowers, sister of one ofthe Lucasville 5 who are now on Death Row �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 11 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST The African American Health Initiative Health Fair: A Huge Success On May 20th, the African American Health Initiative hosted an African-American Health Fair. The theme was "Integrating Holistic Practices With Conventional Medicine." The Health Fair was at the office ofDr. Kent Robinson on Dexter Avenue. The event was free and open to the public. There were screenings available for diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, prostate cancer, dental hygiene, and children's health. Expe1t advice was available on lifestyle changes utilizing balanced nutrition, fasting,yoga, massage, meditation, breathing techniques, exercise, music, and genealogy. Literature on health issues for men, women, and children was also available. Nutritional and tasty foods, including vegetable and fruit juices, were available for sampling. Many health related gifts, prizes, and medical supplies were distributed as well. From lOAM until 6PM, well over 400 people from the community and surrounding areas passed through this event. Despite miscommunication with the Drop-Inn Center, this writer transported several vanloads ofmen and women from the Drop-Inn to this event and back again. The individuals who attended all received needed health screenings and information which is not readily available to the African-American community or to those who are homeless and living in poverty. The lectures on health related issues, such as the relationship between nutritional eating and wellness, holistic practices versus conventional medicine, and exercises for the elderly, were all ver.y informative. Most HOPE VI Developer Fired Without Community Input ........Susan Knight HOPE VI developer Concorde Capital Corp was terminated April 18. According to a memo from Jackie Davis, a CMHA administrator and administrator for the HOPE Vl project, the termination of the agreement took the following course: "When it finally became clear that no. agreement would be reached with Concorde/Mid­ City, LLC, the CMHA staff recommended to Mr. Troendle that the Early Start Agreement be terminated. Since that decision was made, the Board of Commissioners and the Executive Director have received letters from Shirley Colbert (president of the Laurel Homes Community Council), asking, "you make an effort to resolve the dispute between the developer and CMHA." Mr. Troen~le made it. very clear in his written response to Ms.Colbert that negotiations had been concluded and that we were going on to the next selected developer to see if we reach an agreement. A copy of his letter was sent to the CMHA Board of Commissioners. On April 19, the Laurel Homes residents went to the City Council and demanded that the City get involved in resolving the issues between Concorde/Mid-City, LLC and Homeless Grapevine Page 12 important was the overall atmosphere ofcaring which was experienced by all. This atmosphere is often absent when one bas a doctor or hospital visit. · It is sad, but a fact oflife, that affordable health care is not made available on an equal bas1s; therefore, those in poverty will often avoid medical check-ups for themselves and their children. This and the absence ofhealth related information often results in health related problems that could often have been prevented. Thus, the purpose for the African­ Ame1ican Health Initiative and the goal ofDr. Kent Robinson and those who came together for this event was to bring about a healthy awareness ofhow the integration ofbolistic practices with conventional medicine can lead to a longer, healthier life. From what I witnessed and heard from those in attendance, it is my personal observation that the Health Fair was a success which increased the awareness ofindividuals and tamilies, and which can lead to healthier lifestyles a~ong those who were in attendance. I am still holding Thursday night Bible Study at 2950 Sidney Avenue at the Washington United church ofChrist in Camp Washington. Bible Study begins at 5:30 PM and a family style dinner follows at 6:30 PM. All are welcome, so come on out for fellowship. I can still be reached at 210-4181, and all donations and contributions can be sent to A.W.0.L. Ministries, PO Box 36065, Cincinnati, Ohio 4523'6. In His Service, Rodney Sutton, Sr. Evangelist CMHA." The issue is that community input did not play a role in the decision to terminate a major contract. Jn fact, at the public hearing, it came out that the decision to terminate the developer came to fruition via a phone poll from Troendle to the Board. Paul Booth, Chairman of the Public Works Committee, upon hearing this testimony, responded, asking, "Who is in charge of who here? I thought the Board was supposed to tell the Director what to do, not the other way around." Cheryl Meadows, chair ofthe department ofpublic works also informed council that she had been informed of this change at 11 pm, April t8m, by a call to her house from Shirley Colbert. The City, council realized, was also out of the loop. Mr. Troendle, who did not attend by request of the Mr. Gerhardt, Chairperson of the Board of Commissioners at CMHA, responded later in a May 9th meeting with public works. "CMHA is charting the course to restore the splendor not only to the West End housing stock but also to the business district. The development ofthe Linn Street business district will favor small businesses that can offer the array of goods and services which are need, but not currently available in the neighborhood. Hopefully, ne~ business development for the West End will include a grocery store, pharmacy, bank, small restaurants and coffee· houses. When completed, this business area will provide exciting opportunities for small businesses to thrive, and provide new entrepreneurial opportunities for West End residents." HOPE VI, a grant process controlled by HUD and allocated to the country's worst housing projects has a goal of decentralization. Poverty, it is believed by many, is perpetuated when concentrated. Consequently, it is not the goal of CMHA to replace the entire existing low-income housing stock in the West End with the same amount of new units. CMHA . does not want all the residents of the West End community to return. Instead, alternatives in the form of section 8 vouchers(a section 8 voucher allows a person to only pay 30% of their income in rent, in addition to whatever amount the rent exceeds the market rate in a given area) are being offered. With a Section 8 voucher, a person can go anywhere there is a landlord that is willing to accept section 8 vouchers. So, despite, the fact that hundreds of units are being lost in the HOPE VI development (736 to be exact), Mr. Troendle claims that there is actually a net gain in low-income housing in Cincinnati. Moreover, Troendle says himself, the goal is not to house the residents of the West End, the goal is to"restore the splendor of the housing stock and to the business district." Needless to say, homeless advocates are nervous. With a potentially saturated section 8 market (landlords do not h<fVe to take vouchers if they do not want to) in the wake of Hart realtors opting out of hundreds of Section 8 units with potentially hundreds more to come, increased homelessness, hundreds of units See Hope VI, page 20 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 13 ··~ the Hackensack, NJ, University Medical Center. New Den~ist Joins Healthcare for the Homeless D ental Program Besides teaching dental residents, she had a Dr. Allen Brings a Wealth ofExperience and Dedication to Cincinnati · fluoridation program for s~hool children in the City of Boston, Mass. She was employed as a hygienist by the City of Boston and ·subsequently by the Massachusetts General Ho$'pital at the Bunker Hill Health Center, Boston. Dr. Allen completed her general practice residency at Bergen Pines County Hospital in Paramus, NJ, following graduation from Fairleigh Dickinson University College of Dentistry Medicine. She specialized in care of the frail, elderly, and psychiatric patients at the hospical and emergency trauma patients for the Bergen County Jail. After her residency. Dr. Allen was named to the medical staffas an attending dentist and instructor in the hospital's dental residency program. She instituted Bergen's first-ever county employees' dental clinic. D r. Allen was also named Assistant Staff Attending Dentist to the dental resident program at Dr. Judith L. Allen, D.M.D., a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University College of D ental Medicine, is a welcomed addition co the Dental staff of the City of Cincinnati Health Department. Dr. Allen's April arrival has helped place the homeless dental program back in full operation. The Findlay, Ohio, native has been involved in d ental public health since 1972. A graduate of West Liberty (W. Va.) State College of Dental Hygiene with an A.S. and BS degree, Judith initiated and supervised the first inschool 'tr-eetsc()pe§ By Alanna Maloney: tiaPPY 131rthdaY Gemini? This month is a great time for changing your appearance. Io fact, you shouJd think of your bii-chday month every year as makeover monrb. Approach che world with a new outlook and a new approach. Astrologically speaking you have just been reborn! Show off. pursue artistic jobs, friendships, and romance. You are also unusually assertive chis month. Use the force bur warch your mouth! Think abour earnings and finances, especially ways you can gee paid for your writing and communication skills. Beware of over indulging in drugs or drink. Continue to effect profound spiritual changes through martial arts, medication, or ·yoga. Cancer (Born Approximately June 21-July 21) This month is great for communication wich family and loved ones. Short road trips may be in order. Consider sharing your poetry wich someone you trust. ' Please be diligent in regards to the IRS, banking, and joint financial endeavors. There is a chance of deceit and upheaval during this period. But keep in mind chis is also a good position for excellenr psychic and psychological work or extremely · ther.apeutic arr. Wich San~rn and Jupiter in your 12'h house, you may be seriously considering work wich some socially relevant organization. In fact, you may already be working for che census or having fantasies about the Peace Corps. You may be tempted into a secretive endeavor ofa love affair; try to convert chis energy into spiritually uplifting activities, film or art. • ·• . · the Urban Astrologer. (Born Approximarely May 21-June 21). significant dental surgery and special-needs~ children's practice, primarily caring for indigent patients in the hospital. She served with medical staff on the hospital's tumor board and was active with patients in the nationa.lly renowned Tomorrow's Children Center of Greater New York at the Hackensack facility. Tomorrow's Children Center is a program devoted totally to terminally ill children. Dr. Allen maintained a private dental practice in Oradell, NJ, in addition to her hospital staff duties and public health endeavors. Dr. Allen moves co Cincinnati with her husband and their two children. The homeless dental clinic hours of operation are for Emergencies M-F 7:15 am, Appointments Mondays 2-5pm, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8am - 5pm. For appointments call Clifford Jones at 357-7310 or 621-0248. The clinic is located at 3101 Burnet Ave. Leo (Born Approximately July 21-Aug. 21) Ten years from now you will be able to laugh about the crazinesnocking around your love life and friendships during this time. For now, however, stand strong in your convictions and follow your instincts. Your career continues its strange ebb and flow. Wo[k hard to generate a positive ' emotional career plan- script i.t out and do ·~hat you can · in infinitesimal steps. Attend all che parties and s.ocial gatherings you can chis monch. You can shine and meet new friends and maybe even find a love match. Work on your writing, especially journ.Jing and'writing which . reqllires fantastic vision. · · Vlnf() (Born ~pproximately Aug. 21- Sepr. 21) Work will just drive.you crazy during this period, and unless you are in an alternative health field or something hi-tech it's not likely to settle down anytime soon. Thoughts of moving far afield or going back ro school may keep plaguing you. If you haven't already, you n:iay s~art building a sl,ow but sure A.q.u ar1us 20-Feb 20). (Born Approximately Jan. This is a great mo nth for you to express . plan to fulfill one of these goals. Even if che actual workplace is zany, career is looking good yourself through che arts; you · could shine in crearive right now. You can show off your talents, make endeavo rs working with buds and be assertive about possible - - --~ · children or playing sports. Writing on the promotion. This is a good month·to find love through your work, or find work you love. You may want job shouJd be unusually iffiaginarive and inspired. I just to make an extra effort to attend a family reunion or take have to reirerate char chis month you are on! Relationships, a trip "back .home. " self-expression and action are highlight.ed. T his really could be a great month where many things Just seem to fall into Ub•' (Born Approximately Sept. 21-0ct. 21) Make place. · extra efforts to save ·and invest. Also remember to keep your taxatio~ situation o.n che up and up Vlsces (Born Approximately Feb. 20-March 20) ·chis year. Careless mistakes could cost you. Slow b~t steady wins che race. You have been procrastinating . . . . . ., If you need to, chink of it in tiay'Steps, not on things to d o with writing and che big picrure. This month is a grear time communication or fixing your car. Take baby • . to take or plan an overseas or cross-country ~teps and get it done one day at a time. This · · crip. Love-lorn Libra's may find love this is a great month to find a home or month through a musical or educational event. Write down apartment. Also, you could be very all your d isappointments and goals regarding career. motivated to improve and bea.urify your Evaluate those feelings this month. Don't neglect your home. Move on it now while you still have chat verve. This abilities as a communicaror. time is great for writing nostalgic poetry and children's stories. .§C()f"PIC> (Born Approximately Oct. 2 1-Nov. 21) . Please remain aware of all che luck chat has befallen you Ar"les (Born Approximately March 19-April 20) during chis period. Take stock ofit. Use your Gradually, saving tiny amounts ofmoney is something you luck today-to invest in an unknown future. shouJd really be th.inking about. Ir would be very good for I have to suggest chat you play lottery games your prosperity consciousness. Road trips and ocher games of chance (wich restraint· could be really beneficial for you this of course). There's a real chance you couJd month; also time with siblings would be profit, just remember not to risk anything well spent. You could actually meet a love you can't afford to lose. Work on building a future and through a sib chis month! Beware ofbursts foundation in your relationships. Also, continue to seek of temper behind che wheel from yourself out lucky opportunities in business partnership or and others chis month. Write a letter to a mentor or father friendships and love. This month is great for you to shine figure. It will be emotionally satisfying. in psychic and psychological endeavors. Using conversation and ideas you can really make profound changes in yourself aUnJ§ (Born Approximately April 20-May 20) at this time. Daydreaming 9f travel or education projects may begin to bear fruit next month. I have said it before, but now is the time to make lasting permanent changes in your appearance..Slow sready work now couJd change your whole outlook. You • §aalttar1US (Born App roocimately Nov. 21could get a better paying job or a raise or ·. Dec.21) The full moon in your sign this - ·. · valuable gifts chis month. Think about it. month, can really help you put yo1:1r best . Look into it. You may wam to express foot forward at parties and new situai:ions. . yourself through spending money this But watch for mood swings around mid­ month.. Watch outyou couJd just put char energy into rponth. This is an excellent month for some kind ofconstruction wich your hands like pottery or . romance and partnerships of all kinds. b.uHding projec;ts. Write to your brothers or sisters and plan Single Sag. Should not hesitate to get hooked up by good a r6ad trip. , · frie~ds. Set .aside special time now to co.mmune with the t:?eadlnllS with 41anna: spirit of your ancestors, and pursue ocher ways to lift up TaJl)f: Tuesdays from 9pm to Midnight at ,Sitwell's your spirits. · · · · Coffee House 404 Ludlow Ave. M:W ~:: Fridays from 8:30 PM ~o Midni~at Mullan~ Cap..-lcv..-n (B on Race Street. · Approximately Dec. 2)-Jan.-20) MtrdW'Y. Tard:. and l?elkl hunting could be actually fuo for you this Consultations and training are available by appointment - monch. You have a great opportunity to through E-mail at psi_chic@hormail.com. • find work thar you are good at where you Mtrd ()tllcal q uestl()ns? are appreciated and summarily paid what you are worth! You should be unusually motivated on the job front. Please e-mail your questions along with the date Especially consider work char utilizes your memal flexibility place and time of your birth ro and corr1;municarion skills. Write love letters and call up psi_chic@hotmail..com good friends this month. ra T J:~~ �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine · Page 14 SHANTYTOWN 2000 - Ursuline Academy ­ I was on my way to Ursuline Academy on May 4 with two other men from the Coalition for the Homeless. One of these men, like myself, had once been homeless._ As a matter of faet he had only recently obtained his own apartment after 10 years of homelessness. Neither of us knew what to expect; however, 1 have spoken many times before a varied audience, so I had an advantage over this young man · who was on his first speaking engagement. When I arrived at the Academy 1 was surprised to see cardboard shanties. No one had prepared me for this, so it was a real shock to find that the girls had constructed from cardboard boxes, plastic, and tape shanties which they had.slept in the previous evening, an evening of rain. I knew talking with these girls would be different because they had some idea of what homelessness was like. As each man talked J watched as the girls listened attentively, and afterwards I was impressed by their questions and sincere responses. I left feeling this was a generation of young women who would truly join the fight against homelessness and not treat homelessness as something that is not their problem. And the young man who spoke for the first time did well. It is his sincere smile and faith in God which one of the girls wrote about, and it is this sincerity and faith which is needed in the fight against homelessness. Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. The Evangelist Thoughts from Shantytown He is so iilspirational. To have gone through as much as he has and still be able to smile like he does! Overall though, all the speakers made a huge impact on me. They all had so much courage. When they were down at their lowest point, they got up and pulled themselves up. They were very inspirational. I found Shantytown as a great experience. I will carry it with me forever. ByEmily Langford Shantytown was such a great experience for me. I loved it. Though I did not get a full picture of what being homeless is like, J did get a small experience. I found myself becoming more appreciative of the things I have at home, such as my bed and my shower. I also loved the speakers. They really put a face to the issue of homelessness. My two favorite speakers were Monica and Ray. Monica really made me realize that it can happen to anyone. The fact that she came from a background similar to many people at our school is very eye opening. Then U1ere is Ray. He is just an incredible man. His smile lights up the room. Perspectives Under the Big Top: Save Our Schools and the Cincinnati School Board By Cassie Gundrum, Drop Inn Center staff Uncertainty ripples quietly through our neighborhood streets. It's something we can't see, but we know it's there. The goose bumps, sensing it, rise on our skin. The cause of our unease is the ruling of the Cincinnati School Board to accept the Facilities Master Plan. The plan- which calls for the closing of all three Over-the-Rhine elementary schools-was accepted in the fa ll of 1998. Ever since then, the Save Our Schools Committee (a committee of the Over­ the-Rhine Community Council) has been meeting in opposition to the plan. The SOS Committee is made up of parents, community folks, and neighborhood organizers. We meet one Thursday per month to organize our community and to exchange information about what's going on in tile city's public school system. We oppose the plan because we believe that each of our schools- Washington Park, Vine Street Elementary, and Rothenberg- is important. They are geographically vital to the education of our children. Having three schools in our neighborhood ensures that each school is within walking distance for both children and parents. This encourages good attendance and parent involvement. The Facility Master Plan calls for the creation of two new schools to replace our three schools. SOS opposes this idea because we'd like to keep our schools small so our kids can get the special attention lhey need. Our little ones would get lost in Shanty Town 2000 Wow! What an experience! Shantytown was truly an eye-opening experience! I don't know where to begin. When we began to build our shanty, rhe Sw1shine Shack, I think I was having too mud1 fun, and not enough thought was put into it. T his became apparent at 12: 17AM when our shanty started ro cave in on us. lrwas unable to support the rain which was not properly draining off the roof. Ar the rime, the sun was not shining on the Sunshine Shack. Later, when waking up for school, I realized that one ofmy shoes was gone. I never imagined not having my the shuffle of a huge mega-school. And after the failure ofthe last school levy, we point out that all of our schools are cheaper to renovate than it would be to build new schools, according to the figures the CPS Administration brought forth . We have a tough task since we never know for sure what we're up ~ga inst. Meetings with Cincinnati Public School administrators point us in one direction while conversations with Board members point us in another. It's something like a circus. For example, Superintendent Steve Adamoski is rallying to tear down Vine Street Elementary and replace it with a new building a few blocks north of its current location. He presented this plan to the Board a few months ago with enthusiasm and self-assurance. The Board seemed to take the bait, asking few questions and offering no opposition. However, in an April meeting with Board member Harriet Russel, we discovered the Board is not entirely sold on the plan. What had seemed like a distinct direction became cloudy and unclear as Russel questioned the accuracy of Adamoski's figures and his capacity to deal with the Cincinnati Park Board. Russel stated that any decision regarding Vine Street Elementary is a long way off. But we don' t know how distant this decision shoes. Later in the day, I went to Red Cross. I felt like the biggest oxymoron. Going into Red Cross without shoes was a unique experience. That night, the stories were awesome. Everyone truly has a story to share. The smiles on their faces, their feelings ofhope, and their beliefin God are all images of inspiration for me. For the first time in my Life, I had to worry about where I was going to sleep, how I was going to get food (the nutritious food that I craved), and the shoes that I wore on my feet. Shantytown gave me a much needed reality check on life;. Not everything just comes to you; things must be worked for in order robe gained. A family and nice warm bed are wonderful things to be able to come home co each night. Homelessness is not easy. It is a full-time job itself. I spent my l 7u, birthday at Shantytown, but Shantytown was the best birthday present ever. It was the gift ofthe experience ofhomelessness. Ir was the experience and the realization ofthe little things in life. It has given me rhe will and determination co go and improve the world and help the ones who are truly homeless. With a fond appreciation ofa great experience, Melissa Widemen Ursuline Academy, Cltiss of 2001 sits on the horizon since the Board operates without a deadline or even a timeline. There's no telling when the Board will move forward and no indication ofwhat they will decide to do. Some possibilities include tearing down all three schools and rebuilding Vine St. and either Washington Park or Rothenberg. Or two ofthe schools could be renovated and the other one closed. Or all three schools could be renovated. Or they all could be torn down and never rebuilt. This is where our fear lies. In the early ' 80's the School Board voted to close Peaslee School with a promise to build a new school. But the new school was never built. Understandably there is a history of mistrust in our neighborhood toward the School Board. If the School Board shuts down our elementary ·schools, fami lies will move