9 10 291 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/1d2ca42ef3fc3ab71cce8fe69410a3ba.pdf 8b0532b94837eea5e8c4935d56e55de7 PDF Text Text D IB -r r I~ TH£ TRI-STATE'S HOMELESS 6RAP£V'INE FEBRUARY 2001 $1 DONATION BU\' FRON BAD6ED VENDORS ONL'/ $ DONATlON . R£AT£R. CINCINNATI COA.LITlON FOR TH£. HOMELESS �THOUSANDS MARCH TO.REMEMBER DR. MARTIN For anyone interested in learning more under President Clinton) and LUTHER KINQ ' JR • Department about African-American history, the William Bowen (Ohio State Senator) are all by Dan Marschner The January 15, 2001 Martin Luther King Day rally was the largest march in the history of Cincinnati's marches. Thousands walked from Fountain Square to Music Hall in a show of solidarity for the civil rights of all citizens. After the march, Music Hall hosted a concert to commemorate the ideals of Dr. King. After a year of significant racial problems in Cincinnati (restaurant protests, police­ communi ty relations, etc.), the show of racial unity indicates hope for the future. The staff here at Streetvibes encomages all of our readers to celebtate Black History Month. Take some time to learn more about influential African-Americans this month. African-Americans have made important impact on all our lives, and their legacy should be better appreciated. Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, Stokley Carmichael (founder of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), Mayor Theodore M. Barry, William Mallory (Ohio State Representative), Mary Ann and Donald Spencer (integrators of Coney Island and other prominent Cincinnati landmarks), Jacquelyn - -w.aJliams,.{jm ctor General for the U.S. State influential Cincinnatians and African­ Americans whose contributions should be better known. Cincinnati Public Library has thousands of resources available. Visit the library today to learn more about people whose lives continue to be very influential. Members of the Dr. Martin Luther K~ng, Jr. Coalition lead the march to Music Hall on Martin Luther King Day. The march was the largest in the history of the Martin Luther King Day celebrations that have b'een celebratedfor almost thrity years. Keeper of the Keys:.Jailer ·(!pens Door to the Homeless By Mark Allen Teegarden It began with someone knocking at the sally-port, looking for something to eat. Then there was the case of a person found sleeping in the stairwell of the building. Though it doesn' t sound like much to you or I, it took on a whole new meaning to the keeper of the keys, Jailer T.W. Carl. The sally-port and the stairwell happen to be in the Kenton Co. Jail and Mr. Carl was getting his first look at homelessness. At fi rst glance, one would probably mistake Mr. Carl as a local businessman. Soft spoken and reserved, but with great conviction, he has had quite a full plate in his fifty-th ree years. Father of 2 girls, decorated Vietnam Veteran with 25 years of service to his country (both active and in the National Guard), this retired Cinergy employee decided that he hadn 't done enough, so he ran for public office. Thus, he became the Kenton Co. Jailer. Now with 2 years in office, his education on homelessness has increased dramatically. Through his association with local veterans groups and Moses house in Cincinnati, Jailer Carl learned about veterans walking the streets without a place to call home. And as Jailer of Kenton Co., he found out through officers on the street about homeless people living down on the riverbank and sleeping in the alleys of the tri-state. RC As he talks of these things, there is a catch in his voice, and then an anger towards a government that he served without reservation. Appalled that the country has turned a blind eye towards homelessness, he decided to do something about it. Jailer T. W Carl discusses his efforts to help the homeless in. Northern Kentuck With the help of his second in command, Col. Ballard, and a staff of nearly 100, Mr. Carl decided to open his empty cells to those who needed a warm place to rest and stay during inclement weather. Surrounding police departments in the area were made aware of this new program and it has gone well thus far. This is how it works: lndi viduals who need shelter can come to the jail during inclement weather and ask to stay. Meanwhile, officers comb the alleys and riverbanks and offer to take those who wish to the j ailhouse for warmth, a bite to eat, and a shower. · This is done voluntarily and those who enter may leave at any time. The only drawback is that those who enter may be checked for warrants, and the jail staff officers supervise them for safety and security reasons. The ones who do use the shelter are not put in the population nor are they in any danger of being housed with felons. Mr. Carl began the program because he noticed an increase of older men being incarcerated with charges such as trespassing or destruction of private property. He found that a lot of homeless men did these things in order to g'et arrested just so that they would have shelter during extremely cold weather. With the conception of this new program, Mr. Carl felt now homeless people would have an option. Instead of getting arrested to stay warm or to get something to eat, all they would have to do is ask. This program also helps the surrounding police departments by keeping the officers where they are needed: on the stre-et, instead of at the jailhouse writing slap-on-the-wrist citations. Jailer Carl has great praise for the Covington Police Department and surrrounding departments for their involvement. Without their help and the help of his staff, none of this program could have happened. Mr. Carl's future plans include more ----ATI COALITIO FOR �GCCH Director's Challenge By Alicia Beck Streetvil>es, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for, and about h..omelessnes!, social justice, lUld po¥ercy-rebited issues. I t is pubJished once a month by the Greater eincinnati Coalition· l or ibe Homeless. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents (to cove:r printing costs) and then sell the paper for a dollar donation,. The vendor keeps the proijts. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (Qr stay on) their feet~ Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign. a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. The G,-eater Ci11cimiati Coalitio11 for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending home­ lessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the publfo and grassi:oots organizing. GCCHStaff Alicia Beck Susan Knight Tom Billman Dan Marschner Ron Carter Warren Perkins Pat Mitchell Mary A. Gaffney Macy Taylor Sonny Williams Mark Teegarden Director Administrative Coordinator Editor Assistant Editor Outreach Coordinator Tenant Organizing Oureach Volunteer Recept~onist Receptionist Prison News Editor Volunteer Advocate Writers Mr. Lee Doug Lawrence Pat Mitchell Dan Mar-schner Chris Moss Davjd Clark Cecelia Buuicci Lamell Harris Bill Tinker Rick Taylor Alicia Beck Susan Huesken Mada Poblel Riccardo Taylor John Perotti Berta Lambert Tony Hall Raman Victor M. Velez John Canig)ja . Coalition for the Homeless has provided a voice , for the homeless and has led many successful As we plunge headlo ng into the New Year, efforts to make positive change for those living the staff of the Qrea~er, Cj.~~ innati Coalition for without a home while empowering the homeless the Homeless would lik~ to thank ou ~ valued readers for their generous support during 2000. Because of you, we experienced a sqccessfuJ year in 2000, boosting o~r circµlation to 8000 during peak m onths. The ~i;eat~r .Cincinnati Coalition for the Hpi:neless ha~ work-eq hard during the past year to improvy. ~tree.tyibes and to provide a solid alternative news source. We made many changes during 2000, adding new .. sections to our paper, including \\'.eb Vibes, Veggie Vibes, and new.columnists- we even changed our cover! W,e hope that you. have enjoyed these changes, and we.invite you to provide any feedback that you migh t have for us regarding the content, presentation , or Alicia Beck, the director of the GCCH format of our newspaper. Countless individuals have benefited from to make change for themse lves. Sadly, the many efforts of the Greater Cincinnati homelessness is still a harsh reality for many Coalition for the Homeless through our families, women, and men. With your help, we program coordination, advocacy/grassroots can continue to. change this injustice, and work organizing, and public education programs. to house all children. Essential to the end of homelessness is We have nearly reached our fundraising,goal, systemic change, and the Coalition has but we stiII need help from you, our valued reader, spearheaded many efforts 'to insure that all to continue producing Streetvibes. So that we children, men, and women have access to safe, may continue to publish this important news affordable, and decent housing. source and provide jobs to our many vendors, An important part of our efforts include folks like please consider helping us to meet our financial our Streetvibes readers, who help to support our needs by making a donation to the Greater newspaper vendors on the streets, as well as Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. If you through yeatly subscriptions to Streetvibes. have any further questions regarding our needs, " Jeffery", a former vendor of our Streetvibes please call us (513) 421-7803, or mail your new spaper, credi ts the newspaper and its donation to GCCH, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, facilitation of self-empowerment for spuITing bim OH45210. on his climb from homelessness and addiction to And again, thank you for your continued support a college student well on his way to successfully of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the completing his degree. But with each success, we Homeless and Streetvibes, without the important are reminded that there are many more men and dollars that you give, we cannot cont inue to women like "Jeffery" who need our assistance. provide Streetvibes to the Greater Cincinnati Over the past 16 years, th~ Greater Cincinnati community. Streetvibes Editor Steps Down By Dan Marschner Photos/Graphics Photographs by Berta Lambert, Sonny Will­ iams, and Jimmy Heath. 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. Subsc:riptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $15 per, year. (Please make checks payable to GCCH) Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes do Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (513) 421 -7803 fax (513) 42 1-7813; e-mail: streetvibes@jun o.com or homecoal @primax.net web page: h ttp://cinci.com/gcch In a tragic accident, Tom's house was Tom Billman has decided to step down as editor of Streetvibes after 18 great months. The paper developed tremendously during Ton:i's tenure: circulation reached 8,000 copies, the layout became much more appealing to readers, and the content standards of the paper improved dramatically. Streetvibes has also added color photography during Tom's stint as editor. Tom used his position as the first Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless staff member exclusively dedicated to Streetvibes to make the paper more comprehensive and successful. Tom's greatest asset is his relationship with the vendors. Tom taught several of them basic computer skrns. and he plans to continue to assist the GCCH in that role in the future. Tom advocates strongly for an increased role for vendors in the paper, leading to increased involvement in the paper's development. Tom's passion for social justice led to an expanded vision for the content of the paper, and his desire for social change expanded the paper's focu s. His zany sense of humor provided a fresh perspective to the paper. Tom has great rapport with the vendors. burned on January 25, 200 l. The fire burned several of his possessions and left him temporarily homeless. Showing Totn 's dedjcation lo the paper, he still offered to help with the production of this edition the very next day. Tom's dedication and love for Streetvibes cJeru:ly shows through his generocity. Photo by Sonny Williams Thanks for all .the great memories, Tom. Tom has decided to take a consultant role with the paper, primarily helping with technology. He will continue to volunteer his time to assist the vendors and the GCCH. All of us at the GCCH wish Tom the best irt the future, and thank him for Streetvibes tremendous growth during the last 18 months. �STREETVIBES Street View The view from the eyes of the street person it is very unique. It's a view that remains the same yet is always different. The sights from the concrete jungle vary from moment to moment: always on the border of reality while straddling the realm of uncertainty. A View that is shared by all who live in the grips of the street life. A life of expectancy, knowing but not knowing, each day beginning like it ends. Often not knowing when or where one will sleep, catching a nap whenever possible. Living without hopes or dreams, standing on one's wit, using the know how of the street teachings. Happiness and its glamour is eluding while chasing the next meal, or that place of refu ge from the weather, or that spot of solace for a night. A day Riccardo M. Taylor in the life of the street person usually is routine. You awake with the attitude that today will be different, yet knowing that it will be a repeat of the day before. Betting against the odds you start your journey of the day heading for the nearest place to eat in the arena of soup kitchens and sandwich windows that are located in your haunt. LQC AL NEWS Page 3 ReSTOC: Hand in Hand witfl the Drop Inn Center by Pat Mitchell they still need additional work. Recovery Hotel offers transitional living fo alcohol and drug addicts that have completed a treatment program at the Drop Inn Center and maintain 90 days of continuous sobriety. This program is subsidized by metropolitan Housing Section 8 criteria. Residents continue counseling, case managing and aftercare support during a six month stay. The goal of the program is to assist each resident in finding and maintaining permanent housing and growth in a new lifestyle. Buddy's Place provides permanent housing for formerly homeless individuals. Rent is income-based, and applicants must have an income less than $12, 150 a year. With supportive service programs available, it is ReSTOC: lets tip our hats to a program founded in 1977, a project of the Drop Inn Center committed to saving, reconstructing and providing low income housing for people of Over the Rhine. With a vision for the Vine Street Community Project, affordable housing for workina families,. preparing to rehab 33 I:> units. The buildings included are vacant and need an abundance of resources to renovate. Five commercial storefronts are also being worked on right now, 33 buildings are currently occupied, and 2/3 of the residents are either staff or board members. Sixty percent of their residents were homeless, in shelters, or doubled up (meaning living with someone else). What a great idea having residents as board m embers! Who better can know the needs of Photo submitted by ReSTOC the community but the people who actually Ii ve in the community? What most impressed me about this project is that 3,000 volunteers a year made up mostly of coUege students and church "Ah, let me walk down to the spot and see who's out. See what type of lick I can catch members give up their Saturdays today." from 9 am to l pm, Street people have to walk continuously, there's no rest in leisure, you have to move on. Back rain or shine, aided and forth, from one comer to the next. by crew leaders ReSTOC volunteers display their enthusiasm for the work. . Looking, scheming, figuring out the next move. that train and Meandering amongst the walkways of the city, direct these volunteers to do most of the work located at 1300 Vine Street. I feel that this needed to make these buildings livable. knowing the landmarks of abandoned article is of importance because I find that one ReSTOC has received only a few government buildings, which ailey gets you to the 'spot', of the tools needed for the homeless person is grants. Without government funding, housing watching and listening to the sounds that tell to be informed. They need to be in the know, progress is slow. So accomplishments and you what might be awaiting around the next . especially working people because they are the credits go to a small paid staff of 6 along with corner. Never~ rest for your mind as that last to know the resources. might cause a setback in what is needed for the their volunteers who all make things happen . If you would like to render your services in In addition, two of their most completed units days survival. any way, through donations or as a volunteer, need to be mentioned: Recovery Hotel and feel free to contact Robert Freking, 114 W 14th Buddy's Place. Though both are habitated, "Oh I know that I am going to come up". Street, 38 1-1 3 I 4. A few dollars a day. In reality this can support a street person for a day, if they just use the necessities of survival only. So you make your hustle to gain a few dollars. Collect some Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. scrap, panhandle a bit, sell some merchandise. 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 registered distributors. Twenty, thirty dollars, that will get you voluntary donation. I agree not to ask 6. I agree not to deceive the public by through. The thing that makes it so hard is that for donations more than $1 . I also saying that I am collecting for a not­ once you get a few dollars you still have time understand that I will be able to keep for~profit charity or that I am collecting to waste. Idle time with o nly those who live 80 cents of each dollar collected. for the "homeless" in general. I will be like you to hang with. In the life there is Future issues of Streetvibes will be honest in stating that all the profits nothing really constructive to do, so, we spend purchased from the Homeless Coali­ from the sale of Streetvibes will go to our time kicking the breeze, sipping on a forty tion for 20 cents. the individual vendor. or chasing that elusive high through narcotics. 2. I agree that I will never distribute 7. I agree that I will not C0'1test territories Soon the few dollars are gone and we find Streetvibes while under the influence with other distributors. ourselves back in need of funds. So we start of drugs or alcohol. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives the process all over, hustling for·a few doUars. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations to be a self-supporting paper created It's a never ending cycle day in day out after 12 midnight. by people who are homeless or for­ survival in the street. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I merly homeless. To help in this effort, will not use abusive language or force I will try to spread the word and write "Sick and tired of being sick and tired." someone to give a donation. I will not stories if possible. We feel the hurt, the disgust with our li ves, the give a "hard sell" or make someone 9. I understand that failure to comply feeli ng of failure. We believe that there is feel threatened. with any of the above statements will something that we can do to enhance our lives 5. I agree that I will not supply copies of result in me no longer being able to yet, what? Often we search for help, Streetvibes to persons who are not distribute Streetvibes. Streetvibes Vendor Code See Street View , continued page 18 �.cp,- ~ · STREETVIBES . · l.10(~Al.1 NEl\TS f •1 ·~ , Page 4 · · How Predatory Lenders Are Different From Other Lenders By Rick Taylor - If you ' ve been reading the COHIDO newsletters or checking out the COHHIO web page over the past few months, you have probably noticed an increase in the amount of information pertaining to predatory lending. As part of our ongoing effort to educate and inform our partners about predatory lending and the devastating impact it is having on families and communities throughout the state, we are giving this issue a lot of air time. In recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of mortgage loans made by lenders specializing in lending to borrowers with sub-par credit histories. These lenders, known as subprime lenders, are often times independent mortgage or finance companies, but they can also be thrifts or even banks. Some larger banks have affiliate mortgage companies that are subprime lenders. Subprime lenders typically charge borrowers higher fees and interest rates than prime lenders, based upon the risk of the loan. By providing Joans to borrowers who do not meet the credit standards in the prime market, subprime lenders can and do play a critical role in this economy. These borrowers may have what is often referred to as bruised credit histories, ·they may have insufficient credit histories, or non-traditional credit sources. Thr6ugh the subprime market, these borrowers can buy a new home, improve their existing home, or refinance their existing mortgage to increase their cash on hand. According to The Woodstock Institute in "Two Steps Back: The Dual Mortgage Market, Predatory Lending, and the Undoing of Community Development", from 1993 to 1998, loans made by prime lenders rose substantially slower than those by subprime lenders, with a 38 percent increase in home purchase loans and a 2.5 percent increase in refinance loans. Corresponding increases among subprime lenders were 760 percent and 890 percent respectively. One possible reason for this dramatic increase in loans made by subprime lenders pertains to the increasingly segmented system of consumer finan ce, with higher­ income communities as the main target of more highl y regulated banks, thrifts, and their affiliates who seek to cross-sell account and investment products. At the same time, lending to lower-income and minority communities is often viewed as an isolated line of business, in which the focus is on the short-term transaction and associated fees. Lenders active in these communities tend to be mortgage and finance companies subject to substantially less regulation than banks and thrifts. · The overall growth of the subprime market as evidenced by the explosion of loans made between 1993 and t998, combined with the almost hyper-segmentation of mortgage lending markets by race and neighborhood, has created opportunities for abuse. This dual finance system has fueled the rise of subprime fi rms and has increased the room for abuse within the market, especially for less sophisticated homeowners. Abusive mortgage lending, or what has been dubbed predatory lending, often leaves homeowners with substantial debt that they cannot afford or are unwi se to take on. What makes a sub-prime.lender .differeflt from a predatory lender? While mosJ sub-prime lenders serve a need by t~rg~ling borrowers with sub-par credit histories, so.me.go too far. Those that go too far ar~ knoyv as predatory lenders. Lending practices become predatory when lenders target specific p0pulations (usually low-income, minority, and/or.eJderly homeowners) with high pressure marketing· techniques, charge excessive fees 1 fr.equ~ntly refinance or flip the Joan, and often times mislead the borrower. Ohio is not immune to this practice. In low-and moderate-income and minority communities throughout the state, one or two predatory lenders often dominate the market, while prime lenders are nowhere to be found. These predatory lenders are literally harvesting the equity that homeowners have built up over the years. By loading the loan with excessive fees, high interest rates, and pricey insurance premiums on the front end, predatory lenders are all but ensuring themselves a pay-off. In many ways, it's a win­ win situation for the lender and a lose-Jose situation for the borrower. If the borrower makes the monthly loan payments, whkh are often times inflated (excessive fees, high interest rates, and pricey insurance premiums), the lender is making a profit. If the borrower is unable to make the monthly payments, the lender forecloses and sells the house for a profit. Predatory lenders go beyond risk-based pricing, and instead set loan terms high above what they need to offset costs and earn a return that compensates for the increased risk. This is typically done through high interest rates, high points, high origination fees, unnecessary credit life insurance, and other additions to the loan. While many of the loan terms described below may not be predatory on their own, the failure of the lender to fully disclose to the botTower the risk or cost associated with each individual term can make the loan package more problematic, especially if the borrower is unaware that better terms may be available. Many of these terms, in and of themselves, may not be fraudulent, unethical, or prohibited by law, but thrive because there is a lack of competition in the marketplace and a lack of information for consumers. By'structuring the debt with excessive fees and interest rates (beyond those needed to cover costs and reasonable, risk-adjusted returns), by packing and financing these excessive fees, and by flipping or frequently refin ancing with fees being rolled back into the loan, some lenders are able to exploit low-income, minority, and elderly homeowners. These practices raise serious community reinvestment, fair housing and fair lending concerns, largely because banks and their mortgage and/or finance company subsidiaiies appear to be representing the market and targeting minority communities for hi gher priced, lower quality products. As reported in The Subprime Market Share in Ohio, the share of the mortgage market held by subprime lenders in minority neighborhoods is significantly higher than the share of the mortgage market held by subprirne lenders in non-minority neighborhoods. The State of Ohio is third in the country with respect to the number, and fifth in the country with respect to the percentage of refinancing loans originated by subprirne lenders. According to 1998 Horne Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data, more than 52,000 refinancing loans were made by subprime lenders within the state. The vast majority of these loans were made in substantially minority census tracts. In some of these census tracts, as many as 80 percent of all refinancing-.loans were made by subprime lenders. While this information in and of itself is specific only to subprirne lending, it does offer some insight on what has come to be known as predatory lending. While not all subprime lenders are predatory lenders, all predatory lenders are in fact subprime lenders. That being said, an increase in subprime lending activity throughout the State of Ohio correlates directly with an increase in predatory lending practices. It is estimated that in other states, approximately 25 percent of all subprime loans contain one or more terms that can be classified as predatory. If you apply that rationale, an estimated 13,000 of the 52,000 refinance loans originated by subprime lenders in Ohio in 1998 were in fact predatory loans. Unfortunately, the situation in Ohio is representative of a larger epidemic. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Unequal Burden: Income & Rac ial Disparities in Subprime Lending in America, subprime loans are five times more likely in minority neighborhoods than in white neighborhoods, and three times more likely in low-income neighborhoods than in high-income neighborhoods. Clearly there is a problem. These factors combined with the literal explosion in the predatory lendi ng market over the past few years have created a situation within the State of Ohio that must be addressed. The most vulnerable or traditionally underserved populations (low-income, minority, or elderly homeowners) are being singled out and taken advantage of by predatory lenders. This is a practice that must stop. As long as predatory lenders go largely unregulated, as long as they are allowed to take advantage of often times low-income, minority, and elderly homeowners, and as long as we continue to sit idly by, they will continue to destroy entire communities one block at a time. If you would like additional information on what is being done to put an end to predatory lending practices within the State of Ohio, or would like to be placed on the mailing list for the state-wide anti-predatory lending task force, check out the COHHIO web page at www.cohhio.org, or contact Rick Taylor at (614) 280- 1984 or via e-mail at ricktaylor@cohhio.org. Advertise Extra! Extra! Support Streetvibes by Advertising to Socially Conscious Readers! Rate: $2 per square inch �STREETVIBES l~()(~i\I~ NJ~l\7 S Page 5 ODAAT (ONE DAY AT A TIME) House Closes: house, with one of the four still undecided as to 17 Beds Lost where she is going. Speaking by phone with by Mr. Lee It is hard for the average citizen to imagine mourning the loss of a bed. In this case it is the loss of seventeen beds. Seventeen beds that provided safe, clean housing in a recovery friendly environment for women in r.ecovery. On January 3 Pt, 2001, The ODAAT (One Day At A Time) House will officially close. The ODAAT House was also a safe haven facility for battered and abused women. There are a limited number of beds available to women in recovery. This loss is especially devastating because of that fact. Transitional housing is a very valuable resource in assisting homeless alcoholics and addicts in early recovery. Statistics have proven that alcoholics and addicts that stay in transitional housing stay clean and sober longer, and enjoy quality recovery more often. They have a better shot when living in an environment in close relationship to other alcoholic/addicts. The loss of these beds affects everyone: the families and children of these women, current and future employers. the court and criminal justice. system, the taxpayers - Ever.yone. Reccwery has a cost. Adqiction has a higher cost. Initially scheduled to close December 3P1, a thirty day extension was g iven to the residents, as several had no housing plan. As of the January 22°d, four wor:nen still reside at the one of the residents, it was impossible to miss the sadness and bitterness in her voice. She loved ODAAT and was angry and disappointed at its closure and the manner in which it was handled. She spoke about several successful fund-raisers, one that raised two thousand and another that raised 1200 dollars. She wondered what good those efforts had done. By phone I spoke with Fred Buckley, the Board Chairman of Charlie's Three Quarter House. He stated that the board bad tried for years to make ODAAT House self-sufficient but could never attract enough women to meet the cost of operation. In November, the Charlie's board had voted to separate from ODAAT and to sell the building that house the women's shelter. It is the board's wish to sell the property to some organization or individual that would use it for a recovery or treatment facility. The resurrection of ODAAT has been discussed. The Charlie's board out of necessity decided to focus on its Vine Street faci lity and it's mission of providing housing for recovering alcoholics and addicts. Next month I will begin a series on treatment programs and recovery facilities. I will also do a follow-up to find out what happens now and what is available in the area of recovery housing and alcohol and drug treatment. For now, let us all reflect on the issue of homelessness as it relates to recovery. Wish List Streetvlbes newspaper is published monthly on a shoe-string budget fron:i the offices of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. We depend heavily on the goodwill of maQY ~. volunteers and donors. If you .can help out wtth some of the items oo our wish list, please give us a can... o Advertisers -Classified and u~lassi­ fied o Supplies for vendor's lounge (cof­ fee, tea, paper towels, cream and sugar,etc. o Offi&e and Cleaning Supplies o Photography Help - film (400,800, 1600), developing help, digital and/ or film camera(s). o Computers/components for Streetvibes story-writing, editing, research. o A new vehicle (van?) If you can help!, contact us at: Streetvibes, c/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 Medicaid Reinstated for 133,000 Parents Legal Aid Starts Health Access Legal Aid's HAAP is hoping to and Children maximize the number of low-income people The Ohio Department of Job and who benefit from Medicaid Reinstate ment. If Advocacy Project Family Services (ODJFS) has restored individuals need help with the application Medicaid coverage to 133,000 patients and children who lost Medicaid between November 1997 and April 2000, during the implementation of welfare reform in Ohio. Legal Aid and other advocates have been urging ODJFS to take the step for the last year. The reinstatement was accelerated when the Health Care Financing Administration mandated action in April 2000. HCFA determined that many families had incorrectly lost Medicaid as states were implementing new welfare policies. Eligible families should have received a notice in early November telling them about the Reinstatement. Special 3 month medical cards were mailed in late December. FarniJies, whether or not they are currently eligible, will have full Medicaid coverage from January thru March 2001. Fammes will be able to apply for ongoing Medicaid, using a streamlined application process and based on more liberal eligibility rules implemented this year. These individuals and another 50,000 people m ay be able to have ODJFS pay them back for medical bills they paid when they were eligible for Medicaid in the last three years or pay providers fo r unpaid bill s. Legal Aid 's HAAP, together with the Ohio HospitaJ Association and the Children's Defense Fund wil l be sponsoring a free training on Medicaid Reinstatement from 9:00 - 11:00 am on January 19, 2001 at Mere Auditorium at Bethesda Oak Hospital in Cincinnati. process or seeking payment of past medical expenses, they should contact HAAP at 362­ 2870 ext. 240. .. STREETCJIBES TElECllSION Studio IJudience Wanted!!! Streetvibes TU is produced /.ive, the Second Tuesday ot each month, l · 8 PM, at Media Bridges , 2114 Reading Road, Cincinnati Ohio. If you would like to be a part of our studio audience, or have ideas for shows, please call us at 421-7803 February Schedule Re-Broadcast Dates for February's Show on Channel 24: (Please check your schedule) Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 9 AM Friday, Feb. 9, at 5 PM Saturday, Feb. 17, at 9 PM Friday, Feb. 23, at 5 PM Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 9 AM Broadcast schedules are subject to change ­ Consult your local TV directory. The Legal Aid Soc iety of Greater Cincinnati initiated the Health Access Advocacy Project (HAAP) in November 2000. HAAP was formed in response to the gro wing number of low-income people without health insurance and without access to appropriate, affordable and quality health care. HAAP was made possible, in part, by a three year grant from the Heath Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. HAAP will tackle the issue of the uninsured in three ways: 1) Individual representation of low income people who have been denied Medicaid or who qualify for other free care programs; 2) Community education geared to medical providers and other social service providers and consumers on health care coverage options for low-income people; and 3) Community collaborative advocacy to improve access to health care for low-income people. HAAP will be managed by Trey Daly, a senior attorney at Legal Aid. Legal Aid has added a new Health Advocate, Holly Mechley, formerly director of Mercy Franciscan Health Partnership Program. HAAP will be announcing community events throughout the next year. If your agency is interested in training on some health access issues like Medicaid, Spenddown, Health Care for Working Disabled People, or the Hospital Care Assurance Program contact HAAP at 362­ 2870 ext. 240. �- STREETVIBES INTERNATIONAL NEWS Page 6 Problem-Solving Specialty Courts: Jail Diversion By Doug Lawrence - Editor '.s' Note: Lawrence is the Program Director ofthe Cleveland Homeless Legal Assistance Program, which began in Cleveland in August 2001. He oversees seven clinics in Northeast Ohio serving homeless people and those in danger of becoming homeless. A new "Mental Health Court" started in Akron in January of 2001. The last ten years has seen the growth of many types of diversion courts. These are court-based initiatives that attempt to deal with the root causes of involvement in the criminal justice system. These courts practice a therapeutically-oriented judicial approach. This means the courts attempt to resolve problems that face the defendant first and use punishment second. The best known fonn of diversion court is the drug court. Other examples include domestic violence courts and reentry courts for those returning to society after serving out their prison terms. A new form of diversion court that is gaining popularity is the mental health court. These courts are developing because of mental heal th institutions closing, pervasive jail overcrowding and increases in the homeless population. The United States Department of Justice reported in 1999 that 16% of all inmates in state and federal jails had a severe mental illness (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are examples). 283,000 people with serious mental illnesses were in jail or prison, more than four times the number in state mental hospitals. The average daily number of patients in state and county psychiatric hospital has steadily dropped from 592,853 in 1950 to 71,619 in 1994. Mentally ill offenders frequently spend unnecessary time in jail and without access to mental to mental health treatment services on release, regularly become repeat offenders and go through the criminal justice system again. The goals of mental health comt are to identify these persons as early as possible through screenings and referral of defendants . They also ensure effective legal advocacy for the mentally ill defendant. Other goals include, establishing the most effective and least restrictive treatment options avai lable; supervising the delivery and receipt of mental health services and treatment; and to divert mentally il1 defendants with non-criminal or minor criminal charges to community. based mental health programs. All of these goals call for effective cooperation between the mental health treatment system and the criminal justice system. Mental health courts do bring to light some of the problems for the mentally ill defendant. Screening procedures face the problems of accuracy and confidentiality. The requirement to identify and assess the defendants quickly can be incompatible with the need to conduct comprehensive assessments required for a reliable diagnosis. Confidentiality of the defendant would be breached without the consent to view their mental health records. This procedure would mean that participation in any mental health court would have to be voluntary. However, the degree to which participation is voluntary is difficult to determine when dealing with defendants who suffer severe mental illness. Without first gaining the consent of the defendant, mental health courts can run the risk of coerced treatment. In San Diego and Los Angeles, municipal courts and public defender offices have come together to create Homeless Court. The San Diego homeless court began in 1988 and evolved from a "Stand Down" to provide services for homeless veterans. The San Diego homeless court has shown that homeless people did not attend court until the court came to them at the "Stand Down". This was not out of contempt for the justice system, but rather the daily fight for clothing, food and shelter made it impossible. The fear of receiving fines that they can not pay also keeps homeless people away. Often, homeless persons lack the proper documentation and resources to put on a proper defense. Th is coupled with the fight for survival on the streets puts them in a poor position to deal with the substanti ve and procedural issues that a legal case presents. Homeless court allows the defend ant to have their cases heard and disposed of at the same time. Just as mental health courts put defendants in treatment programs, homeless court senten.c es are not jail time or fines, but assistance. Defendants will be sent to shelters, receive drug counseling, job placement assistance or other services that will enable them to break the cycle of homelessness and prevent entry into the criminal justice system. Homeless court also has to be voluntary, because the defendant must get involved with shelters and service providers. This puts the defendant in a posture that will allow compliance with the court orders, and to put them on .track to beat the things that resulted in their homelessness. Between 1989 and 1992 San Diego court records show that 942 homeless veterans who went to court through the Stand Down, resolved 4,895 outstanding court cases. In a one year span the San Diego homeless court helped 200 people clear over 500 cases. The Coalition on Housing and Homeless in Ohio released -s tatistics that on average in 1999 there were 3,080 homeless people in Cleveland. A homeless court could help to lower that number considerably as it removes the legal barriers that keep people homeless. The desired results of diversion courts are to relieve stress on both the justice and prison systems, as well as rehabilitate persons rather than warehouse them. This creates a stronger sense of justice, becau s~ it reintegrates the mentally ill and homeless person rather than shoving them farther away from society. Reprinted with permission f rom Cleveland's Homeless Grapevine. ADVERTISE IM STRllTYlllS Radical Export By Chris Moss, New Internationalist The first attempt to introduce a non­ religious, non-charity street paper sold by homeless people into South America has been made with the launch of Hecho en Buenos Aires ("Made in Buenos Aires") on the streets of Argentina's capital. Patricia Merkin, who spent much of 1999 at the British headquarters of street paper The Big Issue in London, sees the Argentine version as "a combination of the tried and tested strengths of The Big Issue and a realistic approach to local idiosyncrasies." These include massive slum population, unemployment that rises to 30 percent in some suburbs of the capital and no widespread public idea of what being homeless (sin techo) really means. "CuITently, most social programs are run by official government departments or international organizations," says Merkin. " It is time to create a more participative society and leave behind the 'aid' model which only perpetuates the problems of the socially excluded and their state of mind." Merkin is positive about the prospects of Hecho en Buenos Aires, pointing to the success of homeless street papers in other countries: "It's a proven experience in countries with diverse social and political conditions and different levels of exclusion. It is perhaps an experience th.a t can show the other side of globalization. If McDonald 's and Coca-cola can be international, why not The Big Issue?" Referring to Buenos Aires' burgeoning informal economy - a response to unemployment and underemployment - she adds: "The street model itself is a standard formula in Third World countries to solve economic problems, as street selling is a very common source of income for excluded people." Meanwhile in Brazil, Luciano Rocco and a small team of volunteers are worki ng to launch their own equivalent, Mutiriio, early in 2001. "We are following The Big Issue as a modeJ for Brazil, but I'd like to see as much balance as possible between pages edited by vendors and non-vendors," says Rocco. "Actually, I'd like to see the vendors runni ng the whole business in the long run. Our concern is to give them control over their image and voice. Besides a "street lights" section, for instance, we see them editing letters from the readers to be published in the magazine, from the very beginning, like an open dialogue. Our Advertisers help a good cause while promoting themselves to over 8,000 concerned peop'.e each month_. Business Card Size ~ Two Busmess Card Size 2" x 3 1/2" ~ 4" x 3 1/2" $15 per month $30 per month Send your add copy to Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street,Cinti, 45210 , . ( Larger Adds homecoal@primax.net , or call 421-7803. Also Available) ~ �STREETVIBES Page 1 Life After Mt. Airy: Return of the Prodigal Sons by Mr. Lee This is the fifth and last installment of my series on Mt. Airy Men's Shelter. It has been a lengthy study of a unique and valuable institution in the network of agencies that serve the homeless ..Just a quick review: . September-shelter overview October-The Pick-up Point November-Mt. Airy December-Love It Or Leave It-Part I January-Love It Or Leave It-Part II The focus of this piece is the departure from the shelter and the far too frequent return of the "prodigal sons". For those who are not familiar with the biblical story of the prodigal son, a quick synopsis is advisable. Before getting into life after Mt. Airy, a few details about the shelter experience that I missed in previous articles. Every new client has an interview with the Administrator or the social worker. This gives the man an opportu nity to tell how he got there and more importantly, what is the plan for getting out. There is a formal service plan that i.s written and there is a real effort to update it weekly. There is a greater emphasis than in years past on preventing a resident from just free-floating. in the shelter communi ty. Identify the barriers to housing, resolve them and get the man into Jong term treatment, transitional housing, independent living, nursing home, etc. To discuss what his are important to understanding what the experience is really like. Moving forward. Our friend has been there six weeks, two months, or four months. He has resolved his barriers to employment and housing. He is clean and sober. He has received financial assistance to get an apartment. He moves into his own apartment. He has a telephone. He has food, clothing an AA or NA sponsor. Heaven forbid he might even be in a relationship (usually not a good thing). Life is better if not good. Hell! Life is· good! All of his basic needs are being met. Food, shelter. clothing and sex(?). He relapses. Sometimes slowly and sometimes quickly, his li fe falls apart. With near frightening speed, he soon is once again homeless and winds up back at Mt. Airy. What happened? He was doing so well. A lot or work and time was spent helping him get his shit together. He and those working with him had high hopes. There is no ~imple or universal answer. It usually is a combination offacrors that resulls in this man and many like him, rolling back down the hill. Our man set himself up to fail without realizing it. He fai led to enlarge upon his spiritual li fe sufficiently to meet the increased and difficult challenges of life away from the shelter. He probably sees his principal challenges as being re-acqu iring the material and worldly possessions lost as a result of a life of chaos. Too much, too soon. Too much freedom, too much money, too little structure, too little focus on recovery. There are some practical and easily identifiable barriers that this man inevitably encounters. Work readiness-The man has not had consistent five days eight hours a day for possibly years. It takes time to develop the consistency and to get into condition to work 40 hours a week. This involves getting the life problems into a reasonably manageable state. Court problems, health problems, mental health problems, clothing problems, family problems, etc. These all have an impact on the quality of life enjoyed by the recently housed man. Recovery Program-Has the individual in question made sufficient progress in his recovery? Has he made the daily commitment to keeping recovery first? Or has recovery moved behind his j ob, his women, his kids, his car, his friends or other things in importance? Does he have a sponsor, does he continue to regularly attend meetings? Does he have a sober support system in place? Family members, friends, employer, sponsor, sober friends, professional counseling? Usually the stories are similar. There are some tangible, easily ide ntifiable actions that have either not been taken or not consistently performed. Has he kept focus upon his primary purpose (to stay sober and to help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety)? Has he extended a helping hand to anyone, or does he still act as if the world revolves around him? Has he fai led to enlarge upon his spiritual life? Does he turn to God only in times of need? The reality is that if he is so fortunate he may wind up back at the shelter, bumbled, broken and contrite. This could be the beginning of a productive sober life, or it might be the second time around. If you don't know the story of the prodigal son, here's a brie{synopsis. In the Bible he was the son of a fairly well off man. who went to his father and requested his inheritance · while his father was still alive. His father gave it to him and he promptly left, and spent it all on "riotous" living. Broken and broke, he . returned to his country and to his father's land hoping to get some table scraps. His father greeted him with open arms, gave him a new coat, rings and killed a fatted calf for the fea5t in honor of his return. The men who return are like the prodigal son in that they have wasted the grace of another opportunity to straighten out their lives, but also like the prodigal son they are accepted back and given another opportunity. Mt. Airy Shelter is a good place to be when you have no place to go. Lives can and do change. By the way did I mention the stadiums' cost and the absence of shelter and facilities at the "Pick Up Point? 1 did? Well, never mind. Live long and prosper. Get your Greater Cincinnati Coa\ition for the Home\ess Year :2001 CA LE ND AR Now! Examining Home\essness from a kid's point of view Featuring photos by Jimmy Heath. 5end i to to GCCH, 1506 E\m 5t ., Cinti, Oh l.f5J 10 �UPDATE ON MOVE 9! keep intact its racist vicious aim to keep "The Move 9" despite it knowing that we are innocent! We must still use the courts as a means of exposing its foul racist corruption for all to see and are in the process of putting together an appeal petition to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court concerning the denial of our "PCRA" appeal by Judge Glazer. Next step after that will be to Federal Court, with much the same results expected! We have no faith in this system on any level, local or federal! Like with Mumia and all other political pris.o ners, it is going to take folks in unity to put massive constant pressure on this rotten system on all levels of struggle, to pressure it to release us. It should be c!ear to everyone that this system will not do what is right on its own. It should be clear that this system must be made to do what is right, that it must be forced to do what is fair, it needs to be pressured to do what is just. In knowing these things y' all , we know "What" is to be expected of all who proclaim to be about Revolution/ Change/Righteousness/justiceffrutb. Our work is truly cut out for us all. It is fulfilling, rewarding work, work that will make us strong, close, as United, Together, as One in the Unity needed to defeat this monster called "The System"! I will leave you with this quote from our revered founder John Africa. "When an evil person attempts to interpret a righteous person, the interpretation will be as evil as the person that is giving it; for when a wicked person judges a godly person, the judgment will be wicked, but it won' t tell you a thing about the person being judged ...." As always, take care and stay strong by staying revolutionary and keeping On The Move! Ona Move! My very best to all who are active in the work of true revolution that is needed to bring about a righteous change for the Good of All Life! I am glad to report that two recent events our folks attended went very well, and the vibration of revolutionary, truth, love, strength & Unity was felt by all who attended. One event was held in Philadelphia on Dec 2nd and was a program designed to teach folk about The Move organization and John Afdca, and the Dec 7 1h program was held . in New York and covered a wide base of issues concerning Political Prisoners, POWs and other revolutionary related issues. I bear this event went very well also, with representatives of our family speaking on Mumia & The Move 9!. Beautiful and needed! Think of having events where groups representing a multitude of issues & concerns can sit together and work in Unity toward the solution needed to solve, correct and eliminate the problems we face as oppressed peoples the world over. Also, on Nov. 17, Philadelphia Judge Gary Glazer turned down our "Post conviction relief Appeal" petitions we bad filed. It was a chance for Judge Glazer to END the persecution that this system has been heaping on us that bas held us unjustly in prison for over 22 years! This sham of a "Black man" took less than 2 weeks to deny an appeal that took us over two years to put together all the evidence, facts, witnesses, etc. contained in our appeal petition. There is no way he could have reviewed, investigated, researched all the information we presented in such a short period. Clearly, the decision to deny our appeals was made long before we ever even filed it! Despite our presenting "New evidence" that prosecutors ONA MOVE! withheld vital evidence, including a Feb 1977 Your bro in revolution, Secret Memo outlinjng plans for a po]jce attack to "eradicate MOVE". Once again this rotten Phil Africa system has used its "Courts of Injustice" to Free the Move 9 ! Free Mumia Abu Jamal! Legal Assistance: Unfortunately, Free All Political Prisoners! Streetvibes cannot help prisoners with Never Forget May 13lh, 1985 !!! !!! any type of Legal Work, other than indirectly inspiring our readers. For help For more information on The Move 9, or proving innocence by .DNA testing, the Move organization, contact. ... contact: The Innocence Project at MOV'E PO Box 19709 Cardozo Law School, 55 5th Av­ Phila., PA 19143 enue, New York, NY 10003. Email: movel li ja@aol.com (212) 790-0354 Fax: (215) 476-7551 Ph: (215) 387-9955 STREHVIBES P1isone1sNews 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 45210 For Prisoners who want to join the class action lawsuit against the supermax prison, Youngstown, contact: Staughton & Alice Lind 1694Timbers Court Niles, Ohio 44446 or for more information call (513) 241-8014 collect Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace By John Perotti OSP#l67712 In the March/ April 1999 issue of "Against All Odds" are numerous articles about the ineffectiveness of Ohio's grievar,ce system. One of my peeves with CURE has been the fact that often they talk more than they act. Well, now is the time to voice your opinion, and better yet, send obvious blatant abuses of che grievance system to Anthony Vincent Nathan, 1822 Cherry St., Toledo, Ohio 43608-2801. Due to a letter I sent to Judge S. Arthur Spiegel about the ineffectiveness and deliberate interference of Ohio's grievance system, he asked the Senior U.S. Attorney to order the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Ohio's grievance system. This interference is designed to delay exhaustion necessary to file lawsuits. So the DRC rured gunslinger Vincent Nathan to evaluate Ohio 's grievance system. No disrespect to Mr. Nathan, but every time the DRC has hired him to evaluate their conditions, he has always ruled for the DRC. It is up to us to show him, the U.S. Attorney Anthony W. Nyktas (220 Porter Stewart, U.S. Courthouse, 100 East 7 1h Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202) and the Civil Rights Division, DOJ, P.O. Box 66400, Washington, D.C., 20035-6400. Oruo's grievance system has intentionally withheld forms and established roadblocks in order to not only interfere with the resolution of legitimate grievances by those na·ive enough to think they can get assistance. In an attempt to completely hinder and stop lawsuits that now require the grievances, from informal complaints to chief inspectors decision, to be attached to the complaint before they can even by filed. So let's see all you hard core activists rally to put forth hard evidence to Mr. Nathan and the U.S. Department of Justice, who can file suit on our behalf if they feel our rights have been violated. John W. Perotti OSP #167712 878 Coitsville-Hubbard Road Youngstown, Ohio 44505 PENPAL WANTED Richard Frye #205231 OCI P.O. Box 511 Columbus, Ohio 43216 �STREETVIBES PRISONERS' NEWS A Prisoner's Testimony by Dave Clark · My name is David Clark. I am currently 25 years old. I have been incarcerated in the adult penal system here in Ohio since I was 15 for a crime that.I did not commit. That crime, I believe, would never have been what the local authorities in Dayton call "solved" if not for the people who really committed the crime. They called the police the morning after the incident indicating that I was the one who had done it. So it being the case that the police had no suspects, and the news was screaming for what they terrn "justice," so they were happy to have a scapegoat dumped into their lap. So in prison I have sat for approximately the last ten years now. I am writing to you honestly because of the seriousness of my situation and also because I don't have many options. It is unfortunate, but a very real fact that tq escape the grasp of our out of control criminal justice system takes more money, connections, and/or access to the news media than I possess. All I ask is that you read my story. You may not find me the most articulate person you have met, but I think I can best convey my predicament to you by giving you a blow-by-blow account of what happened. These events happened on April 28, 1991. They involve, aside from myself (15), my friends (I'm speaking in the past tense now so l'U use the teri:n "frien~" loosely) Robert (15), Scott (16), and John ( l 6). Scott's little brother Chris (13) and his friends Justin (12), Elizabeth (12) and Cynthia (12) were also present. I had never met any of these four until that night. On this particular evening, I was at Robert's house. He and I were talking and playing Nintendo wh~n Scott came over with Chris and his friends around 9 p.m. We continued to talk and play games until around midnight when Cynthia asked Robert if h·e wanted to go "running around". (This practice was pretty common for kids in our neighborhood because we d idn 't have the money to do anything else.) As Robert said "Sure," Cynthia said, "Ask David if he wants to go." So I said, " Yeah, why don't we go down to John's house (which wasn't far) and get some more Nintendo tapes" because I was tired of play ing the same games. So we left and as we were walking to John's, we saw a lot of smoke in the air. We saw that the smoke was coming from the house of some people we sort of knew, you know, just people who everyone in the area knew. So we ran to the house and there was a lady already there trying to get someone to call for help. I was trying to look in the . windows to see if anyone was in there, but there was too much smoke. So I knocked in a couple of small windows to let the smoke out, but it didn't help any. I then kicked the front door in and I was hollering in to see if anyone was there. The lady who lived there answered. I tried to get her to come to the door, but all she just­ kept saying was "My kid, my kid!" .I tried to walk through the living room to get her; but when I was halfway through the room something in the kitchen exploded. I lost my nerve and ran out into the porch. Just as I made it to the pore}), the lady reached the door. She fell against in from the inside and ·pushed it closed. Almost immediately the firemen arrived and pulled her from out of the house. A minute or so later they brought her 12 year­ old daughter out of a window. The lady survived but her daughter died 7 days later. While the fire was still being extinguished, John showed up. He lived just around the corner. He said he had heard the fire trucks. He and I went around the back to see how much damage the fire had caused. We noticed that the woman had a couple of little dogs so we told the fire department that we would take care of them until the woman and her daughter returned from the hospital. So we took the animals around the com er to John 's house and put them in the backyard. Then his grandmother made him come in the house because it was late. I went back around to where the rest of my friends were. They told me that they had written statements for the fire department stating what had happened. Since everything was over, I went home, told everyone what had happened, and went to sleep. What follows I relate in light of what I have learned since the fire. Early the next morning, John's uncle by marriage called the police to his house early and told them that he had heard that I set the fire. He had been in prison and was always in and out of trouble with the law. When the police asked him how he had heard this, be said his nephew told him. When they asked him where they could find John, he had the police wait at his house while he got in his van, went and picked John up and told him what to say to the police. (John later admitted this on the witness stand that he had told the police what his uncle had told him to say.) Shortly after speaking to John and his uncle, the police began picking up my friends who had given written statements about the events surrounding the fire to the fire department. T he police coerced and threatened these kids and the kids changed thefr sto1ies. They said that I set the fire and that they were the lookouts. Each of my friends eventually wrote revised statements along these' lines; but the stories differed from each other in many substantial details. The original written statements, however, all of which had been made right after the fire and outside of each other's presence were exactly the same in every detail. Another lady who was at the scene of the fire before we were reported having seen three people who set the fire carrying a microwave oven out of the alley behind the house. She clearly described these figures as adults who could not possibly have been children. This lady would not change her story. A year after the investigation started, however, the prosecution persuaded three of my co­ defendants to testify against me. The prosecutors had them confess to a new story in which the three adults and all of the young people committed the burglary together. The story recounted a grand conspiracy that resulted in 11 people collaborati ng in stealing a illlcrowave. At trial , I was convicted on the testimony Page 9 ., of these three witnesses alone. Everyone else testified for me, including the eyew it~ess who saw the people who actually did it. The police, moreover, tried to manufacture evidence. When I was arrested, they took my clothes for evidence, saying they were going to test them for gasoline or other accelerants. So they sent the clothes to Miami Valley crime lab right next to Dayton. The lab found neither gasoline nor any accelerants. The detectives insisted upon taking the clothing to the Department of Commerce in Columbus to conduct more sophisticated tests. There the tests found gas on one of my shoes. My lawyer questioned the scientist who performed the test. He said that while he did find gasoline on one of my shoes, the amount was so great that there was no doubt in bis mind that the Miami Valley crime lab in Dayton should have detected it without any problem if it was there when they tested it. Apparently, on the way to Columbus from Dayton, the detectives pulled over at a gas station and doctored my shoe up. Strangely, the prosecution chose not to use this evidence at triaIThe chief fire investigator testified that someone pouring some type of accelerant on the floor of the house and lighting it caused the fire. A lab reported that the defendant was arrested with gasoline on one of his shoes; but the prosecutor chose not to use this incriminating evidence. Why not? As a 15 year-old boy, I was falsely convicted and sent to an adult prison to serve 4 l years to life. I have now served almost 9 for a crime I did not commit. The first time I can even see the board is in 2020. I will be 44 by then and will have served 2/3 of my life in prison. My mother passed away in 1996. Falsely convicted and imprisoned, I missed her final few years during which she suffered severely knowing that I was in here. Since her death, I have no other means of financial support. The state provides the minimum and nothing else. When I first entered prison, I was still a kid. I had to learn quickly to think like a man, like an adult inmate, to survive the realities of prison life. Though I have obtained my G.E.D. since I've been locked up, I have never been to high school. Nor have I had the chance to go to a prom, to get a driver's license, to do so many of the simple things people on the outside take for granted. I am told that I am a fairly intelligent guy. I have many interests, and I study just about anything that comes my way. My dreams and aspirations have become much simpler than when I was a free 15 year-old. I only want to be free, to become educated, to marry, to raise a family, to do the ordinary things a person my age does. Basically, I just want a chance to live my life in freedom. I know that people will say that I must not forget the 12 year-old girl and her mother. I have not forgotten them and I will not forget them. I had nothing to do with the fire, with their tragic injuries, with the death of the girl. Keeping me in prison compounds the injustice done to them and does the mother no good. I was not, am not, and have never been a threat or danger to society. I have no violent crime in my past. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now I am in the wrong place all of the time. See Testimony, continued page 18 �STREETVIBES Page 10 Prisoners want 'supermax' barred: ACLU says penitentiarys aim is to break 'will, human spirit' By John Caniglia, Plain Dealer Reporter In a room the size of a parking space, John Perotti makes his home. He stays there 23 hours a day. His view to the outside world is a 4-inch horizontal slit in a steel door. The lights are on all the time, and he has little, if any, contact with his neighbors. He and 423 others share simi lar accommodations in the Ohio State Penitentiary, the state's only "supermax", or super-maximum security, prison. In a federal lawsuit fil ed yesterday, the American Civil Liberties Union seeks sweeping changes in the way the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction runs the prison in Youngstown, claiming indefinite solitary confinement and a lack of medical treatment are cruel and unusual punishments. ''This is a hellhole by design," said Raymond Vasvari, legal director of the ACLU of Hoio. "This is a brand-span.king new prison that was created to break the will and human spirit of men." Among the changes, the ACLU and a team of attorneys want the penitentiary relaxed to a maximum-security prison. The move would keep inmates in tight security but would allow them to leave their. cells, speak with one another, go outside, work and take classes. The suit, brought by 21 inmates, also proposes placing the state's worst prisoners there, not those in need of psychiatric care. Terry Gilbert, an attorney from Cleveland, and Jules Lobel, a civil rights attorney from Pittsburgh, said a good deal of the men in the prison suffer mental problems. "How can you not?" Gilbert said, citing conditions at the prison. "The place creates zombies." The prison was built in 1998 at a cost of $65 million to house Ohio's worst felons, including some on death row. The prison is not affiliated with the privately run Northeast Ohio Correction Center, which houses inmates from Washington, D.C. Three inmates have committed suicide, including Mark DeMarco, a Cleveland man convicted of killing suburban mo.ther and housewife Mary Jo Psho. Guards are watching at least 40 inmates closely to prevent them from hurting themselves, Vasvari said. Joseph Andrews, a spokesman for the state prison system, said the agency would fight the suit. He said the prison houses "very, very dangerous people." He declined further comment. Last year, Andrews spoke about the prison after a team of human rights advocates toured it: "None of our inmates are here because they didn ' t sing in the choir. They all did something, but the people at the supermax prison are the predators of the system, the guys who have attacked inmates or guards, the people who need to be separated form the rest of the system." But the ACLU claims that many of the inmates do no belong there because they are not dangerous and because they suffer pychological disorders. For instance, Gilbert said, Perotti, 45, of Cleveland, is in the Youngstown penitentiary because he has been an outspoken critic of the prison system for years. He was sentenced to 22 to 66 years in prison in 1982 for a variety of crimes, including felonious assault, carrying a concealed weapon and aggravated assault. "He's a political prisoner," Gilbert said. Some of the inmates who are part of the suit have abused corpses, ki11ed, raped and robbed and started the riot that killed 10 people at Lucasville in 1993. But the ACLU says that all the inmates deserve to be treated like human beings. For instance, the group said, when inmates receive psychological care, they should not be chained to a pole during the visit. Peggy Vallandingham insists the inmates are treated well. Her husband, Robert, a guard at Lucasville, was kilJed in that siege. "If they're living, that's more than what I have. My husband isn't," she said. "If they' re locked in their cells 23 hours a day, that's wrong. They should be there 24." Reprinted with permission from the Cleveland Plairi Dealer. STREETvihEs ENCOURAGES All iTS REAdERS TO suppoRT B'4ck HisToRy MoNTlt. TAkE • SOME TIME TO lEARN AbOUT i N.­ flUENTiAl AfRi~ CAN.-AMERiCANS Tkis f EbRtJARy. Protesters demonstrate outside of the Hamilton County Courthouse in Downtown Cininnati to demand the release of Leonard Peltier. Protesters marched to Peaslee Neighborhood Center and sent faxes to President Clinton asking for Pe/tier's pardon. Peltier was not one of the people pardoned by President Clinton as one of his last acts in office. HOUSING ADVOCATE NEEDED Friars Club Shelter has a part-time position available working with residents of its' Homeless Shelter For Families and Low Cost Residency for Men. 1O hours/week, evenings and weekends. Salary commensurate with experience. Interested applicants should mail resume to Friars Club, 65 McMillan St., Cinti., OH 45219, ATIN: Housing Coordinator or fax to 241-0356 �STREETVIBES Page 11 Vendor Visits D.C. to Protest By Riccardo M. Taylor My D.C. adventure began when Sonny Williams asked if I would like to go to Washington D.C. for the rally against George W. Bush. Given the opportunity to take a trip away from the day to day activities that I have been used to, I jumped at the chance to go. Of course I had some idea of what it might be like to visit D.C., and that along with the high anticipation of what a protest rally might be like, I set off on what l expected to be an adventure. The ten hour trip with a van full of other protesters was very lively. My fellow travelers kept up an interesting array of subject matter for conversation. The topics ranged from politics to classical music. I found the subjects to be both informative and open so the trip to D.C. was enjoyable. After arriving in D.C. we broke up into two major groups and set off for different protest sites. I choose to go to the civil rights site, hoping to have a chance to hear the Reverend Al Sharpton speak. The site was at Staton Park a few blocks from the Supreme Court. The atmosphere at the park was very festive and exciting to say the least. There was music, speeches, slogans, and invitations for other events on the protest circuit. I was awed at the massiveness of the crowd. There were some several thousand people at our particular site, with an estimated seven to eight thousand people marching in the overall protest. About an half hour into the gala I found myself being caught up in the rapture of the moment. The chanting filled the air, slogans for a stronger power base for the people: ''No Justice, No peace" (my favorite), along with the many other chants. It didn 't take long for me to find myself chanting along with the rest of the crowd. All individuality was lost as we became one body, all caught up in the spirit of protest. After about three hours in the rain Ustening to speeches, singing along with the addressers, it was time to march on the Supreme Comt house. The march was just a few blocks, but with the shear bulk of the crowd it took sometime to make our way to the courthouse. Once getting to the courthouse we started to link hand in hand as a human chain was formed around the courthouse. The chanting voices were audible enough to be heard for several blocks! Bush campaign. The speeches at the church were very lively and the responses were tremendous. Again I felt apart of something that was larger than life. My overall trip was the experience of a lifetime and I was very pleased that I had the opportunity to be apart of the whole thing. The return trip home was as exciting as the trip there. The big difference was the weather. to see the many signs and Ricardo Taylor prepares to march through the snow in Washington, D. C. protest sites. I was impressed by the ingeniousness of Returning we ran into what I would describe as the many different expressions of the people's a snow storm. Our van driver was very will, portrayed by the signs and costumes. The cautious, driving at speeds which insured the crowds were very welJ mannered , and I safety all of the passengers. The return trip took personally did not see an incident that could be about eleven hours, but we all returned safely. called negative or adverse to the situation. In So for me the trip was an overall success. I had fact, I did not even see a police officer until I the chance to meet many interesting people, as stood before the Supreme Courthouse (though well as, to make some new friendships. Given it was rumored that some sixty people were the chance to go on another such trip I would aITested). go without hesitation. I would like to conclude The last site of our trip was at The First with a thanks for those who helped to make it Congregational Church on 11th and G Streets possible for me to take the trip, and I hope that where the ISO and JAM concluded the my effort at relaying my experience here will demonstrations with speakers for the fight back be enjoyed by our readers. The Anti-Inauguration Protest By Berta Lambert Over 80 Cincinnatians protested George W. Bush's inauguration. 7 PM Friday, Jan. 191\ fifty (50) rallied at Over-the Rhine's Peaslee Center. Following speeches, singing and Ed Ritchie's burning his voter registration card, the group departed for Washington, D.C. Arriving at the Metro's Red Line Shady Grove Station at 8:00 AM, we proceeded via transit to the central Metro Station, then walked to Stanton Park for the Shadow Inauguration. One of three (3) venues of the anti­ inauguration activities ;the others: the International Action Center's Protest/Parade Route and the Votermarch Rally at Du Pont Circle. The weather was cold with interchanging rain and snow. The 'counter-inaug uration' at the park featured many African-American singers and speakers, including former Washington Mayor Barry and Al Sharpton. Following a formal pledge to continue the struggle for human rights, the rally proceeded to walk to the Supreme Court. Here the crowd eventually joined by blacks and whites, snowing. At our brief stop at Breeqewood, surrounded three or four abreast the entire there were three or four inches of beautifu l Supreme Court property. (The other 30 white flakes. 8:00 AM Sunday, January 21, Cincinnatians [total of 80] had joined the many we arrived back iin O ver-the-Rhine and each other thousands at the Parade Route). person left for home. At4:00 PM, many protesters gathered at the First Congregational Church (101h and 'G' ST. N/W) near Gallery Way Metro Stop, for the International Socialist Organization "We Won't Go Back" labor rally, which emphasized organizing against capital punishment. Following this meeting, we returned to the Shady Grove station , where we eagerly sought our Berta Lambert boards the bus to Washington, D. C. bus, asit was seriously �STREETVIBES EDITORIAL PAGE The.lMver 'R at Cynic ff1.may, I would like to start my artide with the openjng lines of one of the best news reporters that l can remember as a child1 Al Schoettetkotte. Here in Cincinnati, Al cared about this great river: community of ours, and if he was arounq t<Xlay, he'd be as]Q,11g ~ome serious questions on why we.have over.tthµty thousand homeless with twenty-two perce,nt of them being children under the· age of eight. So here goes. IMAY BE WRONG, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME that its wrong for 0ur homeless who are hungry to be submitted to bible banging, preacher screaming, you're-going-to-hell-if­ you-don't-believe, style preaching. All this just to get a plate of hot foOd. Our Constitution guarantees &aoh and every one of ·u s the right to worship as we wish. Yet here in ow: area, in order to get a bite to eat, you must submit :yourself to an hour-long sermon, thatbasically sa¥,S\ithat ¥0D are homeless because you ha¥e11~faith .:in God. So therefore you are being purifsH~. 6~ God and that is why you are bemeles~J. Bull Hockey! I find itJf.onie that just the other night, I had to attend a sennon at a lgcal sheJter just to have a warm meal. I didn't have any money that day, so I worked all day without a llleal. So there I was sitting in church listening to a minister, who I hope didn't realize that I had been on my feet since four­ thirty in the morning. Here it was going on seven-thirty in the evening, and he felt that we should all rise and stand fo.r twenty minutes, singfog the praises of Jesus. Aod it's not just food my dear reader; in Page 12 As one large body, we need to be united to end this disease that is sweeping our .cC:>~nqy. United, as one, w.ake UR our gove,rnin,g officials and demand that someiliing be done. And if they don't respona ot get off their dead asses, remind them; remind them that ~ey are in their warm, high dollar job by the grace of the people. Isn't it time that we remind them that they workfor us and not the other way around? lust imagine what could .be achieved if out, 6ffi.eials would enact legislation on homelessness as quickly as they vote in their pal' raises. The word homeless would be obsolete.:. The voiee of one may not be heard by the cries of thousands. of potential votes would be. Come on people; WAKE UP... If you really want to gain our trust and respect, try surviving our way. On speaking of the' homeless a friend of mine s aid that she cared enough to go to jail for each person. To me, that is one of the greatest compliments a homeless person could receive. fn closing, if you really want to preach, how about going down to your local temp agency and preach to them on the sins o,f makjng a living by expll'>iting the v;ecy sarne people you aretryin&,to save. BUT PLEASE, DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THAT! I must tell you that I may not be right, or fail:, but I damn sure will not be impartial: HOMELESSNESS ISNOT A SIN; IT'S AN AMERICAN DISASTER. LATER GATORS, THE RIVER-RAT CYNIC River-ratl 1@juno.com Foster Care System Growing at a Rapid Rate By Cecelia Butticci Six thousand children currently are in county custody. Only 2,000 of those children are in permanent custody and available for adoption. Of the available homes in Cuyahoga County, only 971 are licensed foster homes. If a prospective parent receives licensure to foster a child/children in their home or they have been approved as an adoptive placement it means they have passed the test. They have gone through 8 weeks of classes (24 hours), had a criminal background check (city, state and federal), filled out a very extensive application, been assigned a caseworker, been interviewed, completed a 6 month home­ study/evaluation (including but, not limited to: personal, physical, psychological, financial and living space). The county holds classes. monthly trying to recruit more people who are willing to open their hearts and homes to a child/ children who are not biologically their own but, are in need of a loving, nurturing and safe environment. Hundreds of people fitting this description come out to these classes each month and wait sometim es a year or more for the joy of a child/children to fill their homes. If there are 6,000 children and only 971 potential placements, why the wait? The requirements to have your home licensed to be a home day-care provider are very sirniJar and there is no year and half wait for children to enter your home. If these same people would choose to go through a private agency they would probably cut their requirements and waiting time to adopt by more than 50%. This can cost anywhere between $2,000 and $13,800 and this does not include medical expenses and other possible related adoption fees. Children who are considered African ­ American, multi-racial, part of a multiple birth or children with a pliysical, mental, or emotional handicap are at the lower end of the fee scale. This is because they are considered hard to place. Hard to place for who? Are you teUing me that if I'm African -American or part of another minority group and I want a baby that looks like me I can get my baby at a discount? But, my White counterpart neighbors next door have to pay full price and they have to · wait longer for a child?! And what about my White counterpart neighbors across the street who made a conscious choice to love and care for a child with special needs, they too get the discount rate? What are you saying to me and my neighbors? Why aren't our children valued the same as the " healthy, normal white" children next door? This is just another example of the disparities that exist in our country along racial and physical ability lines. This is institutional racism at work. But the powers that be would add insult to injury by trying to Jell us that they are doing "them" a favor by reducing the price and thereby ·eliminating any barriers to their placement into a loving home. After all loving "their.kind" is a challenge. It just doesn't make sense that we have no laws and put no requirements on reproduc­ tion to the general public but, when sincere honest-hearted people step up to the plate and say, "here l am I'll be of service," they liter­ ally get put through the ringer! Now don't get me wrong there obviously needs to be some kind of screening process for prospective foster/adoptive parents but, if you have a larcenous heart and are doing it for the cash subsidy or just have plain ill intent you can make it through the process. Hence some of the horror stories we hear. Our current system needs to be reevaluated so that the process is more expedient and gentle to the prospective foster/ adoptive parent(s). This will encourage more people to step up to the plate and fewer children no matter what their racial /ethinic background or their capabilities/limitations will ever have to wait to be placed in a loving home. Reprinted by permission from the Cleveland Homeless Grapevine. expression of the views and opinions of our read­ ers and supporters. The :lo'~~;.;Jg ~~gressed herein are not necessarily those-Of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the B.orneless. �EDITORIAL PAGE STREETVIBES Page 13 Indigenous Peoples and the Free Trade Area of the Americas By Tony Hall The propo.sal to create the FfAA extends a process of imperial globalization that began in 1492 and continues yet. Once again the geopolitical map of the Americas is about to be redrawn in ways that violate the titles, treaties and basic human rights of the hemisphere's First Nations. The FfAA continues the genocidal tradition which began with the founding of New Spain, New England, New France, New Netherlands, etc. as j urisdictions based on the absorption of Indian lands, usually without Indian consent. Again and again the map of America has been redrawn in Europe on the assumption that the hemisphere's Indigenous peoples are inferior and subordinate and have no fundamental right to a say in deciding what happens on First Nations lands and territories. This process began when the Pope apportioned the Americas for Spain and Portugal. It continued with the founding of the USA as an engine of genocidal western expansion. The Treaty of Paris which granted the USA its original land base in 1783, the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the absorption of the northern part of Mexico into the USA in 1848, the USA's purchase of Alaska in 1867, the transfer of the land titles of the Hudson's Bay Company to the Dominion of Canada in 1869, and the creation of the Noth America Free Trade Area in 1993, all were negotiated as if the hemisphere's Indigenous peoples ctidn't exist. Now the ministerial gathering in Quebec City points to the prospect of yet another redrawing of the map of the hemisphere with the creation of what is being called the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Such an illegal imposition on all the hemisphere's citizens projects into new jurisdictional frontiers the Columbian Conquests which began in 1492. The USA's notorious violations of its 400 or so treaties with Indigenous peoples shows that the world's only remaining Superpower has no respect for the sanctity of treaties and for the requirements of living within the framework of international law. The USA added to its notorious reputation in 1871, when the American Congress passed a law excluding the American government from the international juridical principles as they then existed. From that time forward the USA has been an outlaw state in terms of its failure to respect even the limited requirements of international law mandating the purchase through treaty of Ab01iginal title before non­ Aboriginal settlement can proceed. The events leading up to the Trail of Tears c:ts well as the country 's hon-ific genocides make the USA one of the world's most grievous perpetrators of that genre of international crime which has recently been labelled "ethnic cleansing." The founding of the state of California as the result of a particularly violent gold rush make that jurisdiction the site of especially horrific crimes against humanity. The tradition of the Indian wars continued into recent times with particu lar severity in the US backed reign of terror directed against Mayan peoples in Guatemala. As Nobel Peace Prize Rigobertu Menchu has clarified, this ruthless genocide against her own peoples was aimed at . destroying the Indian way of life. Until those violations are addressed in appropriate venues for the arbitration of international crimes against humanity, there is no reason for Indigenous peoples, or, for that matter, any other people throughout the Americas to have trust in a new treaty creating a FfAA. Such a treaty would violate hundreds of earlier treaties made with First Nations peoples throughout the Americas. Such a treaty which would formalize the USA's hegemonic dominance in a hemisphere bathed with Indian blood in the ongoing Columbian Conquests. From April 19-21 , the Huron Reserve in Quebec City, the current capital of Wendake, will be the site of an alternative summit to highlight the many issues in and around the relationships of Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas to the proposed FTAA. The meetings will take place at Salle Kondiaronk on the Huron reserve at Loretteville. This community is situated about eight miles from downtown Quebec City. This announcement includes a request for proposals for presentations, presenters and panel discussions of relevance to the idea of the FfAA as a violation of the basic human rights of all the hemisphere's citizens, but most especially of the First Nations. This alternative summit can be the site of a wide array of discussions, including those pertaining to environmental, labour and women 1s issues. The gathering will be in the tradition of the freedom fighters in the Zapatista movement in Mexico. In 1994 the Zapatistas announced their resistance to the North American Free Trade Agreement by asserting Indian jurisdiction over parts of Chiapas. Basta! Contact: Tony Hall, Department of Native American Studies, University of Lethbridge, Alberta.Canada hall@uleth.ca Great White S·hark Pardon me while I take a bite out of your paycheck. The World's Most Dan~erous Predators �STREETVIBES I CAN BEGIN AGAIN Larnell Harris/ Dave Clark Alone again in a crowded room Cornered by the questions in my mind It's so bard to understand, How the life that I had planned Stole my joy and left me far behind. Though all I have, is lost it seems In the shadow of dream that used to be I can look beyond the skies, Deep into the fathers eyes And see that there is Hope for one like me a I can begin again With the passion of a child My heart has caught a vision Of a life that's still worthwhile. I can reach out again Far beyond what I have done Like a dreamers who 's awakened To a life that's yet to come For new beginnings are not just for the young. I face the dawn· of each brand new day Free from all the doubt that gripped my past For I've found in trusting him Thal everyday life starts again As I look toward the things Of Hfe that last. I can begi n again With the passion of a child My heart has caught a vision Of a life that's still worthwhile. I can reach out again Far beyGmd what I have done Like a dreamer who's awakened To a life that's yet to come For new beginnings are not just for the young. ~ .___/ loV£ ~Ye. 4 ""uM. f~o~tl' ,~nlen tl-.':°\1ieJ 4}\l. ~TO~ in our he.-r'tl· ART & POETRY A Thumb and a Prayer Page 14 A Man for all Seasons Raman Bill Tinker Survival for me didn ' t come in one dramatic act, like rolling off a track just before the roaring whoosh of a train. It was three years out there in the capitalist crunch without my lunch basket. When I left New York City, I still had a couple of the $5,000 speculators gave m~ to turn my apartment over to them. The rest of the wad went to a motel in Santa Monica. And one day, I arri ved there - the land of the broke. That same day, I found little book of Vedic teachings. One of these teachings seemed to be for me: "When you run out of money, tum to God." I prayed. Back in NYC, I'd studied palmistry, and the business school students I taught often put their palms on my desk for comment. Now this hobby was going to become my mainstay. The motel was replaced by a youth hostel on Venice Beach. I donned a bathing suit and began to walk the beach - reading palms. This survival tactic went on for six months, and also paid for jaunts up to San Francisco and down to San Diego. But when I wanted to return East, I found l had to improvise further, as no savings had accrued. Ride sharers from France and Canada dropped me off at a campground on Lake Mead, Nevada. Sans a tent and sleeping bag, I made a little windbreaker out of a cloth and slept on the ground. l must have seemed fair game to the huge Mexican on the neighboring lot. To escape his lurid gaze and un-gentlemanly suggestions I moved closer to the lake and shared a lot with two Israelis­ brother and sister. They were going my way the next morning- The Grand Canyon. I asked to get out before the canyon entrance and l spent the night, in a drizzling rain, behind a truck left in a field. At dawn I hitched into the canyon and began to give readings outside a gift shop. One of my clients offered me room and I stayed near the south rim for four days. Thumb out again, I got a ride to Flagstaff, where I bpoked into a hostel, gave a peiformance in an adjoining bar and got a ride to Chicago - I thought. The Australian glass factory worker let me drive part of the way and shared a book on the theme "We create our own reality." Just as we rolled into Oklahoma, he told me he was schizophrenic. Once we were on the freeway, which bore signs saying "no hitch ing'', he pulled over and told me to hop out. "I'd rather go to Chicago alone," he said. I dropped some of my baggage in a ditch for some other hapless soul and surveyed my situation. Just ahead to the East, a big semi door opened and there appeared a guy wearing jeans and a toothy grin. He was my next chauffeur. Well, I got back to NYC where I survived a police riot, eviction by a drug dealing boyfriend and residence in a chilly squat. What can we do but survive; we do it to live and to give. Here is to the man all tattered and worn Could have been PREZ instead he is dehomed a Free as as a bird to fly this ol'coop, remembering the War and how he was seen. ... Makes for this Vet to feel rather mean, its not who you are but what you can dream. Living thru flash backs of death all around, thi s man deserves better than a park bench called home . So if you as americans really g ive a damn reach out and g ive this brother,or sister who is home less a hand. And never for get just how close we.-a11 have drifted to seeing the holy ghost Yes its quite clear to me, homelessness is near to thee. l ask not your pity Nor handouts of pain, I only ask that you consider me a homeless man, Not a being from beyond! • For today I work for my meal,as is the deal tomorrow [ move on to places unknown,but if possible I too might find a place I can call Home! buddy's place Permanent Housing for formerly homeless individuals at 1300 Vine Street. For more information, call Connie Martina or Agnes Mack at (513) 784-0800 �STREE.IVIBES ART & POETRY l A Quest for Answers I venture the streets for answers, to satisfy, justify, to rest, to understand oblivious questions walking the streets. Questions ride the trains, without answers, live in makeshift city-dumped homes, once glamorous hotels, sleep through steam of subway grates like a Sunday barbecue. Questions roamed the piers, anchor their bodies to rest, gather belongings in abandoned buildings, amid recyclable material, in huts, with no picture of the Last Supper. Questions hitchhike toward hope, fill gymnasiums wall-to-wall, mattresses replaced mats. They carry portable pantries, groceries in brown paper bags, shelved in shopping carts. Questions find comfort, under boardwalks and parking lots, under highways and subway tunnels. They walk through winter nights, die of frostbite. Victor M. Velez Vzc777@hotmail. com Page 15 • Being Black GREAT STRESS BUSTERS MAKE LISTS. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. Being a Negro in America is not a EXERCISE. comfortable existence. SING A SONG. EAT RIGHT. It means being part of the company CALL A FRIEND LAUGH AT YOURSELF. Of the bruised, the battered, the ASK OTHERS TO HELP scarred, and the defeated. SMILE. SET REALISTIC GOALS. TAKE Being a Negro in America BREAKS Means trying to smile when you want PRIORITIZE TASKS. to cry. DELEGATE WORK It means trying to hold on to physical AVOID CLUTTER. USE PROPER life LIGHTING. HAVE A HOBBY. KEEP NOISE DOWN. Amid psychological deatl~. TALK THINGS OUT It means the pain of watching your VISUALIZE A PEACEFUL SCENE. children grow up LEARN TO RELAX. With clouds of inferiority in their BUDGET TIME & MONEY. TAKE A mental skies. DEEP BREATH. It means having your legs cut off, MESSAGE TENSE MUSCLES And then being condemned for being REWARD YOURSELF. HAVE LUNCH MEDITATE SET LIMITS. a cripple. THI~K POSITIVELY It means seeing your mother and COUNT TO 10. father CONFRONT YOUR FEELINGS Spiritually murdered TAKE A DEEP BREATH. AVOID JUNK By the slings and arrows of daily FOODS. DO NECK ROLLS. PRACTICE exploitation, TEAMWORK. BELIEVE And then being hated for being an IN OTHERS. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. orphan. ENJOY Being a Negro in America ... SMALL PLEASURES. BE KIND. CRY Means being harried by day and IF NECESSARY haunted by night TAKE A DEEP BREATH. REMEMBER: . By a nagging sense of nobodiness TIME HEALS HAVE YOUR CHECKUPS.TAKE A And constantly fighting to be saved WALK.GET from the poison of bitterness. ORGANIZED.AVOID BAD DRUGS. BE It means the ache and anguish of FLEXIBLE. living in so many situations STRETCH OFrEN. CONTROL Where hopes unborn have died. YOUR WEIGHT. AVOID Martin Luther King, Jr. I Asked For Author Unknown ~ 1 asked for strength and God _gave me difficu lties to make me strong. I asked for wisdom and God gave me problems to solve I asked for prossperity and god gave me dangers to overcome I asked for patience And god placed me in siturations where I was forced to wait. I asked for love and god gave me troubled people to help. I asked for favors And god gave me opportuniites I received nothing I asked for, but I received everything I needed. My prayers has been answered. DISTRACTIONS SET REASONABLE DEADLINES. DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. LEARN TO SAY "NO". FOREGIVE AND FORGET. USE THE RIGHT TOOLS DON'T PROCRASTINATE. REFLECT ON YOUR JOYS ENCOURAGE OTHERS. GET UP EARLIER. BREAK UP MONONTONY. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. SEE PROBLEMS AS CHALLENGES. LOVE OTHERS LOVE YOURSELF. STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES. NEVER DRINK & DRIVE. SCREEN YOUR CALLS AVOID UNECESSARY MEETINGS. GIVE HUGS ACCEPT HUGS. SEEK OUT POSITIVE PEOPLE BE FAITHFUL. READ GOOD BOOKS. REMEMBER YOUR TRIUMPHS LAUGHOFrEN TAKE A DEEP BREATH �VEGGIEVIBES Page 16 A Biblical Perspective on Factory Farming And Vegetarianism STREETVIBES By Susan Huesken During the past 40 years, farmers have been under increasing pressure to tailor traditional farming methods to the needs of cost-effective production. Factory farming, where thousands of animals are warehoused together, often unable to move, has become the norm. But fro m a biblical and religious perspective, close confinement systems of animal agriculture should be opposed because these syste ms take away the natural life of the farm animal. Si nce an animal' s natural life is a g ift from God, it fo llows that God's right is violated when we deny animals such rud_imentary require ments as freedom of movement, fresh air, and sunshine. When we take over the life of an animal to the extent that we do now, and d isto rt its natural life for no other purpose th ~ n our own gain, we fall into sin and are simply not follow ing the direction given in many passages in the Bible. In Proverbs 12: 10 it says, "The righteous one is caring for the soul of hi s dofoestic animals." The Reverend Billy Graham has referenced the bible fo r how to treat animals. He said that accord ing to biblical teaching, all the animals of the earth were created good and pure (Gen. I :25) . .. man was given responsibili ty for the animal kingdom. However, God never intended their abuse. Graham also goes on to say; "On occasion, rve alluded to kind ness to animals, I believe it's a characteristic of the mature mind. The Bible teaches that we are not to abu e or punish animals in a cruel way. God bas created them, and whi le mankind is g iven dominion over the ani mals, we are not to treat them cruelly." There are so 'many procedures done to farm animals on today 's facto ry farms that I feel most people with any compassio n at all would thi nk them cruel and abusive. Here are some examples of what goes on in chicken factory farms: Male chickens born on egg farms are ki lled by suffocation in plastic bags, decapitation, gassing, or crushing. Because chickens are kept in overcrowded, stressful conditions that lead to aggression and pecking, the chicken industry cuts off up to 2/3 of their beaks without anesthesia. Cutting these delicate tissues with a hot knife causes pain that persists for weeks. Some bi rds cannot eat or drink after debeaking and starve to death. Egg laying hens are so tightl y packed that typicall y 4 or 5 live in a cage with a wire floor area about the size of a fo lded newspaper. These conditions lead to lameness, wing atrophy, bone-bri ttleness, osteoporosis, and feet and leg deformities. Cages are stacked one on top of another, allowing excrement to drop onto the birds below. This manure can CUFFOAD JONES (513) 761 -3464 (513) 230-63 53 e-ma il: jonesacp@tbol .net cause ammonia burn to the chickens' eyes and sometimes leads to blindness. To increase the laying hens' production they are often "force­ molted" . This involves removing food and water for several days in order to shock their bodies into another egg-laying cycle. It is common for 5% to !0% to die. From the Reverend Billy Graham's words above, you can infer that he would be opposed to all of the practices that are mentioned previously. Those are by no means all of the cruel procedures involved in the factory style version of chicken raising. I will spare you for now the abuses that are perpetrated on cattle, pigs, sheep, turkey, ducks, geese, and recently on other animals that were not typically raised for food such as ostriches, buffalo, and emu. These abu es do ex ist, and are j ust as bad. lt seems the majori ty of the Christian religions thi nk that it is not right to abuse animal s, but they do think that it is ok to eat EGGLESS'EGG' SALAD 'h lb. Firm tofu, mashed 1 green onion, finely chopped 2 T eggless mayonnaise (can find in health food stores) 1 T pickle relish J tsp. mustard 1A tsp. each: ground cumin, turmeric, and garlic and onion powder salt to taste: Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Serve on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato. vegetarian diet is the diet that God intended for his people, and they actively pro mote it. There is also a biblically based Christian movement that promotes a vegetarian diet. · Many religious scholars also believe that Jesus lived among the Jewish Essene sect, of which John the Baptist belonged, whose members followed a vegetarian diet. It is apparent from the biblical scriptures quoted above, that God wanted his ~animals treated kindly. It is also clear that modern methods used on factory farms do not treat them kindly or even like animals at all, more like inanimate objects. Hopefully you will become a vegetarian, which I believe is the diet we were created to eat. But if you still choose to consume animals, please try to purchase products that contribute less to this cruelty. Buy your animal products from farms that do not raise their animals in confi nement, so they are free to enj oy their natural insti ncts. Make sure that they feed them proper food, preferably o rganic, and that their food does not contain growth hormo nes, or antibiotics. You can find free-range eggs and organicaUy raised chi ckens and beef at most of your health food stores. This js the very least we can do for the an imals and for ourselves, but rea lize that humane slaughte r methods do not exi st in large-scale slaughter operations in the United States, so better yet don' t eat them at all! them, as long as they were g iven proper care. Most of these re lig ions have not yet given their attentio n to the changes that have taken place in the farmin g industry over the years. If they di d, they wou ld surely agree that the cuITent methods of raising farm animals do not abide by God's intentions of man's proper care of them. I really cannot envision Jesus debeaking a chicken or throwing a newly born baby male chi cken into a plastic bag to suffocate. Recently in the December 7th Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, an article entitled "For a More Just Relationship With Animals" stated that human dominion over the natural world must not be taken as an unqualified license to kill or inflict suffering on animals. The cramped and cruel methods used in the modern food industry, for example, may cross the line of morally acceptable treatment of animals. I fee l that the questioni ng of the conditions on the factory fa rms by the Vatican newspaper is a wonderful step in the right direction, and it may lead to better co nd iti ons for the farm animals, but it is not enough. Given the demand for animal fl esh in the U.S. and the world today, it would be impossible to meet that demand using humane farming methods. To humanely rise farm animals would require so much land and people to take care of them that it would not be practical. A vegetarian diet is really the only logical and economically feasible solution to this problem. There are a few re ligions that feel that a man's original diet was vegetarian, when he was in the "Garden of Eden". The Seventh Day Ad ventists' interpret the bible such that, a n e 1ru h is. a little of your t 1me can make a liietime ot ct1~erence. Beca.ise kids with some hing to do a~c less I ke11 tJ do drugs. You can help. Foy more nformarion or orug prevention programs n your c1JmmJm;:y. call or visit 1877 KIDS 313 www.youcanhelpkids.org �·1 STREETVIBES . . . . . WEB VIBES . .... : :. .• - .·· ·~ .,.~~~---=- ·Page'. 17:·. .. ,,. ·: . . .. The National Coalition for the Homeless Compiled by Dan Marschner Source: www.nch.ari.net Their mission is to end homelessness. Toward this end, the National Coaljtion for the Homeless (NCH) engages in public education, policy advocacy, and grassroots organi zing. NCH staff provide information to thousands of people each year, including practitioners, community groups, researchers, government staff, the general public, and the media. They publish reports and fact sheets, field many calls, and speak at conferences and workshops around the country. NCH maintains an extensive and constantly growing database on research, and responds to numerous inquiries. The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) serves as a national clearinghouse for information about homelessness and public policy. Their library houses a comprehensive collection of research on homelessness and poverty, including national, state, and local studies, program and training manuals, policy analyses, curriculum guides, evaluations, conference reports, literature reviews, government reports, advocacy manuals, and case studies. NCH's library is the largest holding of its kind, offering access to research otherwise unavailable through public and uni versity libraries. Abstracts and ordering information for each library report are entered in to a searchable database, enabling users to H conduct research and answer public inquiries. NCH publishes fact sheets on various aspects of homelessness, as well as an annotated bibliography, The Essential Reference on Homelessness: An Annotated Bibliography. We highlight new reports and research on homelessness in every issue of Safety Network, the newsletter of the National Coalition for the ~· Homeless. Other public education projects include the Art and Literature Proj ect, The Educational Rights Project, and the Homeless Voices Project. Since NCH provided leadership in the successful effort to pass the Stewart B. McKinney Homelessness Assistance Act in 1987, we have continued to monitor the reauthorization and appropriations process. Over the years, we've helped ensure that billions of dollars have been made available for McKinney programs such as emergency shelter grants, health care for the homeless, and education for homeless children. NCH has worked for services and legislation in many areas, as information in every issue of our newsletter, Safety Network shows. NCH supports legislation to provide an adequate supply of affordable housing, jobs whlch pay a living wage, and universal access to health care. The Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act was the first - and remams the on ly - major federal legislative response to homelessness. This fact sheet provides a brief history of the McKinney Act, describes its content and evolution, and summarizes recent trends in McKinney Act legislation and funding. The National Coalition for the Homeless sponsors many educational and organizing projects, special campaigns, and annual events. They work to empower homeless people, whose voices are essential to the public policy debate. In response to increasing civil rights abuses, NCH is coordinating a locally-based national movement to protect the civil rights of people who are homeless. The Greater Cincinnati Coal ition for the Homeless is leading this project regionally. F ind out what you can do to help prevent and combat the violation of homeless people's civil rights by contacting 42 1-7803. The National Coalition for the Homeless welcomes your contributions to continue its efforts towards ending homeless in the United States. Their webpage is a clear and informative resource to anyone seeking more knowledge about homelessness. The National Coalition is approaching twenty years of advocacy fo r homeless people - hopefull y, the National Coalition will not need twenty more years to end homelessness. Do you find yourself on the outside of the job market, looking in? Do you want a self-moti­ vated, low-pressure job? Sell Streetvibesl The monthly newspaper with news from the street: homelessness, poor people's issues, poetry, prose, and articles with their feet on the ground. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and sell it for a $1 donation. · First 10 copies free to new vendorsl Come in today to sign upl The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 (513) 421-7803 At Jobs Plus you 'll get the tools to get and keep the full-time, permanent job you're qualified for. If you are serious about your-future, ca ll us. Jobs 1625 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 513/241-1 800, fax 513/24 1- 1633 email: jobsplus@core.com Your Community Employment Network �STREETVIBES Page 1s Would you like to become a member of the GCCH? Just complete and return the order form below! ~r~~r C:::1inc:1nncrlt Cc:>c::dlfle>n FC>f'" . Th~ t-k:>~l~ss a.m.e: ( ) Zip: _ _ _ __ ddress: S-a:at:e: -mail: tease mail check t:o 1506 Elm St:. Cin. OH 45210 · Keeper, continued from page 1 awareness issues about homelessness to his present officers and programs on homelessness for his new officers in the future. Jailer Carl should be. commended for this program that he has quietly enacted without any fanfare to the public. It is his hope th~t other county departments throughout the state will follow suit. But that will only come to be with more awareness and education to those who serve the public. I hope that this program catches on like wildfire; it's not the answer to our homeless problem, but it is a start towards its ending thanks to a public servant who cares. Testimony, continued from page 9 $50 "M:embership, includes 1 year subscript:ion t:o St:reet:vibes., a 200 i Faces wit:hout: Places Calendar., Ceat:uring local shelt:ers 1 appreciate your taking the time to read this. I would be even more appreciative if you could find a way to help me. I need financial assistance, of course, but I could also use sound advice. I need public attention to be focused on my case. I would be grateful if you would pass my letter on to another who might be willing to belp me. Anything you can do would be most appreciated. Thank you. $100 "M:embership includes 1 year subscript:ion t:o St:reet:vibes., a 2001 Faces without: Places Calendar., and our undying grat:it:ude Dave Clark #254-389 878 Coitsville-Hubbard Rd. Youngstown, Ohio 44505-4635 $10 Basic :M:embership $35 :M:embership, includes 1 year subscript:ion t:o St:ree-t:vibes '----...;...----------------------=:::-=::-=~~======~=-----==== <dll£ .{jlau @Jw.Fmnc 3722 Camden Avenue Cincinnati, Ohi0 45202 ~~ ~:~) 513-708-2228 bgeaster@(use.net www.theglasscharmer.com Economy and deluxe wedding invitations, birth announcements, parNes and custom work. Street View, continued from page 3 sometimes we make up our minds to just go at it alone. Seeking out employment, changing our haunts, decisions which we hope will forever change our lives. Success however is varied, most often it is short lived, in those cases we find ourselves back in the same old rut. However, when success is lasting then we can bring some hope to those who are still caught in the grips of the street life. "Oh, so even those who live the life have some hope." Yeah, there is both hope and the opportunity to enhance one's life given the fortitude that one needs to overcome the situation. With a little faith and a lot of hard work the obstacles which help to keep us on the road to destruction in the Life of the street person can be eradicated, and a sense of " normalcy" can be obtained. However, the first step in this enhancement endeavor is the willingness to change one's lifestyle. Those who I ive on the streets need both a sense of incentive and encouragement that life can be different and more reward ing than what the street offers. There is no single solution to the problem of the street life, but with support from the community and support groups this sort of problem can be better tackled and more easily overcome. �STREETVIBES Calendar of Events Streetvibes has a monthly calendar of events · to keep you informed of happenings around the Greater Cincinnati area. Please contact us if you have an item to list. Any submission is welcome: local community council meetings, social justice forums, protests, community festivals, art shows, etc. Please call 421­ 7803, fax to 421-7813 or email streetvibes@juno.com to list an event. February Welfare Rights Coalition Potluck lunch and meeting, 12 noon at the . Contact Center. Call 381-4242 for more infonnation EarthSave Dining Out, 6 :00 p.m. at a restaurant to be determined. Call EarthSave at 929- 2500 or Mary Ann Lederer at 59 1-3003 for more information. 5 Amnesty International Cincinnati Group 86 meeting, I :00 at Joseph Beth Bookscl lers in Rookw ood Pavilion. For more information, contact Am nesty International at 22 1-7659 7 Ohio Empowerment Coalition rally in Columbus. Buses w iJI be leaving from the Contact Center at 8:00 am. Can 38 l-4242 for more infom1ation. 15 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless General Body Meeting, l :30 p.m. at the D_rop Inn Center. Call 421-7803 for more info1mation. 21 EarthSave Vegetarian Pot Luck Dinner, 6:00 p.m. at St. John's Unitarian Church, 320 Resor. For more information, call EarthSave at 929-2500 or call Mary Ann Lederer 591-3003. 21 Over the Rhine Parks and Recre­ ation Committee Meeting. 12: 15 p.m. at the Contact Center. CaJl 381-4242 for more infonnation. . Page 19 City of Cincinnati/Hamilton County recieves a "Continuum of Care" Grant to Fund Area Agencies Addressing Homelessness During his last holiday address to the nation, President Clinto n announced on D ecember 23, 2000 that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban D evelopment will award more than $ 1 billion in grants to help homeless individuals and fa milies obtain housing and receive the support services they need to get off the streets and become self-suffic ient. The grants represent the largest amount of homeless ~ssistance jn U.S. history, and wi11 go to state and local govern ments and non-profi t organizations in 50 states (HUD Press Release). The FY 2000 COC grants brought $6,022,900 to Cincinnati/Hamilton County. The following s ixteen projects ( 11 renewals and 5 new projects). housing program to provide a new s ubsidized housing program to the homeless in our community. Tender Mercies renewed both their Permanent and Transitional Hous ing Proj ects for the homeless mentally ill in our community. The Sal vation Anny renewed its tran sitional hous ing program for 6 homeless families. H ealth Resource Center renewed its Street Outreach p rogram for homeless youth. Additionally, they received a new grant to expand thei r efforts and be able to prov ide outreach and medical services to even more street kids. When combined, the projects propose to ser ve 240 kids over the next 3 years. The Freestore/Foodbank wi ll bring a new permanent housing program to Central Parkway Towers. Us ing the ex isting renovation the project will provide ongoing rent subsidies and supportive services to 70 disabled homeless persons to support their movement to independent living. Bethany House renewed both their transitional housing program for single women at Bethany Place and their transitional housing programs for families. Additionally, Bethany served as the lead agency for six family shelters as they applied to continue their partnership with DHS to "reform access to welfare in the shelters" with the Family Shelter Partnership Program. The Drop Inn Center will create a Transitional Employment Program - designed as ~job training program for the re idents of DIC at DIC. This program will give people the opportunity to work in a supportive environment while gaining job skills and addi tional training designed to supp01t their move to independent living and self­ sufficiency. Ohio Valley Goodwill renewed its program to provide job training for the homeless, offering a range of services for the unemployed and underemployed which will support their effort to access and retain employment. In a complimentary new program they will create a scattered site permanent Vol unteers of America wi ll create new service-enriched permanent housing for the disabled homeless. Thi s project uses previously inaccessible, permanent housing units to be rented to homeless ind ividuals and provide the case management and support necessary to enable independent living. Lighthouse Youth Services renewed both its men's and wo men's transitional housing program for homeless teens at their Josephine, Bramble, and Reading R oad locations. To m Geiger G uest House renewed its transitional housing program for homeless families, which is a partnership proj ect with Bethany House and the YWCA, allowing fami lies from both of those agencies to move to the trans itional housing fac ility at Geiger while they continue their efforts toward self­ sufficiency. Streetvibes Classified PLACE your help wanted, for rem, for sale items in Streetvibes Classified. Only $1 per line, free for 6 months.for homeless/ low-income people Americorps VISTA Positions Available! The NortheastOhio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) has positions available in Canton, Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati with the Homeless Children and Youth Project. Contact the NEOCH for more infom1ation. NEOCH 20 12 West 25th Street $7 17 Cleveland, Ohio 44113 (216) 241-1 104 email: neoch@bbs2.rmrc.net www.neoch.org New councilmember John Cranley toured Over the Rhine on Saturday, January 27, 2001. He was accom­ panied by (from left to right) Jennifer Summers, Coordinator of ReSTOC, Susan Knight, Administrative Coordinator of the GCCH, and Alicia Beck, Director ofthe GCCH. �Ne d Help or Want to He~p? lf fl}r ~ruu ~oo. ~" floo y®~lt brn"cl~ Ct)l\t~et Ii\ MtAuhw coonuoo \~m~t tar Slwllt't·, Tt~tnwnt. llow.h~ m· Su\l~. U ~mt lm\~ ~· qutstloos. ft\'l fr«' to ~au th~ Grta1tr Clm'.ln1.mtl -~11uoo f(}.I' too l:toowtm. s~RSL-~\t ~hlldmo ~$.lt;!G.;. CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 OTA Housing Network.. _. , 0 369-0004 _.r Doi YWCA Battered At. Women's Shelter 872-9259 I.,~ (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 _..., Salvation ~rmy 762-5660 ~ Welcome House 859-431-8717 . f> City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Jose'ph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 alb Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Chabad House 821-5100 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center(Slng les) 721-0643 Haven House (Hamilton) ..863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality Ntwk ..471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John's Temp Housing 651-6446 ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House 381-1171 639-7056 961-4555 l.l.Ul~t.m!.'~mtHl O.D.A.A.T First Step Home ..... 221-6937 961-4663 H HARDWA 2-Pk. 10.1-0:t. Silicone U M~~~ Kitchen & Bath Sealant 8·Pk. Bounty Paper Towels --­ - - ..- - - ~ ™LNJ· M~n Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 8 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TR!A.TMkNT· Qtt\ N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 861-9966 C.C.A.T 381-6660 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc. 491-4435 VA Domiciliary ..859-559-5011 OTittR lMil..t!.fk.Mm SHEl.lilR.· TB SVICE. : 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 North side .... .... .. ... 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center ... .. 381-4242 Emanuel Comm. Center... 241-2563 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank .. ..... . ... Goodwill Industries ...... .... 771-4800 G.C. Coalition for the Homeless .... 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 621-7149 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 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 Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-481 1 Oral Health Council 621-0248 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect -­ Homeless Kids ......... . 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 .. .......... . Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless Program 572-6226 Women's Crisis Center ..... 859-491-3335 Women Helping Women 872-9259 Th nk you for your aupport. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2001 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 2001 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Thousands March to Remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keeper of Keys: Jailer Opens Door to the Homeless Pg 2: GCCH Director’s Challenge Streetvibes Editor Steps Down Pg 3: Restock: Hand in Hand with the Drop Inn Center Pg 4: How Predatory Lenders Are Different from Other Lenders Pg 5: ODAAT (One Day at a Time) House Closes: 17 Beds Lost Medicaid Reinstated for 133,000 Parents and Children Pg 6: International News Pg 7: Life After Mt. Airy: Return of the Prodigal sons Pg 8: Prisoners’ News Pg 9: A Prisoner’s News Pg 10: Prisoners want ‘Supermax’ Barred Pg 11: Vendor Visits D.C. to Protest The Anti-Inauguration Protest Pg 12: The River Rat Cynic Foster Care System Growing at a Rapid Rate Pg 13: Editorials Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: A Biblical Perspective on Factory Farming and Vegetarianism Pg 17: The National Coalition for the homeless Pg 18: Keeper Continued Testimony Continued Street View Continued Pg 19: City of Cincinnati/Hamilton County Receives a “Continuum of Care” Grant to Fund Area Agencies Addressing 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 February 2001 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alicia Beck Susan Knight Tom Billman Dan Marschner Ron Carter Warren Perkins Pat Mitchell Mary A. Gaffney Mary Taylor Sonny Williams Mark Teegarden Mr. Lee Doug Lawrence Chris Moss David Clark Cecelia Butticci Larnell Harris Bill Tinker Rick Taylor Maria Poblet Riccardo Taylor Carol Ann Bell Susan Huesken John Perotti Tony Hall Raman Victor M. Velez John Caniglia Berta Lambert Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF ACLU Aid Alicia Beck Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Bill Tinker Carol Ann Bell Cecelia Butticci Chris Moss D.C. Dan Marschner David Clark Doug Lawrence Drop Inn Center Editorials Farming Foster Care GCCH Inauguration Indigenous People International news Jimmy Heath John Caniglia John Perotti Larnell Harris Maria Poblet Mark Teegarden Martin Luther King Jr. Mary A. Gaffney Mary Taylor Medicaid MLK Mr. Lee Mt. Airy National Coalition for Homeless Pat Mitchell Peltier Prisoners prisoners news protest Raman Riccardo Taylor Rick Taylor Ron Carter Sonny Williams Street View Susan Huesken Susan Knight Tom Billman Tony Hall Victor M. Velez Warren Perkins Washington welfare news https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/68ed8aae51e4aa0af0de77c3632ae6ea.pdf 17df6dd5c2a3f6de1369d3c6927d7ab0 PDF Text Text St Donation ST t££T IBES · Your News Source Progres~ive BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY FEBRUARY 2002 �~ ~ FEBRUARY 2002 PANHANDLING FOR JUSTICE by John Halpin On January 15, over forty people took to the streets of downtown Cincinnati during lunch hour to "panhandle for justice." The volunteers - people experiencing homelessness, Streetvibes vendors, advocates, and allies - were raising awareness about an increasing number of civil rights violations against the homeless throughout the country and here in Cincinnati. Volunteers passed out nearly 2000 flyers, standing on the co ld sidewalks with cardboard signs, much like those held by many panhandlers. Instead of the usual "Homeless, Please Help," these signs had such facts written on them as "There were 25,000 homeless people in Cincinnati in 2000" and "The cost of arresting, processing and jailing a homeless person is more than providing them with affordable housing." The educational campaign took a panhandling slant to raise particular attention to Mayor CharJie Luken's recent motion for a new anti-panhandli ng ordinance, "as st1i ct as possible within constitutional standards." No ordinance has been drafted yet, but many fear that it will go beyond Cincinnati's current law which prohibits only "aggressive" panhandling. Many be]jeve that a peaceful panhandler's right to ask for money - part of the First £ .._........,..,,__.... Amendment right to free speech ­ downtown. Streetvibes was should not be inte1fered with. actually started as an aItem ati ve to panhandlfog, a chance for The action also raised awareness of the Mayor's attack on homeless and low-income people to have Streetvibes. meaningful At the employme nt December 4 and has meeting of enabled Counci l's • • many Law and Public vendors to Safety get back on Gf;eQter ~ Committee, their feet. Cincinnati Coolltfon For Luken Many in the city feel spared no kindness for Luken has the paper, gone one step too far with his saying its vendors were attack on Streetvibes, and an "panhandlers armed with independent group of activists and newspapers" and stated that vendors have started a group called vendors were aggressive and "Friends of the Homeless." They scaring people away from are raising awareness about the ~~. · · g;;,..-------------- Street View by Riccardo M. Taylor In light of the view from the strnet, I believe that the season of winter which is upon us needs to be related in tenns of what the street person has to deal with. The winter season is usually the hardest season for the street person in terms of survival. The cold temperatures along w ith the need for more materials, such as clothing and/or health materials in order to fight colds, etc, becomes a challenge for many street people in the sense that these materials are often harder to come by or are needed more often than in the other warmer seasons. The added burden of obtaining some of these needed materials for survival during the IAT c many positive things the paper does and e ncouraging Mayor Luken to refrain from enacting any policies that would harm the paper. Friends of the Homeless is currently launching a postcard writing campaign to the Mayor, allowing Cincinnatians from all walks of life to express support for the newspaper. The January 15 action, on the 73rd anniversary of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of many actions across the country in conjunction with the release of the report Illegal to be ~Homeless . The report is the most .§.comprehensive study to date of the mcriminalization of homelessness ~and civil rights violations against E "' the homeless. Illegal to be Homeless was the result of over a year of work that included interviewing homeless people and advocates in 80 communities across the United States. The report was compiled by the National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project of the National Coaljtion for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Pove1ty. The findings of the report were disturbing: Cities across the country are passing laws to push homeless people out of sight, rather than focussing on permanent solutions to homelessness itself. The laws criminalize many of the actions homeless people must do winter can be devastating to the street person, sometimes even becoming a matter of life or death. The street person is more vulnerable during the wi nter season than any other in terms of survival from the elements. Often, donations or other forms of support are not available or not as plentiful during this time of the year, thus causing pressure to those who have to survive on their wits or by the training which comes from street knowledge. One has to depend on others for resQurces, which are not readily available as they .are during the other seasons. One cannot easily sleep on a park bench in temperatures below zero! Nor can one go without shoes, a coat, or other wrap, which can adequately protect them from the elements. The harshness of winter can be the detennination of one's survival or their demise. The sure capacity of this possibility is in itself a factor, which in a sense of sane thinking should appeal to the street person as reason enough to make changes in their lifestyles. However, if it were that simple then it's almost an assurance that the street person would make those c~anges. This brings about the sense of reality that there is more than just the will, or desire to change TO FOR Panhandling... Cont. On Page 10 which must,_effect the street person. I cannot put e nough emphasis on the fact that one needs more than just the desire to change, and as in the case of most street people, there has to be some sort of support e I V1ew•... Cont. on page 3 I Inside Streetvibes �Streetvibes: A Human Investlllent The History of Streetvibes: and community people, produces Streetvibes began in 1996, as a one the monthly 20 page publication. page insert in the Cleveland The physical layout of the paper is Grapevine, Cleveland's street done on a computer in the · newspaper. Then in 1997, with a Coalition office and the copy is grant from the SC Ministries sent to a local printer for printing. Foundation, Streetvibes began its The vendors buy the paper from own independent publication. The The Greater Cincinnati Coalition initial printing was 500. for the Homeless for twenty cents Currently, the paper distributes 6­ each. The twenty cents helps to 8,000 Streetvibes monthly. In cover printing costs, editor's addition to the vendors, salary, photography and supplies. Streetvibes has a subscription base There are two donated computer~ of 300, and many are given away available to the vendors in the to schools and civic organizations. Coalition office so that they may Streetvibes is now an active write stories, access the internet, member (and an original founding and work on their resumes. member) of the North American Streetvibes is subsidized by Street Newspaper Association donations and general funds from (NASNA) that includes street the Homeless Coalition. The newspapers from all over the vendors in tum, distribute the United States, Canada, Mexico paper on the streets of Cincinnati, and Nova Scotia. There is also a requesting a $1 donation in return. large street newspaper movement "' How the vendina: proa:Fam in Europe which maintains works: People are referred to the connections with NASNA. Streetvibes vending program from How Streetvibes works: area shelters but most often come Streetvibes. has one part-time, through the Homeless Coalition's formerly homeless staff member, doors because of word of mouth. the editor. The editor, with The Coalition has specifi c times contributions from vendors, staff and days when new vendor orientation is provided and the potential vendor must make an appointment to sign up for the program. This orientation includes a discussion of sales methods, the vendor code of conduct, (that the vendor must agree to and sign) and an overview of incentives, encouraging vendors to contribute to the newspaper. The Vendors have a monthly meeting to discuss concerns/issues of the vendors and the staff. The meeting is generally held the first day of the month when the new issue of Streetvibes is released. The meeting provides a forum for vendors to help direct and provide input for the content of the paper. In addition, the vendor program helps homeless and low-income people connect with services that they may need - housing, treatment, assistance with bills, counseling and encouragement. For some people living on the streets, the Homeless Coalition and the Streetvibes program provides a first point of contact to services and assistance. Where Vendor: 80 cents Your Dollar Goes Printing and Production : 20 cents The Streetvibes program maintains a minimaloverhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more informa­ tion about the program. Many thanks for your support. 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 collecting for the "homeless" in general. I will be donation. I agree not to ask for donations of more honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of than $1 . I also understand that I will be able to Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor: keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future 8. I will always present my badge when purchasing issues of Streetvibes will be pmchased from the papers, and I will display my badge at all times Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. while vending. Replacement badges are $5 each. 2. Streervibes may only be purchased from the 9. There are no territories. I agree that I will not GCCH. Purchasing or selling unauthorized cO"ntest territories with other distributors. I will papers, or from other vendors, will result in termi­ not sell on private property without permission. nation from the program. 10. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self3. I agree that I will not ask for donations or attempt supporting paper _created,by people w~o .are to vend after 12 midnight. homeless or formerly homele.ss: to nelp 1n this eff~r"t, I will cry to· spre~d the word and write 4. I agree to treat others with respect - Ot~er vendors, stories if possible. customers, and GCCH personnel. 5. l will not sell Streervibes while under the)nflu~nce. · 11... r t!tl.d~rS!?-nd that failµre .to. comply.with' a_ny of the 6. I will no"t give a "hard sell'' or make someone feel .. · -.above st~terp.encs will ~es~t in termination from · threatened. · . · . · th.e-Stteervibes vendo~· program, <;;CCH re~erv~§ 7. ! :agree not to·deceive rl).e public I~~ sayjng_fKat r~~- . -~ ch:!~~~~ ~~ ter~inat~.}~~~:':~~~ a~_::ni rfme ·a~ ..... collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am deemed appropriate. �Local News STREETVIBES February 2002_ Page 3 ReSTOC Leads Development on Vine Street off-street parking. "We are working to Through long politiGal revitalize Vine [in Over-the­ ReSTOC is a community battles and rising costs of driven nop·-profit organi ~ation Rhine] but we want to revitai ize it construction, ReSTOC' s .Vir:ie based on the co-operatiye model. with something besides bar.~ and S~r~et Community Projeq in nightClubs,," said.Summers. The; majority of ReSTOC board Over-the-Rhiny is set to st?.r t · In ad~Utiop to hou~ing, members are residents who make construction by tqe end of tbis day.-·to' day operating decisior;s the there ~re plans to develqp l}eW winter. for the co-op. ReSTOC us.e s g~een spaces. for rieighborhood M ayor Charlie Lµken ha.s volunteer labor, private n1nding residents and four new storefronts called Vine Street in Over-the- · fo~ community businesses. For and ha~ low operating c9sts so Rhine "the most important street. these businesses to thrive the they are able to ke~p their rents in the city" ~ec.ause it is ~t the economic health of the affordal:)le. geographical center of downtown The Vine Stree~ area and n~ighborhood is a crucial part of Cincinnati. Vine Street al.so the ReSTOC vision for Vine serves as a connector to do.wntown Over-the-Rhine in general bas Street. between Clifton, the Univ.ersity of been.an area of focus for developers for years. Advocates The main _funding source Cinci nnati and su rr~ounding for the working-class poor and of the development came' from the communities. low-inc.ome people also want Ohio Housing Finance Agen_cy Re.STOC has so far been development the largest investor on Vine Street ~ but want to bringing in nearly six mi llion. £ make sure dollars of investment through Cl! .1!_ tha~ there is Ohio's tax credit program and _ [ ReSTOC private funds. The Vine decent, "> affordable Street Community Project will ·be housing and one of the first projects on Vine econor,nic Street, bringing a new wave of opportunity economic development and for everyone, opportunities to Over-the-Rhine including and city residents. long-time The housing project Over-the­ follows Mayor Luken's, City Rhine Council's and the city residents. administration's vision for "We developing the half-mile stretch of Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine. want to create more The groundbreaking for the 30­ quality unit housing development will occur in March. All buildings will family-sized units in the be fi n.ished by spring 2003. Seven buildings on or around Vine community that are Street are going to be rehabbed available to provjd ing multi-bedroom units to neighborhood work~g_ class people in the people and their .families. The .n.eighborhood;· ~ " maj ority of apartments are in a ·said Jennifer This building at 15th and Republic Street in Over-thetownhouse.style with an· interiO'r ­ B ~immers of Rhine is scheduled for rehab as part of the Vine Street Community Project. staircase, and 17 uni ts will have -· ReSTOC. 0 I I Q. View.. ~. Cont. from page 1 system. It goes without saying that a lot of the leg work has to be carried out by the individual, yet there are some gray areas which one must get some outside help with, otherwise they will find themselves likely back in the position in which they are trying to escape. Again, outside support from the community at large has to be invested in this "scenario if the situation is to be changed. As a community we all need. to put fo1th an effort to eradicate the homeless problem and to help reinstate our fellow citizens (those in the . situation of homelessn·ess, etc,) back into the mainstream of the social fabric. Often, it's just the oppo1tunity to make a difference in one's own life that can bring about this instance of change. So it can be said that it is everyone's responsibility to do his or her part OlSC .JOCKEY SEl,VlCE Cli.f.ford Jon.es (5 13) 230-635 3 WW-i.v Voicemail ·C~ # <-141> °'ticxchange­ in altering the situation as it stands. I personally believe that we as a community are willing to take steps to help to eradicate thi s social blight and bring about both unity and respect for our fellow citizens and to make our city a model for the cause of humanity. Of course we have a long way to go, yet I am convinced that we can accomplish this feat if our hearts are put into it. I also realize that it is something that cannot be done overnight, perhaps maybe not in just one year. However, as long as we just stand by I am sure that it can never happen at all. So maybe it can be said that the ball is in each individual's own court and it's up to the individual to produce from his or her part that which they would like to see for the future of our community. Perhaps it is only the simplest of things which can make (OJ:lFA) as tax credits, but ReSTOC needed partial fu nding fyqm City HaJL- When the vote came·up in the summer of 2000, City Council did not approve ReSTOC's request of 770,000 dollars, and the over 3 million dollars awarded by OHFA was in jeopardy. After negotiations, City Council approved the money in November 2000. In January 2002, the contract was signed. At the negotiating table, the city wanted ReSTOC to sell its building at 12 14 Vine Street, in exchange for the city funding. ReSTOC complied, and the project was cut down from eight buildings to seven. "It was a tough struggle," said Summers, but our board was committed to providing 30 units for the neighborhood instead of none." ReSTOC has been attacked by City Hall and local media for this development on Vine Street. Out of more than 120 buildings on Vine Street, ReSTOC owns eleven, ten of which are occupied or under development. ReSTOC has put more money and sweat equity into rehabilitating housing on Vine than any other owner on the street. Seventy-two percent of the development budgets come from non-city and private sources. The non-profit group has been a leader in neighborhood development for nearly thirty years using private fu nding sources and tens-of thousands of volunteer hours per year to rehab affordable housing. ResTOC is the largest developer on Vine Street not onl y in buildings, but in neighbors and community. " ­ the difference in one person's life - the challenge is, are we willing to give that simple thing? Are we willing to help with the change, which ultimately would affect us all? These are questions which each individual needs to ask themselves if we are not satisfied with the way things are. Most importantly, the street person has to take responsibility for themselves. The rest of us have to be supportive of those efforts. I would like to conclude by adding we all are responsible for each other to some degree and no one is above the possibility of falling into the trap of the street person. So let's hope that things in this New Year will be different than those of the past, and each of us will be accountable for his or her part in making that difference. �Reader Mail STREETVIBES February 2002 Page 4 Reader Mail We would lllfe to hear from you - please address letters and comments to Streett1lbes, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati Ohio 4.sztO (or) email to: Streett1lbes@juno.com . Dear Mayor Luken As a Streetvibes Vendor in the Dayton area fo r the past year,• I've been able to pay my bills and get by from this wonderful, blessed newspaper. So much so that I'm encouraging all the agencies that he!p the needy to encourage a needy or homeless person to become a vendor as well as to subscribe to the paper. Several (Dayton, Ohio) people are now regular readers. Countless times, th is street newspaper has supported my fam ily with a few dollars to get by for the month, if not just for the day, and has probably kept me out of trouble as well as made my life (of many issues) a bit easier (not too embarrassed to say). Can't think of anything better when I'm doing three things at once: the needy helping the nee'dy, and I'm helping myself and my family at the same time! What a godsend! Thank you!! Sincerely, Carla Pitsinger 6040 Cotillion Court Clayton, Ohio 45315 Write Us! IL ~ We'd like to hear ~m IJOU•••• Send letters or comments to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition office attn: Streetvibes Letters, 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 452 I 0 left in the wake of so-called present day economic vitality and are stuck in low wage jobs and . poverty and homelessness. The goods and services that allow products to be affordable to the beneficiaries of today's economic blessings rely on the cheap labor of many ill-paid by Jimmy Heath Many people know that the struggle that eventually took King's life still goes on today. The challenges facing human rights advocates are even greater than ever before. Even as we move into a new millennium, racism and bigotry is alive and well in this country. We conti nue to , go to war with countries against people who are not like us. The rise of hate crimes against citizens of our country and those who are presumably different continue to provide a testimonial to the new bigotry. We continue to fight for fair and livable wages and affordable housing and opportunites for our children. These challenges pose new moral an~ philosophical dilemmas every day for all citizens in thi s great . ... ""' country. Martm Luther '* • ~ :-" King kwo~doon~~ ...: ~ to be fighting these Continued next page , ~~,~~ ~ - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .,:.;.,,.,.,;,:~~"" injustices. it ~e were alive today. King 1s remembered as the voice of justice for the rights of Social Security/SS! Denied? Call John M. Keegan The GCCH would like to thank this . Starbucks location for their generous donation of coffee and pastries. 3366 Erie Avenue East Hyde Park (513) 533-3402 Attorney at Law Practice concentrated in Social Security/SSI Disability Law NO FEE UNLESS WE WIN ~ (513) 651-9222 LP FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION �STREETVIBES February 2002 wage earners. Then there is the qujet hate - the bigotry and racism that goes on behind the closed doors of corporate boardrooms and in our nation's living rooms. The simple and insidious kind of racism and classism that grovels in the dark because we all know that it is wrong and cowardly. A malice that seeks to blame someone less fortunate and removed. As a baby boomer, I feel the yearning to succeed and feel the pull of selfishness that drives my generation. We know bow to take care of ourselves and we close our eyes to the pain of others - and we blame. Ki ngs strength of character taught us thjngs about the spirit and the inherent goodness of human nature. During the holidays and the winter months, most people recogni ze the struggles of the homeless and the poor and the spirit of giving is fo und. But the struggles continue long after the holidays. Sometimes hope can not be found during the warm and friendly s ummer months. The battle for human j ustice needs to be fought every day through th e generosity of our spidts, our hands and our hearts. [t takes a commitment and patience to realize thi s calling of the hum an spirit. As the holidays pass, will the spiri t of g iving fade away? Will we forget about the sufferi ng beyond our own walls? Will we learn to ho nestly confront our own intolerance? In 1963 , King said at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; "Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of Gods children." Thirty-five years later, the struggle continues. Originally appeared in Streetvibes, January 1999. I was struck by how it fit the p resent cire urn.stances - even three years later. Job Opening!!! Child Care Staff Page 5 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Honteless welco01es new staff 01e01bers (/) .9 _g iii Q) :x: Meghan Clarke Greetings AJI ! I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the Streetvibes Communjty - readers and vendors alike. My name is Meghan Clarke and I recently jO"ined the Greater Cinc.innati Coalition for the Homeless' team as Administrative Coordinator. I am looking forward to getti ng to know the interworkings of the Coalition as well as the peopl e in the community. It is my pleasure to be a part of such a great team of people. My door is always open to anyone ­ whether it be for conversation or any suggestions on how we can better serve the community.... My door is always open to anyone - whether it be for conversation or any suggestions on how we can better serve the community. This is a great oppo1tunity for growth as we find our city as well as our nation being continually chaUe nged. Cheryl Ware I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Cheryl Ware and I am the new Vendor Coordinator for the Streetvibes newspaper program . I am also responsible for coordinating speakers for the Speakers Bureau. This newly created positio n is responsible for the intake of new vendors and coordinating services and support for them, and finding competent speakers to reach out to schools and community groups with the message and personal stor ies of the homeless experience. We often receive requests from schools, churches and community organizations for home less speakers. I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know the vendors responsible for selling Streetvibes. I also look fo rward to becoming involved in support over the recent move by City Hall that threatens to restrict the work of our Stre~tvibes vendors. I wi11 be attending council meetings, writing articles in Streetvibes, and advocating in support of the Streetvibes program. I encourage all current and any new prospective vendors to Extra! Extra! Advertise to Socially Conscious Readers l Peaslee Child Care Center 215 East 14•h Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 Peaslee's brand new child care center is looking for staff persons who want to build a quality child care program ser ving the children of Over­ tbe-Rhine. Full and part-time positions available. Must be High School Graduate. For more information, call Laura Goodell at Peaslee, stop by the office at 1506 Elm ~ Street in Over-the-Rhine to discuss Advertise in Streetvibesl Reach thousands of downtown workers each monthl Call 421-7803 for more information about how advertising in Streetvibes will work for your business Low Rates Custom Sizes Available! 621-5514 ~ . ....... .. .... "''"II• ..... , their views, concerns or needs with ·me. If you are experiencing difficulty selling your papers, or would like to make suggestions about improvements, please stop by. . I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know the vendors responsible for selling Streetvibes .... I do ask for yom· patience as I am learning my new responsibilities, vendors and the community. I foresee so me changes being made and they will be introduced and discussed duri ng upcoming vendors meetings . A little about me. I have worked in Social services for ten years serving families and children. Over the years I have met many illteresting and diverse people. I have gathered and made many contacts in the community and hope to share this info rmati on in my new position. My previous positio n was with Ohio Valley Goodwill prov iding case management assisting low- income individuals fi nd employment. I have one daughter and live in the Kennedy Heights area. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and non violent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land. Most of these people will never make the headlines and their names will not appear in Who's Who. Yet when years have rolled past and when the blazing lig ht of truth is focused on this marvelous age in which we live men and women will know and children will be taught that we have a finer land, a better people, a more no ble civilizat ion - because these humble children of God were willing to suffer fo r righteousness' sake . Martin Luther King Jr., Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech (Dec 1964) �STREETVIBES February 2002 Know Your Rights - Do the poor have the right to free kind of speech Council is talking speech? about is speech that happens in by Molly Lyons Every month we will be highlighting a law or ordinance that affects homeless people in Cincinnati. This column does nothing to replace sound legal advice from an accredited lawyer, but seeks to empower and educate people in dealing with the criminal justice system and their lawyers. U.S. Constitution Bill of Rights: First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or ofthe . press, or the right of people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress ofgrievances. When I was in the third grade I took a social studies class where we learned about the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment. I used to assume that every middle school student in the United States had similar experiences. Recent actions by our city council regarding panhandJing leads me to believe that some people do not know that we have a First Amendment and that it applies equally to all people regardless of race or class. The Supreme Court has designated that speech can be regulated on public property. There are three categories of public property. The first of these is "traditional public forums," where most panhandling takes place, including streets, sidewalks and parks. The next category is "designated public forums" where the government says that certain areas can be used for certain kinds of speech; an example of a designated public forum would be Fountain Square. Finally there are "nonpublic forums" which are areas such as post offices that the government says are restricted from many different kinds of speech so that they can carry out their function effectively. The traditional public forums. Kent S. Scheidegger, the Legal Director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, has written a pamphlet called A Guide to Regulating Panhandling. The author, while stating that he supports civil liberties, also states that the reason he is opposed to ordinances that completely ban panhandling is because they usualJy do not stand up to Constitutional challenges. Does this mean that if the author was not forced to respect a poor person's First Amendment rights he would not? The sam ple law that Scheidegger suggests was implemented almost verbatim by the City of Dayton. This law requires, among other things, that anyone who panhandles on five or more days in a single calendar year must have a permit issued by the police department. If the person's permit has been revoked, they cannot panhandle for two years. In order to receive a permit, a person has to go to the police station, give his name, and be fingerprinted and photographed. If in the last five years a person has been convicted of two or more offenses involving aggress ive panhandling, they are ineligible for the permit. Scheidegger says, "With a permit system, a conviction of aggressive or fraudulent panhandling leads to ineligibility or revocation of the permit. From that point, the police can arrest that person for panhandling alone." While Dayton's ordinance is supposedly only to address aggressive and fraudu lent panhandling, it will punish people who have aggressively panhandled but are not engaged in aggressive panhandling actions at the present time. This law violates the rights to due process of law that maintain that "no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without du~ process of law." Panhandling is legally protected speech. To punish someone who is not breaking a law simply because they have previously broken a law is absurd. For many poor people, being on the street is the onJy avenue they have for getting across their message. While pol_iticians and business people Page 6 have financial backing that allow them to use newspapers, television campaigns, and any other number of media to get across their messages, the venues avai lable to the poor are limited. Furthermore, the poor cannot afford to hire media consultants who will assist them in making their message palatable to the general public. Many cases dealing with the First Amendment have continued to relay the message that just because we are uncomfortable with the message does not mean we can place unfair restrictions on the message. A truly free country for all would not try to eliminate the ways that the poor have to communicate with us. Freedom of speech should not be determined by how much money a person has or does not have but should be equally accessible to all people. When business interests and elected officials try to limit harmless speech, they have violated the beliefs on which this country is based. Know Your Rights Brochure Available! The Know Your Rights Brochure is now avai lable at the Coalition's office. Tbe brochure is a legal guide for Cincinnati's homeless and covers a person's basic rights when interacting with the police, as well as some local laws that might be of interest to the homeless population. If you are a ; homeless person or if you work with homeless people a:nd would like to obtai n free copies of the . brochure for yourse lf or yo ur agency, please call John or Molly at 421-7803. Garry Fisher, STREETVIBES Vendor National Homeless Civil Rights Organizin Project (NHCROP) Molly Lyons and John Halpin 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com (513) 421-7803 �STREETVIBES February 2002 · Page 7 Santa Cruz & San Fransisco among ''meanest'' to homeless Welcome to Cincinnati, What other way can it Ms. LemDlie ofbe?people. If we continue to do what we Neither Norse nor Johnson was available for comment Tuesday. The report called Santa Cruz's sleeping ban "the most by Jerome J. Manigan controversial and contested anti­ homeless law" in the city. The Cinci nnati newspapers and decades-old law bans sleeping broadcast media have announced from 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. in that Mayor Charlie "Luken picks vehicles and on streets. Le mmie as new city manager. " Belcher said the camping Ms. Lemmie cunently serves as ban is enforced fairly and mostly City cries Foul the city manager of Dayton Ohio. through citizen complaints. If all goes as expected, she will In 200 I , he said, the become the first woman ever by Ken McLaughlin and Renee department received 1,032 "calls Koury for service" regarding the camping responsible for the management of Cincinnati. Mercury News ban. Of those, 935 calJs were Ms. Lemmje is an African initiated by citizens, not officers, Santa Cruz and Sao American. She is much admired, he said. Francisco are among the not only in Dayton, but also Police said just 169 people "meanest" cities in the nation nationalJy and internationally. A were cited the entire year, about toward poor and homeless people city in England has talked with her three dozen of them at Camp according to a recent report, about becoming the city manager Paradise in August after the city Illegal to be Homeless, released there. Obviously, her credentials, council gave officers the green recently by the National Coalition degrees, experience and all other light. Camp Paradise was the for the Homeless. requisites for such an important Santa Cruz ranked seventh, name given to an illegal and high profi le position are in campground set up on an oak­ and San Francisco was third ­ order. From what has been said shaded bank of the San Lorenzo just behind New York and Atlanta and written, Ci ncinnati will benefit River. - in the intensity of their tremendously if ~he decides to "Santa Cruz is not a mean crackdowns against beggars and accept the offered position. city," said attorney Paul Sanford, street dwellers, public drunks and Without a doubt, if she who until recently represented loiterers, said the report by the comes to Cincinnati, she will Camp Paradise residents. "In my National Law Center on quickly discover that her work has Homelessness and Poverty and the dealings with city officials last year, I thought they were making a been cut out for her. Police­ National Coalition for the community relations, downtown good-faith effort confronting a Homeless. Both groups are based problem that many residents see as development, neighborhood in Washington, D.C. concerns, and questions about the intractable." The report said cities city's proper response to issues of Sanford said he thought it across the nation are increasingly homelessness, privatization, and was absurd that the report did not passing and vigorously enforcing "beggars" roaming the streets of account for how much each city more laws aimed at making it a downtown Cincinnati are among spends on providing resources for crime to panhandle, sleep on the the many items awaiting her the homeless. streets and camp in parks. attention. Ken Cole, executive The report does not rank I'm not clairvoyant; director of the Homeless Services the cities surveyed beyond the however, I would like to offer Center, said the city of Santa Cruz worst dozen, nor does it list which some personal thoughts about what gives about $300,000 annually to of the 80 cities it surveyed are the Ms. Lemmie and the residents of the center. " best." Cincinnati and sutTounding areas Cole, who worked on Cities were evaluated based can expect in the year 2002. And, homeless issues in Seattle until on the number of "anti-homeless" my thoughts about the year 2002 two years ago, said the spending ordinances they' ve enacted, such are applicable not only locally, but was sizable for a small city. as those barring public sleeping, also nationally and internationally. In San Frandsco, the label begging and loitering - and how We will experience more of also rankled officials, w)lo noted vigorously they are enforced. what we have already experienced, that the city spent $104 million last According to the report, cities unless there is a major shift in year on homeless seryices, more were also judged on the numbers consciousness by a large number than most cities in the nation. of citations and arrests issued and the "general political climate" surrounding the issue of homelessness. In Santa Cruz, city officials as well as many people who work on homeless issues were both outraged and amused by the report. "I think it's a bunch of malarkey,... said Police Chief Steve Belcher, a frequent target of a small but determined group of Santa Cruz homeless advocates. Officials noted that the entire Santa Cruz section of the report was attributed to Robert Norse and Becky Johnson of Homeless United in FrieRdship,and Freedom, the city council' ~ two 1 · "Keep me informed. But not TOO informed/' •" .! most vociferdus critics on tfie i ,. '.s. ,\ issue. · - 1.... . .. have always done we can only get what we have always gotten. It's just that simple. And you don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand the logic of that statement. It seems to me that some in the African American community complain a bit too much about racism. Racism exists. Its negative impact and influence have caused a lot of pain and suffering for many, many people. Still , I'm beginning to wonder if many complaints alleging racism are nothing more than excuses for choosing to not take responsibility for self. At the same time, it seems to me that some in the white community are unwilling to even consider that some things are really in need of change. Every problem faced by African Americans is not the result of racism nor are things fine just as they are. There is much room on both sides for changes in perceptions, attitudes and behaviors. I'll admit that it is easy to identify what needs to be done and much more difficult to put into action those things that we know need to be done. After all, there is comfort in maintaining the status quo. Everybody prefers the known to the unknown, even when we know that the known is not necessarily what is best for us. I hope that among those things in the cards for 2002 are: 1.) open, honest, frank and even, when necessary, brutal dialogue about the state of affairs locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally; 2) commitments from people who truly understand the serious conditions in which we find ourselves to dedicate themselves to personal change, which has the potential to result in collective change; 3) less name­ calling, finger pointing, and inflammatory speech about each other, and 4) the realization that collectively we.can overcome any and all challenges with which we are faced. Respect and trust are the keys. Let's use them to open the doors to a new and improved 2002, not only here in Cincinnati but also regionally, nationally, and intemationally. Welcome to Cincinnati, Ms. Lemmie. Hopefully, you will be an effective leader and under your watch maybe Cincinnati will heal and eventually become the wqdd cl~ss city many would like for i.~ to be. �STREETVIBES February 2002 Page 8 Prisoners' News Facility at Lucasville into the write attorneys and they would residential treatment unit there. intervene. There they get treatment instead of My medical treatment was contains news about the justice system and the punishment by the Supermax cut off the day after the suit was writings of persons incarcerated in our guards. filed, and a new doctor, who nation's jails and prisons. However, after all of this, replaced the defendant doctor told We are seeking subscribers who are willing to sponsor a for myself, and the prisoners at the me that due to my involvement in prisoner so they can receive STREETVIBES behind the walls. the lawsuit my medications would Supermax here who aren't named Please sponsor someone on the inside. class plaintiffs and not allowed to be discontinued. When I sought A year's subscription costs $15. attend anY, attorney meetings, were help from the class action Send your comments and questions to streetvibes@juno.com disrespected by the attorneys who attorneys on thi s, they refused. mail : STREETVIBES, 1506 Elm Street sold the settlement to the named Sold me out! The unnamed class Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 class plaintiffs - on a promise and plaintiffs agreed to a settlement. a dream. The state knew we could So prisoners who are still of won the case on the medical, being denied or given inadequate So it had been the mental health care and lack of medical and mental health care, jailhouse lawyers and prison outside recreation issues. Also we and don' t want to wait a year and writers who have usually created have case law and good facts on a half to go to outside recreation the changes by filing civil rights our side. should write to: suits, as well as prison uprisings ­ So a proposed settlement Judge Gwin though lives are often lost this on those issues (which attorneys US Courthouse by John Perotti way. promoted by convincing the Federal Bldg. Over the past few years, it plaintiff who are unlettered in law) Rm368 Over the last 24 years I has become politicaJJy correct for that this was the best prisoners 2 South Main Street have either personally litigated or prisoner support groups to litigate could get and they could spend the Akron, Ohio 44308 assisted in litigation or legislation large class rest of their RE: Austin v. Wilkerson, for over 300 prisoner 's rights action suits time 4:01CV071 challenging suits. One of these was a human focusi ng on rights violation petition drafted for prison redasfilfication conditions. Amnesty International seeking _rl!";:;f>., issue While some Dear Streetvibes, assistance on the placement of changes, mentaJJ y ill in isolation, guard on of these have (an issue helped prisoner brutality, macings, I would like to say thank you that has firehosings, nepotism and other immensely, for the information your publica­ been tried human tights violations. often !bese ~iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-=-iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~and tion gives the prisoners of this litigations take on a life of their Well before our so-cal1ea New Slave Plantation. defeated by every Federal District "politically correct" ci vii rights own and the prisoners involved Also, I would like to bring to Court). have little to no input. Also, groups, i.e.: C. U. R. E. - OHIO, of all of your readers the attention In fact, class counsel won't Justice Watch, P.R. A. C. ­ liberal attorneys often substitute the need to bring a long and even show prisoners or tell Cincinnati, etc., acted on these their ideology for what prisoners meaningful boycott of the entire prisoners all the terms of the should be contributing. I say all of issues. phone system within the Depart­ settlement, other than to say a this because I am a plaintiff in a As a result, we were doctor had to work one more hour ment of Corrections (DOC). punished by prisoncrats for these pending class action suit. I only Our families are being charged at the Supermax here. Also an activities. However, even after joined out of interest in the outrageous prices while the DOC unnamed mental health monitor prisoner support attorneys for the successfully winning many civil receives kickbacks in the millions would be sometime in 2002, and Supermax prisoners - I have a rights suits, I've come to the from the phone company. I would prisoners would be allowed to realization that the prisoncrats just prima facie set of facts that could like to ask that a year-long an­ purchase tennis shoes in the don't care. They (the win damages had I litigated on my nouncement be placed in your commissary store for use in the "prisoncrats") use the Attorney own. publication concerning this and, if outside recreation cages the General to represent them with I had a major heart attack possible, any related publication Supermax promised to build. If taxpayers money when judgment and was left in a Supermax cell for the OSP gets the funds to build by pending a date, maybe within that eight days before numerous phone is obtained against them. The year. the middle of 2003. taxpayer pays it. And this all calls to the Supermax from We need more affordable Sadly enough, the fact that seems to be a badge of honor attorneys, family and supporters in prices for our family members, tennis shoes would be sold to Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio amongst their peers. The losing prisoners one day seemed to be the some who are single parents with prisoncrat often gets promoted. sought assistance for me. They children, who are struggling with focal point of most of the I spent years in Lucas ville got the prison doctor to finally a national recession. And while plaintiffs. When I .tried to get the supermax cells in the early '80's, perform an EKG to prove I had a attorneys to be more specific as to other states use debit cards, Ohio under conditions worse than heart attack. This is what is still stuck in the "stone age." recommendations made by today's supermax at Lucas ville. prisoners would call slam dunk But if enough support and atten­ medical expert witnesses, the Also we believed that the lawsuiting in that it couldn't be tion is given to this there can be attorneys wouldn ' t, but they told lost at the trial. I waived damages politically correct groups rarely change. another prisoner that if the answered our letters. Yet when a and let the lawyers use my case, Thank you in advance for your Supermax denies prisoners thinking they would do the right situation developed, such as a time and consideration in these medical care and after we exhaust thing by the prisoners. I spent a hostage taking to illustrate these matters: the denial via the useless lot of time recruiting co-plaintiffs atrocities committed upon, these Cordially, R. Q. grievance system, prisoners could groups (PAN - Ohio, Justice who have suffered similar case Watch, CURE, etc.,) were the first scenarios and organized a mass While we make every effort to provide a forum for those ones to hold press conferences rolling hunger strike among without a voice, STREETVIBES and the staff of THE prisoners on the cell block here. I telling the media that "yes, those GREATER prisoners have been living like referred. six mental1y ill prisoners CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, is not to these lawyers and the plaintiff's animals, so you should expect responsible for statements, and do not necessarily endorse them to react the same" in support psychiatrist which resulted in the opinions of the prisoners of the prisoners position. these brothers getting transferred whose writings are represented here. They are media hounds. to Southern Ohio Correctional Is It Really Worth It? .. �ST R EETVI B ES February 2002 P age 9 Michael Henson Receives Kerouac Prize for Poetry Where is this? byJerom·~· Manigan Where and what is this ublic art? Send or bring nswer along with your name and address to STR TVIB S 1506 I Street Cincinnati Ohi 5210. A single winner will be selected randomly ~ from the responses. Winner will receive a one­ ~ time use camera and free developing. Use your tE camera to submit a future WHERE IS THIS? ~ photo! J(i 1'erh. , , ,·-·· Pr Michael Henson (left) is awarded the Kerouac Prize by Dennis Kurlas Michael Henson, a long­ time Streetvibes supporter and Over-the-Rhine activist and writer, was recently awarded the Jack Kerouac Prize for Poetry by the Red Crow Journal. The presentation was made at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton, Ohio, during the monthly poetry reading session of the Riverbank Poetry Project. Henson has had a long association and history with the Cincinnati activist community. Much of his writing revolves around his experiences working with the homeless and his work on poverty and human rights issues. These themes are common to his poetry and other writings. He has written several books including Ransack. Ransack features the Over-the-Rhine community in Cincinnati as a backdrop for the story in this novel. Henson also is a friend and frequent contributor to the poetry pages in Streetvibes. See this month '.s poetry pages f or more of Michael Henson '.s writings. Cincinnati groups serve Park Ineals at Washington .,,.. .. Answer to last month's WHERE IS IT? - Mural on building wall near 14th and Vine in Over-the-Rhine. "Every time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, they send forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other form a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and ·resistance." Robert F. Kennedy Calling all Over-the-Rhine Artists~ Peaslee Neighborhood Center and the Ar t Academy invit e Over-t he-Rhine residents to help design a park bench t o be placed in Washington Park by the ~nd of summer, 2002. The bench will be large, and have ceramic tile designs of your neighborhood. Children and adults from various community centers have already sent us their pictures; but we need your help in creating a design using those pictures. Pat Mitchell and many volunteers from area agencies and religious organizations serve holiday meals to the homeless in Washington Park u y's o ace Permanent Housing for formerly homeless · individuals at 1300 Vine Street. For more information, call Agnes Mack at (513) 784-0800 Please come to Peaslee Neighborhood Center, 215 East 14th Street (at the corner of . Sycamore) on Wednesday evenings, 1/~ and 1/ 16, from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. and Thursday mornings, 1/10 and .1/17, from 10:00 a.m. ­ · 12:00 noon. No experience necessary! This will be a fun way to get to know your neighbors and make new friends. Call Br enda Z. at Peaslee, 621-5514, for further information. �STREETVIBES February 2002 Panhandling... are not as well funded as they should be, many homeless people Cont. from page 1 with mental illnesses are incarcerated instead of receiving in public for lack of private spaces the treatment that they need. of their own, including such · Nationally, 16% of inmates have a harmless actions as sleeping in diagnosed mental illness. public or sitting on sidewalks. The report found that vast There have also been numerous amounts of money are being spent attempts to push homeless people across the country to criminalize out of sight by regulating or trying homelessness, diverting scarce to prohibit panhandling. The resources from real solutions, such report found that Jaws which as affordable housing, health care, attempt to move homeless people and other resources. Interestingly, out of the public view are the report found that the cost of ineffective in their goal. Rather arresting, prqcessing, and jailing than enabling people to leave hom~less p~ople is higher than the homelessness, the laws result in cost of pr9vidi.ng housing. jail time and lengthy police · The report included a records, significant obstacles to section on how Cincinnati obtaining housing and · / criminalizciJ h~~elessness and employment, thus exacerbating the poverty. Cincinnati was problem. mentioned for its attempt to pass The report also found that an anti-panhandling law in 1995, in 100% of the communities which the· c0urts overturned as surveyed there were not enough unconstitutional. Several shelter beds to meet demand, thus homeless .pe.o ple interviewed in people end up on the streets Cincinnati relayed incidents of involuntarily. How can we police harassment. In addition, criminalize involuntary behavior? Cincinnati was noted for City Here in Cincinnati, demand for Council's reluctance to commit emergency shelter has risen federal dollars earmarked for low­ sharply, especially in the past income housing development to several months ;•~· ,, ... ,., ·- · · ~ , sticn poq)oses. Councilman Jim and there simply are not enough Tarbell was quoted saying, "Do we shelter beds to meet demand on really want the poor, the people many nights. Another alarming with the most problems, as the first finding is that people w!ttvmen.~al ; thiag you see when you come to health problems are \ this;ciJy:,?$'. disproportionately affected by \ ~1~-fJJ'ojQeless people and criminalization. Because advocates liope "Panhandling for 1 community mental health systems Justice" raised awareness among the public that there are better ways to deal with homelessness than criminalizing it. Streetvibes editor Jimmy • Heath said "To focus on panhandlers and other poor folk as the reason for the decline of downtown Cincinnati is an act of cowardice by City Hall. Today 's action showed that people in Cincinnati won't stand for that kind of STREETVIBES supporters Meghan scapegoating. We need to address Clarke (top) and Brenda the root causes of these issues, not Zechmeister (bottom photo) dis­ the symptoms." tribute informatiqnal flyers on Vine Street in Downtown Cincinnati. .. _,;,c;-..... _ ,.. ..... FEATURES Page 10 National Release of Criminalization Report return to normalcy." My response to this is to quote Martin L uther King, Jr. , writing a letter from a jail in Birmingham where he had received similar critiques. "We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must .be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was 'well timed' in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease Martin Luther King, Jr. of segregation. For years now I have heard the word 'Wait! ' It by Molly Lyons rings in the ear of every Negro On January 15, 2002 (Martin with piercing familiarity. This Luther King's Birthday) The 'Wait' has almost always meant National Homeless Civil Rights 'Never,' We must come to see, Organizing Project (NHCROP) with one of our distinguished released its study Illegal to be jurists, that 'justice too long Homeless, The Criminalization of delayed is justice denied." Homelessness in the United Our country deals with civil States. rights as a past event, a struggle The study was a result of a that happened and is now over. coordinated effort involving over The same institutions that 50 cities dqcumenting civil rights champion civil rights struggles of abuses committed against the yesteryear, now that they are in the homeless. past, are denying the basic civil The Civil Rights Work Group rights of many homeless and poor of the National Coalition for the people today. If the elected Homeless is comprised of forty leaders of this city truly believe in people nationwide who have the movement Martin Luther worked for over a year to collect King, Jr., spoke for, they will heed the data that makes up the study. his words, not just speak them. King's birthday was chosen They will realize that the for the day the study was released movement did not end with the because the Work Group wanted passage of the Civil Rights Act to draw connections between the and it did not end with King 's fight begun so many years ago that death. still needs to continue today if If we credit Dr. King but deny King's dream is ever to be the movement he struggled for, we fulfilled. are betraying his legacy. King knew that without looking at the connections Peaslee Neighborhood between race and class and Center without dealing with issues of 215 East 14th Street poverty, civil and human rights could not be fully achieved. Over-the-Rhine In November of 1967, he Cincihnat i, Oh io 45210 began the Poor People 's (513) 621-5514 Campaign, which was a movement to urge the nation 's leaders to deal with the issues of poverty. Our elected leaders have failed to take up that charge and instead have declared war on the poor. Nationwide, the trend bas been to push the homeless out of the view, limit their speech and criminalize thi ngs that they must do in public to survive. Locally, advocates who try to Empowering our come up with solutions to deal neighborhood children with the issues of poverty and racism are told that they are t hrough peace and "contributing to the downfall of education the city" and that "we need a �STREETVIBES February 20Q2 Ursuline Student talks about her positive Streetvibes encounter A Letter about a FEATURES Page 11 weekend. Now Streetvibes has be affected by a program like inviting Streetvibes vendors into another loyal patron in my our high school, it's a pretty boyfriend, who promised me to always buy the newspaper when he amazing thing. saw a vendor. I imagine that if I Thanks for opening that had an experience like this, a lot of door for me and for so many other other UA alumnae must have had people. It really does make a similar experiences as well. If you difference ! think about all the people who can Christy Bell visited our school on Fridays and the brief conversations I'd had Streetvibes Vendor to Todd with them. He apologized, and Forman. headed to the cash register with the Mr. Forman, a teacher at batteries he'd needed. Ursuline Academy, brings I had walked into Streetvibes Vendors to his Walgreens with every intention of school to speak to his students buying the new Cosmo to read on the car ride up to Athens, but about the vendor program instead I pulled two dollars out of and issues surrounding pov­ , , , . , . ,·*'µ1 ~~, 111# 'f'rf.,.fiff#6'.~ /iQllltJ/t§§ tJf'!Ql.~, i~ ~lllbr~ .i!:I my wallet and handed one of them erty and homelessness JJfJ/I ~f.$9/Yj IPllh to Mike, deciding Streetvibes was a publication much more worthy of Mr. Forman, "IJll##, IJJ!"Ml~illtl.~ /!I# pwit/!4 11 1,.nl..<¥1 fur -.w~ m> ~ ~/1)~#*1//I J/y~i~Jl!ll~il!.1'!/, I thought of you this my money. When we walked back weekend and was really grateful to out of the store, we· purchased two , , , . , . , §/~/~§)!fl,$ ;M/~81/ .$.~~~~/I) you, so I wanted to email you to copies of Streetvibes. . 11/!#f!ml IM~PirP.ll!M!IWll§ !Ml llYNi IO ~MM; !WI say thanks. Sunday night my The vendor called us , , , . , . , §lrt!MPI,$ 1111§ ~ N pJlbM ~ !ll{ljlJ!' i:MNM /llGillR boyfriend and I stopped at the Romeo and Juliet, and asked what ~~ fll'Ofl/li l!ml Walgreens by his apartment in had changed our minds. I told him Clifton on our way back up to OU. I had talked Mike into it, and I ,,,,,,,., §lru!YIP!.~ INI:$ ~it/14 ~ will! W/.JH.MI 19 If~ Wtl /Ml.W~~i 111111, As we walked inside, we think Mike was a little shocked were approached by aStreetvibes when instead of walking straight to ,,,.,.,,fitmlri!JH Ml JMpir!J~IO l91RW/WI! IP m9 lw!N.e.l!~ In (j~r {!Wimlf#J.. vendor. Politely, Mike shook his the car with him I paused and head and told the vendor he wasn't talked with the vendor for a few interested in buying the newspaper. minutes. He suggested. that I check out the poetry section of the The second we got inside, I asked him why he had refused the man. newspaper (you know, since I was . He made some comment about supposed to be Juliet) and told me getting hit up for money that if I got inspired I could send everywhere around UC, and my own poetry in by the 15th. alluded in a very condescending He was very friendly, and I manner to my not understanding remembered how much I missed being exposed to new and different how things were down there. Needless to say, I got a people. In the car, I read excerpts llttle ticked. I asked him if he of Streetvibes to Mike, and even knew what Streetvibes was, counted my blessings for alJ of the and he responded that he did not. I unique opportunities I had at explained to him who sponsored Ursuline. Streetvibes; and who its vendors Thank you so much for were, and what it attempts to exposing me to people and accomplish. I told him about the conditions I wouldn't normally Mayor Charlie Luken's Proclamation honoring STREETVIBES Streetvibes vendors who had have encountered. It paid off this Procla m ation -·l'!m!W \ ATTENTl!Ofl'J: . HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND YOUNG ADlillTS.. ~ tsJQW IS lrH6 TIME FOR YQ~R VOID€& 1i0 BE IHEARt>I Voice for Youth is a new writing group at Peaslee Neighborhood Center in Over-the-Rhine for teenagers and young adults. Empower yourself and share your:- views on social justice, homelessness, and poveri-fy-related issues through writing. Writing gatherings are helcf every Thursdax at 4 ~ 30 ana 7 :00 p.m. s:tarting January 10 at Peaslee, 215 East 1A-th Street. The atmosphere is casua·I. Opporfuniti·e s for pub(icat'ion in Stree~ibes newspaper., youll' pnogri-essiv~ news source,,. a€ ll Bnenda ~- at 621-5514 iToF mo~ info, or e-mail at peaslee_b~@l\ottnail. eom. - Wish List Str~etvibe$ 11ewspaper .is published monthly on t=t sho_e.,.-suing bu.dget fr-0m th~ ,off~ -0f m.e G1.eare.r ·Ci1J.cia°'4ti CoaJition for the Homeless. We d~nd h~4vjly on the gpodwiU of many volunteers an<l donors. Can you help us with some o the followiflg items? o Electric Stapler - Heayy duty o Blank Zip Disks - For Streetvibes Archives o Supplies for Vendor's Lounge (paper towels, cream and sugar, snacks, etc.) o Office and Cleaning Supplies o Computers/ components for Streetvibes story-writing, edit­ ing, research. If you can help, contact us at: Streetvibes, clo Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210 (513) 421-7803 �STREETVIBES February 2002 EDITORIAL SECTION Labor, Bush's War, And The Democrat Party By Steve Argue In a recent speech in Billings, Montana, Bill Clinton argued that Americans have a patriotic duty to "shout down" criti cs of U.S. government actions: "When you hear somebody doing it, you ought to stand up and double up your fist and stick it in the sky and shout them down." This should come as no surprise from a president whose first act in office was the bombing of Iraq and who later bombed Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Sudan. While war is bad for workers, Clinton and Gore were just as bad on direct union issues as well. As a 1:ailroad conductor and a member of the UTU I struck for 47 days against the Soo Line I Canadian Pacific Railroad under Clinton. That strike was ended by orders from Bill Clinton to return to work. With a union leadership too timid to challenge the president we went back to work and were given a contract that eliminated jobs and made our j obs more dangerous. In fact, while Clinton and Gore got a Jot of support from the labor movement, they gave us nothing but anti-worker policies in return. The UTU was no exception. After Clinton's attacks on UTU workers the UTU leadership gave an early endorsement to Clinton in the next election. This betrayal of the membership included giving our hard earned dues to the anti-worker Democrats. Authorization for Bush's war on the world, with current target being Afghanistan, was passed by both the Democrats and Republicans with only one · dissenting vote. T he one exception to the war came from Democrat Barbara Lee. The Democrats, as usual, continue to be one of the twin parties of war. Today AFL-CIO President John Sweeney endorses Bush's war while a number of local unions have passed resolutions saying they oppose the war. A very significant resolution was passed by the Oakland teachers union who are not only saying they are against the war, they are also going to hold a teach-in against the war. The Oakland event will be supporting their local congressional representative Barbara Lee as well. Politically in the national arena, however, we must address the problem of the Democrats. They aren 't with labor and they are for war. More meaningful labor resolutions on the war would point out these facts and call for an end to political and financ ial support by the unions to the Democrats and Republicans. Instead of supporting Democrats the unions should be supporting the workers with better strike funds when we gQ out on strike. There are better political parties trying to emerge that do support workers and who do oppose U.S. wars. With such movements trying to emerge, the labor movement doesn' t need to keep shooting itself in the foot by supporting our strike breaking pro-war enemies. LA Joint Terrorism Task Force raids website An interview with "Sherman," formerly of RaiseTheFist.com and LAAnarchists.org, whose home was raided by the LA Joint Terrorism Task Force on Jan. 24, 2002 Was there any warning that investigation of your website was heating up? Yes. I have been monitoring government agencies connecting to the site for a long time. I'd been noticing more frequency with them coming back to the site. They had also started intercepting all packets on my DSL line, and seized one of my older AIM screen names for 12 days, so I knew something was going to happen - soon. It was really obvious. I even saw them outside my house at times. They have been monitoring the site very, very extensively LONG before the "incriminating content" which they were "concerned" about was posted onto the site. They simply used this content as an excuse to obtain a warrant for the raid. As a victim of one of the first post-Patriot Act anti­ "terrorism" raids, why do you think the Feds chose you? Simply because Raisethefist was effective in what I was doing. It's the same reason why Feds raid other activist organizations. They' re effective. And effectiveness within our movement scares them. They're afraid. And they' re going to try and silence us any way they can. Any idea how many agents/officers participated in · the raid? Yep, there was about 25-30 of them. They surrounded my house with guns. Blocked off the garage door with a big bench, had a door hammer, had cars all up and down the streets, then 2 agents knocked at my door, pulled me outside, and the FBI came in and raided. Can you remember any exact quotes that the agents told you - what prec~sely did they say about 9-11, your web site, what they were looking for, etc. They told me the main reason for the raid was because of the content on the site, and they wanted to see who was looking at it. This was not the main reason. It was an excuse. The alleged content which they claim they were so concerned about is from the Reclaim Guide. It's posted on thousands of other web sites around the internet. Why didn't they raid those? Why did they only come after Raisethefist.com? Again, they've been watching the site for a long time, long before the Reclaim Guide was even posted onto the site. They used this as an excuse to get a warrant for the raid and seize all computer equipment. One of the first things one of the head agents conducting the raid asked me was, "why did you grow your hair out?" The picture they have of me is a bit older when I had short hair. They were acting as if I was trying to "hide my appearance" from them. They then sat me down, started asking me questions, etc. All this while the FBI was in my house with guns drawn, and seizing aU computer equipment. The FBI, Secret Service, LAPD and LASD · Page 12 (Sheriffs Dept.) participated in the raid. The Secret Service person kept asking me if I'd like to see Bush killed. They were asking me a lot of loaded questions. Why do you think the FBI raided RaiseTheF ist.com? Do you think they were out to shutdown something unique to your site, such as the photos of undercover cops? They raided it simply because it was effective. It had a lot of potential, and was really moving, not just as a web site, but essentially as an anarchist/activist collective - kids were starting to set up clubs in their schools called "Raisethefist" - we were also beginning to put together an anarchist collective for Los Angeles, amongst other things. I believe one of the main things that got them scared about the site, is that we called for an actual change. Raisethefist was a bit more radical than other web sites, and seeing how it was getting so popular, they wanted to shut it down. Based on what the agents told you, and your suspicions, do you have any idea if other participants or contributors to the website, or other websites, are also under investigation? Yes. Those whose web sites I was hosting on the server will most likely be under investigation. How soon, or how much, I don ' t know. It could be going on right now. But I can't confim1. A webposting states that you are "a kid" who lives with his parents. Any comment as to whether you are under or over 18, and who you live with? I'm 18 years old, almost 19. I currently live with my mom. The computers were also used for my job. I've been supporting myself through them doing independent programming. So not only is Raisethefist.com gone, but I'm out of a job for the time being.By the way, there are a lot of stupid-a$* rumors going on out there. I th ink r heard one about someone saying I was making "weapons of mass destruction" or something. Just shows the ignorance amongst a lot of people out there. Do you think the .Bush Administration is just trying to see what it can get away with? What would you predict will be the outcome of this epi~ode? They're going to try and get away with anything, and everything. What does the future hold ? Nothing but a barcode. Streetvibes exists as a forum·for the expression of the views and opinions ofour readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those ofthe Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. �Page 13 STRE E TVIBES February 2002 Postage Stamps a Measure of Patriotism? by Matthew Rothschild Even an innocuous trip to the Post Office can you get you into trouble these days. Daniel Mu ller, is the co­ coordinator of Voices in the Wilderness, a group dedicated to nonviolence and a leading opponent of U.S. sanctions against Iraq. On November 9, Muller and his colleague Andrew Mandell went to pick up stamps at the Chicago post office they regularly visit. They were paying with cash. "We needed 4,000 stamps for a mailing we were doing, and I asked for ones not with the American flag on them," says Mu JIer. The woman asked if Statute of L iberty stamps were OK. "Yes, we love liberty," said Andrew Mandell. "She asked us to step aside from the counter, and she went to the back, out of view," recalls Muller. "I knew something was up because this was a bit out of the ordinary. And Andrew said, 'She's calling the cops,' but I didn ' t believe him." "No one said anything to us for about twenty minutes, and then two cops came in and asked for our IDs. They asked if we had any outstanding warrants. They ran a check on us. They asked us why we had asked for stamps without American flags on them. I said we' re very rooted in nonviolent activities, and we would rather have the Statue of Liberty than the American flag." The Post Office told Muller and Mandell that they would have to come back the next morning for stamps. Mandell got his stamps the next day, but he also was asked to meet with a federal postal inspector for more than a half-hour. The postal inspector, says Mandell, asked: "Why are you paying with cash? Where do you get your money?" Afterwards, the group was permitted to send out its mailing. "The fact that they did ask for anything but flag stamps did raise a question for the clerk," says Silvia Carrier, a public relations officer for the U.S. Postal Inspector in Chicago. Plus, says Carrier, "They were buying postage with a large amount of cash, and usually a company will use a meter or a business check. Right now, since September 1l , clerks have been told to be cautious, to be looking out for anything suspicious." A force for peace or war? IN THE COLOMBIAN jungle, government and guerrilla negotiators restarted peace talks yesterday in an attempt to end their nation's 39-year-old war. The stakes are high ­ not only for Colombia, which has been ripped apart by bloodshed for way too long, but for the United States, which cannot hope to stop the huge flow of cocaine and heroin to U.S. streets without a peace agreement. So, why is Washington undermining the peace process rather than supporting it? Answer: narcotics, the Cold War and terrorism. Under the guise of the war on drugs, the United States has spent billions of dollars ­ including $625 milli0n for 2002 - to help the Colombian army fight drug traffickers and leftist guerrillas. This aid has worsened the conflict; meanwhile, Washington has given only lip-service to supporting the peace talks. U.S. culpability in the civil war has been discreetly obscured by the fig leaf of fi ghting drugs. American military advisers and equipment are limited to counternarcotics activities - a pointless distinction, given that U.S. and Colombian officials view the rebels as indistinguishable from drug traffickers and fight them equally. But in the next few weeks, the Bush administration is expected to announce a major shift in policy, discarding the fig leaf of merely fighting drugs and giving the U.S. military a direct role in helping the Colombian army fight the guerrillas. For example, U.S. military "advisers" reportedly will help Colombian troops defend drilling rigs and pipelines used by U.S. oil companies such as Occidental Petroleum Corporation of Los Angeles. The administration 's position combines Cold War­ style antipathy for leftist guerrillas with modem anti­ terrorism. Officials claim that because the two rebel groups are on the U.S. list of terrorist groups, they should be treated no more leniently than Osama bin Laden. Such rhetoric is hypoc1itical. The net effect of the new aid will be to further tighten the army's covert aJliance with the worst band of drug traffickers - the rightist paramilitary death squads, who also are on the terrorist list ­ while deepening the war. Now, in the peace talks, the government and guerrillas are racing to meet an April deadline for a cease-fire. The two sides are still far apart on the issues on the talks agenda, and hard-liners in each camp are known to be itching to resume all-out war. The cause of peace has few allies - notably the United Nations, which has played an admirable role in rescuing the talks from collapse. Instead of undermining the peace talks, the Bush administration should actively support them. Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor, MIT When the U.S. launched a murderous terrorist war against Nicaragua, Nicaragua did not set off bombs in Washington but took the matter to the World Court, which ordered the U.S. to cease its "unlawful use of force" and to pay substantial reparations. The U.S. responded by escalating the terrorist attack. Nicaragua approached the Security Council, which called on all states to observe international law (vetoed by the U.S.), and then went to the General Assembly, which passed a similar resolution (again vetoed by the U.S.). No one will stop the U.S. if it follows the procedures that it blocked in the case of Nicaragua. Suitable for Framing "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Letter from a Birmingham Jail. ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ Story, Editorial and Art Submission Deadline for the March,2002 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, February 15th. indMdual * < fcp,r more· infonnatian. �STREETVIBES February 2002 Saint Francis of the Entrepreneurs On December 24th, I was going to get together with a good friend and her mother. That morning, her mother had a heart attack and died. In memory of her mother and in recognition of the feelings and thoughts her (Ruth Jones) triggered in me, I wrote the following. by Mike Henson To Say Our Last Goodbye I feed the birds outside my window. My father made a bird feeder of cedar. It is small, square, and humble. The birds don 1t care. It is battered: the lid blew off the hinges in a storm years ago. The birds don 1t care. The nifty plastic shield that held up the seed in a stack and dropped it into a feeding tray­ that1s gone too. The birds don 1t care. The feeder is nothing more than a three-sided box screwed to the window frame. The birds don 1t care. the sides of the feeder and the windowsill are white with bird shit. but the birds don't care a bit. they perch in a row, waiting for the bonanzaThey scrap and chatter and argue over their placessparrows, doves, an occasional pigeon and a jay -regular as the meter manwho calls, sharp and piercing if he is not fed when he demands. Probably the hardest thing we have to do So very painful for me and you Done by each individual in their own way The human need to say...Our . Last Goodbye. Who knew when this day would come The Holy Father is the only one. The last day this day will make To say our last goodbye. That pain so deeply felt­ Those tears, the heart to melt. The spirit to bid farewell To say our last goodbye. Didn't get to say it all Tried to forget the fall Amazed to see you standing tall To say my last goodbye. Petit Bourgeois Blues by Mike Henson There1s a wino on my doorstep, got·me feelin down Half-dead wino on my doorstep, now Pm feelin down. Cause my customers don1t like it, brother gonna have to move uptown. Got these micro-brewery blues, up-scale restaurant just the same Got these art gallery blues, coffeehouse just the same You know I love that local color, but these crackheads ~~nt my game. J ;· Goodbye Mrs. Jones. I love you and will miss you. I miss your laughter, your smile. That deadpan expression while the laughter was in yo~r eyes. I miss "telling" on Gilda and Gilda "telling" on me. I miss visiting you, especially on Free Popcorn Tuesday. I miss you laughing at my bad jokes, and not getting offended by my bad language. You lifted my spirits because we lifted yours. Your courage and dignity I admired. You gave me much joy, without even knowing it! You did your job. The children were raised. The grandchildren grandma' ed. You ran the race and fought the good fight. You deserve the rest and a place in the house of the Father. You lost your legs, but so very much more you gained. Mister Lee ART & POETRY Page 14 Soldiers A Man for Song all Seasons by Gary Lehmann A so1dier's eyes slam open interrupting the dead of night like a bayonet in the belly. by Bill Tinker Here is to the man all tattered and worn Could have been PREZ instead he is dehomed Free as as a bird to fly this ol'coop, remembering the War an.d how he was seen. Ancient fears, forgotten features. His lady brings him water. "It' ll be all right now, honey." SNAKE by Anthony Watkins Makes for this Vet to feel rather mean, its not who you are but what you can dream . Living thru flash backs of death all around, this man deserves better than a park bench called home. So if you as americans really give a damn reach out and give this brother,or sister who is homeless a hand. And never forget just how close we all have drifted to seeing the holy ghost Yes its quite clear to me, homelessness is near to thee. I ask not your pity Nor handouts of pain, I only ask that you consider me a homeless man, Not a being from beyond! For today I work for my meal, as is the deal tomorrow I move on to places unknown,but if possible I too might find a place I can call Home! i For information on submitting your poetry to STREETVIBES call 421 -7803 ., I j' t ,.._, Let me tell you about this girl named Sweet and Petite From heavens above you would think She is a precious gift. But in reality, she makes me sick. See, in her mind, she says she's a witch. But down on earth we know her as a trick. Like fire and thunder, she often makes em wonder. You know, like Stevie Wonder Calling herself Queen Bee But in reality she lied to me. She's the devil's child, running wild makes herself an angel to light You know, smooth, like Dolomite. But it's out of date, she's always late Or, her name might be Gail, she'll put You in living hell. Post with no bail. She's too fat, she might break her back. Thinks she goes lovey-dovey, she' a tell-o-tubby She'll cut you up with her eyes. You got a date with cake and can't be late. No, in reality, she's just a snake. Thinking that her heart is made of steel. That girl needs to chill before somebody breaks her grill. She's bad for your health. Get that poison off your chest and leave her to rest. �. STREETVIBES February 2002 The Work of the Dead .. - . . . . ·A:RT &.- POETRY . .-·.-:. .. . . . ' . ' ·'- .._ -~ - ~- - Shutter Speed . ·_.· Page 15 by Jimmy Heath by Mike Henson In every life cut short, so many things are left undone. The dishes stacked and crusting in the sink. The dogs unfed. Three new strings on the guitar, the others still in their wrappers. The bedroom half-painted, . one side fresh and glossy, the other a map of patching plaster islands. And the oil that really ought to be changed. And the Jetter unsent it o nl y needs a s tamp and someone to walk it to the mailbox. And all the work of love: words and gestures still bundled in their little proud houses and the keys lay right on the table where we left them. And even the nation, this sprawling, addled nation: Such a tangle of dropped threads, inten-upted projects, failed promises. W ho will beat down the hanuners of greed? Who wi11 untangle the knots of deceit? Those whose lives have been cut short are crowded into their darkened theater where they watch us bawling and arguing like actors in an ancient drama. They watch us closely, for they want to know who will take on the unfinished work of the dead. (Ed. Note: this is one of the poems that won the Kerouac Prize for Mike Henson) Bush is my Shepherd Bush is my Shepherd, I am in want, He maketh me to lie down on park benches, He leadeth me by still factories, He restoreth my doubt in the Republican Pa1ty He guideth me in the path of the Unemployed for his party 's sake, Yea, though I walk through the valley of soup kitchens, I am hungry. I do fear ev il, for thou a1t against me; Thy Cabinet and thy Senate, they do discomfort me; Tho didst prepare a reductit m in my wages; In the presence of my creditors thou anointed my income with taxes, So my expense overruneth my income. Surely poverty and hard times wil1 follow me All the days of the Republican administration. And I shall dwell in a rented house forever. Martin Luther King Day march - January 20th, 2002 LORD WHY? by Anthony Watkins Lord, why did you put me here to die, to burn, to learn? Lord, why did you put me here to die, in a world full with pain? What is there to gain in this wicked game? What is there to gain when your back is against the waJI , and you constantly fall, when everytime you try to get by you fall on your face? What's left to save the human race? The Crack Attack is Over by P. J. I-'m a quitter, that's right I quit Geekin' & Seekin' 4 my next hit 4 awhile I thought that crack was my friend Now I'm in a cycle where there's no end. All I wanted was something 2 do But day after day my addiction grew At l st I didn 't know that it was a habit Until I realized I just had 2 have ·it Sometime I realized I just had 2 have it I'd do anything 2 suck the pipe 1 What is there to gain when hope is gone and you are standing all alone? To burn in hell or die in a jail cell? When pain and sorrow, and it seems like no tomorrow, th.inking back to the goodness we once had. It seems to me that the worlds is so sad when everybotly professes to keep it so real when it comes down face to face. They hold their head down in disgrace in this wicked place. When everybody's puffing on so much chronic smoke, it seems that life is one big joke. When kids play with guns thinking that this is a game of fun , and money rules the world, and its war and tears, and its man that they fear. Don't they know the Savior is near? A nd the heavens open up and I heard a voice say "My son, what I said will be, so always keep your faith in me." Then I said to the Lord, "Will I drown in the sea or weaken like a willow tree?" Then in reply, the Lord said to me, "Stay strong even if you stand alone." So my brothers and sisters, we must have hearts like steel to keep it real, looking up to Gods beautiful grace in surrounding this wicked place. When I hit the dipper 4 the very 1st time I beamed up 2 Scotty - past cloud nine That's when I knew that there wasn't enough I had 2 get more of this "redi roe" stuff On the street they call me a runner But mostly I was a cocaine hunter Search all day 4 that rush_2 my head And get mad cause my money was dead Yeah, the higher I got the lower my paper But I always managed 2 pull off a caper I know that's it 's low-down 2 steal It didn' t matter, I had a crack deal I still get a hooter around if I want it I have 2 stop my own way when l part it Sometimes on purpose I even get broke That's also part of my strength, and it works! Now I can s mile as I walk past the dealers Cause I know dope boys R nothing but killers When I walk past the "dope fiend" puppets I laugh Cause I quit, I'm a quitter I put crack in my past. �STRE E TVIBES February 2002 Dignity by Beth Lake, Student, College of Mount St. Joseph "Our first task in approaching another people, another culture, another religion, is to take offour shoes, for the place we are approaching is holy. Else we may find ourselves treading on another's dream. More serious still, we may forget... that God was here before our arrival." - Author Unknown This quote perfectly explains my time as an Americorps volunteer in Floyd County, Kentucky. I was a Housing Counselor for the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky. My daily "job" was to he lp people fin d the resources, money, or labor to repair their homes. However, on a daily basis I felt more like I was the student, learning valuable life skills and how to see the good in each person. I was immersed in a beautiful culture filled with rich traditions and strong family ties. The Appalachian people I worked with were true to their families and always hospjtab]e to me ... offering a drink or a place to sit for a long chat This experience taught me to listen. I learned to truly open myself to the experiences and people that lay before me. It taught me how to step out of " my shoes" and be open to another's experiences. It taught me the importance of looking each person in the eyes and giving them the dignity that society thinks they do not deserve. It taught me to realize that my ways are not aJways the right ways to do th ings. The homelessness and poverty that exist in F loyd County, KY are extreme and devastating. The living conditions for some people are scarce and meager. However, the culture is rich and beautiful. The people hospitable and loving. The Appalachians, my teacher. Beth Lake in Appalachia Selling out Native Americans, • once again Norton sees no harm in Letting miningfirm destroy sacred lands for foreign profit by Charles Levendosky International mining conglomerates think they have an unfettered right to mine on the public lands that belong to Native Americans, no matter what is destroyed in the process. And so does Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton. Armed with the outdated and industry-hyped 1872 Mining Law, mining companies prevail over other public interests and multiple uses of the public lands - even on those pubJic lands that Congress has set aside to give them greater protection. Seven years ago, Glamis Gold, Ltd., a Canadian-based mining corporation, proposed to carve an 880-foot-deep, mile­ wide, cyanide heap-leach, open­ pit gold mine out of J ,600 acres of a fragile desert ecosystem at Quechan Indian Pass in the Californ ia Desert Conservation Area. After exhaustive review, a permit for the mine was denied by outgoi ng Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt on Jan. 17, 2001. On Nov. 23, Norton withdrew the decision to deny Glamis a mining permit in the area. Norton's action makes the approval of the mine almost inevitable. Apparently, it doesn "t matter to Norton that the proposed mine would destroy American Indian sacred sites, cultural artifacts, trail networks, petroglyphs, ancestral grounds and 55 archaeological sites eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The 3,000­ member Quechan Tribe, which has lived in this area of the desert for thousands of years, will witness the obliteration of their cultural heritage. Willa Scott, a member of the Quechan Tribe's Culture Co mmittee, has stated, "If these sites are destroyed, we will lose our ability to pass down om beliefs'. .. We will have lost our cultural gatherings, funeral rituals, singing, story-telling and teachings. Without these practices, our people will lose the most imp01tant prut of who we are." Quechan Tribal Council President Mike Jackson Sr., was Page 16 quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Dec. 28, as saying, "The Bush administration is laughing at us. They're saying, 'We don 't give a damn about your history. ' " Apparently, it doesn' t matter that California's two U.S. senators and more than half of the state's congressional delegation sent a letter to Norton urging her to deny the mining permit. The delegation 's letter concludes: "Regardless of the standard that you chose to apply to the proposed mine, the unmitigable environmental and cultural impacts require denial." When the mine was first proposed in the mid- 1990s, Imperial County officials were against the Glamis gold mine, which would be located in their county. Eru·ly in her tenure as interior secretary, Norton criticized Babbitt for not listening to the people in the West who were affected by his Land management decisions and the creation of numerous national monuments. In overturning the denial of the Glamis mine permit, Norton did not consult with the Quechan T1ibe, the California congressional delegation or local officials. T his mine has nothing to do with extracting minerals that are vital to our national security. It has to do with profit - foreign profit. The 25-million acre CDCA was created by Congress in 1976 to protect significant scen ic and biologically important areas in the southeastern corner of the state, including lands in Imperial, San Diego and Los Angeles counties. The conservation area extends from the Mexican border north to Death Valley and the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. The 20-yeru· old management plan for the Desert Conservation Area was created after one of the most extensive public participatory processes in the history of federal land management. The plan protects the conservation ru·ea with a Limited Use designation. The proposed gold mine is inconsistent wi th that pl an. The conservation area is divided into three federal regions mru1aged by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of Defense, respectively. The BLM's management portion of the COCA falls under the agency's Office of National Landscape Conservation System, which was created during the Clinton administration and was supposed to guarantee greater management attention and protection. The focus of the office was to have been conservation. That goal has been subverted under the new administration . A report released in November by two conservation groups, the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, concludes that the BLM is fai ling to protect the long-term health of the 264 mHlion acres of public lands under the agency's management. Some agency critics say that the BLM considers mining the highest use of public land. The Department of the Interior's "Manual on Sacred Sites" establishes the "policy, responsibilities, and procedures to accommodate access to and ceremonial use of Indian sacred sites and to protect the physical integrity of such sites." The manual also states that "each bureau or office shall undertake a pe1iodic review of its policies, procedures, rules and regulations to ensure consistency" wi th the above stated purposes and "make any changes necessary to avoid adversely affecting the physical integrity of sacred sites." The department's own policy manual is clear. It forbids the destruction of the Quechan Tribe's sacred lands by the proposed gold mine. Accordi ng to the Record of Decision which denied the mine permit, the proposed project "would encompass a mine and processing area, including open pits, waste rock and topsoil stockpiles, haul roads, an electrical substation, distribution lines and associated facilities. Up to 150 million tons of ore would be mined and leached, and an additional 300 million tons of waste rock would be deposited on the site." The gold ore that Glamis wants to mine is low grade. It would require the excavation and processing of 422 tons of rock to produce one ounce of gold. The project would leave behind mounds of toxic mine tailings, up to 30 stories high. The mi.ne's deepest pit, at 880 feet, would never be backfilled. Precious American Indian cultural and religious artifacts would be ravaged beyond any mitigation ­ vandalized for gold. Once these cultural-religious sites are gone, they are gone forever. And what would the Ame1ican people get in return ; if the gold mine were allowed? Nothing. No royalties go into the U.S. Treasury from this foreign exploitation of our public lands. The only beneficiaries of this travesty would be the mine owners. Charles Levendosky is editorial page editor ofthe Casper (ll\ryo.) Star-Tribune. �STRE E TVIB E S F eb ru ary 2002 VEGGIE VIBES SOY MILK 'S POPULARITY INCREASES By Susan Huesken Twenty-eight percent of the U.S. population now drinks soy milk, up from 18% in 1999. according to the U aited Soybean Board. Some of the " reasons" for thi s increase (I believe) are 1) the recent interest in the health promoting benefits of.soy 2) some health problems that have been associated with drinking cows' mi lk 3) questioning of deceptive dairy industries' ads 4) The improved taste and quality of the soy milk products available. "Soy miJk", is the accepted word for a beverage made from soaked, ground soybeans, and I will use it for the rest of the article. But the dairy industry has attempted to make it illegal to identify it on packaging as soy milk, so it most often labeled soy "beverage," or soy "drink". It is interesting that the dairy industry does not have to identify their milk as coming from a cow. It is also funny that coconut milk can be labeled "milk", but the dairy industry probably does not feel threatened that it will take away thejr business. He.a lth Benefits of Soy Milk and Soy In 1999, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a claim that soy products (which includes soy mil k) can help lower the risk of heart disease, a find ing that appeared in a 1995 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study found that diets rich in soy protein could reduce cholesterol levels by 20%. In 2000 the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association publi shed a major statement in the peer-reviewed journal Circulation, officially recommending the inclusion of 25 grams or more of soy protej n, with Perfect Food" and "Milk, Does a Body Good" have undoubtedly caused much suffering for many Americans with lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is the inability of the body to breakdown the lactose s ugar in milk because of insufficient production of an enzyme called lactase, which diminishes after childhood. Another recent concern over the safety of milk is the use of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) or commonly called bovine growth hormone (BGH) in the dairy industry. The U.S. allows this controversial hormone to be used in our milk supply with no required labeling. In fact it is even illegal to say "BGH free milk" . Milk from cows treated with BGH have increased levels of IGH-1, one of the most powerful growth factors ever identified. Also, the use of BGH increases infections in cows' udders, so more antibiotics are given, and this causes higher traces of these drugs, as well as pus and bacteria from infected udders to be in the milk. There are cun-ently 80 antibiotics allowed in cows ' milk. By US Here are a few more health federal law, Grade A milk is benefits of soy milk allowed to have over a drop of pus Soy beverages provide more than 10 times as per glass of milk - almost twice much essential fatty acids the international standard. as cows' mi lk, and so Milk products are high on provide a far healthier the food chain and thus may contain high levels of quality of fat. Soy beverages are environmental contaminants. cholesterol-free, while Milk contains more than 25 cows' milk con tains 34 mg proteins that can lead to allergies. While he was chief of Pediatrics at of cholesterol per cup. Soy beverages lower both John Hopkins School of Medicine, total and LDL ("bad") Frank Oski MD said evidence cholesterol levels, while suggests that around 50% of all cows' milk raises both total U.S. chi ldren are allergic to cows' and LDL cholesterol levels. milk, most of these allergies are undiagnosed. Some milk allergy Soy beverages contain numerous protective symptoms include sinus problems, phytochemicals that may diaIThea, constipation, and fatigue protect against cpronic (milk allergies are equally diseases, such as heart common in adults). Milk allergies disease and osteoporosis. are a leading cause of chronic ear infections. Even childhood Cows' milk contains no phytochemicals. authority Dr. Benjamin Spock, Health P roblems Associated with changed his recommendations in his later years and discouraged Cows' Milk and Deceptive Advertising giving children milk; thi s The dairy industries' catchy recommendation is included in his slogans like "Milk, Nature's most recently updated book. its associated phytochemicals intact (i.e., not in the form of an isol ated soy protein supplemen t), in the daily diet as a means of promoting heart health. Soy also shows promise in the prevention and treatment of hormone-related cancers, especiall y prostate cancer. Men who consume one to two servings of soymilk per day are 70 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who don· t. Although the mechanism by which soy may reduce cancer risk is unknown, soy isoflavones, which are weak estrogens, can sup press the actio n of the more potent human form of estrogen. These isoflavones also inhibit an enzyme linked to tumor growth. Soy has also been shown to inhibit bone deterioration and favorab ly affects calcium metabolism, thus reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Many premenopausal women are also consuming soy milk because of its phytoestrogens, which can mimic estrogen and may help lessen such symptoms as hot flashes. '5treefvibes: A proud member of the North Amerit:.an 45treet Newspaper AssoGiation '2-epresentin9 over ?o street newspapers throughout the United 't>tates and C.anada www. spea~eas1 .orglnasna P age 17 How many times in your life have your heard that you need to drink milk to build strong bones? The dairy industry has constantly bombarded us with these types of ads and presently they are claiming that you need to drink milk to prevent osteoporosis. B ut you never see such claims on a carton of milk because the FDA won't allow it. Only statements backed up by facts are allowed. You might be surprised to learn that most Asian countries, until recently, consumed little or no dairy products, and yet have had a much lower incidence of osteoporosis than people in the United States. Al so that only 35% of the adult population worldwide drinks cows' milk. The countries that have the highest consumption of dairy products: Finland, Sweden, U nited States and England, have the highest rates of osteoporosis and that the daily calcium intake for African Americans is more than l ,OOOmg compared to only 196mg for Sou th Africans, but African Americans have 9 times greater hip fracture rates than do South Africans. G reat Tasting Soy Milks Soy milks have really improved in taste from their early days and many of the brands sold are fortified with caJcium, vitamins A, D and other nutrients such as B 12, which is important if you eat a vegan diet. According to Marilyn Gordon, registered dietitian at Memorial Regional Hospital, if you use soy milk as a milk substitu te you should read the label carefully and make sure it's been fortified and contains 30% of the daily requirement for calcium. You should also follow the recommended 2 or 3 servings per day. If you are using it to get some of the benefits of soy, being fortified is not as important. lnstead of opting for a plain g lass of soy milk, many are turning toward flavored soy milk: Coffee with mocha-flavored soy milk, cereal with vanilla flavored soy milk, pancakes with almond flavored, smoothies with the strawberry flavored. Peaches, bluebe1Ty, orange and banana... the list of flavored soy milk goes on. But be aware that these flavored soy milk usually contain more calories and sugar Remember there are many brands to choose from and each have different nutritional values and taste and that whenever a new food is introduced it may take some time to adjust to the different taste. Psychologists have shown that trying a new food ten times can actually make your taste buds crave it. So drink up ...and enjoy! �STREETVIBES February 2092 an effect of "teaching to the test." In Texas, students are also under the gun to. pass a basic skills test that is first administered in the 8th grade. Student who don't pass tl)e test don 't get a diploma. However, neariy all of the students by Doug Mann · who stay in ·school through their With massive bipartisan . ' senior ye~r eventually pass the test. support, Congress passed the Bush A sim ilar high stakes Education Plan, which will require testing program was introduced !n public schools to administer basic Minnesota in the 1995-1996 school ski lls tests in math and reading to '. year, the Minnesota Basic students in grades 3 to 8 by the Standards Test. As happened in 2005-2006 school year. Poor Texas, the percentage of students performing schools that don't who passed.this high stakes test on show improvement will face the first try increased from year.:.to­ sanctions, including the Joss of year, u·p to a certain point. And federal funding in some cases. high school push-out rates and Congress also increased scores on academic aptitude tests funding for the Title I program changed very little. from $18.5 billion this year to A FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER $26.5 billion next year. Title I CREATED BY POST-1983 money follows students who SCHOOL REFORMS qualify for free and reduced price In the Minneapolis (MN) lunches. The average subsidy, now Public Schools, the high school about $2,000 per student should increase to about $3,000 next year. push-out rate has been about 50% Private schools may receive Title I for all students entering the 9th grade, and well over 60% for funds. Poor performing public African-American and American schools almost invariably have a high concentration of students who Indian students. The push.:.out rate for poor whites is closer to 50%. are eligible for free and reduced­ An analysis of data reported to the price lunches. Minnesota Department of In.some cases, the Bush Children, Families and Learning Education Plan calls for the suspension of tenure rights at poor indicates that for students excluded from college preparatory tracks in performing schools, i.e., teachers the Minneapolis Public Schools, may be fired for cause without the right of appeal (due process). This the on-time graduation rate is less than 20% and the push-out rate is enhancement of management close to 70 per cent. Here I assume rights is known as 'fresh sta11' that over 90% of the college authority. However, many of these preparatory students graduate on schools are already run like banana time and pass the MBST on the republics precisely because most first try (On time graduation rates of the teachers are inexperienced and initial MBST pass rates are and do not have tenure rights. Teachers employed long enough to that high in many school districts). About 25% of all students entering acquire tenure rights (typically 3 the 9th grade in 1995, and over years) ordinarily do not stay at or 50% of those who received their bid into such schools, especially if diploma in 1998 were on a coJlege they run the risk of being "fresh preparatory curriculum track. started" by doing so. That the Minneapolis Bush's Education Plan is Public Schools went too far in part of a school reform program dumbing down the c;urriculum for designed to better meet the needs its work readiness students is of employers. reflected by the fact that nearly Bush's plan to fix poor 25% of African-American students performing schools has already are diagnosed with some type of been tried in Texas and other Emotional-Behavioral Disorder states, with mixed results. Scores and enrolled in a special education on the basic skills tests almost program (The national average is invariably improve, but generally without raising scores on academic less than 3%). Ordinarily, special aptitude tests and without lowering education students with a EBD diagnosis are at least two years high-sc~ool dropout /push-out behind academically, e.g., a rates. The Houston branch of the nonreader in the third grade. NAACP (National Association for Typically the treatment for the Advancement of Colored EBD consists of psychoactive People) reports a high school "dropout" rate of 40% for African­ drugs and home interventions by social workers. Uncooperative American students, presumably in the Houston area (source: Houston parents ai·e frequently stripped of their parental rights. NAACP branch web site). The THE POST-1983 SCHOOL high school push-out rate for REFORM MOVEMENT African-American students The Minneapolis Public nationwide is about 20%. These School system is a Frankenstein mixed results can be explained as BUSH'S EDUCATION AGENDA Page 18 monster created by the school reform movement spearheaded by the Reagan and Bush administrations during the 1980s. Their propaganda offensive was launched with a 1983 report caJled "A Nation at Risk," which claimed that the educational establishment had lowered the bar for high achievers .in orqer to dose the aca9emic ac.hjevement gap betweeq. ~tudents . Many school districts that differentiated the curriculum througli ~l?iUty­ grouping (tracking) during the 1960s began to eliminate their nonacademic tracks in· the 1970s and early 1980s, especially in the elementary school s. Evidently, the first Bush administ~·ation believed its own propaganda about 'a rising tide of mediocrity' in America's public schools. It commissioned the Sandia National. Laboratories to .. do . an intensive review of educational data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics of the US Department of Education. It was a very auth01itative study. The Sandia Report flatly contradicted the premise of "A Nation at Risk." High achievers actually made significant gains during the 1970s and early 1980s. Desegregation and the elimination of nonacademic curricul~m tracks had improved outcomes for all classes of students, especially poor and nonwhite students. T he Sandia Report was completed in 1990 and suppressed by the first Bush administration. It was eventually released by the Clinton administration, and largely ignored. (Berliner and Biddle, 1995, The Manufactured Crisis, page 26.) To improve educational outcomes for a majority of public school students, it will be necessary to undo some of the "reforms" can"ied out during the Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush IT administrations, especially tracking students into nonacademic programs. However, the capitalist class will not approve of such a counter-reform movement. Once set in motion, it would be hard to stop. It would destroy a number of myths about the presumed stupidity of most workers, especially black workers. WHY VOUCHERS ARE NOT THE ANSWER I think that a huge majority of parents want their kids to get an education that prepares them for college. However, in most urban school districts, academic/college preparatory programs are reserved for a fairly small minority of children who are designated as academically gifted and talented. That's why urban school districts are losing their "market share" of students to private school and public schools in the suburbs. G.W. Bush, like his father before him, says he wants to give parents greater freedom to chose the school their childfen attend. That's where vouchers come in. Vouchers make it possible for many poor and " middle class" kids to attend private, college preparatory schools. It's a means of escape from the public school system. Naturally,' vouchers have a strong appeal to parents who want to pull theiT kids from the public schools or have already done so. However, with a voucher program, what you end up with is an even Jess equitable distribution of educational resources than you ordinarily have in the public school system. For example, in Cleveland, many of the best private schools don't accept vouchers because very few of the parents who are eligible to use them can affqrd the tuition. The best schools that are accessible to students frotn low-income famil ies are generally religious schools, the bulk of which are run by the Roman Catholic Church. The schools that were set up to accommodate many of the students who are fleeing the public schools, also known as 'voucher schools,' are usually pretty revenue-challenged. 'Disadvantaged' students may actually be worse off in most of the 'voucher schools' than they were in the public schools. With a voucher program, the units of government that pay for the public schools are actually shifting some of the educational costs to parents. That leaves more tax dollars for corporate welfare programs, like giving away baseball stadiums to billionaires. CONCLUSION The public school system is stratified in order to prepare children for their future roles in the work force or prison system. It is in the interests of the capitalist class to keep it that way because a large pool of undereducated workers competing for low-wage jobs gives employers a means to bid down wages across-the-board. The fight for a quality, public education for all can only be ca~ried through to the end by the working class organized through a labor party with a socialist program. The working class has no interest in preserving the capitalist system, which is based on economic exploitation and nourished by racism, sexism, and heterosexism. And a fundamental change in the social order will require a fundamental change in the educational system. �STREETVIBES February 2002 Page 19 News From the National Coalition for the Homeless National Coalition for the Homeless 1012 14th St. Nw, Washington DC 20005-3406 Tel: 2021737-6444 Fax: 737-6445 Email: info@nationalhomeless.org · Website: http:// www.nationalhomeless.org Nominations Sought­ Buddy Gray Award for Homeless Activism This annual award is given to an individual or group who has been most effective io advocating on behalf of people who are home.less or living in poverty. The individual or group must have been involved in advocacy for at least five years. The award honors the late Buddy Gray who was a tirel~ss homeless activist in Cincinnati for many years, aJong with serving on the NCH board of dfrectors. Who Was Buddy Gray? Buddy began working with low income and homeless people in the Over-the-Rhine area in Cincinnati in the early 1970's. He developed a number of non-profit organizations focusi ng on emergency shelter, supportive services, and permanent housing. He was the key person who stood up for the rights of low income people in conservative Cincinnati. He was a mentor to a number of homeless/formerly homeless people (including Donald Whitehead, executive director of NCH). He died in 1996. The people he mentored are now leaders continuing on with the work and programs that Buddy Gray started. He was also a founding board member of the National Coalition for the Homeless and his influence is felt on the organization even in 2002. The National Coalition for the Homeless gives this annual award at its spring national board meeting in Washington, D.C. Please take the time to nominate an individual or group for the Buddy Gray Award for Homeless Activism. Self­ nominations are allowed. Send a cover letter (regular mail, fax or email) along with supporting documentation (e.g. news clippings) to: National Coalition for the Homeless, Attn: Michael Stoops 1012 14th St., NW; #600 Washington, DC 20005-3471 Fax: 202-737-6445; Email: mstoops@ nationalhomeless.org For questions about the award, call (202) 737-6444 x19 In your cover letter, please answer the following questions. 1. Why is this individual or group being nominated for the Buddy Gray Award? Please detail the nominee's personal and professional history, volunteer work, work with homeless/low income-people and homeless advocacy groups. You may submit up to three news clippings about the nominee. No resumes please. 2. How does this individual or group's work exemplify the legacy of Buddy Gray? Deadline: Postmarked March I , 2002 The recipient will receive a plaque, $100 honorarium, and travel expenses to attend the award ceremony in Washington, DC Education Update Congress Passed Final FY 2002 Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Bill both the House of Representatives and the Senate approved the FY 2002 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill on December l 91h and 20th, respectively. The bill calls.for $950 million in adult training funds and $ 1.549 billion in dislocated worker funds under the Workforce !!)vestment Act (WIA). These funding levels exceed funding requests made by the Bush Adminjstratioo earlier this year. The Administration recommended reducing adult training funds to $900 million, and dislocated worker funds to $1.38 billion dollars. In FY 2001 , adult training was funded at $950 mi1lion, and dislocated workers at $1.59 billion, prior to the rescission of $110 million in FY 2001 dislocated worker funds. None of this is to say that this sufficient funding. The final bill did not include a repeal of that rescission of dislocated worker funds passed by Congress in July. A hoped-for inclusion in a Senate bill of additional WIA funds, primarily targeted to dislocated workers, did not occur. Congress may revisit economic stimulus legislation when they return in January. U.S. Conference of Mayors Report Point to Sharp Increase in Homelessness You may access this report online at the following url: http://usmayors.org/uscmlnewsl press_releasesldocuments/ hunger_121 /OJ.asp Election Day 2002 Just A Year Away Yes, another election will soon be here. The National Coalition for the Homeless is gearing up for the November,. 2002 elections with the "You Don't Need A Home To Vote" national voter rights and nonpartisan registration campaign. The campaign seeks to protect and promote a homeless person's right to' vote, and ensuring that people who are homeless maintain an active role and voice in shaping their future. The campaign uses a five­ pronged strategy of registration, education, get-out the-vote, state and federal legislation, and litigation. Dates to remembers in 2002: Sept. 22-28-NationaJ Homeless Voter Registration Week October:-Local candidate forums on homelessness, housing, hunger and poverty issues Nov. 5-Election Day-get-out­ the-vote drives Since the inception of the campaign in 1992, thousands of homeless citizens have been registered to vote. To receive the 2002 campaign packet (complete with a new poster), send $12 (covers shipping and handling) to NCH. Questions about the campaign, contact: Michael Stoops (202) 737-6444 x 19 mstoops@nationalhomeless.org Write Us .... We'd like to hear from you I Send letters or comments to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition office attn : Streetvibes Letters, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 "Think globally... but fire locally." �= Need Help or Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. If you need more information, ca/1421 :7803 SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women's Shelter 872-9259 1-888-872-9259 (Toll Free) Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 859-431-8717 Women's Crisis Center 859-491-3335 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden St. House Joseph House (Veterans) St. Francis/St.Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of Amer. SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 761-1480 Chabad House 821-5650 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John's Housing 651-6446 HOUSING: CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Net. ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-1171 639-7056 961-4555 TREAIME~T; WQm~a First Step Home 961-4663 TREATMENT: M~n Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: BQth 820-2947 N.A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline 861-9966 381-6660 C.C.A.T. Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc. 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 ROHS HARDWARE Help . is Just 2.99 Rround the Corner 2" x 60 Yds. ~~ 0 Duct Tape ~ ·~ !$' «~ ~~~& Pledge Grab-It Q;)ftj ~ $81ess$8 ~~ 0 Mail-In Rebate 1403 Vine Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 - "" - ~..,04.""7 ,....l / ~ '~{ -t; - . u.. ;,_/ ·:. ....y : ; ~ ~ . .,. ;,· / .. ··, : ~· 9Jf7 : \~ ,:,~ ~ • 8pieceScrew­ driver Set OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity 621-5991 Center 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 241 -2563 Emanuel Center Freestore/Foodbank 241-1064 771-4800 Goodwill Industries G.C. Coalition for the Homeless 421 -7803 Hamilton Co. Mental 621-7149 Health Board Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect ­ Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 Advertise il STREETVIBESI Call 421-7803 fer rates ard infcrrootial � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2002 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 2002 Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Panhandling for Justice Pg 2: A Human Investment Pg 3: ReSTOC Leads Development on Vine Street Pg 4: Reader Mail Pg 5: Greater Cincinnati coalition for the Homeless Welcomes New Staff Members Pg 6: Know Your Rights- Do the Poor have the Right to Free Speech? Pg 7: Welcome to Cincinnati, Ms. Lemmie Pg 8: Prisoners News Pg 9: Michael Henson Receives Kerouac Prize for Poetry Pg 10: National Release of Criminalization Report Pg 11: Ursuline Student Talks About Her Positive Streetvibes Encounter Pg 12: Editorials Pg 13: Postage Stamps a Measure of Patriotism Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: Dignity Selling Out Native Americans, Once Again Pg 17: Veggie Vibes Pg 18: Bush’s Education Agenda Pg 19: News from the National Coalition for the Homeless 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 2002 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alicia Beck Meghan Clarke Molly Lyons Mary Taylor John Halpin Cheryl Ware Jimmy Heath Jerome Manigan Mike Henson Susan Huesken P.J. Beth Lake Mr. Lee Gary Lehman John Perrotti Riccardo Taylor Bill Tinker Anthony Watkins Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alicia Beck Anthony Watkins Arts & Poetry Beth Lake Bill Tinker Bush Cheryl Ware Cincinnati Criminalization Democrat Editorials education Evangelist Free Speech Gary Lehman GCCH Human Investment Jerome Manigan Jimmy Heath John Halpin John Perrotti Justice LA Martin Luther King Jr. Mary Taylor Meghan Clarke Michael Henson Mike Henson MLK Molly Lyons Mr. Lee Ms. Lemmie National Coalition for the Homeless Native American P.J. panhandling prisoners news Reader Mail ReSTOC Riccardo Taylor San Francisco Santa Cruz Street View Susan Huesken Veggie Vibes Vine Street Washington Park https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/a9eb36a21a1371606706b14a265c6995.pdf bf50604a015fb0a7f1fc0f50f9b46d5c PDF Text Text $I Da '1ti~11 • ree v1 es Your Progressive News Source BUY FROM BADGED VENDPRS ONLy February 2003 Walking in Washington forPeac·e Cover Story, Page 1 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �• - - - - - - - - - - -February Cover Story 2003~---------­ Al Sharpton, along with others. overwhelming feeling ofthe day The keynote address ofthe rally was a sense of shared purpose and ·determination to end the cycle of was made by the former United speeches from people of many States Attorney General, Ramsey insanity that continues to shake and by Michael Flood Clark who urged the gathering to shock our world to its core. There backgrounds and experiences: work for the impeachment of Native Americans, a Palestinian was a sense of camaraderie, On the very cold evening fellowship and solidarity that was Arab, college students, a Latina, George Bush. The march from the of Friday, January 17th, about 150 Mall climbed tangible. The hundreds of long time people boarded three buses from Capital Hill antiwar thousands of people from all over Cincinnati en route to a walk on along the country who converged in Washington in a show of solidarity activists, such Independence Washington, DC, were of all races, as Elizabeth with the people of Iraq. This trip Avenue, McAllister, religions, backgrounds, ages and was organized by the- Coalition to the widow of national origins. People do care which Prevent War in Iraq. Our hope about what is happening in the allowed a was, and remains, to prevent a war recently Longview world and were willing to endure in which most of the victims would deceased Philip back toward the long hours in the severe cold to be innocent civilians. After the beginning say "we care about our sisters and Berrigan, leaving from the Mt. Auburn point of the brothers in Iraq." The walk on GBLT Presbyterian Church parking lot, march. There Washington, DC was one of many activists, where we were supported and was no end in others throughout the country, actors, labor encouraged by those who could activists, a sight ofthe including a very large one in San not go themselves, we arrived in Francisco and in thirty three other Member of Washington shortly before Does Bush have his finger on the trigger? people walking the countries around the world. IO:OOAM Saturday morning. The Parliament of the Labor Party of Great Britain, two and one half mile route. A When one rider, from Greensburg, planned rally was an hour away Vietnam Veteran Ron Kovick, who march organizer, who was among Indiana, was asked by the person in and the mass of peopJe grew the seat next to him why he was the first to arrive at the end point was wounded and paralyzed thirty steadily larger until we were all five years earlier on Martin Luther near the Navy Yard, walked back making the journey, his simple, but pressed in closely, huddled to the Mall only to find people just telling reply was, "common sense." King's birthday, Civil Rights together against the bitter cold. activists, such as Jesse Jackson and beginning the walk. An I wish George had a litt.le of that. The rally was a series of short A Walk in Washington Cincinnati Movement for Peace has International Roots against the occupation of Rep orted andp hotos by Jimmy Heath Every Monday afternoon since last fall, a group of protesters have been gathering at the corner ofVine and Central Parkway in downtown Cincinnati, protesting against possible war in Iraq. These men and women, all dressed in dark clothes symbolize the mourning of those lost through violence. The international movement of Women in Black began in Jerusalem in January, 1988, with a group oflsraeli women who carried out a simple form of protest Palestine. One a week at the same hour and in the same location - a major traffic intersection - they donned black clothing and raised a black sign with white lettering that read "Stop the Occupation." It was a simple form of protest that spread quickly to other places in Israel. They could bring their children, there was no chanting or marching, and the. medium was the message. Within several months after the first vigil in Israel, "solidarity vigils" began in other countries and around 1990, Women in Blackvigils took off with a life and a message of their own. Women in Black in Italy, Germany, Belgrade, Zagreb, and India began protesting a range of issues that affected people throughout each respective area of the world. Women in Bia.ck has become a movement of women and men of conscience and of all denominations and nationalities who hod vigils to protest violence in their part of the world; war, lnterethnic conflict, militarism, the CINCI N Tl C .A I 0 arms industry, racism, neo-Nazism, and violence against women. Each vigil is autonomous, setting it own policies and guidelines, though in all the vigils, the participants dress in dark clothing, symbolizing the tragedy ofvictims ofviolence. The idea of Women in Black was soon adopted by the peace activist community here in Cincinnati. Organized by the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center, Cincinnati 's own Women in Black have taken to the streets to protest against the war in Iraq. Every Monday at Spm the group gathers at the intersection of Vine Street and Centi-al Parkway in downtown Cincinnati, acting in solidarity against violence and war. THE 0 SS �STREE TVIBES February, 2003 Local News · Page 2 "Keep The Dream Alive" Ceremony honors local activists physician ofmedicine, who believes that practicing medicine is more than just caring for the sick; William Mallory Sr., who was a member of the State House of Representatives for decades working for funds and programs reached those most in need; Rev. Damon Lynch III, who is committed t~ing the battle for social justice on a daily basis; Rev. Thomas Bokenkotter, who Bonnie Neumeier, Over-the-Rhine community activist, was one ofthe recipients ofthe continues to work "Keep The Dream Alive" award. tirelessly in the This year's honorees On Monday, January 20th, Cincinnati communify for the included; Bonnie Neumeier, who Saint Mark Church in Evanston poor; Renita Zellers, a young hosted its annual Holiday Mass and has dedicated her whole life to woman who works to better serving the poor and displaced Award Ceremony honoring 10 herself while being ofservice to Cincinnati citizens who have helped citizens ofthe Cincinnati the community. neighborhood ofOver-the-Rhine; make a difference in people's lives Martin Luther King Jr. day and the community. The "Keep Elizabeth Patterson, who has been is not only for celebration and The Dream Alive" award also promoting independence and remembrance, education and preserving the dignity ofolder celebrates the life and legacy of tribute but above all a day of Martin Luther King, Jr. The values adults; Barbara Twitty, founder of service. The King Holiday and tbe House ofRefuge Mission; Dan celebration honors the life and of the people honored with the and Ann Nader, who have for award embody tbe leadership and contributions ofthese citizens, years, performed outreach to needy who help lead a movement toward commitment ofKing; forgiveness, citizens ofinner-city unconditional love and non­ achieving a purposeful life and neighborhoods; Keith Melvin, a violence. service to others. Streetvibes Vendor Code Each vendor must sign and agree to abide by the following code of conduct... the sale ofStreetvibes will go to the individual donation. I agree not to ask for donations of vendor. Falsely stating intent or otherwise mis­ representing is a violation of a city ordinance and more than $ 1. I also understand that I wil1 be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. may be cause for arrest. 