out of our neighborhood, leaving their community, support systems, and spirit behind. Our schools are vital to the rhythm of Over-the-Rhine, and we want to keep them open. Right now, though, our schools are not the number-one concern of the Board. They' ve been busy laying off teachers, redesigning high schools, and damaging the Teen Institute Program. We are just a blip on their radar screen. But we demand to be heard! We've asked for a public hearing in our neighborhood this coming fall hoping to involve parents, teachers, and Board members. It is imperative that community members be part of the decision-making process. When SOS met with School Board President Rick Williams to discuss our concerns, be told us, "I fully understand where you're coming from and the effect of the School Board's decisions for a neighborhood." We hope so. As a community we have wrapped our services, work, efforts, spirit, energies, and resources around our schools. The Peaslee Neighborhood Center and Sharpe Village demonstrate this. And we believe that our childreD deserve not on ly the best education, but also stability. • • • • • �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Recovery Road A Homeless Man Tells ofHis Travels Through Homelessness and Addiction By Patrick Holmes Paducah, Kentucky, 1997 - an lndian Summer, September 10th, at 10:45 AM. A warm Saturday morning, that I jumped into the tracker, parked in the driveway, my old High School friend was waiting. Our destination: Atlanta, Georgia. With only forty dollars in my backpack and two duffel bags of clothing accompanied by my ltwo sewing machines, I shoved myself into the crowded, apple-red tracker. "O.K. I'm ready to go; I think I've got everything." I exclaimed to my high school friend who, the day before, had asked me to accompany her to Atlanta. · So, with the top down and the humidity up, we were off. The only thoughts running through my mind were, "Where will I live: I wonder if they have shelters? Of course they do, all cities have shelters; but will I be eligible tto stay in a sh~lter? . Just until I get on my feet. Will the shelter provide job search info? Or job training programs? By the time I came back to the present, we were well on the highway. After three rest stops and hours of being exposed to climate changes, we arrived. l remembered· the overwhelming feeling of fre·e dom and the unknown. My High School friend dropped me off at a relative's house, wbo I knew would not allow me to live with her or even stay longer than 24 hours. Never the less, I left my things with my relative and went to visit with another relative who asked to see me. While there, my cousin suggested that my idea, to live in a shelter until I could support myself, was not an option. So J moved in with him. That lasted about 3 weeks. Soon I found myself in a line of men who were waiting to be fed at St. Luke's. While standing in line, I asked questions like, "I need a state TD, but I don't have any money; where can I get help with that? Where are the shelters located? Is there an employment agency for people in my situation?" One gentleman who was very attentive to my troubles answered every question. And after we had lunch, he offered to show me the travels of a homeless person. Turns out that most all the shelters in Atlanta charged an admissions fee and had curfews. There was, however, an organization that would pay that fee if you met the requirements, which I did not. So the only o ther solution was to hang out w ith this gentleman, who happened to be 32, same as me. He explained to me that we would have to be ve1y selective about where we would sleep for the night. Because there were laws and restrictions for homeless persons like, "Possession of a pillow, blanket, sleeping bags or duffel bags being carried around within the city limits would land you in jail for the night, and fines." There were certain places you were not allowed to sleep. So I was led to a small park, just behind Saint Luke's, where my homeless journey began that day. That is where the gentleman left me ­ alone, afraid, yet faithful. I watched other homeless people who were already there (or) arriving, and I began to mimic them. So I searched the bushes nearby until I found a broken down cardboard box that would soon become my bed. Nobody looked surprised. The joggers trotted by with their heads up and their gazes fixed straight ahead. Couples would walk by pointing at the scenery as if we were apart of the flowerbed or the tree in which they admired the cardinal. This was not normal to me. I expected finger pointing and stares. Or at least a glance. Tired from all the walking and feeling the relief of the warm air the night brought with it, as opposed to the hot air from the 100 degree temperature of the day, I lay down on my paper bed to rest. Just a few feet away on the other side of my bushy tent was the busy city street and a sidewalk. Sleep would never come as the vehicles raced and passed; an occasional couple or group of people walked by conversing loudly to hear one another over the non-stop traffic. The bushes rustled as other homeless people searched for their beds that should be there, but were not, because someone had beaten them to it. Morning came quickly. The street patrol officers came through on foot and hurried those along who were sleeping out late. St. Luke's doors open to offer lunch only. Breakfast was being served 10 blocks away at another church. After breakfast, I returned to St. Luke's and I received a state ID and a public transportation pass. Three days later I found work. For another week I was able to fool my employer. I kept my homelessness a secret. But as always, what's done in the night will be brought to the light. My employer found out and promised to terminate my employment ifl couldn't obtain a residency. The fact that I came to work on time, and worked hard, even worked overtime, was irrelevant. So, when my first paycheck came, I moved into a boarding An Over-the-Rhine Oasis Page 15 house. I pa id 85 dollars a week and shared a kitchen and bathroom with nine o ther tenants. I had a job, I had an apartment; it wo uld appear I had everything I needed. But, what I really needed at the time, yet did not realize it, was counseling. Employment counseling, independent living counseling, social skills training, psychological counseling, chemical dependency counseling, and job training. After only seven weeks on the job, I relapsed. I began drinking and drugging. I paid my rent on time, but I slept on the streets just blocks from work. Once I even slept in the abandoned building right next to where I worked. After getting high all night, I had no money to get home. If I walked home, How would I get back to work on time in the morning? r lived well outside the downtown area, so it was convenient for me to sleep in the park, which was just five blocks away from work. Besides, all the drugs cotild be purchased just around the comer from work. Sometimes at work. Eventually I crashed, returned to Kentucky, still unaware of my real problem and the help that was available. So I repeated the same mistake, which at the time was not apparent. And now, I'm here at Mt. Airy with the same story, different location, only this time around, I'm fortunate. I now realize what my real problem is and I know that something can be done about it. Today, I'm receiving counseling. I even have a chance to go back to school and get the education I have so long thought was impossible. Today I have the pleasure of being in the company of others Iike myself, men who have been through or are going through the same things I am - substance abuse. I'm learning how to tum unpleasant experiences into building blocks. For so long I thought it was the town I lived in or the people I socialized with that determined my fate. Now, at 35, I know that I am a success story in the making. 1 know now that I don't have to beat the odds; I have to become the odd. I'm determined to determine my fate. For years I've been a leader who stood in the back. It's time for me to move to the front and proclaim my God­ given title. This is just the first of stories I have to tell of my journeys as an alcoholic, drug addict, and a man who, today, is still capable' of making a mistake. But today I'm OK with that, because today my mistakes are few, and my successes are greater. So, in my hope and faith, l pray that you, whoever you may be, keep purchasing and keep reading these issues, for in them, you will know what I know, see what I've seen, and grow as I grow. At Mary Magdelen House, Dedicated Volunteers Have Provided 12 Years of Service to Homeless By Katie Danko, Streetvibes Volunteer The Mary Magdalen House first opened its doors to the homeless in 1988. The House, at 1221 Main Street in Over-the-Rhine, was founded as parishioners from nearby Old St. Mary's church responded to the needs of more and more homeless people in the neighborhood. Since then, the agency has been providing showers, clean clothes, shaves, toilets, and free phone access to homeless people in Cincinnati. The center often says it provides an oasis from the streets, a place where homeless men and women can come for basic services that provide human dignity and help them prepare physically for job interviews and other interactions that might help them get back into housing. The people who serve the homeless at the Mary Magdalen House, from Brothers John Martin and Giancarlo Bonutti to many volunteers, appreciate the stories of the people they serve and how fragile one's control over one's own life really is. Divorce, death of a spouse, or l![lemployment can quickly deplete savings, and if·there is no one else to turn to, the street is often not far away. · These conditions, plus problems with drugs and alco~ol and displacements due to inner city housing changes, have, since 1992, resulted in the number of guests using the services of the Mary Magdalen House increasing by over 1,500. Today the Mary Magdalen House provides over 21,000 showers and shaves per year, 18,000 items of clothing, 9,000 phone calls and 7,000 toilet uses. James Thomas, a member of the community that has used the services of the Mary Magdalen House, says that the staff "treats their clients with the utmost respect" and "sometimes even bends over backwards to help their clients." According to Thomas, the Mary Magdalen House is designed for the homeless man or women who wants to work, and therefore, it serves a good purpose as far as offering clothing and shelter and giving referrals. Volunteers provide ninety percent of the services offered by the Mary Magdalen House. Volunteers are needed to greet guests, maintain sign-in sheets, regulate use of the telephone, take messages, sort and lab~I c.lothes: operate the washers and dryers, assist in getting clean clothing from the Mary Magdalen House supply, and to pick up donated items and deliver them to the Mary Magdalen House. The volunteers of the Mary Magdalen House find their service extremely rewarding and some volunteer there for years. Mrs. Rose Flaspohler, a dedicated long-term volunteer who passed away last year, commented on her volunteer work: "The joy of volunteering here and sharing the love, kindness, and a real feeling of helping someone is a great satisfaction and a time of peace; very rewarding for me." Volunteers are generally asked to c~mmit one-half day per week and every effort will be made to schedule a volunteer's time at the House to her or his convenience. If you are interested in volunteering at the Mary Magdalen House, or if you cannot volunteer but would like to make a donation, please call 721-4811. �STREETVIBES Poetr~ and Art My Inspiration By Jeff Branham The things of which I write about, are the things within my life. From the joyfulness that makes me want to shout, to the pain that cuts like a knife. From the love that is void and unrequited, to the love both sure and true. From being overwhelmingly excited, to the morbidity of feeling blue. Things such as the way things used to be, and things that have touched my soul. These are the things that are dear to me, in this way, my story is told. This is the way that I feel a part, as I write without reservation. I write down what is inside of my heart, for this is my inspiration. Sands of Time ByJeff Branham Remember how so all alone, we always used to feel. With the lights all on, but no one at home, when the torment was much to real. We always said that we didn't care, that we were slowly dying. But when the pain was just too much to bear, We realized that we were lying. We took ourselves to the ultimate low, where we can stay no longer. And after the emotional flood had had its flow, we knew that we must get stronger. But now a brand new happiness, can be both yours and mine. And all the things we can afford to miss, will be lost in the sands of time. Berta's Art Corner Photo of outdoor wall mural, on the Northwest corner of Vine and 14th Streets in Over-the-Rhine The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine We My Mother I Love So Dear My mother I love so dear From a seed, just a thought, she brought one out of the dark to the light That's why I pray for her all day all night My mother I love so dear. She water me with wisdom and love and the wetness of tear drops that fell from my eye. She was by my side and when I was feeling blue she chase it away like the flu. Just like a doctor she know what to do She quench my thirst like sprite when she had me at birth, like Barry would say ''As a kiss you are my first, as a wish you are my last, as my soul you are my everything." Mom, just a few moments visualize how I feel. Like Coke you are the real deal The blood that runs through my vain washes away the rain and pain. You always encourage, never discourage Like the. Bible, you're the truth that's living proof In the midst of anger and fire, You took my soul higher and higher in a dark hour. So may we never part, just be like the ocean, let it flow with God above That real love, mother's love, tough love, my love, No question to ask, just love. ...... .Anthony Watkins BOOK OF CHANGE how to say you've changed to two dead girls after ravishing them in the jungle; because they were V.C. tossing them on the trail with holes in their middle to bleed in the mud by the village where their ancestors lived for centuries both face up turning nightly with screams of pain pleas for mercy in your dreams? ... by .Sonny Williams Vietnam Veteran (1969) Page 16 Need Your CPeatiYity! Send your poetry, writings or artwork to SI P ee Iv I • es , c/o GCCH (Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless), 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati 45210 Phone- 513-421-7803, E-mail (text): to streetvibes@juno.com, E-mail (attached files, graphics): to homecoal@primax.net Let Me Hold Your Hand Walking down the street overnight, I was walking and talking to myself Thinking about this life's little problems And the pain the world could cause on our youth, It's not no lie, and we can't hide the truth They see it more and more everyday I overheard a voice say "Let me hold your hand my chi Id," but when I turned around I seen just some old man, I asked, "What did you say?" He said it again: "Let me hold your hand my child" And tell you a little about this life He told me to sit down and talk for a few minutes, He told me he was from a place far away. Carne here by choice and he alread~ow my .._ name, He told me that he died two times and came back in the lord's name, Told me the reason why he died, lived, and why he is still here, Asked me again, "Let me hold your hand my child," Told me to remember what he told me and what I already know, And told me to go, I got up and walked down some, Turned around and the old man was gone, Turned back around and I seen the lord Turned back around and the old man was there smiling, Looked forward and seen heavens gates, With a voice in my head saying " It never too late," Heard the voice say, "Just let me hold your hand," Because with me you have more than just a friend, A father of millions with a plan To teach a girl to be a lady And all boys into men, To love one another All colors, not just white and black, Everybody has problems And we all pray at night Different things for different people But it only one man who can make it true, It's the one we say AMEN to, So Amen and here's my hand. L0 v e ... by Geraldine Devine Love is a word that used to sound and mean so much When it was spoken from someone's mouth, then that person you could trust. Love was never a word that was just thrown around . It had real meaning, real feeling; and with a person's heart it covered so much ground. Love used to be an action , or in English known as a verb, But now we are living in a time where not much of a purpose does it serve. Let's take this word, give and show it as our Father does from above, Let's take, put, power, spread, and recharge this important word called Love. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Imprisoned in an Editor's Body A few years ago, I was living in Fayetteville, Arkansas, a small college town in the northwest part of the state. I was unable to­ resign myself to either playing the role of the professional patient, who contributes to the economy by providing employment to professional sympathetics, or to harnessing my talents to the career wagon to join the rest of the rats in their pilgrimage to the American Dream. No, I envisioned myself rather as the pied piper, or as the revolutionary lunatic who helped establish democracy in the asylum. Well, being a former lunatic receiving SSI, with little inclination to enter the Rat Race, I chose to use my time in self-initiated public service. I had been accustomed to crying to find the greenest pathway through every city I found myself in. In Fayetteville, I found I could practically navigate my way through the entire town via forest trails, and the town was yet unspoiled enough to be interlaced with several small, fairly unpolluted creeks. Therefore, it occurred to me that a small city like Fayetteville might well cake advantage of its relatively pristine state by developing a plan to preserve green spaces and inner city trailways, so its future citizens would not be sitting in their prefab holes-in-the walls trying to figure out how to "get out of this stink.in' town". Fayetteville was small enough that an ordinary citizen, even a trail-walker such as myself, could walk into the Mayor's office and strike up a conversation. So I walked in the Mayor's office and laid out my idea for a system of inner-city trails. His response was, " Boy, you're not living the real world, the world of money." We aU know the saying: In the begi.nning was the dollar, and the dollar was wiih God, and the dollar was God I think the average big city politician would have been more politically correct, lied, and sent me on a wild goose chase instead. Thank God for the small town politician who can honestly express his lack of vision. ............... Tom Billman Horsing Around Town By Grady Cook Last month I was out working on the homeless survey that Homeless Coalition is doing. As I was walking by ?lh and Sycamore Streets, I just happened to have my trusty camera with me and thought this would make an interesting story. Officer Jane Noel of the Cincinnati Police Horsemen Patrol was taking a picture of a gentleman on her Page 11 A Red Van, Khaki Pants, And Changed Lives by monica novak It's March 2 is•, late. A long red van drives slowly down the 1400 block ofRepublic Street. Another van follows close behind. The caravan is looking for something: a place to stop and unload, stretch legs, rest for the night. The sound of a van door popping open blends with the other night noises, ·and twelve pairs of shoes step onto the street. They make their way to an apartment gate, nudge it open, and file in to stay for the night. The next morning, we emerge in our collective identity: each member of the group wears a pair of khaki cargo pants, with a grey T-shirt tucked in tightly. No, we don't march to cadence, but we do get a few side-glances and wondering stares from people sitting outside. Who are we? I suppose you could call us a group of unique youths that has come together for a common purpose: to devote ten months ofour lives to national service. We come from throughout the country - from Texas and California, Florida and Chicago, Boston and Wisconsin. We met each other for the first time in October, when each ofus moved to Washington, DC, to take part in a program called the AmeriCorps HNational Civilian Community Corps. We are employed through the federal government, and are a group of socially aware 18-24 year olds who choose to serve in communities around the United States. We bring skills in construction, renovation, education, environmental conservation, and community development. We live part of the time in DC, and we travel to other locations when there is a need for our labor. We came to Cincinnati to work with ReSTOC, the Race Street Tenant Organization Cooperative. Our initial job description here was to complete renovation on affordable housing units on Republic Street, Vine Street, and Elm Street. The experience in Over-The Rhine has evolved into so much more than we originally expected. We have been overwhelmed and overjoyed before. Our team has worked on three projects prior to our work with ReSTOC, and each project has offered surprises and challenges. We began our year in Pennsylvania, partnered with Habitat for Humanity, and we learned much more than bow to frame a house. We met families who were waiting to move into holfleS, and we successfully completed and dedicated a house for a family of seven. Next, we spent seven weeks in Washington, DC, renovating a wing in the Community for Creative .Non-Violence Shelter. At CCNV we brought in other volunteers to work with us so that women and children would be able to move in a little bit sooner. We learned about CCNV's history of struggle for space and funding, and we continue to watch for news of the current battle over the lease. After CCNV, we went to the mountains of Virginia for two weeks to work at a 4H camp and educational center. Not only did we repair hiking trails and horse fences, but we also worked on some ofthe environmental education programs with local students. So here we are. We've been in Cincinnati for nearly six weeks, and we will be leaving in just a few days. We have painted and repaired three apartments on Republic Street, and we are in the process of re-tiling a few of these units. We hope to see people move into the Republic Street apartments before we leave. At Buddy's Place on Vine Street, we are in the final stages of completing the community roorri for the residents of Buddy's Place. The Fulda on Elm Street has freshly painted hallways, and we recently finished work on three apartments. In our final week, we will move on to the next renovation task ­ wherever ReSTOC sees fit. Construction is not the only scope ofour work in Over-The Rhine. Twice a week, we walk to the Peaslee Neighborhood Center to help in the homework room. Also at Peaslee, we've organized some ofthe toys and supplies in the soon to be open nursery school. From reading books to practicing math skills to just talking about life and school, we looked forward to each afternoon spent at Peaslee. In the evenings, we walk down the street to the Drop Inn Center. Some of us go to play bingo, card games, talk about whatever happened during the day. Some of us work to enhance the Job Readiness Program for Drop Inn residents. We are available on Wednesday nights to help with job searches, filling out applications, and building resumes. We have gotten to know Drop Inn Staff and residents, and continued to learn more each time we came to work. Hopefully, we will be able to build the program's volunteer staff so that Job Readiness will grow after we Leave. One day soon the imposing red government vehicle will pull away from the curb on Republic Street. By the time you read these thoughts, each pair of khaki pants will have stepped into the van and left Cincinnati, ReSTOC, Peaslee, Drop Inn Center. However, we will not have left here untouched. • • • horse. The gentleman and his two friends were from a city where they did not have police officers on horses. They were so amazed that Cincinnati had police officers that rode horses. I thought that it was a. good public relationship . Officer Jane said that the difference between a horse and a car is that on a horse, she gets to meet more people and get a better understanding about the people of Cincinnati. If I could give her an award for being an outstanding officer, I would like to commend her for her good public relationship. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 18 Give us this Day Calenilar of Events Our Daily Bread Strcetvibcs has a monthly calendar ofevents to keep you informed ofhappenings around the Greater Cincinnati ..... by Earlene Moreland area. Please call us ifyou have an item to list Any suhmissio11 is welcome: local community council meetings. Our Daily Bread has been serving socialjustice fonans, protests, comm1111ityfestivals, art our Community for 15 years. Run shows. etc. Please call John at 421-7803, fax at 421­ solely on donations, it is located on 7813, or e-mail at streetvibes@juno.com to list an event. June 1..... Welfare Rights CoaJition Potluck Luncn-anct Meeting, l2P.M at Contact Center. Call 381-4242 for more information 2-3 ..... Artists for the l>rop Inn Center Concert festival 7:30PM at Top Cats in Corryville Tickets available through Ticketmaster: $15 for both nights, $10 for Friday, $5 for Saturday,. Call 751-1740for more information. ~ 7 ....