2. Streetvibes may only be purchased from the 8. 1 will always present my badge when purchasing Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless papers, and I will display my badge at all times (GCCH). Purchasing or selling unauthorized.. while vending. Replacement badges are $5 each. papers, or from other vendors, will r~~9lt in:,f. , 9. There are no territories. I agree that I will not termination from the program. · ' contest territories with other distributors. I will 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations or attemp.t not sell on private property without permission. to vend after 12 midnight. 10. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a selfsupporting paper created by people who are 4. I agree to treat others with respect - other ven­ . homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this dors, customers, and GCCH personnel. 5. I will not sell Streetvibes while under the influence effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories ifpossible. of dmgs or alcohol. 6. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel 11. I understand that failure to comply wit h any of threatened. the above statements will result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH 7. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I reserves the right to terminate a vendor at any am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the "homeless" in general. I time as deemed appropriate. will be honest in stating that all the profits from 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary - �STREET VIBES February, 2003 Page 3 North American Homeless News Digest by M olly Rhodes In Portland, Oregon, residents of the two-year-old self­ run encampment for homeless people wants to ra ise money to buy a site for a long-term homeless community, according to the Oregonian. They have been looking for more than a year­ and have even put together a glossy brochure to help boost their efforts - but have yet to find a site where neighbors don't see their potential presence as a threat to their exisiting community. Its biggest supporter ·_ retired transportation magnate Lee Larson - has agreed to pay the city $2,000 a month to rent the land where they are now. Residents have raised about $12,000 in cash, and have the support of a retired transportation bigwig, not to mention hundreds of volunteers, but it's still not nearly enough to purchase land. And until the city starts adding new services and improving access to other forms of permanent housing, the Village is the best option for many of the people who live there. Wbat'll it take the people of Northern Oklahoma to recognize the plight of the homeless? How about a trip for two to Las Vegas! Or tickets to see Tony Orlando! In an effort to help raise money for a new youth shelter and family service center in Ponca City, OK, local country radio personality Ryan Diamond has started living on a downtown street comer, according to the Ponca City News. The broadcast of his "homeless" life encourages people to come on by and donate to his cause, as well as learn about what it's like to live on the streets. As an extra incentive, everyone who comes by and registers at his "homeless shopping cart" will automatically be entered to win the Vegas trip or coffee or other fabulous prizes. Those who actually give money - not a prerequisite for winning a prize ­ will get a yellow ribbon for their troubles and for their car antenna. And Diamond will get to go home and rest up before his 6 a.m. to 7 Write Us! We'd like to hear frOlll IJOU- % Send. letters or comments to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, ,,., or write the Coaliti!>n office attn: Stl'eetvibes Letters, · I 506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 p.m. "homeless" shift the very next day. How long do homeless advocates and Atlanta city officials think it will take to house the city's estimated 10,000 to 15,000 homeless people? Well, Atlanta's mayor Shirley Franklin is giving a 19-member commission three months to come up with a plan, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In this time, the commission must analyze the homeless population, rate the effectiveness ofthe various local and national organizations that serve them, and find enough money to cover their plan. They are starting with approximately 5,000 current shelter beds - less than half the total number needed ­ and 672 beds for people suffering long-term problems, when the estimated number oflong-term beds needed is at least 3,500. There are also the immediate needs for laundry services, blankets, and job training that are not diminishing as the city waits for the commission's report. Key West, Florida, city officials are so tired of talking about "chronic public nuisances" that they have shortened the name to CPNs and started filming them. City workers will spend their days in beaches and parks and their nights in homeless encampments - the destinations of choice for CPNs­ recording whatever activities they see and then handing over their findings to city commissioners and the general public. The hope is to use the video to build enough support for a shelter, the first on the island, without which local police cannot arrest someone simply for being homeless. Once there is a shelter, CPNs and all other homeless people can finally be arrested for sleeping anywhere else. In his war against panhandlers tarnishing the image of downtown Cincinnati businesses and turning away tourists, Mayor Charlie Luken is going after almost anyone who sells anything on city streets, including the local street newspaper, Streetvibes. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless puts out the paper, which is then sold by vendors as an alternative, legal means to get enough money to help get them back on their feet. Mayor Luken counters that it's just another form ofpanhandling that only gives people money to buy more drugs and alcohol. Apparently preventing homeless people from making money legally is a vital step towards aHeviating Cincinnati's some place relatively warm to sleep. The location of choice is homeless problem. Even t hough the what's known as the Las Vegas wash, an underground drainage Massachusetts state Legislature system that has a ~abit ofturning has been cutting funding for homeless services, Boston Mayor into a powerful river whe11ever it rains. Early this month, the body Thomas Menino thinks he can of a homeless man suspected of convince them to pass a $35 drowning in the wash was found, million bond bill to improve according to KLAS TV homeless services across the (www.klas-tv.com). Of the 47 state, according to the Boston people who died this year on the Globe (www.globe.com). streets ofLas Vegas' Clark county, Approximately $25 million of the those who didn't die from bond would provide more shelter drowning in the wash passed away beds, job training, and health services. Another $5 million would from exposure to the sometimes specifically help Boston's homeless extreme desert cold. Things are much better in population. Although the state is Canada, where northern Toronto currently feeling the fiscal pinch, city officials and advocates got Menino believes the expected of homeless together with local businesses to increase in the number people could get the bond through. help fulfill the housing needs of "I understand the financial picture," 80 former tent city residents who were evicted from Home Depot Menino told Boston Globe property. The city of Toronto reporters, shortly before his own helped secure the new homes with city began its annual count of a rent subsidy initiative, and then homeless people. "But this is the businesses helped to furnish about people's lives. There's no them, according to Toronto's Town price you can put on people's Crier (www.towncrieronline.ca). lives." The newly housed people got beds One of the most recent and tables from Executive cases of a homeless person Furniture, Furniture Bank, and committing a crime to get into a Royal York Hotel, glasses, cutlery, warm jail with hot meals involves a 70-year-old homeless and pots and pans from Goodwill, dishes from the National Club, and man in San Diego, who robbed a linens from the Park Hyatt, as well gas station and then waited for police to escort him to his new as drivers and trucks to move it all temporary home. When the in. Whatever doesn't get used will be saved for people when they police arrived, Victor Lopez told them he wanted to go to jail leavelfway houses and jails, or for because the winter shelter was not new immigrants to the city. open, according to NBC San Diego (www.nbcsandiego.com). Lopez was booked into jail on $20,000 bail. Because Lopez had no intention ofkeeping the cash, he will not be charged with a felony, though he could face misdemeanor charges. A little farther north up the west coast, San Francisco recorded an 18 percent increase in its homeless population during its annual count of homeless people. More than 300 volunteers found 4,535 people living on the * Supplies for Vendor's streets and another 4, 100 in Lounge Cpaper to~els, shelters, treatment centers, and cream and sugar, snacks, jails, according to the San .' ~ etc.) Francisco Examiner (www.examiner.com). While the total numbers were discouraging, * Office Supplies - floppies, there is good news in the number copier paper and otlier of people who are seeking of supplies treatment or getting off the streets. The count showed a 25 percent If you can help, contact us at: increase in the number of homeless Streetvibes, c/o Greater people in shelters and a 71 percent Cincinnati Coalition for the increase in the number of homeless Homeless, 1506 EJm Street, people in treatment programs. Cincinnati, OH 45-202 The situation is so dire in (513) 421-7803 Las Veg~s that homeless people e-mail: streetv:ibes@juno.com are getting killed just to find ~ �STREETVIBES February, 2003 Recommended Reading.... The Treatment The Story of Those Who Died in the Cincinnati Radiation Tests by Martha Stevens The Treatment is the story ~ of one tragedy of research that stretched over eleven years and affected the lives of hundreds of people in Cincinnati. Thirty years ago, the author, then an assistant professor ofEnglish, acquired a large set oflittle-known medical papers at her university, the University of Cincinnati. These documents told a grotesque story: cancer patients corning to the public hospital on her campus were being swept into secret disputes in court, they agreed to settle the case with the families of experiments for the U S. military. those they had afflicted. In 1999, a They were being irradiated over memorial plaque was raised in a their whole bodies as ifthey were soldiers in a - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - yard of the nuclear war. "Stephens is a skilled investigative journal- hospital. Ofthe ninety ist, piecing together medical records, Penta- Who were women and gon reports, andfirsthand interv;ews to these men exposed weave a damning and unforgettable picture doctors? to this ofwhat happened in the basement ofCincin- Who were treatment, nati General Hospital - EUeen Welsome, the people twenty-one author of The Plutonium Files: Americas whose lives died w ithin a Secret Experiments in the Cold War they took? month of - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Who was the reporter who could not forget their radiations. the story, the young attorney who Martha Stephens's report on these deaths led to the halting of first developed the case, the judge who issued the historic ruling the tests, but local papers did not against the doctors? This is print her charges, and for many Stephens's moving account of all years people in Cincinnati had no that way of transpired in knowing that "Read this book not only to grasp the lethal horror ofwhat official medicine did to 90 these lives and her own experiments families, but also for the fuel you need to during this had taken fight such outrageous injustices in our battle place there. midst - Jim Hightower, radio and televi­ In 1994 between sion personality other military tests were brought to light, rights. and a yellowed copy ofStephens's Martha Stephens was for original report was delivered to a many years Professor ofEnglish at television newsroom. In Ohio, major publicity ensued - at long last the University ofCincinnati. She is the author of The Question of - and reached around the world. Stephens uncovered the names of , Flannery 0 'Connor, th~ novels Cast a Wistful Eye and Children of the victims, and a legal action was the World, and many social filed against thirteen researchers critiques in the press. An activist and their institutions. A federal for many years, Stephens was the judge compared the deeds of the first to break the story of this doctors to the medical crimes of project and continues to work for the Nazis during World War II and justice for the victims and their refused to dismiss the researchers families. from the suit. After many bitter ---------------- . Page 4 Streetvibes Welcomes New Vendor Coordinator Steve Schockly joins GCCH Staff Since January 61h when I started at the Coalition, I have been easing into my position as the new vendor coordinator. I have taken over at a time of transition at the office, and with that the posi­ tion of vendor coordinator is shifting from what it was. I will be doing less person to person service than Cheryl did. I want to increase the presence of Streetvibes in our community. Streetvibes has the potential to be one of the most important voices in the Cincinnati area, but it is not quite there yet. I will be working alongside Jimmy Heath bringing what I can to the publication as well as working with the vendors to increase their input into the paper. We want to increase the number of articles by our vendors. Another focus of mine is on the Speaker's Bureau. I hope to get as many speakers into as many schools and organizations in the area as I can. I want to help to create awareness in communities that have been blind to the problem of homelessness for too long. Hopefully a lot will be accomplished in the next six months that I am here. I am excited to be working with the staff and al.lQf,the.k'eo.dors. I feel that this is time for things to change, and I feel that we all will be part of that. For more information please call me, Steve Shockly, at the Coalition Office at 421-7803 Non-violence is a very powerful weapon. Most people don't understand the power ofnon-violence and tend to be amazed by the whole idea. Those who have been involved in bringing about change and see the difference between violence and non-violence are firmly committed to a lifetime ofnon-violence, not because it is easy or because it is cowardly, but because it is an effective and very powerful way. Cesar Chavez Community Resource Cards Rockdale Temple has announced the release of the latest in its series of Community Resource Cards. The new one, printed in Spanish, is customized for the needs of Cincinnati's rapidly growing Hispanic/ Latino population. The tri-fold, plastic cards are funded by the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati as a project of Rockdale Temple, in consultation with Bienstar, Su Casa and The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. In addition to the Hispanic Resource Card, the Resource Card Project has also produced cards for senior citizens, the homeless, and public school and Catholic school students covering the Tri-state area. Cards can be ordered from: cc 5300 Hamilton Avenue, #210 Ohio 45224 or send a fax request to: (513) 541-0099 Cincinn~ti, �STREETVIBES February, 2003 Reader Hail Vendors tell story of "the other side..." Know Your Rights Brochure Available! I am a longtime member of We would like to hear from you the Central Parkway Branch YMCA and use it frequently. I - please address letters and have bought editions ofyour paper comments to; from several ofyour vendors over Streetvibes, the years. I appreciate the efforts The Know Your Rights 1506 Elm Street, your organization is making to get Brochure is now available at the Cincinnati Ohio 45202 "the other side of the story" out Coalition's office. The brochure is (or) email to: there to the average citizen and to try and educate us on the dynamics a legal guide for Cincinnati' s Streetvibes@juno.com homeless and covers a person's that create homelessness and basic rights when interacting with Psychiatrists for the poverty. I know there are a lot of skewed perceptions out there about the police, .as well ~s some local ~; ft, ,, Poor? laws that rrught be ofmterest to the '1; ~j it, including my own, but I do try In response to get homeless population. If you are a p ·1:. Caseworkers for panhandlers, Page to keep an open mind, as I live in a homeless person or if you work ' recovering household myself. 5, January, 2003 Streetvibes. with homeless people and would "': I also appreciate your Panhandlers do not need like to obtain free copies of the --­ efforts to help those who want to psychiatrists or psychologists to bro chure for yourself or your · · figure out why people need money help themselves. I used to buy agency, please call 421-7803 ' or .from W , when he sold in to be able to live a decent life. stop by the Coalition office and pick · front ofthe Y. I now buy from Evictions and poverty are major Tony Williams and he is the reason one up. reasons for panhandling. , he The Mayor Luken's and the for this letter. I liked W always presented himself well, but Pat DeWines 's ofthis city should Watch for the return of sometimes in addition to selling the · not be telling any panhandler what paper, wanted to "borrow" money to do. They should not be passing and sometimes, because I liked anti-poor laws to get the him, I would "lend" it - but it was panhandlers off the streets of an annoyance. I have never Streetvibes TV is a live program created by the Greater Cincinnati . experienced that with Tony. Tony When the panhandlers do Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Media is always professional, even when get off the street, they should be Bridges. Watch as our panel discusses the after talking to him for a while I going into affordable housing, not issues surrounding homelessness today. realize that he's been having a bad the Hamilton County Jail\ Check your local cable listing for day or maybe even a bad month. Sonny Williams, former He is never looking for a handout, panhandler and Over-the-Rhine broadcast dates and times.... just people be can count on to buy resident his paper. He is polite, patient and upbeat. I always enjoy talking to Streetvibes Online him and I think our city would be I was wondering how I better off if there were more people could read the current issues of like him raising the "vibes" in streetvibes on line? downtown Cincinnati. I appreciate Specializing in downtown and Over-the-Rhine All I se~ on your website is his positive outlook and I wanted past issues and I would be interestd to let you know. Free Estimates in reading this months issue on line. Sincerely, M R. Call 421-7803 Rhonda Summerlin Streetvibes TV Jimmy Gipson Painting, Repair and Remodeling Editors Note: We are working with a website developer to update our cu"ent Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless site. Stay tunedfor updates and Streetvibes Online, with links to other street newspapers, service providers, news and information. Youth is the first victim of war; thefirst fruit of peace. It takes 20 years or more ofpeace to make a man; it takes only 20 seconds ofwar to destroy him King Baudouin I, King of Belgium The finger pulls the trigger, but the trigger may also be pulling thefinger. Dr. Leonard Berkowitz rrs A umE SHORTCUT I KNOW. "~ t E(ONOfv'\( RK.OV'ERY . ~- .~ �ST R EETVIBES February, 2003 Page 6 GCCH Coat Drive Brings in Over 800 Coats for the Homeless The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless sponsored a coat drive which began on October 25 and ended early in 2003. Barrels were placed in over 20 local businesses and coats were donated by the patrons of these places. Many hundreds of slightly used coats were collected. The coats were then gathered up and dry cleaned by A-One Dry Cleaners in Silverton and SpringdaJe Cleaners. After this, they were distributed to homeless and formerly homeless individuals by the Coalit ion and through our member organizations. Special thanks to all businesses who let us place barrels in their stores; A­ One Dry Cleaners and Springdale Cleaners; the Drop Inn Center for loaning us their van (many times), John Briggs, Maura Ramsey, Brendan Goodwin, Andy Erickson, Walter Reinhaus, John Halpin, Cheryl Ware, and everyone else who helped move a mountain of coats from point A to point B. Write Usl We'd like to hear " from you .... Send letters or comments to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition office attn: Streetvibes Letters, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati , Ohio 45202 Your vendor keeps 80 cents ofevery dollar..... The "mountain " ofcoats at the Coalition office. GCCH Director Georgine Getty (left) andAndy Erickson. It is the job ofthinking people, not to be on the side ofthe executioners. Albert Camus Mother Laments Loss of Son to Drugs We are convinced that non­ violence is more powerful than by Charlotte Wethington the university campus. Being even bolder, they have at times moved violence. We are convinced that This is a copy of a sp eech their operation onto the campus of non-violence supports y ou if read to Cincinnati City Council 's you have a just and moral Law and Public Safety Committee UC. Parents who are sending their children to Cincinnati to get an cause...If you use violence, you to address street drug dealing. education would be horrified and have to sell part ofyourselffor I want to speak in favor of deeply dist ressed to know how that violence. Then you are no the ban on public loitering for the purpose of engaging in illegal drug drug dealers are allowed to offer longer a master ofyour own bi them drugs on a daily basis. struggle. Cesar Chavez dealing. T s law could serve as a deterrent to the rampant drug deal.mg t hat is · gomg · on m · t he city · Heroin, like other drugs is an equal opportunity killer. It knows no socio-economic or educational ofCincinnati. boundaries Unfortunately, I have firstThis phot o is from t he November, 2002 March for Justice for Roger I would like to see this hand knowledge of how illegal Owensby Jr., from the site of his death by three Cincinnati Police committee, as a part, and the drugs, and more specifically Officers in Bond Hill to the Federal Building on Main Street in council as a whole put as much downtown Cincinnati. Roger was an army vetera n who was stopped narcotics, are being blatantly sold on the streets. I know because my effort into the life-threatening by police in 2000 in Bond Hill and choked to death. The C itizens for problem that plagues tbis city every Just ice, F arm Workers L abor Organizing Committee, C oalition for a son told us how dealers would call to him in his car as he was driving day as they are willing to commit Just C incinnati, O ct.22 Coalition Against Police Brutality, and the to the problem of panhandlers down the street. I know because Black F ist participated in the ma rch. Photo by Sonny WUliams during the Christmas season. he told us of how one drug dealer ~ There are many parents who live in in particular would set up his lawn ·~ fear every day that their child will chair to do business every day. I "shop in Cincinnati" but not for can say with assurance that Casey Christmas gifts. Their fear is that it will no longer be one oftheir will be their last time to shop and customers. He died on August 9 the last Christmas they will have to from a heroin overdose. spend with their loved one. After Casey's death, we went to the area our son had been According to the paper, city officials are going to be very frequenting. As my husband and I aggressive with panhandlers, by drove down Republic Street, our among other things, increasing car was approached by three men • who immediately asked us what we enforcement, publi.c awareness and wanted. One attempted to get into creating stiffer penalties. Panhandlers are doing no more, the back seat of the car. They and in the case of being a threat t o acted without any apprehension that t hey would be arrested. There human life, a lot less than a drug While we make evefY effort to provide a forum for those was no evidence of law dealer. without a voice, STREETVIBES and the staff of Statistics show that seven enforcement anywhere. However, THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION of ten families are affected by out there were expensive vehicles on a FOR THE HOMELESS, is not substance abuse. Your fami ly street where poverty is evident responsible for statements, and do not necessarily could be the next victim. What everywhere else. endorse the opinions of the people would you be willing to do to My husband could also tell whose writings are represented here. protect your child from drug you something about how dealers dealers? '--------------------------~ set up shop across the street from ----------------------------1 ,.-,~ �STREETVIBES Febru ary, 2003 Page 7 Church 's commitment to excluding full rage and misery to compassionate Joining team member Jay Rothman and the group working to listeners. homosexuals from marriage bring peace and justice to Cincinnati Listening to historian Daniel ceremonies or the use of Methodist by Dr. Steve Sunderland was a most valuable experience. Jay Jonah Goldhagen discuss his book on churches for ceremonies, Jerry and his Making it to this date without had a vision for police-community how the Catholic Church has not church has decided to vote for equality a war in the Mid-East, or between relationships that involved listening to repaired its relationship with for all in the church, to hold meetings India and Pakistan, or in Kenya, or in those who felt wounded and then Holocaust survivors comes to my mind ofother gay friendly Methodist the streets of Cincinnati is amazing! building a plan for peace and justice as one of the key frames of reference churches, and to work for the spread Perhaps the work of the peace out of the mutual concern. By for thinking through peace work. oftolerance of homosexuals at movement is having an impact in lots leadership councils within the Goldhagen maintains that there is a encouraging police and their families ofdifferent places and perhaps more Methodist community. Seeing this form of " repair " that goes beyond the to participate as full and equal than any ofus realize. Gandhi said church become a place ofjustice, members, financial that making peace with the war freedom and openness has been one of attempt to Jay had the making part ofourselves and others is make whole. the great teachers of peace and justice insight that the real task. And, this attempt at There is a for me. I have realized that peace with their pain making a kind of peace that bas moral duty of justice requires a persistence to listen could be wisdom and meaning is part of the to those feeling invaded by the new repair that shared along mystery of our current times ofwar thoughts of tolerance, and a includes with their preparation. sharing the commitment to allow for discussion creativity But what d~ur ~ce whole story and support for expressing fears of for a lasting effort' mean? Yitzhak Frankenthaler ofthe crime, change and the consequences of and deep speaks of a "peace that is wise but and includes uncertainty. Safety for all in this peace without justice." He is suggesting that solution. seeking to 'church requires a reminder ofhow there is too much pain spilling from precious our beliefs in certainty are undo the Joining this the wounds of injustice to possibly and how troubled people can become peace harm, and hope for reconciliation in this regard. process and includes in a change effort, even a change effort While I am tempted to tum away from feeling the doing suffused with peace and justice. "justice" as a critical ingredient in common everything Working in a larger society that can be Jimmy Heath photo possible to working for peace, I am brought up Dr. Steve Sunderland weight of said to be homophobic, means that short by so many examples of those each person has to face him/her self fear and prevent the who can only have a peace with horror faced by African American return of the criminal culture and the with the choice ofresisting or justice. I just listened to historian accepting the culture's threats. Jerry citizens and police and their families threat to rearm Jews. He sees his James McPherson's thoughtful has modeled that this choice can be approach as being applicable to any gave us a just and experimental recounting ofthe peace struggle during perspective upon which to build for peace process. He raises important made and made with compassion, the American civil war. The one gentleness, and support for further questions about whether anyjustice peace. All along we faced denial, sentence.that stunned me concerned questioning. can come with the peace process. withdrawal, resistance as well as Davis' offer of peace to Lincoln if he HappyNewYear! The Team member Rev. Jerry Hill encouragement, support, and wonder would abandon the emancipation of headline stories are all ofwar, with at the stories we heard and the ways in has led a successful effort to make his slaves. The offer came when the which we could craft mutual church inclusive ofgays, lesbians and even the wonderful cartoonist ofthe South was in a seemingly strong statements of respect. others. Does this effort get factored in Christian Science Monitor, Bennett, position and Lincoln and his All ofthis work ·continues to to a small but critical peace effort? I colleagues bad little evidence that they be most fragile. Our city has not feel it does and is one of the examples would win a second presidential term. ofhow peace can be gained and justice found the path through the darkness, cont. on page 8 Yet, Lincoln turned down the offer and yet, to make justice and peace an fostered. Despite the Methodist McPherson noted that he is the only ongoing reality in our city. I could p.residential candidate that put the fairly say that we are poised for abolition of slavery above his own compassionate reform, on alert for political future. Could Lincoln's signs of cooperation, and, ready for concern for justice have prolonged the small steps into justice. war and defined a kind of peace that Team member Ken Manges, made early end to the war out of the forensic psychologist, and I have been question? Perhaps. The bloodiness of working for peace and justice in a the war and Lincoln's deepening process that has tried to assist people depression about his own personal who were given the double griefof hand in the killing ofso many, and his having a loved one killed and the rage at the incompetence ofhis corneas ofthese loved ones taken by generals, and, his growing awareness the County coroner without their or that the North was rioting to stay out any family permission. Plunging into ofthe war {NY), all did not override this painful mess, it is fair to ctsk if his concern for keeping j ustice to freed justice can ever be found. Thanks to a blacks as primary. courageous j udge and his special The peace effort, even as an master, Ken and I have sought to expression, seems grandiose. Are create a method ofboth listening to the there real groups at work for peace, family members who have suffered thinking through what to do about the and, where possible, using a financial tortur~ ofchildren within Iraq going settlement with the state of Ohio to 18" X 24" poster print: Washington Park, Over­ unanswerea? Are there groups help with the pain. Listening to a the-Rhine, Winter 1999. Each print is individually working in Israel to stop abuse on the family member who has been violated Temple Mount of Moslems as they signed by OTR photographer Jimmy Heath. in the grief process is one ofthe only seek to go and pray in their holy sites? behaviors that reveals j ust how deep Purchase benefits the children's Can a peace effort exist in Nigeria as the sense of injustice can go. We have Literacy Through Photography program at Peaslee the fragile tempers may again explode listened for over a year to family in a bloodbath of Christian/Moslem member after family member. Slowly, Neighborhood Center in Over-the-Rhine. war? All of these international and we are seeing a form ofjustice arrive, Posters are $10 each, plus $3 for shipping. national efforts make my head spin along with some peace, in our limited around the precise meaning ofwho work. It is depressing for us to work Send y our order and check to: and what is the peace movement and with no real knowledge ofwhether Peaslee Neighborhood Center what meaning does it have for me. peace and justice can be sustained by What has been most personally each person. In many cases, we saw Attn: Photography Program exciting in the work of the Peace even our attempts at caring only 215 East Fourteenth Street Village has been to learn and support adding to the sense ofpain. Yet, we peace efforts on a small group basis, have concluded that many ofthe Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 irrespective ofwhether this leads to people we have listened to have been global or widespread peace. or call (513) 621-5514 for more information grateful for the chance to express their The Peace Village Peace Village ... �STREETVIBES February, 2003 Peace Village ... cont. from page 7 drawing Father Time handing a soldier 's helmet to baby 2003 . ls there time for peace? The pundits are twisting and turning with the threat of North Korea, making more talk ofwar on two fronts even more likely. Even Daniel Schorr has depressing feelings about peace: " ... peace seems further away than ever...Peace today is a nervous look at your neighbor, an X­ ray ofyour baggage, a color coded alert, and a president who says be is at war in defense of a place called homeland ...Peace bas become a sometime thing, a search for enemies without return addresses operating from the shadows ... peace today is waiting for the next war to begin... " (Christian Science Monitor, 12/27 /02) But the worst news, if such a label can be given at this time, came in the form of an article that brought together the concepts of terror with what is happening in our cities: "9/ 11 last year? We have it going on every day," said Paula Drew-Williams, the facilitator of the weekly free for all at the offices of Save Our Sons and Daughters. "Look at how many babies we don't have. We had 9/11 before 9/ 11." Though violent crime over all has declined by about 4.5% in Detroit this year, and total homicides are down to 391 from 395, fatal shootings of children increased to 17 from 1 L And Detroit is not alone: New Orleans had l6 children killed this year, double last year 's 8, giving it a child homicide rate of 13 per 100,000. In Washington, 12 children were killed this year, a rate of U per 100,000." (The NY Tunes, 1/1/ 03) So how does a peace effort work at this time? I continue to be impressed with the small scale efforts to bring understanding and change toward peace and justice, creating waves of hope and success that are the seeds of long term efforts for making reconciliation and justice two concepts that can find meaning in the work of human relationships. Abandoning war language and action, while respecting those who have convinced themselves that this is the source of serious security, requires facing our fears right in our here and now. My wife, Stefanie, continues to work on our neighborhood streets for a) the end of drng sales by African An1erican youth; b) the return to high profile work by our local police; and, Page 8 c) community, neighbor to neighbor, together to build a strong symbol of our future, and seen people dull to our education and support for both not accepting the terror ofour local streets efforts light up with concern and a or any behavior that reinforces hope for our community. I have seen watching black youth, drugs or not, her and a large group of neighbors rise up and stop the plans for a highway kill each other. The connection between the tolerance ofdrug being put through our community and, in the process, awakened an interest in behavior, the uselessness ofthe police preservation ofold neighborhoods as to stop it, and, the perpetuation of hopelessness for young people can jewels in our city. None of these only lead to more terrorism. Why projects have been easy to conceive, have our young people turned to drug sustain, or preserve. The talents of the sales in our neighborhood?, Stef asks most creative people in our community herself and others. Why have our have a lot to show for their continued police turned away from strong efforts. A main street bas been beautified, a farmer's market has been enforcement of the law in our local community other than there appears to instituted on a weekly basis, an old be a tolerance for black on black and distinguished school has been converted into a remarkable set of genocide?, she muses with me. Who can realistically stay and fight for the condos, a very old Masonic Temple is now totally renovated into a Buddhist deeper meaning ofcommunity when there seems to be overwhelming forces temple and retreat center. All of these projects and more are in our aimed at turning our neighborhood neighborhood. into a dumping ground for long term problems?, she asks neighbor after Yet all is threatened, including neighbor with mounting exasperation. our spirit, by the invasion of crime The signing ofthe agreement through the twin activities of drugs to change police behavior towards less and police inaction, Stef firmly brutality appears to have been believes. She will not stop fighting for interpreted by the community and the a change in these factors even though her actions are largely unknown police as a criticism of strong police enforcement. The wish to work with amongst peace workers. Yet, she like the police on crime reduction appears several other community leaders are to have been interpreted by the police dedicated to the peace and justice as an invasion of their domain and an process on a block by block basis, invasion that can be repelled through family by family, garden by garden, inaction. The local community, garbage can by garbage can. Her untrained in peace work and policing that contributes to safety and respect, appears dumbfounded by the perpetuation of a status quo of more killing, more flight, and more symbolic by Denise Crew and insubstantial efforts to bring Today is a day of great peace. Stef persists in going to meetings, riding her car into reflection. Recently I have been dangerous territories, meeting with consumed by my own troubles local police leadership, heading up a and my personal existence. As I local group unafraid of calling our city usually do I spend this day every council to task, and continuing to year listening to the recorded plant the seeds of hope. "What messages left to us all by Martin possibility is there to put down LutherK.ing, also reading words terrorism at the airports, museums," she asks, "when we can't walk our as quoted of Rev. Maurice streets safely day or night?" McCrackin , and remembering There are few processes more the legacy of buddy gray. beautiful than the restoration of a (founder of Drop Inn Center) neighborhood, Stefhas taught me. I www.dropinncenter@overtherhine.org have seen her lead efforts to create With the boycott still in gardens and bring little chilqren into full effect this year, I did not the wonder of planting and caring for attend the march. I have been . the land, with the result that some of these children have turned away from very mindful of the boycott and street comer drug sales. I have seen have not ventured downtown. So her lend energy to design, implement I took pictures to accompany my and strengthen a community thoughts and reflections. As the playground, bringing dozens ofpeople Local Schizophrenia/Schizo-affective Research Study * Financial Compensation * 45 years and over * Symptoms of depression * 13 visits (513) 861-3100 ext4187 or toll free (888) 267-7873 ext 4187 work is a barometer for me about the future of our neighborhood, our community, our city, and our international efforts for peace. There can be little peace without the peace of the street and the street ofpeace for everyone. Our street cannot afford to watch little children planted in abandonment, forced to be raised by pre-teens, forced to be at schools that have no.way of working with them as long as their are no parents to be co­ workers. There can be no peace as long as drugs offer a temporary solution for relief from the great rejection ofour neighborhoods and community for those in poverty. The street can look beautiful and there is nothing more amazing than watching little children play in a safe and caring street, fearing nothing but the loss ofenough sunlight on a cold wintry day. Children on skate boards and old bikes fly by, carefree, happy to be out in a place where Christmas lights are kept on through January and some until February. A community glows when there is a chance for a child to sit on a police horse, with the police officer holding the reins, smiling and saying, "Hold on and I'll take a picture of you. Now smile." I see Stef's smile, too, acknowledging that this is one more sunbeam that might bring a flower to bloom. She is not smiling now. Walking Strong for MLK Marchers filed by I snapped a picture or two, waved to friends who chose to participate. After the Marchers had filed by marching, singing and chanting, I noticed that even though there were no more marchers, the police did not move forward with their escort. They stayed far back. I leaned further out my window and used my binoculars to see what could be the problem. What I saw approaching, very slowly yet determined was a woman, a much older woman. She was not well dressed, but bundled well to protect herself from the cold temperature. She walked at a slow steady pace, with a cane to assist her. What was more amazing to me was that she walked alone. Every one had gone by, respectfully. Four police cruisers slowly escorted her to Music Hall to attend the proceedings. I waved and thanked the officers and one officer waved back to me. I was moved to tears and embarrassment to dare think that the problems of my life could compare. This morning when I woke, thoughts of what the next few days that lay ahead consumed me. What a wonderful Gift this great day did bring. She is a mother of the people's movement, a mother of the village, the mother I do not know but feel a great deal of love for. Tears streamed from my eyes, and I was thanking God for allowing me to witness real strength. The kind that it will take to move, on through these difficult times. I wanted to share this with someone, any one who would be touched by this Mother. Please pass this along to those who need a reminder that somewhere before I came to be, someone was being all they could be to clear a path for me.... for all of us. �STREETVIBES February, 2003 Volunteer Opportu1iities at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless There are numerous opportunitiesfor volunteers at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. We are willing to work with each individual j n choosing a service opportunity that is right for them. The following are a few ofthe areas in which the Coalition could use your help: per month. Our dream volunteer would be a self-motivated volunteer that would like to fundraise for our organization. Th is could include asking your friends and family for donations to researching and writing grants for our excellent programs. The Streetvibes newspaper project is always in need ofpeople' interested in connecting with the vendors and helping them write articles on social justice/poverty issues, poetry, or personal stories. We need help in the afternoons at the front desk, answering phones and handling transactions with our Streetvibes Vendors. This person wiU address the needs ofvisitors, having direct contact with homeless individuals and should be available one afternoon a week. There is always a need for help with bulk mailings. Mailings include the annual report, quarterly newsletter, and various capitol campaigns. If you are interested in volunteering at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, please contact the office at 421-7803, or visit us at 1506 Elni, Street jp Over-the­ D esigning a web site for our National Civil Rights Organizing P roject. This would include working with the Americorp Vista volunteers on how to prevent further criminalization ofhomeless individuals as well as preventing the increasing hate crimes against them. To enhance our Streetvibes program, we are searchlng for volunteers to solicit advertisements from local businesses. lfyour business or a business you know of would like to advertis_e in our paper, we offer very competitive rates for Rhine. ads that reach about 15,000 people iBienvenidos! by Samantha Broclifield Ahora Streetvibes esta dedicando una pagina a su comunidad. Este es el peri6dico escrito para crear una conciencia de las personas sin hogar, la injusticia social, y la pobreza en nuestra cuidad. Es la hora que se oye la voz de usted. l Ha pasado algo emocionante en su vida recienteinente? lTiene Ud. unas ideas que quiere publicar? l Ha escrito algiln tipo de poesia? Streetvibes quiere publicar sus historias, su poesia, su prosa, y sus pensamientos_ Hay personas que pueden ayudarle a escribir y preparar todo para redactarlo. Tambien, Ud. puede ser un vendedor de Streetvibes y ganar dinero. La Coalici6n de Greater Cincinnati provee el peri6dico para las personas sin hogar en Over-the-Rhine. El meta de la coalici6n es eliminar la situaci6n de personas sin hogar, con respeto a la dignidad y diversidad de sus miembros, las personas sin hogar, y la comunidad. La Coalicion y sus miembros pueden darle a usted lo siguiente: el refugio de emergencia, las habitaciones provisionales, la vivienda permanente, los servicios medicos, los servicios sociales, los lugares donde Ud. puede obtener comida, y los servicios de salud mental. Nosotros creemos que es importante que Ud. sepa cuales son sus derechos civiles como persona sin hogar. Tenemos folletos que los explican. Nos gustaria que Ud_ nos visitara algun dia para que le podamos dar servicios mejores. Para reunirse con La Coalicion: 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 www.cinci.com/gcch Para ayuda, llame- Su Casa Ministerio Hispano (513) 761-1588 115 W. Seymour Ave Cincinnati, Ohio 45216 San Damiano House- Los Hermanos de Las Personas Pobres (513)241-8585 923 Bank St Cincinnati, Ohio 45214. Tambien, hay una lista de lugares (para el refugio, la vivienda, el tratamiento medical, y otros servicios) en Ia ultima pagina del periodico. Page 9 We Can Be Proud! .Judge MARK PAINTER Ohio Court of Appeals The Most-Published Hamilton County Judge Ever! Our own Judge Mark Painter has reached a milestone­ 250 of his decisions have been published nationally. He is the most-published Hamilton County judge ever, and one of the most-published Ohio judges in history. Judge Painter has: • Served on the Court of Appeals for seven years, after 13 years on Municipal Court. His opinions ha:ve been recognized as legal precedent more than 2000 times­ In cases. textbooks, and encyclopedi?.s. • Written 52 artictes on appellate pra<'f sentencing. DUI. contempt, and legal ethics. He writes a monthly column on legal writing for Ohio Lawyers Weekly. • Taught 85 seminars for judges, lawyers, and police officers, and is an Adjunct Professor of Law at U.C. • Authored the textbook Ohio DUI Law, now in its 12th edition. His other book, The Legal Writer; 30 Rules for the Art of Legal Writing, was published in June. www.judgepalnter.org Paid for by The Judge h inter Committee. Greo Ruahlmann, Chair. 3)2 Walnut St,, Cinclnnati The GCCH would like to thank these Starbucks locations for their generous donation of coffee and pastries: 11379 Montgomery Road (513) 469-1111 3366 Erie Avenue East Hyde Park (513) 533-3402 7896 Montgomery Road (513) 891- 7740 National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project (NHCROP) 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com Call Andy Erickson {513} 421-7803 �STREETV I B E S February, 2003 Implode THIS! photographs and story by Jimmy Heath On December 29th, around 7:30 in the morning, a friend and I made our way to the Kentucky side of the Ohio River for a front-row view ofthe implosion ofCinergy F ield. Braving the pre-dawn cold and darkness, thousands were gathered to witness the destruction ofthe 32-year-old stadium, that would eventually make way for the Great American BaJlpark and the new Banks Riverfront development on Cincinnati 's waterfront. Fifteen-hundred pounds ofcarefully-placed, high explosive charges were to tum the old ball field into a pile of rubble in 32 seconds. The reasons for my being there were less than nostalgic. I didn' t mourn the destruction ofthe great ball park, and I wasn' t reflecting on fond memories ofthe games I attended at the old Riverfront Stadium. I was there for the event. I wanted to see some destruction, and I had my camera and tripod set up to record the event. I was there to see something get blown up. We are obsessed with new things in our culture. And there is no place for "old" buildings, or old stuff. If it doesn't fit right, we throw it away. Or, in this case, blow it up. Meanwhile, turn it into a political, public and media spectacle ifyou can. For 10 bucks, Cincinnatians could enter their names into a lottery for a chance to press the button that would begin the implosion sequence. Even that was only symbolic. For "safety reasons," the winner of the lottery never pushed the real hot button. Sonm' of my reasons for being on that riverbank were political too. In my view, the whole Cincinnati riverfront development project continues to stand as an example ofskewed government priorities. In a city known nationally for its poverty, segregation and civil discontent, the Cincinnati Riverfront project continues to roll forward as a regrettable symbol of government spending gone wikl. Yes, back in 1996, Hamilton County voters decided on a half-cent sales tax increase to fund the new Riverfront redevelopment project. Two stadiums and a huge riverfront complex were to be built with taxpayer 's dollars. But this tax increase came with a promise that was never fulfilled - Hamilton County homeowners were going to get a property tax rollback. A detailed financial analysis for Hamilton County showed commissioners how a half-cent on every dollar spent countywide could fund nearly three-quarters ofthe massive project. This, and the promised rolllback, is how the project got sold to the taxpayers. 30 percent of the tax­ an estimated $16. 5 million in 1998 - goes for a property tax rebate that commissioners pledged as part of the campaign to increase the sales tax. "The reason we fought so hard to use the sales tax as a revenue stream was because of the lessons we learned from Arlington, Texas, and Denver, Colo.," said then County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus, who pushed the 1996 half-cent sales tax increase. In addition to sales-tax revenues, the county is counting on parking revenues, $81 million from the state of Ohio, $25 million from the Bengals and $30 million from the Reds. "The people have been mislead," Page 10 �STREETVIBES February, 2003 Page 11 said Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich, in reference to the tax rollback. So far, there will be no tax rebates or property tax rollback. As a matter offact, the whole riverfront project is grossly over budget. No one is surprised at that. All ofthe numbers around this project are staggering. At its completion, nearly $1. 5 billion will have been spent: $404 million for football , $297 million for baseball, $13 5 million for parking and road work and a $12 million cushion. And that doesn't include interest on debt: an estimated $283 miIJjon for the Reds' new ballpark and $353 million for the Bengals' new home. Tracing the stadium 's history from its conception in the late 1940s reveals it was ;...._..._....__~~.-~ only marginally considered an economic­ development project. Riverfront Stadium, as it was known when it opened in 1970, achieved its initial goals: replacing a blighted neighborhood of crumbling tenements and warehouses and bringing NFL football to the city. The design ofFort Washington Way still reflects the attitudes and concerns of downtown business interests before the ..----~--~~---~----~-~-----~""!""'""\""'-~----~-------. development ofthe riverfront. The huge interstate-connector provided a dividing line and a physical boundary between downtown and what were the riverfront slums. Serving as a magnet for economic development wasn't part ofthe plan. A riverfront stadium first showed up on drawings in the 1948 Cincinnati Metropolitan Master Plan, developed by the city's planning commission and dozens of planners, politicians and business people from both sides ofthe river. That plan called for the cleanup ofthe riverfront. Planners believed the crumbling - conditions in "The Bottoms" was a drag on property values in the central business district. Even then, "The Bottoms" was considered so decrepit the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers concluded it wasn't worth the $6. 5 million cost of a flood wall to save it from annual flooding. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against professional sports. I have gone to games and I enjoy watchlng sports of all kinds. And I believe sports are an important part ofgenerating revenue streams for cities like Cincinnati. My beef is with the ------------------------------------~-- exorbitant cost, and the misdirected priority. About a half-mile north ofthe riverfront lies one of Cincinnati's most impoverished neighborhoods: Over-theRhine. Residents and neighborhood groups struggle daily trying to make ends meet. Drug dealers have turned our neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine into a Wild West scenario; neighborhood schools are falling apart. Nearly 100 percent ofOver-the-Rhine neighborhood kids are poor enough to qualify for free lunches at school. And there are other Cincinnati neighborhoods just as bad off. ..-.-f""!"".. ~· .....,.~....,....,,~._"""",... \:4~::;;;5•iiJil~;:, ~~.._;..ii._-.;..._....,......~ $1. 5 billion would do much for the quality oflife of all Cincinnati citizens. Even our middle-class suburban neighbors stand to benefit with a much ~ser use oftaxpayer money, ifthere were a political will and sense ofpriority. We should be building people first, not expensive playgrounds. At 8 a.m., the implosion sequence began and the old Riverfront Stadium crumbled just as planned. A metaphor for a city on the brink ofopportunity, drifting off in a cloud of dust. �STREETVIBES February, 2003 Universal Living Wage Breakthrough and call for tax relief and greater worker independence from foo d stamps by initiating the Universal Living Wage. Ending Homeless Through Higher Wages by Richard R. Troxell It is time to end The initiative to Fix the homelessness and stabilize the base Federal Minimum Wage achieved a ofAmerica's work force. The · major breakthrough when the problem ofhomelessness can be nationwide construction company, broken down into three major HSR Construction, became the categories: affordable housing, campaign's 700th endorsement. health care, and livable incomes. HSR Construction is a Part of the livable income national construction company picture includes 42% ofAmerica's with 34 years experience in new/ homeless population that the commercial construction federal government says is specializing in multi-family working. The problem is that the rehabilitation. federal minimum wage is $5 .15 per HSR Construction becomes hour. the 1st national business in the According to the last construction industry to recognize several U .S. Conference ofMayors' the moral and fiscal implications of reports, $5.15 per hour or $9,880 the Universal Living Wage. While per year is an insufficient wage for touting customer satisfaction as its anyone to get and keep housing # 1 priority, Robert Perrin, the throughout the United States. company's president, believes that While some employers are paying it can best achieve this by listening $6.00, $7.00 or even $8.00 per to its customers and by promoting hour, the wage is still not enough economically stable and motivated to get or keep most folks in workers. Additionally, HSR housing. Construction recognizes the Senator Ted Kennedy has a implementation ofthe Universal bill to raise the federal minimum living Wage as having colossal wage by $1.50 over the next two ramifications for the entire years. The problem is that the day construction industry nationwide. that bill gets passed, not one Mr. Perrin stated, "This concept minimum wage worker can then will result in both a national work themselves off the streets in economic stimulus package, and in the very city where it is passed. creating a long term stabilizing Others wonder about the effect for aJJ minimum wage approach of paying a flat national workers. We are pleased to call minimum wage of say $10.00 per upon the President and the United hour. Again, that would not afford States Congress to immediately any minimum wage worker an pursue this initiative." efficiency apartment in cities such On April 15th, Tax Day, the as Washington D.C. , Santa Cruz, Universal Living Wage Campaign California or even Austin>Texas. will go to our nation's post offices At the same time, that flat wage Page 12 would swamp small businesses all across America in cities Like Biloxi, Mississippi or Harlingen, Texas. In fact, this is Congress's biggest problem; one wage size no longer fits all . It is recognized that the single most expensive item in everyone's budget is housing. In response, we've devised a single national formula that is indexed to the local cost of housing across the U.S. The Universal Living Wage Formula (ULW) ensures that anyone working a 40 hour week will be able to afford basic rental housing (i.e. an efficiency apartment) wherever that work is done throughout the U.S. Using a single formula, each city and Fair Market Rent (FMR) designated area, has a wage relative to the local cost of living based on housing. The formula is based on existing government guidelines: • spend no more than 3 0% of income on housing, • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), • a 40 hour week. The Department ofHousing and Urban Development (HUD) under its Section 8 housing rental program, annually determines what one can reasonably expect to spend on rental housing across the U.S . for an efficiency, one, two, three, and four bedroom apartment. They are referred to as Fair Market Rents. Over the past five years, due to the Herculean efforts of local initiatives, the concept of a "living wage" has swept America. However, even with 90 local campaigns, less than 100,000 workers are represented. Between opposition and unorganized rural America, this won't bring wage equity for all 11.8 miJlion minimum wage workers for about 3000 years. In the l 930's, the Unions answered this question by creating the Federal Minimum Wage. Our goal today is to fix it ... to everyone's benefit. The Universal Living Wage Formula is based on the moral premise that anyone working 40 hours should be able to afford basic rental housing. To this end, we have launched a national campaign that has garnered wide spread support across the United States. 585 organizations have endorsed. The campaign has captured the imagination of unions (i.e. the Communication Workers of America International boasting 650,000 members), religious organizations and businesses alike. Enactment of the Universal Living Wage will create a true Economic Stimulus Package. The local construction industry all across America will respond to the need of millions of minimum wage workers' new ability to rent non­ existing efficiency apartments. "If we build it, they will come." Based on government statistics, it is estimated that, with implementation, over one million homeless people will be able to work themselves off the streets of America while offering businesses stable workers. Finally, the plan will prevent economic based homelessness for all 11.8 million minimum wage workers. That's true Homeland Security. For additional information visit www.UniversalLivingWage.org. Be the Change You Want in the World by Brian Garry We must love each other in "the movement."'' Even if we don't 100% agree on everything, ideology, methods and tactics. No two people can agree on every single issue, so I can't expect several whole groups of people to agree point for point. We must be united as one front if we are to survive and progress. Now is no time for infighting. Ifyou are not against me in times like these, then you are for me. We must be the equality that we desire. We must be the community we desire. We must be open and inclusive if we are to progress. In my personal life I must embody all ofthe qualities that I think that our "leaders" and government should display. In my personal life, do I treat others as I would like to be treated? In relation to those closest to me, do I show them respect and honor them and give them the attention that they deserve? Truly, respect and equal treatment cannot ultimately be legislated. It must come from one human heart to another. From within not from without. Gandhi said we must be the change that we want others to be. I for one have not been a very good example ofthis concept. Becoming angry at an unjust system is right and normal and a start. But when I let the anger dictate my actions then I have become a slave. I am no longer directing the course ofmy life based on principles. I have the let other win by controlling me. I must chart the course not be steered by my anger. Here locally, I am inspired by a woman for whom I have nothing but the utmost respect. She lives out this creed in her daily and public actions. The life of Susan Knight illustrates this idea. In matters great and small, I have witnessed her be the change that she expects the world to make. From helping and really listening to those less fortunate, to speaking truth, respectfully and compassionately, to corporate and government power, she lives out this simple and pqwerful concept. She is gentle and sincere yet honest in her communication with others. We could all take her lead on this. The most powerful motivating factor of change on Earth is the power of a living example. She is a powerful example of how to interact with others in this Life. I have been motivated to change the whole basis of my life to become more compassionate, gentle, sensitive to the needs of others and more thoughtful. I hope that we can all be example to each other. As we commence, shoulder to shoulder on this long journey toward justice, I hope to more and more, be the change that I expect in this world. To treat others, including cops and politicians, as I want to be treated. �STREETVIBES February, 2003 Reauthorization. Registration for conference Make plans now to attend materials which includes three the Ohio Empowerment Coalition's meals and child care if needed is seventh statewide conference $10 for low-incqme individuals and March 11th and 12th in Columbus, $35.00 for non low-income. Ohio. The Statewide Mobilization Registration for a hotel room at the will kick-off with a rally at the Best Western Columbus East is Statehouse at 12:00 noon on separate: please call the Best March 11 , followed by meetings Western at 614/864-1280 to with state legislators at the Ri.ffe reserve your room. Both doubles Center and Senate Building. The and single rooms are $45.00. "conference" portion begins at 5 :30 Please reserve your room under the p.m. at the Best Western Columbus "Contact Center" block of rooms. E ast, located at 2100 Brice Rd., Scholarships may be available: call Reynoldsburg. 1-877-862-5 179 to request a Keynote speaker is Shirley scholarship. McLain of the Hunger Network, If you need transportation North Carolina. She has many to get to the conference, don't let years' experience organizing for this deter you from coming!!! Call social change in the south. A panel 1-877-862-5179 and we will make of speakers who have been directly sure you get a ride from your area affected by welfare policies will of the state! Cincinnati people: call also be featured on opening night. Cassandra at 513/381-4242 to The second day of the reserve your seat on the Bus conference includes a full plate of leaving from Cincinnati to workshops and speakers. Topics Columbus the morning ofMarch include: Education & Ohio Works 11. First; Supports for the Working This promises to be a very Poor; Domestic Violence and Ohio inspiring and motivational Works First; Building Organizing conference. United we can Skills; Developing Media Skills, surmount any obstacles the Ohio and more. Speakers will also Assembly may put in our way! But present on Tax Reform in Ohio; the it will take all of us united across State of Ohio's Budget; and TANF the state to make change happen! Page 13 Welfare News --~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--· Renaissance House 524 Ridgeway Avenue For single men, recovering addicts, felons, home­ less - looking for a transition to a productive life through employment and a structured living enviroment. Contact Robert Pace, 281-6855 ART, MUSIC, AND WRITING OPPORTUNITIES! Peaslee Neighborhood Center, 215 East 14th Street, hosts lots of arts opportunities·for adults and children to learn skills such as playing a steel drum or piano, photography, making mosaic art, or writing. Any resident of Over-the-Rhine or the West End is welcome! All sessions are FREE, including instruction and materials. No previous artistic experience necessary. Contact Brenda Z. at 621-5514 for more information. OTR Steel Drum Band -Learn how to play the steel drums in .a n introductory series for adults. Parents may bring their children (age 9 and up) to learn together if they like. Participants will learn steel drum technique, rhythms, and how to read music. young adults are invited to learn basic photography skills through introductory courses prov,ided at Peaslee. Call the Center for class schedules. Writing -Any young person in the Greater Cincinnati area may submit poems and/or articles via email for publication in Streetvibes. Content should be related to homelessness, social justice, or pgx,ertyJ-;r~lated issues. Call For New Arts Advisory Committee Members! -The Arts Advisory Committee is looking for representatives from· the neighborhood and the arts and business community. This committee helps to formulate the direction and development of Peaslee's arts programs. Lookjng For New Staff Community Mosaic Art Project- Community members are coming together to make mosaic art for the Over-the­ Rhine neighborhood. The organizers are looking for ideas for the next project. Forward your ideas to Brenda Z. Photography - Over-the-Rhine and West End teenagers and Peaslee is also looking for new music instructors for the piano and the mallets program. This is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in teaching music in a fun and rewarding setting. Anyone interested in any of these opportunities, contact Brenda Z. at Peaslee, 215 East 14th Street, Over-the-Rhine, 621-5514. Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression ofthe views and opinions ofour readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those ofthe Streetvibes staffor the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. �ST R EETVI B E S February, 2003 Loneliness in New York City by Mike Henson Art& Poetry God S·e nt Me My Angel by Mary The woman at the news stand takes my money. She does not look at me. Hi, my name is Mary. I prayed to She looks at the newspaper in my hand God to send me an angel and one and she looks at the three coins 1 give her. day he sent me him. His name is Crowds of people stride past Vernon. I couldn't ask for a better in N ovember coats and jackets. man. He is there for me and he The river wind chutes down the avenues. does a lot for me. He cares for me The harbor wind sweeps the streets like no one else ever has. His love and I know is like none I have ever had before. the woman in the stand is probably cold. He has a good heart and if he can But it seems she is contented help you he will. He's a caring and it seems she has a friend person. I thank God every day for for she looks to the left and she is talking him. To me he is everything in a and she only glances at the paper I hold up man I wanted to be. He makes me -just to checkhappy. and at the coins -three quarters- that I drop into her palm. She does not break stride in her conversation with her hidden friend . She is framed like a woman in a Renaissance painting by tabloid newspapers and fashion magazines. So perhaps it is fashion that she speaks of with her friend. Or perhaps the recent election. How can I know? She speaks in a language that is not mine and it all happens very quickly. But I know she will not say, tonight, there was a man of such a height, by RickAshcroft with his ears tinged red from the cold and he wore a beaten hat May you always stop and think and his collar turned up. Before you relapse, ad start to For how could she remember? drink she barely even sees me. May you find your "Higher Power" And that is how it is in the city. and let him be with you each Buyers and sellers passing hour. crossers and dodgers May your road to happiness be drivers and messengers lined with gold a boy all in gold and may all your dreams, somehow and men all in black unfold. a naked man in a cowboy hat May each ofyou find ·success along angels ofthe alleys the way, ghosts of the squeegee men And may your road to recovery · a line of angry gridlocked cabbies start each day. Amazing! Amazing! For tomorrow is not promised, it is So many people press from so many sides, said. so much dance of one past another May'relapse never enter your head. and we have only so much of soul Always stop and think from where to absord it all. you came. The world is wide. May your troubles never remain the Our arms are small. same. So we bend home to the small warm place; May you find peace of mind at we shift our eyes from the blazing street. heart. We tum to the hidden friend God has given each of us a new as I tum, now, in this odd poem, to you. start. So my prayer for each of you is the best. He has showed us the way, by William A. Johnson We just have to do the rest. So good luck in everything you do As Christmas has gone I say goodbye, the best of luck to and there's a New Year, each ofyou. We hope that we will not result into fear or tears. As we all come together, with cheers, may God help us all in this New Year of 2003 My Prayer For You Page 14 Lonesome Me by Denise Crew I couldn't wait until I had time to myself no little ones outside the bathroom door doing a battle royal about a pair of socks NO book fairs to scrounge up money for so that my little ones could be privileged to a book or two of their choosing no lunches to pack for school and complaints about what was in them or discovering them uneaten the following day Worrying who will do child care next week because the baby sitter just isn't working out now my mind is on other things bow are the children are the grandchildren doing all right Why don 't they ca11 why don't they visit some things never change The Bottom Line by Michael Nelson Sin on our street, Death in our city. The bottom line is, Life shows us no pity. Women cheat on husbands, Men cheating on wives, The bottom Line is, More pain in their lives. Kids killing kids, Cops shot every day. The bottom line is, We all need to pray. People watch violence, See ladies quite nude. The bottom line is, Our morals are crude. The bottom line is, Then end may be near. The bottom line is, Man shall know fear! �·. STREETVIBES February, 2003 Art&Poetry Page 15 Life Is by Lee Crum 239-589 Orient Correctional Institute What is life, a meaningful thing More precious than money. I do mean! A Prisoner of War That still has dreams. No chance for parole is how it seems. Incarcerated! No help from the outside. Behind the walls of a prison Is where I Lie. In need of Friendship, that's no lie. For many reason, and this says Why? Confined with envelopes, pens and paper But no one to write, It seems as though a long lost fight! Untitled by James Curry The Beast is indisputable Because it is immutable. It uses reason as its quest, So simple recognition is best. It knows not time, but looks ahead. For anytime it may be fed. A day, a year, a century, Is fine in its eternity. You know your Beast is treatment-wise, You'd now be better, otherwise. "Treatment" means, "When you feel well, then tell your Beast to go to hell." The beast knows well you'll not feel well enough for long enough to tell just when it's finally time to yell, "It's time for you to go to hell." And when you do feel well enough, the reason's lost; you'll want your stuff. but "Never I" sets the Beast aflame. That word alone can win the game. Sat "Never!" now, and feel the view of Freedom - joy, with hope anew. Sat "Never! " now, and step ahead, to sober living, treatment's dead. Easy Be Yourself Inadequate by Gloria Wiggins by Bruce B. Willmer by Lisa Webster What is easy? Is it up or down? Is it straight or crooked? Is it loving or hating? I've never known the meaning of easy. Everything has always been hard.What is hard? Well, hard is the ground I'm down on. Hard is loneliness, non-satisfaction. Hard is the hearts of many men and women Who have broken my heart. Hard is holding back tears. Hard is the cement wall I find myselfleaning on when I need support. Hard is not being able to support. Hard is not being able to trust. Especially when that is all you 'd like to do. Hard is living. You take chances, just being alive. Now I know what is easy. Easy' it is to cry. Easy is it to die, even lie. The world would Like to change you, There are pressures all around, You must decide just who you are Then firmly bold your ground. It smells like something has just died. Down on hands and knees, I search the rug. My fingers rake the plush. Under these nails there is some dirt and blood, but no hope. Shutter Speed You have an image of yourself. An ideal sense ofyou. And to this vision you must always Digital and vacant, Struggle to be true. a voice reaches me. Solace to silence. You know what you are good at, And you know where your talents It reminds me how close I am lie, to becoming a simple whore. But ifyou are ruled by others, Your uniqueness could pass by. I want to tear that need from my skin, Remember, there is much to learn, to expose hat lies beneath. But all new things aren't good, It just gets muted by Wisdom lies in what you've a desperate quiet learned, that scares even me. And what you have withstood . I bring my knees to the floor, come eye to eye. So, be yourself and don't allow The world to take control. Rolling and rolling, Preserving your identity covering myself with something Is tie's most precious goal. more pure. Something perhaps, human. by Jimmy Hea th Dance, when you ' re broken open Dance, ifyou' ve torn the bandage off Dance, in the middle ofthe fi ghting Dance in your blood Dance when you ' re perfectly free. - Ru mi Women In Black demonstrating against war with Iraq, Central Parkway and Vine Street, Downtown Cincinnati �STREETVIBES February, 2003 News & Editorial Page 16 Chicago Passes Anti-War Resolution (Chicago, Jan. 16, 2003) After one of the most mesmerizing, impassioned and personal debates ever to occur in Chicago's City Council Chamber, Chicago has become the largest and most prominent city in the nation to formally oppose a unilateral pre­ emptive strike on Iraq. One by one, black and white, Latino and Jewish, men and women, the Aldermen stood to draw attention to their own particular concerns with the current path of the Bu~I?.J...dmU»stration. Many pointed out that the real dangers this nation faces today are the rising rates ofunemployment and economic stagnation. Others were concerned about the double standard the administration is showing with respect to North Korea. And some drew attention to the prospect ofyoung sons and daughters coming home in body bags from an ill-conceived war. The Committee ofHuman Relations of the Chicago City Council sent the "Resolution Opposing Pre-emptive U.S. Military·Strikes on Iraq" to the full council today after a vote yesterday. "It is our sons and daughters who will be recruited­ perhaps even conscripted- to fight in this war," said Ald. Joseph unilateral U.S . military action would result in the installation of a free and democratic Iraqi government; and WHEREAS, U.S. military actions would risk the deaths of thousands oflraqi civilians without guaranteeing the safety and security ofU.S. citizens; and WHEREAS, a pre-emptive and unilateral U.S . military attack would violate international law and our commitments under the U.N. Charter and further isolate the U.S. from the rest of the world; and WHEREAS, the Congressional Budget Office estimates a military action against Iraq will cost our nation between $9 and $13 billion a month, likely resulting in further cuts in federally funded projects and programs that benefit our city and its residents; and RESOLUTION OPPOSING A WHEREAS, a U.S.-led war in Iraq PRE-EMPTIVE U.S. MILITARY would compromise our current ATTACK ON IRAQ action in Afghanistan, and require years ofnation-building activities in WHEREAS, the issues between Iraq and the world community have Iraq; and WHEREAS, the Bush not proven to be irresolvable by administration has failed to traditional diplomatic efforts; and articulate a clear strategic objective WHEREAS, while Saddam or outcome of a military attack Hussein is a tyrant who should be against Iraq, and such an attack removed from power, both for the good of the Iraqi people and for the fails to enjoy the support of many of our important allies; and security oflraq's neighboring countries, it is not at all clear that a WHEREAS, we give our Moore (49th), chief sponsor of the resolution. Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) was concerned that the "cost of the war will dry up federal funding for domestic programs for a war that has yet to be justified." Judith Kossy ofChicagoans Against the War on Iraq said she and her organization were deeply moved by the leadership ofAld. Joe Moore, Ald. Helen Shiller, Ald. Ricardo Munoz, Ald. Leslie Hairston and by the action taken today the City Council. "Two out of three people in the nation oppose a unilateral war. It's important for local leaders to articulate their constituent's feelings to President Bush and to the world," Kossy said. unconditional support to U.S. military personnel serving at home and abroad in their tireless battle against global terrorism, and should our military forces be sent to Iraq, we give our unyielding support to our young men and women serving in our nation's military, even ifwe oppose the policy that sent them there; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the members ofthe City Council of the City of Chicago, oppose a pre­ emptive U.S. military attack on Iraq unless it is demonstrated that Iraq poses a real and imminent threat to the security and safety of the United States; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we support a return ofU.N. weapons inspectors to Iraq, enhanced by sufficient police support to guarantee unfettered access to all targeted sites; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we urge the U.S. to work through the U.N. Security Council and reaffirm our nation's commitment to the rule of law in all international relationships; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Illinois congressional delegation and the President of the United States. Sports plays a societal role in engendering jingoist and chauvinist attitudes. They're designed to organize a community to be committed to their gladiators. Noam Chomsky Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life ofservice and compassion are the things which renew humanity. Buddha edition of STREETJ?IBE8 ·is Mondtzy,, Februaa 1 fl "Here syour first paycheck. Directions to the food stamp o.ffice are on the back.'' Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression ofthe views and opinions ofour readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those ofthe Streetvibes staffor the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. �STREETVIBES February, 2003 FRAC News Digest Food Research andAction Center, 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 540 Washington, DC 20009 (202) 986-2200 x3019 phone (202) 986-2525fax Email: bwintet@frac.org The FRAC web site is http:// www.frac.org FOUR FAMILIES' REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT'S TAX CUT PROPOSAL (New York Times, January 13, 2003) Four families that the New York Times interviewed two years ago after the last tax cut were reached again for comment on how President Bush's latest tax cut proposal would affect their lives. A carpenter, a sales clerk, a surgeon, and a software engineer, all of whom own little taxable stock, commented that they were working longer and harder today than two years ago and they do not expect the new tax break to make much difference. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01 / 13/national/13FAMI.htrnl (free registration required) FORMER TREASURY SECRETARY PAUL O'NEILL COMMENTS ON THE PRESIDENTS TAX CUT (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, January 12, 2003) Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said money from the president's $674 billion tax-cut plan would be better spent on shoring up the nation's ailing Social Security system. O'Neill saw minor value in eliminating taxes on corporate dividends, commenting "I would not have done it." http:// www.post-gazette.com/nation/ 20030112oneillnpl.asp BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S TANF REAUTHORIZATION PROPOSAL INCLUDES STRICTER WORK REQUIREMENTS (New York Times, January 15, 2003) President Bush announced his position on TANF reauthorization, putting his support behind legislation similar to the House­ passed bill that would require TANF recipients to work 40 hours a week. Up to 16 hours could be met by attending school, job­ training programs or substance­ abuse treatment. The President's proposal would maintain the current level offunding for the program at $ 17 billion a year plus $4.8 billion a year for chiJd care (also the same as the current law). Recipients are currently required to work 30 hours a week and ten or those hours can be replaced with other supervised activities. Critics worry that the President's approach would require more from the states at a time when budgets are tight. Also, the 1996 law· was successful in a climate of economic growth with low unemployment but may not be suit ed for the current economic conditions. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/ 15/politics/15BUSH. htrnl (free registration required) Statement by Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on President Bush's TANF reauthorization proposal: http ://www.cbpp.org/ 1-14­ 03tanf. htm Statement by Center for Law and Social Policy on President Bush's welfare reauthorization plan http ://www.clasp.org/Press/DMS/ Documents/1042575984.51/ Response_to_Pres_011403 .htm NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AIMS TO HELP MORE LOW­ INCOME PEOPLE RECEIVE THE·EITC (Brookings Institution, January 2003) The Earned-Income Tax Credit (EITC) has become one of the nation's largest anti-poverty programs. Tu 2000, the credit returned $31 billion to low-wage workers. An estimated 15 percent ofworkers who qualify for the credit may not receive it because they don't know about it or are not filing tax returns. Also, many tax filers who receive the credit are paying 5 percent or more of their total credit for loans to get their refunds immediately. The National Tax Assistance for Working Families Campaign, launched by the Annie E . Casey Foundation, aims to help more people receive the credit, find out about free tax preparation services, and use the credit to get out of poverty.•http:// www.brook.edu/ dybdocroot/ es/ urban/publications/ berubetaxcode. htm GET READY FOR FOOD STAMP REAUTHORIZATION CHANGES IN YOUR STATE ­ REVISED (FRAC Publication, revised January 2003) . This FRAC report has just been revised to reflect recent USDA comprehensive guidance on legal mmigrant eligibility. The report summarizes the important Food Stamp Program changes in the Food Stamp Reauthorization Act title of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of2002, and describes opportunities those changes create for state-level advocacy. The law requires states to take certain positive steps and News & Editorial also gives states a range of new options to improve the program for low-income residents. http:// www.frac.org/pdf/ implementation081402.PDF (Adobe PDF) PRESIDENT BUSH TO PROPOS]j: $43 MILLION INCREASE FOR WIC IN FY 2004 (Associated Press, January 15, 2003) The Bush Administration will request a $43 million (or 1 percent) increase in funding for the WIC Program for FY 2004, which begins on October 1, 2003 . The USDA press release indicates that the increase would allow the program to serve nearly 8 million women and children. The overall budget requested for the program is $4.72 billion. http:// www.newsday.com/news/politics/ wire/sns-ap-bush­ nutrition01l5jan 15,0,7074713.story USDA Press Release (January 15, 2003): http://www.usda.gov/news/ releases/2003/01/0009. htm NEWLY SWORN-IN GOVERNORS FIND STATE DEFICITS HAVE GROWN (New York Times, January 14, 2003) The 'country's 24 new governors face the worst state financial situation since at least World War II. The collective shortfall for the current year is estimated at $45 billion and the gap is projected to be $60 to $85 billion next year. A number of new governors found that the state's deficit had grown considerably between the election and' the time they were swor~ in. In Illinois, the estimate doubled since the election. Many governors are considering options like layoffs, tax increases and program cuts. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/0l/ 14/politics/14GOVS.htrnl (free registration required) TWO-THIRDS OF STATES CUTTING BACK ON MEDICAID (New York Times, January 14, 2003) Two-thirds of states are planning to cut back on Medicaid by limiting benefits, increasing co-payments, restricting eligibility or removing low-income people from the roles- moves that may result in as many as one million to two million low-income people losing health insurance. The cuts are seen as necessary by states because of soaring costs and plunging revenues. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 16 states are cutting benefits, 15 are restricting or reducing eligibility, four are increasing the co-payments charged to beneficiari~s, and 21 Page 17 states are freezing or reducing payments to doctors, hospitals, and nursing homes. California Governor Gray Davis has proposed plans to cut nearly 500,000 low­ income parents from Medicaid. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/ 14/politics/ 14:MEDI.html (free registration required) GRANTS AVAILABLE TO FIGHT HUNGER AMONG ELDERLY (DEADLINE: JANUARY 20, 2003) (Philip Morris Management Corp. and National Meals on Wheels Foundation, 2003) The 2002/2003 Senior Helpings grant program will award 12 to 15 programs nationwide with grants for as much as $150,000 for one year. The program is funded by Philip Morris Manage1!1ent Corp. in a collaboration with the National Meals on Wheels Foundation. It supports programs that help alleviate hunger among the homebound elderly. The program aims to respond to service gaps occurring in communities across the country and to create long-term solutions to alleviating hunger among elderly people through community partnerships. The deadline for applications is January 20, 2003. http ://www.philipmorris.com/ philanthropy/hunger/igam/ community.asp HOMELESSNESS IS GROWING IN SMALL-TOWN WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA (Winchester Star, January 11, 2003) The number of homeless people is growing in the town ofWinchester in the heart ofwestern Virginia's countryside. Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, now used by the Food Stamp Program, are a positive developtnent for Wmchester's homeless people, helping ease stigma for program participants in using their benefits at the grocery store. New rules in the wake of September 11th requiring a birth certificate and street address for getting photo identification, however, have made things more difficult. Previously, social workers used to help pay for a post office box that would enable them to get identification. http ://www.winchesterstar.com/ TheWmchesterStar/030111/ We'd like to hear from you... . . ~ ~ -~ ·~ .' ' ~. Streetvibes@Juno.com ~· · or write the Coalition office attn: · _Streetvibes Letters, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Send letters or comments to: �STREETVIBES February, 2003 Page 18 Profile of a Street Newspaper Salesman by Michael Robinson I was born in Harlem Hospital January 13, 1956, and I an 18 year old, I started cocaine. Then I started drinking. [Then] I went offi Cause I thought these the grew up in Manhattan on 148th kind of friends I need, I started Street. My family wasn't rich, but going with the wrong path. I had we had enough to keep us going. who'd tell me, " Come on friends First I went to school at PS 121.. . that's my elementary school. Then man, do this .. . if they catch you, all they going to do is slap you on the from there, I went to my school at PS 169, JohnF. Kennedy . . . that's a wrist and let you go." Naw, I used rough boys' school. It's one of to get in a lot of trouble just those bad boy school places. They believing friends. I don't believe them no more. You gotta look at said I needed some discipline and yourselfand believe in yourself, all that. and say hey . .. I have the same I liked to fight. I wouldn't take nobody's@#%&. You know, friend now, but I can't go that way, now. I don't want to listen to you, I just liked to fight, and that's why because you, you put me on the [my parents] sent me there, that's it. The wrong track. I'm going to school spoke Everybody gotta live. .. As long as stay on this to my parents and said, 'We you wake up every day andyou got track. I fell got a school life to live in your body, you pick yourselfup. through the for him.' Even though cracks and, that didn't help me; I still bad some you know, landed up at St. Agnes. First I landed up at Bellevue. Then edges to be cut. And then I went Camp La Guardia, then St. Agnes to a vocational school, to learn a (for about a year around 1994). I trade. Then I dropped out of went through the whole system. I school. know all the shelters, just about. I couldn't live with my Usually I would just drop in, drop parents, so I'd play musical chairs. out [of St.Agnes]. But going on. .. More or less... Ward's Island ' Bellevue, Camp Laguardia, Atlantic I ran into a lady who had no place to go, and I didn't know her, Jack Avenue, Fort Washington, Willow, from Jill. But we got to talking, I been to all. Name one, I been there. [I couldn' t stay] because my and I figured I'd help her out, because she didn't know her way father was strict. And you know, around the city. I took her to me and him don't get along. I get Homeward Bound. I gave her along with my mother, but I don't get along with my father, because I money out of my savings. I just gave it to her. She used it to [get never did like to be downgraded again. He said, you never going to where she had to go] and she wired it back to me, [via] Western Union. be this; you this, you that. I don't And I was surprised. And I need to be downgraded. I said we all need to be picked up, not picked thought t~at was nice, you know, cause it's hard to find people with down, not picked on... You know, their word and their word is good. you got to look at it so people can That was in '94. I spoke to her a look at you a little better, few times since then, but being everybody needs lifting up, and I moved around, going from place always used t hat to mean here to place there, I lost the sometimes you look down on yourself and say "I ain't really got nothing to live for." But no, that's not an .,&. answer; that's a cop-out. Everybody gotta live. .. As long as you wake up every day and you got life to live in your body, you pick yourself up. You can't close your eyes, naw. I know that sleeping on chairs is a suffering - you sleep on these chairs, you suffer. You out in the street, you suffer. People look down on yo'u because they already know what you are about. They already judge you . It's not my job to judge you, or you to judge me, or anything like that. But everybody needs to be picked up. Man, I've been picked up . I've been through drug life, I used to be cocaine head, and all that. I was fifteen years old... when I first started weed. As When I got my new place, [people] always wanted to stay. You let them stay for a few days, address. I tried to get the address and then they just start going off from somebody else, but they told the wires, and I said, you know, yo, me all that's confidential, they I got to get rid of them. They bent wouldn't give me the address or up my door.. . you know, disturbed the number, so I said that's fine. the other people, I told them, I [As for] Section Eight ... I don't live here long. How come had an opportunity in 2000, two these other people live here years, years ago, but I had kept missing they ain't have no problems till that because y'all came? I wasn't And the When I got my new place, [people/ stationed, landlord said, you know, at always wanted to stay. You iet tliem it's not you, a spot. stay for a Jew days, and tlien they it's your Every time just start going of/the wires, and I friends. And you go to said, you know, yo, I got to get rid you 'd be up one shelter, there, paying ofthem. you don't rent, and stay there a your friends hot second, you are removed. I look at you, like, you just want to finally found a way to get around get on us cause we went through ... it, I kept calling, kept calling, kept and I say no, it has nothing to do calling, to stay up on them. Each with racial conflicts and stuff like month I kept calling them, kept that, it'sjust... y' all. Y'all don't act calling them, asking them what's right. Instead ofy'all watching TV, the status of my application. y' all wanna fight, y' all wanna get Because I had mail sent here, mail drunk. I told them, I don' t need sent there. So you know, they this. I tell you, you wanna get couldn't locate me. I finally got drunk and act stupid, go outside section eight. I got me an with that mess, and when you apartment. finish, come on back in. But I They pay $726, welfare can 't have your fighting here, with pays $106. I got my own so-called friends. I told them I apartment, I got my own keys, I didn 't need these kind offriends. feel I got more freedom now, cause I had to put them out. And you know, I go as I will. You I keep putting people out. But you know, I'm not clustered up no know, the only thing that was more. It just - I fall down once in killing me was the loneliness. You a while, like anybody else. And know, so, that's why I'd let them people look down on you .. . Like I in. I figured they' d be company. had friends who looked in, and But they were too much company. said, " Oh you think you're better They were company with an than I am, you know, you be aspirin. You know, I don't need throwing us out." And I said, "I'm that. I just figured , I been where not throwing you out for that. I'm you at, I know how y'all throwing you out because you all suffering ... fight too much. And I don't want Michael Robinson is a formerly that around me; I want to be at homeless street newspaper peace. I don't need this around, salesman from New York City. y'all fighting and stufflike that. Reprinted from Upward, a How y'all going to be my friends homeless newspaper in New York and disturb the atmosphere?" City. l. Vendor: 80 cents Where Your Dollar oes Printing and Production : 20 cents The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more informa­ tion about the program. Many thanks for your support. �STREETVIBES February, 2003 A World of Websites Page 19 work. (Try 'em.) If one has NOT be changed and doing it all over Public transportation, of again. That's not too practical. bookmarked it yet, the first one course, is not the only way to get by Caroyln Messaros The original idea for this might be the best one to use. to things; but, for those that need M ORE LOW-INCOME column was to provide a total of a Still on the subject of the bus and the bus schedules H OUSING DEMOLITION IN corrections and the like, every dozen websites every month (in handy for unfamiliar parts of town, THE CINCINNATI AREA website listed here is "tested" to some sensible order) out of which here are the websites for both The wisdom of almost anyone might find see if it connects as presented. If "Metro/' if the locations happens unnecessarily "making transient" something worth saving and worth to be on the north side of the river; the copies of Streetvibes ever go some elements of society when <?n·the Coalition their time and a review of the completely and TANK, ifthe lo~ations what society appears to need is website, the links should previous month in case those were happens to be on the south side of "stability" is surely open to connect to anything automatically lost. the river: question. And, the righteousness What was covered last listed. Any sequences given (click The official name for of what appears to be a wa~ed month: The country is made up of on, then on, then on) are also Metro is Southwest Ohio Regional version ofthe legitimate principle normally tried out several times. states and the states are basically Transit Authority which is why of "eminent domain" is likewise divided into counties. In the three That doesn't mean errors can't Metro's website address is: http:// open to question. There are a states surrounding Streetvibes creep in (move two words and a www.sorta.com and it might be couple of points that will probably home base there are 300 counties; whole sequence is disrupted). mentiohed that there is another be argued for some time into the If someone finds a link or so, the "coverage" is set at only a Metro site as well; but, this one future. In the meantime, some "route" that for some reason fifty mile radius, a distance known has the bus schedules. On the top folks are surely going to need new as and also time honored as "about doesn't.work, corrections will be left it says, "Metro Schedules." housing. an hour's drive." published. However, someone has As for TANK, the Transit The U.S . Department of "About an hour's drive" is to be told if something doesn't Authority ofNorthern Kentucky: Housing and Urban Development also what some can manage on , my website is work. At this time, http://www.TANKbus.org/ or (HUD) has a website where they foot and even more can manage connected to my personal email more directly http:// list their available housing address and the account can't given access to public www.tankbus.org/tank _frame. html (sometimes the system set-up even handle much volume of additional transportation. And, it includes (the £rst works). email as long as that situation about forty counties of which would be There's The wisdom ofunnecessarily eleven have been listed. exists. easier to probably "making transient" some elements remember Previously, nothing was included What would happen if much more ofsociety when what society from Kentucky or Indiana and six someone sent me email, if the but it there than counties on the northern fringe of space alloted was then completely converts to appears to need is "stability" is any full, is that the letter would Ohio also were not included. the second). surely open to question. caseworker "bounce." (It might also give me As previously mentioned, The routes would have some account trouble where there someone from anywhere can get and and it's a site to explore while the SOME information about any has never been any.) A note by the top schedules are reached caseworkers are out to lunch. county government in the United (written) for purposes of right circle. Just locatin{ the aodresses States at http://www.naco.org/ As for various additional not. i fication, sent or given to the of apartments, however, obviously \ services, the Mother Homeless Coalition office, is the of all ' counties/ counties/index. cfin which would not be enough, so a map to best way to handle things at t he of the National is a general site Charities as we might know it is look up the locations in relation to Association United Way (also known as United present time. what persons may need (like or some It's Way/Community Chest something close to a hospital or Ifsomeone finds a link or "route" of Counties. enough to So, let's go such combination of words). whatever) and transportation thatfor some reason doesn't work, to Kentucky, of agencies at the say There is a list schedules to get there would seem corrections will be published something at least to United Way website: http:// to be useful. However, someone has to be told if like: the link across the www.uwgc.org/ Clicking on Our Use the U.S. Department of river. As given for Agencies/Initiatives. (They do something doesn't work. Housing and Urban Development operate via email and don't forget whatever explained last (http://www.hud.gov/) to start doesn't work their telephone referral service.) month, there hunting. There may be more than Lastly, for any on-going tried it on three different is no attempt here to reach any one way to find this stuff but this particular county department or way DOES work, while clicking on events, there ) s always a need for a computers. It may tilke. a while, but it can be expected to eventually individual although one might find out of the local media source. If, something like "renting" doesn't something in particular or a link to be straightened out. many that it is possible to list, it help much: It's well understood that 1 to be_ the newspapers, since has such. The one thing that WAS After getting that HUD every one ofthese links should be searched for was some kind of a front page, go all the way up to the copies of the Enquirer and Post to the county done in boldface type (the black contact and are kept in files in places like top right and click on search/index. print; this is boldface) so it can be commissioners. the library. Both newspapers use You get an alphabetical listing. seen better. There's a technical Boone County: http:// the same web address: http:// Under " S" there's a link for reason why they aren't. The www.boonecountyky.org/ - on www.cincinnati.com/ and WCPO " Section 8 Program." Click on material is sent by email, which is also there. the left look for "Elected Officials." that and go down to the bottom of County seat: Burlington. also is easier to set in the Gremlins have been that text area. There's a place newspaper than something written Campbell County: http:// working in the Streetvibes office. where it says Learn More and if out and carried in. www.campbellcountyky.org/- on Among other things, they recently you click property search, you'll the left look for "Elected Officials." The problem comes from changed the inside masthead to get pages where you fill in siate, is supposed to the fact that http:// County seat: Newport. give everyone a web address for then city (be alert - there's two of light up on the screen regardless Kenton County: http:// Cincinnati Coalition the Greater spellings for "Cincinnati") and type what's behind it, while at the www.kentoncounty.org/- on the for the Homeless different from of apartment and finally a list of present time the boldface feature left look for "Elected Officials." the one listed here. actual locations, some of which are One correct and up-to-date doesn't always work, so it's not County seat: Covington. fairly up-to-date. This site has readily visible if something is or is And, to keep things close homeless coalition web address is: listings for anywhere in the United not set bold. The only way to together here, from last tnonth, http://www.homeless.cincy.com/ States. all be in make sure that they would BUT if one has the old one: http:/ Hamilton County, Ohio: http:// There are numerous map www.harnilton-co.org/ and Butler would be to print heavy black print /cinci.com/gcch/ bookmarked or services; Yahoo 's seems to be as up the material before sending it, County, Ohio: http:// filed away, that works, too. What good as any, so here's at least that correcting anything that didn't also works is what was listed in www.butlercountyohio.org/ should one: http://maps.yahoo.com. The show up blacker; and, that could the masthead for January, 2003: be enough. Have a good month, "view" can be moved in different also involve erasing everything http://homeless.cinci.com/as of folks. directions and made larger or back to that point where it needs to the first of January, all ofthem smaller. �Need Help or Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) 357-4602 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 381 -5432 Friars Club Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 861-1111 St. John's Housing 651-6446 SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women's Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 859-431 -8717 Women's Crisis Center 859-491 -3335 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 241 -0504 Miami Purchase OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 381 -1171 ReSTOC Tender Mercies 639-7056 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 SHELTER: Men City Gospel 241-5525 Mission Garden st. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241 -2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph 381 -4941 House IREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 O,.•t•r r ... C~ifl~f, CMJ,lofl f@f ""•~ ""'~-·~- .. ~ .· TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 starting Over 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C .A.T. 381-6660 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living 241 -2600 Options Churches Active in North side 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 \ Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Co.ntrol 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile 352-2902 Health Van House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241 -9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 621-6364 Oui:-G>atly BFead Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food 471 -4357 Center Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2003 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 2003 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: A Walk in Washington Women in Black Pg 2: “Keep The Dream Alive” Ceremony honors local activists Pg 3: North American Homeless News Digest Pg 4: Recommended Reading… Pg 5: Reader Mail Pg 6: GCCH Coat Drive Brings in Over 800 Coats for the Homeless Pg 7: The Peace Village Pg 8: The Peace Village Continued Pg 9: ¡Bienvenidos! Pg 10: Implode THIS! Pg 11: Implode THIS! Continued Pg 12: Universal Living Wage Breakthrough Pg 13: Welfare News Pg 14: Art & Poetry Pg 15: Art & Poetry Continued Pg 16: Chicago Passes Anti-Wat Resolution Pg 17: FRAC News Digest Pg 18: Profile of a Street Newspaper Salesman Pg 19: A World of Websites 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 2003 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Andy Erickson Brendan Goodwin Pat Mitchell Steve Shockley Mary Taylor Virgil Tuttle Elaine Coffy Jimmy Heath Sony Williams Michael Flood Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Activists Andy Erickson Arts & Poetry Bienvenidos Brendan Goodwin Cincinnati Coat Drive Elaine Coffy FRAC GCHC George Bush Georgine Getty Jimmy Heath living wage Martin Luther King Jr. Mary Taylor Michael Flood Pat Mitchell Peace Village Sony Williams Steve Shockley Virgil Tuttle welfare https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/a9d05912c7680d0676cf4af6e9870e57.pdf 4377fc17dfcf610befcc475ce36bb66f PDF Text Text Streetvibes February 2004 Homeless Men receive Settlement from City Of Covington by Jimmy Heath Three men met last month near the Covington riverfront levy, close to the Ohio River bank campsite they once called home. Present were their attorneys, Robert Newman and Covington lawyer Linda A. Smith. The men were among eight who sued in U.S. District Court in Covington after city workers removed their riverfront camps in April of 2002. A lawsuit was filed in federal court in May 2002 alleging the city of Covington violated the due process rights of the individuals who lost their personal property. Homeless advocates said most of the 30 men living on the riverbank were away at work when the Covington city workers removed their belongings from city property without notice. During a “sweep” of homeless camps, Covington city workers removed and destroyed property of individuals who at the time considered the Ohio River bank their home. Items such as sleeping bags, medication, tents and clothing were taken. One of the men lost a litter of kittens and family photographs. No notice was given to the homeless residents and their property was not held but thrown away. City officials, including Covington Mayor Butch Callery, described the riverfront camps as a “health hazard and an eyesore.” City crews were ordered to remove any objects that looked like housing or bedding. In June of 2002, hundreds of people, including advocates from the National Coalition for the Homeless, and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless assembled for a Homeless Rally and March to Covington City Hall to support the claimants and to draw attention to the plight of the homeless. The march was organized by the individuals who lived on the riverbanks, the National Civil Rights Organizing Project and Northern Kentucky service providers and advocates. In late December of 2003, the City of Covington decided to settle with the claimants and on January 23rd, at the site of the injustice, the homeless campers received their settlement checks. Philip Folk, attorney Robert Newman, Delbert Thompson, Charles Singleton and attorney Linda Smith gather at riverfront campsite for press conference. Claimants Folk, Thompson and Singleton each received a check for $1,000. Each of the men received $1,000 checks, handed out by attorney Robert Newman, against the backdrop of the Ohio River where the campers once made their home. They will receive another $1,000 each later from attorneys’ fees. “There’s now a nationwide precedent that cities cannot take the property of homeless people without notice and destroy it,” said Cincinnati civil-rights attorney Bob Newman, during a press conference at the riverfront site. “It’s a fair warning I think, to Covington and any other city that homeless people are human beings just like everybody else and they have the same constitutional rights as a homeowner, so we’re very happy about that.” Annabelle and Carrie Johnson organizations and projects in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, including serving as Board President for Peaslee Neighborhood Center, and serving on the Over-the-Rhine Community Council. Carrie and Annabelle have found a personal way to stay involved through the long haul, not letting hard times deter their vision and dream for a just world. It is their willingness to listen to each other and hear the challenges that brings out their collective wisdom. They are a team of freedom seekers. Other 2004 Keep the Dream Alive Honorees included, Bennett J. Cooper, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Community Health Board, Cincinnati City Council Member David Crowley, Kameron Franklin, student and volunteer, Darlene Hicks of Unity House, Nanci J. Mays, student and volunteer, Joseph and Susan J. Pichler, volunteers and advisors, Rev. Dr. Michael and Monica J. Posey, pastor and educators, and Rev. James Shappelle, pastor of Mother of Christ Church. Keeping the Dream Alive In They have both been very Cincinnati active in the neighborhood and they continue to be advocates for basic human rights for all citizens. They have lived in the community for a long time and are well respected. While Carrie goes out in public, attending meetings and speaking for various neighborhood issues, her sister Annabelle is behind the scenes making it all possible. Carrie Johnson is a tireless volunteer for various Jimmy Heath photos St. Mark Catholic Church held the third annual “Martin Luther King-Keep the Dream Alive Celebration.” on Monday, January 19th, to honor several Cincinnatians who work for peace through example and the spirit of their daily lives. This year’s honorees included Carrie and Annabelle Johnson, two sisters who live and work in Over-theRhine. Father Paul Marshall, SM, of the University of Dayton, speaks about the spirit and life of Martin Luther King Jr. Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for home­ less and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Brendan Goodwin - Administra­ tive Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Elizabeth Linville - Civil Rights Coordinator Mary Gaffney - Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath - Editor ­ Design & Layout Photographers Jimmy Heath, Berta Lambert Cover Attorney Robert Newman hands out settlement check to riverfront campers... photo by Jimmy Heath Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or ven­ dors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, de­ livered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://homeless.cinci.com A New Year’s Challenge to a City by Jimmy Heath, Streetvibes Editor the mess that is caused by all of this Cincinnati continues to be a insanity. City Council produces scary place for African-Americans dog-and-pony shows for the press. and the poor. Outraged citizens and terrified Last month, Martin Luther community residents continue to King Jr. would have been 75 years cry out for something to be done. old. I wonder what he would have Some community leaders to say about current affairs in hope that finding jobs and more Cincinnati, or how things would be constructive alternatives for some different if he were still alive. The of these young men will help solve words of Dr. Martin Luther King the problems. But the lure of the continue to be prophetic. Sadly, drug trade is powerful. It pulls not much has changed for the better. While King busily toured the country trying to spread his message of hope to poor communities, the most danger he faced was not in the Deep South, but in northern cities. In later conversations King admitted that he felt real Speaking out for justice can be a lonely thing danger in Chicago during one of his visits; there was these young men out of high more anger and hatred in the north school, and out of mainstream than he had ever faced in the Deep society and into jail or death. South. There are no imaginative outlets Cincinnati’s first homicide for these young men on the street of 2004 happened in the middle of corners. We need social forces in Liberty Street in Over-the-Rhine in place, and education as part of the broad daylight, in front of dozens civil rights movement. of witnesses. Somebody finally A study of the effectiveness stepped-up and identified the of Ohio public schools ranked Ohio shooter and an arrest was made. 33rd of 37 states and Washington The unacceptable state of our DC in the percentage of Africancommunity and other poor Americans who graduate. Only neighborhoods in Cincinnati says half of Ohio’s African-American something about the general public high school students condition of our society. There is graduate, while 82 percent of white something horrible going on when students graduate. Is there a murders become routine in certain relation to the drug-dealing culture neighborhoods. and these high drop out rates? The police say that over In 2003, 10 of the city’s 75 90% of the city’s homicides are homicides occurred in Over-thedrug related. Yet we continue to Rhine. In 2003, Cincinnati see the dope boys occupy our recorded its most deadly year since street corners with impunity. There 1977. 2003 was the fifth straight are dozens of so-called drug year that the city’s homicide total dealing hot-spots in OTR and other increased. The 75 murders in 2003 places in the city; everyone knows marked a 12 percent increase over where they are but the police say 2002’s 66 killings. The 75 deaths they are powerless in doing much nearly spoiled the decade’s long about it. As a resident, I feel record for homicides in Cincinnati. powerless too. In reaction to 2004’s first White people continue to homicide, some members of drive down my street in Over-theCincinnati City Council proposed Rhine, buying dope from the open more money be funneled to an antiair drug market on the corner. gang task force and a gun violence There is a perception among white education program at Children’s suburbanite drug users that Over­ Hospital in an effort to try to curb the-Rhine is the place to buy drugs. black-on-black crime and create Black men continue to kill more community policing. City each other over drug thefts and Council was divided by racial lines territorial disputes. The police over the ensuing debate. Africanarrive with note pads, body bags American members of council and crime scene tape to clean up made the proposal, which was S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 From the Editor eventually shelved. In Cincinnati, low-income neighborhood residents are among the least likely to vote. Most feel frustrated by the process, and the choices. Most Cincinnatians in general, just don’t care. A recent survey of 300 registered city voters revealed that citizens aren’t sure how to fix things. And 63 percent of voters said the city is “on the wrong track.” What do all of these statistics mean? Martin Luther King addressed the fundamentals of human devotion as a path to social, economic and relational success. As a society, we place value on certain people, those that produce, or are of the right color, or act a certain way. As a civilized society, you would think that we could do things better. We are great toolmakers, surrounding our lives with technology, yet we still haven’t figured out the simple act of getting along. We don’t always recognize the value of life in our neighbors. We don’t respect strangers. We don’t have much regard for poor children attending public schools. 