• Ohio ·Ent ment Coalition Meeting Columbusf'"transportation is available an ves ContactCenter(1641 VineSt.)at9AM. Cal\381­ 4242 for more infonnation or ifyou need a ride. 8..... 9...... Save Our Schools Meeting, 5:30 PM at Peaslee Neighborhood.Center. Call 381-4242 for more information. MacDay -' ~oon10 6PM, Laurel Par~ o Charle ·· ss ftom St. Joseph:'~ ·on or to volunteer c'" . 537; or e-mail him at .;-· ·"= 14..... Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center .Peace Camp, 9:30AM-12:30PM at Walnut Hills Christian Church. Free camp for6-12 year-olds Call UPC at 579-8547 for more information 11..... Prayer Vjgil in support ofparole for Amerkan Indian Political Prisoner Leonard Peltier. 1PM in fron:to . l'fouse. (Leonard P ole Revie · ill be on June 12 iQ Kansas.) . more information, please ca ·.·. Cincinnati Zapatista Coalition al 232-0362 or 325­ 4179. E-mailatmiriamczc@yahoo.com. 15..... Homeless Coalition General Body Meeting l :30 PM at the Drop Inn Center Call 421-7803 for more information. 15•••.• ·op To Be Announced care provided ter at 381-4242 for mote infonnation 23..... lntercommunity Justice and Peace Center Peace Camp, 9:30AM-12:30PM at Peaslee Neighborhood Center. F..ree camp for 6-12 year-olds CallIJPC atS79-8547 for more information. 21..... Parks and ~reation Committee Meetin 12:15at Center,381-4242 24...... Ovcr•t , Steel Drum Band C Approx y 1PM at Music Hall Call Peaslee Neighborhood Center at 621-5514for more information 26...... Over-the-Rhine Community Council Meeting SPM at Nast Trinity Church 26-J u ly 28•••• Peaslee Summer Program for Kids 1-3PM. Call Peaslee at 62 t-5514 for more'" in fonnatiof!~• 27..... Cincinnati <Jpera Community Open Dre8%"" Rehearsal · Dress rehearsal for the opera Cinderella. Free to Over-the-Rhine residents. Pre-performance activities in Washington Park at 5pm. including food and entertainment. Dress rehearsal in Music Hall at 7pm. Call 744-3427. Logan Street. Though the place is small, barely noticeable, Our Daily Bread serves 300 people daily - breakfast and Lunch. From 9:30-10:00 they serve doughnuts and coffee. From 10:00- 11:45, Lunch. From 1 till 3 PM, leftovers and snacks. On Friday the hours are 9:30-11:45. Tuesday is Bingo, 1 pm - 2:30. The atmosphere is safe and welcoming. The setup of 4 chairs at a table reminds me of a home kitchen . They even have a Kid's Cafe where children can dine and play, run by Tammy Kueshpe. In another part of cheir program, chey give away cloches, help wich utilities, and give out canned goods. If they can't assist you, they will give you a referral. On holidays, they give away Goodie Bags, consisting of hats and socks, soap, deodorant, and detergent. Now lets mention who's behind all this good work. Manager: Carol Schlunhert; Assistant Manager: Joyce Foster; Social Workers: JoAnn Queenan. Robert Bell, Kim Wards, Jerry Buchanan. Our Daily Bread's goal is to serve one good H ot meal once a day. I eat chere daily. Today chey were serving meat loaf, potatoes, bread pudding and che best Kool-Aid in town. This is a very charitable thing chey are doing. Who would chink all those blessings come fro m such a small place. T he community thanks you. • • • Streetvibes Live Radio Hour Tune in to WAIF 88.3 fml on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The Homeless Coalition's Live radio program . The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. PUBLIC HEARING ~ on JUNE 6TH at 1:00 pm, the Neighborhood and Public Works Committee will hold a meeting in the City Council Chambers to discuss whether Laurel Homes should be removed from the Historic Register and sacrificed to the wrecking ball and corporate development, or preserved and further developed for low income housing. J IE THERE or IE HOMELESS! for more information, contact the office of the Clerk of Council, 801 Plum St., Room 308, City Hall, Cincinnati 45202 from 8-5, ~E 352-3246 - - Check us out, We're on TV! The Streetvibes 1V Show is produced at the facilities of Media Bridges (Cin­ cinnati Community Video), 21 14 Read­ ing Road, Cincinnati Ohio. If you would like .to b~»,a part of our live studio audience' please call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the· Homeless at 421 -7803 for more information. June Schedule Broadcast Dates for May's Show.· :&on Channel 24: (Please che~,~your schedule) Saturday, June 3, at 5 PM Tuesday, June 13, at 10 PM Saturday, June 17th, at 5 PM Tuesday. June 27, at 10 AM Thursday, July 6, at 10 AM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local 1V directory. July '· 23..... Drop Inn Center SK Run, 8:30AM Call Drop Inn Center at 72 J-0643 for more information or to register Streetvibes TV covers news on poverty, homelessness and related issues. If you would like to be a part of the audience, or if you have ideas for future shows, call us at 421-7803 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Greater Cincinnati Since I've been selling the newspaper, I have met a lot of nice people on the street, Coalition for the Homeless different nationalities, different attitudes - some has a Speakers Bureau angry, not understanding what it is like to be The following is a short example of what you may hear from one of the homeless/formerly homeless people who have the opportunity to tell their stories to any group of people who invite us to speak: My name is Raynard Jones. I work for the Coalition for the Homeless. On the fourth of May, Ron Carter (Speakers Bueau Coordinator) and I went to Ursuline Academy. I talked to some young ladies there, told my life story, about me being homeless. I have been homeless now, roughly, from July 16, 1991 to January 26, 2000. I owe it to God and the Coalition for helping me get on my feet and find a place to stay. I have been in and out of jails, institutions, living on the streets, various places. I have been caught up with drugs and alcohol.. ..you know, being homeless, the things that you go through. I owe it to God, cleaning up my life and giving me a second chance. Since I have been working for the Coalition now the past 6 or seven months, I have self-esteem~ I have met a tot of nice people; I just enjoy what I'm doing -being able to help somebody else while I'm helping myself. My spirituality is stronger than ever. Before I was homeless. I was staying in a Ministry. I left the Ministry and learned a lot about Christ Jesus, things that I never thought I knew; I learned a lot - You never stop learning. I gave it all to God. I enjoy coming to Ursuline and telling my story to the young ladies. The Shantytown built of boxes was neat. I enjoy what I'm doing now. The sky is the limit, as long as I stay on the right track, and not get into my own understanding, thinking I can do it all myself; cause we all need somebody. homeless and on the street. I tell them, You wouldn't understand it unless you've been there. .. ...... You treat people the way you want to be treated; respect is the biggest thing. Then, having somebody trust you. I am truly happy today that I'm able to help somebody else while I'm helping myself. hope in the near future that I'm able to go to more speaking engagements to tell other people what I've been through. It's all about having the right attitude, staying positive. Every day isn't a good day for me; but you try the make the best out of a bad situation. I understand that trials and tribulations bring forth patience. You have to go through some things in order to get some things. .... I came from a disfunctional family, like most families. But it doesn't matter. It's about doing the right thing, helping somebody else. I'd like to thank Ron Carter, Pat, Tom, Susan, Gina, Donald Whitehead, Melissa, who helped me find my apartment, Warren, for helping me and giving me a second chance to do what's right. I know it's not going to be easy; but I can do all things through Christ that strengthen me; I know that no weapon that's formed against me shall prosper. I quote a lot of scriptures, cause, like I said, I was in the Ministry. I don't know it all, but I'm like a baby - I'm drinking milk, but one of these days I'll be eating meat. I'm striving for knowledge, to learn. I might have a calling as minister one day. All I know is that I want to help somebody else. It's not about being selfish; It's about giving back. ......Ray Jones. Classified Streetvibes accepts Classi­ fied Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apart­ ments for Rent and other non­ personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approximately ten words per line. People below the poverty level will be given five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our read­ ers. Call 421-7803 for more 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 collectlng for a private charity, please call our office at421-7803. •••••~ • t • I •to•••t • ••41 •• • 1f • t •,.,••1 • .-•.-o•~ · .... t 1• -:. t ' ,, ••'f\"1 _,.• •l•ttlotl •4.Ut.t • t ••• "'• • ... ........ ... ... "" ' ' ' ! '•;·· ·.•'..: ''' -.-. ••'"'T • ,._ ............ ..,. .. .. ... -.-..- •1•t••• t•o-..-..•t •.«•••••1••-" Michelle Kitchen Needs Help! I received a disturbing letter from Michelle Kitchen #39440 (ARN-4) today dated 5/16/00. I'm asking anyone who can, to help put pressure on the Warden to rectify what they are doing to Michelle, which is wrong. She is being punished prior to being found guilty of doing anything wrong. ...... .. Michelle wrote the following: "The railroading began Saturday 5/13/00 at 10:20 pm "SWAT" came in, (4) C.O.'s & (2) white shirts, and they took me and my roomnate, Miss Anderson, #36929, (maxes out next month), out in handcuffs. They put her in the "crisis cell" on the DC side & me in the "crisis cell" on the AC(Administrative Control) side. I'm in a room that's 4'X 8' with very little light, and floods, with water every time someone showers (it's on the other side of the shower cage) AND MY BED IS ON THE FLOOR! 3 AND A HALF DAYS LATER..., I'M STILL HERE. The charge? Suspicion of smoking in LC@ I wrote everywhere & I was piss tested yesterday (5/15). Now all I have to do is wait on the results. But that's not half of it. We didn't get our commissary till second shift Saturday. Since I'm under investigation, they too ALL my property and locked it in the property room. I don't have a bra, underpants, or a pair of socks; they took everything! All my Legal mail is packed up too! I don't have a toothbrush, toothpaste, and neither does ARN-4 have any supplies!AGAIN! I just spoke to LT. Sanders about this. Now I have to prove my innocence? I can't have any of the personals I waited 10 days for. (commissary) I can't write because all my envelopes are in my property. I know what will _ happen...., as soon as my dean urine comes back...., they'll stall before moving me out of this hell-hole, and then I'll have to beg for my property, and my mail (which I'm entitled to). I don't know if you've ever been in this type of a cell, but it's easy to lose it....., no place to walk, to sit, nothing. Usually people are in here for 24 hours - WRONG! SOON I'LL BE IN H~RE ON DAY 4" I called the Plain dealer reporter today, Thanksforyoursupport. t It's a Crime to Care ORW is now denying Michelle any "Meter stamps" that I send her, saying they are contraband! But failing to notify me pursuant to the AR's for incoming mail. I hope Michelle can send one to the North Regional Director's Office. I sure will and ask them to explain to me how this is contraband. Also note, Michelle has still not seen a copy of the Administrative regulations yet. I just sent her a copy. This has been a month she has been requesting to see these. I've called Shirley Pope, and Central Office. She wrote the Institution Inspector up. The Chief Inspector has notified Michelle that the Institution Inspector at ORW has been changed. It's no longer Kestella. The new Inspector is Ms. Wright. Michelle has never had a dirty urine her whole bit as well. Michelle says she is still listed as "LC" (Local Control) and wants to know why she cannot have her property, and (why they) stress no toothbrush, deodorant, etc. in ARN-4. These items are permitted under "LC" Administrative Regulation 5120-9-131. information Mail the ad copy, or deliver, to: GCCH, 1506 Elm Street,Cincinnati, OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813, ore­ mail to streetvibes@juno.com • ·:>· Page 19 . • 'I 'l Help Michelle, continued page 1O �Pat Mitchell, proud Grandmother, wishes to Announce A Baby Showerfor Yolanda Pape 858 Wade Walk Parktown Community Building (NearLiberty) on]unel7,2000 jrom 5pm-9pm I Vendor SPotliilht: I am a new Vendor and I'd like to share my experience as being a vendor. The purpose of the vendors selling the papers is to establish self-esteem, self worth, and self independence. It is designed to help homeless and formerly homeless people, and low income people such as myself. On my journey selling papers I meet so many people in the course ofa day, including people I haven ' t seen in years and people ~ ~ needingjobs and shelter. I always refer them to our Coalition office for help. I even ~ ~ ran into a woman with HIV that needed ~ shelter and a job. Once I ran into a man that traded me a Pat Mitchell in the Coalition office. box ofsugar and 2 candles for a paper. It is the vendor 's job to spread the word about the homeless - to be polite and Besides being one ofour most dedicated courteous. So if you see us vendors selling vendors, Pat also works everyday as a Streetvibes, buy one. But remember, ifthey volunteer receptionist and as a an outare not wearing a badge, don't buy. Thank ...reach coordinator. Thank you, Patfor all you, ofyour work! ~ HOPE VI, from page 12 being lost in the West End, and the potential gentrification of the entire West End Community (HOPE VI developments could have a very serious ripple affect in terms of increased property values) and Welfare Reform there is a lot stacked against HOPE VI succeeding. Many believe too many units are being lost, that this is simply another example of urban cleansing. Which brings us back to the developer chan ges. Shirley and so many of the West End residents were up in arms about this developer t ermination i ssue because they were discounted from the process with the concrete understanding that they . would be part ofthe entire process. However, it makes one wonder why HUD has made resident input such a cornerstone to winning and seeing the HOPE VI grant completed, w hen ultimately the go11l is not and never was to maintain the same community that has resided there prior to the HOPE VI grant. Hopefully, homeless advocates are wrong. There is a hearing June 7•h to take Laurel Homes offof the Historic Registry. N o demolition can legally occur until this happens. ......Pat Mitchell Ha ve you seen FRANK C 6 Foot Caucasian, age 50's, English accent, glasses, maybe gray beard. Does anyone know where Frank is, please? Mary, his sister from England, has been over here trying to meet up with him. COMEDY CORNER By Ron Carter Oowie ,goowie Oowie Goowie was a worm A dirty Worm was he Oowie sat upon the toi let seat The water he did not see Splash! W e haven't m et for 18 years . If you have any idea where he is, Please contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 421-7803 Oowie Goowie's sone! 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 1-888-872-9259 (Toll Free) 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431-8717 Welcome House ·- s, 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 (Si ngles) Friars Club Haven HQUse (Hamilton) lnter1aith t-'ospitality Network 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 471 -1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 651-6446 St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-1171 639-7056 961-4555 TREATMENT: Women O.D.A.A.T Flrst Step Home 241-7343 961-4663 TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 OTHER SERVICES 421-2437 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 231-6630 Beech Acres Center for Independent Living Options 241 -2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Community Center 241-2563 · Freestore/Foodbank 241-1064 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Greater Cinti. Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 621-7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357-4602 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van 221-3619 House of Refuge Mission Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Ass'istance Ctr. 271-5501 721 -4811 Mary Magdalen House Oral Health Cquncil 621 -0248 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 6?1 -5514 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way VA Homeless Program 572-6226 Women's Crisis Center 491-3335 Women Helping Women 872-9259 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2000 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource June 2000 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Remembering the Milner Demolition A Tale of Two Cities Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 3: The CZC Protest for Political Prisoners and Against Police Brutality The Shelter Continued Pg 4: Kids’ Day on Capital Hill Pg 5: The Shelter Continued Pg 6: Welfare News Pg 7: A tribute to the “SAVE THE MILNER” Struggle: Our Undaunting Spirit Still Lives Pg 8: International News Pg 9: Prisoners’ News Pg 10: Prisoners’ News continued Pg 11: Cincinnati Opera Pg 12: Words from the Evangelist Pg 13: Street Scopes Pg 14: Under the big Top: Save Our Schools and the Cincinnati School Board Pg 15: Recovery Road An Over-the-Rhine Oasis Pg 16: Poetry and Art Pg 17: Imprisoned in an Editor’s Body 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 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alicia Beck Susan Knight Tom Billman John Halpin Ron Carter Warren Perkins Pat Mitchell Mary A. Gaffney Sonny Williams Donald Whitehead Rodney Sutton Anthony Watkins Cassie Gundrum Alanna Maloney Brian Crumm Bonnie Neumeier Johnny Wm. Byrd, Jr. Geraldine Devine Patrick Holmes Melissa Widemen Grady Cook Sharon Weis LeeAnn McNabb Raymond Jones Katie Danko Earlene Moreland Lynn Williams Jeff Branham Monica Novac Emily Langford Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alanna Maloney Alicia Beck Anthony Watkins Apartment Closure Arts & Poetry Bonnie Neumeier Brian Crumm Capital Hill Cassie Gundrum CC Cincinnati Schools Donald Whitehead Earlene Moreland Editorials & Letters Emily Langford Empowerment Evangelist Geraldine Devine Grady Cook Income International news Jeff Branham Jobs John Halpin Johnny Wm. Byrd Jr. Katie Danko LeeAnn McNabb Lynn Williams Mary A. Gaffney Melissa Widemen Monica Novac Ohio Pat Mitchell Patrick Holmes police brutality Prison Health Care prisoners news protest Raymond Jones Rodney Sutton Ron Carter Sharon Weis shelter Sonny Williams Street Scope Susan Knight Tales from Across the River The Traveler Tom Billman Warren Perkins welfare news https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/349f8b5ddf01b70a2e586545955ef4f3.pdf 8291a057194ab4c5598d2eed2e7631fc PDF Text Text Laurel Homes Demolition Temporarily Halted ....by Susan Knight Agreeing to cooperate, however, did began moving forward, the developer was not mean that significant concerns about the suddenly switched. Donald Troendle, Executive Director of CMHA, said that there project did not still remain . In 1997, with had been a great deal of concerns with the HOPE V I funds , CMHA had , against adamant opposition from Shirley Colbert, · developer's performance and that this was ? necessary action. Laurel Homes residents demolished Building B on Liberty Street. Shirley, after this experience, knew that however, believe that the developer was resident involvement did not necessarily switched without any of their input because mean resident demands would be met. Laurel Homes. continued page 2 Then, as HOPE VI development The Laurel Homes demolition has been halted temporarily due to conflicts between Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and Laurel Homes residents. HOPE VI, a federal grant used to "revitalize" dilapidated housing, was won two years ago by CMHA to redevelop the West End public housing communities. Initially, Shirley Colbert, president of Laurel Homes Resident Council, was tentative about signing on to such an agreement that would result in an influx in market rate units and less low-income units. However, Congress at the time made it clear that no further money wo~ld be allocated to public housing projects. As far as the federal government was concerned, public housing, as it had existed, was not worth investing in: high concentrations of poverty resulted in crime and drug infestation. The Laurel Homes Resident Council believed that HOPE VI would be the only opportunity to maintain any semblance of decent housing. Without money to maintain the buildings, the Laurel Homes community would continue to be in disrepair. And so, th e Laurel Homes Resident Council signed on the CMHA's HOPE VI development of Laurel Homes. Texas Executes Shaka Sankofa On June 10, 2 00, The West End celebrated Mac Day in honor of the late Rev. Maurice McCrackin's commitment to social justice and local communities. The jazz band "Is What" shown in this·photograph was one of many performers throughout the day. See page 18 for poetry about Mac. Local Reaction to Shaka Sankofa's Execution by Sonny Williams Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham), convicted of murder at age 17, was executed by lethal injection on the morning of June 22, despite pleas from anti-Death Penalty advocates worldwide. On June 21 , 2000, I went to Fountain Square, the public square in Cincinnati, to get citizens' response to the impending execution of Shaka Sankofa (Gary Graham) in Texas. The first person said she supports the death penalty and Mr. Sankofa should die. The second person agreed with the woman and said the death penalty is needed ·for Shaka Sankofa. Ronald, who was visiting from Oak Park, Michigan, said that most people on death row are there because they were not economically able to afford a good lawyer to defend them. He said the death penalty is biased against the poor and Black citizens in this country. William, a Cincinnati resident, said that Shaka Sankofa should not die without his right to a new trial. He stressed that due process wasn't given to Shaka Sankofa in the Texas court system. An innocent man was executed at 8:40 pm on Thursday and George W. Bush has blood on his hands in this murder! For more information on the Ohio Moratorium, contact: Jackie Bowers, PAN - Ohio P.O. Box 1591 Marion, Ohio 43301-1591 The writer of this article made phone calls to other sources around the country, and he found this information: On June 7, 2000, Shaka Sankofa stated, "I think in Texas it's better to be rich and guilty than to be poor and innocent." According to Cheryl Lessin, spokesperson of the Revolutionary Communist Party (Cleveland Branch), "this really points to how seriously the government is hanging onto their facts that they are going to use the death penalty against the poor and Black people." ome �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 2 New Director at GCCH Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for, and about homelessness, 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 an 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 services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. Staff Alicia Beck Director Susan Knight Administrative Coordinator Tom Billman Streetvibes Editor John Halpin Assistant Editor Dan Marschner Streetvibes Intern Ron Carter Speaker's Bureau Tenant Organizing Warren Pei'kins Pat Mitchell Outreach Volunteer GCCHlntem Jamaal Coleman Mary A. Gaffney Receptionist Volunteer Reporter Sonny Williams Writers Susan Knight Tom Billman Rodney Sutton Ron Carter Lynn Williams Alicia Beck M. Emily Cragg Mr. Lee Grady Cook Sonny Williams Pat Mitchell Alanna Maloney Jamaal Coleman joani Lacy Bianca Wagner Erika Robers John Criswell Patrick Mosolf Ginger Brock Graphics Photographs by Berta Lambert, Grady Cook, Tom Billman, Sonny Williams..... Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, photos.... We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $15 per year. (Please make checks payable to GCCH) 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 (text­ only) or homecoal@primax.net ( attached files} web page: http://cinci.com/gcch T hroughout my life, I've had the opportunity to go through many introductions. People always ask the same questions: what's your name, where are you fro m, where did you go to school, where do you live, and what do you do? I've developed the pat answers - the clean, crisp reply to polite conversation. My name is Alicia Beck, I'm the new Executive Director of the G reater C incinnati Coalition For T he H omeless. I'm originally from a small farming community in Central Illinois called Fairbury, but after many moves arourid the country, I have resided in Cincinnati, OH for the last few years. I attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illionis and received a B.A. in psychology. A couple years later I completed my Master of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. We gather all these bits of information and feel that we know who we are. When I started to write this, I knew that these all-important details must be revealed, but I also know that being the new director would take much more than degrees, location and the almighty title. People will want to know what my motives are, what I believe, and how I'm going to do my job. T he short answer to a long history of events that molded who I am includes personal experience of an unequal system, a passion for the truth, an admiration for those that led the way or mentored me (Dorthy Day, Jane Addams, Les Brown, and Mzee Lasana to name a few), and a commitment to my belief that all people are socially responsible for each other. I want people to know that I am passionate about what I do and that it is not just a job, but a way to lead your life. I care deeply about what happens to all members of our beautiful community and I will continue to provide a voice for those that do not have one in the halls of power. As I settle into my second month here at the Coalition, I look forward to continuing the strong tradition of preserving and defending the rights of the homeless, while building up the outreach efforts throughout the City of Cincinnati. I also look forward to meeting each of you in person to finally have a proper introduction. Yours in Solidarity- Alicia M Beck. Hello, my name is Jamaal Coleman and I am a student at Hughes High School on an internship with Xavier University. During this time, I will be working with the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and assisting them in their newest project. We will be trying to get the community Laurel Homes, rrompage 1 the residents had too great of a voice in the development process. The debate has been very intense and the City has continued to postpone· the removal of Laurel Homes' historic designation until an agreement can be reached. Moreover, the 9 million dollar designation the city has allocated to the project is being withheld until an agreement can be reached. Amidst this crisis are further developments that threaten the West Community. Wednesday June 7th, there was a community meeting held by the City to discuss all the developments taking place in the West End. They are extensive. From a downtown YMCA to a Arts Consortium, West End development is taking off. Residents voiced intense opposition Wednesday more involved in politics and voting in the upcoming election. It's our belief that everyone, despite the background that they may have, should vote. Our ultimate goal is to have people from the lower class communities become registered voters so that they can voice their opinions as to who should run our government. I have promised Alicia and Susan that I will work to the best of my ability to get the job done. evening, much to the apparent suprise of City Planning. Residents claimed they were being pushed out, that the West End was going to be a place for the rich, not for the poor. Several asked about the connection between Mr. Treondle and the Olympic Committee, claiming that much of this revitalization is taking place because Cincinnnati and Nick Vehr hopes to bring the 2012 games here. Much more information has yet to acquired. CMHA has not provided Todd Portune with enough information regarding the relocation of West End residents for him to feel comfortable with releasing the 9 million allocated to the Laurel Homes project. City Council says they will continue to sit on this money until their questions are answered. In the meantime, residents will continue their relocation and continue to ask questions. Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. ' �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine global financial architecture." She says that "currency speculation and the derivatives market move over $1.5 trillion daily (compared to world trade of $6 trillion .......by Susan Knight annually), earning short-term profits for wealthy investors at the expense of long-term Streetvibes has briefly highlighted development. Many countries are beginning some of the concerns surrounding to implement "capital controls" ir1 order to globalization and the organizations that regulate the influence of foreign capital, and implement the policy of globalization: the grassroots groups are advocating the World Trade Organization, the World Bank restructuring and regulation of the global and the International Monetary Fund. The financial architecture. Citizens can pass local fundamental argument is that too much power city resolutions for the Tobin Tax: a tax of 0.1 is consolidated in a small number of people/ percent to .25 percent of currency corporations. This has resulted in policy that transactions which would (1) provide a places profits over people and the disincentive for speculation but not affect real environment. Free Trade is the term used to capital investment, and (2) create a huge fund rationalize actions that have proven with time for building schools & clinics throughout the to be extremely detrimental to the world's world." poor (80% of the global population) and our Canceling or reducing third world debt environment. Free trade is considered to be is also an important piece of the equation. a cornerstone to a successful and thriving Debt is paralyzing the third world. Much of capitalistic market. Barriers, it is said, this debt has been accrued as a result of US impede competition and thus limit intervention, especially in Latin America. development and progress. Critics of "free Debt reduction would provide countries the trade," however, believe there are opportunity to develop their own industry alternatives to our current set of global without the constraints of the World Bank economic standards that encompass the and International Monetary fund. Money well-being of everyone and everything. These could go to responsible product development alternatives have come to be known as "fair and not to paying of the interest of loans that trade." will take generations to pay off. Governments, including our own, Fair Trade Fair Trade is globalization with shou ld adopt a policy wherein the UN representation. Globalization as it currently declaration of human rights takes stands is based upon the involvement of precedence over economic rights. In other government elites and mu/ti-national words, human rights are to be considered a corporations. Instituting a democratic commodity to be coveted. Deborah James, also notes in her process in the development of economic and essay, "Ten Ways to Democratize the Global social policy is imperative for fair trade to be successful. Corporate accountability is also Economy," that women must be involved in an essential element to fair trade. This policy the economic decision making. Women, she could potentially affect profits; however, one says, "make up half the world but hold less could consider that if the GAP company's than five percent of positions of power in CEO took even as much as a 75 percent determining global economic policy and own pay cut, he would still be making 1O million an estimated one percent of global property." dollars a year. Maybe all his workers could Women in many respects come from a care potentially have a living-wage, health care giver perspective. Such a perspective may be valuable in determining the value put on and decent work conditions. human and environmental life. Deborah James, director of global It is also important for the World Trade exchange's fair trade coffee program, also Organization to allow for the unionization of cites the importance of "restructuring the labor. Labor unions are a very effective - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - means of prioritizing human rights. Allowing them to organize is essential to allowing people to have a voice in economic policy. The ultimate point: local communities have a stake in their environment, their lives and their children's lives. Autonomous communities who work within a fair trade system could be allowed to compete and prosper. Competition does breed progress. Multinational corporations do not encourage progress; they promote dominance. Dominance does not define a laissez faire society and it is not what Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations Fair Trade, the Alternative to Free Trade professes. Defence Minister Abdul Mohammed Ali, Over-the­ Rhine Resident, after bis arrest for disorderly Conduct in City Council Chambers, a result of bis persistent demands for an apology from the City of Cincinnati for the murder ofMichael Carpenter. His Jury trial is July 5, 2000 in the courtroom of Judge Cheryl Grant, 9:00 AM, 1000 Main Street. Protests will be taking place in Philadelphia, July 30th to August 3rd and in Los Angeles August 13th and 14th. Campaign finance reform as a means to ending corporate dominance will be a key issue in the upcoming protests. + Page 3 THE WTO'S HISTORY: "FREE TRADE" AND ITS LASTING IMPLICATIONS THE CLEAN AIR CASE CASE: On behalf of its oil industry, Venezuela challenged a US Clean Air Act regulation that required gas refiners to produce cleaner gas. The rule used the 1990 actual performance data of oil refineries required to file with the EPA (mostly US refineries) as the starting point for required improvements for refineries without reliable data (mostly foreign). Venezuela clamied this rule was biased against foreign refiners and took the case to the WTO. RESULT: A WTO panel ruled against the US law. In 1997, the EPA changed the clean air rules to give foreign refiners the choice of using an individual baseline (starting point). WTO Effects, continued page 5 TRIP Services: You Find the Job, They'll Find the Transportation TRJP, the Transportation Resources and Information Project, is a nonprofit organization designed to help the residents ofHamilton County who are low income or on public assistance to find transportation to and from employment. The Transportation Agents at TRIP will do the research to find out what transportation options are available for people to get to and from work and for families to drop children off at day care. If given enough notice, they may also be able to schedule transportation to interviews. The Transportation Agents begin the process by asking people a series of questions such as their home address, work address, child care address, work schedule, etc. All of this information can be taken over the phone at ( 513) 731-5030. This series ofquestions will register you for their services. The Transportation Agents then look at Metro, TANK, or Access buses; Vanpooling and Shuttling; Ridesharing and Carpooling; and finally Taxi services. They determine the best and least expensive way for you to get to work and provide you with that information. The Transportation Agents determine if a person qualifies based on ifhe or she has had a case with the Department of Human Servic;es in the past year or ifhe or she meet~ our low income criteria. After a person has given all of her information to the Transportation Agents, they begin to process her application. It takes between two and Trip Services. continued page 11 �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 4 "Don't Spend a Nickel on Mt. Olive Pickle!" by Erika Robers AFL-CIO organizer "Who you calling immigrant, pilgrim?" The slogan I saw so cleverly printed on a t-shirt at the IMF/World Bank protests came to mind two Saturdays ago as I leafleted at a Krogers in Blue Ash. As the sky threatened rain , Dick Wiesenhalh and I handed out information and talked to shoppers about the boycott on Mt. Olive Pickles. While many people were receptive to hearing about the plight of farm workers, what I remember most is the brief conversation I had with a young, middle class white man. After looking over the leaflet I handed him entering the store, he exited, asking me why I cared about Mexican farm workers. I answered that farm workers perform a valuable service in society - they put food on our table. And for 9oing this honorable work they are neither justly compensated nor treated like human beings. "If conditions are so bad, why don't these farm workers just leave and find another job?", he replied. "Well, for one th ing," I answered, "they are from Mexico. They come here desperate for work. They don't have the options you or I do to find another job." In fact, conditions in North Carolina cucumber fields are so bad that no one locally will take the job. The fed eral government has instituted a program called the Guest Worker program, or H2A, similar to the Bracero program during WWII which brought thousands of Mexicans to work in the fields while American men were fighting in the war. Guest Worker is a euphemistic term for what resembles indentured servitude. Workers are recruited in their Mexican home towns by labor contractors who pay their way to the states and get them a work permit to work in U.S. agricultural fields. The workers are allowed to be here to work without being guaranteed many of the worker protections and wage laws that protect U.S. citizens. The grower provides the workers housing and wages that at times come out to less than minimum wage. H2A workers are not free to leave and find a new job if they find the conditions too oppressive. They are contracted to work the season at one farm only. I anticipated his reaction, all too common to those of us who have grown up in an immigrant-bashing culture: that these Mexicans shouldn't be here anyway; what right do they have to take American jobs? So I added that in addition to the fact that no Americans want these jobs, he and I are both a product of immigrants. "Unless your ancestors were Native American or African , they came to this country as well in search of a better livelihood and probably faced similar negative responses when trying to organize for improved working conditions." Why are we as Americans so eager to slam the door behind us as soon as we get in? Farm workers in the North Carolina cucumber fields are organizing to improve their abysmal working conditions. Twelve hour work days am common for farm workers. They su ffer swollen arms and take painkillers to keep working. They face .>afety hazards, such as pesticide poisonings, that lower the average life expectancy of farm workers to 25 years below the national average. In fact, they have the highest rate of toxic chemical injuries of all U.S. workers. Many farm workers labor in temperatures that reach 11 Odegrees without adequate shade, rest or water. These are the conditions that caused the death of farm worker CHURCH LEADERS INSIST IT'S A MATTER OF FAIRNESS Bishop F. Joseph Grossman of Raleigh told a FLOG rally on the State Capital steps in 1998: "Farmworkers need to be partners around the table with growers and corporations so that the common good of all is reached ... we stand with our fellow workers as brothers and sisters." ... Sr. Evelyn Mattern, representing the North Carolina council of churches, said that: "After watching how farmworkers were mistreated for 25 years, it is an answer to my prayers that the FLOG Campaign is under way here in North Carolina." Raymundo Hernandez in 1995, who died from pesticide poisoning out in the fields of North Caroliha. A few years later in 1999, Camelo Fuentes slipped into a coma from heat stroke. There is no question why these conditions still exist: employer greed. While companies like Mt. Olive Pickle get rich off the sweat of Mexican farm workers, the workers themselves reap only 1 cent for every jar of pickles. The regulatory agencies like the department of labor that are supposed to be monitoring the farms and protecting farm workers have only 8 inspectors for every 21 ,919 farms. In 1997 , FLOG , or Farm Labor Organizing Committee, which represents 7000 farm workers in mid-western states such as Ohio and Michigan, began organizing in North Carolina at Mt. Olive Pickle, the South's largest pickle company. There are 7000 farm workers who pick cucumber pickles in North Carolina, which is second in pickle productions only to Michigan. While organized pickle pickers in Michigan and Ohio who have a union contract through FLOG make about $5.80 per 100 pounds of pickles, North Carolina pickers make only $1 .80 per 100 pounds of pickles. This wage comes out to less than the minimum wage. During the 1980's, Baldemar Velasquez, an ex-farm worker and the president of FLOG, initiated the Campbell's Soup boycott in an effort to organize tomato and cucumber pickers. Eventually in 1986 and 1987, the union won contracts with Campbell's, H.J. Heinz and a Vlasic pickle subsidiary. These contracts provide enforcement mechanisms for environmental, sanitation, health and safety requirements. The enforcement comes through worker control rather than some removed , understaffed regulatory agency. Through the boycott, workers won increased wages, improved housing, pesticide protections and daycare for migrant children. In the first six weeks of the tampaign to organize North Carolina pickle pickers, over 1000 farm workers signed cards pledging their desire for union representation. The number of cards signed now, three years later, is over 3000. While workers have overwhelmingly shown their commitment to forming a union at Mr. Olive, the company refuses to negotiate with them. Reasons cited by Mt. Olive include that the company doesn't directly employ the farm workers. They contract with growers who do the actual hiring of workers . However, Mt. Olive controls a great deal of the process the farmers use, such as what kind ofcucumbers to plant, what and how often to spray, and what price will be paid. FLOG wants to sign a 3 way contract that guarantees a certain wage instead of piece rate much like they've done in Michigan and Ohio. They want the growers to make more so that the workers will as well. Raising the wages of North Carolina farm workers through a negotiated contract levels the playing field so that no only do North Carolina pickers make a fairer wage, but those union farm workers in the mid-west don't find themselves out of a job in a few years when employers move all their business to the South to find cheap labor. Other reasons cited by CEO William Bryan are that a third party is unnecessary to settling internal problems and that Mt. Olive Pickle PICKLES, Continued next page . I �STREETUIBES PICKLE, continued has a long anti-union tradition. FLOC is not a third party. Workers are the union and they want to collectively bargain out a contract with the growers and Mt. Olive Pickles. And the second statement regarding their anti­ union tradition speaks for itself. A little over a year ago, in March of 1999, FLOC kicked off the AFL-CIO endorsed pickle boycott through a 4-day, 70 mile march from Mt. Olive to Raleigh, North Carolina. Through the efforts of 800 high school students in Toledo, Ohio, in March of this year, 19 Kroger stores pulled Mt. Olive pickles from their shelves in North-West Ohio. Over 200 organizations to date across the country have endorsed the boycott. Rallies and leafleting took place at stores that carry Mt. Olive pickles proposing to shoppers "Don't spend a nickel on Mt. Olive Pickle." These actions to commemorate the one year anniversary of the boycott in March took place in Atlanta , Ga. , Birmingham, Al., Knoxville, Tn., Miami and Orlando, Fl., and Charlotte, NC. Catholic Bishops in Toledo, Raleigh and Columbus as well as Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk have all endorsed the boycott according to the Church's teaching on human dignity. Columbus Bishop James Griffin points out that "We must never forget the fact that the economy exists to serve the human person, not the other way around." We need your help with this boycott. We are confident that the Krogers here in Cincinnati will follow the example of the north­ west Krogers' stores with a bit of pressure. Please write a letter to Kroger's area manager, Joe Buescher, urging him to do the right thing and take the pickles off the shelves. His address is: Kroger Co., 150 Tri-County Pkwy, Cincinnati, OH 45246. We also need help on our support committee. To help out call Steve Schumacher at 221­ 2822 or Dick Wiesenhahn at 984-1963. You can also visit FLOC's website at www.floc.com for more information . Through collective effort we can win this struggle and as Velsquez says, "Those who put the food on our tables deserve a life of dignity and that's what we intend to win in North Carolina." The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine WTD Effects, from page 3 Page 5 CARIBBEAN BANANA CASE The EPA acknowledged that the change CASE: The US argued that Eurpoean trade preferences for bananas from "creates a potential for adverse former European colonies in the environmental impact." .... Caribbean unfairly discriminate against IMPLICATION: Refiners from bananas grown by US Venezuela and other countries will use companies in Central the individual baseline option only if it gives them a weaker starting point, and America (Chiquita Banana). thus lets them sell dirtier gasoline in the US, which would deteriorate air RESULT: In 1997, a WTO panel quality. The WTO gives businesses a decided that European preferences for special avenue to challenge policies, like Caribbean bananas are WTO-illegal. the Clean Air rules, which have The EU proposed a new policy that the withstood domestic challenges. US claims still violates WTO rules. The US was granted authoirty by the THE BEEF HORMONE CASE WTO to impose $200 million in trade sanctions against European imports CASE: The US challenged a European until the EU changes the policy to suit Union ban on the sale of beef from WTO demands. cattle that have been raised with IMPLICATION: The Caribbean's tiny certain artificial growth share of the EU market for bananas is hormones. the major source of revenue and jobs RESULT: In 1998, a in some Caribbean nations whre WTO appellate panel mountainous terrain rules out other ruled against the EU crops. If Europe abandons i~ policy to law, giving the EU until comply with the WTO, some 200,000 May 13, 1999 to open its markets to small farmers in very poor countries hormone-treated beef. could lose their livelihoods. Officials in IMPLICATION: The ban on artifical small Carribbean nations worry that hormones applies equally to European implementations of the WTO ruling will farmers and foreign producers. If destabilize their economies and European consumers and governments democracies. The US drug czar noted are opposed to the use of artificail that the policy change could make hormones and are concerned about these countries more vulnerable to potential health risks or want to drug trafficking. promote more natural farming According to Caribbean womens methods, they should have the right to groups, 'The assured market for bananas enact laws that support their choices. has given thousands offamilies in the sub­ Instead , the WTO empowers its region of the Windward Islands a means tribunals to second-guess whether ofsecurity and has afforded us dignity and health and environmental rules have a self-reliance. The loss of this security "valid" scientific basis. through a sudden change in market opportunities would leave us without THE SHRIMP TURTLE CASE resources to build a future for our families CASE: Four Asian nations challenged and our countries. " Why is the US launching a trade war provisions of the US Endangered over a product it doesn't even grow? Species Act forbidding Perhaps huge campaign donations by the sale in the US o f . shrimp caught in ways · · · Chiquit;a CEO Carl Undner are a big reason. According to the Washington Times that kill endangered (8/25/97}, Undner gave more than half sea turtles. · a million dollars in 1998 in campaign RESULT: In 1998, a WTO appellate contributions to both parties. The giant panel decided that while the US is Chiquit;a plant;ations in Central America are allowed to protect turtles, the specific notorious violators ofworkers' health and way the US tried to do so was not the right to organize, but this has not allowed under WTO rules. The US government is now considering ways to prevented the Clinton Administration from pleading Chiquita's case. • • • change the law to comply with WTO. IMPLICATION: It is possible to catch shrimp without harming turtles by fitting shrimp nets with inexpensive "turtle excluder devices." US law requries domestic and foreign shrimp fishermen to use turtle-safe methods. The goal of saving turtles could be undercut by the WTO's second­ guessing of how US policy should be implemented, given the most inexpensive, effective means has been ruled WTO-illegal. Case studies are complements of "A Citizen's Guide to the World Trade Organization." �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Stop the Clock Campaign has been receiving calls from people who think HB 578 expired when the Ohio Assembly adjourned for the summer. Happily, HB 578 is still very much a live biU and will not expire until December 31, 2000. Ofcourse, ifpassed, it will not expire at all but improve the lives of thousands of women and children in Ohio. As a reminder, HB 578: * Allows Ohio Works First recipients to receive public assistance for five consecutive years, or longer, if the federal law changes * Calls for a moratorium on time limits ifOhio "Who will be Exempted from the Cut-Offi" by Lynn Williams, 0 E C Ohio Works First allows 20% of the welfare caseload to be exempted from the time limit. It is left up to counties to decide what the categories are to allow for exemption. Counties are not required to exempt anyone if they so choose. Cuyahoga County , which h as the largest caseload in the state, has decided NOT TO EXEMPT ANYONE, according to Cuyahoga County Commissioners. Three thousand five hundred families are slated to be cut off on October 1 with five thousand four hundred families cut off between October 1 and December 1, in Cuyahoga County alone. And yet, according to Cuyahoga County Commissioners, "We need tough love." ("Cleveland Plain Dealer'', June 19, 2000) Coschocton, Holmes and Washington Counties also plan to NOT EXEMPT ANY FAMILIES. Surprisingly, Hamilton County has taken a more humane approach towards the time limits. Exemption categories include: Priority A: A parent or caregiver who has a serious physical/mental illness, verified by a physician. A parent or caregiver who is the caregiver of a disabled child, spouse, parent or sibling. Priority B: A person six or more months pregnant or caring for a child under three months of age. A parent or caregiver who is a victim of domestic violence, with evidence of residing in a domestic violence shelter, a protective court order or a police report. Page 6 The Ohio Department ofHuman Services is gearing up for their " mass change cut-off'. They are currently designing the "mass change cut-off notice" which will be mailed in late August to thousands ofpoor families informing them of their families' cut-offs. This will be a mass cut-off ofmothers and children. STOP THE CLOCK Campaign Update ... Lynn Williams, Ohio Empowerment Coalition . enters a recession. * Changes sanction policy by: A. Ending a sanction upon compliance with a pro-rated check from date of compliance & B. Restores the adult's portion of food stamps so that the household's food stamps are not reduced. The Ohio Assembly will be back in session briefly in September. There is a window of opportunity for the bills to be heard then. We must continue to work on building support throughout June, July & August to make this an issue for legislators to have to contend with in September. Even though it's summer, we cannot live easy knowing that this cut-off lies just ahead unless we wake up Ohio's legislators' sense of humanity and moral conscience . Summer Action to Build Support for HB 578: 1. Summer months are ideal for meeting locally with your area's legislators. They are now in their home districts. Urge them to endorse the bill now and vote for it when it comes up for a vote. 2. Get endorsements from community groups such as churches, unions, women's groups, civic organizations. 