40% of black children live at the poverty level; almost the same as 50 years ago. Our ability to have a conscience, a memory and the capacity to love is routinely disregarded in our modern culture over the value of stuff and our own domains. The root of criminal behavior, the low-priority given to low-income children, and the disregarding of whole neighborhoods, is our failure to focus on humanity in all our endeavors. These problems will not be solved without a human transformation - a human revolution. Education is our best hope. “Everything which is distinctly human is learned.” Genuine human community transcends all borders. It is an allembracing citizenship of people capable of creating value on a huge scale. Do we as a city have the wisdom to perceive the interconnectedness of all life and living things; courage not to fear but to respect differences and strive to learn from people of different cultures? What does it really mean when we say we want to clean up a neighborhood? What would Martin Luther King say? Page 2 �Homeless News Digest by R.V. Murphy Chicago panhandlers can receive as much as $400 thanks to a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of 5,000 panhandlers who claimed their civil rights had been violated when they were arrested or ticketed while politely asking for money, according to the Chicago Tribune. The case, filed in federal court in 2001 and decided five days before Christmas, focused on a local disorderly conduct law that let police arrest people on public streets for drunkenness, lewdness, and panhandling. If arrested the person could be fined up to $500. “Having a blanket prohibition like that isn’t legal,” says Mark Weinberg, one of the attorneys representing the panhandlers. “You can ask for help across the street, you can ask for the time, but if you asked me for a dollar the city could throw you in jail.” Federal magistrate Jan Nolan approved a settlement that calls for Chicago to pay $99,000 in damages. The city, which admits no wrongdoing, will also pay $375,000 to cover attorney fees and the cost of distributing the money. Not all panhandlers qualify; people who were cited or arrested only for panhandling — and not other violations — are eligible. In addition, Chicago officials revoked the panhandling ordinance last year; a spokesman was quoted as saying that “the lawsuit helped us realize that [the ordinance] was too broad and wasn’t going to be accepted legally.” There are more than 146,000 people on waiting lists for public housing in New York City and one of the largest homeless populations in the country. Therefore housing advocates are outraged at a new report from Assemblyman Scott Stringer (D-Manhattan), which shows there are more than 5,000 publicly owned apartments in New York standing vacant. According to the New York City Housing Authority, many of the vacant apartments are in buildings slated for repair. The city’s Housing Authority says it’s easier to renovate apartments when the buildings are vacant. A News 12 Report (http://tinyurl.com/2gzfd) says the average wait for public housing in the city is eight years. In the Bronx alone, there are over 1,000 publicly owned units vacant. Six police officers in Apopka, Florida, face charges for firing pepper balls into a homeless camp, according to Local6.com. An internal investigation completed last week showed the officers had violated a number of department regulations in the September incident at the camp. Former Apopka Officer Brian Davis, who is now an Orange County deputy sheriff, reportedly revealed the incident while applying for his current job. No transients in the camp were injured. Punishment for the officers has not been announced. A makeshift homeless encampment with tents made of blankets has been targeted by the city of Pittsburgh, according to PittsburghChannel.com (http://thepittsburghchannel.com/ news). City crews are posting warnings this week telling the six people living under the Roberto Clemente Bridge that they have a week to remove their belongings before the city does it for them, says Public Works Director Guy Costa. The encampment was removed in November but the occupants moved back. Under terms of a settlement in a lawsuit brought on behalf of the homeless people, the city must give seven days’ notice before clearing away an encampment, to give occupants time to move, and must store any personal belongings rather than discarding them. The bridge is a main thoroughfare to the new baseball stadium and is named for Roberto Clemente, Hall of Fame outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Clemente died on Jan. 1, 1973, in the crash of a cargo plane carrying relief supplies to those left homeless by an earthquake in Managua, Nicaragua. Some Irreverent Thoughts On Religion by Gray Dog I hear on the radio that, in Alabama, which is fiftieth of fifty states in spending on health care for prisoners, lets prisoners die of treatable cancers and other diseases because the private health care corporation in charge of prison health care wants to keep costs down. The story interviewed a man who was sentenced to two years, developed a cancer that was never diagnosed until too late, then was released. He’s now getting treatment, but he has only a thirty percent chance to live. He would have had pretty good odds if the prison doctors had diagnosed it and if they had allowed the treatments. But now he has a one in three chance to live. Pull a B&E in Alabama, you could get a death sentence. This is the same state, Alabama, where half the population is bothered by the very expensive removal of a very expensive set of stone Ten Commandments from the lobby of the state courthouse. The Ten commandments, for those of you who are heathens, is God’s list of things one should (or shalt) do or not do. These include the ever popular Thou Shalt Not Kill. Am I missing something here? philosopher. His answer, “Jesus Christ.” Makes sense. Jesus was famous for his preventive strike doctrine and for favoring tax breaks for the rich. His friends were the wealthy and powerful and he taught that “the spin shall make you free.” What would Jesus do? What would Jesus wear? How would Jesus vote? What would Jesus drive? (Okay, I think we know.) Who would Jesus kill? All the bad guys, or just the really bad ones? How would Jesus handle an aggressive panhandler? Where would Jesus hang out? Where would Jesus send his kids to school? Would he send them to a Christian academy? Another American who seemed to have taken Jesus as his favorite political philosopher was Martin Luther King, Jr., who spoke of how his commitment to the ministry of Jesus Christ “led him to take a stand, not just on civil rights, but on poverty, and on war. True compassion,” he said in 1967, “is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard. And superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.” During his election campaign, someone asked George Bush for his favorite political Jesus was the First Republican? Jesus was the First Radical? Take your pick. S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Thank You! by Robert Manassa I’m writing to say thanks to all of the many patrons who purchase Streetvibes from me. I can’t really find enough words to express my gratitude to you all. Each time I see the smiling faces coming toward me I can’t help but try to hold onto my emotions. I’m filled with lots of elation. Some of you may not take the time to talk to me, the reason for your hesitation I can’t figure. That’s not an issue with me. Each month I try, with all that’s inside of me, to compose the poems of my heart and soul. You may or may not feel me, but believe me, it’s something I know is true. The things I write about are from experiences I had in life. I hope I am an inspiration to you. I hope to reach some of you. I know I won’t reach all, though I want to. Keep on being the faithful patrons that you are. Again, I say thank you! The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. Dante It is penance to work, to give oneself to others, to endure the pinpricks of community living. Dorothy Day Streetvibes 3rd Best in North America by the North American Street Newspaper Association Story, Editorial and Art Submis­ sion Deadline for the March 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, February 12th Page 3 Page 3 �Myths breed neglect, violence against Cincinnati’s homeless should be allowed to live under by Andy Erickson get themselves out of an bridges. Respondents were asked unexpected situation. Education Coordinator Sue was in her sixties and to leave comments. These same myths also Many of the comments was a nurse for many years. A discount the many homeless few months ago she unexpectedly said things like, “They are bums children in our city. No one likes lost her job and became homeless who chose not to get an education to think of a child going and got involved with drugs, as a result. She fought hard and homeless. Therefore, many of us alcohol or crime eventually obtained housing. instead. Society The proportion of women and children in the When I spoke to her recently, owes them however, she was once again in homeless population today is larger than it has danger of becoming homeless due nothing,” and been since the Civil War era. A recent article “They are not to a job loss. She was crying in USA Today reported that families now make ‘down on their when she said, “I just want to up 41% of the homeless population in the US. luck.’ That have a place where my kids can In Cincinnati, children make up one third of would imply come visit me.” our homeless population. Despite facts like that these People often have an these, many of our housed Cincinnatians people worked image of the homeless as “bag firmly believe the myths they hear about the hard in life and ladies” or “drunken bums.” But homeless... that fate dealt the majority of our homeless them tragedy… citizens are like Sue, living in the homeless got exactly what shelters or on the streets because don’t. To admit that children are they deserved.” of rising housing costs, job loss, homeless and hungry is to admit There are many comments that we have homeless people and other economic problems. The proportion of women like this, and you can view them who need help and care from the all at http:// and children in the rest of us. The sad fact is that homeless population www.wcpo.com/ there are 8,000 children in today is larger than it news/2003/local/ Cincinnati who will experience has been since the Civil 07/17/ homelessness at some point War era. A recent homeless.html during the year. Not one of the article in USA Today Myths like angry comments on Channel 9’s reported that families the ones quoted poll even mentioned them. now make up 41% of above serve a While many people use the homeless function. If we stereotypes to justify neglect of population in the US. believe that the homeless people, others go even In Cincinnati, children homeless don’t further, using them as justification Andy Erickson make up one third of deserve help (or for hate speech or physical our homeless that they are violence. A disturbing number of population. Despite facts like beyond help), it makes it easy for comments on the Channel 9 these, many of our housed us to ignore the men, women, and website suggested that the Cincinnatians firmly believe the children who are experiencing homeless be “locked up” or myths they hear about the homelessness in our city. We can “forced to leave town.” One homeless. write them off as undeserving and person said we should “make it An online poll conducted forget about them. Of course, in illegal for them to vote.” Another by Channel 9 in August 2003 order to do this, we have to even casually stated, “Toss the bums in the river for all I care, as asked people to state whether or discount the many people like not they thought homeless people Sue, who work hard every day to long as it will improve the city visually.” At the height of the issue over the bridge encampments, when this poll was conducted, homeless people in Cincinnati frequently became victims of hate crimes and physical violence. Some were pelted with rocks, bottles, or eggs while they slept. Others’ belongings were stolen or destroyed. Some people’s camps were even set on fire. Nationally, hate crimes like these have been growing in numbers. Over the past four years, there have been 212 documented hate crimes against homeless people, 123 of which resulted in death. We need to abandon the harmful myths that we spread when we talk about homeless people. We at least owe that to the homeless children in our community, to the victims of hate crimes, and to people like Sue who have worked so hard to get out of their situation. We need to recognize that homelessness affects thousands of people every year in this city, and that harmful speech can only make matters worse. Write Us! We’d like to hear from you.... Send letters or comments to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition office attn: Streetvibes Letters, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Page 4 �Can You Force The Homeless Into Shelters? by Judy Newkirk The weather is bitter cold today and most people are warm inside shelter. Not Mike. He’s been sleeping in a sleeping bag on Calhoun Street in Clifton for two years now under the protection of a slight overhang in front of the Indian Krishna Restaurant. They give him a free meal every day, I’m told. I’m not sure. It’s hearsay from a couple of welldressed men down the street about a block away who told me also, “Not to worry. He’s happy there so leave him alone.” So I leave him alone, give him a dollar, tell him not to freeze to death because I care about him, and go on my way. Oh, I did get him to promise me that he would go with social workers should he feel really sick. They’ve been there before to talk to him, Psychiatric Mobile Crisis Unit, CRI’s PATH people and I got the report back from them that there’s no way to force Mike into shelter – something about Ohio’s Revised Code and that City Council vacillates on the issue. Do you suppose that maybe Mike ought to sue over the issue of neglect? Does anybody really talk to him much? One day about a month ago I did just that. Out of curiosity I asked Mike where he came from. Aliens, he said. He comes from Russia, his commanding officer is coming back, he works for the Feds, he Maybe that’s why I leave him works for the Butler County alone. Relatively speaking, he Sheriff’s department as an seems pretty cool with himself undercover cop. He once had a house in Oakley, worked on a job when he crawls out from under his tent and hobbles toward where he had to be alone a lot, Arby’s for coffee. grew up in foster care and has Well, I told you how I been in Rollman’s when it was a talked to Mike, listened to his psychiatric hospital where the talks, and that day, a few weeks doctors told him it was a DNA ago, thought he was willing to go problem. I got all this while into shelter. I waited for two sitting with him at Arby’s on hours for the CRI, PATH people Calhoun where he drank enough coffee with enough sugar packets to show up. They never did even though the two policemen who and smoked enough cigarettes to cause brain damage. “Stop aggravating me, lady! I like However the snow,” he replied....I left to go Mike is not home, where my concern caused a stupid. He wanted to be big argument with a friend who had warm. He lived in his own van after his asked me if I business failed. new of a place where they would leave him alone enough to came into Arby’s called them for me on their cell phone. It was enjoy nature. He loves the snow. He doesn’t like cults. He doesn’t voice mail. The only thing I got accomplished, according to want missionaries after him. Well, I don’t either. I’m a Mike’s next report, was to get him humanist. Mike shouldn’t have to shooed off a busy traffic area. Police had told him to leave listen to a sermon to get a free Krishna. I happened to drive by meal, to get clean clothes and a and view him in a doorway shower, possibly a shave and a haircut, to get the dirt cleaned out around the corner across the street from under his findernails, to live from Inn the Wood restaurant. It was the holiday season and no in an atmosphere where al least one was working on a phone line. there’s more mental stimulation It was raining and cold. than all day dead in a sleeping “Get in the car, Mike,” I bag. He shouldn’t be coerced to said, “I’m taking you down to the take drugs that might turn him Drop Inn Center.” into a zombie existence or even “Stop aggravating me, cause further brain damage. Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction. Albert Einstein Know Your Rights Brochure Available! The Know Your Rights Brochure is now available at the Coalition’s office. The brochure is a legal guide for Cincinnati’s homeless and covers a person’s basic rights when interacting with the police, as well as some local laws that might be of interest to the homeless population. If you are a homeless person or if you work with homeless people and would like to obtain free copies of the brochure for yourself or your agency, please call 421-7803, or stop by the Coalition office and pick one up. S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 lady. I like the snow,” he replied. I left to go home, where my concern caused a big argument with a friend who had lived in his own van after his business failed. He was there for a long time, even in the dead of Ohio’s winter. My friend did have a heater that would at least allow him to get to sleep until about two in the morning when he would wake up and shiver his body for enough warmth to get back to sleep. Mike has a sense of humor and is not threat to outsider. One time after the holidays when I gave him change, he asked if the red mark on my right cheek had been caused by someone hitting me with a snowball after they refused to get into my car. Yesterday, when I walked past Krishna, Mike was up and talking about Elliott Ness, the Untouchables, and I just walked away like everybody else does. But I wonder. Did socalled parents sit him down in front of the television set for long hours without speaking to him about what he’s viewing? I’ve seen it in a child when I volunteered for a very short time at LaBlonde Boys and Girls Club – the ability to get into a fantasy world and the ability to live totally in another dimension that is not the norm in our society. I think Mike needs psychoanalysis but he’ll never get it. It’s for the rich to make them even more powerful. National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project (NHCROP) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (513) 421-7803 Help build a powerful, resident led organization! The Republic Street & Vine Street Block Clubs are fighting for the rights of lowincome residents in Over-the-Rhine and they are going strong. Block clubs are forming in other parts of the neighborhood, too. Call the Contact Center at 381-4242 or stop by 1227 Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine to learn more about how you can get involved with these resident led organizations. Page 5 Page 5 �The Peace Village by Dr. Steve Sunderland flower we only barely imagined. I The Peace Village joined sit on a hill, under very bright the ceremonies in Cincinnati Winter sun, the temperature honoring Rev. Martin Luther King, hovering around 17 degrees, Jr. Monday, January 19. We warmed by the knowledge that started at Fountain Square and peace is at work, both under and walked with the community to hear over the ground, reaching deeply the MLK Choir, led by Peace for sustenance, raising its arms to a Villager, Kathy Roma, and some friendly sun and moon, and wonderful talks. I used to sing in awaiting the snow and rain of the chorus and had to decide everyday. I can see my breath with whether to walk in the march or each exhale. I can feel the pulse of sing. peace as life even though I am I chose to walk and enjoy bundled up. We continue, hand to the singing from the audience at hand, season to season, signal to Music Hall. Everything was free signal, walking with and for peace. and we welcomed everyone to “What more do we need to walk with us and our beloved community. Peace Villager, Roy Jones, an extraordinary young Cincinnati artist, has shared with me his painting of the Rev. King in the jail cell in Birmingham. When I look at this fresh look at the young King, I can see both his anxiety about being in a Southern jail and his dreams for Dr. Steve Sunderland a different day. We work for this day for our troubled know about war?” This question city and world. jumped out at me as I visited and I was reminded of all I tried to see all of the “D-Day didn’t know about King’s impact Museum” in New Orleans. on the South when I visited the Obviously the work of proud Ogden Art Museum in New museum planners, the story spills Orleans. out in many directions as we easily The museum is dedicated to can see how little the US was giving a space to Southern artists prepared for the German and and it is has the best collection of Japanese war plans. Very quickly, African American art I have seen following Pearl Harbor, the change outside of Hampton University’s in the American policy and action wonderful museum. It also has a occurs as a giant war machine is great collection of non-African fueled and unleashed to American artists as well. King is a counterattack the Nazis and “Japs.” topic in many paintings and Very early in the museum we get to pictures. meet soldiers from Germany and There is a photo of Rev. the U.S. through pictures, films, Ralph Abernathy and Rev. King on and audio tapes of what it was like the first desegregated bus that must to encounter war. If this is not be seen. Their look is surprise and enough, there are veterans of the anxiety: “Were they really on the WW 2 walking and sitting bus?” throughout the floors, eager to What does our fledgling answer any question and clarify the work mean? We are a band of allreality. I asked one vet, probably in season peace planters, caring for his 80s, about the survival of those our gardens as best we can. This is thousands of paratroopers that was good work. At this time. With sent behind the lines at the very each other. We plant hoping for a start of the D Day landing. No harvest; we reap, hoping that our exhibit seemed to answer what fruit is tasty; we look into the happened to them. The vet said ground and wonder at the miracle with a gruff voice: “We lost almost of seeds and roots. “What has every damn one!” End of grown peace, right here and in this conversation. season?” we wonder. What has Each floor was filled with turned over the right amount of soil exhibits about technical prowess so that the seed took just the right and the consequences in death to root, received the nourishment these very young men. Voices of from us and the ground, and survivors were heard coming from transformed into the plant and certain exhibits, accompanied by S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 the pictures, the sad and horrible through the wounding and pictures of very young men who crippling battles. The price of were heading into what surely was stopping Nazis and Japanese a kind of hell that even the pictures policies meant nothing short of the and words and sounds of arms loss of more people than could be could not portray accurately. I was counted and, so many, that it numbed by the films of the beach seemed like a ridiculous idea that landings, with wave after wave of war would continue. The passion Allied soldiers stepping out of the of the soldiers was clear and their landing crafts (invented by and commitment to each other was New Orleans native) into a curtain made evident. Yet, it was clear that of bullets, mines, bombs and every this “great” war was fought with conceivable obstacle. And, they the very young, inexperienced, and died, in waves, in layers, in the gullible class of “warriors,” water, on the land, in foxholes, in whether they are American, sandy holes, and in the arms of English, Canadian, German, medics, other soldiers, shocked and Japanese or Italian. So many wounded or just lucky to have young people dead. found an angle that kept them safe We were in New Orleans at from the storm of killing arms. the same time that preparation was Vets of the war were taking place for the Sugar Bowl proudly everywhere, welcoming football game. Thousands of visitors, selling books and stuff in college youth, parents, alums, and the gift shop, and taking bags as we friends were walking the streets, entered. Large planes are in the day and night, celebrating in the front lobby of a very large entrance rituals of end of the season football area. A kind man takes us to the games. Here were thousands of side as we go in and says that there young people enjoying themselves, are two ways to see the exhibits, mostly men but lots of women depending upon time. He is a wearing their school colors. A kindly grandfather type, genuinely good mood was evident interested in our seeing as much as everywhere as long as you steered possible. We proceed into the first away from those “warriors” who exhibits and very quickly we see had a little too much to drink. that there is no “short” tour; rather, How many of these young men any length of time will be a test of were going off to Iraq, or our emotions and our capacity to somewhere else equally dangerous? imagine the carnage that will be Would they understand why they described. I was reminded of were going? Would I understand walking the grounds of Gettysburg, why their lives were being gambled the entrance of the Holocaust in this old and bloody game? We Museum in Washington, D.C., and are at war. Close to 500 American the Austrian Concentration camp at soldiers have been killed; close to Mauthausen: no one entering 3,000 soldiers wounded, and we would ever be the same when you were on “Orange Alert.” How left. much more do we need to know Three hours of looking and about war, the death of young men feeling were enough for my wife, and woman, and the madness of Stefanie, and I. I finished the battle? museum by going to the book store to find some publications on peace. Dr. Steve Sunderland, There was not one book on peace professor of Social Work at or the psychological consequences the University of Cincinnati, of the battles on the soldiers, the is the Director of The Peace people of the countries, and/or the Village, a group of connection of what we were seeing individuals from the to the continuation of war. In an national and international obvious way, the whole museum community committed to could have been a poster for peace. examining all issues of The death of all of these people, Peace in the world. Dr. mostly young soldiers, under Sunderland also heads up indescribable conditions, shouted Posters-for-Peace which out that this was a barbaric way of engages people in solving problems of aggression and expressing their visions of violence. What would the world Peace, in their own words, have been like if there had been no through the creation of Hitler, no military adventure by posters. Japan and no response by the Allied forces? was a question that was (Business Card Size, ad ready copy) impossible to ignore. Millions of Reach 18,000 customers per month human lives were lost. Millions of lives were broken Call Streetvibes @ 421-7803 Rent This Space! Only $25 per month... Peace Village Page 6 �How Do We Treat Our Fellow Man? by Mary Gaffney conflict in the world; low employment in the city, etc. You Happy New Year to each and every one of our readers. name it we got it! It all makes me think. Maybe you are not a bible When you see this issue of Streetvibes, it will be the second reader, but in the Book of month of 2004. Revelation it says these things will It is my prayer to our Most come to be; wars, fires, and Heavenly Father that, with His floods. It talks about flying chariots love and mercy, (airplanes). It also this year will be speaks of more peaceful and destruction by prosperous in working to help fires (terrorists). These things make our fellow man, you wonder. How especially, as you is our fellow man know, my treating each homeless friends. other, regardless I care very deeply Ms. Mary Gaffney of race, creed, or for our homeless friends. We are all his children in color? On the unemployment scene; the city, the country, it His eyesight. As I watched the flakes of makes you wonder when all of this will end. snow begin to come down today But my real issue, as you and I looked at my friends coming in from the cold for a cup of coffee know, is homelessness which I deal with every day. The question or a warm smile, I want to make these days a little brighter. I can’t answer is why there isn’t more concern for these people. I As we enter the New Year get calls from people who are it seems like there is so much We must be prepared to make heroic sacrifices for the cause of treat poor and disenfranchised peace that we make ungrudgingly individuals as second-hand citizens. for the cause of war. There is no Martin Luther King task that is more important or challenged us to question these closer to my heart. philosophical dilemmas in our Albert Einstein everyday lives, no matter what our life circumstance. More than 30 years after his death Martin Luther King Jr. is seen as the voice for all poor people – people left behind in the wake of economic affluence, who are stuck in low paying jobs and homelessness and poverty. After 30 years, his voice still rings true. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day Memorial March was held in downtown Cincinnati to rekindle the spirit of his work and to provide a voice to the unheard, to provide inspiration to those who have been cast aside by society’s indignities. Spirit of MLK Celebrated The tri-state’s observance of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday included many events on Monday, January 19th, the official federal holiday. A highlight of the yearly remebrance is the march from Fountain Square to Music Hall, which this year featured a performance of a requiem written by the Rev. Charles Walker, minister of the 19th Street Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Many people know first hand that the work that eventually took King’s life still goes on today. The challenges that human rights workers face now are bigger than ever. Segregation and racism still have a stronghold on African American communities. Police and City government continue to concerned about people sleeping in tents. Also, why are policemen hassling our Streetvibes Vendors and the homeless in general? It seems at this time there is no real answer. I am asked why the city leader can’t do anything. I can’t find an answer. As I sit here today with my friends, some are hurt, cold and really disgusted, with no jobs, and with families. Some have had a police record and it is still held against them, making it difficult to get services. It isn’t only men but women and families too. Not all of these men and women are addicts which is a stereotype of the homeless. I know because I am with them everyday. And believe it or not, there are many things that you can learn from these folks that will open your eyes to what is really happening. As the New Year begins let it begin with more love for our fellowman, and may there be more peace in the world. Until the next Streetvibes, be good and always remember that God loves you. Wish List... Can You Help? Streetvibes newspaper is published monthly on a shoe-string budget from the offices of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Can you help us with some of the following items? * Digital Camera & Accessories * VCR for making copies of Streetvibes TV show and for educational packets * Blank VHS tapes * Desktop paper folder * Supplies (paper towels, toilet paper ) * Cleaning Supplies * Office Supplies - postage stamps, floppies, copier paper and other supplies If you can help, contact us at: Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: Streetvibes@juno.com MLK Rally on Fountain Square S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Page 7 Page 7 �Berta’s Art Corner A Winter’s Painting, Washington Park, Overthe-Rhine, looking east at 12th and Elm Street Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct and agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Vendor Program. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the rules, she/he may be removed from the Program. To report a Vendor, call 421-7803. ext. 16 Authorized Vendors always wear a Badge! Streetvibes: A proud member of the North American Street Newspaper Association.... Representing over 50 street newspapers throughout the United States and Canada VISIT - www.nasna.org Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) Front Streetvibes vendors are paticipants in a program at the Coalition for the Homeless that allows them to distribute the Streetvibes newspaper for a $1.00 donation. The money used to purchase the paper goes to the individual vendor. Vendors are not employees of the Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors are not fundraising for the Coalition for the Homeless. Back of Badge While we make every effort to provide a forum for those without a voice, STREETVIBES and the staff of THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS, is not responsible for statements, and do not necessarily endorse the opinions of the people whose writings are represented here. Each vendor must sign and agree to abide by the following code of conduct.... 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 30 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers can not be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. Vendors must also never sell Streetvibes door-to-door. 8. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be honest in stating that all profits go to the individual vendor. S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 9. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 10. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 11. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. Nelson Mandela... Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the World. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Page 8 �Making shelters safe for all Is it Worth Your Penny? by Judi Clark Ohio stands to lose apselection (beds genders How much are you willing proximately $750 million in general closer to staff may by Elizabeth Linville be better). In The National some situations, Coalition for the Homeless there are enough (NCH) and the National Gay transgender and Lesbian Task Force residents to create released an important new a wing solely for Elizabeth Linville report in December of 2003 them. entitled Transitioning Our Harassment: Shelter staff Shelters: A Guide to Making should work to address and stop Homeless Shelters Safe for harassment of transgender people. Transgender People. This guide is This should be included in written to help shelters provide safe policy. housing for transgender persons. Dress Codes: Dress code “We believe that every should not be based on gender. A person has the right to shelter and more constructive policy would that right should not be denied focus on covering of certain body because of ignorance, injustice or areas, not on wearing gender insensitivity,” said Donald appropriate clothes. Whitehead, Executive Director of Concerns of Other the National Coalition for the Residents: Some residents may be Homeless. uncomfortable and unwilling to live The following is a summary with a transgender resident. of some of the important steps the Trainings with the shelter residents guide recommends shelters enact to may be one way to deal with this protect the civil rights of problem. transgender people. Referrals: A resident’s The Intake Conversation: transgender status is confidential in Staff should talk with all potential referrals, unless they give residents about their privacy, safety permission to staff ahead of time. and any policies affecting Many transgender people transgender residents during this face discrimination in the conversation. It is important to workplace and in housing; this inform the resident about a shelter’s intolerance can increase their confidentiality policy and that chances of becoming homeless. It transgender status is a part of this. is important that shelters and other It is also recommended that intake social service agencies work to forms allow clients to describe their create a safe environment for own gender, rather than giving people of all genders. them the typical options of male, If you are interested in female, and other. reading this report in its entirety, Restrooms: Transgender you can download a copy at the people should be allowed to use Task Force’s website (http:// whichever bathrooms match their www.TheTaskForce.org). self-identified gender. Shelters should provide whatever privacy and safety alterations necessary to facilitate this. Showers: This, too, is an area where privacy is a necessity. Transgender people should use the showers that correspond to their self-identified gender. Sleeping Arrangements: This should be based on a transgender person’s self-identified gender. Safety precautions should be taken in determining the best bed to pay to keep schools open, help low-income working parents stay employed with child care services, food for the hungry, services to elderly Ohioans? Is it worth your penny? Ken Blackwell doesn’t think so. In a move that is both irresponsible and a possible conflict of interest, Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is leading an effort to repeal the penny sales tax added in the last budget. The sales tax, while not the most desired way to raise revenues for Ohio, allowed us to retain many of the services and programs that were slated to be cut. Hundreds of OEC members and supporters sent postcards and made phone calls in support of increasing the sales tax if it meant keeping services. We testified in budget hearings and rallied in Columbus. We met with our legislators to let them know how important child and health care were to Ohioans. Now all of these gains are in jeopardy. revenue funds if the sales tax is repealed. All gains we made in the last budget debate will be lost. Ohio will not be able to afford to continue spending on social service programs and education without the money the penny generates. Local government funds will also be cut. That means you may not have a firefighter when you need one or the library where your child does school work will be closed. Ohioans cannot afford to sit back and let this happen. We must work hard to educate our friends and neighbors, let them know what Ken Blackwell and the anti-tax lobbies are not telling them. We have a tough fight ahead of us. Mr. Blackwell and his group of supporters have the money to pay professional lobbyists. We have only our collective voices. We used those voices effectively last spring. We need to use them once more to defeat this proposal and SAVE OUR PROGRAMS. The GCCH would like to thank Starbucks for their generous donation of coffee and pastries. Story, Editorial and Art Submission Deadline for the March 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, February 12th S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Page 9 Page 9 �People Tell George Bush “Move-On”! by Mary Burke & Dianna Schweitzer On Monday evening, January 12, 2003 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, MoveOn.org named the winner in their “Bush in 30 Seconds” campaign. A 30-second TV ad that focuses on George W. Bush’s trillion-dollar debt. America’s children was the winner in the nationwide search for the best spot to tell the truth about the Bush Administration’s policy failures. The ad also got the highest rating from members of the public, who gave it the “People’s Choice” award as well. “Child’s Pay,” by Charlie Fisher, 38, of Denver features young children working in difficult service and manufacturing jobs – washing dishes, hauling trash, repairing tires, cleaning offices, assembly-line processing and grocery checking – followed by the line: “Guess who’s going to pay off President Bush’s $1 trillion deficit?” Sean Mullaney (l) and Dianna Schweitzer thank Al Franken for his amusing participation. government and our role in the world and to create opportunities for education. The energy has a high celebratory element too, making it feel so right to sing, dance, and beat the drum for the principles of peace, democracy, and the power of people working collectively. A panel of celebrities and political experts helped choose the winners after more than 110,000 people came to the Web site www.bushin30seconds.org in December to rate the more than 1,000 ads posted. Over 2.9 million viewer ad ratings were submitted. The contest was created by MoveOn.org Voter Fund to try to make the political process more accessible to ordinary Americans unlikely to be hired to create advertising in traditional political campaigns. “This has been an amazing experience in grassroots engagement, and all of us have been thrilled to work with such creative people,” said Eli Pariser, campaigns director for the MoveOn.org Voter Fund. “These ads give voice to the deep concerns our millions of members have with the direction our country is headed.” The MoveOn.org Voter Fund is a political committee created to comply with the new federal campaign finance laws. It runs ads and engages in other efforts to expose the policy failures of the Bush Administration. More information can be found at www.moveonvoterfund.org and at www.bushin30seconds.org. As of January 22 MoveOn.org reports that CBS has refused to run the winning ad claiming it is too controversial. What is CBS’s interest in keeping this ad off the air? Perhaps more importantly, what else has CBS kept from us and who controls the mainstream media? it an un-American act, thanks in to convey both his fear of the United States as well as his love of part to the Patriot Act. The biggest inspiration and our strength and beauty. Liberty entertainment of the evening, and Cabbage was the name given to the reason for the event, were the sauerkraut during World War I, 30-second videos and their similar to our Freedom Fries and creators. The content of the ads Freedom Toast of today.) Janeane Garofalo served as the host and she was gut-wrenching, ironic, playful, edgy, sad, angry and just downright kept everyone clever. The number of entries was laughing with incredible; over 1,500 videos were her smart insight into our entered in the contest from all over the US. The entries ranged from culture, obviously homegrown and folksy especially the media. Several to very polished and professional, other celebrities with ads running the gamut making it to the top 15. including As evidenced by the videos, Michael Moore, people are angry about the actions Moby, Al of the Bush Administration Franken, John Sayles, and Julia regarding the invasion of Iraq, the tremendous deficit, elimination of Stiles environmental protections, the participated in blurring of the separation of church the event. and state, etc. However, the event It was was not so much about anger as it especially was about taking action. Taking exciting to action produces a contagious attend such an Michael Moore congratulates winner Charlie Fisher event at this energy, inspiring each of us to do what we can to educate ourselves time in our and others regarding our country, when people are attacked The evening awards gala for speaking out with voices was kicked off with the crowd of dissent. The entertainers standing for the National Anthem, and video participants were the Jimi Hendrix rendition of Star taking a chance on receiving Spangled Banner. Comedienne heat from the Republican Margaret Cho then took the stage and humorously explained why it is National Committee (or Repugnant National important to give people “too Committee as Cho called much information”, as the slogan them). Actress Julia Stiles goes. She says that it’s important acknowledged she was to speak out on issues that make fearful of participating people uncomfortable, because that’s how change is going to come knowing that she would likely be labeled as unabout. The audience was inspired by Chuck D. of Public Enemy. His American. She went on to say it is that fear that keeps music and his message brought people quiet and it is for everyone to their feet as the precisely that reason that she audience danced and engaged in a call and response. Rufus Wainright realized she must speak out. While free speech is brought a smile and recognition guaranteed in our with a sweet rendition of his song Dianna Schweitzer (left) and Mary Burke (right) congratulate finalist Ty “Liberty Cabbage”. (The song was Constitution, the political Pierce (center) of Columbus, Ohio, winner of best animation for his video environment today has made “What I been up to...” written by Wainright, a Canadian, S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Bits & Pieces Page 10 �8,00 0 HO M E LESS CH I L DRE N H AT E CRIME S IN V IS IB L NT E ME DOM VIO EST L Y LO P EM UN L TA S EN E M LN IL N IO T IC V E TY Y RT PO VE R R E G N U H ADDICTION Y ED AG TR HOM ELE SS CIN I N CIN N AT I U N N M E E ET D S SS E EL C I VO wear your heart on your sleeve I WILL DONATE: $25 $50 $75 $100 $200 $500 They aren’t your normal candy hearts. Instead of “hug me” or “be mine,” they are the many frightening messages that Cincinnati’s homeless hold in their own hearts. This year in Cincinnati, more than 25,000 individuals will find themselves homeless at some point. They are laid off their jobs, fleeing abusive relationships, battling mental illness or addicted to drugs and alcohol. They are men, women, children, families, veterans and disabled people. They are all ages, races and from many backgrounds. They are staying in our shelters, on the streets, in abandoned buildings or doubled-up with their friends and relatives. Their hearts may be broken. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless believes that by addressing the root causes of the problem through education, advocacy and the coordination of services, we can end homelessness in our city. But we can not do it alone. We depend on the community to open their hearts. This February, please help us achieve our fundraising goal, so that we can continue our important work. Cut the coupon and pick a heart. Rest assured, it will warm the hearts of others. Send your donation to: Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 all donations are tax-deductible S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 GCCH News Page 11 Page 11 �Now at Public Library; THROUGH OUR EYES Book by Catholic high school students and Homeless Coalition by John Zeh The colorful 79-page book, “Through Our Eyes: Reflections on Homelessness,” an unprecedented exploration of issues prepared by high school students and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), is now available at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. “This is a big step for the Coalition, to help educate more people so they can see the true lives of homeless people,” said GCCH director Georgine Getty. At a reception, she applauded the book’s creators for their “vision to shed light on homelessness and social justice outside their own comfort zones.” Homelessness issues are problems shared by “all of us,” she said. “They touch many whose lives are just like our own.” The book is available at the Main Library’s Education and Religion department downtown at 800 Vine Street and can be sent to any of its 41 branches via www.CincinnatiLibrary.org or (513) 369-6900. The book’s call number is 362.509771 T531 2003. In the collaborative, experiential learning project researching the book, students journeyed into the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood northwest of downtown to visit a homeless shelter and GCCH office. They conducted interviews to learn about the issues through the eyes of people without homes or ones who recently lacked a home of their own. The O-T-R “hood” and GCCH became their classroom, with real-world lessons. The book is to be the cornerstone of GCCH’s new, multi- media outreach effort for area educators. It is full of color photographs, personal reflections, poetry, artwork, and nine interviews conducted by some 71 Mother of Mercy students. The digest will be packaged with a videotape and supportive print material to educate students about causes and results of America’s growing homeless crisis. Kevin Pease and Serendipity Design directed design, layout, and artwork requiring “long hours to ensure that all participants had their voice represented and their vision accurately captured in book form,” said Getty. “Kevin is not your every-day graphic designer,” she added, but one on a “holistic journey, with an incredible work ethic and infinite patience.” Mother of Mercy educators Susan Straub and Kathryn Schnier were also recognized. Kara Koch, Abby Powell, and Katie Freshley were credited for their photography used in the full-color cover collage showing a child’s face, the GCCH office sign, and a member of Artists for the Drop Inn Center, one of the formerlyhomeless people profiled in the book. The cover was enlarged to make a large poster for GCCH’s Elm Street office near Music Hall. The project was funded with a $5000 grant from the Greater Cincinnati Youth Grantmaking Council, which has national support from the Corporation for national and Community Service and locally by Xavier University and the Manuel D. and Rhoda Mayerson Foundation. GCCH describes itself as “a unified social action group, fully committed to our ultimate goal: eradication of homelessness with respect for the dignity and diversity of our membership, the homelessness, and the community.” Its work includes coordination of services, educating the public, grassroots organizing, and advocacy. It is a member of Greater Cincinnati Community Shares, often called a grassroots, people’s United Way. GCCH was formed on May 30, 1984 as a political action organization to advocate for the needs of homeless people citizens of Greater Cincinnati who had no voice in the halls of power. It began with just an answering machine and a coalition of 15 organizations and advocates. Since then, it has grown to include over 70 agencies: advocates for the poor and homeless, homeless individuals, shelters, transitional houses, emergency food programs, social service agencies, churches, low-income housing groups, and co-ops. Membership crosses all political, social and religious lines. It directs its energy toward both meeting the immediate need for emergency shelter and transitional housing and toward providing permanent housing, jobs and health care for all. It meets monthly to share information and discuss public policy issues affecting the city’s homeless population. Journalist John Zeh experienced homelessness himself when an apartment manager evicted him before her conviction of laundering money orders that Zeh and others used for rent. He lives in O-T-R, and can be reached at johnzeh146@yahoo.com. Story, Editorial and Art Submission Deadline for the March 2004 edition of STREETVIBES is Friday, February 12th Write Us! Send letters to: Streetvibes@Juno.com, or write the Coalition - Streetvibes 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 GCCH News Page 12 �Words from the Evangelist… Do Justice… Walk Humbly With God Micah 6:6-8 and Matthew 25:31-46 were written in different centuries and in times that were very different from our own, yet they address relationships in a way that is contemporary and real for us today. Micah 6:6-8 tells us that God is more concerned with how we treat one another, ourselves, and God than in our rituals and celebrations. The prophet Micah lived in the eighth century B.C.E. It was a time filled with personal and political excess and corruption. Micah proclaimed that individual actions and relationships could make or break the entire realm. He also pointed out that the people would eventually make loving and life-giving choices, and their world would again be filled with joy. Eight centuries after Micah lived, Jesus words in Matthew 25:31-46 echo the words of the prophet. Jesus tells us that the way we treat friends, family, and strangers is, in effect, the way we treat God. I believe the city of Cincinnati in this year 2004 can gain a lot by taking head to both the words of the prophet and Jesus. Having received the ranking of the 6 meanest city to homeless individuals it behooves us to evaluate our relationship to those individuals who are homeless. The scripture clearly tells us that what God requires of us is to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. MARCC, the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati, has made housing (and therefore homelessness) one of its two priorities for the 2004 year. They are the people of faith who th helped bring us the Collaborative Agreement and have been advocates of social justice since the riots of the 60’s. I am proud to be a part of this ecumenical effort for justice and a humble walk with God. There are many other agencies and individuals out there working in their own way to eradicate this social problem from our community. Now is the time for us to come together and stand against the personal and political corruption of our time. It is time for people of faith to come together in prayer and definitive action that promotes justice and demonstrates our humble walk with God. All are not called to be activists, but all can pray. All are not homeless, but all need affordable and safe housing. All are not unemployed, but all need a livable wage. All are not addicts and Sheltered White Girl’s Eyes Opened by Shelter by Kate Mock, Ursuline Academy Student In my world that’s enough to make headlines. Until this semester, I never stepped outside of my perfect picket fenced world. Everyone I know shares my background: decent parents, comfortable home, maybe some siblings—nothing too dramatic. It was always in the back of my mind, the fact that not everyone lives as I do, but I was too busy to prove it to myself. Ursuline Academy’s Community Service class forced me to get out there and see what I’ve been sheltered from. After learning of the different service opportunities in Cincinnati, I decided that I would work best at the Drop Inn Center because its mission most closely correlated with my own—to help those less fortunate overcome the trials of poverty and homelessness. I am passionate about providing for the less fortunate because in many cases it is not their fault that they ended up in their position. If one has excess, why shouldn’t it be given to those who have nothing? Makes good sense to me. Beginning work at the Center, I was filled with romantic notions of righting all wrongs and seeing every person immediately put into low-income housing. I imagined myself forming close friendships with every resident in the Center and touching lives irreversibly. I quickly learned that social reformation takes a bit longer than that. I didn’t have any particular view of the neighborhood or the population with which I would be working—I simply saw them as people dealt a cruddy hand in the game of life. I did get nervous when I parked my car; everyone walking by was potentially armed and ready to attack me, rape me, and run off with my car and my wallet. After the first few visits, however, I was able to ignore those ridiculous ideas and continue with business. The Drop Inn Center wasn’t like any place I’d ever been in before. The crystal-clean world of the upper middle class is shattered the second you walk through the doors. People are milling around, outside and inside; people sleep on the benches in the main room; women sit at tables all day and stare into space. These people have nowhere else to go. When I first began visiting the Center, it wasn’t so bad: a few people occupied benches, no big deal. By the middle of November, however, the main room was filled with people, and the smell was suffocating. It’s not easy to access a shower when you don’t even have a home, and the people have to wear practically everything they own, so you end up with lots of people crowded into one room, each person dressed in multiple layers of clothing, and not a single person has showered in several days. I avoided wearing anything nice to the Center, like my leather coat—not because I thought I’d be mugged, but because I felt horrible exhibiting my own affluence around people so obviously down on their luck. The atmosphere is humbling, to say the least. I regret that my job didn’t have much social interaction. I was usually stuffing envelopes in Christina’s office, or making posters in a vacant upstairs room. I suppose it’s for the best, because I usually clam up when interacting with strangers. I helped with resident surveys one day, and while I had a wonderful conversation with one resident, Lamaar, no one else warmed up to me. Obviously, they know I’m “just a volunteer” and they know that I know that they’re homeless, so it’s not like they want to S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 discuss the stock market with me. I respect that. But with that in mind, I never really knew what else to say to them, so I didn’t say much. Christina and her officemate, Lisa, were wonderful, and I enjoyed sharing office time with them. It didn’t hurt that we liked the same music while working. Tom Lee was another staff member I looked forward to seeing. I haven’t the slightest idea if he knows me, but he worked the front desk when I would arrive, and he had a wonderful charisma about him, always whistling or singing to himself. Volunteering at the Drop Inn Center taught me that service isn’t always as simple as handing a person your coat. It has to be run as efficiently as a business, and it requires many employees. Sure, you just hand out food and blankets, but that only brings temporary relief. If you want to end homelessness, you have to find jobs and housing. I was never directly involved in the advocacy program, but it was all around me. The Drop Inn Center isn’t simply about getting people warm and fed; it’s about getting to know the residents and helping them as best you can. When Tom Lee would come down with a money deposit from one of the residents, Christina always knew who the person was, and why he or she wanted money, and frequently expressed satisfaction knowing that the person finally had some. The staff doesn’t know everyone’s history or even everyone’s name, but they care. You can tell they care because they come back to work every day. It’s sad knowing that there is a limit to how much they can do. It was awful, stuffing envelopes in the office, and hearing people discuss how temperamental the grants can be, and how hard they have to work GCCH News mentally ill, but all need healthcare. When we include all in the development and growth of our city, all will benefit. As a formerly homeless individual I serve as one of the CoChairs of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and I firmly believe that people of faith can bring about major changes in this fight to eradicate homelessness from our community. However, we must first care enough to act lovingly and justly toward the men, women, and children who experience homelessness in our community. I challenge you, the reader, (a person of faith) to do justice and walk humble with your God in this year of 2004. Call the Coalition at 4217803 and learn what you can do to help. His Humble Servant, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. The Evangelist to ensure that the money comes through. Even worse was doing resident surveys and hearing some people complain about everything the staff wasn’t doing, completely disregarding everything that had already been done. Though the work was frequently tedious, volunteering at the Drop Inn Center only strengthened my resolve to work for social harmony. I intend to continue volunteering, and possibly exploring other locations in need of assistance, such as ReSTOC and Peaslee. Seeing the little things that can be done for these organizations is inspiring, and I feel that it is my human responsibility to do as much as I can while I’m young and have the time and resources. I wish everyone could see what I’ve seen, because I don’t think homelessness is a reality to many of the middle-class. But it is a reality, and in a society where so many people live in obscene excess, it only makes sense that these people give a little back. I hope people step outside of their sheltered worlds to help this noble cause, but I hope they don’t expect to see immediate results; it’s an ongoing battle, and every miniscule step is a victory, whether or not one can see the effects. For this reason I intend to continue doing volunteer work throughout my life—it is a cause I feel strongly about, and a few months of my life is not enough. I hope to find plenty of volunteer opportunities in college, and I plan to teach music in underprivileged schools after graduating. My Personal Mission Statement; When one finds oneself with excess time, and in the position to maintain excess possessions, it becomes one’s moral obligation to share the wealth with those less fortunate in any possible way, whether large or small. Page 13 Page 13 �The Work of the Dead by Michael Henson In every life cut short, so many things are left undone. The dishes stacked and crusting in the sink. The dogs unfed. Three new strings on the guitar, the others still in their wrappers. The bedroom half-painted, one side fresh and glossy, the other a map of patching plaster islands. And the oil that really ought to be changed. And the letter unsent: it only needs a stamp and someone to walk it to the mailbox. And all the work of love: words and gestures still bundled in their little proud houses and the keys lay right on the table where we left them. And even the nation, this sprawling, addled nation: Such a tangle of dropped threads, interrupted projects, failed promises. Who will beat down the hammers of greed? Who will untangle the knots of deceit? Those whose lives have been cut short are crowded into their darkened theater where they watch us bawling and arguing like actors in an ancient drama. They watch us closely, for they want to know who will take on the unfinished work of the dead. Enjoy your life and be happy. Being happy is of the utmost importance. Success in anything is through happiness. More support of nature comes from being happy. Under all circumstances be happy, Even if you have to force it a bit, To change some long standing habits. Just think of any negativity that comes at you As a raindrop falling into the ocean of your bliss. You may not always have an ocean of bliss, But think that way anyway and it will help it to come. “Doubting is not blissful and does not create happiness. Be happy, healthy, and let all that love flow through your heart.” This sentiment is not original with me. The Maharishi said it back in 1987. It was good advice then and, at the beginning of 2004, it is still good advice. May the Blessings of God be yours today and everyday. peace J. Manigan Inseparable Hearts Morning: Frost still lines the grasses, still paints the gravel of the path. My shoes scuff loudly against the frozen gravel and a thicket gives up its startled finches as I pass. Further on, the sudden, harsh, cry of a hawk. Six times, she cries Seven times Eight times Nine times, Ten! The sun strikes gold beneath her wings. by D-Von Sanders by Mike Henson Oh how I miss you on lonely days like this, What I wouldn’t do for the comfort of your hug and kiss. What I wouldn’t give for the precious gifts your heart brings, Your love is more valuable than any material things. If I was an Angel, I would give up my wings just to have you by my side. If finding happiness requires directions then you must be my guide. they can have my pride, take away my silver plates and shiny gold; all I need is you to fill the empty space that’s been placed within my soul. Oh my Inseparable Heart, I will go far beyond places, I am told no man has gone before. As long as you are there my Inseparable Heart, to hold once I open the door! S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 The Corpse of the Crow by Michael Henson This bird must have borne his body lightly, for he weighs no more in my hands than a cupful of ash, no more than a husk, no more than my mother when she died, no more than a snatch of breath. I have no fear of him now, beak or claw; he does not growl at me, nor glare with his bright black eye, nor stump in a wounded circle, single-winged, more fearful of me than of the trucks of Eastern Avenue. Yet I hold him gingerly, so light in my hands, I feel he might float off, and with respect, as if he were a chalice (though I know this is from guilt for I could not save him. Clumsy, fearful, I know I made his dying harder). Now, I admire him closely in his undiluted blackness. For there is, I think, nothing blacker than the blackness of this tar-drop eye that glints with bright liquid light. And there is nothing blacker than the blackness of these feathers. Each barbule is alive with stark, black light: the mail of the breast, the broad black oars of the wings, the curtains of the throat, the tufted crest at the peak of the skull, the quilted layers that blanket the legs, and the small, intricate feathers that guard the eye, matted by what seems to be a single black tear. And I admire the perfect machinery of the beak, milled and crafted with the clean lines of a chisel. And the black-greaved, leathered legs, jointed like a crustacean and fitted with mechanical claws. I fold him, carefully, into bullet shape and place him, for burial, in the crotch of a tree. Broken ark Bird of warning Temple of cinders Casket of the lost voice. For information on submitting your poetry or art to STREETVIBES email Streetvibes@juno.com Art & Poetry Page 14 �Walk A Little Plainer Daddy Walk a little plainer daddy, Said a little boy so frail I’m following in your footsteps And I don’t want to fail. Sometimes your steps are very plain. Sometimes they are hard to see; So walk a little plainer daddy For you are leading me. I know that you once walked this way Many years ago. And what you did along the day I really like to know. For sometimes when I am tempted, I don’t know what to do. To walk a little plainer daddy For I must follow you. Someday when I’m grown up You are like I want to be. Then I will have a little boy Who will want to follow me. And I would want to lead him right And help him to be true. So walk a little plainer daddy For we must follow you. Soldiers Song by Gary Lehmann A soldier’s eyes slam open interrupting the dead of night like a bayonet in the belly. Ancient fears, forgotten features. His lady brings him water. “It’ll be all right now, honey.” SNAKE LORD WHY? Let me tell you about this girl named Sweet and Petite From heavens above you would think She is a precious gift. But in reality, she makes me sick. See, in her mind, she says she’s a witch. But down on earth we know her as a trick. Like fire and thunder, she often makes em wonder. You know, like Stevie Wonder Calling herself Queen Bee But in reality she lied to me. She’s the devil’s child, running wild makes herself an angel to light You know, smooth, like Dolomite. But it’s out of date, she’s always late Or, her name might be Gail, she’ll put You in living hell. Post with no bail. She’s too fat, she might break her back. Thinks she goes lovey-dovey, she’ a tell-o-tubby She’ll cut you up with her eyes. You got a date with cake and can’t be late. No, in reality, she’s just a snake. Thinking that her heart is made of steel. That girl needs to chill before somebody breaks her grill. She’s bad for your health. Get that poison off your chest and leave her to rest. Lord, why did you put me here to die, to burn, to learn? Lord, why did you put me here to die, in a world full with pain? What is there to gain in this wicked game? What is there to gain when your back is against the wall, and you constantly fall, when everytime you try to get by you fall on your face? What’s left to save the human race? What is there to gain when hope is gone and you are standing all alone? To burn in hell or die in a jail cell? When pain and sorrow, and it seems like no tomorrow, thinking back to the goodness we once had. It seems to me that the worlds is so sad when everybody professes to keep it so real when it comes down face to face. They hold their head down in disgrace in this wicked place. When everybody’s puffing on so much chronic smoke, it seems that life is one big joke. When kids play with guns thinking that this is a game of fun, and money rules the world, and its war and tears, and its man that they fear. Don’t they know the Savior is near? And the heavens open up and I heard a voice say “My son, what I said will be, so always keep your faith in me.” Then I said to the Lord, “Will I drown in the sea or weaken like a willow tree?” Then in reply, the Lord said to me, “Stay strong even if you stand alone.” So my brothers and sisters, we must have hearts like steel to keep it real, looking up to God’s beautiful grace in surrounding this wicked place. Shutter Speed by Jimmy Heath Ron English, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial March, Elm Street S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Art & Poetry Page 15 Page 15 �On the Homeless Front by Israel Bayer Twenty-six years after his turbulent experience in the jungles of Cambodia and Vietnam, Timothy Buchanan became homeless. It’s been nearly 32 years of hardship and anguish for a man who left the United States and traveled 10,000 miles to fight for his country in one of the longest conflicts our nation has ever known. Buchanan was exposed to the chemical Agent Orange on more than one occasion and has post traumatic stress disorder. He talks softly when he says, “I got peppered with that stuff (Agent Orange) over and over again. “I’ve been pretty unstable, due to stress and the streets, for a long time. I’ve dealt with flashbacks and nightmares since I left that place. I just started to talk about my experiences in the mid’90s, but now that I’m ready to let it all out, rarely do people want to listen.” The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that nearly 300,000 veterans are homeless on any given night in the United States. In addition, more than a half-million veterans experience homelessness in a given year, more than a dozen veterans are homeless or have experienced homelessness at street roots newspaper. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, there is a complex set of factors contributing to homelessness for U.S. veterans. A large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with the lingering effects of posttraumatic stress disorder and substance abuse, compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. With an estimated halfmillion who experience homelessness in a given year, the VA estimates that it reaches only 20 percent of those in need, leaving more than 400,000 veterans without services. The average time between soldiers coming home from Vietnam and then becoming homeless was about 12 years, according to Linda Boone, executive director of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. But “my gut instinct tells me that, because of the economy and the lack of affordable housing, there will be a significant difference in the time veterans start becoming homeless, compared to Vietnam War veterans,” said Boone. “Veterans are coming home much more abruptly than they did in Vietnam, it may be a lot harder to support your family with the economy the way it is,” she said. “We think there’s an opportunity to prevent homelessness with veterans.” Prevention starts at the Department of Defense, according to Boone, but she said it’s just not happening. Many homeless veterans and advocates in the field say veterans coming out of the military should be given the proper counseling and services needed to enter back into society. “If they would have admitted the damage Agent Orange would have done to me, and given me the proper therapy for being ‘on vacation’, if you Streetvibes Vendor: 70 cents Printing and Production: 30 cents know what I mean, then maybe I could have done better in this life. “I went as crazy as a bed bug after seeing what I saw. I was awful sick when I got back to the states, but I was no longer under any impression that we were saving the world from communism. I thought by going to war I could prove myself to be a man. I was raised on that John Wayne bull#$%@, and that’s exactly what it is — bull#$%@. “I think being homeless has a lot to do with my experience in Vietnam,” Buchanan said. “When I got back, the VA didn’t care about me. For years, I would go in to receive help and they would just call me a dope addict. I selfmedicated because of the constant pain I was in.” “I was hit four times by an AK in the first burst, and was hit once with friendly fire by the 2nd platoon as they came in from the rear. I got gangrene and then they cut my leg off a week later. “The thing that has always bothered me about all of this is that I couldn’t help feeling like the Red Coats, ya’ know,” Buchanan said. “We weren’t protecting anybody from anything. We were the invaders and we didn’t have a cause. The only cause was survival for soldiers and that’s a dangerous circumstance to be in.” According to the Indiana School of Medicine, during the Vietnam War, psychological breakdowns on the battlefield were as low as 12 per 1,000. But in 1973, when direct American troop involvement in Vietnam ended, the number of veterans with psychiatric disorders began to increase Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. tremendously. They began to show symptoms such as intense anxiety, battle dreams, depression, and problems with interpersonal relationships long after their combatant role in the Vietnam War had ceased. Some advocates believe that a more progressive system could be put into place to deal with substance abusers, especially for vets who may have come home with an addiction, like many did from Vietnam. “You shouldn’t have a system that punishes vets on the streets for using,” said one advocate who declined to be named. “It’s a system that punishes people who have seen horrific things or who may be in extreme pain for using a drug to selfmedicate. It’s crooked and wrong. Who are we to say, ‘We’re very proud you went and risked your life for your country, but because you’re a user the punishments will be prison and homelessness.” “We are seeing more Gulf War veterans on the streets in Portland,” says Don Hanson, a Vietnam vet and the career services coordinator with Central City Concern. “In some cases, Gulf War Syndrome is playing a part. Some were probably exposed to chemicals, and the VA is recognizing that more and more. There are a lot of diseases attached to Vietnam and the Gulf War.” Of the 697,000 U.S. troops who served during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, more than 100,000 have registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense, saying they have health concerns. While most of these veterans have been diagnosed with a variety of conditions, more than 154,000, or about 20 percent of those examined, have undiagnosed symptoms, which commonly include fatigue, muscle and joint pains, headaches, memory loss, skin rash, diarrhea and sleep disturbances. There’s no record of how many people are on the streets from the Persian Gulf War or any other conflict the United States has been involved in. “There’s more and more people who are on the streets since the Vietnam era, and that’s probably since some of us are dying out,” says Hanson. Reprinted from street roots, Portland, Oregon, November 2003. Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Editorial Page 16 �More on Homeless Veterans by Israel Bayer News & Editorial gallon drums in which it was stored. Other herbicides, including Agent White and Agent Blue, were also used in Vietnam to a much lesser extent. Between 1961 and 1971, the U.S. military in South Vietnam used more than 19 million gallons of herbicides for defoliation and crop destruction. Several types and combinations of chemicals were used but Agent Orange was the most commonly applied, specifically between January 1965 and April 1970. Herbicides other than Agent Orange were used in Vietnam prior to 1965, but to a very limited extent. Some of the herbicides applying. Source: The Department of Veterans Affairs If the trial of Agent Orange is any measure, it could be decades before the United States and the VA acknowledge what veterans and their families say is a very real disability: “Gulf War Syndrome.” Gulf War Syndrome The VA calls Gulf War Syndrome a non-scientific label used to describe the unexplained illnesses characterized by fatigue, joint pain, skin rash, memory loss and/or diarrhea. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, panels of experts have agreed that the group of veterans suffering affected by disasters such as earthquakes and airplane crashes, The Evolution of Postand are now referred to as postTraumatic Stress Disorder traumatic stress syndrome. Post-Traumatic Stress Source: Indiana School of Syndrome is a very new term. It Medicine was only in World War I that Agent Orange psychiatric syndromes first came Thirty years after its use, to be associated with military the United States finally combat. Until then, it was acknowledged the application and assumed that such causalities potentially devastating affects of were due to cowardice or lack of the defoliant known as Agent discipline. World War I found Orange. This recognition may that the explosion of shells caused open the door to services for not just physiological damage but many veterans suffering the also symptoms called ‘shell effects of toxic exposure. shock,’ and that there was a Viewed as disability, the connection between psychological chronic and debilitating affects of stress and combat. toxic exposure to Agent Orange During World War II, can be an obstacle to psychiatric causalities increased veterans trying to Statistics on homeless veterans: by 300 percent over World War I. return to civilian life. — 23 percent of the homeless population are veterans At one point in the war, the It is also another number of men being evacuated disability that for psychiatric reasons exceeded aggravates a stable life — 33 percent of the male homeless population are veterans the total number of new recruits. and can lead to During the Korean War, a homelessness. — 47 percent are from the Vietnam era new method of dealing with In September psychiatric breakdown was 2000, VA recognized devised. Instead of evacuating that Agent Orange was — 17 percent are from post-Vietnam era affected individuals, they were used in Korea in the given immediate onsite treatment late 1960’s and — 15 percent are pre-Vietnam era so that they could return to duty as approved Agent soon as possible. Evacuations Orange examinations — 67 percent served three or more years due to psychiatric reasons for U.S. veterans who Source: National Coalition for Homeless Veterans dropped from 23 percent in World served in Korea in War II, to 6 percent in the Korean 1968 or 1969. In from the purported syndrome is used in the early years contained War. March 2001, it was ordered that probably not suffering from a greater concentrations of dioxin, During the Vietnam War, those examinations be made battlefield breakdown was as low available to all other veterans who according to the Department of single, common ailment, but rather from a variety of illnesses as 12 per thousand. But in 1973, may have been exposed to dioxin Veterans Affairs. Spraying with overlapping symptoms. occurred in all four military zones when direct American troop or other toxic substances in a involvement in Vietnam ended, Gulf War Syndrome has of Vietnam. Heavily sprayed herbicide or defoliant during the areas included inland forests near been attributed to a number of the number of veterans with conduct of or as the result of sources, including exposure to the demarcation zone; inland psychiatric disorders began to testing, transporting, or spraying increase tremendously. They radiation from depleted uranium forests at the junction of the of herbicides for military used in artillery, side-effects of borders of Cambodia, Laos, and began to show symptoms such as purposes. anti-biological immunizations, South Vietnam; inland forests intense anxiety, battle dreams, Agent Orange was a depression, and problems with and biological weapons. north and northwest of Saigon; herbicide used in Vietnam to kill The VA says that a number mangrove forests on the interpersonal relationships long unwanted plants and to remove of potential causes have been southernmost peninsula of after their combatant role in the leaves from trees that otherwise and mangrove forests Vietnam War had ceased. investigated, but no single theory Vietnam; provided cover for the enemy. appears likely to explain all of the These symptoms were The name, “Agent Orange,” came along major shipping channels southeast of Saigon. undiagnosed conditions. linked to those shown by people from the orange stripe on the 55Some Vietnam veterans In tens of thousands of get disability compensation for protocol medical examinations of Agent Orange-related illnesses. Persian Gulf veterans to date, the VA pays disability compensation VA and the Department of to Vietnam veterans with injuries Defense medical authorities say Advertise in Streetvibes! or illnesses incurred in or they have found no evidence of aggravated by their military infectious diseases beyond the Reach thousands of service. Veterans do not have to range of illnesses common in the downtown workers prove that Agent Orange caused population at large. Research each month! their medical problems to be studies now in progress will eligible for compensation. provide more scientific answers to Rather, VA must determine that this question, but no rigorous, Call 421-7803 for more the disability is “servicereproducible research to date has information about how connected.” A Veterans Services established that Gulf War Representative, at a VA medical veterans’ illnesses are caused by advertising in center or regional office, can an infectious agent. Streetvibes will work explain the compensation Source: Department of Veterans program in greater detail and Affairs for your business.... assist veterans who need help in Extra! Extra! S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Veteran News Page 17 Page 17 �The Iraqis Who Hated Saddam Hate the Americans More by Paul McGeough In Khaldiyah, it’s a war of nerves. A three-meter-deep crater marks the explosion point of a careering car bomb that the local police knew was inevitable. Just across and down a highway that cuts through this small town west of Baghdad is the home of a man the US suspects could help bring an end to these relentless attacks tribal sheik Fanar Al-Kharbit. As black smoke cleared over Khaldiyah and its dusty main street was swept of body parts, shattered glass and clothing now reduced to singed rags, locals went through the grim ritual of tallying the dead - more than a dozen policemen, at least one student from a nearby school, a fruit vendor, a few other streetstallholders and a man who worked in a nearby sewage control office. Acutely aware that he is 120 times more likely to die than his counterpart on the beat in New York, police officer Khalid Hammed said: “The best thing the US can do for us is pull out.” Like other guerilla conflicts, Iraq has become a war of attrition. Super self-protection by the Americans makes them a difficult target. So the insurgents turn more on Iraqis who are seen to be helping the US - police and security workers, the judiciary and local political leaders. The number of attacks against the US is down, but this doesn’t mean that the security situation is any less fraught. While the American forces are poised defensively, like a coiled spring, and while fear grips that portion of the Iraqi people that doesn’t necessarily support the resistance, it is impossible for the US to pull Iraq out of the social and economic chaos that makes many Iraqis hunger for what they remember as the day-to-day orderliness of Saddam’s Iraq. There is little doubt that as a sheik in the Sunni hotbed between Ramadi and Faluja, Fanar Al-Kharbit knows more than he lets on. And there’s the rub: the US has him pegged as a potential source of what it likes to call “actionable intelligence”, but it doesn’t have enough to pull him in. American tanks have rumbled into his walled compound on the banks of the Euphrates River no fewer than seven times in the past few weeks, soldiers tumbling out to rummage through his home while, he says, telling him all the time to “shut up”. The sheik is still full of hard talk, but those who know him say he is a shadow of his former self. Reputed to be one of the richest men in Iraq, he used to strut in crisp traditional dress and hobnob with the most senior elements of the regime. Saddam was a frequent guest at his table until a falling out over business in the early ’90s. Now he is ill-kempt and gaunt. “In the first few months relations with the US were friendly, but now they are trying to provoke me,” he said, pointing to the charred remains of reed beds by the Euphrates, which he said he had been ordered to burn so that his activities might be observed more closely from US observation posts. “This is not liberation, it is an occupation. People are very tired after Saddam’s three wars. I’m worried if the Americans keep attacking me, that my tribe will react - but for now I have told my people not to cause trouble.” The difficulty for Fanar AlKharbit is that in running Saddam into ground, the Americans have displayed a new understanding of Iraqi tribalism and how it dovetails with the resistance. The latest resistance attacks and US arrests - including nine who were described by the officer in charge of Saddam’s detention, Major-General Ray Odierno, as “mid-level operatives: financiers, organisers, arms suppliers” underscore the fluid structure and make-up of the opposition that confronts the US in Iraq. US officials insist that the strategic direction comes from Izzat Ibrahim Al-Duri, a longserving Saddam lieutenant whose family properties overlook the farm on which Saddam was dragged from his burrow and who this week became the most senior official of the former regime still on the run. But hampered by poor communications, the evidence suggests great local autonomy and a degree of friction between several competing resistance groups with varying agendas, but all of which are bent on causing trouble for the US. There are Baath Party loyalists, some of whose ardour might be diluted by the finality of Saddam’s capture. But there are also dozens of locally run cells that claim to be vehemently antiSaddam and to be driven by nationalism and a need to protect their huge natural resources especially oil - from what they see as an American grab. Then there are the foreign fighters claimed by the US to be in the service of al-Qaeda and one of its offshoots, Ansar al-Islam. These so-called jihadists come from across the Arab world and are thought most likely to be the parties behind the wave of suicide bombings that started in the summer with the attack on the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad. Responsibility is never claimed for the bombings. The US variously lays the blame at the feet of the foreign terror groups or the Baath Party loyalists. Co-ordination between the resistance groups is little understood, but it is thought to be erratic. Now, some Iraqi villages are being encircled with barbed wire. Only those Iraqis with USissued identity cards may come and go; the relatives of suspected insurgents are being detained and, in some cases, their homes are being demolished. And the Americans are being urged to mirror the Israelis’ extensive West Bank and Gaza informants’ network, which has underpinned the Israeli campaign of summary execution for terror suspects - but which has failed to end the violence or advance the peace. After the Americans’ widely criticised decision to disband, rather than attempt to harness the better elements of the Iraqi military and intelligence services, the US now is calling for help from veterans of Saddam’s feared mukhabarat - the secret police. Also, it is trying to enlist former Iraqi servicemen into the new Iraqi army. But it has suffered a major embarrassment with the revelation that more than one-third of the first Iraqi battalion in training had gone AWOL - only days before it was to begin active service. The US now boasts that it has deployed or is training a greater number of Iraqi security forces than there are US forces in the country - almost 160,000. But they have a way to go. Apart from the campaign of fear by bombing, the police are subjected to near-ritualistic humiliation in the total refusal of city motorists and others to acknowledge their authority; they are widely accused of threatening bogus charges against motorists who refuse to offer bribes and those who are posted at service stations to control angry petrol queues often sell pole position on the queue to the highest bidder. Anger simmers at the prospect of a long wait for adequate supplies of electricity, petrol and cooking gas. If the US stays the course with its timetable for a fully elected new Iraqi government, it could be years before it can be demonstrated that Iraqis are in control of Iraq. Delays on both fronts create a perfect environment for guerilla war. Whatever he is up to, and however dispirited Fanar AlKharbit appears, it seems that the sheik wants to keep punching. Returning to his place against the wall in the pale afternoon sun, he said: “I’ve told the Americans to get out of my neighbourhood. They wouldn’t be here if I was a leader of the mujahideen. And if they keep going like this, a lot more US soldiers will die.” Prisoners Advocacy Committee — Ohio PO Box 1746 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201-1746, or submit a prisoner’s name and jail number at cleves1947@yahoo.com Finding pen-pals for people incarcerated in jails throughout Ohio. Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 Editorial Page 18 �FRAC - Food Research and Action Center News FOOD STAMP PARTICIPATION INCREASES IN OCTOBER 2003 TO MORE THAN 23.3 MILLION PERSONS; IS MORE THAN 6.4 MILLION PERSONS HIGHER THAN IN JULY 2000 (January 7, 2003) Participation in the Food Stamp Program in October 2003 (the latest data available) increased by 608,748 persons from the previous month, to 23,315,024 persons. Some of this increase was due to continuing high rates of joblessness, states improving access, and the effects of the food stamp reauthorization implementation. But a majority of the growth in October over September was in recipients of Hurricane Isabel disaster relief. Excluding states that received disaster relief and Alaska, the overall one month increase becomes 1.2 percent instead of 2.7 percent. The October 2003 level of Food Stamp Program participation represented a rise of almost 3.2 million persons compared to the October 2002 level and more than 6.4 million persons since July, 2000 (when program participation nationally reached its lowest point in the last decade). http://www.frac.org/html/ news/fsp/03oct.html FOOD STAMP PROGRAM CONTINUES TO EXPAND DUE TO USDA EFFORTS (GovExec.com, January 5, 2004) Only 62 percent of those who are eligible for food stamps currently participate in the program. When the TANF law was passed in 1996 there were almost 26 million people enrolled in the Food Stamp Program. By 2000 that number had dropped to about 17 million. Many of the people who left TANF and got jobs were still relying on emergency food assistance providers for food. Advocates, program administrators and politicians alike saw the dramatic drop in the program as a cause for concern. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been working to simplify the program, improve access and fund outreach efforts. States have also been encouraged to loosen their asset requirements and ease the application process. However, some states have put cost-cutting to rein in budget deficits ahead of program improvements. “It still takes a bit of [state] money to bring in a lot of [federal] money,” said James Weill, president of FRAC. The efforts have begun to make a difference: from September 2001 to September 2003 participation jumped 27 percent to 22.7 million persons. http://www.govexec.com/ dailyfed/0104/010504nj1.htm percent). Many states have had to cut spending to reconcile their budgets. Defeat of a tax increase in Oregon will result in the “end [of] the Oregon Health Plan as we know it,” said Peter Bragdon, the governor’s chief of staff. Thirtyfour states have cut spending on Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program over the past two years. http:// www.nytimes.com/2004/01/05/ national/05STAT.html (free registration required) COLUMN: WITH CHILD POVERTY RATES HIGHER THAN MOST INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS, U.S. GOVERNMENT MUST SUPPORT NEEDY (Washington Post, December 21, 2003) In this column, Timothy M. Smeeding, director of the Luxembourg Income Study of OBESITY EPIDEMIC MAKES relative poverty rates in developed HEADLINES IN 2003, countries, points out that we still EXPERTS SAY HEALTHY have a child poverty rate that is EATING AT SCHOOLS IS significantly higher than in wealthy IMPORTANT (Post-Gazette, European nations, Canada and Pittsburgh, PA, January 1, 2004) Australia. “We in America have America’s obesity epidemic high child poverty rates because we grabbed headlines around the choose to, not because we cannot nation in 2003. The Centers for do anything Disease about it.” Control and Not only are more American Not only are Prevention children poor, many live in extreme more estimate poverty, despite that fact that lowAmerican that 60 income single mothers in the U.S. children percent of work more hours than do single poor, many Americans mothers in any other wealthy nation, are either live in putting them at risk for hunger and extreme overweight poverty, making it harder for them to ever or obese, despite the and 15 escape from poverty. “Poor children fact that percent of in France, Germany and the Nordic low-income 6- to 19countries are six times more likely to single year-olds escape poverty than their American mothers in are counterparts.” the U.S. overweight, work more which is hours than do single mothers in any almost three times the number from other wealthy nation, putting them 1980. Dr. J. Michael McGinnis of at risk for hunger and making it the Robert Wood Johnson harder for them to ever escape Foundation points out that the from poverty. “Poor children in current epidemic foreshadows a France, Germany and the Nordic future health crisis. “We may be countries are six times more likely raising the first generation of to escape poverty than their children that is sicker and dies American counterparts.” http:// younger then their parents. The www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp- sheer availability of food has led dyn?pagename=article&node people to graze throughout the day =&contentId=A16659-2003Dec19 on foods that are largely nutrientpoor and calorie-rich.” http:// AFTER THREE YEARS AND www.post-gazette.com/localnews/ $200 BILLION IN 20040101closeup0101p4.asp CUMULATIVE BUDGET SHORTFALLS, WORST MAY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY BE OVER FOR STATES, BUT OF PEDIATRICS STRESS WILL CONTINUE RECOMMENDS THAT (New York Times, January 5, SCHOOLS CONSIDER 2003) Tax revenues in most states RESTRICTING SOFT DRINK rose slightly in the second half of SALES (American Academy of 2003 for the first time since midPediatrics, Press Release, January 2001, ending three straight years of 5, 2004) In a policy statement, the budget shortfalls totaling $200 American Academy of Pediatrics billion. Slow job growth and rising recommends that school districts health costs will continue to stress consider restricting the sale of soft state budgets. The past three years drinks to prevent health problems represented a dramatic change in that result from over consumption. budget realities for many states. The Academy points to the Compared to the last recession in relationship between increased risk 1991, when states raised taxes by of overweight and obesity and 5.4 percent over the previous increased sugared soft drink year’s tax collections, taxes were consumption. They note that, as raised much less in 2003 (by 1.5 soft drink consumption increases, S T R E E T V I B E S February, 2004 FRAC News milk consumption decreases. They recommend that schools stock nutritious alternatives such as water, real fruit juices and low-fat milks to preserve funds from vending machines. In addition, the Academy recommends that soft drinks not be sold in competition with the National School Lunch Program. http://www.aap.org/ advocacy/releases/ jansoftdrinks.htm For the entire policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics:http:// www.aap.org/policy/s010119.html PRESIDENT OF CONSUMERS UNION URGES PARENTS TO CHALLENGE VENDING CONTRACTS WITH SCHOOLS, EMPHASIZE NUTRITIOUS CHOICES (Consumer Reports, January 2004) In this editorial, Jim Guest, president of Consumers Union, which publishes “Consumer Reports,” urges parents to challenge soft drink vending contracts between schools and beverage manufacturers in order to emphasize nutritious choices for school children. Noting that few states have laws regulating such contracts, Guest points out that it is up to parents and individual school districts to monitor what is being sold to students while at school. http://www.consumer reports.org/main/detailv4.jsp? CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id%20= 3719159F3EB50-4AD9-4D1AB029-1C55C5888754 MODEL WORKFARE SERVICES PROGRAM IN UTAH MAKES EFFORT TO INCREASE ACCESS TO FOOD STAMPS (Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT, January 5, 2004) Utah’s Department of Workfare Services has been highlighted as a model for the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which requires all local workforce areas to develop a system to deliver federally funded employment and some public assistance programs at one location. In a report by the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Utah office was found to be a model program but still needed improvement in raising awareness of clients to public benefits available at the site. The low level of food stamp participation by clients (who are leaving the TANF program) was also shown as a concern. Since the report was released over a year ago, Utah has made efforts to increase access to food stamps. http:// www.sltrib.com/2004/jan/ 01052004/business/126235.asp FRAC’s web site is http://www.frac.org Page 19 Page 19 �TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) 357-4602 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 861-1111 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 Need Help or Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome House 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 $1 Donation February 2004 Streetvibes BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY Cover Story Riverfront Campers Receive Settlement From Covington Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2004 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 2004 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Homeless Men Receive Settlement from City of Covington Keeping the Dream Alive in Cincinnati Pg 2: A New Year’s Challenge to a City Pg 3: Homeless News Digest Some Irreverent Thoughts on Religion Pg 4: Myths Breed Neglect, Violence Against Cincinnati’s Homeless Pg 5: Can You Force the Homeless into Shelters? Pg 6: The Peace Village Pg 7: How Do We Treat Our Fellow Man? Spirit of MLK Celebrated Pg 8: Vendors Pg 9: Making Shelters Safe for All Genders Pg 10: People Tell George Bush “Move-On”! Pg 11: Donate Pg 12: Now at Public Library; Through Our Eyes Pg 13: Words from the Evangelist Sheltered White Girl’s Eyes Opened by Shelter Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 16: Editorial Pg 17: More on Homeless Veterans Pg 18: The Iraqis Who Hated Saddam Hate the Americans More Pg 19: FRAC Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 2004 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Andy Erickson Brendan Goodwin Mary Gaffney Elizabeth Linville Jimmy Heath Berta Lambert Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Brendan Goodwin Bush Cincinnati Covington Editorials Elizabeth Linville Evangelist Food Research FRAC GCCH Gender Equality George Bush Georgine Getty Iraq Jimmy Heath Martin Luther King Jr. Mary Gaffney memorial MLK New Years Peace Village Public Library Religion Saddam veterans Violence https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/9fd0c3ac07968025af3dbb2b0a9012ea.pdf b71d8ac370d38ba32d2cb268c5c9e0a4 PDF Text Text February, 2005 STREETVIBES Martin Luther King Jr. Remembered and Honored in Cincinnati story and photos by Jimmy Heath Temperatures were well below freezing, but several hundred people who attended the 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorative event downtown Monday, January 17th, were unfazed by the cold weather. The tri-state’s observance of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday included many events - a public gathering at Fountain Square, speeches and a march to Music Hall for music and remembrance. The Music Hall portion of the event was emceed by local television personality and former candidate for mayor, Courtis Fuller. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Chorale, led by Catherine Roma performed traditional spirituals and gospel music. Around the country events were held to celebrate and remember the legacy of Martin Luther King. San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium was packed with adults and children honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On the 19th anniversary of the remembrance hundreds made their way to the auditorium at the Civic Center to hear from American Idol finalist Latoya London, the Glide Ensemble, and U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee. Martin Luther King Jr. was honored for the 10th year by community leaders in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Guest speakers included Mayor Heartwell, Police Chief Harry Dolan, and Rev. David May, who spoke about unity and the racial divide in our community. Rev. May says Grand Rapids has made progress, but still has a long way to go before the dream is realized. “All of the statistical information squarely puts us as one of the most segregated divided communities in the country and so that speaks volumes in terms of where we need to go. But it also doesn’t mean that nothing has been done, there are gains that have been made in our city, but we just have leaps and bounds of progress that we need to make.” President Bush spent part of the Martin Luther King holiday praising the secretary of state. Colin Powell and his wife Alma were given the John Thompson Legacy of a Dream Award during a “Let Freedom Ring” celebration at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Bush called the Powells “among the most admired people in our country.” As secretary of State, Bush said Colin Powell “became one of the most effective and admired diplomats in America’s history.’’ The president noted that besides rising to the top in the military, Powell has been an official in the administration of six presidents. Bush also praised Martin Luther King Junior. He said King made this country a different and better place when he could have had an easy life in a respected pulpit. Many people know first hand that the work that eventually took King’s life still goes on today. But the challenges that human rights workers face now are bigger than ever. March from Fountain Square to Music Hall MLK Cont. on page 8 Hundreds gather in the cold on Fountain Square to honor MLK Marching on 12th Street to Music Hall in Over-the-Rhine Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �Streetvibes Streetvibes, the Tri­ State’s alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. Vendors are private contractors who DO NOT work for, or represent, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homleess. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Allison Leeuw - Administrative Coordinator Andy Erickson - Education Coordinator Rachel Lawson - Civil Rights VISTA Kate McManus - Civil Rights VISTA Janice Faulkner - Receptionist Mary Gaffney - Receptionist Streetvibes Jimmy Heath, Editor Photographers Jimmy Heath, Berta Lambert Cover by Jimmy Heath ­ Memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, delivered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://cincihomeless.org Page 2 Politics Drive Taser Policy at juvenile suspects 52 times last year, only three of the juveniles had by Jimmy Heath suggested that some officers were too weapons. Most of the children described in these episodes were In December of 2003, a quick to resort to the weapons. divided City Council voted in favor of In Illinois, a pregnant woman involved in relatively minor incidents for which other measures could have equipping every police officer with a lost her baby after being Tased. In been taken to de-escalate the Taster despite the feelings of many Portland, an out-of-court settlement situation. residents had that the stun-gun would for excessive force was reached in The vote has been be misused. Mayor Charlie Luken favor of a blind and hard-of-hearing deadlocked (4 against the proposal, pushed for the spending of $1 million woman after she was injured in a 4 in favor) because of the slow to equip each Cincinnati police officer Taser incident. In an Arizona with a Taser stun gun. incident, an unarmed suspect in a tree appointment of Chris Monzel to City Council, a seat vacated by Pat More than 5,000 US law was Tased. The fall resulted in a DeWine, who has gone on to serve enforcement agencies are currently head injury and a lawsuit against the as a county commissioner. Chris using Tasers; dart-firing electro-shock city of Tucson. weapons designed to cause instant A court-appointed monitor of Monzel is reportedly against the proposal so he, in theory, supports incapacitation by delivering a 50,000 the Cincinnati police department has the police use of Tasers against volt shock. Tasers are hand-held told a federal judge that the police aggressive 7 year-old children. electronic stun guns which fire two don’t always follow proper What is in the minds of barbed darts up to a distance of 20 procedures when using Tasers. feet, which remain attached to the gun Included in the improper uses people who would allow police to Tase second-graders? It may be an by wires. The fish-hook like darts are shocking suspects more than issue of political greed. The support are designed to once or trying to shoot of the police union is important in this penetrate up to two suspects with more than city if you want to get anywhere in inches of the target’s one stun gun. clothing or skin and During their first year Cincinnati politics. Restricting or criticizing the deliver a high-voltage, in use in Cincinnati in police in Cincinnati suggests that you low amperage 2004, Tasers were are anti-cop, and that is political electro-shock along deployed 629 times by suicide. The police culture is insulated copper Cincinnati police. The Jimmy Heath determined to keep their power on wires. weapons immobilized the streets. And rest assured, the In some suspects in 527 of those police union has a long memory come police departments, Tasers have incidents. Tasers have led to a 37 election time. become the most prevalent force percent drop in injuries to suspects, I don’t see why it has to be a tool. They have been used against and an 88 percent drop in injuries to battle in the first place. The police unruly schoolchildren, unarmed officers. But, use of force incidents are preoccupied with “subduing mentally disturbed or intoxicated by police has reportedly increased. suspects” and they hold on to this individuals, suspects fleeing minor Critics say the police are using the power dearly. Being a cop in any city crime scenes and people who argue Tasers in situations where no force with police or fail to comply was required in the first place, simply is a dangerous and scary business, but City Council has a responsibility immediately with a command. to overcome resistance to arrest. Several police agencies Now Cincinnati City Council to its citizens, especially kids. Police like Taser guns across the country have announced is in the midst of a debate on the that they will restrict their use of police use of Tasers against children. because they are easy to carry, usable at a distance and capable of Tasers following reviews which The proposal, introduced by immobilizing a target without, Councilmember Christopher allegedly, causing permanent injury. Smitherman, would ban the use of The statistics show that police police stun guns against suspects shooting of unarmed subjects has younger than 11. The current limit is fallen. But using Tasers against age 7. So far, the youngest child unarmed children is repugnant. Tased by Cincinnati police was 12 God forbid, a 7 year-old is years old. Tased and faces irreparable brain The first and second City Council votes on the issue resulted in damage or dies as a result of being zapped with 50,000 volts. If this a stalemate last month between the happens City Council members will eight sitting council members. Cincinnati Police Officers are have more to worry about than the New data reveals that armed with a Taser, similar to although Cincinnati police fired Tasers police union come election time. this one Violence can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by violence. Any man who has once proclaimed violence as his method is inevitably forced to take the lie as his principle. Alexander Solzhenitsyn Writing saved me from the sin and inconvenience of violence. Alice Walker Democracy don’t rule the world, you better get that in your head; this world is ruled by violence, but I guess that’s better left unsaid. Bob Dylan Streetvibes �Homeless News Digest Those who won’t go to a shelter are given a warm drink, extra blankets or sleeping bags. In Paterson, N.J authorities say frigid temperatures were likely to blame for the death of a homeless man whose body was found behind a school building last month. The 42-year-old man was discovered by a man who lived with him behind the school district’s Office of Special Programs building. Police Lt. Anthony Traina said temperatures were well below freezing during the period in which the man died. The homeless man’s name was not released because his family hadn’t been notified, Traina said. The man had a daughter who lives in Poland, where he was born, but investigators could not immediately determine if he had any local relatives. An autopsy was to be conducted, but Traina said the cold was likely responsible. There were no signs of violence or trauma to the man’s body. ee tvib es Streetvibes Last month a homeless man was flown to Delray Medical Center after he was found lying in a Burger King parking lot in suburban West Palm Beach, Florida with serious stab wounds. Burger King employees called the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office about 5 a.m. after finding him lying in the back of the lot at 1800 S. Military Trail. When authorities arrived, the man, identified as William Jarrett, denied he had been in a fight and appeared unaware he had been stabbed, sheriff’s spokesman Paul Miller said. Jarrett, described as being in his 40s, appeared intoxicated at the time. His injuries are not considered life threatening, Miller said. Str The Washington D.C. government is getting set to close another homeless shelter. The Washington Post Compiled by Jimmy Heath services, the plan will be heavy on reported that the Franklin School in providing permanent housing and Northwest will soon be sold to a The political pendulum services, rather than simply giving developer and the homeless people swung in favor of the homeless emergency shelter. living in the building will be moved. last month after the San Diego The philosophy today moves A spokesman for the mayor City Council gave a local nonprofit the go-ahead to propose away from the model of the past that acknowledged that closing the shelter just put people in homeless shelters, will be a “contentious issue.” Chris a second shelter in town. Bender said there will be sufficient The move ended a 50-minute Siedhoff said. “It was merely warehousing people without providing beds in other shelters to make up for debate for which 31 people showed any services that might enable people the closing. up in support of North County The city has taken a lot of Solutions for Change, an agency that to escape the cycle of homelessness,” Siedhoff said. heat from homeless advocates for opened a facility for homeless families “It enabled people to selling the building that housed the in November and wanted to add a maintain a certain lifestyle of Randall Shelter to the Corcoran location in December. homelessness that was not beneficial Gallery of Art late last year. Councilman Steve Gronke to those individuals or the Bender said the city should said he was proud of Vista’s community,” Siedhoff said. “We’re decide within the next few weeks involvement in helping the homeless, optimistic that our plan will be able to how the Franklin School will be but that the city had done enough. accomplish what it sets out to do, redeveloped. He calls it an He cited a staff report showing Vista with some exceptions.” “extraordinary” piece of real estate had allocated $760,000 to various that is doing nothing more than outreach programs since 2002 and In the Los Angeles area, a “collecting dust.” helped fund the central Vista facility of homeless man was killed when the Solutions for Change. hillside where his tent was pitched In Homewood Illinois, no Gronke also accused Solutions for Change president Chris gave way. The landslide came as the headstone rises over Reta West endured the fifth straight day of Reingruber’s freshly covered Megison of building an “empire” of rain and snow, part of a storm grave at the Homewood homeless shelters that would attract expected to continue through Memorial Gardens cemetery in the wrong homeless crowds. Wednesday and just the latest in a suburban Chicago. “This is just one of the many series that has buffeted the region Reingruber is among the things that will happen as you since before New Year’s Day. seven-thousand homeless and continue to build your empire,” indigent buried in common graves at Gronke said. In Lansing, Michigan the the cemetery. The graves are set Megison said the needs of the homeless still exist, and that adding a recent chilly weather is creating a back from the adorned family plots with their finely polished headstones facility is part of the agency’s strategic deadly situation for those with no home to go to. One homeless man that read “Our Beloved” and “Rest in plan. He also accused Gronke of has already died from hypothermia in Peace.” never visiting one of the agency’s Detroit. In the winter, many homeless The 45-year-old woman died shelters, which Gronke flatly denied. men in Lansing turn to the Lansing in August and was kept in Cook County’s morgue for five months The Los Angeles Board of City Rescue mission for shelter. Though the 24 beds at the before she was buried along with 22 Supervisors approved spending shelter are full all year long, mission other people whose bodies no $1.5 million last month to help as Executive Director Mark Criss says relatives ever claimed. They are the many as 2,000 homeless families latest reminders of what cemetery on welfare find temporary shelter. in the winter the beds alone are not enough, but instead of turning people owner Tom Flynn calls the “forgotten The money will be used to away, they put mats down on the people.” provide hotel vouchers that families floor. Homeless advocates say can collect from the Los Angeles “We’re never too full, we more could be done to connect these Homeless Services Authority through have room, find room anywhere to forgotten dead with relatives or June, 2005. lay people so they’re not sleeping friends so they don’t have to lie In addition, the board outside.” unclaimed for months and be given allocated $60,000 to identify other While the beds and mats are anonymous mass burials at the homeless families and children who normally enough to accommodate the cemetery. do not get the aid they qualify for. number of people through most of the winter, Criss says when the Australian police believe a If you can imagine temperatures drop below zero even homeless man was beaten to Downtown St Louis without any more come in. death in an inner-city Brisbane homeless, you can imagine park as 40 other homeless people success for a regional plan to end drank and played touch football In Ottawa, Canada, the chronic homelessness within 10 Salvation Army outreach van is nearby. years. Officers are seeking to The soon-to-be released plan making the rounds helping the city’s homeless during the frigid interview every member of the group will detail steps to be taken to see after the 54-year-old was found weather that there will be few hardcore People living on the streets unconscious in a dimly lit area of a homeless people in the city and are considered more vulnerable, often park at Kuripla Point, West End. county by the year 2015. suffering from frostbite or Ambulance crews tried to revive the According to William hypothermia during these winter days. man but he died at the scene. Siedhoff, city director of human A large group of homeless people had been playing touch football and drinking in the park at the time, regional crime coordinator acting Detective Inspector Geoff Sheldon today said. “There were a large number of people present at the time and we’re trying to locate as many witnesses as we can to find out exactly what did occur last night,” Inspector Sheldon said. Support Your Vendor Buy Streetvibes Page 3 �Berta’s Art Corner... Urban Tree, on top the Terrace Hotel, downtown Cincinnati, Ohio Show your support! Get your STREETVIBES T-Shirt Today! Sometime in your life, hope that you might see one starved man, the look on his face when the bread finally arrives. Hope that you might have baked it or bought or even kneaded it yourself. For that look on his face, for your meeting his eyes across a piece of bread, you might be willing to lose a lot, or suffer a lot, or die a little, even. - Daniel Berrigan, SJ 20 YEARS SERVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD (Back shown here. Shirt not actual size) Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education Only $15 We will send your Streetvibes T-shirt to your door ­ All proceeds benefit the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and the Streetvibes newspaper. Call 513.421.7803 x 16, or come in to our office at 117 E 12th Street in Over-the-Rhine Page 4 Streetvibes Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 �Train Hopping Squeegee Punks by Rodney Graham I t was raining that day, so they had taken shelter under a bridge. The beer was flowing freely and there was carnival atmosphere there. It was like a family reunion, as young men and women who had not met in months or years shared adventure stories. They seemed to have a special family type bond. Woody Guthrie could be heard wailing away from someone’s ghetto blaster. Later on, as everyone got more sauced, a few of the boys began singing King of the Road. None of them knew all the words to it though. Not much opportunity to interview there, but it was entertaining nonetheless. The squeegee punks were different than the ones of the early ’90s. By the way, it is not meant derogatorily to call them ‘punks’ because the ‘punk movement’ is seen as a noble thing. The young men and women I met were mostly from Ontario and mostly from Toronto and environs. These young men and women, compared to the ones of 1990 were crusty, rough, and cynical. seasoned beggars and had hawk eyes. In fact Mackie and Dustin had They were also older. Growing up themselves a quite a good dinner — on the street as virtually all of these while at the same time generously people interviewed did, they were offering me all kinds of info about wizened and hardened around the their very interesting lives. edges, but they still had the everI showed them the pictures I charming air of the squeegee punks of had taken of the big group under the the early ’90s, and the hoboes of the bridge the previous rainy night. They ’20s: mischievous, daring, and fun enjoyed them and looked at them as loving. cherished relatives would be looked One might ask — what do at in pictures. they offer society? Well, they offer us “Can I keep this one?” Dustin a lot actually: the hobo tradition is a asked. I told him to keep them all wealthy one, they are a national since I made two sets of them. treasure just as the fun lovable and “Wow, the rest of them will wandering hobo was. They are get a kick out of them when we meet survivors and don’t burden us much up again some day,” he said. They really, they survive by panhandling, showed me some pictures they had squeegeeing, and begging in different taken on trains. There was a picture ways. of an old man in one of them. As I sat on Osborne St. in “Who is this old man?” I Winnipeg talking to Dustin and asked. I thought he might be a Mackie the next day, they would relative. every so often jump up and deftly “He is a man who saw us sidle up to passersby and ask them sitting on the sidewalk in Melfort politely if they could have their Saskatchewan earlier this summer. It leftovers. People were coming out of was on our way from Vancouver to everywhere with little bags. Halifax,” Mackie answered. It was Personally, I never would have funny; he said, ‘What are you two, noticed the bags but these two were some kind of new age hoboes?’ He was so interested because he had known hoboes 60 years ago and thought they were cool,” she added, “He invited us home and he had insisted we eat all the hot dogs we could because he had a hot dog concession in town.” She looked sad for just a moment. “He’s dying of cancer,” she whispered. Her eyes fixed on his picture. “He won’t live much longer.” “Yeah,” Dustin said, “we have to stop off and see him on our way through.” “Yeah, we really should, Dustin,” Mackie replied. ‘…One evening as the sun went down and the jungle fires were burning, Down the track came a hobo hiking, and he said “Boys, I’m not turning.” “I’m heading for a land that’s far away beside the crystal fountains;” “So come with me, we’ll go and see …the Big Rock Candy Mountains..’ Reprinted from Street Sheet, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Summer 2004. Life Learning: Speak of the Devil by Cindy Carlson Life is odd! Why do things happen how they do and when they do? I am sure it is a question that many people have asked themselves. I had cause to stop and ask it again, just yesterday. I was sitting in a one of my Graduate Studies classes discussing a big adventure; it was a homework assignment about processing life learning. I chose to talk about the time I went into the air force. I mentioned that it was after a really abusive marriage. That all happened in 1977 a very long time ago, long before domestic violence programs and battered woman’s shelters even existed. I thought that it was all in the past and would stay in the past. I have processed it throughout my life: counseling, a thousand self-help books, journals and the personal transformations of life. Life moved on, another marriage (and a divorce) and now two grown children later, my life is pretty cool. I had left class early so that I could travel to Concord where there is currently no outreach worker available to the city. I had arranged for Joe, who has been with the Under The Bridge project about four years to meet me at school to go to Concord. I know Joe well, even knew him before he was homeless. The night before, I went down to Joe’s place, a sofa under a bridge and invited him up to my sofa. Joe Michael Moore’s Pre-Election UC Speech Challenged The University of Cincinnati says there was nothing improper about paying filmmaker Michael Moore his fee of nearly $8,000 for his Bush-bashing speech on campus just before the November election. The Federal Elections Commission had inquired about it. The school said it told the FEC that no election laws were broken because Moore was not officially connected to the Kerry campaign. University spokesman Greg Hand says a coalition of seven campus groups ranging from the student NAACP chapter to the Arts and Culture Club paid Moore from activity fees collected when students register. Hand stated that no tax money was used. The speaking engagement at UC was very popular and well attended. Moore answered questions from the audience and inreacted with the students, encouraging them to use thier power to vote. Moore’s film “Fahrenheit 9­ 11” harshly criticizes the Bush administration’s handling of the war in Iraq. And Moore was active against Bush, visiting 66 cities last year in a Slacker Uprising Tour where he attempted to muster voters against the president. doesn’t go to shelters or into unfamiliar closed in surroundings. On the way to Concord, we talked about my class and another homework assignment. The idea of who would get a degree from HKU or the University of Hard Knocks? What would be the criteria for such a degree? And how would one go about figuring this all out. It was an interesting and stimulating conversation. We arrived at the Concord’s Friendly Kitchen and Joe went off to get something to eat. I saw two guys, one named Jeff, that I knew lived in places not fit for human habitation. One was staying in an unheated cellar and the other in a tent. I went to talk to the guys. I told them about the directive from Lance DePlant who is the chief at the office of Homeless and Housing for the State. Lance said there were additional funds added to ensure that no one freezes to death and we were to house everyone in a heated environment. I asked the guys if I could help house them for the next couple of days. There was a bit of conversation, “Nah, I am all set,” one said. “Don’t you want to go inside and warm up, maybe get a hot shower?” I asked. “I ain’t going to no shelter!” LIFE cont. on page 8 Know Your Rights Brochure Available! The Know Your Rights Brochure is now available at the Coalition’s office. The brochure is a legal guide for Cincinnati’s homeless and covers a person’s basic rights when interacting with the police, as well as some local laws that might be of interest to the homeless population. If you are a homeless person or if you work with homeless people and would like to obtain free copies of the brochure for yourself or your agency, please call 421­ 7803, or stop by the Coalition office and pick one up. Streetvibes Page 5 �Another New Year Is There A Difference? by Sean Anthony Cononie It happens from time to time. Disaster after disaster. And when you see it on TV, some respond in the most saddened way and some just make a comment like, “This is so bad, how can that happen, this is a shame,” while others do not even say a word. Do we not even say a word because we don’t care or do we not say a word because we want to block it out? Years ago, I would have said people just don’t care but today I find myself saying and thinking that people just want to block it out. I do consider myself a compassionate person but I fall short in other areas of my life. When a disaster strikes I try to be the level headed person always thinking ahead and trying not to worry about the death but think about how many we can save. Years ago when 911 struck by Rachel Lawson invest financially in this community? us all, my assistant Mary Lingo, who While working at the Greater Why is it so known that drug dealers died just a few years ago, sat on the Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, profit on Vine Street and it appears couch of her office/bedroom and had so far I have met a variety of as if no measures are done to stop tears in her eyes. All she kept on wonderful people, but I enjoyed the this? most my visits to the Drop Inn Center So I found myself in the same saying was, “those poor people.” I think I fell in love with her mind, soul (DIC) and the opportunity to talk to situation as the very homeless and spirit when I saw how upset she Tom-Lee and Bobby, two of the individuals who I attempt to offer was. This was a woman with more most passionate soldiers I have met in hope too. Until I visited Tom-Lee the war for equality and Bobby. Both of these compassion than any person I have known. To see her sit there and and justice. Tom-Lee men have worked at the and Bobby work at Drop Inn Center for more weep for total strangers proved she had so much love in her heart. the front of the Drop than 20 years and as a But for me, that day I Inn Center, doing result have seen remained strong and was planning in everything from everything. Two strong my head what I would do if working the office, souls that have a lot to something like this ever came our security, and basically Rachel Lawson offer the Drop Inn, way. I thought what happens if we in making sure things run personality wise they smoothly. One might assume I enjoy couldn’t be more opposite. There is Broward got attacked are we at the shelter prepared to assist the listening to the wisdom that they have Tom-Lee, who marches around the community and our own clients. Are to offer, but it’s not just their words Drop Inn Center as the sergeant, we the shelter ready for a local that move me but rather the passion gentle yet stern; he works to “arm” disaster? behind them. I recently found myself the clients of the Drop Inn Center I did not want to panic the feeling detached from “reality” with the understanding that they are staff so I started, without anybody in because of the repetitive hopeless capable of anything. Then there is the office really wondering what I attitude that is vocalized from most of Bobby, a quiet and reserved was doing, checking to see if we the homeless individuals that I come individual, who makes you feel that were really prepared. I called my in contact with. Unfortunately, they when he speaks you should listen or mom and dad and told them to have every right to feel hopeless. The chances are you might not have the remain inside for a few days and feeling that nothing can be done to opportunity again. After having a change the lack of jobs and short conversation with Tom-Lee and watch the TV for better instructions. As some of you may economical housing simply does not Bobby, I learned that you can’t be in and cannot put a smile on anyone’s a battle for a short while and quit, you remember from reading my past th stories in The Homeless Voice, the face. I even begin to think of 12 have to stand strong until the war is 911 incident did not hit me until I was Street as “Doom Street” because of over. As well, you can’t loose hope there just a few days after the attacks all the doomed futures I see when I when people literally expect you to with our disaster crew. Our crew walk past them. Never in my life inspire and encourage you to do the was made up of our Homeless have I encountered individuals so best that you can. In turn I thank people who wanted to help. These comfortable with offering drugs to them for being soldiers in a war that are the same Homeless people who any and everyone who walks down has gone on from the beginning of helped the west coast of Florida this the street. However, the drug dealers time, when everything and everyone year when we got three hurricanes. are not what keep the community at some point has struggled to be These same former clients also are down, in my opinion. It is the treated and viewed as equal. The starting EMT school to volunteer with struggle to remain hopeless. I two individuals who sit at the front our sister agency, Helping People in entered a corner store to inquire desk of the Drop Inn Center, Tomabout the ATM machine and Lee and Bobby, who have fought the America Disaster Agency. The ground zero did not bother me as everyone laughed at the possibility battle and continue to do so with much as the people putting up the that anyone would put an ATM spirit, honor, and most important of th pictures of their lost ones… Have machine on 12 and Vine. Why is it all hope. you seen this person? Have you seen funny that anyone would be willing to would not be able to make it. You by Miss Mary Gaffney really have to be around them to To my fellow readers and understand the situation they are in. purchasers of Streetvibes; as we Without the help life would be bleak. enter into the second month of the new year of 2005, the vendors and I One day, any one of us could find ourselves in the same situation. wish to thank you for your support I was once asked why I over the past years. Without you, the spoke so much of my vendors would not be homeless friends. able to go on. Your Even in their situation purchase is an they always speak to important part of their me with concern. lives. They worry about me Also, hats off during the bad to the Free Store, the weather. They greet soup kitchens, the me every day when I churches, shelters and come to work. If Over-the-Rhine and Miss Mary Gaffney I’m absent they will other neighborhoods; call me. Avondale, Walnut hills and many As I always say, God loves other areas. Without your concern and support for the less fortunate, the us all; we are his children here in the garden of life. Until next time. homeless and low-income families The Morning Battle Page 6 Streetvibes my dad? Have you seen my son? Pictures everywhere! And moms falling asleep on the ground holding a picture of their lost child hoping for signs of survivors! This was the worst time I have ever had when dealing with disasters. Years of working as a volunteer for the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team going to many disasters, I really never felt such an impact until I saw the pictures everywhere in New York. To see so many people waiting to find out if their loved ones were alive or dead is so heart wrenching it can make a big, burley, husky, some say fat guy cry. (This is me) I never thought I would see those pictures again, but I did like many other people who saw the news of the Tsunami. This disaster in Asia was not even at my finger tips for two days. I knew something happened but truthfully I was a little selfish because my body told me I was getting meningitis again and I was going from one hospital to another because not that many doctors really know a lot about meningitis. As you may remember I was in critical care for days in a coma from Meningitis last Christmas. I was paying attention to myself. Then a day or two later I saw the death toll it was in the 20,000’s. I sat in front of the TV and just stood there and I did not want to face it because I knew we would not be able to help this time and I did not want to see the disaster at all. It is just me. I knew we could not send anybody over there because of me being out sick. I figured if we went and my meningitis was exposed to so many infections and got sick there, I would simply die within 24 hours because there were no advanced medical services there that are required when dealing with such an illness. The next day numbers kept on going up and I was even sicker. I tried to avoid the TV as much as possible because I felt guilty we were not going to help, but soon got lured back to it. They were calling for agencies that had experience and resources dealing with disasters of this magnitude. We then called a meeting to see if we would send volunteers. Considering most of our staff are disaster prepared, and have worked many disasters and all are First Responders , I thought we could do something but soon was reminded by the smart ones in the office, ‘The Gals,’ “Sean, you’re out sick and not working, now let it alone.” So we thought of other ways of helping. Sending money was an option. So we did, we donated Cont. next page �money to Map International to buy medicine. We knew they were a good agency because they supplied the meds when our international agency The People’s United Nations provided medical services to the children of Haiti. Praying was already done and was happening by some of us for a few seconds throughout the day. As the days grew and numbers increased I started to put myself back into the planner of stopping the damage, stopping the death and I got lost in a world of my own thinking of what I could do if we were there or if I was in charge. Some call it day dreaming, some call it the “hoping to do more” syndrome, and even some of my friends call it “you are nuts, Sean” syndrome. Well in this disaster the “what can you do” is probably the most accurate, for we all wanted to do something but how many of us really could. Sometimes we all must block it out because we know we should be doing something but don’t know how or do not know where to begin.. After all, where do you exactly start? They have lost everything; it will take years and I mean years for the after effects to be gone. There will be counseling, dysfunctional families, orphans, drug addictions and many more social problems. Reports already are suggesting with so many orphans children may be sold into “ sex slavery.” The elderly won’t have their kids to take care of them and the kids won’t have their parents and those parents will never see how well their grandchildren grew up. These statements alone are enough to make you cry. Their economy will be bad and they will be stricken with all kinds of diseases and new medical problems that have not existed for years. I don’t want to sound negative but look at the damage, what can we really do? They lost EVERYTHING AND MORE THAN THAT. As I write this letter the death toll is at 120,000 and they say that 1/ 3 of that figure are small children. Yes, that is the most horrific thing in the world. After all, no parent ever recovers from the loss of one of their little ones. No matter how old their child was when they died they will never fully recover. They may look like they are functioning but I am sure as the years go by they still ask God why, why did you take my child? I guess Mother Mary could ask the same thing about her Son, Jesus. I always ask how God lets this happen. I end up closing with God knows no matter how much suffering we do at the time of our death, if we are a believer in Him, it is all perfect from death on. Jesus knew how much He would suffer but He knew it would end and He would be perfect once again. We were in the office today, I was having my temperature taken, and CNN also talked about how many children have died and we all just sat there in a state of shock. Let me give you some facts. But before the facts let us remind ourselves how great the world is reacting by giving so much aid. People from all over are lending a helping hand while others may be so upset knowing they cannot do anything and are becoming depressed over the entire incident. Even our Homeless who have nothing wanted to help in some way, and that is why I sometimes refer to them as “ Heroes” They are the ones who raised the money we are sending, Some people who have a lot of money are sending money to charities and some people who have a little money are trying to get it to the charity they think will do the best. Either way the giving is what counts… We all want to do something to help. Why is that? Is it because it is unexpected and it happens so fast or it is just the death itself ? I tend to think it is the unexpected disaster that hits our hearts. We see the damage and we see the death. But let me tell you this… it has been five days now since this disaster and they have lost about 120,000 people. But we are forgetting about the 30,000 kids who die daily of starvation and the lack of simple medicine they need, medicine that we take for granted. Since this disaster happened and this being the fifth day at the time I wrote this letter, 150,000 children have died in Third World countries and what has the world done? What I have done? What have the presidents and leaders of great nations done? It just seems so simple that we have the ability to stop the death of 30,000 children who die nightly when we go to bed. Which disaster is worse... this one or the starving one? It seems to me the starving one would be a lot worse but why do we really do nothing to change it? Why do we let it happen? Are we just so used to it and we just think it will happen and there is nothing we can do? Hear me out. And hear me loud! And Sean, you listen too, because I know personally I must do more. I have always written about, “There is no excuse.” I have lobbied the Pope and I have lobbied many governmental leaders and I still get no response. Every preacher in the world talks about helping those who are poor but what do we all really do? I am not talking about our homeless, I am talking about the children and the adults who die daily because of starvation. I am asking what does anybody, including myself, really do to help the starving children? It’s not just a lack of food, it is ongoing malnutrition that can be solved so easily. We should stop what we are doing right now and make a plan and do it like Nike says, “Just Do It.” Tonight go to Target or Wal-Mart and buy a bag of balloons QTY 100, blow them each up and lay them in your living room. When you get to 100, picture that being 100 babies who just died. By the way, by the time it takes you to blow up one balloon and tie it up, 9 babies have just died because of lack of food and medicine. This happens every day. You know to me it makes no sense whatsoever to allow this to happen. We worry about so many hard things to fix when the impact is not that great, but simple things like feeding the starving people of the world which is so easy compared to figuring out ways to stop another problem that has less impact like bringing democracy to a foreign country. Why can’t we all figure out how to stop this from happening? I repeat these words, “There is no excuse.” What I mean is no longer can world leaders and people like me allow this to happen anymore. No longer can the United Nations allow this to happen. I know that some people say we should only help our own. However, if we only help our own , our hearts will become hardened. When we harden our hearts it allows us to use the same hardened heart attitude when dealing with our own. Soon we will create a forth and fifth class of people in America and we will ignore our own as we ignore the poor of the world now. Please pray for this problem to be solved. Please come up with ways to help them. We are all God’s people and yes, we should pour our hearts out to these people of Asia; we should give them the shirt off our back, but then we should give the kids who have been starving for decades our next meal. Yes, Yes, Yes we should help those poor disaster victims of Asia and don’t stop helping but let’s not forget that many more die daily because they can’t get to eat...what we throw in the trash...to save their lives. We can’t change the past, but we sure can do something to help the future of these starving children. I am not asking you for a donation, what I am asking you to do are: that you form groups in your own communities and lobby our leaders that all world hunger is to stop now. Homeless in Austria Streetvibes Page 7 �MLK Cont. from page 1 Segregation and racism still have a stronghold on African American communities. Signed into law on May 2, 1975, Senate Bill 18 declared the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the state of Ohio. The first proposal for a statewide holiday honoring Dr. King came from the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission, and numerous area legislators were instrumental in the bill’s passage. The non-profit Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition was founded in 1978 to ‘strengthen the diverse human community through the promotion and practice of non­ violence and understanding.’ This year’s celebration took on added significance as participants celebrated the 40th anniversary of two acts of federal legislation considered hallmarks of King’s efforts: the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned segregation in public places based on race, color, religion or national origin; and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which made it illegal to deny a person’s right to vote because of race or color. Martin Luther King continues to challenge us to question these philosophical dilemmas in our everyday lives, no matter what our LIFE cont. from page 5 “It doesn’t have to be a shelter. There are funds for a hotel room. Let me call the hotline and see what I can arrange for you,” I said. At the shelter I went to get a cup of coffee. Then it happened. My past smacked me in the face; just like the old saying - speak of the devil. There was a man standing in front of the coffee table and he said “Hi Cindy.” I said hi back and was looking at his face and trying to figure of why it was faintly familiar. I was processing in my head, what camp did he live in? What agency did he work for? He reminded me of a guy in Manchester that I avoid because of his abusive nature; a man who burns cigarettes into the arms of homeless women that he gets drunk. Though I knew it wasn’t him, I couldn’t help but feel something yucky and familiar about the guy. He said, “You don’t remember me?” He pulled me into a hug and I pushed him off. It was an unprivileged assault. I don’t hug people on the street, especially people that I don’t know. Not that I haven’t ever hugged anyone, just that there is an appropriate time and this was not one of those times. The instant he touched me I felt ill, he said in my ear, “It’s Lee.” I thought I would vomit right there. As I came loose from his grip, I backed away. Panic ran through my body. I walked quickly away and into the Page 8 life circumstance. More than 30 years after his death Martin Luther King Jr. is seen as the voice for all poor people – people left behind in the wake of other people’s economic affluence; stuck in low paying jobs and homelessness and poverty. After 30 years, his voice still rings true. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day Memorial March was held in downtown Cincinnati to rekindle the spirit of his work and to provide a voice to the unheard, to provide inspiration to those who have been cast aside by society’s indignities. Courtis Fuller MC’s MLK event at Music Hall safety of some street men that were gathered at a round table in the corner of the room. I leaned over and whispered to Joe, “my very abusive ex-husband is over by the coffee table.” I heard a voice behind me “Does this mean you don’t want to talk to me?” I never even turned around but said, “No, I don’t want to talk to you.” One of the guys said, “go away and leave her alone.” Panicked thoughts ran around in my head, could he recognize which vehicle parked out front would be mine? Was I safe? I had recently read his name on the Manchester police department’s web page, while scanning the “wanted” list. He was wanted for a violation of a restraining order indicating that while I had worked really hard to change my life over the past twenty-seven years, he had not. On the phone it was the Homeless Hotline calling me back. He had a hotel room for the guys I was trying to hook up, and was faxing the hotel a voucher. When we were all ready I drove the guys to the hotel. On the way the conversation was about Lee and not to worry because if he began hanging around the kitchen, there would be some street justice. I thanked the guys for their loyalty but I would handle it with the Concord Police Department. After dropping off the men at the hotel, Joe and I headed back to Manchester. I filled his ears with memories of that marriage: I was a naive 15 year old when I my mother signed guardianship over to this man. He was just a regular run of the mill drug pushing pimp who convinces girls that he will protect them and love them; then gets them addicted to crank and turns them out to the street. I am proud that I made it through it. Many don’t. In the end, it was an experience I am glad I went through. It taught me many things about myself as well as other people. Because of it, I learned of another side of life you simply cannot understand unless you have gone through it. In my case, Lee decided to marry me at sixteen and my abusive mother signed the documents for permission. She wanted me out of the house away from my also very abusive stepfather. She wasn’t doing it to protect me; she was doing it because she was in denial. She had chased all of my older sisters out of the house by the age of sixteen, because we were causing her husband to act in certain ways toward us. I told Joe about being dragged around by the hair in my old apartment building’s hallways and no one calling the police. About being handcuffed to a bed for three weeks and things that went along with that. I just kept vomiting out all the horror and at the Streetvibes same time trying to get control of myself. We parked and got out to walk. I yelled over a wall, “Hey Dino, are you guys down there?” He grunted. I said come out and talk to me. He skipped up the snow-covered hill and I gave hime the directions t a heated shelter. He and a buddy were still in the camp. I told them to get in the van and we would go use the phone at my apartment, since I don’t have a cell phone. Upstairs in the apartment, I make the calls to the Hotline. Again arrangements are made for the guys. One man is banned from the shelter. The other has lived outside for the past 6 years that I have known him. They both get a hotel voucher. I ask Joe if he wants to go to the hotel too. He says no, mumbles about unfamiliar places, and I understand but simply wanted to make the offer. I call the Hotline again to check on arrangements for tomorrow. There was one guy MIA at the Friendly Kitchen, the guys said they saw him earlier and he was intoxicated. I hope he makes it through the night okay. Then I start a dialogue with my daughter. If success is the best revenge, what would it be like for all of my ex’s to be standing in the room as I graduate with my Master’s degree? I just spoke to my landlord and he said rent is going up again in June. �Protests, Boycotts Loom Over Inaugaration Thousands of people in dozens of cities across the nation walked out of work and school, held mock coronations, intoned the names of the Iraq war dead and held candlelight vigils to show their disapproval of President Bush as he was sworn in for his second term. From Bridgewater, Mass., to San Francisco, the protesters carried a similar message that Thursday, deploring the war in Iraq, angry about the Patriot Act and concerned about the next four years. “The administration thinks it’s got a mandate to continue its policies,” said David Williams, a 49­ year-old construction company owner from Oakland, Calif., who wore a T-shirt to the San Francisco march with Bush’s picture and the description, “International Terrorist.” In Detroit, David Livingstone says the idea behind the economic boycott he organized was simple: If people don’t show up at work or buy things, companies lose money. As he sees it, that’s money the Bush administration can’t tax, and can’t use to run the war in Iraq, protect polluters or chip away at the Constitution. So the Detroit Democrat and a handful of other anti-Bush groups across the country urged others of like mind to withhold their cash and labor on Inauguration Day - from all businesses. They didn’t think they’d inflict a huge economic pain, but they did want to make a point. “I viewed the inauguration of Bush as a black Thursday for this country,” Livingstone says. “We’ve tried marching in the streets to stop the war, we tried writing letters, we tried initiatives on the Web, but Bush doesn’t listen. It seems to us the only thing Bush and the Republicans will listen to is money.” Livingstone, a 41-year-old writer, hoped to be in Washington for the Jan. 20 festivities, which for him means protests, black armbands and backs turned to the parade route. Don’t be Squirrelly! And he vowed not to buy gas, food or use his credit card that day: He wants the GOP, big oil, big banking, big box stores and any other “bigs” to know they can’t push him around or ignore him - at least not on January 20. The White House took all the boycott talk in stride. Bush “is proud that we live in a society where people are free to peacefully express their opinions,” spokesman Jim Morrell says. Other groups nationwide, many loosely connected through the Internet, put out calls similar to Livingstone’s. Jesse Gordon, 44, of Cambridge, Mass., spreads the word through his Web site, Not One Damn Dime! Gordon doesn’t expect to shake the economy, but does want to see the president recognize dissent. “I think Bush should acknowledge the boycott. If we’re effective, he’ll know about it, and he should acknowledge it,” Gordon says. In New Orleans, Buddy Spell says his January 20th Committee eagerly endorsed the idea of an economic boycott. He was primarily concerned with organizing a jazz funeral procession through the downtown to mourn a second Bush term and what he calls the death of democracy. But he says a boycott was worth pursuing, in part because it can help unite disparate anti-Bush forces. The groups hoped to see several million people eating brownbag lunches and dinners on Inauguration Day. If people didn’t want to boycott all business, the groups suggest buying from just those that support Democrats. The protesters say they’ll measure success not in economic terms, but by whether people know about the boycott and if it sparks future activism. “I can’t imagine it would have any impact whatsoever,’’ says David J. Vogel, professor of business ethics at the University of California at Berkeley. “Even if everyone didn’t buy on that day, they’d make up for it the next day.” Historian Lawrence Glickman says boycotts rarely accomplish any substantial economic goal, and if they do, it’s usually because they are tailored to a specific product. Boycotts tend to have more success applying political pressure, but even that is limited. Still, he said, their record of failure never seems to stop Americans from launching them. “It’s a way of feeling like we’re participating in something bigger than ourselves.” Buy Streetvibes! Streetvibes Page 9 �The Peace Village by this outpouring? Both waves of action have taken my breath away and made me wonder about the roots of compassion in people and governments. Can anything predictable be said about what is now going on? The US appears to be working UNDER the supervision of the UN. US warships are delivering life saving missions of water and food to areas of Indonesia that have been scraped clean of basic by Steve Sunderland The amazing and quick response of the world community to the disaster inAsia is heartening, fulfilling a gap that just days before suggested that the world’s hungry, sick, and thirsty would continue to receive little help from the most affluent nations. Now, the world situation forAsia is totally changed as the impact of the wave and earthquake has moved not only billions of gallons of water and dirt but the stubborn hearts of governments. All of a sudden villages in Indonesia have become household names as stories of fantastic heroism pop Dr. Steve Sunderland out of the muck and become connected to our structures. Rebel groups, with years consciousness. The world of Sri of murderous experiences, have Lanka, now damaged by massive declared peace agreements and death and devastation of land, has opened up areas that have been become synonymous with sealed and protected by brutal unbelievable pictures and news guerilla and government wars. Relief reports of elders sacrificing organizations are asking for the themselves to have their children cessation of monies for their saved. And, the dead of southern organizations and the redirecting of India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Mal funds to equally fatal problems of Dives all have charged into our people such as malaria, hunger, minds, making it clear that waves of typhoid and AIDS. destruction can travel faster and All of this has happened in further than our wildest imagination. the wake of the search for people Yet, the sudden and violent who may have survived the day after hours of destruction have matched Christmas. Perhaps 200,000 or more and beaten by the even quicker Indonesians did not. Over 30,000 Sri compassionate wave of relief pouring Lankans have died, along with over from the hearts of so many countries. 10,000 Indians and thousands more Have you been as shocked as I have around the great circle of nations embracing the Indian Ocean. These countries, perhaps with the exception of India, have been placed squarely in the center of our concerns for the first time. It has been like learning a new set of vocabulary words with each word connected to ghastly pictures of destruction and amazing beautiful pictures of relief work. The combination has been a tsunami of words, emotions, gratitude, and horror. What does this all mean? And, of course, I am asking, what does this mean for the development of sustained compassion toward “the stranger?” Has the world totally underestimated the human heart, again? Have those of us engaged in anti-war efforts and partisan politics, both defeated in the past election, missed the finer qualities of our world as well as our national heart of caring? Of course, the war, continues, hunger and disease will kill millions unnecessarily, and our geo-political games will start back up and take this story out of our front lobes. But, and this is a “but” I am betting on, but we have seen and learned something so powerful in the past 20 days of the ways in which the world can create the logistics of compassion that something more important than the shift in geological plates has occurred. Can we, those of us working in the service of peace, continue our efforts to help, take leadership from ourAsian brothers and sisters, and become the loving co-parents to the entire Asian land so deeply orphaned, so upset by the waves upon waves of grief? There is no model I know of that explains or informs the next steps. Gandhi said: “The future of what we do is the present.” I see a level of action that is heartening. We, in the Peace Village, bow in gratitude. Dr. Steve Sunderland, professor of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati, is the Director of The Peace Village, a group of individuals from the national and interna­ tional community committed to examining all issues of Peace in the world. Dr. Sunderland also heads up Posters-for-Peace which en­ gages people in expressing their visions of Peace, in their own words, through the cre­ ation of posters. A lighter side of the inauguration.... Jon Stewart: “Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for – the official halfway point of the Bush presidency.” President Bush: “I George Walker Bush do solemnly swear...” Stewart: “At which point 49 percent of the country also solemnly swore.” “President Bush is being criticized because his inaugural celebration cost $40 million. When asked about it, the president said, ‘Sorry, but my daughters insisted on an open bar.’” – Conan O’Brien “Some people are criticizing President Bush for spending $40 million on his inauguration, but hey, give the guy a break, he’s excited. After all, this is the first time he’s really been elected.” – Jay Leno “You folks see the inauguration ceremony last night? George W. Bush sworn in as president? I’ll tell you it is starting to look really bad for John Kerry. But it was nice to see a president put a hand on the Bible instead of an intern.” ­ David Letterman “CNN is reporting that a longtime friend of President Bush says that Bush is telling everyone, in the next four years he intends to be ‘really aggressive’. ‘Really aggressive’? In the past four years we launched what, two wars? What’s ‘really aggressive’ going to look like? What, are we gonna’ bomb Canada now?” - Jay Leno “President Bush is getting ready for his inauguration next week. He’s working on his speech. It’s a pretty good speech. So far all he has is ‘ask not what your corporation can do for you but what you can do for your corporation.’” - Jay Leno “Don “Don’’t Leave Home W ithout IIt...” t...” Page 10 “Security is a big issue this year. So the Secret Service announced that people attending President Bush’s inaugural ceremony will not be allowed to bring coolers or alcoholic beverages. In other words, the Bush twins will not be going.” - Conan O’Brien Streetvibes �Closing the Gaps To Make Families Safe and Stable by Judi Clark, Ohio Empowerment Coalition East Ohio Organizer There are gaps in Ohio’s welfare system that create barriers to families trying to escape domestic violence. Families cannot become Safe and Stable with our current system. We need to close those gaps so families all across Ohio are safe. Unlike other states, Ohio allows each of its 88 counties to develop their own welfare policy. While the counties may think this is working, it is causing confusion and placing lives of families in danger because there is no consistency in policies across Ohio. Each of the 88 counties is deciding whether or not to help families become Safe and Stable. They decide which victims of violence, if any, receive services to escape domestic violence while trying to become economically independent. We know that almost 60% of women on public assistance have been victims of domestic violence. We know that domestic violence is the single greatest barrier to a family’s self-sufficiency. So why is Ohio one of only 6 states without clear guidelines to provide a safety net to low-income families trying to escape domestic violence? What happens when families have to flee their homes, maybe giving up jobs or the financial support of an abusive partner, and go to another county for safety? There’s no guarantee that the county where they end up will offer them that safety. There are so many gaps in the system. For example, a family may flee Hamilton or Stark Counties, where the welfare department works with community agencies to provide counseling and support services as an alternative to traditional work requirements, allowing a family to become safe before going to a job. They might go to Greene County to escape and will find that Greene County has no official hardship exemption for victims of violence. Or maybe they go to Defiance or Gallia County where they can only receive support if they live in a shelter. Wood and Crawford Counties have good support systems in place, yet they both have a mandate which can put a woman’s life in danger if she is hiding from her abuser. Gaps in the system led to a lawsuit in Cuyahoga County where lack of caseworker training and improper screening resulted in caseworkers taking children out of the home when low-income mothers reported that they were victims of domestic violence. Cuyahoga County now has a pilot screening program, only being used some of the time, but based on the agency’s past performance, recipients can’t trust Cuyahoga County Department of Job and Family Service to do it right this time. Victims there have been victimized by the system that was supposed to help them. We need to make sure that we close the gaps to ensure that families are Safe and Stable all over Ohio. The Ohio Empowerment Coalition’s “Safe Families are Stable Families” would close those gaps if adopted into state legislative policy. We urge the Ohio Assembly to adopt this policy so that families don’t have to wait any longer to be Safe and Stable. For more information on the “Safe Families are Stable Families” Campaign, please call 513/381-4242 or toll-free 1-877-862-5179. The Biggest Challenge Facing Cincinnati is Overcoming Fear by Brian Garry Cincinnati needs to face its collective fears and be rid of them. One fear our city needs to face is that of conflict. We should address our conflicts head on. We should work, however long it takes, to find common solutions and compromises. Progress comes by a series of compromises. Both sides give a little. Everyone is not always going to get everything that they want, although we should always constantly strive for that ideal. Cincinnati seems to have adopted the ostrich concept of problem solving: “If I don’t see, then it doesn’t exist.” Thus Cincinnati has placed blinders on and settled into a warm, comfortable lullaby hoping that conflict will resolve. We employed this ostrich concept with race relations until faced with an emergency of utter chaos. Suddenly, we were forced to face and be-rid of the things blocking us. We started down the path to face our fear of conflict, but now that we have regained control, chaos has subsided, and we are being lulled off to sleep once again with our heads in the ground on the race issue. And they will stay there until there is another eruption/disturbance of our sleep. Similar to the way we treat the race issue we use the “sweep it under the rug” technique regarding the class issue. Again, if we don’t see it, then it doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, one of these elephants is right in downtown’s living room, Over the Rhine. We, however, don’t see the poverty. We look right past the human suffering and we gaze at the splendid, ItalianateArchitecture and we daydream about what we can get out of it instead of seeing what we can give to the community of Over-theRhine. Fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of losing what we have, fear of discomfort, fear of the pain of facing ourselves, our mistakes, our transgressions, our greed. The second way to face our fear of conflict is to take inventory. We need to collectively “take inventory “and perhaps share this inventory with another city. Let’s see what our strengths and weaknesses really are and set about the work of true change. We can then begin the restructuring our society, of making our little piece of the world a more equitable one. We can make a city where we eliminate extreme poverty and eliminate extreme wealth. A city where people feel valued because they are valued and that no one is locked-down, burdened with the fetters of collective racism and classism. I wish to create a Cincinnati wherein we can truly share and exchange the best of what each of us, our cultures, have to offer. Part of this change is addressing what needs change in each of our cultures. We need true justice and mercy in our court system, business world and policing. When we stop economic injustice, we will see huge drops in crimes, of theft, drug dealing, robbery and murder. We also need to educate and eradicate the glorification of killing, the objectification of women and drug dealing in our culture, media and music. These behaviors just don’t work and just don’t help anybody. We need massive cross-cultural experience and education. Another need is a United Neighborhood Organization. The creation of this Community of Communities is one way our City can come together on real community issues, supporting each other, helping one another. The Third way to face our fear of conflict is to make a start, not the be-all-and-end-all, but a start, to engage in a massive East meets West effort, rich meets poor, black meets white. To do a cultural exchange, in which for example, half of Taft High School goes to Elder for a while and vice versa. Where churches and businesses and government follow suit. Our System is awful and needs to be changed, however, we really do have some tangible aversion to each other - rich, poor, black, white etc. For the greatest fear is fear of the unknown. If people really get to experience each other’s cultures in a safe and friendly environment, it will help begin addressing our ultimate goal of a just, equitable, open, accepting, peaceful city. Our real work is to change the culture in Cincinnati. To make our little heaven right here, in Cincinnati. Christopher Smitherman has taken some first steps and we must continue this journey, walking down this path hand in hand. We must try to make our lives microcosms of this great vision. The Serenity Prayer says, “Change the things We can…” We must live our lives this way. Enjoying the company of rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight, abled and disabled, Christian and non-Christian. We must allow room in our lives for all kinds of people, ex-offenders, homeless people, mentally ill, business executives, and all kinds of people. In this way we will begin the equalization of our city. A little Utopia. We will work first by equalizing the extreme poles of extreme wealth and extreme poverty. Rev. McCrackin was my mentor. To be around Rev. McCrackin was to enjoy a little bit of heaven, first because of his spiritual connection, but equally important because of his deep connection to all people. Rev. McCrackin said, “We are only people in relation to other people.” If Cincinnati lives by his example of courage, service and love we would truly face and be rid of our biggest challenge, that of overcoming our fear by exercising our faith. Tsunami Relief Raises Earmarking Issues for Charities The enormous outpouring of giving for victims of the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia is bringing the role of nonprofits in international disaster relief into the public eye once again. Many donors are earmarking their contributions for tsunami relief, raising some concern that disaster relief needs in other areas of the world may suffer. By the middle of January the Red Cross had collected $92 million, which will be used for immediate relief as well as long term needs. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the group was criticized when donors learned some of the funds for collected would be used for other purposes. This time all gifts are going to its International Response Fund. New York attorney Jack Siegel has set up a website for donors to get information on how to ensure their intent is honored. Streetvibes More contributions are likely to be made now that Congress has passed a bill (H.R. 241) that allows donors to deduct contributions made through the end of January 2005 from their 2004 taxes. Page 11 �Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati All Vendors Sign and Agree to a Code of Conduct Coalition for the Homeless and Report Any Violations to GCCH - 421-7803 Streetvibes.... 1. Streetvibes will be distributed go to the individual vendor. This program has helped for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 30 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers can not be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. Vendors must also never sell Streetvibes door-to-door. 8. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be honest in stating that all profits Vendors must not tell customers that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 9. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 10. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 11. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. The mission of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) is to support a street newspaper movement that creates and upholds journalistic and ethical standards while promoting self-help and empowerment among people living in poverty. NASNA papers support homeless and very low-income people in more than 35 cities across the United States and Canada. Streetvibes Vendor: 70 cents Printing and Production: 30 cents Page 12 The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) was formed in May of 1984 for one purpose: the eradication of homelessness in Cincinnati. What started out as a coalition of 15 volunteers meeting weekly in an unheated church basement has since grown into a Coalition of over 45 agencies and hundreds of volunteers dedicated to improving services for homeless individuals, educating the public about homelessness and empowering homeless individuals to advocate for their civil rights and housing needs. Streetvibes is a tool of GCCH used to help us achieve our goal of ending homelessness. On the one hand it is a self-sufficiency program geared towards the homeless and marginally housed individuals who are our vendors. Streetvibes vendors buy the paper for 30 cents per copy and sell it for a suggested one-dollar donation, keeping the profit that they have earned. hundreds of people find and maintain housing. The vendors also sign a code of conduct stating that they will behave responsibly and professionally and they proudly display their official Streetvibes badge while selling the paper. Our vendors put a face on “the homeless” of Cincinnati and form lasting friendships with their customers. On the other hand, Streetvibes is an award-winning alternative newspaper and part of the international street newspaper movement. Focusing on homelessness and social justice issues, Streetvibes reports the often-invisible story of poverty in our community. Streetvibes is also proud to include creative writing, poetry, articles, photography and interviews written by homeless and formerly homeless individuals. Streetvibes enjoys a loyal reader base that respects the honest portrayal of the joys, sorrows, and challenges facing the people of Cincinnati. Streetvibes is a member of the: The International Network of Street Papers (INSP) unites street papers sold by homeless and people living in poverty from all over the world. INSP is an umbrella organisation, which provides a consultancy service for its partner papers and advises on the setting up of new street papers and support initiatives for marginalised people. Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. Streetvibes We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living. ­ General Omar Bradley The pens which write against disarmament are made with the same steel from which guns are made. - Aristide Briand, French statesman, Nobel Peace Prize, 1926 The pacifist's task today is to find a method of helping and healing which provides a revolutionary constructive substitute for war. - Vera Brittain, 1964 �School of The Americas by the Purple Turtle For more than 10 years, the Catholic left has organized protests in Columbus, Georgia to push for the closing of the School of the Americas (SOA) at Fort Benning. SOA military graduates have been involved in many tortures and deaths through out Central and South America. The government denies that it trains in these techniques but the record is large and infamous. In a public relations effort the SOA name has been changed to Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, acronym WHINSEC, but is still called SOA throughout the world. Fifteen thousand secularists, atheists, agnostics Buddhist, Catholics and others joined together the week end of November 19 – 21, 2004 to close down the SOA. Friday, my friend Gordon Maham and his neighbor Jacob picked me up at my apartment in Over-the-Rhine. We gathered with 45 students at the Dorothy Day House at Xavier University for a bus ride south. The trip displayed a group of students both outgoing and friendly. Saturday, 3AM – arrive at Hotel in Columbus, Georgia. 7AM – rise and shine and eat in the lobby, then off to the SOA tour at Fort Benning. Cameras were allowed on a short bus trip on the base. The tour was straight from a movie satire of stereotypes, with uniformed military personnel and their excited civilian Protest marchers at Fort Benning, Georgia cohorts. An hour and a half was A procession was held that About noon we were off to allowed for open questions with no lasted several hours. The names of the main entrance of Fort Benning. follow up questions and a notable Speeches, music and talking, talking, the deceased victims of the SOA failure to mention, (1) 80% of their were read with the crowd responding talking...100 plus. Gordon and I current students are from Columbia “presente!” A very dramatic and looked for our friend, three time and (2) President Hugo Chavez has personal event. Noble Prize Nominee Kathy Kelley. military participation, a result of SOA This event is characterized by Watch lobbying, which organizes this Later in the day I discovered both he thousands of people holding white and I found her, and a search team demonstration. crosses, political signs, (mine read looking for both of us found her – IRAQ-NAM and BUSH HAS what are the odds? IRAQTILE DYSFUNCTION. The 5PM – to the bus, hotel and latter was commented on a lot and eating. 7PM – at a separate site at a photographed), art works, and large puppets. large white tent the students went to 5:30PM – the protest ends Mass. I went 3 blocks away to the with joyful dancing in the streets. Convention Center. SOAWatch 6PM – Xavier group eats held a benefit concert. Sunday, 12:25AM – 3AM – nearby. (By the way, one student estimated 70 plus Cincinnati citizens I walked 7 miles to our hotel. were in Columbus, Georgia.) 7AM – Morning came early 3AM – Where have I seen 9AM – At protest site. that time before? Back at Xavier. Mid-afternoon – an oral 3:30AM – Back in Over-theprotest. Rhine. Berta Lambert, Kathy Kelley and Gordon Maham New York’s Homeless World Cup Called Off by Bernhard Wolf Despite the best efforts of the organizers, the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) Homeless World Cup, scheduled for New York 2005 has been called off due to the uncertainty of obtaining visas for the teams of homeless players from around the world. The tournament which was scheduled for August next year in Bryant Park, Manhattan, will now be moved to a European location to be announced this week. The Homeless World Cup is an innovative sports­ integration initiative for homeless people associated with the street paper movement. It has been successfully held in Graz, Austria in 2003 and Gothenburg, Sweden in 2004. Despite repeated efforts to reach an agreement on the issue of Visas, the organisers of the event, ProPoor Sports Ltd., have been advised that it is very unlikely that all the teams anticipated to participate would get to the event in New York. Mel Young, President of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP), says, “This poses an ethical problem for us and it runs against the spirit of this tournament. Regretfully we will have to move the 2005 Homeless World Cup to an alternative location in Europe.” Young referred to the enormous effort of the Homeless World Cup Committee in New York led by the city’s BIGnews street paper who won the bid to host the event against other candidates of the INSP, and to the strong support from the New York City Council and some major NYC sports marketing and media companies. “We want to express our respect for their commitment and their hard work”, says Young. “What’s happened is really sad but we had to make a decision and the fact is that the current legal situation around visa availability into the US means that we cannot guarantee our people would be admitted for the week and so regretfully we have to pull out. I personally wanted this event to take place in New York, but we are responsible to the participating teams and so the 2005 event will take place somewhere in Europe.” Jeff Grunberg, editor in chief of the New York street paper, BIGnews says: “Because as many as 1/3 of the players might not have been accepted into the country upon arrival and a higher level of organization on the part of street papers would be necessary to facilitate the visa application process, more time will be spent in the next years to reach a better level of certainty so that the tournament could take place in New York the way we would have liked.” Illinois State Police Issue Gag Order A new Illinois State Police policy could silence whistleblowers that expose corruption, impropriety or wrongdoing within the police department by prohibiting employees from talking to news reporters. The gag order came soon after a November 2004 Chicago television news station story exposed improper conduct on the part of state police guarding the governor. The report questioned the size of the governor’s security force on out-of­ state trips and detailed how bodyguards allowed unauthorized people to drive or ride in state vehicles, among other things. Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn spoke sharply against the policy stating, “State government should do everything possible to protect those with the fortitude to speak out about wrongdoing. The officer who informs the media about possible officer misconduct may be subject to greater discipline than someone committing the misconduct!” Whistleblowers should be ensured the opportunity to report Streetvibes illegal activities without fear of reprisal from their employer, but despite legal protections afforded under the national Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, whistleblowers remain at risk of reprisal. This gag order appears to be a method for the state police to avoid public scrutiny and accountability. Page 13 �Today A Day At Ursuline Academy by Ron O’Neal and Rachel Lawson Last month, Streetvibes readers were able to learn a little about Ronald “Ron” O’Neal and his recovery from addiction. He recently was invited by Lynda Hoffman-Jeep and Todd Forman to visit Ursuline Academy in Blue Ash. Ron spoke to the students about a variety of things such as his addiction and how he expressed himself in a positive way in order to get some perspective in his life. Ron was amazed to learn that some of the students had close friends and relatives who had experienced addiction. While he was there he engaged the students in an impromptu writing session based on how they felt about homelessness, addiction, and poverty. Ron would like to share with you the writings by some of the students. He deeply enjoyed his visit to Ursuline and meeting the students, most of all he felt that he had a positive impact on some of the students. Addiction by Emily Becker I always thought of an addiction as something that you could control and get rid of. However, after listening to Ron I realize that an addiction is a disease and it will always stay with you. If you have help from God and others you can learn to deal with an addiction. I think that in order to control any addiction you may have, you have to really, truly want to end/stop the addiction. Without strong determination and self-drive, I don’t see it possible to overcome a serious addiction. The question I have is are you born with an addiction or does it develop over time? I’m thinking it develops over time because I don’t think a baby would be born a cocaine addict or an alcoholic. Addictions are a difficult thing to overcome and deal with, but with the help from each other we can one by one help those with addictions. by Robert Manassa I’m sitting here wondering what I am going to do today. Shall I go out on a shopping spree? There are so many things to do and see I’m not worried about yesterday or tomorrow I’m truly worried about today. Yesterday is dead and gone And tomorrow is out of sight Today is here. I’ll fight a good fight I’ll face whatever comes my way I’ll accept my plight I live each day one day at a time Realizing that none of the days I live are mine It is through God’s grace That I’m here right now I’m living for today. Untitled by Tess Henderson Homelessness by Jackie Kern Notice the word is “homelessness,” not “houselessness.” The homeless have nowhere to go, no one to go to. The homeless feel abandoned and alone. They don’t just need a house, they need a home. A home is a support system. A home can fill a void within a person. That’s why the Drop Inn Center is so great. It’s not just a shelter (house). It’s a recovery program (home). Untitled by Elaine Whitaker Addiction by Anonymous Many lives are touched by addiction. Most of the time this is nothing good. A person’s addiction hurts them, their family, and their friends. Nothing is more important than your relationship with other sand an addiction damages those dramatically. I personally know what it’s like to experience addiction. An extremely close relative of mine has hurt me so much because of his addiction. The alcohol (and who know if there’s more) is used day after day. No matter what the consequences are, he has to drink. When I was little he would come home late and start yelling. The alcohol was supposed to make things better for him, but made things worse for those bearing the weight of his hate. He was kicked out and even that didn’t stop his drinking. What I wish is that somehow he comes to the light and realizes there are other joys in his life other than feeling that high! No food. No home. No life. “It’s his own fault he’s poor.” Those who do not know Speak that which they Don’t understand. To live, to maintain Exist from day to day, Is the greatest challenge. Hungry eyes, hungry bellies, Hungry hearts: All yearning for things So simple we take them for granted. Eating in shelters, Sleeping in cars. Broken dreams and Shattered hearts. Hardest of times and endless strife. No food. No home. No life. Hope, my friend, Is a four-letter word, It keeps you flying, It’s the wing of a bird. Hope is the grace That keeps me goin’ I’m a bird in the sky Hope keeps me soarin’ Hope is my friends, Hope is my family, Hope is my life Hope is life. Poverty by Jessica Brock by Sarah Hattersley Poverty is such a powerful word with a powerful meaning behind it. Most of us here are so sheltered to poverty and don’t usually think that there are actually many poverty-stricken people on our streets of Cincinnati. Usually when we hear poverty we think of the third-world countries such as Mexico and Cuba who are so poverty-stricken. What we do need to realize is that while we will never be able to completely eliminate poverty, there are ways we can help. For example, gathering old clothes for St. Vincent de Paul or Goodwill to come pick up or donating extra money. Even just a couple dollars or cents. Every penny counts. One of the most powerful ways to help is to volunteer for the poor. Just helping them out may put a smile on their face for the day and I’m sure it will put one on yours, too. This is a powerful way to do God’s will. By the breath of life Stands a silent cry For the hopeless and homeless Page 14 Streetvibes The weak that survive Is the Strong that stays alive The streets are fierce with Violence and gun play But all we can do is pray. Thw worlds is a vicious place But in our hearts and mionds Will be fine. The drugs are from corner To corner, block to block But we wonder will it ever stop. �Homelessness Untitled by Emily Haglage by Katie Madges I think about this often, about the people on the streets. I think about what they do and where they could possibly sleep. I think about their lives and what led them to this state. But I know that in every one of them beats a heart that is so great. I try to give God thanks for my family, friends, and home; But I also want Him to show me how to help people who are so alone. So I thank God for people like Ron who help show me the way. It all starts to become clearer each and every day. So maybe one day, in time We can all “commit the crime” Of better understanding homelessness and helping those people in need. is a turtle without his shell naked or homeless? is a man without a cause lost or homeless? homelessness is not necessarily whether or not you have a roof over your head it’s not if you have your very own bed but rather it speaks of if you belong somewhere…or not maybe a home is just an imaginary place that the same group of people misses but the man or woman with a home knows it whether or not a home is a tangible thing and everyone should have a home Homelessness by Abby Haglage As I leave my home to go downtown my face is tired and in the shape of a frown I’m going to see the Bengals play, But for some reason my thoughts are in the way, I am not as excited as others seem, Small things in my life make me feel mean. Untitled by Kristen Ruthmeyer The money makes you poor, but the spirit makes you impoverished. A man without a home is not a man without a wealth of wisdom. Wisdom can’t put food on the table, but it can bring you peace. “Where are you going, little girl?” “Home.” A firm reply. “Home to a nice little house tonight made of cardboard. Tomorrow…who knows?” As we park the car and begin to walk, I complain about my itchy socks, When looking in front of me I see, An old man looking down and depressed as can be. With a can in his hand and a hat on his head, I know compared to me, He has much more to dread. As I worry and complain about tiny matters, I realized that this man’s life is in tatters. He is the one that needs my prayers, He is the one for whom no one cares, I give him a smile and hoped he know, That a seed in my heart, he has sown. “Simple” Shutter Speed by Jimmy Heath by John Buechel The woods—where most people go once a year to kill. I go once a year to live. Kentucky is where I grew up. I go back to McCreary County to find the purity I’ve lost. I go back to the same spot past a fallen tree, Near my old house that now belongs to someone else. I use this spot of familiar earth and brush to time travel. Back to a time when dad wasn’t sick, And mom wasn’t crippled. I was six. I go there and stand in the shade, I expect to see my childhood friend, Angel. She was my best friend even thought girls were Icky. She would bring Fig Newtons. But I won’t see her. She has moved. I sit where I once stood when I was six, I am taller now. I look back past the brush to my old house, Wondering, do they have a little boy? And before I leave I take in a breath. It tastes like Fig Newtons. Snowfall in Parvis Alley, OTR Streetvibes Page 15 �TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services, Inc 751-9797 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 Need Help or Want to Help? If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 357-4602 SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 381-4242 241-2563 Contact Center Emanuel Center Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 $1 Donation February 2005 STREETVIBES BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY Remembering Martin Luther King Cover Story Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2005 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 2005 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Martin Luther King Jr. Remembered and Honored in Cincinnati Pg 2: Politics Drive Taser Policy Pg 3: Homeless News Digest Pg 4: Vendors Pg 5: Train Hopping Squeegee Punks Life Learning: Speak of the Devil Michael Moore’s Pre-Election UC Speech Challenged Pg 6: Another New Year Is There a Difference? The Morning Battle Pg 7: The Morning Battle Continued Pg 8: MLK Continued Life Continued Pg 9: Protests, Boycotts, Loom Over Inauguration Pg 10: The Peace Village Pg 11: Closing the Gaps to Make Families Safe and Stable The Biggest Challenge Facing Cincinnati is Overcoming Fear Pg 12: Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Streetvibes… Pg 13: Schools of the Americas New York’s Homeless World Cup Called Off Illinois State Police Issue Gag Order Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 2005 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Rachel Lawson Kate McManus Janice Faulkner Mary Gaffney Jimmy Heath Berta Lambert Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alison Leeuw Andy Erickson Berta Lambert Boycotts Charities Cincinnati education Election Gag Order Georgine Getty Homeless News Digest Illinois Inauguration Janice Faulkner Jimmy Heath Kate McManus Martin Luther King Jr. Mary Gaffney Michael Moore MLK New York Peace Village Police politics Protests Rachel Lawson Schools University of Cincinnati World Cup https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/2623c16587ff1f753eb62cf792dd777b.pdf 6920e3c24676410b90b57c621ae06cd3 PDF Text Text February 2006 STREETVIBES Looking Back To “The Peoples Move” - January, 1978 by Bonnie Nuemeier (One of the original members of ShelterHouse Volunteer Group, Long Time Over-the-Rhine Resident. This story is dedicated to all those who gave their hand and heart to The Peoples Move.) Written in January 1998 Over 20 years ago on a cold blizzardy Friday night a momentous event occurred which has gone down in our Over-the-Rhine history as THE PEOPLES MOVE. The ShelterHouse Volunteer Group, operators of the Drop Inn Center ShelterHouse, consciously planned and organized a secret, “illegal” midnight move from its second home at 1324 Main Street to our current location at 217 West 12th Street, which had been owned and not too long vacated by the local Teamsters Union. This group decision of conscience was made deliberately to get out of a dilemma we believed to be inhumane. Our story unfolded like this: Drop Inn Center began in l973 as a volunteer people’s program in a one room storefront at 1711 Vine Street, a much needed place in our neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine for men who were homeless and suffering from the disease of chronic alcoholism. As numbers grew and government money secured to build a program and hire paid staff, the Drop Inn Center moved to a five-room place at 1324 Main Street in l974. In the following couple of years the program got into the hands of social professionals who were not based in our neighborhood and had different ideas about the direction of the program. The community was angered when a decision was made without community input to close the Drop Inn on weekends in the Spring of l976. We were angered further by talk of eliminating the overnight shelter and running a daytime program only. The winter hawk would soon be upon us and we did not want to see our people freezing to death out on the streets or in abandoned buildings. People had to be alive first before there were any hopes of recovery from chemical addiction. This pushed us into organizing a grassroots effort to reclaim our Drop Inn Center; we named ourselves the ShelterHouse Volunteer Drop Inn Center Shelter Report Winter Update: Our average nightly census continues to hover around the 240-250 range. We have been sheltering about 25-30% women, which is up from previous averages. Also, we are not looking forward to our January utility bill... Funding Drive Update: Thanks to many of you who contributed to our Holiday Drive. Unfortunately, as of January 1st, we are about $30,000 short of our goal. Please, if you can think of any avenue for support for our operations, we would appreciate it. Contact 721-0643... Group. We were determined to keep the shelter open on weekends even if we had to do it ourselves. And we ended up doing it ourselves with food donations we hustled and use of only two of the five rooms. During that winter of l976-77 the ShelterHouse Volunteer Group raised more grievances and these conflicts resulted in the professional staff quitting. On March 31st, l977 the community, through the ShelterHouse Volunteer Group, took back control of the Drop Inn Center and have been running it seven days a week ever since. Those were hard times, for when we got control the funds were withdrawn and it took a long lobbying effort to get those state funds restored. From that day forward we would stand firm on the principle that housing is a basic human right and that neighborhood people have the right to staff and run their own shelter. We believe strongly that residents of the shelter have the right to participate and give their strong voice to the operations of their temporary home. And Even Harder Times Were to Come Within a very short time the Health Department threatened to close down the Drop Inn Center. They claimed our kitchen and building had 36 code violations even though this very same kitchen two months earlier was approved for a food license. We were given no reasonable time to comply. Many of the major building violations were the responsibility of the landlord, Leslie Fox, who for years neglected the building and now was in much need of repair. We were being blamed for the slumlord’s neglect. We marched to City Hall and pleaded with City Council to not carry through with the close-down orders. We were willing to comply with the orders, but we needed more time. The inspectors came in like storm troopers. When we had complied with all orders, new violations were cited. Inspection after inspection, and we still could not pass the test. It was clear to us that we were selectively being harassed by the Health Department. We would never pass inspection because the powers at be did not support community people running a community program at the Drop Inn Center – we were not professional enough in their eyes. By this time we were feeling the crunch of over crowdedness. We were getting nowhere with the landlord. And getting nowhere with passing inspections. Rat holes, water leaks, sewage backup were everyday problems. Conditions in the building were unlivable for person’s homeless sleeping there, many on the hard cold floors. We could not see surviving another winter in this rundown place where icicles dangled from the walls in the back storage room. The requirements demanded of our shelter by the Health and Building Departments could never be met by the 1324 Main Street facility. We started dreaming of a better and bigger facility. We wanted a place big enough to house men AND WOMEN. We wanted a warmer, safer, dryer place. We wanted out from under this landlord who refused to do needed repairs. So we started scouting around the neighborhood for a building large enough to meet our needs. (We were not interested in going out to Lunken Airport where it was suggested we look. We were determined to find a place in our own neighborhood.) Of all the buildings we looked at, the former Teamster Union Hall at 217 West 12th Street had the best possibility. We started negotiating with the Teamsters on a rental lease agreement. We kept the site quiet for we knew this location would be controversial, being one People’s Move cont. on page 9 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �Streetvibes Streetvibes, the Tri­ State’s alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. Vendors are private contractors who DO NOT work for, or represent, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homleess. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Allison Leeuw -Administrative Coordinator Monique Little - Education Coordinator Kelly Carr - VISTA Chris Dourson - AHA Coordinator John Lavelle - VISTA Mary Gaffney - Reception Melvin Williams - Reception Susan Smith - Volunteer Streetvibes Jimmy Heath, Editor Photography Jimmy Heath Cover Early photo of the Drop Inn Center Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Subscriptions to Streetvibes, delivered to your home each month, can be purchased for $25 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: http://cincihomeless.org Page 2 The Winter and Our Discontent by John Lavelle February arrives, and winter has no doubt worn out its welcome among most Cincinnatians. For the city’s most vulnerable residents, each winter seems just that much longer. Those with housing face heating bills that every year rise quicker than inflation and much faster than wages. For the thousands that spend all or part of each winter on the streets of Cincinnati, the four months or so can be grueling. Sleeping outdoors, a dangerous endeavor at any time of the year can become extremely hazardous to the health or even life-threatening. Life in the shelters becomes much more difficult as resources and bed space are stretched thin. According to Steve Knight, Shelter Coordinator for the Drop Inn Center in Over-the-Rhine, the shelter was at or above its 235 person capacity for 20 out of the 31 days in this past December. It is Drop Inn Center policy not to turn anyone away during the winter. When they are above capacity, those without beds must sleep on benches or John Lavelle the floor; there just simply is not enough room for the sheer amount of people without a place to stay. If it gets cold enough, the city will open an emergency overflow shelter at the Over-theRhine Community Center on Republic Street. Under the current policy, if the overnight wind chill is expected to dip to 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and the Drop Inn Center is at or above capacity the previous night, the Health Department will make a recommendation to the mayor that he declare a winter shelter emergency. Under such an emergency situation, the Cincinnati Recreation Commission opens the OTR Community Center as a shelter from 10pm-8am, and the Red Cross often provides snacks and other amenities. Those in need of shelter can go directly to the community center or be referred by other shelters that have reached capacity. This winter, the emergency shelter was opened for three nights straight The Future Suffers by Jimmy Heath American TV newscasts are sometimes impossible to watch. It is always about the drama: death, accidents, natural disasters and war. TV’s mantra, “if it bleeds, it leads” is at the heart of American public news viewing. From my neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine, notoriety is gained by the flow of blood. It gets tiresome constantly defending the neighborhood against the permeating stereotypes of violence and bloodshed lead by the evening local newscasts. For our suburban neighbors, this is the reality of the “hood”. We who live here know it is different. My neighbors and I live in peace and respect and watch out for each other, but there is no denying the real violence – 10 murders in Over-theRhine alone last year. The last time there were so many murders in Cincinnati was in 1978. (Of course, that number is deceiving because triage and advanced medical services mean many more lives are saved than in 1978.) Nevertheless, the loss of any life is tragic and unacceptable. Cincinnati’s new mayor starting on December 19th, a particularly cold night. However, on the brisk nights that do not qualify for the incredibly low temperature requirements of the overflow policy, individuals experiencing homelessness can quite literally get left out in the cold. For numerous and varying reasons, some individuals prefer not to stay at regular shelters, opting to sleep independently on the streets rather that in a crowded shelter. The emergency overflow shelter that periodically opens on extremely cold nights offers an alternative for many of these individuals. Just prior to publication of the February Streetvibes, the Homeless Outreach Group (HOG), a collaboration of local outreach workers helping the homeless, completed its quarterly street survey during an early morning undertaking. The results of the forthcoming survey may shed some light on the population sleeping on the streets in the winter. younger people to succeed or do we create more jail space to deal with recently outlined a plan to reduce them as young men? Do we create a violent crime in the city. Cincinnati powerful and engaging public school police will focus on mid-level drug environment for everyone, including dealers and seizing property through the poorest of the poor children who drug forfeiture laws. The mayor and suffer the ravages of City officials are asking less than adequate the U.S. Attorney’s education, or do we Office to accept more allow the “corner” to cases on a federal level, continue to be a viable and there will be more option and an of an effort to publicize inducement for truancy? the city’s 50 most violent Do we do something criminals. The police real to address racism chief says about 5 Jimmy Heath and classicism or do we percent of the cities allow another generation criminals are responsible for 50 of separation from opportunity for all? percent of the violent crime Sometimes the violence feeds Cincinnati police have itself through how we initiate these recently initiated more truancy sweeps discussions, especially in the news. in public places, including downtown’s We need a more positive discussion public library. and not more of the “same old.” A lot of people say that all this More cops and more effort is just more of the same. Most punishment won’t address the root of the violence surrounds the drug causes of the violence. Listen to us trade, but cleaning up hot spots just small folk on the side streets and ask moves the dealers to other places, us what we need. Break down the other corners, other neighborhoods. wall between the police and the Somewhere, we as a society citizenry. Engage the children through need to step in with more than just high quality education and support “more of the same.” It’s going to cost programs that promote sobriety. Let’s money no matter how we deal with it. break the cycle. Contact Do we create opportunities for jimmyheath@yahoo.com Streetvibes �have been developing the network in the Baltimore area. Ascension is one of the seven congregations that will house the families, who will stay at each location for a week before switching to another. The families will be housed in spare classrooms that the state also has received a Compiled by Jimmy Heath and offices at the congregations. $600,000 grant to help run shelters, Because most area shelters help the homeless find shelter or Near the University of don’t house men and women help people who are at risk of California, Davis last month, together, homeless families often get eviction, foreclosure or utility David Van Buren awoke to find split up, with the mother and shutoffs. he was lying in a puddle. children typically going to one It was raining hard onto the shelter, and the father - and teenage makeshift camp where he, his In Washington County, male children - to another. As a brother Michael and three other Maryland the Community Action result, families who find themselves homeless people had lived for Council was awarded $191,192 homeless often don’t seek help. about a month. and the Washington County “There are very few shelters The five friends - Van Department of Social Services that provide services for intact Buren’s “street family,” he says ­ will receive $45,839, according families,” says Laura Gillis, director In Stockton, California a pooled what money they had and to a statement from the U.S. of Baltimore Homeless Services, a 39-year-old homeless man died got a room at Motel 6 in Davis. Department of Housing and last month after being shot near quasi-public agency that runs Their tents, sleeping bags, Urban Development (HUD). homeless programs in the city. a freeway underpass. clothes and other belongings were The Maryland Department The 10 congregations that Police have no suspects in ruined. A utility line and 21/2 inches of Health and Mental Hygiene will are not providing housing will help the shooting at Lincoln and of water had fallen onto their camp. receive $180,948 for programs for Lafayette streets. The victim was with meals and childcare. The About 5 inches of water still sit in the homeless in Washington County. shot once in the upper body and families will be provided with three the bottom of Van Buren and his The $417,979 awarded died last month after being taken to home-cooked meals daily. brother’s tent, and their sleeping locally is part of $1.33 billion in The program is almost San Joaquin General Hospital. bags are soaked. federal funding that will assist entirely volunteer-based. Baltimore Police have not released his name. They were staying at the homelessness programs nationwide. It is the first homicide in San Homeless Services provided about Motel 6, funding it with money they HUD made the $50,000 annually to hire a full-time Joaquin County this year. Last have collected and with help from announcement last month. year, homicides claimed the lives of director for the BIHN, but local charity Grace In Action, but There are more than 150 congregations are responsible for 62 people across the county. they have nothing. programs throughout Maryland and The victim was found under feeding and housing the families. With Christmas nearly 5,000 programs in the U.S., an Interstate 5 overpass in an area approaching, it was difficult to be as well as Puerto Rico, Guam and In Cincinnati it’s a commonly used by homeless homeless, then to lose all of one’s the U.S. Virgin Islands, according Tuesday morning ritual for the people. The intersection is only a shelter and belongings on top of it, to the statement. sandwich crew at Guardian few blocks from both St. Mary’s a polite, almost soft-spoken Van The money is for emergency Interfaith Community Services and Angels Roman Catholic Church, Buren told The Enterprise. shelter and HUD’s Continuum of filling hundreds of baggies for the Stockton Shelter for the “I mean, we lost Care programs. distribution at an inner-city Homeless. everything,” he said last month in an Emergency shelter grants friary. “He was a transient who interview.. help convert buildings to homeless The volunteers, about 15 to lived in some of the camps there,” He and his brother moved shelters, pay for operating costs Stockton police Sgt. Juan Zermeno 20 regulars dubbed the Peanut from Oregon to Roseville several and social service and homeless said Monday. “He also frequented Butter Group, meet in the basement weeks before. They moved to prevention programs, according to of the church rectory after 7:30 the homeless shelter.” Davis when someone destroyed the statement. a.m. Mass and churn out 1,300 to their camp in Roseville and took The Continuum of Care 1,400 simple but filling sandwiches In Baltimore, area their belongings. They had heard programs provide permanent and homeless families will soon have — peanut butter, no jelly; bologna, Davis had organizations that would transitional housing to the homeless, a new option: 17 area religious no mayo. help them. job training, health care, mental When they’re done, the congregations have combined They started over, gathering health counseling, substance abuse forces to offer housing, food and sandwiches are taken to the St. enough items to survive and treatment and child care. support specifically designed for Francis Friary to feed the hungry. creating a camp in Davis about a When all the sandwiches are such families. month ago. Shelters across the made, bagged and stacked into The group, the Baltimore With 16 people, the Davis country are taking a closer look Interfaith Hospitality Network, will milk crates, Pat George and Ginny Community Meals shelter is at at an Ottawa shelter that gives house up to 14 people - usually two Farrell load them into Farrell’s van, capacity. The staff there has tried to drinks to homeless alcoholics along with donated bakery or three families - at seven area help and has given Van Buren and after a study suggested the doughnuts and cookies made by places of worship. The network the others a tarp, food, blankets program is having a positive Guardian Angels School students includes Baptist, Catholic and and the only two sleeping bags impact. Presbyterian churches, as well as a and their parents. available. They want to get a couple Dr. Tiina Podymow The women drive synagogue and a Baha’i temple. of tents for the group and are envisioned the program after downtown from Mount Washington The congregations are in the city hoping the community will help. volunteering with chronic to the back kitchen door of St. and in Baltimore County. alcoholics, including some who Francis, where Sister Bernadette “This addresses a segment drank upwards of 40 drinks per In Concord, N.H. the of the homeless population that isn’t Asbach starts handing out the food day, including mouthwash. government is sending a $2 well-served by other services,” said at 10:30 a.m. Two men in the program About 35 to 50 regulars million grant to help the Jennifer Arnold, recruitment receive their drinks at an Ottawa show up every day among the 150 homeless. coordinator for the BIHN. shelter. or so who receive the sandwiches, The grant will help pay for Arnold is a member of Participants in the Managed Ascension Evangelical Lutheran along with a kind word of transitional and permanent housing, Alcohol Project were given encouragement. outreach programs and to develop Church in Towson, which is permanent beds in a shelter and, “They should get more than a statewide information system on involved in the effort. For the past from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m, allowed to food when they come to the door,” the homeless. two years she has been part of a Sister Asbach said. “Spreading the Health and Human Services have one drink of homemade wine group of about 10 volunteers who or beer per hour, carefully word of hope is important.” Commissioner John Stephen said Homeless News Digest measured out at a dispensary counter. Now a study published in last month’s edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal is raising interest in the program. Completed by the shelter’s medical director, Dr. Jeff Turnbull, the study examined the program’s impact on 17 residents. Most had been alcoholics for 35 years before starting the program. Critics say there’s no way to judge how effective the harmreduction approach is because there’s no comparison group in the study, such as people taking part in an abstinence program like Alcoholics Anonymous. Streetvibes Page 3 �and fearful. Many are victims of robbery, rape or attack and are by James Gonser overwhelmed by traditional Safe Haven in Hawai’i , garbage. programs, Lundstrom said. celebrated its 10th anniversary last Advocates say they are They live in miserable month at its downtown shelter at 41 extremely difficult to help because conditions, sometimes not even S. Beretania Street. typically they don’t seek or often The program celebrates a decade of knowing they are ill. The shelter is for people who won’t accept professional help. work last month with an open house Inside Safe Haven is a calm are homeless and have a mental “Safe Haven is an example of at its downtown shelter. atmosphere with soothing color illness. It offers outreach, medical and how you can take those folks that are Started in 1995 with a $1.5 schemes and friendly faces. The psychiatric care, case management, on the street and they can be saved,” million federal grant and matching offices are in the basement. A 24-hour residential services and said Joanne Lundstrom, chief local money, Safe Haven is part of a reception area, kitchen, activity social rehabilitation activities. Mental executive officer of Mental Health national system developed to help center and medical offices are on the Health Kokua and Kalihi-Palama Kokua, the nonprofit agency that runs end chronic homelessness. ground floor. Apartments are on the Health Center operate the facility. Safe Haven. “They can begin to Today, the shelter operates upper floors. The federal Department of change their behaviors and live more with a $1.3 million annual budget and Only 25 can live there, but Housing and Urban Development independently. It works.” 19 employees. In addition, Kalihianyone diagnosed with a mental identified “safe havens” as a national John Perkins has his own Palama Heath Center’s Health Care illness who is at least 18 years old need for the homeless and financed room on the shelter’s third floor. for the Homeless Project provides and homeless can make use of the 80 programs nationwide. For Perkins, 52, that is a big outreach to people on the streets place for free meals, showers, For 10 years, Safe Haven deal. His last address was the along with psychiatric and medical laundry, storing items in a secure has helped some of O’ahu’s mentally downtown sidewalk along Kuakini care. locker, getting mail and using the ill homeless people rebuild their lives Street. Safe Haven does have rules phone. by not telling them what to do. “Over here is the sink,” said — no drugs or alcohol, and the door “The uniqueness of Safe The shelter doesn’t tell them Perkins, who is proud to show off his is locked at 9 p.m. But outside of the Haven is the soft approach,” they have to take their medication, or amenities, including a window and a shelter, the clients are on their own, Lundstrom said. “Other group homes attend mandatory counseling sessions desk where he likes to draw. Lundstrom said. and residential programs have clearly or stop using drugs or alcohol. The soft-spoken Perkins “They may be drinking and defined expectations coming in. You What Safe Haven workers frequently changes the subject in the doing drugs, but they cannot do it in need to participate.” do is listen, and take the time to build middle of a conversation. But he Safe Haven,” she said. “We In 10 years, Lundstrom said, trust with people who have serious draws intricate pictures, mixing discourage them from doing that but about 80 percent of Safe Haven’s mental and substance abuse problems Buddhist symbols and political don’t bar them from getting help if residents — about 180 people — who are chronically homeless. leaders such as former President Bill they are.” have found more permanent housing These people often are the Clinton. There are an estimated 6,000 and are no longer homeless. most visible of those on the streets — Perkins moved into his room homeless people in Hawai’i on any Among the success stories is loudly talking to themselves, living six months ago, and in a year he given day. Safe Haven estimates that Sesa Toelupe, 45, who five years ago outside public bathrooms and bus would like to be in a home of his at least one-third, or about 2,000, are was living in public parks. Today she stops or wandering the streets own. “We’ll see,” he said. “I’m chronically homeless. Mentally ill lives in a group home in Waipahu and pushing shopping carts filled with working on it.” homeless are vulnerable, disoriented works at the Lanakila Rehabilitation Center. Show your support! Get your STREETVIBES “I was so insecure,” she said. “Just being out there with all those T-Shirt Today! people in the park. People taking drugs. It scared me. You don’t know what is out there.” She said Safe Haven gave her a place to live for three years, the treatment she needed and the confidence to start a new life. Ten years ago, the facility opened amid controversy over its location and how a facility for mentally ill homeless people would affect the neighborhood. Lynne Matusow, chairwoman of the Downtown Neighborhood Board, said at the time there was a (Back shown here. push to locate the shelter at the old Shirt not actual size) fire station on South Street, away from downtown. But because many of the chronic homeless live in downtown and Chinatown areas, the neighborhood board supported its placement in the Edwin Thomas Home on Beretania Street near Fort Street Mall. “We wanted it to be right here in the community,” Matusow said. “We said it needed to be right where the problem is.” Only $15 Laura E. Thielen, executive We will send your Streetvibes T-shirt to your door ­ director of the Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance, a nonprofit All proceeds benefit the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for group that works with Safe Haven, the Homeless and the Streetvibes newspaper. Call said the program is the only one in 513.421.7803 x 16, or come in to our office at 117 E Hawai’i that’s tailored to get people who are both mentally ill and 12th Street in Over-the-Rhine chronically homeless off the streets. ‘Soft approach’ Saving Homeless Once trust is established, the shelter provides medical and psychiatric care, case management and social rehabilitation services. Page 4 Streetvibes �Filibuster Evasion by Paul Rogat Loeb In the wake of the Alito hearings, mainline pundits are calling his nomination a done deal. Alito didn’t spew obscenities or green bile. He didn’t admit that he’d reverse Roe v. Wade or vow to proclaim George Bush Lord Emperor. Rehearsed and coached by committee member Lindsay Graham (and by some of the same lawyers who justified Bush’s NSA wiretaps), he instead spoke deferentially and humbly about respecting legal precedent and separation of powers, while Republican committee members made him out to be a mix of Solomon and Mother Teresa. Much like Clarence Thomas during his hearings, Alito dodged the tough questions with evasions and platitudes, suffered convenient memory lapses on areas he couldn’t dodge, and justified controversial past stands by saying he was just trying to be a team player. We know little more about him than before—except about his capacity to dissemble. Meanwhile, in a galaxy far away, former Congresswoman Liz Holtzman, who sat on Nixon’s impeachment committee, just wrote that Bush’s defiance of the law through illegal wiretapping, lying about the reasons for going to war, and condoning of violation of US law about detainee abuse constitute grounds for impeachment. Holtzman said impeachment should never be undertaken lightly. She found “voting for [Nixon’s] impeachment to be one of the most sobering and unpleasant tasks I ever had to undertake.” But she said it was necessary in Nixon’s case, and merited in Bush’s as well. A Zogby poll taken last November, just before the wiretap scandal broke, found that 53 percent of those questioned favored impeachment of President Bush if he lied about the war in Iraq. If there’s a chance to stop Alito, much less reclaim our democracy, we need to bring these realities together. The filibuster just might be the vehicle to do that, as Senators could spell out the links between link runaway executive Paul Loeb power and a nominee who has consistently ruled and spoken in favor of the unaccountable expansion of that power. Suppose the Democratic Senators actually used a filibuster to talk about the Alito nomination in its broadest context. They wouldn’t read the phone book. They wouldn’t get lost in an endless maze of legal rhetoric about stare decisions. They could talk about how they’d have readily accepted a more moderate nominee, much as Clinton nominated Steven Breyer and Ruth Ginzberg in part because Orrin Hatch said he’d accept them as preferable to other proposed justices. They’d use the filibuster to educate as well as impede. However they label their actions, suppose the Democrats started debating the nomination, and didn’t stop, in the process illegal, what it’s like to be discriminated against, then told you don’t meet an impossible burden of proof, and whether police should be able to shoot unarmed 15-year­ olds who flee after stealing $10. They could tell the stories that bring seemingly abstract issues of jurisdiction and constitutional interpretation to life, and make clear their real-world consequences. In the process they could remind America that this president, with this track record of lies, deceptions, and favors for the most destructive private interests, deserves no presumption of deference. And that when he nominates someone, like Alito, who will only further his abuses of power, Senators have a moral responsibility to oppose him however they can. The wink-and­ nod games of the hearings were designed to obscure Alito’s record and frame him as genial and reasonable. If the Democrats accept this, or even quietly vote against him without further protest, addressing the real roots of why they further the lie that this is an Alito would be so destructive. They ordinary nomination in an ordinary could read from articles and books time. If they filibuster and stand about this administration’s abuse of firm, there’s a chance that just presidential power. They could talk enough of the now politically about whether we really want weakened Republicans will back government officials to be able to down and not risk putting strip us of our rights at will, listen in themselves on the line to destroy on our phone and email nearly 200 years of Senate tradition conversations without a court order, for the naked goal of increasing and infiltrate the citizen groups their power. But Democrats have to through which we gather peacefully take the risk of standing up, and we to express our beliefs. They could as ordinary citizens have to do all talk about the choices women were we can to convince them to do so. forced to make when abortion was Third Teen Held in Homeless Beating Death In Fort Lauderdale, Florida a third teenager was ordered held without bail last month after he was charged with murder in the death of a homeless man who was beaten with a baseball bat and shot with a paintball gun. William Ammons, 18, was charged in the killing of 45-year-old Norris Gaynor, one of at least three homeless men allegedly attacked last month by a group of teens. He didn’t comment on the allegations during a video court appearance, but said he was trying to hire a private lawyer. Ammons, Brian Hooks, 18, and Thomas Daugherty, 17, all face murder and assault charges in the attacks. One beating was caught by a security camera, and authorities say the video played a key role in identifying the alleged assailants. Ammons initially was accused only of assaulting another homeless man. He was released on $5,000 bail on the assault charge but was arrested again a few hours later on the murder charge. Witnesses said Video tape shows only Daugherty struck Gaynor with a bat. Police said Ammons admitted he shot Gaynor with a paintball gun and that his slain, even if they didn’t commit the actual killing. “When people come together to commit a crime, they are all charged separately as if they each committed the crime,” said Assistant State Attorney Lee Cohen. Gaynor was buried in Fort Lauderdale after a short funeral attended by about 25 relatives and strangers. His family described him as restless, and as an adult he drifted around the country, working in landscaping, roofing and as an artist. “This needs to be stopped,” his mother, Georgia Gaynor, 72, told The Miami Herald. “I don’t want there to be another Norris Gaynor.” National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project (NHCROP) Dispute leads to homeless shelter shooting Residents of the I.M. Sulzbacher Center in Jacksonville, Florida said Jelen Shropshire, 52, and Paul Williams, 45, had been fighting since before Christmas, but their argument turned deadly when vehicle was used by assailants in at least two of the attacks. “I can’t imagine what would go through somebody’s mind or what they were thinking to commit a heinous crime such as this,” said police Captain Michael Gregory. homeless beating Under Florida law, anyone who takes part in a crime can be charged with murder if someone is Shropshire allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Williams in the chest. Williams died at the scene. Now, some residents of the center said they are worried about their own safety. 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 homelesscivilrights@yahoo.com Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (513) 421-7803 Streetvibes Page 5 �Retiring Doesn’t Mean Goodbye by Ms. Mary Gaffney I will share one or two days As we enter the second a week with a visit here at the month of the New Year, I’d like to Coalition as a volunteer. I will also thank each and every continue my column. I one of my friends who will visit with my purchase Streetvibes. homeless friends and You have helped the bring coffee to share. poor and homeless Even though I won’t vendors have a place be here, I am still and an income of their concerned about the own. I have been here homeless – keep your Miss Mary Gaffney five years and have head up and walk tall, watched what you have and if you stumble get up, brush done for our vendors. I will not be yourself off and continue on. with my homeless friends here at History shows that you the Coalition because I am retiring. aren’t the only one who have made a miss-step in life or fallen during life’s strides. We have all stubbed our toes in life. Remember, there is always a brighter day ahead. Keep the faith and attitude that you can and will make it. Remember, regardless of who you are and what has happened in your life, you are still important in my sight and the eyes of our Heavenly Father. Until next month, to the purchasers each month of Streetvibes, continue helping my friends. Taxes continue to rise and jobs dry up but there is always a brighter day ahead. Until next month. National News on Homelessness and Poverty FRAC (the Food Research and Action Center) and its partners in the Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) and the Emergency Campaign for America’s Priorities (ECAP) will try to build on partial victories from 2005 to derail remaining FY 2006 Budget Reconciliation Bill cuts to lowincome programs and legislation giving tax cuts to wealthy Americans when Congress returns in late January. One key victory came in December when Congressional leaders abandoned cuts to the Food Stamp Program. In addition, due to a successful parliamentary challenge, the conference report that passed the Senate differed from that passed by the House and so will require further action to become law. In a December 27th ECAP Update, Jeff Blum and Brad Woodhouse report, “These victories are, to be sure, still partial. But they are very real. And few pundits, legislators or even activists would have given us much chance to achieve them before we started ECAP fewer than three short months ago. The discipline of thousands of activists to believe we could win, to stay together on message and to target vulnerable Members with a never-ending barrage of constituent pressure was unprecedented in federal budget fights.” As US Student Association President Eddy Morales says, “This was the one issue where we were able to generate student activism. Students made 15,000 phone calls about budget reconciliation – about student loans, and also about Medicaid and food stamps. Our discipline helped Democratic leadership hold their entire caucuses on very tough votes, and convinced moderate Republicans that they should be with us on very tough votes.” ECAP partners met on January 5th in Washington, DC Page 6 President Likely to Propose Entitlement Program Cuts in 2007 Budget (“Bush Seeking to Limit Spending Growth in ’07 Budget,” bloomberg.com, January 10, 2006) President Bush is preparing a budget proposal for fiscal year 2007 and officials say it likely will cut programs such as Medicaid, NASA and agriculture programs to restrain budget growth spurred by the cost of hurricane relief, the war in Iraq and prescription drugs for senior citizens. “The rate of growth [in the budget] is going to be below the rate of inflation” except for defense and homeland security, commented Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg. Gregg said, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security account for about 60 percent of the federal budget, so they should account for 60 percent of budget savings. The president may face resistance to his plan. All members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senators will be reelected in November, and many of them may not risk going against the wishes of their constituencies who support the targeted programs. ”Policy is going to butt heads with politics this year,” said Bill Hoagland, a budget analyst for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Cuts in entitlement programs “aren’t politically saleable.” Along with farmers and environmentalists, who fear a further tightening of the Agriculture Department’s budget, Maine Senator Olympia Snowe also would resist the cuts. ”She wouldn’t want the beneficiaries to bear the brunt of cuts,” in any new proposal affecting Medicare, Medicaid, and food stamps, said Snowe’s spokesman Preston Hartman. IRS Withholds Hundreds of Thousands of EITC Refunds for Poor (“I.R.S. Limited Tax Refunds of Poor, Congress Is Told,” nytimes.com, January 10, 2006) The tax refunds sought by hundreds of thousands of lowincome Americans were frozen and their returns labeled fraudulent by the Internal Revenue Service without any notification, according to a report by the IRS taxpayer advocate, Nina Olson. Affected taxpayers had an average income of $13,000. They were seeking the earned income tax credit, a benefit for the working poor, and their requests were assigned questionable status by an IRS criminal division’s computer program. Once a return is flagged, future requests by the same taxpayer also are frozen for a number of years which IRS rules prohibit the advocate from specifying publicly. Olson reported that the IRS devoted more resources to investigating questionable refunds to the poor, worth no more than $9 billion, than to a $100 billion problem involving unreported incomes from small businesses. Olson found that the IRS owed all the money, or more, to two-thirds of the taxpayers who pursued their refunds, and it was unfair, and a waste of resources, to withhold refunds from poor people when, at most, one in five of them appeared not to be due refunds. Leslie M. Book of Villanova University commented: “Freezing refunds without giving taxpayers process is an extremely dangerous way to administer the earned income tax credit. These taxpayers often need more rather than less protection because they are not sophisticated, are afraid of government involvement.” High Costs of Poverty Make it Harder for Poor to Improve Their Lives (“High Living Costs Help Perpetuate Poverty,” Streetvibes Homeless Quotes It’s so bad being homeless in winter. They should buy a plane ticket and go somewhere hot like the Caribbean where they can eat free fish all day. by Lady Victoria Hervey What we have found in this country, and maybe we’re more aware of it now, is one problem that we’ve had, even in the best of times, and that is the people who are sleeping on the grates, the homeless, you might say, by choice. by Ronald Reagan Is not necessary to advertise food to hungry people, fuel to cold people, or houses to the homeless. by Galbraith palmbeachpost.com, January 8, 2006) Megan Adams learned the hard way that being poor is not cheap. On payday she was usually able to leave work only when the bank was already closed and her paycheck often ended up at the local check casher. For Adams, who provided for her children on $9 to $10 per hour, a 3 percent fee for cashing a check was significant. A Brookings Institution study concluded that the higher prices paid by the poor for everything from car insurance to utilities to groceries leave them too little to invest in education or homes. A survey of convenience stores in Adams’ Delray Beach, FL neighborhood found their prices more than 25 percent higher than those of grocery stores just outside the neighborhood. The high cost of poverty often prevents the poor from acquiring assets, including homes, said Bonnie Howard of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Also, poor people do not have savings to use during hard times and live one crisis away from a financial disaster. California: Governor Schwarzenegger’s Budget Cuts Hit Welfare Programs (“Gov’s Budget Cuts Welfare, Boosts Schools,” latimes.com, January 11, 2006) California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger introduced a budget proposal that would cut welfare programs almost $200 million over the next two years while increasing funding for schools and health care programs for lowincome children. The proposal was a departure from the governor’s previous plans that called for reductions across the board, but came as a shock to anti-poverty activists who had hoped that services for the poor would be spared cuts. �Dallas library code of conduct New Study Finds 20 Meanest Cities and Constructive Alterna­ draws criticism A new Dallas Public Library code of conduct that bans distracting odors has drawn criticism from homeless advocates who say the rule unfairly targets the homeless and poor. “No one in Dallas wants the homeless hanging around their door, especially the city,” said Paul Voorhees, a homeless man who spends much of his day reading and using the computer at the downtown library. But library officials say the code of conduct, which took months to develop and will be implemented in February, is meant to create a reader-friendly atmosphere. The rules prohibit a variety of activities, including sleeping, eating, bathing, loud talking on cell phones, fighting, bare feet and sex. The rules also apply to city recreation centers. Dallas library Director Laurie Evans said the conduct code has not been updated for years. The rules are meant to address behaviors, not people, and are not an excuse to kick people out of the building, she said. Any violations, including offensive smell, would be addressed on a case-by-case basis, and only when visitors or staff members complain. “The intent is to provide a welcoming environment for anyone who walks through the doors,” Evans said. “They deserve to be comfortable; they deserve to feel welcomed in public buildings.” Dallas homeless advocate James Waghorne said the city does not provide facilities for some of the library’s neediest patrons to keep shower-fresh. Homeless people often need libraries for resources they can’t get elsewhere, he said. “There are resources there that are set up for everyone to use,” Waghorne said. “If you don’t have 50 cents to buy a newspaper, you can go to the library and read want ads.” For years, library patrons have complained about homeless people using Dallas’ downtown public library for activities such as bathing in the restroom or loitering outside. Dallas City Council member Angela Hunt said the homeless are welcome at Dallas libraries, but that libraries were never intended to be used as shelters. Libraries across the country, from Redwood City, Calif., to Boston and Houston, have adopted similar policies. “If people can’t take care of basic hygiene and are disturbing to the 100 or so people around them, then it’s perfectly acceptable for the library to say, ‘Will you please sit somewhere else?’ or ‘Will you consider coming back another day?’ “ said Leslie Burger, president-elect of the American Library Association. Burger said similar codes have held up in court. tives to a “Dream Denied” The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) will release their 2006 report tracking the escalating trend of criminalizing homelessness in 224 U.S. cities. The report also ranks the top 20 meanest cities in the country based on a number of factors, including the number of antihomeless laws in the city, the enforcement of those laws, the general political climate toward homeless people in the city, and the city’s history of criminalization measures. A Dream Denied focuses on specific city measures from 2005 that have targeted homeless persons, such as laws that make it illegal to sleep, eat, or sit in public spaces or placing restrictions on providers serving food to poor and homeless persons in public spaces. The report also includes information about constitutional challenges to laws and practices that criminalize homelessness, as well as models for more constructive approaches to homelessness. Top Twenty Ranked Cities: 1. Sarasota, FL 2. Lawrence, KS 3. Little Rock, AR 4. Atlanta, GA 5. Las Vegas, NV 6. Dallas, TX 7. Houston, TX 8. San Juan, PR 9. Santa Monica, CA 10. Flagstaff, AZ 11. San Francisco, CA 12. Chicago, IL 13. San Antonio, TX 14. New York City, NY 15. Austin, TX 16. Anchorage, AK 17. Phoenix, AZ 18. Los Angeles, CA 19. St. Louis, MO 20. Pittsburgh, PA CONTACT: For more information contact Melanie Mullen: mmullen@nlchp.org or Michael Stoops: mstoops@nationalhomelessness.org, and receive an Executive Summary. 21 YEARS SERVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 A Call to Greater Cincinnati Poets For the 2006 annual Book of Poems and Drawings on Peace and Justice 1) Call for poems from any poet from the Greater Cincinnati area 2) Poems to relate to themes of peace and justice 3) Poet may submit up to 3 poems 4) All submissions will be considered. The editors will be looking for quality, inclusiveness, and appropriateness to the themes of peace and justice. 5) If space becomes limited, priority will be given to poets not published in previous books 6) Poems selected will be illustrated in B&W by Greater Cincinnati artists (one drawing per poet) 7) Poems and illustrations will be printed in For a Better World 2006, a book to be available April, 2006 8) Book will be launched and available for sale at SOS ART 2006. 9) Poets included in book will be invited to read their poems at SOS ART 2006 10) Proceeds from sale of book will finance publication of future similar books to accompany annual SOS ART events. (Note: this is the 3rd annual book) 11) Submission deadline: February 20, 2006 12) Please send submissions in full text and as a Word attachments by e-mail or by US mail (on a floppy disk) to: Saad Ghosn (saad.ghosn@uc.edu), 216 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, Oh 45229 Streetvibes Page 7 �People’s Move cont. from page 2 of the top spots for future profitmaking development so close to Music Hall. But it was our top spot for a home for the homeless, and that was top priority. We were not making headway fast enough with the Teamsters, and feeling the moral urgency to get out of the unsafe environment, we plotted THE PEOPLES MOVE for midnight on January 13th, l978. We did not plan for the blizzard. Though the blizzard made the move more treacherous, it was a blessing in disguise. It gave us time to get somewhat settled in before the City discovered we were there. The City’s reaction to our move was to wage a vicious campaign to close us down. On January 20th we were forced into court. The Building Department ordered our immediate eviction and our leadership was threatened with criminal charges. That day with 14 Early Drop Inn Center photograph ruled on behalf of the homeless. It inches of snow on the ground and was a victory for the people. zero temperatures, the 120 The Peoples Power Ran homeless residents of the shelter Through Our Veins That Day were waiting with intense anxiety As I reflect on our their fate as buddy gray on the courageous action twenty years ago witness stand defended our decision to “illegally” move into our I can still feel the people’s power new home. The prosecutors grilled that ran through our veins that day. him unmercifully. The Spirit moved It was no small feat to do what we did. Many people, including the with us that day. Judge Outcalt residents, staff, neighborhood and community-wide volunteers, participated in the midnight move. We were taking control of our lives and determining our own history. We were actors, not victims. We were powerful, not powerless. We were hopeful, not despairing. We were risk-takers and not afraid to stand our ground. We stood our ground despite obstacles and determinedly weathered many torrential rains that came pouring down on us as a result of the location we chose and the City feeling threatened by our people’s action. Inspired by the Spirit of our people’s just anger I wrote this song during that tumultuous time in our history. There are many more chapters to our Drop Inn Center story. My hope is that we continue to remember the fighting spirit that was a part of our beginnings…and never lose sight of that. The story and the spirit needs to be passed on so those who join our effort along the way can feel and claim in their own veins the power of the people and carry this struggle forward…so that someday all our sisters and brothers will be afforded a safe and decent place to call home. I believe to remember and honor our peoples history reminds us that where we are today was made possible by those who labored and loved before us. Our participation in this important work is our ticket on the Freedom Train, which has been going down the track for centuries. Once aboard we must continue to tell the stories of people seeking justice and freedom. Homeless Early photo of the Drop Inn Center and former Teamsters Hall on 12th Street My world fell apart the other day. A personal tragedy tore my world away. I was once so comfortable and secure. My life is now a constant blur. Family times and days well spent Are now replaced by cold, hard cement. I never chose to live this way. A personal tragedy tore my world away. It’s kind of you to help me when you do. Maybe you realize it could happen to you. The House of Christmas buddy gray (center) in his new office at the Drop Inn Center Page 8 buddy gray and Maurice McCrackin Streetvibes There fared a mother driven forth Out of an inn to roam; In the place where she was homeless All men are at home. The crazy stable close at hand, With shaking timber and shifting sand, Grew a stronger thing to abide and stand. �Don’t be Squirrelly! Buy Streetvibes! Let my people go! Beyond the noble ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the American dream of ownership and fulfillment, there are the little things that make us simply feel human. Bathrooms are one of those unheralded accessories: one of those things you don’t appreciate until it’s not there in your time of need. In the measures of a civilized society, public restrooms have to rank among the most basic criteria for success. Providing them should be a community concern as intrinsic as our desire for peace on earth and a worldwide wi-fi network. Got The Vibe? moments of privacy. But we’re willing to bet most people use them It’s not just a matter of aesthetics, or hygiene, or safety — to take care of more important business, more immediate business. although those reasons alone are enough to justify the placement and The benefits of eliminating feces management of accessible 24-hour and urine on the sidewalks, unhealthy hygiene, criminal bathroom facilities. It’s more citations, sex crimes and humiliation importantly a matter of dignity, for demand a creative solution. A the people caught between an person does not choose to use alcove and a wet spot and the drugs because there are public community that should rise to the restrooms, but a person’s humanity basic needs of all its members. PHLUSH, an ad-hoc group and health is compromised in their absence. assembled through the Old Town/ Public restrooms also Chinatown Neighborhood present the potential for employing Association in Portland, Oregon is people to monitor and manage researching how it can make 24­ hour bathrooms a reality in a part of them, a service that would be offset by alleviating the cost of police and the city that needs them the most. Old Town/Chinatown is proudly the security personnel from processing offensive deposit violations, not to city’s hub of services for people mention the improved general experiencing homelessness, but it’s hygiene of a community and its not just a homeless issue. This residents. neighborhood also hosts the If, for a moment, you have gateway for rail and bus travelers put yourself in the position of coming into town after long trips. needing, but not having, a And it’s the center of Portland’s vibrant nightlife, where clubs empty bathroom, you know how much this is the right thing to do. out around 2 a.m.; a time when emptying anything else can result in Reprinted from Street Roots a misdemeanor and a $1,000 fine. My Life It’s time for a public by Janet Sharp restroom, or restrooms, to be My life always changes, established in the Old Town New details to find out, neighborhood. To make that happen, the businessmen, residents Family secrets known and unknown, and the people on the streets have My temper to keep under to rally behind the effort. To make control. that happen, money and management will have to be put forward, along with innovation and Find a way to hide from the understanding. It will have to be world, seen as an investment, not a liability, Learn to listen more and talk although there are many concerns less, that can derail the right course. Find a way to keep my mind People have, on occasion, active. used public restrooms for engaging in drugs, sex and the elusive So much to do, So little time, Finding some balance in my life. Send your letters or comments to Streetvibes, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati Ohio 45202, or email to Streetvibes@juno.com This beautiful, original artwork depicts the vibrant role that Streetvibes plays in downtown Cincinnati and neighboring communities. Created by local artist and activist Mary Ann Lederer in collage form, this colorful 18" X 10" reproduction can be yours to own for only $10. Commemorating Streetvibes 100th issue, proceeds from this limited time offer will go to support the Streetvibes Program and Vendors. One of these days I’ll find that balance. When, I don’t know. More Poetry on Pages 14 and 15 Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct and agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Vendor Pro­ gram. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the rules, she/he may be removed from the Program. To report a Vendor, call 421­ 7803. ext. 16 Visit the Greater Cincinnati Coaltion for the Homeless website at - http://www.cincihomeless.org Visit the Streevibes archives at - http:// www.cincihomeless.org/content/streetvibes.html Streetvibes Page 9 �of a federal program called the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, prosecutor Kate Pflaumer. “Criminal concurs that “law enforcement by enforcement is not working, and there itself won’t solve the problem. You needs to be a big, open debate about need good prevention and treatment programs.” However, he adds, that.” “Legalization misses the whole Echoing the overall tone of the conference, retired Seattle Police concept of what addiction is about Chief Norm Stamper declared, “The and what drives people to become addicts. It’s a fallacy that flies in the drug war is causing more harm than face of common sense. Treatment good. We are creating much more dangerous, unhealthy communities by programs tell us that law enforcement leaving the drug trade in the hands of is a necessary first intervention in the user’s life.” the underworld.” Stamper favors full Satterberg said he appeared legalization of all drugs. at the conference to dispel some Privately, many law enforcement misperceptions. “A lot of people professionals acknowledge a certain come to these conferences without futility in trying to uphold present knowing how our current system has laws. Others are convinced that any evolved. The state of Washington has softening of them will only lead to made significant progress in reducing greater damage to communities and our reliance on prison. Treatment is users. “We’ve seen the conference’s the answer.” Rodriguez points to the proposals and feel they are out of success of drug courts and deferred touch with reality,” says Jeff Eig, prosecution. “This is a sensible spokesperson for the local Drug solution, because many addicts need Enforcement Administration. “It’s completely away from the situation on supervised and coerced treatment” — something that could not happen the ground and going in the wrong without the threat of incarceration. direction.” While nearly everyone agrees Dave Rodriguez, local head Drug Debate Goes On by Tom Cogbill Can America’s longstanding love-hate relationship with addictive substances be defused by drastic reform of current drug laws? That’s the $20 billion question — about what the U.S. government spends annually on the War on Drugs. Nearly 200 reform advocates met in Seattle Dec. 1-2 to discuss issues and strategies for dismantling the present “prohibition” approach to problematic drugs. Speaker after speaker decried the bankruptcy of the policy, which relies heavily on imprisonment as a deterrent, and on interdiction and eradication (which take up two-thirds of the overall budget). About 70 percent of inmates are serving drug convictions; yet, as Dan Satterberg, chief of staff for the King County Prosecutor, noted, “No one believes we can incarcerate our way out of the problem.” “If we took the money spent poisoning fields abroad and spent it on treatment here, it would be far more useful,” says former federal Funeral Show “One way to get rid of the race problem.” He was being sarcastic, by Jay Thiemeyer unlike that white Republican It’s Xmas Eve and I’m Louisiana legislator talking about missing “It’s AWonderful Life” Katrina’s elimination of low-income again. I like Jimmy Stewart. And black folks’ housing on the Gulf. Donna Reed. I had scarlet fever Clearing the way for “Opportunity when I was 8 and spent a feverish month in bed watching “The Donna Zones.” Clearing out affordable housing and people with no dough Reed Show” every day. If it was to contribute to the business model on every day, I watched it every of how civilization was supposed to day. It was just me and the boob work. Business enterprise tube. unimpeded by human Donna Reed was the cat’s a#$ as far as I was concerned. Just considerations. The PBA’s dream me, and the post-war ideal of a big written out on the blank slate of a post-Katrina world. Clear the sister. Scarlet fever and the cat’s South Park blocks of human refuse a#$ of American iconic women, to promote Holiday commerce. suburban domestic. Remote, Business has its entitlement and the untouchable, but big sisterly. The police goons are there to enforce it. ideal, insinuated into a kid’s Advance their careers. Win awards feverish, defenseless brain. and citations as productive citizens. And I remember seeing And for the homeless, we “Birth of a Nation” on the small have vigils. box. Norfolk offered it all on the When I was 8 and feverish small box. All the acculturation a and bed-ridden, though, I didn’t young boy in a fever would ever know from nothing. But even as need. obtuse as I was, I knew I had it There were no homeless in good. Living indoors isn’t bad. A Norfolk that I recall. The GI Bill new sort of entitlement. Lying in had assimilated the returning vets bed watching cable. Old movies before they could constitute a from the ’50s. “The Far Country” homeless army of malcontents, in Alaska. Made in 1956. It permanent evacuees from the wasn’t bad; interesting comparison bivouacs of war. with Clint Eastwood. Same loner, The government and the drifter, hobo type. Inner Child American Legion and bureaucratic buried deep, incommunicable. Iron anti-Communist unions had made sure there would be no more Bonus Man shell was what was happening. High Plains Drifter, or Jimmy Armies or Anacostia Flats. There Stewart in “The Far Country.” were only the dreaded skid rows Same character, same American where non-whites red-lined from white manhood appeal. Masters of suburbia were quarantined, and their fate. Living by their wits. urban renewal would soon erase Very romantic. Very rad. An ideal. them. “Bulldozer diplomacy,” a A fiction. friend in city planning called it. Page 10 Earlier in the evening I had been to a candlelight vigil, part of a nationwide acknowledgement of the homeless who’d died over the past year. It was, predictably, not well-attended. A handful standing in the rain. Some had skin in the game, some were simply sympathetic. Xmas lights hung dreamily in the trees. The newly refurbished Art Museum to the west of us, The Schnitzer to the east of us. On we rode into our small valley of dead homeless. A regular light brigade of sympathizers. Very tame, very domesticated and contained. No outrage was voiced. One of the perhaps dozen names was one I knew. Richard Nash. I had been to a memorial for him a month ago. His parents, his twin, a cousin, were there. Dave Utzinger, the facilitator for Potluck in the Park, had arranged it, expecting the people he told about it and who promised they’d be there, to actually show up. They didn’t. Couldn’t remember his face or name. Maybe that’s ultimately why I went. I should have known him but couldn’t place him. Nash slept squeezed against a fence that separated PDOT land, a small slice of it, from I-84. He lived alone in that same place for years, during every day of every season. Come rain or come shine. Barely sheltered by some low-hanging evergreen. Richard drew no comment that I discovered the particular afternoon of his memorial. He apparently lived as anonymously as Streetvibes more should be spent on education and treatment, reform advocates claim a certain percentage of the population gets addicted to drugs no matter what. These people can be managed most effectively by “medicalizing” their addiction: providing inexpensive, pharmaceutical dosing of their drugs in a hygienic environment with treatment and social services available upon demand. The idea is to expose addiction as a serious risk to health and social status and thus deflate the glamorous image young people often have of prohibited substances. DEA’s Eig doesn’t buy it. “We have to be sending a clear message to our young people that drug use is unacceptable.” “I commend [the conference] for discussing the topic,” says Satterberg. “There’s plenty to criticize in our current approach. But you need to have thought out the details. Nobody knows what would happen if the state were to hand out heroin and hard drugs. There’s lots of rhetoric, but it’s not an academic matter. It’s a real [bad] deal for people who lose their families.” he died. His body went unclaimed at first. Either his ID was knocked so far by the collision that they couldn’t find it, or he didn’t have one. It costs a lot of money to have an ID. Which brings me back to why I attended. That’s what I really wanted to say. What I went there to see. The appearance of grief and sympathy. Richard’s family seemed nice enough. They lived within an hour’s ride by TriMet. Their door, they said, was always open. So, why did things happen the way they did? How did he wind up dead, wiped out while pushing a cart, something he’d been doing for years? What does “accident” mean? What does “home” mean? Why did I care about going to his memorial? Was it because it didn’t matter? At the candlelight vigil nonetheless, someone held his name printed boldly on a sheet of paper along with the others. The mayor made some remarks about providing housing for the homeless. To rehabilitate and incorporate into the mainstream. Something to that effect. He mentioned Project Homeless Connect on Jan 17 at the convention center. That resources including foot massage and haircuts would be there. Dentists and visionaries. And expanded community awareness. Volunteer involvement. “It’s only when people see for themselves what homelessness is about. When they Funeral Show cont. on page 13 �Alito’s Extraodinary Circumstances by Paul Rogat Loeb Remember the “nuclear option” compromise? When the group of 14 Senators reached their agreement last May, they said they’d support a filibuster only under “extraordinary circumstances,” presumably if Bush nominated Attila the Hun. I’d suggest these circumstances apply not only to Samuel Alito’s track record but also to his nomination’s entire political context. In threatening to end the Senate’s ability to filibuster judges, Republican leaders talk much about high principle, the right of Presidents to have their nominees accepted or rejected without parliamentary obstructions. But the sole principle behind this proposed change is that of the power grab. The Republicans control the White House and Senate. They’re attempting to consolidate control in every way they can, including trying to obliterate 200 years of Senate tradition on the filibuster. This threat isn’t a moral stand: Republicans have filibustered nominees themselves. It’s just one more in series of attacks on individuals and institutions that they’ve viewed as political obstacles, like Tom DeLay’s mid-census gerrymandering, the leaking of Valerie Plame’s identity, the jamming of Democratic phone banks, and the branding of political opponents as unpatriotic. Honorable conservatives used to warn against the raw power of the state. But the love of power has now become the political right’s prime gospel, making the slightest notion of checks or balances heretical treason. Republican leaders work to end the filibuster not because they believe it violates some deep constitutional mandate, but because they believe they can get away with it. But maybe they can’t anymore. When Republicans first floated the “nuclear option” threat in early 2005, Bush’s polling numbers were as high as 57 percent. His support has dropped steadily since, in the wake of the Katrina disaster, the legal problems of DeLay, Bill Frist, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, and Duke Cunningham, and an Iraqi quagmire that’s inspired powerful challenges by Cindy Sheehan and Congressman John Murtha. Republicans have lost key electoral battles in Virginia, New Jersey and California. Bush’s polls have dropped as low as 37 percent. With once-solid Republican Senate and House seats now seemingly vulnerable, those who vote to eliminate the filibuster and confirm Alito will be taking far more of a Ken Blackwell’s elimination of 300,000 overwhelmingly Democrats and moderate political risk than they would have Democratic voters from the Ohio Republicans have a responsibility to just a year ago. rolls and the withholding of voting challenge his nomination through Were Alito a reasonable machines from key Democratic every possible mechanism, including Supreme Court choice, all this precincts. My friend Egil Krogh, the filibuster. Republican leaders would be moot. But he isn’t. He’ll who worked in the Nixon who try to eliminate it as a political follow the script and evade administration, hired G. Gordon option need to be branded, along specifics at his confirmation Liddy, and went to prison for hearings, but he’s still the candidate with every Senator who supports Watergate, told the sentencing them, as embodying a politics that nominated to appease the political judge that he and his colleagues had believes in nothing except its own right because they deemed Harriet “almost destroyed democracy.” The right to power. With Roberts, Miers insufficiently hard-line. Bush people, he said to me Senators could say they were Consistently opposing the federal recently, “are even more ruthless.” replacing the equally conservative government’s right to address Alito’s nomination embodies corporate abuses, Alito has argued William Rehnquist. To support that ruthlessness. If confirmed, his Alito, we need to make clear, is to for virtually unlimited executive track record suggests he’d support alter the balance on the Court power, including the government’s the Republican consolidation of radically for the most dubious of right to intervene in the most power at every opportunity. But political ends. It does no good to intimate realms of personal life. maybe the capacity of that power reserve the right to filibuster in He’s endorsed the rights of police to intimidate is finally beginning to theory. If our Senators aren’t willing to shoot an unarmed 15-year-old wane. If the Senate can find the who was fleeing after breaking into to risk using it in a situation this courage to block Alito’s exceptional, it becomes practically a house, defended the refusal of confirmation, they will draw a state employers to pay damages for meaningless. critical line on a choice whose Senators accept a violating the Family and Medical effects could echo for the next forty president’s court nominations for Leave Act, and said it created no years. They need to recognize the three reasons: They respect the undue burden if husbands could high stakes and extraordinary perspectives of their nominees; they prevent their wives from getting circumstances of our time. believe a president should have the abortions. Citizen groups, he’s Paul Rogat Loeb is the right to choose whomever they ruled, have no standing to sue author of The Impossible Will convicted polluters under the Clean please as America’s legitimately Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Water Act. The federal government, elected leader; or they fear the Guide to Hope in a Time of president’s political power. But this he’s argued, has no right to pass Fear, named the #3 political administration has no moral national consumer protection book of 2004 by the History standing to which Senators should legislation aimed at preventing Channel and the American odometer fraud or banning the sales automatically defer. Bush gained the Book Association, and winner of presidency through the of machine guns. Regarding the the Nautilus Award for best extraordinary interventions of his exclusion of blacks from juries in social change book of the year. death penalty cases, he’s called the brother Jeb and the existing His previous books include Soul Supreme Court. He was reelected statistical evidence as of a Citizen: Living With based on lies about Iraqi weapons inconsequential as the Conviction in a Cynical Time. of mass destruction, ties between disproportionate number of recent See www.paulloeb.org To Saddam Hussein and Al Qaida, U.S. presidents who’ve been leftreceive his monthly articles John Kerry’s war record, and the handed. In one case, Alito’s Third email sympa@onenw.org with true costs of his tax cut and Circuit colleagues said the federal the subject line: subscribe prescription drug plans. And law prohibiting employment paulloeb-articles through Ohio Secretary of State discrimination “would be eviscerated if our analysis were to halt where [Judge Alito] suggests.” Alito now downplays his membership in a Princeton alumni group so hostile to the admission of women and minorities that even Senate Majority Leader Frist condemned it. He dismisses as mere job-seeking his declarations, while applying to the Reagan-era Justice Department, that the Constitution does not protect a woman’s right to choose an abortion, and that he disagreed with the Warren Court rulings that desegregated schools and expanded voting rights. He’s trying to dismiss he memo he wrote, after getting the job, embracing the “goals of bringing about the eventual overturning of Roe v. Wade.” He also minimizes the breaking of his pledge to recuse himself from cases involving his sister’s law firm. It’s precisely because Alito’s presence on the Court is so potentially damaging that “Don “Don’’t Leave Home W ithout IIt...” t...” Streetvibes Page 11 �Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati All Vendors Sign and Agree to a Code of Conduct Coalition for the Homeless and Report Any Violations to GCCH - 421-7803 Streetvibes.... 1. Streetvibes will be distributed Vendors must not tell customers earned. This program has helped for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 25 cents. Papers will not be given out on credit. Old papers can not be traded in for new papers. 3. Streetvibes may only be purchased from GCCH. Never buy papers from, or sell papers to other vendors. 4. Vendors must not panhandle or sell other items at the same time they are selling Streetvibes. 5. Vendors must treat all other vendors, customers, and GCCH personnel with respect. 6. Vendors must not sell Streetvibes while under the influence. 7. Vendors must not give a “hard sell” or intimidate anyone into purchasing Streetvibes. This includes following customers or continuing to solicit sales after customers have said no. Vendors must also never sell Streetvibes door-to-door. 8. Vendors must not deceive customers while selling Streetvibes. Vendors must be honest in stating that all profits go to the individual vendor. that the money they receive will go to GCCH or any other organization or charity. Also, vendors must not say that they are collecting for “the homeless” in general. 9. Vendors must not sell papers without their badge. Vendors must present their badge when purchasing papers from GCCH. Lost badges cost $2.00 to replace. Broken or worn badges will be replaced for free, but only if the old badge is returned to GCCH. 10. Streetvibes vendor meetings are held on the first weekday of the month at 1pm. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. If a vendor cannot attend the meeting, he or she should let us know in advance. If a vendor does not call in advance and does not show up, that vendor will not be allowed to purchase papers on the day of the meeting or the following day. Five free papers will be given to those who do attend. 11. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in termination from the Streetvibes vendor program. GCCH reserves the right to terminate any vendor at any time as deemed appropriate. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH, and must be surrendered upon demand. The mission of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) is to support a street newspaper movement that creates and upholds journalistic and ethical standards while promoting self-help and empowerment among people living in poverty. NASNA papers support homeless and very low-income people in more than 35 cities across the United States and Canada. Streetvibes Vendor: 75 Cents (75 cent profit goes directly to the vendor) Homeless Coalition 25 Cents Printing and Production: 25 cents (this cost does not cover expenses) Page 12 The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) was formed in May of 1984 for one purpose: the eradication of homelessness in Cincinnati. What started out as a coalition of 15 volunteers meeting weekly in an unheated church basement has since grown into a Coalition of over 45 agencies and hundreds of volunteers dedicated to improving services for homeless individuals, educating the public about homelessness and empowering homeless individuals to advocate for their civil rights and housing needs. Streetvibes is a tool of GCCH used to help us achieve our goal of ending homelessness. On the one hand it is a selfsufficiency program geared towards the homeless and marginally housed individuals who are our vendors. Streetvibes vendors buy the paper for 30 cents per copy and sell it for a suggested one-dollar donation, keeping the profit that they have hundreds of people find and maintain housing. The vendors also sign a code of conduct stating that they will behave responsibly and professionally and they proudly display their official Streetvibes badge while selling the paper. Our vendors put a face on “the homeless” of Cincinnati and form lasting friendships with their customers. On the other hand, Streetvibes is an award-winning alternative newspaper and part of the international street newspaper movement. Focusing on homelessness and social justice issues, Streetvibes reports the often-invisible story of poverty in our community. Streetvibes is also proud to include creative writing, poetry, articles, photography and interviews written by homeless and formerly homeless individuals. Streetvibes enjoys a loyal reader base that respects the honest portrayal of the joys, sorrows, and challenges facing the people of Cincinnati. Streetvibes is a member of the: The International Network of Street Papers (INSP) unites street papers sold by homeless and people living in poverty from all over the world. INSP is an umbrella organisation, which provides a consultancy service for its partner papers and advises on the setting up of new street papers and support initiatives for marginalised people. Where Your Dollar Goes... The Streetvibes program maintains a minimal overhead cost so that our vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. Please call our office at 421-7803 for more information about the program. Many thanks for your support. Streetvibes �Homeless man a reminder of Christ’s life by Pastor Mark Driscoll I was sitting at a traffic light in my old truck next to the Ballard Bridge in Seattle rocking out with my sons recently. To our left was a homeless man with a hand-written sign asking for money that also read “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and May God Bless You.” It dawned on me that not only was his sign about Jesus, but that his life was, in some ways, like Jesus’ life. The happy New Year he was wishing passers-by is 2006 anno Domini (in the year of the Lord) and contrasts with the years before the birth of Jesus Christ (B.C). Isn’t it curious that in all of human history, it was the brief life of a homeless man that was chosen as a reference point for time? Jesus was born in a small town to a poor, unmarried teen mother. He was adopted by Joseph, a simple carpenter, and spent the first 30 years of his life in obscurity swinging a hammer with his dad. Around the age of 30 he began a public ministry that included preaching, healing the sick, feeding the poor and befriending people who were marginalized because they were considered sexually immoral, alcoholics and thieves. His ministry spanned only three short years before he was put to death for declaring himself to be God. He died by shameful crucifixion like tens of thousands of people had before him. curiously, his résumé is rather simple. He never traveled more than a few hundred miles from home. He never held a political office, never wrote a book, never married, never attended college, never visited a big city and he died both homeless and poor. Yet, he is the most famous person in all of human history. More songs have been sung about him, artwork done about him and books written about him than about anyone who has ever lived. Furthermore, billions of people from the nations of the earth worship him as God. No army, nation, or person has changed human history to the degree that Jesus, the homeless man, has. In his book “What if Jesus Had Never Been Born,” Dr. James Kennedy explores some of the ways that Jesus has forever changed history. Had Jesus not been born, the value of human life would be diminished. In the ancient world, child sacrifice and abandonment were common, and it was Jesus who not only taught and demonstrated the love of children, but his own adoption by Joseph set a precedent that Christians emulated in adopting discarded children. Jesus also elevated the dignity of women by befriending and teaching women as God’s image-bearers, equal in worth to men — a revolutionary concept in his day when women were denigrated as mere property. Funeral Show cont. from page 10 on the police accident report. Soon forgotten. To float in some police bureau’s cyberspace forever. Time immemorial. The question comes to mind, of course, was his death a suicide? Was his life, at least the latter half of it, really just a protracted suicide attempt? Was there a fork in his life that, having unwittingly committed to it, found him in the crosshairs of a car, two cars, at the intersection of 33rd and Sandy? Is it fair to ask that? I ask it of myself sometimes. On some level I know the answer. I opted out awhile back. I knew enough, had seen enough examples of how it was done, that I could have chosen a certain life that now, in retrospect, might have been preferable. But I chose one that became clearly self-destructive. A denial of possibilities that would have led to a place of so-called success. A place I thought was a fraud, but I didn’t know where contrary choices would get me. Now I know. Whatever choices or refusals Richard Nash made, whatever confusion, we know where all that ended up. We just don’t know why, or if a step right or left might have led him to a better place. meet real homeless... When you’re eye-to-eye....” Several CEOs who had expressed interest in sitting at the intake tables. I thought: “This could be like Xmas 365 days of the year!” I looked at a picture of Richard Nash at his memorial. Richard had a face that didn’t draw attention to itself. In the photo, he wore a cap with a visor, pulled evenly down, not concealing anything important. His expression was non-committal and bland. Amazingly even, as I studied it. Like a police sketch. Nothing suggested itself in the photo. His hair had been recently cut, his ears were clear. His mouth drawn impassively across in an untaught line. His eyes seemed almost perfectly round. They revealed nothing that I recall in the way of experience or world-weariness or discovery as to life’s meaning or lack thereof. The brim of his cap didn’t shade or obscure them. What you saw was what you got. That was the impression I had. Reality be told, Richard Nash simply was. For 48 years, he was and then he wasn’t. For all but a handful, no one will know what he was about more than could be read Jesus the great physician set an example of healing in his ministry that carried over into the establishing of Christian hospitals in an effort to provide medical care for all. For example, the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 decreed that a hospital be established wherever there was a church to ensure that people had both body and soul cared for. Today many hospitals continue to denote their heritage by retaining names connected to Christian saints and denominations. Jesus the teacher demonstrated a love for literacy that has greatly benefited the entire world. Many of the world’s languages were first put in writing by missionaries, the first printing press was invented by a Christian, and for the first few hundred years of our nation’s history, essentially all education was private and Christian. Additionally, nearly every one of the first 123 American colleges and universities had Christian origins. If Jesus had never been born, the world would indeed be considerably different. It is truly amazing to consider what a difference one homeless man who lived some two millennia ago has made in all our lives as we enter the year of the Lord 2006. Pastor Mark Driscoll is founder of the nondenominational Mars Hill Church in Ballard, Seattle. Homeless Man Sues Over Toxic Drink Waffle House, Fired Employee Named In Suit In Atlanta, Georgia a homeless man has filed a lawsuit claiming he suffered injuries when a Waffle House cook offered him $5 to drink a toxic mix of industrialstrength dish cleaner and apple juice. The lawsuit, filed last month in Henry County Superior Court, names Waffle House and the cook, Quinton Wilson. In the lawsuit, Rex Leo claims Wilson mixed dish cleaner with apple juice, sugar and sliced lemons to disguise the odor and flavor. He then offered Leo $5 to drink it, telling him it was a “Christmas shake.” Wilson knew Leo was frequently intoxicated and in such “dire financial straits” that he would take the offer, the lawsuit says. Waffle House is liable, according to the lawsuit, because officials knew Wilson had a “propensity to exhibit dangerous and inappropriate behavior.” Leo, 50, remains in Henry Medical Center for treatment of Funeral show. I went to the corrosive damage to his mouth and internal organs from the December memorial and vigil and others I’ve 14 alleged incident. Wilson, 19, of been to, to muster myself. To remember myself before it was too Jonesboro has been charged with aggravated battery. He was also late to do something. To see if I mattered by checking out what this immediately fired after the incident. The lawsuit also claims gone person mattered. To see if Waffle House employees helped I’ve been wrong all these years in believing there’s not anything real to Leo get alcohol before he was believe in, least of all people. That served the toxic drink. The lawsuit does not seek life is not what we’re instructed and any specific monetary damages, but manipulated to support; that general damages to be determined whatever it is, it’s not what we in court. know. And all the right ways are Leo’s sister, Linda Leo, illegal and unattainable. said her brother continues to It did bother me that at the vigil nothing very human was said to improve and will be moved to a long-term care facility because flesh in the people we were theoretically there for. Were any of ingesting the drink caused brain them vets? What did that say about damage. Wyoming Youth Services the kids returning from the desert? Who was Whiskey Jack? Was he Bureau is looking for a rail-riding Nam vet who never left volunteer tutors to assist the jungle? Some kind of longwith 5th through 8th grade range re-con still living his outlaw students. The program is myth in the free state of the jungle? held at the Presbyterian Or was it just a name he assumed, Church of Wyoming, Mondays like Wheeler or Doc? For lack of through Thursdays after anything real about him? school from 3:15-5:00 and will I can project onto large continue through June 1st, issues like war and justice. The 2006. All materials are way I used to dream an American provided. Please contact Dream when I was small and Jackie Smith at 821-2428 or impressionable. The way some by email at people watch “It’s A Wonderful smithj@wyomingcityschools.org Life” and weep every Xmas. if you are interested. Streetvibes Page 13 �Homeless Guy Looking for Cigarettes at the Bus Stop by David Fewster He picks up a crushed butt, Doral, with lipstick stain. “Low tar, less nicotine,” he frowns. Old adage of beggars and choosers. Inhaling, his mouth caresses the livid filter, Color of a blood spoor, As he dreams of kisses from the legal secretary he dated All those many years ago. waiting at a bus stop “This isn’t City. All the stores are closed. This is Night, and I am safer in my book.” “This is the place between work and home the long dull ride between frustrating boredom and irritation.” “This is the Main Street, this is the Hot Time, this is the Bad Dude, you ain’t gotta Clue!” “This is the Feeding Ground. There’s a likely pocket. Soft Touch; Too Strong; That one’s Broke.” People start to glance my way, increasingly. A woman on the bus darts sharp, quick glances at me as she reads car ads. This is the Danger Ground between safe burrows. I am possibly Falcon. I have discarded layers of gags over my mouth; I never noticed the silent press of the Gag Order on Eyes. The Weighted Hour The Map Is Not The Territory by Michael Henson Eskimos have a hundred words for snow. Here in the land that made dysfunctional famous we have one word for one thousand realities: depression. There is an hour when the world is too weighted for us to bear. When the minutes press on us like the stones of Salem. open your eyes to the faded ceiling An hour when the slant light falls to ash. stare without interest When the red-eyed liar gnaws at the ear. fall asleep again When there is no end to the drone of engines. And there is no end to the sad parades. rock on the toilet And hour when anger clots the lungs. stare at the razor on the sink When there seems to be no hope. teetering on the edge Then I look to the lonely crow. There, in his cold rooms walk through a crowd high above the red tips of the maples stare ahead fixedly above the strung powerlines ignore all the saw-edged above the cell phone towers. whispers of your name He is a black ship in a vast bottle. He works his wings in short bursts against the wind, walk through a crowd then coasts for a time, hearing nothing works in a burst, then coasts again. Then I want to think myself the crow, my bones have turned to concrete eagling across a broken heartland. my flesh bruises itself on them Far below me, the asphalt ribbons and the bulldozer scars. I do not touch Far below me, I do not taste the suburban checkerboard, my body is a feather Far below me, anchored in nothing the gash of abandoned factories. Far below me, I will never stop weeping the rivers that choke with the runoff of the poisoned I will never cry again farms. Far below me, rock and bone have turned villain the small men who walk green fields hitting small white balls. I am all that is wrong with Life Far below me, strip malls and theme parks. Daddy came in at midnight Far below me, it has been midnight ever since the broad separate roofs of the houses on streets that meander like the tunnels of the mole. I lost my Daddy to cancer Far below me, I am lost the close-packed roofs of the projects. And I am sad, everything is fine for I see nothing that looks like home. and I don’t give a damn The horizon is wide and far off. I need more than a hundred words. At the line where the sun sets, I see the gray fences and the leaning stalks of corn. The light leans to the earth’s back door. I search the dusk for my brothers and my sisters. Homeless I call them by Skip Zilla in a voice of husks Come out and play, they said. and gravel. We’ll see if we can bat grenades over the red river with the butts of rifles. The bayonets are sheathed so our swings won’t bloody the bases from cuts in our bellies. Oh God, Thank You by Karen Bowman For saving me when I did not know how to save myself. For rescuing me from the grip of crack, from the grip of a rapist. For jamming the gun that was placed at my head. For keeping me alert after the blow that was placed to my jaw. For protecting me on the nights I walked through alleys And abandoned houses looking for a place to sleep. For directing me to N Street Village and placing the right People in my life. For being on earth as you are in heaven. For loving me, Oh God, Thank You. Page 14 This isn’t the game I played, I said, when wee kids wrapped a broken ball with tape and hit it with a naily Louisville slugger and ran paths in the grass to laughing collisions at home. Come on, they said. We’ll clear a field of corpses and run round the red sucking mud. No, I can’t, I said. I’ve lost my legs for running fun, and you’ve no home to return to. Streetvibes �The Flood of ‘83 Me!! by Sarge Lintecumb by Robin Remy One time when city livin’ Became more than I could afford, I took my wife and children To a place with free room and board. Me (Mother) Through my addiction I Manage to be a Mother and only by the grace and mercy of God I made sure of the essential things In my sons’ lives in order for them (1) to become men, and (2) to be able to survive. We moved out in the boonies And in case a ranger came, So we could be there legal, I decided to stake a claim. We made our camp at the junction Of Temporal and Gringo Gulch. The scenery was breathtaking And the soil felt like mulch. I stacked stones at each corner Till they were three feet high. I didn’t have a measuring tape So I did it all by eye. For two months we were happy; The kids had room to run. I made them bows and arrows; Our days were filled with fun. Me (Friend) I’m a good listener. I have very profound advice. Always willing to share even my last. I must have been a good friend, Because my friends have been with me for the last 30-40 years. Me (Robin) I’m a giving person. I’m a no-nonsense person. I’m very strong with inner strength. I have a lot more to give from my spirit and my soul. Then the sky turned black with thunder And lightening crashed all around. We brought our two dobie guard dogs In the truck so they wouldn’t drown. Four days and nights the rain came down But we stayed dry inside, Till some town folks came sayin’ we should come in Before the stream’s too wide. We got a rope across the water So we could all hang on, ‘Cause if you were to fall on a slippery rock In a second you would be gone. Well we all made it out to safety And soon we were dry and warm, But you know when I think back on those days I don’t hardly think of the storm. I can see my wife smile by the campfire; I can hear her sweet laugh in the sun. She made us prickly pear jelly To go on a freshly baked bun. Under an Azure Blue Sky by Andrea Hayfile Under an azure blue sky That’s so clear, not a cloud in sight I stand With the white sand hot beneath my feet Sand so fine, so soft, so clean And with the smell of the ocean All salty and sweet I think How there is such perfection in this Moment and I marvel at the beauty of this place. Now, Who Will Lead the Way? by Judi Mendriski buddy, you led the way to help the downtrodden people, who could not help themselves; Homeless, Low-Income Housing you, with “in-your-face confrontationalattitude” Now, who will lead the way? Earnest, you led the way with the Civil Rights Movement, bussing and discrimination, you, with your quiet & yet, steadfast attitude; Now, who will lead the way? Mac, you led the way empowered people for a peaceful planet; fought for arms disarmament, you, with your quiet voice, put up a hard & strong fight; Now, who will lead the way? All of you, were branded Radicals, Troublemakers, Renegades; All had the strength of giants; NOW, WHO WILL LEAD THE WAY? But, as I listen to the crashing Sound of the waves as they Find their way to the stony shore That waits My spirit is not safe. I am uneasy As uneasy as the furious ocean waves And with the rise and fall of each Sound, I long for peace and I search my soul and pray That one day I will become as marvelous as this place. .. I Feel Blue You could say back then we were homeless, But I just remember the fun. When the worst times leave you fond memories, You know that you’re with the right one. by Toni Bell I feel blue . . . not like the bright pretty sky. I feel blue like the dark blue sea. There is a rumble in me, Not a rumbling like a raggedy car, But a rumble from a distant storm waiting to erupt As soon as it arrives. Writers! Submit your Poetry to STREETVIBES ­ email your writing to I yearn to blossom like a flower When it blooms, releasing my Petals and fragrance through all My spiritual rooms. I want to bloom away the gloom That sometimes invades my soul. Streetvibes@juno.com I want to be free to be me. Streetvibes Page 15 �357-4602 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services, Inc 751-9797 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 Need Help or Want to Help? MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect, Homeless Kids 363-1060 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 February 2006 10 Years in Publication! Looking Back on the “People’s Move” Cover Story - Working in Cincinnati to Eradicate Homelessness BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY STREETVIBES $1 Donation � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2006 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 2006 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Looking Back to “The Peoples Move: - January, 1978 Pg 2: The Winter and Our Discontent Pg 3: Homeless News Digest Pg 4: ‘Soft Approach’ Saving Homeless Pg 5: Filibuster Evasion Pg 6: Retiring Doesn’t Mean Goodbye National News on Homelessness and Poverty Pg 7: Dallas Library Code of Conduct Draws Criticism New Study Finds 20 Meanest Cities and Constructive Alternatives to a “Dream Denied” Pg 8: People’s Move Continued Pg 9: Let My People Go! Pg 10: Drug Debate Goes On Funeral Show Pg 11: Alito’s Extraordinary Circumstances Pg 12: Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Streetvibes Pg 13: Homeless Man a Reminder of Christ’s Life Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 2006 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Alison Leeuw Monique Little Kelly Carr Chris Dourson John Lavelle Mary Gaffney Melvin Williams Susan Smith Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alison Leeuw Chris Dourson Dallas Drop Inn Center Drugs Georgine Getty Homeless News Digest Jimmy Heath John Lavelle Kelly Carr Mary Gaffney Melvin Williams Monique Little National News Over-the-Rhine Peace Village Religion Shooting Susan Smith Waffle House Winter https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/70f6b4ca206fee9045287c56dc267ee9.pdf 772073a45794abfd7a9287fd13994a89 PDF Text Text THE TRI-STATE'S A Ll'ERNATI VE NE\VS SOURCE '"''' ''.l'iutih o1:u cltS9.o rg Food Banks Forced to Ration and Turn Hungry Families Away Due to Supply Crisis With C1ncir\nldi area fuod ban ks facing severeshonages, U.S. s~.u a:tor Sherrod BfO\\tn (l:>-OHj announcedonJanmuy IS, 2008.~ a rene"•ed efi"o1110 mmdt ~\\1a are the \veaJ thiesl .. ·:u ' I L ~- natson in the \\Oriel but \\e cannot teed our ov.11people." said Bm\\!U, the first Seoiuor push legislation to increase from Ohio in 40 yc..ttr.s to so~·c federal suppon. on tl10 tlgricwrureand Nutritioo 1n Oe.centbcr, BtO\Vn Con1.mittea " Food banks u1 introduced legisl~ tion \vil1ch Cincumnti anducross Otno are "Food banks in Cinci1u1ati and across Ohio are ruru1i.ng out of food. Th.is is an emergel:IL')' a.nd an o utrage." - Senator Br.own V.'OuJdprovide $40 nliJlion in nmningoutoffood. Tl1is is ao The 6 n1el'g_ency f oo·d tlssist.ance Program (TEFAP) funding to address the curren1 food b:1nk c risis until a pem1anenl fixcan be pJSSed in the Frun1 Bill. At d1e FreeStote en'l¢'rS-eli'-)' und ru1-0u tftige." Food banks are.supported 1hro ugt1 1hree sources. c:orporatc food dooaUOns rroin \\'holesalers, producers. and grocery stores thn1 h:.1v" a PoodBan~-•.BroiA'll d1sc.ussed surpJus: personal donations ~1 e1'11bers fforo I.be comouu:ilty selecl_yrocerles l(om the Free$tote FoodBru1k Of'1 Libert)· Str'eet pl:u1s 10 push the en1ergency Familiesare allo\ved 20 lbs ofgroci'ries. J!h"''Qb)•f.-puN". ltt;r111fln Continued on J>aee S 1,'gjsl:llioo lhrm~ C(>l~'11!S> this Rothenberg Academy ni. Over the Rhine to be Renovated 1hree years. Ouring lhe san1e \line Stree1 School. CurrenliS' rinw CPS notilicd tb• OvcrdJo th~ Now V'i.nc S1rce1 Sl:lhOol 1\bout lh.ree. years ago, Rb1n1?- Conmtuni-ty 1bnt they (Ro1henberg Preparatory Ciocll'wati Publi~ Sdiools c:ll11e plt!l)ned Qnclosing Wash1n_g1QO Ac~demy) is. housing the 10 the Over the Rhine J'ark Elementai:y School and nei$hborhood nnd said that \\Ould rebuild Jtoo dle southend Rotbonborg needed renovncioos. TI1ey explained tha11.hey plltloed 10 tetl:')()ve die. studerns fron1the building and remporunl)•conlbine1.h oo1,.,;d, thi: Ne·\\' \ 'i.oe Sucet School CPSsrud th31 once Roth~1100rg \\11$ reoovated d)<.--y '"°uld then move thestudents back into d>a ne\vl.Yrenovated building. l11stead, 1hey rt-nam...~ Ne\\• VmeStroetSchool,RQdtenberg Prepara:rory 1\cad.emy aJ'1d lefi 1hc building Vl:\C;lnl !Or thcpasl 1'fle school then had to cut·a nuro.bcr oftcncbcf$ a:t the start of the year. No\Y, n1any $1odentt;:haverecumedMd lhey ofWminb100 Park, Cinoinn:iti C'enter Ci1y Developn1e111 Corpor~tlon (JCDC) got iovolved and decided 1h.at the ne\\' SChool for rhc Creative l.lod Pcrforru.ir1g Artsnev.•home\\'Ould beat the south oodorW;)shh)gtoo Pai·k. \\1ashington Park Schoolis no''' closed, tom do\vn, ·and cotLStruc.1ion has started on SCPA. Students from dte then Wn.5hu'l£:IOO Patk Scl1ool \Vefe c-0mbi11t.-d into 1hc fomiLT Nc\v "lt ~vould serve not on!y as a.n inspixation, but an opportunity for sodely to invest in the brightness of our future..." andconOict in thebuilding mtd theooildiogitseU1s<lc.1crion11Jng asassessme1ttsorii,;oally called for 11 10 be closed due 10 subsuwdard conditions. \\'ith all of. this in 1nind, CPS ll fe,v months ago began to speak of th ree diff~ren1 1de.as. One \Vas 10 teat oo,.. n dieoldRolheoberg b1nlding ond neverreopeninga facilily. 'l11e Timothy WilLiams, father of3 who a ttend Rotl1enberg S{..°OOOd was to to.' lf it dO\\'U ood con:ibinariooof die d1reeschools are up to·about 390 students. rebuilding d1ereorson1e\\11ere and Ove1'the Rhine is dO\\lfl to lliey do not have enoush aod Lht; lhird " 'as to J'ebulld jlb1ooe com111unil)• sthool in lhe teachers. desks, or books. son1e\\•here or doing nothing They do not have a library, an and leaving 11 vacilllL for :i neighborhood. Ro1hecnber£; ·rrepara~ofy classes 0 1· nlusic classes. The \\ilile, it ~1red tht!)• \.\etequ1tt!. Acade111y had roo·n1 for 450 combination ofall theschoots seton t~aring it do\\'11. srudt:ois. l·lo"-evef the school aod teachel's has c.aused a di~ 001 haw1ha1many enroll. significant amount oP discord Conrinutd on pa:e 7 INSIDE THIS ISSUE LoN1J Ne.,v~ C o1111nunit)•N~'S lnc1'ea:;es iJl bttS fare \'tlll hil\I~ an affecton low in,-0n1e individuals. Page-l The Dro11lnn Ct!ntct c:elebrilles 30years 3.1 Eln1 and 12th in OTR. Pa.i;t• 6 GuestC'ol:un1n Burb11ta Flick 1olk.i.; nhout her ex1>erience; ,.,.,-th Tender i\1enres. l"t1g1.•. JO National Ne\VS 111e Uni1 ~d Stues bl!gins to uses horses tosecura 1he border. Pa~v J1 lnremat:iona.J Ne\VS ~l odcm politu::s lei)ds 10 Violence in Ke0}'3 after r~en l eJecuous. Pa.t:t~ I J �STREETVIBES About Us 2 TREETVIBE Siree1vlbes ll 7 East 12thStreel Cincinnati, OH 45202 phone: (51.3) 42 1·7803x 12 February 2008 Our Mission Streetvibes ls• newsp.ip<ir that plOvides relevant disc1.1ssinnsofhomelessness, poverty and other related social justice is'Sl.1e-3. lt is publishedonce a mot\U1by the Greater CindnnaliCoalition fo r the Monieless. 'l'heC1'E'alcrOr1cinnJli Co.alifion iorthehonleless isa groupof sl1~lters.. agenciesand i11Li ivit:luals colllmitted toending homeless In Cincin,,ati through coordinatingS<>rvlces, ed<1cating the public, and grassrootsorganizing. r•x.:(513) 421-78 13 Our Vendors s1,..,.,tvibes2@yahoo.oom \VVil\V.cinciOOmeless.org GCCH Staff l'Xt:(Vl"IVEOIRECl'OR GeorginoC.e1ty - Alfred \Vool.folk A nlll0f1)' \Villlani.s Antonio llodg• 8e11n Oeo David lan1tic1·t \\10 1nbll'S \\'111.kiu..~ ADrvUNISlltATIVECOORDINATOR Sus J..11 $1nith £DU'C'A'flONCOOl~D·l~'fOR Andy Froeze k\1ERICORPS \llSJi\ Grady Jamt.s Lyi1ne',.\us:rnun ·cook Dnnyoll Jon D11rby u ·askcr-ville Josephine Ai\'ll:RICQRJ-'SVTSfA G reg Olkhovsky AJ\1"1Uf lCO:RPSVl$1'1\ 'J'lf(a11y l·lam1on AllAPROJECT~lk"'IAGER Julie \Vnllier Lt'oUi*l'd ~1a•·k Ma11· Nell ··1onia JacksCln C:impbdl ~.l uf.•lJc1· \Villinrus H nl<)' Rat~l !l\\1 11 RiCCil.rdO Ssu11 ·Sil"in Tony Rn~un1•d (;iJ>SOO T.iylor ,Jackson Collin$ 011JJTim(M'.1rl Jones Kenneth Chcriyol ........ RECF.l'OONISTS Melvin Willia1ns. Delln.\>\7oofer1s Streetvibes CU(<TRlBV11N¢WRffl!R$ Lyr1.ne 1\u..ttn1nn, Greg C>lkJ'lovsky, Mkh-Oet Menson, Sieve Sunderland, llarba ra V.lick,Andy Freeze, Alyssa Konermarin Pl~OTOCRAPHY/AR'l'\\'ORK Andy Freeze. ~ynne Ausma1\ Antonlo Hodge, Anthony Williams, Berta Lambert, Melodie Pickenst her. Jimmy Meath 75 t·e1tl,f g'1t!S tllr~ctly ' '' J'{/ttr ''e11rlor CO\'ER Memberes in the<.-ommunily pick ot1tgroceries at the Freestore Foodbank on Liberty Stl\.'Cl We are members of: Veitdt>r$ hllJI l/1t' Jft1perfur .t.'i t'Wb' t1•/1ic/1 pl•J"'·for 11rot/11<:tlo11. Cincnmati Holds Quarterly Street Count In f ac1, l \VO weeks ago i n ~·lad i son vi ll.e. a ho111clcss indiv1dut\l On T uesda)• Janunl)• 29 No11h Am('1i,:;1n St r1~1 Newspaper Assotiatioo IN SP ../ l'uttr11ati<111al Network of Strttl Papet'S In fact Stre-etvibes sales up O\'i:r 40~~ in the last 6 months O\•t r lhl!' over was 'Sleep1 ng 1n his car \\then d1e 1>rev1ous year. o ulreac.h \VOrk~ r s a nd SJ)lll'~ heater bl! .hud caught ljrc ru1tl vol un1eeres 111et at the Greater ultimately led to his denth C1nt:inna1l Coa li tlon for the TI'1ete is vety li1nited lf My spaco Homc l ~ss: nt -l ·am 10 coJl d u cl 3 loft in thesh:eltcrs and the cmcrtcncy s treet count cold shelter only opens, '"'hen d1e \Vhlle 1he nun1bers wlll not b~ ltntpdttllur~ ur \\'Utd chill rt!athes 0 l \Vl.'ri t y fi nalized until the middle o f d egre~s februru·y, the.total nurnbet is 1101 the Sales of Stteetvibes ri1•e up 0 \ 1tr point The poinl is lhat there a rc 20% from Jnnunf)' 2007 Thanks hundreds of1> _eople thar are,ste.eping_ for yo-ur continued support of dle :\$you ntlg.h tex1iett Strectvibt!S is in n lrans ilion period afler the passing ofour Edi16rJint1uy Flc-a:tlL \Ve hav6 begun the search for !'l ne'v e-01tor While \'le \Viii nev.er be 1Wle to r~lru:~ Jl011uy nud 1hc \VOtk he did1 we hope ,.,,jll be able 10 continue 10 be the voice in th~ c:ommun1ty that covers sto1ies th;lt rhe main s1rean1 111ed1a do.es· nor vendors aud the paper >A•hith Strives. tO\ll!r abandon buildings and in the ears. 10 bri·ng sto ri es rha1 tlre oft~n Nex1 n1on1h·s anicle deadlin.e Is Sleeping outside 111 the ele1neurs overlooked by th e 1uains ttenn·1 February I 5 Thanks for your prcseJ.its problems fo r indi,•iduaJs. media. s-upp<>n. Qut on 1hcst1ee1s, under brl d_ges, In �STREETVIBES The Vibe Febru a·ry 2008 3 Shutter Speed By the Numbers 58 °Ai crfpee11le believe· homelessness has incceascd inlhe l!!St I0 years. 7°/o of people believe it has decreased. 26°,1, say tba~dn1g"'lnd alcoliol al5usi: is lhe primary oal:ISe of homclessn.css 18°/o believe.thatjob Kelly Carr. fQm1~:r Am..:nCorps vtJlun1ecr \1-ith 1hcGrc.a.1cr('1ncin11ntl Coalition for 1hc Hmi:less., held a benefit al Rohs Stre~t Cafe 10 benefrt Streetvibes. The event raised O\ler SI00. P/tQtobJ .\f('/();.fi r /:icJ('11s<hcJ: lo$$()r unemploymel)Lis the-primary cause 44% ofJ.he pub I i~ $lUd 1he FederalGovemnienl should be most responsible inagdrcssing homelessness Mr. a11d Mrs. Homeless Downtowner Mr. Homeless Downtowner i\ls. Homeless Dowtowner Name: Edwnrd Ellery llon.1e10,n1: Cinci.ooari, Ohio Neig.bbo1i1ood: Ove[ 1.h e Rhine Fn~oal te iutc.1~1: -\\'a1cl11nispo11s, especially Nan1e: ··1 erri Reller Eloo.tetowo: U>uiS\1llc-. Kcu.tucky Nti~hbo11Jood: Oifton foo1ball 311d playing basketball I ran ·Lt'C.'Sist:1be \V3rmth of tl1esun I cnn' t r't'sist·: Sv.•eetTea I ran• tstan<I it " 'hen: Poople disrespect me If I ,,·(lr.i the loife.r)' I \\'OuJd: ,Help OUlirJ}' fui:nily 'l be one thin~ I' d cbanj!t ab!)or Oiew·o1'ld would be: Depressioo ru'ld po' 1e1ty [f I cou.1<1 have done it all o"·er a~ain I" 'ould have: Not 111n a\\'3Y fron1hol'ne l.-Ovc to 1.1.e is: A kids smile: I C'.:ln 't-stand it " ·heo: 'PeopJc irritstc m<: If I_Yi'OOlbt lotte1·y I \\'Otdd: Be one happy person T he on(I rh.ing. J1d cha.og1:~ abour tbt u·aJ'ld ,,,ouJd be: Tony and make eveiybody happy I( (could hll\'Cdoneitall O\'tr again I would h:~ve : Floishcd school 44°/o ofad'u.lts say that ats<>rretinie they have· 1Bken in aiTiena or relative who was facing 11omclessness hadtl'le)'. not providedshelter f a,•01i1e.i.t11tres1: ~ty gtnt1dChlldreo Love to u.lt" is: ~·1 eeu ng .a loveJy person 77°/o ofaClultspecceive honiele,<;S people as beln& ap lLI1-individu als ••All infumwion ~in frulnieMl!e. '"HomefessinAmerita; Americans Pcrcep6on, Altirudeia11d Koowle<lgo," November2007 ----------------------------------------------------· t>onate to Streetvibes J I T~e rnorl!'supwn we have from th,e com1nunity, the furtherouretfors reacl), Our work is possible only with tile he.Ip ofgenerous individual gifts. 'You c.nn don·ate.online www'.eh1ciliol\\Cless.org . ' Please consider making a comrThu.lion toosyl 1 : Enclose<! is my iax-deduclabl<!'co111nbutio11 of: l I Name: - - - - - - - - - - - - - $25 Or make cbooks payabl;i 10: Addnlss: - - - - - - - - - - - ­ S.treetvibcs 117East 12ll1St:reet, e'ity I ~tate/ 2!ip: - - - - - - - - E:'iocmnuti. OH ~5202 sso ,$ JOO S·150 Other s_ T hank you forgiving generously! I I I I I I I I . ________________ ______________ ______ _____________________ ____ .. . _. . _.. �STREETVIBES Local News 4 February 2008 Metro Raises Fares: City Council Approves In.crease h.J? I J·1111e ; lttj't1w11 ... opposed tho fare- increase because it providesno irnproventenrin On Janu::iry 15, 2008, 1he service, ~ult.~111 I.4 nl.iJlil)1t.fi!-\\el'l'1des, Southwest Ohio Regional Transit ;uKI 'viii impose additional blu:de:ns on Aulhority (SORT; \ )1..stiliedbefore ~le \\<Otklugpoopleduting tough llnruicutl City COtUlcil FirooccCon1rni1100., a.skins tirne.t;,.,S.1.yS Cran lt1)', M.etro sta.tes for their suppon ~----------~ 1 and OJ>Pt0\ 0.I 1n "I just th ink it's a bit tha1U1eforemcreose raising tliebus tare much. You can never is d.ue10 rising fuel by Jif\y COOL' lli< COS($, l~ck or ~ltllC break even! 111e funding, widoldbus Fin~ncc Conunirtee.aftera minimum '"age jus t replacement Mc.io pl'esentation an.d a slat~ U\!ll more 1.hru' \•VEmt u p and now the !'1% of their bus series of questions fare is going up. S<ive a Oect1sov~rclev~11 fro nt couuel l­ membL'I$. vot·c.d penny here and you lose y cn'rs .old •he to approve the 't therel" awrngehfeumefura l · buslS t\\'elveyears. increase John Cranley, chair of 10is is not a the. Fi nance -Della \\•ho riLi es the bus to rc.co 1nulenda1ion C'ornmlr1ee was arid l;J'OO\ \vork e\1eryda}'' tha1 \ V e mak~ the o·nty n1e1nber ~----------~lightly," said Setzer. presen11ovoh.! agains11.hef.'Ve 111crease. ···But 11 ·~ imperative tlrnt we 1ake l~rnnley qu~stioned f\.fetro CEO appropriateaction now to spare much ~liohnel Sei:zctaboul the fltt'e increase 1t>ughetdt..'Cis1nns in d\C ful'urc." and its impli<.-ations, CmnltJ)•madehliT\<fctro plans to purch1lSc the. n1orc opposition cl ear throughhis comments. fuel eftlcloot., bio-diesel bus'"hi<.il ' viii regardi.ng the lo.ss of ride.tSh1p due 10 n o 1ottl)' help keep fuel ~ts lo'ivbut 1L increasedfaresnndthelackofimproved 'viii also l?e· more pleasing to the services, CraJ1ley s0t1ctl th~t b~ 11ouJd sutt-oµnding co1nrnµ1U1y as !Jle bus is undcr.5tand and increase in fti rcs if the quieter "I 1nke the bus ii.\ '() or three ·available services \verealso incroosed days a \\leek to sa\.'eon fuel and to help rul approptrntean)()lmL do "1>' ptu110 save.theer\v1ronmenL, but Cmnle.>•concludedhisinterrogation I am just going to dri\re my car n1ore by rc.n1inding Setzer of his pro1nise. ofl.eii nO\V. Afifty c.eot irta ea.o;e is too m·adc Inst year, to earl)• 01.11 nine Cit)• muoh, cspcc i~l ly \11hcn 1hc h u~ is not Cotu1cll recon1nlendations. SORJA has. going to run n\'ore o ften~· 'says an not implemented. any of cl>e rt.lne the ~onal busnder. rooomrneodarions. TI1ecommw1.ityseems t<> agree \\ith 1\ ,&<enllemt:in boards the bus at C'.O\i'et'n1~1e111 Squllte. 1.te \viii soon have to p:ly $0.SO lllOru per o de, /lf1()IQ fly t~r11111,• , IJ1,fl/U~I CranlC)• In Over the Rhine.n.'$1d¢nlS 100$1. " JJUSl thnlk it"s a b111n1.1ch. You can ne,rer break even! The minintum v.-erenotsh}' about their disapp<oval tl1e fat~ iJlC:rbBSr!. ·1111}\ sue.ks! \Veou1 \\'agej us1\IA!llt up and no\.\1 dle fnreis bRrely scrape up the Sil'' says Nina. a gojng up, Savo a JH:nn~· hcrt! 11n<l you bus 1ider and residentQf01R ft isclear lose it thero1" says Della Be prepared, the UlCrease l$ tn •hat the.fare 1ncr~''~ Uhun those are struggling to ntake ends me.et the efleel asoffebrnaiy 3, 2008. or '''°° ISSUES 2 WHAT'S AT STAKE? J O IN lJS for DAYS O F DIALOGlJ.E. What better tin1e than an election year to dialogue on the critical issues that affect us all OU R P URPOSE is to create an environn1ent where people \vith differing vie"vs can listen and be listened to, and civil discourse can occur. 'i¥flEN: Each dialogue \Viii be he.Id on Saturdays fi·ou1 9an1 to 12 noon Wl:lERE: first Uni tarian Church (536 Linto11 St) al corner ofReading - Free & Open to the Public ­ Reservations Re.que$ted. RSVP l0 513-579-8547 wvvw.ijpc-cinc innati.org Ecenomic Develc>pment March 15 rare �STREETVIBES Local News Febru a·ry 2008 5 Food Banks Need Your Help C ontinued frc1n1 page I fron\ theco111111u11ity; nnd govemDJt!lll ~i$1ar1ce including tb.J1n co1n1nodilies andTEFAPfro the U.S.Departmentof Agric.ulture (USDA). Don3nans from aJI lhf\.'C SOUn:CS h~\'C· dimrnlshqd ror n1a11y food bru1ks. Gr~ater i11ven.to1y i:n1ciel1C)' has lt'!d tOlov.' er levefs or oorpOrntedonations.personaldonations 1ypicolly full after the holidays, and bii;h mar~ol prices havo resulted in fc,vcr purchases by USDA. 11ighetdernwldin tl1e fooe offo'i\er ··Supplies had led to.a crisis across lhe oounuy. 1:EF1\P fund1ng fbr Ohio has decreased 8 1 pcrcc111 since 2003 According co Second. 1:1.arvest fOOd bru1ks v.•ill rw1 out of reSt)utces b)' Februaiy. five months early. Brov.fl ~s legisJafion \\"Ouldpmvide S40 nullicx1 inertleJ£t'SlC)1TEF1\Pfi.nd11tg to address the current food bank crisis m1til a pw1m.nent Ii:-.: can be passed :.1S p~n of' the forn1 bill, The St.'noto increased TEFAP fron1S140 n1iJlion anrtuaJly IO $250 mi1li0t1in iL'ivi:l'Sio11of thefivm bill. The houseMd Semuohuve passed separate \•ers1011~ot"rhe Farnl Bill. ·\\<lore. and n1ore Ohioans need food assistttnce.but thete i..-; less and I~ food to go around. Standing in li11e at rood ban.ks. working ran1iJjes are tecWringon thcod&"C. Fnmilics arc filcing an inlp05Sible choice this winter- heat 0 1· eat \Vi1h fl\Ore peo~,le in need. the govemmentlll\IStcon..edlrough..,Bro''" said. What You Can Do to Help ContacLYour Senators and Repre-$entatives and ask them .Donate to food banks and pantries in your area. to vote for Senate Bil.I 2431 and House Bil l 4788. Ohio Ohio Senator George v·oinovicl1 Re1J. Steve Chal>ol (202) 225-2216 (202) 224-3353 Madisonville Education and Assista nce Center 4600 Erie Ave. F reestor e Foodba nk 1250 Tc.aaessee Ave Ci11cinna1i. OH 4S202 (s13) 24 1-1064 Cincinnat; . O H 45227 Senator She1Tod Brown (202) 224-23 IS Kentucky Senator JUn Bunaing (202)224-4343 Rep. Jean S.chmidt (202) 225-3164 Kentucky Rep. Geoff Davis (202) 2.25-3465 Senator Mitch McConnel I •• (513)271-5501 • • • • O ver the Rhine/\Valnut Hills Soup ·Kif'C hen Pant ry 2631 Gilben Ave Ci11c1.nnati, OH 45206 (513)% 1-1983 Soc.iety of St. Vincent DePaul 1125 Bm1k Streer Cincinnnti, OH 45214 (5 13)562-8841 (202) 224-254 1 Streetvibes Subscriptions .t\re you iotere&ted in having Slree'tllibes delivered to your mailbox every monlh. .. ' ... ~...:· . • •; • •:e, .....·~· ...."...... ' :.•••~.·;14- ~ ........ Send a check for $25 with your name and !!Qdress to: 1'S1re-e1vibes lJ7E.J2thSt Cincinnati. OH 45202 t'·~ · , ..-----..... I !(NOW... ISN'T IT WONOERFOL? i'VE ~EEN !>REAMING MOOT PAYING THOSE !(INDOF WAGES FOR YEARS! �6 Community News STREETVIBES February 2008 Drop Inn Center Celebrates 30 Years at Race and 12th ST. Thirty Years Ago by Michael Hcoson A ,vj ntcr storm movt.'S in and settJes oo the city stroets. 1110 froZ£ngargoylesofCiiy Hall leer from theirpornpcta Fl'OSl gnps thepari< benches ";th cold wh11e fins~ Snow dusls lhe eaves of1he1cncmcots a!M&RooeS!ree<. VmeSaoet, 14• ond the sad namele.-s alleys d!ai "'"offRep.t>loc. Snow caps the parking meters and blinds die "'indows oftho parked~ It isa deep, perfect, silcncingsno'v lluu muflles thesoundsofdle sireitS, die cars Of1 Central Paiicway, lhesnatches ofmusic 1ho11hump from thejukeboX<S ofMainStroot. end the softened danorofa11\lc:k bang loaded Into 1hesnowsreps a group ofragged shadows. 111reeor fo ur at first, then 1nore, then lens and twelves. 111ey shi""r• blink bock Ibo snow. pull lheirsiecond-hand coats tighte<, llld51188«,Slep. orshuflle as Ibey.,. able. southward clov.11 Main S1reet, Some ml k, somegJUmble. and SO Ille are silent as the snow, bu1 1hcy walk in something like order.something liken 1narch. 111C)• walk as if. at thoend of1hcir march. d1et0might be somedunglike l'<lpe. l'atlapslhey-aippledby ll<Clhol, for 1hey do 001 ~ it is theiob ofthe poor to diesilcn1 and in some other place. Do\.\11r-v1run, they srumblesouth to I?" Street Those at the head of the line slOp fora moment They puzzle. where are wesupposed to go? BUI 90111000e tdls them, solhey rum '"'"'-'coonnue thar nwdi. They do not seem ro unde"""1d iris d~ 111issionof the miss~•ded 10 lose thei11Selves quiedy, and in son1eotherplace. Do"" 12"' to Walnui. Ibey lt111>11ld shuffle in thoirbmteredmanner ond pw under the cold eye of Oennarua, th•• gte3t "erdigris goddess, perfect in limb and J>()61ltre. But 1hey il!flOre her; they do not look up. They do not seem to undorsttind i1is 1hejob ofthe broken to keep on breaking. quie~ and u1 some olher place. Past WolnuL lhey cross Jack>0n v.bere a prostitute eyes d!em. Shese.ms tosee herselfin them and she SI0"1)S ber foot for and rums IWll)'. The \loOnlen anX>Og the sMd:w.1 n1uttersonlelhing and the 111er1 look do"n and lhcy all keep marching. They do not seem to wlderstond it is the taslc ofthe S<Omed to bwy lheir poin clov.n die rood in some quiet, dis&lnt plll<C. The shodowscl'<l5S into the gJ3111 ofVme Srreet and lhel1ght is not kind for it glitters on thcirsno\vy mgs and liiJus lhe broken placesoo theircheeks andmarks die red nnis that circle mar eyes, But lhey nwch oo. They do not seem tooodersl:1nd i1 is die duty of lhe~ to hide lho r broken txxUcs S<elll., quiedy llld msomedism:n place They nwth lheirshi"ering nwd1 pos1 Gkissiog<r's and as they march, some gaze like lovers into the darkened \vindov.'S for they have already begun ro nchc Md shiver for the'"; ne ihas v.-ai ts there. 811 lhey mlf"Ch and lremble and Ibey do nol seem to undersllnd itislhe1-bili1yoflhefallcn to \\hisper theirsins to a cold, d:iy confessionaJ in somedistant plaoo. They maroh Jl<ISt Raoe Street and lheparl< ";lh ilSgteat black trees and some loolc sideloog IO w1uch O.C pall< fill up wilh snow They keq> on. ooe after anocher, for they do no1 seem to undefsland it is in the interestofall that die abandoned take thetr loss to a quiet c.'fllpty ticfd in romo distant pince. Dov.fl they nlard1to Elm v.hcre they glw,.,. ioward Ibo floodlights facingMosic Holl and Ibey do no1 to ooders!and rt is lheobhgabOn of die undenau!il>t IO spare the senses oflhe culrured and to die. Quiel In son1eotherplace. Not here. Birt therassod shadows march on, just a few nlOrostunlbling steps and through lhese doors agaill$l al1Ja,v, all rule.all duiy forlhepoor 1hat they mi&ht fllld w:umdi. and a liule food and achance at life. Through these doors, these Iawlcss doors. Right here, and no1 in somedlsmnt place. """°' Tbiny yemha"e )lOS.'ed. Icwmottell you ifdiese shodowslivedordurifully cliod. But I know Uiedogsish cold Slill folio"~•• tl,.hoelsoflhe poor The ha"tish ,.;.d Slill v.histlesdo>.<11 the alleys. The gargoytcsofC11y ball test theirv.inp wt wait their orders. But the arrogant poor still march, They walk theirragged, crooked mile igi1orancof la,vordury in search ofa liule warmth., a little food, a linle moreofli fe than others ''°"'d allow lhem. Weh3ve mardled through the$n0\•s Ind sunsofduf1Y yean. M111Yhove come end gone duough these doors. And we honor each of them. For hct'C\ in this pince, v.-e renounce 1he law thatsays lite poor 1nus• die for lhecomfon ofUte unoomfo""1Jle. We abrogote lhc rule that says a \\onw\ musi freeze for lhe wamnh of1he v.~U-hoosed or that achild n1 ust starve to feed thewell-fed. Here today, \VCdeclare, chereis oo lawbut the law of love. There is no rule but the ruleofj~nce. There is no duty but the d'")' ofhope­ Janu:uy 12. 2008 0 �STREETVIBES Community News February 2008 7 Athens County Holds ''Walk for the Homeless'' Fundraiser en~e. in the other tv.'O lengthy "<alks participatedin 1heMiniWalk. The 100 yard walk was followed by a video that generated a \\'Orth\\•hile and inforn1ative conversation about the plight of1hchomeless and thcsmigglcs ofthose in poverry. A n1oderator led the di scussion and educated participants about the realities ofthe poor in this region. UJ>On completion of the. e.vent. participants gathered in the First about rural homelessness '"bile also United f\.tethodist Church \~here a rice incorporating the teachings of Dr. and beans lunch "'as served.. The 6111 Martin Luther King Jr. annual \\'alk for the Hon1eless evenr Walkers \vho were unable to \va.5 truly an overall success. b,v (/reg Olk/1ov:•;ky commun i ty of hope to peop l e Walk introduced basic concepts and On Saturda)•, January 29•, arolmd 400 participated in a walk for the hon1eless in Athens, Ohio. The walk helped raise awareness and educate the public about rural homelessness in southeast Ohio. The event took place from 9:00 am. until 1:00 p.m. A ll of the money raised by individuals participating in the Walk wi II be used to assist the homeless through the Good Works Timothy House. where almost 75% of their funds come fro nt pri,•ate donations. Good \\'orks is a Christian based agency that strives to ere.ate a loving stmgglli:ig 'vith homelessness, poverty and recovery issues. They seek to acoon1plish dteir goal ofassisting dtose in need dtrough connecting clients \vith properpeople, programs and services. Good Works was founded in 1981. In 2001 , Good Works' 24 ho ur operating e1nergency s helter 'vas renan1ed the Tintothy House. The Timothy House serves homeless people fro nt nine southeast Ohio cow'lties. The400 plus participants had 1he option to partake in one of three educational "ialks. The 2.2 miJe.J<ids issues about ho1neless11ess to children and parents. Kids \Valk participants also learned about the teachings of Dr. Marrin Luther King Jr. and ho\V n1any of his beliefs have never been truer than they are today. The Myth Walk specifical ly focused on learning about the serio usness of Appalachian homelessness. This 3 mile walk challenged myths and s tereotypes Cincinnati Public School Board Decides to Renovate Rothenberg Continued fron1page1 CPS came to 1hencighborhood and saidthar the)• could nor renovatebecause it \VOuJd cost 100 much. They said it v.'Ould cost more to renovate it than to tear dov.11 andbuild nevv. Since then t\\'O groups have been V.'Orlc.ing to save the school. One group comes from theOTR Fow1dation. This is a group of business people, Their printary role has been ro \VOrk v.1th architects to calculate.\\lhat the actual costs v.<ould be to build new and to renovate. The othet group is OTREPS (OTR Education in Public Schools). lllis is con1bination effort ofparents, tesidents, Peaslee Neighborhood Center, Contact Center and OTR C.00101unity Housing. On November 1st the- Contact Center hosted a School Board Candidates fo rum at Peaslee Neighborhood Center in v.ittich the candidates \\iereasked ifd1ey supported and "'"uld tiglit !Or1hc renovationof1hc old Rothenberg school. They all said yes. On JanuaT)' I l 'h, the OTR Foundation group sent a letter to Rosa Blackwell 1hat summari:oxl 1heir findings, including d1eir beliefthat ir \\'Ottld cosr less 10 rehab Rothenberg and that this children and prut'flts ofOver-1hc-Rhinc to make an achievable and realistic change in ourcommuniry by tenO\'ating and reopening the.doors ofthe historic sireoftl1e old Rothenberg Elen1ental)• School." "Over-the-Rhine is built with terribly strong people who knovv right from vvrong." -Josh Spring, Residen t Services Coordinator, OTRCH s hould be done. On Janual)• 14•h OTREPS went to the school board meeting. Timothy \\'ii Iiams, afatherof three boys who attend Rothenberg spoke to the board and strongly told 1hom that Rothenberg mustbe rehabbed and reopened and that the con1n1w1ity andchildren ""'perately need this. He said, "'Ir \li'OUldserve notonly as an inspiration, but an opportunity for societ)• to invest in the.brightness of our furure and to offer a chance to tl1e Rosa then statc'<lthat it was the intent oftheAdi1tinistrarion ro recon1n1end to the board that the school be renovated. On January 2s•, OTREPS and the OTR Foundation \Vent to the board meeting . Four people fro m the foundation !lJO~ spoke. '[hey presented brieny the fact thatrehabbing is cheaper and n1ore sustainable. The>• also explained ho\v intportant ir is to the oommuni1y. Josh Spring, a resident services coordinator with OTR Community Housing has been 'vorking to keep the school in theneighbolilood. Hesiates, "Over-the-Rhine is built with terribly strong people \vho kno\V right front \Vl'Ong,. 'fhjs community $8\V that the track recordofCPS in Over-the-Rhine and the direction they "'ere plar1ning on going \vith Rothenberg and the­ con1n1unity v.•as wrong. So instead of being \valkL-don. Over-the-Rhine stood up, flexed its 1nuscle ofstrong people and fought back. Ovet-the-Rhine is \vinning.. Ovcc-the-Rhinedemands to havethe greatest say in dte rin1etableof therenovation, the physical s1andatdsof the renovation ood1hequality academics in the building. Over·the·Rhine \viii oontinueto"<in." 'f'he up hill battle continues as neighborhoodsroups fight to keep1heir only school arolDld and to impro're the education d1attl1eirchildren receive. Celebrate Fat Tuesday and Help a Good Cause Mardi Gras Fundraiser for Homeless Children Information: When: February 5, 2008 6:30 pm - IO:OOpm Where: Northern Kentucky Convention Center Cost: $50per person, Tables: $600-$700 Tickets: Call 859-291-6572 Proceeds benefit 4 Greater Cincinnati agencies Brighton Center's Home\vard Bound, Welcome House ofNorthern Kentucky, Bethany House Serv ices, and Mercy Franciscan al St. John. �Vendor Artwork 8 STREETVIBES February 2008 Abstract Ball by Antl1on y Willian1s Berta's Art Corner A Heart in a Rose ls a Valentine 1833 Vine St. Over the Rb ine �STREETVIB ES February 2008 Vendor Artwork 9 Black David Letterman by Antonio Hodge A Little li un1or Uy Cleo Wombles Thece\\'as.a pilot, priest. sn1a.nes1nlan. in 1he \\'Orld. a:ud a hipp1egaLheted l11at1:u1p.lane.. While.they were Ry.Ing. th~, \I/erehavfngengine probl~ntS. Thepilm said. '·\\t-e only have3 parachutes... ·n1e piloL1ook oneandj untpedouL 111e·s111a11esi rnao io the \VOrid said...They nr..'\.'d m.c.~· sohe look n parachute andjumped out. Thep.riest·said to the.hippie. ""l _guessonly ooeol"u.i:t is go1ng10 h\11!,..., l11e h1pv.lesaJd, ..No \'nlY 0Jtd--io, The-smartcsl 1n:ln in the \l.'Orldjumpcd ou1,.,.;th my sl"'!lmgbag." The Woman by Antonio Hodge L'ooki•lgU:I her as the with; her beauty is l'.'udionr3S tbcgiceno.ry ofthe eanh. lier vo1ce1s S\VOOl as die \\ttnd t.lllll blO\\S in d1esunui1t1.r 111gh1 rut. J.ler body •S·hke dteeatth, teady 10 receive the seed. ,vheJ'ea.4>. she can bloo111it ;u theeanh blooms 1rees. Jlo\\~rs. fnu1s. :lad \1!'ge1ables. Y<.'8. ycsl say. 1}lQ \\•oroJtn isa nost to I.be homeofma11 i1J nU her k1t0\\ ledge and understandjng. The\\'Olllan laysbxk tohear tl1ecall ofher l't \!ll\ md1e.\VJnd. \'lilt et . tife ru:id rur, hetearsray to Lhelnoer pea.ceofhearing theGod /vi.an 'Alice! 1 �10 Poverty and Addiction by Michael H enson Dt>nijiw. /)Q1r ~let tJ>~>'hodJ1fre1. Rejoice. These \\<ere the last v..o rdsJin1n1y l>leaLh srud 10 me. Not the vety last v.'Ords-hcsrill had somejoking to do and hesaid a prayer \\~th n1e. Sul they v.-ere the message he tell me with and I cherish the \.\'Ords. l'iis voice ..vas vety v..eak by then - his voice ,vasaJ.,"ayssoft. but by thl,.., it \Vas just a v.hisper- and his fiancC Brer1da had to translate for me. But he hadthe fa1110usJi.111niy Heath snUJe. For dloseofyou vAlo did oot know him. Jimmy Hc.-a.th -James Randall Heath-photographer. ait ist, educ.ator, JOun1alis1. activist- ..vas the editor of th.is newspaper. He died just before 0 1ristmac; la~t yearaftetalotlg. li.ngenng illness He \V<tS a national and inten1atiooal leader'u\honleles.s,ounlalismand, before his last illn ess took O\•er, 'vas ,rice­ presidetltof the Notlh Ametican Street Ne,\>1l)apc:cAssociation. hi thatrole. he traveled to Montteal and Argentina to represent Streer~·ihcs. vAlich. under his editorship, \VOil praise and recognition. (It also trused the hackles ofa certajn mayor.) Jin1n1y also traveled to Cuba, Nicaragua and El Salvadot and docun1ented those trips \.\iith his big. blac.k camera l>Je spent several months in St. Louis and \Vashinf,rton. O.C. on a fello" •ship co sn1dy \vays to e.n1po,ver tl1e horneless. But thegreatestjourney he took \v.tS froo1\\'ashington Parle to tlh! Drop lrlt'I Center. from addic.tion and hon1elessness co reoovery. /Joli lji'Ct. he said. Rejoice~ l·le ..va.o; t\vo days a'vay from that last journey v.hen helefl dlOSe instructions. l11ey are a g.rcatcon.solation to me and thc.-y arca gtear reminder, for l have so often been fretful - ..restless, irritable. and STREETVIBES Columns February 2008 The Beauty of Photography J\!fichael Henst>n is au1ht>1· ofRansack. .-1 S.,uall Roo111 " 'ith 7h>ublc 011 1\lfy J\!filui. 111e 1iio <if/.,()11gi11g_.a1KI C1v•v Call. 11us c,"f)/1u11n i$ Jl(Jn <ifa u1(1111hlJ' series (In JJO•~er1y ancl ac/(/i(:tion. disc:ontetited... in the 'vords ofa book someofus kno,vv.-elL 'There ren1ains a great deal to fret about in the wol'ld and a great deal of fretting goes on every day. Jinu1iy kne\\' a lot about the ftetfulnatureofthe v.otld. Hehad seen a lotofit and he had taken picturesofa lot of it. He had 'vrinen a lotabout it But he kne..v90rnethingabout j oy. enough to ren1ind us about it as his last v.'Ords to the 'vorld. 111ete is. in nc:arly evcl)•imaf,oehclt.-ft us.melc.'1Tl<.'l'lt ofjoy. I tecall Jinuny·s photo of a n1an ,vaJking do\.\'11Raoe Street. \\'e see hin1 froo1the teat, slightJy out ofcenter. It must have b<.'('1, 1 a ..,~nter day, for he \\fears a hooded, insulated coat \\'e see nothing about himexcept thru . an1idthe clunerof v.~n dows and signs to the left and tl1e sidewalk liner to the right. he stridt.'S tOrv.·ard. his arms rais<.-d as if he \vefeabout co cakeflight In 1>hotography,you find ,vf1ru you look for. Jinutl)' could have caught the o\iloat another OlOOle:t'lt, ata tinle - ..ve all ha,icthem- \vht.'11 hcv.'9S dov.11cast and oppressed. lnstead, he caughc the 01110 in a n1oment ofetrujor1,a nlOnlent ofapparentjoy. The i111age is startling, for in such a place.you do not expect to find anythingbut miscoy. When I"'Y !hat Jin1n1y caughl lhar nlan in a n1on1entof elatior1.1 n'teal1 lle ,vag lookingfor it. f<le kne\\•son1eho"' it \\<as there. Jimmy oflen spokeofpho1ograpl1y and hov.• the poor arc depicted in photography. 'Though he v.•anted to docun1ent the dan1age done by ho111elessness and poverty, he did not 'vant to build his career on someone elsc'sdt.-gradation, He \V3Sin the school of Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and Dot1s Ulln11111. f<le 'vas not at all in the school of son1e others \\<ho I V.'On' t name, because it is ..vhai tl1~· look for. to fi nd those moments \\ih<.'fl the poor seeo1freakish, odd, alien.Jin1nl)' Heath did 001 flinch fron1dq>ictingthe livesof damaged people - he fully embrac:OO backgrounds, also c.atefull)' shot. you the role of the documentary phot<>g1apher- bUI like Lange, Evans, 1111d Ullrn1111. he \\'llr\ted to respect their diri>iry alxw•all. ..BrokenCity'· '...as tf1e nantehe gave hisS<.-riesofpho10&""IJhsoflhohomcless, but the people you see are not broken and theitdignityshines dtrough. I think of his portraits of Helen Ed'vards and N1111nie l·linkston. l·lis might not knov.•thcpo..vcrofJimmy's vision.111is is beauryv.-ithoutsenrinle11t, beauty gro..vn up tl1e hatd 'vay, tl1e sort ofbeauty that thrustsup front the cracks in tl1e sidewalks and Bll'IOng the broken bricks ofa 'iac.ant lot. ·r11ebeautythatv.'aS Jin1n1y hinlSel.f came u1> the srune ..vay. l>Je n1ade no secret of his alcoholism. The long, Iin&-enng Illness tl1a1 tookh1n1 B\V'B)' may Jinu11y Heath's photographs \veteable to depict the digniry ofpeople. Ph<>tob.v .Ji111n1 ' //;:(lth. inU1ges ofthese 'vomen tel.I evel)1.hi.ng about the ha~d hves th~· have led. but light fallsoo lh<'fTl like a blessing. Th•')' resonate \vith hard-earned beaury. Beauty v.•as aJ,vays part ofJirnmy Heath•splan. andnevernt0reclearlythan 1n his series offlowerphotos - lovcly, v.-ell-crafted images ofgardc.'fl flo.,vcrs and ..,~ldfto ..vets in full blooni, each in sharp. close focus agair\St a backdrop of urban decay. For this series, he left behind dte ttadibonofblack-aod·v.h1te doc.umentaiy photography. These flo,versare in full, glo1iouscolorand. if you did not pay attention to the have been a latent product ofhis years ofdrinking. And it is a greatso1m,vtha1 some people \\<hO kne\vhim tov.-1U'd the end neverk11C\vthe fuJ I Jinu11y. His v.1t din1n1ed, his rl'l1nd slowed To..vard the end, he even quit taking pictures. Al times, it seemed, heJuSt \v.l.nted to give up. But attheend, itseen1ed he v.'aS che oldJi1n1ny l·leatl1 ag<un. more full ofhfe andv.1t than he had been in years. Dm1 t fi'Ct, he said. Do11 l /c1 an>·h0</>1fi'Ct. /?tjf)1Ce. Guest Column - Learning About Mental Illness by IJarlN1ro l1ick I still have a lotto learn... \ \1lle:t'I asked to subn'lita colu1nn this month forStreeti..Jbes, l v.•as asked not because l an1 an e.xpe11 in social v.'Ork or counseling or because I have ever myselftie.n homeless, butbecause lam a v.•titet. And as such. I took it as my duty to reflect and Sfl)({y several issues facing poverty to find out v.•hat l really had to say. It caole do"n to involved a lot more than just fucts andfagu.res. It is rnuch n10reco1nplicrued than tl1at l have observed this from simply v.•alking to v.'Ork evel)'day off'Cencral Pru·kwa)' andnoticing Olen and .., omen looking for loose change and a \varn1 povert)'. fl becon1es an issue ofaction. mc..-alandfromnotici.ngthclonglincscoch O ne of my most enric.hing, 1110rning entering into soup kitchens experiences in the pastse,reral months do..vn Eln1 Stteet. Poverty is n1ote than has been Ill)' exposure to tl1e local non­ j ust an issue for thenewspaper,an i~ue profit organ.iz.ation, Tender r\.1ercies., for political debate ~-----------~ located on W. 121h ot an issue to brush "P0\1erty is more than just Street in Ovet the This aside. It is an issue ru1 issue for the nevvspaper, Rhine. noooeisin\rnuneto a11 issue for politiec:1l debate o t g an i z a t i o n and i t has a or an issue to brush aside." pro,ideshot•ingand f o u n d a t i o n ' -- - - - - - - - - - --' related services to sptoutingftomall levelsofoursocie1y. homeless persons 'vith h1stot1es of No one "'ears a label or carries a enl0rion.11andformentalclisabilities. One genon1e for hornelessness. and n1any ofn1y co-v.'01'kets exposed rne to tl1is pcopleinthcGn:atc."Cincinnati area arc organiz.ation and offered me the si111ply one paycheck and one large opportunit)•co begin \l/Orkingon cheir OledjcaJ or unexpected e.xpense fton1 developntesncommittee. Duringrl'I)' first tourofa'render Mercies' building, I v.'3S shov.n first hand. ho\11 1nlM:h ev<.'f)'day 'vas being done for men and \.\'0111en in the urban Cincinnati con1n1uoity struggling 'vith ntental ii.In~. This was then10nle11t J realizedl still had so 111uch to lean1 about all the complexitjes in'i'Olved with poveJt)•. especially nmtal illness as 11 related to llOnlelessness. \Vhile \valking, through Tender Mercies, I \\laS su1prised to see ho..v 1naoy people \vet'e actually livi11g1n the facility. Currently. Tender ~lerci eshas the space to house 120 pern1anent residents ..,~ th access tOr transitional Continue<( on page I_I_ �STREETVIBES Febru ary 2008 Columns 11 The Poor Have a Top Place on the Peace Agenda \\lhru is oul'peace agenda fot those horrible. Cincinnati's20061>0ver1y tate in gn.-atcstneed in Cincinnati? The n.'Ccnt \VSS 27.8%. the third hig.hcst among events at City Hall relating co the 33% n1ajor cities according to the Anlerican increase in the bus fare ru1d tl1e threats Com.01unity Survey. to the Drop lnn Center's budget and The Drop Inn Center's problems future mise in1portru11 ques1jons about '"id1acceptanceb)' d1e co1nn1ll'Ut)' ii has the place in our city for those v.Tio arc li,•ed in for the past 30 years is en1blen1aric of the Cincinnati story. lo\v incon1e, hon1eless, and disabled. The story of Cincinnati cannot be Changing forces in Ovet the Rhine have fairly 'vrittoo v..ithout rec:x:>gnizing that the altered the pov.·er structure of the poo1', disabled and n1ino1'ities have had neighbothood. Sudderlly. the poor ate andarchavUiga inc.,,,..;,,gJydifficulttirre being driven out and condominiums survi...ing. Relocation ofthe r.xior, anacks se11ing in the hw1dredsof thousands of on the limitedhousing forthe hon1ele$. dollass are beingwelcomed. theevaporation ofjobs for lo\vincome Schools are closed, com.111unity people, and dle c:ontinuingdifficultiesof pools ate thteateoed, lo,v-incorne inner cit)•schools and C-Ornmlmities. all housing,dcstro)·cd. and the riseofa nc..'\\' add up to a serious Jo,vering of and innovative School forthe Creative ex1>ectations for faitness, compassion ..-1d PerfomungAl1S is imphwned into the and justice for those in greatestneed con1111mity. According 1oestin1ates released in \Vho ..viii f."'ICe the reality thatpove11y August 2007 by the US Ct."11SUS Bureau and basic survival is nov.•a grov.>ing Cincinnati ranks anX>ng the 10 poorest problen1forour region? cihesof2SO,OOO tes1den1S or mote.111e l11esuccessof the Oras>lnn Centet V.'Ork ofthe Drop 1Ju1Centerand other has gone unrecogi1ized b}• the ntajority ager1cies sup1>otting Lhis populati011is of thecity. TI1eirachieveoleot has been astoundingly good. Ho'V(.,"'-er, thcsoclal to promote personal and social peace and econon1ic context for those at the by helping deeply injured people find bottom o f 1he economic ladder is some modicum of ll'ust, Jove and coolJ)a~ion 1n tl1cirlives. Th®arethetOundations for moving, fron1..refugee" status tofull citizenship. Thanks 10 1he \VOl'k of the Dtop Inn Center, v.-e have role n1odels ofpeople v.110 have recovered aod retutne<l 10 lcadcrshjp pooitions inour cornmlmity. 111e peace\\'l>ikof, Gregf>3)1on,Donald Whitehead, and 1he late Jim.Ill)' l'ieath are but a fe\\•ofthosev.ho are ntaking a rnajot difference 1n restoting the shn.-ddt.-dfabric of hope in oorcity. In addition, there are deep tootsof coo11a$ion gro\"ing i.n highschoolsand colleges that send youth to provide v.>eeklyserv1C<.'S atavatie1yofagencies in Over the Rhine,Theac.1ion ofpeace is in fan1ilies that con1e to serve at the Drop In Center, \Vet:k after v.•eek Md generation after generation. Peace continues to flow io the \VOrk ofrna.ny churches. mo5'.1oes and ~)'ll l\f.'OS\I CS in the ciry, thatcontinue to fund the \\rock of reconsLruc.tion and seed hope for our v.holecity. Breakingd0\\111the fer1ces of fear yoothhav-e\'Oluntren.-d \vithagencies to oft"erfood, provide con1panionship, and 10 \V01'kon reconstrucuonofpeople and builcings. Change is oftc...'11 beneficial,giving ne\V perspectives, triggering ne..v energies, and opening doots that ate closed. Yet change at theneighborhood level ha.-; to take ioto account the pattt.'ITISoflifein thcoorruntnity.thesense of hon1e and con1fort that ate in existence, and the feeling that evety citizen is ,raJued, even the poorest The Drop Inn Centel' pteser1ts a cha nce to rebuil d fi,•es and neighborhoods, even a \vhole cit)•. Cteatinga peaceagaida forthis cit)' that includes thepoorv..uuld send a n1essage to 1he ..vorld 1ha1 C1oc inoa11 has recogni7,£<J the importance ofpeaoo in itsevet)•d3)•life. J'facing theneedsofthe people in gteatest tl'Oubleat the IOI>of a list of peace works also sends the lllessage that peaceis but anod1erv.'Otd for oompassion.justioe, and in~irati on. 'f11iscity, aspiring toa high standard of compassion, cru1 achieve Lhat level \vlten the handsofcon1passion reach out 10 those in greatest need. 0 1: ."ite~·e .,'\unt'fe rlandisa111vfess<)r a1 UC aJt<I is 1J1e Director of J>eace Jli/Jagc ~--"""'7-r.:!::-- I Still Have a lot to Learn Continued fro nt page 10 ,mo \vcre educ:ated. had a stab!e farni ly housingfor up to 16people. ln itssix buildings.Ter1der f\1lercies J)JOlllOles ll1e opportunity for homeless men and v.'Ontei1\vhosuffer fron1n1ental illness 1he OJ)J>Ortuoity to experience a pen1ment housingoption thatpro,1des security, dignity !lOdCOOlllll.l'Uty. TI1ese three \VOrds arc not no rma lly S}'nonyn1ous \Vith hon1elessness or povett)•. T11e men and v.onien I SD.\\'atTender ~lete.ies \vet'e enjoying a \veil-balanced lonch and v.-ere sittingat tables ta_lking, v.rith volunteers andother nten1bersof the Ter1detl\.1et'Cieshousingcomn1ll'lit)'. It was refreshing to see a sentblanceof eojoyolffn especially Jaugtnet fron1 \vho could be ho1neless 1nen and v.'Omcn. Quite often, thet)'Pic.al perception ofa hon1eless ntan and v"ol'nan from those far ren1oved front the situation is that of sadness and despait. M_cntal illnessand poverty arc daily struggles thal harn1the ph)•sical \I/ell• being and e!llOtional co11fider1ce of a person, but \vith assistance and care. rna.ny n1en and \\iQn1en ovetcon1e and tind \Yays to capture his or her spirit Mental illness is not son1ething ru1yooe cJ1ooses. 11is no1 a destin)' thai these n1en and \VOn1en seek. Front my expetiencesv.•ithTe11det f\1erCte.\ Ihave read mdh<.-ard live testimonies fn:)ln the n1en and \"1)111en they have helped ..vho can1e fron1 backgroll'uls similartom1ne, and had a decent pa)•ing job. Tender rvtetcies serves people in a \\itde taoge ofages front all different backgrolDlds in dteGre.aterCincinnari area Currently, Ten ~" f\.l<."Ccicsser.·csm<.'ll andv.'Qm<.'ll i.n age range front 18 to mid 70s. The occurrer1ceof n'telltal illness is n10re prevalent than n1ost Antericans n1ay think. According to a study conducted by the National Allianoo for Mental Illness in 2007, it is reported that about six perceo1 of the An1etic.an population. one out of 17Antericans, suffer front the ntost severe fom1s of rtll."lltal illnesses. blrt that as many as one in 6.,.eArneric.."'lllSsuffer from soniefon11 ofrneotaJ illness. t\ccording 10 these nun1bers. it is incredibly possible that eve«)' singleoneofus k00\\'5 at lea.stone p<.'fS()fl \vhOsuAi."JSfro1n a mental i llncss. Quiteoften, they n13}' not ei.<en beav.are of 11 thernselves and ll\a!'ly ofll1ese n1en oodv..nnlt'llmay exhibitnooutv.'Utdsigns ofnlental illness in theirdaily life. Throughou1 niy life, Ihave" '""""" lllefl and V.'OOlen in my O\\'fl interactions deal v.<ith olel'ltal illness. 11isa silent a-1d prc\<alent daily struggle forevt.'fl those \Vho are not hon1eless. 'rhe issue becoo1es n1oreooolJ)licated ..vhen men and \VOlllOO donothaveaccess to proper 01e<lic.al lteattnents. ca1·ing sup1>01't systems and the basic evciyda)• net.-ds forsurvival. 'lhis is \vhy·renderMercies provides ilS coo1munity of men and Residents fromTender riwtercies in Overthe Rhine. Pl'°'"frr;t11 \l'M>w, t•·nffl!rtt1i:'rcfr:.sinc. 07 v.'Omc."11 . \\>ith a suppartsystc1n granting access tolocalsocialsel'\iicesto provide COll'1seling. 1nedical sel'v1res.etc. The m<.'ll and \\{)loon \vhOrt.'Ccivt.-d these services have Slories ofsuccess andsuivival that make the volonteers at Tender!vlercies(X)Otinueto pro'ridadteir 1aJen1S and t1me. \Vhat1na)' drive these men and "'<11nen the most is the fc.-arof v.~1 at is occurring \vith those that are homeless \\lhO do not receive services oreven \VOrse, those that do not kno\V the,)•havea mernaJ illness. \\'ith pf'Ol>et medical treatment, an undia_gnosed n1ental illness c.an be devastating to a pt.TSOn.. hisorht.-rcart.'Cr,his orh<.or fa1nily and hisorherphysical health. The life ofa person ..viLh ar1 undiagnosedmental illnesscan be lonely and frightening. This type of(X)Ofusion andpain is \vltat drives many ofh o1nelcss mt.'fl and \1o'Q men to seekoutside. addictive substances. Ltke nt.any 1nen and \ lo"Onten in this Greater Cincinnati commonity.l have just scra tched the surface o f understanding the real issocs behind honlelessnessand poverty and ho\\•our socie1y can hope 10 move for..,1ard and help dte less forturt.ate. II is ve1y easy 10 li,•e each day awa_y front po,•ert)• and leave it as an issueof facls and figures fo rthct.•vt."lling, nc\VS, bot it isout there inourcities, in ourrural con1111unitiesand inpeople and places)'Ou nuy 11evei·have noticed Itinvolves issues that affectour sociel)•at all levels-addictions, n1ental iIln<..'SS, andt.'Conornic instabiIi ty. It is not foreign. It isrighthere. I Still have a lot to leart'l, ru1d I an1 glad Ido. Itiseasy to read a few articles and feel I knO\I/ enough about ho1nelessncss to k_nov.• its an issue of oonceo1forourcity,oureoononl)•,but it is the people \vllo l1vei1and Lhe people \Vho volunteer and \Vork fo r the honteless thatare the best testintOO)',the best text book on the subject and the best source to peel av.•ay the layers that have caused horne lessness for generations in ourcity. 8ar/J(Jro /':/it:k is afeela1rt:e urriter a11(/u orks as an ad1:er1isi11g accor1111 1 1u<1nagcr fo r <1 <..'01'1n1u11i<.:n1io11s ngenc)'. 11tarkc1iug �12 In The News A~n•: Flomeless {Vl,.~o CT\IClly Killed on etiristmus Pfioeni>t poli°"' fQund Aa,r~n Tay1or- hQmell:S$ l'pr ten y~,,,,,_ buiniilgfu ile3dl olllSideofo·Sabwny on 'Christmas morquig -Cho exact 'Ofl'C)lm>1WWOS'lf"~ol tC/:bc l'J"!JVorcd or ws;l? sed, thOugh hlsfamify h;is eomriunl'ica(Cd tliru ~1epc!)?"lnuOj's appeared to h~ve covered ljiJn Jn materilll, poured !l>Qlelh1nl!,over him. ond sO.t him <>n liro, T"oylor w~• ~oltllX theVi<tim in similorncts.of Cl'IJetty,AcCordlng IO lus filth&, Er;tnk. Taylor, lie once bM lli5ankle brokea and!'"' tieClapddiicuaped co a chair l"'d lcl\outsi.lom theoold. Cu!}:\'O!ty; Pl!lice will only consider it ac<leath .lnVi:S)J~ ind will.not co1~1on thltcous'i>. (KJ'AR Plroem:t, V/.J) Massacl>osetts: Number of EliiSton HomelessFamilies ·Rises Ii)( 17 P.ercent ne\Y. censuj;·shows-.JJia1 tl\e homeless ~pulotion qf 'B.oston· llOJltlnues ioiner,?a<o, ll;inieulllriy in the numOiirof flUTI1il~ e<poiloncing 1\ homelOSSMSSc DesPit~ the.numberof l\Qm;l•'li in.diyid""~dedlmng by nearly 5 R•caent since 2®'&. the ovenill homeless; p~i>'llli>tfon lia5 ·lru:~neoilY'\:porc~N~ lha$!1JllO ~""" STREETVIBES National News ' Jn the~fi.8een,years, thecitY,'s hoQlCLesspopµliilfon~ri••~><,_ 57 ~elt~ aiid\\jtllOOt ~tllid !JOin' iho go\ot'f11111Crlt, ,iliC)'•S8Y1 ilio hoiisi!l!I situation forlOW·inoome families. QOntinues to~ d~a1e,ltn lh~ic vio1~. fiQL1Singk'th• only,~hitipn I)>( hq,melessrlessf (Dih7~ Ab~/, 't'h< &i<Jin1 (llohc, !IS) Louisiana: T\vo RoQ1eless Die'OfHJ'.>potheonia1n New 0rleans On JanllllfY' 3, two, homeless 1~~·1duals.\Yt:n: fot111d ~in ~ow Oclean;;..J\womon bringi"[a blankat toljlrl~Collrns. whoJnv$lstisatQfS say b'3dbeen~ilg;11ierijghtunder a'66~e for1he preoloos 1wo wooks; 1ostc'ld found her dcod Later lhHt lnOmrn& MYCOilet Pliesa1vcki :\\133 ro.md deaa in tl;ewi•ns-lot or"'' n~311doned Slrlp JJJl1!l wliile ~..'baa bi.oen Living. Bod1 bod~ temperatures wen: IXKJsi$tcnt with!);<pothcrmi.., Hontelessness is l:Jecoming, 1ui JnCte.siDl);«111<ldlfi11.New~<:illl$aS the cify continues to cope with !he dew~10ung effect.s of Hurritonc Kutnno A& tbc 't\'lq lcr \\'®thc.r lntensffiesio f'}"\vor·l ~sand 3roood ~.~ nntl~n, "mlilly sliellprs ~rate VimmlJy Iii C!ll>oci)l;' OVOl}"Jii2)it" llfld must tum pjlaj>leaway, 1\i!iieh rorces them 19 OJ1di•o~ cold "lithout sQd1or orprotecri 0n, {/IP. 1r5j February 2008 U.S. Turns to Horses to Secure Borders /~)' 11111 (fu;i;11or Reu1ers AIU ZONA - U.S Border Patrol stt1rdyq111uicrhors:s-so ~died as they there that lhe horses'.stockn1anagen1en1 o.geiu Galen Fluffruao le41-us over the are the fa..tj:esa breed overaqururermile skllL-;ocu1ll! ioto lhcaro,..n, a,geoto; say 'Jllddle to look 1u fain1 tracks inn crude (400 rnetetS), ru1d arealso 1'000\vl\ed fol' "lt's,..h ;it ~ caJI co''' sense.. It's a herding insrin ~.. Schad1old Rel1rers..as n·ail leading up llon1 d>e ·Mexico'border. 1helrstrengih and stanrina. He rollO\\'$ d\~ tra.<:ks al R bnsk tr()I ~lostof 1hestock)•. n1uscularan1nltlls she triulcd a _g1ot1p of IS f\4c-x1can through thick brush. up ~d dov.11 into aro bo.ugh1 fron.1 horse dealers or al 111~granfs out of~1e desert on her-horse. l'oc-ky "vBShes~ then pDUSeS ns hi:,,horSC auctions, although a number aresejzOO Froddes. '11iey galherpeople up... and ifdiey t W1 tch ~ ir.t ears 11J1rl t11ms around i'ron\l\•le.xicnusmugglers cau£1ttriding. ner\'Ously. over 1heborder\\i th loads ofmarijuana run, they hav~ 1he abili£Y and desire-to cha.so them do" ·n." ·sho uddcd, "Ihavob:c:>dios." 11.., says. as the first c.mn1111ed into burl:i1>sn.cks. ofagrouporl Iillegal l1n1ulgttu1tS.v.111ppt.-d ~----------------------------~ in huts :md $Cl\rvcs against the chill morn,n,g ,:\1r, peel thems~ l ves up fro1n Lhe deserl no.o r $&.-'\ft'rii.1 mllcs rnim lhe nearest road Horses have been part of the Bol'd~r Patrol s1nee 1hc agen cy wus fow1ded to secure the Oni"-'<1S1;1tcsbonl<:rs ag3ins.t liquor sn1uggJers and unliw.fll) immignTIL') in the 1920s, and no"v U.S.. Borde:I' PMtol..ageotJun \\'eyga1td lea(is a group of ru'l'eSled Illegal 1rru1ugtat)tS LhJQugh lhe 1h oy a.re ml:lkJn,Y a Altar VaUey, Ari2X>na. 1-iorses-h:t\'e been pan of 1h~ Border Patrol since die 3btency was foWJded romeback. t·osect1rethe Uni100 Stnies bordersag.·11:rlS1 liquorsmugg,lersand unla,1oful in1m1grants i.n 1he 1920s, Ay<'!tlS dres.«'<lru 1V1d oo\v tJ1_cy aro m.ab:iog a coo:u:bsck. Pl«"""''(Ml r1'£RS.-.\'11JO'J'1i(J1QJ!.tTlf''"'''i leathe r chaps 11nd b1:oad·brin1n1ed ha1s a.r~ increasingly "Someoffl:tes1nuggfe.rshaveagood "GOOD PUTURW' being t1s·cd tO regain coJ11roJ over 1hc eye roro.horse," S-0J.1ad told t~eurers as 1nost rugged a:re.'\S of dle soutbv.-vst she rode out over a sandy c4tttle tra1l1n As the B<ord.,,. i>a1nil rediscoVC1s th< fl'onti~I' 1A ill1 rvtt::..:ico ru1d uov.•0 1tJ.hc th• Altar Valley south ofTucson nonhcm bol'dc.r "'~th Canada. '11tey rue 1-aised ltl the ll'lOUflcains nnd spet:ial abil ities lhat horses have. '"1\.1ostofthe a·af'fic is beingpusl,ed they are ~>ood ranch horses ... and !hoy 11)JuntedWlitsare S1ru1ing topl:l)' a \vider into 1ht..'Se 11l0untainul1S are.i s v.t11ch nn: n.re son1e of tJ1e best 1h;i1 \\fe have: · 1x1l~1n border pohaog, In d1e Tucson sector- v.tlich is the hJ.rder 10 \\'Ork. The}' arevery remote," sajd B obbi Schntl_. :1 hor~e p;urol COW SENSE bLL<iic.-t1ulo11i:; the 2.ooo-n1ile (S;2:00­ supervisor from Tucson. " \\fi 1h a horse Km)south"..i border- lhe potrol aow you can get up ut there." Lastyear, more 1h311 870.000 illesal has around 1;o horses-and 87 trrtJned ''ThO)' rc.alizcd ""c "'icre so mucb unn11grai1rs "-e-re an·es1edcrosslngovel' nd;.TS,, tUX>\lld IOur limes 1hcnu1nbcr that beiter at cootroUingoenai:nru-eas. so d1ey 1hc border from ~1.:~ico. rnorc th{ln a they had five~vearsago. i-IQJ'Se uni~ are nlso beirtg used in said "hey. lt:t's keep utihzlug ru1 old­ durdof!hemduo14lh tho " ildsof1\ riID11a school rool :ind go back 10 the ba.'tics.•·· lJ1~ddJ11on IC> tetting ng,eitts S\vifUy Te.xas and Califomis_- v.•here they -and stenlthiJy up into the 11Jgged,. pla} ed a key rolesavutghWSJ.ock fio111 n1ounrautous are.as through v. hjch thQmgn\.!:'."''1ldfin;::;ncarStut Diegolast STITRDY HORS£S migrants and sn1ugglors 1ncrc~iogly October - as v.•ell as in Spokane. "\Vhen Lhc Border Pi'.ltrol y,•ns cross. ;igenrs say their horses are also \\'ashlng1on, \\•hece lhe &rder P~trol fo unded in 192·1. tcc,n1 i t~ on the. n.c1ive partners in <letecting botde.1· receutJystarted using mUSlnllgS to secllle so ulh\v~st bor<lerhad to provide their c·rossers. asection oftbe Can!Kfian frontier. ~•rh et r s1gh1and bea[log 1s much \\'11ile a drift to\..-itrd hi-~'Ch in bortkr 0 1111 bo""'8, n>ckand &ws. •Ithough di<y policing gathers p;ic.e. \vith unmanned weregjvenbull<*-;,on1mal fe..'Ci and SZS sharper tbun ours When they sense someone... ) 'O U feel it,_and_youkno'.\•to spy planes, ground radarand an array il \\it:Ck ofelecrronicsensors. mounred agents Thoy \Wre·scntout oo thebacktrnils get ready," I r.urman said from c.~alifon1ia to south ·re.xas10 rackI~ } 1olllt00 unitsinthe bu~· sm\tgg)ing are.coofidenl their l10rses \viJIcontinue ''k•q uilcroS'""-smugglcrshaulingl»mls coi:ddor soulh or ·rucson f'requent1y IQpl\ly u lr:~1· rolo1ny oarsto come '"They are :sgood tool fotgoing out 8'1dgoal5kinsfilfod";d1liquornonh from arrest groups of I ~ or 20 illof:,>nl ~f e." i 110 on ho.r~ tnules l\Od burt0$ i ntmigcants. and son1effnJeS 1110re thnn and ·cu1tin.g fOtsign: 1n a1~.:;1hru thelu­ 100 :l u1ue. ;\gents Sa)' thcil' horses· 1cch $iuff \\'O(l ·1rcncb.·· 1;.iuffrru,111 St1id. during1hc l')Criod of Prohibition. ·f\itodern·day nlOwtred :lb-"elltssecure in1poslngsiugivesthema_good vie\v using a ll!"ml fOr trac,king. at d1e eod of mnny or th~ same OU1:-0f-1hc·\v.'IY 1nuJ!\ over the uneven terrain and helps theiu 1\\'() da;Y·~ 1n \vlucb ~e andhiscolle::ig.i.ies as !heir predecessoo. althoughnowlhey ~tablish control . stopped 29 tmdocu1nen1ed imn1i.grants Once the)! have :ipprehended :i Cl'OS::Srr1g fton1 M.~co, ·1 ney still havi.: 1rae:k groups ofdll!_f;!d i111mig,tMts and hardy dn1g trafficker$, ~me i1m1t.-d \\11h yroup, agents ot'tett hn,1e to le:ld ugood future." knaves. pis1olsand lSS3Ultrifles. detainees for a mile or more to reach Like thc.1r fo rcbems. pr<:scn1-<lay r.mch roads ,vfle.re tJ1eycan band tben1 ('(>11r1t!:.)· of FW111er,\' to) S/1vct 1\ tc111s & rder 1>atrol ag~n ts continue 1.0 use­ OV'1T lo colleagues \vi th a vehicle. It is ,\(tr\'it:e· 11·11·11·. st ll?.41~flCl/Jt'rs.Qf'6 1 1 1 �STR EETVIBE S International News Februa·ry 2008 Modem Politics and Tribal Violence 13 In The News - C0nt h,.i;Ju11k'S Mhuka s~ddCQed ::ind ,,111 nevar panu.:1pate in m1 el~cromt proc.ess." 1 The uwtst1ys hesold all his property IU:NYA • l or a <Jusii resident v.<0rking o.n ti tca fal'cn 111 Ketti:ho in Kisii before he moved 10 KJ1ale'. districL, flcc1f'Jg from Lhorec-enItol001ion­ btJ)'t11ya 1O.aae parcel ofland. ,..\ Jlt'IC)tlgh relaled violence \'<'OS an ...>scapefronl d1e. he v.'Ould Ukc1e>n.ium. hocxp~.fi:~1r for his life: "'We \Vere ''runed not to j3\\'$ ordeath "'l hid in a tea phmtation. but the l°dlJl'll•• Nancy \Vi:Urimu, \\ho v.·nsa busin~ n 11~1ck.crs .aushcd nl e()UL U$ing dogs.·· rc-t:lolll$dlc ~picker, "ht) isc:unpiti_gnt \VOnll1rl in Kfsu1nu~say~peopleevic100 theKisii .\og,lican Cllurch v.•lth other front other ~si oos ''h&v~ fo und a..sl\fc mternally displ1t<<<l fumillcs."The dogs haven inKisii tO\\n." She adds;··1had n bit mein1he handsandfmgers," headds. \iibl'tull bt,tSiness v,1hlcl1 v.•as.b rou~1L to Anod\t!t nltin, \l.bo is 00$0c.ruupiJlg its knees by looteis~ but thank God v.-e 'rhe ·uij?. Im1e Kenyn t'lt lhc church. S:t)'S his neighbors identified him to the au:ickers.. "I \\'3S in my bed \o,·hon I he~rd nty neighbor telI the youDtS tho( I was • K i.sii.,.'' h~says 'The,.· <ook 1.:v~thiJlg fron1 my house nnd told mi: to g<.l homu fornlk>gedly voting tbrPr<!Sidoot M"<ii." A \VOmnn a~ the c~mpsaysshc \\'(lS rnp~ by six nteo. "'n 16)• dragged me uuoa1eaplantati0«1 ru1dmped nl t!, l l 1e)' did 1lt)t u.w pr()tf.."CriQn and I'm v.'qme<l that I 111igh1 ha ve-conrr~1 cced diseases. bCC!'.IU$Q 1 \ ..Ult lO h<.lSpi1aJ l:tte... ... \Ve \~re being evicted because 1be.;,• cons1dcr~d u.s us -PNlJ S)'mpathizcfs. ttvl!n ifotht'J'S vot.cd for OO!vl," -sa)'.S Jared Kin1ori. \I/h o \l/3S. 1;.'ViclL-d from (Jasin Gi.shudi~1ni.1 ~al other displaced f.'1Jl1iliesaro cai11pirt" n1ru:k<!1lo No,.# •an1in1 .;. !lt . lknn'•t: 0 distnct. The VJc.:lr-geacrid of(huCnthoh1: dioceseof Kisi1. Joseph Obao:,·i~ has becJt shcltcciog lh<>us~tnds or displaced peoplesince lhe,iol"en~en 1plecl ·'rllis bay, ,.l\\vcndo. OliiO: ~tan spends"1lgh1 l~ongo~ Bureti. Kericho a.nd Kur'-'Soi llomeles-s'&s seiltenee Others hti\'c b«n ~prooted fron\ 1he1r hon1es in eJdoreiTo\\n Bun1l forest wid q. P; unesvt!lo iu~gc Qi\!~red Natok. Nath"" Smith, a) 8·)(••r-old b.ell BcfOro tlu~- v:ioic.nce crupn:d, many riii~>0t:fiil-Salvllbon.Ahny,.lo~ Kis1ls had bee.n \\'Orking at the. 1ea ajjjhtllOn\el~ossfotsrealing,o-hOli~ i:state$, eo11rc.ly dcpei1den1 C'Jtl lb!! lre«le~ning·ithoittS2~()-,moneY, meugre iocon1e they earned from 1heir ,m..,de~ to covor costs food; labour to eke.011r" Ii\1iny, and support <l\Jdllhg;indslt.elterforll\!>homel~"' 1he1r families. Th~)· arc no''' back .at Fi~ wi!h a5P$ <!.>VlceJottaclChls home, empty·hllllded. and residents fear llll!YeS.Smiih.SJll'lllfilsnii!;'lit.ducking 1heiJ u1ltes1 n111y 1rigye.t a rnsh or in·llfldout'OfJio""1lment buill!mJ?,"in robberies. S<>aroh or ·\~frmtll, ~llhough bo Nyrunbati Nyak\..'eig.et1a,_a ~1 den1 avoided a ~rillge p_opulatod the ofEt<tf,'O OiviSt<>n fn Kisij, s.1ys th.al most area's s leeping Jlomolcs~ peoplefl ushod outofthe reaest.ates had Commenting'?"'hisnigl)~·Srnilhlol~ ctthersold dlt!lt ru1c~trnl Jru1d or 1'Cl1t~. dte-ionamgjlldge,ult'sliardlO find it beforemoving on togreenerpaSl\1res. a spot to go th~t]s wornt, untoss llc.v.t"»1detsif1he1rd1Splaceme11tIslikely ,i:ou'reinsida" Snii\h, Whopl"'l<lod tQ C1'CSIC tonsion.s b.'lck a~ 1hcir hon;ies siilliY \0 '"'mlsdemcail(lr cllalil< 0 r ''Someorlhese brot11ecs sold dteir tlwll; mitsfod<lirionbl!y .st!rve1Hree lnud 1t11d\...t1en tltey ru-e c-01uing v.<i1h th!! days In jaiL d·o ·eight hours 6f n1enrafity 'hat they havelosteverything community '*""co, gel"JI gonerlll 10 1he \fiolt."flCQ, 1hey \VOuld v.·ant lhe. eqtiiyalency, diplom:tan,cliina ajob_ p<ir\:cls b~ck ," he S~)'S. ••rn1.ag1nc you (Al' l126J P.l!ide'-..y1hmgr' l(iinlc., ~t1gori , l~ Qm·a or lir hac: be<X)1ne a 1ransi1and tho:;e c.\'ieled fro·n1 ot.htlr t'lsces eomu tO shelter here before Diey are helped 10 rrrwcl 10 1heir respective l)Q11le.S.,.. ht: says The v.<eloomegiVen lothe e·v-ac:uees \V1ns ptnise from Ki s1l dis1tic1 Ol)n:i11 11s$IOO~ NjCln>Sc ~cbrongu. ..rm ove"'11elmed by the-suppon they have ofl"e:l'e d I() !Ju: v1c:-1.1n~$ of \'lOlence,·· he J\ CC()l'djn g 10 stutiSttCS. dlCl'e are st1)'S: •1:'hisis che hosplmJi~' 1h.11-..vev.'lU1t Mou~ 40,000 Kisii registered voters in nll Ke11ya11s1c>e111bmce.·· Saholt, K\VBnza ond Cherru'1gany In fOC\.'flt days, the number of i;on~11 tucnc1 e:s 111oir total poputci1100 displaced fairnlies camping rul~ooge has throughout tl1e threeareas is esd111acOO {letlmed. According to laCJtl vol u1 1h~CI' 01n101"e dlm1 150,000 and n1ost Jiavl! Jackline Mosinya,sonlehave been gi\leO bought lnnd and 5"1tled there. 1r:a.nspo1·101ion hac.k 10 11leil' ho1nes. 111K\\>'ru\ZA. lhevotlng p.!!ltemoftJie. i;ommt1nity beni;fi l\.'<lleacb:ssuch ~ the current f\.t~ Noah \\1e.kesa, v..blle those living in Nyobo1no, Nap:unbll 1tnd. Kibomit baclrod Soboti Ml' Eugene \\:ftn1nlv.•a. People "'ho torcJled h()t:rses 1n ihc Nonh Rift ;:iccused tlieK1s11 of suppon-jng (\.1r. Odinga. l\.'l eM\\flult;. th~e ,...i lOSt! houses Archbishop ~n1ondTun1 (R}_gc.·~-uires ns he mc-:t." Onmg-e l);i1nocrntic ~lo ven1enc (ODM) feader RailaOdinga in Nairobi. Kenyru1 legislatorsback1ng J>l't$1dei11 Mv...aj·Kibalu utged LheltuetnatiooaJ Ctlm1nal Court to bnng,ger1oc,1de char~ aguinst opposition leaders it blaines fbrpost-election ethnicslaughtet {'JiotiJ ~,.\, (.rrll."UY'liRs'Jf!Jt/ll(V ·'1•tJ(ll;NJ). v.•ere to rc;bed in cos1nopoli1an Chcmn~ \\~ accu;ednfsupponu1g lbcmcr 1~.culturc m1nistr:r KipnitoAr~ Kl-""'<l.-\\bo, in osad Irony. uftiJlt.'ttely losl the seat Son1e reports attribute ihe violence tlOl 10 110litics. hut t():tlons.->-iandlng.land diSputc.TiieJ<iSIJ co1lm1:unity<lominntC!:t Gose.1a, f\fyabonto, KeS9gori, Ch1sace and Ges111ate fann:; 1.n the largetTraus Nroi:l District They h.1ve.alsosenJed in . OfetlSSt!Ch QS "'f unyako KJ1$af:\ f\.fo1's 13ridgeaud f,.ndcb~ts. l'he residents of Kisii have ~ne roJ~nu1 plea to d1~ir leatkt'S: (()shdov.1' and dialogue 10 sol ve. 1h~ impasse, so 1ha1all Kertyani;- n-gard1e$5 of 1hetr langt•nso. 1ribe or reg.ion- can rctum io theirpre,1oos peaceful co-existence w1d a.'IJOY thi:arrt.gl-uJo Uw:1t,)'\\f1ereru1d. O\ltll pro.pert): in comfo-rt n,cy also urge the ,goven1men110 1oove. $\vaf\ly to B"SS-l!lc"1. ihcm wtth 1hc1r ba~1c· human needs. so the.y can get b-itck to f-So,ve\..-er. n10refumilies a·reexpoctOO to R.'iki!<I me why \\'C. uttuc.ked 001\1 pourin fmn~Butet ru\CI Keiichodi ~1ric~ l\.~rn;sgo«1 n>enlberVlilllru11l{uto i11soud1 as I.he 1ntcrtSG P<J:>"l·cli..'CbOL\ viofcnooover Mug irango before 1hey ordered mo 10 diedisputod presldenrialelection r,>suJls disappear," s..~·s Ken /\1at.va.oneof ~le oont111ui.:s io take its loll on lite COUOU)t TheKisii com1m1nity lut!riOOe«I been evacuees. Last y1::n1, 1n B 1neeting caught het\\lt'etl 9 l'OCkand a hard ploce attended IJY tOOn-ro.'ltlS mrntstcr Siml.X>n Nyachae. 'l{uto \\.'3'5 injured by youtl1.s mthe wrror11p0!itic.'ll cnsis lhuthas killed tb.oug.h1 to be memberso fCh~ out Io' "'-c:d nlOre than 600 people and internally di.!iiPlaced ru1ntJler 150~000. Whil1:: .tl1c hfca<: nomU!.l. cJUnkororo nlilinanlOO. " \Vhy should \\IC be: ~tltuekt:d J U51 ODM supporters accuse che -K1sii of t;>cetsusc t.,,'O men «re figh ting for the vodny i'Or Presldi:nt Kjb:aJ.'.1, 1hcir PNU presidency'?.. .says anoth~ r man, ,..110 oountorpartsblnroe th<:lm ofsuppomng llc11r111te;_i.fr()111 111c /Jig (:i:sue Kcn>'il "''3S~·oou~1tcd from his Kisli Nord1 f:t,11)'1 hisoppone11t, Mr. Odinga. ·rbousands c S'rrecr Jl<:.1,1s .Sc?.rrlce: 11'U'l 1'.Stll'6t • in Trans Nzoi3 djstrici..., am so of 1>00pl1: h.ave b!!en ej~cLed from JXl/X'fS_._(J~ "Whentbty cainc 10 nl )' hou...~ tl:tq• ll!OJ'iila: Teen {!Jeads lo FIQ'rioa hq111ele~-at1ack One offblirreemtgeiscliariledin th•beotil!s·'!!ld~b)g'!f~ )ll(Sl.in.Fon l,,Lderdale.Jil~guilty 10 fl!Mtcdsecoii~utd"" fo Q.006. Jtomel Jejln·LouiS, 17, helpii'd Beot and CUI~ ho(lleless miul w!lo was r~ill8 • b<lok on a p~ ~ch..~clThe:itt3c~·left Wllham Te.:j#S, 4;; bleodtl1l; in,d rui$ed. TV.'CfQther 1~n·ngo:rs.flave pleaded no ·contest lo atte1npeted nlur*t-. A·no1hct•i\~~ti:ncod in ·Oqobeno ~years in.prison, (AP lal) Polfee'!Say ~ liom'eles5"m'an attacked l\>ul.i1«Jllle w\Jh a:clialnsaw near Je.:ff'..erspn .City. M,atthe\y Watki~1$;,wi11' pan.ioip:11lng in an on-tb<>-~01n11n1jt&ll~antwhen he allegecll)"wenton Jheatnitk, "One <ifoii?~rlU(mem~·apparently llall • mental br®kdown -1 guess ¥OU (Xlttld s;iy ho.""°1tbtllliSrl~·et~ployee 'fom Bi1111ham 1dls tho l'ulton'Sun "fimhe·WaSruDniog aiotmd-polcii:ig PeQPte-J!e pot~ •guy in theiiecl< ')(!lh. l tltirlk, • i><n<il -thoo hcct11110 after eeople with.. a chal nsawl.. Watki.S w~s ev"'11Ulllly arrcsio:d at g101point outsi'dii the Mid-Am.iiica C11re<;eotetinl'{ow BIO!)mlield, Mo •n<I is bcms h<ld"!f SQ00,000 b\ll)<l 1r110AP ~1:t(q tllat twoof Ille four Vie»~~ni¥1.1n alti.cifptl\!ditiQll, (MilreCamoy, USATciruij>, J.121) �Poetry 14 STREETVIBES February 2008 Jimmy f!ealh O<tobcr 8. J954 - December 13. 2007 F11it:hJul friend Photogra11her extr.aordinairc Eyes wicb capaciiy fo r beau()• aod digoiiy Activi'\t educnt<,r through pe.r'Sooal story and vulnerabilil)• Compassionate Brother 10 many homeless 011 chc street A person of honor, crutb, •nd HUMOR DearJimmy, I missyou_n\y fneil<l V•leall nussyou. \Vhen Leonie hon1e.eaclJ n1glll l nussyQurcar be1ngparked-011 Jtep1.Lblic Sn·eet. Ieo1oyed.living ne,...1 door toyou. \.\'e S&l\Vt::.lch othercouuns; and !-!Oin£. frequ~uJy, TIM?se Jitdctegulur ch~tk-ins. about lh~ haf)l>tcl1ngs.ln our lives. and ln the \VOrld.and uu our little cotrietof _I4~' and l~epublic were prec.ious. Ourhugs \\<ere warm and-caring. The~ '''as aste3dy rhylhm lo our friendship and 1counti!d on that. Imiss our COO\oersatlonso\'e.r tneals together. We brokebread togetheroften. le '"assadand.ditl'icult lO see your liver disease _giving fits lOyour body. 1\\1011..t be able 10 see tl1e coloryellow v.ilhout 1hinking.of)'Oll can:ying iton yourskin, f respect«! yourchoi'ccs!uJdyour courngcns you livc..-d \vith your disease. Itri..:.-d to contemplate v.bal it ,,,.as Ii.kc for}10Ukno\\1ngyou hadonJy so long to live. I\\'3Jltedso n1uchforyou to fight tbr a nev.•live.r. Burthat \V:l$11'1inyourcards. lhe lasl re\VCOnversations v.-e had. you kept '.roicing "I had a gopd Lifeand I ha\1e a lot 10 begriueful for. .. lt"s \\'E \vl.M) have a lot 10 bi:._grateful for, Junnay ?vly lif~. our con1muni1y ·s hfe., Pe!k';let:'s lif~ and ypur friends' li\'eS, \\"ere tooohed by your pr~eOce, your art, your VlUn~rabil i [)I. ' 'our stocy of rooove()~ the tough pJ11S and thejoy, spreadaround U1Js city ralsi:ng a\vnreness v.ithso nlany pool)l e~ particularly the youth. YoupoSsessed a never WJ.\tering conunin11ent to }'OW-brothers andsisterson thestreet. You understood \'our hU1;1rt \vaS viSccral.ly in turn;t \ltith lhcirs. As ·e<litorof Strectvibe.5. you·hadyourpulsc on thCcri·sis sifuafi.onsofthe hornclcss. so·)·ourpcn could ponder tougllquesdons for thepublic to retlect Qtl. You n1ade us a.ti d1ink deeper and \\'tser abourwhat \V8S going on v.ith the forgotten n1en1bersof01.trhun1an f:blnly. Ji1nn1y,your·n1ind \V':lSal\\~ys spinning creative ways togive pwpose 10 yow·photography. Y-0ur life "'3S<:Ul too sbon toactualizealJyour drerut\S. (•ens:Jee is blc:;scd to have Cxpericnccd ~nieoftllcm. \\fc \\<Cloomc.'<Iyouto beco1nc a part-Ofchc Pcaslccf!lm'ily andbutlding.. Your\v--ork complemented andcnhw1ccd thc misSJon.oCPeaslee. Mru1y folks can\e 10 Peasle.eJUSl·to viev.·yourphotosraphs. It \V'3S a grand day on June J5th, 2001 ""hen \.\'e celebra·ted the.opetl1ng ofyour Cenl~r fot Co111n1un11y PhlJ(Qgraphy. 11 \V'tlSn ·r too long after the Ci11ci1ulatl Aprtl unrest You1photos:docurne:nt~d \1e1y vividly the ci\~l w11es.J 1hatoe<:.urred hi 1he afumnath ofthe unjust killingofa yol&11g black mnn.Tiinothy'TI101nas, b):• a \Vhiiepoflceofficer Your photos spci-ke lo"uder·1han \\'Ords. Y<)ur 1...item<..)'Through Photogrophy program v•l!S vcf)· popul{1r Secin..g-yOu sh:lreyo.ursk.ills with the chifdrcn·\'«1.$ ~"'\'l.'Ct The \.-hildtcn \1otreest(...-e1.ll(..-d loS.cc their photO--\\iords displayed 10 the<Bnse Al1 Gallel}' on rvlaJn Street I ren..en1be.r asking my brother Pl1Hto constructa s.nuxty display board 1n our h.all\\13}' for your first phc>I(> exhibit tll Pt!'-dSlt:e(~1.ay 19. 2000) soyou could saf'el)1 h.ar1gyOut(lltOl¢,grapl1$, Y<)urcxluh1t that night Wll$ rocuSclloc1 Ovi:r.the-.Rhlni;". You aske.d t\'tik~ l~enson and nl)'selfto intioduce)'OUMd your-..,iork. I felt privileged to be asked. [still can see tbechjldroo poinnng their fingers at your pictures They \\W~abJe to identify \Vi th dle peopleandplaces. \)ou gave them so1nething LO treasure. Th~· sawtheir neighborhood lhrough the e)resofsomeonewl10 could recognize dte beaut}· 1u1d digi:tity iohcrcnt here. Yourpho1ogmphy is·n. gjft. )'~ u \\'ere our \ V'Orfd travelt:s. As a 11hOtlJginphetyl)u tmvc-1 ~ 10 El Salvu<lor, Cubn. Cunatl:i, St Lotus w1d \\'·ash1ngto11, OC Bui you al\\'ll}'SCwn i: b.'l.l::k ho)~te t<J us, You a)\~'3)"5 told me 1ha1 Over-the-Rhinesustained )'Oll That here is \Vhere you got)•ourlife back. Andyou gave )'Our life back lO us, Jimn1y. rm so glad Drop ln11Centece.xi!.1-ed. 11wasour meetinggrow1d OurJh endship deepened \\~1eo \lfeJ0t1meyed through the.tragOOy of'buddy's death. J \V'On' t tOrge1 your kindnes.sand enlpathy. 1) 1e ra\vprun \\'e both \Vere tooling fi)rgeda bond. We rulkod a lot ubour life Md <lellth. And HOPE. l lo1-0Avyou :ue \\'Orried about Brenda Z. your .franc&. Jinut\)'. \\le \Viii continue co.iuppon and love Brenda, sbe~s a pan ofour Jleas:Jee fan1ilyj ust :isyou :u-e :md al\v:.iYS\\~II be~ You c:ln cOlmt o nthat. )'~u gnveso tnucb tQ our fritndshi1>tircll!. T'vegot 101.s of n1cnJOries 10 hold on 10 Youtuld nte onci:on top ofd•eC~11"e\VTO'A1er tlt:IJ the best light lQttlke p1etu~ v.•as ' "'hfle thesun \V:tS beginning-to.set. Your Jife no\vhas gone dO\\fl with llOflor like 1hasertingslD1. Youar~tJ1e"'bestligl1t ,. Jin1111y. Your eyes through the lms:of your can1era reflected lxtck so mucl1 light and be~ut)'. TI1an.k you. Ji1nn1y. Love aod Fnends1up, Boonie Bonnie,,Jimn1y, an<l.\11ichael �STREETVIBES Poetry February 2008 15 Remembering Jimmy Heath by Riccardo ·13)1lor Asoften as I V.'Ould cal.I hin1 my boss. he'd reply as often that he \v.tSll' t Ill)' boss. J~e·d renlind n1e tl'Ult Ihad the capacity to direct rny life, thus n1aking n1e the boss. Al,vaysa \I/Ord ofencouragement~ Jimrrl)' ,-..-ould lcavcmc\\<ith a sense ofconfidence in an)• venn1re Icouldconger for his opinion. His f.1ith in humaniiy is reflected in his V.'Ork. a nmn grounded in print iples. a cor1fidencebettayed by few, his love and r~>ect forh1s fellow-rna.1, as a prc9:.'11tation tOr his love ofothers is ''iithoutoqoal. For Ille he is s1jJl the l>OSs and \\i1ll be greatly 01issed. Homelessness byAbby Haglage As (leave n1y hon1eto go dO\lontov.11 my face is tired and in theshape ofafrQ\\<n I'n1 oging to see the Bengals play. but for some reason •'ll)' thoughts ate in the way, I an1not as e.xcited as others seent SnWIdlings in nty lifen1ake nle fed nlean, Untitled As v.-e park the car and begin to \valk. I complrun al>0ut Ol)' itchy socks, \Vhen looking in front ofn1e I see, An old nlan lookingdO\\'ll and depressed as can be. by Elaine Wlu1aker Hope, n1y friend, Is a fo ur letter \\Otd It keepsyou fl)•ing. 11·s the \~nsof a bitd. \Vith a can in his hand and a hat on his head. I knO\V compared to n1e, He has much 1110re to dread Hope is the grace That keeps 111e going 1•111 a bird i.n the sky l·lope kees>s n1esoating As J v.'Orry and co1nplain about ti_ny matters. I realized that this man's 1.ifeis in taners. fole is the0t1e that noods my ptayers, He is the one for v.tiom no ones cares, I gjvehin1asn1ileandhoped he lolO\V, Hope is my friends Hopeis my frundy, That seed in my heart, he has SO\\'ll , Hopeis ntylife Hope is life. Street Dog by Sarge LinU..'Cum I \va$ brought up 10 beju.~t abigpuppy, Then they trained n1e to be an attack dog. After nty career as an attack dog Thc..-y said J didn't tit back into the pack any more. And they v.•rutted to have n1e put to sleep. So I rrut a~vay rutd becao1e a sttay dog. Looking for a kind handout. but expecting a kick. I tried to get a job as a guard dog, But after a tCv1daysl \VOuldn' t even lctthcO\\<ner in. Beingastrny dog is no panic, But beiogold and a stmy is a bitter fate for any dog, Especially si.noe l'ntnot a dog at all; I'n1anJ\J11erican veteran. � 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 2008 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 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Food Banks Forced to Ration and Turn Hungry Families Away Due to Supply Crisis Rothenberg Academy in Over-the-Rhine to be Renovated Pg 2: About Us Pg 3: The Vibe Pg 4: Metro Raises Fares: City Council Approves Increase Pg 5: Vendors Pg 6: Drop Inn Center Celebrates 30 Years at Race and 12th St. Pg 7: Athens County Holds “Walk for the Homeless” Fundraiser Cincinnati Police School Board Decides to Renovate Rothenberg Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 10: Poverty and Addiction Guest Columnist Pg 11: Peace Village Pg 12: U.S. Turns to Horses to Secure Borders Pg 13: Modern Politics and Tribal Violence Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Susan Smith Andy Freeze Lynne Ausman Greg Olkhovsky Tiffany Harmon Kenneth Cheriyot Melvin Williams Della Woolens Steve Sunderland Barbara Flick Alyssa Konermann Berta Lambert Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Melodie Fickenscher Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alyssa Konermann Andy Freeze Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Arts & Poetry Athens Barbara Flick Berta Lambert Border Patrol Cincinnati Cincinnati Public School Board city council Della Woolens Drop Inn Center Food Bank Fundraiser Georgine Getty Greg Olkhovsky Kenneth Cheriyot Lynne Ausman Melodie Fickenscher Melvin Williams mental illness Metro Fare Over-the-Rhine Peace Village Photography politics Rothenberg Steve Sunderland Street Count Susan Smith Tiffany Harmon https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/268fcd7c51091f59c9dc272c5a49de67.pdf 3a9abddbd59edda011d2c10b44205efd PDF Text Text Cincinnati Light Rail Page 12 The Audacity of Focus Page 11 STREETVIBES $1 F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 9 • I s s u e 1 5 1 • C i n c i n n a t i ’s A l t e r n a t i v e N e w s S o u r c e This Thing Called ‘Race’ Exhibit shows how much, and how little, there is to it By lew moores Contributing Writer We’re not all that different. Are we? Walk through the new RACE: Are We So Different? exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center and you get a feel for the enormity of what they’re trying to do – a challenge to, as organizers of the exhibit hope, the way we talk, think and learn about race. Organized and developed by the American Anthropological Association and Science Museum of Minnesota, the exhibit opened at the Museum Center Jan. 17, just three days before the inauguration of President Barack Obama, and will run through April 26. What becomes apparent with a visit to the exhibit, or with a visit to its Web site construct ( w w w. u n based on derstandinoutward grace.org), is appearthat it’s not ances, just a blackusually white issue. skin color. The exhibit, The theme says Tonya is about Matthews, balancing the center’s the scivice presience, the dent of muh i s t o r y, seums, does the everya good job day expeof pointing rience. that out, and “ Yo u in pointing can pull out is that out all of race is more the DNA cultural and charts geographical you want, and hardly and that is based on not going genetics or to help biology. We you come are all homo to grips sapiens, with, say, sharing a Photo courtesy of American Anthropological Association and the civil common an- Science Museum of Minnesota. rights cestor. go through the exhibit, the less movement. Genetically speakSo what is race? you’ll be able to answer that ing, it’s virtually impossible to question, which is possibly a tell one person from another. ‘Defining whiteness’ good thing,” Matthew says. “I You would not be able to take think at the end of the day, I out particular genes that are “You know, the more you am going with race is a social particularly associated with what we define as a race. So there’s no scientific construct. “That’s a little weird for people because clearly I can use my eyes and differentiate people of different races.” There is no directional guide to the exhibit, located in about 5,000 square feet of space in the center’s History Museum. Visitors can start wherever their eye leads them once they enter, explains Chad Mertz, the center’s director of public relations. Exhibit interpreters, such as Emily Culver of the museum staff, are there to help and to orient school groups coming through. The exhibit is filled with interactive displays, video kiosks, informational graphics; it is designed with no age in mind. “It’s completely open to what type of people we’re trying to reach, from a younger audience, where you want to keep their attention, to older audiences,” Mertz says. Although attendance numbers aren’t yet available for the first two weeks the exhibit has been See Race, P. 8 Cold Comfort Agencies, donors work together to open emergency cold shelter By AdAm ClArk Staff Writer December 25, 2008, was anything but a white Christmas. On the one day many people wish it would snow, it didn’t. It was about 30 degrees Fahrenheit most of the day, and the sun shown brightly, giving the illusion of even warmer weather. Then came January 13th. As Christmas thoughts had faded and the event on everyone’s mind was the inauguration of the 44th president, Barack Obama, it got cold. It got very cold. Homeless individuals did whatever they could to keep warm, as they often do throughout the hard winter months. In response to the extreme temperatures, the mayor’s office, Cincinnati Health Department, Cincin- ation Center, 1715 Republic nati Recreation Commission, St., offered a place for people Cincinnati Police and the to get out of the severe cold Greater Cincinnati Red Cross and gave them pillows and collaborated to open the city’s blankets. The facility was open Cold Shelter. January 13-20. The shelter The organizations have opens when the temperature collaborated for outside gets be“Ten (degrees) low 10 degrees, over 10 years to is still cold, 20 fill the gap bewith the wind tween the numchill taken into is cold, but we ber of shelter aren’t really set account. In years beds available up for that,” Heyl past, it opened in the Cincinnati only when the says. “It can be t e m p e r a t u r e area and the total pretty stressful dropped to zero number of homeon our staff.” less individuals degrees; but the in need of emercity revised the gency shelter policy last year. on extremely cold nights. An “This year the team felt that estimated 1,300 people are the old standard, zero degrees, homeless each night in Cin- was worth reviewing,” says cinnati. Rocky Merz, spokesman for The Cold Shelter, housed the health department. “After at the Over-the-Rhine Recre- a review of our factors and some comparison to other cities, the decision was made to change the standard to 10 degrees.” Timothy Heyl of the recreation commission acknowledges that even the new policy doesn’t prevent homeless people from suffering. “Ten (degrees) is still cold, 20 is cold, but we aren’t really set up for that,” he says. “It can be pretty stressful on our staff.” The recreation center shouldered a lot of the burden, as its staff worked on the Cold Shelter while still keeping all of their programs and normal responsibilities in place. Heyl described the environment during the week as “stressful,” saying the new policy prompted the Cold Shelter to be open for the longest dura- tion in quite some time. Two staff members from the recreation center and a police officer stay on duty during the 10 p.m.–8 a.m. hours that the Cold Shelter is open. About 100 people a night packed into a cramped space about the size a skating rink during the week that it was open. “I haven’t seen any children stay the night in here, just men and women mostly,” Heyl says. “We got a lot of media attention, and because of it we received an outpouring of donations of pillows and blankets.” Many people also donated food and snacks. The collaboration proved successful, as the Cold Shelter was able to accommodate everyone who showed up. �2 News Briefs Homeless Ministry Tends to Their Feet Atlanta – The Rev. Bob Book and his wife, Holly, have established a spa for homeless people once a week, scrubbing their feet in imitation of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. The service helps prevent foot infections, which many homeless people suffer from. Each Monday about three dozen homeless men and women get a soak, pumice, nail trim, massage and a pair of socks. Book tells people with serious foot problems to return a volunteer doctor is available. Homeless Agency Dumps First lady Chicago – The Chicago Christian Industrial League has fired Patti Blagojevich, first lady of Illinois, according to the Chicago Tribune. Blagojevich was the organization’s chief fundraiser. Her husband, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is facing federal corruption charges, having allegedly tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by President Barack Obama. Patti Blagojevich isn’t accused of wrongdoing. Condos could shelter homeless people Amherst, Mass. – Three condominiums could become housing for homeless people if town officials use a $450,000 from a federal grant to buy them. The money comes from the Community Development Block Grant program. Under the proposal, the town would contract with an agency to operate the housing. Recession Could Increase Homelessness Washington, D.C. – Growing unemployment could cause an additional 1.5 million people to become homeless in the next two years in the United States, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Advocates for homeless people have sought funding for 200,000 new vouchers for Section 8 subsidized housing, but the economic-stimulus bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives so far doesn’t include the funds. The Vibe Streetwise By GreGory FlAnnery Keep Obama Honest So Barack Obama is president. Are these amazing times or what? Some of his cabinet choices are disconcerting, keeping the same defense secretary who served the Bush regime, making Hillary Clinton secretary of state in spite of her support for the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But the first two weeks of the new administration have been a joyous rush of promises kept: ordering the closing of the torture chamber at Guantanamo Bay, ordering the military to begin planning withdrawal from Iraq, reversing the Bush regime’s blockage of California’s clean-air standards, restoring a commitment to the spirit of the federal Freedom of Information Act, ending the global gag order on funding for foreign contraceptive services that respect a woman’s right to choose. These are heady times for people who want their government to further the causes of peace, justice and liberty. It is therefore all the more important that we maintain the momentum that put Obama in the White House. This is best done by carefully scrutinizing his every move, demanding that he keep faith with the promise of progress that he dared us to believe is possible. Auspicious New Year: Cranley Quits John Cranley has left the building. There is a sort of symmetry at play here. Appointed to Cincinnati City Council to fill a vacancy, he has left before his term ended. That is a good thing in and of itself, but all the more so because his successor is Greg Harris, a Democrat worthy of the name. Cranley is a complex political figure. He was an instrumental part of city council’s ongoing war against housing for poor people, sponsoring the spurious “impaction ordinance” that restricts the construction of new subsidized housing. In the wake of the uprising against police violence in Over-the-Rhine in 2001, he successfully proposed hiring more cops, before serious reforms of the police department had been undertaken – and that only with the force of a federal court order. In late 2002, when Bush was gearing up for the invasion of Iraq, Cranley attended a prowar rally on Fountain Square. (It is telling that he quibbles with that characterization, saying the rally was intended to “support the troops,” not to support the war. The distinction is absurd per se, but more to the point, what did Cranley ever do to support the anti-war effort?) Yet he helped found the Cincinnati chapter of the Innocence Project, which works to win the release of people wrongfully jailed for crimes they didn’t commit. He also sponsored the legislation that created Cincy Care, an innovative, though limited, initiative to help small employers provide minimal health care for workers. Cranley never succeeded in his bid for a seat in Congress, which left conservative neanderthal Steve Chabot in office; but that was, in the end, a good thing for all involved. The last thing Congress needed while Bush was in power was another Democrat willing to roll over as he extended American imperial ambitions, trampled on the human-rights protections afforded by the Constitution and the Geneva Conventions and whittled away at funding for programs to serve the poor. Cranley surely would have rolled over, along with Hillary Clinton and all the other Democrats who shamelessly cowered after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But Cranley’s defeats in the congressional elections were ultimately to his own long-term best interest, too: His unexpected rise to political office fueled an impressively swift and dishearteningly thorough arrogance, unseemly in a person of any age, but especially one so young. It can only be hoped that losing to Chabot tempered Cranley’s character, whatever it is. For now he has removed himself to private life, where it is to be hoped that he prospers and remains for a very long time. Wanted: A Progressive Mayor This is the year Cincinnati elects a new mayor – or keeps Mark Mallory in office for a second term. Assuming Mallory doesn’t get a job in the Obama administration, we know who the Democratic candidate will be. Chabot might run for the Republicans. Roxanne Qualls could be the Charter Committee’s nominee. But who will run as the advocate for poor people, working people, environmental justice, public transportation and adequate funding for human services? If the three mainstream parties split the vote, can the Green Party play a significant role this year? Working for Peace in the Middle East Hundreds of people turned out for a rally last month on Fountain Square, opposing opposition to the Israeli invasion of Gaza. This is, of course, encouraging; war everywhere and always ought be opposed. That conclusion is simple, but the underlying conflict itself is far more complex. To provide a deeper understanding, the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center will present another in its series known as “Day of Dialogue.” The program Feb. 22 is “A Palestinian, An Israeli and the Heart of the Middle East” The agenda includes an opening presentation, small-group discussions and refreshments from 1:30-5 p.m. Feb. 22 at First Unitarian Church, 536 Linton Ave., Avondale. STREETVIBES February 2009 Streetvibes is a newspaper that provides relevant discussions of homelessness, poverty and other related social justice issues. It is published monthly by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@ yahoo.com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Contributing Writers Lew Moores, Adam Clark, Margo Pierce, Stephanie Dunlap, Georgine Getty, David Heitfield, Andrew Anderson, Paul Kopp, Mike Henson, Steve Sunderland, Dan La Botz Photography/Artwork Andrew Anderson, Andrew Freeze, Angela Pancella, Lynne Ausman, Paul Kopp, Anthony Williams Advisory Committee Joe Wessels, Steve Novotni, Andrew Freeze, Georgine Getty, Michael Henson, Stephanie Dunlap, Steve Gibbs The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Programs include Streetvibes, “Voice of the Homeless” Speaker’s Bureau, Cincinnati Urban Experience (CUE), Homeless Curriculum, and Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project. All donations support these programs and are taxdeductible to the full extent of the law. We are members of: �STREETVIBES February 2009 Community News Eight Minutes with an ‘Unconventional Hausfrau’ Serving up toothpaste, underwar, dignity and hope By mArGo PierCe ColumniSt Mary Magdalene House isn’t a house but it offers some of the comforts of home – a shower, laundry service and use of a restroom that doesn’t boast a “patrons only” sign. Those without a roof over their heads are welcome -as are those who have a roof but little else -- to stop in and pick up a care package, just like mom used to make, with soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste and other toiletries. The head of this unconventional house isn’t the German housewife who might have lived in Over- the-Rhine in days gone day. Here Brother Giancarlo Bonutti keeps the peace. Referred to by all as “Brother Gian” (pronounced “John”), Bonutti sits behind a reception desk calling the names of those waiting for their cost-free shower. He offers powder, a razor and other personal care items along with a towel and was cloth. All the while people come and go from the reception area in order to use the phone – also free of charge – pick up mail and get a splash of cologne or a shot of Fabreeze to freshen up a heavy winter coat. What the people standing in the reception area don’t see are the shelves around the corner from Brother Gian’s perch; they’re jam-packed with shirts, pants, belts, socks, underwear, long johns and other clothing items. Piled in front of that, in milk crates and other bins, are shampoo, cold tablets, lotion and many other personal care needs. “We believe that dignity is the beginning of hope,” Bonutti says. That dignity isn’t restricted to the homeless or poor; anyone can walk through the door with any need and the staff and volunteers will do everything they can to help. All it takes is signing in with Bonutti so he can put your information into the computer; it’s how staff and volunteer know items are given out. “We keep track of everything we give people,” Bonutti says. “We only have enough long underwear that we can only help people with one pair for the winter, and it’s up to you to figure out when you can get them washed.” Mary Magdalene House can toss them in with one of the 20–25 loads of wash they do every day, also free of charge. “Most people who shower here will also leave a set of clothes to be washed after they shower,” Bonutti says. Volunteers at Mary Magdalene House sort clothing. 