3. Write "Letters to the Ed itor" to your local newspapers. 4. Mark your calendar now to attend the Stop the Clock Rally at the Statehouse on September 12, Tuesday. The Rally is scheduled for 11 :30 a.m. For more information about the Stop the Clock Campaign call 513/381-4242. A teen parent who is enrolled and in good standing in High School and for up to 12 months after receipt of their HS Diploma/ GED Priority C: A parent or caregiver who has so many children (four or more, age 13 and under) that employment is not economically feasible. The parent or caretaker is 55 or more years of termination notices. Still, high numbers of families are going to be cut-off. Many children will fall deeper into poverty or be removed from their homes. It is important now more than ever that concerned citizens speak up loud and clear in support ofHB 578 before ODHS, with · the blessing of the Ohio General Assembly, axes assistance to poor families. age. A parent or caregiver enrolled & in good standing in an education or training program. Maximum extension allowed is one year. Priority D: A recipient who was not assigned a Work Activity as part ofher/his county self­ sufficiency plan. The exemption would last for no more than six months. As the numbers of families reach the 20% level, fewer & fewer exemptions will be allowed for lower priorities. If families that meet the Priority 1 category fill up the 20%, that will be the extent of exemptions. What is unfortunate is the fact that additional families who reach the time limit in later months will not have the opportunity to be exempted if the 20% limit is already filled. According to the OSLSA Welfare Task Force, counties that are allowing exemptions can exempt those families before the cut-off so they will not be terminated when everyone else is. Everyone else will receive a "mass change notice" informing them they are terminated. The notice will explain that they can appeal this decision if they think they fit the exemption category for their county. Originally the Ohio Department of Human Services had planned to terminate everyone, but because enough advocates for the poor "fought" this decision, it was changed. If no one had spoken up to resist this, all recipients would have received Words From the Evangelist A Place To Call Home Living Testimony Christian Center Paster Jackie Jackson who is the Director ofEvangelism for City Gospel Mission is moving his church to City Gospel Mission. So now the person who coordinated the carnival, block party, discipleship classes, and street evangelism will now be here with his church to love you full time. Services will be at City Gospel Mission at 1419 Elm St., Sundays at 10:30 AM. The first service will be on July 2, 2000. I will be there, so come join the Fellowship. I am still leading Bible Study at the Washington United Church ofChrist in Camp Washington, Wednesdays at 5:30 pm. Come study God's word and its meaning for your I ife today, and stay for the family dinner at 6:30 pm. Bring the whole family and be blessed. A.W.O.L. ministries is still providing Bibli~al Counseling, Seminars, and referral services. For inquiries and contributions, call 210-4181 or write P.O. Box 36065, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236. In His Service, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. �STREETVIBES Class Inequality in American Education by Patrick "Tree" Mosolf Look at Cincinnati Public Schools today. Students are crowded into classrooms in buildings that are crumbling and in disrepair. Textbooks and supplies are old and limited in number. Corporate logos invade our schools' space and our students' minds. Levies to raise more money for the schools fail, while the district chooses to close down more schools. Teachers, counselors and principals are being laid off. Public hearings contain many frustrated speeches from citizens who are tired of the problems their children encounter at the schools. All of these are indicative of the troubles many urban school districts are facing. There are vast inequalities in the American educational system, which in turn reproduces the class differences in our society. T he role of corporations is present, yet not often pare of our discussion of schools. In order to make education work fo r all of our nation's students we must reaffirm our commitment to bring equal opportunity to our children. Before we look at the problems of the public system we must consider the whole education system, including non p ublic education. A simple way to look ar the whole system is m conceptualize it as having five parts. The first three, whjch will be of primary importance jn the discussion in this article, are l ) the urban school system, 2) the suburban school system, 3) and the private school system. The fo urth and fifth parts, which are not considered in this discussion, are the rural school districts, and home schooling. Recognition of these 5 parts allows us to understand more about the condition of urban public school districts like Cincinnati Public Schools. Separate and Unequal T he primary effect of both private schools and suburban public schools has been to draw money away from urban school districts. Wealthier citizens move away from the cities to get a better education for their children. This slowly erodes the urban public schools' tax base. The private school system also may contribure to a declining tax base as people whose children don't attend public schools may actively discourage the passage of tax levies co fund the public schools. Also, both of these parts of our educational system contribute to another problem for urban school districts. When some families move out of the district, and others send their children to private schools, who is left in the urban public districts? Unfortunately, a disproportionate percentage of the children remaining in urban school districts are poor or people of color. Many of the children attending urban school districts live in some of the most blighted inner city neighborhoods. As a result, the urban public schools have not only the task of educating the students, but also the difficult charge of handlin~ difficult social proble~s. O ur urban publi~!$Chool districts become ~ medium for handlmg problems like undersocialized and poorly nurtured children, child abuse, drug abuse, violence, homelessness, and teenage pregnancy. With this responsibility, The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine its no surprise that urban school districts have trouble helping studen ts develop into accomplished graduates. Education as Class Reproduction As result of these divisions in the educational system, there is vast inequality in the type of education children from different parts of society receive. T he phrase "separate and unequal" comes to mind. Not only is the type of education children receive vastly unequal, but it also serves to reproduce class and race differences in our society. Those students who can afford to go to private schools or live in the Tender Mercies Shelter Gets New Executive Director, Marcia Spaeth .. .By Pat Mitchell Recently I was approached by a woman while out selling Streetvibes papers. She asked what kind of help is provided for senior citizens who are mentally ill. I was baffled, but my answer to her was that I promise to check into this. Because I honestly couldn't answer her question even though I had recently referred a lady, "Debbie" to Tender Mercies. I wasn't quite sure what their program was about, so I decided to find out. After talking to the Chief Executive Marcia Spaeth and the Out Reach Case Manager Dennis Roger, I was amazed at the work being done there. Marcia Spaeth is the C.E.O for Tender Mercies, presiding only 2 weeks as their president. She started as a volunteer for 15 years working with Fr. Chris Hall, quit and then returned as a full time volunteer for 8 years. Rendering her services and starting a Meal's Program where people cook meals at home and serve to the residents 1 hot meal daily. She also started a fund raising agency to provide pay for a staff of 52 people who worked around the clock to accommodate there residents. What a great job .Marcia!! What a blessing you are to the Community. I also found out through talking with Dennis Roger, who is a Out Reach Case Manager, that Tender Mercies serves mentally ill homeless people from 18 years of age and up. Age is not a barrier. They have a Permanent & Transitional Housing Program going. The Transitional House provides 16 beds for temporary housing for those who can move from homelessness to independent Community living. The program provides case management such as Psychiatric consulting recreational activities, assists with benefits procurement, referral to community treatment professionals and provides educational and job skills with such programs as B.V.R. etc. Those who can afford it, pay 30% of their income for living quarter-S. The staff includes.Rod Edeing, Sara McNervey, and Dennis Roger: all are case managers. They are interviewed by Page 7 suburbs will receive a higher quality education. Consequently, they will be more likely to get highly professional jobs in business, as a computer programmer, doctor, lawyer, etc. The students who struggle in urban public school districts receive much poorer quality of education and thus are more likely co be employed in lower end positions like industrial labor, maintenance, low paying service jobs, if they are employed at all. T he effect of the U.S. educational system in reproducing class status across generations is perhaps one of its most CLASS INEQUALITY, continued page a staff and the staff decides which programs are acceptable. If there's no bed available, they are then placed on a waiting list. Their permanent housing program currently provides 150 beds for men and women. Their rent vari~s from $185-195 monthly for those who want and require shelter. It is a supportive and safe environment for as long as they live. If need be, they do have a resident that's been there for 15 years. They also give referrals for nursing home if the occasion calls for it. Tender Mercies exists to serve homeless people with histories of emotional and mentally illness. They have 7 locations, ..... (mostly close to 12th and Elm) . Thank you Marcia Spaeth and Dennis Roger for enlightening me. Now if I'm approached, either through selling papers or at our office (the Coalition for the Homeless), I can give a referral and know that a person will be properly taken care of. + + + The History of Tender Mercies During the late 1970's and early l 980's, three priests - Randy Lafo nd, Ed Slater, and the late Chris Hall - were working in Over-the-Rhine with homeless men and women. In 1985, after cwo . mentally-ill women they had helped find housing for were victimized and one murdered, the priests were further motivated to find an answer to a problem that was often overlooked - housing for mentally-ill homeless men and women. They approached a local building for free and guarantee that all apartments would be occupied and rent paid on rime. T he owner agreed, and the new venture was named Tender Mercies. Tender Mercies was organized as a non-profit corporation in March of 1985. Despite the religious motivation of the initiators, it was decided to keep the organization separate from any belief or denomination. T he trustees agreed that the mission of Tender Mercies would be to provide permanent housing for homeless persons with mental illness and that the goals would be tO promote and ensure security, dignity, and community for the residents. Today we operate and maintain seven buildings with over 50 professional staff members. �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page B Congress Closes US Army· School of the Americas, ·GiVe~ .Okay to·open Clone l( , • SOA Protesters Sentenced to-. ·P rison ' l I ·. ·, COLUMBUS, GA -Ten protesters received sentences of up to 12 months in prison today (June 8, 2000) for their part in a November 1999 funeral procession onto Fort Benning property calling for the closure of the School of the Ame'ricas (SOA). Judge Hugh Lawson imposed the sentences · today in the US District Court in Columbus, GA. Congressional medal of honor winner Charles Liteky received the maximum sentence of 6 months in prison and a $5000 fine on each of two counts of trespassing for a total of 12 months in prison and a·$10;000 fine. Liteky stated, "I dedicate my time in prison to the victims of the SOA, living and dead. When I enter prison it will be as a prisoner of war, the war against the poor." Sr. Megan Rice, who served a 6 month sentence for her part in a 1997 SOA protest, was sentenced to 6 months in prison and a $5,000 fine. She was taken immediately into custody. Seven othe~s were sentenced to three months in prison and a $2,500 fine after stating that they would return to Fort Benning again and again until the SOA is closed. One defendant, who did agree that she would not return to the post was sentenced to 12 months of probation and $1,000 fine. The School of the Americas, training ground for more than 60,000 Latin American military troops, has been under intense pressure to close its doors. Documented human rights abuses by its graduates have included the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the massacre of 900 civilians · in the village of El Mozote. In response to criticism, the Pentagon has circulated a reform proposal that would re-name the school The Defense Institute for Hemispheric Security Coop'eration but offer no substantive changes. By a narrow margin, the House voted to accept this proposal last month. ' SOA critics call the changes cosmetic and contend that it is business as usual fdr the SOA. School of the Americas Watch staff have vowed to work harder than ever to close this School of Assassins. The protesters were not deterred by the sentences and will return home to continue their anti-SOA organizing until ordered to report to federal prison. "These harsh se.ntences will only energize this movement and call forth in ever greater numbers," said Fr. Roy Bourgeois, co-director of Soa Watch. WASHINGTON,' DC - By a 214 to 204 margin, the US House of Representatives voted Thursday (May ·18, 2000) to close the controversial Army School' of ~he Americas (SOA) located at Ft. Benning, GA. But in the same vote Congress approved.the Pentagon proposal to immediately open a clone. The new school, called the Defense'lnstitute for Hemispheric Security Cooperation, is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers. Like the School of the Americas, it will be located at Ft. Benning. Rep. Joseph Moakley.(D-MA) tried to defeat the Pentagon proposal with an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill. Republicans Joseph' Scarborough (FL) and Tom Campbell (CA) joined Moakley and James McGovern (D-MA) as co-sponsors of a .measure that would have closed the School of the Americas but halt opening of the proposed Institute until a congressional task force reported it recommendations. The House rejected the bi-partisan amendment. Critics call the Pentagon plan cosmetic - a name change with no attempt to address the growing public outcry and congressional concern over the SOA's link to human rights atrocities in Latin America. SOA alumni include death squad leader, Roberto D'Aubuisson, from El Salvador and Col. Lima Estrada, arrested in January for the assassination of Guatemalan human rights champion , Bishop Juan Gerardi. In 19~8 , assassins beat Gerardi to death with a brick just days after he released a human rights report critical of the Guatemalan Army. The bi-partisan task force called for in the Moakley, amendment would have evaluated the effect of US military training on the human rights performance of Latin American soldiers. Commando and combat courses have been core curricula at the SOA and critics believe that the training contributes to human rights atrocities. Salvadoran soldiers cited by a United Nations Truth Commission for the commando-style massacre of six Jesuit priests and their two women co-workers had just completed the SOA commando course. .• "Congress may have been fooled, but the people are not. The SOA has a new name, but the same shame. We will be at Ft. Benning by the thousands again this November, and we will be in the halls of the new Congress in January. We, will keep coming back until we shut down the "School of Assassins" -whatever they call it," promised Fr. Roy Bourgeois and Carol Richardson who head up the ten year effort to close the SOA. SOA Watch, PO Sox 4566 Washington, DC 20011. Contact: Roy Bourgeois, 706.682.5369- Carol Richardson, 202.745.0485- Jeff Winder, 202.234.3440 CLASS INEQUALITY, from pa.ge 7 compelling facets. In addition, because people of certain ethnicities such as African American and Hispanics are more likely to be distributed in the lower classes, these people of color are more likely to suffer f~om the inadequacies ,of the urban public schools. How ironic! The system ofpublic schooling, which w~ supposedly established to make sure that everyone · . had a fair chance to succeed, has been undermined by artificial geographic boundaries (between suburbs and citi~) and the prevalence of private school usage among upper middle class and upper class families. Corporations in Education The role of Corporate power in the public education is still obscure to me, although I have suspicions that their role is significant. Just as corporations play a prominent role in the U.S. political campaigns, so I would think their role in the educational system would be major as well. The biggest question is, how much do corporations pay in financing public education? Based on their control of much of 1 the U.S. political process, and the chronic funcling problems of the urban school districts, I th.ink their ponion of the funding pie may have been engineered to be rather small. Even qiough ,oorporate owners will be the ones to benefit from well trained and ~ell conditioned workers, 'much of the cost of paying for the . :pubHc S<;hools is shouldered by individual raxpayers. .1 One. h'nal ominous note about i:orporations in public education is the inva.Siqn of corporate logos and advertisements . into our public schools. Since public schools now so often must scrounge for funds, they sell naming rights to corporations; "Welcome to Cinergy's Walnut Hills High School !", a banner ·above the entrance to Walnut Hills might say in the future. Even worse is Channel One, televised educational instruction which features advertisements for corporate products as a significant portion of its programming. As ifAmericans do not already watch enough television, now our children's minds will be colonized at school, where watching corporate advertisements will be part of getting a good report card and trying ' to succeed in life. . When the public schools must sell naming rights and allow advertisem,ents into the classroom to get funding from corporations, who is really in power? A Change in Values Americans need to do some soul' searching about what we want public education to mean in our society. What ever happened to the ethic of "All for one and one for all" .? Will we continue to purposefully allow one segment of the students to suffer in poor" dysfunctional schools while .a nother segment attends well funded, harmonious institutions? I believe that all Americans should work together to make public education work for all of our students, be they middle class or poor, caucasian or African American, male or female. It is not fair for those who benefit from our best educational institutions to continue to turn a blind eye towards those inner city students whose chances are dimmed by being born in the wrong school district. We, as Americans should search our consciences to find redemption through a commitment to make public education work for all. • • • �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine .........(This writer is terminally ill.) June I 0, 2000 Greetings My Brutha Sonny, I greet you in the name of our Creator and through the peace and power of the struggle. We must continue to embrace one another as a "Universal-Culture" in keeping the struggle alive. So as I come in extreme revolutionary, I greet you and all of my beloved "bruthas and sustas of multicultural with the Iron Clench Fist Salute" ... ... ..... .. ......ALL Power to the People! Hello Sonny. I am not sure how to present a letter of endearment, for the reason that this is my first presentation, but before I will make any attempt to awaken your conscious in a manner "we" both can appreciate, let me first and briefly state my purpose as well as my interest in writing. First of all, as you can see that my sin is Melvin D. Smith, aka "Smitty" if you prefer. More importantly as a "New Afrikan," my name is "Shaka Serna Umoja." I am a native of the greater Houston area which is where I am currently residing at this time. I am a 42 year old prisoner of want and I've been enslaved for 21 years in the jaws of slavery on the Eastham Unit Plantation. And while being confined in the belly of the beast, I've come to embrace the struggle for dear Life. Since being a representative of the struggle, I have chosen to represent the voice of the people in anyway I possibly can. I am a member of various outside organizations that call upon the empowerment of the "masses" of people collectively. I am up under the umbrella of NAIM, as most freedom fighters are. Now Sonny, I have chosen to become a member of PAN O hio Organization because I love you alls political views, especially the abundance of love and support everyone who are members has contributed. But more importantly, I'm very pleased with the support that you and your comrades have conrributed in helping bruthas and susthas of all races who are victims of a cy-ctem that advocates hate and injustice toward the human race. So I know what it's like trying to reach out to those who have been captured in the bowels of subjugation. So I must once again salute you for such a tremendous job in uplifting the conscious of the masses of people, in and on the outside. Because I have and do correspond with various people around the world, as well as with those who are incarcerated like myself. For this reason there are those who are in great need of friendship and companionship. So really, my function is to at least try to be there for d1ose I am now back at Lucasville - been back for four days, and I am holding a real ball-point pen in my hand instead of one of those rubber things we had to use at the supermax. It is such a relief to be out of that place, and that certainly says a lot, because since when can Lucasville, being the notorious.prison that it is, be said to be a relief from anything. This evening I went outside for the first time. I sat in the grass and talked with John Perotti as we enjoyed the fresh air and the evening sun. As time goes on, since being returned here, I am becoming more and more conscious of how Youngstown [supermax] dulls the senses. To now be around people, and colors, and on and on, it just flows and unfolds around me with such wonderment. That green door and those off white walls are not known to be the only colors of life. Gone now is the constant round of yelling and screaming and the kicking of doors and the slamming of cuffports. who are desperately in need of love and support. Even though I've had my ups and downs, I feel that I've been very blessed and successful in containing my "trials and tribulations" accordingly, so I try to deal with the empathy of my crisis by loving and supporting others as you have. Although a lot of my hurt comes from within, due to the dehumanization and criminalization of the judicial cy-ctem, whom I've like many more who have been victimized by the cy-ctem .. And I've been bitter for quite some time now, because it cost me 21 years of my life in prison. But in the process, I've only become stronger in my time and need for strength, and by the gift and grace of our Creator, I have been blessed physically, mentally, and spiritually so therefore I have "no" complaints other than trying to retain my freedom which I am hoping will be next year with the exception of parole, that is. Look bruthas, Sonny, it was such a great pleasure sitting here talking with you: I don't want to take up too much ofyour time because I'm sure you have more important duties that demand a great deal of your divided atten tion, so I won't hold you up any longer. But before I do let you up, I want to last of all stress that I do think that it is a wonderful idea to start PAN Ohio chapters within the prisons in various states. I am more than willing to help my bruthas start a chapter here on the Eastham Unit Plantation. So I can assure you that they will have plenty of support. And Sonny I would like to make one request, and that is can you please help me become a member of PAN Ohio O rganization? Although at this time I am indigent, but I will contribute whenever I can. I sincerely hope that our relationship is able to grow in a "Universal" way we can come to appreciate. Well my bruthas, I've completed my journey. I must move on to another destination. So until I awaken to the "eye of the east" to open up my heart again to search for tomorrow. You take care of yourself Most of all, stay strong, stand firm, and keep your Page g I think you.are familiar with how they demand that everything which is not consumed on your food tray be returned when they open the cuffport to pick up your tray. One morning last winter there was half an apple on my tray, and there were two seeds in the apple. I took those two seeds and enclosed them in a letter to my son. He is seven years old. My son planted those-two seeds from behind the green door about six weeks ago and they have both sprouted, taken root and are growing daily. It's to say that they cannot stop the cycle of life with those green doors. After my passing, in years to come, those two apple trees will give forth the wonderful taste of life known to me and my son, and to the awesome concept of the very essence of Youngstown I say - defeat that! I now await my first visit with my son in two years. Richard (Red) Armstrong Lucasville, OH Reprinted from the newsletter Impact, Youngstown Ohio head up ........ Stay beautiful and creative within. May the peace of power forever be your peace. Power to the People!!!! I now leave as I come, and chat is in solidarity and revolutionary with the Iron Foot Down, and the Iron Clench Fist Up .... Respectfully and sincerely yours, Servant of the People (NAIM), Shaka Sema Umoga Nia Melvin Smith Lovelady, Texas STREEMBES Prisoners News contains news about the justice system and 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 $ 15 for a year's subscription Send your comments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com mail : STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 4521 o PEN PALWANTED Michael Benge, #276-821, O.S.P., 878 Coitsville-Hubbard Rd., Youngstown, OH, 44505 �1 • STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 10 Death Pe.nalty ... _D o y9u have Questions? · - Nearly 3,500 people are on Death Row in the U.S. There are nearly 200 people awaiting execution in the state of Ohio. One-fourth of them come from Hamilton County. Does this m~ke you feel uncomfortable? RALLY Some common MYTHS about the death penalty: IT DETERS CRIME ... Except it doesn't. No available study t)as·shown that the d~ath penalty deters violent c rime. h, 10Q. .:e average murder rate per 100,000 people was 6.6 in death penalty states and 3.5 in no!} death-penalty states: IT IS L!=SS EXPENSIVE THAN LIFE IMPRISONMENT... Except it isn't. Various state governments estimate that a single death penalty.case, from the point of arrest to execution, ranges from $1 million to $3 million. Cases resulting in life imprisonment average ar.~ $500 090 each, in_cluding incarceration 4 cost. The execution of Wilford Berry in Feb., 1999 in Ohio cost between 5-10% of the states capital crimes section for five years. Life imprisonment would have cost nearly half as much. THE DEATH PENALTY IS FAIRAND JUST... Except it isn't. Those sentenced to death are not necessarily those whose crimes are the most atrocious. Instead, they tend to be those who are poor, people of color, and those whose victims are white. More than 90% of those on death row were financially unable to hire an attorney to represent them at trial. Additionally, despite the appeals process, mistakes are made. A 1987 study published by the Stanford Law Review found that between 1900-1985 twenty-three innocent people were executed. Since 1993, 80 people have been released from death row based on significant evidence of innocence. PUBLIC OPINION SUPPORTS THE DEATH PENALTY ... Or does it? Public support for the death penalty drops to 44% when people are given a choice of life imprisonment with restitution to the victim's family. What do chureh leaders say? Most major denominations have opposed execution. Execute Justice... ... NotPeople. Ohio State Capitol Building ---:- Thursday, September 28, 2000 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM,. COLUMBUS, OHIO, Broad St. & High St. CRITIC4L RESISTANCE: STOP THE P)JISON INDUSTRY COMPLEX • It's time to stand up and speak out . Some of the issues that will be addresssed at this rally are: The Pri;Son Industrial Complex (PIC) is the fastest growing industry in the U.·S. with more than two million people impri~oned and more than 7 million people under some form of correctional control. The only industry whose livelihood and future growth depends on its own failure. · · The economic and racist injustice of the Death Penalty. PIC '9lations ofUnited Nations standards for prisons. PIC's use ofprisoners for slave labor which has been directly linked to the World Trade Organization and the emerging Police State. State and National Political Prisoners. . Restorative Justice. Staughton.Lynn, a human rights activistfor more than 40 years, will b~ speaking out on the Lucasville 5, the Ohio Death Penalty and super maximum security prisons. Other speakers to be announced. Sponsors of this rally: Prisoners Advocacy Network-Ohio (PAN-Ohio),Anti-Racist Action, Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants-Ohio (C.U.R.E. - Ohio), Art & Revolution, Oberlin Action Against Prisons, Ohio-SORT, Kent Anarchist Black Cross, Justice Watch, Ohioans to Stop Executions, OSU Student Environmental Action Coalition, and th·e AFSC Ohio Criminal Justice Program. For more information contact: PAN-Ohio, P.O. Box 2)8453, Columbus, Ohio 43221, Phone: (614)2182297, E-mail: Pan0hio2@aol.com Dear Streetvibes, than mine were. As a result, since February I I am currently an inmate at Pickaway Correctional · have not been able to see anything. Also because of the strain on my eyes I have terrible Institution located near Columbus. I am serving a 10 headaches daily. I had to have another inmate month sentence and am writing chis in hopes chat you will write this letter for me. I did see an eye doctor print it so your readers can see what happened to one on April 12, but it has been eight weeks ago individual person in the court and prison system. and I still have no glasses. I quite going co the I was on probation for a minor misdemeanor drug-rehab classes and the N .A. and cocaine­ violation from Dayton. My probation officer violated me anonymous me~tings because I can't read the for arguing with him on the telephone and since I was literature or see the blackboard or films they looking at serving six months in the Dayton work house and I had a good job.and was working everyday, I didn't go show. I would like to know, what kind of rehabilitation is this? The only thing that this to the hearing. Naturally a warrant was issued. I do experience has done is caused me to lose my occasionally smoke crack. ·I was arrested six months later job, my career (I'm a college graduate), and I on a job site by the Green County (Sugar Creek) Police as haven't been able to pay my child support on I was in Green County for the Dayton probation my two small children for the last eight violation. I had a crack-pipe in my pocket and they months. l still have a strong desir~ to smoke arrested me and scraped a microscopic amount of resin crack. from the pipe. I was charged with "Possession of less than The one and only thing that has a gram of cocaine," a fifth-degree felony. I have been doing drugs for 30 years. I have always sustained t?e and pulled me through this whole experience is my faith in God and Jesus Christ maintained a job and paid my bills. I had never been and going to church services and the Bible· charged with any drug charge prior to this, ever: When I studies held here at P.C.I. went to court in Green County (Xenia), I begged the Thank you for your fine newspaper judge to send me to a drug-rehab program, as I have never and for making it available for inmates like me. been to any kind of drug-treatment program in my life. When I receive my copy I pass it around and .....However, he sentenced me to 10 months in prison. I all the inmates who read it enjoy .i t as well. have never had a prison record prior to this. Keep printing the truth, there needs to be My first day in prison the prison authorities took more papers like your fine publi~tion. away my glasses because one of the earpieces was broken. They fell on the floor and broke while· I was in the County Sincerely Yours, jail. However, I have seen at least three other men that are here in prison wearing glasses that are broken far worse Michael Doug/4s �STREETVIBES " The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine First Step Home: .Servi.ces for Women ........ by Ginger Brock First Step Home, Inc. opened its doors in 1993 to serve drug and alcohol addicted women. We are the only long-term, residential treatment program in Hamilton County that invites children aged 12 and under to live with their mothers during treatment. . In 1999, First Step Home opened • its Fulton Avenue house, just north of Eden Park. Sixteen women and their children reside at this location. March 2000 saw the re-opening of the original St. Michael's site in. the lower Price Hill, thanks to volunteers in Project Restore. Due to this expansion, we are now able to double our c.apacity, serving 32 women. After a women moves through the residential program and -.... achieves sobriety, she and her family have the option of moving to one of our transitional housing sites. Because the apartments are together, each woman has a network of support surrounding her, helping to prevent the chance of relapse . Our collaborative efforts with housing organizations in our . community help make this project a reality. First Step.Home's goal is for women to establish sobriety, making be.tter. and more productive lives for the.mselves, and creating more loving and nurturing environments for their families. For more information about First Step Home, please call Ginger Bock at 961-HQME. Trip Services, Page 11 from />age 3 seven days to complete the research. First, they research Metro, TANK or Access to see if that service is available to you.. .If it is, then the Transportation Agents call back with the roii!e numbers and times. If the.bus is not available, then they look into vanpooling. There are vans that run to different companies around the region and they see if they could place you on one of those vans. If a bus·or.van is n.ot available, then they see if they·can place you in a .carpooling or ridesbaring situation with someone else. Often you can b.e placed to·ride with someone else in a taxi. The Transportation Agents make the arrangements for you and provide you with the necessary information. If they cannot find transportation for you any other ~Y't they JI.lake transportation arrangements in a taxi, if one is availabl~. If a taxi is itot available, you are placed in a waiting list for the next open spot. TRIP does n.ot provide car repairs or bus tokens. They aiso do not provide free, school, medical, or shopping transportation. They exclusively serve residents ofHamilton County, and cannot guarantee the pick-up or arrival times nor that transportation is available. TRIP is not an e~ployment ~~ncy, and therefor~.they~iot find JObs. Van ndes are $1.50 each wa~•JJ · taxi rides are $2.50 each way. TRIP. can be reached between' 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, at (513) 73 1-5030. Their fax number'is (513) 73 1-5069. TRIP is located at Hillcrest Square Office Center; 1811 LosantivilleAvenue, Suite 420; Cincinnati, Ohio45237. The Campaign for Safer Neighborhoods organizes against toxic emissions in Hamilton ·County ......ByJohncri~well The negative effects of Cincinnati's industrial-based pollution on our area are evident. In the summer months, industrial emissions contribute to our air being dangerous for youth and the elderly. Chemical odors intrude into our neighborhoods or our vehicles while driving. The danger of chemical accidents affecting the community also looms as a possibility. Houses on Dana avenue in Evanston display new front facades, having been replaced after receiving damage from the devastating BASF plant explosion in July of 1990. Nationally, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, Hamilton County ranks in the top 20% of all counties in the country for pollution releases to air and water. The Mill Creek Valley, the most industrial portion of the City of Cincinnati, is the origin of most of these releases. Segments of this community area, in addition to · being the most polluted, are also the lowest income neighborhoods of the city. Portions of them are over 75% minority population. Many times neighborhoods like this, sometimes referred to as 'environmetaljustice areas', do not have the resources to organize an effective "good neighbor" or "polluter accountability" campaign. It is hard for residents to approach an industrial corporation about chemical odors or the safety of a near by plant. Led by ECO: the Environmental Community Organization and Ohio Citizen Action, the Campaign for Safer Neighborhoods, has been helping citizens do this. They have been involving a broad-base of citizens and community groups to work directly .with local industry to reduce Last year, the Campaign for Safer pollution and chemical accident dangers. Neighborhoods began work to reduce noxious and Over the last two years, this campaign has toxic odors from Willard Indus.tries, an aluminum been working with three local industrial facilities: foundry in Northside. Cincinnati Specialties Inc. in St. Bernard, Willard . Along with the newly formed group, Industries of Northside and Morton International in Northsiders for Cleaner Air, the campaign has met Reading. With the public outreach of Citizen Action, with a company representative twice, conducted research and involved Northside residents in this over 20,000 letters have been sent to officials of work. these companies encouraging them to work with This year the campaign has expanded its work the community and reduce pollution and chemical to iriclude Morton International, a manufacturer of accident dangefs. chemicals for the PVC plastics industry, Morton Also, representatives from the following has generated concern from community members participating groups have been meeting regularly in the following areas: with industry staff: Rivers Unlimited, the North • C':lflcer-causing air releases: a leader in our 10 Avondale Neighborhood Association, the Bond Hill county region. Community Council, the Community Action • Clean Water Act violations: 96 violations since Agency, the Miami Group of the Sierra Club and 1993. the Coalition of Neighorhoods. • Accidental chemical releases: four documented In August of 1998, this campaign started . releases of methyl chloride, considered a 'risk' work with Cincinnati Specialties, a manufacturer of chemical by the US Environmental Protection food flavorings, ·saccharine and rust inhibitors. Agency. Long-time citizen concerns with this facility have • A history of dumping on-site: this site has included odors, toxic air releases-and a history ~f bec-0me a priority for clean up. chlorine accidents. • Diesel truck fumes: trucks parked over-night Responding to citizen pressure brought by assail the neighborhood residents with cancer­ the Campaign for Safer Neighborhoods, Cincinnati causing exhaust. Specialties has: • Committed to build an on-site safety enclosure The campaign has had an initial meeting with building to prevent chlorine releases. company representatives and toured the facility. • Upgraded their chemical waste recycling. The work here has just begun. • Completed two projects to reduce odor If you know of an organization that would like emissions. to join this important work or you would like more Monthly meetings with facility management are information, please contact John Criswell at 513­ on-going to follow-up on these commitments and 541-0579 or john_criswell@juno.com. to address future problems. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine PENDING FEDERAL MENT AL HEALTH LEGISLATION BOGGLES THE MIND .... T Billman Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Edward Kennedy (D -MA) have introduced the "M ental Health Early Intervention, Treatment, and Prevention Act (S.2639), in an effort to try and help homeless persons with mental illnesses. The bill authorizes a jail diversion program, which provides funds to communities to establish "mental health courts", similar to the "drug courts" now in existence, in an attempt to divert people into mental h ealth housing and support services. The bill also authorizes a Mental illness outreach and screening program, especially targeting homeless persons. Before 1960, before the patients' rights movement gained momentum, a "crazy" person could be kept behind locked doors in a institution indefinitely, with practically no legal recourse. Since then, hundreds of former mental patients, inspired by humanistic psychiatrists such as Thomas Szasz (through his books, i.e. The Myth ofMental Illness and The Manufacture ofMadness), and anti-drug therapy advocates like Peter Breggin, have turned t he tide against the unconstitutional imprisonment ofAmerica's social misfits. It is definitely true that conditions in prisons are deplorable and people accused ofminor crimes should not be there. But rather than admit the fact that the prison system itself needs to be entirely revamped , Family Advocate groups such as NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) wish to take the position that prisons are for real criminals, not for their sick, misguided relatives. So they wish to create systems which imprison their relatives in a kinder, gentler way, like through neuroleptic drugs. They are, of course, backed in th eir effort s by the p sychia tric drug manufacturers and the American Psychiatric Association (APA), both of whom have a vested interest in the increased use of forced treatment. If there were Mental h ealth empowerment centers where people were accepted without question and treated w ith resp ect, where the curative powers of mother nature were employed to h elp people gain insight into themselves, I would wholeheartedly back a bill which would divert those accused of minor offenses from the criminal injustice system .into more creative and compassionate alternative. parents and loved ones of those who have been killed, mistreated, and unjustly imprisoned, have formed recently to tackle the immense task of making prisons something other than revenge depots. A likely outcom e of "mental h ealth courts" is that increasing numbers ofpersons designated to be mentally ill will be rescued from the prison system only to be attached to something called Involuntary Outpatient Commitment (OTR) Some expatient advocates have called OTR "th e leash law" . In greater depth: From the Website of MADNation : "Involuntary Outpatient Commitment is the name gi,ven an expansion offorced treatment to include court orders requiring people diagrzosed with mental illnesses to comply with community treatment orders or face involuntary hospitalization. It is perhaps the biggest challenge to liberty and freedom that people diagrzosed with mental illnesses face today. IOC is only the tip ofthe iceberg, as, foeled by drug company money and the personalfortunes of millionaire pro-force fanatics, the campaign. to make us appear dangerous, unpredictable and violent is in foll swing. It is a battle beingfought notjust in the United States, but all over the world. We are seeing a world-wide demoniza.tion of people based on psychiatric disability that harkens back to the days ofthe eugenic movement. Its tools are IOC, mental health courts, and involuntary commitment statutes that go far beyond the ''dangerous to self and others" standard that held sway in the past. Coupled with a decrease in fonding for services that really work, increases in forced treatment may, if unchecked, return us to back wards and life long misery. " Sally Zinman of the California Network of Mental Health Clients: '1n a research study, the Well Being Project, produced by the California Department ofMental Health, 55% ofclients interviewed who had experiencedforced treatment reported that fear offorced treatment caused them to avoid all treatment for psychological and emotional problems. Non-compliance is the result offorced treatment; moreforced treatment is not a solution. Recovery and therapeutic relationships cannot exist in an environment ofcoercion. " • • • But aside fro m a few token , . . . . . - - - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - . , Consumer-run organizations, the mental Advocates and Supporters of Leonard Peltier Gather h ealth system is not a culture of outside the Hamilton County Court House, in vigil empowerm ent, but a revolving door awaiting the outcome of Leonard's parole hearing. warehouse, where people whom society has ostracized are channeled and funneled through the revolving doors of psych wards and social programs, not really for their own benefit, but for the supposed benefit of everyone else -- their parents, doctors, drug companies, a scapegoathungry society..... .. T his new Kennedy/Domenici bill is likely to give impetus to impending legislation which would reverse th e progress in mental patients rights which hundreds ofex-patients have fought hard to achieve. In addition, it will likely distract many from the recent upsurge in prison reform efforts. Many New organizations, many made up of the Page 12 LEONARD PELTIER REVIEWED FOR PAROLE United States Parole Examiner Refuses to Consider New Evidence by the LeonardPeltier Defense Committee Native American rights activist Leonard Peltier­ was reviewed for parole today (June 12, 2000) during a hearing held at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas. The hearing was held to determine whether there is any reason why the Parole Commission should change their 1993 decision to deny Peltier parole. Today Peltier's representatives told the Commissionthat Peltier's health, serious family needs, and his positive program achievements were all reasons for the Commission to reconsider their denial of parole to Peltier..... The Parole Examiner refused to read areport from Dr. Peter Basch who, after reviewing Peltier's recent medical records, determined that problems with Peltier's health could result in "recurrent central retinal vein occlusion, stroke, heart disease, and kidney fail ure." The doctor also noted that several of Mr. Peltier's health problems had not been treated appropriately by prison medical staff. Attending the parole hearing were representatives for Amnesty International, the National Council of Churches, the National Congress of American Indians,and the Assembly of First Nations. Legal council included attorneys Jennifer Harbury, Carl Nadler, and former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark. Jean Ann Day, survivor of the Pine Ridge "reign of terror" also testified. The parole examiner did not respond to pleas from Amnesty International or the National Council of Churches, and he showed no interest in the eight parole plans offering Peltier housing and employment from various Native Organizations and tribes. Furthermore, the examiner refused to accept or consider the 10,000 letters collected over the last three months from US citizens, human rights organizations, luminaries and members of the international community supporting Peltier's release. Without deliberation or the consideration of any documents presented, the parole examiner recommended that Peltier's sentence be continued until his next full parole hearing in 2008. Those in attendance reported that the examiner wrote the denial while thepresentation was still being made. Peltier's defense council will continue to protest the Parole Commission's denial of parole to Peltier in federal court. Supporters will continue efforts to gain Peltier's release through a grant of Executive Clemency. Leonard Peltier was originally conyicted for the murders of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. However, formerly wi thhe ld documents supporting Peltier's innocence would later force the prosecution to admit that they could not prove who actually killed the agents. Despite this, Peltier has remained in prison for 24 years. Amnesty International considers him to be a political prisoner who should be immediately released. For more information, contact: LeonardPeltier Defense Committee, PO Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044, 785-842-5774 www.freepeltier.org �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 13 ' Interview with a Cased warrior: Leonard Peltier Interviewed bY Ben Corbett........ ( Part I ) {abridged from the original transcript) " Why?" The FBI says it's a national security measure. They got their man, and they're dead set on keeping him. To them, he's a symbol reminding them of their own. self~hatred. A scapegoat for projected governmental shame and collective denial. To traditional American Indians, Leonard has become a martyr sacrificed to the battle for the freedom of Indigenous peoples around the globe. A Native catalyst uniting the struggle in the continuing war against genocide. To Peltier? "I am imprisoned for two consecutive life terms for being Indian." We hope that Leonard's own words will answer part of this difficult question. Bue more so, we hope they will challenge the reader to ask even harder questions. Questions about responsibility. About the value of justice. About the struggle for rights, Leonard's righ~. human rights, natural rights, our rights. About the meaning of "Freedom" and the cost of losing it on any level. BC: How do you feel about how things are going? LP: Well. .. I ·still can't see the light ac the end of the tunnel. These politicians are such sleazebags that you just don't know. You can't really get anything from a lot of chem once they get into power. They totally forget about all their commitments. The poor people elected them, and they forget about all the poor people. When C linton was running seven years ago, he was questioned by his campaign constituents, "What will you do for Leonard?" And he said, "I'll look into ic. " And here it is seven years lacer, and he still hasn't done anything. We know that the Federal Pardon Attorney in his first term recommended clemency. le went through Janet Reno's office. And it's been sitting in Janet Reno's office ever since. Numerous people have met with Clinton, and he knows about the case. Pe,ter Matthiessen met with him, Thom White Wolf, the head of the United Methodist Church has seen him several times. Clinton was on Pine Ridge last year, and he saw some of my supporters out there waving signs for my release. But Harold Salway (Oglala Tribal President] told me that when he and Clinton were by themselves, Clinton asked him, "Who's Leonard Peltier?" So it doesn't look that good for me when you got people saying those types of things, y'know? BC: I know you've been through this a thousand times, but what was the pressure like on Pine Ridge in 1975? LP : For 24 years now, I've been speaking about this continuously. I can only answer the same way I've always answered. There was a Reign ofTerror being committed against the Oglala people by their own tribal government. We know now that an agency of the United States government did an investigation, and before their funding ran out, they were able to investigate 64 deaths that were caused by Dick Wilson's GOON squads. People were living in fear. People were living in constant terror. That's the way it was. BC: What was the FBI's main reason for being against the American Indian Movement at that there? Who were they protecting? time? LP: Special interests - Dick Wilson, who was LP: Yeah. But not just AIM. There were a lot supporting special interest groups, mining of organizati~ns that were just as active. The companies, government agencies giving up United Tribes.df All Indians which I was one of I~dian land for minerals. It's a well known fact the fowiders was a very powerful organization. that the FBI has always supported big business · It's been in existence since 1970. It's just that it and big government. The knew they were , didn't take some of the actions that AIM did. getting close to the completion of the , AIM got the spotlight. Termination policy, which was planned for BC: After the 1975 firefight, why did they 1985, and they had to initiate inci4ents to need to pin the deaths on you? cause it co accelerate. Unfortunately for them, LP: What we figured ouc during the trials is it backfired. The world turned to the Oglala ,t hat they certainly didn't want to charge with support. ~omebody from the Pine Ridge reservation. So BC: How did the American Indian Movement . they tried to charge somebody that was get involved? considered an "outside agitator", which LP: AIM was requested by the traditionals and happened to be myself, my cousin Bob the Oglala people on Pine Ridge to come in Robideau, my friend Darrrell (Dino] Butler, and support them. To try and find some justice and of course Jimmy Eagle. I, myself, and my through the judiciary system. To help combat cousin Bob both have Lakota blood in us. discrimination, poverty, and the criminal We're not really outsiders either. But that's the way they tried to portray us. "Here'~ these outside agitators from AIM coming in and causing the deaths of their .agents." So they indicted us. And as it was, both Darrell and Bob went to trial in Cedar Rapids, and happened co be very fortunate of having a . judge that really had respect and honor for the oath he took, and he gave the(Jl as fair a trial he possibly could. There was a loc more evidence that he could have let in, but he'd seen it would have been coo damaging fo r the government. But he let some in, and it was -enough. The jury heard it and said, "Oh, wait a minute, something is wrong here. They didn't kill these agents." Remember, they were prosecuted as the shooters too. And if they were shooters, they did it in self-defense. The agents Williams and C oler were saying they were out there looking for Jimmy Eagle for kidnapping and robb~ry. This is what the FBI told the media and the world. But at the bottom, when the indictment was.found, the activity of their tribal chairman. That's why only thing he was indicted for was a AIM was there. And it was there upon request. misdemeanor for stealing a pair of cowboy Nobody in AIM went there and imposed boots. · themselves. · But what we think, and what I believe · BC : What was your role with AIM at that really happened, is they knew Dennis Banks time? was gonna be there. And we also know now LP : I was an assistant to Dennis Banks. A from Duane Brewer who was one of the bodyguard, if you want to use that term. I was GOON squad leaders, that they knew the basically just on'e of the organizers, really. Of Jumping Bull residence was an AIM course we protected Dennis. You certainly stronghold. They had planned assaults on the couldn't walk up to him and strike him with me Jumping Bull residence and another place in and a few other guys around. We were security, Kyle. The were all over the Pine Ridge but that wasn't really our function. Our reservation. They were planning - with function was to help organize events on the intelligence from the FBI, armor-piercing reservation. ammunition, sophisticated weaponry, and BC: When did the FBI start investigating you? funding - to assault these places. We also know LP:. That's hard to say. I haven't gotten all my there was a large mobilizatiOn of armored FBI files back from the Freedom of personnel carriers at different points aroun:d Information Act requests. But they've known the reservation getting ready to move in ....... about me since Fort Lawton in Seattle (1970]. ................... To be Contin~d in August I helped occupy the Fort Lawton military base about a year after the Alcatraz occupation. Reprinted by permission from "Turning the Tule: Those of us who were involved and arrested jounudof An.ti-RacistAction, &search & EJucation" had records kept with the FBI. I was very For more information, contact: People Against visible there, and I was very visible in helping Racist Terror (PART), PO Box I 055, Culver City the Indian community organize against the CA 90232, Tel.: 310-495-0299, E-mail: Vietnam War. There's documentation now that <part200J@usa.net> URL: <http:// proves that I was being watched at that time. people.we.mediaone.net/part2001/index.ht:ml> BC: This was all part of the FBI campaign as �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 14 IZtll Annual •Te-In ' -up f • tlla H - l e a ..... The Cincinnati Bengals and _ the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless are once again coming together for the 12th Annual "Tearning Up for the ... Homelessl", a fundraising ·event to benefit the Coalition's aid to homeless persons. This year's event will take place July 29, 2000 at the Bengal's annual camp scrimmage at Georgetown College in Kentucky. We will enjoy a picnic lunch on the way to the practice stadium, and after arriving in Georgetown, participants w i II have an opportunity to meet with Coach Bruce Coslet and team members for a pre­ season discussion. Then it's on to what we've al been waiting for, a preview of the season to come, as the Bengals battle it out during their annual camp scrimmage. We will depart from the parking lot at Dick Clark's American Bandstand in Kenwood at 10:00 am on July 29, 2000 and return about 6 :00 pm that evening. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless would Iike to invite you to this exciting event. Ordering tickets is easy! To order tickets by mail, just fill ovt the order form and return it to .··.· . . the following address: The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Or you can purchase tickets by phone by calling the confirmation about your tickets shortly thereafter. The deadline for ordering tickets is July 22, 2000 and tickets will be going fast. Don't miss out on your chance to have some fun for a good cause with the Coalition office at (513) 4217803 and using your credit card. You will receive a Cincinnati Bengals and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homelessl . Please send me the following tickets: Adult tickets at $35.00 each (12 and under) tickets at $7.50 each - - Children's (children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian) I have enclosed $- - to cover the cost of tickets . Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ Address: _ _ _ _ _ _: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ­ Phone: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ I cannot attend "Teaming Up for the Homeless," but please accept the following donation: $ _ _ __ Please make checks payable and send payment to: The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. �STRffTUIBfS StreetScopes Happy Birthday CANCER! The sun-planet ofjoyful self­ expression, Mars planet of direct action and excitement, and Venus planet oflove and beautiful things are all piled up in your house of • new beginnings. Ready to party/ but, wait! Mercury the planet of thoughts it • and locomotion is also is also there · · and what's he doing? Uh-oh he's going backwards and yes friends the dreaded Mercury retrograde is trammeling through your sign this time around. Is it a good time to mail stuff- um no. Is it a good time to depend on messages left on answering machines uh uhn. Is it a good time to sign on the dotted line- mmm probably not. So what do you do? Well actually retrograde is not necessarily a bad placement for Cancer as it lends a nostalgic air of remembrance and an opportunity to do stuff you shoulda oughta already done. All in all it should be a busy but slowed down double checking thoughtful month for you Cancer. Paradox is the name of the game. Go ahead get exited about stuff but double check everything and please don't count on people returning phone calls! Leo There is a pile up of planets in what • the ancients called your house of selfundoing. Luckily modern Astrologers '19 take a kinder view of this house. ~ Really a good way to approach this month is with the m~st spiritual emotionally mature attitude you can muster. Go into the attic of your psyche and dean house! Check all your old habits and addictions and look them over- now is a great time to discard bad habits and replace them with more emotionally rewarding pursuits. Watch movies, read books and wait 'til mid-month when the planet of love and romance pays you a visit! Virgo Your acquaintance network, clubs and political groups will be all a buzz this month. You may already have every weekend booked with Masonic barbecues, m acrobiotic potlucks, and PETA rallies, but watch out: communication is not what it should be and you could easily show up on the right date in the wrong place or the right place at the wrong time. Double check and make sure you are as clear as you can be this month don't leave conversations to chance unless you are psychic. Catch up on chores you were supposed to do all last season and avoid new car purchase or other new ventures 'til mid-month. Stop the worry!-breathe deep now and stop skipping yoga class. Libra Career is a freak out this month. What would you say ifl told you it's your time to shine? Creativity is high, you are motivated and driven and people Mr. Lee's View It was literally in the 11th hour that I decided to put pen to paper and write this . .. article? A middle aged, African-American male with an up close and personal perspective on homelessness. In the time that has passed since I signed up to be a Streetvibes vendor, some very important "things" have been revealed to me. For instance, I am more interested in writing than selling papers. More important than the income I will earn from selling newspap~rs is the humility and sense of purpose that will be a by-product of I The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 15 By Alanna Maloney: the UrbanAstrologer. seem strangely attracted to you in all things having to do with work. And then what if I told you it's also one of those months where you could send your office lover's note co the boss, the bosses strategy memo to the client, and the client's bid to your Mom- watch out for communication blunders that could make you screw the pooch. Scorpio Reflection and writing will serve you well this month. You can find excitement and illumination in educational and musical pursuits. How can these things not go in your favor? Study of philosophy and exotic travel plans could really spice up your love life. Again writing about past experiences to do with music, travel, law or education could really bring things co light. You are so lucky lately your family may offer to pay for a trip! S~ittarius This is a great time for you to pursue your psychic abilities. A psychic reading (hint hint) at this time would reveal more than usual. You could also have good luck channeling a female family member. You could sack away some cash or help your family with an inheritance. However communications with the IRS, the bank, or the insurance folks could get garbled before mid­ month. Triple check and then tape the stamp co the envelope! Capricorn Love life is where it's at this month Cappy! Spend time with your mate, get residual anger out of the way early so you can feel the love. Watch out though things from your past are rising to the surface and must be communicated. Don't let that lead to needless misunderstandings. Take extra time to make sure things are clear. Single Cappy should stick by dose friends this month as they may be the gateway to love. But, double check all dates times and places or you may stand someone up on accident! • Aquarius This month the focus is on your job Aquarius and it is a reminder that while • you are often a cool character you . actually prefer to work in an environment that feels like family- you also tend to work where you can care for people in some way. Jobless Aquarius could find work this month looking for places that feel like family, that feel like home. This month is also good for a complete health check up from a holistic practitioner, herbal doctor, or chiropractor. Pisces • Get out there this month and play a childhood sport you thought you had • forgotten. Get out to sunny places and work-out, but be careful of your back. "carrying the message." Neither this piece, nor any future pieces that I hopefully will write, will be my own story per se. At least that is my feeling at this time. Certainly anything I do write will be affected and crafted around my "up close and personal" perspective on home-less-ness. Homelessness is the hub. Emanating from this hub or center are practical basic survival issues. You know, the basic stuff: food, clothing, health care, mental health issues, employment, etc. (I love etc's.) There are also spiritual issues, emotional issues ... you know, Stuff!! I hope t0 write about some of this ... stuff. If I were more talented, or more Creativity action and romance are sparkling this month. Don't let miscommunication or too much nostalgia hold you back. Let new friendship blend with the old. Challenge in the next year brings great opportunity. Aries Okay Aries I know finishing things up is the bane ofyour existence, but the time has come. There are things that need to be done around your house or where you are staying. You have put them off long enough it has started to affect your emotional stability, and your self-esteem. A regular headache you could say. Unresolved issues with family could be resolved this month through counseling or journal writing. Then maybe they could help with those pesky chores! Taurus Get offyour duff and take that road trip you have been cogitating. Or is that a computer or a bike you were gonna get? Communication and motion are important, but wait 'til mid-month to sign on the dotted line. Please check your car out. Writing projects that have fallen behind could be caught up. Call your brother. • Gemini Luck is on its way. Life is filled with opportunity now. Don't overextend yourself (yeah, right!) and watch that gut! You should be able to make money hand over fist this month. Please save some! You put on a good show ofnot caring a whit for the green stuff, but the only reason you always blow it on shiny things is because you lack the security ofa nest egg. Even if its $20 in a whisky bottle under your bed knowing its there will help you keep your money in your hands where it belongs. Squeeze that Horoscope 'til it yelps! (This hdbit is repeatedfrom February because I think it bears repeating!]) Often we complain that Horoscopes are generalized. This is because they are! Each of us has at least 36 variables that make our astrological profile (birth chan) unique. Newspaper horoscopes can only cover 3 of these variables at most. You can, however, use a horoscope more t0 your advantage and bring that variable number much higher if you know your chan. If you have an interest in using horoscopes t0 your best advantage learn your rising (ascendant sign) and your moon sign from an astrologer, book, computer program, or the Internet. Then read those signs every month. This will give you a more personalized horoscope. Example: if your sign is Taurus, your moon sign is Pisces, and your rising sign is Leo; then you read Taurus to learn about your self­ expression (sun), Pisces for your emotional life (moon), and Leo (rising) for your social expression. T his will help to make horoscopes make more sense and bring meaning. Readings with Alanna: Tarot: Tuesdays from 9pm to Midnight at Sirwell's Coffee House 404 Ludlow Ave. Fridays from 8:30 PM to Midnight at Mullane's on Race Street. Astrology, Tarot, and Reiki: consultations and training are available by appoinanent through E-mail at psi_chic@hoanail.com. accomplished, I could carry the reader on a spiritual journey into a world he or she may never truly experience. Prayerfully, where my skill and talent fall short, my sincerity, faith, commitment and spirituality will take over. I believe that I do have something to say. I pray that God uses me to express the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of my brothers and sisters whose issues have brought, but not broken, them close to what would be, for most of our readers, a near hopeless state. Thank God, I ain't hopeless today. ... They call me Mr. Lee �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine :age 16 ..:: OFFICIAL ENTRY BLANK I 0 $12 Race Day Registered llliiilllii~!iiiil 0 $18 Race Day with shirt 0 $9 Pre-Registered 0 $15 Pre-Reg. with shirt 0 $Optional Donation _ _ INFORMATION Pre-Registration: $15 with shirt, $9 without shirt All entries must be postmarked by Friday, July 14, 2000 Race Day Registration: $18 with shirt, $12 without shirt. Registration will be held at the Drop Inn Center beginning at 7:30 AM. All teams must pre-register. Awards: Special awards to first male and female overall runners and the winning team. Top 15% of each division based on pre­ registration. Age Divisions: Men and Women: 18/under, 19-24, 25­ 29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45­ 49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-69, 70/ over. Address _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _State _ _ Zip _ __ included 0 Thanks, but I don't need my race results mailed to me. __Sex__ Age (on 7/23/00) Day Phone _ _--,-_ _Eve Phone._ _ _ _ __ Race Division (check all that apply) 0 5KRun 0 5K Fitness Walk Q 160/over lbs. Run (women) 0 200-219 lbs. Run (men) 0 220/over lbs Run (men) 0 Wheelchair Entry Signature _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Date 0 Team Registrant (must COURSE Harrison Viaduct This is a relatively flat course that starts Findlay a nd finishes near the Market Downtown YMCA. It starts on Central Parkway and goes north past the rear of ~ ~ Music Hall to a tum around 7"" near Brighton Street. Upon ~ the return, athletes will go '< 14th past the front of Music Hall by turning left on 14th FINISH Street, and right on Elm 12th Street to the finish in Washington Park. START Elm Fitness Walkers: 29/under, 30­ 39, 40-49, 50-59, 60/over Weig ht (SK run only): Clydes­ dale (men): 200-219 lbs. and 220/over lbs. Weight (SK run only): Athena (women): 160 lbs. and over Wheelchair: (will start one minute before the runners) Teams: Participants are invited to form teams of three to five members. The first three finishers on each team are counted to rank the teams. The winning team will receive a prize. All teams must be pre-registered. Refreshments available after the race. Results: Mailed to all entrants within three days, and available on Drop Inn Center website: www.overtherhine.org/dropinn Directions: Take 1-75 to Ezzard Charles-exit. Go east on Ezzard Char1es and turn left (north) on Central Parkway. Immediately after Music Hall ~urn right (east) on 14th Street. Washington Park is on your right as you go straight on 14th St. Street parking is available around the park. Paid parking is available on Central Parkway across from the YMCA and the AAA buildings. To get to Central Parkway turn right on Race Street from 14th St. be pre-registered) Team Name._ _ __ _ Parent's Signature _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _Date (required if under 18) In case of medical emergency contact _ __ _ _ _ _ __ Phone._ _ _ _ __ Q WEB WAIVER: In consideration of the acceptance of my entry, I hereby waive on behalf of my heirs, executors and assigns, all claims of any nature arising from my participation in the Drop Inn' Center SK, and do hereby release the Drop Inn Center, Steve Prescott, and all sponsors, worker officials and volunteers from any claim whatsoever arising from my participation in this event. I agree to abide by all rules for participation and acknowledge that the Race Committee may refuse or return my entry at its discretion. I understand the risks for such a run/walk and have trained adequately in preparation. I HAVE NOTED ANY MEDI­ CAL CONDITION enclosed with this form. Thanks to Our Sponsors: Make Checks Payable To: Drop Inn Center, 217 W. 12th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210-2201 . All entries must be postmarked by Friday, July 14, 2000 For more information, call Steve Prescott at 336-9242 or v isit the Drop Inn Center Website: www.OvertheRhine.org/Droplnn J ,J..- ---cd Musicby Panache ~J ,, e • ! n f i N E T '" NtNtJf~(/ Cmn.uw,tutCJlfJfU Cincinnati Central Credit Union Members ofthe Over-the-Rhine Steel Drum Band Spraying Systems Co.