3 Many people work hard to make a difference for the less privileged in Greater Cincinnati. “Eight Minutes” is an effort to learn who they are and what motivates them. Brother Giancarlo Bonutti at Mary Magdalene House. Photos by Andrew Anderson. “When people are finished with their shower, they bring their towel and washcloth up front. We ask people to please separate out their clothes -- if they have two t-shirts, to not leave one inside the other. If they leave things like that we say, ‘I’m sorry, your mother’s not here to pull them apart for you. You have to remember to do that for us if you want your clothes washed.’ ” Every effort is made to make sure everybody gets back her own clothes. An ingenuous system for keeping track of what belongs to whom has developed over the 20 years that Mary Magdalene House has been in operation. Dirty clothes go into a bag with the guest’s name on it. A list is made of the contents of each load. Colored diaper pins identify duplicate items. The system makes it possible for clothes to be washed, dried, folded and returned to the correct bag for pickup the next day. Clothes are ready within 24 hours. Three washers and four dryers are more than a typical house would have, but then a typical house doesn’t have up to 100 people popping in everyday to use one of seven showers, either. “About every six weeks to eight weeks we’ll take the day and close up,” Bonutti says. “We go through the computer, find out who’s been here for a shower in the past two weeks. If their name is not on that list and their bag is on the shelf, we pull their bag off the shelf, take what we can reuse and put back in our stock. Things like toothbrushes and razors we pitch. If there’s something like ID, we’ll hold onto for a few months. People know we can’t keep their things here indefinitely.” One of the few things that can suspend a guest’s privileges at the house has to do with laundry. “They leave things in their pocket – they can leave anything from Kleenex to keys to ID card, tobacco, sometimes drug paraphernalia,” Bonutti says. “Sometimes … a few will have these glass crack pipes in their pockets; and when that comes out of the laundry, it’s really dangerous for the volunteers, and staff cut their hands. So if we find out who it is, they’re suspended for services for a period of time until they get some help or until we figure they’re going to be a little more respon- sible.” The front desk has a list of rehab, mental health and other services, so a guest isn’t left to figure out how to deal with an issue alone. The system for receiving, sorting and distributing donated clothing is equally systematic; volunteers sort clothes into neat piles based on clothing types and size. Sometimes buying trips are necessary to make sure there are enough socks and underwear, including bras of all sizes, because people typically don’t donate those items. At a time when social service organizations, including churches, demand “personal responsibility” according to their arbitrary standards, Mary Magdalene House stands out as a nonjudgmental example of what it means to help people in need. Nobody is considered “unworthy” of assistance, and the only expectation is that the guests treat each other and the 25 volunteers and six staff members with the same level of respect they give. “If a person’s coming here, they get everything they need,” says Brother Gian, the most compassionate, fair-minded and generous “hausfrau” in Over-The-Rhine. Mary Magdalene House, 1221 Main St., is open from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays. To offer clothing, time or cash, call 513-721-4811. �Community News 4 Georgine Getty Moves On STREETVIBES February 2009 Advocate, archer, agnostic to continue fighting homelessness 1 By stePhAnie dunlAP Contributing Writer lenge, honestly, has been the in-fighting. It’s hard enough when a politician or someone It’s five degrees Fahrenheit, outside the system doesn’t not counting wind chill, when get it. We have such a strong Georgine Getty sits down to history of not being like that peppermint tea and a sandwich (arguing among agencies) in at Coffee Cincinnati, so when it Emporium. “Let’s end does happen We meant homelessness, and to meet elseit’s really then I will go neuter where but heartbreakcats or something.” this morning. ing her car SV: What - Georgine Getty wouldn’t was your start. biggest sin“Dead, dead, dead,” she gle crisis while at GCCH? says with a wry smile. GG: “It’s constantly coming Getty somehow remains in waves, ’cause crises come unusually good-natured for on so many different levels.” someone in the human serGetty says there’s the kind vices field, particularly some- of crisis that comes when the one who’s spent the past seven downtown outreach worker years working with the chron- calls and says he can’t find ically homeless: arguably the shelter for a woman with most desperate and marginal- a 6-month-old baby and a ized human population. 3-year-old child, as happened At the end of the month three days ago. Then there’s she’ll step down as executive the kind of crisis when fordirector of the Greater Cincin- mer Cincinnati Mayor Charnati Coalition for the Home- lie Luken decided Streetvibes less (GCCH), which publishes was “public enemy number Streetvibes. Getty leaves to one.” become executive director of “And there was the time we the Interfaith Hospitality Net- had to use insurance money to meet payroll. Luckily we got work. While she’s still a captive robbed so the insurance monsubject, Streetvibes wanted to ey came the same day.” sit Getty down to ask her some Getty smiles again: “The nosy exit questions. constant ongoing struggles of SV: What does Cincinnati running a small non-profit.” do right by way of homeless SV: So why are you leavservices? ing? GG: “The bottom line is GG: “I’m excited to work that very, very few homeless with homeless families again. people die from exposure to Mostly the folks I meet are the elements (in Cincinnati), homeless single individuand not a lot of cities can say als who have been homeless that.” for a long time. I love those SV: What’s the biggest on- guys, and I’m always going going challenge for GCCH? to have a place in my heart GG: “The biggest chal- for those guys. The focus of Georgine Getty and Mark ‘Hustleman’ Shears at the Streetvibes Vendor Holiday Party 2008. Photo by Andy Freeze. the coalition serving chronically homeless individuals is making sure they’re heard and their rights are protected. And the focus of where I’m going to right now is moving people and families out of homelessness, and I’m looking forward to seeing that firsthand.” SV: Do you have a golden parachute? GG: “I’m stealing my favorite pen.” SV: Why do you hate Cincinnati Councilman Chris Bortz? GG: “I don’t hate Chris Bortz. I’m sure he has many fine qualities.” Getty tries to remember how their ongoing feud began. She can’t pin it. “Chris Bortz just got it in his head that I’m someone I’m not and I was doing something I wasn’t. It’s really funny how some council members pass anti-homeless legislation but they hate it when you say they’re anti-homeless. It’s like public perception is more important than doing the right thing.” SV: How do you deal with all the public attacks? GG: “If I’m getting attacked by the right person, I take it as a sign that I’m doing my job, so that doesn’t bother me. If I get attacked by a homeless person or if I’ve hurt a homeless person’s feelings or if I get a call from an executive director (of a partner agency) and I’ve done something careless, then I feel really bad and I try to make amends. If I got along with council 100 percent of the time, the board should have fired me a long time ago.” SV: Who is the rudest elected official? GG: “I have been personally called on my cell phone and cussed out by four – five!” She stops to count them and, giving up, waves them away. “That’s the thing, they (elected officials) do things that disappoint me all the time. That’s the arrogance, the thing, they think they can call me and yell at me.” SV: Who is the kindest elected official, even when your views don’t align? GG: “(Hamilton County Commissioner) Todd Portune. He always seems legitimately happy to see you. Every time he has an encounter with a Streetvibes vendor he drops us a note.” She adds city councilmen David Crowley and Cecil Thomas and NAACP President Christopher Smitherman to that list. Georgine Getty, 2002 staff picture. Photo by Jimmy Heath. SV: How did you get to be ‘I’m going to be homeless when I grow up.’ They don’t executive director, anyway? see the systems that are workGG: “Dumb luck.” Getty says she called to ing against people. They see apply for an administrative laziness. “Homeless people are coordinator position and the person on the phone encour- not lazy. Staying warm, getaged her to apply for execu- ting food -- they’re the most persistent people I know. tive director. “I thought they were loud They’ve just been let down by and dirty and rowdy and systems. “Peothought, ple also I can do “We’re giving the dirtiest don’t that.” chair in the office to see the S V : interview candidates; and (homeDo you we know if they balk at it, l e s s ) still think t h e y ’ r e they’re not right for the job.” b a b i e s . T h e y loud and - Georgine Getty just asdirty and s u m e rowdy? GG: “Uh-huh. Not as loud they’re all adult men.” SV: What would have to as we should be. And by happen for homelessness to ‘dirty.’ I mean gritty.” Though there is an element end? GG: “Housing and jobs. of the elements. “We’re giving the dirtiest Clean, safe, accessible houschair in the office to interview ing they can afford and jobs candidates; and we know if that have health benefits and they balk at it, they’re not pay a living wage. Once you got that taken care of, there’d right for the job. “But rowdy, no – we’re be a very small percentage of more organized than we people who were still homeseem. We’re accountable to less and just a few tweakings our member agencies, to our with the mental health system, board and to homeless people. and you’d have it.” Or she can think of a secOnce we get consensus from all those people, it’s an or- ond way: “Give me $1 billion. I’ll end it tomorrow.” chestrated rowdiness.” SV: Has the panhandlerSV: What don’t people understand about the homeless? registration law, to which you GG: “So many things. They were opposed, turned out the don’t see themselves in home- way you’d expected? GG: “It was one of the few lessness. They see a complete and total Other. And nobody t i m e s See Getty, p. 5 who’s homeless ever said, w h e n �STREETVIBES February 2009 Community News 5 For as Long as It Takes Neither trench foot nor politicans will stop us By GeorGine Getty Staff Writer I’ve done that I’m proud of at the Coalition is rooted in this voice and guided by people When I was interviewing experiencing homelessness. for the job of executive direc- Everything I’m not so proud tor of the Greater Cincinnati of strayed from this voice and Coalition for the Homeless in happened when I just knew 2002, one person asked how that I knew best. I was going to end homelessAs I look back on my career ness. with the Homeless Coalition, I had no idea. I’m flooded with memories So I answered that I would – some good, some I wish I start with people experiencing could block out – but almost homelessness to find out what all of them make me smile, they wanted to do and then en- one way or the other. gage them in every step of the That’s one thing I love struggle. about the Homeless CoaliI didn’t know it at the time, tion. It’s one of the most sebut I had stumbled across the rious places you can work, most important thing that the but it always keeps a sense of Homeless Coalition does: humor about itself. In this job it gives a voice to homeless I’ve been colder than I’ve ever people. Well, no, it doesn’t. been (January street counts It just amplifies the voice that and December Homeless Mealready exists. Everything morial Days) and hotter than I’ve ever been (bridge sweeps in July 2003). I’ve been angrier than I thought possible, and humbled to the point of humiliation. I’ve been braver than I knew I could be, and sneakier than I should be. I’ve lain down and I’ve cried and sworn off the whole thing as a fool’s errand. But more than anything, I’ve laughed. I’ve laughed with my friends, my community. I’ve laughed at absurGeorgine Getty at Annual Dinner 2008. dity, at politicians, Photo by Andrew Anderson. at shared jokes. I’ve laughed The number one question I’m asked is: Should I give at myself. I’ve laughed at the to a panhandler? Here is the definitive answer to that world. That belly laugh lives complicated moral dilemma, once and for all: It’s up to at the Homeless Coalition, you. Panhandling, once stripped of all the legal ramiand it keeps us all sane. fications, the power imbalance, the systemic poverty, I was also blessed, from the political and economic consequences is just this: start to finish, with incredible one person interacting with another person. How you co-workers. They often don’t choose the terms of that interaction is between you and stay long, but each leaves his the panhandler. If you feel like giving, and you can, give. or her footprint on the coaliIf you want to give, but you fear that the panhandler will tion. And when they leave, use the money for drugs or alcohol and that bothers you, don’t give, but send your support to a treatment they go on to do great things, center. If you don’t like panhandling, don’t give. But taking with them a piece of never forget that any threat to a panhandler’s freedom the coalition. of speech of is a threat to the freedom of speech of nonBut the Homeless Coalition panhandlers, too. - Georgine Getty is much bigger than the staff or people experiencing homeofficers, gadflies and every- ment. It means when it gets lessness. There are also the one else who has ever given a cold outside, really cold, I cry members, the people in the damn about homeless people. myself to sleep for fears of real trenches every day doing the Advocates, each in our own people with real names. But I work that restores lives. And way. This is where we gather. can also help give these folks the directors of the agencies, This is our home. a voice so that next year, next who fight as if they are fighting What has it meant for me month, next week, they go to for their own children when to be a homeless advocate? It bed warm and safe. It means I their clients are threatened. means that am never satisfied, never done, There are I know always at meetings, usually a “As I look back on the clergy what trench meal behind and running on and the lay my career with the foot smells pure adrenaline and caffeine. people who Homeless Coalition, I’m like. But But it also means my back is jump in to flooded with memories – I’ve also straight, my head is high and volunteer, listened to I can look anyone square in pray and some good, some I wish I could block out – but b e a u t i f u l the eye knowing that I am an write letharmonica agent for change. ters. There almost all of them make music in a You too, my brothers and are the cus- me smile, one way or the h o m e l e s s sisters, my fellow advocates. todians of other.” - Georgine Getty camp at We are all the Homeless our history s u n d o w n . Coalition, and no job shift can who keep It means change that. As long as there us on the right moral path that assorted politicians hate are people who care about and, when things get hard, me. But I’ve also watched homeless people, people who soothe by saying “You think friends transition out of addic- point out naked emperors, this is bad? I remember when tion and into sobriety. It means people who simultaneously …” There are the volunteers that I have held a 4-month-old laugh at the American dream who put together Standdown, baby in my arms who was and cling to its promise, there Streetvibes, the annual dinner, fourth-generation homeless. will be the Homeless Coalishantytowns and everything But I also helped put a poli- tion. For as long as it takes. else. There are donors, stuAnd I am so grateful to be cy in place that moved his dents, reporters, Streetvibes grandmother out from under a a part of it. And it will always readers, politicians, police bridge and into her own apart- be a part of me. Getty Moving to Interfaith Hospitality Network (continued from page 4) we actually won. I feel it was a great victory for homeless people. They passed the registration to try to stop people from panhandling. We were able to work with the police and the city and downtown businesses to put that outreach worker in place while getting rid of punitive registration. People from other cities call us to see how we did it.” SV: Aren’t you (as GCCH) benefiting from the homeless, and wouldn’t it threaten GCCH’s existence if homelessness were to disappear? GG: “We’re all working to put ourselves out of work, and I ain’t getting that much money anyway. Did I mention my car died today and I have no idea how I’m going to replace it? “That perception is definite- ly out there. I don’t know how to counteract that argument except that you don’t do this work for the money. I do get mad when I see executive directors making huge amounts of money. “Let’s end homelessness, and then I will go neuter cats or something. I’d love to leave this field.” Getty takes aim Getty, 34, is married to a man she met in high school in Iowa. Her undergraduate degree was in philosophy and religion, and she and her husband moved to Cincinnati so she could pursue her master’s degree in women’s studies at the University of Cincinnati. They have three cats, a guinea pig and a rescued rat named Barnabus. Another curious thing no one in her right mind would guess: Getty is an archer. This Christmas she got a recurve bow. “Because I already had a compound bow but I wanted to get back to the basics,” she says. “I haven’t shot it since the day after Christmas. I haven’t had time to get back out to the taxidermy shop in Amelia.” She’s also part of a writing group, does Aikido, just started Tai-Chi and recently gave her sister a homemade quilt. Just mention your hobby and Getty’s ears perk. “I’m a total hobby vampire,” she says. “I’m good at nothing. I just like, you know, hanging out.” SV: What is the role of faith in your life and work? GG: “I’m an agnostic. And the way I put it is that I believe all faiths are getting at some truth, and I believe that quest for truth is worthy in and of itself. I appreciate them searching, and I find beauty in each of the denominations. I guess I’m too lazy to pick one. “I really find the Bible to be inspiration for this kind of work, because every major faith system directs people toward this kind of work. Me, as an advocate? It’s about redirecting them (the faithful) to getting back to the roots of their faith. It’s not about building a new church annex; it’s about making sure your neighbors have food.” SV: What are your last words? GG: “My big message that I’ve realized because I’ve been reflecting: The places where I felt the coalition did its best work was when it was connected to homeless people -- the homeless leadership. When we go wrong is when we think we know what’s best without talking to homeless people. That’s when we start to lose our souls a little bit. That’s what’s so cool about the coalition, is it’s so connected. It has to stay like that. Otherwise it can’t be the moral consciousness of the homeless community. That’s what has to be preserved. It’s just got such a cool history, and I’m glad I got to be the custodian of it for a little bit.” �6 Community News The Heart of Over-the-Rhine St. Francis Seraph Ministries is landmark with a mission By PAul koPP Contributing Writer for the Franciscans in Cincinnati. Friedman is a longtime Over-the-Rhine resident. St. Francis Seraph church “I find it a really neat place is positioned facing south on to live,” he says. “I think that the corner of Vine and Liberty the people who live here are streets in Over-the-Rhine. The great -- the neighbors, the landmark building has firmly street folks. It’s a wonderful stood in its location for the human mix.” past 150 years, from its beginThe church programs are ning as a small parish of Aus- wide-reaching and multi-laytrian friars to its present work ered to suit the needs of this as St. Francis Seraph Minis- community mix. Friedman tries, a multi-faceted commu- says that once the 1960s hit nity staple. and the neighborhood started A sign outside the building changing and becoming more calls it the heart of Over-the- poverty-stricken, the friars Rhine, and in many ways the were called to find new ways analogy seems fitting. The to serve. Branching out and services the church provides hitting the streets over the pumps life years, the and love into “The neighborhood church started a soup kitchthe commustarted changing nity. en in 1980, The Rev. and becoming more followed in Greg Fried- poverty-stricken; the 1995 by an man is sitting outreach profriars were called at a round tato find new ways to gram called ble in a small the Sarah serve.” room located Center, in just off the which women entranceway of the friary. The are taught jewelry making and room is dark, with morning basic business skills. light trickling in through the There is also the elementary school, which has been with windows. “We like to try and create a the church since its beginpresence not only within the nings, acting as a foundation walls of the church but outside for the parish. the church as well,” Friedman “The school is one of the says. best things we do,” Friedman The church’s pastor for the says. “We try and let them (the past three years, he splits his students) know how special time between his responsibili- they are.” ties there with a career in comA relatively new piece of munications at St. Anthony the St. Francis community is Messenger Press and acting the Canticle Café, across Vine as director of communications Street from the church. It’s been open three years now and serves coffee, donuts and bag lunches from 1-4 p.m. on select days of the week. At the café, large double doors lend themselves to the kind of entrance where you will no doubt be greeted by a sea of faces glancing up from their activities. Some look ahead, focusing on their meals, and others sit withdrawn in thought. The room is crowded on this strangely warm day in January. It’s on the smaller side, and every table is packed as volunteers dole out refreshments to a steady line. In the corner sits Brother Michael Murphy. The café is Brother Mike Murphy at St. Francis Seraph Ministries. Photo by his responsibility. He’s talking Paul Kopp. to a young man whose facial expression is deeply carved, coming through the house, and when I present my case, it marked by confusion and and I got caught up in some usually goes very well.” stress. He looks concerned but stuff. I came to see Brother Mary is a case in point, deisn’t talking, intently listening Mike because I knew he was scribing her first attorney’s atto Murphy and occasionally someone I could talk to. He titude. nodding his head and smiling went to court with me.” “He didn’t want him (Murafter the brother pats him on Murphy knows the judi- phy) with me,” she says. “I the shoulder. cial system and the ways that felt like (the attorney) wanted Murphy has been at the café judges and public defenders to humiliate me.” for two years, coming to Cin- can mistreat the homeless “The judge was gonna put cinnati after 15 years of ser- and African -Americans who her in jail for three years, in vice to street children in India. come through its doors, some- addition to a big fine and court A Marianist brother, he chose times on bogus charges. costs,” Murphy says. to come to Over-the-Rhine “The assumption is they’re Luckily, Mary missed her and St. Francis upon his return guilty, and generally the attor- original court date and was asto the country. neys want to get it over with,” signed a new public defender, “Brother Mike -- he’s a nice he says. “It’s almost like they who listened to Murphy tell person,” says Mary, a café pa- say, ‘We’ll offer you a deal,’ Mary’s story. Mary received tron. “I call him my guardian and the deal is just horrible -- just six months’ probation. angel. I had been running on especially if they’re not guilty Murphy says the people of habeas for five years on one or shouldn’t be getting what this neighborhood are his good charge and two years on an- they are gonna get. Ninety friends, and he gives them evother. I had been staying with percent of the time when I go, erything without hesitation. a man who had drug people the judge will listen to me, The Findlay Neighborhood Center is open 4-7 p.m. Tuesdays. To volunteer, call 513-265-0620. In the middle of this warm and her husband owned a farm 30 percent. But there is more to the cenriot of color and texture sit in Clermont County at which the women at the table. Gloria they taught and demonstrated ter than sewing. A long room has completed a fabric doll, organic and self-sustaining decorated in murals of lively hand-sewn with machine-like farming methods. colors, created by neighbors, symmetry, and is working on When her husband became is being fashioned into a chilthe doll’s dress, a pink ging- terminally ill, it was necessary dren’s playroom where kids ham pinafore, complete with a to sell the farm. Crane knew can gather while their caregivheaddress to match. Arianne is she’d need to fill the void left ers or parents work on crafts. crocheting, and Tootie has just by her husband’s death and Beyond the playroom is decorated the center’s win- the loss of the farm. Parkside Stage -- the newest dows with large, red hearts. She began looking at real es- addition to the center. To the While the women discuss tate near Findlay Market. The left is a large stage, still decotheir projects and neighbor- property she was first shown rated for recent Christmas achood events, two women, did nothing to inspire her. But tivities. Opposite the stage is both new to the center, drop the property next door gave a wall-sized garage door that, in to ask about its hours. Their her a sudden and clear idea. when opened, overlooks Findinterest is apparent in their Findlay Neighborhood lay Park. Opening the door questions and in the excite- Center, 1830 Race St., formed makes the room into a sort of ment that lights up their eyes. as a non-profit corporation in open-air amphitheatre. Asked about her vision for 2003, is most known for its Crane’s intent is that the Findlay Neighborhood Cen- sewing center. This is a place neighborhood turn its own ter, Lynda Crane, the founder, where anyone can come and ideas into skits, musical revues gives a response that is simple make whatever they wish – and anything else that captures and to the point: “Whatever for themselves, their family their interest. Two guests exthey wish it to be.” and friends, or to sell. plain that one upcoming event Crane is no newcomer to For work that is sold, 70 in the planning is a commuoutreach programs. In the late percent of the profits go to the nity Easter Parade. 1990s to the early 2000s, she creator, and the center receives The Fabric of a Neighborhood Findlay Center knits a sense of community By mArilyn k. sChirmer Contributing Writer On a very cold January day, a circle of women seated around a large table in the Findlay Neighborhood Cen- Photo by Andrew Anderson. ter are talking and diligently working on various needlework projects. Emanating the welcoming aroma of fresh-brewed coffee, the front rooms, used as a sewing center, are cheerily laden with colorful bolts of fabrics on shelves, with baskets of threads and lace and sewing machines stationed throughout. A large area for cutting patterns is in a back corner. STREETVIBES February 2009 �STREETVIBES February 2009 Movie Review No Business Like Shoah Business 7 ‘Defiance’ says more about male mythos than about mass murder 1 By dAvid heitField Contributing Writer have guns for all of the men.” ly, it’s a two-and-a-half-hour “How can a woman protect “true story” about homeless herself?” “The women have people living in the woods. She lusted after her lovers, the men to protect them.” Yes, there are Nazis, and it whose genitals were like those Intellectuals are as useless never, ever grows tiresome to of donkeys and as the physically see Nazis killed, be it in movwhose semen It’s a two-and- crippled, priests ies or video games. Much of was like that of deal with fairy the visceral pleasure in watcha-half-hour horses. (Ezekiel tales, and the life ing the movie comes courtesy “true story” 23:20) of the mind is a of dead Nazis. And in case you Woe the Al- about homeless waste of time, are too young to appreciate pha Male. In a people living in preventing ac- just how evil the Nazis were, culture in which tion when action there is a classic 21st century the woods. Cadillacs are unis needed. When tell: Those swastika-laden abashedly sold prompted to dis- bastards are all smoking cigato females as a sexual object, cuss the ideas of Descartes, rettes at the beginning of the everyone is a hero and the Zus responds, “You annoy movie! And laughing as they economy is more important me, therefore I am.” rape the atmosphere with their to people than fear of liberals, And so the story unfolds: carbon dioxide and secondit’s fitting that our version of A community grows in the hand smoke. Just heartless. Batman is depressed, just as woods with the infirm, womIt’s an interesting conceit: Fight Club predicted was in- en and children, intellectuals Use the Holocaust as a back evitable. and other forms of useless life story to celebrate the necesDirector Edward Zwick that do something other than sity of the Alpha Male. Does it answers in Defiance with a hunt and gather and kill. As work? Sorta. Much is cheesy, rousing tale of Jewish Alpha Tuvia grows more sensitive but much was cheesy about Males fleeing and fighting Na- to protecting the needful, Zus other Swick attempts to recast zis in Belorussia in 1941. The becomes more obsessed with the Alpha Male, such as in The director has said the movie revenge, L a s t should be viewed as a cor- and there S amuPeople could listen to the rective to the misconception is an inrai or synthetic stylings and that all Jews were passive and evitable overwrought orchestrations G l o r y , meek during the Holocaust. s p l i t , and yet of the Reagan era, while Apparently - and of this I was so Zus t h e y contemplating why we not aware - some people look can go w e r e at Israel and see a nation of kill stuff enjoyhave a highway named pussies. while able to after the president who Enter the Bielski broth- T u v i a practically invented modern watch. ers, the two eldest played by tries to Movhomelessness. Daniel Craig (Tuvia) and Liev deal with ies are Schreiber (Zus). Tuvia is the m a n a g our best more complex brother, more ing a community (until it is teachers of cultural and moral of the 21st century Alpha – his time to go kill stuff). Thus, relativism. For instance, any instincts are clouded in ways you have the 20th century movie made in the 1980s is he cannot fully understand. Alpha and the 21st century unwatchable today because it Zus, on the other hand, is a Alpha splitting apart and, of will contain music that makes morally clear Alpha, and as course, coming together at the one feel ashamed to be part such he seems anachronistic end, although you can guess of the species that created it. in a movie released in 2009: which Alpha saves the other If Six Sigma were applied to “Why don’t the women have one’s ass in the end. music, you’d get the 1980s. guns?” “Because we do not And that’s about it. Broad(In these tough economic times, the county should pipe in ‘80s movie soundtracks all along the Ronald Reagan Highway and charge a toll to travel on it. People could listen to the synthetic stylings and overwrought orchestrations of the Reagan era, while contemplating why we have a highway named after the president who practically invented modern homelessness. Because, in reality, Alpha Males are not out to save the homeless. You don’t need Dick Cheney to shoot you in the face while hunting for caged birds to understand that.) It will be interesting to watch Defiance in 25 years and see what it has to teach us about 2009. Methinks it will say little about the Holocaust – there have been so many movies with a Holocaust theme lately that some are calling for a moratorium on what the bloggers call “shoah business.” Where it will speak is to the place for the Alpha Male in society. And it will say that in 2009, we knew that something important was slipping away – sorta like the automobile industry – but we weren’t sure what we should do about it. Boy Soldier, Wise Man Ishmael Beah’s journey from horror to helping others “The sun showed flashes of the tips of guns and bullets traveling toward us. Bodies had begun to pile on top of each other near a short palm tree, where fronds dripped blood. I searched for Josiah. An RPG had tossed his tiny body off the ground and he had landed on a tree stump. He wiggled his legs as his cry gradually came to an end. There was blood everywhere. It seemed as if bullets were falling into the forest from all angles. I crawled to Josiah and looked into his eyes. There were tears in them and his lips were shaking, but he could not speak. As I watched him, the water in his eyes was replaced with blood that quickly turned his brown eyes into red. He reached for my shoulder as if he wanted to hold it and pull himself up. But midway, he stopped moving. The gunshots faded in my head, and it was as if my heart had stopped and the whole world had come to a standstill. I covered his eyes with my fingers and pulled him from the tree stump. His backbone had been shattered. I placed him flat on the ground and picked up my gun.” Excerpt from A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah By Andrew Anderson Contributing Writer It would be impossible for most of us to think of taking children, giving them cocaine or heroin and an AK-47 machine gun and forcing them to kill men, women and other children in a war that had no purpose, where violence was a self-perpetuating way of life. Yet, in the more than 50 conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated there are some 300,000 child soldiers fighting, killing and dying. Children are the soldiers of choice; readily available, easily recruited, expendable. Ishmael Beah was one such child. A Long Way Gone is his personal account of living through such a hell. Beah was a typical child in Sierra Leone. He went to school, loved listening to American hip-hop, had a loving family, enjoyed swimming and did all the simple things in life a child does. At age 12 he left home with a friend and his older brother to participate in a talent show in a neighboring town. He was never to see his home, his mother or his father again. Rebels attacked and created a landscape of death and chaos. Beah fled from the attack and wandered the countryside. At age 13 he was picked up by See Soldier, Page 8 �Local News 8 Race (continued from Page 1) open, Mertz estimates several to the rest of the world to the hundred. One of the problems politics of race today. In this with keeping count is that an country, from the American admission to the History Mu- Revolution and slavery to reseum includes admission to sisting slavery; from the Civil this exhibit. War and Reconstruction to the There is a display on sports control of Native Americans; team mascots and videos of from European immigration Native Americans, among and “defining whiteness” to others, who explain who they the post-World War II boom are, ending with, “And I’m and racial discrimination in not a mascot.” There is a me- housing; from the anti-immidia kiosk where visitors can gration movement and racial do a video recording of a few profiling in the last two deminutes explaining what race cades to NAFTA and the new means to them. There are areas immigration backlash. where visitors can fill out note cards on race, drop them in a ‘Sheer fascination’ box and have them displayed One of the interactive disin a loose-leaf binder. Writes an apparently young Matthew plays invites visitors to vote – judging by his penmanship on how the U.S. Census should be conducted. Should – “I am human. One love.” There are historic artifacts: race be included among the questions? a pair of slave H o w A lot of folks are s h a c k - interested in the topic, but many speles from they aren’t always willing cific races? VisiSouth Carto have a conversation. olina, dattors can ing back vote on to the 1830s-1840s. There is whether to keep it as it is, sima display where you can place plify the categories to having your hand under a camera and no questions at all about race. compare your skin color with While it is tempting to vote various swatches of hand skin no question at all – that race color displayed on the board. shouldn’t matter – there is a In both the exhibit and reason for such questions. on its Web site, while not in “The census is one of the depth, the entire history of hu- only ways we have of seeing mankind is explored, from mi- where people live and how gration patterns from Africa people live,” Matthews says. “So if you are still looking at neighborhoods that are still segregated or have differences in socio-economic status, if you don’t have a way of recording that information, you can’t track it, can’t look it up. My background is to ask, ‘What are the numbers?’ ” M a t t h e w s Family Participation: Photo courtesy of American Anthropological Associasaid she spent tion and Science Museum of Minnesota. time at the ex“People of all different right time.” hibit’s opening backgrounds gathered here for What does the Museum Jan. 17. Reactions? “One was sheer fascina- an historic celebration at an Center hope visitors take from tion,” Matthew says. “It’s historic special place in Cin- this exhibit? “We hope people take away (race) something we talk cinnati,” he says. “So we feel about all the time. There’s a so lucky to have this exhibit. a fact or two, gain something lot of things people can put But we also feel a responsibil- you didn’t know,” she says. their hands on. Cool things ity to take advantage of the “A second thing is a higher like being able to vote (as on national interest to get a local comfort level at having the discussion. A lot of folks are census questions). You have conversation going.” Matthews also hopes the ex- interested in the topic, but they the ability to record your own story at a video kiosk inside hibit will further the dialogue, aren’t always willing to have a the exhibit. Read other peo- even beyond the question of conversation. I think what the whether Obama’s election election of Barack Obama has ples’ stories.” The Museum Center’s staff means an era of post-racial done is give this country permission to have this conversais taken with the fortuitous- politics. “To have it here at this time, tion in a very open and very ness of the Obama election and the opening. Mertz says we couldn’t have anticipated public way. I hope this exhibit more than 2,000 came to the that,” Matthews says. “I think is the next step in helping that center January 20 to watch the it’s our reward for stepping conversation.” up to do the right thing at the inauguration. Soldier, continued from page 7 the government army. An innocent child, he was given drugs and a machine gun and taught to kill. At age 16 he was removed from the fighting by UNICEF and sent to a rehabilitation center where he started the long process of regaining his humanity. This book should be read. Though his story might seem impossible to fully imagine, there is much we can learn from him: Disaster can strike any of us. It does not matter if you live a good life, if you come from a good family, if you live in a good neighborhood, if you have a good job. Disaster takes on many forms and hits you when you least expect it. Forces we cannot control will change our life. Maybe someone close to us will die in an accident, maybe our jobs will end and we will not be able to find another, maybe we will have health problems and incur huge medical bills, maybe these will all happen at once and we will find ourselves homeless. We can all become monsters. Whether we are physically forced by others or by circumstance, we are all capable of doing unthinkable things. We STREETVIBES February 2009 learn to will kill, steal or do anything else necessary to survive. If walk on our own again. The you find that hard to believe, good news is that, with time you should reflect again upon and love, we can recover. Significant emotional the fact that 300,000 children are soldiers in our world. Do- events change us. How they ing the unthinkable in order to change us is up to us. Disaster will change you. You can get survive is not a rare event. We need help to get back up. past the disaster and be forevOnce we have been knocked er weakened, or you can take down by disaster and fallen the lessons learned to become into the pits of despair, we stronger and better. The huusually need help to get back man spirit is capable of recovup. We lose our way. We not ering from anything if given only lack the strength to func- enough love and support. B e a h tion normally, we was one also forget what The human spirit of the normal looks like. is capable of lucky few Recovery is a recovering from who were long process repulled anything if given quiring caring, from the dedicated people. enough love and chaos by Recovering from support. caring and disaster is neither loving simple nor quick. We have to feel secure and people who were dedicated learn to trust again, to forgive and selfless and who gave him ourselves and to love our- love. Beah felt guilt for what selves. Money and a change of he had done. He felt guilt for clothes will not solve the prob- having lived when so many lem. We need the love and sup- died. He decided that the only port of good and caring people way he really could justify who will pick us up, dust us having survived is if he took off and hold our hand until we advantage of the opportunity Missed an Issue? Check out the Streetvibes archive at www.cincihomeless.org/content/streetvibes to try and end the use of children as soldiers. He went on to graduate from Oberlin College here in Ohio, to write his memoir in hopes of telling the world the horrors of the situation and to work with politicians and organizations to bring an end to the use of child soldiers. Today Beah is only 26 years old. He has been through more than most of us ever will. I also suspect he will do more than most of us to make this world better. A few days ago I met Beah and marveled at his maturity, his joy of life and his dedication to ending this most insidious form of child abuse. I realized how small and petty my grievances with life were. If he could survive what he did and still smile, surely I could deal with my issues. I encourage you to read this book. I think Carolyn See of The Washington Post said it best, “Everyone in the world should read this book. … We should read it to learn about the world and about what it means to be human.” �STREETVIBES February 2009 Poetry/Artwork Violence 9 Happy Valentine’s Day By Anthony Williams By JAmAr mAlColm kinG There is so much violence in our city streets The police act like their afraid to walk their beats. People get killed every single day. Its seems like all humans have lost their way. I wish they would stop making guns. I’m fed up with every dude saying he’s a thug. What he needs to do is sit and read book And get something on his mind instead of being a crook. Human life is so precious. It is worth more than a Lexus. To take a human life is very wrong. So why brag about murder in a song? Then The Storm Hit By holly PArker As it picked me up Slammed me back down breaking my ribs I cried Struggling to regain my feet For there sat my son crying and watching I gathered my wits while there was quiet Soothed my little one in my arms Letting him know I was ok Innocence Lost By heAther hArley Thinking now days had went past All was well Ribs sore but I had my life and my sons Today is not my day to shine, for it can’t be, I’m only 9, Then the storm hit Today is not my day to hate for it can’t be, I’m only 8. Crashing in the front door Grabbing my neck Not know what was in store As against the wall he slammed me Time after time Ripping my clothes off To take what was his he said While my daughters slept there He loved me he said Just had a bad day It won’t happen again Please he begged don’t go away Then the storm hit My daughter’s leg he grabbed To get to me Table over turned on the neighbors baby Just to prove who was the boss Neighbors turned deaf ears Friends didn’t want to know Church said your job is to love him I wore the burned face Scars on my legs Scars in my mind Scars in my heart Now Scars on the ground where a mound is his grave Then the storm hit Today is not may to die and go to heaven, for it can’t be, I’m only 7. Today is not by day to turn tricks, for it can’t be, I’m only 6. Today is not my day to thrive, for it can’t be, I’m only 5. Today is not my day to score, for it can’t be, I’m only 4. Today is not your day, 3, 2 and 1, for your life has only just begun. Today by the way is my day to shine, because finally we’re all just fine, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. No thanks to our parents. They couldn’t tell because a long time ago we told them all to go to hell. �Column 10 In Memoriam: Leroy Birch Sponsored recovering addicts, mentored their helpers Among the speakers at the funeral of Leroy Birch on Jan. 22 was Dennis C, a chemicaldependency counselor and a recovering member of Narcotics Anonymous. Midway through his speech, he asked that everyone who had been sponsored by Leroy to please stand up. At least 20 men stood. Then he asked that all the people sponsored by someone Leroy sponsored to please stand. Dozens more stood. Then he asked for all the people present who were sponsored by those people to stand. There must have been 100 people standing. Among the others in St. Mark’s Church in Evanston that Thursday morning were friends, co-workers, family. St. Mark’s is a fairly large church, and it was packed. You were lucky if you got a bulletin; they ran out early. There were tears, there was grief. But this was also a celebration of the impact of a dedicated man. ***** Leroy Birch was just 60 when he died after a long battle with cancer. He was one of those in the chemical-dependency field who came up the old way. First, recovery, then entry-level job, then the education and the credential. (This, by the way, has been the path for many low-income and minority professionals in the chemical-dependency field and it is a path that is closing, to the detriment of the profession and ultimately to the addict in need of help.) ***** Leroy Birch had a drive and an energy that I admired; it stayed with him to the end. He also had a wicked sense of humor and a crooked smile to go with it. He had a hard head and a compassionate heart. He was a builder and a dreamer and he was part of the movement that built a strong Narcotics Anonymous network in Cincinnati. He also established the Young Fathers Pro- recovery process and being a productive member of society.” McQueen is today a case manager with Talbert House, working in a halfway house for men recently released from prison. “I will remember Leroy as a mentor and a teacher and a person who overcame his obstacles and taught other people like myself how to overcome obstacles,” McQueen says. Birch knew the obstacles were real. He had lived by miChael henSon them and overcome them. And he knew that the gram out of Saint John’s Social path to continuing progress Services. He served for many was to help others overcome years as the after-care spe- theirs. cialist for the Hillcrest TrainBirch was particularly deding School. In addition to the icated to the addict brought people he sponsored, there are down to poverty. And if the any number of working chem- columns I write for this paper ical-dependency professionals have any single inspiration, it -- particularly recovering, Af- is Leroy Birch. If these essays rican-American professionals have any weight in the world, -- whom he mentored. it will be because of my friend, Ira McQueen is one. Mc- Leroy Birch. Queen told me, “When I got ***** out of prison, I had some goals. I had just started school. He was a professional, but he had I first met Birch when we a past. I didn’t think I could were both new in recovery. ammered H Birch knew the obstacles were real. He had lived them and overcome them. And he knew that the path to continuing progress was to help others overcome theirs. do what I dreamed of because of my past. And he told me I could do it. I just had to put some other stuff in between me and my past. He gave me the blueprint. He was a guide. I could call him and talk to him about different phases of the process, along with the Eventually, we found ourselves working together at Talbert House. And somewhere in that time, we conceived the notion of doing trainings on poverty and chemical dependency. We were frustrated by training and supervision that taught us everything about alcoholism and STREETVIBES February 2009 Michael Henson is author of Ransack, A Small Room with Trouble on My Mind, The Tao of Longing and Crow Call. This column is part of a monthly series on poverty and addiction. addiction except what made me sitting at a table in the this condition so difficult for kitchen of Alcoholics Anonythe poor. We rejected the idea mous co-founder Dr. Bob that the Smith in l o w - We rejected the idea that the A k r o n , income low-income addict was like Ohio. addict W e everybody else, because w a s had been we knew better. We knew l i k e invited that any addict or alcoholic everyto carry faces challenges, but that the workbody the addict or alcoholic in shop to else, b e - poverty faces difficulties and a treatc a u s e obstacles that the better-off m e n t w e center on do not have. knew the south b e t side of ter. We knew that any addict the city. When it was over, we or alcoholic faces challenges, asked if someone could direct but that the addict or alcoholic us to Dr. Bob’s house. It was in poverty faces difficulties after hours, but we figured we and obstacles that the better- could at least drive by it. As it off do not have. We also knew turned out, one of the trainees that the addict or alcoholic was a trustee of the site and in poverty faces more severe had the key. So we got our own consequences than those who private tour. He had a thick are better off. We knew that Scots brogue, so we could the addict or alcoholic in pov- understand only about half erty faces a more complicated of what he said, but he took recovery than those who are us around the city to all the better off. key sites in the AA founding And we knew that, for pro- story. Then he took us to Dr. fessionals to successfully ad- Bob’s house, set us up at that dress the needs of the addict table, pulled out the Polaroid or alcoholic in poverty, they and took our picture. Then he need special tools. said what is said to each perSo we set out to help pro- son who comes through those vide those tools through a se- doors, “Welcome home.” ries of trainings. Talbert House Leroy Birch left his active gave us the go-ahead, and we addiction behind long ago. designed a two-day workshop But he did not leave behind that was grueling for the train- the addict. He was a dedicated ees and trainers both. (We professional and a dedicated were committed to putting the member of the recovering work in workshop.) But we community, a trusted servant felt satisfied that, at the end to the cause of the seemingly of each, we had opened some hopeless addict and alcoholic. minds and offered some anEach time we performed swers. our training, Leroy asked for a moment of silence in order to ***** call up the spirits of our ancestors to support the work about Somewhere, stored among to be done. He has now joined other papers and photos I have his ancestors. collected over the years, I have I would like to think he has a Polaroid of Leroy Birch and been welcomed home. Only purchase Streetvibes from BADGED vendors. Vendors wear their WHITE badges while they sell the paper. �STREETVIBES February 2009 Column 11 The Audacity of Focus Obama continues the journey from Selma Barack Hussein Obama’s not let the success of this moinauguration as president is ment “distract” us from the a breathtaking event. We are tremendous cost it has taken only 145 years since Lincoln to reach this point or the imsigned the Emancipation Proc- portant work that remains in lamation. We are only 55 years since the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously decided on integrated schools as the law of the land. We are only 45 years since Presi- front of us. Indeed, both King dent Lyndon Johnson signed and Obama refused to be “disthe Voting Rights Act. How tracted” by either the violence wondrous are these dates in of actions or angry words our American history of free- from the major task of builddom. But we cannot let these ing a beloved community of achievements distract us. unity. Next to these dates must be Let’s turn to the seeds of the day when Rosa Parks re- Obama’s victory in actions fused to rise from her seat on a that happened in 1964 in a bus in Montgomery, Alabama; little town in Alabama. We the date when Rev. Martin might not have known about Luther King Jr. agreed to lead Selma were it not for the three the first nonviolent bus boy- marches that happened there to cott; the dates protest the kill“Selma became a ing of a young when King organized the testing ground for black man, Jimthe Civil Rights mie Lee Jackmarches in Selma, Alason, who sought Movement and bama, gave for the organizing to register Alahis speeches bamians to vote; philosophy of and wrote his or the killing of [Martin Luther letters and a young white King Jr.]” books; and minister, Rev. the dates of James Reeb, the murders who came to of King, Kennedy and Mal- protest that murder and intimcolm X. And we cannot let idation. And we, as citizens these groundbreaking experi- who were not residents, would ences distract us either. not know Selma were it not the We come to Jan. 20 with place that tens of thousands of a joyous and a heavy heart. people from every corner of We celebrate that so much the nation, who answered the has been accomplished by the call to march with King in the work of so many young and largest nonviolent march for old people, disabled and able voter rights in American hispeople, middle class, rich and tory. Without the success of poor, many college students, the Selma marches, we would and people from every creed, have not changed the voting color and region. We must process and laws for black and poor people in this country, and it’s doubtful that Obama would have been nominated --let alone elected. Selma stood as a symbol of hatred of black people as citizens of America. The message of the 1960s was simple and foreboding: “Black people should not dream about voting, holding office or getting justice from the courts. Black people who don’t go along will be lynched or murdered.” It was that blunt. We cannot imagine now the feelings that civil rights workers, black Southern citizens and white people of good conscience felt at that time. We were trapped in a system in which hatred was expected on the part of whites toward blacks and/or anyone who wanted to change the system. Few of us had any organizing experience that told us how to change hatred. We knew that we could not turn to violence because we were outnumbered by the police, and we were unpersuaded that violence would win the fundamental change we desired. And we knew that individuals in Southern communities were risking a lot by joining in protests. Selma became a testing ground for the Civil Rights Movement and for the organizing philosophy of King, who used the insights of Gandhi, a nonviolent revolutionary from India, to shape his thinking and actions. What happened at Selma that we should know about and how does it connect with Obama? One of the Selma or- Michelle and Barack Obama. Photo courtesy of barackobama.com. Barack Obama. Photo courtesy of barackobama.com. ganizers, Rev. James Bevel of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference remembers: “When Jimmy Lee Jackson from Marlon, Alabama, was killed, I believe that really prompted the march. We realized that the killing would go on, based on people just demonstrating for their right to vote. Somehow we had to make the price of human life go up. People were being shot and killed, and the killers were getting off pretty cheap. We felt we had to create what we call ‘mass dislocation.’ That’s a nonviolent technique where you make it uncomfortable for people by expressing your grievances in a nonviolent fashion.” Henry Hampton continues the story: “They came marching across, black and four abreast like pilgrims to a shrine. ... It was here just past the bridge that they were stopped. ... The rasp/of a police command -- ‘Troopers, advance!’ -- rang out ... and they knew at the first dull thud upon the skull of John Lewis. The women fell first ... And with the thud of billy clubs, they fell, legs askew, black thighs and legs shining in the sweat of tears. They lay upon the hot pavement and awaited the jolts from 14 ounces of oak.” (From G. and C. Carawan, Sing for freedom: The story of the Civil Rights Movement through its songs.) But the march was to continue, with between 40,000 and 50,000 people gathered in Selma to express their indignation at the murders and injustice. The fundamental connection between the election of Obama and the march in Selma can be found in the words “non-violent revolution.” Obama takes office after a campaign of promoting change through legal means, voting and the organization of millions of people to combine in a campaign of hope. Obama’s victory is the next and not the final step. The shadow of Selma teaches us that the key lessons of nonviolent change have not been victorious. Obama enters the presidency at the head of a government that uses the most extreme violence to make its voice heard. Throughout the world, the hopes raised by Selma, by King, by Malcolm X and by Tutu and Mandela for a “beloved” world are ignored. On the same historic day that Obama was elected, several states voted to discriminate against people based on sexual orientation. The hatred of so many continues, sometimes without a voice of recognition and compassion. Who speaks for the slaves of today, both in and outside our country? Who speaks for our broken adoption system? Who speaks for the children of Darfur? Who speaks for the hungry, homeless and disabled? We cannot have a world of peace unless they, too, are brought inside the circle of love. Steve Sunderland is a professor of peace and educational studies at the University of Cincinnati and director of Peace Village. �Local News 12 Let’s Build Our Light Rail System STREETVIBES February 2009 A new public transportation system could help create a new Cincinnati By dAn lA Botz Contributing Writer Since Cincinnati City Council passed a proposal to build a streetcar line from Over-the-Rhine to the University of Cincinnati and the hospital complex there has been a great deal of controversy. The local NAACP chapter is circulating a petition saying that any plan to develop public transportation must win public approval in a referendum. The Cincinnati Beacon has raised the alternative of a grease-powered, rubberwheeled trolley system. Most recently there has been talk of getting the new Barack Obama administration to provide federal money to support a streetcar system. All those concerned about the issue of public transportation — city council, the Sierra Club, the NAACP, the Labor A light rail car in Chicago. Council and, for that matter, all the rest of us — should rail system connects with the stop and rethink the issues. local bus lines to provide puWe need to avoid another bic transportation to hundreds deadlock that paralyzes public of thousands — and that in a transportation, neighborhood state famous for its worship of development and social jus- the automobile and the freetice. What we really need is a way. The construction of the San Diego system was part light rail line of a revitalthat forms “A light rail system ization prothe backlinked to a system gram — not bone of a of buses using clean without its new public fuels would begin to p r o b l e m s transportaimprove Cincinnati’s and abustion system. notoriously poor air es—of the Where I quality.” downtown grew up in area of the the San Dicity. Could we do something ego area of southern California, what began in 1980 as a like that here? downtown boutique light rail Municipal ownership system has since developed into a four-line, 51-mile, 53The federal government’s stop system that runs south current commitments to build to the U.S.-Mexico border infrastructure, improve the and northeast to the far-flung suburb of Santee, serving environment and provide jobs 118,000 daily users. The light during the recession provide Cincinnati City Council with the opportunity to present the public a plan for a light rail system that could revitalize the city as the center of regional development. Cincinnati should seek funds from the federal government with contributions from the city, Hamilton County and the surrounding counties, to build a light rail system as the center of an improved public transportation system throughout our region. First — and this is the most important point — federal money and regional money raised by taxing business should be used to build a municipally owned transportation system. Municipal ownership means the light railway, streetcars, bus lines and other additions to the system (vans to serve the handicapped and the elderly, for example) Interested in volunteering with Streetvibes? Contact Greg Flannery at 513-421-7803 x 12 or by e-mail at streetvibes2@ yahoo.com would be owned and run by the city, not by any private corporation. Eliminating the profit motive means that the city transportation system would serve the citizens, not stockholders. This could be an important step in reversing the trend toward privatization and taking this city back from the privately owned corporate consortiums that now run it. Public management Municipal ownership, however, is not enough. We need to make this a municipally owned but genuinely publicly run transportations system — that is, a system run by a public board made up of consumers, representing those who use public transportation; of labor unions, representing those who work on public transportation; and citizens, representing those who, through their local governments, bought and own the system. We would want to see an advisory panel of environmental experts so that this system would not only be clean, but would also be an environmentally just system operating with an eye to the public welfare. The rider-worker-citizen board would, of course, hire those with the administrative and financial expertise to carry out their directives, but it would be owned and run by us, the people. The idea of consumers, workers and citizens, with the assistance of environmental organizations, owning and managing a public corporation at the heart of the city would not only be a model of democracy, it would also be an important, though still relatively small, counterweight to the power of the banks and corporations that have run this city in their own interest. Union representation and living wages With the election of Barack Obama, we may be entering an era of less hostility and possibly more tolerance and support for labor unions. Obama’s labor-union backers are calling for the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), which would make it easier for workers to join labor unions. We would want to see our new light rail system and its workers — drivers, maintenance workers, cleaners — represented by unions. Union workers receive higher wages and better benefits than other workers, and they have mechanisms that protect their See Rail, Page 15 Cleo’s Joke Corner There was a guy in the army doing basic training. The sergeant said to him that he had 1,200 pounds of small rocks and that he wanted him to pick them up one at a time and move them into another spot. The private kept picking up every rock and looked underneath each one. He kept saying, “That’s not it. That’s not it. That’s not it.” He did this for every rock. A psychiatrist looked out at him and told him to come into the office. On top of the psychiatrist’s desk was a fivepound rock. He picked up the rock, looked underneath it and said, “That’s still not it.” So the psychiatrist wrote him an honorable discharge. The private said, in a loud voice, “That’s it! That’s it! That’s it!” �STREETVIBES February 2009 Interview 13 Take a Cue from Joyce Social worker helps homeless people identify themselves By AnGelA PAnCellA Contributing Writer Joyce Cue, the social worker at Our Daily Bread, offers assistance in a variety of areas for our guests. Guests often ask her to help them get a copy of their birth certificates — a necessary step, in Ohio, for getting the proof of identity necessary when applying for assistance of any sort. “You’re lucky, you’re blessed, if you’re born in the city,” she says. “So you can just walk across the street and pick up your birth certificate at Elm Street Clinic — on Elm close to Liberty.” It’s trickier for those born out of state. “Most agencies now are saying they will not send for birth certificates from out of state,” Cue says. “So that makes it very difficult, because in order to get an ID, you must have your birth certificate.” The guests who need an ID might have had theirs stolen if they’ve been living on the streets carrying all of their possessions in a bag. In addition, Cue says, “Many of our folks come out of jail. They go in with an ID but when they come out, they give them the prisoner’s ID. But of course that’s not accepted anywhere. It makes it difficult for them — they can’t get housing, they can’t get food stamps, they can’t apply for anything.” So why are agencies reluctant to help find out-of-state birth certificates? “My understanding is that, since 9-11, for security reasons, some states say, ‘We’re a closed state, we can’t send it,’ Cue says.”I call and say, ‘Now, look. Here (in Ohio) we cannot get an ID without a birth certificate.’ “(They’ll answer,) ‘Ma’am, I’m sorry. We can’t send you a birth certificate without an updated ID.’ “ Often the realities of life in poverty add their own frustrations to the hunt for official information. Cue tells the story of a young man who recently came to her for help tracking down his birth certificate. “He came in and said, ‘Miss Joyce, I don’t know what to do.’ His mother died in childbirth,” Cue says. “He said he was kind of passed around to different people. He knows that he was born in Tennessee, but he does not know what county, what hospital.” She called the records office in Tennessee, only to be told, “No, ma’am, we have to know what county he was born in.” “But he can’t remember it,” Cue says. “He doesn’t know. He was born in Tennessee, and then he went to Cleveland, and he and his sisters have lost contact with each other. He had one brother that he knew that just recently passed.” There was no one left to help. A possible solution has occurred to Cue. “I was looking over some papers and said, ‘Wait a minute. You get food stamps?’ He said yes. I said, ‘That might be a place to start, because you have to prove identity to get assistance from (Job and Family Services.)’ “ If the young man used his birth certificate to get food stamps, Cue might be able to track down enough information to obtain a new copy of the birth certificate herself. “That’s what’s in process right now,” she says. “Somebody — social security or someone — one of those agencies had to have established identity.” Cue shakes her head in disbelief when she recounts stories like this. “That’s the type of maze that these folks have to go through, and without any money, without housing, without a place where they can find any comfort where they can clear their mind and think,” she says. When she tries to imagine herself in their shoes, Joyce Cue, social worker at Our Daily wondering how Bread. Photo courtesy of Our Daily Bread. her clients deal Our Daily Bread is a food with all of these and hospitality ministry at frustrations, she says, “I just 1730 Race St., Over-thego back to (saying), ‘They’re Rhine, that offers a mid-day stronger than I am.’ Can you imagine what you or I would meal, serving more than 500 be doing? We’re not made of meals every weekday. To volunteer or contribute, call Joan that material.” or Kathy at 513-621-6364. A Letter to Andrea Religious feelings and ignoring the homeless tie for her son. I guess since I’m a guy, I’m supposed to know a good-looking tie when I see one. It was a rather warm December afternoon and I was standing outside Macy’s waiting for Andrea. I was smoking a cigarette. A homeless man, By lArry Gross holding a small cardboard Contributing Writer sign requesting money, was also standing there. Andrea isn’t her real name I reached into my back but she’s a real person. I’ve pocket, pulled out my wallet written about her before in and gave the man a buck. He CityBeat. Now Streetvibes is wanted to know if I had an exgonna get a taste of her. tra cigarette. I did. Why we’re friends I don’t W e r e a l l y stood “As I looked to my right, know. It there I could see Andrea might have something approaching. She slowed for a while to do with down her pace when she – talkthe fact saw me talking to the ing and that we homeless person.” smokworked ing. We together at talked about the weather, our a machine-tool company here horrible professional football in town over 20 years ago. We have nothing in common. team and the “commercial” holiday season. Maybe opposites attract. As I looked to my right, I She wanted to meet me could see Andrea approachdowntown last month at Macy’s. Andrea was doing some ing. She slowed down her Christmas shopping and want- pace when she saw me talking ed me to help pick out a neck- to the homeless person. When she finally reached “You shouldn’t be giving me, I said hello, put out my your money away,” she said. cigarette and said goodbye to “Let him get a job like the rest the gentleman with the card- of us have to.” board sign. Andrea was staring With that said, I shut up. We at me the whole time almost went to the men’s department b u g at Ma“I reached into my back eyed. cy’s, pocket, pulled out my wallet Enfound t e r i n g and gave the man a buck. He the ties M a a n d wanted to know if I had an cy’s, it Andrea extra cigarette. I did.” didn’t picked t a k e out a her long to get started. silk red one. She didn’t need “Who was that?” Andrea my help at all. wanted to know. Now Andrea will never “Don’t know,” I replied. spend a buck to pick up a “Didn’t think to ask him his copy of Streetvibes, but mayname.” be someone can give her one. “You give him money?” I’ve composed a letter to her. “A buck,” I replied. Dear Andrea, Andrea shook her head. It was a pleasure going “You’re funny,” she said. shopping with you. I hope you “He’s probably not even had a wonderful Christmas, homeless, probably a con art- celebrating the birth of Jesus ist.” Christ. I know how religious “You don’t know that, An- you are. drea,” I said. I know you’re religious be“Oh I know plenty,” she cause in the past you’ve stated said, “know that with that you’re concerned for my soul. money you gave him, he’s A few times you have even probably on his way to a bar asked me if I’ve accepted Jeright now.” sus Christ as my savior. Each “Whatever, Andrea.” time I have dodged the ques- tion. Let me try and set the record straight here. If treating other people the way I want to be treated gets me somewhere – namely heaven – great. If it doesn’t, then at least people might remember me as a nice, caring person. Being caring, in part, means caring for those less fortunate, and that includes homeless people. I talk to them, and they talk back. They’re human beings down on their luck. Your Jesus talked to the poor – how come you don’t? I oftentimes give them money and/or cigarettes. I try to help them. Your Jesus helped the poor – why don’t you? Throughout my entire life I’ve heard religious people say, “There but for the grace of God go I”. How come I’ve never heard you say it? Sorry for being direct, Andrea, but you know how I am. I hope your son enjoyed his tie. Your Friend, Larry God bless Andrea. It felt good writing her this letter. Hell, I didn’t even have to go buy a stamp. Read the Streetvibes blog for stories between issues at streetvibes.wordpress.com �14 STREETVIBES February 2009 Short Story Hidden Homeless of the Ivory Tower Higher education and lowered expectations (Continued from January 2009) By siBonGile sithe Contributing Writer They say New York is the city that never sleeps, but it turns out Chicago is an insomniac, too. For Marks, at least, that turned out to be a godsend. Both Kansas Fried Chicken and Carlo’s Pizza were 24hour restaurants that doubled as Marks’ — and many others’ — sleeping quarters. There, he finished the homework he didn’t get done at school and got paid back in pizza slices for making deliveries. “I missed my grandmother’s cooking first off,” he says. He looks down at the table. “I just missed a sense of security, where you don’t have to worry what you have to do to make it to the next day,” Marks says. dorm room are a couple nov- els and quite a few textbooks, with the volumes totaling somewhere in the twenties. It’s his entire collection. Almost everything he owns is in this room. Yet as he looks around, he says, “Everything here is replaceable.” There are no art pieces he can’t recreate, and nothing he can’t buy again — even items of sentimental value. “I could walk out of here right now and not look back,” he says. “I can always take another picture of my brother.” Yale Visitor’s Center. Students and fans do not always realize that some of their classmates are homeless. *** “As far as brushing my teeth, sometimes I didn’t. I chewed a lot of gum, Tic Tacs, stuff you can get from your friends,” Marks laughs. “I’m lucky I still have my teeth.” Marks says keeping up appearances *** “Marks was also a varsity was particularly athlete, so he took his Some problemshowers at school. He of Ye’s atic at his had three dress shirts, exclufriends find his sive prep two pairs of slacks school. gift-giving and one tie to get him p e c u l i a r. Like Luthrough the week, and He gave cas, Marks then washed them on away shirts was also the weekends at a local and pens, a varsity l a u n d r y laundromat. Marks didn’t athlete, so detergent he took his go to many dances or and photo- other school events that s h o w e r s graphs. at school. required cash.” It’s more He had practical three dress than anything, he says. For shirts, two pairs of slacks and Ye, moving is difficult: first one tie to get him through the because he doesn’t drive and week, and then washed them relies on others to help him on the weekends at a local get his stuff around; and sec- laundromat. Marks didn’t go ond, because there’s no single to many dances or other school place to put it all. events that required cash. Giving things away is a “Twenty dollars is a lot of means of ensuring preserva- money,” he says. tion of Ye’s possessions, espeMarks now recognizes he cially his art pieces. His recip- probably should have exients serve as micro museums plained his situation to his for his work: “They can take parents. care of things in a way that I “But I was 15 going on 16,” can’t,” he says. he says. “I was like, ‘I can do On the bookshelf in his this, I can do this.’ ” Marks told no one about his situation, except his two best friends and his headmaster. “I’ll always love Dr. Rutherford,” he says. “When I explained to him my situation, he was like, you know, ‘Don’t worry about (the tuition. Everything’s taken care of.’ ” When asked if his headmaster had an obligation to report him to the authorities, Marks looks as though he’d never considered the possibility. “I don’t know,” he says. “I think he knew that I’d be in a worse situation if he took his legal obligation seriously”. *** Lucas didn’t like to be idle; he says it left him too much time to think about his situation. And when he lists his extracurricular activities, it’s hard to imagine how he’d have time to schedule a spare minute. To pay for food, bills and his car, Lucas held down three jobs. He refereed basketball, worked construction, washed dishes and did all varieties of odd jobs. He never stopped doing community service, either. He coached youth sports teams, organized Special Olympics events, tutored and mentored younger students and volunteered at a local soup kitchen. 1128 Walnut St Pizza by the Slice Tues and Thurs Buffet($7.00)-11AM-2PM Wed-Thur-Fri-Sat 9PM-3AM “Those were the kind of things that kept me sane,” he says. “When you’re homeless, you’re losing your fucking mind.” *** come me without question, I know it’s difficult for them to have me there. Sometimes there’s tension, like when I eat all of their white fish salad,” which he did over this past break. But, he says, “The selfawareness of the strain you put on others is a part of growing up.” Ye had a string of jobs when he was in high school. He worked for a title insurance company, interned for an Internet company and even tried *** his hand at selling airplane hangars — a “total fiasco,” he Lucas was surprised how says. many people offered him supAfter he moved out of his port. father’s apartment, Ye went “There weren’t many to live with his Andrew from people who didn’t open up the Big Brothers, Big Sisters their doors (or pocketbooks) program. Andrew and his wife to me,” he says, citing highboth work from home and school alumni, old middlehave four children, so when school teachers and casual he’s there, Ye does his best friends. He says several famito help out around the house. lies treated him like one of He sweeps algae scum off the their own children. pool floor, helps Andrew with “I was like, ‘Damn! Like his projects and for real?’ I’d watches the kids They try to make been skeptical of on occasion. me feel like I’m a rich people my But Ye acfamily member, whole life, but a knowledges that lot of rich people but it’s very clear were really, reallife is not perfect. Like Lucas, to me that I’m not ly good to me.” he finds breaks a family member. But, like Ye, from Yale stressLucas was aware ful: “There’s of the burden never a guarantee that I’m go- he laid on the families, so he ing to have someplace to go.” never stayed in any one place Even Ye’s mother recogniz- for longer than three or four es the situation is not ideal. weeks. “I know he would like to When Lucas, a recruited have a place to call home, and athlete, came to Yale, he we cannot provide that for brought a lot of his insecurities him,” she says. “It is clearly with him: “When somebody a loss. He experiences it a looked at me a certain way or loss, and therefore I do too.” disrespected me and I would But, she says, “This cannot be say, ‘Is this because you don’t helped right now.” think I’m good enough? Like, And so Ye is incredibly ap- I’m not supposed to be here? preciative of Andrew and his You don’t do that to people where I’m from. Now let me family. “They try to make me feel show you what that means.’ ” like I’m a family member, but He says getting over his it’s very clear to me that I’m preconceived stereotypes has not a family member,” he says. “Even though they’re sweet See Yale, p. 15 and wonderful and would wel- �STREETVIBES February 2009 Short Story 15 Yale, continued from page 14 been a large part of his maturation and is still an issue for him, but he attributes a lot of his growth to the presence of cultural groups on campus. Today, he says, his fighting is reduced to instances of personal attacks. “I can’t be that way,” says as he shakes his head. “The one thing different about here is I’ve got a lot more to lose.” *** It takes nine e-mails, 11 text messages and over a week to get Ye, Lucas and Marks in the same room at the same time. The three get on the subject of service, to which all are deeply committed. “It really makes sense to us,” says Ye, who does longdistance mentoring and is working at a camp for at-risk teens this summer. Lucas, who, oddly enough, was looking into that same organization, also mentors and has long-term plans for teaching, enrolling in law school and going back to Detroit to a home to go back to” — or start his own non-profit agen- the Lucas who struggles to cy. balance life as a full-time stu“Nobody’s getting out,” he dent and athlete while worksays of his neighborhood — ing 25 hours a week to help and he’s ready to change that. pay his brother’s tuition. “If I’m not helping anybody “I have (him) as an inspirathrough my tion,” Mi“There’s never struggles chael says. a guarantee that then I’m just Right I’m going to have being selfnow Marks is focused ish.” someplace to go.” Michael, on getting one of Luhimself into cas’ closest friends on campus law school and economically and the only one who knows settled so he can offer more of about his past, says Lucas is the internship and funding opnothing short of driven. portunities to underprivileged “He definitely deals with youth, for which he himself adversity by trying to make has been incredibly grateful. things better for other people And for the time being, Luin his situation,” Michael cas, Marks and Ye all seem to says. be in good places. But Michael sees that the past is still salient for Lucas: *** It’s “a past that he’s not moving on from because it’s still During his junior year of happening.” But, Michael high school, Marks’ parents says, you won’t see it change bought a house and brought Lucas’ outward demeanor. him and his sister back to live “(Most people) don’t see the with them. The transition was Lucas that goes home,” Mi- rough, he says. chael says, “and doesn’t have “I stayed out a lot, because I had gotten used to a lot of independence,” he says. He remained angry with them for sending him away when, in his eyes, they could still take care of him. He later learned that his mother had suffered a nervous breakdown and that his parents needed time to sort things out. Marks has been back with his nuclear family for three years now. “They’re great. I love them. They love me,” he laughs, “I hope.” Lucas’ family is back together and his parents are doing well, but he’s not ready to forgive them just yet. “Until I can get over all of this myself,” he says, “I don’t owe them anything.” Despite the challenges, Ye says his nomadic life style “doesn’t suck. It’s actually, like, really nice.” He enjoys the freedom of traveling and says his decision not to live with his parents has more to do with personal preferences than anything else. Ye’s father has personal preferences. too, but, he says, “I don’t love him any less. I’d be the first to protect (him) in any way I could.” And although his father now welcomes Ye into his home, Ye says his father’s actions are “too little, too late, and I am not having it.” The situation with his mother “has evolved from a probably-shouldn’t-becauseit’s-risky to an absolutelycannot.” “He does (his] best,” Ye’s mother says.” He keeps himself surrounded by dear people. The alternative is not so bad. He has responded pretty well.” Ye has been lucky. “There hasn’t been a time in my life where I haven’t had a place that’s comfortable and safe to go,” he says. “I’ve just had to do a little bit of shuffling around to find (it).” As far as comfortable living goes, Yale is treating all of us pretty nicely. Lucas looks up at the ceiling. “I mean,” he says, “there’s a fucking chandelier here.” Rail, continued from page 12 rights on the job. Well-paid jobs mean citizens have the wherewithal to support their families — and that income circulates through local businesses. We have a living-wage ordinance in Cincinnati, but city council has failed to enforce it and to extend it. We should use the building of a light rail and extended transportation system to reinforce living-wage legislation, insisting that the publicly run system will deal with no suppliers or contractors who do not pay a living wage to all of their employees. A modern light rail car in Houston. A strong public transportation system, eventually providing access to all neighborhoods in the city, accompanied by jobs that pay well, would be a strong inducement to our former residents to return to the city. Transportation and development We could use our publicly owned transportation system not only to strengthen the downtown area, but more important to revitalize our neighborhoods. The light rail train would strengthen every neighborhood that it passed through; every place there was a stop, and every place that the system connected with the bus lines. If you go to Boston, Chicago or New York, you find at many of the L-train or subway stops a newsstand, a thriving local diner or a neighborhood shopping district. Workers earning union wages would mean more money in our neighborhoods spent in those shopping centers. Too often in the past, devel- begin to improve Cincinnati’s opment has taken place in the notoriously poor air quality. At neighboring counties while the the same time, as the system city has languished, leaving expands, we would be careful inner-city residents without to avoid the abuses of the past, jobs and the ways opportuniin which “Eliminating the profit ties. A light industry motive means that the rail system city transportation system so often could help would serve the citizens, polluted to reverse worknot stockholders.” this situi n g ation. We class and could use the light rail system poor peoples’ neighborhoods. to make Cincinnati the hub of Organizations such as the regional development. Even- faith-based Amos Coalition, tually the light rail system the Blue-Green Alliance of would connect the city to the the Sierra Club and the United airport in Kentucky and to the Steel Workers of America, the industrial areas of Florence NAACP and the Labor Counand in Butler County. Such a cil could overcome their difsystem would also bring out- ferences by joining together to lying neighborhoods and sub- fight for a system that would urbanites back into the center serve the interests of all. Not of the city, now a city filled the streetcar that’s been talked with vibrant neighborhoods. about for downtown, but rather a light rail system that not Environmental only provides transportation commitments and improves the environment but is also the first step in turnWe can also use the light rail ing Cincinnati into a different system to improve our envi- sort of town, one where the ronment and to make amends public owns and manages and for the environmental injus- benefits from the use of taxtices of the past. We should tie payer money. the building of the light railway to the passage of the environmental justice resolution Dan La Botz (DanLaBotz. held up in council. A light rail wikidot.com) is a Cincinnatisystem linked to a system of based teacher, writer and acbuses using clean fuels would tivist. �16 Vendors Resource Guide STREETVIBES February 2009 Streetvibes vendors buy the paper for 25 cents and sell the paper for $1, keeping the money they have earned. The vendors can be identified with a white badge and can be found selling the paper in downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northern Kentucky and area churches. The money they earn helps them meet basic housing, food and health care needs. Not all vendors pictured. Josephine Baskerville Doris Binion Terry Ranson Anthony Williams Nell Williams Grady Cook Cleo Wombles James Davis Jon Darby Dede Stoops Julie Walker Kenneth Stonitsch Antonio Hodge Leonard Jackson Samuel Jackson Riccardo Taylor Berta Lambert Mary Mueller Brandon Nelson Mark Shears Charles Cole Alfred Woolfolk Terrence Williams Raynard Jones Richard Tyree Michael Holley Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point...381-SAFE Cincinnati Union Bethel...768-6907 Bethany House...557-2873 Grace Place Catholic Worker House...681-2365 Salvation Army...762-5660 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter...872-9259 Talbert House...684-7965 PATH Outreach...977-4489 Treatment: Women Resources First Step Home ...961-4663 Catholic Social Services...241-7745 Center for Independent Living Options...241-2600 Churches Active in Northside...591-2246 Emmanuel Community Center...241-2563 FreeStore/FoodBank...241-1064 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart...381-0111 Goodwill industries...771-4800 Healing Connections...751-0600 Madisonville Education & Assistance Center...2715501 Mary Magdalen House...721-4811 People Working Cooperatively...351-7921 St. Vincent de Paul...562-8841 The Caring Place...631-1114 United Way...721-7900 Women Helping Women...977-5541 Treatment: Both City Gospel Mission...241-5525 Justice Watch...241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Worker House...381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter...661-4620 AA Hotline...351-0422 CCAT ...381-6672 Joseph House ...241-2965 Hamilton County ADAS Board ...946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center ...281-7422 Sober Living ...681-0324 Talbert House...641-4300 Shelter: Both Advocacy Anthony House (Youth)...961-4080 Caracole (HIV/AIDS)...761-1480 Drop Inn Center...721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network...471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center...221-3350 St. John’s Housing...651-6446 Appalachian Identity Center ...621-5991 Catholic Social Action ...421-3131 Community Action Agency ...569-1840 Contact Center...381-4242 Franciscan JPIC ...721-4700 Greater Cinci Coalition for the Homeless..421-7803 Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center...5798547 Legal Aid Society ...241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center ...421-1108 Peaslee Neighborhood Center ...621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids ...363-3300 Stop AIDS...421-2437 Shelter: Men Housing: CMHA...721-4580 Excel Development...632-7149 OTR Community Housing...381-1171 Tender Mercies...721-8666 Tom Geiger House...961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services Inc. ...751-0643 Volunteers of America...381-1954 Food Lord’s Pantry...621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Soup Kitchen & Pantry..961-1983 Our Daily Bread...621-6364 St. Francis Soup Kitchen...535-2719 Treatment: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House...784-1853 DIC Live In Program...721-0643 Prospect House...921-1613 Starting Over...961-2256 Health Center for Respite Care ...621-1868 Cincinnati Health Network ...961-0600 Crossroad Health Center ...381-2247 Hamilton county Mental Health Board...946-8600 Hamilton County TB Control ...946-7628 Health Resource Center ...357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van...352-2902 McMicken Dental Clinic...352-6363 Mental Health Access Point...558-8888 Mercy Franciscan at St. John...981-5800 NAMI of Hamilton County..458-6670 Oral Health Council...621-0248 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center...859-491-8303 ECHO/Hosea House...859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission...859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth...859-581-1111 Mathews House...859-261-8009 NKY Homeless & Housing Coalition...859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen...859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic...859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc...859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY...859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center...859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary...859-559-5011 VA Homeless...859-572-6226 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels...863-3184 Salvation Army...863-1445 Serenity House Day Center...422-8555 Open Door Pantry...868-3276 � 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 2009 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 2009 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: This Thing Called ‘Race’ Cold Comfort Pg 2: The Vibe Pg 3: Eight Minutes with an ‘Unconventional Hausfrau’ Pg 4: Georgine Getty Moves On Pg 5: For as Long as it Takes Pg 6: The Heart of Over-the-Rhine Pg 7: No Business Like Shoah Business Pg 8: Race Continued Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Pg 10: In Memoriam: Leroy Birch Pg 11: Peace Village Pg 12: Let’s Build Our Light Rail system Pg 13: Take A Cue from Joyce Pg 14: Hidden Homeless of the Ivory Tower Pg 15: Yale Continued Rail Continued Pg 16: Resource Guide 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 2009 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Contributor Gregory Flannery Lew Moores Adam Clark Margo Pierce Stephanie Dunlap Georgine Getty David Heitfield Andrew Anderson Paul Kopp Mike Henson Steve Sunderland Dan La Botz Andrew Freeze Angela Pancella Lynne Ausman Anthony Williams Joe Wessels Steve Novotni Georgine Getty Michael Henson Steve Gibbs Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Adam Clark addiction Andrew Anderson Andrew Freeze Angela Pancella Anthony Williams Arts & Poetry Barack Obama Cincinnati Dan La Botz David Heitfield Defiance education Findlay Center Georgine Getty Gregory Flannery Joe Wessels Joyce Cue Leroy Birch Lew Moores Light Rail System Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Michael Henson Mike Henson Over-the-Rhine Paul Kopp Peace Village Public Transportation Race Social Workers St. Francis Seraph Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Steve Novotni Steve Sunderland Yale https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/76d26bae37374821b5f46bb15d745d7f.pdf e6034159406b27a1ce27535f28e13ead PDF Text Text Any opinions in this issue are of the authors and don't necessarily represent Streetvibes or The Homeless Coalition. BLACK HISTORY MONTH Special Edition This Issue is sponsored by Cecilia and Tom Kloecker Find previous issues of Streetvibes online at: cincistreetvibes.org Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 113 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvoice | 12 �2 COALITION N o v 21-March 2 - N o v 19,7,22019 0 18 | |NNo. o . 393 Feb. 401 From The Director: History Isn’t a Series of Stories Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by individuals experiencing homelessness or on the edge of homelessness, in exchange for a $2.00 Donation. Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati. 113 East 12th St. Cincinnati OH, 45202 Ph: 513.421.7803 FAX: 513.421.7813 WEB: www.cincihomeless.org EMAIL: streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Editor-in-chief: Gabriela Godinez Feregrino Executive Director: Josh Spring Josh Spring giving a speech. Credit:Amanda Meet JOSH SPRING Executive Director W hen we talk about history, we tend to discuss particular individuals, groups or campaigns that were covered in abundance by the press and that accomplished specific changes. Or we look at history as a series of highlighted stories through decades. These parts of history are very important and certainly can serve as inspiration for our work continuing. But not looking at the whole picture and instead seeing history as a limited number if inspirational stories can make systemic change seem unobtainable. Take for example the “Civil Rights Movement”. We learn about “Brown v. Board of Education”, “Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott”, the “Little Rock Nine”, the “Lunch Counter Sit-Ins”, “Ruby Bridges”, “Freedom Riders”, “Marches, Dogs, Hoses and Bombs in Birmingham”, the “March on Washington”, “I Have a Dream”, the “Civil Rights Act”, the “March to Montgomery”, the “Poor Peoples’ Campaign” and the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I list each of these in quotations because the way history is taught and discussed, these actions have in many ways been made into products that sell books, movies and are used by corporations to fain care. For many they have become stories of the past you hear about, with larger than life characters who had some genius ideas, unfettered focus and through these this limited list of events, accomplished major changes. What do most people think about this information? They feel uplifted and thankful. What does history told in this way lead most people to do? You might say to yourself, “Well, I can’t have that unfettered focus because I have to go to work, I have to feed my kids, I have to pay the rent” or “I have to find a home, I have to avoid harassment by the police, I have to deal with family issues, I have to play with my children…”. Or perhaps, “Well, I don’t have any genius ideas”, “I’m not good at giving speeches”, “I don’t know how to lead a march or organize a boycott.” So then we say, “I really wish we had a ‘Martin Luther King’ today, we really need a strong leader.” But here’s the thing, history, systemic change and over-throw of systems don’t actually happen in a series of stories led by fearless, other-worldly strategic geniuses with nothing else going on in their lives. No, changing systems and creating and implementing new systems are accomplished by the hard work of many people, with different sets of strengths and limitations and with lots going on in their lives. The larger than life characters in these stories were not larger than life. They struggled, screwed up, got distracted at times, had other close people to care for, got confused and were not isolated islands spitting out perfect ideas and plans. These stories are not story-book at all. They all involve people going to long meetings, arguing about tactics, trying to agree on goals, planning actions and then having to reschedule them, implementing plans that work and plans that don’t. People didn’t one day just decide to make some major move that would have long-lasting impact. People planned, evaluated, fed their kids, attended marches, went to school, gave speeches, cleaned their dishes, cried, looked for employment, clapped, struggled to pay the rent, felt scared but supported each other, read, led, followed and everything else humans have to do both to live and force change. The gathering of people created support systems that allowed this to be possible. We learn about all of these stories that from the tell of it seemed to achieve major accomplishments through a limited number of wonderful actions. We don’t learn about all of the many, many more other actions, both successful and unsuccessful. We don’t learn about the many boycotts in small towns, the neighborhood marches to stop displacement, the workers gathering to demand fair wages, the many lawsuits to challenge inhumane municipal laws, the disruption of discriminatory meetings, the rallies against red-lining, the establishment of neighborhood-serving organizations, the sit-ins at public offices, etc. We don’t learn about the hours, days, months and years of knocking on doors, streetcorner conversations, hanging flyers, making phone calls, cooking meals for gatherings, documenting evidence, honing statements and crafting demands. People and organizations behind current inhumane systems want us to think that movements are the result of one or a few special people. In fact, they, themselves, want to believe that too, because, for them the reality that movement and the topple of injustice is led by small groups of regular people who build into larger and larger groups of regular people, is much scarier. We have the power. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Director of Development: Mona Jenkins Director of Education: Dr. Mark Mussman Distributor Program Manager: Sallie Mascus Layout: Gabriela Godinez Feregrino Reception: Bonita Batton, Larry Johnson Maintenance: Pete Roper ------------------------------------------CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Writers: Josh Spring, Patricia Patton, William Schomberg, Simon Daveson, Alessandro Jedlowski, Felix Winternitz, Key Beck, Dr. Mark Mussman, Bill Woods, Janiah Miller, Kim Green, Willa Denise Jones, Janiah Miller, June Alexander, Ricardo Taylor, Mo Poetry Phillps ------------------------------------------Photography/ Artwork: Homeless Coalition, canva.com, Gabriela Godinez, Amanda Meek ---------------------------------------------Thank You For Reading Streetvibes And Supporting Our Mission To Build Community And Advocate Justice. Streetvibes and The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless do not endorse candidates for public office. �No. 39 3 | Nov 2 7, - N2019 o v 19, 2 0 18 Feb. 21-March | No. 401 3 COALITION Segregation Then, Segregation Now DR. MARK MUSSMAN Staff Writer T he Cincinnati region is home to segregated neighborhoods and schools. The typical American mantra is that we have overcome segregation and with that, we’ve created a level playing field. Recently, I wrote about how little has changed in Cincinnati over the past couple of decades, and I mentioned that schools are more segregated now than ever, especially when it comes to income segregation. As an educator, I wanted to dig deeper into racial segregation in our schools. There is considerable educational research that shows that educational success is only linked to two indicators: family income and school expenditures on curricular materials. In Ohio, these two things are intricately linked, as school funding is dependent on property taxes. In a few rare cases, there are some communities who are able to offset their residential property taxes with commercial property taxes, but for the most part, if a neighborhood has expensive homes, the schools in the neighborhood will be able to spend more per student. The school that spends the most in Ohio, spends nearly $40,000 per student on their education. In Hamilton County, Indian Hill spends the most per student; in 2016 that number was nearly $20,000. These amounts dwarf the $10,000 spent on each student in Cincinnati Public Schools. As my work brings me in and out of schools on a constant basis, I am always surprised when I visit a non-segregated school. It is rare, but it does happen. I wondered what this would look like, on a statistical level, so I began doing a data search. The State of Ohio keeps records on public schools, but does not provide information on charter, private, or religious schools. Since the segregation in the Catholic Schools in Cincinnati seems to be anecdotely related to racism: as my family members have vocally said they will send their children to Catholic schools because there are “too many Black people” in the public schools, I can readily and wholeheartedly say that the push for a Catholic school education comes more out of racism than their adherence to Catholic beliefs. However, the Catholic schools in Cincinnati aren’t completely white, as many schools are completely Black, especially at the elementary level. An example of this is in East Walnut Hills, where St. Francis de Sales Elementary is almost entirely African American, and Mercy Montessori, just a few blocks away is mostly white. Until the demographic information is made available, we can just go from our experience, and know the Black Catholic schools and the white Catholic schools. Focusing on the public schools has the benefit of also thinking deeper into the racial dynamics of the neighborhood, or municipality, in which the schools operate. In my research, I am including the demographic data from 49 local schools. I was unable to get Ohio data from Dater, Gamble, Taft, and Seven Hills School, which I suspect are each racially segregated. I also had to use Mason Middle School data, as the high school data wasn’t on the state’s page. Finally, Harrison High School data was not available. However, the data I did collect represents more than 50,000 students in the Cincinnati region, in Ohio. I did not include Northern Kentucky, although recents reports put that region near the top of the most economically segregated schools in America. When school desegregation efforts were in full swing in the 1970’s, the definition of segregation was a school with 70% or more of one race or ethnic group. This is the standard that I am using here. The results below show that most students in Cincinnati go to a segregated school. The level of segregation would be shocking, if we didn’t expect this to be the case. Of the 50,274 students in the 49 local schools, 34,814 students attended racially segregated schools. Far more than half of the attendees. 9 schools have less than 10 African American students in attendance: Ross, Claremont-Eastern, BethelTate, New Richmond, Goshen, Taylor, Mariemont, Batavia, and Madeira. The total population of these schools is 5,237 students. Less than 90 students total, in all of these schools, are African American. Ross High School has the distinct honor of the most white, at 98%. Other schools that are 90% or more white include: Amelia, Loveland, Turpin, Anderson, Oak Hills, Milford, and Little Miami Local School District. Schools in the 80-89% white category include Lebanon, Kings, Reading, Monroe, and Indian Hill. Schools that are 70-79% white include: Wyoming, Lakota, Deer Park, and Norwood. This leaves Sycamore on the border at 67% with a 8% African American population. It should be noted, that these levels of segregation are not natural, and that segregation comes from decades of racism in housing, education, employment, transportation, health care, etc. None of this “just happens” but rather it is a concerted effort by banks, real estate professionals, racist policies, and policing. Many of these communities were “Whites Only” communities, through redlining, restrictive covenants, and other concerted efforts to exclude people of color from settling there. This is also not some historical issue, if it was, then we wouldn’t continue to have severely segregated schools. There’s another side to this, where schools are segregated at more than 70% African American. The most segregated Black school is Woodward, (again Taft data wasn’t available, which I suspect is very highly segregated as well), with 94% African American, and 1% white. Shroder comes in second at 93% African American, followed by Hughes at 90%, Aiken at 86%, Withrow at 83%, North College Hill at 81%, Western Hills at 78%, Mount Healthy at 74%, and Virtual High at 70% African American. Other than North College Hill and Mount Healthy, these are Cincinnati Public Schools. Generational poverty creates a more expensive remedy for these schools, as schools are forced to pick up more slack, even serving two or three meals a day, ramping up wrap-around services such as medical care, and providing familybased education options. Schools that are majority white have less additional expenses because of the generational wealth that our public policies granted them over the last generations. There are some schools that aren’t so severely segregated, but I might argue are still segregated, but they have a larger Hispanic or Asian population, which tilts the numbers into 3 boxes, instead of two: African American and white. This includes Princeton, which is 23% white, 46% African American, and 21% Hispanic. While no one is a majority alone, it reaches segregation levels while including Asian and Pacific Islander as well. Also, I would put Mason City Schools into this category as well, with 61% white, but less than 4% African American. There is a large Asian population in Mason schools, at 24% of the student body. Winton Woods also fits in this category with 27% of the students of Hispanic, Asian, or multiracial identity. A discussion about the socalled “model minority” in education, what that means for other minorities, and how this dilutes race-based measures, will need to be saved for another article, but it’s an important consideration when looking at the statistics. We are left with 11,120 students who attend desegregated schools, based upon the formula I discussed above (70% threshold). Each of the following 10 schools have less than 70% of a single race or minority grouping. The percentage of African American and white students total in each school is between 80 and 88 percent. While these numbers may not accurately portray the community within which the school resides, as there are other schools, such as charter and religious schools, it may make a statement about the school’s commitment to creating a social system that enables students to make informed decisions on their exposure to people of different ethnicities. Four of the schools, Clark Montessori, Oyler, SCPA, and Walnut Hills are Cincinnati public schools, while the other six are mostly suburban schools: Colerain, Fairfield, Finneytown, Lockland, Northwest, and St. Bernard/Elmwood Place. Only one school, SCPA is more than 50% African American, at 53%. These numbers don’t get to deeper issues of representation. What does it matter if a school’s student population is desegregated if there are no African American teachers or administrators? How are Black students treated differently when it comes to punishments, or even advance courses such as AP? What is the graduation rate for African American students? What is the level of police presence in each school? How are the relationships different between students and staff, including detention guards and so-called School Resource Officers? But what we can gleam from this data is that we are still in an active mode of segregation when the vast majority of our students attend extremely segregated schools, live in segregated neighborhoods, and ultimately, live segregated lives. Graph Shows that most students attend segregated schools, with the vast majority of white students attending segregated schools. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �4 ADVERTISMENT THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED N o v 221-March - N o v 19, 7, 2 02019 18 | N o . 393 Feb. | No. 401 �No. 39 3 | Nov 2 - 7, No v 19,| 2 0 18401 Feb. 21-March 2019 No. 5 U.S. NEWS Reflections On African-Americans And Politics - 1963-2019 BILL WOODS ContributingWriter H ow have AfricanAmericans fared in the political process in the last five and a half decades? This period covers the flowering of the Civil Rights Movement and the election of the first African-American President. It's a time frame that produced major advancements, but also left large problems and issues to be addressed. When Streetvibes editor Gabriela Godinez-Feregrino decided to dedicate this issue to Black History Month, she asked me to do a piece on AfricanAmericans and politics. As an aging white man, I took on this assignment with trepidation. Nevertheless, I determined to offer my observations on this theme beginning with the year I graduated from college in 1963. Much of the South was still legally segregated in the early 1960s, and I graduated from a Midwestern college that still accepted national fraternities on campus that prohibited AfricanAmericans from membership. During the summer after graduation in 1963, I landed a temporary job writing press releases for the City Charter Committee, Cincinnati's reform political party. It was a Council election year, and Charter was determined to reelect Theodore M. Berry, an African-American attorney, to that body. Under the PR-voting system (proportional representation), Berry had been elected to Council by large margins, but the voters abolished PR in 1957. Political observers at the time attribute the successful effort to eliminate proportional representation to a whispering campaign that Berry was getting too powerful and might eventually become mayor. That summer was also the backdrop for the March on Washington, where thousands of African-Americans rallied for Civil Rights. I remember on that August afternoon, Forest Frank, the Director of the Charter Committee, called me into his office to watch this event on a small television set. In that setting, I heard Martin Luther King give his "I have a dream" speech. It was impossible not to be moved by his powerful words, and I think I unconsciously thought that this was an historic moment. From August onward, Dr. King became one of the key figures in the Civil Rights movement, and more and more effective, peaceful protests took place throughout the South. Meanwhile here in Cincinnati that November, Theodore Berry won back a seat on Council. In the next few years, the movement moved forward on a number of fronts throughout the country. For instance in Washington, D.C., a flurry of activity took place. Lyndon Johnson became an activist President after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and he was able to move legislation along that had been bogged down for a long time. One of the major Civil Rights laws that passed during this period was the Voting Rights Act, an act that for years helped eliminate state laws designed to prevent African- Americans from voting and participating in the political process. President Johnson also launched what he called "The War on Poverty," a plan that brought about urban projects such as the Community Action Program, Model Cities, and additional funding for housing and job training. These initiative weren't sufficient to eliminate poverty, but they did provide needed assistance to inner city Black neighborhoods. These Civil Rights advances caused several backlashes in the country. Politicians such as Alabama Governor George Wallace made his reputation by defying the new federal laws, and the once solid Democratic South began its shift to the Republican Party. The urban riots that took place in cities across the nation from 1966-1968 were in part due to Black inner city residents feeling that all the fanfare about Civil Rights and desegregation had not done much to improve their lives. Meanwhile more AfricanAmericans were elected to public office. Changing urban demographics made this possible, and when Carl Stokes was elected Mayor of Cleveland in 1967, he became the first African-American mayor of a major U.S. city. When I was teaching at Wilmington College in 1969, I interviewed the Mayor when he received an honorary degree at the College's graduation ceremonies. This trend continued. Not only were more and more AfricanAmericans selected as mayors, but also a number of them were elected to Congress from cities such as Detroit, Cleveland, and New York City. In fact, Lewis Stokes, Carl Stokes' brother, was elected to Congress from a Cleveland area district, and he served for years as an influential member of the Congressional Black Caucus. A precursor to Barack Obama's successful campaign for President in 2008 was the Rev. Jesse Jackson's credible bid for the Democratic nomination for that office in 1988. In short, the progress of AfricanAmericans winning public office has gone forward to the present day. Finally, Barack Obama was elected to the nation's highest office for two terms. At the moment, at least two African-Americans are vying for the Democratic nomination for President in 2020. Nevertheless, several major problems plague our political system today that makes life difficult for millions of African- Americans. The influence of "big money" in political campaigns at all levels gives way too much influence to wealthy interest groups. Little attention in recent times has been paid to growing poverty and income inequality, and a large percentage of low-income families and individuals are African-American. The safety net of programs and services for people in need has been gutted over the last three decades. Reforms must put in place that will make average Americans, and especially people in need, the focus of attention of our elected representatives. A second problem for AfricanAmericans is their minimal influence on the Republican Party. In the last fifty years, the Party of Lincoln has become the white man's party, and Republican officials tend to ignore Civil Rights issues or issues of urban poverty. This fact makes the Democratic Party the only political outlet for AfricanAmericans. In summary, African-Americans have had a lot of progress politically over the last half-century, and that fact should be celebrated. However, it must not be ignored that the U.S. is at turning point in dealing with some critical economic, social, and political issues. We all must make some adequate public responses to them or accept a steady decline. Racial Analysis within Homelessness PATRICIA PATTON Contributing Writer I t was a chilly crisp morning as I walked to the bus stop on my way to work. Almost daily after I arrive and secure my space to wait, I am confronted by a frumpily dressed white male asking for money to buy him a cup of coffee. My feelings are mixed: should I give him something or should I, as so many others do, dismiss him? Should I reply with the standard response, “why don’t you get a job?” While I often comply by giving them a dollar or two, long after my act of generosity the questions in my head remain. Why am I helping a white male? I mean, given their gender and race, they run the world; the sky’s the limit. I wonder do they know the power they possess? The question inspired me to look further into the challenges this population faces, so I did some research and found that according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness there are currently 10,095 homeless people across the state of Ohio. In addition, Take Away, a public radio program, states that African Americans comprise 12.6 percent of the population, yet 40 percent are classified as homeless. Furthermore, Dr. Marion Moser Jones, a professor with the University of Maryland School of Public Health who has studied the homeless from 1985-2015, states that the causes of homelessness between the two races differ. For blacks discrimination, social isolation, and drug abuse could factor. While for whites homelessness is usually due to or is the result of mental illness, disability, and alcohol abuse. Also factor in a limited availability of housing for blacks and economic inequalities in general. While both races share the devastating reality of homelessness the reasons and or causes of the condition veer. Black woman who become homeless are usually more likely to have THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED experienced sexual abuse, while white women are more likely to be victims of physical abuse. Blacks are more likely to have experienced poverty in childhood, while white homeless adults experienced varying forms of abuse coming up. In conclusion, these studies suggests that non-profit agencies designed to help the homeless should not only think about providing housing for them, but look into the array of cultural differences, and needs that contribute to this chronic condition. I believe that with this in mind we will inspire long lasting change and hence diminish the chance of homelessness from recurring again and again. �GLOBAL 6 N o v 221-March - N o v 19, 7, 2 02019 18 | N . 