• Berge and Company,Ltd. Rohs Hardware VIBES www.thehungersite.com Help Solve World Hunger­ Free! Bv Dan Marschner A new site on the world wide web has made significant progress toward the goal of reducing world hunger: www.thehungersite.com. Visitors to The Hunger Site donate food to impoverished, starving people throughout the world. Since it's conception on June 1, 1999 by Indiana software designer John Breen, more than 65 million visitors have come to the site to donate more than 7,700 metric tons of staple food. The donated staple foods include rice, wheat, maize, beans, barley, and sorghum. The best part of the site is the fact that sponsors cover the cost of the food donations, at no cost to a visitor to the site. According to the Yahoo Daily Pick (June 10, 1999): "Do your part to end hunger. All it takes is one click." The site uses the resou rces of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to distribute the food donated each day. The WFP was founded in 1963 and is the world's largest international food aid organization. The organization fed 86 million people last year in 82 countries. The sponsors who pay for the food contribute • cent per donation, amounting to ~ cup of food when cooked. In exchange, each sponsor has an advertisement on the site. According to the New Statesman (United Kingdom): "a company that advertises there is actually getting quite good value for its advertising budget by feeding the starving." Shoppers who buy at The Hunger Site's online store contribute more funds to the cause, and the site has a newsletter that helps to educate visitors about hunger issues. Another feature of the site that has generated much interest is the map that sits on the opening page of the site. The map graphically illustrates the prevalence of starvation worldwide by darkening a country every 3.6 seconds. The map represents the site's statistic that a death from starvation occurs every 3.6 seconds, and 75% of those deaths are children. The New Statesman (U.K.) argues that the map is quite captivating: "it's like watching Death on his tireless rounds, from India to China, then Indonesia, before scurrying across to Africa and South America." The map depicts very effectively how devastating the pr.oblem of world hunger really is. The site has generated worldwide acclaim, including the People's Voice Award in the Activism Category of the Webby Awards People's Voice Campaign this past year. International press observers believe that the site offers hope for the future. The Press Association (U.K. and Ireland) advocates: "the whole point of the site is collaboration, and worldwide cooperation... over time, with many people making a single donation each day, the organizers can gain enough income to make a sizable contribution of food in the Third World ... It would seem that if only one site was worthy of being bookmarked this summer, The Hunger Site would be it." This author encourages anyone who reads this article to visit the site regularly, tell others about it,_and help to address the issue of world hunger ­ it's a little effort that can go a long way. The Hunger Site provided all of the statistics and press reviews for this article. �STRffTUIBfS Poetry and Art The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The following poem was written by an individual after he attended the Memorial Service for the Homeless, Covington, Ky., May 25"', 2000 : Friends Departed We Need Your Creativity! " , ' Urban blight is multi-faceted. It comes in the form of decaying buildings, once grand and cared for until the caring died. It comes in the shape of rotting ideals whose reality is never near the dream. Urban blight is a city cancer, curable, but difficult to treat while it spreads through the streets. It feeds off of reckless youth with their pumped up energy until there is nothing to be done, except to excise the diseased areas. I Urban ulight is a symbol of our t imes, god and the devil facing off under a street lamp. .... joani lacy To my friends that have passed, That fell victim to the streets, just another nameless face, forgotten by most With the dawning of a new day, To you I make this vow: That people will once again know your name And you shall not be forgotten. I wish to thank you, my friends, For the lives you've touched, Including mine. Our friendship, the times and memories we shared, I shall cherish. ,...... \ I I1 I ­ • 1 1 ./ Streetvibes. / do GCCH (Greater .- Cincinnati Coalition for -- the Homeless), 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati 45210 Phone- 513-421-7803, E-mail (text): to streetvibes@juno.com, E-mail (attached files, graphics): to homecoal@primax.net It's easy to pretend that evil doesn't exist; and it's simple to act as if there is no intention to ransack people. But the fact is, this economy is built on ransacking the people who work to benefit the people who do the deals. The fact is also, this economy is built on ransacking the environment to benefit the same class of deal-doers. And the fact is also, this economy is built on ransacking the children's education by teaching stupification, to benefit the same class of deal-doers. Turning the head another way is not the same as facing reality. What forces governance to face reality is the fact that small, insignificant people stand down, stand up, and stand for Justice, Fairness and Mercy, to hell with what laws are at work. Now it is recognized that death penalty cases are not working out of the need for safety; rather, they operate out of retribution. Now it is recognized that schools are incubators for rage and violence; yet, no one is willing to take that first step toward acknowledging responsibility. Now it is recognized that well-placed slander CAN in fact destroy the lives of activated, motivated and mobilized political adversaries so they cannot make aliving. And again, turning one's head makes the appearance of evil go away, for atime. But the time came-before-when the little people spoke up, because they had nothing left to lose. Watch. It is about to occur once again, that a nobody from nowhere will bring evidence, and then history will be changed forever. To you, my friend, I will not say good-bye, only Until next we meet For in my heart, you're still very much alive M. Emily Cragg <compania@hotmail.com> Homeless People's Network lheEUet Itried to domesticate the bullet, Totake her with me to school, To teach herthealphabet Ardraveta-8P3CK But she ismadeof black clay And stuffed with canned blood. I tried to domesticate the bullet, Totake herto the water-spring, To the fields ofdew. Butshe has C01Sl.Jl1lJtive lip; Thatloveto kiss the lipsofdeath Ton.mnageruvwred< And bb.vashesn oureyes I tried to domesticatethe bullet, To lead hertothetruth, To wash hSroopperwith perfi.Jrres And ~ta-g..inpcJMjef" 'Mtt1 S"Weets. But she refused to beunlocked,1. And remained drWing pus, Wrth poison in herbreath. ...........lraqui poet .. "' Send your poetry, writings or artwork to ....._ CITY CANCER Page 17 A Summer day on East 13th Street BERTA'S ART CORNER "Maestro Porho '~ bp Eric Reed Greiner -(In front of Music Hall)­ putting the Gent back in Gentrification. . .... �STREETUIBES The Tri-State's The March of Life: ·Rev. Maurice McCrackin Follows Jesus on the 1%y ofthe Cross .....By Anne Araya I want to walk as Jesus walked . . . . . . .The walk that led Him to the Tree. I want to give my all to Him. .... I want to set His children free .... free to love .... and laugh ..... and grow. So ....... off to the seminary I go ....... to begin upon the path that follows Him .... ... all the way to Calvary. Maurice McCrackin follows Jesus to the First Station: JESUS IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH In Iran, Mac saw his people there, "Heathen" they were called, ....... as if not quite "up to snuff" but....... as he looked into their eyes ..... he saw Jesus dwelling there - in them. He saw love for Jesus for each of his human kin. Returning to America, his heart is now prepared To know the love of God for all human kind. He came to Cincinnati to initiate his freedom ride ....... He strives to integrate the hearts of all for love of one another. He offers a vision of brotherhood amidst the clamoring throng but, they say, 'Mac is off his rocker' wealth and power is 'where it's at'! Mankind's good depends upon the dollar. He strives to do his best to alleviate the ills of a society based on greed and racism, war and glory, . . . . . . . in the marketplace. And so ........ Mac follows Him to the Second Station: JESUS TAKES UP HIS CROSS I will not pay taxes to manufacture bombs to kill one human soul. I will not cooperate with greed to kill the human spirit. I will accept my prison terms ....... to set His children free. Fast, I must ....... for they grow hungry ....... these children of the father. And so ....... Mac follows Jesus to the Third Station: JESUS FALLS FOR THE FIRST TIME The General Assembly said that I could no longer serve because of my concern for peace and hwnan dignity. But Mac continues to follow his Savior to the Fourth Station: JESUS MEETS HIS MOTHER I look into the sorrowful eyes of every mother struggling to love, feed, clothe, and educate her children ....... how can I turn back?! And so....... Mac follows in the bloody footsteps ofJesus to the Fifth Station: SIMON OF CYRENE IS FORCED TO HELP JESUS CARRY HIS CROSS I can no longer carry this burden ....... the weight of it grows heavy. Some are graced to see my heart ....... to share the burden with me. Mac can now go ro the Sixth Station: VERONICA WIPES THE FACE OF JESUS He sees the blood-stained face ofJesus upon the faces of all ....... torn by oppression, war and poverty . . .abuse and mediocrity. ..... .. and so he wipes his Savior's face with cloth and voice and love. Although it seems so paltry...... he clothes with hat and glove the ones who have nothing in this country of "brotherly love". ·Homeless Grapevine Page 18 And so ....... Maurice follows Jesus to the Seventh Station: JESUS FALLS A SECOND TIME With unwavering faith and energy given to him by God ....... he marched ....... and fell marched ....... and fell. His voice cries out to free mankind .. ..... his heart loves with an unwavering love for the dignity of all. And so ....... Mac follows Jesus to the Eighth Station: JESUS MEETS THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM Stop the war games! Lord, I pray! and put my body where my heart is ....... off to the pentagon he goes ........to tell them they must stop playing games ofwar ....... for if they don't their children will be n more. Their answer was, and is, (and I guess, it always will be) imprison him.... .... we do not want to hear the truth. He must go on Two of Cincinnati's growing number ofpanhandlers, ...despite the walls of prison .. .insults of providing the valuable service of reminding us that men this materialistic rat race we are caught up in may not be . . ..... bruises, slander and cattle prodders. as real as we convince ourselves it is His hands work untiringly to end all racial strife, and free men from oppression. and the poor. He brings hope where there was no hope. So, save your speeches and accolades ....... He has the hands and the heart of Christ. Feed the hungry And so ....... Maurice follows Jesus to the Ninth Station: JESUS FALLS THE THIRD TIME My health is failing my eyes grow dim my ears are weak my heart is skipping beats I'm often cracked with pain. .... ... I must go on .... for the race is not yet finished! Mac follows Jesus to the Tenth Station: JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS Others now must help me dress and bathe I surrender my dignity to you, Lord ... .... I identify with You ....... as You were stripped ofYour dignity too. in many ways, I am helpless ....... as were You ....... but my march goes on ....... to live my life for You. Through all the joy and pain of my latter years, My will to serve You grows ever stronger ...... to "run the good race" until the end. Mac continues in the footsteps of His Savior to the Eleventh Station: JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS I surrender to this cross ... .... as did You to Your Cross too. My life totally laid down in love for You . . . and those whom you have given me to serve ... .... and this has made all the difference! Mac follows Jesus on the Tree of Calvary to the Twelfth Station: JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS My blood, united with Yours .. . . . . . spilled out for all mankind. I love You, Jesus a n d I go all the way to the cross with You ...... I joyfuly mount the cross. My Father's Will has won the day ....... I now know peace within me. Awards and honors Mac longs not for ....... but freedom and justice for the oppressed Shelter the homeless Love the unloved Restore dignity to the undignified Turn the weapons of war into ploughshares and pruning hooks. Mac follows Jesus to the Thirteenth Station: JESUS IS TAKEN DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND LAID IN HIS MOTHER'S ARMS Many have been Mary to me ....... nurturing .. ... .. loving and allowing me, even encouraging me, to pick up my cross to come to follow you, Jesus. Thank You, Lord, for all the many ways You have shared Your mother with me. Maurice is now ready to go to the Fourteenth Station: JESUS IS LAID IN THE TOMB In the darkness of the tomb the Power of God bursts through. The Power that resurrected Lazarus resurrects me, too. His Power is there for all. Please open up your hearts. His love is mightier than the bomb, no evil force can stop it. It breaks through all division ...... . red and yellow black and white ..... .. will see with His pure vision. All are one in the Hean of God. In Him, there is no division. Love and Peace and Harmony will flourish as we forgive all others. Breaking down all walls and revealing all as brothers. We must let go of fear that keeps some others from us . Jesus, help us go beyond the darkness that now surrounds us . ...... knowing You have been there too. . ...... Your Mercy never leaves us. �STREETVIBES Consignment store in Clifton will benefit clinic The Central Clinic, a mental health service agency, is hoping bargain hunters will shop at a new consignment store in Clifton. Just a Second Showroom, 344 Ludlow Ave., opened this month to sell lamps, silver and other furnishings with the proceeds to benefit Central Clinic programs. Items can be donated or sold on consignment. For more information, ca/1861-8666. Kids Get Dental Disease Prevention Free Since 1984, children in C incin nati inner city schools and more recen tly t he surrounding nearby countjes, have received dental care that didn't take a bi te ouc of their parent's budgets. In fact, t he d ental sealants they received have significantly reduced the number of cavities they would have had without this disease preventative measure. T he sealant is a plastic coating, which keeps disease-causing germs out of the bad teeth by sealing over their tiny hiding places. Most cavities start on the back teeth because they have many small crevices where bacteria and food can be trapped and cause decay. The procedure is used on four to 16 teeth; depending on how many permanent molar and premolar teeth the children have in place at the time of the visit. T he sealant application is free, thanks to the Cincinnati H ealth D epartment and the Greater C incinnati Oral H ealth Council, a United Way/ Community C hest agency that has provided dental programs to the underserved since 1909. Schools selected for participation must have at least 50 percent of their students eligible for the free or reduced meals program. That means that most of the children are from families with incomes less than 18.5 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The school based program targets children in the second, sixth and seventh grades and all special education students. D r. Lawrence Hill, Dental Director at the Cincinnati H ealth D epartment and volunteer Executive Director of the Oral Health Council explained that cavities, gum disease, poor dental hygiene and other problems are also noted during the examination. According to Dr. Hill, "Close to 40 percent of eight year-olds examined in the p rogram have uncreated dental infections, whlch can lead to a variety of problems. M any of these children go to bed at night in pain. They can't eat, they can't sleep and frankly, kids in pain aren't going to be able to learn when they are in school." At the time the sealant program began 16 years ago there were 20 schools participating. Today the Oral Health Council's Sealant Program serves children in a total of 112 schools, 62 that are in the inner city. With the help of state funds, the program has expanded co 50 schools in the surrounding areas of Hamilton, Bueler, Warren, Adams, Brown H ighland and Clermont counties. During the 1998-99 school year, the organization provided sealants to more than 3,600 inner city children and 3,380 county children. For additional information abo1't the programs andservices the Greater Cincinnati Oral Health Co1'ncil offers, pkase call (513) 621-0248. The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Calling all African-American Playwrights! The Procter and Gamble Dreambuilder Celebration is an opportunity to submit original scripts . The best script will be produced to be shown on television , and the writer will receive $1 ,000. The purpose of the Dreambuilder Celebration is to promote African­ American script-writers and to unite people of all races together in brotherhood , education, and opportunity. To be eligible, entrants must be current residents or student residents of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky or Detroit, Ml and be African-American . The script must be original, unpublished, and submitted by the author(s) of the work. A playwright may submit up to three separate scripts. The deadline for the contest is July 71h, 2000 at 5:00 p.m. - so get to work! To submit a script, send the entry to: Ron Carter's Comedy Corner Here comes the Judge. Judge: Yes, it's me; and I don't mean to do anybody any good this morning. And just to show you what I mean, I'm going to open the Court by giving myself six months. And if I'm going to do six months, anybody that is found gulty has now got a darn good idea about how much t ime they are going to do. So, bailiff, bring in the first victim . . .. . .. Bailiff: Judge, this guy said he is the one who introduced you to your wife. Judge: What! My wife! Life Sentence, you son of a gun! .... From the archfve5 of Judge Pi9meat Markham Classified PLACE your help wanted, for rent, for sale items in Streetvibes Classified. Rate is only $1 I line, free for 6 mo. if you're below the poverty line. The Dreambuilder Advertise Celebration Scribe Award Contest WCPO-TV, Channel 9 500 Central Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Any questions? Please call 533-4340 or (513) 255-0717. Page 19 Extra! Extra! Support Streetvibes by Advertising to Socially Conscious Readers! Rates: about 2 bucks per square inch Check us out, We're on TV! The band of a child ..... Bianca Wagner, 7 Streetvibes Live Radio Hour Tune in to WAIF 88.3 fm! on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The Homeless Coalition's Live radio program. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. The Streetvlbes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Media Bridges (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 June Schedule Broadcast Dates for June's Show on Channel 24: (Please check your schedule) Saturday, July 1, at 5 PM Tuesday, July 11 , at 10 PM Saturday, July 15, at 5 PM Tuesday, July 25, at 1OAM Thursday, August 3, at 10 AM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. Streetvibes TU covers news on POVertY. homelessness and related issues. If You would like to be a Part of the audience. or if You have ideas for future shows. call us at 421 -7803 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 20 Vendor 5POfli2ht: Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. H anyone selling Streetvlbes clalms to be collectlng for a private charity, please call our office at421-7803. Homeless but not Hopeless .....by Mr. Lee ~ I am a young African-American male in my early 30's. Most people see me as being quiet, studious, and shy. My Southern upbringing and religious beliefs have shaped my personality and my speech. I'm unmarried, have no children and struggle with dealing with new people. I'm fortunate to own a car, although my only job is my one week-end a month commitment to the Army Reserve. I have few relatives in this area, and those I do have I don't get along with. It is difficult for me to identify w ith the other men who live in the shelter with me. I don't drink, nor do I do drugs. I have "problems," but I'm not really in the mental health system. My life is not what I would like it to be, but I know that God is watching over me. Today, I am homeless but not hopeless. Wish_List Streetvlbes 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... 0 Advertisers and Subscribers a Supplies for vendor's lounge (coffee, tea, paper towels, cream and sugar, cookies, etc.) a Photography Help of all sorts for Streetvibes - film, developing, a digital camera... SHELTERS: Women 8l1d Chlldren YWCA Battered Womens Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 431-8717 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) St. Francis- St Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (S.ngles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfaith Hospitality Network 241-5525 241-0490 241 -2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 761-1480 821 -5100 721-0643 381-5432 863--8866 471-1100 .....Jerome Johnson a Pentium or fast 486 Computers/compo­ nents (monitors, hard drives, etc.), for story-writing, editing, research, and homeless computer lab If you can help!, contact us at: Streetvibes, clo Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 ph: (513) 421-7803, fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself home­ less, 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. I am a new vendor and I would like to share my experiences as a vendor. Since I became a vendor I have met a lot of interesting people. I have met people from all different walks of life. I really enjoy being a vendor and I enjoy meeting people. Being a vendor gives me something positive to do with my life. . Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) St. John's Temporary Housing 961-4080 651-6446 HOUS.NG: CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-1171 639-7056 961-4555 TREATMENT: Women O.D.A.A.T First Step Home 241 -7343 961-4663 TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 end resume to: 1012 W h Street, NW, Suite 600 Wa~hington, DC 20005-3406 hone: (202) 737-6444, Fax: (202) 737-6445 mail: nch@ari.net. Web page: http://nch.ari.net eople who are homeless andformerly omeless are encouraged to apply. OlltER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421 -2437 Appalachian Identity Center621-5991 Beech Acres 23H3630 Center for Independent living Options 241 -2600 Churches Active In Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Community Center 241-2563 241 -1 064 Freestore/Foodbank Goodwill Industries n1-4800 Greater Cinti. Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 621 -7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van . 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 Oral Health Council 621-0248 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 357-5720 Project Connect- Homeless Kids 721-7660 Travelers Aid United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless Program 572-6226 Women's Crisis Center 491-3335 Women Helping Women 872-9259 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2000 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource July 2000 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Laurel Homes Demolition Temporarily Halted Texas Executed Shaka Sankofa Pg 2: New Director at GCCH Pg 3: The WTO’s History: “Free Trade” and its Lasting Implications Fair Trade, the Alternative to Free Trade Pg 4: “Don’t Spend a Nickel on Mt. Olive Pickle!” Pg 5: Pickle Continued Pg 6: Welfare News Pg 7: Class Inequality in American Education Pg 8: Congress Closes US Army School of the Americas, Gives Okay to Open Clone Pg 9: Prisoners’ News Pg 10: Prisoners’ News Continued: Death Penalty Pg 11: The Campaign for Safer Neighborhoods Organizes Against Toxic Emissions in Hamilton County Pg 12: Pending Federal Mental Health Legislation Boggles the Mind Pg 13: Interview with a Caged Warrior: Leonard Peltier Pg 14: 12th Annual “Teaming up for the Homeless” Pg 15: Street Scopes Pg 16: Drop Inn Center 5k Run and Walk Pg 17: Poetry and Art Pg 18: The March of Life 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 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alicia Beck Susan Knight Tom Billman John Halpin Dan Marschner Ron Carter Warren Perkins Pat Mitchell Jamaal Coleman Mary A. Gaffney Sonny Williams Rodney Sutton Lynn Williams Alanna Maloney M. Emily Cragg Erika Robers John Criswell Mr. Lee Grady Cook Joani Lacy Bianca Wagner Patrick Mosolf Ginger Brock Berta Lambert Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alanna Maloney Alicia Beck Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Bianca Wagner Class Inequality Congress Dan Marschner Death Penalty demolition Drop Inn Center education Erika Robers GCCH Ginger Brock Grady Cook Inequality Jamaal Coleman Joani Lacy John Criswell John Halpin Leonard Peltier Lynn Williams M. Emily Cragg Mary A. Gaffney mental health Mr. Lee Pat Mitchell Patrick Mosolf Pickle Prison prisoners news Rodney Sutton Ron Carter School SOA Sonny Williams Street Scope Susan Knight Tom Billman US Army Warren Perkins welfare news WTO