393 Feb. | oNo. 401 African churches boom in London's backstreets Members of the eternal sacred order of cherubim & seraphim church parade through the street to celebrate their annual thanksgiving in elephant and castle, london, britain, july 29, 2018. the church was founded by moses orimolade tunolase in 1925 in nigeria and is attended by worshippers of nigerian descent who come from all over the country for services. reuters/simon dawson WILLIAM SCHOMBERG & SIMON DAWESON Reuters O n a cold, grey Sunday morning, in a street lined with shuttered builders' yards and storage units, songs of prayer in the West African language of Yoruba ring out from a former warehouse that is now a church. The congregation, almost entirely dressed in white robes, steadily grows to around 70 people as musicians playing drums, a keyboard and a guitar pick up the pace of the hymns. Some women prostrate themselves on the floor in prayer. In the sparse formerly industrial building, its interior brightened by touches of gold paint, a speaker reminds the group of a list of banned activities -no smoking, no drinking of alcohol, no practicing of black magic. In a street outside, a pastor flicks holy water over the car of a woman who wants a blessing to ward off the risk of accidents. The busy scene at the Celestial Church of Christ is repeated at a half a dozen other African Christian temples on the same drab street and in the adjacent roads - one corner of the thriving African church community in south London. Around 250 black majority churches are believed to operate in the borough of Southwark, where 16 per cent of the population identifies as having African ethnicity. Southwark represents the biggest concentration of African Christians in the world outside the continent with an estimated 20,000 congregants attending churches each Sunday, according to researchers at the University of Roehampton. Reflecting the different waves of migration to Britain in the 20th Century, Caribbean churches began to appear in the late 1940s and 1950s as workers and their families arrived from Jamaica and other former British colonies. African churches opened their doors in London from the 1960s, followed by a second wave in the 1980s. Migrants, many of them from Nigeria and Ghana, sought to build communities and maintain cultural connections with their home countries by founding their own churches, often founded in private homes, schools and office spaces. As the communities grew, the churches moved into bigger spaces in bingo halls, cinemas and warehouses, gathering congregations of up to 500 people where services are streamed online by volunteers with video cameras. There is a striking contrast with the empty pews at many traditional Church of England churches where congregations have dwindled for years. "We pray for this country," said Abosede Ajibade, a 54-year-old Nigerian who moved to Britain in 2002 and works for an office maintenance company. "People here brought Christianity to Africa but it doesn't feel like they serve Jesus Christ anymore." Anyone travelling around south London on a Sunday morning will see worshippers, often dressed in dazzlingly coloured African clothes, making their way to churches, each with their different styles of worship. Hymns are sung only in African languages in some temples, or only in English at others. Some pastors take worshippers for full immersion baptisms in the cold of the English Channel. Others believe that when congregants suddenly start speaking in unknown languages it marks the presence of the Holy Spirit. But the researchers from the University of Roehampton found things that many churches have in common, including a drive for professional advancement, a commitment to spend three hours or more at Sunday service and typically very loud worship. “That is how we express our joy and gratitude to God," Andrew Adeleke, a senior pastor at the House of Praise, THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED one of the biggest African churches in Southwark, in a former theatre. “The church is not supposed to be a graveyard," Adeleke said. "It is supposed to be a temple of celebration and worship and the beauty is to be able to express our love to God, even when things are not perfect in our lives." For some, the noise from amplified services is a problem, leading to complaints to local authorities from residents. But many churches face bigger challenges than unhappy neighbours: Some provide food for people struggling to make ends meet, or work with young people at risk of recruitment by gangs. Andrew Rogers, who led the University of Roehampton researchers, said pastors had to juggle retaining the churches' African identity while appealing to children of first generation immigrants, many of whom have never lived outside Britain. They typically have a more liberal world view which can be hard to reconcile with conservative Pentecostal teachings. Rogers recalled speaking to one pastor who lamented he was unable to talk about religious miracles to his children. "If the church doesn't adapt, then they are going to leave and look elsewhere," Rogers said. Courtesy of Reuters / INSP.ngo �GLOBAL N o. 39 3 | Nov 2 - 7, N o2019 v 19,| 2 0 18401 Feb. 21-March No. 7 Netflix and Nollywood: What the streaming giant’s involvement in Nigeria’s massive film industry means ALESSANDRO JEDLOWSKI Reuters G lobal streaming service Netflix set its eyes a few years ago on Nigeria’s film industry, better known as Nollywood. Distribution of Nigerian movies on Netflix started around 2015. At the time the American giant bought the rights of blockbusters such as Kunle Afolayan’s October 1st, Biyi Bandele’s Fifty and several others, after they had already been distributed in Nigerian cinemas. During the Toronto International Film Festival 2018, Netflix announced the acquisition of worldwide exclusive distribution rights for Nollywood star Genevieve Nnaji’s debut film as director, the comedy Lionheart. The film marked the first Netflix original film from Nigeria. Many saw this as the beginning of a new era in the relationship between one of the world largest streaming platforms and Africa’s most prolific film industry. But, is this actually true? Is Netflix going to transform Nollywood? And how significant will its impact on the Nigerian film industry be? Difficult questions These are not easy questions to answer. Nollywood’s economy and modes of production are unlike those of most other film industries. Over the past 20 years, Nigerian films have circulated mostly on videotapes and Video Compact Discs (VCDs). This distribution system made the industry widely popular across Africa and its diaspora. But it prevented Nollywood from consolidating its economy and raising the quality of film production. Piracy dramatically eroded distribution revenues and producers had trouble monetising the distribution of their films. Nollywood prioritised straight-to-video distribution because cinema theatres had almost disappeared in the country (as in most other parts of Africa) as a result of the catastrophic economic crisis that affected Nigeria in the 1980s. New multiplexes have emerged since the beginning of the 2000s. However, today there are only about 150 widescreens for a population of almost two hundred million people. The cinemas that exist are often too expensive for most of the population that used to buy and watch Nollywood films when they were distributed on tapes. Within this context, many in the industry thought that streaming could be the best solution to the industry’s problems with distribution. However, a closer look to the history of what has been labelled the “Nigerian Netflix” (iROKO.tv, the leading streaming platform for Nigerian contents) shows that the reality is more complicated. When the company decided to move its headquarters from Manhattan to Lagos it encountered countless difficulties. They were mainly connected to the costs of infrastructure development in Nigeria and to the hostility of local distributors who controlled Nollywood’s economy since its creation. Weak internet Internet connection in Nigeria is still too weak and expensive to guarantee easy access to streaming platforms. As a result, Nollywood content distributed by iROKO.tv and Netflix circulates mostly in the diaspora. Netflix is aware of this problem and is investing in infrastructures to secure a better connection for its Nigerian audiences. But larger investments seem to be necessary to produce a significant impact on audiences’ behaviour. Accessing Nollywood films via piracy or local screening venues will continue to be, at least in my view, the key strategy adopted by the largest percentage of Nigerian viewers. Netflix could have better chances in across Africa through its Africa Magic channels, has reacted nervously to Netflix’s increased interest in African markets. MultiChoice wants Netflix to be more closely regulated. These two aren’t the only telecommunication “superpowers” in the field. France’s Canal Plus and the Chinese StarTimes have also made a few investments in Nollywood over the past few years. The competition among all these actors will probably have a positive impact for viewers across Nigeria and the continent. It could bring lower subscription fees for streaming and TV content packages. There are also likely to be new investments in content production and infrastructures. And there’s larger continental and global exposure for Nollywood films in the offing. Foreign investments It remains to be seen how good these developments will be for Nollywood producers. Until now, foreign investments in Nollywood have mostly translated into “more of the same” content. Working conditions for crews and actors have remained the same – basically, low budgets and quick shooting schedules. in production budgets. Rather, they invest in better structuring distribution networks to extract as much profit as possible from the Nigerian industry. And most African audiences are indeed happy with how Nollywood is, even if they tend to complain regularly about the low quality and the repetition of film contents and aesthetics. The fact that Nollywood as it is keeps on attracting audiences makes investors reluctant to change the scale of their production budgets. There are a few bigger productions, with higher production standards, that have emerged over the past few years in Nollywood. But they have hardly been the result of investments made by foreign firms like Netflix, Canal Plus or MultiChoice. Nigerian producers are those who are mostly concerned about raising the quality of Nollywood films. They want to give better content to their audiences and reach global screens. In most cases, the people investing money in these kinds of projects have been independent producers or groups of investors related to the new business of multiplexes in Nigeria. In my view, the question is: will these people benefit from Netflix, so as to continue investing in higher quality A boy is seen through a camera monitor as he acts in a scene during the making of "Ake", a film based on the childhood memoirs of Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, in Abeokuta, southwest Nigeria July 16, 2013. Nigeria's movie business, often known as Nollywood, is one of the biggest in the world. Most films are produced in local languages - Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo among them - while many others are made in English. Nollywood also has a growing audience among Africans living abroad, keen for a taste of home, whether watched in south London hairdressers or rented from Texas video stores. Nigeria shot its first film, "Palaver" (Trouble), in 1904. Picture taken July 16, 2013. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye penetrating the country’s elite market, as richer people in Nigeria and across Africa have easier access to reliable power supply and internet. This might be the reason why MultiChoice, the South African telecommunication giant controlling much of Nollywood distribution In fact, big investors seem to be mainly interested in Nollywood’s already established popularity with African audiences. Making Nollywood more palatable for international audiences doesn’t seem to feature. This means that in most cases they are not ready to invest bigger money THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED content? Or will Netflix and other international companies end up taking over the industry to make it only a bit more of the same? Courtesy of The Conversation / INSP.ngo �FEATURE 8 N o v 221-March - N o v 19,7, 2 02019 18 | |NNo. o . 393 Feb. 401 Sidewalk Smart FELIX WINTERNITZ Contributing Writer R on English is busy dodging delivery vans and the odd streetcar when we first meet at the corner of 12th and Vine. It seems fated we’ll cross paths almost immediately three more times, once as he’s displaying his chalk art along Main Street during a Final Friday, then later on the crowded avenue outside the Pendleton Art Center, and finally sharing the Metro bus to Madisonville (on Jan. 20, 2019) where English is busy preparing to premiere his showing of paintings at the neighborhood’s community center. “On the street outside” is a phrase that probably best describes this Picasso of the sidewalk set. He’s a longtime outsider looking inside the Cincinnati art world from a distance, a bad boy who inhabits the streets and corner stoops of OTR rather than the posh galleries of, say, a Mount Adams or Hyde Park. “Hey, I know you!” English shouts at our last random meeting. It’s seems like karma has come calling, fateful crossings which demand a story on this outgoing street personality. English, for his part, is happy to converse about painting: “My hand just starts to move, and I don’t know if I’m in control of it,” says English of his creative process. “It’s more like a dream.” In a sit-down interview, Ron Ron English, Over-the-rhine street artist, posing with original work. Photo Credit: Felix Winternitz English appears animated and enthusiastic, prone to bold statements. English, in fact, is likely Over-therhine’s most visible street artist. His meandering home base can be found along Main and Vine adjoining the Liberty strip; his colorful chalk-on- cardboard canvas, however, proves universal … “I want to believe in myself so that I can leave my legacy behind,” English remarks. “I want to live a life of honesty, righteousness, and in peace. … I have a dream of happiness and spiritual blessings, of a poor man’s honor, to achieve and thrive for growth, to form myself to be a very unique person.” Ron English’s medium is plainly cardboard, chalk and colored pencils. He’s a vendor for the street-corner shoppers, selling his wares to make a living. His gallery is somewhere between the Brewery District in “NoLi” (North of Liberty) and the Gateway Quarter in “SoLi” (South of Liberty). English artfully crosses between these two districts, two distinct realms of Liberty that are worlds apart. “I say you should be around people because you love them for who they are and not what they have,” states this artist, advocating – without any prompt – his unusual lifestyle; he gladly elaborates on his perceptions. “Love is the true power.” Local artist Ellen Stedtefeld prizes the three English originals she owns: “I like the vibrancy of his pastels, but I like the precision of the colored pencils. Both have a great sense of energy and life. “For my birthday, my sister and her boyfriend bought me three original artworks by Ron English,” continues THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Stedtefeld. “As I understand, English considers himself as an outsider artist as he has little to no formal training, but a strong desire to create. “Like many outsider artists, he makes his work out of humble materials –cardboard, colored pencils and chalk pastels – and he sells them on the streets in downtown Cincinnati,” explains Stedtefeld of her fondness for the sidewalk art. “As the resident art expert in the family, I am often asked ‘Is that really art?’ and in the case of Ron English, I give a resounding YES.” For an outsider, Ron English certainly has his fans. The Prairie Art Collective recently showed a selection of English’s pastel drawings on cardboard as well as a site-specific mural. As the reception announcement put it, “A well-known street artist, he’s seen showing his work on doorsteps and street-corners. English produces Cubist pastel drawings ‘inspired by the Lord.’ ” The ebth.com web sales site currently lists this English original for $35: “An original triptych of marker and crayon drawings on found cardboard by contemporary Cincinnati artist English, (who) mainly produces Cubist figural drawings. These images depict stunning minimalistic abstracted portraits of three men drawn in black ink with subtle blue crayon accents. The pieces are titled Man, Man, and Lincoln.” �No. 39 3 | Nov 2 -7, N2019 o v 19,| No. 2 0 18401 Feb. 21-March English even attracted the attention of well-known muralist Jan Brown Checco as part of a community project entitled the “Murals and Can-paign” project. The themes and images consisted of temporary murals created for the Vine Street corridor between Central Parkway and Liberty Street. The inspiration came from the hearts and minds of young people living in Over the Rhine. The workshop engaged 60 participants during five months at Peaslee Neighborhood Center, a convocation teaching the teens “to be more aware of the importance of public art and its responsibility to uplift life on the streets.” Finally, there are these observations from the Intu Outsider Art web site, produced by a tag-team of area artists: “We drove down to Main Street bustling with the activities of the monthly Final Friday. We knew our destination. We FEATURE saw Ronald English sitting on the stoop [and] was conversing with passers-by and had cardboard and his colored pencils. He waved excitedly and raised a framed piece as a flag. “We parked and by the time we had gotten to the storefronts of Shadeau and Envoi, he had already made his way down the street. [English] said he had heard about ‘this website’ and said he wanted to sell the drawing he had done of a personality from American Idol. He said ‘it looks just like her ... it's Susan Boyle.’ “We purchased the work and began to pursue answers regarding his (recent) absence. He explained that he had been in the hospital for months recovering from the amputation of six more toes. He had previously had three removed, results of gangrene. “We spoke about the direct or obvious transference of Ronald’s mood to the tone of the work. Choices in subject, tone, color, fragmentation, all appear as parallel.” Ronald Leroy English was born in Cumminsville in 1955. He attended school here, won school spelling bees and excelled in sports, particularly basketball as a center. He mentions that he has a “bunch” of brothers and sisters as well as half-brothers and sisters. English says he served in the Army National Guard, according to one online artist’s biography. During the time he was away in National Guard service, his mother was murdered. English says he returned to discover he had no remaining possessions or a home. He’s since lived on the streets, experiencing the desperation associated with substance abuse. English has participated in art projects sponsored by behavioral services associated with mental disease. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED 9 His various projects have linked him with Visionaries and Voices, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, and Our Daily Bread. English says he actually began drawing in the late 1990s. He was staying in a room with the door open and he woke up to see paint cans in the hallway. It’s exactly as one onlooker observed, amid the crowd at the Pendleton Art Center: “That was his moment of discernment, his lightningbolt flash of percipient insight.” (Cincinnati’s English, by the way, is not to be confused with the betterknown artist Ron English, a nationally known figure who coined the term “POPaganda” to describe a trademark fusion of high and low imagery, mixing superheroes and comic strips with art history iconography in a prolific output of paintings, billboards and sculptures.) �10 STREETVOICE N o v 221-March - N o v 19,7, 2 02019 18 | |NNo. o . 393 Feb. 401 Street Life: Our Reality RICARDO TAYLOR Streetvibes Distributor Contributing Writer F or those of us who are invested in the life of the streets, there are never moments of mirage. Times when we thought/ believed those instances where we saw or imagined relief from our selfimposed plight in life. It is always the same, that reflexive appearance, like our reflex ion in a mirror. Our reality, existing momentarily in hopes and dreams of a presupposition of what life is supposed to be, only having to return to the reality of our true existence! How easy is it to see that relief from the immediate sufferings, which we often find ourselves with promises of tomorrow? “Well I know that Friday is payday, so I can spend what I have and then take care of my bills on Friday!” Only to find that when Friday comes my bills have doubled! So, often we find that our intent is not so much a reflection of our ability or our being, but better stated a mirage of our desires. Our experiences tell us that the reality we perceive is unreal, yet we continue to commit ourselves to acts that we know are non-beneficial towards our welfare or well-being. A mirage! Our image suffers the reflection of ourselves, and we hardly see ourselves in reflection and instead see ourselves in an arena of whom we’d want or try to be! The self becomes lost in a sort of fantasy, losing the way we view the world, and of course our true selfimage. We often start to lose hope, that most fundamental grasp of sanity! We become that mirage of self, and we know from experience, that when hope dies, we prey instead of pray and our lives spin out of control! That oh, so, miserable feeling of self-image becomes the mirage of our longings in such that we find ourselves in the mirage of whom we’d like to be; allowing our reality to become the stage of that thin line between reality and the wishes we have for our wellbeing. That no man’s world where only hopes and dreams exist: Our Reality. Roots June Alexander Contributing Writer W hen you asked us about our roots the first thing in my mind was my hair. Instantly, the smell of heat and grease came to mind. Roots conjured up images of a child’s straw bottomed chair and family voices. When I was young my hair was long and my mother washed it every Saturday night to ready for Sunday and the school week to come. In some strange adult way this was entertainment to my daddy. He would come into the kitchen and tease me. It hurt to have my mother comb out my hair. “Sit still,” mamma yelled. “Hold your ear so I don’t burn it!” All this and Daddy’s teasing made me cry harder. He didn’t have to go through this girl torture! “Stop it!” I screamed!” That only lead my grandmother to chime in, “Make sure you get deep down to her roots! Make sure those roots are good and straight! Years later Black Pride, Dr. King, power signs and our roots personified by the Afro.. Unfortunately the afro was not meant for me. The afro became another symbol of my “roots” awakening. The afro was proud like the black power sign. It stood high, which was more than I could say for my hair. It just curled up or fell back down to my shoulders. On a good day I managed to look like an electrocuted porcupine. Of course, well- meaning elders explained, “You can’t do that. You got good hair.” Many years later I was in college away from my mother’s hot combs, so I decided to have a relaxer put into my hair. Against wise counsel, I went to a beauty parlor and got me a relaxer. After all I was paying for it with my own money. And it was with more of my money I had to pay a doctor to tell me why my hair fell out. My roots landed me at the white beauty shop. In her deep southern accent the hairdresser asked carefully, “Baby, who your people…who your folks…” At first I didn’t understand; or better yet, I suddenly developed that great American disease…denial! She made a shield with her body against the other patrons and held my face in her hands. As discreetly and as compassionately as she could she asked, “Baby, how much white people in you?” All I could do was laugh. I replied, “ According to my great-great aunts our family didn’t get black until 1952.” She mellowed and continued to treat my scalp and left-over hair. All the while she keep talking about how I couldn’t do my hair like other black girls and it ain’t how light the skin is that always tells the mixture, it’s other things…and so on and so forth. Her account of black and white mixing and back in the day when people were passing faded into another awakening. It turn in to my grandfather who looked like an old version of Sean Connery and my grandmother’s dark skin. My granddaddy’s pain of not being neither here nor there; his pain of knowing his white cousins lived just across the street and it couldn’t be acknowledged until after death tornadoed into his painful discovery about his brother being taken from the family because his brother’s skin was too dark. My grandmother’s constant battle with self-image because she came from slaves and field hands with dark skin and coarse hair. My grandmother’s every moment trying to prove she was just as good as the more educated, light skinned upper class relatives on my grandfather’s side of the family. My grandmother's self-hatred turned into poison. Watching a once loving woman become evil and bitter because she looked and loved more like Hattie McDaniels than Halle Berry break my granddaddy’s heart knowing there was nothing he could do to change the world—gave me pain. Roots!? How dare you ask me about my roots. Is this your idea of some cruel and twisted joke? You know about my roots. You took them from us. Just like that hot comb, your heated disdain and hatred for us burned and destroyed my roots. My soul, my light, and my compass-- you took from me. My aunts and my mothers tried to hide me because we were witches and healers like our ancestors. Just like the torture of straighten my hair was to make me more comfortable to white THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED people. Straightened out or white out my roots. You took our art, music, and even our religion away from us. And if that way enslaving enough you lied about Egypt, the Bible, classical music even art. We were all there. From the very beginning, we were there! You took my soul. You took our souls and then you want to know why we act the way we do. What did you expect? We would all become black Ken and Barbies? And integration, the same lie you sold the Native Americans and the Aborigines. You didn’t want to integrate you wanted to annihilate. But it didn’t take. It can’t take…and so here we are all living in niggerdom. You striped us of everything that made us human. Our healers, our teachers, our witches, our religions, and our earth. And you wonder why we are living in niggerdom. But the joke is on you, look at your own children killing themselves to achieve an unnatural standard of beauty, life and success. All the while killing your own with a religion filled with hate and bigotry. Deciding who can love and who is worthy to pursue happiness. No! The joke is on you because now your children are all living in niggerdom. We are all wondering around with addictions, medications, gentrification, and anlationtion. With no hope of being human or humane again we are all now living in niggerdom. I’m not the only one whose roots have been straightened. �STREETVOICE Black History Month: The What, The Why, The How No. 39 3 | Nov 2 -7, N2019 o v 19,| No. 2 0 18401 Feb. 21-March KEY BECK Contributing Writer B lack History Month can be a time of celebration, activism, or even remembrance. It can also cause some to have confusion as to what we are celebrating. Is it black people, black accomplishments, or maybe black excellence. In short, it is all of those things. Black History Month was created to highlight the impact the black Diaspora had on the world from inventions to cultural events. It has a strong history of gaining a deeper understanding of all the contributions black people have made throughout history. Black History Month started out as “Negro History Week,” and it was imagined by Carter G. Woodson and other African-Americans, such as minister Jesse E. Moorland. It is important to note that in our current climate and point in time, the use of the word “negro” is pejoritve and an “in-group” term, meaning folx who do not identify as black should not voluntarily use it. Same can be said for other “N-Words,” that are often used against people of the Black Diaspora. Black history month started out as merely a cultural holiday celebrated by individual black people, church groups, and community organizations. It wasn’t fully realized until 1976, when the month of February was officially designated as Black History Month. Black History Month (or also sometimes called African-American History Month in the United States) isn't just an American celebration, there are months devoted to celebrating black history all over the world. The United Kingdom first celebrated Black History Month in 1987 thanks to the organized leadership of Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo. In Canada, Black History Month was officially recognized in December of 1995, following a motion introduced by the first black Cana- dian woman elected to Parliament, the Honourable[sic] Jean Augustine, MP of Etobicoke-Lakeshore. (Fun fact: Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.). There are many reasons why Black History Month should be important for everyone. It not only educates people about the numerous contributions that black people have helped create, but it also uplifts all people by educating them about a culture full of innovation, resilience, and inspiration. For black folx, learning about their culture helps them to understand how their culture has impacted the world. It also gives them hope that adversity can be challenged and defeated. It should also be noted that it illuminates the many barriers that still exist such as racism and white supremacy. So while we celebrated these accomplishments, we must remain vigilant and never become complacent. We need to engage 11 our communities in the fight for racial equity. We must break the silos and start collaborating together with other marginalized communities. We must also educate ourselves on the folx who came before us like Sarah Goode (Folding Cabinet Bed), Granville T. Woods (Multiplex Telegraph) and Charles Richard Drew (Blood Cells Separation). We must support our inner-city public schools and black organizations. We must insist that our kids curriculum contain the history of black people (as well as other marginalized groups). It is important to recognize and celebrate all the accomplishments of the Black Diaspora. It starts with recognition, recognition leads to acknowledgement and acknowledgement results in celebration. Celebrating Black History Month is something that makes all of us better people because it teaches us to value history and the people who create it. Gentrification: The Destruction of the Poor JANIAH MILLER I Contributing Writer grew up in Newport, Kentucky, but I still had connections to Cincinnati because of my family, they live across the 52 neighborhoods, there are a few to name, Amberly Village, Madisonville, Walnut Hills, and Evanston. Although a family member told me that Cincinnati was not safe in some areas and to always be cautious, I overlooked that notion. I started thinking about why it got that reputation and came to find out it was because people had been predisposition to believing that a bunch of poor, black, and brown people lived there that wasn’t necessarily the whole case anymore. Sure, there were poor black and brown people who lived their but with a growing gentrified Over-theRhine that had begun to change. When I say “change” it was not because the people who lived there got the help and resources they needed, it was because they were being ousted from their own community. Places that were near and dear to the Over-the-Rhine community like the Drop-Inn Center were pushed to the outskirts of Cincinnati, out of sight out of mind. As this displacement continues to happen these community members continue to fight to have a voice and stand their ground for the community that they have held and loved so near and dear to their hearts. With its struggles, they still love it because it’s a place called home, not like wealthy “non-profits” in disguise to turn a profit off the poor to build some posh new building. They disguise themselves to the public by saying they are making Over-the-Rhine an “up and coming” place, a renaissance, but really, they are pushing out the community to make room for affluent individuals while overlooking that the 53% of children in poverty that live in Cincinnati are not going to go away with a fancy new building. Instead they are helping speed the process up of intergenerational poverty through econcide, the urbanization and removal of certain groups through economic opportunities. I came to learn that certain neighborhoods would get these labels cast on them— society is predisposed to stigmatizing the poor, and people of color, we are bad because of our zip code THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED and then disposable when found that something we had was valuable, i.e, our neighborhoods. Therefore, everything is not what it seems to be, sure people in OTR might be poor and are people of color but why? What circumstances led this neighborhood to get this way? What’s their story? Bonnie Neumeier, long time Over-the-Rhine community advocate says, “Often the institution looks at poor people as if they are just looking for a handout, lazy, no good work ethic when these people have led some of the greatest under talked about social movements that have happened in history—our people aren’t sitting on our laurels waiting for a handout. We organized a movement that tried, still tries, to figure out community-based solutions to uses facing us.” My vision for OTR is to be a city that does good for the community and not just people who can bring a profit. There doesn’t need to be gentrification to beautify and revitalize a community. Let’s start giving equitable resources to communities that are already being displaced as if they are cattle. It will become easier to “other” problems of housing inequality because they will feel individualized since everyone is being spread out to different places, it will be harder to pinpoint areas that need the most resources. Gentrification is the destruction of the poor; it doesn’t give them a place. �12 Can You STREETVOICE Can You shut em down? Does the world believe that this is the worlds solution Can you shut em down? Keeping factory’s open with no work, now that’s pollution Can you shut em down? The free clinics, people homeless, no more Drop Inn Center Can you shut em down? Washington Park, the sanitation workers, I can’t help but litter Can you shut em down? Over the rhine was white then it was black, I thought we were all together Can you shut em down? I’m confused so tell congress I really thought they knew better Can you believe in your heart that the decisions of our country are either republican or democratic? Can you believe that out of all the people in the world two simple parties be worthy of so much static? Can you close your eyes to the reality of the fear that has such a tight grip on our nation today? Can you keep living shut down and shut up? I’m baffled but not lost for words I can honestly say For me, learning to live without doubt or fear in my life and keeping God so close to my heart I have no doubt that without God’s blessings this world is doomed to fall completely apart With much faith and without any reguards for the republicans or democratics controlling my being Without any doubt what so ever today I know that almighty God is the only real thing So can you shut em down? Now slow down and take the time to think,what do you really understand? You need to come back into the days of Adam and Eve and remember when only God ruled the land! WILLA DENISE JONES N o v 21-March 2 - N o v 19,7,22019 0 18 || N o . 393 Feb. No. 401 Homelessness Homelessness is a place that, has a lot of drought Homelessness is cold with wet nights, Homelessness is a cardboard box that a person calls their home To receive a blanket or a kind word means a lot to a person, sleeping on the curb If you open your eyes tell me what you see That person experiencing homelessness on the street one day could be you or me! KIM GREEN Streetvibes Distributor Contributing Writer Streetvibes Distributor Contributing Writer Streetvibes Writing Circle If you would like to submit a story for publication in streetvibes, come join Katelyn Lusher and Chris Wilkey for a group writing session! S treetvibes is distributed by individuals who purchase the paper for 75 cents per copy and sell it for a $2.00 donation, keeping the profit they have earned. Becoming a Distributor is a great way for individuals who are financially poor to get back on (or stay on) their feet. This program provides supplemental income for those unable to secure other employment. Money earned helps meet basic housing, food and health care needs. The program is a hand up for people who are often in a place of getting only a hand out, or even no hand at all. All Distributors wear a badge and usually a vest and can be found selling the paper in Downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northside, Northern Kentucky and at area churches. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 21-March 39 3 | Nov 2 7, - N o v 19, 2 0 18 Feb. 2019 | No. 401 STREETVOICE Presidents' Day 2019 Did this year's Presidents' Day Cause you sadness and dismay? A yearning to turn back the clock, And feeling nostalgia for Barack. Would you even replace Donald With a Prez known as Ronald? And who could ever call it daft, To prefer an Adams, Tyler or Taft? BILL WOODS Contributing Writer 13 I Don't Want to be Black I don't want to be black, Those are the words that my ten year old son told me with tears in his eyes. He is tired of being viewed as a threat. 5'1, 130 pounds, broad shouldersEasily mistaken for a man, A man who is black, Another black man, who could easily be shot in the back. Seen as having a weapon, Even when he is empty-handed. Seen as resisting arrest, Because he doesn't understand why he is arrested. Seen as obstructing when what is obstructed is his liberty, Not wanting to be black, Because there's too many things he is taught not to be. Not wanting to be black, Even though his black role models are hard-working, Educated examples of who to be. Not wanting to be black, Because it's hard to be black, and feel free. Warned that when in the presence of police don't move, Don't turn, never run, Don't grab or hold onto anything, That they can say is a gun. Watch who you hang with, What is seen is not always what is perceived. Warned over and over, So I won't be the nextBlack mother left to grieve. Told to never become irate, Even if he is falsely blamed or accused. That " Hands up, don't shoot," Really means don't move! Because " I was in fear for my life," Is the excuse they will use, And even when there is evidence, That is not the truth, Justice is refused. MO POETRY PHILLIPS Contributing Writer THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �PUZZLE 14 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 200 Across 1. Intense adverse criticism 5. Skewer 9. Stitches 13. Racing sled 14. Overwhelming fear and anxiety 16. Ellipse 17. Assist in wrongdoing 18. Assuage 19. Abnegate 20. Trials 22. Trader 24. Record of events on a voyage 26. Story 27. Incantations 30. Conundrum 35. Actor's prompt 36. Dig 39. Worthless material 40. Deficiency 42. Mythological water nymph 44. Stable gear joining two draft animals 45. Be of use to 47. Virtue 49. Annoy 50. Relating to the mind 52. Not moving as quickly 54. Taxis 57. Prevarication 58. Preside over 62. Young animals 66. Mature 67. Pal 69. Stolen goods 70. Examination by word of mouth 71. Vast multitude 72. Group of three musicians 73. Water source 74. Bird shelter 75. Assist PUZZLE SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD #189 Down 1. Musical notation 2. Part of the ear 3. Historic periods 4. Large hemispherical drum 5. Health resort 6. Part of the hand 7. Recess 8. Jewelled headdress 9. Soft drink 10. Tied 11. Have need of 12. Cunning 15. Oscillation 21. Exchanged for money 23. Chickens 25. Narrow secluded valley 27. Smooth in manner 28. Smooth brown oval nut 29. Close violently 31. Frozen 32. Orchard 33. Manufacturer 34. Peak 35. Marine mollusk 37. Compete for something 38. Corn spikes 41. Tools for a specified purpose 43. Aromatic herb 46. Decorative fabric 48. Work hard 51. Coniferous tree 53. Riches 55. Nobleman 56. Keep aside for future use 58. Morass 59. Opaque gem 60. Small wooded hollow 61. Concludes 63. To a greater extent 64. Painful sore 65. Halt 66. Angry dispute 68. Up to the present time Nov 2 - N o v 19,7, 20 18 | |NNo. o . 393 Feb. 21-March 2019 401 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 391 - MEDIUM SODOKU PUZZLE NO 391- MEDIUM PUZZLES from puzzlechoice.com and puzzles.ca THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 39 3 | Nov 2 -7,N2019 o v 19, 2 0 18 Feb. 21-March | No. 401 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Shelter: Women and Children RESOURCES Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 621-7265 1528 Race St. 45202 Churches Active in Northside Bethany House 557-2873 4230 Hamilton Ave. 45223 591-2246 FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 1841 Fairmount Ave. 45214 The Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women 2499 Reading Road 562-1980 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 112 E. Liberty Street 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave. 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 6037 Cary Ave. 45224 Salvation Army 762-5660 St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 131 E. 12th Street 45202 1125 Bank Street 45214 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Men Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Shelterhouse 721-0643 2121 Vine Street 45202 411 Gest St. 45203 Prospect House 921-1613 1437 Walnut Street 45202 Starting Over 961-2256 1805 Dalton Ave. 45214 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Women St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 682 Hawthorne Ave. 45205 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Parkway Center 661-4620 First Step Home 961-4663 Shelter: Youth 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Sheakley Center for Youth (18-24 y/o) 2522 Highland Ave. 45219 569-9500 Lighthouse Youth Crisis Center (10-17 y/o) 3330 Jefferson Ave 45220 961-4080 Shelter: Family Interfaith Hospitality Network Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Both AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 471-1100 1522 Republic Street 45202 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street 45202 Talbert House 221-HELP Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street 45202 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 VA 977-6800 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Food/Clothing First Lutheran Church 421-0065 1208 Race St. Food - Last Monday 12-1 Clothing - second Monday 12-1 Lord’s Pantry 621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert Ave. 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street 45202 St. Francis Seraph Ministries 549-0542 St. George Food Pantry 2554 Dennis St. 45219 751-8771 St. Anthony Center 1615 Republic St. Advocacy Catholic Social Action 421-3131 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 2401-2411 Reading Rd. 45202 2401 Reading Rd. 45202 241-2965 Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board 946-8000 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 221-HELP Housing: 15 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 UpSpring 363-3300 Health Cincinnati Health Network 2825 Burnet Ave. 45219 Other Resources Center Independent Living Options 241-2600 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 215 E. 14th St. 45202 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 381-0111 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. 579-8547 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 1223 Main St. 45202 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 Talbert House 751-7747 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 Hamilton County Office of Reentry 946-4304 138 E. Court Street Room # 101 First Floor Cancer Justice Network 404-3882 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels 981-4200 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center (11-17 y/o) 859-491-8303 ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-572-6202 Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky 634 Scott St. 41011 859-291-4555 Want to advertise in Streetvibes? You can support our mission and spread the word about your business. For more information contact Gabriela Godinez Feregrino, 961-0600 email streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Center for Respite Care 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave. 45229 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. 45202 Health Resource Center 357-4602 McMicken Integrated Care Clinic and Mobile Medical Van 386-7899 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 NAMI of Hamilton County 351-3500 PATH Outreach 977-4489 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �16 N ov 2 - N o v 19, 7, 2 02019 18 | N o . 393 Feb. 21-March | No. 401 S treetvibes is distributed by individuals who purchase the paper for 75 cents per copy and sell it for a $2.00 donation, keeping the profit they have earned. Becoming a Distributor is a great way for individuals who are financially poor to get back on (or stay on) their feet. This program provides supplemental income for those unable to secure other employment. Money earned helps meet basic housing, food and health care needs. The program is a hand up for people who are often in a place of getting only a hand out, or even no hand at all. All Distributors wear a badge and usually a vest and can be found selling the paper in Downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northside, Northern Kentucky and at area churches. ALFRED WOOLFOLK SINCE 10/2003 ASRES AYENAW SINCE 2012 BERTA LAMBERT SINCE 1997 BETTIE BAILEY SINCE 10/2017 BRANDON NELSON SINCE 4/2008 BRIAN ADAMS SINCE 7/2017 CHARLES WILLIAMS SINCE 7/2017 CHRISTOPHER KAIHATSU SINCE 7/2017 CLEO WOMBLES SINCE 10/2003 CRANDALL COBB SINCE 2004 DARREL ROZIER SINCE 7/2017 DAVID MCCANE SINCE 2017 ERIC VALDEZ SINCE 2/2017 GERALD FRANKLIN SINCE 7/2017 GRADY COOK SINCE 1997 HENRY BRELAND SINCE 7/2017 JAMES BROWN SINCE 3/2009 JAMES DAVIS SINCE 8/2000 JENNY BURTON SINCE 7/2017 JIMMIE GIPSON SINCE 2001 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 JOHN HORN JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 J’TORI TYMAN SINCE 5/2014 KIM NGUYEN SINCE 7/2017 KENNY BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 MARK SHEARS SINCE 4/2012 MAURICE GOLSBY MELISSA MOSBY SINCE 9/2014 MIKE CARANO SINCE 4/2016 RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RICKY WOODS SINCE 4/2015 RICCARDO TAYLOR SINCE 1999 RONNIE PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 SAMUEL JACKSON SINCE 10/2006 STACIA HOLLANDER SINCE 2017 STEPHANIE EAKES SINCE 7/2017 SYLVESTER WALKER SINCE 7/2017 TALINA HILL SINCE 2/2011 VICTOR MUMPHRY WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 WINNIE RICE SINCE 7/2017 QUEENACELASTINE SINCE 7/2017 TIA CASS SINCE 11/2007 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED TONY THOMAS SINCE 3/2005 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 VIOLET COLLINS SINCE 2017 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2019 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 21-March 7, 2019 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: From the Director Pg 3: Segregation Then, Segregation Now Pg 4: GCHC Pg 5: Reflections on African-American and Politics Racial Analysis Within Homelessness Pg 6: African Churches Boom in London’s Backstreets Pg 7: Netflix and Nollywood Pg 8: Sidewalk Smart Pg 9: Sidewalk Smart Continued Pg 10: Street Life Roots Pg 11: Black History Month Gentrification Pg 12: Street Voice Pg 13: Street Voice Pg 14: Puzzles Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 21-March 7, 2019 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Josh Spring Patricia Patton William Schomberg Simon Daveson Alessandro Jedlowski Felix Winternitz Key Beck Dr. Mark Mussman Bill Woods Janiah Miller Kim Green Willa Denise Jones Janiah Miller June Alexander Ricardo Taylor Mo Poetry Phillps Homeless Coalition Canva.com Gabriela Godinez Amanda Meek Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alessandro Jedlowski Amanda Meek Art Bill Woods Black History Month Canva.com Dr. Mark Mussman Felix Winternitz Gabriela Godinez Gentrification Homeless Coalition Janiah Miller Josh Spring June Alexander Key Beck Kim Green London Mo Poetry Phillps Netflix Nigeria Patricia Patton politics Ricardo Taylor Segregation Simon Daveson Street Life Willa Denise Jones William Schomberg https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/08fe1dd3c7f43adfaf14f1d57cb68ae2.pdf 33b400b9002a531343cd35af45cc36c4 PDF Text Text February 23rd - March 8th 2018 | Vol. 21 Issue 5 (No. 376) advocating justice | building community Uber Cannot Replace Public Transit - But It Can Enhance it | 9 This Issue is sponsored by Christ Church Cathedral INSIDE THIS ISSUE new Executive Director of The Child Poverty Collaborative | 2 My Picket Line | 3 Retired Lutheran Minister Dorsey Stebbins| 9 School shootings and other social problems | 7 Find previous issues of Streetvibes online at: cincistreetvibes.org Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 113 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvoice | 13 �2 LOCAL To FC Cincinnati Fans T he option of building a Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium in the West End is not a game. It is not just another match for FC Cincinnati to win. The West End is a neighborhood; a community of people. And meeting after meeting people who live in the West End have come out and passionately said no to a soccer stadium in the West End. People have said they don’t want the stadium because of the gentrification it will bring. Jeff Berding, President of FC Cincinnati, says the stadium would displace nobody. Even if a stadium would not directly take homes and displace people, the prospectors, developers and entrepreneurs who would come to cash in on it, would. Some have argued that gentrification will come anyway, so why not move forward with this stadium. That is such a terrible argument. First of all, gentrification is not inevitable. People can continue to organize and say no to displacement and exclusive “development”. Legislation can be created which would prevent displacement and gentrification. It simply is not inevitable. This F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 | N o . 37 6 JOSH SPRING Executive Director argument is like saying house fires are inevitable so its okay to let people sell tickets for a camp-fire marshmallow roast in the middle of your living Josh Spring Credit: Homeless Coalition room (if you have a home). When the wolf comes knocking at your door, don’t let it in. Here is the thing; the perspective, experiences and needs of people who live in the West End are more important than a soccer stadium. Do you, as FC Cincinnati fans, wish to be in a location where most of the people who live there, don’t want the team because people don’t want their neighborhood to be gentrified? Do you want to be a part of continuing the legacy of racist and economic displacement of Black People and People with low-incomes from the West End? That’s the history and that is why people don’t want this. And this history is still happening. 2,300 affordable homes have been lost in Over-the-Rhine due to gentrification. Thousands of people were forced from their homes in the West End just 15 years ago. If FC Cincinnati fans want an MLS stadium you need to begin telling Jeff Berding to stop trying to locate it in the West End. If the people who live there don’t want it, it should not happen. Further, I can’t imagine that this fight helps your prospect of FC Cincinnati being picked as a franchise by the MLS. Feel free to cheer your soccer players and team, but don’t cheer on your (Continued on page 6) Introducing the new Executive Director of The Child Poverty Collaborative T he new Executive Director of the Child Poverty Collaborative came to the Community Issues Forum on February 15th to give an update concerning this effort to effectively address Cincinnati's high family poverty rate. Although she cited some progress in assisting families in improving their situations, Dr. Karen Bankston emphasized that making a real dent in eliminating poverty in this city was a huge and complex undertaking. She called it "a heavy lift" that requires people to understand that many economic, social and political factors keep people poor. Bankston chided the popular concept that the solution is to convince poor people "to work harder." Many parents. She noted, are currently working two or three jobs but still not able to make a livable income for their families. She cited that 62- percent of Cincinnati's children in poverty have a workingparent, and that 72-percent of this area's jobs pay less than $50,000, the estimated amount needed to provide for a family comprised of one adult BILL WOODS Contributing Writer and two children. The Collaborative, Bankston noted, is currently bringing employers together to look for ways to deal with the very real income gap that exists in our job market. In her previous job at Children's Hospital, she convinced its CEO to do a study of employee salaries and their impacts. This review revealed that 4,000 people working for the Hospital received salaries that kept them below or just (Continued on page 5) Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by individuals experiencing homelessness or on the edge of homelessness, in exchange for a $2.00 Donation. Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati. 113 East 12th St. Cincinnati OH, 45202 Ph: 513.421.7803 FAX: 513.421.7813 WEB: www.cincihomeless.org BLOG: streetvibes.wordpress.com EMAIL: streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Editor: Justin Jeffre Executive Director: Josh Spring Director of Development: Mona Jenkins Director of Education: Dr. Mark Mussman Distributor Program Manager: Justin Jeffre Layout: Key Beck Reception: Larry Johnson, Anne Evans Maintenance: Pete Roper ----------------------------------------------CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Writers: Josh Spring, Bill Woods, Dr. Mark Mussman, Jason Haap, Michael Earl Patton, Saad Ghosn, Mark Samaan, Steve Sunderland, Bobby Morris, Kim Green, Willa Jones ----------------------------------------------Photography/ Artwork: Justin Jeffre, Dr. Mark Mussman, Homeless Coalition, ECI.com, ABC7. com, ForceOptionsUSA.com, Saad Ghosn, Better Bus Coalition, Bill Woods --------------------------------------------------Thank You For Reading Streetvibes And Supporting Our Mission To Build Community And Advocate Justice. Karen Bankston speaks at Community Issues Forum Credit: Justin Jeffre THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Streetvibes and The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless do not endorse candidates for public office. �No. 37 6 3 LOCAL My Picket Line | F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 DR. MARK MUSSMAN L ast year, my high school classmates planned a funfilled reunion weekend. I was excited to see old friends and catch up after all these years. Unfortunately, the planners, with no historical knowledge of the displacement that took place at the Metropole, decided to hold the event at the 21C Hotel. I immediately sent a message letting everyone know how 3CDC unethically and unjustly displaced the residents of the Metropole. I told them that I would not set foot in the 21C Hotel, and I urged others to do the same. It is my picket line. Growing up in Cincinnati, my first experience with a picket line was when Bigg’s employees were on strike. As a child, how could I know the complexity of collective bargaining? Staff Writer some of the protests against the new developments, like the Holiday Inn downtown or Richter Phillips Jewelers, which have been accused to be using unfair labor practices. In my mind, I tuck each of those places into a specific space that reminds me not to support that business. I also take the #NFLBoycott very seriously, and I hope that you did the same. I hope you will continue to boycott the NFL in the future, regardless of whether “your team” is doing well, as wage disparity, health/environmental issues, rampant sexism and racism plague the NFL. Wage theft is also an issue - which means that managers and business owners are withholding pay from their workers. There are many ways in which this occurs, from withholding at the very top, Champion Windows had nearly 700 employees who were finally paid almost $700,000 in overtime that they deserved. Many chain restaurants are on the list, but other smaller businesses, like The Senate in Over-the-Rhine, are also on the list. In Over-the-Rhine, I listen to stories of residents, including youth, who have received inhospitable service at restaurants, boutiques, or bars in the neighborhood. When someone complains that they were looked over for service, not given water or menus, people seated before them, ignored, poor service, etc., and they believe it has to do with their skin color, I file that business away in my brain as a place I should not support. Racism and poor labor practices are not the only reasons why I about it. Businesses that take up a huge amount of sidewalk space with barriers, like Rheinhaus, do that so they can serve alcohol on the sidewalk. Although it is legal, private sale of alcohol is not an acceptable use of public space. Other businesses are located in places that were key institutions in the neighborhood, like the corner store on 13th and Vine, where Homage is now, or the laundromat and school property where the Mercer is now. I refuse to be a part of the indirect gentrification in the neighborhood. Many other businesses are outside of the price range of myself and the original residents of the neighborhood. We obviously cannot afford to pay the starting dinner price of $38 at these restaurants on Vine Street. Finally, another trend, using racism/sexism/transphobia/ homophobia to sell your product will land you on my banned list. This includes the transphobic half taco, Hostile Design in Holtman's Donut Shop on Vine Street Close up of metal slats preventing people from sitting outside Holtman's Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman But, I was well aware of what’s fair and that people should deserve a livable wage and safe working conditions. That instance, of actually seeing people outside a business, holding signs and daring customers to cross the line, was instrumental for me in my understanding of labor issues. Recently, you may have seen wages, to pooling tips unfairly, forcing workers to pay back overtime pay, changing time sheets, etc. Wage theft is rarely punished criminally, but business may be forced to pay back wages. A recent list of wagetheft businesses was compiled using federal data that included 100 local businesses where the employees have recovered their wages. For example, would refuse to patron a business in my neighborhood. Businesses, like Holtman’s Donut Shop on Vine street, where hostile design elements grace their building are also off limits for me. The metal slats under their windows prevent people who are waiting on the bus from sitting down. Even if they just rent the space, they could still do something half hotdog menu item from The Senate named after Caitlyn Jenner, or the poorly thought out menu items at Revolution Chicken “honoring” Gandhi and Harriet Tubman. Even though they changed these menu items, it is very offensive to come into a black neighborhood, where (Continued on page 7) Sidewalk seating forces single-file, tight spaces Spikes on the Fence around Union Hall bordering Imagination Alley Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman Credit:Dr. Mark Mussman THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �4 LOCAL THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 | N o . 37 6 �No. 37 6 JUBILEE CAMPAIGN An Alternative | F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 A s anxieties about an economically unstable future grow globally, there is an alternative mindset much closer to home—literally just around the corner, in fact. Instead of relying on federal policy, our local communities are constructing an economy and a way of being that promises more stability and more local control. 2016’s surprise Brexit results in the UK and Trump’s election in the US are an indication that something fundamental is shifting in our economic and cultural landscape. There is waning faith that central governments—whether in Brussels or Washington and whether conservative or liberal—have the capacity to make a real difference in our lives. These votes highlight a profound distrust in some of the closely held beliefs that affect our economic and social well-being. No matter which way people leaned in the ballots, however, voters throughout the West agree that PETER BLOCK Contributing Writer more connected with their local communities. This community-concentrated mindset calls for a long-term shift in our economic thinking. Modern economic beliefs have been founded on assumptions of scarcity and a nearreligious belief in competition and growth. These beliefs have produced a set of betterment measurements: unemployment statistics, average income, purchasing power, and gross domestic product. Up until now, such metrics have become traditional yardsticks for the “good life.” This economic narrative implies that happiness and prosperity can be achieved by brilliant schooling, which leads to well-paying jobs, which leads to increased purchasing power, which leads to bigger houses and more assets. And yet the good life remains out of reach for too many: Families in the US are still impacted by the mortgage crisis, new jobs are in the lower-paying service sector, student structurally alternative economy that is occurring all around us. For example, cooperative housing involves jointly owned property with common spaces for cooking and eating, common areas for children to play, and privacy areas for times you want it. In the business sector, there are an estimated 30,000+ cooperative businesses in the US producing over 850,000 jobs; Ace Hardware and REI are two of the best known. There is also a rising nonmonetized economy. TimeBanks, which currently operate in 30 US cities, record each hour of generosity among neighbors, converting that time into additional volunteer hours to be spent at will. These communitybased models represent a profound shift towards an economics of mutuality. Instead of defining economics as the allocation of scarce resources, these models are based off the belief that in any given system, there is enough. There is also an expanding movement of community-building initiatives, in which neighborliness is assigned practical value. One of the most interesting is the Abundant Community Initiative, which was started in the Highlands neighborhood of Edmonton, Canada. something needs to be fixed. Instead of being outwardly focused on global forces or ceding all power to federal governments, many citizens around the world are turning their sights inward to what they can control: the cooperative economy and becoming BILL WOODS (Continued from page 2) above the poverty line. There are so many factors, according to Bankston, that keep families from lifting themselves out of poverty. She named the lack of affordable housing and the cost and the lack of day-care as two of them. Another negative is the lack of public 5 Working with the city government, local minister and neighborhood activist Howard Lawrence found people to act as “block connectors” for the neighborhood. The block connectors ask residents what they are good at, what they are willing to teach others, and what they would like to help make better in the neighborhood. The results of this experiment included a less isolated citizenry, more trust in the institutions of the city, and increased feelings of safety. The effort is now being replicated in fifteen additional neighborhoods in Edmonton. Now is the moment to take the idea of a cooperative economy and community-building seriously. As David Brooks declared in a recent New York Times column titled “The Great Affluence Fallacy,” “Maybe we’re on the cusp of some great cracking. Instead of just paying lip service to community while living for autonomy, I get the sense a lot of people are actually about to make the break and immerse themselves in demanding local community movements.” This crack could signal the beginning of an effort to reclaim the common good and reinvest in a promise we can believe in. Instead of looking outward or upward for solutions to our economic anxiety, we should be looking inward toward local and cooperative actions, plus a dose of neighborly affection. debt is high, and the average family credit-card debt is over $15,000, not counting car or home loans. And there is a solution that doesn’t rely upon federal political policy or the whims of the global economy. The cooperative economy is a transit to connect city residents with the jobs that exist in the suburbs beyond the City limits. Finally, she is convinced that uncoordinated and sometimes conflicting public and private social service programs must be refashioned to more effectively help families. Bankston says that any effective effort to address poverty has to go beyond economics to deal with the "distrust, anger," and other psychological barriers that grow up in a culture of poverty. She is encouraging the development of more hands-on services that work with families on the whole range of obstacles that keep them from achieving success. She sees the role of the Collaborative as a catalyst to promote and to advocate for the kind of coordinated programs and services THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED and public policies that will truly deal with the complexities of urban family poverty. P.S.- The Forum on March 1st tackles one of the issues brought up by Karen Bankston. A panel will look at the inadequacies of Cincinnati's current bus service and discuss how they can be fixed. -------------------------------------- �6 LOCAL School shootings and other social problems O ur media landscape defines how we feel about touchstone cultural events (no matter the political leanings of our news sources) by virtue of what gets covered, and how. Once again, we find ourselves in the midst of a debate about guns, school shootings, and the limits of the second amendment. But what if the media landscape does not provide an accurate context? In other words, what are the cold hard facts about school shootings? I thought to dig into some number-based facts with regards to school shootings. 1) According to the US Department of Education, in the fall of 2017, there were 50.7 million students in public elementary and secondary schools, and an additional 5.2 million attending private schools. For the sake of round numbers, let's call that approximately 56 million students attending our country's elementary and secondary schools. 2) Jugal K. Patel, writing a recent item for the New York Times titled "After Sandy Hook, More Than 400 People Have Been Shot in Over 200 School Shootings," states that, since the Sandy Hook shooting, "...there have been at least 239 school shootings nationwide. In those episodes, 438 people were shot, 138 of whom were killed." The Sandy Hook shooting happened in December, 2012. For the sake of simple math, let's call that five years ago. On average, then, 88 students per year get shot, and 28 per year get killed. Before looking at the math to determine the probability of a student being shot to death in school, let me be clear: I do not mean to suggest that it is acceptable for anyone to be shot needlessly, in school or otherwise. Instead, I'm just curious how the actual facts match the media landscape which seems to be influencing both what we talk about, and how we talk about it. To find the chances of being shot in a school-based event, I used the numbers from above: 88/56,000,000=0.00000157142, or roughly 0.00016%. Chance of being shot to death in a school-based event: 28/56,000,000=0.00000005, or roughly 0.00005%. I had to look up a JOSH SPRING (Continued from page 2) team trying to force its way into a neighborhood that doesn’t want it. Don’t cheer on your team to continue in a fight that simply makes it look worse and worse. Many of us are fine with FC Cincinnati looking worse and worse, but if you, as a fan don’t want that, tell Jeff Berding to stop trying to force the team on people that don’t F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 | N o . 37 6 JASON HAAP Contributing Writer chart to even know what words to call that number. I'm still not sure. While it is never okay for a child to be shot, a 0.00005% probability is astronomically small - especially compared to how I think the media landscape is making all of us feel right now. The fact that so many angry arguments, some of which can end family relationships or lifelong friendships, are happening over something with such a tiny probability Time for more facts! The National Center for Education Statistics indicates that, in the 2013-14 school year, there were 98,271 public schools in our country. (I'm not including private schools in this computation because, presumably, armed guards for private schools would not be paid by public dollars, but I could be wrong.) According to a 2014 Census Bureau report, the average American In some states, there are no age restrictions for rifles like the AR 15 Rifle Credit: abc7.com Media Guide to AR 15 Rifle Credit:ForceOptionsUSA.com strikes me as worth further thought. The radical right says we need to arm all the teachers. I'm not going to even take that suggestions seriously. But many have called for armed guards in every school. I feel like lots of people find that potential solution more reasonable. income is about $52,000 per year. Let's assume one armed guard in every school costs the average salary plus insurance and benefits. I believe this would take the number above $60,000 in real costs, but let's use that number to be conservative. And let's also remember many schools are want it because their life experiences tell them this stadium would harm their community. --------------------------------------- Jeff Berding at West End Community Council Credit: Justin Jeffre THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED so large, they would need more than one armed guard. Nevertheless, to put an armed guard in every public school at the average salary would cost $5,896,260,000 - or nearly $5.9 billion per year. If these armed guards were able to prevent all shooting deaths (which is highly unlikely), that would mean each saved life (28 per year) would cost approximately $210,580,714. Is it worth $211 million to save one life? According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, "[b] etween 1999 and 2002, hypothermiarelated deaths, totaling 4,607 in number, occurred in all 50 states in the United States." In other words, about 1,152 people die each year from being homeless in the cold. Over 41x as many people die from exposure related to homelessness than are shot in schools. Writing for the New York Times in 2012, in an item titled "Homeless Rates in U.S. Held Level Amid Recession, Study Says, but Big Gains Are Elusive," reporter Annie Lowery cites a housing official who claimed the US could effectively end homelessness for $20 billion per year. I think it's interesting to juxtapose numbers like this. I know there are all kinds of reasons people will cite about why homeless people are not the same as school students. There are all kinds of negative character traits that many apply to homeless people* which they don't apply to schoolchildren - but, at the end of the day, a life is a life, and I guess I kind of wonder what would happen if our culture would debate other social problems as vigorously as schoolshootings, especially when a greater total of lives could be saved. *Advocates of "person first language" believe in using phrases like "people experiencing homelessness," but instead I subscribe to "identity first language," which posits that being homeless is nothing to be ashamed of, and as such there is no reason to contort the typical use of adjectives in the English language. To contact Jason Haap email him at jasonhaap@gmail.com. [Editor’s note: The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition encourages people to use person first language.] �No. 37 6 7 LOCAL Authorizing Hostilities | F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 MICHAEL EARL PATTON N o one I know questions the right to defend our country in the case of an actual attack, but what about in case of a threat? Who makes the decision to respond, what form the response shall be, or if there even should be a response? Let’s leave aside the issue of economic and trade sanctions and focus on military force. Specifically, I am interested in who has the power to deploy our forces to areas where hostilities are likely and also who can order military force to be used, such as a bombing campaign. Since 2014 we have been conducting airstrikes against the self-proclaimed Islamic State, which had taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria. We also have about 1,500 troops in Syria to help the Syrian Kurds beat back the Islamic State. The problem is that Syria is not an ally of the United States – far from it. We have heavily criticized President Assad and have said that there is no place for him in a peaceful Syria. Needless to say, we never got permission to station troops there, let alone conduct military operations. Obviously the president, as commander-in-chief, was involved, but was Congress? Was authorization from Congress needed? Did Congress grant it? The Constitution divides the authority over the military between the president, who is the commanderin-chief, and Congress, which has the power to declare war and controls the funding. This split in authority was the product of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, which deliberated greatly on the balance of power between the president and Congress. As described in Edward Larson’s book, The Return of George Washington: 1783 – 1789, many feared giving too much power to the president who could then use that power to become DR. MARK MUSSMAN (Continued from page 3) most of the original businesses have already been forced out, to recreate and rebrand traditional soul food, and make it out of reach of the black residents through racism, price points, or hostile design. I decided that I wanted to give my classmates an opportunity to see why I envision a picket line at 21C Hotel through a walking tour through Overthe-Rhine. Several of my classmates, who were in town for the reunion, and I met at Washington Park for Contributing Writer a monarch. Others wanted to give the president more power to get away from the indecisions so characteristic of Congress under the Articles of Confederation, which formed the first constitution of the United States. Under the Articles there was no separate executive officer, no one person to carry out the laws passed by Congress. And one of the things that vexed Washington was that Congress, under the Articles of Confederation, could not rid the 30,000 acres he owned in today’s West Virginia of Indians. The Indians, naturally enough, said that land and most of today’s Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, belonged to them. A stronger military was important to Washington. And while everyone at the convention trusted Washington to be an excellent first president, the concern was who would be the second. Many like Benjamin Franklin wanted a weaker president. In the end we wound up with the current division with people on both sides hoping that the somewhat vague wording would work to their side’s advantage once the new government got underway. And 230 years later that question as to exactly how to divide that authority is still with us. It must be conceded, however, that the president as commander-in-chief is currently using his power much more effectively than Congress is using theirs. The 1973 War Powers Resolution was passed over the veto of President Nixon. Section 4(a) (1) requires the President to report to Congress when U.S. forces enter hostilities, or it appears hostilities are imminent. Once such a report is submitted, the use of these forces must be terminated within 60 to 90 days unless Congress authorizes such use or extends the time period. Such a report has been given only once, during the 1975 Mayaguez incident, but by the time the report was submitted the forces had been withdrawn. Presidents have reported to Congress on the use of force but generally do not refer to this section, as for example President Reagan did in 1983 during the invasion of Grenada. Both houses of Congress objected and said that the time limit applied, but not in one united resolution. In any event, the forces were withdrawn within 60 days. In 2001 Congress passed the “Authorization for Use of Military Force” (AUMF) following the September 11 attacks. This authorized the President to use “all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations, or persons.” This authorization for use of force against un-named organizations and persons is unprecedented in American history, but note that the authorization is still tied to those somehow connected to the events of 9/11. In 2002 Congress passed another Authorization for Use of Military Force, this time against Iraq. Note that the implication is that Iraq was not connected with 9/11. As for Syria, President Obama did notify Congress that he was using force but avoided mentioning Section 4(a)(1), instead saying that he was relying on his authority as Commander-in-Chief. He later cited the two AUMFs passed in 2001 and 2002 as giving him authority to deploy troops to Syria and to engage in actions against the Islamic State. President Trump so far has done the same. The problem is, neither of these AUMFs extend to Syria. No one is saying that Syria was involved in 9/11 and the Islamic State, against whom we are fighting in Syria, did not even exist in 2001. The Islamic State is not harboring people from Al-Qaida but is fighting them instead since they are insufficiently Islamic. Many members of Congress have had similar concerns about our actions there but so far have not taken any action. Recent history has been that Presidents act while Congress dithers. Given the recent record of Congress on the budget and immigration issues, it is probably too much to expect things to change soon. I do think this is very important, I just don’t see how things will change given most of the current office holders. (Candidate Hillary Clinton said that she wanted the United States to enforce a “nofly-zone” to prevent Russian and Syrian aircraft from flying over parts of Syria, also apparently without getting congressional approval. No improvement was likely in that direction.) Instead, I present for your consideration the recent votes regarding the proposed budget (H.R. 1892) with its large increase in military spending. The increase will be $80 billion in fiscal year 2018 and $85 billion the next year; the details of which will be described in a later bill. In Ohio Congressman Chabot (R) voted against it while Wenstrup (R) voted for it. Congressman Massie (R) from Northern Kentucky also voted against it. Both Ohio Senators Brown (D) and Portman (R) voted for it. Kentucky Senator McConnell (R) voted for it while Senator Paul (R) voted no and even filibustered against the bill for a few hours. No doubt this topic will be continued at a later date. the walking tour. If you’d like to learn more about hostile design, changes in the neighborhood, and the service agencies who serve the community, please email me or goto https:// cincihomeless.org/about/education/ to schedule an Over-the-Rhine People’s Movement Waling Tour. --------------------------------------- Metal barrier at Rhinehaus creates a difficult situation Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman “Breakdown Stereotypes” “Eradicate Misinformation” The Coalition for the Homeless provides Education and Service Programs that help to portray a more accurate and holistic picture of homelessness in Cincinnati. We believe an educated public can be a more compassionate public, willing to dedicate time and effort towards creating solutions to homelessness. The “Voice of the Homeless Speaker’s Bureau” program is made up of individuals currently experiencing homelessness or who have experienced homelessness, who share their experiences. The program is designed to put a face on homelessness and raise awareness about those struggling in our community. To schedule a speaker, contact Mark Mussman at (513) 421.7803 x14 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �RELIGIOUS PEACEMAKERS Retired Lutheran Minister Dorsey Stebbins' Voice for Peace and Justice Are His Patient and Persistent Protest Signs One at a Time 8 W F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 | N o . 37 6 hen Dorsey Stebbins, 12 years old, was not able to successfully help his father in his business as this latter expected, his father, fearing for him, bluntly told him that he "would not make it" in his life. This affected Stebbins very much and remained with him ever since. It, however, also created in him the determination to be persistent in whatever he did, to put in longer hours at tasks to make up for what he lacked, and that eventually he would succeed. "I am not eloquent at words," Stebbins says, "but I use signs to protest injustice wherever I see it, and I do it day after day, without being deterred, until someone notices." "My persistent protest signs are my voice, and I hope they make a difference, even if a little at a time," he adds. Stebbins was born in 1932 in a religious family, his mother a Lutheran and his father member of the Church of the Brethren. Baptized as an infant, he attended, growing up, the Lutheran church of Miamisburg, OH, the town where his family lived. He felt all along that he was a "child" of God. He was pious, and all those who knew him assumed he would become a minister one day. Heading to college and doubting his capabilities, he tried successively Education, Engineering, Liberal Arts, and finally the Lutheran Church Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter, Minnesota. He worked hard, succeeded, was ordained a Lutheran minister and was offered two parishes in the same area. "I wanted to do my best to be a good minister wherever I was needed," he says. "I recognized that God loved me and everyone else, and I wanted to share this message with SAAD GHOSN Contributing Writer my parishioners." Stebbins remained 6 years in Minnesota then moved to lead other ministries in Dayton, then Loveland and Mason; he served as a Lutheran pastor for 22 years total. In 1977, and due to a misunderstanding with his bishop, he had to leave his last parish, the Holy Trinity church in Mason, and remained without one for 3 years. This lapsed time, according to the Lutheran Church rules, terminated officially his ministry. He later got a job as a high school teacher of mathematics in Dayton, OH, and remained in this position until 1992, when he retired to take care of his then wife, diagnosed with Alzheimer. In the meantime Stebbins had met Maurice McCrackin (1905-1997), an American civil rights and peace activist, also a Presbyterian minister who was removed from his church St. Barnabas in Cincinnati's West End, for standing up for his beliefs against the Vietnam War and refusing to pay his federal taxes as a result. McCrackin had then started the small Community Church on Dayton Street, downtown Cincinnati, and Stebbins joined it. "Meeting McCrackin in 1985 triggered my real involvement in social justice as an activist," says Stebbins. "When in college, I was, however, fascinated by any gifted person advocating for social justice and, thus, did contribute a little bit myself." Stebbins first act was in the Fall of 1958 when he and another seminarian went to Little Rock, Arkansas, to interview then Governor Orval Faubus, a Democrat, who was standing against desegregation of the Little Rock School District; and What Is LUTHERANISM Lutheranism is a major branch of  Protestant  Christianity  which identifies with the theology of Martin Luther (1483–1546), a German friar, ecclesiastical reformer and theologian. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched the Protestant Reformation in the German-speaking territories of the Holy Roman Empire. The divide between the Lutherans and the Catholics centers primarily on two points: the proper source of authority in the church, or the formal principle (Scriptures alone for Lutherans, Scriptures and Tradition, i.e. doctrinal and spiritual authority of the Christian Church, for Catholics); and the doctrine of justification (i.e. salvation), or the material principle (justification by "grace alone" through "faith alone" in Jesus for Lutherans; through faith and good works for Catholics). Lutherans retain many of the liturgical practices and sacramental teachings of the pre-Reformation Catholic Church, including baptism and the Eucharist, or Lord's Supper.  Today Lutheranism is one of the largest denominations of Protestantism including approximately 80 million adherents worldwide. Daisy Bates, the American civil rights activist, publisher and journalist, who, on the other hand, was actively supporting it. They also interviewed a local author who had written an article in The Progressive in favor of it; the president of the White Citizens’ Council, a white supremacist organization founded in opposition to racial integration of schools; and various students at a junior college. Dorsey Stebbins In 1960 and as a pastor, Stebbins attended a businessmen’s gathering and spoke out against accusations made by the House Committee on Unamerican Activities, the committee created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities of citizens and organizations suspected of having Communist ties. A local paper editor soon after and in response to his intervention, wrote in an editorial that colleges in America were now graduating communist sympathizers. After meeting McCrackin, Stebbins followed him and participated in his numerous pacific activities, namely fighting for racial equality, for prisoner's rights, for an end to militarism in the United States, for the sanctuary movement affecting then Hispanic immigrants from Central America, against tearing down hotels that lodged the city’s poor... After McCrackin's death in 1997, he followed leads by Buddy Gray, IJPC, Contact Center, and ACORN, participating in their various struggles for social justice. In recent years, Stebbins protested Econocide (as defined by Alice Skirtz) and the gentrification of the Cincinnati neighborhood of Overthe-Rhine, regularly standing on its street corners, holding signs against the city and corporate actions that displace, in the name of economic development, poor residents they consider neither needed nor wanted. With Streetvibes contributing writer Jim Luken, he protested 5 years ago the proposed takeover by Western & Southern of the Anna Louise Inn downtown Cincinnati and its conversion into a de luxe hotel. The Inn had been functioning for Credit: Saad Ghosn over 100 years as housing for single women providing them with low-cost housing and various health services. Stebbins picketed persistently for 6 weeks in front of the Inn, holding his protest signs in locations visible to the Western & Southern's employees and to passerbys, calling their attention to the unjust issue. His tenacity triggered an increasing number and size of local demonstrations that weighed strongly in the final sale settlement of $4 million by W&S, enabling Anna Louise Inn to continue its mission by building a new home at an alternate site. In 2012, Stebbins was also one of the 1st Cincinnatians to religiously participate in the Occupy movement, hoping for a cultural and political revolution. He picketed, marched, demonstrated and attended the many strategic and sharing gatherings of the movement. "I saw in the Occupy meetings something I had never seen before," he says. "There was respect for everyone's voice, and a lot of diversity; so many African Americans and so many whites involved together, (Continued on page 11) Religious Peacemakers is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati individuals who use their faith and religious beliefs for peace and justice. Saad.Ghosn@uc.edu is the founder of SOS (Save Our Souls) Art, an organization that promotes arts as vehicles for peace and justice and for a change. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 37 6 O LOCAL Uber Cannot Replace Public Transit – But It Can Enhance It | F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 9 MARK SAMAAN ur bus system has major flaws including 101 buses that are older than 12 years old and break down more often, routes are set up in a 70’s style downtown hub-and-spokes model, and strained budgets have caused service reductions which have increased the time between buses on the same line. These issues together have produced a system which loses riders every year as service declines, which lowers the revenue collected by Contributing Photographer is full, fares paid cover most of the cost of the trip. This type of route needs regular-sized buses to handle the demand, especially during peak hours. As most Route 33 riders’ destination is downtown, the capacity is needed along the entire route so that buses aren’t overfull as they near Government Square. Next consider Metro Route 50 which runs from Addyston to Downtown via River Road and Sayler Buses are so crowded, people have to stand Credit: Better Bus Coalition Metro, which causes further service cuts and continues the cycle. Many have discussed whether private rideshare services like Uber and Lyft could move people around more efficiently and cheaper than traditional bus service. Why replace buses and increase service when rideshare is growing and offers an alternative to driving your own car? Although rideshare offers some serious benefits to the public transportation system, the bus is still the most efficient method of moving large amounts of people at the lowest cost. Consider Metro Route 33 which runs on 8th St, Warsaw Ave, and Glenway Ave through Price Hill and Westwood. This route moves 1.1 million passengers per year and accounts for 8% of the total Metro bus ridership. Over 4,000 riders per day use the 33. The average bus on this line carries 54 riders per trip on its route with most riders going downtown. During weekday peak hours, buses come every 12 minutes and are consistently full. The average cost to provide this service is $1.85 of subsidy per rider. When the bus Park. It carried approximately 300 riders per day over 14 weekday round trips with an average of 15 riders per trip. The subsidy per rider is almost $10, with ticket revenues covering only 12% of the operation costs. So, what if this route was converted to Uber rides only between Addyston and Downtown along the route, but also providing service to the nearest Transit Hub at Glenway Crossing or the Western Hills Plaza? Right now, these riders are mostly all going to downtown and back, but because the ridership is so low each rideshare vehicle would most likely only be able to carry 1 or 2 people at a time except during peak hours. As such the subsidy per rider would be just as high as running a bus, if not higher. This type of line could be considered for rideshare service during off-peak hours, but during peak the bus is still the most efficient way to move people. Beyond cost and transit efficiency, adding tens of thousands of rideshare vehicles per day to our roads would cause major traffic congestion, especially during peak hours in the city. Although transit ridership in Hamilton County is very low at 4% of commuters taking Metro, the system does function very well as an urban core congestion and parking demand reducer. Main and Walnut Streets downtown carry a combined 24,000 bus riders per day in vehicles that make up less than 10% of the total vehicular traffic but 60% of the people moved in vehicles on those roads. Even at 4 passengers per car, thousands of rideshare vehicles would be needed downtown alone during peak hours. In addition to their addition to existing traffic, these vehicles would need significant dedicated loading and unloading spaces on city streets. Driving downtown is already difficult enough with people parking and picking up/ dropping people off. Imagine it with thousands more cars not fully pulling over into the loading lane, cars double-parked while they wait for their passengers, and general delays from people not being at the pickup point at the right time right during rush hour. Moving 4 people per car would also increase the ride times for passengers compared to driving 1 person at a time. Dropping off 4 different people at different locations which are somewhat close to each other could take as long as the ride itself, or even longer if local traffic conditions are bad. The influx of thousands more vehicles onto city streets would make our roads a nightmare and slow traffic significantly, especially in dense areas with lots of pick-ups and dropoffs. Anyone who has witnessed the gridlock on Main Street in Overthe-Rhine between midnight and 3 am has already gotten a glimpse of a future of replacing buses with rideshare. Rideshare does have a role to play in increasing the reach of our bus system and moving people around in low-density areas. One major factor which determines whether or not a person will take transit is how far of a walk the nearest bus stop is from their location which is called the first mile/last mile problem. Rideshare services could act as local shuttles in neighborhoods to bring people to the nearest major bus stop or transit hub, significantly shortening travel times for people who live farther than walking distance from bus stops. For people heading to farther out job centers, an express bus may bring them to that general area as a group, with rideshare vehicles waiting at the stop when the bus arrives to take people to their final destinations. This could especially work in places like Blue Ash and Mason, where a lot of people work, pedestrian infrastructure in job centers are almost non-existent, and buildings are not within a reasonable walking distance of each other. This would provide a seamless trip in the shortest time. Rideshare will not be an effective solution to our local transit woes, but it can offer significant benefits to the riding public and those who live beyond walking distance of transit stops. --------------------------------------- Certain routes are crowded for much of the day THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Credit: Better Bus Coalition �10 LOCAL F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 | N o . 37 6 March 2 -24, 2018 For tickets please call (513) 381-2273 Purchase tickets online at www.cincyshakes.com AD Donated by Mark and Sue Ann Painter season sponsored by the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 37 6 LOCAL WHY IS CANCER MORTALITY SO HIGH FOR MINORITIES IN CINCINNATI? | F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 11 STEVE SUNDERLAND PART 4: THE ABSENCE OF A WELCOMING HOSPITALCOMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP "It is not surprising that rational decision makers in leadership positions would seek to avoid the complexity of community in favor of simpler models based on service delivery."--Gary Gunderson 1. Introduction: In prior articles questions were raised about the silence surrounding the high mortality rate from cancer for minorities. A question was raised about the absence of any healthcare outreach to those neighborhoods with the highest death rates, usually in those parts of our community that hospitals are located. A question was asked why physicians and nurses have so little experience with minorities and so little training for assisting low income and minority patients with their cancer. This article focuses on how a welcoming hospital and group of healthcare providers working in the community can change cancer mortality outcomes. Hospitals are not commonly thought about as places where friendly communication occurs. The invention of the Information Desk is the single greatest symbol of trying to assist a patient in finding the right physicians or departments. Yet, people leave with "information" but rarely understand how to negotiate the many hallways, especially when they may be suffering from an illness or a fear of an illness. What is needed is a different approach, an innovative way of thinking about the connection between the community and the hospital, especially in terms of cancer treatments. The person, before they are a patient, is filled with anxiety about approaching healthcare unless there is an attempt to make the visit to the hospital both understandable and safe. Going to the hospital can be a welcoming experience when there is a preparation that is trusted in the community. Too often people SAAD GHOSN (Continued from page 8) and all committed to non-violence and to an equal and just world." Stebbins has also been participating in many of the Amos Project activities, for instance in the fight against massive incarceration, and now, for a couple of years, against Judge Tracie Hunter’s criminal sentence. "They convicted her in 2014 for unlawful interest in a public contract, maintaining that she used her position as a judge to hire her brother. But they had no proof of it," says Contributing Writer have heard of or had horrible hospital experiences: treatments for the wrong illness, disrespect for the race, gender, and privacy of the person, long waiting times without any explanation as to why, and costly and often surprising costs. Replacing a history of indifferent or discriminatory expectations about a hospital visit requires a fundamentally different set of attitudes and policies. 2. Cancer care can be a welcoming and trusting experience for minorities and all patients: The key to new approaches lay in starting in the community with a person who is part of a team of a compassionate staff. Having a trusted navigator to assist with transportation to and from the hospital relieves a person who is unsure of how to take the best route. Having a trusted advocate accompany the person raises the possibility that the information about cancer screening and treatment will be better understood and that, if there are questions, the person will feel somewhat more confident that these questions can be answered by the health care professional. Having a compassionate colleague join with the person interested but fearful about cancer can have positive results when the fears are dispelled. Cancer is a confusing, dangerous, and misunderstood illness. It is rarely known that early screenings can catch and stop cancer growth, in many cancers. The presence of a heartfelt ally that can assist in obtaining accurate cancer information that offers the person the strength to continue. In sum, a person with an ongoing relationship with a friendly and knowledgeable friend can reasonably navigate the complex process of starting and completing the steps to knowledge about cancer. 3. Cancer navigators have been recognized as a critical factor in reducing mortality for almost 30 years. Harold Freeman, MD, surgeon, former president of the American Cancer Society, pioneered in 1990 a new approach to cancer care: the patient navigator. Freeman faced the reality that most of the people he met as patients were going to die because they had come too late for screening and treatment. The cancer had grown too much. His skills as a surgeon could not be applied when a patient's cancer had reached the final stage. Freeman recognized that the key to helping people involved coming to cancer care at the earliest stage. When cancer had just started to evolve, the physicians could move to remove all or most of the cancers. Freeman recognized that patients that were afraid of the hospital, terrified about anything to do with cancer, and resigned to fate their chances for survival, were not going to come for either screenings or treatment. Freeman opted to change the reality facing his lowincome patients. He realized that people could not overcome their fears by themselves, especially when they had no one to consult. He also realized that getting to the hospital for a screening and following up on treatments also needed some guidance and navigation by a trusted friend if the patient was going to have a successful outcome. The invention of the "patient navigator" as a person to assist the patient outside and inside the hospital made for the radical change in cancer care. In five years, with the use of patient navigators, Freeman changed the survival rate from 30% to 70%. Thanks to his innovation, every cancer program could develop a navigation program that followed his guidelines. The navigators were not healthcare professionals, nor did they offer medical advice. The navigators were advocates, allies, friends, and critical members of the healthcare process. 4. The spread of navigator programs across the US was a slow but successful process. The concept was seen as ripe for federal research to examine the strengths and weaknesses. Following five years of Stebbins. "Just recently, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters broke the same law  by offering a paid internship to the son of his good friend Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine upon his request, and nothing has been done about it," he adds. Stebbins regularly picketed the streets of Cincinnati, holding his signs in favor of Justice Hunter. In the beginning, he got no public acknowledgement, but after 3 weeks or so, drivers passing by started honking their horns in support. "The issue is not out in the open and very few vocal leaders speak of it," he states. "I am one of the rare white individuals to protest Hunter's unjust sentencing; I see, however, my signs starting to make an effect. Unfortunately, racism is still alive and healthy in our society." Stebbins' main concerns have always been what is right and good for the community, the country, the world. He is for equality for all, and for opportunities for a good and decent life across the board. His commitments stem deeply from his Christian faith. Even though now retired as a Lutheran minister, he still attends the Ascension Lutheran Church, in Montgomery, OH, where he occasionally teaches Sunday school, also the Community Church, THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED national research, navigation was seen as a major factor in reducing cancer mortality and made a necessary part of every cancer program by the American College of Surgeons, a medical association that accredits cancer programs. Three years ago, in order to highlight his program, Dr. Freeman was invited to Cincinnati to share his research on patient navigation with hospital staff from most of Cincinnati's hospitals. His research, accompanied by an additional research presentation by Electra Paskett, PhD, Ohio State James Cancer Hospital, made clear that navigation had powerful positive outcomes in cancer education, cancer prevention, and cancer treatment. Since their presentation, a private non-profit organization, Cancer Justice Network, started the first navigation program. Using volunteers from the UC school of medicine, the Xavier school of nursing, and selected community organizers, a navigation program was begun in places where low income people, minorities, and the aged congregated. At dinners, health fairs, senior centers and school meetings, navigators visited with people and gently advised them about the benefits of cancer prevention. Slowly, the navigators began to hear the list of reasons that people were afraid to go for screenings and treatments. People didn't want to know what cancer does to the body, or understand what a screening involved, or whether they could get the results when they didn't have a primary care provider, or what to do with their children while they were getting screened, or where the best place to go for a screening was, or what the costs would be if cancer were found, or, in sum, who really cared if they lived or died from cancer. The navigators reached out to people, spoke one on one with them at locations outside the hospital, brought people to talk who had survived cancer, discussed that the navigators were going to be with (Continued on page 12) at Dayton St, founded by his mentor McCrackin, and which recognizes his ordination. "I see myself as an activist for justice and peace," says Stebbins. "When unjust issues come up, I jump. I respond to the immediate, and my signs become my voice." Quoting Micah 6:8: "The Lord God has told us what is right and what He demands: 'See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God',” he adds: "This core sums up my approach as a follower of Jesus Christ." --------------------------------------- �12 LOCAL F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 | N o . 37 6 The Road to Redemption T o start I must say this is about me and my experiences here at Joseph House. These are all my opinions and thoughts. I came here in September of 2016. Having been living with my mom for the past 25 years after getting honorably discharged from the US Army. I came here to save my life. I am an Alcoholic. Writing that simple 9 letter word has more meaning to me than any other word in the human language. I must admit that to myself daily or I will forget why I am here. I was here 3 years ago, but wasn’t ready to stop my destructive lifestyle and more importantly be honest with myself and others. Joseph House is a place for Veterans like myself who STEVE SUNDERLAND (Continued from page 11) people throughout their screening and, if necessary, through their treatment as well. Deeply felt fears about facing cancer, added to prior poor experiences with healthcare staff, and confusion about healthcare insurance, slowed the decision to go with the navigator. Many people that signed up for a screening refused to go when the time came for the screening and often refused the chance to go with a navigator. Many poor people explained that cancer was not at the top of their list of concerns; instead, they were more worried about food, shelter, employment, or their children's lives. The navigators began to understand why cancer mortality was so high in this population: the fears about cancer were in competition with other realities that took precedence in the survival of people. 5. The start of the Cancer Justice Network's navigation program was done with the support of many agencies in Cincinnati that work with the poor, homeless, aged, or people with disabilities. There was widespread recognition that the healthcare needs of this population were spotty and needed new interventions. The navigators were welcomed into agency dinners, health fairs, and meetings to discuss health related concerns. At the same time, the hospitals of Cincinnati did not start an in-hospital navigation program. Even though there was widespread recognition of the need, and an appreciation of Dr. Freeman's work, the hospitals avoided starting a program. The navigators in the Cancer Justice Network didn't have clear connections into hospital cancer programs for those people that needed a next step of treatment. Getting a colonoscopy proved difficult as well as many hospitals were reluctant to plan for such a procedure BOBBY MORRIS Contributing Writer suffer from the disease of Addiction. Let me describe who I was at my mom’s house. I was that creepy Uncle who stayed upstairs at his mom’s house who only came out to get something to eat or to do that weekly chore of putting the garbage on the curb begrudgingly. I was so isolated from life that I forgot how to feel. I was disconnected from my family and from reality. I was in a state of depression many like me can identify with. After years of this I finally had enough and made the call to Joseph House for help. Since that day in September my life has transformed. Redemption had begun without me knowing it at the time I start my day with chores, being responsible is something I lack. At my age this is something I should have learned at 14, but at that age I was drinking and drugging. Joseph House uses simple activities to get me to get in the habit of doing what’s right. It’s a struggle somedays and I think even non-Alcoholics can relate to struggling with things at times. Being a Veteran is a common thread for us. Taking orders and doing things with an attention to detail has been lost over the years but not forgotten. Joseph House reminds me of that constantly. Working in groups and going to meetings allows me to get to know who I am. Here the recovery is individual based. Each one of us have our own difficulties and with the help of staff (my Counselor) I have grown. I am not perfect each day but I see the if the patient was unpredictable in coming for the exam. It was clear that hospitals did not see navigation as a necessary element of their approach to cancer care. One hospital system did reach out and share research on how a navigation program in Birmingham, Ala., had made major steps in successfully working with a geriatric population. A local hospital team was planning on visiting the program and seeing how navigators within the hospital program were being used to improve treatment and hospital costs. 6. At the same time, another program that used navigators in and out of the hospital came to the attention of the Cancer Justice Network. This program is called The Congregational Health Network(CHN) and it is based at Methodist Hospital in Memphis, TN. Reading about this program made clear that navigators, if they were to be successful in overcoming longstanding fears, had to meet people outside the hospital and welcome them to think about their health and then connecting to the hospital if the services were needed. Visiting the Methodist Hospital program, the Cancer Justice Network learned the following: A. Methodist Hospital recognized that healthcare needed to include a partnership with churches in the community that could build trust in both the community and in the hospital. A major program was needed as Memphis had a very large poor and minority population that needed extensive healthcare. B. The chaplain of Methodist Hospital reached out to a small group of ministers to discuss the nature of a sound relationship between the hospital and the churches. Meeting for over a year, they realized that there was a spiritual connection between health of the congregants and the health providers. And they believed that the churches had "assets" that could improve healthcare. C. An agreement was signed, called a Covenant, that spelled out the nature of the relationship between church health committees and a navigator at the churches and navigators from the hospital. Churches would select "liaisons," people well known within the church community to be designated as navigators. These navigators would have direct connection with one of the team of hospital navigators. In this way, potential patients knew there were trusted people in the church who cared about health and that they were in a relationship with a hospital funded navigators. These two sets of navigators would work together, with the hospital navigators visiting the church at times, and the church navigators accompanying their congregants. D. The minister's discussion highlighted that both the church health committee and the hospital needed to demonstrate that people could engage with respect, fostering trust, insuring reliability, using only straight talk, providing a capacity to listen deeply for understanding the needs of the individual, and to make commitments to follow through. Over ten years, 500 churches joined the Congregational Health Network, reaching about 200,000 people. E. The CHN developed five Care Pathways for healthy relationships: These are: 1) to educate by offering short courses that church members can attend for free on diseases and disease prevention; 2) A monthly prevention goal, i.e., discussion about a "disease of the month;" 3) a commitment to intervention, to making sure patients went to the hospital for needed screenings and treatments; 4) a realization that there needed to be a high quality life outside the hospital, and resources to assist; and, 5) a commitment to use the resources of the church for aftercare for the patients in order to assure a THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED small changes in my life. These small changes will eventually lead to a better me and with that a productive member of society. That is one of the goals of my recovery to redeem that in which I have lost and have destroyed in other people. To conclude this brief stint into the life I have here in Joseph House. I would say that I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world right now. I can see the redeeming qualities in myself and the others around me and with that in mind we all can make the people in our lives proud to know us once again. REDEMEPTION IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE HELP AND AID OF PEOPLE LIKE THOSE AT JOSEPH HOUSE TO CARRY YOU THROUGH THE ROUGH PATCHES UNTIL YOU CAN SEE THE GREEN PASTURES UP AHEAD. --------------------------------------- continuation of healthy behaviors. F. The early outcomes of the CHN's approach are impressive: "... early hospital research data show a 50% decrease in mortality rate, a 20% decrease in hospital readmissions, and a savings of over $4 million in billable costs to the hospital. On all patient diagnosed, the average CHN patient showed approximately 120 days longer between readmissions to the hospital, compared to control patients out of network." G. The CHN has a deep spiritual commitment to making this relationship work for the churches and the hospital. "It's the right thing to do," the Rev. Bobby Baker, chaplain and co-founder of the CHN, says when questioned about the mission of the hospitals and the churches. Clearly, the extra effort to organize ministers, health committees, select and train church navigators, and build relationships with hospital navigators and hospital procedures is a fundamental change for both the churches and the hospital. It is a change that is now welcomed by both partners in the CHN. 7. Cincinnati's hospitals and cancer programs have a lot to learn from the CHN. Facing the problems of mortality in our community will require a new focus and new policies if there is to be any significant change in the life expectancy of most of our citizens. Right now, there is only one navigation program and it is outside the hospitals, and touching about 6000 people a year with education programs and assistance to screenings. The CHN program offers a different methodology with an expectation of different results. We will work for the development of this exciting alternative to health care. --------------------------------------- �No. 37 6 STREET VOICE | F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 SON A PARADE FOR HIMSELF Son talk to me Mommy needs to know What you feel Did you know plans are being made For Prez Trump's big military parade? And what you see His desire for a grim show of force Son talk to me Is not a traditional American course. Mommy loves you Democracy's not The Donald's thing. With all her heart Seems like we have been drifting apart It’s a feeling, I feel in my heart I will never let anything keep us apart In the heart is where we need to start Like the good old days When learning and hoping were part of our start And we would talk Let’s start over son Because you are my heart KIM GREEN 13 Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer He's a man who sees himself as King. BILL WOODS Contributing Writer HOME ALONE I feel so blessed that being homeless for me has ceased Ceased meaning yesterday looking at today I still pray for peace I just knew being home alone, finally afer living in the street with a slide That I could finally rest with my memories and let my spirit glide I've learned that being home alone doesn't always make one happy Especially to wake up to the reality that the world you live in actually is crappy I hear a security guard involved in the death of a young man I hear for double murder you get twenty-five years in this land! I find myself afer all is said and done I'm lonely, bored, behind the time or missing people I need to be able to talk, enjoy, laugh, respecting history with loud chimes on the steeples I've learned in order to a make a change is some serious work and a lot of effort for me I've learned that I can not change people I must take the challenge to change myself you see I 've learned to keep my spirit clean for only God knows the truth there is NO DOUBT I'm learning to be honest with myself and living my life is what it's all about For everyone needs to be aware rather it be now or later that the CONSCIENCE KILLS Whether you be good or bad to live in denial just listen your conscience will get you... YOU JUST BE STILL! WILLA DENISE JONES Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �14 PUZZLES F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 | N o . 37 6 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 145 Across 1. Bring ashore 5. Region 9. Track 13. Woodwind instrument 14. Tether 16. Pronunciation mark 17. Transmitted 18. Out of fashion 19. Loose flowing garment 20. Set at a high angle 22. Spool 23. Elderly 24. Weep 26. Accepted something given 28. A state of adversity 33. Grooved tire surface 36. Colony insect 37. Impart knowledge 39. Sloping edge on a cutting tool 41. Smack 43. A lower limit 45. Brass instrument 46. Hirsute 48. Mistake 50. Relieve from 51. Inflict 53. Totality 55. Soot 57. The night before 58. Aromatic leaves used as seasoning 61. Skilful in physical movements 64. Planet 68. Golf club 69. Edible bulb 71. Painful 72. Metallic element 73. Meaning of a word or expression 74. Finished 75. Brink 76. Trial 77. Requirement Down 1. The result of costs exceeding revenue 2. Assist 3. Not any 4. Hate 5. Any high mountain 6. Raise 7. Facilitate 8. A useful or valuable quality 9. Small long-tailed bird 10. Highly excited 11. Hollow cylindrical shape 12. Pay close attention to 15. Serf (Middle Ages) 21. Dessert wine 25. Cattle reared for their meat 27. Globe 28. Punctuation mark 29. A relative by marriage 30. One of a flight of steps 31. Involves a vendor and buyer 32. Gain points in a game 34. A light shade of blue 35. An accounting entry 38. Tusk 40. Polite name for a woman 42. Mien 44. Memorization by repetition 47. Edible tuber 49. Tear violently 52. Acclaim or praise 54. Rationality 56. Religious doctrine 58. Magnitude 59. Desiccated 60. Percussion instrument 62. Amercement 63. Flip of a coin 65. Wander 66. Diagram often used in genealogy 67. Group of animals of the same kind 70. Fish trap PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ISSUE 375 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 144 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 275 - MEDIUM SODOKU PUZZLE NO 274- MEDIUM PUZZLES from puzzlechoice.com and puzzles.ca THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 37 6 RESOURCES | F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 Central Access Point 15 381-SAFE Shelter: Women and Children Bethany House 557-2873 1730 Race Street 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 535-2719 St. George Food Pantry 751-8771 2554 Dennis St. 45219 Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 621-7265 Health Resource Center 357-4602 McMicken Integrated Care Clinic and Mobile Medical Van 386-7899 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 6037 Cary Ave. 45224 FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 NAMI of Hamilton County 351-3500 PATH Outreach 977-4489 131 E. 12th Street 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 Other Resources St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 215 E. 14th St. 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave. 45214 The Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women 2499 Reading Road 562-1980 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 1528 Race St. 45202 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 4230 Hamilton Ave. 45223 Salvation Army 762-5660 112 E. Liberty Street 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 4600 Erie Ave. 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 Shelter: Men Shelterhouse 721-0643 1125 Bank Street 45214 411 Gest St. 45203 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Men St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 1437 Walnut Street 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 2121 Vine Street 45202 Prospect House 921-1613 1805 Dalton Ave. 45214 Parkway Center 661-4620 682 Hawthorne Ave. 45205 Starting Over 961-2256 Shelter: Youth Sheakley Center for Youth (18-24 y/o) 2522 Highland Ave. 45219 569-9500 Lighthouse Youth Crisis Center (10-17 y/o) 3330 Jefferson Ave 45220 961-4080 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Women Shelter: Family Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Both Interfaith Hospitality Network First Step Home 961-4663 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 471-1100 Housing: 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. 45214 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 1522 Republic Street 45202 114 W. 14th Street 45202 Talbert House 221-HELP Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street 45202 Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board 946-8000 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 221-HELP Advocacy Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 2401-2411 Reading Rd. 45202 Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 2401 Reading Rd. 45202 VA 977-6800 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Food/Clothing First Lutheran Church 421-0065 1208 Race St. Food - Last Monday 12-1 Clothing - second Monday 12-1 Lord’s Pantry 621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 961-1983 Catholic Social Action 421-3131 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 UpSpring 363-3300 Health 961-0600 Center for Respite Care 621-1868 OTR: 1620 Vine Street 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert Ave. 45206 3550 Washington Ave. 45229 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 381-0111 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. 579-8547 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 1223 Main St. 45202 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 Talbert House 751-7747 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 Hamilton County Office of Reentry 946-4304 138 E. Court Street Room # 101 First Floor Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels 981-4200 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center 799 Ann St. Newport, KY ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 5 E. Liberty St. 45202 for 26 issues 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-572-6202 Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky 634 Scott St. 41011 859-291-4555 You can support our mission and spread the word about your business. For more information contact Justin Jeffre at 513421-70803 x 12 or email streetvibes@ cincihomeless.org $100 859-491-8303 Want to advertise in Streetvibes? Cincinnati Health Network 2825 Burnet Ave. 45219 Center Independent Living Options 241-2600 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 $150 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED for 26 issues and a $50 donation �16 F e b 2 3 - M a r 8 , 2 0 18 | N o . 37 6 S treetvibes is distributed by individuals who purchase the paper for 75 cents per copy and sell it for a $2.00 donation, keeping the profit they have earned. Becoming a Distributor is a great way for individuals who are financially poor to get back on (or stay on) their feet. This program provides supplemental income for those unable to secure other employment. Money earned helps meet basic housing, food and health care needs. The program is a hand up for people who are often in a place of getting only a hand out, or even no hand at all. All Distributors wear a badge and usually a vest and can be found selling the paper in Downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northside, Northern Kentucky and at area churches. ALFRED WOOLFOLK SINCE 10/2003 ASRES AYENAW SINCE 2012 BERTA LAMBERT SINCE 1997 BETTIE BAILEY SINCE 10/2017 BRANDON NELSON SINCE 4/2008 BRIAN ADAMS SINCE 7/2017 CHARLES WILLIAMS SINCE 7/2017 CHRISTOPHER KAIHATSU SINCE 7/2017 CLEO WOMBLES SINCE 10/2003 CRANDALL COBB SINCE 2004 DARREL ROZIER SINCE 7/2017 DAVID MCCANE SINCE 2017 ERIC VALDEZ SINCE 2/2017 GERALD FRANKLIN SINCE 7/2017 GRADY COOK SINCE 1997 GREGORY RAY SINCE 4/2015 HENRY BRELAND SINCE 7/2017 JAMES BROWN SINCE 3/2009 JAMES DAVIS SINCE 8/2000 JENNY BURTON SINCE 7/2017 JIMMIE GIPSON SINCE 2001 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 JOHN HORN JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 J’TORI TYMAN SINCE 5/2014 KIM NGUYEN SINCE 7/2017 KENNY BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 MARK SHEARS SINCE 4/2012 MAURICE GOLSBY MELISSA MOSBY SINCE 9/2014 MIKE CARANO SINCE 4/2016 RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RICKY WOODS SINCE 4/2015 RICCARDO TAYLOR SINCE 1999 RONNIE PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 SAMUEL JACKSON SINCE 10/2006 STACIA HOLLANDER SINCE 2017 STEPHANIE EAKES SINCE 7/2017 SYLVESTER WALKER SINCE 7/2017 TALINA HILL SINCE 2/2011 TIA CASS SINCE 11/2007 TONY THOMAS SINCE 3/2005 VIOLET COLLINS SINCE 2017 VICTOR MUMPHRY WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 WINNIE RICE SINCE 7/2017 QUEENACELASTINE SINCE 7/2017 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED � 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 2018 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 23-March 8, 2018 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: From the Director Introducing the New Executive Director of the Child Poverty Collaborative Pg 3: My Picket Line Pg 4: How to Respond to Panhandling Pg 5: An Alternative Pg 6: School Shootings and Other Social Problems Pg 7: Authorizing Hostilities Pg 8: Religious Peacemakers Pg 9: Uber Cannot Replace Public Transit Pg 10: GCHC Pg 11: Why is Cancer Mortality so High for Minorities in Cincinnati? Pg 12: The Road to Redemption Pg 13: Street Voice Pg 14: Puzzles Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 23-March 8, 2018 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Josh Spring Bill Woods Dr. Mark Mussman Jason Haap Michael Earl Patton Saad Ghosn Mark Samaan Steve Sunderland Bobby Morris Kim Green Willa Jones Justin Jeffre Homeless Coalition ECI.com ABC7.com ForceOptionsUSA.com Better Bus Coalition Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF ABC7.com Better Bus Coalition Bill Woods Bobby Morris Cancer Child Poverty Cincinnati Dr. Mark Mussman ECI.com FC ForceOptionsUSA.com Homeless Coalition Jason Haap Josh Spring Justin Jeffre Kim Green Mark Samaan Michael Earl Patton Minorities Public Transit Religion Saad Ghosn School Shootings Steve Sunderland Uber Willa Jones